Monthly Archives: February 2012

Articles on SEC football recruiting results

February 2, 2012 – 4:13 pm

Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams runs back a punt for a touchdown against Tennessee at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on Nov. 12, 2011. (AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL)<br /><br /><br /><br />

Related posts:

Briefs on all the SEC football recruiting hauls

I am glad that Petrino got more defensive players than offensive players but time will tell if he can develop these three star players like he did in 2008 when that class later turned the hogs into a national contender in 2011. Below is an article from http://www.ajc.com Alabama (26): The national champs added to their […]

Tennessee is upset at Peters for switching to the Hogs

In the article below you can see that the player who lived in Texas that switched to Texas could be explained away and the one that lived in Virginia that switched to VA Tech could also but the Vols don’t have an explanation for why the 4 star linebacker Otha Peters switched from his commitment […]

Articles on SEC football recruiting results

I disagree with the article below that says that Vandy did not do well in recruiting. There is no way they are number 13 out of 14.   National Signing Day around the SEC. 247Sports ranked the SEC team’s recruiting in this order: 1 Alabama, 2 Florida, 3 Georgia, 4 LSU, 5 Texas A&M, 6 South Carolina, […]

Arkansas can learn from Vols’ mistake in football recruiting

I have noticed that Arkansas never seems to have great recruiting years like Tennessee and Florida and Alabama do. However, the 2008 class that will graduate in 2012 for Arkansas included some great players like Joe Adams and has been re-ranked as the 5th best performing class. That class led Arkansas to a final ranking […]

SEC football recruiting update

It seems to me that there are a few surprises in the recruiting game this year. Below is a rivals article and the one below it is an article from 3 months ago. January 27, 2012 Rivals.com analyst Chris Neereviews recent rising and falling in the 2012 team rankings as National Signing Day nears. Five […]

Lane Kiffin has put off Judgement Day

It is true that USC’s Lane Kiffin has had two great recruiting classes at USC, but that was because he signed 25 players both in 2010 and 2011. He delayed “Judgement Day” by getting permission to avoid the 15 scholarship limits (imposed for 3 years) while the school appealed the NCAA’s decision. Therefore, all these […]

I disagree with the article below that says that Vandy did not do well in recruiting. There is no way they are number 13 out of 14.

National Signing Day around the SEC.

247Sports ranked the SEC team’s recruiting in this order: 1 Alabama, 2 Florida, 3 Georgia, 4 LSU, 5 Texas A&M, 6 South Carolina, 7 Auburn, 8 Tennessee, 9 Mississippi State, 10 Arkansas, 11 Missouri, 12 Mississippi, 13 Vanderbilt, snf 14 Kentucky.

Miles: LSU lost some recruits, but met need

A list of Auburn’s 2012 football signees

Auburn finishes signing day strong

Spurrier: Gamecocks have more to offer than ever

Mississippi’s 2012 signing class

Mississippi’s Freeze pleased with small class

Mississippi State 2012 signing list

Alabama stocks up on defense, offensive playmakers

Florida signs 23 players to letters of intent

Towles headlines Kentucky’s recruiting class

List of Georgia Bulldogs football signees

Georgia signs 18, awaits word from top prospect

Franklin wraps up perhaps best class ever at Vandy

Arkansas eyes receiving help on signing day

Missouri prep WR Green-Beckham signs with Tigers

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Norquist is right, Brantley is wrong

February 2, 2012 – 4:08 pm

Max Brantley went on another tyrade about raising taxes instead of cutting spending (“How to raise taxes,” Arkansas Times Blog, November 28, 2011). However, spending is the main problem and it appears that Democrats do not want to cut a dime. Instead, they blame Glover Norquist for all their problems.

Does Norquist deserve all the blame? Charles Krauthammer set the record straight below:

The Grover Norquist myth

Charles KrauthammerNovember 28, 2011

WASHINGTON — Democrats are unanimous in charging that the debt-reduction supercommittee collapsed because Republicans refused to raise taxes. Apparently, Republicans are in the thrall of one Grover Norquist, the anti-tax campaigner, whom Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., called “the 13th member of this committee without being there.” Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid helpfully suggested “maybe they should impeach Grover Norquist.”

With that, Norquist officially replaces the Koch brothers as the great malevolent manipulator that controls the republic by pulling unseen strings on behalf of the plutocracy.

Nice theory. Except for the following facts:

•Sen. Tom Coburn last year signed on to the Simpson-Bowles tax reform that would have increased tax revenue by $1 trillion over a decade.

•During the debt-ceiling talks, House Speaker John Boehner agreed to an $800 billion revenue increase as part of a Grand Bargain.

•Supercommittee member Pat Toomey, a Club for Growth Republican, proposed increasing tax revenue by $300 billion as part of $1.2 trillion in debt reduction.

Leading, very conservative Republicans proposing tax increases. So why does the myth of the Norquist-controlled anti-tax monolith persist? You might suggest cynicism and perversity. Let me offer a more benign explanation: thickheadedness. Democrats simply can’t tell the difference between tax revenue and tax rates.

In deficit reduction, all that matters is tax revenue. The holders of our national debt care not a whit what tax rates yield the money to pay them back. They care about the sum.

The Republican proposals raise revenue, despite lowering rates, by opening a gusher of new income for the Treasury in the form of loophole elimination. For example, the Toomey plan eliminates deductions by $300 billion more than the reduction in tax rates “cost.” Result: $300 billion in new revenue.

The Simpson-Bowles commission — appointed by President Barack Obama and endorsed by Coburn — used the same formula. Its tax reform would lower tax rates at a “cost” of $1 trillion a year while eliminating loopholes that deprive the Treasury of $1.1 trillion a year. This would leave the Treasury with an excess — i.e., new tax revenue — of $100 billion a year, or $1 trillion over a decade.

Raising revenue through tax reform is better than simply raising rates, which Democrats insist upon with near religious fervor. It is more economically efficient because it eliminates credits, carve-outs and deductions that grossly misallocate capital. And it is more fair because it is the rich who can afford not only the sharp lawyers and accountants who exploit loopholes but the lobbyists who create them in the first place.

Yet the Democrats, who flatter themselves as the party of fairness, are instead obsessed with raising tax rates on the rich as a sign of civic virtue. This is perverse in three ways:

1) Raising rates gratuitously slows economic growth, i.e., expansion of the economic pie for everyone, by penalizing work and by retaining inefficiency-inducing loopholes.

2) We’re talking pennies on the dollar. Obama’s coveted Bush tax cut repeal would yield the Treasury, at the very most, $80 billion a year — offsetting 2 cents on the dollar of government spending ($3.6 trillion).

3) Hiking tax rates ignores the real drivers of debt, which, as Obama himself has acknowledged, are entitlements.

Has the president ever publicly proposed a single significant structural change in any entitlement? After Simpson-Bowles reported? No. In his February budget? No. In his April 13 budget “framework”? No. During the debt-ceiling crisis? No. During or after the supercommittee deliberations? No.

As regarding the supercommittee, Obama was AWOL — then immediately pounced on its failure by going on TV to repeat his incessantly repeated campaign theme of the do-nothing (Republican) Congress.

A swell slogan that fits nicely with the Norquist myth. Except for another inconvenient fact: It is the Republicans who passed — through the House, the only branch of government they control — a real budget that cut $5.8 trillion of spending over the next 10 years. Obama’s February budget, which would have increased spending, was laughed out of the Senate, voted down 97-0. As for the Democratic Senate, it has submitted no budget at all for 2 1/2 years.

Who, then, is do-nothing? Republicans should happily take on this absurd, and central, Democratic campaign plank. Bring Simpson-Bowles to the House floor and pass the most radical of its three deficit-reduction alternatives.

Dare the Senate Democrats to vote down the grandest of all bargains. Dare Obama to veto his own debt commission. Dare the Democrats to actually do something about debt.

Washington Post Writers Group

Charles Krauthammer is a syndicated columnist based in Washington.

letters@charleskrauthammer.com

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Cato Institute, Social Security, spending out of control, Taxes | Comments (0)

Arkansas gets help on defense in this class

February 2, 2012 – 4:05 pm

I know that many of us are disappointed that Dorial Green-Beckham did not sign with the Razorbacks but we just have to move on. I am not interested in reliving the whole thing and going through all the negative things said about the Hogs during the process. That always happens in every recruiting case and it is old news.

Arkansas got four receivers including one from Junior College, Ray Buchanan Jr. who is the son of former Atlanta  Falcoln and Oakland Raider safety. Here is an article by Kurt Voigt below:

FAYETTEVILLE, Ark. (AP) — Arkansas coach Bobby Petrino was concerned about how an offseason of coaching turnover would affect recruiting.

The Razorbacks coach liked how the school’s group of 24 signees shaped up on Wednesday afternoon, even after a notable miss earlier that morning during national signing day.

Arkansas signed four wide receivers among its class, but it was the one who got away who garnered much of the attention early in the day.

Springfield (Mo.) Hillcrest wide receiver Dorial Green-Beckham, regarded as one of the top prospects in the country, announced he was signing with Missouri — leaving the Razorbacks at the altar in their quest to replace the top receiving corps in school history.

“We wish him good luck,” Petrino said. “… We’re really fired up about our class and what we’ve got coming back.”

Arkansas has won 21 games over the past two seasons, last year finishing 11-2 and with a No. 5 ranking after a Cotton Bowl win over Kansas State. It received two of its biggest offseason commitments last month when first-team All- Southeastern Conference quarterback Tyler Wilson and running back Knile Davis both decided to return for next season.

However, the Razorbacks head into next season without three of the top receivers in school history — Jarius Wright, Joe Adams and Greg Childs. The three combined for 141 catches for 2,009 yards receiving last season.

Green-Beckham was courted by Arkansas, visiting two weekends ago, and was on hand for the Razorbacks’ basketball win over then-No. 20 Michigan. However, after a visit at Missouri last weekend, he elected to stay home — saying his relationship with the Tigers’ coaches swayed his decision.

“This was the place for me,” Green-Beckham said. “All of the Hog fans, I enjoyed being around them, but staying home was the right fit.”

Even without Green-Beckham, Petrino lauded the four receivers Arkansas signed — particularly junior-college transfer Demetrius Wilson. The 6-foot-3, 180-pound junior transferred from Glendale (Ariz.) Community College, where he had 51 catches for 927 yards and 10 touchdowns last season.

Wilson was joined by receivers D’Arthur Cowan, Keon Hatcher and Eric Hawkins. Petrino expects the group to compliment an already-experienced unit led by Cobi Hamilton, who had 34 catches for 542 yards last season.

“I’m excited about our receiving corps,” Petrino said. “… We’ve got guys on campus we’re really fired up about. We did feel like losing all that production, between Jarius Wright and Joe Adams and (Childs), that was an area of emphasis and an area we really addressed.”

Offense has rarely been a problem for Petrino, and Arkansas has led the SEC in passing the last three seasons. In order for the Razorbacks, though, to move past Alabama and LSU in the SEC West, they were in need of some key defensive additions on Wednesday.

Petrino felt like the group, with three linebackers and four in the secondary, fit the bill — highlighted by cornerback Ray Buchanan Jr., son of the former Atlanta Falcons and Oakland Raiders safety. Arkansas must replace Jerry Franklin, who led the team in tackles for four years, and linebacker/safety Jerico Nelson.

Petrino acknowledged concern about holding the class together after several staff changes, but he said the Razorbacks’ new coaches blended right in. Arkansas lost four coaches in the last few months, including former defensive coordinator Willy Robinson, offensive coordinator Garrick McGee, special teams coach John L. Smith and linebackers coach Reggie Johnson.

New defensive coordinator Paul Haynes was hired away from Ohio State in December and helped the team prepare for the Cotton Bowl. Haynes said he stepped right into the mix, assuring recruits that Arkansas’ defensive schemes weren’t undergoing radical changes.

“It was hit (the ground) running, just like practice was before the bowl game,” Haynes said. “We hit that thing full-speed, just like anything else.”

Other staff newcomers include Paul Petrino as offensive coordinator and Taver Johnson as linebackers coach.

“You know, when you lose some coaches, you always worry about the recruiting and how that’s going to affect it,” Bobby Petrino said. “But the transition was something I thought we handled really well.

“… Our new coaches went out and hit the ground hard, worked extremely hard to finish the class off, which I thought we did a very good job of.”

Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams runs back a punt for a touchdown against Tennessee at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on Nov. 12, 2011. (AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL)<br /><br /><br /><br />

Related posts:

Briefs on all the SEC football recruiting hauls

I am glad that Petrino got more defensive players than offensive players but time will tell if he can develop these three star players like he did in 2008 when that class later turned the hogs into a national contender in 2011. Below is an article from http://www.ajc.com Alabama (26): The national champs added to their […]

Tennessee is upset at Peters for switching to the Hogs

In the article below you can see that the player who lived in Texas that switched to Texas could be explained away and the one that lived in Virginia that switched to VA Tech could also but the Vols don’t have an explanation for why the 4 star linebacker Otha Peters switched from his commitment […]

Articles on SEC football recruiting results

I disagree with the article below that says that Vandy did not do well in recruiting. There is no way they are number 13 out of 14.   National Signing Day around the SEC. 247Sports ranked the SEC team’s recruiting in this order: 1 Alabama, 2 Florida, 3 Georgia, 4 LSU, 5 Texas A&M, 6 South Carolina, […]

Arkansas can learn from Vols’ mistake in football recruiting

I have noticed that Arkansas never seems to have great recruiting years like Tennessee and Florida and Alabama do. However, the 2008 class that will graduate in 2012 for Arkansas included some great players like Joe Adams and has been re-ranked as the 5th best performing class. That class led Arkansas to a final ranking […]

SEC football recruiting update

It seems to me that there are a few surprises in the recruiting game this year. Below is a rivals article and the one below it is an article from 3 months ago. January 27, 2012 Rivals.com analyst Chris Neereviews recent rising and falling in the 2012 team rankings as National Signing Day nears. Five […]

Lane Kiffin has put off Judgement Day

It is true that USC’s Lane Kiffin has had two great recruiting classes at USC, but that was because he signed 25 players both in 2010 and 2011. He delayed “Judgement Day” by getting permission to avoid the 15 scholarship limits (imposed for 3 years) while the school appealed the NCAA’s decision. Therefore, all these […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Senator Obama’s ideas on Social Security

February 2, 2012 – 3:54 pm

Senator Obama’s Social Security Tax Plan

Uploaded by on Jul 23, 2008

In addition to several other tax increases, Senator Barack Obama wants to increase the Social Security payroll tax burden by imposing the tax on income above $250,000. This would be a sharp departure from current law, which only requires that the tax be imposed on the amount of income needed to “pay for” promised benefits. But more important, at least from an economic perspective, the Senator’s initiative would increase the top tax rate on productive behavior by as much as 12 percentage points – and this would be in addition to his proposal to kill the 2003 tax rate reductions and further boost the top rate by 4.6 percentage points. This mini-documentary explains why a big tax rate increase on highly productive people would be very damaging to America’s prosperity, especially in a competitive global economy. Simply stated, pushing top tax rates in the United States to French and German levels means at least some degree of French-style and German-style economic stagnation. Visit http://www.freedomandprosperity.org for more information.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Cato Institute, President Obama, Social Security | Tagged , , , , , | Comments (0)

Last minute pick up from Vols helps Hogs finish strong in recruiting

February 2, 2012 – 3:51 pm

I was disappointed that Vandy had a better class than Arkansas but I was glad that we got a chance to get a quality linebacker to switch to the Hogs at the last moment.

Otis Kirk’s Recruiting 360: Arkansas’ Peoples Key In Landing Otha Peters

2/2/2012 at 1:06pm

Arkansas struck late in recruiting to land Covington (La.) 4-star linebacker Otha Peters with new assistant Kevin Peoples playing a key role.

Peters (6-foot-1, 227 pounds, 4.61 in the 440) had been committed to Tennessee for several months, but Peoples and Arkansas decided to make a run at him. A run that resulted in the Razorbacks landing a commitment on Tuesday and his signature on Wednesday.

“That was a great pickup for us,” Peoples said. “I went in and saw him two weeks ago and we set up the visit.”

Peters is a three-year starter who was the defensive MVP in his district and also was a Class 5-A all-state selection. As a senior, Peters had 153 tackles, 7.5 sacks and 6 forced fumbles. Peters is one of the more versatile linebackers in the nation.

“Arkansas has told me I could play any of the three linebacker positions,” Peters said. “I think Arkansas has a chance to win a national championship. I had a great visit.”

Peoples said Wednesday that Peters indeed can play all three spots at linebacker.

“He’s a very versatile guy,” Peoples said. “He can run and he’s fast and physical. He can play the Sam, Mike and Will. Any time you can do that you’re able to play the run or the pass and stay on the field as a cover guy. That’s what we’re looking for.”

Peoples said that after his initial visit to Peters, Arkansas went back into his home again prior to his official visit.

“We went in last with myself, Coach (Bobby) Petrino and Coach (Taver) Johnson,” Peoples said. “We wanted to make sure he came on campus. Once we had him on campus that was the biggest obstacle. Once he got around our players, get around our town and university that really sold itself.”

One reason Peters gave for choosing the Razorbacks over the Volunteers was where he viewed the two programs being at this time. Arkansas was 11-2 this past season and finished No. 5 in the nation in the final polls.

“He really likes the atmosphere and our players attitudes about winning a national championship,” Peoples said. “That was our major selling point so it was the University of Arkansas that sold him.”

In addition to getting past the obstacle of getting Peters on campus, Arkansas also had to sell his mother on Arkansas. She made the visit to Tennessee with him, but was unable to make the trip to Fayetteville. “I think his mom is like anybody when they’re not around and they’ve never seen a place,” Peoples said. “It makes it a little bit more difficult, but luckily Otha is a fantastic person and she trusted him and his judgement. He was obviously able to explain to explain the reasons he wanted to attend the University of Arkansas. He did a great job there and his mom really believed in her son . We’re glad to get him.”

Peters had stated many times he was a solid commitment to Tennessee. Peoples reflected back on how much of a longshot it was to land Peters when Arkansas first started recruiting him.

“We obviously knew we were behind and had to catch up,” Peoples said. “We thought we had a chance, but we knew we had to play catchup, but fortunately we were able to close on him.”

Peters is ranked the No. 5 player in the state of Louisiana and No. 13 outside linebacker nationally by 247Sports. Covington head coach Malter Scobel feels the ranking is certainly justified.

“Arkansas has got them a good player and probably a better person,” Scobel said. “He’s a smart kid. He wants to play for a team that has a chance to win a championship. I know he’ll be an asset to that team I more way than one way.”

Quick Hits
• Arkansas has one scholarship remaining and has two prospects targeted. Chicago (Ill.) Simeon 4-star offensive tackle Jordan Diamond (6-6, 290, 5.2) is supposed to sign with one of his finalists on Friday evening. Arkansas is also in the mix for Paradise Valley (Ariz.) Chaparral 4-star wide receiver Davonte Neal (5-9, 170, 4.4).

• On Wednesday, Arkansas extended scholarship offers to a pair of instate juniors. Fayetteville quarterback Austin Allen (6-2, 208, 4.7) and linebacker Brooks Ellis (6-2, 215, 4.58). Allen now has offers to Arkansas, Arkansas State, Tulsa and Ole Miss while Ellis has offers to Arkansas and Tulsa. Both have been invited to play in the 2013 Semper Fidelis All-American Game in Phoenix, Ariz.

• The biggest surprise on Wednesday was Arkansas’ late addition of Mobile (Ala.) Vigor defensive tackle Darius Philon (6-2, 280, 5.0). Philon was committed to Alabama, but the Crimson Tide told him he would have to wait a semester for a scholarship. Philon opted to accept an immediate scholarship from the Razorbacks. Petrino said Arkansas received Philon’s fax at 2:45 Wednesday afternoon.

Tagged: Otis Kirk, Kevin Peoples, Arkansas Razorbacks, National Signing Day, Austin Allen, Brooks Ellis, Darius Phiblin, Otha Peters, Jordan Diamond

Arkansas wide receiver Joe Adams runs back a punt for a touchdown against Tennessee at Donald W. Reynolds Razorback Stadium in Fayetteville on Nov. 12, 2011. (AMY SMOTHERMAN BURGESS/NEWS SENTINEL)<br /><br /><br /><br />

Related posts:

Briefs on all the SEC football recruiting hauls

I am glad that Petrino got more defensive players than offensive players but time will tell if he can develop these three star players like he did in 2008 when that class later turned the hogs into a national contender in 2011. Below is an article from http://www.ajc.com Alabama (26): The national champs added to their […]

Tennessee is upset at Peters for switching to the Hogs

In the article below you can see that the player who lived in Texas that switched to Texas could be explained away and the one that lived in Virginia that switched to VA Tech could also but the Vols don’t have an explanation for why the 4 star linebacker Otha Peters switched from his commitment […]

Articles on SEC football recruiting results

I disagree with the article below that says that Vandy did not do well in recruiting. There is no way they are number 13 out of 14.   National Signing Day around the SEC. 247Sports ranked the SEC team’s recruiting in this order: 1 Alabama, 2 Florida, 3 Georgia, 4 LSU, 5 Texas A&M, 6 South Carolina, […]

Arkansas can learn from Vols’ mistake in football recruiting

I have noticed that Arkansas never seems to have great recruiting years like Tennessee and Florida and Alabama do. However, the 2008 class that will graduate in 2012 for Arkansas included some great players like Joe Adams and has been re-ranked as the 5th best performing class. That class led Arkansas to a final ranking […]

SEC football recruiting update

It seems to me that there are a few surprises in the recruiting game this year. Below is a rivals article and the one below it is an article from 3 months ago. January 27, 2012 Rivals.com analyst Chris Neereviews recent rising and falling in the 2012 team rankings as National Signing Day nears. Five […]

Lane Kiffin has put off Judgement Day

It is true that USC’s Lane Kiffin has had two great recruiting classes at USC, but that was because he signed 25 players both in 2010 and 2011. He delayed “Judgement Day” by getting permission to avoid the 15 scholarship limits (imposed for 3 years) while the school appealed the NCAA’s decision. Therefore, all these […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Dear Senator Pryor, why not pass the Balanced Budget Amendment? (“Thirsty Thursday,” Open letter to Senator Pryor)

February 2, 2012 – 12:40 pm

Dear Senator Pryor,

Why not pass the Balanced Budget Amendment? As you know that federal deficit is at all time high (1.6 trillion deficit with revenues of 2.2 trillion and spending at 3.8 trillion).

On my blog www.HaltingArkansasLiberalswithTruth.com I took you at your word and sent you over 100 emails with specific spending cut ideas. However, I did not see any of them in the recent debt deal that Congress adopted. Now I am trying another approach. Every week from now on I will send you an email explaining different reasons why we need the Balanced Budget Amendment. It will appear on my blog on “Thirsty Thursday” because the government is always thirsty for more money to spend.

New CBO Numbers Re-Confirm that Balancing the Budget Is Simple with Modest Fiscal Restraint

Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

Many of the politicians in Washington, including President Obama during his State of the Union address, piously tell us that there is no way to balance the budget without tax increases. Trying to get rid of red ink without higher taxes, they tell us, would require “savage” and “draconian” budget cuts.

I would like to slash the budget and free up resources for private-sector growth, so that sounds good to me. But what’s the truth?

The Congressional Budget Office has just released its 10-year projections for the budget, so I crunched the numbers to determine what it would take to balance the budget without tax hikes. Much to nobody’s surprise, the politicians are not telling the truth.

The chart below shows that revenues are expected to grow (because of factors such as inflation, more population, and economic expansion) by more than 7 percent each year. Balancing the budget is simple so long as politicians increase spending at a slower rate. If they freeze the budget, we almost balance the budget by 2017. If federal spending is capped so it grows 1 percent each year, the budget is balanced in 2019. And if the crowd in Washington can limit spending growth to about 2 percent each year, red ink almost disappears in just 10 years.

These numbers, incidentally, assume that the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts are made permanent (they are now scheduled to expire in two years). They also assume that the AMT is adjusted for inflation, so the chart shows that we can balance the budget without any increase in the tax burden.

I did these calculations last year, and found the same results. And I also examined how we balanced the budget in the 1990s and found that spending restraint was the key. The combination of a GOP Congress and Bill Clinton in the White House led to a four-year period of government spending growing by an average of just 2.9 percent each year.

We also have international evidence showing that spending restraint – not higher taxes – is the key to balancing the budget. New Zealand got rid of a big budget deficit in the 1990s with a five-year spending freeze. Canada also got rid of red ink that decade with a five-year period where spending grew by an average of only 1 percent per year. And Ireland slashed its deficit in the late 1980s by 10 percentage points of GDP with a four-year spending freeze.

No wonder international bureaucracies such as the International Monetary fund and European Central Bank are producing research showing that spending discipline is the right approach

Daniel J. Mitchell • January 27, 2011 @ 12:00 pm
Filed under: Government and Politics; Health Care; Tax and Budget Policy

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Social Security | Comments (0)

A flat tax is the answer

February 2, 2012 – 10:38 am

Uploaded by on Mar 29, 2010

This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video shows how the flat tax would benefit families and businesses, and also explains how this simple and fair system would boost economic growth and eliminate the special-interest corruption of the internal revenue code. www.freedomandprosperity.org

__________________________________

Dan Mitchell hits the nail on the head again.

A Flat Tax Is the Answer

by Daniel J. Mitchell

 

Daniel J. Mitchell is a top expert on tax reform and supply-side tax policy at the Cato Institute.

Added to cato.org on January 31, 2012

This article appeared on US News and World Report Online on January 31, 2012.

The class-warfare crowd is predictably outraged that Mitt Romney supposedly paid just 13.9 percent of his income to the crowd in Washington. Surely this is a sign of both inequity and iniquity. Meanwhile, previewing a theme for the general election, President Obama said in his State of the Union address that “millionaires and billionaires” should cough up at least 30 percent of their earnings to the IRS.

This is bad policy based on inaccurate data.

Let’s deal first with the flawed numbers. Capital gains taxes and dividend taxes are both forms of double taxation. That income already is hit by the 35 percent corporate income tax. So the real tax rate for people like Mitt Romney is closer to 45 percent. And if you add the death tax to the equation, the effective tax rate begins to approach 60 percent.

Daniel J. Mitchell is a top expert on tax reform and supply-side tax policy at the Cato Institute.

 

More by Daniel J. Mitchell

 

Here’s a simply analogy. Imagine you make $50,000 per year and your employer withholds $5,000 for personal income tax. How would you feel if the IRS then told you that your income was $45,000 and you had to pay full tax on that amount, and that you weren’t allowed to count the $5,000 withholding when you filled out your 1040 form? You would be outraged, correctly yelling and screaming that you should be allowed to count those withheld tax payments.

Welcome to the world of double taxation.

The Obama approach is also bad economics. Every economic theory — even socialism and Marxism — agrees that saving and investment are the key to long-run growth and higher living standards. So does it make sense to deprive the economy of productive capital by imposing punitive layers of double taxation? To make matters worse, double taxation means transferring the money to the buffoons in Washington, where it will be squandered on inefficient and wasteful programs.

Europe’s welfare states are on the brink of collapse because they adopted the mentality that government spending was better than private saving and investment. Should we copy their failures?

The right way to ensure both fairness and growth is the flat tax. Get rid of the 72,000 pages of corruption and complexity in the Internal Revenue Service code and replace it with a postcard-sized flat tax. One low tax rate with no double taxation. That’s good for the economy and competitiveness.

And if Mitt Romney makes 100,000 times more than me, he’ll pay 100,000 times more in tax.

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Cato Institute, Taxes | Tagged , , , | Comments (0)

Republican Florida Debate Part 5

February 2, 2012 – 8:02 am

Mitt Romney (left) speaks while Newt Gingrich listens during a Republican presidential debate in Florida. | AP Photo

Romney tried to prevent Gingrich from having one of his signature ‘moments.’ | AP Photo

Here are some thoughts from Politico:

5) Ron Paul was playing for laughs

Or something. But Paul, who has had moments of rather serious policy discourse during some of the past debates, did little in this one to stand out.

He joked in response to a question about whether Gingrich would be someone he could support as the party’s nominee. He again wouldn’t rule out the possibility of running on a third-party line in the general election.

At another point, Paul made a comment that didn’t get much notice but will surely be part of the great YouTube file, in which he suggested that Iran’s actions have been in retaliation to U.S. provocation.

None of it really mattered, though. Paul is basically bypassing Florida and underscored that by not making a play for airtime in a debate that was heavily localized with questions about NASA, sugar subsidies, the Terry Schiavo case and thoughts about Cuba.

Related Posts:

Newt is a poor excuse for a candidate

I used to like Newt back in the 1990′s but a lot has changed since then. Take a look at this fine article from the Cato Institute: Gingrich Rise Is Triumph of Style over Substance by Gene Healy   Gene Healy is a vice president at the Cato Institute and the author of The Cult […]

Adrian Rogers’ sermon on Clinton in 98 applies to Newt in 2012

It pays to remember history. Today I am going to go through some of it and give an outline and quotes from the great Southern Baptist leader Adrian Rogers (1931-2005). Max Brantley of the Arkansas Times started this morning off with some comedy: From pro golfer John Daly’s Twitter account following last night’s Republican debate, […]

Newt and Clinton:Both were Southern Baptists living hypocritcal lives

EXCLUSIVE: Ron Paul Has A Secret Plan To Win America   I used to go to the Immanuel Baptist Church (Clinton was member there) Luncheon every week in Little Rock and in 1995 I visited the large Southern Baptist Church in the Atlanta where Newt was a member. Both men evidently shared some hypocritical habits […]

Romney must embrace some of Ron Paul’s ideas or take Rand as VP

There is no other way around this problem for Romney. If he wins the Republican Nomination for President then the must embrace some of Paul’s ideas (as suggested below by Senator Demint) or get Rand Paul to be the VP candidate. GOP Should Heed Ron Paul by Michael D. Tanner Michael Tanner is a senior […]

Should we still be making horse-drawn buggies today instead of cars?

The Arkansas Times jumped on this story as many other liberals outlets. Change in the marketplace is driven by the wants and needs of consumers. Are we to protect the jobs of those who work for companies that want to cling to the past? I posted about this before but I have decided to revisit […]

Republican delegate count and future primaries

Great website below tracks the delegates for the Republican nomination: The delegate race There are 2,286 delegates up for grabs. A candidate needs 1,144 to win the GOP presidential nomination. Total delegates won, by candidate Delegates needed: 1,144       Romney   20 Santorum   12 Paul   3 Huntsman   2 Perry   […]

Bain Capital record of Romney is excellent

Here is an excellent article: You can blame Mitt, but not for Bain By: Steven Rattner January 12, 2012 12:02 AM EST I’m all in favor of piling on Mitt Romney for any number of reasons: his come lately embrace of hard right conservatism, his periodic malapropisms (“I like being able to fire people”) and […]

Robert Jeffress interviewed by Bill Maher

Dr. Robert Jeffress a Featured Guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” (10/14/11) Uploaded by robertjeffress on Oct 15, 2011 Dr. Robert Jeffress was a featured guest on HBO’s “Real Time with Bill Maher” Friday night, October 14. The pastor talked with the controversial political satirist about the Protestant Reformation; being saved by faith, […]

Fellow admirer of Francis Schaeffer, Michele Bachmann quits presidential race

What Ever Happened to the Human Race? Bachmann was a student of the works of Francis Schaeffer like I am and I know she was pro-life because of it. (Observe video clip above and picture of Schaeffer.) I hated to see her go.  DES MOINES, Iowa — Last night, Minnesota Rep. Michele Bachmann vowed to […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Uncategorized | Comments (0)

Keith Green Story (Part 7)

February 2, 2012 – 12:36 am

Keith Green – Your Love Broke Through

Here is something I got off the internet and this website has lots of Keith’s great songs:

Keith Green: His Music, Ministry, and Legacy

My mom hung up the phone and broke into tears. She had just heard the news of Keith Green’s death. I was only ten on that summer day in 1982, but the memory is still clear. It felt almost like a death in the family. We often listened to Keith Green’s music and it has permeated deep into me. Even now when I read the story of the prodigal son, I hear his “Prodigal Son Suite” in my mind. I can’t read about the Israelites wandering in the desert without chuckling over his goofy manna improvisation in “So You Wanna Go Back to Egypt” (Ba-manna Bread!). Even now, about three decades later, Keith Green is one of the most-played artists in my iTunes library. My kids and I dance to his “Scripture Song Medley.” Every Easter, I play “The Easter Song” and “The Victor” as soon as I wake up. Read on for more about Keith Green’s music, his ministry and his enduring legacy.
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2nd Chapter of Acts – Love Broke Through
 

Uploaded by on Jun 1, 2009

Great song by the religious group 2nd Chapter of Acts, but originally by Keith Green and his friend Todd Fishkind. Lead vocals by Phil Keggy. Speaks of a man who found God. I DO NOT OWN THIS SONG AND CLAIM NO COPYWRITE.

Like a dreamer who was trying to build a highway to the sky
All my hopes would come tumbling down
And I never knew just why until today
When you pulled away the clouds that hung like curtains on my eyes
I was blind, all these wasted years I thought I was so wise
But then you took me by surprise
Like waking up from the longest dream
How real it seemed
Until your love broke through
And I was lost in a fantasy
That rhymed at me
Until your love broke through
All my life I have been searching
For that crazy missing part
With one touch you just rolled the storm that held my heart
Now I see that the answer was as simple as my need to let you in
And I am so sure that I could never doubt your gentle touch again
It’s like the power of the wind
Like waking up from the longest dream
How real it seemed
Until your love broke through
And I was lost in a fantasy
That rhymed at me
Until your love broke through
Like waking up from the longest dream
How real it seemed
Until your love broke through

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (0)

Obama, Garry Smith, Jesus, the Republicans and Abortion (Part 1)

February 1, 2012 – 10:03 pm

This is going to take two posts to cover.

Jason Tolbert hit the nail on the head in his recent post:

It seems Democratic Rep. Garry Smith of El Dorado stepped into a bit of a mess this week when speaking to the newly formed Union County Democratic Club. Perhaps he wasn’t aware that intrepid cub reporter Heather Hawley of the El Dorado News-Times  was in the room taking notes when he promptly stuck both feet firmly in his mouth.

He began with saying how proud he was to be a Democrat going so far as to say “if Jesus were here today, he would be a Democrat because he tried to help everybody and he still does.”

He then offered praise for the head of his party, President Obama, saying he is “proud of his leadership ability and his tenacity” and hopes he gets elected to a second term.

In the previous legislative session, Smith sat on the House Public Health Committee.  He was present when Rep. Andy Mayberry brought a bill that would have banned abortions in Arkansas after the point at which unborn babies can feel pain.  This bill, which would have outlawed the barbaric practice of ripping babies apart in what is no doubt the harshest form of torture, would likely have passed if it could have made it out of committee.  The votes were close, but when it came time for Smith to vote, his chose to remain silent.  When his name was called, he sat in his chair refusing to speak to vote either yes or no. In doing so, he killed the bill.

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In this first post I want to show from the Tolbert article above that Garry Smith is not pro-life and then I wanted to show below that President Obama is radically pro-abortion.

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Part 1 of 2 Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall, Parliament House, Victoria. Australia – on the eve of the debate to decriminalize abortion in Victoria.
Gianna’s visit was sponsored by the Ad Hoc Interfaith Committee.

Ark Times says Planned Parenthood in Little Rock performs abortions. A while back I mentioned a lady by the name of Abby Johnson who was a director of a Planned Parenthood center in Texas. Take time to read this post and see why she left Planned Parenthood and never went back. It amazes me that liberals are constantly trying to make abortions more available than ever. I don’t think they have taken a close look at the process.
Gianna Jessen is an abortion survivor. She  was intervewed on Fox’s Hannity and Colmes, where she shared her personal story and also commented on Obama’s voting record. As an Illinois state senator, four times he voted “no” on the Illinois Born-Alive Infant Defined Act, which would protect babies born alive after failed abortions.
There is a lively discussion at the end about whether or not Obama, by his vote, was in fact denying born babies (abortion survivors now outside the womb), the right to live. Pay attention especially to Alan Combs who tries to defend his pro-life liberal president.
Sean Hannity show with Gianna Jessen
Did you see how difficult it was for Alan Combs to defend his liberal president from the charge of infanticide. Logically there is no escape but he tried the best he could.  President Obama was so intent on protecting Roe v Wade that he had to endorse a form of infanticide in order to protect Roe v Wade.
Liberals must acknowledge that hospitals are required to save lives. However, if a hospital is paid to perform an abortion and they botch the job then they must turn from trying to snuff out a life to trying to save it again. How ironic.
Part 2 of 2 Gianna Jessen, abortion survivor speaks at Queen’s Hall.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Jason Tolbert, President Obama, Prolife | Comments (0)