Down to -50C: Russians freeze to death as strongest-in-decades winter hits (PHOTOS) — RT
Russia is enduring its harshest winter in over 70 years, with temperatures plunging as low as -50 degrees Celsius.
Dozens of people have already died, and almost 150 have been hospitalized.
The country has not witnessed such a long cold spell since 1938, meteorologists said, with temperatures 10 to 15 degrees lower than the seasonal norm all over Russia.
Wednesday, December 19, 2012
Robert Bork, 1927-2012
Robert Bork, 1927-2012 « Commentary Magazine
Bob’s sin was believing that the job of a constitutional jurist was to analyze constitutional cases in light of the specific language of the Constitution and the intent and ideas of those who wrote it.
For believing this—for believing in the classical notion, which defines the very act of interpretative scholarship, that a work of governing philosophy and practice has intrinsic meaning and not just the meaning we wish to assign to it—he was disgustingly slandered.
Bob’s sin was believing that the job of a constitutional jurist was to analyze constitutional cases in light of the specific language of the Constitution and the intent and ideas of those who wrote it.
For believing this—for believing in the classical notion, which defines the very act of interpretative scholarship, that a work of governing philosophy and practice has intrinsic meaning and not just the meaning we wish to assign to it—he was disgustingly slandered.
Robert H. Bork, 1927-2012
Roger’s Rules » Robert H. Bork, 1927-2012
Judge Robert H. Bork, one of the the greatest jurists this country has ever produced, died early this morning from heart complications in a Virginia hospital near his home.
He was 84.
The Bork behind "jambork".
RIP, brave patriot.
Judge Robert H. Bork, one of the the greatest jurists this country has ever produced, died early this morning from heart complications in a Virginia hospital near his home.
He was 84.
The Bork behind "jambork".
RIP, brave patriot.
Private fundraising for Muskegon senior transit program to await city decision on partnerships
Private fundraising for Muskegon senior transit program to await city decision on partnerships | MLive.com
In a meeting organized by Zawdie Abiade, pastor of Lakeside Wesleyan Church, the group concluded that to raise $70,000 each year would take not only individuals but corporate support and contributions.
The concerned citizens agreed to explore corporate support for senior transit services in the coming weeks and gather again Jan. 3.
The group is waiting for the city to investigate whether there can be a public-private partnership to continue the senior transit services before committing to a fundraising effort, Abiade said.
In a meeting organized by Zawdie Abiade, pastor of Lakeside Wesleyan Church, the group concluded that to raise $70,000 each year would take not only individuals but corporate support and contributions.
The concerned citizens agreed to explore corporate support for senior transit services in the coming weeks and gather again Jan. 3.
The group is waiting for the city to investigate whether there can be a public-private partnership to continue the senior transit services before committing to a fundraising effort, Abiade said.
Gov. Snyder will veto Michigan bill allowing concealed guns in schools
Gov. Snyder will veto Michigan bill allowing concealed guns in schools | MLive.com
Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday will veto legislation that would allow gun owners with extra training to carry concealed handguns into public schools, public arenas and other so-called gun-free zones now off limits, according to the sponsor of the bill.
Gov. Rick Snyder on Tuesday will veto legislation that would allow gun owners with extra training to carry concealed handguns into public schools, public arenas and other so-called gun-free zones now off limits, according to the sponsor of the bill.
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
How President Obama’s campaign used big data to rally individual voters, Part 2.
A More Perfect Union, Part 2 | MIT Technology Review
Why It Matters
The Obama 2012 campaign used data analytics and the experimental method to assemble a winning coalition vote by vote.
In doing so, it overturned the long dominance of TV advertising in U.S. politics and created something new in the world: a national campaign run like a local ward election, where the interests of individual voters were known and addressed.
This is the second installment in a three-part series:
Part 1: The Scores
Part 2: The Experiments
Part 3: The Community
Why It Matters
The Obama 2012 campaign used data analytics and the experimental method to assemble a winning coalition vote by vote.
In doing so, it overturned the long dominance of TV advertising in U.S. politics and created something new in the world: a national campaign run like a local ward election, where the interests of individual voters were known and addressed.
This is the second installment in a three-part series:
Part 1: The Scores
Part 2: The Experiments
Part 3: The Community
Solar power adds to nonusers' costs
Solar power adds to nonusers' costs - SFGate:
"Booming rooftop solar installations in California are bringing an unwelcome surprise to the homes and businesses that don't have the devices: an extra $1.3 billion added to their annual bills"
"Booming rooftop solar installations in California are bringing an unwelcome surprise to the homes and businesses that don't have the devices: an extra $1.3 billion added to their annual bills"
SEIU 'Dues Skim' Days Are Numbered
SEIU 'Dues Skim' Days Are Numbered [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
On Monday, the newly constituted Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3) board affirmed that the contract upon which the SEIU "Dues Skim" is based will end Feb. 28, 2013.
The board further announced that the MQC3 would officially be dissolved as of April 14, 2013.
Free at last!
On Monday, the newly constituted Michigan Quality Community Care Council (MQC3) board affirmed that the contract upon which the SEIU "Dues Skim" is based will end Feb. 28, 2013.
The board further announced that the MQC3 would officially be dissolved as of April 14, 2013.
Free at last!
Plug-In Cars Don’t Resell – Because They Don’t Sell
The PJ Tatler » Plug-In Cars Don’t Resell – Because They Don’t Sell:
1. Chris Bolts Sr
The turbocharged Ford Focus ST is $24,000.
The Ford Focus all-electric is $40,000.
That should tell ye all ye need to know.
1. Chris Bolts Sr
The turbocharged Ford Focus ST is $24,000.
The Ford Focus all-electric is $40,000.
That should tell ye all ye need to know.
The End of Unions?
The End of Unions? | Hoover Institution
The gains from right-to-work laws are not just confined to Indiana.
As Venuccio and Lehman report, between 1980 and 2011, overall employment levels rose by 71 percent in right-to-work states.
In non-right-to-work states, they only rose by 32 percent.
That differential does not come at the expense of wages, which grew four times as fast in right-to-work states: 12 percent versus 3 percent elsewhere.
The explanation is clear enough.
The productivity gains from escaping union work rules are shared with employees as employers bid up wages.
The short-term monopoly gains to unionized workers eventually are, over time, more than offset by productivity losses.
The New Deal union model is an economic mistake of major proportions.
The gains from right-to-work laws are not just confined to Indiana.
As Venuccio and Lehman report, between 1980 and 2011, overall employment levels rose by 71 percent in right-to-work states.
In non-right-to-work states, they only rose by 32 percent.
That differential does not come at the expense of wages, which grew four times as fast in right-to-work states: 12 percent versus 3 percent elsewhere.
The explanation is clear enough.
The productivity gains from escaping union work rules are shared with employees as employers bid up wages.
The short-term monopoly gains to unionized workers eventually are, over time, more than offset by productivity losses.
The New Deal union model is an economic mistake of major proportions.
Before wringing your hands at the madness of American gun laws, read this
Before wringing your hands at the madness of American gun laws, read this – Telegraph Blogs
When one begins to dig into the figures, the matter becomes more complex.
It is true that Japan, whose strict weapons legislation is built upon an unequivocal 1958 act stating that "No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or sword or swords", has one of the lowest homicide rates in the world.
Britain is in a similar position. But there are other countries – Israel, Switzerland, Norway – which, according to a 2012 study by the UNODC into international rates of intentional homicides, have high levels of gun ownership but relatively low levels of murder.
Moreover, other countries, like Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Russia, have high homicide rates despite having very few firearms.
When one begins to dig into the figures, the matter becomes more complex.
It is true that Japan, whose strict weapons legislation is built upon an unequivocal 1958 act stating that "No person shall possess a firearm or firearms or sword or swords", has one of the lowest homicide rates in the world.
Britain is in a similar position. But there are other countries – Israel, Switzerland, Norway – which, according to a 2012 study by the UNODC into international rates of intentional homicides, have high levels of gun ownership but relatively low levels of murder.
Moreover, other countries, like Holland, Sweden, Denmark and Russia, have high homicide rates despite having very few firearms.
The God Complex
The God Complex
As Winston Churchill said, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
As Winston Churchill said, “Socialism is a philosophy of failure, the creed of ignorance, and the gospel of envy, its inherent virtue is the equal sharing of misery.”
THE FACTS ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS: Mass shootings are no more common than they have been in past dec…
Instapundit » Blog Archive » THE FACTS ABOUT MASS SHOOTINGS: Mass shootings are no more common than they have been in past dec…
Mass shootings are no more common than they have been in past decades, despite the impression given by the media.
In fact, the high point for mass killings in the U.S. was 1929, according to criminologist Grant Duwe of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. . . .
With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns.
Read the whole thing.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 7:43 am
Mass shootings are no more common than they have been in past decades, despite the impression given by the media.
In fact, the high point for mass killings in the U.S. was 1929, according to criminologist Grant Duwe of the Minnesota Department of Corrections. . . .
With just one single exception, the attack on congresswoman Gabrielle Giffords in Tucson in 2011, every public shooting since at least 1950 in the U.S. in which more than three people have been killed has taken place where citizens are not allowed to carry guns.
Read the whole thing.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 7:43 am
Muskegon store owner displays shotgun, scares off would-be robber
Muskegon store owner displays shotgun, scares off would-be robber | MLive.com
The 48-year-old store owner was just getting ready to close the business for the evening when an unarmed suspect attempted to rob the place, police said.
The suspect did not have his face covered and didn't appear to have a weapon at the time, police said.
The store owner displayed a shotgun and the suspect fled from the store on foot, police said.
The 48-year-old store owner was just getting ready to close the business for the evening when an unarmed suspect attempted to rob the place, police said.
The suspect did not have his face covered and didn't appear to have a weapon at the time, police said.
The store owner displayed a shotgun and the suspect fled from the store on foot, police said.
Monday, December 17, 2012
Wind, solar could provide 99.9% of ALL POWER by 2030 • The Register
Wind, solar could provide 99.9% of ALL POWER by 2030 • The Register
Fossil-fuel sources wouldn't be abandoned entirely.
There would likely be times when neither wind nor solar could provide enough juice, and when storage had been depleted.
When that happens, they say, it'd be time to fire up the ol' CO2 spewers and spin their turbines.
Doing that, however, would be a last resort, and not the first, as is true in much of the US's power grid today.
While the idea of a large, geographically diverse renewable-energy grid might seem heinously expensive, the paper's authors contend that if current estimates are correct that by 2030 wind and solar capital costs will be about half of what they are today, by that date a renewable system would be as cost effective as a fossil fuel system, and all without government subsidies.
There is one cost sweetener in their calculations, however: their cost estimates for that comparison includes the costs related to the human health effects of fossil fuel–caused air polution.
Those are costs, of course, that are not borne by the electric power industry. Yet. ®
Fossil-fuel sources wouldn't be abandoned entirely.
There would likely be times when neither wind nor solar could provide enough juice, and when storage had been depleted.
When that happens, they say, it'd be time to fire up the ol' CO2 spewers and spin their turbines.
Doing that, however, would be a last resort, and not the first, as is true in much of the US's power grid today.
While the idea of a large, geographically diverse renewable-energy grid might seem heinously expensive, the paper's authors contend that if current estimates are correct that by 2030 wind and solar capital costs will be about half of what they are today, by that date a renewable system would be as cost effective as a fossil fuel system, and all without government subsidies.
There is one cost sweetener in their calculations, however: their cost estimates for that comparison includes the costs related to the human health effects of fossil fuel–caused air polution.
Those are costs, of course, that are not borne by the electric power industry. Yet. ®
SO IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A “NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON GUNS,” HERE ARE SOME OPENERS:
Instapundit » Blog Archive » SO IF WE’RE GOING TO HAVE A “NATIONAL CONVERSATION ON GUNS,” HERE ARE SOME OPENERS:
Why do people…: UPDATE: John Lucas emails:
Joe Scarborough, who claims to be a “proud NRA member” just said there is no reason to allow someone to have an “assault weapon” that shoots “30 rounds a second.”
The ignorance is appalling.
Well, yes. It’s MSNBC. But it is interesting that Scarborough — like Mark Shields and Rupert Murdoch — seems entirely ignorant of actual gun law.
But to be fair, the National Firearms Act has only been around since 1934.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 8:15 am
Why do people…: UPDATE: John Lucas emails:
Joe Scarborough, who claims to be a “proud NRA member” just said there is no reason to allow someone to have an “assault weapon” that shoots “30 rounds a second.”
The ignorance is appalling.
Well, yes. It’s MSNBC. But it is interesting that Scarborough — like Mark Shields and Rupert Murdoch — seems entirely ignorant of actual gun law.
But to be fair, the National Firearms Act has only been around since 1934.
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 8:15 am
Question of the Day: Should Gov. Snyder veto new gun legislation in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings?
Question of the Day: Should Gov. Snyder veto new gun legislation in the wake of the Connecticut school shootings? | MLive.com:
Connecticut has a similar law, but the proposed Michigan bill goes even further.
Gov. Rick Snyder has not indicated if he supports the legislation.
Leaders of the MEA and Progress Michigan have urged Snyder to veto the bill.
Connecticut has a similar law, but the proposed Michigan bill goes even further.
Gov. Rick Snyder has not indicated if he supports the legislation.
Leaders of the MEA and Progress Michigan have urged Snyder to veto the bill.
What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Adam Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities
What If Nothing or Nobody is to Blame for Adam Lanza? Guns, Video Games, Autism or Authorities - NationalJournal.com
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame?
Would that make this inexplicable horror unbearable?
What if we didn't rush to judgement?
What if we didn't waste our thoughts, prayers and actions on assigning blame for the sake of mere recrimination?
What if we calmly and ruthlessly learned whatever lessons we can from the massacre -- and prevented the next one?
A parting thought: What if it wasn't one thing, but everything, that set off Lanza?
What if there is nobody or nothing to blame?
Would that make this inexplicable horror unbearable?
What if we didn't rush to judgement?
What if we didn't waste our thoughts, prayers and actions on assigning blame for the sake of mere recrimination?
What if we calmly and ruthlessly learned whatever lessons we can from the massacre -- and prevented the next one?
A parting thought: What if it wasn't one thing, but everything, that set off Lanza?
2012 salary report: 20 University of Michigan deans collect $7.28M in base pay
2012 salary report: 20 University of Michigan deans collect $7.28M in base pay
Related article: 2012 salary report: University of Michigan's top 16 execs collect $7.19M in base pay
Two University of Michigan dean reappointments in 2012 came with 13 percent salary increases.
Overall, U-M's 20 deans earn a combined $7.28 million in base salaries, according to compensation figures released Friday by the school.
Last year U-M's deans earned $6.92 million.
Related article: 2012 salary report: University of Michigan's top 16 execs collect $7.19M in base pay
Two University of Michigan dean reappointments in 2012 came with 13 percent salary increases.
Overall, U-M's 20 deans earn a combined $7.28 million in base salaries, according to compensation figures released Friday by the school.
Last year U-M's deans earned $6.92 million.
Union Steward Paid $100K By Taxpayers Attends Rally Advocating Against Them
Union Steward Paid $100K By Taxpayers Attends Rally Advocating Against Them [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
Unlike most public and private-sector workers, being there was easy for Levine — she is paid by taxpayers to represent the union full-time.
As Michigan Capitol Confidential noted in a story in 2011, Levine is an elementary school teacher who is released from her duties as a teacher to work for the union.
That's the perk of being union president.
According to documents provided by the district via a Freedom of Information Act request, Levine makes $145,117 in total compensation (as of 2011).
The Chippewa Valley School District in Macomb County pays $103,807 of that. Another teacher in the district, Larry Schulte, is allowed to spend half his time involved in union business.
He receives $125,135 in total compensation of which taxpayers pick-up $104,480 (as of 2011).
Unlike most public and private-sector workers, being there was easy for Levine — she is paid by taxpayers to represent the union full-time.
As Michigan Capitol Confidential noted in a story in 2011, Levine is an elementary school teacher who is released from her duties as a teacher to work for the union.
That's the perk of being union president.
According to documents provided by the district via a Freedom of Information Act request, Levine makes $145,117 in total compensation (as of 2011).
The Chippewa Valley School District in Macomb County pays $103,807 of that. Another teacher in the district, Larry Schulte, is allowed to spend half his time involved in union business.
He receives $125,135 in total compensation of which taxpayers pick-up $104,480 (as of 2011).
Prosperity: US Drops Out of Top Ten
Prosperity: US Drops Out of Top Ten | Power Line
Consistent with this finding is the fact that for the first time in history, the average Canadian is wealthier than the average American.
Canada has a conservative government, and they have passed us like we are standing still.
Which we are, at best.
Consistent with this finding is the fact that for the first time in history, the average Canadian is wealthier than the average American.
Canada has a conservative government, and they have passed us like we are standing still.
Which we are, at best.
Sunday, December 16, 2012
ACLU Killed Connecticut Forcible Institutionalization Law That Might Have Prevented Killings
ACLU Killed Connecticut Forcible Institutionalization Law That Might Have Prevented Killings
But thankfully the ACLU won and over two dozen children were murdered.
And there will be of course no cries that the ACLU, rather than the NRA, should be held accountable for a dangerous lunatic being on the loose.
But thankfully the ACLU won and over two dozen children were murdered.
And there will be of course no cries that the ACLU, rather than the NRA, should be held accountable for a dangerous lunatic being on the loose.
The Anarchist Soccer Mom: Thinking the Unthinkable
The Anarchist Soccer Mom: Thinking the Unthinkable
I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother.
I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother.
I am James Holmes’s mother.
I am Jared Loughner’s mother.
I am Seung-Hui Cho’s mother.
And these boys—and their mothers—need help.
In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns.
But it’s time to talk about mental illness.
I am sharing this story because I am Adam Lanza’s mother.
I am Dylan Klebold’s and Eric Harris’s mother.
I am James Holmes’s mother.
I am Jared Loughner’s mother.
I am Seung-Hui Cho’s mother.
And these boys—and their mothers—need help.
In the wake of another horrific national tragedy, it’s easy to talk about guns.
But it’s time to talk about mental illness.
Saturday, December 15, 2012
Obama: Pot users not a 'top priority'
Obama: Pot users not a 'top priority' | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
Obama simply told Walters that going after "recreational users" would not be a "top priority."
Obama simply told Walters that going after "recreational users" would not be a "top priority."
Editorial: Muskegon city commissioners should follow voters' directive on senior citizen transit program
Editorial: Muskegon city commissioners should follow voters' directive on senior citizen transit program | MLive.com
The people of Muskegon clearly wanted the senior citizen transit program to receive funding, even if a technicality ended up in its defeat at the polls.
The people of Muskegon clearly wanted the senior citizen transit program to receive funding, even if a technicality ended up in its defeat at the polls.
Editorial: Politicizing job creation doesn't benefit Michigan business or labor
Editorial: Politicizing job creation doesn't benefit Michigan business or labor | MLive.com
We're not suggesting that everyone sit in a circle and sing "Kumbaya."
Michigan's strength is in its diversity, but there is a potential for weakness there, too.
Because the state did not have a proper debate over right to work, we will spend the next two years sorting the issue out in a political and legal battle that will cost us dearly.
But we should not let that distract us from the most important issue: jobs.
The MLive and Muskegon Chronicle Editorial Board members are Peg West, community news director; Clayton Hardiman, columnist; and Paula Holmes-Greeley, community engagement specialist.
We're not suggesting that everyone sit in a circle and sing "Kumbaya."
Michigan's strength is in its diversity, but there is a potential for weakness there, too.
Because the state did not have a proper debate over right to work, we will spend the next two years sorting the issue out in a political and legal battle that will cost us dearly.
But we should not let that distract us from the most important issue: jobs.
The MLive and Muskegon Chronicle Editorial Board members are Peg West, community news director; Clayton Hardiman, columnist; and Paula Holmes-Greeley, community engagement specialist.
ABC, NBC and CBS ignore union thugs' attack on Fox News contributor
ABC, NBC and CBS ignore union thugs' attack on Fox News contributor | Fox News
It’s a sad day for American TV journalism when The Huffington Post is a more honest news outlet than ABC, CBS or NBC.
On Tuesday, after Michigan union protests escalated into violence, HuffPo led with several stories, including one headlined: “Fox News Contributor Punched.”
That story was about how Fox News contributor Steven Crowder and others were attacked by union thugs during the protest against the new “right-to-work” law.
ABC, CBS and NBC covered the protests but only ABC made mention of police having to deal with protesters.
None of them mentioned the attack on Crowder or showed the videos of that attack and the thugs tearing down a tent with people in it, both widely available on the Internet hours before the evening news show broadcast.
No network quoted Teamsters head Jimmy Hoffa predicting “civil war” between lawmakers and union members.
NBC anchor Brian Williams referred to it all meekly as “a boisterous day in the state capital.”
It’s a sad day for American TV journalism when The Huffington Post is a more honest news outlet than ABC, CBS or NBC.
On Tuesday, after Michigan union protests escalated into violence, HuffPo led with several stories, including one headlined: “Fox News Contributor Punched.”
That story was about how Fox News contributor Steven Crowder and others were attacked by union thugs during the protest against the new “right-to-work” law.
ABC, CBS and NBC covered the protests but only ABC made mention of police having to deal with protesters.
None of them mentioned the attack on Crowder or showed the videos of that attack and the thugs tearing down a tent with people in it, both widely available on the Internet hours before the evening news show broadcast.
No network quoted Teamsters head Jimmy Hoffa predicting “civil war” between lawmakers and union members.
NBC anchor Brian Williams referred to it all meekly as “a boisterous day in the state capital.”
Study: Less Than 10% of Indian MBA Graduates Are ‘Employable’
Study: Less Than 10% of Indian MBA Graduates Are ‘Employable’ - India Real Time - WSJ
The study found that less than half of the students tested had some knowledge of key industry terms and concepts in their areas of specialty.
For instance, a third of the surveyed students who had majored in finance, did not know what IPO – short for initial public offering – stood for.
A third of all students tested lacked basic English grammar skills, a prerequisite for working in the corporate environment, particularly in client-facing roles like consulting, banking, marketing and sales.
The study found that less than half of the students tested had some knowledge of key industry terms and concepts in their areas of specialty.
For instance, a third of the surveyed students who had majored in finance, did not know what IPO – short for initial public offering – stood for.
A third of all students tested lacked basic English grammar skills, a prerequisite for working in the corporate environment, particularly in client-facing roles like consulting, banking, marketing and sales.
Obama administration, Congress quietly let school security funds lapse
Obama administration, Congress quietly let school security funds lapse | WashingtonGuardian
Beneath the expressions of grief, sorrow and disbelief over the Connecticut school massacre lies an uneasy truth in Washington: over the last few years the Obama administration and Congress quietly let federal funding for several key school security programs lapse in the name of budget savings.
Government officials told the Washington Guardian on Friday night that two Justice Department programs that had provided more than $200 million to schools for training, security equipment and police resources over the last decade weren't renewed in 2011 and 2012, and that a separate program that provided $800 million to put police officers inside the schools was ended a few years earlier.
Beneath the expressions of grief, sorrow and disbelief over the Connecticut school massacre lies an uneasy truth in Washington: over the last few years the Obama administration and Congress quietly let federal funding for several key school security programs lapse in the name of budget savings.
Government officials told the Washington Guardian on Friday night that two Justice Department programs that had provided more than $200 million to schools for training, security equipment and police resources over the last decade weren't renewed in 2011 and 2012, and that a separate program that provided $800 million to put police officers inside the schools was ended a few years earlier.
A Thought Experiment Related to School Shootings
The Volokh Conspiracy » A Thought Experiment Related to School Shootings
A Thought Experiment Related to School Shootings
Imagine that you ran a school district, and some rich foundation, worried about school shootings, gave you the following offer: We’ll hire armed security guards for you, who could try to do something about the school shooter. These aren’t going to be highly trained police officers, just typical security guards, given some modest training and subjected to basic background checks. It’s not like they’re highly skilled; security guards rarely are. But they have a basic understanding of how to shoot, and when to shoot.
They wouldn’t deal with ordinary trespassing, vandalism, and the like, nor would they be at all guaranteed to be effective in the event of a school shooting (who can offer such a guarantee?). But they’d provide someone on the ground who could try to interrupt a killing spree. And the foundation is paying, so it’s virtually no cost to the district. Would you say yes?
I imagine that you probably would. You probably wouldn’t much worry, for instance, that the guard would go crazy and himself start shooting — theoretically possible, to be sure, but unlikely. You’d figure that someone who can defend the school with a gun during an attack (as opposed to the police, who will come in many precious minutes after the attack begins) is better than no-one.
Nor would you object in principles about there being a gun in school, since it’s in the right hands. Just like people who have money often to pay for armed neighborhood-wide security patrols, and don’t insist on the unarmed kind or no patrol at all, you’d probably think that this free security guard would probably be helpful.
But wait! The foundation has just learned that its investment portfolio has done very badly, and the grant doesn’t go through. But someone else suggests: Instead of hiring special-purpose security guards, why not take some of your existing employees — teachers, administrators, and the like — and offer them a deal: They’d go through some modest training and subjected to basic background checks, and in exchange they’d be given the right to carry the same guns that the security guards would have had.
Indeed, this way you could have not just one security guard but several (if several staff members sign up). And you might get people to do this even without paying them, since they might value the ability to defend themselves and to not be sitting ducks should the worst happen. (If there’s some union contract or labor law that precludes that, that can of course be changed, if people think this is a good idea.) Maybe Assistant Principal Joel Myrick, who confronted the Pearl, Mississippi high school shooter with a gun, after Myrick went to the car to get it, might have participated in such a program if it had existed, and had let him keep the gun in school.
And no need to call the licenses given to those who participate in the program “concealed carry” licenses, just in case some parents and others don’t like the concept. Just call them “volunteer security guard” licenses, though you might expect that most people who sign up for this will also have licenses to concealed carry on the street. Of course, if a killer does show up, maybe some of these volunteer security guards will just cower in the corner rather than trying to defend the students, or attack the killer. But it seems more likely that someone will confront and try to stop the killer if that someone is armed then if that person is disarmed.
What’s your answer to that? Is there some reason why the armed security guard is safe and helpful, but the armed teacher, administrator, or staffer — er, the teacher with a volunteer security guard license — would be useless and a menace?
They wouldn’t deal with ordinary trespassing, vandalism, and the like, nor would they be at all guaranteed to be effective in the event of a school shooting (who can offer such a guarantee?). But they’d provide someone on the ground who could try to interrupt a killing spree. And the foundation is paying, so it’s virtually no cost to the district. Would you say yes?
I imagine that you probably would. You probably wouldn’t much worry, for instance, that the guard would go crazy and himself start shooting — theoretically possible, to be sure, but unlikely. You’d figure that someone who can defend the school with a gun during an attack (as opposed to the police, who will come in many precious minutes after the attack begins) is better than no-one.
Nor would you object in principles about there being a gun in school, since it’s in the right hands. Just like people who have money often to pay for armed neighborhood-wide security patrols, and don’t insist on the unarmed kind or no patrol at all, you’d probably think that this free security guard would probably be helpful.
But wait! The foundation has just learned that its investment portfolio has done very badly, and the grant doesn’t go through. But someone else suggests: Instead of hiring special-purpose security guards, why not take some of your existing employees — teachers, administrators, and the like — and offer them a deal: They’d go through some modest training and subjected to basic background checks, and in exchange they’d be given the right to carry the same guns that the security guards would have had.
Indeed, this way you could have not just one security guard but several (if several staff members sign up). And you might get people to do this even without paying them, since they might value the ability to defend themselves and to not be sitting ducks should the worst happen. (If there’s some union contract or labor law that precludes that, that can of course be changed, if people think this is a good idea.) Maybe Assistant Principal Joel Myrick, who confronted the Pearl, Mississippi high school shooter with a gun, after Myrick went to the car to get it, might have participated in such a program if it had existed, and had let him keep the gun in school.
And no need to call the licenses given to those who participate in the program “concealed carry” licenses, just in case some parents and others don’t like the concept. Just call them “volunteer security guard” licenses, though you might expect that most people who sign up for this will also have licenses to concealed carry on the street. Of course, if a killer does show up, maybe some of these volunteer security guards will just cower in the corner rather than trying to defend the students, or attack the killer. But it seems more likely that someone will confront and try to stop the killer if that someone is armed then if that person is disarmed.
What’s your answer to that? Is there some reason why the armed security guard is safe and helpful, but the armed teacher, administrator, or staffer — er, the teacher with a volunteer security guard license — would be useless and a menace?
DETNEWS | Weblogs | The Watercooler
DETNEWS | Weblogs | The Watercooler
Guv Snyder death threats
After what I saw and heard Tuesday in person in Lansing... this surprises me not at all:
Examiner: Liberals on Twitter issue death threats against Gov. Snyder over right to work
Liberals and union supporters on Twitter issued a number of tweets calling for the death of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder over the right-to-work measure he signed into law, Twitchy reported Tuesday.
"I have signed the freedom to work bills into law," Gov. Snyder tweeted.
"F**k Snyder ill kill him (sic)," tweeted "TheWhitegirl."
"I Wanna Shoot Gov Snyder In His Eye. . .Bastard Been F**kin' Michigan Left & Right (sic)," one person said.
"[Y]ou are soooo going to die painfully for this b******t, it isn't even funny (sic)," said another person.
Union thugs assault Steven Crowder.
Some called for Gov. Snyder to kill himself, while others demanded Snyder's voters commit suicide.
Guv Snyder death threats
After what I saw and heard Tuesday in person in Lansing... this surprises me not at all:
Examiner: Liberals on Twitter issue death threats against Gov. Snyder over right to work
Liberals and union supporters on Twitter issued a number of tweets calling for the death of Michigan Governor Rick Snyder over the right-to-work measure he signed into law, Twitchy reported Tuesday.
"I have signed the freedom to work bills into law," Gov. Snyder tweeted.
"F**k Snyder ill kill him (sic)," tweeted "TheWhitegirl."
"I Wanna Shoot Gov Snyder In His Eye. . .Bastard Been F**kin' Michigan Left & Right (sic)," one person said.
"[Y]ou are soooo going to die painfully for this b******t, it isn't even funny (sic)," said another person.
Union thugs assault Steven Crowder.
Some called for Gov. Snyder to kill himself, while others demanded Snyder's voters commit suicide.
How many bowl games are too many? College football's devalued postseason
How many bowl games are too many? College football's devalued postseason | al.com
USA Today reported that the average salary for the 15 leaders of the non-profit bowls is about three times more than the average for a nonprofit chief executive of mid-to-large charities.
Five bowl directors make more than the CEO of the American National Red Cross, who last year made $561,000 while overseeing revenues of $3.5 billion.
By contrast, Outback Bowl President Jim McVay made $753,946 in 2010 with revenues of $10 million.
Ticket prices are $87 for the Capital One Bowl on the Georgia and Nebraska web sites -- even though Nebraska (which played in Orlando last year) has sold only about 4,000 tickets and they can be found for $14 in the secondary market.
According to The Orlando Sentinel, the Capital One Bowl wanted Texas A&M-Northwestern, but caved to pressure from the SEC and Big Ten to protect the conference runner-ups.
Florida State has sold 4,000 of its 17,000 tickets for the Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois, an unlikely BCS team.
Those tickets are going for as low as $10 elsewhere.
Virginia Tech is forced to sell tickets for the Russell Athletic Bowl against Rutgers at $72.
They're available for $2 online -- joining the Gator and Music City (Vanderbilt-N.C. State) as bowls with tickets going for as low as less than $10.
USA Today reported that the average salary for the 15 leaders of the non-profit bowls is about three times more than the average for a nonprofit chief executive of mid-to-large charities.
Five bowl directors make more than the CEO of the American National Red Cross, who last year made $561,000 while overseeing revenues of $3.5 billion.
By contrast, Outback Bowl President Jim McVay made $753,946 in 2010 with revenues of $10 million.
Ticket prices are $87 for the Capital One Bowl on the Georgia and Nebraska web sites -- even though Nebraska (which played in Orlando last year) has sold only about 4,000 tickets and they can be found for $14 in the secondary market.
According to The Orlando Sentinel, the Capital One Bowl wanted Texas A&M-Northwestern, but caved to pressure from the SEC and Big Ten to protect the conference runner-ups.
Florida State has sold 4,000 of its 17,000 tickets for the Orange Bowl against Northern Illinois, an unlikely BCS team.
Those tickets are going for as low as $10 elsewhere.
Virginia Tech is forced to sell tickets for the Russell Athletic Bowl against Rutgers at $72.
They're available for $2 online -- joining the Gator and Music City (Vanderbilt-N.C. State) as bowls with tickets going for as low as less than $10.
Lucianne.com News Forum - HomePage
Lucianne.com News Forum - HomePage: Late Breaking News!
Secretary Hillary Clinton, suffering from a stomach flu, has fainted and sustained a concussion (AP)
THIS JUST IN - FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be unable to testify on the Benghazi raid next week due to her recent concussion.
Secretary Hillary Clinton, suffering from a stomach flu, has fainted and sustained a concussion (AP)
THIS JUST IN - FOX NEWS EXCLUSIVE: Secretary of State Hillary Clinton will be unable to testify on the Benghazi raid next week due to her recent concussion.
Blog: It's Time to End Gun-Free Zones
Blog: It's Time to End Gun-Free Zones
Gun-free zones in schools are invitations to psychopaths to commit murder.
I remember my son recently showing me a satirical sign that said, "Attention Criminals, the people in this establishment have been disarmed for your convenience."
....Only Texas allows teachers to carry guns.
How many tragedies have to happen before we do the same?
How many children have to die before we finally allow the law-abiding citizens charged to educate and defend our students to do the latter as well as the former?
...I call the reader's attention to a few simple questions.
How many mass murders have been committed at a gun range or in a gun shop?
How many have been committed in a police station?
The answer is few, if any.
What is it that these locations have that our schools don't?
Simple: a plethora of armed law-abiding individuals.
If just one person had been armed in Newtown or Aurora, how many lives could have been saved?
Gun-free zones in schools are invitations to psychopaths to commit murder.
I remember my son recently showing me a satirical sign that said, "Attention Criminals, the people in this establishment have been disarmed for your convenience."
....Only Texas allows teachers to carry guns.
How many tragedies have to happen before we do the same?
How many children have to die before we finally allow the law-abiding citizens charged to educate and defend our students to do the latter as well as the former?
...I call the reader's attention to a few simple questions.
How many mass murders have been committed at a gun range or in a gun shop?
How many have been committed in a police station?
The answer is few, if any.
What is it that these locations have that our schools don't?
Simple: a plethora of armed law-abiding individuals.
If just one person had been armed in Newtown or Aurora, how many lives could have been saved?
'New urbanism' residential development proposed in downtown Muskegon by Jon Rooks
'New urbanism' residential development proposed in downtown Muskegon by Jon Rooks | MLive.com
Rooks, a Norton Shores resident, told the Muskegon Planning Commission that the residential development would feature small lots measuring 36 feet by 100 feet with small homes.
He said the goal is to have the residential lots priced at about $100,000 on the lakefront with $150,000 homes built on them.
Rooks, a Norton Shores resident, told the Muskegon Planning Commission that the residential development would feature small lots measuring 36 feet by 100 feet with small homes.
He said the goal is to have the residential lots priced at about $100,000 on the lakefront with $150,000 homes built on them.
Steven Crowder Files Criminal Complaint Against Pro-Union Protester
Steven Crowder Files Criminal Complaint Against Pro-Union Protester | NewsBusters.org
Earlier that day, union supporters turned violent as they attacked supporters of the new law, tearing down a tent with people in it and punching Crowder in the face. Both acts were caught on video.
Needless to say, if the clips had been reversed with workers' rights supporters attacking union members, you would not be able to watch television without seeing the footage.
Earlier that day, union supporters turned violent as they attacked supporters of the new law, tearing down a tent with people in it and punching Crowder in the face. Both acts were caught on video.
Needless to say, if the clips had been reversed with workers' rights supporters attacking union members, you would not be able to watch television without seeing the footage.
Michigan’s adoption of right-to-work legislation may spark chain reaction
Michigan’s adoption of right-to-work legislation may spark chain reaction | Washington Free Beacon
Michigan has not been so lucky.
The state ranked 13th for its business climate in 2006.
By 2012, it had fallen to 39th due in part to union power and the high deficits of the Jennifer Granholm administration.
“This could be the first year that Michigan starts to reverse its decline because [Snyder] has shown that he’s willing to take the state in a new direction,” Pollina said.
“Where it’s going to help out is in attracting out of state employers—it’s a great thing for the state of Michigan.”
Michigan has not been so lucky.
The state ranked 13th for its business climate in 2006.
By 2012, it had fallen to 39th due in part to union power and the high deficits of the Jennifer Granholm administration.
“This could be the first year that Michigan starts to reverse its decline because [Snyder] has shown that he’s willing to take the state in a new direction,” Pollina said.
“Where it’s going to help out is in attracting out of state employers—it’s a great thing for the state of Michigan.”
Brand USA found to have wasted even more money
Brand USA found to have wasted even more money | Washington Free Beacon
The Daily Caller first reported Thursday on new expense reports and business audits that paint a picture of Brand USA as a rudderless organization with a penchant for spending:
Some of the new organization’s recent expenses include $4,139 for 250 holiday cards, $3,592 for a holiday e-card and $2,449 for a ringtone version of the Rosanne Cash song “Land of Dreams,” which was created specifically for a sweeping Brand USA promotional campaign.
Also among the expenditures, according to the documents, are $2,700 for 26 sets of business cards and $50,252 for giveaway materials at the International Pow Wow trade show, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center earlier this year.
The agency spent nearly $35,000 on Chinese-made water bottles for the event.
And Brand USA spent close to $1 million on its posh launch party in London last year, including $69,300 on freebies for attendees.
Almost $50,000 went to neck wallets, and the organization dished out a grand total of $13,101 for umbrellas.
Brand USA has also paid out approximately $1 million in severance pay to eight terminated employees, the documents show.
Brand USA, formerly known as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, is a public-private partnership established by Congress to promote the United States abroad.
It receives $1 in federal funding for every $2 in private contributions from corporations.
The Daily Caller first reported Thursday on new expense reports and business audits that paint a picture of Brand USA as a rudderless organization with a penchant for spending:
Some of the new organization’s recent expenses include $4,139 for 250 holiday cards, $3,592 for a holiday e-card and $2,449 for a ringtone version of the Rosanne Cash song “Land of Dreams,” which was created specifically for a sweeping Brand USA promotional campaign.
Also among the expenditures, according to the documents, are $2,700 for 26 sets of business cards and $50,252 for giveaway materials at the International Pow Wow trade show, which was held at the Los Angeles Convention Center earlier this year.
The agency spent nearly $35,000 on Chinese-made water bottles for the event.
And Brand USA spent close to $1 million on its posh launch party in London last year, including $69,300 on freebies for attendees.
Almost $50,000 went to neck wallets, and the organization dished out a grand total of $13,101 for umbrellas.
Brand USA has also paid out approximately $1 million in severance pay to eight terminated employees, the documents show.
Brand USA, formerly known as the Corporation for Travel Promotion, is a public-private partnership established by Congress to promote the United States abroad.
It receives $1 in federal funding for every $2 in private contributions from corporations.
The Koch Brothers Should Buy MSNBC
The Koch Brothers Should Buy MSNBC « American Glob
The Koch Brothers should buy MSNBC and turn it over to conservative bloggers. That concludes today’s Live at Five Report with Stacy McCain and Smitty.
Coming up at 6, Bill Whittle followed by Jim Geraghty and William Jacobson at 7 and Glenn Reynolds at 8. Ratings at MSNBC would go up as FOX News found itself competing for viewers for the first time since launching.
Sheldon Adelson should buy CNN and turn it over to NewsBusters which could spend 24 hours a day pointing out the inaccuracies and lies of liberal media on TV and in print.
After all, the liberal media has no idea how biased it is.
Read more on this at Powerline and Legal Insurrection.
The Koch Brothers should buy MSNBC and turn it over to conservative bloggers. That concludes today’s Live at Five Report with Stacy McCain and Smitty.
Coming up at 6, Bill Whittle followed by Jim Geraghty and William Jacobson at 7 and Glenn Reynolds at 8. Ratings at MSNBC would go up as FOX News found itself competing for viewers for the first time since launching.
Sheldon Adelson should buy CNN and turn it over to NewsBusters which could spend 24 hours a day pointing out the inaccuracies and lies of liberal media on TV and in print.
After all, the liberal media has no idea how biased it is.
Read more on this at Powerline and Legal Insurrection.
Gun-free zones provide false sense of security
Column: Gun-free zones provide false sense of security
One of the interesting characteristics of mass shootings is that they generally occur in places where firearms are banned: malls, schools, etc.
That was the finding of a famous 1999 study by John Lott of the University of Maryland and William Landes of the University of Chicago, and it appears to have been borne out by experience since then as well.
One of the interesting characteristics of mass shootings is that they generally occur in places where firearms are banned: malls, schools, etc.
That was the finding of a famous 1999 study by John Lott of the University of Maryland and William Landes of the University of Chicago, and it appears to have been borne out by experience since then as well.
Union Protesters' Attack Hits Local Employer With $35K Tent Destruction
Union Protesters' Attack Hits Local Employer With $35K Tent Destruction [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
“I understand that the protesters had a grudge," Gill said.
"But when they were tearing down the tents and cutting them up, they were taking their grudge out on a small local employer. I
t was like what they did to the hot dog guy (Tarver).
They just wanted to show force.
They really didn't care who they were hurting.
It apparently didn't matter to them."
Gill, who owns Rentals Unlimited in Traverse City, said he wondered what sort of news coverage the destruction would have received if the political dynamics had been reversed.
"If these had been conservative protesters, I think the news media would be making a lot bigger deal about it," he said.
“I understand that the protesters had a grudge," Gill said.
"But when they were tearing down the tents and cutting them up, they were taking their grudge out on a small local employer. I
t was like what they did to the hot dog guy (Tarver).
They just wanted to show force.
They really didn't care who they were hurting.
It apparently didn't matter to them."
Gill, who owns Rentals Unlimited in Traverse City, said he wondered what sort of news coverage the destruction would have received if the political dynamics had been reversed.
"If these had been conservative protesters, I think the news media would be making a lot bigger deal about it," he said.
Friday, December 14, 2012
Cycling vs. Golf: 100 Miles on the Bike? Might as Well Play Golf
Cycling vs. Golf: 100 Miles on the Bike? Might as Well Play Golf - WSJ.com
Any talk of golf as exercise could make cyclists choke on their energy bars.
But a new study suggests that a round of golf can confer longevity benefits just as robust as a 100-mile bike ride.
The study in the Christmas edition of BMJ—the peer-reviewed publication formerly known as the British Medical Journal—is based on the mortality records of 9,889 athletes who competed in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936.
"Engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with playing golf or cricket (low cardiovascular intensity)."
Any talk of golf as exercise could make cyclists choke on their energy bars.
But a new study suggests that a round of golf can confer longevity benefits just as robust as a 100-mile bike ride.
The study in the Christmas edition of BMJ—the peer-reviewed publication formerly known as the British Medical Journal—is based on the mortality records of 9,889 athletes who competed in the Olympic Games between 1896 and 1936.
"Engaging in cycling and rowing (high cardiovascular intensity) had no added survival benefit compared with playing golf or cricket (low cardiovascular intensity)."
The Blog on Obama: White House Dossier
The Blog on Obama: White House Dossier
Michelle said Republicans sought to win the election by spending “unprecedented amounts of money,” running negative advertising, and committing voter suppression.
Michelle said Republicans sought to win the election by spending “unprecedented amounts of money,” running negative advertising, and committing voter suppression.
'We'll Be At Your Daughter's Soccer Game!'
'We'll Be At Your Daughter's Soccer Game!' [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
A speaker at a union protest against right-to-work legislation said if Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill he would get "no rest" and that protesters would be at his "daughter's soccer game." (Video below).
A speaker at a union protest against right-to-work legislation said if Gov. Rick Snyder signed the bill he would get "no rest" and that protesters would be at his "daughter's soccer game." (Video below).
Greeks earning 42,000 Euros to be taxed at top rate under plan
Greeks earning 42,000 Euros to be taxed at top rate under plan - New York News | NYC Breaking News
Greeks earning more than €42,000 ($55,000) per year will now be taxed at a new top rate of 42 percent, under a major new tax reform bill submitted to the country's parliament late Thursday.
Greeks earning more than €42,000 ($55,000) per year will now be taxed at a new top rate of 42 percent, under a major new tax reform bill submitted to the country's parliament late Thursday.
Public Buses Across Country Quietly Adding Microphones to Record Passenger Conversations
Public Buses Across Country Quietly Adding Microphones to Record Passenger Conversations | Threat Level | Wired.com
Transit authorities in cities across the country are quietly installing microphone-enabled surveillance systems on public buses that would give them the ability to record and store private conversations, according to documents obtained by a news outlet.
The systems are being installed in San Francisco, Baltimore, and other cities with funding from the Department of Homeland Security in some cases, according to the Daily, which obtained copies of contracts, procurement requests, specs and other documents.
Transit authorities in cities across the country are quietly installing microphone-enabled surveillance systems on public buses that would give them the ability to record and store private conversations, according to documents obtained by a news outlet.
The systems are being installed in San Francisco, Baltimore, and other cities with funding from the Department of Homeland Security in some cases, according to the Daily, which obtained copies of contracts, procurement requests, specs and other documents.
Thursday, December 13, 2012
The Dumbing Down Of Americans
Lucianne.com News Forum - Thread
Bottomline...there are no Conservative Messiah´s to fix this...Conservatives will have to fix this ourselves...one brain at a time...also we will HAVE TO GO to the uncool places...Colbert, Letterman, Leno etc and make our case to the dumbdown viewers...Ronald Reagan could do this as a former actor...future Conservatives must do this too..
Bottomline...there are no Conservative Messiah´s to fix this...Conservatives will have to fix this ourselves...one brain at a time...also we will HAVE TO GO to the uncool places...Colbert, Letterman, Leno etc and make our case to the dumbdown viewers...Ronald Reagan could do this as a former actor...future Conservatives must do this too..
The racial slurs the MSM doesn’t want to cover
The racial slurs the MSM doesn’t want to cover - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion
We ask this question time and again — What if the Tea Party had done this?
We ask this question time and again — What if the Tea Party had done this?
The Coming Fiscal Tsunami
The Coming Fiscal Tsunami | Hoover Institution
The United States will soon confront a major economic problem, perhaps one unparalleled in the nation’s history.
It won’t strike tomorrow, next week, or next month, but it is out there, its roots sown by the demographics of the past half-century and a body politic hesitant to tamper with aging institutions of government.
When it emerges, like a tsunami, the destructive consequences of amassing unprecedented federal indebtedness will be overwhelming, and though seemingly distant, when it rears its head it will rise suddenly in our consciousness as if coming without warning.
The United States will soon confront a major economic problem, perhaps one unparalleled in the nation’s history.
It won’t strike tomorrow, next week, or next month, but it is out there, its roots sown by the demographics of the past half-century and a body politic hesitant to tamper with aging institutions of government.
When it emerges, like a tsunami, the destructive consequences of amassing unprecedented federal indebtedness will be overwhelming, and though seemingly distant, when it rears its head it will rise suddenly in our consciousness as if coming without warning.
U.N. Conference Slyly Introduces Resolution to Gain Control of Internet—in Middle of Night
U.N. Conference Slyly Introduces Resolution to Gain Control of Internet—in Middle of Night | The Weekly Standard:
The proposed resolution resolves that the secretary general of the U.N. "continue to take the necessary steps for ITU to play an active and constructive role in the multi-stakeholder model of the Internet," according to a draft of the text.
The proposed resolution resolves that the secretary general of the U.N. "continue to take the necessary steps for ITU to play an active and constructive role in the multi-stakeholder model of the Internet," according to a draft of the text.
Committee to discuss next steps regarding Muskegon County jail, juvenile facilities
Committee to discuss next steps regarding Muskegon County jail, juvenile facilities | MLive.com
The financial proposal is for the county to spend $5.6 million in existing reserves and issue a $29.6 million general obligation bond to pay for the new jail and juvenile facilities.
Based on those projections, the county would not be seeking a special millage from county voters.
The financial proposal is for the county to spend $5.6 million in existing reserves and issue a $29.6 million general obligation bond to pay for the new jail and juvenile facilities.
Based on those projections, the county would not be seeking a special millage from county voters.
U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens
U.S. Terrorism Agency to Tap a Vast Database of Citizens - WSJ.com
Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal.
Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime.
Not everyone was on board.
"This is a sea change in the way that the government interacts with the general public," Mary Ellen Callahan, chief privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security, argued in the meeting, according to people familiar with the discussions.
A week later, the attorney general signed the changes into effect.
....Now, NCTC can copy entire government databases—flight records, casino-employee lists, the names of Americans hosting foreign-exchange students and many others.
The agency has new authority to keep data about innocent U.S. citizens for up to five years, and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior.
Previously, both were prohibited. Data about Americans "reasonably believed to constitute terrorism information" may be permanently retained.
READ IT ALL!
CHILLING!!
Top U.S. intelligence officials gathered in the White House Situation Room in March to debate a controversial proposal.
Counterterrorism officials wanted to create a government dragnet, sweeping up millions of records about U.S. citizens—even people suspected of no crime.
Not everyone was on board.
"This is a sea change in the way that the government interacts with the general public," Mary Ellen Callahan, chief privacy officer of the Department of Homeland Security, argued in the meeting, according to people familiar with the discussions.
A week later, the attorney general signed the changes into effect.
....Now, NCTC can copy entire government databases—flight records, casino-employee lists, the names of Americans hosting foreign-exchange students and many others.
The agency has new authority to keep data about innocent U.S. citizens for up to five years, and to analyze it for suspicious patterns of behavior.
Previously, both were prohibited. Data about Americans "reasonably believed to constitute terrorism information" may be permanently retained.
READ IT ALL!
CHILLING!!
Wednesday, December 12, 2012
Shhhh! A new law says TV ads can't blare anymore
My Way News - Shhhh! A new law says TV ads can't blare anymore:
TV viewing could soon sound a little calmer.
The CALM Act, which limits the volume of TV commercials, goes into effect on Thursday.
TV viewing could soon sound a little calmer.
The CALM Act, which limits the volume of TV commercials, goes into effect on Thursday.
Obama's Big Michigan Right-To-Work Lie: Lower Worker Wages
Obama's Big Michigan Right-To-Work Lie: Lower Worker Wages - Investors.comAccording to Michigan's Mackinac Center, using data taken from the Bureau of Economic Analysis and Bureau of Labor Statistics, private-sector, inflation-adjusted employee compensation in right-to-work states increased by 12% between 2001 and 2011 compared with just 3% over the same period in forced-unionization states.
These good wages came from good jobs.
Employment in right-to-work states expanded 2.4% over the same stretch vs. a 3.4% decline in non-right-to-work states.
Ironically, Obama is taking credit for jobs created in RTW states.
MI Union destroys hot dog cart, calls owner an ‘Uncle Tom’ over right-to-work
MI Union destroys hot dog cart, calls owner an ‘Uncle Tom’ over right-to-work | WashingtonExaminer.com
“Early today, Clint Tarver, known as “The Hot Dog Guy” here in Lansing had his business attacked by out of line and out of control protesters near the Capitol,” a blog post associated with a fundraiser to restore the hot dog cart explains. “
‘It was when he returned to gather his equipment that the taunts and racial slurs began.”
When attacking the cart, the people were “yelling N*gger & Uncle Tom,” according to Michigan Republican State Committee member Nick Hawatmeh. Hawatmeh took a photo of the attack that you can see here.
https://twitter.com/NicolaHawatmeh/status/278666596506013697
“Early today, Clint Tarver, known as “The Hot Dog Guy” here in Lansing had his business attacked by out of line and out of control protesters near the Capitol,” a blog post associated with a fundraiser to restore the hot dog cart explains. “
‘It was when he returned to gather his equipment that the taunts and racial slurs began.”
When attacking the cart, the people were “yelling N*gger & Uncle Tom,” according to Michigan Republican State Committee member Nick Hawatmeh. Hawatmeh took a photo of the attack that you can see here.
https://twitter.com/NicolaHawatmeh/status/278666596506013697
Fed ties stimulus to jobs, inflation in unprecedented steps to bolster economy
Fed ties stimulus to jobs, inflation in unprecedented steps to bolster economy - The Washington Post
The Fed says it will also begin buying $45 billion in Treasury bonds per month, on top of $40 billion per month it is already buying in mortgage bonds.
The Fed says it will also begin buying $45 billion in Treasury bonds per month, on top of $40 billion per month it is already buying in mortgage bonds.
Assault in Lansing: Leftist Blogs Go Into ‘False Flag’ Mode, Mainstream Media Goes Silent
The PJ Tatler » Assault in Lansing: Leftist Blogs Go Into ‘False Flag’ Mode, Mainstream Media Goes Silent
You can click on the link and scroll down past the point at which my screen shot cuts off, but you won’t see a single story about the IBEW union man’s assault on Steven Crowder.
You won’t see any stories about the union thugs’ intentional destruction of Americans for Prosperity’s tent, with people inside.
You won’t see any stories about the Michigan Democratic Party’s threat of “blood,” which came from a Democrat state rep and was tweeted out on the Michigan Democratic caucus’ official twitter feed.
You won’t see any of that. Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s threat of civil war didn’t make the cut either.
The Obama White House’s refusal to condemn the violence also gets no mention.
Notice the photos, too.
The union folks look calm and reasonable.
The frame of the union man punching Steven Crowder ought to be there, but it isn’t.
You can click on the link and scroll down past the point at which my screen shot cuts off, but you won’t see a single story about the IBEW union man’s assault on Steven Crowder.
You won’t see any stories about the union thugs’ intentional destruction of Americans for Prosperity’s tent, with people inside.
You won’t see any stories about the Michigan Democratic Party’s threat of “blood,” which came from a Democrat state rep and was tweeted out on the Michigan Democratic caucus’ official twitter feed.
You won’t see any of that. Jimmy Hoffa Jr.’s threat of civil war didn’t make the cut either.
The Obama White House’s refusal to condemn the violence also gets no mention.
Notice the photos, too.
The union folks look calm and reasonable.
The frame of the union man punching Steven Crowder ought to be there, but it isn’t.
TRENDING: Hoffa predicts ‘civil war’ in Michigan
TRENDING: Hoffa predicts ‘civil war’ in Michigan – CNN Political Ticker - CNN.com Blogs
Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said Tuesday he expects Michigan unions and lawmakers to break out into "civil war" after the state legislature passed right-to-work bills that would weaken unions' power.
"This is just the first round of a battle that's going to divide this state.
We're going to have a civil war," Hoffa said on CNN's "Newsroom."
Jimmy Hoffa, president of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters, said Tuesday he expects Michigan unions and lawmakers to break out into "civil war" after the state legislature passed right-to-work bills that would weaken unions' power.
"This is just the first round of a battle that's going to divide this state.
We're going to have a civil war," Hoffa said on CNN's "Newsroom."
$822,000 Worker Shows California Leads U.S. Pay Giveaway
$822,000 Worker Shows California Leads U.S. Pay Giveaway - Bloomberg
America's Great Payroll Giveaway: a Six-Part Series
Part 1: California's Leads the Way on Outsized Spending
Part 2: A Prison and Hospital Fiasco
Thursday: State Pension Funds That Made Managers Rich
Friday: Retirement Bonanzas
Monday: Top Paid Cops
Tuesday: Poorer Schools, Richer Pay
America's Great Payroll Giveaway: a Six-Part Series
Part 1: California's Leads the Way on Outsized Spending
Part 2: A Prison and Hospital Fiasco
Thursday: State Pension Funds That Made Managers Rich
Friday: Retirement Bonanzas
Monday: Top Paid Cops
Tuesday: Poorer Schools, Richer Pay
October US Exports Plunge By Most Since January 2009 As Trade Deficit With China Hits Record
October US Exports Plunge By Most Since January 2009 As Trade Deficit With China Hits Record | ZeroHedge
The reason for the decline: a 3.6% decline in exports of goods and services.
This was the biggest percent drop in exports since January 2009 as the traditional US import partners are all wrapped in a major recession.
What helped, however, was the offsetting drop in imports by 2.1%, the lowest since April 2011, as US businesses are likewise consumed by a concerns about the global economy.
And without global trade, whose nexus just happens to be Europe, there can be no global or even regional recovery.
So far, all hopes of a pick up in global economy have been largely dashed.
The reason for the decline: a 3.6% decline in exports of goods and services.
This was the biggest percent drop in exports since January 2009 as the traditional US import partners are all wrapped in a major recession.
What helped, however, was the offsetting drop in imports by 2.1%, the lowest since April 2011, as US businesses are likewise consumed by a concerns about the global economy.
And without global trade, whose nexus just happens to be Europe, there can be no global or even regional recovery.
So far, all hopes of a pick up in global economy have been largely dashed.
Tuesday, December 11, 2012
Politics: Brilliant teachers union protesting with misspelled signs
Politics: Brilliant teachers union protesting with misspelled signs | CainTV
This one comes to us via Michelle Malkin’s Twitter feed.
I just love this photo of a Michigan teacher proudly protesting in front of a misspelled sign.
Since it's important to know the name of the evil Republican who's supposedly taking away your God-given rights, we'll let her in on a little secret.
It’s not “Gov. Synder” that she so despises, it’s Governor Rick “Snyder.”
A recent study of Detroit Public Schools found that only 7% of eighth graders were proficient in reading. I wonder why.....
This one comes to us via Michelle Malkin’s Twitter feed.
I just love this photo of a Michigan teacher proudly protesting in front of a misspelled sign.
It’s not “Gov. Synder” that she so despises, it’s Governor Rick “Snyder.”
A recent study of Detroit Public Schools found that only 7% of eighth graders were proficient in reading. I wonder why.....
Editorial: Muskegon city commissioners should follow voters' directive on senior citizen transit program
Editorial: Muskegon city commissioners should follow voters' directive on senior citizen transit program | MLive.com
The people of Muskegon clearly wanted the seior citizen transit program to receive funding, even if a technicality ended up in its defeat at the polls.
Muskegon city commissioners should listen to the intent of voters and act accordingly.
The people of Muskegon clearly wanted the seior citizen transit program to receive funding, even if a technicality ended up in its defeat at the polls.
Muskegon city commissioners should listen to the intent of voters and act accordingly.
Union Right-to-Work Protest Goes Violent
Union Right-to-Work Protest Goes Violent [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
The mood outside the Capitol changed just before lunch when an angry crowd of union members stormed a tent that had been sent up by Americans For Prosperity.
The union members, chanted, “knock it down” then rushed inside and tore down the tent.
They later stole some of the food and beverages inside, broke equipment, and harassed members of the "workers freedom" coalition who were trying to make sure people were not getting trampled inside.
The mood outside the Capitol changed just before lunch when an angry crowd of union members stormed a tent that had been sent up by Americans For Prosperity.
The union members, chanted, “knock it down” then rushed inside and tore down the tent.
They later stole some of the food and beverages inside, broke equipment, and harassed members of the "workers freedom" coalition who were trying to make sure people were not getting trampled inside.
Only 7% of Detroit Public-School 8th Graders Proficient in Reading
Only 7% of Detroit Public-School 8th Graders Proficient in Reading | CNS News
In the public schools in Detroit, Mich., according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 7 percent of the eighth graders are grade-level proficient or better in reading.
Some public school teachers in the City of Detroit and around the state of Michigan are reportedly taking a vacation or a sick day today to protest right-to-work legislation likely to be approved by the state legislature.
In the public schools in Detroit, Mich., according to the U.S. Department of Education, only 7 percent of the eighth graders are grade-level proficient or better in reading.
Some public school teachers in the City of Detroit and around the state of Michigan are reportedly taking a vacation or a sick day today to protest right-to-work legislation likely to be approved by the state legislature.
Monday, December 10, 2012
National Taxpayers Union - Who Pays Income Taxes?
National Taxpayers Union - Who Pays Income Taxes?
Who Pays Income Taxes and How Much?
Tax Year 2009
Percentiles Ranked by AGI | AGI Threshold on Percentiles | Percentage of Federal Personal Income Tax Paid |
Top 1% | $343,927 | 36.73 |
Top 5% | $154,643 | 58.66 |
Top 10% | $112,124 | 70.47 |
Top 25% | $66,193 | 87.30 |
Top 50% | $32,396 | 97.75 |
Bottom 50% | <$32,396 | 2.25 |
Note: AGI is Adjusted Gross Income Source: Internal Revenue Service | ||
Sunday, December 09, 2012
New book "A Higher Call" tells of interactions between American WWII pilot Charlie Brown and German flying ace Franz Stigler
New book "A Higher Call" tells of interactions between American WWII pilot Charlie Brown and German flying ace Franz Stigler - NYPOST.com
On Dec. 20, 1943, a young American bomber pilot named Charlie Brown found himself somewhere over Germany, struggling to keep his plane aloft with just one of its four engines still working.
They were returning from their first mission as a unit, the successful bombing of a German munitions factory.
Of his crew members, one was dead and six wounded, and 2nd Lt. Brown was alone in his cockpit, the three unharmed men tending to the others.
Brown’s B-17 had been attacked by 15 German planes and left for dead, and Brown himself had been knocked out in the assault, regaining consciousness in just enough time to pull the plane out of a near-fatal nose dive.
On Dec. 20, 1943, a young American bomber pilot named Charlie Brown found himself somewhere over Germany, struggling to keep his plane aloft with just one of its four engines still working.
They were returning from their first mission as a unit, the successful bombing of a German munitions factory.
Of his crew members, one was dead and six wounded, and 2nd Lt. Brown was alone in his cockpit, the three unharmed men tending to the others.
Brown’s B-17 had been attacked by 15 German planes and left for dead, and Brown himself had been knocked out in the assault, regaining consciousness in just enough time to pull the plane out of a near-fatal nose dive.
Call 'em! They work for YOU!
County commissioner contact info (Call them! They work
for YOU!):
KENNETH MAHONEY (231) 894-8608
ALAN JAGER (231) 821-0368
I. JOHN SNIDER, II (231) 744-0449
JAMES DEREZINSKI (H) (231) 788-4849
MARVIN ENGLE (H) (231) 865-6116
LEWIS COLLINS (H) (231) 739-3200
SCOTT PLUMMER (H) (231) 709-8597
ANTHONY LONGMIRE (H) (231) 343-5420
RILLASTINE R. WILKINS (H) (231) 733-1581
BENJAMIN E. CROSS (H) (231) 366-4360
ROBERT SCOLNIK (H) (231) 798-2828
EAGnews’ “school dollars” series is pulling back the curtain on public school spending
EAGnews’ “school dollars” series is pulling back the curtain on public school spending - EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary
The district is now under investigation by CBS 6 for spending taxpayer dollars on pricey computer software that is not being used.
The district bought the software last year, but has yet to implement it.
The name of the product is School Dude and RPS paid $34,000 for a subscription, which has since expired.
The system is designed to equip maintenance staff with portable technology, such as iPads.
In March of 2012, nine school district maintenance employees were sent to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to learn how to use School Dude.
The employees stayed in ocean front condos and ate at a nearby Brazilian Steakhouse.
The trip cost taxpayers $7,500.
The district is now under investigation by CBS 6 for spending taxpayer dollars on pricey computer software that is not being used.
The district bought the software last year, but has yet to implement it.
The name of the product is School Dude and RPS paid $34,000 for a subscription, which has since expired.
The system is designed to equip maintenance staff with portable technology, such as iPads.
In March of 2012, nine school district maintenance employees were sent to Myrtle Beach, South Carolina to learn how to use School Dude.
The employees stayed in ocean front condos and ate at a nearby Brazilian Steakhouse.
The trip cost taxpayers $7,500.
Motown's Mental Breakdown
Review & Outlook: Motown's Mental Breakdown - WSJ.com
The political gospel according to Democrats is that the auto bailout saved Detroit.
If only it were so. Alas, costly labor agreements have driven Motown like GMGM -0.39% and Chrysler to disrepair. Perhaps the only fix now is to let Detroit go bankrupt.
Michigan lawmakers have kept Detroit on life support for the past six months and may need to do so indefinitely barring a miraculous economic recovery. The city will run out of cash this month unless the state releases $30 million in bond proceeds, which are being held in escrow under a consent agreement that council members reluctantly approved in April. The rescue package ties $137 million in state aid to reforms and lets Mayor Dave Bing redo labor contracts.
The city has already drawn $40 million from the state drip and may soon be cut off since council members last month rejected a contract for a legal firm to advise the mayor, a condition of further aid. The council cashiered the contract because the legal firm Miller Canfield helped craft the agreement, which the unions virulently oppose.
While the council is digging Detroit's grave, Mr. Bing is performing triage. The Democratic mayor has slashed wages across the board by 10%; increased health premiums and co-pays; reduced current-worker pensions and suspended retirees' 2.25% cost-of-living raises. This quadruple bypass operation will save about $60 million this year, but the city will still likely end the fiscal year next June $50 million in the red.
Meanwhile, third-party actuaries are pegging the city's retirement liabilities at $11 billion, nearly twice as much as the city has estimated. Detroit will spend $160 million this year and $135 million in 2013 on retiree benefits even after Mr. Bing's labor reforms are phased in. Some of the problem is demographic and has been exacerbated by defined-benefit pensions that let workers retire in their 40s. Many retirees living into their 80s are drawing benefits for nearly twice as long as they work.
The mayor has also floated raising the retirement age and moving new hires to 401(k)-style plans as the state did in 1997. He's even put the nuclear option—freezing pensions for all workers—on the table. Federal law requires private employers to do this if their pension funds become insolvent, but there are no such diktats for local governments.
Another idea is outsourcing operations to private companies. According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the city could save about $110 million annually by contracting out its bus system, garbage collection and water management. Selling its electrical system to an investor-owned utility could raise $300 million to $500 million. Unions oppose all of the above.
Egged on by the city council, the unions have also sued to block the consent agreement and the mayor's labor reforms. State courts threw out their lawsuits this summer, but the unions hope that voters' November repeal of a state emergency manager law, which provides the framework for the consent agreement, will also void the reforms.
In any event, Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican lawmakers are rewriting the nullified law to assist other insolvent cities. One option is to allow distressed municipalities to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy without state authorization, which is currently required. Some Detroit council members are importuning the state to let the city go bankrupt so they can escape the strictures of the consent agreement. But a bankruptcy judge is unlikely to be more lenient than the mayor.
And make no mistake, Detroit is on its deathbed. Its unemployment rate is nearly twice as high as its surrounding metropolitan region. It has the highest violent crime rate of any major city in part because its police force has been stripped to pay for retirement bills while two-thirds of its street lights are broken. Its schools are among America's worst. The city has lost a quarter of its population over the last decade, and its abandoned lots cover more acreage than Paris.
If the council wants to bolt from its state rehab program, the only way to rescue Detroit may be through an orderly bankruptcy (i.e., not politically negotiated) that restructures its $2.5 billion in general fund-backed debt and $11 billion in retirement obligations. Detroit would be the largest city to date to file for bankruptcy. Its restructuring could drag on for several years, slash pensions for many retirees and impair the city's ability to borrow for decades.
But at the very least, it would provide an instructive lesson for other chronically insolvent cities like Chicago and Los Angeles that have delayed reforms because they believe they're too big to fail.
The political gospel according to Democrats is that the auto bailout saved Detroit.
If only it were so. Alas, costly labor agreements have driven Motown like GMGM -0.39% and Chrysler to disrepair. Perhaps the only fix now is to let Detroit go bankrupt.
Michigan lawmakers have kept Detroit on life support for the past six months and may need to do so indefinitely barring a miraculous economic recovery. The city will run out of cash this month unless the state releases $30 million in bond proceeds, which are being held in escrow under a consent agreement that council members reluctantly approved in April. The rescue package ties $137 million in state aid to reforms and lets Mayor Dave Bing redo labor contracts.
The city has already drawn $40 million from the state drip and may soon be cut off since council members last month rejected a contract for a legal firm to advise the mayor, a condition of further aid. The council cashiered the contract because the legal firm Miller Canfield helped craft the agreement, which the unions virulently oppose.
While the council is digging Detroit's grave, Mr. Bing is performing triage. The Democratic mayor has slashed wages across the board by 10%; increased health premiums and co-pays; reduced current-worker pensions and suspended retirees' 2.25% cost-of-living raises. This quadruple bypass operation will save about $60 million this year, but the city will still likely end the fiscal year next June $50 million in the red.
Meanwhile, third-party actuaries are pegging the city's retirement liabilities at $11 billion, nearly twice as much as the city has estimated. Detroit will spend $160 million this year and $135 million in 2013 on retiree benefits even after Mr. Bing's labor reforms are phased in. Some of the problem is demographic and has been exacerbated by defined-benefit pensions that let workers retire in their 40s. Many retirees living into their 80s are drawing benefits for nearly twice as long as they work.
The mayor has also floated raising the retirement age and moving new hires to 401(k)-style plans as the state did in 1997. He's even put the nuclear option—freezing pensions for all workers—on the table. Federal law requires private employers to do this if their pension funds become insolvent, but there are no such diktats for local governments.
Another idea is outsourcing operations to private companies. According to the Mackinac Center for Public Policy, the city could save about $110 million annually by contracting out its bus system, garbage collection and water management. Selling its electrical system to an investor-owned utility could raise $300 million to $500 million. Unions oppose all of the above.
Egged on by the city council, the unions have also sued to block the consent agreement and the mayor's labor reforms. State courts threw out their lawsuits this summer, but the unions hope that voters' November repeal of a state emergency manager law, which provides the framework for the consent agreement, will also void the reforms.
In any event, Gov. Rick Snyder and Republican lawmakers are rewriting the nullified law to assist other insolvent cities. One option is to allow distressed municipalities to file for Chapter 9 bankruptcy without state authorization, which is currently required. Some Detroit council members are importuning the state to let the city go bankrupt so they can escape the strictures of the consent agreement. But a bankruptcy judge is unlikely to be more lenient than the mayor.
And make no mistake, Detroit is on its deathbed. Its unemployment rate is nearly twice as high as its surrounding metropolitan region. It has the highest violent crime rate of any major city in part because its police force has been stripped to pay for retirement bills while two-thirds of its street lights are broken. Its schools are among America's worst. The city has lost a quarter of its population over the last decade, and its abandoned lots cover more acreage than Paris.
If the council wants to bolt from its state rehab program, the only way to rescue Detroit may be through an orderly bankruptcy (i.e., not politically negotiated) that restructures its $2.5 billion in general fund-backed debt and $11 billion in retirement obligations. Detroit would be the largest city to date to file for bankruptcy. Its restructuring could drag on for several years, slash pensions for many retirees and impair the city's ability to borrow for decades.
But at the very least, it would provide an instructive lesson for other chronically insolvent cities like Chicago and Los Angeles that have delayed reforms because they believe they're too big to fail.
A version of this article appeared December 4, 2012, on page A16 in the U.S. edition of The Wall Street Journal, with the headline: Motown's Mental Breakdown.
DHS grants 'like winning the lottery' for state, local officials
DHS grants 'like winning the lottery' for state, local officials | WashingtonExaminer.com
"Political factors created upward pressure on the program as more and more cities wanted to receive funding," the report said.
Local governments are not required to put up any money of their own.
They also are not required to demonstrate how the money would make them safer from terrorism.
So explanations like using 13 Sno-Cone machines to generate ice packs in a medical disaster was enough for Montcalm County, Mich., officials to justify the cost, pegged at $6,200 in the Coburn report but $11,700 in local news accounts......
The zombie skit provided training on how to deal with "extreme medical situations where people become crazed and violent, creating widespread fear and disorder," according to the justification cited in the report.
Getting a DHS grant is like "winning the lottery" one local official told Coburn's researchers.
"Political factors created upward pressure on the program as more and more cities wanted to receive funding," the report said.
Local governments are not required to put up any money of their own.
They also are not required to demonstrate how the money would make them safer from terrorism.
So explanations like using 13 Sno-Cone machines to generate ice packs in a medical disaster was enough for Montcalm County, Mich., officials to justify the cost, pegged at $6,200 in the Coburn report but $11,700 in local news accounts......
The zombie skit provided training on how to deal with "extreme medical situations where people become crazed and violent, creating widespread fear and disorder," according to the justification cited in the report.
Getting a DHS grant is like "winning the lottery" one local official told Coburn's researchers.
Saturday, December 08, 2012
Number Of Workers Aged 25-54 Back To April 1997 Levels
Number Of Workers Aged 25-54 Back To April 1997 Levels | ZeroHedge
When people think of the conventional battery of options the BLS applies to fudge the monthly payrolls number, the labor force participation is the first thing that comes mind: after all the thesis is that old workers are increasingly dropping out of the labor force and retiring.
Nothing could be further from the truth as can be seen in this chart of workers aged 55-69, i.e. the prime retirement age.
But perhaps a far more important secular issue is the complete lack of pickup in the prime worker demographic, those aged 25-54, which in November dropped by 400k to 94 MM.
This is a level first breached in April 1997, in other words in the past 15 years not a single incremental job has been gained in this most productive and lucrative of age groups!
When people think of the conventional battery of options the BLS applies to fudge the monthly payrolls number, the labor force participation is the first thing that comes mind: after all the thesis is that old workers are increasingly dropping out of the labor force and retiring.
Nothing could be further from the truth as can be seen in this chart of workers aged 55-69, i.e. the prime retirement age.
But perhaps a far more important secular issue is the complete lack of pickup in the prime worker demographic, those aged 25-54, which in November dropped by 400k to 94 MM.
Unions Lose Big in Michigan
Unions Lose Big in Michigan | Via Meadia
Although Lansing passed right-to-work bills covering both types of unions, the bill covering public-sector unions only managed four votes against—a small minority of even the Democrats.
The vote for the bill protecting private-sector unions was much closer.
There could not be a more telling illustration of the deep trouble facing the public union movement.
Although Lansing passed right-to-work bills covering both types of unions, the bill covering public-sector unions only managed four votes against—a small minority of even the Democrats.
The vote for the bill protecting private-sector unions was much closer.
There could not be a more telling illustration of the deep trouble facing the public union movement.
'Bullish' November Data Mask The Ugly Truth About Employment
'Bullish' November Data Mask The Ugly Truth About Employment - Investors.com
OK, but we still have private-sector job growth, right?
Not really.
In the last six months, 621,000 of the 847,000 new jobs created have been in government, not the private sector, according to CNSNews.com.
That's 73% of all jobs — not a healthy labor market.
OK, but we still have private-sector job growth, right?
Not really.
In the last six months, 621,000 of the 847,000 new jobs created have been in government, not the private sector, according to CNSNews.com.
That's 73% of all jobs — not a healthy labor market.
Navy's Battle Plan: Don't Let Them Get Your Goat
Navy's Battle Plan: Don't Let Them Get Your Goat - WSJ.com
The measures are understandable.
The Navy animals have already gone missing twice in the past two weeks, in the run-up to Saturday's Army-Navy football game, the 113th meeting of one of college football's oldest rivalries.
Enlarge Image
So who's been getting the Navy's goats?
The measures are understandable.
The Navy animals have already gone missing twice in the past two weeks, in the run-up to Saturday's Army-Navy football game, the 113th meeting of one of college football's oldest rivalries.
Enlarge Image
So who's been getting the Navy's goats?
Friday, December 07, 2012
Eaton County Dumps Prevailing Wage Law
Eaton County Dumps Prevailing Wage Law [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
On Wednesday night, Eaton County repealed its prevailing wage law, opening up the local market to more competitive wages for construction jobs.
The 12-3 vote by the Board of Commissioners was along party lines with Republicans voting to repeal the restrictive wage law; Democrats voted to keep it in place.
Prevailing wage laws mandate that union-scale wages be paid on construction work funded by taxpayer dollars regardless of whether the company's workers belong to a union.
Local governments can do nothing about federal and state prevailing wage laws, but they do have control over their own.
On Wednesday night, Eaton County repealed its prevailing wage law, opening up the local market to more competitive wages for construction jobs.
The 12-3 vote by the Board of Commissioners was along party lines with Republicans voting to repeal the restrictive wage law; Democrats voted to keep it in place.
Prevailing wage laws mandate that union-scale wages be paid on construction work funded by taxpayer dollars regardless of whether the company's workers belong to a union.
Local governments can do nothing about federal and state prevailing wage laws, but they do have control over their own.
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