Hello:

This evening I caught a piece about the USPS pondering cutting back on the amount of days that mail is delivered.  I do beleive that the USPS will have to adjust their business model in reaction to this current economic crisis. However, I don't really understand 

how the Oklahoma senator and the Post-Master General could make such a lucid statement about the lack of volume and importance of mail delivered on Tuesdays. 

Obviously the Senator or our current Post-Master General hasn't faced the unemployment situation that many Americans are experiencing.  In case you were unaware, the first day that many Americans can file their weekly unemployment claim is on Sundays. Take a day for processing and depending on their proximity to their perspective state's unemployment office most individuals do not receive their checks till Tuesday or Wednesday. The majority of them on Tuesday if they live in the densily populated Metro-areas like Boston..  If mail is stopped midweek it could mean that many Bostonians would have to wait a week to get a check..  How will that help anyone? 

The national unemployment rate rose from 6.8 to 7.2 percent in December 2008 and was up by 2.3 percentage points from a year earlier. Sure, Oklahoma had an increase of non-farm employment of (+1.0 percent) but it also had a 4.9% unemployment rate in December. Imagine being the Senator from Oklahoma and telling 5% of your states population that you would have to wait a week to get a check..  It's 6% percent here:

Ok, this goes down as one of Gov. Patrick's worst ideas - putting a sales tax on beer and other alcohol you get at the package store.

Beer is already expensive and loaded down with other hidden taxes, and besides, we need it to get through this economic crisis! The governor is also proposing to tax soda (don't drink it) and candy. And this is bad news for kids and for our very special anchor Maria Stephanos, who spends hundreds of dollars of her hard earned money on feeding candy to station employees.

Governor, for the sake of Maria, please leave the candy alone. And let's hope lawmakers stop this horrible beer tax. Because if it happens, I might have to switch to Old Milwaukee.

Are you ok with the six-pack tax or is this just a horrible idea? Let me know your thoughts.

Hi Maria and Mark

Re: $77,000 to upgrade TV's

Didn't anyone watch VB's sound off about this yesterday morning?  It was also replayed at 5pm last night.  He stated that the money for these are coming from the inmates own pockets not the taxpayers.  Per VB, these monies are from the canteen where the inmates purchase gum and magazines and what not.

okay I know what you are all thinking the former Speaker is history well this new speaker is just different then what we know and hope that others will get to know Speaker Robert A. Deleo because he has class because he was Chairman of House Ways & Means now he has a new roll to play Speaker for Life how does that sound to you all out there.

If you have a comment or Question about this New Speaker Then let me here from you as well.

Happy Blogging,

Chip Zigulis

Are you kidding me?! Why are inmates even allowed to have televisions?! The crooks in prison get brand new flat screen televisions; the crooks in the Commonwealth House and Senate get a pay raise. The taxpayers get the bill! This is a perfect example of how the State of Massachusetts and its' Government officials have their priorities screwed up big time. I mean, is this a prison or a sports bar? Prison inmates do not deserve those TV's - PERIOD! They are in there for committing a crime-some serious, some maybe not so serious. But even still, they are in their to be PUNISHED. Not to be able to have a "common area" and be allowed to watch TV and have a good time. Prison isn't suppose to be fun. Prison is suppose to be a place for inmates to serve time for their crime and realize what the have done.

 I grew up always with the impression that you are in Prison because you broke the law by committing a crime, you are paying time for the crime and so you wouldn't cause anymore harm to the innocent people in society. I guess I can say that I am not really shocked about this in a way. Massachusetts wastes so much money on unnecessary things that can be going toward much more sufficient and important issue it has. For example, the HORRIBLE roads, HORRIBLE Bridges, (some) Horrible School Systems and (some) HORRIBLE Politicians. However, this I feel is what really drew me to my limit. I mean, why on earth would you want to allow these inmates who have killed raped, stolen, robbed, etc. to have the freedom of watching TV? Yes, I understand that everyone has rights. But as far as I am concerned, when you commit a crime, YOU LOSE YOUR INDIVIDUAL RIGHTS!!!

Anyone agree with me?! Please, tell me what you think about this.

I am just furious that American people are so blinded by this smoothe talker....I am apalled he had the gall to speak to Al Arabiya...saying Our language would be nicer, and we will not use the term "War on Terror" I knew in time

Hussein would come forth and admit his Islamic back ground...yet he laughed when that was brought up during the campaign? I knew he was less than truthful and now he has proven it..I say let's see what this self centered, manipulative man will really do...

I really wonder how the families are feeling as they listen to this President utter those same words now that they have lost loved ones, husbands, daughters, brother's, sister's and Father's like the wording of how he is welcoming and delusional if he thinks relations with countries who HATE the USA and were resposnsible for the deaths of THEIR family members..

I also wonder what happened to his Aunt who was living in Boston in Public Housing and employed as well..."he had no idea" yet he accepted money from her for his "bought  Presidency"  but "oh she is back in Kenya" ... she was court ordered out of the country so how did she land in Boston in Housing while some poor people born in S. Boston cannot get in there...He still has not revealed his donors in the Arab countries.

Is this just myself questioning his moves and motives for trying to be the "peacemaker"I do not feel safe with this man at the helm...talk about "flip-flops" this disgusts me! Oh yes I think this man thinks is "the messiah" and oh how he loves that camera and acting in front of it daily...he makes sure he looks right into it...

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http://www.flickr.com/photos/kevinmoore001/308736923
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You want a higher return on your investment = so you lower your quality standards = your suppliers, distributors and competitors want the same so they follow your example

= you loose customers = so you out source and Lay off people = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = you loose customers = you Lay off more people and your remaining staff have to do more for the same paycheck = your quality drops = you loose more customers = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = you loose customers = you Lay off more people and your remaining staff have to do more for the same paycheck = your quality drops = you loose more customers = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = you loose customers = you Lay off more people and your remaining staff have to do more for the same paycheck = your quality drops = you loose more customers = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = you loose customers = you Lay off more people and your remaining staff have to do more for the same paycheck = your quality drops = you loose more customers = less consumers are employed so your operating costs rise = you raze prices to off set your operating costs = you Lay off more people = you Lay off more people = you Lay off more people = Less Consumers are Employed so your operating costs rise. How Is Your Return on your Investment going?

Seems appropriate he went out smiling and waving goodbye. He was a jovial guy but unfortunately squandered his opportunity by allowing close friends to use their access to influence legislation.

My question is, where do you think the next time we'll see Sal DiMasi will be? In front of a judge? Registering as a lobbyist himself? Or just at a North End restaurant spending all his campaigning cash?

I'm voting for the judge.

V.B.   Doesn't Blogojawich sound like a bolonga sandwich?  Is That why he is so full of

himself?

 ---Dog Cookie Lady of Barre.--

Now that the President is on track and is developing a stimulus package for tax payers, Gov. Patrick is stabbing us in the back with his tax hike on gasoline to take it all away and then some. I guess this is how we work together. The Feds. Give us and the State takes it away.

When all the King's soldiers stood at attention and crowned Sal for another term as House Speaker, I knew the rails were greased & they were just giving him one final stroking of his Ego before the feces hit the fan.

Buh-Bye Sal, too bad you tanked the state economy for the past 3 years by squelching any real discussion on expanded gaming in the state. I hope Suffolk Downs names a race for you in 2009..for horses that haven't finished in the money in 2008-2009!

The government is working on a new stimulus plan tied to the Infra Structure of America.

Leave it to good old Robert Reich to show his colors first. Not happy with just creating jobs, now he wants to force companies to hire unqualified labors to work on your roads and bridges? We have millions of qualified individuals, who have worked all their lives to be good at what they do and Reich thinks we should hire those who haven’t done a thing without any of the hard earned experience, to fix our infra structure. Sorry RR but that idea stinks. When my family is traveling along the Interstate system at 70 MPH, I want to know that the guy who tightened the bolts on that bridge knew what the hell he was doing. We will always have some chronic unemployed here in America. I don’t care how you manipulate the system Mr. Reich, some of these bums don’t like to work.

Here we are in a major recession with thousands of construction companies who have paid into the system for years, dying on the vine for lack of jobs, and he wants to throw a monkey in the mixer, to saddle us with some of his liberal ideals. Go jump in the lake Mr. Reich, or better yet, go out and earn a real living for a change, and see what it takes to survive outside of politics. I have a friend who has spent years building a grading and excavation company who is on the verge of bankruptcy, because of this economy. You want him to fail so somebody of color with no experience can get ahead? This man has paid his taxes and has somehow kept most of his men working for 20 years, and that seems to mean nothing to you?

I had hoped beyond hope that common sense would at least be given a chance of survival in this administration, but it looks like it’s going to be a very caustic four years. I say four years because knowing the American people as I feel I do, they will become totally turned off by this kind of governance. The great masses of middle of the road republicans, and blue dog democrats who they fooled into helping this administration get elected, will be watching in disbelief at this type of behavior. We don’t even need Rush and Hannity to bring it to our attention when they pull stuff like this. I’m afraid this is just the beginning. They seem to feel they have a mandate to do what ever they feel and damn the consequences.

The only hope we have is to smother them with cards and letters and phone calls demanding common sense in all they do. I have been asking for calm, and to allow this president time, to show his abilities, but I guess the only ability I’ve seen so far, is that he is living up to his liberal billing. If this attitude of "we won, so get used to it," prevails, you will find a rocky road ahead Mr. President. It’s time to reign in these far-left supporters and put some common sense to work, for the sake of this country.

And that’s my opinion,

Don