Monday, April 30, 2012

If I Wanted America to Fail: Free Market Agitprop With a Lesson

RealClearMarkets - If I Wanted America to Fail: Free Market Agitprop With a Lesson
Finally, I'd like to ask my liberal friends:
 If failure is not your objective then why are you demanding that failed policies be continued, and even expanded?
I recommend you invest the four minutes and 39 seconds it takes to watch this video, even if you are a radical environmentalist.
Especially if you are a radical environmentalist.
Because this guy is your worst nightmare.
Ignore him at your peril.

Feds eye retirement-fund tax to cut $16 trillion-plus deficit

Feds eye retirement-fund tax to cut $16 trillion-plus deficit - NYPOST.com
Uncle Sam, in a desperate attempt to fix its $16 trillion-plus deficit, is leering over Americans’ retirement nest egg as its new bailout fund.
Capitol Hill politicians are assessing tax changes that could let the Internal Revenue Service lay claim to a portion of the $18 trillion sitting in 401(k) accounts and other tax breaks used by middle-class workers, including cutting the mortgage tax deduction.

BRITAIN BATTLES NEW BRUSSELS ORDER TO FLY EU FLAG EVERY DAY

Express.co.uk - Home of the Daily and Sunday Express | UK News :: Britain battles new Brussels order to fly EU flag every day
The regulations would require any organisation managing European funds to display permanently the EU’s blue and yellow pennant.
This is a dramatic scaling up of rules which already force the Communities and Local Government Department in Whitehall to fly the flag for a week a year from Europe Day on May 9.

SmartMeters cost more, could save money

SmartMeters cost more, could save money | WOOD TV8
The meters automatically report usage six times a day to Consumers Energy and can allow the company to control power to customers.
The new SmartMeters are more expensive than traditional meters -- Consumers will spend about $300 each, and that cost will get passed on to customers.

What a concept!
We pay more to give them (and the government!) more control over our lives!

GVSU pays 5x market value for Admiral

GVSU pays 5x market value for Admiral | WOOD TV8
GRAND RAPIDS, Mich. (WOOD) - Grand Valley State University paid $1 million for a gas station near their downtown Grand Rapids campus and will tear it down in the summer to expand their footprint in the area.
But the Admiral Gas Station at 346 West Fulton is worth approximately $200,000, according to city records.
The assessed value of the property is $94,400, meaning the actual value is $188,800.

Huh?

Anything The Government Gives You, The Government Can Take Away

Guest Post: Anything The Government Gives You, The Government Can Take Away | ZeroHedge
A majority of doctors support measures to deny treatment to smokers and the obese, according to a survey that has sparked a row over the NHS‘s growing use of “lifestyle rationing”.

Kids Count report looks at infant, maternal health

Kids Count report looks at infant, maternal health | mlive.com
A report on Michigan maternal and infant health says the number of low-birth-weight babies and babies born to unmarried women statewide is increasing.
The Michigan League for Human Services' Kids Count in Michigan report released Monday also says the state saw lower rates of teenage births and fewer premature births between 2000 and 2010.
The report calls for more funding to implement suggestions from a state infant mortality summit.

Follow the money!

Sunday, April 29, 2012

Wind Farms Warming Texas

Wind Farms Warming Texas : Discovery News
New research finds that wind farms actually warm up the surface of the land underneath them during the night, a phenomena that could put a damper on efforts to expand wind energy as a green energy solution.

EyeOnMuskegon 4-29-2012

Parts of Port Austin harbor to close this year

Parts of Port Austin harbor to close this year | mlive.com
PORT AUSTIN, Mich. (AP) — Renovations will close portions of Port Austin State Harbor this boating season.
Boat ramps, East Dock slips, some slips along the West Dock at the harbor in Huron County will be closed for the duration of the project.
Some West Dock slips will be available for transient boaters.
The three-phase project started in 2010.

Steven Malanga: How Retirement Benefits May Sink the States

Steven Malanga: How Retirement Benefits May Sink the States - WSJ.com
Chicago Mayor Rahm Emanuel recently offered a stark assessment of the threat to his state's future that is posed by mounting pension and retiree health-care bills for government workers. Unless Illinois enacts reform quickly, he said, the costs of these programs will force taxes so high that,
"You won't recruit a business, you won't recruit a family to live here."

Feds eye retirement-fund tax to cut $16 trillion-plus deficit

Feds eye retirement-fund tax to cut $16 trillion-plus deficit - NYPOST.com
Uncle Sam, in a desperate attempt to fix its $16 trillion-plus deficit, is leering over Americans’ retirement nest egg as its new bailout fund.

Fruitport school board makes nearly $1 million in cuts, ends principal contract

Fruitport school board makes nearly $1 million in cuts, ends principal contract | MLive.com
The school board’s budget reductions Monday cut the district’s anticipated shortfall for next year from $2.5 million to $1.56 million.
Superintendent Bob Szymoniak said other anticipated cuts will reduce the deficit to $700,000, which will be taken from the district’s estimated $2.5 million fund balance.

Departing Muskegon Heights High principal had mixed results as 'turnaround specialist'

Departing Muskegon Heights High principal had mixed results as 'turnaround specialist' | MLive.com
Hired to “turn around" academic performance at Muskegon Heights High School, Kathryn Curry had mixed results in her two years with the district.

Michigan Legislative Black Caucus: GOP push to change voting laws suppresses 'black, Latino and possibly Arab' voters

Michigan Legislative Black Caucus: GOP push to change voting laws suppresses 'black, Latino and possibly Arab' voters | MLive.com

Muskegon County plans to re-enact closed session after lawsuit filed

Muskegon County plans to re-enact closed session after lawsuit filed | MLive.com
Muskegon County commissioners are planning to re-enact part of a meeting next month in response to a lawsuit.

Norton Shores to hold taxes, services at current levels in 2013

Norton Shores to hold taxes, services at current levels in 2013 | MLive.com
City Council members, however, questioned whether that money could be better spent toward reducing the city’s pension liability for future retirees.
Council member A. Scott Rood said the city’s pensions are only 60 percent funded, and the city’s “road map” for funding has the $13 million only 80 percent funded by 2030.
“This is the elephant in the room and I think we can do better,” he said.
The council members agreed to transfer 2 percent of the city’s budget to pension liabilities, lowering the fund balance to 15 percent.
The 2 percent transfer would be about $174,000, on top of roughly $40,000 the city was already planning to put toward pensions, Huston said.
Rood said chipping away at the pension liability over time would be in the city’s long-term interest.
“We’ve learned tonight that there is no major bullet that we can throw $1 million or $1.5 million at the pension liability,” he said.
It's that simple, according to the left.
Take money from the successful or children will lose their lunch.

Spanish unemployment hits record 5.64 million

BBC News - Spanish unemployment hits record 5.64 million
The number of unemployed people reached 5,639,500 at the end of March, with the unemployment rate hitting 24.4%, the national statistics agency said.

U.S. ban sought on cell phone use while driving

U.S. ban sought on cell phone use while driving | Reuters
U.S. TransportationSecretary Ray LaHood called on Thursday for a federal law to bantalking on a cell phone or texting while driving any type ofvehicle on any road in the country.
Tough federal legislation is the only way to deal with whathe called a "national epidemic," he said at a distracted-drivingsummit in San Antonio, Texas

Incredible Shrinking Country

Incredible Shrinking Country - NYTimes.com
But one developed nation is making “Children of Men” look particularly prophetic.
In Japan, birthrates are now so low and life expectancy so great that the nation will soon have a demographic profile that matches that of the American retirement community of Palm Springs.

Saturday, April 28, 2012

Chaperones among new Secret Service conduct rules

My Way News - Chaperones among new Secret Service conduct rules
Embarrassed by a prostitution scandal, the Secret Service will assign chaperones on some trips to enforce new rules of conduct that make clear that excessive drinking, entertaining foreigners in their hotel rooms and cavorting in disreputable establishments are no longer tolerated.

In apparent first, a public pension plan files for bankruptcy

In apparent first, a public pension plan files for bankruptcy - Pensions & Investments
In what's believed to be a first by a public pension plan, the Northern Mariana Islands Retirement Fund, Saipan, filed for Chapter 11 bankruptcy protection on Tuesday.

Record Subpar Economic Growth Streak Now 6 Years

Record Subpar Economic Growth Streak Now 6 Years
The U.S. economy expanded at a 2.2% annual rate in the first quarter, somewhat below expectations.
But it also marked a new milestone for economic futility.
U.S. GDP hasn’t risen 4% or more in any quarter since the first quarter of 2006.
That’s the longest such stretch on record going back to 1950

Friday, April 27, 2012

8 Reasons Why Today’s Occupiers Are Tomorrow’s Tea Partiers

PJ Media » 8 Reasons Why Today’s Occupiers Are Tomorrow’s Tea Partiers
Something creepy is happening in Minnesota.
A dialogue has begun between the Tea Party and Occupy movements.
Stranger still, it may be leading somewhere.

House Votes To Raise Cyber School Cap

House Votes To Raise Cyber School Cap [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
One House Democrat, Rep. Shanelle Jackson, D-Detroit, voted for the legislation.
In December, Rep. Jackson was the only House Democrat to vote in favor of lifting the cap on the number of charter schools in Michigan.
“What this legislation does for me; is give people - working class people – more choices,” she said during the House floor debate.

LST 393 museum in Muskegon opens for seventh season on Saturday

LST 393 museum in Muskegon opens for seventh season on Saturday | MLive.com
LST 393 was built in 1942 to help America defeat the Axis powers in World War II.
She has three battle stars and made 30 round trips to Omaha Beach during the invasion of Normandy, delivering weapons of war.
Sold as surplus in 1948 to Sand Products Inc., owners of West Michigan Dock and Market in Muskegon, she was converted to a cross-lake ferry called Highway 16 and was a fixture on Lake Michigan for three decades.
She was retired from service in 1979.
LST 393 is located at the Mart Dock adjacent to Heritage Landing county park on the downtown Muskegon waterfront. Hours are 10 a.m.-5 p.m. seven days a week.

'It makes everything fun': Ravenna fourth-graders embrace new iPads

'It makes everything fun': Ravenna fourth-graders embrace new iPads | MLive.com
He and the other 80-some fourth-graders at his school each were given their own iPad this week as part of Ravenna Public Schools’ “One Step Ahead” initiative to put a laptop, iPad, Netbook or other digital device in the hands of every fourth- through 12th-grader.

Milwaukee County DA investigating voter fraud claims

Milwaukee County DA investigating voter fraud claims - 620 WTMJ - Milwaukee's Source for Local News and Weather
The three including Austin Thompson, who was arrested last year during an occupy protest, are accused of voter fraud by registering and voting even though they lived in a hotel.

Thursday, April 26, 2012

Obama administration scraps child labor restrictions for farms

Obama administration scraps child labor restrictions for farms - TheHill.com
The new regulations would have forbidden children younger than 16 years of age from completing “agricultural work with animals and in pesticide handling, timber operations, manure pits and storage bins.”
It would also have barred farm workers under 16 from handling most “power-driven equipment” and from contributing to the “cultivation, harvesting and curing of tobacco.”

Frankenmuth man clutching sub sandwich chases down hit-and-run culprit on foot in Saginaw

Frankenmuth man clutching sub sandwich chases down hit-and-run culprit on foot in Saginaw | MLive.com
Scott K. Hall, 44, of Frankenmuth, while clutching a Jimmy John's submarine sandwich bag in one hand — a No. 9 Italian Night Club inside —

Wisconsin's New Aristocracy Is On The Ballot

Wisconsin's New Aristocracy Is On The Ballot - Forbes
Indeed, the Manhattan Institute’s E.J. McMahon reports that for public school teachers in Milwaukee, the annual cost of family health coverage is $26,844, for which the teachers were paying nothing.

American Crossroads: "Cool"

Muskegon County Jail committee moves forward with research, tours

Muskegon County Jail committee moves forward with research, tours | MLive.com
He said the conditions of the current jail need to be addressed, whether that means a retrofit into an existing building, a renovation/expansion of the current facility or a newly constructed jail.
 He pointed out that the current jail does not meet the philosophical change in jail operations and does not have room for most rehabilitation programs.

Michigan House members: Making state universities post spending 'not an assault on their autonomy'

Michigan House members: Making state universities post spending 'not an assault on their autonomy' | MLive.com
McMillin, who chairs the House Oversight, Reform and Ethics Committee, said Tuesday the amendment would require the universities to submit an annual accounting of their expenditures to the Legislature.

Public has a right to know how government officials make their decisions

In the margins: Public has a right to know how government officials make their decisions | MLive.com
Muskegon Chronicle Editorial Board: Government meetings need to be conducted as transparently as possible. Citizens deserve -- and are allowed under law -- access to government actions either through attending meetings or reviewing public documents.
Voters need this information in order to make informed decisions during elections and any other time of the year.
With the current economic conditions and declining government revenues, it is even more important that citizens know how tax dollars are being spent and why they are being spent the way they are.

Excellent comments!
The Chronicle gets it.
Our Muskegon county leaders still don't.
And we all pay for their hubris.

Lie, Cheat, Steal: Save the Planet!

Lie, Cheat, Steal: Save the Planet! - John Ransom - Townhall Finance Conservative Columnists and Financial Commentary
Gleick, who was chairman of the ethics committee at the American Geophysical Union, admitted that he recently stole some documents- and he may have forged others- from the conservative think-tank.
But that’s all in a day’s work for a work-a-day climate warrior.

Muskegon summer festival plans still in the works, details promised 'next week'

Muskegon summer festival plans still in the works, details promised 'next week' | MLive.com

Muskegon state representative wants referendum on emergency financial manager law

Muskegon state representative wants referendum on emergency financial manager law | MLive.com
State Rep. Marcia Hovey-Wright, D-Muskegon, introduced a state House resolution Tuesday with a hoped-for result of allowing Michigan voters to decide the fate of the controversial emergency financial manager law.

A sit-down with Muskegon's sheriff: Why is the county looking for a larger facility to replace the current jail?

A sit-down with Muskegon's sheriff: Why is the county looking for a larger facility to replace the current jail? | MLive.com
Commenter realoldlady asked the sheriff this:
“How is a jail with more people in it NOT going to cost more? Really 200 to 300 EXTRA prisoners is adding to the heat, cooling, water, food, health care, guards, gyms, cable, and laundry bills. I don't care how 'green' they build it you still have INCREASED the amount of services and goods needed to run it.”

Absolutly NO mention of ANY increase in costs.
It helps if the interviewer is on the PR team.

Wednesday, April 25, 2012

Best Job

For all our Moms.
And to mine.....I miss you Mom......



"If I wanted America to fail"

Senate Dem: Save the US Postal Service with Wind Farms

Senate Dem: Save the US Postal Service with Wind Farms - United States Postal Service - Fox Nation: As the potential collapse of the United States Postal Service looms on the horizon, one Senate Democrat has proposed an unusual plan to solve the crisis.
Senator Tom Carper (D-DE) looks to harvest the electricity that windmill farms produce in order to power a new fleet of battery-operated postal delivery vehicles, replacing the previous '25 to 30 years old' 'dilapidated' vehicles.
The Senator admits the idea is “out there” but concludes that "we need to be thinking boldly, and the postal service needs to do that"

Moronic thinking is not bold thinking.

Tuesday, April 24, 2012

Muskegon County plans to re-enact closed session after lawsuit filed

Muskegon County plans to re-enact closed session after lawsuit filed | MLive.com
County Board Chairman Ken Mahoney said the re-enactment option is a way “to avoid confusion,” while County Commissioner Scott Plummer added the re-enactment is being held “so the public can be present.”

When Jager suggested that the Brookhaven discussion or re-enactment be delayed until after the audit is presented, County Board Vice-Chairman John Snider countered that the re-enactment is only about what was said at that closed session, not additional debate about the topic.

“It’s not to justify what we did,” Snider said. “It was not done in secret.”

Jager disagreed, contending the issue was conducted in secret.

Williams said he takes any blame regarding the closed session issue, pointing out it is his job to protect the board. He said the case law on the Open Meetings Act’s allowance for closed sessions can be interpreted in different ways.

“If any mistakes were made, they were mine,” Williams said.

Indoctrination 101: Teaching Chicago Students to Protest

Exclusive - Indoctrination 101: Teaching Chicago Students to Protest
Jones College Prep, a Chicago Public Schools “selective enrollment” school, held “Social Justice Week” in March, a collection of events geared towards turning students into activists. See the schedule of events here.
According to a flyer on the school’s website:
Social Justice Week was created to promote community advancement through dialogue and community service based activism. Moreover, we hope to unify the voice of various JCP and community organizations in which to facilitate collaboration for the betterment of the community at large and promote a unified human rights advancement initiative.”
The school is, according to U.S. News & World Report, a Top 100 high school in the country.
It’s one of the best of the best--the cream of the crop.

Weeping four-year-old girl accused of carrying a GUN by TSA officers after she hugged her grandmother while passing through security

Weeping four-year-old girl accused of carrying a GUN by TSA officers after she hugged her grandmother while passing through security | Mail Online
But their nightmare was not yet over, as on a connecting flight in Denver, an airport employee demanded to know which of the family was Isabella - and 'looked really confused' when the girl was pointed out to her.

Where Are the Rolling Heads from NOAA?

Articles: Where Are the Rolling Heads from NOAA?
NOAA law enforcement was running essentially unsupervised for years, inflicting huge fines on fishermen for small infractions and putting the collected monies in a slush fund used for lavish trips and booze-cruise luxury boats.
The GSA conference cost $822,751 according to the GSA IG Report.
To give this some context, Leon Panetta's trips home have totaled about $860,000.

..NOAA law enforcement collected close to $100,000,000 in fines and seized goods from fishermen over the past several years.
The Department of Commerce IG investigated and found that only about $60M could be accounted for, while some $40M is just plain gone.
  This is not taxpayer money, but money taken in huge chunks from fishermen for infractions, some very minor.
Claims by the fishermen of coercion and extortion were validated by the IG. See the IG reports here, here, and here.

One single fisherman, Larry Yacobian, ended up paying $450,000 in fines and owing $250,000 in legal fees.
He was forced to sell his boats, his gear, and the farm that had been in his wife's family since the days of the Pilgrims.
A special master appointed by the IG found that Mr. Yacobian had been treated unfairly.
The government returned $400,000 to Mr. Yacobian, and the Secretary of Commerce, Gary Locke, apologized personally.

But nobody has ever been punished.

Monday, April 23, 2012

The Generic Ballot Bomb

Articles: The Generic Ballot Bomb
Since March, however, the Republican advantage has been growing -- the practical end of the Republican fighting for the nomination is a logical explanation for the change -- and since the beginning of March, the Republican advantage per week has progressed thus: +3%, +6%, +4%, +5%, +6%, +5%, +10%.

Columnist says that global warming skeptics 'should have their houses burnt down'

Columnist says that global warming skeptics 'should have their houses burnt down' | Mail Online
'We know who the active denialists are... Let’s start keeping track of them now, and when the famines come, let’s make them pay.
Let’s let their houses burn until the innocent are rescued,' Mr Zwick wrote in Forbes on Friday.
'Let’s swap their safe land for submerged islands.
Let’s force them to bear the cost of rising food prices.'

Within A Month, Which Refinery Will Be The Largest In The US?

Within A Month, Which Refinery Will Be The Largest In The US? | Energy | Minyanville.com
The operation is owned by Motiva Enterprises, a joint venture of Saudi Refining, Inc. and Shell (RDS.A).
Each entity owns a 50% share of the JV. Saudi Refining is a subsidiary of the Saudi Arabian national oil company, Saudi Aramco.

Sunday, April 22, 2012

EyeOnMuskegon 4-22-2012

Lucianne.com News Forum - HomePage

Lucianne.com News Forum - HomePage



(Snifter Clink to: Ldotter Rickwheat for this custom design)

The Dirt On Earth Day

The Dirt On Earth Day - Forbes
Consider this quote from Edwards’ essay: “This implication that DDT is horribly deadly is completely false.
Human volunteers have ingested as much as 35 milligrams of it a day for nearly two years and suffered no adverse effects.
Millions of people have lived with DDT intimately during the mosquito spray programs and nobody even got sick as a result.
The National Academy of Sciences concluded in 1965 that ‘in a little more than two decades, DDT has prevented 500 million [human] deaths that would otherwise have been inevitable.’
The World Health Organization stated that DDT had ‘killed more insects and saved more people than any other substance.’”

The Food-Stamp Crime Wave

James Bovard: The Food-Stamp Crime Wave - WSJ.com
The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service now has only 40 inspectors to oversee almost 200,000 merchants that accept food stamps nationwide.

Food Stamp Spending Has More Than Doubled Since 2008

Food Stamp Spending Has More Than Doubled Since 2008
In 2008, taxpayers spent $38 billion on food stamps.
In 2013, that figure will be $82 billion.

Yes, let’s all throw Bo Obama a bone, shall we?

Yes, let’s all throw Bo Obama a bone, shall we? | The Daily Caller
I certainly wouldn’t recommend going here and signing up as Etta Doberman or Doug Eater or anything of that nature.
That would be childish and unnecessary.
Let’s play fair, now.

Mia Love pulled a major upset on Saturday, winning the Republican Party nomination in Utah’s 4th District

If elected to Congress, Love, the daughter of Haitian immigrants, would be the only black Republican woman in Congress.

Saturday, April 21, 2012

How green are you? Take our Earth Day poll | MLive.com

How green are you? Take our Earth Day poll | MLive.com

Should school employees wait until they're at least 60 before drawing state retirement benefits?

Should school employees wait until they're at least 60 before drawing state retirement benefits? (poll) | MLive.com
Should school employees be allowed to start taking their government pensions while still in their 50s?

Poll shows Detroit is the most unpopular city in America

Poll shows Detroit is the most unpopular city in America | MLive.com

US Small-Scale Nuclear Reactor Industry Gains Traction In Missouri

US Small-Scale Nuclear Reactor Industry Gains Traction In Missouri - Slashdot
"Ameren Missouri is vying to be the first utility in the country to seek a construction and operating license for a small-scale nuclear reactor, a technology that's appealing to utilities because of the smaller upfront costs and shorter development lead times.
The small reactors, about a fourth or less the capacity of full-size nuclear units, are appealing to the nuclear industry because they could be manufactured at a central plant and shipped around the world.
By contrast, building nuclear reactors today is a more cumbersome process that must be done largely on site and takes years."

“Happy Earth Day” by Julian SimonterResource

“Happy Earth Day” by Julian Simon — MasterResource
During the first great Earth Week in 1970 there was panic.
The public’s outlook for the planet was unrelievedly gloomy.
The doomsaying environmentalists–of whom the dominant figure was Paul Ehrlich–raised the alarm: The oceans and the Great Lakes were dying;
 impending great famines would be seen on television starting in 1975;
 the death rate would quickly increase due to pollution;
and rising prices of increasingly-scarce raw materials would lead to a reversal in the past centuries’ progress in the standard of living.

Poll: Are Michigan civilians safer if they can carry Tasers?

Poll: Are Michigan civilians safer if they can carry Tasers? | MLive.com
Legislation that would permit civilians to useTasers gained bipartisan support in the Michigan House on Thursday, but MLivereaders aren't as unified in favor of the bills.

Sen. Goeff Hansen awards Whitehall Middle School students environmental prize

Sen. Goeff Hansen awards Whitehall Middle School students environmental prize | MLive.com
The team's tap water campaign was part of theirparticipation in the Lexus Eco-Challenge, a national competition in which theywon a total of $25,000 in scholarships and grants.
The students also promoted eco-friendly practices by creating a checklist for teachers to help them conserve energy in theirclassrooms and encourage recycling in the school.
They also helped raise almost $500 for a UNICEF project tobring clean water to impoverished countries by selling red drinking cups forValentine's Day.

Mitt Romney is also facing allegations of voter fraud in Massachusetts

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Tampered With 2008 Election - Business Insider: Interestingly, Mitt Romney is also facing allegations of voter fraud in Massachusetts as he cast a ballot for Republican Scott Brown in January 2010 in the special election to replace the late Sen. Ted Kennedy but didn’t own property in the state at the time.
Romney registered to vote listing his son’s unfinished basement as his residence, but the Romneys' former realtor told GOP consultant Fred Karger that they moved to California.
Anyone found guilty of committing voter fraud faces up to five years in prison and a $10,000 fine.

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Tampered With 2008 Election

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Tampered With 2008 Election - Business Insider: Burton wrote:
3) The hunt is on for the sleezy Russian money into O-mans coffers.
A smoking gun has already been found.
Will get more on this when the time is right.
My source was too giddy to continue.
Can you say Clinton and ChiCom funny money?
This also becomes a matter of how and when to out.
If true the allegations prompt questions of how the fallout has affected the politics of Obama's current administration and how it will effect this year's presidential election.

Burton is a former Deputy Chief of the Department of State's counterterrorism division for the Diplomatic Security Service (DSS).
The DSS assists the Department of Defense in following leads and doing forensic analysis of hard drives seized by the U.S. government in ongoing criminal investigations

Lakeshore Trail signs to tell the story of Muskegon Lake restoration

Lakeshore Trail signs to tell the story of Muskegon Lake restoration | MLive.com
One sign will try to convey the economic importance of the work as lakefront improvements will increase property values and draw more people to Muskegon for recreation.
A Grand Valley State University study showed that over the next decade the $10 million grant will generate at least $66 million in benefits to the community.
....
Isely’s GVSU economic benefit study looked at housing values, recreational values and the value placed on the improved shoreline.
As for house values, Isely looked at residences located 300 feet to 2,600 feet from the shoreline improvements.
The closer a house was to a natural shoreline and the further it was from hardened industrial shoreline, the higher the home’s value.
When considering all factors that determine the value of a house, the improved nearby shoreline added $3,000 to $5,000 in value to many houses over time, the economist concluded.
The study included a survey of those in the adjacent neighborhoods and of people throughout Muskegon County.
Isely found the annual home value increases — especially in the adjacent homes in the city’s Nims and Lakeside neighborhoods — was $11.9 million.
The recreational value of the lake in terms of fishing, swimming and aesthetics, and the increased visitors coming due to the improvements, was calculated to add $1 million of new tourism spending each year.

Former senior assistant prosecutor Marc E. Curtis running for Muskegon County Prosecutor seat

Former senior assistant prosecutor Marc E. Curtis running for Muskegon County Prosecutor seat| MLive.com: Curtis is running as a Democrat and will be up against former colleague D.J. Hilson, a current senior assistant prosecutor who announced his candidacy on Wednesday.

Out of sight: Floating turbine technology could put offshore wind farms in middle of Great Lakes

Out of sight: Floating turbine technology could put offshore wind farms in middle of Great Lakes | MLive.com
MUSKEGON, MI – Out of sight is out of mind, offshore wind proponents hope.
Two Michigan universities have joined forces with a Seattle-based design company to pursue offshore wind technology that could be a “game-changer” on the Great Lakes.
Grand Valley State University and Michigan Technological University are in a group seeking federal funding for initial engineering and design of new floating-turbine technology.
The floating technology has the potential of moving turbines to the middle of the lakes.
The public-private partnership is seeking investors to cover the matching funds needed in a U.S. Department of Energy wind technology grant program, GVSU officials said.

..............“With offshore wind, 80 percent of the problem is visibility, which is a big issue,” said Arn Boezaart, MAREC director and member of the former Michigan Offshore Wind Council.
“This is technology that wants to be in deep water, not near shore.”

Clean Up and Beautify Muskegon Heights Da

Clean Up and Beautify Muskegon Heights Day (photos) | MLive.com
Students of Edgewood Elementary and other Muskegon Heights residents participated in "Clean Up and Beautify Muskegon Heights Day" on Saturday April 21, 2012.
They spent the day picking up trash, mowing vacant lots and planting flowers with supplies provided by donors such as the city of Muskegon Heights

Why Germany’s solar subsidies were bound to fail

News/TalkWhy Germany’s solar subsidies were bound to fail760 WJR:
Germany once prided itself on being the “photovoltaic world champion”, doling out generous subsidies – totaling more than $130 billion, according to research from Germany’s Ruhr University – to citizens to invest in solar energy.
But now the German government is vowing to cut the subsidies sooner than planned, and to phase out support over the next five years.
What went wrong

Studies Suggest Massive Increase In Scientific Fraud

Studies Suggest Massive Increase In Scientific Fraud - Slashdot
"Scientific fraud has always been with us.
But as stated or suggested by some scientists, journal editors, and a few studies, the amount of scientific 'cheating' has far outpaced the expansion of science itself.

According to some, the financial incentives to 'cut corners' have never been greater, resulting in record numbers of retractions from prestigious journals.

From the article:
'For example, the journal Nature reported that published retractions had increased tenfold over the past decade, while the number of published papers had increased by just 44 percent.'"

Obamanomics in Action… Barack’s Latest Line: “We Cannot Just Cut Our Way to Prosperity”

Obamanomics in Action… Barack’s Latest Line: “We Cannot Just Cut Our Way to Prosperity” (Video) | The Gateway Pundit
And, Lord knows, we can’t spend out way to prosperity either.
Barack Obama added a record $5 trillion in new debt in just three years.
Obama tripled the national deficit above one trillion dollars.


(J. Hoft Chart)
And, because of the runaway spending, the economy was downgraded for the first time in history.
And today he tells us we cannot cut our way to prosperity.
It’s an Obama world.

Breaking: Utah Delegates Force Orrin Hatch Into Primary in Senate Race

Breaking: Utah Delegates Force Orrin Hatch Into Primary in Senate Race | The Gateway Pundit
This is huge.
Utah Republican delegates forced longtime Senator Orrin Hatch into a primary race today at the state convention.
 Hatch will face Sen. Dan Liljenquist in a June 26 primary.

Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty

Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme 200ml: Amazon.co.uk: Health & Beauty
10,459 of 10,507 people found the following review helpful

5.0 out of 5 stars DO NOT PUT ON KNOB AND BOLLOCKS, 24 Jan 2012

By Andrew - See all my reviews
This review is from: Veet for Men Hair Removal Gel Creme 200ml (Personal Care)
Being a loose cannon who does not play by the rules the first thing I did was ignore the warning and smear this all over my knob and bollocks.
The bollocks I knew and loved are gone now.
In their place is a maroon coloured bag of agony which sends stabs of pain up my body every time it grazes against my thigh or an article of clothing.
 I am suffering so that you don't have to.

Heed my lesson. DO NOT PUT ON KNOB AND BOLLOCKS.

(I am giving this product a 5 because despite the fact that I think my bollocks might fall off, they are now completely hairless.)

One in 21: Health improvements are possible in Muskegon County, community leaders told

One in 21: Health improvements are possible in Muskegon County, community leaders told | MLive.com
One in 21 Co-Chairwoman Linda Juarez, head of Hackley Community Care, said the countywide health initiative was not launched just for individuals to lead healthier lives but for larger community goals.
A healthier community will be economically more prosperous and better educated, she said.

The health of a community is linked to businesses willingness to invest and create jobs as healthy workers cost less and are more productive, she said.
There also is a link to academic achievement as healthier students get better grades and higher test scores, she added.

Governor names emergency manager for Muskegon Heights Public Schools

Governor names emergency manager for Muskegon Heights Public Schools | MLive.com
Weatherspoon will take control of the district Monday, according to a press release.
He will have 45 days to develop a financial and operating plan for the district.

Muskegon County proposes additional trolley route this summer for downtown

Muskegon County proposes additional trolley route this summer for downtown | MLive.com
Transit System Manager Jim Koens said the proposed second route is seen as an opportunity to help people get around downtown.
He said the county has operated multiple trolley routes previously, but it has operated just one route from the downtown to Lake Michigan over the last five years.
The cost is estimated at less than $8,000 for a seasonal bus operator.
Koens said the cost is expected to be paid for through rider fares and grant sources.
The county owns six trolleys, three for the route systems and three for rentals as the Muskegon Trolley Company.
The Beach/Towne trolley route garnered 4,294 passengers last year.

Education Pays—Up to a Point

Education Pays—Up to a Point | The John William Pope Center for Higher Education Policy
Earnings also vary greatly depending on the student’s major. Data from the U.S. Census Bureau show that median earnings run from $29,000 for counseling-psychology majors to $120,000 for petroleum-engineering majors.
Is it “worth it” to spend the time and money for a degree in petroleum engineering?
If you can do it, probably “yes.”
But is it “worth it” to get a counseling degree?
That’s far from clear.

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Tampered With 2008 Election

LEAKED STRATFOR EMAILS: Democrats Tampered With 2008 Election - Business Insider
John McCain's 2008 campaign staff allegedly had evidence that Democrats stuffed ballot boxes in Pennsylvania and Ohio on election night, but McCain chose not to pursue voter fraud, according to internal Stratfor emails published by WikiLeaks.

Feds can't deport illegal immigrant arrested 35 times in Alabama

Feds can't deport illegal immigrant arrested 35 times in Alabama - WSFA.com: News Weather and Sports for Montgomery, AL
Officers in Hueytown arrested an illegal immigrant on drug charges recently.
When they ran his name through the system, they learned he had previously been arrested 34 times in Alabama.

Climate Depot

Climate Depot

Fifth Republic in France Teeters in Spectacle of an Astonishing Election

Fifth Republic in France Teeters in Spectacle of an Astonishing Election - The New York Sun
From de Gaulle, an objectively great statesman, to the solid and wise Georges Pompidou, to the intelligent but erratic Valery Giscard d’Estaing, to the cunning hyper-cynic Francois Mitterrand (at one time a collaborator of both Nazis and Communists, who once faked an assassination attempt on himself), to the bumbling and sticky-fingered Jacques Chirac, the pattern was a precise step downwards with each succession.
No other important country has followed such a straight trajectory over 50 years.

The Great California Exodus

The Weekend Interview with Joel Kotkin: The Great California Exodus - WSJ.com
And things will only get worse in the coming years as Democratic Gov. Jerry Brown and his green cadre implement their "smart growth" plans to cram the proletariat into high-density housing.
"What I find reprehensible beyond belief is that the people pushing [high-density housing] themselves live in single-family homes and often drive very fancy cars, but want everyone else to live like my grandmother did in Brownsville in Brooklyn in the 1920s," Mr. Kotkin declares.

Illegal Aliens Caught Voting and Stealing Elections In Florida In Vast Numbers - YouTube

Illegal Aliens Caught Voting and Stealing Elections In Florida In Vast Numbers - YouTube
Illegal Immigrant voters along with immigrants that are prohibited from voting have been detected voting in Florida.
This joins confirmed reports of sizable numbers of non citizens voting in Georgia and Colorado!

How City Hall is F*cking Record Store Day!

How City Hall is F*cking Record Store Day! - YouTube

The libs eating their own....again!

If Obama ate your dog, would you still vote for him? - Page 3

If Obama ate your dog, would you still vote for him? - Page 3

Herman Cain: Liberals Don't Want Voter ID Laws Because 'It Makes It Easier For Them To Cheat At The Polls'

Herman Cain: Liberals Don't Want Voter ID Laws Because 'It Makes It Easier For Them To Cheat At The Polls' | MRCTV
"That's a big fat lie. They are not taking us back to Jim Crow.
The only reason that the Liberals don't want photo ID in order for people to vote, is because it makes it easier for them to cheat at the polls.
I grew up in the South and during the Civil Rights Movement.
We have to have a photo ID for everything we do, but yet they want to frame it as taking us back to Jim Crow.

Muskegon Community College sets cap on health insurance contributions

Muskegon Community College sets cap on health insurance contributions | MLive.com
Under state law, public employers have to adopt one of two plans to limit the costs of insuring their employees:
They can either require employees to pay 20 percent of their insurance costs, or set a “hard cap” for the dollar amount employer contributions.
MCC opted for the hard cap, meaning it will pay no more than $5,500 to insure an employee, $11,000 for an employee and one dependent or $15,000 for an employee and his or her family, MCC Director of Human Resources Aaron Hilliard said.

Friday, April 20, 2012

If they quack like hacks

If they quack like hacks ... - BostonHerald.com
The difference between nonprofits and the hackerama is that nobody at a nonprofit ever has to run for reelection.
You can’t vote out their boards of directors.
You have to wait for them to resign in humiliation.....

Reagan Vs. Obama

News/Talk 760 WJR

News/Talk 760 WJR
 Lomborg: Why Germany’s solar subsidies were bound to fail
Germany’s Sunshine Daydream
By Bjorn Lomborg, 2012-02-16, Copenhagen.
One of the world’s biggest green-energy public-policy experiments is coming to a bitter end in Germany, with important lessons for policymakers elsewhere.

GSA waste, abuse more common than indicated

GSA waste, abuse more common than indicated | Campaign 2012 | Washington Examiner
Just last year, seven GSA employees were found guilty of accepting bribes and defrauding the government in a scheme that cost taxpayers $750,000. Other GSA scandals date back to the Carter administration in the 1970s.

"It really shakes you up," said Sen. Barbara Boxer, D-Calif., who chaired a Senate inquiry Wednesday. "The expression is fool me once, but again and again?"

Voting rights activists say GOP bills are intended to keep poor, elderly and minority voters from the polls

Voting rights activists say GOP bills are intended to keep poor, elderly and minority voters from the polls | MLive.com
LANSING, MI – State Republicans are trying to keep poor, elderly and minority voters from heading to the polls this November with a series requiring voters to show identification and training for people who register voters, voting rights activists said.

Earth Day Special: The Media's Top 25 Worst Environmental Quotes

Earth Day Special: The Media's Top 25 Worst Environmental Quotes | Media Research Center
CNN’s environmental editor Barbara Pyle, as quoted in the July 1990 issue of American Spectator, actually bragged:
“I do have an axe to grind...I want to be the little subversive person in television.”
 Time magazine’s science editor Charles Alexander, at a September 16, 1989 global warming conference, confessed:
“I would freely admit on this issue we have crossed the boundary from news reporting to advocacy.”

Palin To Secret Service Agent: "Check This Out, Bodyguard -- You're Fired"

Palin To Secret Service Agent: "Check This Out, Bodyguard -- You're Fired" | RealClearPolitics
"The president, the CEO of this operation called our federal government, has got to start cracking down on these agencies.
He is the head of the administrative branch and all of these different departments in the administration that now people are seeing things that are so amiss within these departments.
The buck stops with the president.

If I Had A Dog...

If I Had A Dog...

Sign of a campaign in trouble: ‘Dinner with Barack’ now includes George Clooney | Fausta's Blog

Sign of a campaign in trouble: ‘Dinner with Barack’ now includes George Clooney | Fausta's Blog

Good pic of my son Jimmy's bulldog, Apollo - I'm sorry Mr. President, he's not on the menu!

John McCain@SenJohnMcCain
Good pic of my son Jimmy's bulldog, Apollo - I'm sorry Mr. President, he's not on the menu! http://politi.co/HVhK9ZJohn McCain@SenJohnMcCain
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