More state cutbacks on way

More state cutbacks on way
"State departments are bracing for 8 percent cuts next year in the wake of an agreement by the state's top economists Friday that the treasury will take in $1.72 billion less in tax collections next year than expected.
The cuts will mean more state worker layoffs and reductions in programs and services on top of statewide cuts ordered earlier this month by Gov. Jennifer Granholm to balance this year's budget."

Notice no interest in their President's concept of "shared sacrifice".
State workers who aren't laid off (those with GM/Chrysler seniority) seem to prefer others share the sacrifice....just like all government employees in our state.

Popular village of Three Oaks nearly broke

Popular village of Three Oaks nearly broke
"Three Oaks -- Not many communities of 1,800 have a poet laureate, community radio station, art-film house, and a downtown park that shows silent movies accompanied by an orchestra.
This isle of whimsy tucked in the southwest corner of Michigan differs from other quaint burgs in one other way.
It's nearly broke."

How could this happen?
With all this free stuff?
....... could there be a connection?

As Cartoonists See It for the week of May 10

As Cartoonists See It for the week of May 10

Michigan's broke, but it could be worse

Michigan's broke, but it could be worse
"Most of the economic stimulus money flowing into Lansing from Washington will go to keep state and school budgets in balance, not to fund hundreds of millions in job-creating infrastructure projects beyond those receiving stimulus money earmarked for that purpose"

So the "economic stimulus" is really not a stimulus but a public employee bailout just like the bailout for Chrysler and GM?

And about as successful too.

Column: Rumors of our demise premature

Column: Rumors of our demise premature
"I refer to the loose talk we've heard that The Muskegon Chronicle is going out of business, or has moved all of its employees to Grand Rapids, or has moved out of its downtown Muskegon building, or whatever else ignorant people are offering as their versions of truth these days.
None of the statements above is true."

It would be nice if The Chronicle continued its Terri Schiavo live-but-dying grip on life.

It would be way better if they started to report on what really is happening in our county, city/township governments and the MAISD and school spending vs how our kids are educated.

But that doesn't seem to be in the cards..... or Chairman Keep woulda told us, right?

Gas-tax increase introduced

Gas-tax increase introduced
"Lawmakers and road advocates began what will be a months-long push to raise $1.8 billion in higher gas tax and registration fees over the next half-decade that they say is required to keep Michigan roads in decent repair."

The tax-increase tsunami is rollin' folks!

Call you legislators or forever hold your peace.

One-size-fits-all laws strain local resources

One-size-fits-all laws strain local resources
"And, as one state official put it, it's another instance of 'one size fits all' laws.

If that were the only recent unfunded mandate ordered by the state or federal government, the city would take it and run like a thief.

Of course, it isn't."

Biden Reveals Location of Secret VP Bunker

Biden Reveals Location of Secret VP Bunker
"Biden told his dinnermates about the existence of a secret bunker under the old U.S. Naval Observatory, which is now the home of the vice president.
The bunker is believed to be the secure, undisclosed location"

Not any more....

5 Reasons Ethanol is a Major Scam

5 Reasons Ethanol is a Major Scam:
"3. All fuels laced with ethanol reduce the vehicle's fuel efficiency, and the E85 blend drops gas mileage between 30% and 40%, depending on whether you use the EPA's fuel mileage standards or those of the Dept. of Energy."

43 stun-gunned at prisons' Take Your Kids to Work Day

43 stun-gunned at prisons' Take Your Kids to Work Day
"A total of 43 children were directly and indirectly shocked by electric stun guns during simultaneous ''Take Your Sons and Daughters to Work Day'' events gone wrong at three state prisons, according to new information provided Friday by the Florida Department of Corrections."

The Volokh Conspiracy

The Volokh Conspiracy
"Two YouTube videos help put proposed budget cuts and our growin"

New York Times, Nation's "Paper of Record," Rejects Frontpage Coverage of Pelosi Scandal

New York Times, Nation's "Paper of Record," Rejects Frontpage Coverage of Pelosi Scandal

Judge blocks 'robo-calls' selling car warranties

Judge blocks 'robo-calls' selling car warranties
"A federal judge has issued two temporary restraining orders designed to stop what officials describe as a wave of deceptive 'robo-calls' warning people their auto warranties are expiring and offering to sell them new service plans."

Anti-Gun Blacklist Bill Introduced in U.S. House

Anti-Gun Blacklist Bill Introduced in U.S. House
"H.R. 2159 would give 'the Attorney General the authority to deny the sale, delivery, or transfer of a firearm or the issuance of a firearms or explosives license or permit to dangerous terrorists. . . . if the Attorney General determines that the transferee is known (or appropriately suspected) to be or have been engaged in conduct constituting, in preparation for, in aid of, or related to terrorism, or providing material support thereof, and the Attorney General has a reasonable belief that the prospective transferee may use a firearm in connection with terrorism.'

H.R. 2159 does not, however, impose any requirements or limits on the information the Attorney General could use to make a determination, and it proposes that 'any information which the Attorney General relied on for this determination may be withheld from the applicant if the Attorney General determines that disclosure of the information would likely compromise national security.'

In stark contrast to the scheme proposed in H.R. 2159, federal law (already!) establishes guidelines for the nine categories of persons currently prohibited from possessing firearms, and it protects the right of a person to be told why he is prohibited. The latter is important because a person who is not prohibited can be mistaken for someone who is, due to incomplete or incorrect records in the FBI's database of prohibited persons, or due to being mistaken for a prohibited person on the basis of a similar name or other personal information."

Obama to name Utah gov. envoy to China

Obama to name Utah gov. envoy to China
"A Republican governor whose name has come up as a potential challenger to President Barack Obama in 2012 intends go to work for the president as ambassador to China, a source close to the governor said.
Utah Gov. Jon Huntsman, who is fluent in Mandarin Chinese from his days as a Mormon missionary in Taiwan, has accepted the appointment.....
He made headlines recently for encouraging the Republican Party to swing in a more moderate direction if it wanted to bounce back from the 2008 elections.....He signed an initiative that would set a regional cap-and-trade effort to reduce global warming.
"

Gateway Pundit: Change!... Obama's Defense Cuts Cost St. Louis 30,000 Jobs

Gateway Pundit: Change!... Obama's Defense Cuts Cost St. Louis 30,000 Jobs

Lot's of nice, high-pay, American jobs gone, gone, gone!

Hope and change, baby!

ENCOUNTERING NEMESIS.

ENCOUNTERING NEMESIS.
The problem is that between 2003-2008 there was such hysterical antagonism to Bush that the combatants never worried about the often vicious means they used to achieve their supposedly lofty ends, and so now, finding themselves in a position of responsibility, are infuriated that anyone, well, would even conceive of playing hardball as they once did.
The striking thing about the sudden wounded-fawn Democratic syndrome is that Cheney is far milder than Gore was, that the CIA is not the firebrand Pelosi has been, and Bush has been silent about Obama in a way that even Clinton was not about Bush. If this softball stuff excites such outrage, what will happen if politics really get rough, say, as it was around 2007?
I expect we’ll find out."

Pelosi's Self-Torture - WSJ.com

Pelosi's Self-Torture - WSJ.com

Obama Says U.S. Long-Term Debt Load ‘Unsustainable’ (Update1) - Bloomberg.com

Obama Says U.S. Long-Term Debt Load ‘Unsustainable’ (Update1) - Bloomberg.com: "President Barack Obama, calling current deficit spending “unsustainable,” warned of skyrocketing interest rates for consumers if the U.S. continues to finance government by borrowing from other countries."

Gulf Coast of Florida

Ooh yeah!!