Monthly Archives: April 2012

John Calipari versus Bill Self for National Title Act 2 (part 6)

April 2, 2012 – 11:28 am

Memphis Tigers John Calipari Interview 2008 Basketball Final

 
Dan Wolken

NEW ORLEANS

There is an inherent silliness to a profession like the one that has made rich men of John Calipari and Bill Self. They spend months, even years, burning thousands of gallons of jet fuel and begging teenagers to come play for them, even if it’s just for 35 college games.

And if you’re good enough at that particular skill, you earn the label of “recruiter,” which seems like a compliment most of the time but turns into a pejorative the first time those kids you recruited lose an NCAA tournament game they were supposed to win. Then we come back every subsequent March talking about legacies and trying to distinguish between the “recruiters” and the “coaches,” as though they were two separate entities that have nothing to do with each other.

Self and Calipari are not the only college basketball coaches who’ve been pigeonholed that way for most of their careers, but they happen to be the two coaches who will go head-to-head tonight at the Superdome for the national championship.

The fact that it’s these two again is ironic, because nobody’s postseason failures have been as scrutinized or chronicled as the ones Self and Calipari have experienced. Calipari has had good enough teams at Kentucky and Memphis to win three or four championships by now but arrives at tonight’s game stuck on zero, trying to cut down the nets for the first time. Self already has his title — at Calipari’s expense in 2008 — but his legacy is still heavily influenced by four stunning upsets his Kansas teams have suffered in the NCAA tournament.

But this year should bury the perception — or even hint of a perception — that Calipari and Self are more recruiters than coaches. Because regardless of the outcome tonight, the fact that they’re coaching a championship game against each other for the second time in five years is a testament to how these two have separated themselves at the top of the profession.

Whatever you think coaching college basketball is about, whatever box you want to put them in, nobody is doing it better than Calipari and Self, and the gap between them and the rest of the field is suddenly getting pretty wide.

“The one thing about Cal that goes unnoticed a little bit, though not in coaching circle, is he recruits and coaches good players and gets them to buy in and do it his way,” Self said. “They’re unselfish and they guard, and that’s the sign of a guy who can coach. He’s a unique guy, and I mean that in a favorable way.”

ncaa tournament final four gallery

ACTION GALLERY

The action was frantic as four teams battled Saturday to reach the title game at the NCAA Final Four.

“He’s done a phenomenal job,” Calipari said. “He’s another one that gets guys to buy in to how they have to play to win, and they listen to him.”

Calipari and Self are not close friends. In fact, they’ve recruited enough of the same players over the years — often under heated circumstances — that there’s even a little bit of animosity bubbling under the surface.

But they have quite a bit in common, starting with the common perception that they are excellent recruits and mediocre coaches. At the 2008 Final Four, which also featured North Carolina’s Roy Williams and UCLA’s Ben Howland, Self and Calipari were regarded as the lightweights.

The evidence, though, no longer supports that notion. Because regardless of who they’ve had on their teams, no matter how many players have left early for the NBA, Calipari and Self are operating at a pace that seems almost impossible in an era where rosters change so much from year to year.

In his last seven seasons (three at Kentucky, four at Memphis), Calipari is 238-28 with three Final Four trips and three Elite Eight appearances. Over the past eight seasons, Self is 245-43 with a national championship, eight straight Big 12 regular season titles and four No. 1 seeds in the NCAA tournament. He was also named Naismith coach of the year yesterday.

In that span of time, North Carolina, Syracuse, UConn, Kentucky (under Billy Gillispie), Arizona, Florida, Louisville, Ohio State and other great programs have all missed the NCAA tournament for one reason or another. In this era, with so many players deciding to leave early and teams having to rebuild on the fly, it’s not that hard for a season here or there to get away from even the best coaches.

But Calipari and Self have been immune to any dropoffs. And regardless of how many times they win the crapshoot that is the NCAA tournament, the fact that they’ve had chances every single year is an otherworldly accomplishment. 

“I’ve always thought the most important thing were those transition years,” Self said. “If you’re like us and you had really good players, you position yourself maybe for a year or two to make a run, then you retool it and maybe make a run again. We’ve been so fortunate to be in the game every year. Coaching where we coach, the pride that exists there, it doesn’t matter what the rosters or the faces look like. The expectations don’t change.”

That doesn’t happen if all you are is a good recruiter. Because the reality is, for all the hype about recruiting rankings and McDonald’s All-Americans, a lot of times players don’t work out. Or they don’t develop as quickly as hoped. Or in the case of Josh Selby, who left Kansas after just one year, they don’t fit in and barely make an impact before going to the NBA.

Kansas lost four starters from last season’s team, which got stunned by VCU in the Elite Eight, and three of its recruits failed to qualify academically. Now it’s one win from a national championship. Calipari has turned over the bulk of his team every season at Kentucky, which means new chemistry and new personalities to manage. Now it’s 40 minutes from all coming together.

“He’s raised the bar in some ways about how hard you have to get after it because it’s been proven he’s going to get guys,” Self said. “If you’re going to compete with him, you have to have those same type of guys. Certainly in the three years he’s been at Kentucky and even before that at Memphis, nobody has recruited like he has and nobody has coached his guys like he has.”

They are slightly different formulas, the ones that have landed Kentucky and Kansas here. And maybe this game will validate one of them. For Calipari, maybe it will solidify his legacy. For Self, a second title would put him alongside some of the best ever.

But hopefully the idea that they’re nothing more than recruiters will be buried in New Orleans tonight. They wouldn’t have gotten here again if that were true. What Self and Calipari have done is what college basketball coaching is about. Tonight’s championship is a testament to the fact nobody is doing it better.

Kansas vs. Memphis – 2008 NCAA Title Game Highlights (HD)

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John Calipari versus Bill Self for National Title Act 2 (part 5)

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“Satisfaction Guaranteed” sermon by Brandon Barnard of Fellowship Bible Church (3-11-12)

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People have been counting UL Cardinals out all along, Pressure on Calipari to win

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The movie “The Grey” and the answer to nihilism

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

Bobby Petrino hurt in wreck (picture included)

April 2, 2012 – 9:31 am
The site of Bobby Petrino's motorcycle crash in Madison County, photographed on Monday. The object in the right-center is a lamp from the motorcycle.
Image by Chris Bahn

The site of Bobby Petrino’s motorcycle crash in Madison County, photographed on Monday. The object in the right-center is a lamp from the motorcycle.

I have checked several sources this morning (KARK, update from Arkansas Sports 360 as of 9:04 am this morning)

From ESPN:

Arkansas football coach Bobby Petrino was hurt in a motorcycle accident on Sunday but did not suffer life-threatening injuries and is expected to recover, sources told ESPN’s Joe Schad.

Arkansas State Police said Petrino crashed his motorcycle on a highway and was taken to a hospital for treatment.

A source close to Petrino told Schad the coach is “pretty banged up” but “will recover.” The 51-year-old is focused and determined to return to practice as quickly as possible, but it could take some time for him to recover, the source said.

A member of the Arkansas football staff told ESPN.com’s Chris Low that Petrino was “going to be OK,” but did suffer some injuries in the accident.

Petrino

The crash happened Sunday night on Arkansas Highway 16 in Madison County, near the community of Crosses, police spokesman Bill Sadler said. Petrino was driving a motorcycle that left the highway and crashed, Sadler said.

Crosses is about 23 miles southeast of Fayetteville, where the university is located.

Petrino was taken to a hospital in Washington County, Sadler said. He declined to say which hospital Petrino was taken to and said he didn’t know the coach’s condition or whether he was still hospitalized.

Zack Higbee, a spokesman for Petrino, would not comment or confirm Monday that the coach was involved in the crash.

Petrino has talked in the past about owning a motorcycle and going for rides around nearby Beaver Lake.

Petrino is entering his fifth season at Arkansas, where he has a 34-17 record and three bowl game appearances. The Razorbacks finished 2011 ranked No. 5 and beat Kansas State in the AT&T Cotton Bowl.

ESPN college football reporter Joe Schad and The Associated Press contributed to this report.

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

An open letter to President Obama (Part 55)

April 2, 2012 – 7:16 am

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President Obama c/o The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue NW
Washington, DC 20500

Dear Mr. President,

I know that you receive 20,000 letters a day and that you actually read 10 of them every day. I really do respect you for trying to get a pulse on what is going on out here.

It seems to me that during the 1980’s we saw the largest growth of our economy because private industry was encouraged to expand because the top tax rate went down from 70 to almost half of that.

It reminded me of the 1960’s when the top income rate went from 91 to almost half of that and the same thing happened. We need to get back to the same atmosphere of taxing cutting and the expansion of private industry. Instead we have today the government offering handouts everywhere we look. Here is a case that makes this very point below:

Franken to Chu: Doggone It, Like My State’s Company

Posted by Tad DeHaven

The Senate Energy and Natural Resources Committee held a hearing last week on the Department of Energy’s budget request for fiscal 2013. Chris Edwards tipped me off to a particularly galling exchange between Energy secretary Steven Chu and Sen. Al Franken (D-MN). Sen. Franken uses his allotted time to badger Chu about a federal loan that Energy conditionally committed to a Minnesota company in 2010 that apparently has yet to be approved.

The exchange begins around the 61 minute mark here. Our trusty interns, Devon Sanchez and Stephen Wooten, transcribed the exchange, which I’ll share a portion of:

Sen. Franken:

One such project is from a company in Minnesota called SAGE Electrochromics. I know you are aware of that. Sage has developed energy efficient windows that are cutting edge, better than anything in the world and uses photo-voltaic cells to control the window how dark it gets during the summer to block out UV light and lower air conditioning costs and to let it all in, lower heating costs in the summer. And it’s really…I’ve been there and it’s just an amazing tech. In the Spring of 2010, the DoE promised the company it would receive a $72 million loan guarantee under the 1703 Program to build a new manufacturing facility that would create 160 manufacturing jobs and 200 construction jobs in southern Minnesota. It’s now been two years since SAGE has been notified that it will receive a loan guarantee and the deal has not yet been closed. While the Department of Energy prolongs closing the deal, time and money are running out for SAGE. There are high-tech manufacturing construction jobs at stake here. It’s been going forward with the project assuming they get this loan guarantee but they’re running out of time and they may have to sell themselves to a French company. My first question is that the SAGE loan guarantee was going to be submitted to the credit committee on August 23rd, but it was stopped. Why is the Department of Energy continuing to delay closing and executing the SAGE loan guarantee?

Secretary Chu tells Sen. Franken that he can’t discuss the details and advises the senator to speak with SAGE. A frustrated Sen. Franken takes another crack at getting Chu to explain the holdup, but doesn’t get anywhere and his speaking time runs out. Anyhow, the exchange is sad commentary on the state of affairs in Washington. Sen. Franken sitting there singing the virtues of handing out other people’s money to commercial interests in general would have been problem enough. That he instead used his time to grovel for a handout to a company in his state just goes to show that too many policymakers see the federal government as a favor dispenser.

If this company is producing such “amazing tech,” then perhaps Sen. Franken should lend SAGE some of his money? (Maybe he could use the royalties he receives from DVD sales of “Stuart Saves His Family” to help the company.) Wisecracks aside, a quick Google search shows that SAGE has already received private capital. If this company is so great then it should have no trouble finding additional investors to lend it the money it needs. Then again, Franken says that it’s running out of money so perhaps it isn’t so great. But that’s the way Washington works: taxpayers get the losses while private companies get the profits…and arrogant senators get to pat themselves on the back for “creating jobs.”

See here for more on downsizing the Department of Energy.

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Do you see what I mean? We need to the free market more and less to government intervention to solve our economic problems.
 

Thank you so much for your time. I know how valuable it is. I also appreciate the fine family that you have and your committment as a father and a husband.

Sincerely,

Everette Hatcher III, 13900 Cottontail Lane, Alexander, AR 72002, ph 501-920-5733, lowcostsqueegees@yahoo.com

On Bloomberg, Sessions Discusses Astounding Gimmicks In President’s Budget

Uploaded by on Feb 13, 2012

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

John Calipari versus Bill Self for National Title Act 2 (part 5)

April 2, 2012 – 6:28 am

Kansas vs. Memphis – 2008 NCAA Title Game Highlights (HD)

The same matchup as 2008 coming tonight.

Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari talks before his television interview with Kansas Jayhawks head coach Bill Self before their men's NCAA Final Four college basketball game in New Orleans

Over the coming two days, one of the story lines that will be the most intriguing to follow is that of John Calipari and his quest to win his first national title.

Calipari is a polarizing figure in the sense that Kentucky fans worship him while most everyone else, with or without a rooting interest, either hates him or is accused of hating him by those same Kentucky fans. And regardless of what percentage of the college basketball watching nation feels the same as Drew Sharp does about Calipari, the bottom-line is that Calipari is quite clearly the villain in this narrative.

It’s not difficult to see why. Two of his four trips to the Final Four have been vacated by the NCAA. All you have to do is spend an afternoon at a high-level AAU tournament and you’ll hear ten stories about Calipari on the same level as the one involving $200,000 that made its way into Anthony Davis’ pocket.

The irony in all of this?

The villain has a record that is just as clean as the good guy’s, Bill Self. Those two Final Fours that were vacated? One was because Marcus Camby was commiserating with an agent. The other was because Derrick Rose cheated on his SATs. It Calipari blameless? No, but he’s about as guilty as the parents of a teenager that is busted smoking pot.

Memphis’ epic collapse at the end of the ’08 title game opened the door for a Kansas championship.
(AP photo)
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In fact, I think there is an argument to make that there is just as much smoke around the Kansas program as there is around the Kentucky program. Think about it:

– Darrell Arthur may never have been eligible to play college basketball due to grade changes he may have received in high school. Nothing came out of the investigation, but the school did vacate a state title a year after Arthur left due to grade tampering.

– Arthur’s classmate Mario Chalmers came to Kansas as a package deal, as his father received a spot on the Jayhawk’s staff as the Director of Basketball Operations.

– Josh Selby was suspended for the first nine games of his freshman season due to improper benefits he received while he was in high school.

– Three members of this year’s recruiting class were ruled ineligible for the 2011-2012 season.

None of that has been put on Self, the same way that Calipari is still without a record, according to the NCAA.

More intriguing is the fact that the coach of last season’s national title team, Jim Calhoun, actually has gotten himself into trouble with the NCAA. He was, essentially, caught with knowledge of the fact that an alum and an NBA agent was supplying a recruit (Nate Miles) with illicit benefits. But the vitriol sent his way was more or less limited to this column from Gary Parrish of CBSSports.com.

The point here is not to defend Calipari. I’m not trying to drag Self or Calhoun through the mud, either. These are all facts, and it will be interesting to see how they are portrayed over the next 30 hours.

Rob Dauster is the editor of the college basketball website Ballin’ is a Habit. You can find him on twitter @robdauster.

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

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 141)

April 2, 2012 – 6:26 am

Senator Mark Pryor wants our ideas on how to cut federal spending. Take a look at this video clip below:

Senator Pryor has asked us to send our ideas to him at cutspending@pryor.senate.gov and I have done so in the past and will continue to do so in the future.

On May 11, 2011,  I emailed to this above address and I got this email back from Senator Pryor’s office:

Please note, this is not a monitored email account. Due to the sheer volume of correspondence I receive, I ask that constituents please contact me via my website with any responses or additional concerns. If you would like a specific reply to your message, please visit http://pryor.senate.gov/contact. This system ensures that I will continue to keep Arkansas First by allowing me to better organize the thousands of emails I get from Arkansans each week and ensuring that I have all the information I need to respond to your particular communication in timely manner.  I appreciate you writing. I always welcome your input and suggestions. Please do not hesitate to contact me on any issue of concern to you in the future.

Here are a few more I just emailed to him myself:

Consolidating duplicative programs will save money and improve government service. Merging related block grants will give states more flexibility to target their funds. The new Department of Homeland Security provides one example of a successful consolidation of separate agencies and programs. A recently announced consolidation of the 22 different federal payroll systems into just two will save $1.2 billion over the next decade. At the state level, governors such as Virginia’s Mark Warner (D) are proposing consolidations that will save hundreds of millions of dollars.
Except for those that should be eliminated altogether, Congress should consolidate the following sets28 of programs:
  • 342 economic development programs;
  • 130 programs serving the disabled;
  • 130 programs serving at-risk youth;
  • 90 early childhood development programs;
  • 75 programs funding international education, cultural, and training exchange activities;
  • 72 federal programs dedicated to assuring safe water;
  • 50 homeless assistance programs;
  • 45 federal agencies conducting federal criminal investigations;
  • 40 separate employment and training programs;
  • 28 rural development programs;
  • 27 teen pregnancy programs;
  • 26 small, extraneous K-12 school grant programs;
  • 23 agencies providing aid to the former Soviet republics;
  • 19 programs fighting substance abuse;
  • 17 rural water and waste-water programs in eight agencies;
  • 17 trade agencies monitoring 400 international trade agreements;
  • 12 food safety agencies;
  • 11 principal statistics agencies; and
  • 4 overlapping land management agencies.

This is how bad it is getting:

Net Interest Spending

Under the President's Budget, Net Interest Costs Would Nearly Quadruple by 2020

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in spending out of control | Comments (0)

John Calipari versus Bill Self for National Title Act 2 (part 4)

April 2, 2012 – 6:20 am

Memphis’ epic collapse at the end of the ’08 title game opened the door for a Kansas championship.
(AP photo)

Kansas vs. Memphis – 2008 NCAA Title Game Highlights (HD)

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 1)

After the collapse in the last 2 minutes of the game by Memphis, Kansas went on to win the national championship in 2008. However, Calipari won most the recruiting battles since then and now Calipari will have a chance to redeem himself on the court against Bill Self.

John Calipari gets shot at redemption against Bill Self in Kentucky-Kansas title matchup

Pat Forde

By Pat Forde, Yahoo! Sports 14 hours, 54 minutes ago

NEW ORLEANS – And so it comes to this: The last impediment to John Calipari’s Sherman-through-Georgia, slash-and-burn march to the national title is none other than Bill Self.

Perfect.

In a Final Four for settling scores, Calipari gets a shot at the guy who dealt him the most painful defeat of his career – the 2008 national title game. Cue the Mario Chalmers video because you’re going to be seeing his immortal shot endlessly before the teams tip off Monday.

Against Self and Kansas, Cal’s Memphis team had the game won until it collapsed at the end of regulation. A nine-point lead with 2:12 left melted into nothing when Chalmers hit a 3-pointer at the buzzer to force overtime, and the shell-shocked Tigers were done at that point.

Perhaps it was best for Memphians that the Tigers lost that game because they would have had to endure a vacated national title had they won. Memphis was stripped of that Final Four appearance by the NCAA when star point guard Derrick Rose was declared retroactively ineligible because of a fishy SAT score.

But it was a heck of a game, even if it technically never happened. A coaching rematch of the most memorable title game of the 21st century is the proper final act in a season dominated by Calipari’s Kentucky team.

[Photos: Kentucky fans riot after Wildcats beat Louisville]

He came to New Orleans seeking the national title that has eluded him throughout his controversial career. To get it, he first had to contend with his fiercest coaching rival, Rick Pitino, a man who eliminated Calipari teams in the ’96 Final Four and ’92 Sweet 16. When Kentucky held off determined Louisville 69-61 Saturday night, we had one settled score at the Four.

Monday night, Calipari can finish the payback tour with another shot at Self.

“The Memphis team was really good, no question about that,” Self said Saturday night, after his Jayhawks rallied to steal a 64-62 thriller from Ohio State. “But I think this Kentucky team is better than that Memphis team.”

[ Related: UK tops Louisville, advances to title game | Slideshow ]

That’s sobering news for the Jayhawks because this Kansas team is not as good as the ’08 Kansas team. It took another in a series of late-game escapes to reach the national title game, whereas the ’08 squad roared in off a semifinal blowout of North Carolina.

“We still haven’t played terrific in the tournament,” Self said, “but somehow these guys find ways to win games.”

The discovery of a way to win against Ohio State took until late into the night Saturday. Kansas led 2-0, then didn’t lead again until 2:48 remained. The Jayhawks’ largest lead was three points, and their total time in the lead was a puny 3:11.

That follows a pattern. Kansas never led for a second in the round of 32 against Purdue until 3:06 remained, then promptly fell behind again. It took a 6-0 run in the final 1:06 – aided and abetted by a couple of brutal Boilermakers possessions – to pull out that victory.

Between that great escape against a Big Ten opponent and this one in the Superdome, there was a three-point stagger past No. 11 seed North Carolina State in the Sweet 16 and a late pullaway from injury-depleted North Carolina in the regional final.

“These guys had to make all the plays down the stretch,” Self said.

Contrast that with Kentucky, which led for 38:09 of the 40 minutes against Louisville. The Wildcats have been dominant front-runners all season, and especially in this NCAA tourney. In 200 minutes of tournament play, UK has trailed for all of 6:43.

“Are they beatable? No question about it because Vanderbilt did it [in the SEC tourney final],” Pitino said. “But you’re going to have to play great offense, great defense, and you got to bring your ‘A plus’ game and they have to have a ‘B’ game. That’s what has to happen. They’re a great ballclub.”

So the matchup of bluebloods feels more like a big favorite and a plucky/lucky underdog. They’re the two winningest programs in college basketball history – Kentucky gunning for its eighth national title, Kansas striving for its fourth – but the talent edge is solidly in favor of the Wildcats.

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 2)

[ Related: Kansas rallies past Ohio State and into title game | Slideshow ]

The question is whether Self has the coaching edge. He has done the best work of his accomplished career getting to the title game. But Calipari might be doing his best work as well.

“Cal gets a lot of credit for recruiting,” Self said. “But the thing that I think is sometimes lost is he’s one of the very best coaches there is in the country. I mean, he can coach. And he takes guys that are so highly recruited, been told how good they are … and he gets them to buy into ‘we’ instead of ‘me.’ They’re unselfish, they’re tough, they’re physical and they guard.”

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 3)

The best example of what makes Kentucky special was a small play Saturday against Louisville. With the Cardinals having battled back to tie the score at 49, turning three fan bases into a roaring force against the Wildcats, the great Anthony Davis took a contested shot against Louisville center Gorgui Dieng. He missed it badly, but hustled to the other side of the rim to collect the offensive rebound and pass it to Michael Kidd-Gilchrist for an easy layup.

[ Dan Wetzel: UK’s Anthony Davis is a superstar but hasn’t learned to act like one ]

College basketball is annoyingly full of highly touted teenagers who wouldn’t bother making that play. Too much work. But of all the things Davis, who will be the 2012 No. 1 pick in the NBA draft, does well, the most beautiful thing may be his willingness to hustle on every play.

“I want to get every rebound, play as hard as I can,” Davis said. “I don’t want to take no possessions off.”

The final possessions of Davis’ college career and of the entire 2012 season are upcoming Monday night. It is fitting that in John Calipari’s Final Four for settling scores, the last man blocking his path to possessing the national title is the same man who denied him four years ago.

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 4)

Memphis Tigers John Calipari Interview 2008 Basketball Final

Related posts:

John Calipari’s religious views

Today I read an article that quoted John Calipari using the Buddhist term “karma” and it got me thinking about what his religious views are. Here an excerpt from the Lexington paper that got me thinking this morning:  On several occasions this season, Kentucky Coach John Calipari counseled fans not to root against any other […]

Did Rick Pitino help John Calipari get his first head coaching job?

Seth Davis discusses the question: “Did Pitino help Calipari get UMass job?” Published on Mar 27, 2012 by CBSSports CBS Sports Network college basketball analyst Seth Davis joined the Tim Brando Show to break down the matchup between Kentucky’s John Calipari and Louisville’s Rick Pitino as they prepare to face off this Saturday in New […]

“Satisfaction Guaranteed” sermon by Brandon Barnard of Fellowship Bible Church (3-11-12)

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / U2 The Rolling Stones Satisfaction (rare) If you want to see the path that Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of the rock group Kansas took to find true satisfaction then listen to their song “Dust in the Wind” and then read their testimony at this link […]

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2012 Press Conferences with Pitino and Calipari

John Calipari Pre-Louisville Press Conference Uploaded by uknationofblue on Mar 27, 2012 Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari talks about the upcoming game with Louisville in the Final 4. ______ Related posts: Calipari’s been to 4 final fours and his record is 1-3 so far March 26, 2012 – 9:35 am > Kentucky Wildcats head coach […]

People have been counting UL Cardinals out all along, Pressure on Calipari to win

  Over and over in the 2012 NCAA Tournament the Louisville Cardinals have been counted out.  Now John Clay has counted them out again. (Wally Hall of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is picking Kentucky.) The tables are now turned. Calipari’s program has the advantage in tradition, fan base and, in this case, talent. To whom much is […]

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The movie “The Grey” and the answer to nihilism

Uploaded by gwain30 on Jan 29, 2012 A review of the new Liam Neeson film, the grey, as iI say there may be some minor spoilers but nothing too drastic, enjoy and dont forget to comment, rate and subscribe ________________ Uploaded by ClevverMovies on Dec 5, 2011 http://bit.ly/clevvermovies – Click to Subscribe! http://Facebook.com/ClevverMovies – Become […]

Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it jh55

(If you want to check out other posts I have done about about Steve Jobs:Some say Steve Jobs was an atheist , Steve Jobs and Adoption , What is the eternal impact of Steve Jobs’ life? ,Steve Jobs versus President Obama: Who created more jobs? ,Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it ,8 things you might not know about Steve Jobs ,Steve […]

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Calipari’s been to 4 final fours and his record is 1-3 so far

> Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari celebrated with the team after the University of Kentucky defeated Baylor University in the NCAA South Regional final played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., Sunday, March 25, 2012. This is second half action. UK won 82-70. Charles Bertram | Staff HERALD-LEADER Buy Photo Calipari is going […]

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“Woody Wednesday” Will Allen and Martin follow same path as Kansas to Christ?

Several members of the 70′s band Kansas became committed Christians after they realized that the world had nothing but meaningless to offer. It seems through the writings of both Woody Allen and Chris Martin of Coldplay that they both are wrestling with the issue of death and what meaning does life bring. Kansas went through […]

SEC gets one in final four: Kentucky

We came close to get two in but only Kentucky got in. Calipari’s wife and son can be seen in this picture below:     > Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari hugged his son, Bradley, and his wife Ellen after the University of Kentucky defeated Baylor University in the NCAA South Regional final played […]

“Woody Wednesday” Allen is searching for satisfaction in wrong place jh17

Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. In 1992 Woody Allen took up with one of his adopted kids and lived in with her. He was given over to the pursuit of pleasure. Actually he has made that a major focus of his life. In the latter part of his […]

Brian Jones’ futile search for satisfaction (Part 3 of series on 27 Club)

Brian’s Blues, Brian Jones on guitar in the early stones years. unreleased track Brian Jones died at age 27 just like Amy Winehouse did. I remember like yesterday when I first heard the song “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. I immediately thought about Solomon’s search for satisfaction in the Book of […]

A Christian response to Papa Roach’s song “The Last Resort” (Part 1)

Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) Amy Winehouse died at the young age of 27 and she had lived a life filled with drug and alcohol addiction. This series on Papa Roach is meant to provide answers to those who feel trapped. Hopefully it will people to avoid  troubles like Amy Winehouse experienced.  Today I […]

Insight into what Coldplay meant by “St. Peter won’t call my name” (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 3)jh61

Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]

Are you ready for Calipari versus Pitino?

Here we go for the battle of the best two teams in Kentucky and possibly this game on March 31st will determine our national champion. USA Today reported in October 2011: Louisville’s Rick Pitino responds to John Calipari’s Kentucky taunt Rick Pitino isn’t going to take John Calipari’s taunts lying down. Louisville coach Rick Pitino […]

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

“Music Monday” Countdown of Coldplay’s best albums (part 4)

April 2, 2012 – 6:12 am
Kevin Winter / Getty Images 

Kevin Winter / Getty Images

After his duet with Rihanna, Martin joined the rest of his band for “Paradise” off Coldplay’s latest album, Mylo Xyloto. As expected, it was bombastic and over the top. But Coldplay’s strength is its live performance, and boy did the group deliver. Even the jaded Grammy audience got into it, waving multi-colored light-up wrist bands as if they were at an outdoor music festival. This felt like a real concert, not a one-song performance inside an auditorium.

A RUSH OF BLOOD TO THE HEAD is Coldplay’s 2nd best album! Its spectacular. I love the whole CD so much. This album includes “IN MY PLACE” “POLITIK” “GOD PUT A SMILE UPON YOUR FACE” “GREEN EYES” “CLOCKS” and the best one on the album “THE SCIENTIST”!!! I would give the CD a 10\10!!!!!!

Related posts:

“Music Monday”:Coldplay’s best songs of all time (Part 4)

Dave Hogan/ Getty Images This is “Music Monday” and I always look at a band with some of their best music. I am currently looking at Coldplay’s best songs. Here are a few followed by another person’s preference: For the 17th best Coldplay song of all-time, Hunter picks “42.” He notes, “You thought you might […]

Documentary on Coldplay (Part 2)

The best band in the world. Below I have linked some articles I have earlier about the search for meaning in life the band seems to involved in. Chris Martin, Jonny Buckland, Guy Berryman, and Will Champion formed Coldplay in 1996 while going to University in London. The young band quickly established themselves in the […]

Review of New Coldplay song with video clip

I am presently involved in the counting down of the best Coldplay songs of all time, but I am also in a series here reviewing the upcoming songs on Coldplay’s new cd that will be released soon. Here is a review from Rolling Stone: Coldplay Debut new song ‘Charlie Brown’ June 6, 2011 Coldplay debuted […]

Documentary on Coldplay (Part 1, the song “Yellow” featured)

Great documentary on Coldplay. I have written a lot on Coldplay the last few years and I see something spiritually happening with the group as they continue to search for a deeping meaning in life. Coldplay Max Masters – Part 1 of 7 Uploaded by thepostbox on May 6, 2009 The ASTRA Award winning music documentary […]

“Woody Wednesday” Will Allen and Martin follow same path as Kansas to Christ?

Several members of the 70′s band Kansas became committed Christians after they realized that the world had nothing but meaningless to offer. It seems through the writings of both Woody Allen and Chris Martin of Coldplay that they both are wrestling with the issue of death and what meaning does life bring. Kansas went through […]

“Music Monday”:Coldplay’s best songs of all time (Part 3)

 This is “Music Monday” and I always look at a band with some of their best music. I am currently looking at Coldplay’s best songs. Here are a few followed by another person’s preference:   Hunter has chosen the song “Viva La Vida” as his number 18 pick. Hunter noted, “The violin synth is a […]

Review of New Coldplay songs (video clip too)

Coldplay – Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall Published on Jun 28, 2011 by ColdplayVEVO The new single, taken from Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall EP (featuring two more new tracks). Download it from http://cldp.ly/itunescp Music video by Coldplay performing Every Teardrop Is A Waterfall. (P) 2011 The copyright in this audiovisual recording is owned by […]

Uploaded by on Jan 30, 2009

Chris Martin does a solo performance of Life In Technicolor ii for XFM Radio on January 29th, 2009.

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

John Calipari versus Bill Self for National Title Act 2 (part 3)

April 2, 2012 – 6:11 am

Memphis Tigers John Calipari Interview 2008 Basketball Final

Kansas vs. Memphis – 2008 NCAA Title Game Highlights (HD)

Knoxnews.com reported:

Calipari (and Kentucky) get Kansas again for title

  • NANCY ARMOUR – AP National Writer (AP)
  • Posted April 1, 2012 at 12:18 a.m., updated April 1, 2012 at 3:04 a.m

NEW ORLEANS (AP) — Well, this matchup is going to look familiar.

John Calipari and his Kentucky juggernaut will face Kansas for the national championship on Monday night. That would be the same school that beat Memphis in overtime for the NCAA title in 2008, back when Calipari was coaching the Tigers.

It also would be the same Kansas team that the Wildcats beat back in November.

“We’re worried about us playing at our best,” Calipari said after Kentucky held off pesky Louisville 69-61 in the first semifinal Saturday. “We did not play at our best tonight. We played good, but that wasn’t our best. You know what? So maybe Monday is our best. We’re just worried about us.”

Top-seeded Kentucky (37-2) is back in the title game for the first time since 1998, when it won its seventh NCAA championship.

Down 13 in the first half, resilient Kansas (32-6) needed a furious comeback against Ohio State to reach the championship game, where it will play for its fourth NCAA title.

“It’s a dream to play the best team in the country, who is up until now, hands down, the most consistent,” Kansas coach Bill Self said. “It’s a thrill. And I think it’s even more of a thrill for us, because I don’t think anybody thought we could get here.”

That 2008 squad Calipari had in Memphis was stocked with talent, led by future NBA MVP Derrick Rose. But the Tigers missed four free throws down the stretch and blew a late nine-point lead in an overtime loss to Mario Chalmers and the Jayhawks.

These Wildcats, however, are in a totally different class. Anthony Davis has won just about every player of the year award there is, and Louisville coach Rick Pitino likened him to Bill Russell after Saturday night’s game.

No wonder. The 19-year-old doesn’t look like a freshman, and he certainly doesn’t play like one, recording his 20th double-double against Louisville with 18 points and 14 rebounds. He missed just one of his eight shots, and also had five blocks and a steal.

“Anthony Davis is as fine a basketball player as there is,” Pitino said.

Then there are the rest of the Wildcats.

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 1)

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 2)

They shot a blistering 57 percent Saturday night and had two other players besides Davis in double figures. Darius Miller scored 13 points and Doron Lamb added 10. Michael Kidd-Gilchrist had nine despite playing just 23 minutes because of foul trouble.

“Kentucky is a great basketball team, with great effort,” Pitino said.

He doesn’t need to tell the Jayhawks; they experienced it firsthand in the State Farm Champions Classic at Madison Square Garden in New York, a rare regular-season game between college basketball’s two winningest programs.

With the score tied at 30 a minute into the second half, the Wildcats broke loose with an 11-0 run. Two free throws from Tyshawn Taylor stopped the spurt, but Marquis Teague had a dunk and Doron Lamb hit consecutive 3s. Moments after an airball, Lamb drilled another 3 and Kentucky had a 54-37 with 10:05 to play.

The victory was Calipari’s first in four games against Kansas, where he began his coaching career as a volunteer assistant in 1982.

Few people would have expected the Jayhawks to earn a rematch with Kentucky after the way they scuffled through the early part of the season. They were 7-3 midway through December and struggling to find an identity after losing Marcus and Markieff Morris, their leading scorers and rebounders, as well as 3-point specialist Brady Morningstar.

But a team meeting helped Kansas find its focus, and the Jayhawks simply refuse to lose. They’ve lost just two games since Feb. 7, and keep eking out wins in the NCAA tournament.

“It’s pretty cool to have the winningest program of all time and the second-winningest program of all time hooking up on Monday night,” Self said.

On Saturday night, the Jayhawks scored the first bucket but didn’t lead again until Travis Releford made two free throws with 2:48 left. That lead lasted for all of 11 seconds, but the second-seeded Jayhawks overcame another deficit and finally held on against the Buckeyes (31-8).

Taylor’s two free throws with 8.3 seconds left gave Kansas a 64-61 lead, matching its biggest of the game. The Jayhawks intentionally fouled Aaron Craft with 2.9 seconds left. Craft made the first, then quickly clanked the second one off the front of the rim on purpose but was called for a lane violation as he darted in to grab the rebound.

Kansas dribbled out the clock, and the rematch was on.

“These guys have matured a lot and played a ton of minutes this year, so they’re far more experienced than some would be just because of the situations they’ve been in,” Jayhawks guard Elijah Johnson said. “We kind of played on borrowed time a little bit, but I think it gives the guys confidence that no matter what, we’re OK.”

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 3)

#1 Kansas vs #1 Memphis National Championship 2008 (Part 4)

Related posts:

John Calipari’s religious views

Today I read an article that quoted John Calipari using the Buddhist term “karma” and it got me thinking about what his religious views are. Here an excerpt from the Lexington paper that got me thinking this morning:  On several occasions this season, Kentucky Coach John Calipari counseled fans not to root against any other […]

Did Rick Pitino help John Calipari get his first head coaching job?

Seth Davis discusses the question: “Did Pitino help Calipari get UMass job?” Published on Mar 27, 2012 by CBSSports CBS Sports Network college basketball analyst Seth Davis joined the Tim Brando Show to break down the matchup between Kentucky’s John Calipari and Louisville’s Rick Pitino as they prepare to face off this Saturday in New […]

“Satisfaction Guaranteed” sermon by Brandon Barnard of Fellowship Bible Church (3-11-12)

I Still Haven’t Found What I’m Looking For / U2 The Rolling Stones Satisfaction (rare) If you want to see the path that Kerry Livgren and Dave Hope of the rock group Kansas took to find true satisfaction then listen to their song “Dust in the Wind” and then read their testimony at this link […]

________________

2012 Press Conferences with Pitino and Calipari

John Calipari Pre-Louisville Press Conference Uploaded by uknationofblue on Mar 27, 2012 Kentucky head basketball coach John Calipari talks about the upcoming game with Louisville in the Final 4. ______ Related posts: Calipari’s been to 4 final fours and his record is 1-3 so far March 26, 2012 – 9:35 am > Kentucky Wildcats head coach […]

People have been counting UL Cardinals out all along, Pressure on Calipari to win

  Over and over in the 2012 NCAA Tournament the Louisville Cardinals have been counted out.  Now John Clay has counted them out again. (Wally Hall of the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette is picking Kentucky.) The tables are now turned. Calipari’s program has the advantage in tradition, fan base and, in this case, talent. To whom much is […]

___________

The movie “The Grey” and the answer to nihilism

Uploaded by gwain30 on Jan 29, 2012 A review of the new Liam Neeson film, the grey, as iI say there may be some minor spoilers but nothing too drastic, enjoy and dont forget to comment, rate and subscribe ________________ Uploaded by ClevverMovies on Dec 5, 2011 http://bit.ly/clevvermovies – Click to Subscribe! http://Facebook.com/ClevverMovies – Become […]

Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it jh55

(If you want to check out other posts I have done about about Steve Jobs:Some say Steve Jobs was an atheist , Steve Jobs and Adoption , What is the eternal impact of Steve Jobs’ life? ,Steve Jobs versus President Obama: Who created more jobs? ,Steve Jobs’ view of death and what the Bible has to say about it ,8 things you might not know about Steve Jobs ,Steve […]

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Calipari’s been to 4 final fours and his record is 1-3 so far

> Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari celebrated with the team after the University of Kentucky defeated Baylor University in the NCAA South Regional final played in the Georgia Dome in Atlanta, Ga., Sunday, March 25, 2012. This is second half action. UK won 82-70. Charles Bertram | Staff HERALD-LEADER Buy Photo Calipari is going […]

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“Woody Wednesday” Will Allen and Martin follow same path as Kansas to Christ?

Several members of the 70′s band Kansas became committed Christians after they realized that the world had nothing but meaningless to offer. It seems through the writings of both Woody Allen and Chris Martin of Coldplay that they both are wrestling with the issue of death and what meaning does life bring. Kansas went through […]

SEC gets one in final four: Kentucky

We came close to get two in but only Kentucky got in. Calipari’s wife and son can be seen in this picture below:     > Kentucky Wildcats head coach John Calipari hugged his son, Bradley, and his wife Ellen after the University of Kentucky defeated Baylor University in the NCAA South Regional final played […]

“Woody Wednesday” Allen is searching for satisfaction in wrong place jh17

Coldplay – 42 Live Coldplay perform on the french television channel W9. In 1992 Woody Allen took up with one of his adopted kids and lived in with her. He was given over to the pursuit of pleasure. Actually he has made that a major focus of his life. In the latter part of his […]

Brian Jones’ futile search for satisfaction (Part 3 of series on 27 Club)

Brian’s Blues, Brian Jones on guitar in the early stones years. unreleased track Brian Jones died at age 27 just like Amy Winehouse did. I remember like yesterday when I first heard the song “I can’t get no satisfaction” by the Rolling Stones. I immediately thought about Solomon’s search for satisfaction in the Book of […]

A Christian response to Papa Roach’s song “The Last Resort” (Part 1)

Papa Roach – Last Resort (Censored Version) Amy Winehouse died at the young age of 27 and she had lived a life filled with drug and alcohol addiction. This series on Papa Roach is meant to provide answers to those who feel trapped. Hopefully it will people to avoid  troubles like Amy Winehouse experienced.  Today I […]

Insight into what Coldplay meant by “St. Peter won’t call my name” (Series on Coldplay’s spiritual search, Part 3)jh61

Coldplay seeks to corner the market on earnest and expressive rock music that currently appeals to wide audiences Here is an article I wrote a couple of years ago about Chris Martin’s view of hell. He says he does not believe in it but for some reason he writes a song that teaches that it […]

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

Nancy Pelosi needs to rethink “Are you serious” comment when discussing Obamacare

April 2, 2012 – 1:16 am

Tim Sandefur Discusses ObamaCare’s Medicaid Expansion

Uploaded by on Mar 26, 2012

http://www.cato.org/event.php?eventid=9074

Tim Sandefur of the Pacific Legal Foundation explains some of the implications of the Affordable Care Act’s Medicaid expansion.

I have always opposed Obamacare because it the government control of giving anyone the right to have an abortion paid for by the government and I think that is wrong. However, there are some constitution problems with this power grab of Obamacare too. Nancy didn’t quite get that the first time around!!!

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Baking Some Humble Pie for Congress

by Trevor Burrus

Trevor Burrus is a legal associate at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies.

Added to cato.org on March 27, 2012

This article appeared in Huffington Post on March 27, 2012

The challenge to the Affordable Care Act, a.k.a. Obamacare, has come a long way since then-Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi incredulously asked “are you serious?” in response to a reporter’s question on its constitutionality. As oral arguments before the Supreme Court near, the Court should show Pelosi just how “serious” a transgression this law is. Not only is the individual mandate, which requires nearly every American purchase a qualifying health insurance plan, a forced wealth transfer that is not authorized by any of Congress’s limited powers, it is a forced transfer that was deliberately and deceptively passed in order to avoid the political liability of imposing a tax. For both reasons it is unconstitutional. For the second reason we should be angry.

By forcing relatively healthy people to purchase insurance, Congress hoped to subsidize the health care costs of less healthy people. Under current constitutional law, the same result could have been accomplished by increasing taxes and directly subsidizing insurance companies. Instead, Congress chose to command everyone to give their money to a private business. The ultimate effect is essentially the same: an expensive, dysfunctional, and ineffective health care system mostly controlled by the federal government. By choosing to use the individual mandate Congress has not only harmed our health care system, it has seriously imperiled our Constitution.

Imagine a world in which Congress is allowed to avoid the political accountability of huge tax increases and budgetary explosions by commanding people to purchase a product. Members of Congress would be able to claim accurately, if not totally honestly, that they did not raise taxes or increase the budget during their term. The Framers of the Constitution understood politicians’ self-interested motives and thus added safeguards that limit the powers of Congress and ensure the accountability of our representatives to the people. By ignoring these safeguards, the Act violates “the letter and spirit of the constitution,” in the words of Chief Justice John Marshall.

Trevor Burrus is a legal associate at the Cato Institute’s Center for Constitutional Studies.

 

More by Trevor Burrus

The Framers were aware that the power to tax was among the most dangerous powers of government. During the Constitutional Convention they devoted considerable time to debating the Origination Clause, a relatively unknown clause requiring that all “Bills for raising Revenue shall originate in the House of Representatives.” Many delegates saw the clause as so essential to good government that they were willing to quit the convention if it were not included. In the words of George Mason, to not include the clause would “unhinge the compromise” that had created popular representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate.

The clause was crucial because, in the words of Ben Franklin, “It was always of importance that the people should know who had disposed of their money, and how it had been disposed of.” Only the House, being closest to the people in terms of number of constituents and length of term, could be trusted with taking money from the people in a responsible fashion.

Additionally, in order to provide the people information on how much money is being taken and spent, the Framers also included the Statement and Account Clause, which requires a “regular Statement and Account of Receipts and Expenditures of all public Money shall be published from time to time.”

Though both the Origination Clause and the Statement and Account Clause are largely unenforceable through the courts, they form part of the “spirit of the constitution,” and that spirit is clear: forced wealth transfers must be above-the-board and transparent. The individual mandate is not only off-the-books, it is a duplicitous attempt on the part of Congress to avoid the political liability for the costs of an entitlement program but to still receive the political gains from the beneficiaries.

President Clinton’s health care proposal mostly failed because of an astronomical budgetary estimate that included the personal costs of an individual mandate. After that episode, Congress learned to be sneaky when it comes to budget estimates. By using special accounting tricks in Obamacare, the costs to individuals forced to purchase insurance are not included in the budgetary estimate of the law. In other words, the individual mandate allows Congress to achieve the ultimate politicians’ coup: clandestinely taking money and doling out benefits.

If this law stands, they will do it again. How could they resist?

The challenge to the Affordable Care Act not only asks the Supreme Court to enforce the limits on congressional power explicitly listed in our Constitution, it asks for the return of some measure of humility to a Congress that self-interestedly ignored constitutional limits. The Court should unambiguously chide Congress and restore some dignity to the men who sat through a hot Philadelphia summer to ensure an honest and accountable government.

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

Obama wants millionaires to at least pay what their secretaries pay, here is the solution

April 2, 2012 – 12:53 am

Take a lot at these figures from the Cato Institute:

New Academic Study Confirms Previous IMF Analysis, Shows that Lower Tax Rates Are the Best Way to Reduce Tax Evasion

Posted by Daniel J. Mitchell

Leftists want higher tax rates and they want greater tax compliance. But they have a hard time understanding that those goals are inconsistent.

Simply stated, people respond to incentives. When tax rates are punitive, folks earn and report less taxable income, and vice-versa.

In a previous post, I quoted an article from the International Monetary Fund, which unambiguously concluded that high tax burdens are the main reason people don’t fully comply with tax regimes.

Macroeconomic and microeconomic modeling studies based on data for several countries suggest that the major driving forces behind the size and growth of the shadow economy are an increasing burden of tax and social security payments… The bigger the difference between the total cost of labor in the official economy and the after-tax earnings from work, the greater the incentive for employers and employees to avoid this difference and participate in the shadow economy. …Several studies have found strong evidence that the tax regime influences the shadow economy.

Indeed, it’s worth noting that international studies find that the jurisdictions with the highest rates of tax compliance are the ones with reasonable tax systems, such as Hong Kong, Switzerland, and Singapore.

Now there’s a new study confirming these findings. Authored by two economists, one from the University of Wisconsin and the other from Jacksonville University, the new research cites the impact of tax burdens as well as other key variables.

Here are some key findings from the study.

According to the results provided in Table 2, the coefficient on the average effective federal income tax variable (AET) is positive in all three estimates and statistically significant for the overall study periods (1960-2008) at beyond the five percent level and statistically significant at the one percent level for the two sub-periods (1970-2007 and 1980-2008). Thus, as expected, the higher the average effective federal income tax rate, the greater the expected benefits of tax evasion may be and hence the greater the extent of that income tax evasion. This finding is consistent with most previous studies of income tax evasion using official data… In all three estimates, [the audit variable] exhibits the expected negative sign; however, in all three estimates it fails to be statistically significant at the five percent level. Indeed, these three coefficients are statistically significant at barely the 10 percent level. Thus it appears the audit rate (AUDIT) variable, of an in itself, may not be viewed as a strong deterrent to federal personal income taxation [evasion].

Translating from economic jargon, the study concludes that higher tax burdens lead to more evasion. Statists usually claim that this can be addressed by giving the IRS more power, but the researchers found that audit rates have a very weak effect.

The obvious conclusion, as I’ve noted before, is that lower tax rates and tax reform are the best way to improve tax compliance – not more power for the IRS.

Incidentally, this new study also finds that evasion increases when the unemployment rate increases. Given his proposals for higher tax rates and his poor track record on jobs, it almost makes one think Obama is trying to set a record for tax evasion.

The study also finds that dissatisfaction with government is correlated with tax evasion. And since Obama’s White House has been wasting money on corrupt green energy programs and a failed stimulus, that also suggests that the Administration wants more tax evasion.

Indeed, this last finding is consistent with some research from the Bank of Italy that I cited in 2010.

…the coefficient of public spending inefficiency remains negative and highly significant. …We find that tax morale is higher when the taxpayer perceives and observes that the government is efficient; that is, it provides a fair output with respect to the revenues.

And I imagine that “tax morale” in the United States is further undermined by an internal revenue code that has metastasized into a 72,000-page monstrosity of corruption and sleaze.

On the other hand, tax evasion apparently is correlated with real per-capita gross domestic product. And since the economy has suffered from anemic performance over the past three years, that blows a hole in the conspiratorial theory that Obama wants more evasion.

All joking aside, I’m sure the President wants more tax compliance and more prosperity. And since I’m a nice guy, I’m going to help him out. Mr. President, this video outlines a plan that would achieve both of those goals.

The Flat Tax: How it Works and Why it is Good for America

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

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Given his class-warfare rhetoric, I’m not holding my breath in anticipation that he will follow my sage advice.

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