My Personal Blog - SeanandRuth.us

You can find my personal blog covering non-political topics at http://seanandruth.us

Thursday, May 31, 2012

History Lesson - Prop Y - Tue. June 5 - VOTE NO

I googled "Tom Sullivan Prop Y" and discovered that the Prop Y that St. Louis City and County voters will vote on is not the first Prop Y MSD has put on the ballot.

Here's the timeline:

Clean Water Act was amended in 1972. Tom Sullivan has asked, why did MSD wait so long to meet it's requirements??? Why did it wait till the EPA sued?

Voters approved by 70% Prop Y in 2004: $670 million in bonds for upgrades

The EPA sued MSD, and it put Prop. Y on in 2008 to approve another $275 million in bonds

Voters approved by 75% Prop Y in 2008.

EPA sues MSD again. This time, the improvements needed/settlement is over $4 BILLION

On June 6, voters be asked to approve another $945 million, which is essentially nearly $1.9 BILLION because the interest is about $1 interest for $1 principle.

What will you do to stop Prop Y on Tue., June 6, 2012??

Please like the Prop Y - Vote NO Facebook page, and share the image.

Wednesday, May 30, 2012

Prop. Y - Question - Why does "pay as you go" sound more costly?

It sounds more costly because we start paying right away whereas the bonds will be issued by MSD one at a time--which back loads the interest payments. Make no mistake, passing Prop Y means paying an extra $1 for every $1 MSD borrows--essentially paying twice--but not until like 2020.

Here are the questions I got on twitter.

egrant24 Erin Grant
@ruthcarlson does MO have funds to pay up front? If not, would interest rates on loans for an up-front payment be lower than pay-as-you-go?
  
 
@ruthcarlson okay; I get that we pay up-front in taxes. I also agree w/you on prop Y. Just wondering specifics on why the alt is more costly 
 
 
Prop. Y is for St. Louis City and County voters because it raises money for the Metropolitan Sewer District used by St. Louis City and County residents.
 
No, interest rates are no lower for up-front payments. There are no interest payments for the pay-as-you-go route--that I'm aware of. 

MSD is limited by law as to how much cash it can have "on hand." If Prop. Y passes, MSD will issue bond one at a time to raise the total of $945 million. MSD estimates that by the end of the 2010s/beginning of the 2020s, rates will exceed $80 due to the interest expense that must be sustained as the bonds are repaid.

Remember, this is not about taxes but MSD rates. The "Clean Water STL" wants it to sound like it's more costly to pay-as-you-go because the payments is front loaded. However, the total amount paid is more because of interest payments.

Even more, paying off these bonds is not like taking out a mortgage where the payment is stays the same over 30 years because they bonds are taken out one at a time. The interest payments will cause MSD rates to continue to climb up past $80 whereas pay-as-you-go will push up the rate to the mid $60s, and it's like to stay there. 

Frankly, it sounds like there are a lot of "what ifs" for the actually rate amounts but there is no "what if" about the fact that at current interest rates and the MSD bond rating, that for ever $1 MSD borrows, we will pay an extra $1 in interest--essentially paying double. But why? We can vote "NO" and pay once.

*I got this info from MSD. You can call too if you want. Lance LeComb 314-768-6237

Prop. Y - Vote NO - (St. Louis City and County)

Please forward!

Indoor plumbing is first-rate!
To pay for it once is great.
To pay for it twice is cruel
for the poor and the fool!

For every $1 MSD borrows, we will pay them $2.

Vote "NO" on Prop Y on June 5, 2012.

Like the Facebook Page, and "share" the picture.

Voters gave MSD approval to take issue bonds in 2004 and 2008.

Remember, these bonds mean we will pay 1.9 BILLION for $945 million in improvements (and whatever else).


*Jackie Coleman helped me with this project.

Tuesday, May 22, 2012

ARCHITECT OF COMMON CORE STANDARDS TO ALIGN SAT AND AP

Update by Donna Garner

5.16.12 -- David Coleman, architect of Common Core Standards, has been chosen as the next president of the College Board (producer of SAT and Advanced Placement tests). I am very concerned about this cozy relationship that Coleman means to create between the Common Core Standards and the SAT/AP. 

 

Even people who send their children to private schools and/or homeschool them will be impacted by this decision to align the SAT/AP tests with the Common Core Standards.

 

The SAT/AP are generally tests that follow knowledge-based, academic knowledge – more aligned with Type #1 Philosophy of Education. 

 

The Common Core Standards are definitely an attempt to drive our public schools completely into Type #2 Philosophy of Education.

 

Type #1's end goal is academic achievement. Type #2's end goal is the indoctrination and manipulation of students' minds.

 

For more clarity about these two terms, please read:

 

3.26.12 -- "Two Education Philosophies with Two Different Goals" -- by Donna Garner

http://libertylinked.com/posts/9703/2-education-philosophies-with/View.aspx

 

 

========================

 

Excerpt from today's EducationWeek article:

 

Robert Scott, the commissioner of education in Texas, who has known Mr. Coleman for more than a decade, described him as "one of the brightest minds out there, an absolute genius" in thinking about what skills and knowledge schoolchildren need to thrive in college and in good jobs. But the two men differ sharply on how to advance those changes; Texas pointedly opted out of the common standards because it objected to the use of federal incentives, such as Race to the Top dollars, to promote adoption.

Some education activists saw in Mr. Coleman's appointment the risk of creating too much uniformity in curriculum and tests.

 

 

 

http://www.edweek.org/ew/articles/2012/05/16/32collegeboard.h31.html?tkn=ULCCP2MuxQir9%2BtWsOAUfPlxsYZledPmfB0u&cmp=clp-sb-ascd

 

Published Online: May 16, 2012

 

Incoming College Board Head Wants SAT to Reflect Common Core

By Catherine Gewertz

 



Catholic Bishops Clarify Desire for Religious Liberty While Achieving Ideal Society

Let's think about this statement by Francis Cardinal George, O.M.I. in his recent article, "Clarifying what's at stake in the health care debate":

Since 1919, the Catholic bishops of the United States have taught that universal access to basic health care is a component of the common good in a fair society.

There is a difference between "universal health care" provided by the government, and "universal health care" provided through volunteer organizations and churches.

I think the confusion for these Bishops (USCCB) is forgetting that when someone else is paying, whether we like it or not, someone else is making the decisions.

Before supporting the idea that the federal government has the moral authority to force people to support the ideal of "universal health care," they should have considered the problem they are now trying to clarify:

Will universal health care cost us our religious freedom?

But there is no such thing as a free lunch.

When someone else is paying, whether we like it or not, someone else is making the decisions.

I can see how the Catholic Church could be for "universal health care"--as all of the early hospitals were started by Catholic Churches!!! They did not turn people away. They were in charge.

The lynchpin for all of noble goals always seems to be forced "giving." God forbids "stealing."

Which begs the questions: at what point is a tax moral? When 50% plus 1 say so?

Frederic Bastiat answers this question in "The Law" in the chapter, "What is Law."



Wednesday, May 16, 2012

Local event update - Champion the Vote, Debates

Friends - events and happenings mentioned last night (Proposition Language below)

Jason mentioned Champion the Vote - learn more tomorrow night:

Thur., May 17 @ 7pm - After Party
Topic:  "Champion the Vote"
Pio's Restaurant and Cocktail Lounge
401 First Capitol Drive, Saint Charles, MO 63301
more info:

The BFRW has their monthly meeting Featuring Steelman, Brunner, Ed Martin
When: this Friday, May 18, 2012 @ 1:00pm
Where: the Commerce Bank in Kirkwood at the corner of So.Lindbergh and Adams in the lower level at 1pm.

This weekend -
ThriVe (PRC) Fun Run - more info
& Paul Curtman fundraiser see Facebook ($25 at the door)
When: Sat. night from 6 - 9pm
Where: Ed Martin/Cole McNary Campaign Headquarters, 932 Meramec Station Rd, Fenton, MO

Next week - Airport Township Meeting featuring MSD official on the
over $900,000,000.00 bond issue.
When: Thursday, May 17 @ 7
at the Pattonville Education Center, St Charles Rock Rd


JUNE 5, 2012 SPECIAL ELECTION- Propositions -

Monday, June 11 at 7:30pm
GOP Primary Senatorial Debate at Lindenwood  University - Moderated by Jamie Allman with 97.1′s very own Dana Loesch on the panel. more info

Location: The Bezemes Family Theater in the J. Scheidegger Center For The Arts Lindenwood University

Address: 2300 West Clay St. Saint Charles, MO 63301

RESERVE YOUR TICKETS by calling the Box Office at (636) 949-4433. Seating is not guaranteed unless you reserve a ticket