Balta1701

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 01:23 PM) Weird, I noticed no tax cut, but I do vaguely recall some talk about it. I'll have to go back and look - when did it happen? Of course, if that were true, that would sort of go against your stances on tax cuts, wouldn't it? The fact that tax cuts were stimulative doesn't mean that they were the most effective variety of stimulus. No one said you would get a zero multiplier from tax cuts (although corporate tax cuts are disturbingly close). Just that we might be closer to out of this if we'd focused the money on job creation. Via the WSJ: If you do the math, over 52 weeks, that's the equivalent of a $1352 check for a full family over a 1 year period. That was one of the larger parts of the stimulus bill.

QUOTE (bighurt574 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 12:48 PM) You're a few years too late with this poll. Fill a room with all the "good offensive players in his day that will be competing against him for the Hall." Then ask the ones linked to PEDs to leave, as none of them will be elected to the hall any time soon. The room isn't very crowded after that. I think the HOF has room for both Thomas and Griffey. Even if you don't kick out the juicers...ask all of the ones without 2 MVP trophies or 500 HR to leave, and it thins out again as well.

QUOTE (Pants Rowland @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 11:56 AM) Tsunamis make your hurricanes look like April showers. We'd better hope that we never get a legit island collapse tsunami.

QUOTE (Thad Bosley @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 12:48 PM) Bounceback to what, though? Another year of a .340 OBP and 25 stolen bases? That's his usual level of production offensively, and certainly nothing to get too excited about. My biggest quarrel with that statement is this; right now, we don't have anyone who can give us that production at the top of the order and we really could use it. Even if he's slightly below average with the bat, he'd fill a role if he could get back to that level.

QUOTE (Jenks Heat @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 12:17 PM) My question, did the steroid scandel actually escalate his status as his perceived cleanliness and being in front of the steroid outcry overcome his sullen reputation. Will voters and purists take a more favorable look at him now than compared to if there was no steroid scandel?Yes. The 500 homers are more important. The only 500 HR guys who won't be in the Hall are the juicers. Clemens is more likely to wind up in jail than the HOF right now.

Depending on his medical reports...I wouldn't mind this type of move and I think it's exactly the sort KW is likely to do. It's a guy he's been linked to before, he's now going to be cheap, and he definately fills a need if he can return to form.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 11:38 AM) You mean the housing credit? I am talking about retail spending here. No. The stimulus package included a huge tax cut over 2 years for every taxpayer. It was larger than the stimulus checks sent out last year, just more spread out over the course of the next 2 years, rather than a lump sum payment. If it lasted 10 years, it would have been the largest tax cut in history.

QUOTE (Y2HH @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 11:26 AM) Now let's add in their health care benefits, which outclass mine by far and I work for Blue f***ing Cross...and some of these benefits NEVER end for them. So you say we should perhaps make Congress's health care plan more like that of the rest of America's? Since the Senate bill requires Congress to enroll in the health care exchange system they're setting up, I assume we now have your support?

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 11:10 AM) Ok so who has said 100% innocent? And for God's sake, let's quit pretending that a $12 trillion debt is some fault of health care. It isn't. That is complete crap. You're correct, the current debt is not the fault of health care, because Medicare/Medicaid is funded by its own tax. If you wanted to blame that on any single government program you have to look at the defense department because it takes the biggest slice of discretionary spending. The problem is that the next $30 trillion IS the fault of health care.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 10:28 AM) I wonder who out there would even consider Cabrera at this point? I bet Boston would, if the Tigers would take back a deal not including Buchholz.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 10:28 AM) What stimulus money? The only real cash anyone is getting is unemployment, which is only higher than normal in length because it was extended. You think that few % of people who have extended benefits are making that difference? There was a big temporary tax break as well.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 10:26 AM) lol. So taking a bunch of money out of American's pockets is going to stop a bunch of money from coming out of American's pockets, because the government is going to do it for us. It isn't going to reduce anything because the costs associated with the government doing things isn't going to be less than what it would cost for medical care in the first place. The only way that they can make that happen is by driving a bunch of people out of business or reducing their wages by a large portion to make the numbers work, which is going to end up taking a bunch of money out of the economy again. It is such a circular argument here. I still think it's remarkable that you guys can complain about the deficit on one hand and then defend the current system, that costs 1.5x as much per person as any other country on earh, at the same time, and not realize how those are 100% linked. Or even worse, still pretend that the private nature of our system is 100% innocent, when all the data screams the opposite.

QUOTE (FlaSoxxJim @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 09:05 PM) I meant to ask you if you had any opinion of Hal U of M's Wanless, Balta. I saw him present a seminar last week to a standing room crowd at my institute and I was pretty impressed. Obviously I've heard of "U of M" before, and I've heard of a guy named Wanless before, but I have no idea what "Hal U of M Wanless" means.

QUOTE (witesoxfan @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 09:50 AM) Apparently both prospects were pretty bad though, so the Cubs sold low on Heilman. Heilman would have been non-tendered next week if he wasn't traded.

QUOTE (Princess Dye @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 08:59 AM) Would be nice if it drew one of the suitors for AG out of the mix. If you're a team like Boston, wouldn't it be preferable to you to hold on to 2 prospects and give up just 1 pretty good guy but at the same time just absorb Cabrera's contract?

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 05:57 AM) I'm pretty sure I'd take the words of an actual economist over those of an assistant editor for Newsweek, on this topic. I'd also think the CBO has some idea of how math works. Still though, the bill is a monster, and ALL of this is projections and guesswork. No way around that. And its not as if there is some loud chorus all favoring one side on this either. I'd be there are real cost savings there, but I'd also bet they won't be nearly as big as they are hoping. That would be pretty typical. I'm going to outsource my reply.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 24, 2009 -> 08:42 AM) indefinite detention: not at all, in fact we are seeing people released, sent to trial, taken out of Gitmo, etc. Note; I don't think it counts if people are taken out of detention in Gitmo and then disappear into Bagram. (I will give credit for the KSM trial and for getting the Uyghur people out of there).

Hell, I wish I didn't.

QUOTE (southsider2k5 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 08:44 PM) And it still isn't going to do anything in the long run, except run people out of jobs, and increase the debt. And by increase, of course, he means decrease. Anywho, when does this get split off to the normal healthcare thread?

Can't just do something simple like making sense can you?

And make sure you do it before playing against the Eagles secondary too.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 08:04 PM) Some things of particular interest to a scientist like you - the Winslow Crater in AZ (a la Starman) is just off I-40, and I believe that part of the Petrified Forest is as well. I've actually been to Meteor crater, and never once heard it called Winslow crater. Fascinating.

X out that post and we'll all be a lot happier.

QUOTE (NorthSideSox72 @ Nov 23, 2009 -> 07:58 PM) Really glad I didn't open that at work - check out the banner ad. Ad-block Plus.