Add Boston Marathon Bombing to pile of Failed Eliminationist Narratives

Add Boston Marathon Bombing to pile of Failed Eliminationist Narratives - Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion:

It started with Bill Sparkman, the part-time Census worker who went missing and then was found dead, setting off an avalanche of mainstream media and left-blogosphere accusations that he was the victim of anti-government “right-wing” hate.  It turned out that Sparkman killed himself, but there were few if any apologies coming.

The Sparkman accusations were based on nothing more than a desire to demonize the newly formed and rapidly growing Tea Party movement as terrorists and un-American.  It was as if theywere hoping for an act of Tea Party violence.

Yet there was a theory behind the madness, the Eliminationist Narrative created by Dave Neiwart of Crooks and Liars about an “eliminationist” radical right seeking to dehumanize and eliminate political opposition.  It was a play on the over-used narrative of Richard Hofstadter’s “paranoid style” in American politics.

The Eliminationist Narrative was aided and abetted by an abuse of the term “right-wing” to include groups who are the opposite of conservatism and the Tea Party movement.

In the case of Sparkman, the accusations were just Another Failed Eliminationist Narrative.  And the Eliminationist Narrative would fail time and time again:

• James Holmes
• Jared Loughner
• The Cabby Stabber
• The “killer” of Bill Sparkman
• Amy Bishop
• The Fort Hood Shooter
• The IRS Plane Crasher
• The Pentagon Shooter

We can now add the Boston Marathon Bombing to the pile.  The wild speculation that there was a Tea Party or “right-wing” connection proved false

Muskegon man shot at, home struck by gunfire in early morning shooting

Muskegon man shot at, home struck by gunfire in early morning shooting | MLive.com:
"The shooting incident occurred as two subjects were walking toward the victim.
One of the subjects was armed and fired several shots in the victim's direction, police said."

4 shot in basement in Ohio

4 shot in basement in Ohio - UPI.com:
"Four people were found shot in the head in the basement of a townhouse in an Akron, Ohio, public housing complex on Thursday, according to police.
A friend found the bodies shortly before 3 p.m., after entering the home and seeing signs of something amiss, reports NBC News.
All four appeared to be shot in the head execution style."

The 18 Worst Things For Left-Handed People

The 18 Worst Things For Left-Handed People

Massive University of Wisconsin Slush Fund Discovered

BREAKING NEWS - Massive University of Wisconsin Slush Fund Discovered - Right Wisconsin - Conservative politics and perspective powered by Charlie Sykes:
"UPDATE:  From a Legislative Fiscal Bureau memo confirming the existence of the massive UW Slush Fund:
The UW System had a tuition balance of $414.1 million as of June 30, 2012.
By comparison, the UW System's tuition balance was $212.8 million as of June 30, 2009.
During this time period, base resident undergraduate tuition increased by 5.5% annually. 
It should be noted that the UW System's tuition balance increased significantly at the same time that the UW System has been subject to significant GPR funding reductions and lapses.
While the University of Wisconsin has been raising tuition and clamoring for more taxpayer support they have been stockpiling hundreds of millions of dollars in unspent tuition and federal grant monies.
Sources in Madison familiar with the discovery tell RightWisconsin that the total of non earmarked funds in the massive UW Slush Fund is at least $450 million."

Oops! Feds Underestimate Court Project by $2 Billion

Oops! Feds Underestimate Court Project by $2 Billion | Judicial Watch:
"For example the Federal Judiciary told Congress that 12 courthouse projects would cost around $1 billion when in fact it will take a whopping $3.2 billion to finish the job.
This means that the project masters likely planned to squeeze the extra $2.2 billion out of Congress mid construction, when lawmakers had little choice but to allocate the funds for completion.
The audit, conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), flat out says that the document the judiciary uses to request money for courthouse construction projects “lacks transparency and key information” about their “cost.”

Unlike Boston, with Benghazi ...

Twitter / SharylAttkisson: Unlike Boston, with Benghazi ...:
Follow Sharyl Attkisson ‏@SharylAttkisson
"Unlike Boston, with Benghazi the govt never released the promised surveillance video. And no suspects identified or arrests to date.
Reply Retweet Favorite More
203
RETWEETS
27
FAVORITES
7:17 AM - 19 Apr 13
Joe Bua ‏@JoeWatchesTV 1h
.@SharylAttkisson That's quite the fixation you have. You must be reading your email from Tea Party Express.
'via Blog this'

Boston Bomber Could Have Been Deported After 2009 Conviction

Boston Bomber Could Have Been Deported After 2009 Conviction | Judicial Watch:
"Tamerlan Tsarnaev, the 26-year-old killed in a wild shootout with police, was a legal U.S. resident who nevertheless could have been removed from the country after a 2009 domestic violence conviction, according to a Judicial Watch source.
That means the Obama administration missed an opportunity to deport Tsarnaev but evidently didn’t feel he represented a big enough threat.
Adding insult to injury, the other bomber, little brother Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, was rewarded with American Citizenship on September 11, 2012 in Boston, according to JW’s source.
The 19-year-old, who is still on the run, was granted asylum in Arlington Virginia on September 27, 2002, JW’s source reveals."

Zombie foreclosure statistics scary

Zombie foreclosure statistics scary - chicagotribune.com:
"In a zombie foreclosure, the owner has gotten a foreclosure notice and subsequently packed up and moved, apparently thinking it's over — the banks will finish the job.
But many banks, for various reasons, haven't followed through with the rest of the process, and the homes languish in the absent homeowners' names.
And the homeowners, sometimes years later, find out they're still on the hook for property taxes.
There are about 302,000 "zombies," according to RealtyTrac, a housing data company that studies foreclosure activity."

Twitter feed suggests Boston Marathon terrorist was an Obama supporter

Twitter feed suggests Boston Marathon terrorist was an Obama supporter « Bob Owens
"Boston Marathon terrorist suspect Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev is still on the run, but his real Twitter feed @J_tsar has been discovered.
Most of it is the sort of superficial fluff you’d expect from someone his age, but he did make statements alluding to drug use, terrorist, and his political beliefs.

Here are some supportive retweets he made in the wake of Barack Obama’s reelection.

Excerpt from November Twitter feed of terrorist Dzhokhar A. Tsarnaev.
They “are the ones we’ve been waiting for,” and they are both Islamic terrorists and leftists"

Detroit 3 may be exempted from vehicle fees for Regional Transit Authority

Detroit 3 may be exempted from vehicle fees for Regional Transit Authority | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
"Critics are blasting a bill that would exempt thousands of automakers’ test vehicles that drive metro Detroit’s roadways from potential taxes meant to pay for southeast Michigan’s new Regional Transit Authority before the effort gets off the ground.
A bill introduced in the state Senate this week would exempt up to 11,000-12,000 General Motors vehicles alone registered in Wayne, Oakland, Macomb and Washtenaw counties from having to pay a tax that hasn’t been proposed yet.
Similar numbers for Ford and Chrysler weren’t immediately available."

Cellphone Video of Shootout with Boston Bombers, and Did the Younger Brother Tweet Supporting Gun Control?

The PJ Tatler » Cellphone Video of Shootout with Boston Bombers, and Did the Younger Brother Tweet Supporting Gun Control?:
"UPDATE: According to BuzzFeed, Dzhokhar is a registered voter.
Update: Both were evidently registered voters. 
Neither were/are citizens of the US."

What is CISPA, and what does it mean for you? FAQ

What is CISPA, and what does it mean for you? FAQ | ZDNet

CISPA passes U.S. House: Death of the Fourth Amendment?

CISPA passes U.S. House: Death of the Fourth Amendment? | ZDNet:
"CISPA will allow private sector firms to search personal and sensitive user data of ordinary U.S. residents to identify "threat information," which can then be shared with other opt-in firms and the U.S. government — without the need for a court-ordered warrant.
This means a company like Facebook, Twitter, Google, or any other technology or telecoms company, including your cell service provider, would be legally able to hand over vast amounts of data to the U.S. government and its law enforcement — for whatever purpose it deems necessary — and face no legal reprisals.
And despite numerous amendments and changes, there are no requirements that personal data, such as health records or banking information, should be anonymized before sharing it with the government."

An Indecent Proposal That Just Might Solve the Primary Care Crisis: Meet the 35 Hour Work Week

An Indecent Proposal That Just Might Solve the Primary Care Crisis: Meet the 35 Hour Work Week | 
The Health Care Blog: "Structuring the job of Medicare PCPs into a 35 hour work week would probably attract more clinicians to the job.
It would also help PCPs maintain the cognitive and emotional resources needed to do the job consistently well, and could reduce burnout in this group of key clinicians."

Former Muskegon Community College cashier charged with embezzling nearly $4,000

Former Muskegon Community College cashier charged with embezzling nearly $4,000 | MLive.com:
"According to Senior Assistant Muskegon County Prosecutor Matt Roberts, Boucher’s employers became suspicious when a bank deposit that should have been made, wasn’t.
Roberts said Boucher allegedly had been taking money from payments made to her at the college. "

24 IRS workers in TN accused of theft

24 IRS workers in TN accused of theft | The Tennessean | tennessean.com:
"First it was the families of dead people and state employees.
Now, authorities say Internal Revenue Service employees in Tennessee were stealing unemployment and other benefits while fully employed.
On Thursday, 13 of those employees were indicted on federal charges that they lied to get unemployment, food stamps, welfare and housing vouchers.
An additional 11 have been indicted on state charges of theft greater than $1,000.
In all, authorities say the workers improperly received more than $250,000 in government benefits."

Legislature targets drug users, lottery winners seeking state assistance

Legislature targets drug users, lottery winners seeking state assistance | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"Low-income people are a big topic of conversation in Lansing this week, from cracking down on public assistance recipients who happen to collect on winning lottery tickets, to impending discussion of bills that would require suspicion-based drug testing for people who are applying for public assistance.
Even store owners are facing harsher penalties if they continuously sell liquor or lottery tickets to people who are illegally paying for the goods with bridge cards, which replaced food stamps.
While the bills are labeled as commonsense solutions to fraud and abuse in the public assistance benefit rolls, other see them as the opening salvos of a war on poor people, punishing many for the sins of a few."

Poll: Most say redistribute wealth

Poll: Most say redistribute wealth - Kevin Robillard - POLITICO.com:
"Nearly 6 in 10 Americans say wealth is distributed unfairly in the United States, and a majority want the federal government to play Robin Hood to fix the problem, according to a poll released Thursday.
Only 33 percent of Americans think the current distribution of wealth in this country is fair, according to the Gallup Poll, while 59 percent say it is not.
Fifty-two percent said the United States should redistribute wealth through heavy taxes on the rich, while 45 percent disagreed.
While the percent of Americans who said the current distribution of wealth is unfair is down from 68 percent in 2008, the number of Americans who favor federal redistribution is at an all-time high."

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Subsidizing the Security of Wealthy Allies

Your Tax Dollars at Work: Subsidizing the Security of Wealthy Allies | Cato Institute:
"The average American spends $2,300 on the military, based on the latest data available. 
That is roughly four and a half times more than what the average person in other NATO countries spends. 
These countries boast a collective GDP of approximately $19 trillion, 25 percent higher than the U.S. 
They obviously can afford to spend more.
So why don’t they?
Because Uncle Sucker picks up nearly the entire tab.
Looked at another way, U.S. alliances constitute a massive wealth transfer from U.S. taxpayers (and their Chinese creditors) to bloated European welfare states and technologically-advanced Asian nations."

Times may be tough, but Green Bay schools still spending big on travel, cell phones and restaurant tabs

Times may be tough, but Green Bay schools still spending big on travel, cell phones and restaurant tabs - EAGnews.org :: Education Research, Reporting, Analysis and Commentary
That’s why the district was forced to make spending cuts and pay freezes in employee compensation in the current school year to erase a $9 million budget deficit
....That list includes nearly $200,000 for travel, mostly for hotel and airline costs; food service expenses that included more than $240,000 for restaurant-prepared pizza and Pepsi-Cola products; more than $112,000 on cell phones for school staff; nearly $300,000 in payments to law firms; and more than $30,000 spent at various restaurants.

The district also dropped more than $40,000 to hire a consultant that works with school staff on cultural sensitivity issues.

Muskegon Public Schools finances to be overseen by intermediate school district

Muskegon Public Schools finances to be overseen by intermediate school district | MLive.com:
"Muskegon Public Schools is turning its financial operations over to the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District, a move officials said isn’t directly related to the district’s budget deficit but one that will help address the deficit.
The board of education on Tuesday agreed to a “financial services agreement” with the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District.
The agreement will save the district between $100,000 and $200,000 per year, said Muskegon Public Schools Superintendent Jon Felske."

Muskegon Public Schools are out of money, board approves $2.6 million budget deficit

Muskegon Public Schools are out of money, board approves $2.6 million budget deficit | MLive.com:
"The Muskegon school board originally adopted a $52.47 million budget last June that estimated the district’s fund balance at $545,546 at June 30, the end of this fiscal year.
However, the latest amendment, approved by the school board Tuesday, calls for $3.88 million more in spending – anticipated at $57.27 million – than revenues. That more than eats up the district’s $1.3 million fund balance.
Muskegon school board President Louis Churchwell said the community should be “aware, not alarmed,” by the budget crisis and said the board is ready to make the tough decisions necessary to eliminate the deficit.
“What the community needs to know is we’ll be OK,” Churchwell said.
“If we don’t do anything, it can become something bigger.”

Michigan kids rank near bottom in improving test scores

Michigan kids rank near bottom in improving test scores | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
■Michigan ranks 39th out of 50 states in overall improvement in fourth-grade reading

■Michigan ranks 41st out of 50 states in overall improvement in eighth-grade math

■Michigan’s ranking declined over time. In fourth-grade reading, for instance, Michigan went from being ranked 28th in 2003 to being ranked 30th in 2011. In contrast, Maryland’s rank rose from 30th to 3rd in the same time period."

Dem proposes federal regulation of nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals

Dem proposes federal regulation of nurse-to-patient ratios in hospitals - The Hill's Floor Action:
"Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Calif.) on Tuesday proposed legislation that would require hospitals to maintain a minimum nurse-to-patient ratio at all times, and allow the government to audit and penalize hospitals that fail to comply with this rule."

Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford

Republicans pull plug on Mark Sanford - Alex Isenstadt - POLITICO.com:
"Republicans said they were caught off guard by news of Jenny Sanford’s complaint.
They worry other damaging revelations about Mark Sanford’s personal life that they aren’t aware of could come out in the coming weeks."

New lithium-ion battery design that’s 2,000 times more powerful, recharges 1,000 times faster | ExtremeTech

New lithium-ion battery design that’s 2,000 times more powerful, recharges 1,000 times faster | ExtremeTech
"Researchers at the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign have developed a new lithium-ion battery technology that is 2,000 times more powerful than comparable batteries.
According to the researchers, this is not simply an evolutionary step in battery tech,
“It’s a new enabling technology… it breaks the normal paradigms of energy sources.
It’s allowing us to do different, new things.”

My ride in a New Standard D-25

http://youtu.be/Sm3TU7oJwkY

2 dogs maul Detroit woman

2 dogs maul Detroit woman | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"A Detroit woman is in critical condition today after being attacked by two dogs in front of her house, according to police and a neighbor."

Napoleon's office isn't responding to 911, but 61 workers get cars in case of emergency

Napoleon's office isn't responding to 911, but 61 workers get cars in case of emergency | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
"The Wayne County Sheriff’s Office doesn’t take 911 calls, but 61 employees have take-home cars in case they’re called out to an emergency.
That total, which is down from 80 take-home cars just a few weeks ago, is equal to Oakland County and higher than Macomb County, which combined handle 911 calls from 22 cities, villages and townships with more than 535,000 residents.
The vast majority of the take-home cars in Wayne County are assigned to command staff — unlike the other two counties, where more cars are assigned to detectives and officers on specialized units.
Some civilian employees also receive cars in Wayne County, whereas only sworn officers get vehicles in Oakland and Macomb counties."

p r e s i d e n t i a l h a i k u

p r e s i d e n t i a l h a i k u:

Millard Fillmore:

Forgotten Millard

You will rock the mutton chops

And precede Pierce

Gerald Ford:

Named Leslie Lynch King

You changed your name to Gerald

Then fell off a plane

For the Yellow Jacket in my room:

stingy bug of hate

have you met my flyswatter?

death can be sudden

my eyes were too big

i am one with the desserts

now i must digest

Obama administration has SLASHED budget for domestic bombing prevention by 45 per cent, says former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary

Obama administration has SLASHED budget for domestic bombing prevention by 45 per cent, says former Homeland Security Assistant Secretary | Mail Online:
"$20 million budget under Bush became $11 million under Obama"

The Other Talk™ - Talking about the rest of your life with your family

The Other Talk™ - Talking about the rest of your life with your family | Talking to your adult kids about decisions surrounding your finances, health care, living arrangements and the end of life.

Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American

Let’s hope the Boston Marathon bomber is a white American - Salon.com:
 "In those awful episodes, a religious or ethnic minority group lacking such privilege would likely be collectively slandered and/or targeted with surveillance or profiling (or worse) if some of its individuals comprised most of the mass shooters.
However, white male privilege means white men are not collectively denigrated/targeted for those shootings — even though most come at the hands of white dudes."

Boston bombings: Pressure cooker bombs used in past by militants

Boston bombings: Pressure cooker bombs used in past by militants | MLive.com:
 "Homemade bombs built from pressure cookers, a version of which was used in the Boston Marathon bombings, have been a frequent weapon of militants in Afghanistan, India and Pakistan. Al-Qaida's branch in Yemen once published an online manual on how to make one, urging "lone jihadis" to act on their own to carry out attacks."

Tax preparers lobby heavily against simple filing

Tax preparers lobby heavily against simple filing - Sunlight Foundation Reporting Group:

Triple your income? Pay 10 TIMES as much toward national defense and food stamps, but Obama tax-day 'receipt' website makes it nearly impossible to find out

Triple your income? Pay 10 TIMES as much toward national defense and food stamps, but Obama tax-day 'receipt' website makes it nearly impossible to find out | Mail Online:
"Triple your income?
Pay 10 TIMES as much toward national defense and food stamps, but Obama tax-day 'receipt' website makes it nearly impossible to find out
Examples provided for $25k-$80k earners, but not for wealthy taxpayers
White House won't comment on failure to show massive tax burden of the 'one percent'
Watchdog says administration is hiding entitlement spending to make the Defense budget look bigger"

The calculator makes it easy to see numbers associated with its $80,000 example, along with four others ranging in income down to $25,000.

But no examples are provided for upper-income earners, despite the President's frequent argument for a 'Buffett Rule' tax that would ensure Americans who make $1 million or more would pay at least 30 percent of their income to the federal government.

While taxpayers who make more than $80,000 per year can consult their own tax returns for the numbers required to operate the calculator, lower-income earners would need to know how to use several online tools in order to estimate those numbers for someone who earns dramatically more than they do.

State: Some Michigan lottery winners lose welfare assistance, but 'loopholes' allow others to continue getting benefits

State: Some Michigan lottery winners lose welfare assistance, but 'loopholes' allow others to continue getting benefits | MLive.com:
"Certain programs – including food assistance, cash assistance and some types of Medicaid programs – have established asset limits and testing of those assets.
But other welfare programs don’t have asset testing – including certain child development and care programs, along with some types of Medicaid programs.
The Department of Human Services says that more than 2,000 cases involving lottery winners or other members of their household remain open because certain welfare benefits are not covered by asset tests.
“It’s inconceivable that this is what the legislature had in mind when passing those laws in 2012,” Maura Corrigan, Michigan’s DHS director, said in a statement.
“With the match system, we can now identify substantial winnings, but the loopholes that allow lottery winners to continue to collect various benefits need to be closed, through amending state and federal law and policy.”
DHS officials said data indicates nearly 14 percent of all lottery winners are either welfare recipients themselves or reside in a household with welfare recipients. "

Michigan road funding: House plan takes shape with wholesale fuel taxes, higher registration fees

Michigan road funding: House plan takes shape with wholesale fuel taxes, higher registration fees | MLive.com: "
As our economy is rebounding, now is the time to double down and get our transportation system working," Schmidt said after this morning's hearing, explaining his motivation to jumpstart the process.
"I think that will speed up our progress here in Michigan."
One of Schmidt's bills would increase gasoline and diesel taxes but levy them at the wholesale level, allowing for prices to rise or fall with inflation.
A gallon of gas that currently costs $3.75 would cost about 8 cents more under the new plan, he said, while generating an estimated $700 million a year in new revenue.
Schmidt also plans to introduce legislation that would raise vehicle registration fees, and he said future discussions could include higher rates for hybrid, electric or alternative fuel vehicles that use less gasoline and therefore pay fewer taxes at the pump."

NJ’s ‘$100K Club’ of retirees growing

NJ’s ‘$100K Club’ of retirees growing « Watchdog.org:
 "All of the Top Five pensioners are retired school executives."

Letters: Gentrification of the Farmers Market has racist overtones

Letters: Gentrification of the Farmers Market has racist overtones | MLive.com:
"City Commissioner Spataro, a privileged, white, middle-class man, does not get to decide what is racist. Pretending gentrification is not racist is racist.
Deciding to move a desirable component of a historically black and working class neighborhood to a new location for the benefit of an imaginary future wealthy (white) condo-living people and thus, deciding to take from the working class and people of color to give to wealthy white people is racist.
Making decisions based on money and profit without regard for the destructive racial and economic consequences for working class communities and communities of color is racist.
If you are not capable of recognizing, understanding, respecting and conversing about the racial and economic consequences of development, you should not be making decisions for anyone, but especially not people of color and working class people who make up the majority of downtown Muskegon.
WENDY SAMPSON/Muskegon"

It's true: Men can't read women's emotions, study confirms

It's true: Men can't read women's emotions, study confirms - The Body Odd:
"It's a cliché that men just don't understand women.
Now, new research suggests men really do struggle to read women's emotions — at least from their eyes.
The research, published Wednesday (April 10) in the journal  PLOS ONE, showed that men had twice as much trouble deciphering women's emotions from images of their eyes compared with those of men.
Parts of the male brain tied to emotion also didn't activate as strongly when the men looked at women's eyes."

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

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

eye on muskegon 4-14-13

http://youtu.be/dgn494q8WS8

Lawsuit Alleges Wind Power A Threat To Health And Safety

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

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

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

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

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

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

But where can they turn for unbiased advice? 

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

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

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

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

The Party of Surrender

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

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

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

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

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

Gosnell: It’s Come to This at CNN

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


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

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

Eyewitness: Authorities “Must Have Known” About Bombing

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

Let the river run: Dam removal accelerates across Michigan

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

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

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

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

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

Muskegon County meetings this week

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

'via Blog this'

Breaking media silence

Breaking media silence: Column

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

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

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

Climate scientists struggle to explain warming slowdown

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

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

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

Gillespie argues that:

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

The Fact-Free Gun-Control Crusade

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

EEOC Probes Employer Use of Criminal Background Checks

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Opponents dominate public hearing on White River Township dune driveway proposal

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

Congress Quietly Repeals Congressional Insider Trading Ban

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

Margaret Thatcher funeral: President Obama won't send envoy - and leaves it to her old allies from Reagan era

Margaret Thatcher funeral: President Obama won't send envoy - and leaves it to her old allies from Reagan era | Mail Online:
"Sir Gerald Howarth, chairman of the Thatcherite Conservative Way Forward group of MPs and peers, said: 'The bonds forged between the UK and the US through Ronald Reagan and Margaret Thatcher was instrumental in ending the Cold War and liberating millions of people.
'That the present administration feels unable to be represented as the world marks the extraordinary contribution Margaret Thatcher made will be a source of disappointment to those who served with her in that great endeavour.'"
"That's fine. One only wants friends at such occasions.
"If you set out to be liked, you would be
prepared to compromise on anything at any time."

Report: No top-down oversight for state travel

MLive.com: The Wire

Report: No top-down oversight for state travel

April 14, 2013, 1:50 p.m. EDT

Lansing State Journal

LANSING, Mich. (AP) — The state of Michigan spends at least $40 million a year for employees' travel, but there are inconsistencies in reporting and no high-level oversight, a newspaper investigation found.

The Lansing State Journal reported (http://on.lsj.com/ZiQCHX) Sunday that nobody in state government is responsible for analyzing actual costs incurred by departments for employees' work-related travel expenses. Each agency or department handles its own expenses.

Republican Gov. Rick Snyder's spokeswoman Sara Wurfel says they "do a solid job of monitoring travel" and are "well-equipped to make decisions" about their needs.

"We have communicated clear standards, along with the guiding principle of fiscal responsibility," Wurfel said.

The newspaper reported the $40.5 million the state spent last year for such travel is an "inconclusive, minimum figure." Although that's about one-tenth of 1 percent of the state's $48.2 billion budget, it represents enough money to cover the operations of some smaller departments and the auditor general's office has not conducted an independent review of statewide travel costs.

The newspaper also found that the State Budget Office, a division of the Department of Technology, Management and Budget, doesn't keep some of the out-of-state travel reports it's required to receive for more than a few months. They aren't reviewed by the budget office or by the state's legislative appropriations committees, which also get them as required by law.

In one instance, total travel costs listed online for fiscal year 2012 did not match a report submitted to legislators. The state attorney general's office reported it spent about $356,000 on travel but the office's website reported about $655,000.

Attorney general spokeswoman Joy Yearout said the difference comes from which costs are reported as travel expenses. The office didn't include state-owned vehicle usage in its legislative report because workers don't receive money back for that.

The newspaper found discrepancies among other departments related to how various expenses are reported.

Tip Line: Did Your Editor Spike Kermit Gosnell Coverage? Report It Here Anonymously

Lucianne.com News Forum - Thread:
"Reply 26 - Posted by: angelesgift, 4/14/2013 11:07:05 AM     (No. 9274812)
This is not being covered both because of the obsession with "choice" and because this occurred in a Black neighborhood.
Can you imagine this continuing for so long in a White neighborhood, no matter how poor?
Poor Blacks have been treated as a Useful Idiot voting bloc for so long, the Dems have nothing but contempt for them.
They get the welfare pittance to buy their vote and if they need to kill a baby or three to feed the rest, who cares?
So, heaven knows, liberals don´t want this murder/abortion mill exposed.
But we´re the racist ones for exposing this and telling Black people that they are NOT children or idiots and can learn to take care of themselves."

7th Circuit OKs $25K student-loan discharge for 'destitute' paralegal

7th Circuit OKs $25K student-loan discharge for 'destitute' paralegal - ABA Journal:
"A "destitute" paralegal who has made reasonable efforts to repay her student loan debt is entitled to a bankruptcy discharge of the remaining $25,000 or so despite the fact that she never enrolled in a federal income-contingent repayment plan, a federal appeals court has ruled."

Journalists should wake to Obama’s free speech record.

Journalists should wake to Obama’s free speech record. 
Goodale points to the administration’s use of the 1917 Espionage Act to sedate American journalism.
“The biggest challenge to the press today is the threatened prosecution of WikiLeaks, and it’s absolutely frightening,” he said.
During Obama’s two terms, the Espionage Act has been used to prosecute more alleged leakers than all former presidential offices combined.
Goodale said journalists don’t seem to consider this much of a problem.
“They don’t believe it,” he told CJR.
“I actually have talked to two investigative reporters who are household names, and I said,
‘Do you realize what’s happening to you if this goes forward?’
And I talk, I get no response, and the subject shifts to other parts of the book.
No one seems to care.”
Meanwhile, nobody believes that a YouTube video was behind Benghazi, but filmmaker Nakoula is still in jail."

Why Aren’t More People Repelled by the Left?

Why Aren’t More People Repelled by the Left? | Power Line:
WHY AREN’T MORE PEOPLE REPELLED BY THE LEFT?

Here is something I don’t understand: liberals are often revealed as vile, vulgar hatemongers–not all of them, of course, but far too many–yet they never seem to pay a penalty at the polls. Why is that?

Margaret Thatcher’s death has been the latest occasion for the Left to show its true stripes. All across the U.K., there have been demonstrations–vulgar at best, and violent at worst. In Bristol, lefties celebrating a Thatcher “death street party” started fires, destroyed property and battled police:

This evening in Trafalgar Square, liberals have turned out for a long-planned celebration of Thatcher’s death:

“We’ve been waiting a long time for this,” Richard Watson, a 45-year-old from eastern England wearing a party hat, said. “It’s an opportunity of a lifetime.”

As a huge effigy of Thatcher, with a hook-nosed and toting a handbag, made its way down the stairs in front of the National Gallery, the crowd erupted into cries of “Maggie! Maggie! Maggie! Dead! Dead! Dead!” and sang lyrics from the “Wizard of Oz” ditty “Ding Dong! The Witch is Dead.”

Here in the U.S., the last similar display from the Left was the Occupy Wall Street movement, but liberal violence and general hatefulness have a long and consistent history. Recall, to take cite just one of many examples, the liberals who attacked buses containing delegates and dropped cement blocks on cars from a highway overpass during the 2008 Republican convention in St. Paul. It is notable that violent leftists are never denounced by Democratic Party politicians. On the contrary, as we have seen most recently with Kathy Boudin, they find them well-paid jobs as professors when they can. And it is not hard to understand why liberals tend to be so angry; nearly every communication that emanates from the Democratic Party is a hateful, over-the-top smear against Republicans.

So to repeat: I don’t get it. Why aren’t more voters repelled by the constant parade of vulgarity, hate and violence that characterizes modern liberalism?

Comprehensive Immigration Reform to include American Right to Work in Mexico?

Comprehensive Immigration Reform to include American Right to Work in Mexico?:

The fact that illegal immigrants in general do not wish to assimilate or learn English, will change the tapestry of our country. 

Eleven million newly amnestied residents and potential Democrat voters will alter our country irreversibly, creating a new power structure, with a single party and no separation of powers. The financial liability will be enormous.

We can accept illegals but they are not accepting us, our culture, our language, they are not coming here to help our culture grow, they behave as entitled occupiers. Illegals swell the numbers of the prison population around the country. 

Gang violence, drug cartel violence and murder are rampant around the southern border.

Illegal aliens are not “undocumented workers,” they have broken the law by crossing our borders without a passport and a visa. We must enforce the rule of law. 

Without the rule of law, whether the law is broken by ordinary citizens or by those in power, we are a lawless country and our civilization will turn into chaos.

The Washington Times reported on May 3, 2010 that illegal immigration is a felony in Mexico, with a punishment of up to two years in prison. 

If an immigrant is deported and is caught re-entering Mexico, the punishment is 10 years in jail. 

Those who violate visas by over-staying, are sentenced to six years in prison. 

Any Mexican aiding or abetting an illegal immigrant is a criminal.

TIP LINE: Did Your Editor Spike Kermit Gosnell Coverage? Report It Here Anonymously

PJ Media » TIP LINE: Did Your Editor Spike Kermit Gosnell Coverage? Report It Here Anonymously:
"In an immoral, unprofessional, bizarre — surely, several other negative descriptors are apt — display of unity, virtually the entire U.S. media industry save for those generally referred to as “conservative outlets” have instituted a blackout of the trial.
Infanticide — the crime that gave even Timothy McVeigh pause — is a left/right issue for your employer?
The media behavior regarding the trial of monster Kermit Gosnell is a turning point: with all of conservative media’s complaints regarding the liberal bias of U.S. media, we never imagined this could happen.
We know there are journalists out there infuriated by their employer’s current behavior: The change must start with you.
We are looking for whistleblowers: if you have any information regarding why your employer is not covering the Gosnell trial, please submit it here. Your anonymity will be protected."

Florida sergeant fired for having Trayvon Martin shooting targets

Florida sergeant fired for having Trayvon Martin shooting targets - CNN.com:
"A Florida police sergeant was fired for possessing several so-called Trayvon Martin shooting targets, authorities said Saturday."

The Aerodynamics Of Nihilism

The Aerodynamics Of Nihilism | Zero Hedge:
"The money pours in each month from America, Europe and Japan and overrides anything and everything else. With pre-payments and calls the estimated amount of money provided by the Fed for the world's monetary supply is approximately $100 billion every month.
It is not just the American banks that are the recipients of the hand-out but the foreign ones who ship it back to Europe or buy European sovereign debt courtesy of Mr. Bernanke.
I suspect that if the American taxpayers were aware of the scheme that the citizens would not be pleased but then what the Fed is doing is not generally part of polite conversation in America and so it is not discussed."

Minimum Wage Increase — A Serious Effort Or Just Rhetoric?

Minimum Wage Increase — A Serious Effort Or Just Rhetoric? [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
“Labor economists estimate that for every 10 percent increase in the minimum wage rate, employment among those affected drops by 5 percent,” Block said."

Coast West Music Festival

Coast West Music Festival:

Tax deadline is approaching: Bring us back to 1913 (or better yet, bring us back to pre-income tax 1912) | AEIdeas

Tax deadline is approaching: Bring us back to 1913 (or better yet, bring us back to pre-income tax 1912) | AEIdeas:
"In its annual report to Congress, the National Taxpayer Advocate estimated that American taxpayers spend 6.1 billion hours a year complying with the income tax code, based on IRS estimates of how much time taxpayers (both individual and businesses) spend collecting data for, and filling out tax forms.
That amount of time spent for income tax compliance would be the equivalent of more than 3 million Americans working full-time, year-round (2.22% of payroll employment).
By way of comparison, the federal government employed 2.78 million full-time workers in 2012, and Wal-Mart, the world’s largest private employer, currently employs 1.4 million workers in the US (both full-time and part-time)."

Landlord Joe Biden pocketed $26,400 in 2012 renting cottage to the Secret Service

Landlord Joe Biden pocketed $26,400 in 2012 renting cottage to the Secret Service - Washington Times:
"Vice President Joe Biden and his wife, Dr. Jill Biden, took in $26,400 in 2012 by renting a cottage on the property of their Delaware home to the Secret Service, tax records released by the White House revealed."

WPost reporter explains her personal Gosnell blackout

WPost reporter explains her personal Gosnell blackout

I began by asking the AP’s national social issues reporter why he hadn’t been tweeting to AP coverage of the Gosnell trial. I had to ask a few times and then … there it was … finally …. a tweet on the Gosnell trial. Then he told me that the AP was covering the trial (which I knew, as I’ve critiqued it here). I reminded him that I was wondering why he hadn’t been tweeting to coverage of Gosnell. I asked him to correct me if I was wrong about his lack of tweets. He didn’t.

Then I decided, since tmatt has me reading the Washington Post every day, to look at how the paper’s health policy reporter was covering Gosnell. I have critiqued many of her stories on the Susan G. Komen Foundation (she wrote quite a bit about that) and the Sandra Fluke controversy (she wrote quite a bit about that) and the Todd Akin controversy (you know where this is going). In fact, a site search for that reporter — who is named Sarah Kliff — and stories Akin and Fluke and Komen — yields more than 80 hits. Guess how many stories she’s done on this abortionist’s mass murder trial.

Did you guess zero? You’d be right.

So I asked her about it. Here’s her response:

Hi Molly – I cover policy for the Washington Post, not local crime, hence why I wrote about all the policy issues you mention.

Yes. She really, really, really said that. As Robert VerBruggen dryly responded:

Makes sense. Similarly, national gun-policy people do not cover local crime in places like Aurora or Newtown.

Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story

Why Dr. Kermit Gosnell's Trial Should Be a Front-Page Story - Conor Friedersdorf - The Atlantic
The dead babies. The exploited women. The racism. The numerous governmental failures. It is thoroughly newsworthy.
"The grand jury report in the case of Kermit Gosnell, 72, is among the most horrifying I've read.
"This case is about a doctor who killed babies and endangered women.
What we mean is that he regularly and illegally delivered live, viable babies in the third trimester of pregnancy - and then murdered these newborns by severing their spinal cords with scissors," it states.
"The medical practice by which he carried out this business was a filthy fraud in which he overdosed his patients with dangerous drugs, spread venereal disease among them with infected instruments, perforated their wombs and bowels - and, on at least two occasions, caused their deaths."

14 Of The Obamas’ Most Decadent Vacations On Your Dime

14 Of The Obamas’ Most Decadent Vacations On Your Dime | Right Wing News

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick to preside over alien hearings for $20K

Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick to preside over alien hearings for $20K | MLive.com
"Former Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick, mother of ex-Detroit Mayor Kwame Kilpatrick, jumped at the chance to serve on a mock congressional panel to inquire about extraterrestrial life on Earth, according to the Detroit News.
..The gig, dubbed the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure, is scheduled to take place from April 29 to May 3 at the National Press Club in Washington D.C. Kilpatrick is reportedly receiving $20,000 to participate.
"The Citizen Hearing on Disclosure of an extraterrestrial presence engaging the human race will attempt to accomplish what the Congress has failed to do for 45 years — seek out the facts surrounding the most important issue of this or any other time," the event website says.
"For this reason the motto for the Citizen Hearing on Disclosure is 'If the Congress will not do its job, the people will.'"

Fiscal Problems Not Stopping Flint From Pursuing $2.4M Hydrogen Bus

Fiscal Problems Not Stopping Flint From Pursuing $2.4M Hydrogen Bus [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"In a city with an unemployment rate near 18 percent and a fiscal situation so bad it requires an emergency manager, the Flint Mass Transportation Authority is trying to buy a hydrogen bus that sells for $2.4 million — more than seven times as much as a traditional bus.
..A typical diesel bus cost about $327,000, according to the U.S. Department of Transportation.
The MTA is requesting that it be able to use federal stimulus funds it was approved for three years ago.
In September 2009, Reuters reported that the Mass Transportation Authority would get $2.2 million from the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 to buy two zero-emission buses and that the buses would be deployed in 2010.
However, the MTA’s choice to make the buses, Fischer Coachworks, went out of business in 2010"

Trayvon Martin's Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit

Trayvon Martin's Family Settles Wrongful Death Suit:
Trayvon Martin's family has reached a settlement in a wrongful death suit they filed against the homeowners association of the sub-division where Martin was killed........"the figure is believed to be in excess of $1 million. 
The settlement does, however, state that Zimmerman is not part of the agreement.
Lawyers for Martin's family have made it clear that they still plan to file a civil claim against Zimmerman at a later point."

Democrats are Blocking Resolution to Honor Lady Thatcher

Democrats are Blocking Resolution to Honor Lady Thatcher
"A Senate resolution to honor Lady Thatcher was supposed to pass last night. 
However, per well placed sources on the Hill, Democrats have a hold on the resolution.
To refuse to honor a woman of such great historical and political significance, who was deeply loyal to the United States, is petty and shameful. 
One truly has to wonder, what is it about Lady Thatcher that gives them pause? 
Her unfaltering commitment to freedom? 
Or perhaps the way she fought for individual liberty and limited government?"

Biden Directly Confronts NRA and 'Black Helicopter Crowd' as Gun Deal Looms

Biden Directly Confronts NRA and 'Black Helicopter Crowd' as Gun Deal Looms - J.K. Trotter - The Atlantic Wire:
"A visibly emotional Biden indulged no such circumspection, comparing the most vehement opponents of expanded background checks, which 92% of Americans support, to conspiracy theorists.
"The black helicopter crowd is really upset," Biden said, taking on a kind of faux voice in describing fears about background checks —
"It's kind of scary, man," he said."

N.Y. Dad’s Pistol License Suspended Over Something His 10-Year-Old Son Said — and It Could Be 8 Years Before He Gets It Back

N.Y. Dad’s Pistol License Suspended Over Something His 10-Year-Old Son Said — and It Could Be 8 Years Before He Gets It Back | TheBlaze.com:
".......a teacher overheard the students talking and informed the principal, who then immediately called police and filed a report.
He said the principal told police something to the effect of, there’s a “kid with a gun, ready to go.” 
Mayer maintains that no serious death threats were made by the students. 
The Hauppauge Public School District has not returned several messages left by TheBlaze, therefore, it is not clear what they are claiming was said.
School officials then “interrogated” the boys, Mayer explained.
It was later determined that the 10-year-old boys did not have access to a BB gun, paintball gun or any actual firearms."

DJs' April Fools' prank leads to small-scale panic

DJs' April Fools' prank leads to small-scale panic:
A pair of longtime disc jockeys have gotten in hot water for their annual April Fools' Day joke.
The problem:
They joked about water quality, saying "dihydrogen monoxide" was coming out of residents' taps.
It caused small-scale panic among some radio listeners in the Cape Coral-Fort Myers, Fla., metro area.
 "The two DJs, Val St. John and Scott Fish, who have been with WWGR-FM here for 16 years and 10 years respectively, were suspended indefinitely.
The radio station has recanted the joke and been apologizing during station breaks."

Safe from Sequester: $704,198 for Gardening at NATO Ambassador’s Home

Safe from Sequester: $704,198 for Gardening at NATO Ambassador’s Home | CNS News:
"Just over a week after sequestration took effect, the State Department allotted more than $700,000 for gardening at a U.S. Ambassador’s residence in Brussels, Belgium."

Muskegon Community College board chairman promises changes to millage increase campaign

Muskegon Community College board chairman promises changes to millage increase campaign | MLive.com:
"Crandall then talked about improving and expanding MCC’s health education facility.
Improvements include expanding the facility and renovating it.
He also went over the renovation of creative and performing arts facilities, which includes moving creative art department out of the existing building into a new space.
There would be five new art studies, three classrooms, an exhibition gallery, a kiln room, improvements to the Overbrook Theater, expanded lab and a multimedia instructional space."

The most shocking news you won't see in the MSM today

Blog: The most shocking news you won't see in the MSM today:
"I can't describe it.
It sounded like a little alien," West testified, telling a judge and Philadelphia Court of Common Pleas jury that the body of the child was about 18 to 24 inches long and was one of the largest babies she had seen delivered during abortion procedures at Gosnell's clinic.
West said she saw the child, whose face and features were not yet completely formed, lying on a glass tray on a shelf and she told a co-worker to call Gosnell about it and fled the room."

EPA acknowledges releasing personal details on farmers, senator slams agency

EPA acknowledges releasing personal details on farmers, senator slams agency | Fox News:
"But Sen. John Thune, who originally complained about the release, slammed the EPA for trying to retroactively recover the sensitive data.
"It is inexcusable for the EPA to release the personal information of American families and then call for it back, knowing full well that the erroneously released information will never be fully returned," he said in a statement to FoxNews.com.
"While EPA acknowledging that it erred is a first step, more must be done to protect the personal information of our farmers and ranchers now and in the future.
I will continue to demand answers from the EPA on how this information was collected and why it is still being distributed to extreme environmental groups to the detriment of our farm and ranch families."