Musings from Brian J. Noggle
Thursday, April 30, 2009
 
Night of the Living Transit Tax
The story is misheadlined: Missouri House votes to send $12 million in stimulus money to Metro because let's just see what it is. Is it:
    The House voted Wednesday to use $12 million in federal stimulus funds to soften dramatic service cuts at Metro.

    The sponsor of the Metro funding amendment, Rep. Rachel Storch, D-St. Louis, said thousands of people can't get to work since bus routes at the St. Louis-area transit agency were slashed. She also decried cuts in transportation services for the disabled.
I thought stimulus money couldn't go to mass transit, but either I was misinformed or rules and promises out of the government are subject to change at the next member of government's whim (logically, this is a false dilemma, as it could be both).

At least Representative Storch is clear about how unwise it is to use "one-time" stimulus payments to bridge budget deficits:
    Storch portrayed it as stopgap funding until Metro can persuade area voters to raise taxes for the system.
Ah, yes. Because the voters have spoken, but they spoke wrongly and must receive chance after chance to do what the leaders want.

So what the state legislature has approved is a $12 million marketing and lobbying budget. It won't get old bus routes running again, but it will bridge a gap in the efforts to convince people to raise their taxes.

Kind of like those nice vinyl signs on the bus stops that are out of service. Metro did not remove the bus stop signs. No, they converted them all into free billboards to tell the electorate how it done Metro wrong.


- posted by Brian J. @ 5:46 AM   0 comments
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
 
Perhaps They Wrote The Article Too Soon
The New York Post compiled an article enumerating Obama's mistakes in office: 100 DAYS, 100 MISTAKES.

Maybe they were premature:



After all, who knows what might be done today or tomorrow? I'd save a spot on the list to see how the president handles the 100 days of disaster protesters in Arnold, Missouri, tomorrow.

The president claimed ignorance of the Tea Parties, but these guys will be right there. Unless their freedom-to-protest zone is in Hillsboro.


- posted by Brian J. @ 7:38 AM   0 comments
Monday, April 27, 2009
 
Where Can I Send My Check?
Sarah Steelman forming exploratory committee for Senate run

Link seen on, believe it or not, Prime Buzz, the Kansas City Star's political blog that frequently links to me and sometimes mischaracterizes me as a left-wing crank.

- posted by Brian J. @ 8:51 AM   1 comments
 
If You Make Anorexia Illegal, You Will Stop It
Missouri Legislature tackles eating disorders.

It would be entirely consistent behavior for the legislature to merely make eating disorders against the law. That would curb the problem, much like it does with drugs, prostitution, and so on.

Maybe they'll take the tack of smoking and merely ban purging in public places.

Instead, they'll just compel insurance companies to cover them in a fashion the government dictates, which will cause higher insurance rates, which will then require more government intervention at the Federal level.

Note that there are Republicans co-sponsoring the bill. Funny how small government principles fail in lots of small ways. Like encouraging government intervention for just this one little problem.


- posted by Brian J. @ 7:56 AM   0 comments
To say Noggle, one first must be able to say the "Nah."