It's tax return time. Time to dip into the past which reminds us of the legacy left by the economic policies of our past leaders.

In the 1040 instruction book can be found a pie chart. It gives a good snap shot of what is happening to our revenue (tax and borrowing) dollar and our spending dollar. I present below 1991, 2000 and 2006. (Although I paid taxes in 1980 I no longer have the 1040 instructions. I would be great full for a copy from anyone who does.)
Here they are:
1991
Link...

2000
Link...

and 2006
Link...

The election of 1980 was notable for the third party candidacie of John Anderson on what I remember as a socially liberal and fiscally conservative platform. Link...

However, Regan won and put the nation on a Borrow and Spend frenzy.

After nearly 11 years of republican (miss) management of our nations financial affairs by the Borrow and Spend great communicator, followed by four years of the silver foot in his mouth president, we were borrowing 21 cents of every dollar we spent. We were borrowing one additional cent for every cent we paid in interest. Only someone who is so anti intellectual as to have avoided studying any math can see that that is a recipe for disaster.

To his credit, Bush I did try to address the debt problem late in his term but not boldly and his party contributed to his defeat for his action. It was once again the third party candidate Ross Perot who was the voice of fiscal reason in 1992.
Link...

Bush lost, Perot lost and Bill Clinton won and much to my approval he seams to have adopted Perot's cause of fiscal responsibility. He had several show downs with the Republican congress demanding that they balance their revenue and spending. During the Clinton terms the pie charts had developed a growing wedge which had never appeared during the Regan, Bush I presidencies; A surplus. This surplus was gaining on the debt. For every eleven cents of debt interest we spent 12 cents to reduce the principal owed. If sustained this rate could have wiped out the debt in less than ten years.

I have never heard Republicans correct their erroneous assertions that the Clinton spending cuts and tax increases of 1991 would rune the economy. Such assertions should be challenged for what they are: FACT FREE arguments.

Since 2001 Republicans have been shoveling our money out to special interests in spectacular amounts.
So today in 2007 we are again borrowing against the future.

Never the less, it is we the voters who let any and all politicians get away with deficit spending, who are ultimately to blame. We must either cut spending or increase revenue to balance the budget.

Does anyone know if John Duncan's district is in balance? Is John Duncan's district (and are we) contributors to deficit spending?

Forrest Erickson

I read a bit about the life of Jeremiha Wright at these links.

Link...

and

Link...

Seams to me he speaks truth to power.

Forrest Erickson

While driving to and from Virginia last week I stumbled across some radio programs on a public radio station WETS at 89.5 MHz.
I can get the station here in Maryville, but just barley. If I had not saved the channel frequency while I was still up in north east Tennessee I am sure I could not have found it again.

I really liked the 6:00 PM program from Democracynow.org.

I listed to over an hour of testimony from the Winter Soldiers.

Forrest Erickson

Senator Alexander (and Corker) voted against consideration of the bill for Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment

November 16, 2007. Both senators from Tennessee voted against consideration of the bill H.R.4156. This bill, Orderly and Responsible Iraq Redeployment Appropriations Act, 2008 would de-fund the Bush / Cheney nearly one-half trillion dollar occupation of Iraq. This bill would being to remove US service men and women from Iraq with in 30 days of its passage. It also prohibits the use of any US funds for torture, it demands measurement of progress from the Secretary of Defense, and it "Prohibits any funds from being used to: (1) establish any military installation or base for providing for the permanent stationing of U.S. Armed Forces in Iraq; or (2) exercise U.S. control over any oil resource of Iraq."

Dennis Kucinich Brings House Resolution to Impeach Cheney to Floor.

It is happening. Dennis Kucinich has used a privileged resolution to bring to the floor of the House Of Representatives a resolution to Impeach Cheney.

You can follow debate on line here:

Link...

Better yet, you can influence the outcome by calling the offices of John Duncan and ask that he vote for this resolution to impeach. His Knoxville office phone number: 1-865-523-3772

The full text of the resolution is at:
Link...

Have you ever seen our glorious Milky Way galaxy from a dark sky? If not, you owe it to yourself and especially school age children to see get out and see the Milky Way this evening Oct 6.

Members of the Smoky Mountain Astronomical Society Link... are having their dark sky Star Party on the Cherohala Skyway. Located at the Unicoi Crest overlook it is first overlook on the left just after you enter North Carolina. As I write, the forecast looks good for observing this evening. Bring a folding chair, extra sweatshirts and coats (yes coats) and arrive just before dark for easier parking. You can get directions from the star party maps page of the Smoky Mountain Astronomical Society web site at: Link...

You can combine this event with an earlier visit to the Monroe Count Sheriff, Bill Bivens' Country Cook Out.
Link...

Star Party Etiquette
• Bring a red flashlight and avoid using any white light after dark. SMAS members have red filter material available for purchase at 1 cent per square inch.
• Get to know the lighting controls for your vehicle and ensure as little white light as possible shines from your vehicle. If you cannot control the lights, choose to park as far away from the telescopes as practical.
• Carefully enter the observing location. Speeding into a parking area full of telescopes and observers is a recipe for an accident.
• If you bring bug spray, please choose to apply the spray before arriving or at a distance from telescopes. Sprays can coat the expensive optics and are difficult to remove.
• Our members welcome visitors and enjoy showing off the night sky, however please be considerate and ask. Do not use an unattended scope that does not belong to you without permission.
• Please do not smoke near other member's telescopes

Members of SMAS and an amature telescope.

Monroe Count Sheriff, Bill Bivens' Country Cook Out.
Celebrating Sheriff Bivens' his first anniversary (one year) in office.

On Saturday, October 6, 2007, a pleasant drive less than an hour south of Maryville in Blount County, the Monroe County Sheriff, Bill Bivens, is celebrating his first year in office. To mark his first year as Monroe County Sheriff, he is repeating the Country Cook Out which he sponsored last year as part of his campaign. This years cook out will be from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM and all visitors are invited.

The cook out will be on the 50 acre Bivens farm at 162 BIVENS RD, TELLICO PLAINS, TN 37385. Phone: (423) 253-7758

Here is a map from Maryville.

The farm is a short drive south on US 411 into Vonore and then left on US 360.

I called and spoke with Bill Bivens and asked him a few questions to better get to know him and report to Blountview readers on the Sheriff to our south and his Country Cook Out.

Tonight at the Blount County Commission, citizens witnessed a shameful act.
At the motion of Commissioner Steve Samples, the Blount County Commission suspended the rules to consider a vulgar resolution.

The next Blount County Commission meeting is less than a week away, September 20, 2007.
Support your Democratic County Commissioners by showing up.
When: The third Thursday of every month at 7:00 PM.
Where: The Court house at 359 Court Street, Maryville TN.

Visit the county web site at: Link...
to learn about the districts and find your Commissioners. Each district has two.
If your not happy with how things are going in Blount County, if you think there should be change, giver your Commissioners a call.
The phone numbers are listed at Link....

Rules for how the meeting work are at:
Link...
Learn the rules and take part in your community by participating.

The CNN report on Bush's speech Link...
reads remarkably like the Onion article who's title is "Thousands More Dead In Continuing Iraq Victory" and can be found at:
Link...

The Bush Cheney misadministration is lying. The Government Accounting Office figures show no reduction in violent deaths in Iraq. The misadministration rationalize a way not to count some of them SUCH AS IED DEATHS since they claim they can not be proven sectarian deaths and so are not sectarian deaths.

Bush and Cheney (and the claims of the Petraeus report) are deliberate lies.

You can find the GAO report which says in summary, "
It is unclear whether sectarian violence in Iraq has decreased--a key security m it is difficult to measure whether the perpetrators' intents were sectarian in nature, and other measures of population security show differing trends."
At: Link...

What is clear is that the number of deaths is not down. Got that? Bush Cheney just cook up a way not to book them as deaths they have to count.

If you are not outraged you are not paying attention.

November 12, 2007.
Congress and our nation has been lied to again.
The report, or what ever it is called, to Congress by General Petraeus is not a clear picture of what is happening in Iraq. It is as misleading regarding the situation in Iraq as has been Petreaus' previous claims. In his The Washington Post, 9/26/04 article Petreaus said, "Now, however, 18 months after entering Iraq, I see tangible progress. Iraqi security elements are being rebuilt from the ground up." It is so obvious that Petraeus was shielding the Bush Cheney misadministration from the truth in order to influence the November 2004 elections.

Now again in September of 2007 Petraeus is wrong. He has said the surge worked.

We get a different picture of the situation in Iraq from all other sources such as the one on page 51, of the Government Accounting Office report...

An intersting lecture this Friday.
DATE August 31
Fridays, 12:20 to 1:10 p.m.
Room 405 Ferris Hall

SPEAKER AND TOPIC
Dr. J. Reece Roth, Professor Emeritus, UT Plasma Sciences >Laboratory: ?Gears from the Greeks: The Antikythera Mechanism and the Early >History of Computer Science?. Nautical Archaeologists recently made a discovery that extended the history of computer science back to circa 80 BCE.
The Antikythera Mechanism was discovered in an ancient shipwreck, and is the only such geared mechanical device known for at least the next 1000 years. It consists of a clockwork ? like mechanism containing more than 30 toothed gears, including a system of differential gears. This early calculator has been the subject of intense scholarly research to determine what it is and what it was intended to do. It has been found that this device was used to calculate, among other things, lunar eclipses and planetary positions. It is already clear that computer science has deeper historical roots than previously realized.

> J. Reece Roth, Ph.D.
> Professor Emeritus of Electrical Engineering

Bush Cheney Misadministration.
August 28, 2007.
Again good news, Gonzolas is resigning. He is a disgrace to our democracy as is much of the Bush Cheney misadministration.
How is it that Gonzolas hung on so long? How can honest people associate with him with out fear of ruining their reputation?
And will congress follow up with an impeachment action as the constitution further allows for "... disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States."

Reported in NPR "Rove to Leave White House at End of August"
Link...

Although it is good news that Carl Rove will not much longer be officially part of the Bush / Cheney administration we should be disappointed that he is not impeached and as the constitution further allows, subject to "... disqualification to hold and enjoy any office of honor, trust or profit under the United States."

Call Representative Duncan and let his office know you are disappointed that they have not moved to hold this corrupt administration accountable.

In the short term they still can vote to hold Rove in contempt for refusing the judiciary subpoena. Congress should act on this immediately once it resumes August 22 2007.

Maryville District Office.
Phone: (865) 984-5464

And the office in Knoxville.
Phone: 865-523-3772

Citizens must speak up. Let Duncan know we are ready to replace him if he fails to do his job. Duncan's inaction aids and abets the criminals in the Bush / Cheney administration.

There are so many problems with this administration it is hard to know where to begin. I will describe them top down, however the actions to effect a cure might be most effectively implemented in the opposite order.