Latest Comments

• First Thoughts: Here we go again

  Tue Feb 14, 2012
  • Generally left and libbie here but... Medicare will create serious budget issues very soon. Health care cost inflation and demographics clearly indicate the trend.

• First Thoughts: Crunch time for Romney

  Mon Dec 5, 2011
  • Agree or disagree, David Walker's column was interesting reading. At least the discourse is honest and with limited baiting and name calling.

• First Thoughts: Can't buy me love

  Fri Dec 2, 2011
  • I may be wrong, but I believe the payroll tax cut based on SS taxes does NOT impact the SS "trust fund". I believe that the "lost" revenues from the lower SS taxes is replaced with general fund revenues. In the end, the general fund loses the revenue and SS remains unchanged.

• First Thoughts: The most meaningful contest of 2011?

  Tue Oct 25, 2011
  • I seem to recall that Stimulus 1 consisted of a high percentage of tax cuts, rather than spending. I thought it was close to a 50/50 ratio.

• First Thoughts: Tax pressure

  Mon Oct 24, 2011
  • fayse: i was not clear. People who signed for mortgages they could not afford at the time. My sympathies are with those that chose wisely at first and then found changed circumstances, much of it out of their control. They need our help.

• First Thoughts: Tax pressure

  Mon Oct 24, 2011
  • Nash I don't know the answer either. Apparently, the politics have changed since the bank bail out. Of course, if members of Congress were really the people's "representatives" and/or the prople forced them to be, then maybe something would happen. Until then, we get what we selected.

• First Thoughts: Tax pressure

  Mon Oct 24, 2011
  • The fact is people signed up for mortgages that they couldn't afford or thought would lead them to easy street. Banks were complicit in funding mortgages without sufficient underwriting standards. In the past, bank underwriting would have been the brakes on such nonsense.

• First Thoughts: What we learned this week

  Fri Oct 21, 2011
  • If the Democrats controlled the Senate, as many have proclaimed, there would never have to be a vote to just discuss the bill. When the Democrats get 60 seats in the Senate, then you can claim they control the Senate. Until then, learn the Senate rules and current party delegations.

• First Thoughts: Iowa's risk, reward for Romney

  Thu Oct 20, 2011
  • I tend to lean liberal in many views, and find much of the Republican discussion to be way out there. However, I have to give some props to Bill in some respects.

• First Thoughts: Fight night

  Wed Oct 19, 2011
  • All this anger over the Affordable Care Act has me confused. First, the Act does little to restrain the growth in health care costs. It does a lot with access to care.