Due to ObamaCare, Nation's Largest Movie Theater Chain Cuts Employee Hours

Due to ObamaCare, Nation's Largest Movie Theater Chain Cuts Employee Hours:
"In a memo to employees, management was blunt:
“To comply with the Affordable Care Act, Regal had to increase our health care budget to cover those newly deemed eligible based on the law's definition of a full-time employee.”
Fox News reports that, as a result of cutting employees' work hours (which is, of course, the same as a pay cut), full-time Regal managers have resigned in "a wave" after their hours and pay checks were slashed by as much as twenty-five percent.

eye on muskegon 4-14-13

http://youtu.be/dgn494q8WS8

Lawsuit Alleges Wind Power A Threat To Health And Safety

Lawsuit Alleges Wind Power A Threat To Health And Safety [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
In 2008, then-Gov. Jennifer Granholm and the legislature mandated that 10 percent of the energy generated in Michigan come from alternative energy sources.
Although alternative energy sounded as though it included multiple sources, it largely means wind power. 

Experts have said no other alternative energy source could generate enough energy to provide a semblance of meeting the 10 percent quota.
The term “semblance” is used because less than one-third of wind power is actually alternative energy. 

In Michigan, the turbines can only be counted on to turn an average of 30 percent of the time. 

The other 70 percent of time, they must be backed up by energy generated by fossil fuels.
Because of the 10 percent mandate, utilities like Consumers Energy and DTE Energy are forced to find land on which to place the wind farms. 

To accomplish this they have to convince local governments that proposed wind farm projects will be installed in a manner that does not adversely impact residents.
"The mandate forces the utility to basically try to sell local officials on the idea of accepting a wind farm," Martis said. 

"Local officials, who are rarely up to speed on wind power technology, are in a poor position to question or challenge the utility's claims about the safety and advisability of the project. 

But where can they turn for unbiased advice? 

They're not likely to find it at the state level, where the bureaucracy remains saturated with wind power activists and enthusiasts."

Question of the day: Has Muskegon succeeded in becoming a "premier, vibrant" shoreline city?

Question of the day: Has Muskegon succeeded in becoming a "premier, vibrant" shoreline city? | MLive.com:
“A premier, vibrant, affordable and ethnically diverse Shoreline City where citizens feel safe, enjoy their neighborhoods and access their city government,” reads the new city of Muskegon vision statement.

"the city commission also has seven goals it continues to work on despite shrinking revenues and the size of city staff. They are:
• Being a leader in improving race relations and diversity
• Fostering opportunities for city youth
• Promoting economic stability, diverse economic growth and redevelopment
• Sustaining natural, cultural and recreational resources of the community
• Strengthening stronger ties among local governments and agencies
• Developing and maintaining city roads, sewer, water and other facilities
• Maintaining and enhancing the city’s residential neighborhoods"

The Party of Surrender

The Party of Surrender :: SteynOnline:
"From RNC honcho Reince Priebus, from the senator from Swing-State Central Rob Portman, and even from the great Charles Murray, the same mournful dirge echoes through the cavernous emptiness of the Republican big tent:
Give it up, losers — give it up on illegal immigration, gay marriage, abortion, and maybe Americans under 30, 50, whatever, will consider voting for you, or at any rate consider finding you marginally less repellent."

80-year-old Flint man fires shots at five robbery suspects

80-year-old Flint man fires shots at five robbery suspects | MLive.com:
"All the suspects fled eastbound from the home towards Ballenger Highway.
The homeowner thought he may have shot one of the suspects, but no shooting victim was found by police."

Great Lakes oil proposals threaten repeat of Kalamazoo spill, environmentalists say

Great Lakes oil proposals threaten repeat of Kalamazoo spill, environmentalists say | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"We have six pipelines that cross the (U.S.-Canadian) border now," said Denise Hamsher, director of project planning for Enbridge's major projects group.
"They've been transporting crude oil since the 1950s and have been transporting oils from the Canadian oil sands for decades."
What's often being shipped isn't the oil seen gushing out of Texas oil towers in old movies.
It's tar sands crude or dilbit, a semisolid form of petroleum also known as diluted bitumen.
The sludgy product requires mixture with chemicals or other petroleum products to move through pipelines. Environmentalists argue it's a far harsher product on pipelines, and much more difficult to clean up when spills happen.
It was dilbit that spilled during the worst inland oil spill in U.S. history, a July 26, 2010, pipe breach in Marshall that devastated wetlands, Talmadge Creek and the Kalamazoo River.
The product combined with river sediments and sank to the bottom, making traditional oil cleanup booms and surface skimmers ineffective."

Gosnell: It’s Come to This at CNN

Ed Driscoll » Gosnell: It’s Come to This at CNN


“Philly-area columnist: CNN journo said ‘small staff’ means he can’t send reporter to cover Gosnell trial,” Twitchyreports:
Unreal.
J.D. Mullane is the Bucks County Courier Times columnist who took the photo of the empty rows of media seating at the Kermit Gosnell trial. His column titled “What I saw at the Gosnell trial” is a must-read.
According to Mullane, someone from CNN called to question the accuracy of his courtroom photo. Mullane’s pitch-perfect response was boom-worthy: “Go to Philly & see.” That’s when he says he was told a “small staff” made sending a reporter impossible.
It took an incredible social media push by online activists to shame the national media into covering the murder trial of Kermit Gosnell. CNN’s Jake Tapper, Erin Burnett and Anderson Cooper devoted segments to the Gosnell trial on Friday. But will CNN have a reporter in the courtroom on Monday?
CNN, which made its bones with live feeds from Baghdad during Operation Desert Storm, and can beam propaganda back from Pyongyang when it wants to, is reduced to claiming that it can’t put a reporter and a cameraman on the Amtrak Acela and send them to Philadelphia to cover the Gosnell trial. Note that CNN is but one component in aglobe-girdling corporation with Time magazine — can’t they send a reporter and cameraman with a portable HD camera and provide coverage for CNN? HBO is also part of that conglomerate. I bet they have a cameraman they could loan out on assignment if asked nicely.

Is anyone at CNN still wondering why it’s getting clobbered in the ratings?

Eyewitness: Authorities “Must Have Known” About Bombing

» Eyewitness: Authorities “Must Have Known” About Bombing Alex Jones' Infowars: There's a war on for your mind!:
"When Bidondi again attempted to ask police about why people were being told to remain calm before the bombs exploded, there was no response.
“They kept making announcements saying to the participants ‘do not worry, this is just a training exercise’” said Stevenson, who is the University of Mobile’s Cross Country Coach.
“Evidently, I don’t believe they were just having a training exercise, they must have known,” Stevenson told Local15 News.
“They must have had some sort of threat or suspicion called in,” adding that spotters were stationed on roofs of buildings and that bomb sniffing dogs were going up and down the finish line.
Stevenson said the level of security he witnessed was unlike anything he had experienced as a marathon runner before in major cities such as Chicago, Washington D.C., and London."

Let the river run: Dam removal accelerates across Michigan

Let the river run: Dam removal accelerates across Michigan | MLive.com:
"Michigan may be the Great Lakes State, but its 36,000 miles of rivers are becoming popular commodities for cities looking to revitalize downtowns, attract visitors and lure new businesses."

Sequester effects in Michigan: See which programs, agencies will be hit hardest by federal cuts

Sequester effects in Michigan: See which programs, agencies will be hit hardest by federal cuts | MLive.com
"Federal funding accounts for roughly $20 billion of the state's $48.2 billion budget, and the sequester-related loss of $150.5 million represents less than four-tenths of one percent of total state spending.
The sequester will directly affect needy children, according to the state, due to elimination of a federally-funded program that provides a $137 clothing allowance to $21,000 kids each August.
Schools stand to lose $56 million in federal funding next year, likely forcing reductions in after-school programs, vocational training and more."

Report: Scottville man arrested for allegedly driving 'super drunk,' causing accident

Report: Scottville man arrested for allegedly driving 'super drunk,' causing accident | MLive.com:
"The driver and passenger were taken to Memorial Medical Center with reportedly minor injuries."

Muskegon County meetings this week

Muskegon County, Michigan:
"Ways & Means Committee Meeting
When: Tuesday, April 16th - 4:00 PM (new start time)
Location: Hall Of Justice, Board Room, 4th Floor, 990 Terrace St., Muskegon, MI 49442
Click Here for Agenda

Jail and Juvenile Transition Center Committee meeting
When: Thursday, April 18th - 2:00 PM
Location: Hall Of Justice, Board Room, 4th Floor, 990 Terrace St., Muskegon, MI 49442

Port Advisory Committee Meeting
When:  Friday, April 19, 2013, 1:30pm
Location:  GVSU MAREC, 200 Viridian Drive, Muskegon "

Drive-in Theaters Start Kickstarter Campaigns, Ask for Donations to Pay for Digital Projector Conversions

Drive-in Theaters Start Kickstarter Campaigns, Ask for Donations to Pay for Digital Projector Conversions | TIME.com:
"Yes, there are still drive-in theaters in existence, though it’s rare for a state to have more a handful left. For example, there are eight drive-in theaters in Michigan, according to MichiganDriveIns.com.
MLive reported that at least one of the existing theaters, the Capri Drive-In, just paid $144,000 to upgrade two of its projectors to digital.
It’s unlikely that all of the other drive-ins will be able to do the same.
Drive-ins are hardly big money makers; more than 150 others in the state have closed over the years."

The 10 Absolute Worst Media Reactions To The Boston Marathon Bombings | Mediaite

The 10 Absolute Worst Media Reactions To The Boston Marathon Bombings | Mediaite:
"IN NO PARTICULAR ORDER, below are the 10 worst media reactions to the Boston bombings "

'via Blog this'

Breaking media silence

Breaking media silence: Column

Yes. So why wasn't it news? Pro-choice writer Megan McArdle of The Daily Beastnotes that it's about fear of where the story would go, and what it would require writers to confront: "Gosnell is accused of grisly crimes that I didn't want to think about. ... I understand why my readers suspect me, and other pro-choice mainstream journalists, of being selective -- of not wanting to cover the story because it showcased the ugliest possibilities of abortion rights. The truth is that most of us tend to be less interested in sick-making stories -- if the sick-making was done by 'our side.' "

It was fine to dwell at length on the Newtown, Conn., shootings, because those could be blamed on the evil NRA. But writing about these dead innocents might be a political liability instead of a political asset. It might have been awkward for President Obama.

It's also true that in our polarized -- and moralistic -- political culture, shouts of Have you no decency? are so common that it's easy to assume that pretty much any such story is probably exaggerated and politicized. And the reports in the Gosnell case were ghoulish enough that it was probably especially easy to believe that they were exaggerated. Alas, that turned out not to be the case. It was no doubt Powers' status as a liberal, and as a woman, that let her break through the wall of denial in a way that others might not have been able to.

Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown

Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown | Reuters:
"My own confidence in the data has gone down in the past five years," said Richard Tol, an expert in climate change and professor of economics at the University of Sussex in England.
Swedish chemist Svante Arrhenius first showed in the 1890s how man-made carbon dioxide, from coal for instance, traps heat in the atmosphere.
Many of the exact effects are still unknown.
Greenhouse gas emissions have hit repeated record highs with annual growth of about 3 percent in most of the decade to 2010, partly powered by rises in China and India.
World emissions were 75 percent higher in 2010 than in 1970, UN data show."

5 Unacknowledged, Unexpected, and Unavoidable Facts about Govt Spending and the Economy

5 Unacknowledged, Unexpected, and Unavoidable Facts about Govt Spending and the Economy - Reason.com

Gillespie argues that:

1. We’re spending too much. Two wars, entitlement growth, and a massive stimulus are the results of a spending frenzy over the last decade.
2. We’ve got too much debt. Every level of government is in over their heads. The literal and figurative bankruptcies of cities such as Stockton, California and Harrisburg, Pennsylvania are the canaries in the coal mine.
3. Debt overhang kills growth. The latest studies are clear: excessive debt, sustained over long periods of time, hurts economic growth. Beyond the cost of higher interest rate payments, increasingly higher debt loads – which Gillespie calls “a ziggurat of doom” – promises to reduce opportunities for everyone.
4. Spending growth is driven by entitlements. Since the Great Society programs of the 1960s, the government has switched from providing infrastructure and basic services, to being a national insurance broker. The consequences of this are dire because, as statistician Nate Silver notes, "most of us don't much care for our insurance broker."
5. Trust in government is at historic lows. This kind of distrust is an inevitable result of a mismanaged economy. Yet it's also cause for optimism. Public discontent sow the seeds of reform, allowing the possibility of meaningful fiscal reform.

The Fact-Free Gun-Control Crusade

The Fact-Free Gun-Control Crusade | National Review Online:
"Amid all the heated, emotional advocacy of gun control, have you ever heard even one person present convincing hard evidence that tighter gun-control laws have in fact reduced murders?"

EEOC Probes Employer Use of Criminal Background Checks

EEOC Probes Employer Use of Criminal Background Checks - Executive Branch Project

The Equal Employment Opportunity Commission, according to recent news reports, is making a particular effort to restrict allegedly discriminatory use by employers of criminal background checks. Because African-Americans and Hispanics are more likely to be arrested or convicted of crimes than members of other racial and ethnic groups, the EEOC’s thinking goes, an employer policy that excludes job applicants based on past arrests or convictions will have a disparate impact on African-Americans and Hispanics and, if not job-related and justified by business necessity, may violate Title VII of the Civil Rights Act of 1964.

In April 2012, the EEOC issued a new Enforcement Guidance regarding such employer criminal background checks.  Some civil rights advocacy groups praised the document, stating that it willhelp “remove unfair barriers for people who have moved beyond their pasts” and discourage employers from discriminating against employees who have paid their debt to society.”

But critics raised both substantive and procedural concerns about the new guidance. Substantively, critics noted that the new policy does not do enough to make clear in what circumstances an employer may use a background check; it notably contains no “safe harbors” and may chill some lawful use of checks. The Guidance was also criticized for claiming to pre-empt state laws requiring some types of employers to conduct criminal background checks, placing firms in  “a damned if you check, damned if you don’t” bind. Because the Guidance may encourage employers to change their hiring procedures to benefit one racial group, it may also violate the Equal Protection Clause of the Fourteenth Amendment.

Some social science research also suggests that use of criminal background checks may actually lead to increased hiring of African-Americans. Employers barred from checking criminal histories may be inclined to wrongfully use race as a proxy for criminal history. (Disclosure: I work at the U.S. Commission on Civil Rights for Gail Heriot, one of the signatories to this letter. But the views expressed in this blog post are my own and not necessarily those of the Commission on Civil Rights or Gail Heriot.)

Procedurally, the EEOC voted for the Guidance without giving the public opportunity to comment on a draft, arguably getting full in terrorem effect while bypassing all procedural safeguards. Constance Barker, the only member of the EEOC who did not vote in favor of the new Guidance,discussed other procedural issues at some length in her dissent.

The EEOC appears committed to rigorous enforcement of the new Guidance. At a Chamber of Commerce luncheon, EEOC member Victoria Lipnic emphasized the EEOC’s commitment to pursuing these cases, noting that “Criminal background checks are ripe for the picking.”

Although the EEOC does not ordinarily make investigations public until a case has been filed,  news stories about recent targets of EEOC investigation suggest that the agency is  setting a fairly high bar for “business necessity.” Such investigations include a probe into the use of checks at  a company that provides security services, and also an unnamed firearms retailer, although the employer believes that federal law requires him as a federal firearms licensee to conduct such checks.

Eric Holder's family papers over his ties to abortion doctor

Eric Holder's family papers over his ties to abortion doctor - Conservative News:
"Eric Holder Jr.’s family is moving fast and furiously to bury the U.S. Attorney General’s ties to one of Georgia’s most notorious abortion doctors.
Just cleared by an internal report in the “Fast and Furious” gunrunning debacle, the nation’s top lawman now faces allegations that his connection to Dr. Tyrone Cecil Malloy is a conflict of interest that helps explain Holder’s failure to prosecute abortion providers who run afoul of federal law.
Critics say it may also explain why Holder has been eager to prosecute pro-life advocates who counsel women outside abortion clinics.
Documents obtained by Watchdog show that Holder’s wife and sister-in-law co-own, through a family trust, the building where Malloy operated.
A Georgia grand jury indicted Malloy on Medicaid fraud charges in 2011.
A state medical board twice reprimanded the doctor."

DNR stocks Red Cedar River on Michigan State campus with 3,000 steelhead trout

DNR stocks Red Cedar River on Michigan State campus with 3,000 steelhead trout | MLive.com:
"Scott Hanshue, fisheries management biologist for the DNR, said his agency took 3,000 steelhead with which it usually stocks the Grand River in Lansing and put them in the Red Cedar River.
The steelhead will reproduce and multiply, improving fisheries in the Red Cedar River at MSU, he said."

Opponents dominate public hearing on White River Township dune driveway proposal

Opponents dominate public hearing on White River Township dune driveway proposal | MLive.com:
"A generally respectful, polite tone deteriorated a bit in the last half-hour, when the DEQ officials present opened it up to questions from the public.
Some in the audience didn’t like being told the DEQ was considering the proposed project to be a driveway.
One of the opponents’ claims is that it’s really a road falsely characterized as a driveway, which is more difficult for the DEQ to reject under new rules.
Others considered the fact that the DEQ will discuss the public comments with the applicants, possibly leading to revisions in the application based on the complaints, to be what one called an “inside process” without further public input."

Congress Quietly Repeals Congressional Insider Trading Ban

Congress Quietly Repeals Congressional Insider Trading Ban · NYU Local:
"While Congress might be stuck in a deadlock on just about every issue imaginable, there’s one piece of legislation that both Democrats and Republicans hate unanimously: the Stop Trading on Congressional Knowledge (STOCK) Act, a law passed last year designed to prevent insider trading among lawmakers and government officials by requiring them to post disclosures of their financial transactions online.
Both parties and both houses of Congress hated the disclosure portion of the law so much that it was repealed on Friday without debate—the measure was sent to the president by unanimous consent.
The ordeal took about 10 seconds in the Senate and 14 seconds in the House, according to official records."