INSIDE THE REPUBLICAN CAUCAS ... HOW THE WIND BLOWS

Well ... the word has gone forth ... and it shall be ... a done deal.  Casting of characters is deemed optional ... your choice don't over think the opportunity.

ITS ALWAYS DIFFICULT SEARCHING FOR A THEME

The twists and turns in life can be rewarding provided expectations are properly balanced. Last nights Republican Caucus was neither a twist, turn or even a surprise. A thought has just cross my mind, now that were speaking of twists and turns ... With Selectman Oliveri gone, along with his experience and judgment, Hodge now has the full burden of his position of ‘twisting and turning’. No more hiding behind Oliveri's lips. However, the omnipotent one will continue grinding out the same ‘ol tune and soft shoe routine. Unless the voters of New Fairfield awake and balance the Board of Selectman with experience and proven management skills of two other individuals that WILL NOT sing and dance to his tunes. We can’t afford more of the same … lack of plans, lack of follow through, lack of long-term impact, lack of thought. In fact the Republican Ticket does lack a lot. Let's start with the fundamentals for an effective government and having reviewed the list ... any further discussion would be mere affirmation of the first proposition: fundamentals for an effective government. Now I know many of you would say, look what he's done. Exactly my point! I've looked and it sickens me. We in New Fairfield DO NOT live in Camelot. We are merely a bedroom community defined by a stop light intersecting two state highways. Let's leave it that way, a quiet New England town without aspirations of becoming the Bronx, Staten Island or Long Island. After all many of us left some of those places to be in a quaint New England rural town. The Score Card of progress is not ranked by what we build, how many grants we get rather by how well our community and government serves the general need of public health and safety. Our community is best defined by how well we all work together in that common goal of public health and safety. How we care and how we help those in need that live in our community. Government is not the clairion call to support our self interests. Our volunteers and community groups must not be divided by 'special interests' supported by government. Our community should be united by those special interests as all individuals, young and old come together in support of each other. I'm stepping down from the Soap Box now and will hand over the reins to the voters, enough said.

IN A PERFECT WORLD ... BUT SELDOM PERCEPTIONS COME TRUE!

You can't embellish this any further ... its like catching a fly with chop sticks!

CASTING OF THE CHARACTERS IS TOTALLY YOURS!

THE CHALLENGE OF THE OBAMA HEALTH CARE PROPOSAL

The surrounding infrastructure in this video will be the condition of the country when Obama finishes with his 'vision of the future' ... the song "Stay'in Alive" is the theme song for the Health Care program being promoted.

WHY THE SURPLUS $970,000 SHOULD NOT BE SPENT!

Tax and Revenue

July 2009

RAISING TAXES IN A RECESSION
As states went through the pain of balancing their budgets for this fiscal year, 48 of them faced a total of $166 billion in revenue shortfalls.  It was hard enough finding spending cuts and tax and fee increases to narrow and finally close those gaps; within weeks, the budget holes opened wide again. As Nicholas Johnson, director of the State Fiscal Project at the Center for Budget and Policy Priorities, points out, federal stimulus funds helped--but still only filled in 30 to 40 percent of state budget shortfalls. The remaining 60 to 70 percent, he notes, is 60 to 70 percent of a very large number.
This reminds me of the commercial ... do you want it to hurt now or later!  Perhaps changing one's diet is in order ... getting off grants and other funding vehicles is the right thing to do.  Each of course are "hurt later meals", when the operational budget kicks in to support the "investment" ... That's what happens later 'hurt' ... what's impacted is the quality of public services [road maintenance, snow plowing, etc., -- you really need an growing tax base to pay for unbridled growth caused by 'free money - grants'.  So, the question is ... what level of public services can the property tax base in New Fairfield support?  What is the growth in the property tax base? What is the growth in the conveyance taxes? What happens if the state significantly reduces its PILOT formula and programs?  What happens if the state significantly 'drags its feet on grant payments?'  The questions aren't that difficult ... changing the diet is!

Let's see ... the BOF was right about the Communications Project ... a new bid is over $1,000,000 lower than the 'must have' ... the best solution whereby the town at referendum voted it down 2:1.  Besides a new Referendum should provide the same answer ... NOT NOW ... NO!
Let's see ... the BOF was right about the weevils ... they had to go into before the second week of June ... gee whiz ... there wasn't enough millfoil to implant the weevils ... the draw down worked, besides they could not find any of last years weevils!
Let's see ... the beat goes on!  The Town needs to change its diet to a more lend and mean program of operating with the property tax base and its growth.
OH, but wait there's more ... the Reval is upon us ... like the plague of the Dark Ages.  What will the Reval reveal in the property tax base?  Has your home increased in value? Will your taxes go up?  DUH!  Short answer is no.  The Reval should show that the property tax base has retreated to between 2003 and 2004 values.  Sooo, your taxes should not go up ... RIGHT!  Wrong ... "hurt later" is the correct answer!

THE FINANCIAL CARNAGE OF A MYOPIC VISION ... A THEATER PRODUCTION GONE BAD!

New Fairfield historic houses in need of a bridge

THE FOLLOWING ARE REPLIES TO A NEWSTIMES ARTICLE ... A SLOW NEWS DAY ... PERHAPS NOT!

July 19th ... Sunday

Those empty "historic houses" represent the incompetence of John Hodge who rushes into things he claims will be "free" and then messes it all up.

The News-Times got this story wrong. The town of NF has paid a bloody fortune for this project. The bridge was purchased by Mr Hodge for a permanent bridge. Bad planning as usual caught up with Hodge and the state forced him to take the bridge down and sell it for a sacrifice.

Now Hodge has no money for the bridge.

The real story is the NF wasted a ton of money and four years later those old houses are an eyesore. There's no written plan, by the was, for usage. The "lease" is a joke meant to cover up the ugly truth: this project has been an expensive failure.

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"The smaller bridge had to be removed after a resident pointed out it was blocking the flood plain for the brook. "

Nice little spin.....the truth is that the bridge would not have been removed if it hadn't been illegally installed. The way it was reported implies that the removal of the bridge was the "fault" of a town resident instead of a loose cannon of a 1st Selectman who never bothered to do it the right way. If the "blame" for this lengthy delay belongs anywhere, it belongs with John Hodge. Had he followed the proper protocol it would very likely have resulted in some sort of legal means of access around the same time the senior center opened.

___________________________________________________________

This was one of the the many HODGE screwups with Chapman shaking her head like a bobble head to everything he says. Adhering to the belief; If you tell stupid people a lie enough times they will start to believe it.

___________________________________________________________

If you cannot convince them, confuse them, the doctrine of John Hodge.

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Is John Hodge certifiable to continue this charade that all is well and more tax money should be applied to his pet projects like a bridge to no where?
Even Mr. Waterman said what is now a rosy picture could change in the new fiscal year. "Maybe it didn't catch up with us yet," he said, referring to the current economic woes on Thursday, July 9 at Board of Selectmen Regular Meeting.
Mr. Hodge then keeps referring to the surpluses in the State of the Town Address; "Our financial condition is robust, and quite frankly, flies in the face of what is occurring across the state and across the country.”
Waterman also said “much of the surplus we do have resulted from higher-than-anticipated state revenues for special education reimbursement and from the resolution of a legal case involving a construction project at the police station.” This totally backfires in Mr. Waterman’s face with the above statement, meaning we need this money to stay put. These monies should go to special education for the schools and the police station, or maybe a “catch up” year. 
How is our town being run? Experience is the name that everyone gives to his or her mistakes, John Hodge need not apply. New Fairfield town’s people contrary to popular belief are struggling. If we vote for the John Hodge ticket again this too will surly fly in the face of many and the damage will be horrendous.
“There are three kinds of lies: Lies, Damn Lies, and Statistics” John Hodge has given us all three. Now ask yourself do you really want more of the same?(A favorite line in the RNC recycle bin)
We want honesty, truth and the facts, which stands for NO MORE HODGE!

Vote NO to Hodge/Chapman, think about your taxes. How much more can you really afford?

___________________________________________________________

Vote No to The Clown and The Puppet.

___________________________________________________________

Shouldn't someone correct the writer of the article and make them print a correction of the real reason the bridge came down?

___________________________________________________________

This was the greatest fraud perpetuated against this town in all my years. Hog is to Blame.

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This of course begs the question, "Why would you pour water into an ocean?"
You wouldn't. You would stop doing that, if you really thought about it. Really, you probably wouldn't even start. But we did it anyway, because we were going to have deal with John Hodges bad long term decisions with "vigorous oversight."
And now we know what that means: periodic reports providing details on how the things you didn't want to happen, happened.
John Hodge needs to provide these details on every venture he has signed and contracted on. Transparency on all accounts...its time for the onslaught to start.

___________________________________________________________

I am really looking forward to seeing what the preservation group is going to do with the museums. It will be great to have a place to visit on weekends with the kids.

I understood that the bridge was taken out because an ignorant resident went to Hartford, posing as an official, and caused a ruckus. I think Hodge is doing a great job and I'll be glad to see him continue to move things forward in our town.

____________________________________________________________

LoveNF wrote:

I am really looking forward to seeing what the preservation group is going to do with the museums. It will be great to have a place to visit on weekends with the kids.
I understood that the bridge was taken out because an ignorant resident went to Hartford, posing as an official, and caused a ruckus. I think Hodge is doing a great job and I'll be glad to see him continue to move things forward in our town.

There you are! I always wondered who was the quintessential "buyer" in the bridge to sell transactions that everyone uses to poke fun at gullible people. Do you really think anyone could pose as an official and lie to the state to get the bridge removed? Wow, are we sure Jay Leno isn't in town, he would have loved to interview you. I don't know for a fact how the state came to examine the placement of the bridge but they obviously decided it wasn't legal. It is amazing that there is anyone left who even believes the Hodge version.

____________________________________________________________

Reader wrote:

There you are! I always wondered who was the quintessential "buyer" in the bridge to sell transactions that everyone uses to poke fun at gullible people. Do you really think anyone could pose as an official and lie to the state to get the bridge removed? Wow, are we sure Jay Leno isn't in town, he would have loved to interview you. I don't know for a fact how the state came to examine the placement of the bridge but they obviously decided it wasn't legal. It is amazing that there is anyone left who even believes the Hodge version.

One of these days someone is going to exercise their Freedom of Information rights and ask the key agencies in Hartford for copies of all the correspondence and notes of conversations that took place between residents of the town and those agencies regarding the Historic Houses and the Senior Center. Perhaps some of the more interesting items will be published.

_________________________________________________________________

LoveNF wrote:

I am really looking forward to seeing what the preservation group is going to do with the museums. It will be great to have a place to visit on weekends with the kids.
I understood that the bridge was taken out because an ignorant resident went to Hartford, posing as an official, and caused a ruckus. I think Hodge is doing a great job and I'll be glad to see him continue to move things forward in our town.

Why were they not arrested for impersonating and official then? You would be charged with violation of 18 USC 912, Impersonation of a Government Official. I've checked and see no such charges that include a person from New Fairfield going to Hartford with this particular case.
Leave the absurd to your town officials and stop writing inaccurate accounts of information.

________________________________________________________________

LoveNF wrote:

I am really looking forward to seeing what the preservation group is going to do with the museums. It will be great to have a place to visit on weekends with the kids.
I understood that the bridge was taken out because an ignorant resident went to Hartford, posing as an official, and caused a ruckus. I think Hodge is doing a great job and I'll be glad to see him continue to move things forward in our town.

This is a lie, here is the only account we could find of this http://
www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/06/blotte... What a bunch of pure garbage, as for moving things forward that depends of your vision with a town bankruptcy for more individuals then less.

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I say set the houses on fire and let the fire department use them for training

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Lies wrote:

This is a lie, here is the only account we could find of this http://
www.nhregister.com/articles/2009/07/06/blotte... What a bunch of pure garbage, as for moving things forward that depends of your vision with a town bankruptcy for more individuals then less.

Actually its true and has happened several times on several different issues. Sadly, Hodge is too much of a gentleman to even state the name of the citizen or blogger who have been doing this.

________________________________________________________________

Laughing Gal wrote:

Actually its true and has happened several times on several different issues. Sadly, Hodge is too much of a gentleman to even state the name of the citizen or blogger who have been doing this.

"who have been doing this" First check your grammar then check your lies.

FIRST HALF OF 2009 SETS NEW RECORD HIGH FOR NUMBER OF BUSINESSES SHUTTING DOWN IN CONNECTICUT

HARTFORD: Secretary of the State Susan Bysiewicz reported today that in the first half of 2009, 6,944 businesses shut down, setting a new record for the first half of any year since these figures were first recorded in 2000. This represents a 17% percent increase in the number of business failures from the first two quarters of 2008. In the second quarter of 2009, 3,467 filed papers to dissolve, just under the 3,477 to shut their doors in the first quarter of this year. Meanwhile, 6,937 new businesses incorporated between April 1st and June 30th of 2009, slightly less than the 6,941 start-ups in the first quarter. Business starts in the first half of 2009 declined 9.6% from 2008 figures.

\

JUST A FEW OF MANY BUSINESS/OFFICE SPACE AVAILABLE  

“Obviously, this is still a difficult economic climate for our state’s entrepreneurs, but we may be starting to see the recession bottom out,” said Secretary Bysiewicz, Connecticut’s Chief Business Registrar. “While 2009 may yet set the record for most business failures, it appears the severity of both the number of closures and the decline of new business start-ups is lessening, so I see this as a glimmer of hope for our economy. Connecticut’s small businesses still need our help now to reduce costs and create a more favorable climate for profitability, particularly in areas such as health care and utilities. We also need to continue to hold down unnecessary taxes and fees, and continue to offer financial incentives to enter new areas of business such as green technologies, life sciences, and alternative energy sources.”

The monthly figures contained in the Business Starts Index released by the Secretary of the State’s Office are available online at http://www.sots.ct.gov. The statistics show that in April 2009, 1,521 businesses filed paperwork to dissolve their company, followed by another 929 in May and 1,017 in June. Connecticut experienced a 13% increase.

Let's not dilute ourself's or be lead down the path that New Fairfield is not impacted by the general economy.  The town should not spend the surplus [$950,000], rather these funds should be directed into a 'rainy day fund' ...  tell me what your thoughts are?

Click here to vote:  http://www.micropoll.com/akira/mpview/627504-185870

AN ODE TO FREEDOM OF THE PRESS ...

Douglas Thielen

9 Pheasant Drive

New Fairfield, CT 06812

[203] 746-4039

e-Mail: Doug1016@aol.com

 Letter to the Editor

COMMON CENTS, R.I.P.

This will serve to advise my readers that there will be no more bi-weekly Common Cents columns in New Fairfield’s weekly newspaper. I resigned in disgust last week.

In a nut shell, I am sick and tired of my column being butchered by the editor when I chose to disagree with the narcissistic administration on a hot button issue. I can’t imagine what you could do worse to a writer than to over-edit, twist and contort his or her column and then publish the resultant distortion without advising the writer. The latest machete job was done a few weeks ago and was far from the first time the editor chose to pull the rug out from under me. That has been a periodic occurrence over the Common Cents’ 6+ years of publication.

There are numerous reasons floating around to explain this unprofessional behavior. Admittedly, I have taken frequent exception of the way New Fairfield is being administered as if it were a monarchy, but that is exactly the current administration’s method of running the town. Was the editor threatened with a frivolous lawsuit related to something I wrote? Although without substance, the costs to defend such a lawsuit would bankrupt the paper. That seems to be the most logical explanation, but we’ll never know the truth.  

I refuse to allow my Op-Ed column to be adulterated and myself set up as New Fairfield’s political piñata in the process. 

I am asking the News-Times to publish this letter since I know it will not be edited. The News-Times has integrity and does not do that.

Doug Thielen

New Fairfield

746-4039
Click Here for Poll


Where there is much desire to learn, there of necessity will be much arguing, much writing, many opinions; for opinions in good men is but knowledge in the making.

John Milton (1608 - 1674)


Post Script: "A Voice of Dissent Silenced but not forgotten ...

Website Polls Powered By MicroPoll

If you feel Common Cents [unedited] should be back in the Citizen News to provide balance, call Ellen at 746-4669.

SUMMERTIME IS GARDENING TIME AND TIME TO HOSE TAXPAYERS

Many notorious personalities throughout history believe rules don't apply to them. They either change the rules if possible or simply ignore them and consequence. To the victor go the soils and of course history is often twisted and re-purposed from time to time, to fit circumstance benefiting a desired out come.  The process has unintended consequences with benefits befitting a novel written by Stephen King. But only in a King novel do these consequence and benefit become preordained in some twisted and planned manner to entertain the reader, a laudable goal with economic benefit flowing to the author.  


Contrary to the well thought out King novel, New Fairfield Senior Center will not stand the test of time.  Why not, you ask.  It has to do with one small man's myopic vision of the future in a bedroom community defined by a traffic light at the intersection of two state roads.  A community more defined by tradition and volunteerism summed up in the old New England motto of  "live and let live" with an out stretched hand ready to assist those in need.  Special interest in this community has always been defined not by the reward being offered, rather by the individual satisfaction of knowing a need is being filled by those many out stretched hands ready to assist.  A local politician has "poisoned the well of trust and good intentions" by redefining in his myopic vision - volunteerism.  This politician pits special interest against special interest such that the heritage of civility and caring has been subverted into an blood sport. A Town Meeting is now considered a "special interest" meeting and is attended by those with a beneficial interest in the outcome of the particular issue at hand. The attendance at a Town Meeting is poor, maligned and not representative of a population of 15,000 residents.  Cost and expediency, of a Town Meeting as opposed to a Referendum, with a guarantee result are but a few of the hues and cries coupled with the deceptive rhetoric we read and hear by the local Citizen News columnists. That's because the 'politician' is totally oblivious to the fact that our larger economy supporting our bedroom community  is on life support and any new tax revenue created from an expanded tax base is on a morphine drip.


The results of  these Town Meetings and alleged innuendo, like a Stephen King novel always end the same twisted way.  Those that can move, those that can't suffer in abject silence on a saline drip muttering between medication doses. Who are the real losers?  No one in particular but as the social fabric thins everyone and especially the New England tradition and heritage of extending the hand in trust and assistance, a tradition of generations.  A further lost in unintended consequence is "confidence" in the political system operating under the Connecticut General Statutes ... would a Town Charter be any different or better?

Stay tuned to a full disclosure of the semantic and syntax of resolutions and the "Annual Hosing of the Taxpayer" ... 

JOHN HODGE'S CAMPAIGN MANAGER WEIGHS IN ... A NEW DIRECTION!!!

A candid conversation between former New Fairfield Republican Party heavy weight and John Hodge's campaign manager ... a new direction for the New Fairfield Republican Party  ... from ACORN a mighty Oak Tree grows ... and to bask in its shades of change, ah a job well done!

THE GREAT WALL OF MEXICO ... AND ONLY $10 MILLION PER MILE

PERHAPS ADDING ANOTHER STATE WOULD BE CHEAPER!

LET'S NOT TALK ABOUT STIMULUS ...

But Homeland Security Secretary Michael Chertoff has said a wall running the length of a border would cost too much. A 2,000 mile state-of-the-art border fence has been estimated to cost between four and eight billion dollars. Costs for a wall that would run the entire length of the border might be as low as $851 million for a standard 10-foot prison chain link fence topped by razor wire. For another $362 million, the fence could be electrified. A larger 12-foot tall, two-foot-thick concrete wall painted on both sides would run about $2 billion. Initially it was estimated that the San Diego fence would cost $14 million -- about $1 million a mile. The first 11 miles of the fence eventually cost $42 million -- $3.8 million per mile, and the last 3.5 miles may cost even more since they cover more difficult terrain. An additional $35 million to complete the final 3.5 miles was approved in 2005 by the Department of Homeland Security -- $10 million per mile.

* There were 2.8 million illegal immigrants living in California in 2006, the last year for which there are relatively good figures, according to the nonpartisan Public Policy Institute of California. That represented about 8% of the state's population and roughly a quarter of the nation's illegal immigrants. About 90% of California's illegal immigrants were from Latin America; 65% from Mexico.

* There are roughly 19,000 illegal immigrants in state prisons, representing 11% of all inmates. That's costing $970 million during the current fiscal year. The feds kick in a measly $111 million, leaving the state with an $859 million tab.

* Schools are the toughest to calculate. Administrators don't ask kids about citizenship status. Anyway, many children of illegal immigrants were born in this country and automatically became U.S. citizens.

If you figure that the children of illegal immigrants attending K-12 schools approximates the proportion of illegal immigrants in the population, the bill currently comes to roughly $4 billion. Most is state money; some local property taxes.

* Illegal immigrants aren't entitled to welfare, called CalWORKs. But their citizen children are. Roughly 190,000 kids are receiving welfare checks that pass through their parents. The cost: about $500 million, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.

Schwarzenegger has proposed removing these children from the welfare rolls after five years. It's part of a broader proposal to also boot off, after five years, the children of U.S. citizens who aren't meeting federal work requirements. There'd be a combined savings of $522 million.

* The state is spending $775 million on Medi-Cal healthcare for illegal immigrants, according to the legislative analyst. Of that, $642 million goes into direct benefits. Practically all the rest is paid to counties to administer the program. The feds generally match the state dollar-for-dollar on mandatory programs.

So-called emergency services are the biggest state cost: $536 million. Prenatal care is $59 million. Not counted in the overall total is the cost of baby delivery -- $108 million -- because the newborns aren't illegal immigrants.

The state also pays $47 million for programs that Washington does not require: Non-emergency care (breast and cervical cancer treatment), $25 million; long-term nursing home care, $19 million; abortions, $3 million.

From: Kim Hanson [mailto:kimhanson@gmail.com] 
Sent: Wednesday, July 15, 2009 12:15 PM
To: Dhollyufo@aol.com
Cc: Jodirae410@aol.com; rmbascombe@yahoo.com; seasidedreamin@sbcglobal.net; gaildefeo@snet.net; CTGolden1@aol.com; kimhanson2@charter.net; revheineman@aol.com; Mchpartsguy48@aol.com; DfoGirl49@aol.com; Bigbop6936@aol.com; djennings@kimchukmail.com; wordmavin@earthlink.net; ralphlangham@yahoo.com; mardisct1@charter.net; Gortobor@aol.com; paul.bruno@mac.com; john.prendergast@comcast.net; pviola@marcusdairy.com; Mew02255@aol.com; ShLaDeWa@aol.com; rogercwise@gmail.com

Subject: Re: Hoover, Truman, and Eisenhower

READ THIS!!  I've checked the facts (Kim) and this e-mail is correct. Now tell the American taxpayers that it's impossible to deport the millions of illegal aliens who take our jobs, commit crimes, suck our social welfare systems dry, overcrowd our schools, drive cars without a license and insurance, expect us to "dial 1 for English" and make all

signs and instructions multi-lingual. 

  All it takes is a President and Congress with the guts (and without the burdens of campaign promises to these illegal aliens and their supporters and sponsors) to say;"Enough is enough!" "Our country can't support you and your families, unless you obtain legal status and pay taxes like all Americans." "You must learn basic English and be able to read road signs (without pictures  or translations), and not be convicted of any crimes within the first 2 years of your citizenship."

  Border fences and more Border Patrol troops can't stop the influx, so therefore it's up to the President and Congress to initiate a roundup and deportation of those who are destroying our economy and morals.

Dale:

How deeply did you check? (Almost anything you Google from the items you sent results in only tea bag sources repeating the exact same quotes with no sourcing.) And did you check your introduction? 

If you really want to be taken seriously answer the following questions to show me that you have seriously thought about this issue.

Have you applied for a job that you couldn't get because it was taken by an "illegal alien"?

Do you know anyone who has applied for a job that they didn't get because it was taken by an "illegal alien?

What is the crime rate for "illegal aliens"? What is the crime rate for citizens?

What is the net cost or benefit to our social welfare system caused by the presence of "illegal aliens"?

What is the cost incurred by the presence of "illegal aliens" in our public schools?

What is the net cost or benefit of" illegal aliens" driving cars?

When did "illegal aliens" call for us to have to dial one for english, and ask for all signs to be multi-lingual?

Really? All we have to do is say "Enough is enough and the alleged problem will disappear?

I assume from your statement that you think that the billions of dollars spent on border fences and boarder patrols is a complete waste of our tax dollars. If they can't be kept out then what purpose does deporting them serve?

What would be the cost of "rounding up and deporting"  all "illegal aliens"?

What percentage of "illegal aliens" could successfully be "rounded up and deported" for that cost estimate?

Please show sources that explain how 'illegal aliens" have been "destroying our morals" so that I do not assume that is simply a racist comment.

How many "illegal aliens" were actually deported as a result of Hoover's order? How much did it cost?

Can you site any non-tea bag source to support the claim that Truman deported 2,000,000 "illegal aliens"? If so how much did that cost and what percentage of existing "illegal aliens" did that 2,000,000 represent? 

It appears that Eisenhower's "Operation Wetback" (how lovely) actually may have deported around 100,000 Mexicans. That is about 7.5% of the number you claim he deported. Can you site any non-tea bag source that validates that 2,000,000 number? How much did it cost to deport those 100,000 Mexicans?

Is the relationship of taxes paid to benefits received by "illegal aliens" different from the same relationship for citizens? If it is different do they get more or less benefit per tax dollar paid then do citizens?

What is the net effect on GDP caused by the presence of "illegal aliens"?

What would the net effect be if they vast majority of them were deported?

What effect would that deportation have on inflation?

Would all those to be deported have access to the judicial system? (If not how would you keep the vast domestic army required to execute such a massive deportation from deporting you?)

What would be the additional cost to our judicial system be of such a massive deportation?

Kim

DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOLS ... BANKRUPTCY?

DPS may wind up in bankruptcy

WILLIAM ARCHIE/Detroit Free Press

Strategies to solve $259-million deficit are few

BY PEGGY WALSH-SARNECKI AND CHASTITY PRATT DAWSEY • detroit FREE PRESS EDUCATION WRITERS • JULY 10, 2009

The Detroit Public Schools may have no choice but to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy, which would make it the first big-city school district to use bankruptcy court to avoid paying millions to vendors, employees and bondholders, experts said Thursday.

DPS Emergency Financial Manager Robert Bobb is continuing to consider the option and met Thursday with retired U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Ray Reynolds Graves.

Jim McTevia of McTevia & Associates of Bingham Farms, which works with companies with serious financial troubles, said DPS has three choices to solve its projected $259-million budget deficit: raise more money, cut costs or declare bankruptcy.

More revenues are extremely unlikely, given DPS's projected enrollment decline of 12,000 students and anticipated state funding cuts. McTevia estimated DPS would have to cut its costs as much as 50%, an almost impossible feat given that more than 80% of most school district costs are salaries and benefits mandated by contracts.

Bobb, a state appointee who took charge of the DPS budget in March, was not able to balance the 2009-10 budget, which totals about $1.2 billion and calls for $21.8 million in debt service payments on bonds sold to eliminate past deficits.

"They're going to have to reduce their debts, and the only vehicle is through the court system," McTevia said.

A bankruptcy filing could reduce the amount DPS will pay vendors and bondholders. It also could allow a judge to rule on DPS's requested changes to employment contracts, McTevia said.

DPS spokesman Steve Wasko said in an e-mail that the bankruptcy meeting had nothing to do with the district's unions.

No school district in Michigan has ever filed for bankruptcy, according to the Michigan Department of Education. Nor has any large school district nationwide, according to the Washington-based Council of the Great City Schools, an association of 67 of the nation's largest school districts.

"This would indeed be unprecedented," said Henry Duvall, a council spokesman.

WELL IF YOU GOT THIS FAR ... NEXT ASK YOURSELF ... WHY? CAN THIS HAPPEN IN CONNECTICUT? WHY ISN'T THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT BAILING OUT THE DETROIT PUBLIC SCHOOL SYSTEM?

THE SHAPE OF FUTURE TIMES AND THINGS TO COME

AFTER READING THIS ... CONSIDER NEW FAIRFIELD AND THE FACT THAT WE ARE IN A REVALUATION YEAR ... THE VALUE OF REAL ESTATE FOR NEW FAIRFIELD IS LOWER THAN THAN THE LAST REVALUATION 2004-2005 ... THEREFORE THE LAST REVALUATION NUMBERS ARE HIGHER THAN THE CURRENT REAL ESTATE VALUES. HOW MANY PETITIONS WILL THERE BE AND WHAT IMPACT ON THE TOWN BUDGET WILL THE LOWER REAL ESTATE REVALUATIONS? THEN ASK YOURSELF IF 'WE' THE TOWN CAN AFFORD TO SPEND OUR SURPLUS! SHORT ANSWER IS NO!

L.A. County property value drops for first time in 13 years

About $1 billion in value was lost last fiscal year. But neighboring counties fared worse.

By Molly Hennessy-Fiske
July 10, 2009

For the first time in 13 years, the assessed value of all property in Los Angeles County has declined, according to a report released Thursday by the county assessor's office.

County property rolls lost about $1 billion in value last fiscal year -- losses driven largely by downward reassessments of homes as the housing market has slumped.

Property in the county is now valued at $1.1 trillion, a 0.09% decrease compared with the year before, according to the assessor's annual report. Setting aside tax-exempt property such as churches and nonprofit hospitals, the loss of value increases to half a percentage point.

The drop marks a step back for the county, which had seen the value of property increase an average of 7% each year since 1996.

Even so, officials said L.A. County has fared better than other Southern California counties.

"Home values have declined and foreclosures are up," said L.A. County Assessor Rick Auerbach. "But not to the same extent as in neighboring counties. The real estate market is still a vital part of Los Angeles County's economy."

Orange County announced earlier this week that its taxable property value dropped 1.2% last year, the first drop since 1994. Property value decreased 2.3% in Ventura County; 6% in San Bernardino County and 10.5% in Riverside County, according to assessors' reports.

The L.A. County report found that communities with the biggest drops in value were: Lancaster (15.4%), Palmdale (14.9%), La Puente (7.8%), Hawaiian Gardens (7.7%) and Norwalk (7.3%).

The two most-populated cities in the county, Los Angeles and Long Beach, also saw decreases. In Los Angeles, values dropped 0.10% to $413.4 billion total, excluding tax-exempt properties. Property values in Long Beach decreased 2.9% to $43.9 billion.

Cities that saw the greatest increase in property value last year included commercial hubs such as Irwindale (8.7%), Vernon (8.1%) and the City of Industry (7.2%), as well as exclusive Beverly Hills (6.1%) and Malibu (5.9%).

The decrease in overall property values countywide was not a surprise to county officials. Earlier this year, Auerbach undertook a massive reassessment of nearly 334,000 single-family homes and condominiums that lowered property values by about $40 billion.

That loss was offset in part by $15.3 billion in annual Proposition 13 inflation adjustments, $6.9 billion in new construction and $16.3 billion in increases to the assessed value of homes and other property that was sold or transferred.

The total value of property last fell in the county during the recession of the mid-1990s. Property values dropped 1.7% in 1995 and 0.20% in 1996 before rebounding, said Robert Knowles, a spokesman for the assessor's office.

Last year, the median market value of a single-family home in L.A. County was $350,700, about $141,300 less than the year before. In 2007, the median home value also fell, but by far less -- $18,000, and that was after the value had been climbing for years.

Auerbach said he is watching to see if the surge in residential reassessments spreads to commercial real estate, which he expects. Commercial properties make up 31% of this year's property rolls.

A week ago the county began accepting reassessment applications from residential and commercial property owners who believe the assessed value on their 2008-09 tax bill is more than the fair market value as of Jan. 1. Property owners have until Nov. 30 to file. So far, the assessor has received about 1,800 applications from commercial property owners.

Auerbach said he would like to do a large-scale reassessment of commercial properties, but does not have the staff.

"We just don't have the time, and residential properties will have to be handled first," Auerbach said.

County leaders are watching to see how much ongoing reassessments will hurt county tax revenues, said Ed Corser, budget manager with the county's chief executive office.

"Property values have already dropped significantly and that still needs to bleed through to the tax base," Corser said.

Some studies have shown that county property rolls could drop 6% by 2011, Corser said -- the same year the county will face $100 million in added pension costs.

"That's when it will all hit home," Corser said.

molly.hennessy-fiske@latimes.com