Mish makes the argument--quite well--that we are seeing deflation. That's certainly the case in home prices, along with gross credit numbers, and a few other indices.
On the other hand, we've also seen inflation in food prices and (still) in fuel pricing.
So. The propertied class sees a decrease in net worth, while the lower-and lower-middle classes see an erosion in food- and fuel-purchase ability.
What a deal!!
Friday, September 30, 2011
The Reality of the Mortgage Mess
Interesting essay here from a fellow who is the 'executioner' after foreclosures.
DoubleSpeak Returns!
So this Muslim terrorist-wannabee was arrested...
...At the time of his arrest, the U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz, released an unusually pointed statement: “I want the public to understand that Mr. Ferdaus’ conduct, as alleged in the complaint, is not reflective of a particular culture, community, or religion.”
Because, after all, he coulda been a Methodist, or sumpin', ya know, hey..... they're all the same, see?
...At the time of his arrest, the U.S. District Attorney for Massachusetts, Carmen Ortiz, released an unusually pointed statement: “I want the public to understand that Mr. Ferdaus’ conduct, as alleged in the complaint, is not reflective of a particular culture, community, or religion.”
Because, after all, he coulda been a Methodist, or sumpin', ya know, hey..... they're all the same, see?
"Gotta Get On This Merry-Go-Round"--Commerce
Everybody Else Is Doing It. All the Cool Kids do it!
Some people never escape junior high, do they?
Remember the massive Gummint investment in A. Bell's technology? How about the massive Gummint investment in H Ford's? OK, then, Edison's?
Yah. I don't remember it, either.
Acting Commerce Secretary Rebecca Blank said that in a global race for green technology, the United States “can’t afford” not to spend taxpayer money on such projects,...
Some people never escape junior high, do they?
Remember the massive Gummint investment in A. Bell's technology? How about the massive Gummint investment in H Ford's? OK, then, Edison's?
Yah. I don't remember it, either.
Thursday, September 29, 2011
You're Guilty--No Matter What You Thought
The criminalization of Americans.
In 2010 I contributed a single chapter to the Heritage Foundation book, One Nation Under Arrest: How Crazy Laws, Rogue Prosecutors and Activist Judges Threaten Your Liberty. I wrote of how Krister Evertson, an inventor trying to produce an environmentally friendly fuel cell, was first arrested for putting the wrong label on an otherwise perfectly legal mailing package – and then imprisoned for improperly “disposing” of an environmental hazard that he had not actually disposed of and that was stored in a non-hazardous fashion.
Other horror stories in the book included that of a 71-year-old imprisoned for importing otherwise legal orchids without proper paperwork, the honor student arrested for having a “weapon” on school grounds (while she moved into her own apartment, a kitchen knife had fallen behind the seat of a car she then parked on campus), the grandmother arrested because her bushes were too high and the seafood importer imprisoned for eight years because he packed lobster tails in plastic instead of cardboard.
The orchid and lobster cases involved violations of one of the most idiotic laws imaginable, the Lacey Act, aimed against “trafficking” in wildlife and plants in ways that – get this – violate not U.S. laws but the laws of foreign nations. This is the same law being used, and abused, by the crypto-criminal conspiracy known as the Obama/Holder Justice Department to conduct the now-infamous raid on Tennessee’s Gibson Guitar factory.
Congress is sloppy, regulators are eager, ........intent or no, it's jail/fine/out-of-business time!
Jarrett: Gummint To 'Give People Livelihood'
Ms. Jarrett has a controversial history, to say the least.
In the video here, she asserts that the purpose of Gummint is to 'give people a livelihood.'
In the Pre-Cambrian Era civics classes I took, that wasn't mentioned as a 'purpose' for Gummint.
In the video here, she asserts that the purpose of Gummint is to 'give people a livelihood.'
In the Pre-Cambrian Era civics classes I took, that wasn't mentioned as a 'purpose' for Gummint.
EEEEEEEEEEEKane: Desperately Seeking Relevance
Noted on a sidebar:
I think it's really a shame the way some folks are convincing Herman Cain that his candidacy is being taken seriously. For sport, perhaps?--EKane twitting
Obsession problems here....
I think it's really a shame the way some folks are convincing Herman Cain that his candidacy is being taken seriously. For sport, perhaps?--EKane twitting
Obsession problems here....
Didn't Read the Document, But It's the End of the World!!
Hmmmm.
David Clarke wants to save about $1.5 million by privatizing jail medical services.
There's some guy who "oversees" jail conditions; he doesn't like the idea.
Really?
...Clarke should hold off formally awarding the jail medical contract until Shansky has had a chance to more thoroughly review a private firm's proposal and current conditions at the jail, Shansky said.
Maybe 'reviewing current conditions' and 'reviewing the proposal' --that's what you're paid to do, right?--should precede yapping about "radical", "completely inappropriate" and "disastrous."
But hey, we smell the green thick odor of...............AFSCME-BREATH!!
...The contract would cover medical services at both the jail and the County Correctional Facility-South in Franklin. If the medical care at the jail is privatized, about 110 county nurses, doctors, social workers and administrators would lose their jobs....
Just a co-incidence, I'm sure.
David Clarke wants to save about $1.5 million by privatizing jail medical services.
There's some guy who "oversees" jail conditions; he doesn't like the idea.
"Clearly, this is a radical change that is completely inappropriate and potentially significantly harmful" to inmates, Shansky said Wednesday. "I believe such a change could result in disastrous consequences."
Really?
...Clarke should hold off formally awarding the jail medical contract until Shansky has had a chance to more thoroughly review a private firm's proposal and current conditions at the jail, Shansky said.
Maybe 'reviewing current conditions' and 'reviewing the proposal' --that's what you're paid to do, right?--should precede yapping about "radical", "completely inappropriate" and "disastrous."
But hey, we smell the green thick odor of...............AFSCME-BREATH!!
...The contract would cover medical services at both the jail and the County Correctional Facility-South in Franklin. If the medical care at the jail is privatized, about 110 county nurses, doctors, social workers and administrators would lose their jobs....
Just a co-incidence, I'm sure.
Oh, Goodie! More "Endangered" Critters!!
The Green Goddess always looks backward to an imagined Perfect Time in climate, species, etc. (And for all these years, you thought that Disney movies were just entertainment. In fact, they are the books of the Green Bible.) That Perfect Time didn't exist, of course; but that's what their theology demands, so they invented it.
The Obama administration is taking steps to extend new federal protections to a list of imperiled animals and plants that reads like a manifest for Noah's Ark -- from the melodic golden-winged warbler and slow-moving gopher tortoise, to the slimy American eel and tiny Texas kangaroo rat.
...With a Friday deadline to act on more than 700 pending cases, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already has issued decisions advancing more than 500 species toward potential new protections under the Endangered Species Act.
You should feel SO much better!
The Obama administration is taking steps to extend new federal protections to a list of imperiled animals and plants that reads like a manifest for Noah's Ark -- from the melodic golden-winged warbler and slow-moving gopher tortoise, to the slimy American eel and tiny Texas kangaroo rat.
...With a Friday deadline to act on more than 700 pending cases, the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service already has issued decisions advancing more than 500 species toward potential new protections under the Endangered Species Act.
You should feel SO much better!
Dept of Education's Big Dollar Spend
For the first 200 years of the US' existence, there was no Federal Department of Education. US citizens perfected the automobile, developed and manufactured almost every single household appliance in use, put into place the single best power and telephony networks on the face of the Earth, sent men to the Moon, developed and sold pharmaceutical and medical-devices which have extended lifetimes and quality-of-life, and (just for fun) have the world's most technologically-advanced military.
Then came America's second-worst President, Jimmuh, who owed the teachers' union a favor.
Now: $69Bn/year, no educational 'gains' whatsoever.
We can save $69Bn/year--which can be put to a bunch of better uses.
Then came America's second-worst President, Jimmuh, who owed the teachers' union a favor.
Now: $69Bn/year, no educational 'gains' whatsoever.
We can save $69Bn/year--which can be put to a bunch of better uses.
Wednesday, September 28, 2011
Cain, the Earthquake Man?
Well, that's the claim here.
...You have to understand that Herman Cain is convinced that the citizen's Tea Party movement has changed everything. (He has even inserted "citizens" into the name of that movement lately.)
Conventional wisdom is missing this shifting of several electoral tectonic plates beneath our feet. A man like Cain would never stand a chance in any cycle prior to 2012.
Wisconsin sent a good man to the Cain campaign; The Other McCain's been on-board for quite some time.
There's a certain romanticism in the "non-Gummint" label--and a lot of cachet, too.
As to "experience", discounting the Godfather's work is inane. Successfully navigating upward in an organization as big as Pillsbury, which is a political exercise par excellence, was capped with this:
...intense competition within the pizza business and the failure of many of its stores to open in prime locations resulted in declining sales and profits. In 1986 Pillsbury appointed Herman Cain, an employee of Pillsbury Company since 1977, as the new Godfather's president. Cain had earned an impressive reputation previously with the Burger King restaurant chain division in the Philadelphia region, where he had rescued several of their operations. At the outset of his efforts to enhance stability for Godfather's, Cain worked to settle several lawsuits filed by franchise owners, disposed of money-losing units, arranged for many of its units to provide home-delivery service, and introduced new products such as bacon-cheese-burger pizzas. Under his management the company showed profits for the first time in three years, according to Stephen Madden of Fortune.
In other words, he did a lot of things at Godfather's which SHOULD be done wit the US Government.
Read the linked story to understand that swimming with the sharks is Cain's natural habitat, and why that may propel him to Shark # 1.
...You have to understand that Herman Cain is convinced that the citizen's Tea Party movement has changed everything. (He has even inserted "citizens" into the name of that movement lately.)
And when everything is changed, nothing is more useless than conventional wisdom.
Wisconsin sent a good man to the Cain campaign; The Other McCain's been on-board for quite some time.
There's a certain romanticism in the "non-Gummint" label--and a lot of cachet, too.
As to "experience", discounting the Godfather's work is inane. Successfully navigating upward in an organization as big as Pillsbury, which is a political exercise par excellence, was capped with this:
...intense competition within the pizza business and the failure of many of its stores to open in prime locations resulted in declining sales and profits. In 1986 Pillsbury appointed Herman Cain, an employee of Pillsbury Company since 1977, as the new Godfather's president. Cain had earned an impressive reputation previously with the Burger King restaurant chain division in the Philadelphia region, where he had rescued several of their operations. At the outset of his efforts to enhance stability for Godfather's, Cain worked to settle several lawsuits filed by franchise owners, disposed of money-losing units, arranged for many of its units to provide home-delivery service, and introduced new products such as bacon-cheese-burger pizzas. Under his management the company showed profits for the first time in three years, according to Stephen Madden of Fortune.
In other words, he did a lot of things at Godfather's which SHOULD be done wit the US Government.
Read the linked story to understand that swimming with the sharks is Cain's natural habitat, and why that may propel him to Shark # 1.
More on Breathless Bice' "Hot" Vote-Bribe Story
(You could read the headline here as a pun, I suppose.)
Earlier, we mentioned the "scandal".
Esenberg opines.
...Thus it would be unlawful for the Republican Party to give my son $ 100 in order to induce me to vote. It would not be unlawful for it to hire my son to register voters, get absentee ballot applications and otherwise participate in what politicians refer to as "the ground game" - even if he winds up getting me to submit an absentee ballot request.
Long story at the link. (Does Bice use Foley as his kitchen-table kibitzing-lawyer?)
There are some 'depends on' items here; Esenberg says as much in his post.
Earlier, we mentioned the "scandal".
Esenberg opines.
...Thus it would be unlawful for the Republican Party to give my son $ 100 in order to induce me to vote. It would not be unlawful for it to hire my son to register voters, get absentee ballot applications and otherwise participate in what politicians refer to as "the ground game" - even if he winds up getting me to submit an absentee ballot request.
Long story at the link. (Does Bice use Foley as his kitchen-table kibitzing-lawyer?)
There are some 'depends on' items here; Esenberg says as much in his post.
Fast & Furious Witness Sent to Iraq
Of COURSE it's a coincidence. /irony
HT: Arms/Law
Just as the House Committee wants to interview him, to investigate White House links to Operation Fast and Furious, National Security Council Advisor Kevin O'Reilly is is "currently on a previously scheduled assignment to Iraq." I hope he's got a good room in Baghdad, as it sounds like it may be a long stay.
HT: Arms/Law
Testing Subsidiarity: the Mega-Farms
Here's an item which will be interesting to watch.
Adams and seven neighbors, along with the town of Magnolia, sued the state and the farm in the first case of its kind to reach a state supreme court and the result could set a precedent throughout the Midwest. Similar cases have been filed in Illinois, Indiana, Minnesota, Nebraska, Ohio and Oklahoma, and two juries in Missouri have already handed out multimillion-dollar awards to homeowners who complained of intolerable odors from so-called factory farms.
At the same time, several states have passed or are considering laws that would make it easier for big farms to get permits. Lawmakers say the move creates uniformity, allowing farms to expand under predictable circumstances, and strengthens one of the few industries that didn't tank in the recession.
Critics argue the laws deprive residents of a voice.
"A township should have the right to establish guidelines to keep its people safe, but it doesn't," said Adams, 61. "Those of us who are being affected, it's like there's nothing we can do."
Perdue Joins Orszag: "No Elections for You!!"
Yesterday, we pointed to an odd statement from Peter Orszag, who used to work directly for Obama.
Today we see that Orszag was, indeed, reading from a playbook.
Here's Orszag's remark:
....we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.”
"A bit less democratic"??
Now the (D) Governor-ette of N. Carolina joins:
So not only should we suspend elections, she says, but we should also not hold any actions Congress might take- actions taken for our own good of course- against them.
Perdue's managers say that 'it was a joke,' or 'it was hyperbole'.
Well, it might have been a joke or hyperbole--until she got to that last line: "I really hope that someone can agree with me on that."
That's not "joking;" it is not "hyperbole". It is clearly a call.
It is not a co-incidence that both Orszag and Perdue (who is regarded as a 'star' in the (D) Party) both issued similar statements inside of two days.
It is, instead, a telegraph of what the Administration would like to have happen.
Today we see that Orszag was, indeed, reading from a playbook.
Here's Orszag's remark:
....we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.”
"A bit less democratic"??
Now the (D) Governor-ette of N. Carolina joins:
The Democrat governor of North Carolina has suggested that the country dispense with Congressional elections for two years in order to help the “economic recovery.”
"You have to have more ability from Congress,” said Gov Bev Perdue, “I think, to work together and to get over the partisan bickering and focus on fixing things. I think we ought to suspend, perhaps, elections for Congress for two years and just tell them we won't hold it against them, whatever decisions they make, to just let them help this country recover. I really hope that someone can agree with me on that."
Perdue's managers say that 'it was a joke,' or 'it was hyperbole'.
Well, it might have been a joke or hyperbole--until she got to that last line: "I really hope that someone can agree with me on that."
That's not "joking;" it is not "hyperbole". It is clearly a call.
It is not a co-incidence that both Orszag and Perdue (who is regarded as a 'star' in the (D) Party) both issued similar statements inside of two days.
It is, instead, a telegraph of what the Administration would like to have happen.
Does Obozo Want a War With the Catholics?
Terry Jeffrey points to a couple of issues which are explosive.
...the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States — and all faithful Catholics in this country — face a conflict with President Barack Obama and his administration that mirrors the conflict between Thomas More and Henry VIII.
The administration is seeking to coerce Catholics to act against their consciences on two fronts: on sterilization, contraceptives and abortion, and on the definition of marriage.
Although Jeffrey mentions Catholics specifically, there are other denominations which to one degree or another are in the same position as the Church.
Benedict XVI was not speaking only to the Bundestag last week: he was addressing Congress and the President: "Where positivist reason dominates the field to the exclusion of all else – and that is broadly the case in our public mindset – then the classical sources of knowledge for ethics and law are excluded. This is a dramatic situation which affects everyone, and on which a public debate is necessary. Indeed, an essential goal of this address is to issue an urgent invitation to launch one."
The President would be well-advised to back off. The Catholics will not.
...the Roman Catholic bishops of the United States — and all faithful Catholics in this country — face a conflict with President Barack Obama and his administration that mirrors the conflict between Thomas More and Henry VIII.
The administration is seeking to coerce Catholics to act against their consciences on two fronts: on sterilization, contraceptives and abortion, and on the definition of marriage.
Although Jeffrey mentions Catholics specifically, there are other denominations which to one degree or another are in the same position as the Church.
Benedict XVI was not speaking only to the Bundestag last week: he was addressing Congress and the President: "Where positivist reason dominates the field to the exclusion of all else – and that is broadly the case in our public mindset – then the classical sources of knowledge for ethics and law are excluded. This is a dramatic situation which affects everyone, and on which a public debate is necessary. Indeed, an essential goal of this address is to issue an urgent invitation to launch one."
The President would be well-advised to back off. The Catholics will not.
Tuesday, September 27, 2011
Ryan Unplugged
The whole Hoover Institution speech is here. Some bits and pieces....
...The first step toward true, patient-centered health care reform must be a full repeal of the President’s disastrous new law.
But we cannot stop at repeal. We also have a responsibility to fix the broken network of government policies that have made such a mess of health care in America.
...badly designed government policies are to blame for much of what is wrong with health care today, and the solution is clear: We need to transition from the open-ended, defined-benefit approach of the past… to market-oriented, defined-contribution reforms that promote choice and competition.
If you look closely, the reason is easy to see: The health care sector lacks most of the basic building blocks of a functioning market.
True dat.
...the disagreement isn’t really about the problem [healthcare inflation]. It’s about how best to control costs in government health care programs. And if I could sum up that disagreement in a couple of sentences, I would say this: Our plan is to empower patients. Their plan is to empower bureaucrats.
Regarding IPAB [the Death Panel]:
...Chief Actuary Foster gave evidence in support of this point: “We’ve estimated for many years that competition among plans in a premium-support setting like this could have advantages and lead to somewhat lower costs for Medicare. It can get you to the lowest cost consistent with good quality of care.”
...Under current law, employer-sponsored health insurance plans are entirely exempt from taxation, regardless of how much an individual contributes to their policy.
This tilts the compensation scale toward benefits, which are tax-free, and away from higher wages, which are taxable. It also provides ways for high-income earners to artificially reduce their tax-able income by purchasing high-cost health coverage – which in turn can fuel the overuse of health services.
Solution:
Under a reformed approach, the government would make a defined contribution to the health-care security of every American, rather than continue to offer open-ended, well-intentioned, but ultimately empty promises. The growth of these defined contributions should be capped, to reduce the inefficiencies that have led health-care costs to spiral out of control. But they should be adjustable so that more help goes to the poor and the sick, while less financial support goes to those who are fortunate enough to need it the least. ...And with regard to health insurance for working Americans, patient-centered reform means replacing the inefficient tax treatment of employer-provided health care with a portable, refundable tax credit that you can take with you from job to job, allowing you to hang onto your insurance even during those tough times when a job might be hard to find.
And the other very important part:
We should empower patients, not only with resources and choices, but also with information. Patient-centered reform must promote transparency on price and quality – and give patients the incentives to act on this information.
His take: the Pubbies MUST take the fight to the Dimocrats, hard. Don't give up, don't wiggle, don't go jelly.
That will work.
More commentary here from Ace/AOSHQ
...The first step toward true, patient-centered health care reform must be a full repeal of the President’s disastrous new law.
If we engage the nation in a serious debate, and put forward a principled reform agenda, then I think the odds are good that the Republican party will soon find itself with the opportunity to do just that.
...badly designed government policies are to blame for much of what is wrong with health care today, and the solution is clear: We need to transition from the open-ended, defined-benefit approach of the past… to market-oriented, defined-contribution reforms that promote choice and competition.
...At its core, the health care problem is one of inflation, driven by the overutilization of services, dramatic underpayments, and massive inefficiency.
True dat.
...the disagreement isn’t really about the problem [healthcare inflation]. It’s about how best to control costs in government health care programs. And if I could sum up that disagreement in a couple of sentences, I would say this: Our plan is to empower patients. Their plan is to empower bureaucrats.
Regarding IPAB [the Death Panel]:
You cannot control costs by using price controls, which impose painful cuts within a fundamentally broken framework. Instead, you have to revisit the structure of federal health policy and change the incentives
...Chief Actuary Foster gave evidence in support of this point: “We’ve estimated for many years that competition among plans in a premium-support setting like this could have advantages and lead to somewhat lower costs for Medicare. It can get you to the lowest cost consistent with good quality of care.”
...Under current law, employer-sponsored health insurance plans are entirely exempt from taxation, regardless of how much an individual contributes to their policy.
Solution:
Under a reformed approach, the government would make a defined contribution to the health-care security of every American, rather than continue to offer open-ended, well-intentioned, but ultimately empty promises. The growth of these defined contributions should be capped, to reduce the inefficiencies that have led health-care costs to spiral out of control. But they should be adjustable so that more help goes to the poor and the sick, while less financial support goes to those who are fortunate enough to need it the least. ...And with regard to health insurance for working Americans, patient-centered reform means replacing the inefficient tax treatment of employer-provided health care with a portable, refundable tax credit that you can take with you from job to job, allowing you to hang onto your insurance even during those tough times when a job might be hard to find.
And the other very important part:
We should empower patients, not only with resources and choices, but also with information. Patient-centered reform must promote transparency on price and quality – and give patients the incentives to act on this information.
His take: the Pubbies MUST take the fight to the Dimocrats, hard. Don't give up, don't wiggle, don't go jelly.
That will work.
More commentary here from Ace/AOSHQ
Define "Legitimate Union Activity"
Some stories are kinda like Ripley.
While the AFL-CIO is not directly condoning the crimes alleged against the union members, its friend-of-the-court brief leans on the 1973 U.S. v. Enmons Supreme Court ruling which condones union violence as long as it is in the interest of “legitimate union activity.” --Zippers quoting The DC
Self-defense is never 'theoretical,' thank God.
The AFL-CIO labor union appears, at least theoretically, to support violence and vandalism when union members use those tactics in the interest of furthering “legitimate union activity.”
Last week, top AFL-CIO lawyer Jonathan D. Newman attempted to file an amicus brief in federal court after local union officials in Buffalo, N.Y. were charged with several acts of violence.
The Buffalo News reports that members of Operating Engineers Local 17 are charged with pouring sand into construction vehicles’ engines, stabbing a company executive in the neck, tossing hot coffee at non-union workers and threatening to sexually assault the wife of a company representative.
“We’re not condoning the allegations or arguing that union officials are completely immune from prosecution,” Newman said. “Instead, we simply want to make sure that the [federal law] is not interpreted in a way that could have a chilling effect on legitimate union activity.”
Self-defense is never 'theoretical,' thank God.
The Christie Gang
Interesting list here, provided by the NYTimes:
Charles R. Schwab, the personal investment guru, is also among those who have shown interest in seeing a Christie presidential bid, according to published reports and people familiar with the discussions, as is the financier Stanley F. Druckenmiller. So are the hedge fund managers David Tepper and Daniel S. Loeb, a onetime supporter of President Obama. [!!!!!]
None of that persuades me that a Rockefeller Pubbie is the solution. None.
HT: PowerLine
Meet the Draft Christie committee, a small but influential group of Republican-leaning donors and activists, many based in New York, united by a shared desire to see Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey run for president.
There is Kenneth G. Langone, the billionaire Home Depot founder who is perhaps Mr. Christie’s most fervent booster; Paul E. Singer, the publicity-shy hedge fund magnate and Republican activist who is among the most-sought-after Republican donors in the country; and David H. Koch, the industrialist, Tea Party benefactor and, according to Forbes, the richest man in New York.
None of that persuades me that a Rockefeller Pubbie is the solution. None.
HT: PowerLine
Telegraphing the Regime's Next Move: Orszag
Orszag, an effete-elite and ex-Obozo budget chief:
“To solve the serious problems facing our country, we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.” --Moron quoting Reason
Uh-huh. And there's plenty more Effete Elite suggestions from Orszag at the link, all nicely annotated by Moron.
“To solve the serious problems facing our country, we need to minimize the harm from legislative inertia by relying more on automatic policies and depoliticized commissions for certain policy decisions. In other words, radical as it sounds, we need to counter the gridlock of our political institutions by making them a bit less democratic.” --Moron quoting Reason
Uh-huh. And there's plenty more Effete Elite suggestions from Orszag at the link, all nicely annotated by Moron.
The Uber-State Gears Up
And away we go!!
The Environmental Protection Agency has said new greenhouse gas regulations, as proposed, may be “absurd” in application and “impossible to administer” by its self-imposed 2016 deadline. But the agency is still asking for taxpayers to shoulder the burden of up to 230,000 new bureaucrats — at a cost of $21 billion — to attempt to implement the rules. --HotAir quoting Caller
Don't forget this:
The IRS has made a recent push to increase the number of individuals working for the tax agency as part of the new health care law. In order to enforce the regulation, the President has allocated more money to the tax agency’s budget to hire more tax professionals to collect the information necessary to enforce the law. It is estimated that approximately 15,000 individuals will need to be hired by the IRS to ensure that the required information has been gathered.
If you're looking for a job, remember this: for Gummint jobs, it is NEVER a question of 'what you know.' It is always a question of 'who you know.' So dust off your IRS/EPA contacts box!!
The Environmental Protection Agency has said new greenhouse gas regulations, as proposed, may be “absurd” in application and “impossible to administer” by its self-imposed 2016 deadline. But the agency is still asking for taxpayers to shoulder the burden of up to 230,000 new bureaucrats — at a cost of $21 billion — to attempt to implement the rules. --HotAir quoting Caller
Don't forget this:
The IRS has made a recent push to increase the number of individuals working for the tax agency as part of the new health care law. In order to enforce the regulation, the President has allocated more money to the tax agency’s budget to hire more tax professionals to collect the information necessary to enforce the law. It is estimated that approximately 15,000 individuals will need to be hired by the IRS to ensure that the required information has been gathered.
If you're looking for a job, remember this: for Gummint jobs, it is NEVER a question of 'what you know.' It is always a question of 'who you know.' So dust off your IRS/EPA contacts box!!
Obozo Will Mess With Texas
Get the popcorn--and buy more ammo. The Obozo Regime has just told Texas to take a flying leap.
...In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Perry said the implementation of the Cross State Air Pollution Rules will have an “immediate and devastating effect on Texas jobs, our economy and our ability to supply the electricity our citizens, schools and employers need.”
“We stand behind common sense, vital Clean Air Act protections for public health and clean air,” White House spokesman Clark Stevens said. “This rule will prevent over 34,000 premature deaths each year and ensure that American families aren’t suffering the consequences of harmful air pollution generated far from home.”
Texas utilities will be shutting down about 1/12th of their power generation on January 1st to comply (barring injunctive relief).
And as you already suspected, the claim that the rules will "prevent 34,000 premature deaths" is pure BS. The hint? Define "premature." The EPA will not release its work-papers which (allegedly) confirm their statement--does that raise your eyebrow?
HT: Gateway
...In the letter, obtained by The Associated Press, Perry said the implementation of the Cross State Air Pollution Rules will have an “immediate and devastating effect on Texas jobs, our economy and our ability to supply the electricity our citizens, schools and employers need.”
Perry released the letter as he tries to shore up support among conservatives in his bid for the Republican presidential nomination.
The White House said the new standards will save lives.
Texas utilities will be shutting down about 1/12th of their power generation on January 1st to comply (barring injunctive relief).
And as you already suspected, the claim that the rules will "prevent 34,000 premature deaths" is pure BS. The hint? Define "premature." The EPA will not release its work-papers which (allegedly) confirm their statement--does that raise your eyebrow?
HT: Gateway
Milwaukee to Fight PSC Ruling on ChooChoo Costs
If you listen to what Milk-Carton Tom said about the PSC's opinion, you'll note that (apparently) the City intends to fight the PSC over 'who pays' for the ChooChoo utility costs of $50 million or so. Good on Mercure to get that little piece of info!
Tommy, just like Henry the SewerMeister, wants everybody who uses WE and SBC to pay.
What if we just say "Hell, NO!"
HT: BadgerBlogger
Tommy, just like Henry the SewerMeister, wants everybody who uses WE and SBC to pay.
What if we just say "Hell, NO!"
HT: BadgerBlogger
Monday, September 26, 2011
EPA: Killing the US Economy
Just a couple of EPA regulations.
** Cause an average loss of 183,000 jobs per year;
** Increase electricity costs by double digits in many regions of the U.S.;
** Cost consumers over $50 billion more for natural gas; and
** Reduce the disposable income of the average American family by $270 a year.
--quoted at Gateway
The analysis, done on behalf of ACCCE by NERA, relies on state-of-the-art modeling tools, as well as government data for almost all of its assumptions. NERA’s analysis projects that EPA’s Cross-State Air Pollution Rule and proposed Maximum Achievable Control Technology, coal combustion residuals, and cooling water intake requirements for power plants would, over the 2012-2020 period:
** Cost the power industry $21 billion per year;** Cause an average loss of 183,000 jobs per year;
** Increase electricity costs by double digits in many regions of the U.S.;
** Cost consumers over $50 billion more for natural gas; and
** Reduce the disposable income of the average American family by $270 a year.
--quoted at Gateway
Sacrifice To the Green Goddess!
Not unexpected. Will be the 'new normal.'
But in this case, the government and the company said the settlers were illegal and evicted for a good cause: to protect the environment and help fight global warming. --AOSHQ quoting NYT
Oh, really?
They're planting trees for the carbon credits market. Well then, all's well that ends well! I'm sure that 8 year old child burning to death in his home was a worthy sacrifice toGaia the multi-billionaires who are still trying to make money off their feculent carbon credits scheme.
From the Minotaur to today, the non-God gods have always preferred human sacrifice.
Across Africa, some of the world’s poorest people have been thrown off land to make way for foreign investors, often uprooting local farmers so that food can be grown on a commercial scale and shipped to richer countries overseas.
Oh, really?
They're planting trees for the carbon credits market. Well then, all's well that ends well! I'm sure that 8 year old child burning to death in his home was a worthy sacrifice to
From the Minotaur to today, the non-God gods have always preferred human sacrifice.
Benedict XVI's Speech to the German Parliament
The link has two (!!) essays discussing B-16's speech to the Bundestag Bunch, both worth reading in their entirety. Excerpts:
"Where positivist reason dominates the field to the exclusion of all else – and that is broadly the case in our public mindset – then the classical sources of knowledge for ethics and law are excluded. This is a dramatic situation which affects everyone, and on which a public debate is necessary. Indeed, an essential goal of this address is to issue an urgent invitation to launch one."
The above from Robert Reilly. Here, Fr. James Schall, SJ:...
...the Holy Father suggests that wisdom is not just anything we happen to choose. It has an objective content that needs to be discovered. Wisdom is always set against what is not wise, what is not true.“Human rights,” with their de facto origins in Hobbes, also mean whatever a government or the individual wants them to mean. They frequently mean the power of the strongest, as the pope noted from recent German history.
This pope, as he did in Spe Salvi with Adorno and Horkheimer, is fond of citing German agnostic thinkers themselves to indicate a way to the right conclusions. The alternative to “divine will” in things is “human will” in politics. But both divine will and human will are related to logos. Christianity never proposed the establishment of a divine law as civil law. One detects a reference to Islam here. Christianity “has pointed to nature and reason as the true sources of law.”
These are The Big Questions.
On Thursday, Benedict XVI told the German Bundestag that the theory of legal positivism has produced legal and moral disasters, when it’s taken as the full truth about human beings and society.&The perennial question remains: how to know what is right and just?
...Historically, the notion of what is right has almost always been “based on religion.” At least in Catholicism, however, this has never simply meant some revealed form of the state. The Church finds the sources of law in nature and reason, both in turn founded in the “creative reason of God.”...The positivist legal theories of Hans Kelsen – who argued that the law “gave only functional answers,” and relegated God, nature, and a robust sense of rationality to “subjective” judgments – tragically encouraged law-abiding Germans to accept what was wrong in the name of legality.
"Where positivist reason dominates the field to the exclusion of all else – and that is broadly the case in our public mindset – then the classical sources of knowledge for ethics and law are excluded. This is a dramatic situation which affects everyone, and on which a public debate is necessary. Indeed, an essential goal of this address is to issue an urgent invitation to launch one."
The above from Robert Reilly. Here, Fr. James Schall, SJ:...
...the Holy Father suggests that wisdom is not just anything we happen to choose. It has an objective content that needs to be discovered. Wisdom is always set against what is not wise, what is not true.“Human rights,” with their de facto origins in Hobbes, also mean whatever a government or the individual wants them to mean. They frequently mean the power of the strongest, as the pope noted from recent German history.
The positivist and historicist background of this view of “human rights” is discussed with reference to Hans Kelsen and his realization in his old age that a “pure” concept of reason is not sufficient:
“Previously he [Kelsen] said that norms can only come from the will. Nature therefore could only contain norms, he adds, if a will had put them there. But this, he says, would presuppose a Creator God.”
Kelsen thought that this supposition of a Creator was “futile,” but the pope suggests that this is the very point: “Is it really pointless to wonder whether the objective reason that manifests itself in nature does not presuppose a creative reason?”
These are The Big Questions.
Cain Calls a Spade a Spade
The kind of talk that will get Cain elected...
“I’m not mad at you, I just get passionate about this stuff,” he said. “I have to tell people because I get so worked up. . . . I’m listening to all this bullshit that he’s talking about, ‘fairness’ and ‘balanced approach’ to get this economy going.”
Somebody's got to say it.
After a few caffeine-heavy refills at our corner table, I asked him about President Obama’s new effort to raise taxes on the wealthy, and Cain just about blew a blood vessel — especially when I mentioned the part where Obama says it’s about “math” not “class warfare.”
“Can I be blunt? That’s a lie,” Cain said, before the sound of his voice began to rise noticeably higher. “You’re not supposed to call the president a liar. Well if you’re not supposed to call the president a liar, he shouldn’t tell a lie. If it’s not class warfare, it’s highway robbery. He wants us to believe it’s not class warfare, oh okay, it’s not class warfare. Pick my pockets, because that’s what he’s doing!”
Cain paused, took a breath and looked at me.
Somebody's got to say it.
Missed by THAAAAT Much!
Oftentimes, sales and earnings are 'adjusted' for one reason or the other. Usually, the adjustments are somewhat small--maybe even 'technical,' having to do with capitalizing leases or foreign-revenue adjustments, blahblah.
Not these.
...Last week, Groupon restated its financial reports to comply with revenue accounting rules as called for by Ketz and Catanach. The company revised its reported 2009 revenues from $30.5 million to $14.5 million and its 2010 revenues from $713.4 million to $312.9 million – no small potatoes!
That would be a $400 million "error"--more than half the reported revenues.
So. What, exactly, was Ernst & Young .........ahhhh........."thinking"?
Much more here, and it's a must-read. Groupon's business model? Umnnnhhhh......nope.
HT: BigPic
Not these.
...Last week, Groupon restated its financial reports to comply with revenue accounting rules as called for by Ketz and Catanach. The company revised its reported 2009 revenues from $30.5 million to $14.5 million and its 2010 revenues from $713.4 million to $312.9 million – no small potatoes!
That would be a $400 million "error"--more than half the reported revenues.
So. What, exactly, was Ernst & Young .........ahhhh........."thinking"?
Much more here, and it's a must-read. Groupon's business model? Umnnnhhhh......nope.
HT: BigPic
Fast & Furious/Gunwalker: Actually, BATF Purchased the Guns
Holy smoke....or similar.
...Official ATF documents as well as sources in Arizona and Washington D.C. confirm that in at least two instances in 2010, an agent of the United States government purchased Kalashnikov-pattern semi-automatic pistols from licensed federal firearms dealers with taxpayer money and delivered those weapons directly into the hands of cartel smugglers....
More at the link, and it's damning.
HT: Arms/Law
...Official ATF documents as well as sources in Arizona and Washington D.C. confirm that in at least two instances in 2010, an agent of the United States government purchased Kalashnikov-pattern semi-automatic pistols from licensed federal firearms dealers with taxpayer money and delivered those weapons directly into the hands of cartel smugglers....
More at the link, and it's damning.
HT: Arms/Law
"Vote-Buying"? Read Carefully!!
We're in Ham Sandwich season.
Breathless Bice reports that the Milwaukee County DA has opened another John Doe, this one looking at allegations that Wisconsin Right-to-Life was rewarding people who were successful at getting out the vote.
Read that again, because that is the 'allegation.' I'll help you; here's Breathless' (inflammatory and inaccurate) text:
Umnhhhhhh....see the difference?
Vote bribery happens when I hand you a pack of cigarettes to vote for Joe Blow. (If I run back to New York City, I won't go to jail.)
But that's not what WRTL did. Not by a long shot. WRTL gave a pizza (or something) to me if I told them that I got YOU to go and vote for a pro-life candidate.
In other words, it's one step removed from "voter bribery."
One wonders if Breathless' text might be over the legal line itself, hmmmmm?
Breathless Bice reports that the Milwaukee County DA has opened another John Doe, this one looking at allegations that Wisconsin Right-to-Life was rewarding people who were successful at getting out the vote.
Read that again, because that is the 'allegation.' I'll help you; here's Breathless' (inflammatory and inaccurate) text:
Milwaukee County prosecutors have opened a John Doe investigation into voter bribery allegations stemming from last month's state Senate recall elections, according to sources.
Details of the secret investigation are sketchy, but it is clear the Milwaukee County district attorney's office is investigating charges that Wisconsin Right to Life offered rewards for volunteers who signed up sympathetic voters in the recall races. Several people familiar with the investigation said subpoenas were being distributed "like candy."
Umnhhhhhh....see the difference?
Vote bribery happens when I hand you a pack of cigarettes to vote for Joe Blow. (If I run back to New York City, I won't go to jail.)
But that's not what WRTL did. Not by a long shot. WRTL gave a pizza (or something) to me if I told them that I got YOU to go and vote for a pro-life candidate.
In other words, it's one step removed from "voter bribery."
One wonders if Breathless' text might be over the legal line itself, hmmmmm?
Pulitzer Prize Horsehockey
No real surprise that Pulitzer prizes don't affirm veracity.
“The report basically says the Pentagon activities were in compliance with [Department of Defense] directives and instructions,” a government official familiar with the findings told The Washington Times. In terms of financial favors, “they didn’t find any evidence of that,” the source said.
Further, the briefings were almost the same as those given to the MSM.
A three-year government investigation has found no wrongdoing by Bush-era Pentagon officials when they gave war briefings to retired military analysts who served as TV and radio commentators.
The probe by the Pentagon inspector general was in response to a 2008 Pulitzer Prize-winning article in the New York Times that implied the former military officers, some of whom worked for or were defense contractors, received financial favors in return for their commentary and were tools in a propaganda campaign.
Further, the briefings were almost the same as those given to the MSM.
"Lean" Government? It's Do-Able
When you come right down to it, most of the "bureaucracy" problems are a result of kudzu-like growth in Gummint's agencies and departments; and most of the growth is a result of legislative or regulatory 'mission creep'--often in haphazard and conflicting ways (if not contradictory.)
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) thinks that "lean" can work--but that it will be a struggle.
Lean Six Sigma could help reduce the soaring national debt but faces some key challenges in government implementations, according to a new survey by ASQ, the leading global network of quality experts. The biggest obstacle, survey respondents said, is a U.S. federal government structure that can be a barrier to comprehensive evaluation and accountability.
What is this "lean"?
Lean emphasizes removing waste from organizations and processes while focusing on and delivering more value to customers. Six Sigma focuses on variation reduction in processes, products, and services.
"Lean" and "Six Sigma" are two different tools. In implementation, "Lean" is akin to first aid; Six Sigma is more like surgery. Lean begins with the "do-er"--the people on the ground--and asks 'what can be done better and how can management help you do it', while SixSig addresses higher-level Gordian knots.
It won't be easy.
...survey participants ranked other obstacles to implementing Lean Six Sigma in government agencies:
1. An environment faced with conflicting strategies, goals, and priorities.
2. Creating a sense of urgency to deploy a comprehensive improvement methodology across all government agencies.
3. The personnel management model currently used by many government agencies.
4. A lack of familiarity with Lean Six Sigma and how it can benefit the organization.
5. Ongoing political partisanship.
The principal obstacle is #1 above; often, Agency A's agenda and procedures are in conflict with Agency B's, and the entity which is subject to both of them is.......ahhhh........screwed.
However, it should be done. There should be no disagreement over waste and inefficiency, period.
The American Society for Quality (ASQ) thinks that "lean" can work--but that it will be a struggle.
Lean Six Sigma could help reduce the soaring national debt but faces some key challenges in government implementations, according to a new survey by ASQ, the leading global network of quality experts. The biggest obstacle, survey respondents said, is a U.S. federal government structure that can be a barrier to comprehensive evaluation and accountability.
What is this "lean"?
Lean emphasizes removing waste from organizations and processes while focusing on and delivering more value to customers. Six Sigma focuses on variation reduction in processes, products, and services.
"Lean" and "Six Sigma" are two different tools. In implementation, "Lean" is akin to first aid; Six Sigma is more like surgery. Lean begins with the "do-er"--the people on the ground--and asks 'what can be done better and how can management help you do it', while SixSig addresses higher-level Gordian knots.
It won't be easy.
...survey participants ranked other obstacles to implementing Lean Six Sigma in government agencies:
1. An environment faced with conflicting strategies, goals, and priorities.
2. Creating a sense of urgency to deploy a comprehensive improvement methodology across all government agencies.
3. The personnel management model currently used by many government agencies.
4. A lack of familiarity with Lean Six Sigma and how it can benefit the organization.
5. Ongoing political partisanship.
The principal obstacle is #1 above; often, Agency A's agenda and procedures are in conflict with Agency B's, and the entity which is subject to both of them is.......ahhhh........screwed.
However, it should be done. There should be no disagreement over waste and inefficiency, period.
Sunday, September 25, 2011
Mitch Daniels Boosting Perry (?)
Daniels has a point here.
After an interviewer suggested that Perry 'isn't ready for prime-time', Daniels said that, in effect, Perry's a newbie; give him a little slack.
But then Daniels went a little further.
Daniels then acknowledged his disappointment in the Republican field for not talking about "the things that have a lot of zeros attached to them, the ones that are threatening to kill not just an economy but the entire idea of America." With that in mind, he warned Republican voters and candidates not to "play it safe" in the election against President Obama. Daniels said that to "get elected as the default option, you know, he made it worse, I'm not him, vote for me" would be "a huge missed opportunity because there's a clock ticking," adding later, "because it is a mathematical fact that we are headed for debt levels we cannot sustain."
Indeed.
After an interviewer suggested that Perry 'isn't ready for prime-time', Daniels said that, in effect, Perry's a newbie; give him a little slack.
But then Daniels went a little further.
Daniels then acknowledged his disappointment in the Republican field for not talking about "the things that have a lot of zeros attached to them, the ones that are threatening to kill not just an economy but the entire idea of America." With that in mind, he warned Republican voters and candidates not to "play it safe" in the election against President Obama. Daniels said that to "get elected as the default option, you know, he made it worse, I'm not him, vote for me" would be "a huge missed opportunity because there's a clock ticking," adding later, "because it is a mathematical fact that we are headed for debt levels we cannot sustain."
Indeed.
Adam Smith and Two-Income Families
Now and then you read something which catches the imagination.
When Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations, he noted that although the wages of the lowest classes were oftentimes determined by the lowest their employers could pay, humankind's present population acknowledges that at large, even with an imbalance of wealth, employers could not sustainably pay their workers less than would maintain a family of four (Book I, chapter VIII). If employers were to seek to pay less, then populations would shrink until competition over labor would force the wages of even the lowest classes higher. And since the population of the world is now greater than in past years, especially considering that Western societies are generally monogamous in terms of marital structure, then the poorest working classes must have been able, even without minimum wage regulations, to afford families of five and greater. If this was not the case, then wealthy families would have been primarily responsible for the present population -- a highly unlikely scenario, considering even Smith acknowledged that wealthier women were less inclined toward childbearing.
Adam Smith, eh? So Henry Ford read his book.
In any case, another source seems to confirm Smith's theory.
The author of the linked article goes on to compress all of the old Rockford Institute's work (Allen Carlson, not the current occupants) into a few grafs.
He's right, you know.
When Adam Smith wrote The Wealth of Nations, he noted that although the wages of the lowest classes were oftentimes determined by the lowest their employers could pay, humankind's present population acknowledges that at large, even with an imbalance of wealth, employers could not sustainably pay their workers less than would maintain a family of four (Book I, chapter VIII). If employers were to seek to pay less, then populations would shrink until competition over labor would force the wages of even the lowest classes higher. And since the population of the world is now greater than in past years, especially considering that Western societies are generally monogamous in terms of marital structure, then the poorest working classes must have been able, even without minimum wage regulations, to afford families of five and greater. If this was not the case, then wealthy families would have been primarily responsible for the present population -- a highly unlikely scenario, considering even Smith acknowledged that wealthier women were less inclined toward childbearing.
Adam Smith, eh? So Henry Ford read his book.
In any case, another source seems to confirm Smith's theory.
The U.S. Census Bureau confirms this hypothesis with its 2010 study on household income demographics. The lowest classes, those most likely to be touted by left-wing organizations as oppressed, are the least likely to be dual-income families, while those in wealthier middle-class categories are a minimum of close to four times more likely to have dual incomes. Compared with the bracket with the highest percentage of dual income households, the lowest quintile is somewhere around eleven times less likely to have a second income. If this is the case, then poverty and the number of incomes are absolutely correlated.
The author of the linked article goes on to compress all of the old Rockford Institute's work (Allen Carlson, not the current occupants) into a few grafs.
He's right, you know.
Like Irony? Check This!
Midst a Telegraph story on the European debt crisis:
Lemmee he'p y'all.
The McDonald's $4.50: 2 double cheeseburgers, fries, large Coke. About 90% less than the meal YOU ate, on the credit cards....
As the 40 delegates round the table tucked into their goats cheese tart starter, main of poached fish and dark chocolate tart with crème anglaise dessert, policymaker after policymaker voiced their frustration about the lack of political will in Europe to resolve the sovereign debt crisis.
Lemmee he'p y'all.
The McDonald's $4.50: 2 double cheeseburgers, fries, large Coke. About 90% less than the meal YOU ate, on the credit cards....
Lawyer-WIth-Cojones
The guy is primary-ing Hoekstra, who's a kinda-sorta-Conservative.
...Clark was invited to give a speech at a meeting of the past President of the American Bar Association (the professional association for attorneys). His speech emphasized that the greatest barrier to justice for the poor was the monopoly of the legal of profession — not exactly a popular position to take in that audience. The President of the ABA called for Clark’s resignation as Chairman of Legal Services. He was unsuccessful, and the resulting publicity highlighted the barriers to justice that face ordinary people. …. In 1991, Clark co-founded the Cornerstone Schools with Adam Cardinal Maida and other civic leaders. … In 1995, Clark was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News for his work in education. --Insurrection quoting Clark's website
He also refused to raise his budget requests as Chairman of Legal Services Corp., which drew the ire of Republicans (no, I'm not surprised.)
...Clark was invited to give a speech at a meeting of the past President of the American Bar Association (the professional association for attorneys). His speech emphasized that the greatest barrier to justice for the poor was the monopoly of the legal of profession — not exactly a popular position to take in that audience. The President of the ABA called for Clark’s resignation as Chairman of Legal Services. He was unsuccessful, and the resulting publicity highlighted the barriers to justice that face ordinary people. …. In 1991, Clark co-founded the Cornerstone Schools with Adam Cardinal Maida and other civic leaders. … In 1995, Clark was named a Michiganian of the Year by the Detroit News for his work in education. --Insurrection quoting Clark's website
He also refused to raise his budget requests as Chairman of Legal Services Corp., which drew the ire of Republicans (no, I'm not surprised.)
Phoenix to Obey the Law. What of Milwaukee?
Noted by Fr. Z:
...Since the 11th century, the Latin Rite Catholic Church distributed Holy Communion to the faithful under the form of bread. At the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Fathers of the Council directed the Sacred Congregation on Divine Worship to provide for occasions where the practice of distribution and reception of Holy Communion under both kinds to the laity could be restored. In the Roman Missal (1975), 14 instances were provided when the chalice could be offered to the Laity.
From 1975 on, the United States, United Kingdom and Oceania were given experimental privileges for the distribution of Holy Communion under both kinds. These privileges expired in 2005 and were not renewed by the Holy See. The new norms issued in June 2011 are what guide the liturgical practice today and in the future.
Reception under both forms is allowed:
...at the Chrism Mass and feast of Corpus Christi. Additionally, it may be offered to a Catholic couple at their wedding Mass, to first communicants and their family members, confirmation candidates and their sponsors, as well as deacons, non-concelebrating priests, servers and seminarians at any Mass, as well as community members at a conventual Mass or those on a retreat or at a spiritual gathering. In addition, a priest may select other important solemnities in which it may be offered, e.g., parish patronal feast days or the celebration of the dedication of the church building, provided the conditions are met.
In this Archdiocese, the 2005 expiration was not taken seriously, but since there's a new translation coming into effect in Advent, it would seem that 1 Advent would be a good time to begin obeying Church law on this issue, as well.
Right, Abp. Listecki?
...Since the 11th century, the Latin Rite Catholic Church distributed Holy Communion to the faithful under the form of bread. At the end of the Second Vatican Council, the Fathers of the Council directed the Sacred Congregation on Divine Worship to provide for occasions where the practice of distribution and reception of Holy Communion under both kinds to the laity could be restored. In the Roman Missal (1975), 14 instances were provided when the chalice could be offered to the Laity.
Reception under both forms is allowed:
...at the Chrism Mass and feast of Corpus Christi. Additionally, it may be offered to a Catholic couple at their wedding Mass, to first communicants and their family members, confirmation candidates and their sponsors, as well as deacons, non-concelebrating priests, servers and seminarians at any Mass, as well as community members at a conventual Mass or those on a retreat or at a spiritual gathering. In addition, a priest may select other important solemnities in which it may be offered, e.g., parish patronal feast days or the celebration of the dedication of the church building, provided the conditions are met.
In this Archdiocese, the 2005 expiration was not taken seriously, but since there's a new translation coming into effect in Advent, it would seem that 1 Advent would be a good time to begin obeying Church law on this issue, as well.
Right, Abp. Listecki?
Don't Cops "Observe" Any More?
Even if you take for granted that both versions of the story are--possibly--a little "shaded" here, this part is inconvtrovertible:
...If you just look at Gilberto, he['s] 5-foot-3, 130 pounds with Down Syndrome, it's 100 percent obvious he has Down Syndrome," he said.
You don't need an M.D. license to spot someone with Down's Syndrome.
And a 'bulge' at the belt-line? For crying out loud, that's 25++% of men and women these days.
...If you just look at Gilberto, he['s] 5-foot-3, 130 pounds with Down Syndrome, it's 100 percent obvious he has Down Syndrome," he said.
You don't need an M.D. license to spot someone with Down's Syndrome.
And a 'bulge' at the belt-line? For crying out loud, that's 25++% of men and women these days.
Dane County Judge Opines on Raising One's Own Food
Here's the original decision (Dane County, of course).
The language which I found to be interesting:
...he said his decision translates further that "no, Plaintiffs to not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
And in a kind of exclamation point, he added this to his list of no-nos: "no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to produce and consume the foods of their choice..."
Well! That settles it, in Dane County.
Apparently the case was not well-argued by the farmers, who used Roe as an example of 'doing ...with your own body....' I'm not convinced by that analogy.
It seems Judge Fiedler is saying it's not a "fundamental right," but rather a right granted us by the state.
Phrased that way, it's a far more interesting discussion. Does the State have the right to prevent one from eating one's own chickens? Their eggs? One's own cows or pigs?
A lot of Amish folks will be surprised--and very upset--by this decision.
HT: AOSHQ via FoodRenegade
The language which I found to be interesting:
...he said his decision translates further that "no, Plaintiffs to not have a fundamental right to own and use a dairy cow or a dairy herd;
"no, Plaintiffs do not have a fundamental right to consume the milk from their own cow;"
Well! That settles it, in Dane County.
Apparently the case was not well-argued by the farmers, who used Roe as an example of 'doing ...with your own body....' I'm not convinced by that analogy.
It seems Judge Fiedler is saying it's not a "fundamental right," but rather a right granted us by the state.
Phrased that way, it's a far more interesting discussion. Does the State have the right to prevent one from eating one's own chickens? Their eggs? One's own cows or pigs?
A lot of Amish folks will be surprised--and very upset--by this decision.
HT: AOSHQ via FoodRenegade
Saturday, September 24, 2011
"All Your Records Is Ours!!": Sibelius
The wonderful world of Big Brother!
...America is learning about the federal government’s plan to collect and aggregate confidential patient records for every one of us.
In a proposed rule from Secretary Kathleen Sebelius and the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS), the federal government is demanding insurance companies submit detailed health care information about their patients.
...America is learning about the federal government’s plan to collect and aggregate confidential patient records for every one of us.
Remember the Name "Sackett"
SCOTUS is taking a very important case. Our Dictator-Wannabe is watching, as is the Green Goddess.
You want to build a home, so you buy a $23,000 piece of land in a residential subdivision in your hometown and get started. The government then tells you to stop, threatens you with $40 million in fines and is not kidding.
You want to build a home, so you buy a $23,000 piece of land in a residential subdivision in your hometown and get started. The government then tells you to stop, threatens you with $40 million in fines and is not kidding.
Obama's Exec Order Fetish
Obozo shows more signs of Statism. Perhaps 'dictator' is his next step? Wanna bet?
(Reminds me that we haven't heard the term "unitary executive" since Bush left office. Gee.)
...Obama said Friday he is not going to wait any longer for Congress to change the No Child Left Behind education law, he is doing it on his own without congressional authorization.
NCLB is a steaming pile, no doubt. But so is the entire Department of Education.
The pattern is clear:
The Justice Department also declined to defend the Defense of Marriage Act (DOMA) in court. Further, members of Congress from both parties criticized Obama for sending military forces for regime change in Libya, charging he violated the War Powers Act by not seeking the approval of Congress.
And then there's "Fast & Furious/Gunrunner", ObozoCare/Single Payer, his ramrodding of tax-funded abortions in New Hampshire and other States, and the Green Goddess-worship which will kill coal-fired electricity (and coal mining.) Not to mention the "slow/no-walk" on offshore drilling permits....
Ain't Statism fun??
(Reminds me that we haven't heard the term "unitary executive" since Bush left office. Gee.)
...Obama said Friday he is not going to wait any longer for Congress to change the No Child Left Behind education law, he is doing it on his own without congressional authorization.
NCLB is a steaming pile, no doubt. But so is the entire Department of Education.
The pattern is clear:
The assertion that he would not wait for Congress comes amid a trend of the administration ignoring Congress. The Justice Department called for all deportation cases of illegal aliens be viewed on a case-by-case basis, which critics have called “backdoor amnesty.”
And then there's "Fast & Furious/Gunrunner", ObozoCare/Single Payer, his ramrodding of tax-funded abortions in New Hampshire and other States, and the Green Goddess-worship which will kill coal-fired electricity (and coal mining.) Not to mention the "slow/no-walk" on offshore drilling permits....
Ain't Statism fun??
Friday, September 23, 2011
Green Goddess Housing!
750 square feet, $450K to build, pulls 8KW of energy from the sun.
If it's sunny, of course.
Whaddadeal!! Perfect for those long Milwaukee winters. With only 750 square feet, you can obtain warmth from your roomate. (Families of 4+ are excluded.)
If it's sunny, of course.
Whaddadeal!! Perfect for those long Milwaukee winters. With only 750 square feet, you can obtain warmth from your roomate. (Families of 4+ are excluded.)
The Green Goddess Demands New Asthma Inhalers. Bow Down!
Obozo follows his Goddess.
The Food and Drug Administration said Thursday patients who use the epinephrine inhalers to treat mild asthma will need to switch by Dec. 31 to other types that do not contain chlorofluorocarbons, an aerosol substance once found in a variety of spray products.
Feel better about that? Then don't read THIS part:
...the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. Epinephrine inhalers are available via online retailers for around $20, whereas the alternatives, which contain the drug albuterol, range from $30 to $60
And who knows? Maybe an ObozoCare Death Panel will declare that price to be too expensive.
After all, you're only human.
Asthma patients who rely on over-the-counter inhalers will need to switch to prescription-only alternatives as part of the federal government's latest attempt to protect the Earth's atmosphere.
Feel better about that? Then don't read THIS part:
...the switch to a greener inhaler will cost consumers more. Epinephrine inhalers are available via online retailers for around $20, whereas the alternatives, which contain the drug albuterol, range from $30 to $60
And who knows? Maybe an ObozoCare Death Panel will declare that price to be too expensive.
After all, you're only human.
Bedbugs. There's a Solution, But EPA Doesn't Like It
Frankly, the solution to the bedbug problem is a tactical nuke....... dropped on EPA headquarters.
...We used Ficam (which killed bed bugs on contact and as a residual by the way) successfully and safely for many years in this country, but the manufacturer pulled their registration. So why would they do such a thing? Well, first of all this happened before bed bugs exploded in this country and the manufacturer wasn’t selling enough to justify meeting the EPA’s demands.
You see, the EPA requires pesticides to be reregistered after fifteen years. That means more unnecessary and expensive testing. It costs around $300,000,000 to bring a new pesticide to market. Manufacturers want to make sure that re-registration is worth it to them before they spend millions of dollars more on re-testing. Further testing for what you might ask? Who knows [?], because after a product has been on the open market for fifteen years you absolutely know what, if any, hazards it represents to humanity or to nature. Most importantly after fifteen years these products have probably gone out of patent. That means there is less value to the primary registrant, and in this case, there was no value incentive for the manufacturer to spend millions of dollars more to retest
That's not the only one.
Organophosphates, such as Dursban absolutely kill bed bugs; on contact and as well as a residual. But in 1996 the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was passed and that changed all the rules again. There had always been a hundred fold safety factor tied up with pesticides. FQPA arbitrarily changed it to a thousand fold. I have tried to find out what science they used to decide that this massive change was necessary…and no one seems to know, because it is all based on assumptions.
And there's more!!
...We used Ficam (which killed bed bugs on contact and as a residual by the way) successfully and safely for many years in this country, but the manufacturer pulled their registration. So why would they do such a thing? Well, first of all this happened before bed bugs exploded in this country and the manufacturer wasn’t selling enough to justify meeting the EPA’s demands.
You see, the EPA requires pesticides to be reregistered after fifteen years. That means more unnecessary and expensive testing. It costs around $300,000,000 to bring a new pesticide to market. Manufacturers want to make sure that re-registration is worth it to them before they spend millions of dollars more on re-testing. Further testing for what you might ask? Who knows [?], because after a product has been on the open market for fifteen years you absolutely know what, if any, hazards it represents to humanity or to nature. Most importantly after fifteen years these products have probably gone out of patent. That means there is less value to the primary registrant, and in this case, there was no value incentive for the manufacturer to spend millions of dollars more to retest
That's not the only one.
Organophosphates, such as Dursban absolutely kill bed bugs; on contact and as well as a residual. But in 1996 the Food Quality Protection Act (FQPA) was passed and that changed all the rules again. There had always been a hundred fold safety factor tied up with pesticides. FQPA arbitrarily changed it to a thousand fold. I have tried to find out what science they used to decide that this massive change was necessary…and no one seems to know, because it is all based on assumptions.
And there's more!!
We used Baygon (propoxur) for over twenty years in this nation and it was available to the general public as well. What terrible things happened? According to the Ohio Department of Agriculture; nothing terrible happened in Ohio! But when you change the rules arbitrarily you change the toxicity issues. To arbitrarily change the safety factor from one hundred to a thousand fold safety factor may not make much sense, but it makes it easy for EPA to claim that it is too toxic to use
You may note that EPA has been using the "Green Goddess" methodology long before AlGore graduated from college. Invent 'standards' based on ........the angle of the dangle divided by the heat of the meat (or something) and then enforce the standards.
Real world be damned.
The DC Mind, Part "Killing the Truckers"
Anecdote-filled story until you get here:
...extra paperwork and nearly $10,500-per-employee compliance costs are far from the only regulatory hurdles Western HiWays and other companies have to overcome in order to compete. Regulations which are often written by people with no idea of the realities of the road — not one sitting congressman has ever been an OTR truck driver — are often impractical at best. At worst, they are impossible to follow. From the AJC dispatch:
Yah, but sitting and doing nothing is considered "work" in DC. See? All 'splained for you!!
...Meyer also complained about the hours-of-service regulations, noting his truck is his only transportation. He’s based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but he lives in Northern Arizona — a bit over 12 hours away. But according to the regulations, even after he’s dropped his trailer and is heading for home he can’t legally drive all the way home without stopping to rest — something any private citizen in a car can do without question...
Silly. He should have TWO houses (or 3, or 15), just like Congresscritters do. Or just fly, like Congresscritters do. Or just sit on his ass, like bureaucrats do.
According to the story, the industry is short 200,000 drivers, partly b/c drivers (especially owner-operators) just can't battle the roads AND the regulators. Good for the oligarchy: super-big trucking outfits; bad for normal people.
...extra paperwork and nearly $10,500-per-employee compliance costs are far from the only regulatory hurdles Western HiWays and other companies have to overcome in order to compete. Regulations which are often written by people with no idea of the realities of the road — not one sitting congressman has ever been an OTR truck driver — are often impractical at best. At worst, they are impossible to follow. From the AJC dispatch:
The Department of Transportation’s Hours of Service regulation, written to prevent accidents caused by driver fatigue, is one example. The rule says CMV drivers may only work 14 hours a day — 11 actually driving — and the driver must keep a logbook of the total hours spent driving and resting. It sounds sensible, but the regulation doesn’t account for the reality of the road.
You got drivers going into these places to load, and sat eight to ten hours. That’s on the clock,” said Mr. Grove. “If they sit there eight hours, they can only drive three hours. If we didn’t get our mileage in, it don’t matter. Once your 14 hours are up, it’s up.”
Yah, but sitting and doing nothing is considered "work" in DC. See? All 'splained for you!!
...Meyer also complained about the hours-of-service regulations, noting his truck is his only transportation. He’s based in Salt Lake City, Utah, but he lives in Northern Arizona — a bit over 12 hours away. But according to the regulations, even after he’s dropped his trailer and is heading for home he can’t legally drive all the way home without stopping to rest — something any private citizen in a car can do without question...
Silly. He should have TWO houses (or 3, or 15), just like Congresscritters do. Or just fly, like Congresscritters do. Or just sit on his ass, like bureaucrats do.
According to the story, the industry is short 200,000 drivers, partly b/c drivers (especially owner-operators) just can't battle the roads AND the regulators. Good for the oligarchy: super-big trucking outfits; bad for normal people.
Greedy Cash-Hoarders? Nope. Try Again.
Barry's blog provides interesting information. You don't have to agree with his opinions (lotsa people don't agree with mine) but the chart-porn is really good stuff.
While "cash" is, indeed, at a record high, "liquid/total" is pretty near its low, or at least the 1980-date average (eyeball spitballing there.)
It's not 'greed.' It's prudent fiscal management.
While "cash" is, indeed, at a record high, "liquid/total" is pretty near its low, or at least the 1980-date average (eyeball spitballing there.)
It's not 'greed.' It's prudent fiscal management.
Democrat Senate: "To Hell With Disaster Victims!!"
That's the message of Reid and the rest of his cabal.
A Very Good Question
Grim takes note of an incisive quip on the debates from VodkaPundit:
The news networks will remember the battle, not the war.
...and then asks a very good question:
....Rep. Bachmann [...] seemed to understand the importance of sliding the power out of the Federal government, and letting it fall to the states or back to the People. That is the one big idea that we need to advance. Who shall carry it?
Certainly not Romney. The others, to one degree or the other, yes--but none to a satisfactory degree at all.
In the war of ideas, it was all Newt Gingrich, Gary Johnson, Herman Cain and Ron Paul. In the battle of personalities, it was Mitt versus Rick.
...and then asks a very good question:
....Rep. Bachmann [...] seemed to understand the importance of sliding the power out of the Federal government, and letting it fall to the states or back to the People. That is the one big idea that we need to advance. Who shall carry it?
Certainly not Romney. The others, to one degree or the other, yes--but none to a satisfactory degree at all.
Ron Johnson's New Whiteboard Script
No, the Senator hasn't done this......but he should!!
Why S&P Downgraded the US:
U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
Federal budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New debt: $1,650,000,000,000
National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent [April] budget cut: $38,500,000,000
Annual family income: $21,700
Money the family spent: $38,200
New debt (this year) on the credit card: $16,500
Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
Budget cuts: $385
I'd suggest that the first place Senator RoJo should demonstrate this is in the House of Representatives--specifically, in Boehner's office. Right on Boehner's FACE.
HT: AOSHQ
Why S&P Downgraded the US:
U.S. Tax revenue: $2,170,000,000,000
Federal budget: $3,820,000,000,000
New debt: $1,650,000,000,000
National debt: $14,271,000,000,000
Recent [April] budget cut: $38,500,000,000
Let’s remove 8 zeros and pretend it’s a household budget:
Annual family income: $21,700
Money the family spent: $38,200
New debt (this year) on the credit card: $16,500
Outstanding balance on the credit card: $142,710
Budget cuts: $385
I'd suggest that the first place Senator RoJo should demonstrate this is in the House of Representatives--specifically, in Boehner's office. Right on Boehner's FACE.
HT: AOSHQ
Obama Lied. Health Insurers Will Die.
It can't really be any clearer than this:
The very existence of the public- option idea as part of the health reform policy package became iconic, representing the continuing debate over the proper role of government in the financing of health care. As the debate moved from the policy community to the political arena, the most significant problem was the evident value differences over this idea. Critics called the public option a Trojan horse for a single- payer plan. They were correct. --Verum quoting Journal of Health Policy, Politics, and Law
As a public service, Verum also put up a video montage of Obama lying like a rug on that issue. (There are plenty of other lies he tells, almost always preceded by "....let me be frank...")
HT: AOSHQ
The very existence of the public- option idea as part of the health reform policy package became iconic, representing the continuing debate over the proper role of government in the financing of health care. As the debate moved from the policy community to the political arena, the most significant problem was the evident value differences over this idea. Critics called the public option a Trojan horse for a single- payer plan. They were correct. --Verum quoting Journal of Health Policy, Politics, and Law
As a public service, Verum also put up a video montage of Obama lying like a rug on that issue. (There are plenty of other lies he tells, almost always preceded by "....let me be frank...")
HT: AOSHQ
Thursday, September 22, 2011
If You Like Spies, You'll LOVE OnStar!
We are ever closer to the OmniLeviathan State.
Who would be interested in that data, you ask? Law enforcement agencies, for starters, as well as insurance companies. Perhaps the most startling news to come out of the latest OnStar terms and conditions is the fact that the company can continue to collect the information even after you disconnect the service. If you want the info to be cut off all together, you'll have to specifically shut down the vehicle's data connection. --RenMan quoting Autoblog
No wonder GM's having problems selling this "service" to its customers.
It's just co-incidence that GM's board is full of Obama-ites, isn't it?
Isn't it?
Originally, the terms and conditions stated that OnStar could only collect information on your vehicle's location during a theft recovery or in the midst of sending emergency services your way. That has apparently changed. Now, OnStar says that it has the right to collect and sell personal, yet supposedly anonymous information on your vehicle, including speed, location, seat belt usage and other information.
No wonder GM's having problems selling this "service" to its customers.
It's just co-incidence that GM's board is full of Obama-ites, isn't it?
Isn't it?
The Church v. Obama
Finally, we see a Churchman who is beginning a resistance!
But he called for dialogue with the president on the Defense of Marriage Act and the "definition of marriage as the union of a man and a woman."
In fact, this is a matter of 'definition,' not of 'rights.' There is no "right" to a non-existent good. More important, there is no "right" to do what is wrong, and homosexual practice is wrong.
More:
...The child-abuse cases themselves have shown how to undermine the financial stability of the Church. In addition to properly investigating malefactors, legal procedures have permitted lawyers to make enormous wealth from Church funds. Ironically, since most of these abuses were rooted in homosexuality, not pedophilia, the corporate Church on the one side is required to pay for the abuses and on the other is forbidden to say that anything is wrong with this form of life...
From Schall, who sounds like Cassandra in his column.
Archbishop Timothy M. Dolan, president of the U.S. bishops' conference, told President Barack Obama in a Sept. 20 letter that his administration's fight against the Defense of Marriage Act will undermine marriage and create a serious breach of church-state relations.Archbishop Dolan underscored the church's position recognizing "the immeasurable personal dignity and equal worth of all individuals, including those with same-sex attraction" and said "we reject all hatred and unjust treatment against any person."
In fact, this is a matter of 'definition,' not of 'rights.' There is no "right" to a non-existent good. More important, there is no "right" to do what is wrong, and homosexual practice is wrong.
More:
...The child-abuse cases themselves have shown how to undermine the financial stability of the Church. In addition to properly investigating malefactors, legal procedures have permitted lawyers to make enormous wealth from Church funds. Ironically, since most of these abuses were rooted in homosexuality, not pedophilia, the corporate Church on the one side is required to pay for the abuses and on the other is forbidden to say that anything is wrong with this form of life...
From Schall, who sounds like Cassandra in his column.
The Green Goddess Sucks Your Blood!!
Green Goddess, of course, is AlGore's enchantress/concubine in Al's mind. In reality,...well....
In any case, she has seduced all the right people--who are taking your money by the truckload.
Start with Enron!
Bob Novak: Lay has been painted as a heartless advocate of free market economics when he was actually working behind the scenes for control of energy emissions, establishing alliances with the most radical environmental pressure groups. Enron was not about ideology and certainly not partisanship, but was using governmental contacts to maximize profits. --quoted at PowerLine
I don't have to remind you about Solyndra--except that, like in the Enron case, criminal indictments and prosecutions are likely.
In any case, she has seduced all the right people--who are taking your money by the truckload.
Start with Enron!
Bob Novak: Lay has been painted as a heartless advocate of free market economics when he was actually working behind the scenes for control of energy emissions, establishing alliances with the most radical environmental pressure groups. Enron was not about ideology and certainly not partisanship, but was using governmental contacts to maximize profits. --quoted at PowerLine
I don't have to remind you about Solyndra--except that, like in the Enron case, criminal indictments and prosecutions are likely.
Real "Gun Control"
This guy is really, really good.
That wasn’t a problem for Soeby. His light gun group average was 3.8 inches, and his light gun score — for rifles weighing 17 pounds or less — was 47.33 out of a possible 50. That gave him the national light gun group championship.
That's at 1,000 yards, folks.
HT: Arms/Law
That wasn’t a problem for Soeby. His light gun group average was 3.8 inches, and his light gun score — for rifles weighing 17 pounds or less — was 47.33 out of a possible 50. That gave him the national light gun group championship.
That's at 1,000 yards, folks.
HT: Arms/Law
The Obozo Cave-in to the ChiComs
We all knew this would happen.
...the Obama administration is denying the Taiwanese government's request to buy 66 new F-16s, instead offering retrofits that will upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet as a consolation prize.
At this point, Taiwan should bend over and kiss its ass goodbye.
...the Obama administration is denying the Taiwanese government's request to buy 66 new F-16s, instead offering retrofits that will upgrade Taiwan's existing fleet as a consolation prize.
At this point, Taiwan should bend over and kiss its ass goodbye.
Madison Cop-Chief Letter Says What We Already Know
Noble Wray, the chief of police for Madistan, sent a letter to Wisconsin leggies advising them to 'be aware of your surroundings, carry a cell-phone, and maintain a 'safe room' in case of emergency'. Charlie read it on-air this morning.
Doh.
"When seconds count, the police are only minutes away."
That quote is a maxim used by people who understand that armed self-defense is the only reliable defense.
And Wray only echoes Court decisions which, in effect, state that the cop-shop is NOT responsible for protecting citizens and cannot be held liable if they don't protect you.
That CCW law looks better every day, eh?
Doh.
"When seconds count, the police are only minutes away."
That quote is a maxim used by people who understand that armed self-defense is the only reliable defense.
And Wray only echoes Court decisions which, in effect, state that the cop-shop is NOT responsible for protecting citizens and cannot be held liable if they don't protect you.
That CCW law looks better every day, eh?
Ruh Roh. Perry's "Jobs" Have Problems
Seems like Rick Perry's "job-machine" doesn't depend on Big Oil.
Rather, it depends on really cheap labor.
...a new report suggests that newly-arrived immigrants have filled a majority of new jobs created in Texas, home to Republican frontrunner Gov. Rick Perry. "Of jobs created in Texas since 2007, 81 percent were taken by newly arrived immigrant workers (legal and illegal)," says the report from the Center for Immigration Studies...The report estimates that about 40 percent of the new jobs were taken by illegal immigrants, while 40 percent were taken by legal immigrants. The vast majority of both groups, legal and illegal, were not American citizens.
That being the case, the other Perry positions make sense.
...Gov. Perry has been the target of criticism from some rivals because he opposes building a border fence and opposes E-Verify, while he supports in-state tuition for illegal immigrants as well as a guest-worker program. Rival Mitt Romney has made clear that he disagrees with Perry on each of those positions,
Perry's made a Big Deal of his 'Christian beliefs'. I have yet to find a 'Christian imperative' which endorses illegal employment activity.
But maybe Perry has a new translation of the Bible, or something.
Rather, it depends on really cheap labor.
...a new report suggests that newly-arrived immigrants have filled a majority of new jobs created in Texas, home to Republican frontrunner Gov. Rick Perry. "Of jobs created in Texas since 2007, 81 percent were taken by newly arrived immigrant workers (legal and illegal)," says the report from the Center for Immigration Studies...The report estimates that about 40 percent of the new jobs were taken by illegal immigrants, while 40 percent were taken by legal immigrants. The vast majority of both groups, legal and illegal, were not American citizens.
That being the case, the other Perry positions make sense.
...Gov. Perry has been the target of criticism from some rivals because he opposes building a border fence and opposes E-Verify, while he supports in-state tuition for illegal immigrants as well as a guest-worker program. Rival Mitt Romney has made clear that he disagrees with Perry on each of those positions,
Perry's made a Big Deal of his 'Christian beliefs'. I have yet to find a 'Christian imperative' which endorses illegal employment activity.
But maybe Perry has a new translation of the Bible, or something.
Tribes Oppose Wisconsin Mines? Close the Casinos!
Seems that the Green Goddess has sprinkled blinder-dust on the tribes.
The meeting with representatives of the Bad River and Lac Courte Oreilles tribes lasted about an hour and half
I think that there are a lot of casinos polluting the environment in Wisconsin. Close them up.
Leaders of a Wisconsin Indian tribe who live closest to a proposed iron ore mine near Hurley said Wednesday that they opposed the mine because of the potential environmental effects the project could have on tribal lands
...The tribe said it believes an open-pit mine upstream from tribal lands could not be built without harming the surrounding environment.
"The Bad River watershed is one of those places that should not be mined. It's that simple," Michael Wiggins Jr., the tribal chairman, said at a Capitol news conference. "We will not stand for an open-pit mine in the Bad River watershed."
Said Frank Connors, a member of the tribal council:
"This is our land. This is where we live. We can't just pack up and move."
I think that there are a lot of casinos polluting the environment in Wisconsin. Close them up.
Still Dreaming About Walker Recall (!!)
You have to understand that some people are breathing very rarified air, indeed. While the State's median income took an awful header over the last 10 years, Protected Class folks think that public-union demands will get sympathy. Wrong.
Here's an example: of thinking affected by the Big Wish:
“The more serious effects for the (Walker) recall movement is the impact on the economy. ”If the economy continues to falter, Cottle said, that will strengthen the anti-Walker forces; if it turns around, the point is moot.
The Perfesser's pontification is wishful thinking at best. It's highly unlikely that the NATIONAL economic problems will result in a STATE recall of a reform-and-renew Governor. And the public-employee unions are in no position to screech about 'loss of benefits' given the horrific reality faced by Wisconsin residents as a whole.
The rate of decline in Wisconsin dwarfed the national drop of 8.9% in median household income over the same period.
The (D) alternative to Walker will fix that........how?
Here's an example: of thinking affected by the Big Wish:
“I think the lingering effect of the demonstrations at this point is negligible,” said Charles Cottle, professor emeritus of political science at the University of Wisconsin-Whitewater.
The Perfesser's pontification is wishful thinking at best. It's highly unlikely that the NATIONAL economic problems will result in a STATE recall of a reform-and-renew Governor. And the public-employee unions are in no position to screech about 'loss of benefits' given the horrific reality faced by Wisconsin residents as a whole.
Adjusted for inflation, median household income in the state declined 14.5% between 1999 and 2010, according to U.S. Census Bureau estimates released Thursday.
The (D) alternative to Walker will fix that........how?
A Few Laws That We Could Shred
Kevin finds a few more Wisconsin laws which really could be de-lawed. (Whatever.)
It would be good Wisconsin also dumped its "Daylight Savings Time" law into the trash, too. But then, Legislators, Congresscritters, and Presidents have always believed that they can contravene the laws of nature.
It would be good Wisconsin also dumped its "Daylight Savings Time" law into the trash, too. But then, Legislators, Congresscritters, and Presidents have always believed that they can contravene the laws of nature.
The LightSquared Deal: You're Screwed
If you have a GPS phone or system, and you use it for "precision" work, such as in agriculture, construction, or surveying, you are screwed.
The company isn't planning to pay for the replacement or retrofitting of GPS gear used by private companies, said Terry Neal, LightSquared's senior vice president of communications. "We have not made an offer to swap out all the devices in the known universe." But he said users would not face an "onerous cost" to solve the problem.
Oh, that's not all. Some critics of the LightSquared deal are saying that the "fix" is the equivalent of vaporware.
...The Coalition to Save Our GPS, an industry group that fiercely opposes LightSquared's plan...[said...] "LightSquared has, as usual, oversimplified and greatly overstated the significance of the claims of a single vendor to have 'solved' the interference issue," the group said in a statement. No one product can solve interference for the wide range of applications of precision GPS, which include aviation and life-safety operations, it said.
Given that LightSquared's assets increased by about $8 BILLION because of the Obama Regime's questionable decision, one would think they could replace lots of GPS devices, no?
Their response: No. And STFU, too.
Satellite-4G carrier LightSquared said Wednesday that gear to prevent interference between its network and precision GPS gear will cost $50 to $300 per device and it is in talks with the U.S. government about covering the cost of upgrading or replacing all federally-owned devices.
LightSquared said the total cost for the government gear would be in the tens of millions of dollars, but declined to be more specific because it does not yet know how many precision GPS devices the government owns or what kinds of devices they are.
Oh, that's not all. Some critics of the LightSquared deal are saying that the "fix" is the equivalent of vaporware.
...The Coalition to Save Our GPS, an industry group that fiercely opposes LightSquared's plan...[said...] "LightSquared has, as usual, oversimplified and greatly overstated the significance of the claims of a single vendor to have 'solved' the interference issue," the group said in a statement. No one product can solve interference for the wide range of applications of precision GPS, which include aviation and life-safety operations, it said.
Given that LightSquared's assets increased by about $8 BILLION because of the Obama Regime's questionable decision, one would think they could replace lots of GPS devices, no?
Their response: No. And STFU, too.
News? Nope. Propaganda, Yes!
The MSM does what the MSM does. Hate-on-Walker.
Umnnnhhhh.....so?
There are a lot of Wisconsin residents who actually live VERY near other States, such as Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and the UP of Michigan. Many of those Wisconsin residents will drive 20, 30, or 40 miles for a job.
This is a problem.....why?
Because the Left-MSM complex hates Walker.
Nearly one-in-five of the jobs listed on a state website touted by Gov. Scott Walker as a resource for unemployed Wisconsin residents are actually located in neighboring states, according to an analysis by The Associated Press
Umnnnhhhh.....so?
There are a lot of Wisconsin residents who actually live VERY near other States, such as Illinois, Minnesota, Iowa, and the UP of Michigan. Many of those Wisconsin residents will drive 20, 30, or 40 miles for a job.
This is a problem.....why?
Because the Left-MSM complex hates Walker.