The Knox Trail tea party (next door) is phenomenal. They organize twice monthly standouts – rain or snow and keep our message very strong. On 911 we lined the streets with American flags. Yesterday was their Christmas standout. It was about 39 degrees at the time.

Tea Party Standout

Yours truly cannot take credit for attending.

I’m not a fan of Romney. My distaste is a result of living under Romney-care which has tripled my health care costs and diminished accessibility. While I don’t think Romney is particularly conservative, I do think he is honest and I was very impressed with what he did with the Olympics.

Romney also did something as Governor that still impresses me. I remember hearing about it on talk radio back when it was happening in 2006 and I have never forgotten it.

J. Michael Ruane was a Massachusetts state legislator for 30 years representing the 8th Essex District. As a member of the Massachusetts legislature he was entitled to enroll in the very generous pension plan offered by the state. He declined repeatedly, indicating he did not believe in state offered pensions. At one point, a couple of years before he retired, he was told that he could be grandfathered into the pension system and would get full benefits dating back to when he was elected nearly 3 decades before without paying anything but current payments. Although that was the deal of the century Ruane once again declined, preferring to take home his full paycheck.

In 2005 Ruane retired and was diagnosed with cancer. He then petitioned the state legislature to award his wife his unearned pension benefits.

Ruane died in June 2006. Shortly after his death the Massachusetts legislature voted to award Ruane’s widow an unearned pension of $44,000 a year for life.

Governor Romney opposed the legislation and offered what I thought was a brilliant alternative: He proposed an amendment requiring members of both chambers, the governor, and the lieutenant governor to pay one-half of 1 percent of their base compensation to the state pension fund to cover Ruane’s unearned pension. Romney agreed with the legislature’s desire to take care of the Ruane family, but disagreed that tax payers should pay for it. Romney estimated that the pension would cost legislators $275 per year while the Governor and Lt Governor would pay $675 and $600 annually. He also suggested that a lien be placed on the legislator’s home to recover the benefits after his widow died.

The legislature disagreed, passing a bill which foisted the entire costs of the unearned pension on the taxpayers. Romney vetoed the bill and his veto was easily overridden by the MA legislature.

Still Romney deserves credit for his “conservative” attempt at protecting the people against the liberal legislature.

Just one week left for Congress to renew the National Flood Insurance Program or do serious damage to an already damaged economy.

On Dec.16th the National Flood Insurance Program is set to end. Insurance companies are already not renewing policies because of the uncertainty and lack of publicity on this issue.

On one hand what is the Federal government doing in the underwriting business?
On the other hand how do they walk away from it after entangling so many people’s lives within it since its inception in 1968?

If Congress lets this program end real estate markets will crash further.

People required to have it will be in default of the mortgage requirements. New sales transactions requiring it will not be able to be conducted.

It is estimated by the National Association of Realtors about 1,300 new transactions per day are currently on hold because the deals cannot close without the properties being insured. No private insurance company can currently write or renew a flood insurance policy because the Federal government is sitting with its thumb up a place the sun don’t shine.

If Congress lets this program end, real people who built homes in beautiful places like the Outer Banks, or other beach places will now do so without a safety net. Not that they should of built homes in those places to begin with; but once allowed , with no current reform policy in sight, they should still be covered. Government said it was ok we will under right you. Now they are about to renege on their word.

I don’t think the Federal government belongs in the underwriting business but I certainly don’t think they can be allowed to callously walk away from it and leave people high and dry either.

Where is the reform? The conversion to privatization? They’ve done more of that in getting out of the space program than they have Flood Insurance.

I’m betting if you don’t have flood insurance that you hadn’t heard about this issue. What if they decide to suddenly get out of medicare or some other program instilled on society, should they be allowed to do that and leave people in the lurch with no plan?

Wouldn’t this be the kind of important issue that you wished was talked about in at least one of Presidential Debates so far?
Well since it hasn’t yet it’s up to blogs like this to start the discussion on this issue.

Weigh in on what you think Congress should do with the pending end date of the National Flood Insurance Program and why?
If Congress won’t have the discussion it’s up to us to have it.
Thanks,
ConservaWin