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Correspondence: May 13

staff
May 13, 2010

Negativity over Crescent Bar is misplaced

In following the Crescent Bar story, I am puzzled to see so much negativity from the residents and landlords of the rentals directed towards the City of Quincy.

My thought is that they would be upset with Crescent Bar Inc.

Having some experience with leases, I can testify that everyone who signs a lease knows the expiration date. I have a lot of compassion for those who have invested in homes and rental properties and would hope they had received full disclosure.

My biggest surprise is that the PUD has not mandated the removal of the fence or required Crescent Bar properties to build a ‘decent’ restroom near the public beach.

This would seem the right thing for the entity (Crescent Bar Inc) that benefited the most from the demolition/replanning and sales/leasing of the land.

The PUD has no choice, but to comply with the FERC regulations.

The dam license has to be the priority, as does their blueprint.

— Dale Schroeder

Congress needs to pass budget

Each year, Congress is tasked with passing a budget that sets federal fiscal priorities for the coming year. The congressional budget determines how much the federal government will spend, how much it expects to receive, and how to budget for any planned major legislative actions of the year. Since 1974, Congress has operated under a set of budget rules that require the budget to be approved no later than April 15.

Following these rules and passing a budget is a basic duty of Congress. Every year since 1974 the House has met its obligation and passed a budget, though sometimes a few days after April 15th. But not this year. Given that its now almost a month past the deadline, I recently joined colleagues in sending a letter to Speaker Nancy Pelosi requesting that she schedule a vote on passing a budget for the coming year. We have yet to receive a response, but press reports indicate the deeply troubling news that Speaker Pelosi has no plans to pass a budget at all this year.

The purpose of a budget is to create an enforceable framework within which Congress can consider legislation dealing with spending and revenue. One thing we have learned from the economic downturn is that those who control Congress have ignored common sense solutions to create jobs and grow the economy, and have instead focused on increasing spending, increasing the deficit and increasing taxes.

While I voted against the bailouts and the government takeover of healthcare, the American people at least knew some of these issues were coming because the Democrat budget outlined them as priorities. If Congress fails to pass a budget this year, for the first time ever, then there will be no debate about the priorities for the coming year, and, of far greater concern, there will be few restrictions on the ability to create new federal programs, increase spending or raise taxes.

The failure to pass a budget is really a failure to govern and to take our nation’s debt seriously. Like small businesses around the country, it is important for Congress to set limits on what to spend and how much to charge. With the nation’s economy still in recovery, enacting fiscal discipline is more important than ever.

If Congress does not pass a budget, my fear is that 2010 will see record levels of spending, increased taxes, sky-high deficits, and record-setting national debt. It is well past time to make the tough choices necessary to rein in spending, decrease the deficit and debt, and make changes that will help grow our economy. The time to start making the tough, necessary decisions about our long-term deficit is not some time in the distant future, but right now.

— Congressman Doc Hastings