Friday Open Thread. The Juliana Edition!

Comments

10 responses to “Friday Open Thread. The Juliana Edition!”

1. 

   JMPrince

   February 2, 2011

   Tom’s Back! And he brings us ‘Life in a Citizens United World’ by Roy Barnes. Well worth the read. JMP

   http://gareport.com/blog/2011/01/31/life-in-a-%E2%80%98citizens-united%E2%80%99-world/

2. 

   JMPrince

   January 31, 2011

   Another B-day celebration, 150 years of MIT in ‘A mostly Happy story’:

   http://www.economicprincipals.com/issues/2011.01.30/1228.html

   Or how the South’s succession & firing on Ft. Sumter led to the Morrill Land Grant College Act. Leading to you being able to get a college education. Then as now, the South was against it. Figures. Important too. JMP

3. 

   Dave Bearse

   January 29, 2011

   It’s titled open thread, but there’s a birthday subtitle. I mean no disrepect to the birthday lady with an abrupt subject change!

   I’d commented on another thread some time ago I sought discussion of the Tax Council’s recommendations. I suppose an open thread is as good as place as any to seek initiate discussion….

   House Speaker David Ralston had said he’s in no hurry to consider the Tax Council’s recommendations. That might have been because Ralston had signed the Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) pledge not to raise taxes, and ATR head Grover Norquist initially blasted the Tax Council’s recommendations.

   General Assembly observers had taken Ralston’s cue with the consensus being is that it would be unlikely the General Assembly comprehensive reform will be seriously considered.

   The Tax Council’s head has since privately met with ATR’s Norquist, Ralph Reed, lobbyists and at least one legislator. Norquist, having been bowed down to, no longer opposes the measure so Ralston may be changing his tune, what with the influence of the ATR and lobbyists on General Assembly leadership.

   The real danger is that the recommendations won’t be considered as a comprehensive package, yet legislators will cherry-pick new special interest exemptions and ignore the heavy lifting of true reform.

   The cherry-picking is already underway. The Council recommended exempting industry from taxes on electricity. HB86, introduced Thursday, would do just that. The idea is that an additional new exemption would make Georgia-manufactured goods more competitive and thereby creates jobs. Things are often not as simple as they seem however.

   Are the numbers and quality of any additional jobs worth additional taxes paid by other taxpayers, and the cost on Georgia residents of air pollution and the ash left behind?

   Two-thirds of Georgia electricity is generated by coal-burning power plants. The cost of the air pollution generated in transporting the coal within Georgia, and much of the cost of burning coal in our backyard, is born by Georgia residents and taxpayers at large.

   It should also be mentioned that this new exemption would be on top of 2009 legislation that effectively exempted industry from the capital cost of nuclear power plant construction (by making residentil consumers pay an additional $100 a year for capacity that won’t be completed for a half dozen years). (I’ll add that the additional capacity may little change the relative fraction of nuclear power generation with Georgia given the state’s likely future growth.)

   What about water? Coal-fired power plants and are a significant source of mercury pollution in Georgia waters. Power plants in general require enormous quantities of water, sometime that will be in short supply in metro Atlanta for the foreseeable future. Small residential ratepayers I suppose will take any hit there too.

   I grant the new exemption may be worthwhile. I am opposed however to this exemption if it’s simply another special interest exemption that is not part of comprehensive reform. (I further oppose comprehensive reform that does not maintain the current only average progressivity of Georgia’s tax code.)

4. 

   JMP

   January 29, 2011

   Funniest almost instant Karma, heard on Fri:
   “Two officers from Atlanta Eagle raid in trouble again; complaints allege groping, body search
   Written by Laura Douglas Brown & Dyana Bagby
   Friday, January 28 2011 11:11”

   http://www.thegavoice.com/index.php/news/atlanta-news-menu/1963-two-officers-from-atlanta-eagle-raid-in-trouble-again-complaints-allege-groping-body-search

   JMP

5. 

   nrallen

   January 28, 2011

   happy birthday!!

   have you seen the givenchy spring 2011 couture collection yet? to die for

   definitely one of my favorites of the season so far

6. 

   JMPrince

   January 28, 2011

   Happy Birthday Juliana, And surprise, we bring you the Dish from Davos, ‘Jealous Davos Mistresses’ (where Dior dwells)
   http://blogs.reuters.com/davos/2011/01/25/jealous-davos-mistresses/

   May you be drinking heavily by the time I see you next!
   JMP

7. 

   BEZERKO

   January 28, 2011

   Happy Birthday Jules! See you in Warner Robbins, I’ll make sure to wear something extra spiffy!

8. 

   Ed

   January 28, 2011

   If you tell me you are a day over 35 I won’t believe you.

9. 

   Mel

   January 28, 2011

   Love you too Jules! We’d be lost without you.

10. 

    Julianal

    January 28, 2011

    This is amazing, wonderful and so unexpected!

    Thank you Catherine, without your friendship and that of Melanie, Bernita, Paula and so many others I couldn’t imagine keeping up the fight.

    If just one person makes a donation-I will be so thrilled.

    Oh an who wouldn’t want Dior Couture!