CITY OF RIPON PRESS RELEASE

Date: June 18, 2008
Re: Flooding

(RIPON, WI) – A closer inspection of the city’s Gothic Mill Pond along Scott Street has shown there is no significant damage to the structure. According to City Engineer Travis Drake, the Wisconsin Department of Natural Resources’ dam safety engineer also looked at the dam during the overtopping, which occurred on Friday and Saturday, and had no concerns. A voluntary evacuation of the areas downstream was ordered on Friday evening, over concerns about the dam’s stability. That order was lifted on Saturday afternoon.
In addition, the city has inspected our stream crossings and did not see any structural concerns. Fond du Lac County’s bridge inspector came to the same conclusion after doing a drive through this past weekend. While there has been some surface damage to a few streets, most of the work so far has dealt with cleaning sediment off the city streets.
The City’s Wastewater Treatment Plant has suffered the most damage. The basement was flooded for two days submerging motors, control panels, compressors and electrical systems. Crews have been working around the clock to pump water and re-establish treatment procedures. The extent of damage or the cost to repair is not yet known, though early estimates are in the range of $500,000.
“Damage estimates across the city are now approaching $2 million,” said Mayor Aaron Kramer. “We continue to take calls to our hotline (920-748-4916) regarding basement flooding and other water-related damages. We will continue to work with state and county officials in tabulating the damage totals in anticipation of possible assistance from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).”
“As we continue to move forward from this historical flooding event, I think we also need to extend a large thank you to the staff and employees who have been working above and beyond their normal job descriptions the past several days,” noted Mayor Kramer. “From the police department to the public works employees, everyone has shown the team effort and diligence needed to return our city to the way it was prior to the night of June 12th. For that, I, as mayor, and speaking for our citizens, will be forever grateful.”

For more information:
Steve Barg, City Administrator (920-748-4914)
Aaron Kramer, Mayor (920-291-5250)

HISTORY IN RIPON

Needless to say, last night's flooding rains were a record event for the city of Ripon. We have one street with the pavement scoured, two bridges underwater, thousands of dollars in damage to homes and businesses. We will get through this, with your patience and help. If you have damage, please call the following number to report the information to City Hall:
748-4916

This should frighten you....

A Record Tax Hike - By INVESTOR'S BUSINESS DAILY
Fiscal Policy: The Senate's new $3 trillion budget for 2009 is big, but it fails to do something vital to the U.S. economy: extend President Bush's tax cuts. If this isn't fixed, we'll soon face the largest tax hike in our history.

The Senate's action on Wednesday to approve the spending plan came on a 48-45 vote over Republican objections. The House is also expected to pass the measure this week. Democrats sounded almost giddy. The budget "will strengthen the economy and create jobs," said Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, a North Dakota Democrat. "It will provide tax cuts for the middle class, and it will restore fiscal responsibility by balancing the books by 2012 and maintaining balance in 2013." Fine-sounding sentiments all. But parse those words for a moment. Virtually everything Conrad says is false, and in no small way.

If Bush's tax cuts expire in 2010, the middle class will in fact be hit with a massive tax increase. This in turn will weaken the economy and kill job growth. As for the deficit, slower growth also means lower revenues — and a bigger deficit. Make no mistake: This tax hike is gargantuan. Simply by not making Bush's cuts permanent, taxes will rise by a minimum of $2.8 trillion between now and 2018. On average, 116 million taxpayers will see a jump of $1,800 in their annual tax bill. Some 48 million married couples — the heart of the middle class that Democrats say they want to help — will be slapped with an average increase of $3,007. Even the elderly will take a hit — $2,181 on average. But surely, you say, the poor will be spared. Sorry. As the White House has pointed out, a single parent with two kids making just $30,000 a year will get $1,600 tacked on to his or her tax bill if the Bush tax cuts are allowed to sunset in 2010.

Ironically, top earners would fare much better under the Democrats. They now pay about 60% of the total federal income tax; if the Bush tax cuts expire, they'll pay about 57%. Good for them, but bad for those, like the family of four with an income of $50,000, who'll see their taxes rise a whopping 191%. This is a foretaste of future fiscal recklessness under a Barack Obama presidency (he voted for the bill). It's also a recipe for economic stagnation and misery. Worst of all, it leaves unaddressed long-term fiscal imbalances due to runaway Social Security and Medicare spending, while making wild spending promises that can't be kept.

The pretense of a "fiscally responsible" budget, by the way, is just that — a pretense. From 2001 to 2006, Democrats had a field day bashing Republicans for spending too much. Some of the criticism was deserved. They now tout what they call a "balanced" budget. But the fact is, the 2009 budget for the first time ever spends $1 trillion on discretionary (nondefense, non-entitlement) items. Over the next five years, spending would rise by a half-trillion dollars, $241 billion more than President Bush requested. Meanwhile, there's a fantasyland projection of $930 billion in added revenues — a number that will be lucky to be half as big once Democrats are done raising taxes. No, this budget will not be balanced, and anyone who believes that is delusional. Remember this the next time you hear someone criticize Bush on spending. Oh, and the Democrats will pay for it by raising taxes by $683 billion — the biggest such increase ever. Along with recent action on a pork-filled $300 billion farm bill and continued inaction on our looming entitlements crisis — with $52 trillion in unfunded spending over the next 50 years — you have the makings of the least fiscally responsible Congress in history. One of the reasons our economy has been able to stave off recession is the 2003 cuts in taxes on dividends and capital gains. With those slated to rise sharply in coming years, investors can expect sharply lower rates of return. That means fewer jobs, lower pay and declining standards of living. Quite a week's work for one Congress.

This is supply-side economics in reverse — creating massive disincentives to work, save and invest, and shrinking the pie. This is the economy that Obama and his friends in charge of Congress will bring. No doubt it represents change. But as John McCain keeps asking, is it the right kind of change?

http://www.ibdeditorials.com/IBDArticles.aspx?id=297471548302770