[tomder55]

I have told you a number of times what I think of Goldman Sachs . Let me know what specific fraud you are speaking of with Exxon . As far as I know ;if I invest in Exxon stocks ;I'm getting the real deal.

[paraclete]

I have told you a number of times what I think of Goldman Sachs . Let me know what specific fraud you are speaking of with Exxon . As far as I know ;if I invest in Exxon stocks ;I'm getting the real deal.

I'm sorry Tom I meant Enron, although the handling of the prosecution of the Exxon Valdez incident could amount to a fraud on the community, so enjoy your extra profit Tom

[talaniman]

Exxon is still making big bucks and is still cleaning up the Valdez mess. If they are entitled to big bucks are they not responsible and accountable too? That dumb senator from Texas and many republicans don't think so.

Come on, you want capitalism but when it screws people over you talk about they are so entitled but then the people should have no entitlements and you should cut them to save money? Let cut corporate entitlement before we jump on peoples entitlements.

How is that no fair? Go ahead tell me why some are more entitled than others.

[speechlesstx]

Exxon is still making big bucks and is still cleaning up the Valdez mess. If they are entitled to big bucks are they not responsible and accountable too? That dumb senator from Texas and many republicans don't think so.

Come on, you want capitalism but when it screws people over you talk about they are so entitled but then the people should have no entitlements and you should cut them to save money? Let cut corporate entitlement before we jump on peoples entitlements.

How is that no fair? Go ahead tell me why some are more entitled than others.

I'm all for cutting corporate entitlements, we can start with all the pork in the Sandy relief bill like all that money going to Hollywood to prop up people that fill the screens with violence then preach against guns before being escorted to their limo by an armed guard.

[talaniman]

I can go with presenting and passing clean bills with no pork. Especially those race track subsidies.

[speechlesstx]

I'm going to let this one speak for itself...

Texas Starts Budget Debate Flush With Energy Boom Cash

Legislators in Texas, the biggest energy producer among U.S. states, will begin deliberating its next two-year budget with a surplus forecast today to match an $8.8 billion record set in 2007.

The Texas economy has topped budget projections over the past 15 months, as booming energy output fueled job growth and an 11 percent fiscal first-quarter gain in sales-tax receipts, the biggest source of general-fund revenue. Even after paying off $7 billion in health and school bills, Comptroller Susan Combs said today that the state will be flush heading into 2014.

Lawmakers, who convene tomorrow for a five-month session, in 2011 put off about $4.7 billion in future Medicaid costs and $2 billion for public schools under the current budget, and now must pay those bills. With Combs projecting an $8.8 billion surplus by Aug. 31 and a 12 percent jump in general-purpose receipts for the next two years, Democrats sense an opening.

“Given that we’re seeing an increase in revenue, let’s use this opportunity to fix those things that those in control of the budget have broken,” said state Senator Kirk Watson, an Austin Democrat. “Some people clearly want to starve the necessities of our people, things like schools, health care and transportation.”

Republicans hold all statewide elective offices and run the Legislature. Party leaders don’t want Texas to revert to a pattern that prevailed from 1990 to 2010, when spending rose at twice the pace of population and per-capita income growth, said Talmadge Heflin, a fiscal policy analyst for the Texas Public Policy Foundation, a nonprofit group that promotes limited government.

Governor Rick Perry, a Republican who has held the office since December 2000, wants to tighten limits on spending growth, and opposes new levies or tax increases, according to a “budget compact” he released in April. Disciplined spending policies have helped Texas retain top credit grades from Moody’s Investors Service and Fitch Ratings.

“Today’s revenue estimate is more evidence that we made the right decisions two years ago by budgeting carefully to meet the challenges of the national recession,” Perry said in a statement.

Employment Gains

As the taxable value of oil produced in Texas surged to $39.1 billion in 2011 from $18.4 billion in 2009, the state led the nation in employment gains, adding about 700,000 jobs, according to data compiled by Bloomberg. The state unemployment rate has tumbled to a four-year low of 6.2 percent. Oil and natural-gas drilling rigs more than doubled by mid-2012 compared with two years earlier, and the industry’s workforce climbed 9.2 percent, Combs said.

Combs, a Republican, estimated that the state will have $101.4 billion available for general-purpose spending over the next two years, or 12 percent more than was forecast for the current biennial budget. The forecast sets a cap on how much money lawmakers can use in the new spending plan.

Sales-tax receipts have risen at “an amazing trajectory” since touching a low in 2010, Combs said at a briefing. The pace will slow to 2.4 percent in 2014 and then rebound to 5.9 percent in 2015, she said. She cautioned that single-family housing permits are increasing modestly, while businesses may cut spending because of gridlock in Congress over the federal debt.

[NeedKarma]

Same as the Alberta oil boom revenue. When you're lucky enough to have the natural resources in your jurisdiction and you can rape the land you can make quite a profit.

[talaniman]

Building that pipeline from Canada has the boys giddy at the opportunity for profits and more Taco Bells. But Texas has always been the home of big oil, and that papers over the other problems, gripes, and complaints.

A quiet facts is Perry has been pushing back on companies that have taken breaks and deals and not delivered on employment targets and promises but the flipside is that he also has refused medicaid expansion and his answer to having his own health care plan before 2014 has holes in it, but in Texas the REAL power is the legislature, which for the most part handles its business.

Like anywhere else they aren't perfect and good news is still good news.

while businesses may cut spending because of gridlock in Congress over the federal debt.

TRANSLATION/ Their taxes may go up.

[speechlesstx]

Same as the Alberta oil boom revenue. When you're lucky enough to have the natural resources in your jurisdiction and you can rape the land you can make quite a profit.

Not hardly.We never experienced the same economic crisis as the rest of the country when the economy crashed and it had nothing do with oil at the time. When you restrain spending, pay your bills, get government out of the way, quit wasting money on government picking losers, keep taxes low, encourage growth, responsibility and employment and otherwise make it a friendly place to live and do business you prosper. When you don't you get California and Greece.

The facts speak for themselves, Texas is working and doing well.

[paraclete]

So any advance on the republic of Texas then seceeding from the Republic of Taxes

[NeedKarma]

Oooohhh.. Clete made a play on words. :)

[speechlesstx]

so any advance on the republic of Texas then seceeding from the Republic of Taxes

Ha ha, no one is seceding.

[paraclete]

Ha ha, no one is seceding.

I wonder why?

[speechlesstx]

I don't.

[paraclete]

I understand speech being wupped once is enough

[speechlesstx]

Uh, last time Texas fought a war we defeated Mexico.

[speechlesstx]

Now that Texas' ability to kick a$$ is settled, Indiana's new Republican governor gets it...

On first day in office, Gov. Pence imposes regulatory moratorium in Indiana

Indiana’s new governor, Mike Pence, declared a moratorium on state regulations in an effort to spur job creation across the Hoosier State.

The former House Republican Conference chairman issued an executive order suspending Indiana’s rulemaking process shortly after he was sworn in Monday. The measure is designed to lower the cost of doing business and encourage hiring in the state, where the 8.2 percent unemployment rate is slightly higher than the national average.

“Over several decades the proliferation of administrative rules and regulations at all levels of government has increased the complexity and expense of economic life,” the order says. “Reducing this regulatory burden will promote citizens’ freedom to engage in individual, family and business pursuits.”

In addition to directing state agencies to halt any rulemaking activity indefinitely, the order requires the state’s budget office to evaluate existing rules and put forth recommendations for which should be repealed, beginning with the most onerous.

Pence’s administration is also eyeing federal regulations. Late last week, Indiana Attorney Gen. Greg Zoeller announced plans to dispatch a deputy attorney general to Washington, a step he said was made necessary by an increase in federal actions that encroach on states’ “zone of legal authority.”

Read more: On first day in office, Gov. Pence imposes regulatory moratorium in Indiana - The Hill's RegWatch

Sweet. We need more of that.

[paraclete]

Uh, last time Texas fought a war we defeated Mexico.

I recall that was after they wupped your arse, but seriously, you participated as a state in that fracas they called the Civil War and you didn't come out ahead. I seriously don't understand why Texas didn't go it alone.

[talaniman]

Now that Texas' ability to kick a$$ is settled, Indiana's new Republican governor gets it...Sweet. We need more of that.

Sounds good until we see what regulation reforms he is talking about. Then we can see how sweet it is and who it benefits. You righties always talk about too much regulations without being able to name any.

[tomder55]

I always liked Pence in the House. I thought he would eventually rise to Republican leadership.