Archive for June, 2008

Hammering the Taxpaying Fixed Income Homeowner – II

Monday, June 30th, 2008

In addition to $47 million of state subsidies (and another $30 million local subsidies), the State budget proposes another $63.7 million  taxpaying subsidies for projects that taxpayers can't and won't use, and don't want and don't need, and, most importantly, can't afford. The beneficiaries: consultants and contractors and their political ...

Hammering the Taxpaying, Fixed Income Homeowner – 1

Monday, June 30th, 2008

The City of Chester's $77 million dollar soccer stadium subsidies are a prime example of State subsidies that hammer the fixed income, taxpaying homeowner, usually, a senior citizen who has worked and saved all their lives to pay off the mortgage and now live on fixed income in their single ...

Who Profits at the Nonprofits? Planned Parenthood, a Business?

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

"Who profits at the nonprofits?" is a question I have asked about hospitals.  Planned Parenthood has revenues of a billion dollars a year. And has, and may still, receive public taxpayer money from the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania. Previously, Planned Parenthood presented itself as providing services to poor; it appears to ...

Private Profit Turnpike Leasing or the PA Government Turnpike Commission : Name Your Poison

Sunday, June 29th, 2008

Commonwealth Foundation has done another outstanding job in analyzing the Turnpike Lease compared to the operation of the very independent, non elected Turnpike Commission. Some distrust private sector; some distrust Turnpike Commission; I say, "Name your poison". The idea is that a private company, operating under very strict contract, can ...

Energy Bubble like Tech Bubble?

Friday, June 27th, 2008

Fascinating video Fundamentals of Supply/Demand mean, according to this Bear investor, prices of oil come to $60 to $80 range. The reasons are fascinating from radical modification of gasoline combustion engine to gas subsidies in emerging market and I have to think the dollar will get stronger as well (although ...