More costs for county voting machines...

We have a resolution before the board tomorrow:

TO THE WINNEBAGO COUNTY BOARD OF SUPERVISORS:
WHEREAS, a new help desk support feature has recently been added by Premier Elections to the County Clerk’s election equipment costing $3,250; and
WHEREAS, this feature provides much improved technical support to the department and eliminates per hour charges for calls; and
WHEREAS, memory cards had to be purchased for the voting machines costing a total of $17,000; and
WHEREAS, a hands free telephone would be beneficial when long phone conversations are needed with municipal clerks and election vendor help during very busy elections; and
WHEREAS, these costs were unknown or not anticipated when the 2008 budget was prepared; and
WHEREAS, there are insufficient funds in other accounts in the County Clerk Department to cover these additional costs.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED by the Winnebago County Board of Supervisors that it hereby appropriates $20,600 from the General Fund Undesignated Fund Balance to the following accounts of the County Clerks 2008 budget:

A statement on the Bush Administration's ability to plan...

Paulson on April 20th, 2007:

U.S. Treasury Secretary Henry Paulson said on Friday the housing market correction appears to be at or near its bottom and that troubles in the subprime mortgage market will not likely spread throughout the economy.

"We've clearly had a big correction in the housing market. Retail housing was growing for some time at a level that was not sustainable," Paulson said in a speech to The Committee of 100, a business group in New York promoting better Chinese relations.

"I don't see (subprime mortgage market troubles) imposing a serious problem. I think it's going to be largely contained," he added.

Krugman makes a great point on the mortgage crisi & impending bailouts...

As I said, the important thing is to bail out the system, not the people who got us into this mess. That means cleaning out the shareholders in failed institutions, making bondholders take a haircut, and canceling the stock options of executives who got rich playing heads I win, tails you lose.

According to late reports on Sunday, JPMorgan Chase will buy Bear for a pittance. That?s an O.K. resolution for this case ? but not a model for the much bigger bailout to come. Looking ahead, we probably need something similar to the Resolution Trust Corporation, which took over bankrupt savings and loan institutions and sold off their assets to reimburse taxpayers. And we need it quickly: things are falling apart as you read this.

It's here

WMC Watch

New website here...

Charles Pierce on National Unity and Bi-Partisanship!

I don't want to come together with these people. I want them in irons until they tell me where my country went.

Penny is out-raising Wieckert

Here's the money quote:

In her latest campaign-finance filing statement, Bernard Schaber, a physical therapist and environmental activist, raised $11,309 in the second half of 2007. She spent $3,748 and ended with a cash balance of $14,457.

Wieckert, meanwhile, raised $1,584. He spent $2,311 and had $28,440 cash on hand.

Here's the article.