Monday, January 31, 2011

The "New Civility" (Cont'd): Actor Richard Dreyfuss On Ed Schultz Praying For Cheney's Death: "NOT Uncivil," "Beautifully Phrased"

theblogprof: The "New Civility" (Cont'd): Actor Richard Dreyfuss On Ed Schultz Praying For Cheney's Death: "NOT Uncivil," "Beautifully Phrased"
"MSNBC’s Ed Schultz calling former Vice President Dick Cheney “an enemy of the country” who should go “to the Promised Land,” is not an example of political incivility but is actually “beautifully phrased,” according to actor Richard Dreyfuss, who is spearheading a nationwide initiative on civics education and civility in political discourse"

Oil over $100 as Egypt protests intensify

FT.com / Middle East & North Africa - Oil over $100 as Egypt protests intensify
"Oil prices broke through the $100 a barrel level for the first time in more than two years, amid market fears that Egypt’s turmoil will hit oil flows."

Bush's fault!
OK, maybe Engler's fault......

As Egypt goes offline US gets internet 'kill switch' bill ready

As Egypt goes offline US gets internet 'kill switch' bill ready
"Senator Susan Collins, a co-sponsor of the bill, said that unlike in Egypt, where the government was using its powers to quell dissent by shutting down the internet, it would not."

RINO!
Use the kill switch on her career!

Michigan public employees earn twice the compensation as workers in the private sector

Report: Michigan public employees earn twice the compensation as workers in the private sector MLive.com
"Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder will release a report today that shows the average Michigan state employee is compensated at twice the rate of their private-sector counterpart."

Def Poetry - KRS-One & Doug Fresh - 2nd Quarter



I'm not sure what to think about this but "we still thinking like niggers" seems to get a pass.

Are we two peoples?

Address civil servant productivity

Mark Haveman: Address civil servant productivity StarTribune.com

The more important issue is public sector productivity -- delivering more and better services for the same tax dollars.
Evidence suggests a widening gap between public- and private-sector productivity.

Sen. Schumer on the Three Branches of Government



Inside the mind of those who would control and tax us to death!

Moody’s begins treating pensions like bond debt

Moody’s begins treating pensions like bond debt « Calpensions
“Pension underfunding has been driven by weaker-than-expected investment results, previous benefit enhancements and, in some states, failure to pay the annual required contribution to the pension fund,”"

This is a move that may be the first step to fixing this disaster.

Why Electric Cars Aren’t Selling

Why Electric Cars Aren’t Selling - Hong Kong - WSJ
"To encourage the adoption of plug-in cars, the White House proposed on Jan. 26 to change a tax credit to a US$7,500 cash rebate for electric cars and plug-in hybrids purchases."

Folks, this is outrageous!

Fiscal Reckoning Draws Closer

Fiscal Reckoning Draws Closer NetRight Daily
"On January 26th, the Congressional Budget Office (CBO) announced that the budget deficit would top $1.5 trillion in 2011, the highest ever on record.
That is mostly because of the unpaid-for $56 billion extension of unemployment benefits and a $120 billion cut in payroll taxes on employees from December’s tax deal."

Huizenga to hold town hall meeting Monday night at Muskegon Community College

Huizenga to hold town hall meeting Monday night at Muskegon Community College MLive.com
"U.S. Rep. Bill Huizenga, R-Zeeland, is holding a town hall meeting Monday night at Muskegon Community College.
Huizenga, who represents Michigan's 2nd congressional district, will discuss 'federal issues and recent events in Congress' from 6:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. in room 1100.
The public is welcome to attend."

Irony: Terrorist-enabling CAIR upset that CA man arrested in front of Dearborn mosque with fireworks in car

theblogprof: Irony: Terrorist-enabling CAIR upset that CA man arrested in front of Dearborn mosque with fireworks in car
"Technically, firecrackers are explosive material, but it's not until later that we find out what that material actually is:

Stockham was arraigned Wednesday on one count of a false report or threat of terrorism (a 20 year felony), and one count of explosives possession with unlawful intent (a 15 year felony) for possession of Class-C fireworks."

Verizon's iPhone - A quick reality check

Verizon's iPhone - A quick reality check -The Kim Komando Radio Show
"After years of speculation, Apple's popular iPhone is finally coming to Verizon's network.
But it’s not for everyone.
There are some very compelling reasons not to buy the Verizon iPhone yet.

We can set our watches by Apple's update schedule. Apple should announce the iPhone 5 in June.
So, the current iPhone will be outdated in just a few months.
And upgrading to the iPhone 5 will be costly."

From the Plastic Age of Vinyl Records to the Digital Age: Your Phone is Now Becoming Your Wallet

CARPE DIEM: From the Plastic Age of Vinyl Records to the Digital Age: Your Phone is Now Becoming Your Wallet
"But by the end of the year you may not even think twice about reaching for your phone to pay at the register instead of fumbling for your credit card"

State workers should be required to cover the costs of expanded health care coveragews

State workers should be required to cover the costs of expanded health care coverage detnews.com The Detroit News
"But Michigan can't afford roommate benefits that allow just about anyone to be added to health care policies.
A better approach would be to take another whack at modifying the law.
In the meantime, the cost of this giveaway should come from the state employees who want to add more people in their household to their employee benefit packages"

Sunday, January 30, 2011

Sarah Palin's Gun Control Warnings At Safari Club International

Sarah Palin's Gun Control Warnings At Safari Club International - The Daily Beast
"Rocking the house at the Safari Club International annual convention, Sarah Palin warned Obama was out for their gun rights—and dangled a major hint about 2012."

Tawdry details of Obamacare

WOLF: Tawdry details of Obamacare - Washington Times
"If you would like to know what the White House really thinks of Obamacare, there’s an easy way.
Look past its press releases.
Ignore its promises.
Forget its talking points.
Instead, simply witness for yourself the outrageous way the White House protects its best friends from Obamacare."

Video: Suns stuntman dunks himself right through through the rim

theblogprof: Video: Suns stuntman dunks himself right through through the rim
"Don't know if this was intentional or just a mishap, but the kid's lucky to not have been hurt if it indeed was unintentional:"

My speedy smart phone!

Wow!
I was never satisfied with my Verizon-Samsung Omnia 2 phone and just went to the VZ site and saw a new software update.
AMAZING!
It's like I have a new phone!

If you have a smart phone, check out your carrier's site to see if there is an update.

GOP State Convention bummer - Lt Gov Brian Calley has sour grapes

theblogprof: GOP State Convention bummer - Lt Gov Brian Calley has sour grapes
"So Brian Calley makes a speech at the State Convention today.

I’ll set aside for now that his speech was almost identical to the one that he gave in August, a fact that did not impress anyone irrespective of the speech’s quality.
But it’s how he started his speech that raised an eyebrow.
I was certainly not alone.
I’m paraphrasing here, but Calley started out by saying “Good morning.
This is is a better morning than the last time we met. I don’t think anyone is running against me here.”

It was a slight at the tea party that 1) nominated their own candidate for Lt Gov at the GOP Convention in August, and 2) turned the state red.
Not classy, but apparently Calley."

Anyone in Michigan state government who still doesn't get it is gonna "get it" soon.

Snyder's tax plan hits big firms hardest

Snyder's tax plan hits big firms hardest detnews.com The Detroit News
"Gov. Rick Snyder wants to kill the Michigan Business Tax and replace it with a 6 percent corporate income tax that would be applied mostly to larger Michigan companies and include an exemption for small businesses, according to a draft law obtained Friday by The Detroit News.
The proposal got mostly positive reviews from employers, but certain companies such as large manufacturers and insurance companies say they could face a tax increase under the plan.

At the same time, Snyder is expected to significantly cut back targeted tax credits such as those received by the film industry and paid to industry by the Michigan Economic Growth Authority"

A VERY good start!

Ex-SOS Land considering challenging Stabenow in 2012

Ex-SOS Land considering challenging Stabenow in 2012 detnews.com The Detroit News
"Land, who spoke to The Detroit News while attending the Michigan Republican Party convention at DeVos Place in Grand Rapids, said she plans to meet next week with another possible candidate, former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra, before making a decision.

Other possible candidates include Republican National Committeeman Saul Anuzis and businessman Tim Leuliette."

I spoke with Terri Friday night at the GOP convention and she said she's looking to enter the race.
The same with Saul, who's very open about his interest.

Challengers Close to Stabenow

Challengers Close to Stabenow
"A Wilson Research Strategies (R) poll shows two Republicans within striking distance of Sen. Debbie Stabenow (D-MI).

Stabenow leads Secretary of State Terri Lynn Land (R), 46% to 41%, and tops Rep. Pete Hoekstra (R), 47% to 41%."

Democrats Charged in 'Massive' Voter Fraud Case

Democrats Charged in 'Massive' Voter Fraud Case - Voter Fraud - Fox Nation
"A 59-page, 116-count indictment charges Troy Democratic City Councilman Michael LoPorto and Edward McDonough, Democratic Commissioner of the Rensselaer County Board of Elections, with forgery and criminal possession of a forged instrument."

BJ's Dick's Stores Are A Match Made In Heaven

BJ's Dick's Stores Are A Match Made In Heaven someecards.com
"Two retail stores with sexual tension"

Republicans embrace Obama rail initiative

Republicans embrace Obama rail initiative - The Hill's Blog Briefing Room
"Key Republicans are embracing a major spending initiative outlined in President Obama's State of the Union address"

Expose them!
Defeat them!

Obama infects federal work forces with 'British disease'

Obama infects federal work forces with 'British disease' Examiner Editorial Editorials Washington Examiner
"Britain's economy nearly came to a standstill in the late 1970s as a result of a contagion known as the British disease -- endless work stoppages, slowdowns and strikes called by militant trade unions.
Company owners and managers had to secure prior approval from union bosses before carrying out even the most routine workplace tasks.
As a result, productivity plummeted, and exports of once-popular British products like cars and motorcycles dropped sharply or disappeared entirely.
Economic growth stagnated, investors fled overseas, and the country's standard of living declined.
The fever was broken only after voters awarded Margaret Thatcher with a massive Tory landslide in 1979.
She then 'broke' the unions during the ensuing miners strike, enabling her to push major reforms through Parliament, including new limits on trade unionism and its power in the management of British firms

Sadly, an executive order signed by President Obama in 2009 has injected a massive dose of the British disease into the daily operation of the federal government.
Executive Order 13522 is innocuously titled "Creating Labor-Management Forums to Improve Delivery of Government Services."
The reality is that the only thing improved will be the ability of federal employee union bosses to tell managers of government departments and agencies what they can and cannot do.
What makes this an even more extraordinary turn of events, however, is the fact the Obama administration has empowered union bosses to exercise this new power behind closed doors without fear of exposure via the Freedom of Information Act."

Experts: Cell phone networks fall short of 4G standards

Experts: Cell phone networks fall short of 4G standards detnews.com The Detroit News
"While fourth-generation networks are slightly faster than third-generation — 3G — networks, they fall short of true 4G speeds, according to an international group that sets cell phone standards.
They are more like 3.5G networks."

Saturday, January 29, 2011

Instapundit » Blog Archive » ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Why ARE women’s breasts getting bigger?

Instapundit » Blog Archive » ANSWERING THE IMPORTANT QUESTIONS: Why ARE women’s breasts getting bigger?

UPDATE: Reader Arthur Lueck writes: “While I am not the most religious sort, I think the reason is clear:
God loves us and want us to be happy.”"

Egypt: Three Possible Outcomes

Pajamas Media » Egypt: Three Possible Outcomes
"Egypt: Three Possible Outcomes
It might be the entire Western position in the Middle East that is swept away, and one dictatorship might be replaced by a worse one.
I hope this analysis is wrong;
I fear that it is accurate"

Chilling!

Obama school choicer?..not!

TOTAL GLEES Chicks On The Right
"You know what’s completely awesome?
When Obama touts the success of something in his SOTU, only to have to discover later that the reason for the success of that something is because that something did the EXACT OPPOSITE of what Obama would normally support.

Case in point.
In his SOTU, Obama shone a spotlight on the Bruce Randolph School in Denver.

“Take a school like Bruce Randolph in Denver,” he said. “Three years ago, it was rated one of the worst schools in Colorado. Last May, 97 percent of seniors received their diploma.”

Total success story, right?
But here’s why.
Five years after it opened, that school was given permission by the state to run completely autonomously – free from district and more importantly, UNION rules.

And then, in the most brilliant move ever, the principal made every teacher reapply for his/her job.
A grand total of SIX made the cut.

Try THAT in a union setting.
The school also transitioned from being only a middle school to a school for students ranging from 6th through 12th grade."

Get Internet Access When Your Government Shuts It Down

Get Internet Access When Your Government Shuts It Down - PCWorld
"These days, no popular movement goes without an Internet presence of some kind, whether it's organizing on Facebook or spreading the word through Twitter.
And as we've seen in Egypt, that means that your Internet connection can be the first to go.
Whether you're trying to check in with your family, contact your friends, or simply spread the word, here are a few ways to build some basic network connectivity when you can't rely on your cellular or landline Internet connections."

Unions make up 40 percent of employees exempted from Obamacare

Unions make up 40 percent of employees exempted from Obamacare David Freddoso Beltway Confidential Washington Examiner
"It is worth noting that there are 166 union benefits funds now exempted from this requirement, which account for about 40 percent of the exempted workers.
This means that although there are only 14.6 million unionized employees in the United States, and 860,000 of them are already exempted from this provision of Obamacare."

Wayne superintendent's $1M retirement package creates storm

Wayne superintendent's $1M retirement package creates storm The Indianapolis Star IndyStar.com
"Thompson, 64, who retired in December after 15 years with the district, already has received more than $800,000 of his retirement deal, which included a year's base pay at more than $225,000, as well as contract provisions that kicked in hundreds of thousands more.
But that's not all"

Muskegon to honor former Congressman Pete Hoekstra at Feb. 10 event

Muskegon to honor former Congressman Pete Hoekstra at Feb. 10 event MLive.com
"The local delayed farewell celebration for former U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra has been scheduled for Feb. 10 at the offices of Revel, 900 Third, Suite 200.
The Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce gathering for the 18-year outgoing congressman from Michigan's 2nd District was postponed in December because of lame duck sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives.
The Feb. 10 event from 4:30-6:30 p.m."

Friday, January 28, 2011

ORIGINAL Santa Cruz Girl video

Draft EPA report: Biofuels threaten habitat, water quality

Draft EPA report: Biofuels threaten habitat, water quality - The Hill's E2-Wire
"A draft Environmental Protection Agency report concludes that expanded production of renewable fuels like ethanol and biodiesel carries an array of ecological risks in the U.S. and other nations, and calls for improved policies to mitigate these harms."

Obama channeling Reagan? Hardly

EDITORIAL: Obama channeling Reagan? Hardly - Washington Times
"Time Magazine asserted this week that “there is no mistaking Obama‘s increasing reliance on [Mr. Reagan’s] career as a helpful template for his own.” Just to keep this preposterous public relations ploy in perspective, we have compiled a handy list to remind people how little these two men have in common"

The United States Of Shame Map

The United States Of Shame Map someecards.com
"A map of what every state should be most ashamed of."

Twilight Landing At LAX (Cockpit View)

Thursday, January 27, 2011

Muskegon to honor former Congressman Pete Hoekstra at Feb. 10 event

Muskegon to honor former Congressman Pete Hoekstra at Feb. 10 event MLive.com
"The local delayed farewell celebration for former U.S. Congressman Pete Hoekstra has been scheduled for Feb. 10 at the offices of Revel, 900 Third, Suite 200.

The Muskegon Area Chamber of Commerce gathering for the 18-year outgoing congressman from Michigan's 2nd District was postponed in December because of lame duck sessions of the U.S. House of Representatives.

The Feb. 10 event from 4:30-6:30 p.m. hosted by the Muskegon marketing firm is sponsored by L3 Combat Propulsion Systems.
It is a chamber Business After Hours event that is open to the public."

Gafftastic! Joe Biden stops by battery plant, calls Ener1 plant "Enron One," gets the gender of an Indiana Senator wrong

theblogprof: Gafftastic! Joe Biden stops by battery plant, calls Ener1 plant "Enron One," gets the gender of an Indiana Senator wrong

Major bozo alert...as if we needed any more.....

A SUGGESTION FROM MICKEY KAUS: Shouldn’t Republicans hold hearings on the general threat of Putinlike corporatism?

A SUGGESTION FROM MICKEY KAUS: Shouldn’t Republicans hold hearings on the general threat of Putin…

"Shouldn’t Republicans hold hearings on the general threat of Putin-like corporatism—i.e., an insidious alliance between big government and favored corporate and labor interests?

a) They could call GE CEO Jeffrey Immelt to testify and embarrass him about the myriad ways in which his slightly creepy role as CEO and presidential adviser might allow him to benefit his company and squash competitors;

b) They could grill the various regulators who might be tempted to favor the auto manufacturers that the government bailed out (and which, in GM’s case, it still owns about a third of).
Maybe some GM competitors would even be brave enough to testify.
(Exhibit No. 23: Will GM and Chrysler claim all the remaining billions of “green” retooling loan money from Obama’s Department of Energy? Entrepreneurial startups need not apply?)

c) They could question whether these bureaucrats and others are also doing favors for other Obama constituencies, like labor unions, or Google;

d) They’d appear transpartisan–this is an issue where left and right populists unite.
Do they love corporate-government alliances at Daily Kos?
It’s also one of the legitimate worries at the heart of TeaPartyism.

e) Hearings might help."

Federal Money Hasn't Bought Better Schools

Federal Money Hasn't Bought Better Schools - Investors.com
"American test scores and graduation rates are stagnant.
One in 10 high schools is a dropout factory.
And our students' performance in one of the most prestigious global math competitions has been so abysmal that the U.S. simply withdrew altogether."

First Lady Asks Businesses to Allow Employees to Spend Part of Work Week Mentoring Youth

First Lady Asks Businesses to Allow Employees to Spend Part of Work Week Mentoring Youth CNSnews.com
"First lady Michelle Obama on Tuesday said she was “thrilled” to announce a new program that asks U.S. businesses to allow employees to spend part of the work day volunteering with young people.
The program will be run by the federal agency tasked with overseeing volunteerism in the United States."

This is NUTS!
Since when does the government "ask" companies to do anything?

The 12 Worst Colleges For Free Speech

Greg Lukianoff: The 12 Worst Colleges For Free Speech
"In 2008, Michigan State University (MSU) was added to FIRE's Red Alert list after it punished student government leader Kara Spencer for e-mailing a carefully chosen list of faculty members to express concern about a proposal to shorten the academic year (without reducing tuition, of course).
Spencer was found guilty of 'spamming,' and following a national outcry--13 civil liberties organizations sent MSU an open letter protesting the decision--MSU dropped the charges.
Unfortunately, the school then enacted an overbroad spam policy even worse than the one used against Spencer.
As a result, every MSU student remains at risk of being punished for 'spamming'--simply for sending more than 10 friends, classmates, or faculty the same unsolicited e-mail within 48 hours."

We're # 7!

Public Employee Unions: Public Enemy No. 1?

Public Employee Unions: Public Enemy No. 1? - Capital Journal - WSJ
"“We have a new privileged class in America,” Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels told Politico.
We used to think of government workers as underpaid public servants.
Now they are better paid than the people who pay their salaries.”"

Soldiers Seize Drug Slingshot on US-Mexico Border

Soldiers Seize Drug Slingshot on US-Mexico Border
"In what seems like a scene straight out of a Monty Python movie, Mexican soldiers seized a giant catapult believed to have been used to fling drugs across the U.S.-Mexico border."

Video: Actor Danny Glover Blames Conservatives for Tucson Tragedy

theblogprof: Video: Actor Danny Glover Blames Conservatives for Tucson Tragedy

Keep in mind that this same actor that blamed global warming for Haiti's earthquake last year.

Wednesday, January 26, 2011

Quantitative Easing Explained

President Barack Granholm |

President Barack Granholm themichiganview.com The Michigan View
"Granholm envisioned a transformation of Michigan from Rust Belt to 'Green Belt' with massive, European-like, public investments in infrastructure and alternative energy.

'In five years, you'll be blown away,' she predicted in what would become her signature line.

Ironically, thousands of state jobs were blown away as Granholm's vision diverted pols' attention from much-needed reforms to the state's budget and business climate.
Since her speech in 2006, the state's unemployment rate has exploded from 7.4 percent to 11.4."

Muskegon has a new "Sustainability Coordinator"!

Isn't that nice.....
http://muskegontaxpayers.blogspot.com/2011/01/yikes-i-almost-forgot-this-gem.html

Selective Thoughts

Selective Thoughts - Bruce Bialosky - Townhall Conservative
"Of the wealthiest zip codes in the U.S., 19 out of 20 vote Democratic.
How much longer can the Dems continue the lie of representing the interests of the common man?

What they represent is the interest of those who can take advantage of government in the most selfish manner."

Report Says Rate of Illegal Immigration into US at Lowest Level in Two Decades

Report Says Rate of Illegal Immigration into US at Lowest Level in Two Decades
"The Pew report is based mostly on census data.
The center estimated the number of illegal immigrants by subtracting the number of legal, documented immigrants from the total number of foreign-born people living in the country, it said."

Gotta love "reports" by groups that use census data that specifically precludes asking about an individuals immigration status.

Ain't studies great?

City officials float the idea of regional taxation in Michigan

City officials float the idea of regional taxation in Michigan MLive.com
"League officials said Wednesday said cities can’t join together to provide shared services without changes in state law that currently require employees to be paid at the highest rate provided by a unit of government participating in the merger.

Cities also want the authority to eliminate the December billing and consolidate all property tax collections in the summer.

Another measure would amend state binding arbitration law so that in resolving impasses with police and fire unions, an arbitrator would have to consider a city’s ability to pay."

Obama’s Spending “Freeze” 

Obama’s Spending “Freeze” NetRight Daily
"But alas, Obama did not propose reining in the nation’s unsustainable entitlement obligations.
Net spending will increase every year on end under his proposals, until one day the public treasury will no longer be able to sustain it."

YOU WANT A “SPUTNIK MOMENT?” HERE’S YOUR FREAKIN’ SPUTNIK MOMENT: US Budget Deficit to Pass $1.5 Trillion!

Instapundit » Blog Archive » YOU WANT A “SPUTNIK MOMENT?” HERE’S YOUR FREAKIN’ SPUTNIK MOMENT: US Budget Deficit to Pass $1.5 Trillion

This is really scary too.
Where’s the serious response?
And no, more of the same doesn’t count.
A 5% across the board spending cut — real year-over-year cutting, not a cut against projected growth — would only barely begin to count as serious.
Freezes and other flimflams don’t count at all
.

U.S. Manufacturing: Output vs. Jobs Since 1975

U.S. Manufacturing: Output vs. Jobs Since 1975 Mercatus
"This week, Veronique de Rugy examines changes in employment and productivity in the American manufacturing sector.

Since 1975, manufacturing output has more than doubled, while employment in the sector has decreased by 31%.
While these American job losses are indeed sobering, they are not an indication of declining U.S. competitiveness.

In fact, these statistics reveal that the average American manufacturer is over three times more productive today than they were in 1975 – a sure sign of economic progress."

Abercrombie Admits There Are No Obama Birth Records In Hawaii

How NAACP concealed George Washington

How NAACP concealed George Washington
"'The NAACP's hypocrisy, and the double standard of the media, reared their ugly heads yet again.
This time, it's South Carolina.
The event is the MLK 'King Day at the Dome' hosted by the South Carolina NAACP.'


'They literally built a (15-foot wooden) box and covered (all but the backside of) the statue of President George Washington for the duration of their event. … Naturally, the media are absolutely silent on this matter' (italics added)."

Lucious dismissal latest twist in MSU saga

Lucious dismissal latest twist in MSU saga - College Basketball Nation Blog - ESPN
"Late Tuesday night, as Tom Izzo released a statement revealing his dismissal of his starting guard for 'conduct detrimental to the program,'
Lucious himself reacted to the news on his Twitter account.
His tweet -- bound to enter Michigan State lore, and already generating some rather hilarious 140-character comedy -- was simply this: 'Man did I really mess up this time...off 2 the gym I go!'"

Tuesday, January 25, 2011

Rick Comley to retire at end of season

Rick Comley to retire at end of season
@LisaByington: #msu announces retirement of Rick Comley at end of season."

BIG!

Champion News

Champion News
"We have an example of an $189,000/yr music teacher who pulls down a $130,000 pension at age 55 after contributing less than a self-employed music teacher would contribute to Social Security for a pension of $21,000 at age 62 here: Teacher Contributes Less for His $130K Pension Than You Do for Your $21K Social Security.

Here's a story of a $75,000/yr kindergarten teacher with a pension of $155,000/yr.
Pension Insanity: $75,000 Salary Turns Into $155,000 Pension for One Kindergarten Teacher.

Or how about a $1 million dollar payout for two high school teachers to retire early?

$1 Million Payout to Two Teachers Proves Schools Should Pay for Pensions, Not the State.

And finally this one explains why pensions cost so much: Teacher's 41% Salary Increase Costs Taxpayers $1.3 Million in Extra Pension Payments."

Public Employee Union Benefits Are a Fiscal Disaster

Public Employee Union Benefits Are a Fiscal Disaster - US News and World Report
"state and local workers now earn an average of $14 more per hour in wages and benefits than their private sector counterparts.

In general, the average state government worker reaps retirement benefits several times richer than a counterpart in the private sector, a critical reason why public pension costs have become unsustainable.

For example, state and local governments contributed $3.04 per hour toward each employee's retirement in 2007, according to U.S. Labor Department figures, while private employers paid 92 cents an hour.
.....The most egregious issue is pensions.
Many state workers can retire in their mid-50s on close to full pay and, therefore, can receive pensions for more years than they have worked, even though they are young enough to take another job.
In this sense, public sector pensions have created a new class of millionaires.
Take a pension's present value; that is how much cash you would need to buy an annuity making payments equal to the pension.
In many cases, you would find the cash needed would be well into seven figures.
And these calculations don't even include the value of retiree healthcare benefits, which for many retirees vastly exceed those in the private sector.
In a number of states, these benefits include health insurance approximating $14,000 per year for family coverage, which is exempt from taxation.


"

Liberals trying to draft Keith Olbermann for Joe Lieberman's Senate seat

Liberals trying to draft Keith Olbermann for Joe Lieberman's Senate seat - The Hill's Ballot Box
"Liberals want Keith Olbermann to run for retiring Connecticut Sen. Joe Lieberman's (I-Conn.) seat"

New Bill Aimed at Easing Fees, Regulations and Licensing Imposed on Businesses

New Bill Aimed at Easing Fees, Regulations and Licensing Imposed on Businesses [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"MacMaster said constituents asked him why their licensing fees were increasing.
“I couldn’t give them an honest answer,” he said.
“Our government doesn’t need to be increasing those fees to feed our spending.
The cuts should come from the government, not with their fees going up.”"

This guy gets it too!

Missouri Ahead of the Game in Dealing with Illegal Immigrants

Missouri Ahead of the Game in Dealing with Illegal Immigrants
"In 2007, the Missouri General Assembly approved HJR 7 to place on the ballot a proposed constitutional amendment designating English as the official language of Missouri.

.......Another measure that directly addresses the issue of illegal immigration was passed in 2008.
HB 1549 requires our Highway Patrol and other law enforcement officials to verify the immigration status of any person arrested, and inform federal authorities if the person is found to be here illegally. It also allows Missouri law enforcement officers to receive training to enforce federal immigration laws.

.......2009 saw another significant piece of legislation passed dealing with illegal immigration.
HB 390 ensures Missouri’s public institutions of higher education do not award financial aid to individuals who are here illegally. "

If only EVERY state did the same.........

Fed Likely to Press On With QE Even as Business Lending Rises

Fed Likely to Press On With QE Even as Business Lending Rises - Bloomberg
"Since reducing its target federal funds rate to near zero in December 2008, the central bank has used its balance sheet as a monetary policy tool.
Its assets have tripled to $2.43 trillion from $873 billion in February 2008."

Monday, January 24, 2011

Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance

Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance

A bunch of new posts!

Plus big meetings tomorrow!

STANLEY KURTZ: Tucson, Piven and the Left’s Strategic Blunder

Instapundit » Blog Archive » STANLEY KURTZ: Tucson, Piven and the Left’s Strategic Blunder.
“The hope of silencing Beck in the wake of Tucson has lured the left into a strategic blunder.
They’ve decided to turn Piven into a martyr.
Yet in doing so the left has tied itself to Piven’s wild writings and over-the-top radicalism.
Dreier acts as though Piven’s scholarly work is somehow different from the calls for rioting, crisis, and polarization in her two notorious Nation articles.
Actually, Piven’s scholarly writings are worse. . . . A quarter century later the Nation has embraced Piven’s call for Euro-style rioting in America, allowing her to speak with the magazine’s editorial voice.
It’s not Beck who’s tarring the left with the brush of Piven’s radicalism.
They’re doing it to themselves.”

Related, from Ann Althouse:

Do academics mean to have influence or not?
Are we supposed to think of them as oversmart flakes who are tucked away in institutions where they won’t screw up real life for the rest of us?
Because that’s the only way in which it makes sense to portray Glenn Beck as the villain.

He took an academic seriously, as if she meant what she said and expected real people to hear and act.

Indeed. And one of Althouse’s comments suggests that the logic of blaming Beck is this: “Because if Americans learn the truth of what the Left really is, they’ll want to shoot them.”

Thus, accurate quotes are an incitement to violence!"

MLive.com Muskegon Forum

MLive.com Muskegon Forum
29356. are we ALL birthers?

by muskigordo, 01/24/11 4:02 PM

Does simply asking the democrat governor who promised to end these questions to produce the document make me a birther?

Does greeb and his ilk simply not care?

They just trust the guy who lied about everything to get elected?

http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/2011/01/wh-birthers-arent-rational.html"

"Big Sugar" Cartel Cost Consumers $4.5B Last Year

CARPE DIEM: "Big Sugar" Cartel Cost Consumers $4.5B Last Year
"In a recent Wall Street Journal letter titled “The Sugar Program Makes Sense,” the American Sugar Alliance’s chief economist claimed that “sugar policy operates at no cost to the government and is projected to do so for the next decade.”

While it’s true that U.S. sugar producers haven’t tapped American taxpayers directly since the beet sugar farmers raked in more than $240 million in farm subsidy payments from 2000 to 2005, U.S. sugar policy did force American consumers to pay out $4.5 billion last year in higher sugar prices to support the “Big Sugar” cartel."

W.H.: 'Birthers' aren't 'rational'

W.H.: 'Birthers' aren't 'rational' POLITICO 44
"Gibbs snuck a jab at the so-called birthers who don’t believe Obama was born in Hawaii. “I think rational people have -- have long ago, many when they first heard and saw the president, come to the conclusion of his citizenship,” he said."

OK.
I'm not a birther, Obama is president after all.

But when a democrat ex-congressman and now governor of Barry's birth state, publicly promises to produce the "holy grail" of the anti-birthers and then presents an unbelievable "it's there but we can't find it but trust us it's there" explanation......well.......

What's a normal American to think?

Something sure does smell stinky in Obama-land.

Three SEIU Locals--Including Chicago Chapter--Waived From Obamacare Requirement

Three SEIU Locals--Including Chicago Chapter--Waived From Obamacare Requirement CNSnews.com
"Three local chapters of the Service Employees International Union (SEIU), whose political action committee spent $27 million supporting Barack Obama in the 2008 presidential election, have received temporary waivers from a provision in the Obamacare law.

The three SEIU chapters include the Local 25 in Obama’s hometown of Chicago."

Title IX backlash: Girls basketball loses crowds when boys play first

Title IX backlash: Girls basketball loses crowds when boys play first MLive.com
"That type of scene has played out in Friday night doubleheaders across West Michigan this winter.
This season is the first to see the effect of the OK Conference’s decision to have the boys play first — crowds that drop off by 80 percent or more for the girls."

Big SURPRISE!
Right?
Everyone saw this coming but the feminists who care not for women and girls, just power, won again.
Thanks NOW and your democrat friends in Michigan government.
Fro nothing!

One-Fifth of House Freshmen Sleep in Offices

One-Fifth of House Freshmen Sleep in Offices - CBS Evening News - CBS News
"THE LIST
Freshmen Members of the U.S. House of Representatives sleeping in their Washington, D.C., offices:"
including our own:
Bill Huizenga (MI-2nd), 41

Why Does The U.S. Still Give China Aid? - Investors.com

Editorial: Why Does The U.S. Still Give China Aid? - Investors.com
"U.S. aid, at $65 million a year, is relatively small thanks to sanctions imposed following Beijing's 1989 military crackdown on pro-democracy demonstrators at Tiananmen Square.
Still, why are we sending China any succor at all?"

H&H Photos: Wildlife Today

H&H Photos: Wildlife Today
"Today I saw a little of everything, owls, eagles, ducks, geese and more.
I saw lots of swans by they were such comics so I will post them on a page of their own.
Susie"

Great shots, all local, from Susie!

Kyle Olson on FNC



Muskegon's Kyle Olson exposing the big education unions!

Sunday, January 23, 2011

HAWAII GROUND REPORT: Could Hawaiian Governor Neil Abercrombie not be as incompetent and foolish as he appears, but orchestrating a deliberate birth certificate recovery dead end to cover his own papakole?

HAWAII GROUND REPORT
Could Hawaiian Governor Neil Abercrombie not be as incompetent and foolish as he appears, but orchestrating a deliberate birth certificate recovery dead end to cover his own papakole?
UPDATED: Mystery solved!
Reason Obama will not release birth certificate is because his name is legally written “Barry Soetoro” on it."

Beware of Bureaucrats Bearing Gifts

Pajamas Media » Beware of Bureaucrats Bearing Gifts
"Raymund Paredes, the überbureaucrat heading the Texas Higher Ed Coordinating Board (THECB), has proposed that the state legislature hold state universities accountable.
When a bureaucrat asks us to hold him “accountable” in certain ways, we can count on the fact that he and his cronies have figured out how to game the offered accountability mechanism.
That’s certainly the case with the latest “accountability” proposal from the higher ed establishment.

What is it that we are supposed to hold the universities accountable for?
Answer: raising the graduation rates.
Who decides whether a student has earned the right to graduate?
The very institutions to be held accountable for his graduation.
As Homer Simpson would put it, DOH"

Breaking News: Detroit Police Commander Shot

Breaking News: Detroit Police Commander Shot
"He walked into the police station on Warwick and Plymouth alone and opened fire.
He was shot and killed at the scene."

Gotta love the "quality" of Detroit bad guys.

Instapundit »SO, HOW’S THAT “SMART DIPLOMACY” GOING?

SO, HOW’S THAT “SMART DIPLOMACY” GOING? “Chinese Pianist Plays Propaganda Tune at White House
"SO, HOW’S THAT “SMART DIPLOMACY” GOING? “Chinese Pianist Plays Propaganda Tune at White House:

US humiliated in eyes of Chinese by song used to inspire anti-Americanism.”
This seems like quite an expression of contempt toward one’s hosts.
It’s certainly quite a slap in the face to Obama, and a demonstration that our State Department remains not ready for primetime.

On the other hand, it should remove any shreds of guilt I might otherwise feel when China dissolves into civil war after we default on our bonds. . . ."

"Kids Aren't Cars" trailer - kidsarentcars.com

Fraud plagues global health fund backed by celebrities

Fraud plagues global health fund backed by celebrities - Health - Health care - More health news - msnbc.com
"A $21.7 billion development fund backed by celebrities and hailed as an alternative to the bureaucracy of the United Nations sees as much as two-thirds of some grants eaten up by corruption, The Associated Press has learned."

Only 2/3 ripped off?
I'd say that's a giant improvement over the UN!

Voodoo economics? Tote up the jobs from Obama's stimulus

Voodoo economics? Tote up the jobs from Obama's stimulus Examiner Editorial Editorials Washington Examiner
"In fact, job creation exceeded the White House's expectations in only one area: The District of Columbia created almost twice as many jobs as the White House anticipated.
In other words, thanks to the stimulus, the only sector creating new jobs is the federal government"

The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans

The World from The Hill: U.N. funding an early target for House Republicans - TheHill.com
"A key House Republican is quickly pressing forward with her goals to scale back U.S. funding for the United Nations."

A very satisfying start!

Hitler Finds Out That Olbermann Has Been Fired



Wait til Adolf finds out KrazyKeith quit cuz he wanted more money!

And there ain't no place for him to get a job with more lucre than he got from the Obama Network....bummer Keith...

(thanks to Z)

Walmart vs the morons

A timely e-mail that's going around:
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/41221369/ns/business-us_business

Subject: Wal-Mart vs. The Morons

Wal-Mart vs. The Morons
1. Americans spend $36,000,000 at Wal-Mart every hour of every day.

2. This works out to $20,928 profit every minute!
3. Wal-Mart will sell more from January 1 to St. Patrick's Day (March 17th) than Target sells all year.
4. Wal-Mart is bigger than Home Depot + Kroger + Target +Sears + Costco + K-Mart combined.
5. Wal-Mart employs 1.6 million people, is the world's largest private employer, and most speak English.
6. Wal-Mart is the largest company in the history of the world.
7. Wal-Mart now sells more food than Kroger and Safeway combined, and keep in mind they did this in only fifteen years.
8. During this same period, 31 big supermarket chains sought bankruptcy.
9. Wal-Mart now sells more food than any other store in the world.
10. Wal-Mart has approx 3,900 stores in the USA of which 2,906 are Super Centers; this is 1,000 more than it had five years ago.
11. This year 7.2 billion different purchasing experiences will occur at Wal-Mart stores. (Earth's population is approximately 6.5 Billion.)
12. 90% of all Americans live within fifteen miles of a Wal-Mart.
13. Wal-Mart has gross sales that total more than the total revenue of all the countries in the world, except 6.
You may think that I am complaining, but I am really laying the ground work for suggesting that MAYBE we should hire the guys who run Wal-Mart to fix the economy.

This should be read and understood by all Americans Democrats, Republicans, EVERYONE!!

To the President and all 535 voting members of the Legislature, both parties. It is now official you are ALL corrupt morons:

a.. The U.S. Postal Service was established in 1775. You have had 234 years to get it right and it is broke.

b.. Social Security was established in 1935. You have had 74 years to get it right and it is broke.

c.. Fannie Mae was established in 1938. You have had 71 years to get it right and it is broke.

d.. War on Poverty started in 1964. You have had 45 years to get it right; $1 trillion of our money is confiscated each year and transferred to "the poor" and they only w ant more.

e.. Medicare and Medicaid were established in 1965. You have had 44 years to get it right and they are broke.

f.. Freddie Mac was established in 1970. You have had 39 years to get it right and it is broke.

g.. The Department of Energy was created in 1977 to lessen our dependence on foreign oil. It has ballooned to 16,000 employees with a budget of $24 billion a year and we import more oil than ever before. You had 32 years to get it right and it is an abysmal failure.

You have FAILED in every "government service" you have shoved down our throats while overspending our tax dollars.

AND YOU WANT AMERICANS TO BELIEVE YOU CAN BE TRUSTED WITH A GOVERNMENT-RUN HEALTH CARE SYSTEM ?? YOU THINK YOU CAN RUN THE AUTO INDUSTRY.... THE BANKING SYSTEM?????

MAYBE WE OUGHT TO KICK YOUR EGG-HEAD BUDDY BUMS OUT OF OFFICE AND HIRE WALMART TO RUN THE GOVERNMENT ???

WALMART SEEMS TO KNOW HOW TO RUN A BUSINESS.......WHY DON'T YOU GUYS JUST ADMIT IT'S WAY BEYOND YOUR PAY GRADE, AND QUIT?

"You can't fix stupid, but you can vote it out."

15 Funny Exam Answers

15 Funny Exam Answers - Oddee.com

Federal agency to spearhead new drug-development center

Federal agency to spearhead new drug-development center - The Denver Post
"The Obama administration has become so concerned about the slowing pace of new drugs coming out of the pharmaceutical industry that officials have decided to start a billion-dollar government drug development center to help create medicines."

The Left’s Piggy Bank?

The Left’s Piggy Bank? [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"New report shows the National Education Association to be a cash cow for many liberal causes"

Saturday, January 22, 2011

The Left's Tucson Strategy: Stage Two

Power Line - The Left's Tucson Strategy: Stage Two
"This is Orwellian on several levels.
It is Ms. Piven, not Glenn Beck, who explicitly defends violence, and comes perilously close to advocating it:"

Read this and see the future!

Scots attempt to overturn US ban on haggis

Scots attempt to overturn US ban on haggis - Telegraph
"Richard Lochhead, the Scottish Government's Rural Affairs Secretary, has invited a delegation of American politicians to Scotland in the hope of persuading them to overturn the ban."

Snowshoeing on Lake Michigan!

Well, even though the weenies at Hoffmaster (http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/2011/01/muskegon-weenies-rule.html) decided that snow, wind and cold are reasons to cancel a "SNOWSHOE Hike in WINTER" event, Honeybunch and me went out on our own and we didn't even die!

Oh my golly!

But is was cold, windy and snowy.

Who'd of guessed?

Instead of trekking between the soft and cozy mounds of fluff at Hoffmaster, we trudged along the beach at Pier Marquette Beach and even waved to the 3 Muskegon snowplowers that zipped by us as we crawled back to our car.

It was 20 degrees out, windy as heck and at least -269 degrees wind-chill-for-weenies.

A lovely day in our winter paradise that the wussies will only see in a "global warming" video.

Bummer dudes.

Turning on the Faculty - Inside Higher Ed

public_college_faculty_fear_loss_of_public_support
'The amount of populist resentment against public employees has magnified unbelievably in the last few years,'"

Vallejo Bankruptcy Plan Offers Unsecured Creditors 5-20%; JPMorgan CEO Forecasts More Municipal Bankruptcies; Bernanke Will Not Rescue Cities

Mish's Global Economic Trend Analysis Financial Discussion Blog:
Vallejo Bankruptcy Plan Offers Unsecured Creditors 5-20%;
JPMorgan CEO Forecasts More Municipal Bankruptcies;
Bernanke Will Not Rescue Cities

"Vallejo is using federal bankruptcy laws to stick it to unsecured creditors. Please consider Vallejo Plan Would Give Unsecured Creditors 5 to 20 Cents on the Dollar"

Wal-Mart In Unions' Cross Hairs

Wal-Mart In Unions' Cross Hairs - Investors.com
"Organized Labor: The union idea of civil discourse is to protest outside opponents' private homes.
Now union supporters are targeting a developer , with fliers showing a bull's-eye and his home address.

Cue the chirping crickets.
That will be the soundtrack for mainstream media reaction to the latest example of thuggery perpetrated by Wal-Mart opponents who are not happy that the non-union retailer wants to build a Wal-Mart-anchored development on the site of an abandoned Chevy dealership in Washington, D.C.

The development would employ up to 1,200 people in a city with 10.2% unemployment."

What The Heck Happened to the Anti-War Movement?

What The Heck Happened to the Anti-War Movement?
"Remember those hoary days of raucous protest when anti-war protesters sent thousands of people into the streets sometimes with only a days notice?
Now consider this: have you seen any of these giant protests since 2008 presidential election?"

Obama's Internet passport

EDITORIAL: Obama's Internet passport - Washington Times
"The White House cybersecurity adviser joined Commerce Secretary Gary Locke on Jan. 7 to announce what amounts to a national ID card for the Internet.

....Their plan is straightforward.
Instead of logging onto Facebook or one's bank using separate passwords established with each individual company or website, the White House will take the lead in developing what it calls an "identity ecosystem" that will centralize personal information and credentials.
This government-approved system would issue a smart card or similar device that would confirm an individual's identity when making online credit-card purchases, accessing electronic health care records, posting "anonymous" blog entries or even logging onto one's own home computer, according to administration documents."

Imagine if this was the Bush administration.

What is with libs who scream bloody murder at imagined swat teams in libraries but not a peep when the current regime wants into every computer and phone in the land?


It is not so frightening that Omama and his henchmen would concoct such a plan.
We've read their books and listened to their speeches.

What is terrifying is the entire MSM and all the usual free speech/privacy voices who went postal with the mild in comparison, Patriot Act are totally silent.


Does the left really prefer totalitarian government if it's run by Obama?


The perfect merge of the IRS and the thought police.

1984 anyone?

Friday, January 21, 2011

Olbermann gone!

Twitter / HowardKurtz: It is true. MSNBC contract ...
"It is true.
MSNBC contract has ended.
Olbermann is outta there.
Lawrence O'Donnell moves to 8, the Ed Show to 10"

Interesting in that Krazy Keith has the best non-Fox numbers of any cable host:
NEWS RACE
THURS. JAN. 20, 2011

FOXNEWS O'REILLY 2,918,000
FOXNEWS HANNITY 2,079,000
FOXNEWS BAIER 1,940,000
FOXNEWS SHEP 1,786,000
FOXNEWS BECK 1,780,000
FOXNEWS GRETA 1,460,000
MSNBC OLBERMANN 1,106,000
CNN PIERS 1,025,000
MSNBC MADDOW 976,000
MSNBC O'DONNELL 855,000
MSNBC SCHULTZ 760,000
CNN COOPER 740,000
MSNBC HARDBALL 700,000

The roots of Irish dancing



(thanks to Bonnie for this historical insight)

Accounting Tweak Could Save Fed From Losses

Accounting Tweak Could Save Fed From Losses - CNBC
"'Any future losses the Fed may incur will now show up as a negative liability as opposed to a reduction in Fed capital, thereby making a negative capital situation technically impossible,'"

Sort of like saying a 300 pound man is now "thin"?

What color of clothes is our new emperor now wearing?

Muskegon weenies rule!

DNR - P.J. Hoffmaster State Park Offers Snowshoe Hikes in January and February
"The Gillette Sand Dune Visitor Center at P.J. Hoffmaster State Park in Muskegon is offering guided snowshoe hikes on Saturdays, beginning Jan. 15 through Feb. 26, with a special moonlight hike offered Friday, Feb. 18, at 7 p.m."

Honeybunch and I have been cruising the eastern Caribbean the last few weeks and just returned so we were really excited to go on our first snowshoe trek this year.

Well, we checked it out and it's cancelled tomorrow because it's gonna be....cold!

Gimme a break!!!!

What a bunch of pussies!

I guess they're worried they'll be in some lib lawyer's crosshares! (bunny speak-we don't want to offend sensitive libs with "crosshairs")

We're goin' tomorrow anyway.

Good golly....

Grand Rapids not just sick, it's dying

Newsweek: Grand Rapids not just sick, it's dying MLive.com
"Grand Rapids landed in tough company Friday, as one of the top 10 dying U.S. cities.

The No. 10 rank was a blow for a city trying hard to be cool.

The latest massage of census data came from Newsweek magazine.

Who did we beat?
No. 9 Flint, No. 8 South Bend, and No. 7 Detroit.

No, duh."

So I guess it's a good thing Muskegon has less than 100,000 residents?

A bunch of new posts at MuskegonTaxpayersAlliance

Lotto winner, Senate poll, new Irish bar and more!
http://muskegontaxpayers.blogspot.com/

USDA Approves Green, Bio-Based Product Label

USDA Approves Green, Bio-Based Product Label : NPR
"SHOGREN: Companies already have introduced thousands of products made from plants or animals instead of petroleum.
That's because of a law that requires the federal government to buy such products if they exist and are affordable.

Mr. STEPHEN CENSKY (Chief Executive Officer, American Soybean Association): We probably would not see the growth of these products without this program.

......SHOGREN: Using bio-based products is supposed to reduce greenhouse gas emissions and dependence on foreign oil.
But, of course, lots of petroleum goes into fertilizers, tractors and irrigation machines.
The government isn't taking that into account when it decides whether a product qualifies for its new label."

State visit by China's President Hu Jintao yielded little in the way of trade concessions or commitment to human rights

State visit by China's President Hu Jintao yielded little in the way of trade concessions or commitment to human rights - NYPOST.com
"Yes, those were white bird feathers sticking out of the tiger's mouth at the lavish state dinner hosted by President Obama at the White House this week."

Kidman, Urban have 2nd child through surrogate

My Way News - Kidman, Urban have 2nd child through surrogate
"Nicole Kidman and Keith Urban have added a second daughter to their family, born through a surrogate mother."

Seriously, this new trend of "mothers" on the left to "experience" the gift of "motherhood" is sickening.

NewsBusted 1/18/11

Mitt Romney keeps away from Tea Party

Mitt Romney keeps away from Tea Party - The Boston Globe
"As the former Massachusetts governor lays the groundwork for a possible second presidential run, he has largely shunned Tea Party activists in key primary states"

Michigan Item Pricing Regulations Among Nation's Most Strict

Michigan Item Pricing Regulations Among Nation's Most Strict [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"Snyder called the “Item Pricing Law” an undue burden on retailers.

The law requires that most items on store shelves being sold be individually priced.

He asserted that the item-pricing law cost Michigan’s economy $2 billion dollars a year.

His office didn’t respond to a message left asking how they computed that $2 billion figure.

Tom Scott, senior vice president at the Michigan Retailers Association, said Michigan has the most restrictive item pricing law in the country."

Study: Michigan left turns are the right way to go

Study: Michigan left turns are the right way to go MLive.com
"Considering the study's findings that this traffic design results in a “20 percent overall reduction in travel time compared to similar intersections that use conventional traffic designs,”"

Maybe time to expand this idea?

Old media now asking about birth certificate

Old media now asking about birth certificate
"The New York Daily News apparently found the interview published Tuesday by the Honolulu Star-Advertiser reason to declare final victory over 'conspiracy theorists,' but ABC News featured a story on its website pointing out Abercrombie has not delivered the promised proof."

Black Devil - Moscow Ride on R1

France faces fine for neglecting its Great Hamster

France faces fine for neglecting its Great Hamster - Telegraph
"France is failing in its duty to protect the Great Hamster of Alsace, a cute fur-ball facing extinction with fewer than 200 remaining, the advocate-general of Europe's top court said on Thursday."

Thursday, January 20, 2011

Climate change study had 'significant error': experts

Climate change study had 'significant error': experts - Yahoo! News
"A climate change study that projected a 2.4 degree Celsius increase in temperature and massive worldwide food shortages in the next decade was seriously flawed, scientists said Wednesday.
The study was posted on the website of the American Association for the Advancement of Science and was written about by numerous international news agencies, including AFP.
But AAAS later retracted the study as experts cited numerous errors in its approach."

Wednesday, January 19, 2011

Deep layoffs hit struggling N.J. city

Deep layoffs hit struggling N.J. city - Washington Times
"Some firefighters turned in their helmets and police officers their badges Tuesday as part of deep municipal layoffs destined to further erode the quality of life in Camden, already one of the nation's most impoverished and crime-ridden cities.

About 335 workers, representing one-sixth of the local government work force, lost their jobs, according to Mayor Dana Redd.
It was worst in the public safety departments, where nearly half the police force and close to one-third of the city's firefighters were laid off."

Why the Left Hates Sarah Palin

American Thinker: Why the Left Hates Sarah Palin
"And what does the left do? They try to drag her through the mud to sully her. The hardcore among them want to eliminate her, even if this means putting her life at risk.

The progressives 'joke' about gang-rape, make pornographic movies about her, and leer at her legs. (Would any of this be tolerated against Michelle Obama?)

Palin's church was torched during the primary, a vicious crime that was hushed up by the MSM. And now, with the smears about Tucson, death threats against Palin have soared.

Yes, leftists attack Palin because they envy her beauty; and true, she's a political threat. But the main reason for the hatred is something deeper and darker.

Leftists loathe Palin because she has retained something that was stripped from them years ago: a wholesomeness, a purity of heart. People on the left despise Palin because she shines a bright light on their shame and unworthiness, which they try desperately to deny.

The progressives, like that brutal gang of abandoned girls, want to drag Palin down into the gutter with them; they want to spoil her. Of course, their efforts will be futile; Palin is fueled by a Spirit that isn't simply her own.

The left knows only how to point fingers, and threaten, and menace. Why? They are lost, abandoned children as well; they have shunned the only Force who could wash them clean and bring them home again."

Auto union wants to organize non-Big 3 plants

Auto union wants to organize non-Big 3 plants MLive.com
"The future of the United Auto Workers union is directly tied to its ability to sign up workers at U.S. plants owned by foreign-based car companies, the union's leader said Monday."

The damage has already begun

The damage has already begun - NYPOST.com
"Repeal of ObamaCare can't come soon enough -- as several damaging provisions are set to take effect this year.
For starters, it has effectively stopped the construction of physician-owned hospitals throughout the country.

Section 6001 of the health-care law required physician-owned hospitals to obtain their Medicare certification by the end of last year. Without it, they can't treat Medicare patients.
And the facilities needed to be open to get that certification.

So construction halted at 45 hospitals as the New Year arrived. Work on countless others will never start, having been effectively banned by ObamaCare. This will limit competition in the health-care marketplace, driving up costs for patients."

Hawaii governor can't find Obama birth certificate

Hawaii governor can't find Obama birth certificate
"Hawaii Gov. Neil Abercrombie suggested in an interview published today that a long-form, hospital-generated birth certificate for Barack Obama may not exist within the vital records maintained by the Hawaii Department of Health."

Tuesday, January 18, 2011

Disaster! Rick Snyder, Public-Sector Benefits

Rick Snyder, Public-Sector Benefits [Mackinac Center]
"Early indications are that our new governor is acting boldly and wisely in his attempt to right size Michigan’s fiscal ship.
That’s good news, and he should be applauded, in part due to the fact that he will need the moral support.
Why?
The budget is in worse shape than even he and members of the media have probably fathomed.

I’m not the first budget analyst to notice this, but I may be the first to say it out loud.

With the year’s first state revenue estimating conference scheduled for Jan. 14, it is time to flesh out a few important issues.

First, it could be argued that the widely reported and official state deficit estimate for the fiscal 2012 General Fund/General Purpose budget is understated by at least $200 million."

Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses

Amazon.com: Academically Adrift: Limited Learning on College Campuses
"In spite of soaring tuition costs, more and more students go to college every year.
A bachelor’s degree is now required for entry into a growing number of professions.
And some parents begin planning for the expense of sending their kids to college when they’re born.
Almost everyone strives to go, but almost no one asks the fundamental question posed by Academically Adrift: are undergraduates really learning anything once they get there?

For a large proportion of students, Richard Arum and Josipa Roksa’s answer to that question is a definitive no
.
Their extensive research draws on survey responses, transcript data, and, for the first time, the state-of-the-art Collegiate Learning Assessment, a standardized test administered to students in their first semester and then again at the end of their second year.
According to their analysis of more than 2,300 undergraduates at twenty-four institutions, 45 percent of these students demonstrate no significant improvement in a range of skills—including critical thinking, complex reasoning, and writing—during their first two years of college."

States Warned of $2 Trillion Pensions Shortfall

States Warned of $2 Trillion Pensions Shortfall - CNBC
"The severe US economic recession has cast a spotlight on years of fiscal mismanagement, including chronic underfunding of retirement promises.
“States face cost pressure, most prominently from retirement benefits and Medicaid [the health programme for the poor],” Orin Kramer told the Financial Times.
“One consequence is that asset sales and privatisation will pick up.
The very unfortunate consequence is that various safety nets for the most vulnerable citizens will be cut back.”"

Those who voted to spend us into local bankruptcy will be correctly blamed.
Those who trusted our local leaders to protect them will be betrayed.

The College Kids Aren't All Right, They're Depressed

The College Kids Aren't All Right, They're Depressed - ParentDish
"another recent study, conducted at Northwestern University, finds one out of every four or five students who visits a university health center for a routine cold or sore throat turns out to have undiagnosed depression"

Well duh.
Graduating with a worthless degree, no job prospects and owing tens of thousands of dollars.
Who wouldn't be depressed?
Government employees, university employees...and those nifty college counselors.
Oh yeah!

Woman from Fruitport allegedly used a fish to attack two men ice fishing in Norton Shores

Woman from Fruitport allegedly used a fish to attack two men ice fishing in Norton Shores MLive.com
"Gale said officers were called to the lake by one of the men who claimed they were assaulted by “a female wielding a fish.”"

Sunday, January 16, 2011

This Is No Reason For Reform

This Is No Reason For Reform - Investors.com
"Over and over we were told Washington had to take over health care because so many Americans lack insurance due to pre-existing medical conditions.

So how many fall into this category?
Try 8,000.
You read that right: In this nation of nearly 311 million, the Democrats overhauled the world's best health care system to benefit 8,000 people."

Friday, January 14, 2011

Qanta A. Ahmed: Fulfilling Our Duty as Muslim-Americans

Qanta A. Ahmed: Fulfilling Our Duty as Muslim-Americans - WSJ.com

"According to Islamic law, Muslims are obligated to three entities: the self, God and society.
This last has been overlooked too often by Muslims and their adopted societies."

Thursday, January 13, 2011

Balance from a bracelet? All in your head

Balance from a bracelet? All in your head The Australian
"SHAQUILLE O'Neal swears by them.
The Power Balance bracelet, he says, gives him a competitive edge on the court.
It's no gimmick, he says.
It's for real.
It may be for him, but Australian authorities say the California-based company behind the wildly popular wristbands and pendants has no business claiming that they improve balance, strength and flexibility.
And they even got Power Balance to admit it.
The company wrote: 'We admit that there is no credible scientific evidence that supports our claims.'
It also agreed to give refunds to customers who believe they were cheated."

YWCA drops the word Christian from its historic name to call itself Platform 51

YWCA drops the word Christian from its historic name to call itself Platform 51 Mail Online
"One of the country’s best-known charities has changed its name, losing the clearest link to its Christian roots.
The Young Women’s Christian Association has dropped its historic title after 156 years because ‘it no longer stands for who we are’.
Instead the organisation – which is mainly funded by legacies left by Christian supporters over 15 decades – will be known as ‘Platform 51’."

Wednesday, January 12, 2011

Electric Cars May Accelerate Global Warming

Electric Cars May Accelerate Global Warming - William Pentland - Clean Beta - Forbes
"The results, which appeared in a paper published in Energy Policy last Fall, found that for countries with dirty power supplies – like India and China – widespread adoption of electric vehicles could lead to more – not less – CO2 emissions compared to widespread adoption of gasoline based vehicles, unless dramatically less CO2 intensive."

Sunday, January 09, 2011

Another Day, Another Misleading Think Progress Headline

Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion: Another Day, Another Misleading Think Progress Headline
"Here is the quote from The Financial Times article as reprinted by Think Progress (bold in TP original, italics mine):

The excitement started even before the show when David H. Koch, the co-owner of Koch Industries, the largest privately-own industrial conglomerate in the US, came out on stage to talk about his $2.5m sponsorship of the production. Most people applauded but there were also boos from near where I sat in the balcony, followed by an angry debate in the row in front of me, with one of the booers declaring “he’s an evil man” and a couple next to her telling her to “shut up” and to leave the theatre. [...] Once Mr Koch had left the stage, the booing stopped and the ballet started.
So an event at which most people applauded Koch, but a small number of classless people booed, gets the headline 'Theater audience boos ....'"

Media Slow To Show WikiLeaks Justified Iraq War

Media Slow To Show WikiLeaks Justified Iraq War - HUMAN EVENTS
"The 2003 Iraq invasion by U.S. forces also launched a massive effort to find WMDs.
By late 2003, as determined in a review by a Wired Magazine editor of WikiLeaks documents on the issue, the Administration was losing faith WMDs would be found.
But, as Wired reports, the WikiLeaks documents clearly show 'for years afterward, U.S. troops continued to find chemical weapons labs, encounter insurgent specialists in toxins and uncover weapons of mass destruction. . . . Chemical weapons, especially, did not vanish from the Iraqi battlefield.
Remnants of Saddam's toxic arsenal, largely destroyed after the Gulf War, remained. Jihadists, insurgents and foreign (possibly Iranian) agitators turned to these stockpiles during the Iraq conflict — and may have brewed up their own deadly agents.'"

The Unveiling Of China's Raptor

The Unveiling Of China's Raptor - Investors.com
"While America has stopped production of its stealth fighter, China prepares to challenge U.S. air supremacy in the Western Pacific with its own."

Michigan Teacher Pay and Benefits

Michigan Teacher Pay and Benefits [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"Of all the funds spent on “instruction” in Michigan public schools in 2008, 28 percent went to employee fringe benefits.
Only five states devoted more of their resources to benefits; the national average was 22 percent."

Friday, January 07, 2011

As governments go broke, public employee unions must share the pain

As governments go broke, public employee unions must share the pain Washington Examiner
"Their situation could be quickly and dramatically improved 'with the stroke of a pen.'
But that stroke likely won't be taken for the state's school districts for the same reason it won't for Michigan's desperate localities -- public employee unions reflexively oppose cuts in their tax-funded compensation programs, including salaries, retirement and health benefits.
White estimates that as much as $300 million could be saved merely by requiring public school employees to pay for 20 percent of their health benefits -- they currently pay nothing.
By contrast, private-sector employees with company health plans pay a nationwide average of 26 percent, according to the Kaiser Family Foundation.
And Cooper says Hamtramck's police and firefighter unions have steadfastly refused to renegotiate pay and benefits contracts that eat up 60 percent of the city's annual budget.
'They kind of have the Cadillac plan, and we'd kind of like the Chevy,' he told the Times."

Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance

Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance: "law labels interns 'highly qualified teachers' - FoxNews.com
'Civil rights advocates are blasting new federal legislation that allows states to classify teaching interns as 'highly qualified'"

Thursday, January 06, 2011

Storm Warning

Storm Warning - By Andrew Stuttaford - The Corner - National Review Online
"The Swiss stopped accepting Greek bonds for repo on April 26 last year.
The changes were spotted last night by Irish researcher Lorcan Roche Kelly.
The change in relation to Irish government bonds had been made in December 2010 after ratings agencies cut Ireland’s rating to below ‘A’ status.
Very wise.
Best guess is that it’s only a matter of time before Ireland (and Greece) default, er, “restructure” their debt.
The trick will be to do this without creating a fresh crisis within a European banking system heavily exposed to those countries and, for that matter, to other heavily indebted countries now beginning to pay a real price for Brussels’ funny money"

John Edwards engaged to Rielle Hunter

Reports: John Edwards engaged to Rielle Hunter - Jennifer Epstein - POLITICO.com
"Former presidential candidate John Edwards is engaged to longtime mistress Rielle Hunter, according to a report."

Democrat ethics....right?

FACT CHECK: Mass bird, fish deaths occur regularly

My Way News - FACT CHECK: Mass bird, fish deaths occur regularly
"The reality, say biologists, is that these mass die-offs happen all the time and usually are unrelated.
Federal records show they happen on average every other day somewhere in North America.
Usually, we don't notice them and don't try to link them to each other."

Autism-vaccine study was 'fraud,' journal says

Autism-vaccine study was 'fraud,' journal says
"Wakefield had been confidentially paid hundreds of thousands of pounds (US dollars, euros) through a law firm under plans to launch 'class action' litigation against the vaccine."

Off with his head!

Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' British journal finds

Retracted autism study an 'elaborate fraud,' British journal finds - CNN.com
"A now-retracted British study that linked autism to childhood vaccines was an 'elaborate fraud' that has done long-lasting damage to public health, a leading medical publication reported Wednesday."

Wednesday, January 05, 2011

19 Democrats vote against Nancy Pelosi

19 Democrats vote against Nancy Pelosi - John Bresnahan and Jonathan Allen - POLITICO.com
"The first anti-Pelosi vote during the alphabetical roll call came from Rep. Jason Altmire (D-Pa.).
He rose to answer the call of his name and declared loudly and clearly “Heath Shuler!”
Shuler, who voted for himself, told POLITICO that Democrats will have to follow a more moderate path “if we’re going to go back out and win a majority.”"

Heath is in deep trouble with both parties.
How cool is that?

How to Defeat Obama

How to Defeat Obama - Dick Morris and Eileen McGann - Townhall Conservative
"The only way to break the deadlock and proceed with the urgent task of rolling back the Obama agenda is to use three key confrontations to do so:
-- The debt-limit extension.
-- The demands of states for more bailouts.
-- The 2012 budget."

Plagiarism Double Standards at Michigan State

Plagiarism Double Standards at Michigan State [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"The Mackinac Center for Public Policy claimed that Sharif Shakrani, senior scholar at the Education Policy Center at MSU and a professor of measurement and quantitative methods, plagiarized more than 800 words in a study titled “School District Consolidation Study in 10 Michigan Counties.”
Shakrani's report received widespread media attention last summer."

'One-man crimewave': Bag thief faces deportation for a FIFTH time - after we gave him £3,000 to go back to Algeria

'One-man crimewave': Bag thief faces deportation for a FIFTH time - after we gave him £3,000 to go back to Algeria Mail Online
"He has been branded a one-man crimewave. And despite all attempts at deportation, including being given £3,000 by the Government, he is still here.
Hakim Benmakhlouf, 29, a prolific thief is facing deportation for the fifth time after being arrested for stealing at Heathrow Airport."

European "public safety".
Do we want it here?