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January 13, 2008

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puddy

tremendous, coz

Craig

Maybe these guys didn't have a chance, since they had the world handed to them by their parent's generation - you know, the ones who grew up during the Depression and then saved the fucking world, and their kids decided to spend those riches on whatever the first national marketeers could sell them.

Is Cozmo the AofG name for Tom Brokaw?

Just kiddin' with ya. Very interesting stuff Cozmo.

Jack Klompus

"Is Cozmo the AofG name for Tom Brokaw?"

That's funny. I immediately thought of that book as well when I read this.

"Which leaves America with only three non-Boomer choices for President, as of now - McCain, Paul and Obama."

In other words, you like Obama.

Art Vandelay

Nice to have you back, Cozmo. Hell of a read.

Cozmo

Is Cozmo the AofG name for Tom Brokaw?

Alright, alright. You caught me. I'm writing a sequel to the "Greatest Generation" called "The Oldest Voters", since the WWII generation are living longer than any previously.

But seriously - I was sick of listenting about the "slackers" in Generation X in the '80s and '90s, and in retrospect seeing the differences in achievements by the two generations, it's downright laughable to think that was even a national discussion.

Seriously - it's time for these guys to just move aside and continue to consume our national resources via Medicare spending. I've already penciled in that liability, so the faster they get to that, the less time they have to fuck anything else up.

In other words, you like Obama.

Not necessarily, Klompus. I remain firmly "undecided" in the general election.

Certainly, I view Obama as the only acceptable candidate from the Democratic primary, but was also a time in my life when I volunteered for McCain(before he was given the McCreedy treatment by Karl Rove in South Carolina, but still) and I remain in love with his pragmatism and anti-charisma. My major concern about McCain was his dancing for the Bush/Cheney crew in '04, but I suppose it was a faustian bargain for him - "dance now, monkey, or dissappear forever". I could be convinced of this.

The point is, one of the things is that Obama have in common is that they are not of the Boomer generation. Another is that they trancend the bipolar, wedge issue politicing that has defines the their competitors. I'm saying that is no coincidence.

Assman

Cosmo - making the comeback!

I know you all have been staying up watching the primary, caucus, and fraternity rush results from small, backwards states across this good land as they have come down like we have here at the AofG.

So, I'm not the only asshole TiVoing 4 different news channels every night and reading every political article I can get my internet browser pointed toward these days? It's gotten so bad that I have to quickly flip the channel to HBO like I was watching Skinemax if my wife walks in the room while I'm watching the Chris Matthews show.

Anyway, to me, the shittiest thing about the baby boomer generation is how they keep framing every election around self-concerning issues that aren't really as relevant to the candidate's job as they make them seem, then arguing to the death that one guy is better than another because of how well they can bullshit a crowd about the best ways to manage an economy that they won't actually be managing.

Assman

The point is, one of the things is that Obama have in common is that they are not of the Boomer generation. Another is that they trancend the bipolar, wedge issue politicing that has defines the their competitors. I'm saying that is no coincidence.

Wedge issues. That was a much better way of saying what I meant. Wedge issues matter a lot to the boomers, and for no reason.

Jack Klompus

"I view Obama as the only acceptable candidate from the Democratic primary"

I agree.

"Another is that they trancend the bipolar, wedge issue politicing that has defines the their competitors."

I partially disagree. That is just part of campaign rhetoric. Senators always have to work with their counterparts across the party aisle. It's part of the job. Co-sponsoring a bill with a cross-party colleague is not necessarily an indicator of a bipartisan workhorse. Likewise, a senator that votes consistently with his/her party line is not necessarily a partisan robot. I think the perception of these two (being bipartisan) stems from the their respective reputations within the Senate as being cordial to all during legislation negotiations. Which certainly isn't a bad thing. I just don't know how imprtant that will be when in the position of Commander-in-chief.

Craig

I think the perception of these two (being bipartisan) stems from the their respective reputations within the Senate as being cordial to all during legislation negotiations. Which certainly isn't a bad thing. I just don't know how imprtant that will be when in the position of Commander-in-chief.

When you stop to consider the point of the president, as intended (i.e. abuses of power, not withstanding), I think that not being a douche is probably one of the most important factors in determining whether someone will be a good president. Someone who received poor marks in "works and plays well with others" is probably going to suck at it. The president isn't supposed to make laws, he is supposed to be a check on those making laws, so positions on specific issues are not nearly as important as they are often made to be. He (or she) will be having to work closely with congress and with foreign governments to keep things running smoothly. Leadership and ability to compromise are much more important for doing that than whether a candidate has beliefs that are 100% in line with mine. Anyway, that's my 2 cents.

TMan

"A towering business figure who successfully ran the most liberal state in the union by tacitly supporting socially liberal measures, but holding down taxes and spending - only to run his national campaign as a social conservative (hint - nobody's buying it)".

Sorry Cozmo, but you missed the mark here. The "towering business figure" ran a fiscal shell game to get the state budget to look more appealing for his all-too-obvious presidential asperations. He cut state spending by slashing state aid to municipalities, who, in order to keep schools open and police officers paid, had to raise property taxes. Essentially, he pulled a venture capitalist move with a state government: get the debt off my balance sheet so I look good, no matter what it does down the line. Perfectly acceptable in business, deplorably irresponsible in government.

Assman

Which certainly isn't a bad thing. I just don't know how imprtant that will be when in the position of Commander-in-chief.

I'm with Craig on this one. I feel like this issue is the biggest knock against Hillary. Her aggressive attitude toward all things and people Republican (because of how they treated Bill?) reminds me of how Bush railed against Saddam at all costs because "he tried to kill his daddy."

Seems like the partisan fighting (despite the fact that not all issues are partisan-based) is a huge production killer in government. Electing someone that can (whether its bullshit or not) frame things in a non-partisan manner could open up the discussions a bit.

Assman

Essentially, he pulled a venture capitalist move with a state government: get the debt off my balance sheet so I look good, no matter what it does down the line.

Or, as my wife puts it, "I can't vote for a guy who's made that much money in his career. It means at some point during his life, he faced the decision - I can choose to make a little more cash here or I can choose to not screw the little guy - and he chose to screw the little guy."

Jack Klompus

"I think that not being a douche is probably one of the most important factors in determining whether someone will be a good president. Someone who received poor marks in "works and plays well with others" is probably going to suck at it."

Not necessarily. I don't feel "ability to compromise" (see "Carter, Jimmy") is as important as judiciousness. In addition, charisma (see "Willie, Slick") and ability to communicate (see, "Reagan, Ronald" or "Bush, Not") are very important as well.

Jack Klompus

"He cut state spending by slashing state aid to municipalities, who, in order to keep schools open and police officers paid, had to raise property taxes."

Of course, because why should anyone expect municipalities to manage their budgets responsibly? It's much easier to blame up the ladder.

Kristal K

I have so missed these rants! We've missed you Cozmo -- we need more of these, soon!

Craig

In addition, charisma (see "Willie, Slick") and ability to communicate (see, "Reagan, Ronald" or "Bush, Not") are very important as well.

Klompus, I agree with you here. I tried to address those later in my comment, when I mentioned leadership, but it probably could have been clearer.

TMan

"Of course, because why should anyone expect municipalities to manage their budgets responsibly? It's much easier to blame up the ladder."

Wha, what?? You're missing the point. That asshat claimed that he had balanced the budget and lowered taxes. What he actually did was shift the burden from (state) income taxes to (municipal) real estate taxes. Your average taxpayer wasn't paying less in taxes, they were just paying them in a different form. Yet this jackoff is claiming a fiscal success. State aid that had been in place for years (like for education or roads and bridges) was cut off. Not for any particularly good reason other than to create the illusiion of a balanced budget, all for the purposes of his thinly-veiled presidential asperations. As a MA taxpayer, my income taxes didn't even go down, but my property taxes went up by 35%. Great. Thanks, Mitt. Now die.

Crazy Joe Davola

Did anyone see Hillary on Meet the Press? Her explanation around her war vote was a joke.

steffanwolf

Great rant Coz.

I was hoping you would work Viagra somewhere in there but an excellent rant nontheless.

Jack Klompus

"You're missing the point."

I'm not missing the point. I'm just disagreeing with the idea that the state shouldn't make budgetary cuts to municipalities because it places more burden on the municipality to manage more of its own finances. I've worked with several different counties and cities on scorecard projects. Without exception, they all have major issues with waste and fraud -- and above all else, laziness. The reason they raise property taxes first is because it's the least complicated and most stable way of generating revenue. And as evidenced by you, property taxes are the least popular among citizens. There I can't say I blame you. However, blaming the governor doesn't make sense. One thing that has been proven time and time again is that simply throwing money at problems (in this case the municipal governments) will not solve them -- at best, it will mask them temporarily.

Assman

I'm just disagreeing with the idea that the state shouldn't make budgetary cuts to municipalities because it places more burden on the municipality to manage more of its own finances.

I think "the point" that he's referring to is that even Mitt wouldn't admit this was the reason. It's less about blaming the governor as much as it is about the governor's intentions. Mitt was trying to be prez at the potential expense of his own constituents.

Kinda like how Rudy "cleaned up NY" in a way that makes him look like a hero to everyone that wasn't a New Yorker.

Jack Klompus

"Mitt was trying to be prez at the potential expense of his own constituents."

I don't agree 100%, but I certainly think there's validity to that. Regardless, I think you have a pay now or pay later situation for the constituents. Whether it was Mitt's intent or not, giving towns and cities more fiscal responsiblity of their own is a good thing in the long run.

TMan

Who is "throwing money at problems"? What I'm sayng is that it is disingenous for Rommney to claim that he lowered taxes and balanced the budget. There was a projected budget deficit of $3B which never fully materialized (it was closer to $1.2B) because the state was not counting several sources of revenue, like capital gains taxes. And while income taxes did not increase, property taxes did. And he raised all sorts of other indirect taxes, such as administrative fees for courts, state agencies and registries.

I'm simply saying that Romney is playing fast and loose with the truth when he claims he balanced the budget without raising taxes. By slashing state aid he shifted the tax burden to municipalities. And the net effect of his actions were that MA taxpayers paid more in fees and taxes yet received equal or lesser services for those increases. Does that equal fiscal responsibility or success to you??

H.E. Pennypacker

I think that not being a douche is probably one of the most important factors in determining whether someone will be a good president. Someone who received poor marks in "works and plays well with others" is probably going to suck at it.

Up here in the Great White Savage North, our Prime Minister -- even way back before he became our Fearless Leader -- had a reputation for not only being a policy-wonk (that in and of itself isn't a bad thing, necessarily), but when he gave birth to some wretched neoconservative policy document, he refused to let anyone alter one comma of it.

(said in a whiny 4-year-old's scream)
"nnnnnnnNo!!! It's DONE! And it's ALL MINE!"

This hasn't turned out too well for us in the past year and a half, especially in terms of... um... foreign relations, environmental policy, military quagmires; the list continueth ad nauseam. Our systems of government aren't entirely comparable, but they're close enough to illustrate, by example, how being a noncooperative douche before you become the leader of a country can come back to bite said country in the ass.

Incidentally, Mr. Cramer, were you channelling the late, great Hunter S. Thompson in your treatise? I'm reading Songs of the Doomed at the moment, and it's a Great, Fine Thing in a sea of junk-writing out there.

Jack Klompus

"Who is "throwing money at problems"? What I'm sayng is that it is disingenous for Rommney to claim that he lowered taxes and balanced the budget. There was a projected budget deficit of $3B which never fully materialized (it was closer to $1.2B) because the state was not counting several sources of revenue, like capital gains taxes. And while income taxes did not increase, property taxes did. And he raised all sorts of other indirect taxes, such as administrative fees for courts, state agencies and registries."

Agree with all of that. Mitt's a bullshit artist (aka politician). And going back and re-reading your original comments, I see what your focus was now. So apologies. My bad on that.

"By slashing state aid he shifted the tax burden to municipalities."

As it should be. I agree that Mitt was boasting about something completely different and inaccurate, but this is where I was coming from: In the short term, yes, citizens were paying more out of pocket. As I said before, more state aid (aka throwing money) is not necessarily a good thing. Why? Because cities and towns by and large (and Massachusetts is no exception here) do an amazingly poor job managing funds. Almost as bad as the feds. And the more dependent they become on state aid, the less motivated they are to manage their funds responsibly. If you don't pay more in "fees" and property taxes now, you're certainly going to pay an equal or stiffer increase in other forms later -- and the more influence that state has in funding, the more you'll pay (especially in Mass). So hate him for being a bullshitter, fine. But his budget cuts were still a positive thing in the bigger picture, regardless of his political agenda.

daveNYC

You forgot to mention Rudy wearing a Red Sox cap.

Eli

"Steve Jobs and Bill Gates were born in '55, 10 years after the true Boomers, and were teenagers in the 70's, not the 60's."

So January 1955 is the cut-off date and you had to have turned 13 no earlier than 1970- or you're intellectually bankrupt. I'll tell you one thing, if I ever saw Bill Gates on the street I'd kick him right in the fucking nuts. I'm stuck using his ass- shitty crap virus-magnet software products every fucking day at work because the bitch got away with stealing another guy's operating system and managed to corner the market and break every goddamn anti-trust law you can think of.

Anyway, clearly, being born between 1945 and 1955 shouldn't be criteria for not voting for someone. What the hell kind of "generation" would come up with something like that?

"Nope, the Boomers just provided the bad clothes and the easy chicks to make it saleable."

They also managed to contaminate 90% of the world's drinking water, blow the tops off of hundreds of really cool mountains, and shave two full weeks off my goddamn snowboard season! In their favor though, seventies porn rules.


Cozmo

Klompus - As usual, we are in vehement agreement on the core issues. You just seem to want to yell at me.

TMan - I'd be curious to know what the net-net change is statewide in everyday people's taxation, you experience notwithstanding. If he indeed raised taxes on the residents of the state as a whole by shifting the payor of certain liabilities, then yes it's just a shell game. But that would go to prove my point even more.

Steffanwolf - I'm still kicking myself about missing the Viagra line. Faaaawwwk.

Pennypacker - Not conciously channelling the Good Doctor, but I do often mispell and mis -punctuate in a way that could have me mistaken for an actual literate person doing it intentionally. I'll take the what seems like a compliment.

Jack Klompus

"Klompus - As usual, we are in vehement agreement on the core issues. You just seem to want to yell at me."

Yeah. I can't pinpoint it. As with Vandelay, I have nothing but respect for you. Still, there are elements in your writing that cry out, "I should be bitchslapped."

ZaZ

This was money. It's views like this that should be bombarding Idiot America every night rather than the rot they are currently baiting.

TMan

Cozmo, I can't speak for the statewide net-net effect, but with the folks I've spoken to, who all own property, some in suburbs, some in Boston, all have had the same experience: income taxes have remained the same and real estate taxes have gone up.

Professionally, I deal with the Registry of Deeds and the local courts. All of those fees have gone up and are, of course, passed along to the consumers. So, everytime someone bought, refinanced or sold a home, their transaction costs were higher. Same with court and registration filing fees: starting an eviction, establishing a corporation, maintaining a corporation, filing a small claim, initiatng a lawsuit, etc. fees increased and passed along.

Also, some family friends are in state school. Their tuition has gone up dramatically. Not to private school levels, but much higher than other state schools and a steep increase (10-15%) over prior years. Klompus is going to argue fiscal responsility at the municipal level. The problem is, with the exception of real estate taxes, all of those fees I mentioned are state fees. The net effect, from my perspective, is that under Romney, MA has become a more expensive state in which to own real property and to conduct business. All of which countermands Romney's arguements about fiscal leadership.

Jack Klompus

Pre-emptive strike regarding the length of this comment: Fuck you, Craig.

" Klompus is going to argue fiscal responsility at the municipal level. The problem is, with the exception of real estate taxes, all of those fees I mentioned are state fees. The net effect, from my perspective, is that under Romney, MA has become a more expensive state in which to own real property and to conduct business. All of which countermands Romney's arguements about fiscal leadership."

Property taxes are the largest sources of revenue for towns and cities. It's pretty much an accepted fact of life that they will increase every year. Mass. is certainly no exception (look at the numbers since the 90's). In addition, the size of the increase has many factors (like development) and varies from town to town. It's also pretty much universally accepted that its not a great idea to put all your eggs in one basket; that is, cities and town need to explore other ways to increase revenue on top of managing wasteful spending. So yeah, fiscal responsibility at the municipal level. Also, from a national average, Mass. property taxes aren't all that outrageous when you factor in average property value. As far as fees go, they're not necessarily the same as taxes. And they have to be raised every so often to justify the services by which they are associated. And that is one place where I think Romney's argument falters. It's highly unlikely that all those fees are in proportion to their respective cost of services. I'm sure the actual ratios have been put out there already by his opponents (or will be soon enough). As for cost of doing business, Massachusetts is indeed among the highest every year. However, more than 60% of that is attributed to labor costs. In other words, property values + average skill/education level of the labor force. Taxes and fees, on the other hand, account for about 10% of the total cost of business index. And economically speaking, cost of business is not necessarily a bad thing. Take South Dakota, for example. Finally, fiscal leadership. Romney inherited a budget deficit (a number which of course he greatly inflated), so he cut spending (an average less than the standard 3% population/inflation benchmark) and didn't raise income taxes (in fact, he proposed to cut them 3 times but never made it past the legislature). And of course he raised those dastardly fees (like gun permits, marriage licenses, duplicate driver's licenses, learner's permits. etc.) that you mentioned before. However, once the state built a surplus, he began reallocating state aid to the municipal level. I'm not saying he rebuilt Rome, but simultaneously reducing spending and increasing revenue without raising income taxes is better than average fiscal leadership. By the way, of all the Republicans, I support McCain.

Craig

So, what's the end result of all this? Will there eventually be a huge press release announcing that AofG endorses (candidate) for President that will then be picked up and republished on every news outlet (ok fine, probably just on Myspace)?

And Klompus, I wasn't going to say a thing. I have no problems with people leaving long comments. I was just planning to sit here and silently judge you for your hypocrisy.

Crazy Joe Davola

Klompus, I just sit here and silently judge you for your compromise, conformity, assimilation, submission, ignorance, hypocrisy, brutality, the elite
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams
All of which are American dreams

tennbengal

Coz, thanks for the great read. Full agreement here.

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