Power Line - Etheridge the Unready -- and his enablers
"Whoever the young interrogators of Rep. Etheridge, and whatever their motives, Etheridge unmistakably revealed that he is a bully and a nut."
Tuesday, June 15, 2010
Do laws even matter today?
Do laws even matter today? - USATODAY.com
"there seems to be a growing sense among many citizens that they are expected to play by the rules while others are exempt."
"there seems to be a growing sense among many citizens that they are expected to play by the rules while others are exempt."
Monday, June 14, 2010
America's Municipal Debt Racket
Steven Malanga: America's Municipal Debt Racket - WSJ.com
"New Jersey officials recently celebrated the selection of the new stadium in the Meadowlands sports complex as the site of the 2014 Super Bowl.
Absent from the festivities was any sense of the burden the complex has become for taxpayers.
Nearly 40 years ago the Garden State borrowed $302 million to begin constructing the Meadowlands.
The goal was to pay off the bonds in 25 years.
Although the project initially went according to plan, politicians couldn't resist continually refinancing the bonds, siphoning revenues from the complex into the state budget, and using the good credit rating of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition authority to borrow for other, unsuccessful building schemes.
Today, the authority that runs the Meadowlands is in hock for $830 million, which it can't pay back.
The state, facing its own cavernous budget deficits, has had to assume interest payments—about $100 million this year on bonds that still stretch for decades."
"New Jersey officials recently celebrated the selection of the new stadium in the Meadowlands sports complex as the site of the 2014 Super Bowl.
Absent from the festivities was any sense of the burden the complex has become for taxpayers.
Nearly 40 years ago the Garden State borrowed $302 million to begin constructing the Meadowlands.
The goal was to pay off the bonds in 25 years.
Although the project initially went according to plan, politicians couldn't resist continually refinancing the bonds, siphoning revenues from the complex into the state budget, and using the good credit rating of the New Jersey Sports and Exposition authority to borrow for other, unsuccessful building schemes.
Today, the authority that runs the Meadowlands is in hock for $830 million, which it can't pay back.
The state, facing its own cavernous budget deficits, has had to assume interest payments—about $100 million this year on bonds that still stretch for decades."
Ace of Spades HQ
Ace of Spades HQ
"President Obama is asking for $50 Billion to distribute to state and local governments to avoid public-sector employee layoffs. (And for 'public-sector employees', you can read 'SEIU and Teacher's Unions'.)
The GOP is sure to oppose it, but may not be able to stop a concerted Democratic push.
Bailing out the states (especially California) is going to take a lot more than a piddling $50 billion, of course.
The first tranche is simply to establish precedent."
"President Obama is asking for $50 Billion to distribute to state and local governments to avoid public-sector employee layoffs. (And for 'public-sector employees', you can read 'SEIU and Teacher's Unions'.)
The GOP is sure to oppose it, but may not be able to stop a concerted Democratic push.
Bailing out the states (especially California) is going to take a lot more than a piddling $50 billion, of course.
The first tranche is simply to establish precedent."
Tell Izzo how you feel in HAIKU...
Tell Izzo how you feel in HAIKU...
If Izzo Returns
My Girlfriend Will Be Tired
Cuz of My Boner
Hey, it's college dudes...dude....
If Izzo Returns
My Girlfriend Will Be Tired
Cuz of My Boner
Hey, it's college dudes...dude....
'Tea partyers' pushing to get new line on November ballot
'Tea partyers' pushing to get new line on November ballot Buffalo News
"Organizers of the 'tea party' movement are poised to mount a statewide petition drive in hopes of creating a new line on the November election ballot.
The goal is to give 'disaffected, aggravated, frustrated voters' an alternative to choosing from among the 'lesser of two evils,' Rus Thompson, leader of the local tea party, said Sunday in referring primarily to the major party nominees for governor, Democrat Andrew M. Cuomo and Republican Rick Lazio."
Political suicide!
"Organizers of the 'tea party' movement are poised to mount a statewide petition drive in hopes of creating a new line on the November election ballot.
The goal is to give 'disaffected, aggravated, frustrated voters' an alternative to choosing from among the 'lesser of two evils,' Rus Thompson, leader of the local tea party, said Sunday in referring primarily to the major party nominees for governor, Democrat Andrew M. Cuomo and Republican Rick Lazio."
Political suicide!
Clear signal: Boaters can operate U.S. Coast Guard's new foghorn system
Clear signal: Boaters can operate U.S. Coast Guard's new foghorn system MLive.com
"Sensors in the lighthouse used to detect the presence of fog and would activate the signal automatically to guide ships into port.
However, the sensors began malfunctioning as they grew older and continually became covered in spider webs, Salzmann said.
To activate the fog signal, boaters must tune their marine radio to channel 79A and depress the microphone five times."
OK, this system is better than nothing at all.
But why can't the USCG clean off the spider webs?
Sup wit dat?
"Sensors in the lighthouse used to detect the presence of fog and would activate the signal automatically to guide ships into port.
However, the sensors began malfunctioning as they grew older and continually became covered in spider webs, Salzmann said.
To activate the fog signal, boaters must tune their marine radio to channel 79A and depress the microphone five times."
OK, this system is better than nothing at all.
But why can't the USCG clean off the spider webs?
Sup wit dat?
Muskegon County board changes policy on public comment
Muskegon County board changes policy on public comment MLive.com
"The public will now be able to make comments to the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners during meetings at two separate parts of the agenda, including an opportunity to weigh in on items before commissioners vote on them."
A small, but important, victory for the little guys.
We can speak.
Will they listen?
"The public will now be able to make comments to the Muskegon County Board of Commissioners during meetings at two separate parts of the agenda, including an opportunity to weigh in on items before commissioners vote on them."
A small, but important, victory for the little guys.
We can speak.
Will they listen?
EPA classifies milk as oil, forcing costly rules on farmers
EPA classifies milk as oil, forcing costly rules on farmers MLive.com
"But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is classifying milk as oil because it contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil."
"But the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is classifying milk as oil because it contains a percentage of animal fat, which is a non-petroleum oil."
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