The recently passed S. 365 sets up a Joint Select Committee on Deficit Reduction, often referred to as the “super committee.” The committee is supposed to do several things but, if there is no agreement, automatic budget cuts across the board for Medicare, non-defense discretionary pending and defense spending will take place which would drastically harm the social services safety net for seniors, the disabled, pregnant women, and the unborn, among others. In Title IV Section 401(b) (3) (A) (i) of the Act the committee is charged to "provide recommendations and language that will significantly improve the short-term and long-term fiscal imbalance of the Federal Government." So, what the heck does that mumbo-jumbo mean? The new laws shall “significantly” improve the debt situation. “Significantly” is defined as:

“Having or expressing a meaning; meaningful; or, Having or expressing a covert meaning; suggestive; or, Having or likely to have a major effect; important; or, Fairly large in amount or quantity; or, relating to observations or occurrences that are too closely correlated to be attributed to chance and therefore indicate a systematic relationship.”

or defined as: “[I]n a significant manner: to a significant degree; or, it is significant; or, having meaning; or, having or likely to have influence or effect: important ; or, of a noticeably or measurably large amount; or, probably caused by something other than mere chance.” All of the Republican members appointed to the “super committee” by the Senate Minority Leader, Mitch McConnell (R-KY) and the House Speaker, John Boehner (R-OH) have pledged to Grover Norquist that they will not vote for any tax increases.  In effect, the most significant means of "short-term and long-term" deficit reduction cannot and will not be voted in favor of by any Republican member of the Joint Select Committee. The only report which may then pass is a report which the majority supports for severe cuts in non-defense discretionary programs and entitlements such as Medicare and Social Security. [More . . .]

House Majority Leader Rep. Paul Ryan (R-WI) and House Speaker Rep. John Boehner (R-OH) are the Grinch and his dog Max who along with the other Republicans in Washington are stealing Christmas from America. The stealing of Christmas from America is going on as part of the ongoing “negotiations” related to the raising of the debt ceiling and has nothing to do with anything but hubris and insanity. Ronald Reagan ran against a $1 trillion national debt in 1980. Reagan, Bush I and Bush II gave corporations and millionaires a series of tax cuts and tax eliminations which were supposed to spur investment and create jobs and make the economy grow. What America got from Reagan, Bush I and Bush II is a nearly $14 trillion national debt and the Republican plan to “fix” the problem is to destroy Medicare, Social Security, unions and what is left of America’s Middle Class. Albert Einstein said on definition of “crazy” is to “do the same thing over and over expecting a different result.” Republicans will do nothing but oppose any debt reduction plan of President Obama because they think voters will blame the President if the entire country and the world are thrown into economic chaos! The Grinch House Majority Leader Ryan and Max the Dog House Speaker Boehner want us all to believe that yet ANOTHER bigger and better round of Reagan, Bush I and Bush II tax giveaways to the corporations and millionaires will fix the economy even though the past Reagan, Bush I and Bush II policies gave us the Great Recession and $14 trillion in national debt! The Grinch and Max the Dog are stealing Christmas from America because if only corporations and millionaires can afford it, Christmas is gone! So, we are at an impasse and the crazy Republicans will throw the country and the world under the bus if the President and the Democrats don’t let the Grinch and Max the Dog have their way. It’s time for the Grinch and Max to abandon their craziness and to learn the true meaning of Christmas---Christmas is for all us here, not just corporations and millionaires.

Missouri’s Department of Transportation (MoDoT) is laying off employees, closing facilities and selling some of its assets to make another over $500 million available for project funds for Missouri transportation by 2013. Additional federal funds for economic infrastructure are unlikely as part of any renewed efforts at economic stimulus. Some suggest that overseas corporate profits could fund an infrastructure bank. Despite the current economic situation states can use their own efforts to provide additional infrastructure funding in addition to making their state departments of transportation more lean and efficient. Perhaps groups of states may even establish regional infrastructure banks for the states to fund educational and economic infrastructure projects.  To the degree other financial incentives may be necessary to retaining present businesses and assuring the location of new businesses in a state, bond issues for economic and infrastructure development could be put to a vote of the people. Missouri had a vote for educational infrastructure under our late Governor Mel Carnahan when the governor supported a constitutional amendment to issue bonds for some $660 million for education. Missouri voters overwhelmingly supported the bond issue and our schools and state are better for it. California did this with a $10 billion investment in life sciences research. States may look at what was done in Missouri, California and elsewhere to see what worked and build upon it. [More . . . ]