The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 2013 Page: 4 of 16
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Page 4
The Winkler County News
Thursday, February 7,2013
Editorial
A new Treasury pick
but no hope for change
By Pete Hegseth
“And those of us who manage the public’s dollars will be held
to account, to spend wisely, reform bad habits, and do our business
in the light of day, because only then can we restore the vital trust
between a people and their government.” Those were President
Obama’s words, in his first inaugural address in January 2009.
When Mr. Obama entered office, he said all the right things
about getting Washington spending under control. He even promised
to cut the deficit in half by the end of his first term. Obviously, that
didn’t happen.
Now, at the dawn of the president’s second term, any previous
commitment to spending reform is out the window. Mr. Obama’s
second inauguration speech made only the briefest mention of the
deficit — before going on to talk about the need for more spending.
Yet what a president says doesn’t matter as much as what he
does. By nominating Jack Lew to serve as Treasury secretary for his
second term, Mr. Obama is sending a clear signal that we shouldn’t
count on his administration for any progress on reducing the deficit
and the debt.
The president nominated Mr. Lew to the Treasury post in
January, and his confirmation before the Senate has not yet been
scheduled. He comes to the position with a lengthy record of working
in government, save for a brief period on Wall Street.
That record suggests Mr. Lew is an uncompromising proponent
of unrestrained government spending. At a time of endless deficits
(more than $1 trillion per year) and towering debt (more than $16.4
trillion and climbing), that’s an alarming prospect for Americans.
Consider the growth of entitlement programs like Social
Security, Medicare and Medicaid, which command the largest and
fastest-growing portion of the federal budget. Runaway spending
in these programs is the biggest driver behind our debt and deficit
complications. Simply stated, there’s no reducing the debt and no
return to fiscal sanity without serious reform to these programs.
Such reform would make them solvent for future generations.
Unfortunately, Mr. Lew’s record suggests he would hinder such
reform.
At one time, Mr. Obama recognized the urgency of entitlement
reform. Here’s what he told The Washington Post editorial board in
2008: “What we have done is kicked this can down the road. We are
now at the end of the road and are not in a position to kick it any
further. We have to signal seriousness in this by making sure some of
the hard decisions are made under my watch, not someone else’s.”
Almost five years later, Mr. Obama can lay no claim to having
made any “hard choices” on entitlement reform. His nomination of
(See NEW, page 5)
John Kerry’s questionable
record on religions liberty
By Eric Patterson
Secretary of State Hillary Clinton has left Foggy Bottom, and
social and religious conservatives have mixed feelings. While she
raised the ire of social conservatives by her liberal politics, and
particularly her homosexual activism both within the department
and on the international stage, she was supportive late in her tenure
of international religious freedom initiatives, a major evangelical
priority. However, her successor, Sen. John Kerry, has shown little
overt interest in these issues. Most recently, he was instrumental
in blocking a House initiative, led by religious freedom champion
Virginia Rep. Frank Wolf, to create a new international envoy
focused on the rights of religious minorities worldwide.
Some claim that Mrs. Clinton’s interest in religious liberty goes
back to the 1998 International Religious Freedom (IRF) Act, signed
by her husband. Others say that it resulted from a growing awareness
of the salience of religious factors in international politics since
Sept. 11,2001.
In any event, over the past 18 months, she supported initiatives
within the State Department to raise awareness of the nexus of
religion and foreign affairs. Apart of such efforts is to rely on internal
expertise from the department’s Office of International Religious
Freedom. However, her exit leaves large questions about whether
her successor has much interest in such issues.
How are religious freedom advocates, particularly people
(See KERRY’S, page 5)
MEMBER
2013
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TEXAS PRESS
ASSOCIATION
Capital Highlights
By Ed Sterling
Perry delivers ‘State of State’ address
AUSTIN — Texas is
stronger than ever, Gov. Rick
Perry said early in his 36-minute
“State of the State” address to
the 83rd Texas Legislature on
Jan. 29.
Perry praised lawmakers,
saying the line has been held on
taxes and the state is spending
within its means, delivering
on his priorities, by “making
the tough decisions separating
wants from needs.”
He called for an amendment
to the state constitution “so when
we do bring in more than we
need, we’ll have the option of
returning tax money directly to
the people who paid it.” And he
said employment is robust, with
nearly 1.4 million low, medium
and high-paying jobs added in
the last two years.
As for the environment,
Perry said that from 2000 to
2011, ozone levels decreased
by 23 percent and industrial
nitric oxide and nitrogen dioxide
gas emissions were cut by 60
percent.
In a pushback statement
aimed at Washington, D.C.,
Perry said Texas would not
expand Medicaid under the
federal Affordable Care Act and
would not set up a state health
care exchange — part of phased-
in “Obama Care” intended to
aid citizens in finding affordably
priced health insurance.
Education, Perry said, is
progressing, with graduation
rates at an all-time high, the
third highest in the nation. Perry
noted that some higher education
institutions are offering the
$10,000 four-year degree
program that he asked for, and
he spoke proudly of increases in
charter-school enrollment, but
he did not mention the $5 billion
stripped two years ago from the
public education budget.
What to do with surplus
Even though state finances
are off to a running start in 2013
with better-than-expected tax
collections that might allow the
state to avoid major funding
cutbacks like those adopted
in 2011, there is room for
improvement, Perry suggested.
“We’re in a position today to
put our financial house in order,
and it’s time to do so,” he said.
“We have an opportunity this
session, an opportunity to true
up our budget and move away
from the budgetary techniques
we’ve come to depend on all
too often. ... We need to make
the franchise tax exemption for
small businesses permanent. ...
We also need to do away with
the practice of using dedicated
funds and specific fees for
anything other than the purpose
for which they were intended. If
we don’t need taxpayer money
for that purpose, let’s not collect
it at all.”
Perry added, “I think
providing tax relief of at least
$1.8 billion over this biennium
is a good place to start.”
Guv has projects in mind
Perry mentioned the
state’s Economic Stabilization
(or “rainy day”) Fund — a
savings account to be used for
emergencies, disaster relief
and to maintain a high credit
rating. He said the fund will
soon hold nearly $12 billion,
and he supports the use of $3.7
billion from the fund for a one-
time investment in infrastructure
programs, which he defined as
“critical water and transportation
systems.”
Straus names panels,
chiefs
Speaker Joe Straus on Jan.
31 publicized his list of the
state representatives to serve
as chairs and members of 38
House standing and three select
committees for the current
legislative session. With that
task accomplished, hearings on
proposed legislation will begin.
Some of those standing
committee chairs include:
Jim Pitts, R-Waxahachie,
Appropriations; Harvey
Hilderbran, R-Kerrville, Ways
and Means; Todd Hunter,
R-Corpus Christi, Calendars (the
committee that decides which
bills advance to the House Floor
for debate); and Byron Cook,
R-Corsicana, State Affairs.
Also: Tracy O. King,
D-Eagle Pass, Agriculture;
Garnet Coleman, D-Houston,
County Affairs; Abel Herrero,
D-Robstown, Criminal
Jurisprudence; Jim Keffer,
R-Eastland, Energy Resources;
Government Efficiency
and Reform, Linda Harper-
Brown, R-Irving; Dan
A1 Qaeda now threatens
France, Denmark and the
United States with attacks
that will be “strong, serious,
alarming, earth-shattering,
shocking and terrifying.”
North Korea plans a new
nuclear test ana further long-
range rocket launches that it
would feed into an “upcoming
all-out action” targeting the
United States, “the sworn
enemy of the Korean people.”
Iran is merely up to
monkey business, at least
for now, with the flashy
launch of a monkey, which
it says returned safely to
earth, raising concerns about
Tehran’s development of
ballistic missiles capable
of firing nuclear warheads
against Israel.
How is President Obama
responding to these serious
national security threats?
By not responding at all.
Preoccupied with immigration
reform, gun control and
other delights, leaving the
foreign aggressors to target
where they may, we don’t
know what he thinks about
the most recent bluster from
al Qaeda, North Korea and
Iran. He appears to be settling
in for a confrontation over
sequestration that guarantees
little good news.
The only strong voice
about Iran’s threats comes
from People for the Ethical
Treatment of Animals (PETA),
as usual more worried about
animals than people. Said the
spokesman for the monkey:
“We are appalled by photos
of a visibly terrified monkey
crudely strapped into a
restraint device in which he
was allegedly launched into
space.”
Branch, R-Dallas, Higher
Education; Richard Raymond,
D-Laredo, Human Services;
John Smithee, R-Amarillo,
Insurance; and Tryon Lewis,
R-Odessa, Judiciary and Civil
Jurisprudence;
And, Joe Deshotel,
D-Beaumont, Land &
Resource Management; Allan
Ritter, R-Nederland, Natural
Resources; Jimmie Don Aycock,
R-Killeen, Public Education;
Lois Kolkhorst, R-Brenham,
Public Health; and Larry Phillips,
R-Sherman, Transportation.
In announcing the chairs and
committee assignments, Speaker
Straus also recognized Rep. Tom
Craddick, R-Midland, as dean
of the House, a title given to
the member who has the most
years of continuous service as
a state representative. Craddick,
first elected in 1968, served as
speaker in the 2003, 2005 and
2007 legislative sessions.
Straus also appointed Rep.
Dennis Bonnen, R-Angleton, as
speaker pro tempore.
ED STERLING
Director of Member Services
Texas Press Association
718 West Fifth Street
Austin, TX 78701
(512) 477-6755
edsterling@texaspress.com
Good for the monkey. He
got a thrilling ride, after all.
Not so good for the rest of us,
concerned about a nuclear Iran
with launching capabilities.
The modified sequestration
will cut discretionary defense
spending by 7.3 percent.
So why is the president
insisting again on leading
from behind? “I’m concerned
about sequestration kicking
in,” Sen. John McCain says.
“My greatest concern of
all is the president of the
United States being missing
in action. The president of
the United States during the
campaign said ‘the sequester
won’t happen.’ Well, what’s
he doing about it? His own
secretary of defense has said
that it would be devastating to
national security, and I agree
with that.”
The new threat from al
Qaeda emerged as French
troops took a rebel-held
airport in northern Mali that
had been in the hands of
Islamist insurgents. The threat
from North Korea emerged
when it succeeded in putting
a rocket in orbit. Last year a
similar effort came to a bad
end, when a different rocket
flew for less than two minutes
before its booster failed and it
crashed. Iran lobbed its new
threat after Israel launched
an air strike in Syria against
a “high value” target and
weapons for Hezbollah.
The strapped and bound
monkey looked petrified, and
why not? He was shot out of
this world. But this is no time
for monkey business.
The Washington Times
(Reprinted from The
Washington Times)
Obama’s corp.
jet obsession
By Emily Miller
President Obama flies
everywhere on a tricked-out,
luxury Boeing 747, but he
wants everyone else flying
coach. A master of class
warfare, Mr. Obama has
fixated for years on the tax
break for private planes as a
convenient distraction from
the real debt crisis facing the
nation.
Mr. Obama didn’t get a big
enough tax hike in his New
Year’s deal with Congress, so
he’s going to the wall to grab
more revenue in negotiations
over the sequestration and
budget. The chairman of the
tax-writing House Ways and
Means Committee, Rep. Dave
Camp, opposes the White
House plan.
“Washington has a
spending problem, and
Americans don’t want
to pay more in taxes to
feed more spending,” the
Michigan Republican told
The Washington Times.
“They want tax reform that
bails them out of the Obama
economy. Comprehensive tax
reform that closes loopholes
and lowers rates can create
the economic climate that
spurs the job creation that
American families need and
want.”
The administration
wants the public to think that
Washington’s annual trillion-
dollar fiscal imbalance is
caused by corporate tax
loopholes.
As White House Press
Secretary Jay Carney said
Wednesday, “It’s not fair to say
that oil and gas companies or
corporate jet owners or others
who enjoy benefits — hedge
fund managers — through
the loopholes in our tax code
should be held harmless
while we ask senior citizens
to pay more.” He added that
Mr. Obama “doesn’t believe
that reflects the ‘balanced
approach’ we need to take.”
Senate Minority Leader
Mitch McConnell ridiculed
the notion that tiny tax breaks
are the problem. “Even if the
president got the additional
tax increases he’s asked for,
we still wouldn’t even come
close to solving the problem,”
said the Kentucky Republican.
“We certainly won’t get there
by wasting time on poll-tested
PR. gimmicks that will hardly
bring in any revenue.”
According to the
nonpartisan Joint Committee
on Taxation, the corporate jet
tax expenditure is a loss of
$3 billion over 10 years, and
the oil companies’ exemption
would be $25 billion. Giving
the president these tax hikes
would keep the federal
government open for less than
a full day.
When Mr. Obama flies,
he uses two matching planes,
each with 4,000 square feet of
floor space on three levels. Of
course, the president cannot
fly commercial for safety
and logistical reasons, but
corporations have similar
concerns. Shareholders don’t
want their CEOs wasting
hours waiting in lines if it can
be avoided.
The president is counting
on envy and the hope that the
public will hate the rich and
successful enough to favor
imposing the private-jet tax so
he can have a few more bucks
to spread around on high-
speed rail and windmills.
Congressional
Republicans have tried
unsuccessfully to get the
White House to engage on a
plan to simplify the tax code
by removing enough of the
preferences that the rates for
everyone can be lowered. Mr.
Obama doesn’t want that, he
wants more money to come to
Washington, and he wants to
tinker with the tax code in a
way that lets him decide who
wins and who loses.
That’s not the sort of
plan that’s going to allow our
economy to take off again.
Enough with the public
relations gimmicks, the
administration needs to get
serious about addressing the
debt crisis.
Emily Miller is a senior
editor for the Opinion pages
at The Washington Times.
Monkey business
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Parks, Phil. The Winkler County News (Kermit, Tex.), Vol. 78, No. 5, Ed. 1 Thursday, February 7, 2013, newspaper, February 7, 2013; Kermit, Texas. (https://texashistory.unt.edu/ark:/67531/metapth790713/m1/4/: accessed June 29, 2024), University of North Texas Libraries, The Portal to Texas History, https://texashistory.unt.edu.; crediting Winkler County Library.