United Liberty

American Crossroads, a PAC that has already put millions into the upcoming election, put out a new ad just after President Barack Obama’s speech on Thursday in Cleveland with which he hoped to reboot his economic message after a disastrous White House press conference the week before.

The speech really was nothing new. It was the same familar class warfare, big government talk that we’ve all become used to with Obama. In fact, it was so typical that it bombed with the media. So with that, American Crossroads took some of the soundbites and translated them into what Obama really means, in true Peanuts fashion:

Desparately trying to get back in a groove after a rough end to last week, President Barack Obama visited Cleveland, Ohio yesterday where he relaunched his economic message with familar themes and talking points:

Framing his re-election bid as a stark choice between government action to lift the middle class and a return to Republican economic policies that he said had caused a deep recession, President Obama on Thursday called the presidential decision facing Americans a clear-cut one that will determine the long-term trajectory of the economy.

“This November is your chance to render a verdict on the debate over how to grow the economy, how to create good jobs, how to pay down our deficit,” Mr. Obama told enthusiastic supporters at Cuyahoga Community College here. “Your vote will finally determine the path that we take as a nation — not just tomorrow, but for years to come.”
[…]
In his remarks, the president acknowledged that divergent views between him and Mr. Romney on how to revive the economy would define the election.

“There is one place I stand in complete agreement with Mr. Romney,” Mr. Obama said. “This election is about our economic future.”

Since taxes may have been a contributing factor in LeBron James’ decision to go to Miami (Florida has no income tax) over Cleveland and New York City, Americans for Tax Reform lays out hypotheticals for other NBA stars that may consider free agency.

It’s not hard to see where they come out the best:

As I noted last week, the loss of LeBron James is going to cost Cleveland’s economy, which has been struggling for years, millions of dollars.

Drew Carey, a native of the city, and Reason have proposed way that Cleveland can rebuild and prosper again in a fiscally responsible way.

Were taxes a factor in LeBron James picking the Miami Heat over other teams, such as the New York Knicks, the New Jersey Nets or even his former employer, the Cleveland Cavaliers? It’s a question worth looking at:

In a July 1 blog post, the New York Post warned that “dysfunctional lawmakers in Albany” could cost the state a chance to bring the coveted athlete to New York.

“If LeBron James goes to the Miami Heat instead of the [New York] Knicks, blame our dysfunctional lawmakers in Albany, who have saddled top-earning New Yorkers with the highest state and city income taxes in the nation, soon to be 12.85 percent on top of the IRS bite,” the Post said.

The tax savings for James in Miami over New York City would be staggering, according to the Post’s analysis.

“On a five-year contract worth $96 million — what he’d get from the Knicks or the Heat — LeBron would pay $12.34 million in New York taxes.” Florida has no state income tax.

New Jersey and Ohio, the other reported frontrunners to attract James, also have state income taxes, but they are not as high as in New York. Based on a $96 million contract, James would pay $5.69 million in state taxes if he re-signed with the Cleveland Cavaliers. If he signed with the New Jersey Nets, James would pay $10.32 million in state taxes.

If you were a policymaker tasked with running a school system with one of the lowest achievement rates in the country, and someone came along and offered an idea with proven results that costs less, would you give that person the time of day? (We can only hope.)

In their second installment of Reason Saves Cleveland, Nick Gillespie examines Cleveland’s dysfunctional school system, and show methods around the country that actually work.

As Reason explains, “Cleveland’s public schools are failing to prepare students for their futures and as a result, all parents who can afford to have been fleeing to the suburbs for decades. Within Cleveland’s own boundaries, charter schools are booming and delivering quality education at a fraction of the cost of traditional public schools. Does Cleveland have what it takes to fundamentally reform its K-12 education system and become a leader in 21st-century education?”

For the sake of all those children who did not choose to be born into poverty, let us hope it does. Watch:

The fine folks from Reason TV just released a new documentary series, “Reason Saves Cleveland,” which traces the rise and fall of the once great Midwestern city, and how a few reforms can get “the mistake on the lake” back on track.

Here’s their description: “Sixty years ago, Cleveland was a booming city full of promise, opportunity, and people. Today, the city’s population is less half of what it was in its prime and it ranks as one of the poorest big cities in the United States. Hometown hero Drew Carey reflects on how the city became “the mistake on the lake” and wonders about the city’s future. Is a Cleveland renaissance possible or is the city doomed to long, slow death?”

I’ll be posting new episodes all week. Enjoy.