Monthly Archives: June 2012

Videos by Cato Institute on failed stimulus plans

June 4, 2012 – 8:02 am

In this post I have gathered several videos from the Cato Institute concerning the subject of failed stimulus plans.

_____

Government Spending Doesn’t Create Jobs

Uploaded by on Sep 7, 2011

Share this on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/qnjkn9 Tweet it: http://tiny.cc/o9v9t

In the debate of job creation and how best to pursue it as a policy goal, one point is forgotten: Government doesn’t create jobs. Government only diverts resources from one use to another, which doesn’t create new employment.

Video produced by Caleb Brown and Austin Bragg.

___________________________

Keynesian Catastrophe: Big Money, Big Government & Big Lies

Uploaded by on Jan 19, 2012

The Cato Institute’s Dan Mitchell explains why Obama’s stimulus was a flop! With Glenn Reynolds.

See more at http://www.pjtv.com and http://www.cato.org

___________________

Keynesian Economics Is Wrong: Bigger Gov’t Is Not Stimulus

Uploaded by on Dec 15, 2008

Based on a theory known as Keynesianism, politicians are resuscitating the notion that more government spending can stimulate an economy. This mini-documentary produced by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation examines both theory and evidence and finds that allowing politicians to spend more money is not a recipe for better economic performance.

___________________

Obama’s So-Called Stimulus: Good For Government, Bad For the Economy

Uploaded by on Jan 26, 2009

President Obama wants Congress to dramatically expand the burden of government spending. This CF&P Foundation mini-documentary explains why such a policy, based on the discredited Keynesian theory of economics, will not be successful. Indeed, the video demonstrates that Obama is proposing – for all intents and purposes – to repeat Bush’s mistakes. Government will be bigger, even though global evidence shows that nations with small governments are more prosperous.

____________

Big Government Is Not Stimulus: Why Keynes Was Wrong (The Condensed Version)

Uploaded by on Jan 13, 2009

The CF&P Foundation has released a condensed version of our successful mini-documentary explaining why so-called stimulus schemes do not work. Based on a theory known as Keynesianism, politicians are resuscitating the notion that more government spending can stimulate an economy. This mini-documentary produced by the Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation examines both theory and evidence and finds that allowing politicians to spend more money is not a recipe for better economic performance.

_________________

Eight Reasons Why Big Government Hurts Economic Growth

Uploaded by on Aug 17, 2009

This Center for Freedom and Prosperity Foundation video analyzes how excessive government spending undermines economic performance. While acknowledging that a very modest level of government spending on things such as “public goods” can facilitate growth, the video outlines eight different ways that that big government hinders prosperity. This video focuses on theory and will be augmented by a second video looking at the empirical evidence favoring smaller government.

___________________

Keynesian Economics Is Wrong: Economic Growth Causes Consumer Spending, Not the Other Way

Uploaded by on Nov 29, 2010

Politicians and journalists who fixate on consumer spending are putting the cart before the horse. Consumer spending generally is a consequence of growth, not the cause of growth. This Center for Freedom and Prosperity video helps explain how to achieve more prosperity by looking at the differences between gross domestic product and gross domestic income. www.freedomandprosperity.org

_____________

Deficits, Debts and Unfunded Liabilities: The Consequences of Excessive Government Spending

Uploaded by on May 10, 2010

Huge budget deficits and record levels of national debt are getting a lot of attention, but this video explains that unfunded liabilities for entitlement programs are Americas real red-ink challenge. More important, this CF&P mini-documentary reveals that deficits and debt are symptoms of the real problem of an excessive burden of government spending. www.freedomandprosperity.org

___________

Now that I have been critical of the Democrat President, I wanted to show that I am not concerned about taking up for Republicans but looking at the facts. President Clinton did increase government spending at a slower rate than many other presidents. Here are two  videos that praise both Reagan and Clinton for both accomplished this feat.

Spending Restraint, Part I: Lessons from Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton

Uploaded by on Feb 14, 2011

Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton both reduced the relative burden of government, largely because they were able to restrain the growth of domestic spending. The mini-documentary from the Center for Freedom and Prosperity uses data from the Historical Tables of the Budget to show how Reagan and Clinton succeeded and compares their record to the fiscal profligacy of the Bush-Obama years.

______________

Spending Restraint, Part II: Lessons from Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and New Zealand

Uploaded by on Feb 22, 2011

Nations can make remarkable fiscal progress if policy makers simply limit the growth of government spending. This video, which is Part II of a series, uses examples from recent history in Canada, Ireland, Slovakia, and New Zealand to demonstrate how it is possible to achieve rapid improvements in fiscal policy by restraining the burden of government spending. Part I of the series examined how Ronald Reagan and Bill Clinton were successful in controlling government outlays — particularly the burden of domestic spending programs. www.freedomandprosperity.org

______________

It seems that liberals will never wake up. On 3-8-12 a Arkansas Times blogger pointed out that Obama’s stimulus in 2009 was not made up of just increased but also tax cuts. That is true but the real truth is that there have been about 1/2 dozen stimulus efforts by President Obama and all of them have failed.  Over and over they have tried stimulus plans but they don’t work. Take a look at this excellent article from the Cato Institute:

Keynesian Policies Have Failed

by Chris Edwards

Chris Edwards is the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of Downsizing Government.org.

Added to cato.org on December 2, 2011

This article appeared on U.S. News & World Report Online on December 2, 2011

Lawmakers are considering extending temporary payroll tax cuts. But the policy is based on faulty Keynesian theories and misplaced confidence in the government’s ability to micromanage short-run growth.

In textbook Keynesian terms, federal deficits stimulate growth by goosing “aggregate demand,” or consumer spending. Since the recession began, we’ve had a lot of goosing — deficits were $459 billion in 2008, $1.4 trillion in 2009, $1.3 trillion in 2010, and $1.3 trillion in 2011. Despite that huge supposed stimulus, unemployment remains remarkably high and the recovery has been the slowest since World War II.

Policymakers should ignore the Keynesians and their faulty models, and instead focus on reforms to aid long-run growth…

Yet supporters of extending payroll tax cuts think that adding another $265 billion to the deficit next year will somehow spur growth. That “stimulus” would be on top of the $1 trillion in deficit spending that is already expected in 2012. Far from helping the economy, all this deficit spending is destabilizing financial markets, scaring businesses away from investing, and imposing crushing debt burdens on young people.

For three years, policymakers have tried to manipulate short-run economic growth, and they have failed. They have put too much trust in macroeconomists, who are frankly lousy at modeling the complex workings of the short-run economy. In early 2008, the Congressional Budget Office projected that economic growth would strengthen in subsequent years, and thus completely missed the deep recession that had already begun. And then there was the infamously bad projection by Obama’s macroeconomists that unemployment would peak at 8 percent and then fall steadily if the 2009 stimulus plan was passed.

Chris Edwards is the director of tax policy studies at the Cato Institute and the editor of Downsizing Government.org.

 

More by Chris Edwards

Some of the same Keynesian macroeconomists who got it wrong on the recession and stimulus are now claiming that a temporary payroll tax break would boost growth. But as Stanford University economist John Taylor has argued, the supposed benefits of government stimulus have been “built in” or predetermined by the underlying assumptions of the Keynesian models.

Policymakers should ignore the Keynesians and their faulty models, and instead focus on reforms to aid long-run growth, which economists know a lot more about. Cutting the corporate tax rate, for example, is an overdue reform with bipartisan support that would enhance America’s long-run productivity and competitiveness.

If Congress is intent on cutting payroll taxes, it should do so within the context of long-run fiscal reforms. One idea is to allow workers to steer a portion of their payroll taxes into personal retirement accounts, as Chile and other nations have done. That reform would feel like a tax cut to workers because they would retain ownership of the funds, and it would begin solving the long-term budget crisis that looms over the economy.

Related posts:

Stimulus plans do not work (part 2)

Dan Mitchell discusses the effectiveness of the stimulus Uploaded by catoinstitutevideo on Nov 3, 2009 11-2-09 When I think of all our hard earned money that has been wasted on stimulus programs it makes me sad. It has never worked and will not in the future too. Take a look at a few thoughts from […]

Stimulus plans do not work (Part 1)

Government Spending Doesn’t Create Jobs Uploaded by catoinstitutevideo on Sep 7, 2011 Share this on Facebook: http://on.fb.me/qnjkn9 Tweet it: http://tiny.cc/o9v9t In the debate of job creation and how best to pursue it as a policy goal, one point is forgotten: Government doesn’t create jobs. Government only diverts resources from one use to another, which doesn’t […]

Dumas thinks we don’t need Balanced Budget Amendment but should balance it on our own

In his recent article Ernie Dumas sticks to his guns that we should balance the budget without being forced to with a “Balanced Budget Amendment,” but I wonder how well that has worked so far? I have made this a key issue for this blog in the past as you can tell below: Dear Senator […]

Maybe the “Occupy Wall Street” crowd should be angry at Obama

(Picture from Arkansas Times Blog) When I think about all the anger and hate coming from the Occupy Wall Street crowd, I wonder if they have read this story below? Solyndra: Crooked Politics or Just Bad Economics? Posted by David Boaz Amy Harder has a good take on the Solyndra issue in National Journal Daily […]

Dear Senator Pryor, why not pass the Balanced Budget Amendment? (Part 13 Thirsty Thursday, Open letter to Senator Pryor)

Dear Senator Pryor, why not pass the Balanced Budget Amendment? (Part 13 Thirsty Thursday, Open letter to Senator Pryor) Office of the Majority Whip | Balanced Budget Amendment Video In 1995, Congress nearly passed a constitutional amendment mandating a balanced budget. The Balanced Budget Amendment would have forced the federal government to live within its […]

Mark Pryor not for President’s job bill even though he voted for it

Andrew Demillo pointed this out  and also Jason Tolbert noted: PRYOR OPPOSES THE OBAMA JOBS BILL THAT HE VOTED TO ADVANCE  Sen. Mark Pryor has been traveling around the state touting a six-part jobs plan that he says “includes a number of bipartisan initiatives, is aimed at creating jobs by setting the table for growth, encouraging new […]

Is a lack of money the problem for our public schools?

Is a lack of money the problem for our public schools? Everything You Need to Know About Public School Spending in Less Than 2½ Minutes Posted by Adam Schaeffer Neal McCluskey gutted the President’s new “Save the Teachers” American Jobs Act sales pitch a good while back, as did Andrew Coulson here. Thankfully, it seems […]

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

Great coach of the past:Bowden Wyatt

June 4, 2012 – 7:21 am

 

 Arkansas has had some great coaches over the years and Bowden Wyatt is one of them. When you think of the great football tradition that Arkansas has today one could argue that it all got started in the 1950’s with Bowden Wyatt.  

Bowden Wyatt

Career Record: 16 Years, 99-56-5, .634 W-L% (Major Schools)
Bowl Record: 4 Bowls, 2-2, .500 W-L% (Major Bowls)
Major Schools: Wyoming (39-17-1), Arkansas (11-10) and Tennessee (49-29-4)

Coaching Record

or hold your mouse over the header”>Glossary  · output HTML, CSV, or a shareable link”>SHARESHARE [X]  · Embed  · CSV  · PRE  · LINK  · ?
Year School G W L T W-L% SRS SOS AP Pre AP High AP Post Bowl
1947 Wyoming 9 4 5 0 .444 -10.63 -7.12        
1948 Wyoming 9 4 5 0 .444 -5.22 -8.66        
1949 Wyoming 10 9 1 0 .900 5.07 -10.19        
1950 Wyoming 10 10 0 0 1.000 12.97 -5.37   12 12 Gator Bowl–W
1951 Wyoming 10 7 2 1 .750 6.40 -3.58        
1952 Wyoming 9 5 4 0 .556 -5.68 -6.03        
1953 Arkansas 10 3 7 0 .300 5.56 9.88        
1954 Arkansas 11 8 3 0 .727 13.47 7.32   4 10 Cotton Bowl–L
1955 Tennessee 10 6 3 1 .650 7.79 2.73   17    
1956 Tennessee 11 10 1 0 .909 23.26 7.53 12 1 2 Sugar Bowl–L
1957 Tennessee 11 8 3 0 .727 15.18 8.32 5 5 13 Gator Bowl–W
1958 Tennessee 10 4 6 0 .400 1.97 6.22        
1959 Tennessee 10 5 4 1 .550 9.17 8.77   8    
1960 Tennessee 10 6 2 2 .700 11.64 4.63 18 8    
1961 Tennessee 10 6 4 0 .600 10.41 7.10        
1962 Tennessee 10 4 6 0 .400 3.67 3.04        
  Overall 160 99 56 5 .634 6.56 1.54        
  Wyoming 57 39 17 1 .693 0.49 -6.83        
  Arkansas 21 11 10 0 .524 9.51 8.60        
  Tennessee 82 49 29 4 .622 10.38 6.04        

Consensus All-America Selections: Bud Brooks (1954-L) and Johnny Majors (1956-B)

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

Some Tea Party heroes (Part 4)

June 4, 2012 – 7:19 am

What future does our country have if we never even attempt to balance our budget. I read some wise words by Congressman Jeff Landry (R, LA-03) regarding the  debt ceiling deal that was passed on August 1, 2011:”Throughout this debate, the American people have demanded a real cure to America’s spending addiction – a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, today’s Washington deal transforms last week’s strong Balanced Budget requirement into a toothless suggestion.”

If we are going to get the budget to balance it will take a Balanced Budget Amendment to force us to do so. There is no other way around that fact!!!

Ted DeHaven noted his his article, “Freshman Republicans switch from Tea to Kool-Aid,”  Cato Institute Blog, May 17, 2012:

This week the Club for Growth released a study of votes cast in 2011 by the 87 Republicans elected to the House in November 2010. The Club found that “In many cases, the rhetoric of the so-called “Tea Party” freshmen simply didn’t match their records.” Particularly disconcerting is the fact that so many GOP newcomers cast votes against spending cuts.

The study comes on the heels of three telling votes taken last week in the House that should have been slam-dunks for members who possess the slightest regard for limited government and free markets. Alas, only 26 of the 87 members of the “Tea Party class” voted to defund both the Economic Development Administration and the president’s new Advanced Manufacturing Technology Consortia program (see my previous discussion of these votes here) and against reauthorizing the Export-Import Bank (see my colleague Sallie James’s excoriation of that vote here).

One of those Tea Party heroes was Congressman Jeff Landry (R, LA-03). Last year I posted this below concerning his conservative views and his willingness to vote against the debt ceiling increase:

Congressman Landry’s Statement on Today’s Debt Ceiling Deal

Millard Mulé
 

WASHINGTON, DC – Congressman Jeff Landry (R, LA-03) issued the following statement regarding today’s debt ceiling deal:

“I’m sure by Washington standards, today’s deal is a great accomplishment; but by American standards, it comes up short. Throughout this debate, the American people have demanded a real cure to America’s spending addiction – a Balanced Budget Amendment to the U.S. Constitution. Unfortunately, today’s Washington deal transforms last week’s strong Balanced Budget requirement into a toothless suggestion. And today’s Washington deal puts at risk the security and pay of our brave men and women in uniform. It’s disheartening that Washington continues skirting the problem, instead of passing long-term solutions to end it. As evident by my decision today, I stand with the American people and choose to put the next generation above my next election.”

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

“Music Monday” Meaning of the song “Up on Cripple Creek”

June 4, 2012 – 7:16 am

Up on Cripple Creek

From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Jump to: navigation, search
“Up on Cripple Creek”
Single by The Band
from the album The Band
B-side “The Night They Drove Old Dixie Down“
Released November 29, 1969
Recorded 1969
Genre Roots rock, americana
Length 4:34
Label Capitol Records
Writer(s) Robbie Robertson
Producer John Simon

“Up on Cripple Creek” is the fifth song on The Band‘s eponymous second album, The Band. It was released as a (edited) single on Capitol 2635 in November 1969 and reached #25 on the Billboard Hot 100.[1] “Up on Cripple Creek” was written by Band guitarist and principal songwriter Robbie Robertson, with drummer Levon Helm singing lead vocal.

A live performance of “Up on Cripple Creek” appears in The Band’s live concert film The Last Waltz, as well as on the accompanying soundtrack album. In addition, a live version of the song appears on Before the Flood; a live album of The Band’s various concerts and shows with Bob Dylan while touring together in 1974.

“Up on Cripple Creek” is notable as it is one of the first accounts of a Hohner Clavinet being played with a wah-wah pedal. The riff can be heard after the chorus of the song. The Clavinet, especially in tandem with a wah pedal was a sound that became famous in the early to mid ’70s especially in funk music, and continues to be popular to this day.

Contents

[hide]

[edit] Lyrics

Drawing upon three of The Band’s favorite themes — The American South, American folk music, and alcoholism — the song tells the story of a miner who goes to Lake Charles, Louisiana to stay with a local girl who he knows will put him up for free while he blows his money on drinks. Although he admits to having some feelings for his “little Bessie”, he uses her hospitality to drink himself to oblivion. At the end of the song, he pushes off once more for greener pastures, although with the stated intention of coming back to his Bessie.

[edit] Chart performance

Chart (1969-70) Peak
position
Canadian RPM Singles Chart 10
U.S. Billboard Hot 100 25

[edit] Personnel

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

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 150)

June 4, 2012 – 7:14 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 Senator Pryor myself:

Government auditors spent the past five years examining all federal programs and found that 22 percent of them—costing taxpayers a total of $123 billion annually—fail to show any positive impact on the populations they serve.

  • Each month, taxpayers provide $40,000worth of office space, cell phones, staff, and an SUV for former House Speaker Dennis Hastert, who currently works as a lobbyist for private corporations and foreign governments.
  • House Speaker Nancy Pelosi and her staff have charged taxpayers $101,000 for “in-flight services”—including food and liquor—during trips on Air Force jets over the last two years. Charges reportedly include “Maker’s Mark whiskey, Courvoisier cognac, Johnny Walker Red scotch, Grey Goose vodka, E&J brandy, Bailey’s Irish Crème, Bacardi Light rum, Jim Beam whiskey, Beefeater gin, Dewars scotch, Bombay Sapphire gin, Jack Daniels whiskey, and Corona beer.”
  • The Legal Services Corporation, which is supposed to provide legal services to the poor, has repeatedly ignored warnings to stop spending its money on alcohol. It also funds limousines, first-class airfare, and “death by Chocolate” pastries for its executives.
  • The Department of Energy spent nine years and $153 millionon an obsolete cyber-security project that was supposed to safeguard America’s nuclear weapons information.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in spending out of control | Comments (0)

Hank Hanegraaff on the issue of abortion (Part 6)

June 4, 2012 – 6:34 am

Dr. Francis Schaeffer – The Biblical Flow of Truth & History (part 2)

We got to pray that pro-life judges will be appointed in the future.

The Pro-Life Argument: Is the Pro-Life Argument Unfair?

 

THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT- IntroductionThose who are pro-abortion or, as they prefer to be called, “pro-choice,” argue that the pro-life position on abortion is unfair. Is it really?THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT- Unfair Advantage to the RichPro-abortionists argue that if abortion were made illegal, it would become available only to the rich and not to the poor. The poor would become burdened with children they cannot afford to raise. Teenage girls who get pregnant would be forced to endure the emotional and physical ordeals of pregnancy and child-rearing even if they are not ready for them. Forcing women to bear children under these conditions, we are told, would simply be unfair to the women, and also to the children who would have to endure such poverty and unwantedness.THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT- A Very Important AssumptionThese arguments all make one very important assumption: that the unborn are not human beings. Should we allow parents who are too poor to take care of their children the right to kill them? If a teenage mother decides six months after giving birth that she doesn’t want her baby any more, should she be allowed to kill it? Of course not! But then, neither should parents of children who have not yet been born have the right to kill them. Thus the issue is not whether abortion is unfair, but whether the unborn are really human beings.THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT- Overlooked FactsThese arguments also overlook certain facts. For one thing, except in the case of women who are raped or who are victims of incest, no woman is “forced” to become pregnant or to give birth. And these hard cases account for only a small fraction of the abortions performed. Secondly, in the vast majority of cases adoption is still a very viable alternative to abortion. Children born to homeless mothers, to drug addicts, or to teenage mothers can be adopted into good homes with mature parents.THE PRO-LIFE ARGUMENT- Abortion Unfair to the UnbornMaking abortion a crime would not be unfair to anyone. However, abortion is deadly unfair to the unborn. In fact, we need to recognize one more time what an incredible privilege it is to have children — and to recognize that God, indeed, opens and closes the womb.On abortion and fairness, that’s the CRI Perspective. I’m Hank Hanegraaff.

March 17th, 2009 by CRI | Type: Standard

Filed Under: Current Events and Christianity, Perspectives

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Francis Schaeffer, Prolife | Comments (0)

Should the 10 Commandments be banned from public life?(Part 3, David Barton’s Affidavit in support on 10 Commandments)

June 4, 2012 – 1:52 am

I read back on Dec 8, 2011 that Tony Perkins, president of Family Research Council, a social conservative advocacy organization, said in 2011 that President Obama has been “hostile” and “disdainful” toward Christianity. Rick Perry actually said President Obama had a war on religion. One of the most basic things that our founding fathers did is base our laws on the ten commandments. At the Supreme Court there is one depiction showing Moses sitting, holding two blank stone tablets. There is one depiction showing Moses standing holding one stone tablet. There are two stone tablets depicted with Roman Numbers I-X carved in the oak doors.

David Barton has studied the history of the founding of our country for many years and I wanted to share a portion of adocument he wrote concerning the 10 Commandments:

 
David Barton – 01/03/2001
(View the footnoted version on Liberty Council’s website)

UNITED STATES DISTRICT COURT

EASTERN DISTRICT OF KENTUCKY

LONDON DIVISION

SARAH DOE and THOMAS DOE, on behalf

of themselves and their minor child, JAN DOE

Plaintiffs,

v Civil Action No. 99-508

HARLAN COUNTY SCHOOL DISTRICT;

DON MUSSELMAN, in his official capacity

as Superintendent of the Harlan Country

School District,

Defendents.

______________________________________________

AFFIDAVIT OF DAVID BARTON IN SUPPORT OF DEFENDANTS’ OPPOSITION TO PLAINTIFFS’ MOTION FOR CONTEMPT, OR, IN THE ALTERNATIVE, FOR SUPPLEMENTAL PRELIMINARY INJUNCTION

STATE OF TEXAS

COUNTY OF PARKER

 

WHICH ARE THE TEN COMMANDMENTS ?

18. In order to avoid the alleged misunderstanding that critics claim accompanies the reading of the Decalogue, for the purposes of this affidavit, these Commandments as listed in the Bible in Exodus 20:3-17 and Deuteronomy 5:7-21 (and in a shortened version in Exodus 34:14-28) will be summarized as

1. Have no other gods.

2. Have no idols.

3. Honor God’s name.

4. Honor the Sabbath day.

5. Honor your parents.

6. Do not murder.

7. Do not commit adultery.

8. Do not steal.

9. Do not perjure yourself.

10. Do not covet.

 

19. The following sections will fully demonstrate that each of these commandments was individually encoded in the civil laws, and consequently became a part of the common law of the various colonies.
By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in David Barton, Founding Fathers, President Obama | Comments (2)

Federal Spending Grew More Than Ten Times Faster Than Median Income

June 4, 2012 – 12:27 am

Federal Spending Grew More Than Ten Times Faster Than Median Income

Everyone wants to know more about the budget and here is some key information with a chart from the Heritage Foundation and a video from the Cato Institute.

When federal spending grows faster than Americans’ paychecks, the burden on taxpayers becomes greater. Over the past few decades, middle-income Americans’ earnings have risen only 27 percent, while spending has increased 299 percent.

PERCENT CHANGE OF INFLATION-ADJUSTED DOLLARS (2010)

Download

Federal Spending Grew More Than Ten Times Faster Than Median Income

Source: U.S. Census Bureau and White House Office of Management and Budget.

Chart 3 of 42

In Depth

  • Technical Notes

    The charts in this book are based primarily on data available as of March 2011 from the Office of Management and Budget (OMB) and the Congressional Budget Office (CBO). The charts using OMB data display the historical growth of the federal government to 2010 while the charts using CBO data display both historical and projected growth from as early as 1940 to 2084. Projections based on OMB data are taken from the White House Fiscal Year 2012 budget. The charts provide data on an annual basis except… Read More

  • Authors

    Emily GoffResearch Assistant
    Thomas A. Roe Institute for Economic Policy StudiesKathryn NixPolicy Analyst
    Center for Health Policy StudiesJohn FlemingSenior Data Graphics Editor

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

Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud!!!!

June 3, 2012 – 6:25 pm

Believe it or not there is an Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud. Take a look at this article from 501 Life Magazine of Conway:

Greenbrier family details fact/fiction in Hatfield-McCoy Feud | Print |
by Renee HunterThe Hatfield-McCoy Feud captured the public imagination, resulting in newspaper stories, books and movies.All of these treatments have been inaccurate, sometimes intentionally, much to the dismay of the Hatfield descendents.

The family owns several items that reflect the Hatfield heritage. (Mike Kemp photo)

 
The family owns several items that reflect the Hatfield heritage. (Mike Kemp photo)

A 1975 television movie had the feuders “chasing each other around in the bushes of Southern California; it was so fake,” said William Hatfield Sr. of Greenbrier, grandson of William Anderson “Devil Anse” Hatfield. An interview with Sadie, who was married to Anse’s youngest son, Tennyson, was supposed to be aired in conjunction with the film, but wasn’t because of the Super Bowl. 

William Hatfield Jr. has seen the trailer for an upcoming History Channel show about the feud, and he is afraid this, too, will be filled with inaccuracies. The program will be aired over three nights on Memorial Day weekend. Kevin Costner will play Anse. 

“It looked to me like he’s going to be a ruthless, heartless fellow, but we’ll see how he gets that way,” William Jr. said. “I don’t know who they used as a consultant.”

Anse’s great-granddaughter, Heather Vaillancourt of Greenbrier, says Anse was not ruthless, but was a gentle man who once wrote the president a letter asking for help to end the feud. The letter is now in the National Archives. Anse’s nickname was not for meanness, but rather was because he had the ability to suddenly disappear after an engagement with Union soldiers who said “only the devil could get away that fast.”

“We make him out to be a gentle soul; very hospitable,” William, Sr. said.

“So often, they play up the backward, hillbilly aspect,” said William Jr. One New York Times reporter deliberately posed Anse and his brothers in front of their log hunting cabin, dressed down and with guns in their hands to emphasize this aspect.

In truth, William,Jr. says, the Hatfields were wealthy, owning “over 5,000 acres of good hardwood timber.” 

“They had a house that for that day was a mansion,” he added, and their hunting cabin “was finer than most people’s houses. They were like the Kennedys of West Virginia.” 

The feud began at the end of the Civil War, in which the Hatfields fought for the Confederacy, when a returning Union soldier, Harmon McCoy, was killed by an ex-Confederate home guard called the “Logan County (WV) Wildcats.” Because Anse was the group’s leader, he was blamed for the murder, although he was not there at the time. 

The feud escalated, including incidents over a pig, star-crossed lovers and an election-day killing, in which Anse’s brother, Ellison, was stabbed 26 times and then shot, resulting in a retaliatory multiple shooting. The climax was the burning of a cabin by the Hatfields to smoke out a McCoy who had killed one of theirs, which resulted in several deaths. This last incident caused Kentucky to ask for U.S. Supreme Court intervention to allow the state to extradite and try the offenders. One Hatfield relative was hung, seven received life in prison and the feud abated. The last trial was held in 1901. 

In 2000, the “feud” took a different, more friendly turn when the descendents of the original feuders held a reunion and took the rivalry to a softball field. William Jr.’s photo holding the ball from that game is in the Baseball Hall of Fame in Cooperstown, N.Y.

“They just killed us because they brought ringers in from Pikesville,” Heather said.

There was also a tug-of-war that the Hatfields lost because they were on the uphill side of Tug Fork, across which the rope was stretched. Heather was pulled into the fork and got drenched.

This time it was all in good fun. The reunions lasted through 2006, and the family has several souvenirs and many fond memories.

William Sr. was born in West Virginia early in the Depression. He and his wife, Marquita, moved to Detroit after their marriage seeking work. For many years, William Sr. worked for the Ford Motor Company as a test driver, and the couple’s two children grew up there. Heather married Bill Vaillancourt, and the couple eventually moved to Greenbrier when Bill took a job with Acxiom. After retirement, Heather’s parents came for a visit on the way back to West Virginia, where they planned to retire. They never made it, but instead settled in Greenbrier to be near their daughter and their son, who lives in Tulsa. 

Today, the feud story draws tourists to the Kentucky-West Virginia area with a museum, a marathon and other related attractions. There is even a 500-plus-mile Hatfield-McCoy Trail System, one of the largest off-highway vehicle trail systems in the world.

“We’re not proud of what happened in the feud,” Heather said, but added that “because they were infamous, we have gotten to know them the way we couldn’t have gotten to know them otherwise.”

And the world has a fascinating – if not always accurate – story. 

Related posts:

What the Sam Hill is going on? (Phrase came out of Hatfield-McCoy feud)

d Added by: Hank Cox   Birth:  Jan. 30, 1844 Morgantown Butler County Kentucky, USA Death:  May 30, 1904 Lexington Fayette County Kentucky, USA Adjutant General of Kentucky: 1887 – 1891. He was assigned to this position on October 1, 1887 and served under Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner.     What in Sam Hill … […]

Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud!!!!

Believe it or not there is an Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud. Take a look at this article from 501 Life Magazine of Conway: Greenbrier family details fact/fiction in Hatfield-McCoy Feud | Print | by Renee HunterThe Hatfield-McCoy Feud captured the public imagination, resulting in newspaper stories, books and movies.All of these treatments have been […]

Origin of Hatfield-McCoy feud may have been a fight over a pig

Kevin Costner interview on the set of ” Hatfields and McCoys” ,Romania I have always wondered how the feud got started and it seemed that it started over the ownership of a pig. Below is an interesting article on the Hatfield McCoy fued: Close Me! The Hatfield McCoy Feud Mine Wars The largest armed conflict […]

Hatfield-McCoy Feud on History Channel makes good effort to get it right

Hatfield and McCoys Here is an article from Yahoo on the Hatfield and McCoy film series: Y! Big Story: The real story behind the Hatfields and the McCoys Trending Now – Fri, 1st Jun 2012 09:20 PM Everything you need to know to get up to speed on the story of the day The History […]

Does the History Channel’s “Hatfields and McCoys,” fit the actual history

Kevin Costner interview on the set of ” Hatfields and McCoys” ,Romania ____________ I have really enjoyed watching the film series on the History Channel about this feud. It appears to me that the movie did follow the historical details pretty close. How much of History Channel’s ‘Hatfields and McCoys’ is fiction?   Gloria Goodale […]

Great, great, granddaughter of Devil Anse Hatfield said he came to Christ

The Hatfields and McCoys_ Extended Version – CBN.com Hatfield and McCoys I used to travel to Pikeville, Kentucky on a regular basis and I was amazed at the rugged people that lived in that coalmining area. It is the back drop of the Hatfield and Mccoy feud. However, it was filmed in Europe. I have […]

(Here are some links to posts related to the Civil War film “The Conspirator):

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 34)(The Conspirator Part 26, Boston Corbett, man who shot Booth),

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. Here are a few more […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the answer? Boozman says yes, Pryor no (Part 20, Milton Friedman’s view is yes)(The Conspirator Part 25, Louis Weichmann)

Ronald Wilson Reagan (Part 78)(1981 Orsini McArthur murder case part 3)(The Conspirator Part 13, Mary Surratt Part D)

  (Picture from the Ronald Reagan Library) Ronald Reagan with his older brother Neil (Moon) Reagan. (Circa 1912) Second Reagan-Mondale presidential debate 1984 October 21, 1984 The Second Reagan-Mondale Presidential Debate MS. RIDINGS: Good evening from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. I am Dorothy Ridings, the president of the League of Women Voters, the […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the Answer? Pryor says no, Boozman says yes (part 9)(Famous Arkansan, Art Porter Sr.)(Conspirator Part 4)

I survived last night even though there were several tornadoes all through Arkansas last night. America has too many bureaucrats and they are dramatically overpaid. This mini-documentary uses government data to show how federal, state, and local governments are in fiscal trouble in part because of excessive pay for a bloated civil service. Steve Brawner […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the Answer? Pryor says no, Boozman says yes (part 8)(Famous Arkansan, Patsy Montana)(The Conspirator, part 2)

 It is 9:35 pm and we have been hiding from Tornadoes all night and I hope they are finished bothering us for the evening.  Ronald Reagan on Balanced Budget Amendment Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on […]

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 14)(“The Conspirator” movie, part 1)

  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. Here are a few […]

(Here are some posted related to the 1911 Civil War Reunion in Little Rock):

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 7)

Confederate soldier Julius Howell Interview What The south Fought For Confederate soldier Julius Howell talking about his capture and imprisonment at the Union prison camp at Point Lookout, Md. Howell was born in 1846 near the Holy Neck section of Suffolk, in the Holland area. He was the youngest of 16 children, the son of […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 6)

The American Civil War Part 1 The Union I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock for another event (Bill […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 5)

Ken Burns discusses his Emmy winning series The Civil War – EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 3)

Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938 Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938. Our other greatest generation. God bless both sides of this war who both tested and saved our union. _____________________________________________ I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim […]

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

Origin of Hatfield-McCoy feud may have been a fight over a pig

June 3, 2012 – 6:23 pm

Hatfields and McCoys Theatrical Trailer

I have always wondered how the feud got started and it seemed that it started over the ownership of a pig. Below is an interesting article on the Hatfield McCoy fued:

The Hatfield McCoy Feud

Close Me!

The Hatfield McCoy Feud

Mine Wars

  • The largest armed conflict in America since the Civil War.

The Hatfield McCoy Feud

The Hatfield-McCoy feud began in the mountainous Tug River valley. The Tug River separates West Virginia from Kentucky and separated most of the Hatfield and McCoy clans. William Anderson Hatfield was the recognized leader of the Hatfields and went by the nickname of “Devil Anse”. The leader of the McCoys was Randle McCoy.

The first known event linking the Hatfields and McCoys was at the end of the Civil War. Devil Anse fought for the Confederate Army for two years. Then he and some of his family members left the army and returned home. They joined a local Confederate militia known as the Logan Wildcats. Randle McCoy’s brother, Asa Harmon McCoy, was a Union soldier. In 1865 Asa was wounded in battle and came home. While Asa was recuperating, he was murdered. No one was ever charged with the murder but it was rumored that Devil Anse and the Logan Wildcats were involved. Some believe the feud started with this incident but there were no attempts at retaliation by the McCoys and no further conflict between the families for over a decade./p>

Then in the late 1870s, Devil Anse Hatfield got into a land dispute with Randle McCoy’s cousin Perry Cline. Anse won the land dispute and was granted Perry’s entire 5,000 acre plot of land. The McCoys felt that Anse had used his political connections to influence the court’s decision. A few months after the verdict, Randle McCoy accused Anse’s cousin, and best friend, Floyd Hatfield of stealing his hog. A lawsuit was brought against Floyd and the magistrate put together a jury of six McCoys and six Hatfields to hear the case. At the end of the trial one of the McCoys voted with the Hatfields for acquittal. That McCoy worked on Devil Anse’s timber crew and the McCoys claimed he voted with the Hatfields to save his job. As a result, the McCoys felt like they had been cheated again. This heightened ill feelings between the two families and several armed confrontations followed. This is when the violence between the families began in earnest.

Then in 1880, two years after the Hog Trial, events took an unexpected turn. At a community celebration Devil Anse’s son Johnse Hatfield met Randle McCoy’s daughter Roseanna. After spending one day together the couple decided they wanted to get married. Johnse brought Roseanna home with him and Devil Anse allowed them to live together in his house. It has been said that Anse refused to let Johnse marry Roseanna because she was a McCoy but there is also evidence to the contrary. In any event, Roseanna soon became pregnant with Johnse’s baby. Eventually she realized Johnse wasn’t going to marry her and she left the Hatfield home. However, her father refused to take her back in and she went to live with her Aunt Betty. Shortly after moving in with Aunt Betty, Roseanna gave birth to her baby but it died of the measles at eight months of age. Then six months after the baby’s death Johnse married Roseanna’s cousin, Nancy McCoy.

Not long after Johnse’s romantic entanglements another pivotal event in the feud occurred. Devil Anse’s brother Ellison Hatfield got into a fight with three of Randle McCoy’s sons at an election day celebration. One of the McCoys pulled a knife and Ellison was stabbed 27 times and then shot in the back. Anse and a posse intercepted the McCoy brothers as they were being taken to a Kentucky jail and escorted them back to West Virginia. Ellison was still alive and, according to Anse, the three McCoys would live only if Ellison survived. The following day Ellison died. Anse and his followers then transported the McCoy brothers across the river to Kentucky, tied them to several pawpaw trees and shot them. Indictments were issued for Anse and several of his supporters, but for five years no action was taken to extradite them.

Then in 1887 the McCoy family was able to gain influence with the newly elected governor of Kentucky. This resulted in vigorous efforts to extradite Devil Anse and his associates for the murder of Randle McCoy’s three sons. These efforts included a $500 reward for Devil Anse Hatfield’s capture. On January 1, 1888 the Hatfield family decided to retaliate by attacking and burning Randle McCoy’s home in Kentucky. During the raid two of Randle’s children were killed and his wife was seriously injured. This led to the Battle of Grapevine Creek in which several Hatfield supporters were captured or killed. The captured Hatfields were then transported to Pike County Kentucky to await trial.

In September 1888, the Hatfields involved in the raid on Randle McCoy’s home were tried for their crimes. All were sentenced to life in prison except for Ellison Mounts who was hanged the following year. Devil Anse made no attempt to get revenge for the conviction of his family members and this marked the end of the feud.

For more information on these events check out the links below.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Hatfield-McCoy_feud
http://www.wvculture.org/history/crime/hatfieldmccoy01.html
http://www.ghat.com/lugar1.htm

Related posts:

What the Sam Hill is going on? (Phrase came out of Hatfield-McCoy feud)

d Added by: Hank Cox   Birth:  Jan. 30, 1844 Morgantown Butler County Kentucky, USA Death:  May 30, 1904 Lexington Fayette County Kentucky, USA Adjutant General of Kentucky: 1887 – 1891. He was assigned to this position on October 1, 1887 and served under Governor Simon Bolivar Buckner.     What in Sam Hill … […]

Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud!!!!

Believe it or not there is an Arkansas connection to the Hatfield McCoy feud. Take a look at this article from 501 Life Magazine of Conway: Greenbrier family details fact/fiction in Hatfield-McCoy Feud | Print | by Renee HunterThe Hatfield-McCoy Feud captured the public imagination, resulting in newspaper stories, books and movies.All of these treatments have been […]

Origin of Hatfield-McCoy feud may have been a fight over a pig

Kevin Costner interview on the set of ” Hatfields and McCoys” ,Romania I have always wondered how the feud got started and it seemed that it started over the ownership of a pig. Below is an interesting article on the Hatfield McCoy fued: Close Me! The Hatfield McCoy Feud Mine Wars The largest armed conflict […]

Hatfield-McCoy Feud on History Channel makes good effort to get it right

Hatfield and McCoys Here is an article from Yahoo on the Hatfield and McCoy film series: Y! Big Story: The real story behind the Hatfields and the McCoys Trending Now – Fri, 1st Jun 2012 09:20 PM Everything you need to know to get up to speed on the story of the day The History […]

Does the History Channel’s “Hatfields and McCoys,” fit the actual history

Kevin Costner interview on the set of ” Hatfields and McCoys” ,Romania ____________ I have really enjoyed watching the film series on the History Channel about this feud. It appears to me that the movie did follow the historical details pretty close. How much of History Channel’s ‘Hatfields and McCoys’ is fiction?   Gloria Goodale […]

Great, great, granddaughter of Devil Anse Hatfield said he came to Christ

The Hatfields and McCoys_ Extended Version – CBN.com Hatfield and McCoys I used to travel to Pikeville, Kentucky on a regular basis and I was amazed at the rugged people that lived in that coalmining area. It is the back drop of the Hatfield and Mccoy feud. However, it was filmed in Europe. I have […]

(Here are some links to posts related to the Civil War film “The Conspirator):

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 34)(The Conspirator Part 26, Boston Corbett, man who shot Booth),

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. Here are a few more […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the answer? Boozman says yes, Pryor no (Part 20, Milton Friedman’s view is yes)(The Conspirator Part 25, Louis Weichmann)

Ronald Wilson Reagan (Part 78)(1981 Orsini McArthur murder case part 3)(The Conspirator Part 13, Mary Surratt Part D)

  (Picture from the Ronald Reagan Library) Ronald Reagan with his older brother Neil (Moon) Reagan. (Circa 1912) Second Reagan-Mondale presidential debate 1984 October 21, 1984 The Second Reagan-Mondale Presidential Debate MS. RIDINGS: Good evening from the Municipal Auditorium in Kansas City. I am Dorothy Ridings, the president of the League of Women Voters, the […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the Answer? Pryor says no, Boozman says yes (part 9)(Famous Arkansan, Art Porter Sr.)(Conspirator Part 4)

I survived last night even though there were several tornadoes all through Arkansas last night. America has too many bureaucrats and they are dramatically overpaid. This mini-documentary uses government data to show how federal, state, and local governments are in fiscal trouble in part because of excessive pay for a bloated civil service. Steve Brawner […]

Balanced Budget Amendment the Answer? Pryor says no, Boozman says yes (part 8)(Famous Arkansan, Patsy Montana)(The Conspirator, part 2)

 It is 9:35 pm and we have been hiding from Tornadoes all night and I hope they are finished bothering us for the evening.  Ronald Reagan on Balanced Budget Amendment Steve Brawner in his article “Safer roads and balanced budgets,” Arkansas News Bureau, April 13, 2011, noted: The disagreement is over the solutions — on […]

Senator Pryor asks for Spending Cut Suggestions! Here are a few!(Part 14)(“The Conspirator” movie, part 1)

  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. Here are a few […]

(Here are some posted related to the 1911 Civil War Reunion in Little Rock):

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 7)

Confederate soldier Julius Howell Interview What The south Fought For Confederate soldier Julius Howell talking about his capture and imprisonment at the Union prison camp at Point Lookout, Md. Howell was born in 1846 near the Holy Neck section of Suffolk, in the Holland area. He was the youngest of 16 children, the son of […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 6)

The American Civil War Part 1 The Union I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock for another event (Bill […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 5)

Ken Burns discusses his Emmy winning series The Civil War – EMMYTVLEGENDS.ORG I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim with Confederate veterans,” by Jake Sandlin that ran in the Arkansas Democrat-Gazette on May 15, 2011. It took 81 years before more people to gather in Little Rock […]

May 16-18, 1911 Confederate Veterans Reunion in Little Rock Pictures and story (Part 3)

Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938 Civil war veteran soldier footage, captured between 1913 and 1938. Our other greatest generation. God bless both sides of this war who both tested and saved our union. _____________________________________________ I really enjoyed the article “REBEL GRAY’S GOLDEN DAYS: In 1911, LR filled to the brim […]

By Everette Hatcher III | Posted in Current Events | Comments (1)