Jim Hand's Blog - Sun Chronicle Online Community

City budget

City officials have tried to keep their plans for balancing the budget quiet, but sources say the city is seeking 10-day furloughs from its workers to save money. Furthermore, Mayor Kevin Dumas may propose a city meals tax in his budget. Continue

Added by Jim Hand on June 4, 2009 at 9:30am — 1 Comment

It figures

Sometimes the most effective lies have enough truth in them to make them credible to the gullible. Take, for instance, right wing attacks on the nomination of Judge Sonia Sotomayor for Supreme Court. The Washington Times, Fox News and other conservative media outlets say she is unqualified for the Supreme Court because 60 percent of her lower court opinions were overturned by the high court. The truth is that three of her five cases that were reviewed by the court were overturned. As the Washing… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 28, 2009 at 9:18am — 2 Comments

Politics as usual

It would be nice if something as important as a U.S. Supreme Court nomination was handle with solemn dignity void of crass politics, but that is never going to happen. So, regardless of the merits or drawbacks to the nomination of Sonia Sotomayor to the court, politics is a prime consideration. The national media is reporting that the Obama administration is almost hoping that Senate Republicans oppose her nomination because it would hurt their already low standing with a growing Hispanic popula… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 27, 2009 at 9:50am — 6 Comments

D'oh!

Don't bother trying to make sense of the following, just know: 1) A Massachusetts Democratic state senator said last night during the budget debate that he opposed raising the income tax because it would hurt taxpayers in the pocketbook. He then voted to raise the sales tax. Apparently sale taxes do not hurt taxpayers in the pocketbook. 2) The clerk's office at the Massachusetts state Senate is not allowed to give out the votes of individual senators on specific issues. 3) Republicans in Congres… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 20, 2009 at 11:00am — 2 Comments

Here come the judge

President Barack Obama has yet to name his nominee for a soon-to-be-vacant Supreme Court seat, but Republicans are already announcing their rationales for blocking the nomination. It is ususally consider good manners to wait to find out who you are opposing before you begin opposing them, but the times they are a changing. There was a time when the Senate would only block a Supreme Court nomination if there was a glaring problem with the person, such as a lapse of ethical conduct. Things began t… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 18, 2009 at 1:49pm — 3 Comments

With enemies like these who needs friends?

Perhaps you have seen those television ads criticizing President Obama's attempts to reform health care. You know the ones. They feature horror stories about the Canadian and British systems, even though Obama has no intention of imposing a government-run medical system such as those in Canada and England. In any case, have you ever wondered who the spokesman in the ads are? He is Texan Rick Scott and he knows a lot about what is wrong about the American health care system because he is the post… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 12, 2009 at 9:30am — 1 Comment

Healthscare

A group is running television ads attempting to scare people into opposing President Barack Obama's health care reforms and a Republican consultant is urging GOP member of Congress to take a similar tact. The ad quotes a Canadian and Englishman warning about the deadly impact of having bureaucrats ration health care and make medical decisions instead of doctors. Of course, they are talking about the systems in their countries, not the Obama plan. They can't talk abotu the Obama plan because he h… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 7, 2009 at 3:59pm — 2 Comments

Gender gap

Year after year polling finds a significant gender gap between Democrats and Republicans when it comes to women. The Gallop Poll reported this week: "Among women, Democrats maintain a solid double-digit advantage in party identification over Republicans, 41 percent to 27 percent." Why is that? George W. Bush reportedly won many women over in his 2004 re-election on security issues after the 9-11 attacks. But why do women generally side with Democrats? Common wisdom holds that women are more conc… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 7, 2009 at 12:39pm — No Comments

Yada Yada Yada

Folks, we have two wars, escalating unemployment, shaky banks, Iran, North Korea and pirates to worry about to name a few. So, don't you think we could do without stories about the California beauty queen, John Edwards affair and Bristol Palin? Continue

Added by Jim Hand on May 7, 2009 at 11:20am — 1 Comment

Word play

There is more evidence in that political discussion has gone over the edge and labels are becoming meaningless. Republican National Chairman Michael Steele said the other day that U.S. Rep. Arlen Specter is a "leftist" with a "left wing record." The comments were made in response to Specter's switch from the Republican to Democratic party. Regardless of what you think of Specter and his switch, there is no way he is a leftist and he does not have a "left wing record." Specter is firmly in the mi… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on April 30, 2009 at 10:45am — 1 Comment

Poll vaulting

President Barack Obama has been handed a nearly unprecedented series of crises since moving into the White House and the American public seems to like the way he is handing things. A series of polls out this week as Obama approaches his 100th day in office tells the tale. ABC puts his job approval rating at 68 percent to 26 percent disapproving. Fox News puts the spread at 62-29. Real Clear Politics averages seven major polls and comes up with a mark of 62 percent approval versus 30 percent disa… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on April 28, 2009 at 12:33pm — 3 Comments

Do as I say

One of the great things about being a member of Congress is that you never have to live up to the expectations you have for others. Take for example U.S. Rep. Cathy McMorris Rogers, R-Washington. She is vice chair of the Republican task force studying ways to eliminate the nasty earmarks in the budget that the GOP loved when it was in charge of Congress, but has been so upset about since Democrats took over. Rogers, despite her campaign against earmarks, has requested a ton of them herself in th… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on April 22, 2009 at 10:00am — 13 Comments

Earth to Tea Parties

Protesters gathered at various sites across the country today to demonstrate against tax increases and assaults on freedom such as gun-owner rights by President Barack Obama. Apparently the protesters never got word that Obama has not raised taxes. He has proposed some increases two years down the road, but for now he has cut the income tax rate on everyone making less than $250,000. He has also not attacked gun rights and has said many times he has no intention to doing so. Right wing bloggers… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on April 15, 2009 at 6:30pm — 3 Comments

Regular riot

Sometimes it seems like the only real reporter on television is comedian Jon Stewart of the fake news program "The Daily Show." While pretty boy spokesmodels like Anderson Cooper merely repeat the party lines given out in Washington, Stewart has a knack for researching what talking heads have said in the past and throwing it back in their face. Last night Stewart lit into CNBC, which has been on a rampage against President Barach Obama and his economic policies. Stewart used clips from past CNBC… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on March 5, 2009 at 11:00am — 22 Comments

Obama bashing

A new NBC-Wall Street Journal poll finds that President Barack Obama enjoys a 60 percent job approval rating from voters and even higher personal favorability grades. Perhaps the high marks are not surprising for a new president who came into office bearing the hopes of a better day. But, the ratings are downright shocking considering the relentless bounding Obama has taken from virtually all corners in the media. Eight years ago the media was going hard-hitting stories about President Bush givi… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on March 4, 2009 at 11:53am — 5 Comments

Towing the line

U.S. Rep. James McGovern, D-Worcester, has never been known for his pithy one liners, but he came up with the quote of the week while debating an appropriation bill that Republicans said was too expensive. “The same people who drove the economy into the ditch are now complaining about the size of the tow truck,” he said on the House floor. Continue

Added by Jim Hand on February 28, 2009 at 1:02pm — No Comments

Credit card governors

Gov. Deval Patrick is understandably being knocked around for his frequent calls for higher taxes. He has proposed higher meals taxes, cigarette taxes, and gasoline taxes, among others. The talk has led some to pine for the good old days of Republican governors who refused to raise taxes. But, a closer look reveals that those governors raised many fees and avoided higher taxes by putting their pet projects on a credit card for future generations to pay off. Patrick is in the unfortunate position… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on February 23, 2009 at 10:33am — No Comments

You're no John McCain

Sen. John McCain took some heat during the presidential campaign when he could not remember how many houses he owns. The fact that he owns seven and couldn't remember them undercut his claims that rival Barack Obama was the elitist in the race. Former Massachusetts Gov. Mitt Romney, who is just itching to run for president again in 2012, is making a move that appears to be an attempt to insulate him from similar troubles. Romney is reportedly selling two of his four homes. The Associated Press r… Continue

Added by Jim Hand on February 17, 2009 at 10:53am — 2 Comments

Rich Man Poor Man

Washington loves to argue over how to serve the interests of the middle class, but rarely turns its attention to the poor. However, the below article from the Associated Press takes a rare look at how a current public policy issue impacts the poor. EDITOR’S NOTE — This AP analysis is part of a series of stories examining how the economic stimulus plan will affect Americans By NANCY BENAC Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON (AP) — More than 37 million Americans live in poverty, and the vast majo… Continue

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