Balta1701

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 10:11 PM) Well of course he is. In non-defense industries. He can't sell out to *gasp* jet makers. That's for the rich! Which is why you plan to vote for Obama in 2012 since he's boosted defense spending right? Otherwise you don't mean your complaints and you just don't like him personally.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 10:15 PM) Anything modern is a waste of money, obviously. Stop the programs now. NOW! In that way, our existing technology can be rapidly overcome by other countries and we wouldn't matter in the world anymore. USA SUKS! USA USA USA SUKS!!! All right! We got what we wanted, because at least now we can make all of our grandchildren pay before they're even born for all the entitlements ya'll have gotten in the last 6 years or so (starting with medicare plan d, which is a boondoggle). If we cut defense spending by 2/3 we'd still spend 10x as much as China. At least I can scoff at you the next time you complain about government waste, because clearly you really don't care about cutting spending, just spending you don't like.

Jaret Wright signed for 3/$21 before 2005.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 10:08 PM) Pavano for one signed a 4y/$38M deal with the Yankees before the 2005 season. That was off an 18 win season though wasn't it? What was wright's deal?

QUOTE (chw42 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 10:01 PM) I'm not sure what dollar values one WAR translated to back then, but I'm thinking Freddy was worth about $12 million in 05. So it is under market value, but not by much. Plus, he was probably worth less than what he was paid in 06. But he also singled early before hitting the open market. That always pushes salary down.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 09:41 PM) As long as we're going over roster moves by Guillen. Shouldn't he get credit for the well-below market value contract extension (3y/$27M) Freddy Garcia signed in 2004? That more than makes up for his Thome decision. Was that really below market at the time?

Of course there's cause and effect here. The fee games where these 2 actually produced were probably not close games.

QUOTE (LittleHurt05 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 07:37 PM) Lucas Harell starts tomorrow for the Astros. I'm sure if he somehow magically shuts down the Brewers, several threads will pop up in PHT calling out KW, but whatever. Good luck to him, seemed like a good kid. I was at his MLB debut when he beat Oakland last year. He hasn't won since. No one really complains about losing most udfas.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 06:46 PM) Not that I necessarily agree with it, I don't know yet, but keep in mind that the cap gains and dividend breaks predominantly help the wealthy only in the most direct sense. I don't know a number, but I am 100% sure that anyone looking for a job and anyone with a 401k or other investments would be helped at least SOMEWHAT by the positive effect that would have on corporate sheets and equity markets. No doubt in my mind. I just don't know how MUCH effect it would be. Do you realize that only a fraction (less than half) of the country even is offered a basic 401k?

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 08:26 PM) Yup. Everything defense industry sucks. Tattoo it on your forehead. Because arguing for defense cuts and arguing for a defense budget if 0 are the same thing and I totally couldn't find a logical fallacy on there.

QUOTE (kapkomet @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 08:21 PM) There are way more non-union shops then union shops that supply the defense industry. I'm not talking Boeing, LMA, Northrop Grumman, etc. There are literally millions of workers that support these lines in some shape or form that aren't union. But only the union ones count. Otherwise you couldn't say that Obama is selling out to unions. Like in construction.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:31 PM) Eh, with the "we" I assumed you were talking Sox. Was trying to go with baseball fans, but confusion is understandable.

QUOTE (buhbuhburrrrlz @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 04:28 PM) 4 games back in the loss column. Win all 3 and we're 1 game back in the loss column.

QUOTE (Marty34 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 04:54 PM) So this team is not underachieving. Again, it depends on how much weight you put into any particular part. We're not underachieving because PECOTA thought Konerko would fall off a cliff, Konerko has had an incredible year. If you gave that nugget to PECOTA, it'd think we'd be close to first place. That's the fun of PECOTA sometimes. In 2007 I think everyone would say we massively underachieved, but PECOTA was right on with a terrible record, but PECOTA totally missed why.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:41 PM) Is that the one Skilling has aimed at Louisana? There is a blob of "Tropical development" happening just West of Florida right now. No real threat to the NE, it would have to cross all the landmass. Here is Katia. This one is virtually guaranteed to become a major hurricane within the next few days. Whether it reaches the shores of the U.S. as one is too far out to guess. Here is the less organized thing currently in the Gulf.

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:40 PM) Marte making his MLB debut here for Detroit. You wanna tell us again how reliable that Detroit bullpen is?

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:34 PM) That's a great reference, easy to use...thanks Seriously, you didn't know that B-R has everyone's contracts? Man I'm disappointed in you.,

QUOTE (fathom @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:24 PM) Question on the Tigers...do they have any bad contracts after this year? Aren't Ordonez and Inge gone after this year? Come on man, the Google isn't that hard to use. No, their bad contracts end after this year. They have good money tied up in their good players, but start off at $72 million this offseason, $81 if they pick up the option on Valverde. They did pare back a lot of salary last offseason, but not as much as they could have...they spent money to bring guys like Ordonez back.

QUOTE (chisoxt @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 03:15 PM) No...the right'JR feel' is that he passes over Hahn for another candidate that no one esle has thought of. That's exactly the opposite of what happened with the Bulls.

September 13th is Roger Bossard bobblehead day. Seriously, I might look for one of those on ebay on the 14th.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 02:53 PM) Also, what is your definition of a moderate? I think there are two "ways" one can be a moderate, and they are sometimes used interchangeably. One is a person who is in the "middle" on issues, which is to say a moderate on each and every issue. Another is that some of their views are right-leaning, others left-leaning. That latter description fits me, and I think a lot of people, whereas the former becomes more rare the more issues you include. Huntsmann is middle-ish on some issues, but really he is an amalgam of right and left leaning views, more right than left. I'd say that on tax policy, advocating eliminating the EITC and using the funds to drop the top tier to 23% is about as far as you can get from moderate.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 02:42 PM) So he is favoring getting rid of individual tax breaks, in exchange for lowering overall rates and simplifying the system. I don't think that's the worst idea ever. But I am only OK with it if the effective tax reductions for lower and middle incomes are at least on par with those at the higher levels in the new scheme. Since the only rates that are being cut are the top tier rates, the removal of all the tax credits hits everyone who isnt' a high earner, while the drop in the rates passes the buck to anyone who used to be in the 35% tax class. And since Dividend income is no longer taxed at all, the effective rate on heavy investors would be much lower. Edit: Eliminating the EITC, for example, would be a substantial tax increase on families who earn under 50k per year, with the increase in taxes getting larger as income decreases. Increase of literally $2k in a lot of cases.

QUOTE (WHITESOXRANDY @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 02:40 PM) And worse, still have Kenny Williams making deals. Dude, you're in a thread where the headline includes the phrase "and Kenny could be gone".

For those who still think he's a moderate, Ambassador Huntsman released his tax policy document yesterday. Basically, it takes a lot of the "Deficit commission" disaster recommendations from last year. Some of the highlights: 3 tax rates, 23, 14, and 8%. The highest tier is 23%, amounting to an income tax cut of ~1/3 on the highest bracket. Elimination of capital gains taxes and taxes on income from dividends. Pays for that by getting rid of "Tax expenditures". Pretty much all of them. The employer healthcare deduction, the earned income tax credit, tax credits for education and child care are gone, all Social Security income becomes taxable, Veterans and disability benefits are taxed, etc.

QUOTE (greg775 @ Sep 1, 2011 -> 02:29 PM) 2.) Rios?? KW should be fired now for picking up Rios. Nobody in baseball wanted Rios. You know, it's actually hard to know this, the Sox got Rios pretty early on in the waiver wire list.