Monday, May 31, 2010
Sunday, May 30, 2010
Going "Green" by John Stossel
105
John Stossel's Email | John Stossel | Author Biography
I ride my bike to work. It seems so pure.
We're constantly urged to "go green" -- use less energy, shrink our carbon footprint, save the Earth. How? We should drive less, use ethanol, recycle plastic and buy things with the government's Energy Star label.
But what if much of going green is just bunk? Al Gore's group, Repower America, claims we can replace all our dirty energy with clean, carbon-free renewables. Gore says we can do it within 10 years.
Click here to read the full story on Townhall.com
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 1 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 594 views
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 2 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 551 views
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 3 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 451 views
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 4 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 442 views
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 5 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 410 views
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John Stossel - Going Green Part 6 of 6
John Stossel show aired on FOX Business network on May 27th, 2010. It was all about "green energy" and "feel good" things environmentalist want us ...
by cdbm2012 | 1 day ago | 353 views
Saturday, May 29, 2010
The Tale of ‘2’ Pictures; “ Which Story Leads to Economic Recovery & Which Story leads to Catastrophe?”
Stressed Out or Tone Deaf? Obama Chicago Vacation Raises Eyebrows
Published May 27, 2010
| FOXNews.com
President Obama boards Air Force One to San Francisco in Washington May 25. (Reuters Photo)
Presidents are never really off the clock, even when they go on vacation. But President Obama's decision to skip the traditional Memorial Day ceremony in Arlington while on his second vacation since the BP oil spill began has some wondering what the schedule says about his priorities.
On "vacation," Obama still holds staff meetings, occasionally attends local events and often gets his "relaxation" time swallowed up by pressing national and international business -- his vacation to Hawaii in December coincided with the attempted Christmas Day airline bombing. The retreat this weekend is marked by a side-trip to Louisiana to inspect the damages from the oil spill.
But some conservatives, still smarting over the criticism George W. Bush fielded for his frequent trips to Crawford, Texas, say Obama's trip to Chicago over Memorial Day weekend is conspicuously poor in its timing. Click here to continue reading the story.
Steve Wynn Takes on Washington, Vegas & EBITDA
Published: Friday, 28 May 2010 | 9:34 AM ET
By: Jane Wells
CNBC Correspondent
Steve Wynn says Americans are afraid. He’s just angry.
“Washington is unpredictable these days,” declares the CEO of Wynn Resorts[WYNN 83.88 
-0.61 (-0.72%) 
]. “No one has any idea what’s next…the uncertainty of the business climate in America is frightening, frightening to everybody, and it’s delaying the recovery.” (Catch more Steve Wynn's views in the videos below and on CNBC throughout the day).
Joe Cavaretta / AP
The Wynn is seen on the north end of the Las Vegas "strip."
Wynn spoke to CNBC in Las Vegas from the new Encore Beach Club opening for the Memorial Day weekend. He created the $69 million pool club and bar area after tearing down a brand new $13 million entrance to the Encore which looked out on Las Vegas Boulevard.
Turns out the view wasn’t good. Across the street are a slew of half finished developments which stalled in the downturn. Wynn didn’t want his guests to see that. “There were going to be 10,000 rooms across the street and they all went bust.” So he changed the whole front of the resort to close it off and create a sensual adults-only escape.
Pool clubs like the one he’s built are the hottest new trend in Vegas. “This generation…they have a different attitude,” Wynn says. “Instead of sitting and watching something, they want to be a part of it…they’re very hedonistic and sensual.”
As we spoke, scantily clad waitresses in barely-there orange bikinis prepared for one last practice run-through. “They’ll make north of a hundred grand apiece,” annually he says. The jobs pay well, and the tips are great. But wearing those bikinis isn’t easy. “If one of those girls gains two pounds, it goes from being really adorable to not so adorable.” (One other note: he lectures them about wearing hats and sunblock.)
Wynn is passionate about the prospects for the beach club.
He’s even more passionate about where this country is headed.
Wynn speaks of “wild, uncontrolled spending,” and “unbelievable, unsustainable debt”. As he plans to split his company headquarters between Las Vegas and Macau, with a bigger emphasis on Macau because of its tremendous profitability, he has no qualms about dealing with the Chinese government.
“Macau has been steady. The shocking, unexpected government is the one in Washington.”
He’s concerned about the prospect of inflation, of FHA repeating the mistakes of Fannie and Freddie, and the cost to business from the new healthcare law. “We’re on our way to Greece, in the hands of a confused, foolish government,” Wynn says. “It’s got to stop. It’s got to stop.”
RELATED LINKS
Catch more of Jane Wells' reports on Steve Wynn's views on CNBC throughout the day.
© 2010 CNBC.com
Friday, May 28, 2010
Obama cancels Gulf drilling projects
Takes responsibility for response, works to clean up mineral agency
No matter how you feel about the oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico, it is never okay to punish everyone for the fault of ‘1’. After decades of oil exploration, drilling and extraction from the deep ocean floor, there is far more evidence of its safety than the opposite. Once the leak is officially capped and determined to be safe, it will be time to do an independent investigation into what happened. To prematurely halt all domestic oil extraction is a bad idea. To do so during a severe economic downturn, speaks of utter insanity or a diabolic, ulterior motive.
Earlier I posted a story where they spoke about the only sure way to stop the leak would be to set off an explosion that would implode the site of the leak. Why is no-one asking this question? I am!
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
ASSOCIATED PRESS "In case you're wondering who's responsible, I take responsibility," President Obama said during a news conference in the East Room of the White House on Thursday. "It is my job to make sure that everything is done to shut this down. That doesn't mean it's going to be easy. It doesn't mean it's going to happen right away or the way I'd like it to happen. It doesn't mean that we're not going to make mistakes. But there shouldn't be any confusion here. The federal government is fully engaged, and I'm fully engaged."
By Kara Rowland
9:01 p.m., Thursday, May 27, 2010
Just weeks after he opened up new areas to offshore drilling, President Obama reversed course Thursday and suspended or canceled drilling projects in the Gulf of Mexico, the Atlantic and the Arctic, as promising signs emerged from BP's latest effort to plug a gushing oil leak off the coast of Louisiana.
Thursday, May 27, 2010
US money supply plunges at 1930s pace as Obama eyes fresh stimulus
The M3 money supply in the United States is contracting at an accelerating rate that now matches the average decline seen from 1929 to 1933, despite near zero interest rates and the biggest fiscal blitz in history.
By Ambrose Evans-Pritchard
Published: 9:40PM BST 26 May 2010
Comments 339 | Comment on this article
The stock of money in the US fell from $14.2 trillion to $13.9 trillion in the three months to April, amounting to an annual rate of contraction of 9.6pc Photo: AFP
The M3 figures - which include broad range of bank accounts and are tracked by British and European monetarists for warning signals about the direction of the US economy a year or so in advance - began shrinking last summer. The pace has since quickened.
The stock of money fell from $14.2 trillion to $13.9 trillion in the three months to April, amounting to an annual rate of contraction of 9.6pc. The assets of insitutional money market funds fell at a 37pc rate, the sharpest drop ever.
"It’s frightening," said Professor Tim Congdon from International Monetary Research. "The plunge in M3 has no precedent since the Great Depression. The dominant reason for this is that regulators across the world are pressing banks to raise capital asset ratios and to shrink their risk assets. This is why the US is not recovering properly," he said.
The US authorities have an entirely different explanation for the failure of stimulus measures to gain full traction. They are opting instead for yet further doses of Keynesian spending, despite warnings from the IMF that the gross public debt of the US will reach 97pc of GDP next year and 110pc by 2015.
Larry Summers, President Barack Obama’s top economic adviser, has asked Congress to "grit its teeth" and approve a fresh fiscal boost of $200bn to keep growth on track. "We are nearly 8m jobs short of normal employment. For millions of Americans the economic emergency grinds on," he said.
David Rosenberg from Gluskin Sheff said the White House appears to have reversed course just weeks after Mr Obama vowed to rein in a budget deficit of $1.5 trillion (9.4pc of GDP) this year and set up a commission to target cuts. "You truly cannot make this stuff up. The US governnment is freaked out about the prospect of a double-dip," he said.
This is a must read article…click here for the full document.
Wednesday, May 26, 2010
Richard Lamm on Multiculturalism
Sent by email from a friend. I do not know of Governor Lamm, but I believe if he were still Governor of Colorado he would stand proudly with Gorvernor Brower of Arizona in attempting to save her State from the neglect of Multiculturalism.
Yours in Truth ;-0 Shelly
Apparently, Richard Lamm is one of the "old school" Henry "Scoop" Jackson Dems.....where are they today?????
Even though this speech was in 2005, he could have said it yesterday......
Claim: Former Colorado governor Richard Lamm delivered a speech on the perils of multiculturalism.
Status: True.
Example: [Collected on the Internet, 2005]
| A Frightening Analysis |
Origins: Richard D. Lamm was a Democrat who served as governor of Colorado for twelve years from 1975 to 1987. Of the above-quoted third person account regarding his speech on the perils of multiculturalism, he told us in mid-June 2005:
Yes, it is a speech I gave a year and a half ago in Washington D.C. It was a 5 minute speech, and I am amazed and gratified it has received so much coverage.
He also passed along to us the following "revised version" of his speech:
I HAVE A PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA
RICHARD D. LAMM
I HAVE A SECRET PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. IF YOU BELIEVE, AS MANY DO, THAT AMERICA IS TOO SMUG, TOO WHITE BREAD, TOO SELF-SATISFIED, TOO RICH, LETS DESTROY AMERICA. IT IS NOT THAT HARD TO DO. HISTORY SHOWS THAT NATIONS ARE MORE FRAGILE THAN THEIR CITIZENS THINK. NO NATION IN HISTORY HAS SURVIVED THE RAVAGES OF TIME. ARNOLD TOYNBEE OBSERVED THAT ALL GREAT CIVILIZATIONS RISE AND THEY ALL FALL, AND THAT "AN AUTOPSY OF HISTORY WOULD SHOW THAT ALL GREAT NATIONS COMMIT SUICIDE." HERE IS MY PLAN:
I. WE MUST FIRST MAKE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY. HISTORY SHOWS, IN MY OPINION, THAT NO NATION CAN SURVIVE THE TENSION, CONFLICT, AND ANTAGONISM OF TWO COMPETING LANGUAGES AND CULTURES. IT IS A BLESSING FOR AN INDIVIDUAL TO BE BILINGUAL; IT IS A CURSE FOR A SOCIETY TO BE BILINGUAL. ONE SCHOLAR, SEYMOUR MARTIN LIPSET, PUT IT THIS WAY:
THE HISTORIES OF BILINGUAL AND BICULTURAL SOCIETIES THAT DO NOT ASSIMILATE ARE HISTORIES OF TURMOIL, TENSION, AND TRAGEDY. CANADA, BELGIUM, MALAYSIA, LEBANON-ALL FACE CRISES OF NATIONAL EXISTENCE IN WHICH MINORITIES PRESS FOR AUTONOMY, IF NOT INDEPENDENCE. PAKISTAN AND CYPRUS HAVE DIVIDED. NIGERIA SUPPRESSED AN ETHNIC REBELLION. FRANCE FACES DIFFICULTIES WITH ITS BASQUES, BRETONS, AND CORSICANS.
II. I WOULD THEN INVENT "MULTICULTURALISM" AND ENCOURAGE IMMIGRANTS TO MAINTAIN THEIR OWN CULTURE. I WOULD MAKE IT AN ARTICLE OF BELIEF THAT ALL CULTURES ARE EQUAL: THAT THERE ARE NO CULTURAL DIFFERENCES THAT ARE IMPORTANT. I WOULD DECLARE IT AN ARTICLE OF FAITH THAT THE BLACK AND HISPANIC DROPOUT RATE IS ONLY DUE TO PREJUDICE AND DISCRIMINATION BY THE MAJORITY. EVERY OTHER EXPLANATION IS OUT-OF-BOUNDS.
III. WE CAN MAKE THE UNITED STATES A "HISPANIC QUEBEC" WITHOUT MUCH EFFORT. THE KEY IS TO CELEBRATE DIVERSITY RATHER THAN UNITY. AS BENJAMIN SCHWARZ SAID IN THE ATLANTIC MONTHLY RECENTLY:
...THE APPARENT SUCCESS OF OUR OWN MULTIETHNIC AND MULTICULTURAL EXPERIMENT MIGHT HAVE BEEN ACHIEVED NOT BY TOLERANCE BUT BY HEGEMONY. WITHOUT THE DOMINANCE THAT ONCE DICTATED ETHNOCENTRICALLY, AND WHAT IT MEANT TO BE AN AMERICAN, WE ARE LEFT WITH ONLY TOLERANCE AND PLURALISM TO HOLD US TOGETHER.
I WOULD ENCOURAGE ALL IMMIGRANTS TO KEEP THEIR OWN LANGUAGE AND CULTURE. I WOULD REPLACE THE MELTING POT METAPHOR WITH A SALAD BOWL METAPHOR. IT IS IMPORTANT TO INSURE THAT WE HAVE VARIOUS CULTURAL SUB-GROUPS LIVING IN AMERICA REINFORCING THEIR DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN AMERICANS, EMPHASIZING THEIR SIMILARITIES.
IV. HAVING DONE ALL THIS, I WOULD MAKE OUR FASTEST GROWING DEMOGRAPHIC GROUP THE LEAST EDUCATED - I WOULD ADD A SECOND UNDERCLASS, UNASSIMILATED, UNDEREDUCATED, AND ANTAGONISTIC TO OUR POPULATION. I WOULD HAVE THIS SECOND UNDERCLASS HAVE A 50% DROP OUT RATE FROM SCHOOL.
V. I WOULD THEN GET THE BIG FOUNDATIONS AND BIG BUSINESS TO GIVE THESE EFFORTS LOTS OF MONEY. I WOULD INVEST IN ETHNIC IDENTITY, AND I WOULD ESTABLISH THE CULT OF VICTIMOLOGY. I WOULD GET ALL MINORITIES TO THINK THEIR LACK OF SUCCESS WAS ALL THE FAULT OF THE MAJORITY - I WOULD START A GRIEVANCE INDUSTRY BLAMING ALL MINORITY FAILURE ON THE MAJORITY POPULATION.
VI. I WOULD ESTABLISH DUAL CITIZENSHIP AND PROMOTE DIVIDED LOYALTIES. I WOULD "CELEBRATE DIVERSITY." "DIVERSITY" IS A WONDERFULLY SEDUCTIVE WORD. IT STRESSES DIFFERENCES RATHER THAN COMMONALITIES. DIVERSE PEOPLE WORLDWIDE ARE MOSTLY ENGAGED IN HATING EACH OTHER-THAT IS, WHEN THEY ARE NOT KILLING EACH OTHER. A DIVERSE," PEACEFUL, OR STABLE SOCIETY IS AGAINST MOST HISTORICAL PRECEDENT. PEOPLE UNDERVALUE THE UNITY IT TAKES TO KEEP A NATION TOGETHER, AND WE CAN TAKE ADVANTAGE OF THIS MYOPIA. LOOK AT THE ANCIENT GREEKS. DORF'S WORLD HISTORY TELLS US:
THE GREEKS BELIEVED THAT THEY BELONGED TO THE SAME RACE; THEY POSSESSED A COMMON LANGUAGE AND LITERATURE; AND THEY WORSHIPED THE SAME GODS. ALL GREECE TOOK PART IN THE OLYMPIC GAMES IN HONOR OF ZEUS AND ALL GREEKS VENERATED THE SHRINE OF APOLLO AT DELPHI. A COMMON ENEMY PERSIA THREATENED THEIR LIBERTY. YET, ALL OF THESE BONDS TOGETHER WERE NOT STRONG ENOUGH TO OVERCOME TWO FACTORS . . . (LOCAL PATRIOTISM AND GEOGRAPHICAL CONDITIONS THAT NURTURED POLITICAL DIVISIONS . . .)
IF WE CAN PUT THE EMPHASIS ON THE "PLURIBUS," INSTEAD OF THE "UNUM," WE CAN BALKANIZE AMERICA AS SURELY AS KOSOVO.
VII. THEN I WOULD PLACE ALL THESE SUBJECTS OFF LIMITS - MAKE IT TABOO TO TALK ABOUT. I WOULD FIND A WORD SIMILAR TO "HERETIC" IN THE 16TH CENTURY - THAT STOPPED DISCUSSION AND PARALYZED THINKING. WORDS LIKE "RACIST", "XENOPHOBE" THAT HALTS ARGUMENT AND CONVERSATION.
HAVING MADE AMERICA A BILINGUAL-BICULTURAL COUNTRY, HAVING ESTABLISHED MULTICULTURALISM, HAVING THE LARGE FOUNDATIONS FUND THE DOCTRINE OF "VICTIMOLOGY", I WOULD NEXT MAKE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO ENFORCE OUR IMMIGRATION LAWS. I WOULD DEVELOP A MANTRA - "THAT BECAUSE IMMIGRATION HAS BEEN GOOD FOR AMERICA, IT MUST ALWAYS BE GOOD." I WOULD MAKE EVERY INDIVIDUAL IMMIGRANT SYMPATRIC AND IGNORE THE CUMULATIVE IMPACT.
VIII. LASTLY, I WOULD CENSOR VICTOR HANSON DAVIS'S BOOK MEXIFORNIA — THIS BOOK IS DANGEROUS — IT EXPOSES MY PLAN TO DESTROY AMERICA. SO PLEASE, PLEASE — IF YOU FEEL THAT AMERICA DESERVES TO BE DESTROYED — PLEASE, PLEASE — DON'T BUY THIS BOOK! THIS GUY IS ON TO MY PLAN.
"THE SMART WAY TO KEEP PEOPLE PASSIVE AND OBEDIENT IS TO STRICTLY LIMIT THE SPECTRUM OF ACCEPTABLE OPINION, BUT ALLOW VERY LIVELY DEBATE WITHIN THAT SPECTRUM." — NOAM CHOMSKY, AMERICAN LINGUIST AND US MEDIA AND FOREIGN POLICY CRITIC.
Both Governor Lamm and the writer of the e-mail misidentify the author of the book Mexifornia, whose correct name is Victor Davis Hanson.
Last updated: 16 June 2005
The URL for this page is http://www.snopes.com/politics/soapbox/lamm.asp
Urban Legends Reference Pages © 1995-2010 by Barbara and David P. Mikkelson.
Tuesday, May 25, 2010
Senator Bob Casey (D – PA) sponsors bill to bailout Union pensions for $165B
Here a bailout, there a bailout, everywhere I look somebody’s getting a bailout. Watch, listen and let your elected Representative know how you feel about more money down a ponzi hole.
Yours in Truth ;-0 Shelly
The Next Bailout: $165B for Unions
Updated May 24, 2010
There seems to be many differences of opinion on the $165 billion bailout for Union Pensions now being proposed in Congress. The level of debt racking up against the private sector to keep the public sector comfortable and secure is a sham. It is no better a ponzi scheme than Bernie Madoff and Social Security / Medicare / Healthcare / GM or any of the other numerous shenanigans happening in Washington D.C. If you are paying attention…research the candidates and make certain that you hold them accountable to fiscal responsibility. It is more important than anything else in the news, today.
I have posted ‘3’ different articles about bailouts now being discussed in Congress. Each article has their own unique perspective. You be the judge about who is correct.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
By Erik Berte - FOXBusiness 
Taxpayers could be on the hook for another $165 billion if a bill to bail out private union pension funds makes it through Congress.
A Democratic senator is introducing legislation for a bailout of troubled union pension funds. If passed, the bill could put another $165 billion in liabilities on the shoulders of American taxpayers.
The bill, which would put the Pension Benefit
Guarantee Corporation behind struggling pensions for union workers, is being introduced by Senator Bob Casey, (D-Pa.), who says it will save jobs and help people.As FOX Business Network’s Gerri Willis reported Monday, these pensions are in bad shape; as of 2006, well before the market dropped and recession began, only 6% of these funds were doing well.
Although right now taxpayers could possibly be on the hook for $165 billion, the liability could essentially be unlimited because these pensions have to be paid out until the workers die.
It’s hard to say at the moment what the chances are that the bill will pass. A hearing is scheduled Thursday, which will give the public a sense of where political leaders sit on the topic, said Willis.
Just last week President Obama said there would be no more bailouts.
Here’s Another $23B Bailout You May Have Missed
Joe Weisenthal | May 15, 2010, 7:53 AM |
It didn't get much attention, but this week The White House announced its support for a bailout of one of the President's most important constituent groups: public school teachers (teachers unions, basically).
A post on The White House blog (via ABC News) late Wednesday evening announced that it was time for "bold action" to save teachers' jobs.
Specifically, Arne Duncan, Obama's education secretary wrote the following to Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid:
We applaud Chairmen Harkin, Miller and Obey for crafting legislation in direct response to these challenges. S. 3206, the Keep Our Educators Working Act, H.R. 2847, the Jobs for Main Street Act, and H.R. 4812, the Local Jobs for America Act, each call for $23 billion in emergency support to preserve education jobs modeled after the State Fiscal Stabilization Fund (SFSF) established in the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA). This funding would keep teachers in the classroom while helping to sustain meaningful and necessary reforms in public education across the country.
We urge Congress to include this funding in the supplemental appropriations bills soon to be considered. We also urge Congress to include $2 billion in support to localities for police and firefighters to ensure that our communities remain safe, as well as $1 billion in funds for the Child Care and Development Block Grant to preserve early childhood education jobs and ensure that our youngest children do not lose the supports and services critical to their learning and overall well-being.
Of course, this kind of thing counteracts exactly the type of "absolutely terrible" budget cuts we're seeing in places like California, and it's these regular transfers of federal money to local governments that have prevented a "Greece" from happening yet.
Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/keep-our-educators-working-act-2010-5#ixzz0ozPrroaj
Fox's "$165 billion" "union bailout" is neither
May 25, 2010 1:00 am ET — 18 Comments
Fox News and Fox Business personalities have claimed that a bill dealing with union-administered pension funds is a "$165 billion bailout for unions." In fact, the bill is not a "bailout for unions," and its sponsor reportedly said it would cost the federal government $8 billion to $10 billion.
Cavuto, Willis falsely claim bill is a "union bailout" that rewards unions' "bad behavior"
Cavuto: Bill is a "big union bailout." On the May 24 edition of Fox News' Your World, host Neil Cavuto called the Create Jobs and Save Benefits Act of 2010 -- recently proposed by Sen. Bob Casey -- a "big union bailout." Fox Business' Gerri Willis claimed, "Let me tell you, this is the SEIU, the AFL-CIO ... government workers, it's also Teamsters, and these are pensions that are falling apart." When Cavuto asked, "So what do they want to do now? Do they want the PBGC to take over these?" Willis responded, "They want the PBGC, Pension Guaranty Benefit Corporation, to take them over if they have to and be the backstop against losing money."
Cavuto, Tatge falsely claim PBGC would take over obligations of existing employers. On his Fox Business program, Cavuto said that the bill "calls for the Pension Guaranty Benefit Corporation to take over the pension obligations of employers who have either underfunded their plans or who simply withdrawn too much money from those plans." On the same show, Forbes magazine's Mark Tatge said, "So the companies were supposed to pay premiums into this -- there's no tax dollars in this fund -- and the companies for many years have not paid in, or they have paid in at such a low rate that it does not cover the liabilities that are out there. ... You should send businesses a bill for this. Businesses should be billed."
Cavuto, Willis baselessly suggest bill put forward in response to union mismanagement of pension funds. From the May 24 Your World.
Private pay shrinks to historic lows as gov't payouts rise
How is this sustainable? That is the one and only question that must be asked of every political wannabe servant. The past 16 1/2 months have proven to be a Federal, State, County, City and Town public sector growth on steroids. If!, and I say If!, this were sustainable, wouldn’t there be some evidence of its success somewhere in the world? If you’ve seen anywhere that this has been successful, please let me know.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
By Mark Wilson, Getty Images
By Dennis Cauchon, USA TODAY
Paychecks from private business shrank to their smallest share of personal income in U.S. history during the first quarter of this year, a USA TODAY analysis of government data finds.
At the same time, government-provided benefits — from Social Security, unemployment insurance, food stamps and other programs — rose to a record high during the first three months of 2010.
Those records reflect a long-term trend accelerated by the recession and the federal stimulus program to counteract the downturn. The result is a major shift in the source of personal income from private wages to government programs.
The trend is not sustainable, says University of Michigan economist Donald Grimes. Reason: The federal government depends on private wages to generate income taxes to pay for its ever-more-expensive programs. Government-generated income is taxed at lower rates or not at all, he says. "This is really important," Grimes says.
The recession has erased 8 million private jobs. Even before the downturn, private wages were eroding because of the substitution of health and pension benefits for taxable salaries.The Bureau of Economic Analysis reports that individuals received income from all sources — wages, investments, food stamps, etc. — at a $12.2 trillion annual rate in the first quarter.
Key shifts in income this year:
• Private wages. A record-low 41.9% of the nation's personal income came from private wages and salaries in the first quarter, down from 44.6% when the recession began in December 2007.
•Government benefits. Individuals got 17.9% of their income from government programs in the first quarter, up from 14.2% when the recession started. Programs for the elderly, the poor and the unemployed all grew in cost and importance. An additional 9.8% of personal income was paid as wages to government employees.
The shift in income shows that the federal government's stimulus efforts have been effective, says Paul Van de Water, an economist at the liberal Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.
"It's the system working as it should," Van de Water says. Government is stimulating growth and helping people in need, he says. As the economy recovers, private wages will rebound, he says.
Economist Veronique de Rugy of the free-market Mercatus Center at George Mason University says the riots in Greece over cutting benefits to close a huge budget deficit are a warning about unsustainable income programs.
Economist David Henderson of the conservative Hoover Institution says a shift from private wages to government benefits saps the economy of dynamism. "People are paid for being rather than for producing," he says.
Monday, May 24, 2010
Ban on building in Lake Whatcom watershed could be permanent
There is one issue that the Whatcom County Council persist on trying to make ‘everyone’ happy. How is it that the water quality of Lake Whatcom was perpetually improving until Georgia Pacific was shut down? Because, after GP shutdown, they no longer drew vast amounts of water out of the lake. If the County would add circulation to the lake we could easily improve the water in Lake Whatcom. That should satisfy those who profess to only be concerned about retaining and improving the lake as the drinking resource for the community. So if there is such an inexpensive and easy fix to the water quality issue, why is there complete resistance to it? Ask your local representative this question; “Why did the water quality go down immediately after GP shut down and how can we replicate it? Do you really want to maintain and restore Lake Whatcom’s water quality or just stop development in the watershed?”
Quite often I have agreed with Councilwoman Brenner, but on this issue I think she misses the big picture.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
POSTED: Monday, May. 24, 2010
Measure would set permanent ban on certain subdivisions
JARED PABEN - THE BELLINGHAM HERALD
After more than five years of extending a temporary ban on some subdivisions in the Lake Whatcom watershed, county leaders will consider making it permanent.
On Tuesday, May 25, the County Council will hold a hearing and consider a law that won't allow any new subdivisions creating home lots smaller than five acres within the watershed. Eleven times since 2005, the council has passed a six-month moratorium on subdivisions creating such lots, following an original interim moratorium.
The ban is blocking the possible development of about 200 houses. The actual number could be significantly lower because many of the areas have environmental constraints, like wetlands or steep grades, that would make construction impossible.
Development is largely responsible for the degraded water quality of Lake Whatcom, drinking-water source for roughly half the county, including all of Bellingham.
"It makes so much sense to me. It's just doing what we've done all along," said County Council member Barbara Brenner, who supports the change. "It just seems like for what we're trying to accomplish in the watershed, I can't think of any other way to do it."
"We have to look in the interest of the county and city of Bellingham and everybody who drinks that water," she added.
The latest temporary extension is set to expire in August, and some council members said they didn't want to see it extended yet again. All council members except for Sam Crawford voted in February to approve the last extension. Crawford previously said that many of the new homes, particularly those south of Toad Lake, couldn't be built anyway because of the high cost of building roads to the properties.
The County Council last fall updated urban growth areas countywide, and part of that decision involved changing zoning to restrict new lots in the Hillsdale and Geneva urban growth areas, which are in the watershed. Now, new lots smaller than five acres aren't allowed in those areas.
But that left rural areas of the watershed without such restrictions. A separate planning project to rezone rural areas countywide could mean banning new lots smaller than five acres. But that project is still under consideration by the County Council.
This permanent law would be part of that rural zoning project, just completed before the rest of it, according to a council staff memo.
Brenner sees the Lake Whatcom changes as different from the rest of the rural zoning anyway.
"I see this as an important issue for water quality, and the other issues I see as more subjective regarding growth issues," she said.
ATTEND THE HEARING
What: Whatcom County Council hearing on a draft law that would permanently disallow the creation of new home lots smaller than five acres in unincorporated Lake Whatcom watershed.
When: 7 p.m. Tuesday, May 25.
Where: County Council Chambers, 311 Grand Ave.
More information: Go to Whatcomcounty.us/council/agendas.jsp and click on "Regular Whatcom County Council Meeting Agenda," and then click on "AB2010-185."
Reach JARED PABEN at jared.paben@bellinghamherald.com or call 715-2289. Read his Traffic Blog at blogs.bellinghamherald.com/traffic.
Read more: http://www.bellinghamherald.com/2010/05/24/1443001/whatcom-county-draft-law-would.html#ixzz0oscjJEF9
LiveJournal Tags: Environment,Progressives
What Exactly Is 'Social Justice'?
Recently I was asked; “What is Social Justice?” I answered the question to the best of my ability and as Karma would have it, I stumbled upon this article which explains it far better than I did. So if you’ve wondered to what extent ‘Social Justice’ will affect you and your loved ones, be sure to read this article in it’s entirety. Then the next time someone asks you, “What exactly is Social Justice?”, you will be prepared to speak comfortably on the issue. You probably should read several resources on the subject, to have a well rounded knowledge base, but this is a good place to start. Some of the best material found in this article can be found in the comments of others who expand on ‘Social Justice’ beyond Marx to Castro and Che Guavara.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
May 16, 2010
The term "social justice" is now commonly used by leftist activists, clergy, educators, judges, and politicians to describe the goal they seek to achieve with many of their policies. No precise definition of "social justice" is ever offered by the left. Instead, the term is always used in a vague way -- as if everyone already knows, or should know, what the seemingly well-intentioned phrase "social justice" means.
So, what exactly is "social justice"?
Social justice is the complete economic equality of all members of society. While this may sound like a lofty objective, what it really means is that wealth should be collected by the government and evenly distributed to everyone. In short, social justice is communism. It is rooted in the Marxist idea that the money people make and the property they own do not rightfully belong to the people who make the money and own the property.
Karl Marx's ultimate criticism of capitalism is its recognition of private property. The reason private property is so evil, Marx contended, is that it is a function of economic class warfare. In other words, "the rich" use the concept of private property to oppress "the poor." In order to understand this convoluted thought process, Marx's view of money must be examined, since money is the means by which private property is acquired.
Sunday, May 23, 2010
How to Criticize the United States from within the Halls of Congress and Receive a Standing Ovation
The recent display from within the Halls of Congress by the Obama Administration, Senators and Congress was eye popping at the least, from this bloggers perspective. Over the next 5 –6 months I ‘expect’ to see it played over and over in political ad’s to drive home the fact that the Federal Government is ‘out of step’ with the foundations that made this Country great!
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
Is the Obama Administration Weakening the USA by their Continuous Acceptance of Excuses for Bad Behavior?
Recently in the National News there have been clear video moments of the Obama Administration’s soft touch towards those who have shown great disregard if not ‘ill will’ towards the USA and at the same time using language that show ‘their’ disrespect towards Nations, who for decades have been great supporters of the United States and democracy around the world. How can we, as a Sovereign Nation, survive when we behave in such an irrational manner?
Over the last 16 months of this Administration there has been ‘no’ predictability on policy, other than shock of the disrespect shown to supporters and the red carpet treatment to Tyrants.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
Saturday, May 22, 2010
Education Wars; Government Schools collude with Unions to Monopolize Public Education
For years I have known that a great part of the problem growing from within the United States is the trend that the Unions have a strangle hold on Teachers and the curriculum. Many years ago I spent each Thursday for 3 years with a student attending WWU for a teaching degree. The last year, shortly before graduation the BEA (Bellingham Education Association) held a tea for soon to be graduates in the field of Education. At this tea, the student was clearly informed that in order for the graduates to have any future in the Bellingham School District, they would have to be actively involved with the BEA and support the local Democrats. That is an unholy alliance that should not be allowed to continue. To be a teacher must be about educating students, not permanent indoctrination to a political party, affiliation and philosophy.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
Crisis Imperils Liberal Benefits Long Expected by Europeans
With articles like this I could almost believe that the MSM is waking up. The Progressive agenda of the last 100 years has been that global economic policy and redistributive, social justice will raise all boats. Instead Europe has provided a stark example of how a globally linked economy can become ‘too big to fail’.
So what is the solution to this problem? Don’t conjoin the currencies. If currencies and economies are left separated, then if one economic experiment fails you can look to other economic models to right your ship without bringing down the fleet. The same can be said for the United States of America. By not nationalizing everything, we have unique ways to test new ideas and models without sinking the Country.
So break up the Federal grab for power, stop the global ‘one size fits all’ agenda, because that is a recipe for disaster for All of us.
Yours in Truth ;-)
PAYBACK TIME
Crisis Imperils Liberal Benefits Long Expected by EuropeansBy STEVEN ERLANGER
Published: May 22, 2010
PARIS — Across Western Europe, the “lifestyle superpower,” the assumptions and gains of a lifetime are suddenly in doubt. The deficit crisis that threatens the euro has also undermined the sustainability of the European standard of social welfare, built by left-leaning governments since the end of World War II.Payback Time
Articles in this series are examining the consequences of, and efforts to deal with, growing public and private debts.Multimedia
GraphicPension Problems
Europeans have boasted about their social model, with its generous vacations and early retirements, its national health care systems and extensive welfare benefits, contrasting it with the comparative harshness of American capitalism.Europeans have benefited from low military spending, protected by NATO and the American nuclear umbrella. They have also translated higher taxes into a cradle-to-grave safety net. “The Europe that protects” is a slogan of the European Union.
But all over Europe governments with big budgets, falling tax revenues and aging populations are experiencing rising deficits, with more bad news ahead.
With low growth, low birthrates and longer life expectancies, Europe can no longer afford its comfortable lifestyle, at least not without a period of austerity and significant changes. The countries are trying to reassure investors by cutting salaries, raising legal retirement ages, increasing work hours and reducing health benefits and pensions.
To read the full article click here.
Dr Krauthammer on the Obama Administrations Race to a 3rd World National Security Plan
Dr Charles Krauthammer hits the nail on the head with his wise hammer. The Nations around the world do not respect an appeasement attitude towards the Countries who operate with iron fisted tyranny over their citizens. The past 16 months have proven that the current Administrations attempt to befriend their enemies with weak verbiage and make nice photo ops, have done nothing to improve our standing in the World…quite the opposite, those who we had formed positive economic alliances with, now look to the Tyrants to secure their foothold in the power elites.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
LiveJournal Tags: National Security
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The fruits of weakness
Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, center, with Brazilian President Luiz Inacio Lula da Silva, left, and Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan. (Vahid Salemi/associated Press)
By Charles KrauthammerFriday, May 21, 2010
It is perfectly obvious that Iran's latest uranium maneuver, brokered by Brazil and Turkey, is a ruse. Iran retains more than enough enriched uranium to make a bomb. And it continues enriching at an accelerated pace and to a greater purity (20 percent). Which is why the French foreign ministry immediately declared that the trumpeted temporary shipping of some Iranian uranium to Turkey will do nothing to halt Iran's nuclear program.
This Story
It will, however, make meaningful sanctions more difficult. America's proposed Security Council resolution is already laughably weak -- no blacklisting of Iran's central bank, no sanctions against Iran's oil and gas industry, no nonconsensual inspections on the high seas. Yet Turkey and Brazil -- both current members of the Security Council -- are so opposed to sanctions that they will not even discuss the resolution. And China will now have a new excuse to weaken it further.
But the deeper meaning of the uranium-export stunt is the brazenness with which Brazil and Turkey gave cover to the mullahs' nuclear ambitions and deliberately undermined U.S. efforts to curb Iran's program.
The real news is that already notorious photo: the president of Brazil, our largest ally in Latin America, and the prime minister of Turkey, for more than half a century the Muslim anchor of NATO, raising hands together with Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, the most virulently anti-American leader in the world.
That picture -- a defiant, triumphant take-that-Uncle-Sam -- is a crushing verdict on the Obama foreign policy.
To read the full article click here.
OTM (Other Than Mexican) Documents the Open Border Threat to U.S.A.
The MSM have spent a lot of time denigrating Arizona and Governor Brewer over their illegal immigrant legislation. The MSM have not documented why it became necessary for Arizona to implement this type of protection for their State. Finally a small affiliate station has done their homework and broadcast a news worthy piece that all legal citizens should pay attention to.
If the Federal Government defended the U.S. borders, that they are constitutionally directed to do (instead of HCR, Cap & Trade, Amnesty, etc…), the State of Arizona could focus on their directives to secure the safety, health and, economy of their residents and businesses. But due to the failure of the Federal Government to deal with border security and illegal aliens throughout the nation, it is becoming incumbent upon the States to take the matter into their own hands.
Three cheers to the Governors with the moral strength to do so.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE59E0Q920091015
http://www.reuters.com/article/politicsNews/idUSTRE59E0Q920091015
Friday, May 21, 2010
California Water Shortage Exposes Big Government Run Amok
LiveJournal Tags: Environment
California has many problems these days, including a severe water shortage. Unfortunately, big-government policies at the federal level have made this problem far worse than it needed to be.
The natural drought has been exacerbated by a man-made drought: draconian application of the Endangered Species Act that restricts the availability of water for irrigation. Imposed to protect various species of fish, the water restrictions have led to fallowed farmland, unsustainable reliance on groundwater, which can cause land subsidence and environmental damage, and rampant joblessness in California’s Central Valley.
A glimmer of hope emerged this week when the U.S. District Court released a ruling finding serious flaws in one of the federal biological opinions that restricted water deliveries. The ruling could lead to increased water supplies for struggling farmers and ranchers in the Central Valley.
This is an important victory, but we must not to lose sight of the bigger picture, which is that the root of the problem lies in federal interference with state resources.
While I’m glad that the court’s latest ruling could lead to more water for California’s struggling farmers, I cannot forget that it was this same court that two years ago forced the federal government to restrict pumping under the Endangered Species Act.
Back then, the court sided with liberal environmental special interests and interpreted the Endangered Species Act in a way that forced the federal government to rewrite its biological opinions to be more restrictive. Nor can I forget that as recently as April, the same court rejected an emergency request by famers to lift pumping restrictions.
Now we’re left waiting and wondering what the next ruling will be. To read the full story click here.
Tuesday, May 18, 2010
Glenn Beck 5/17/2010 Crime Inc.
Yesterday’s Glenn Beck gave another prime time showcase of what seemingly appears to be an unsavory example of what government entities should not be spending our tax dollars on. Franklin Raines, the former head of Fannie Mae, invested millions of tax payer dollars on a patent for taxing residential homeowners on power consumption through a Cap & Trade System, implemented in the CCX in Chicago, Illinois. Please watch this video and pay attention to see what California Congressman, Daryl Issa, has discovered (with great resistance) about this issue.
Yours in Truth ;-) Shelly
Sunday, May 16, 2010
Chaffetz and Issa Seek Information on Fannie Mae Executives Inventing New Cap & Trade System
May 14, 2010 9:47 AM
Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Chaffetz (R-UT), along with Rep. Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to David Kappos, the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as Michael Williams, President and CEO of Fannie Mae, seeking information concerning a patent issued to Fannie Mae regarding a residential Cap and Trade system.
On June 7, 2005, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued Patent No. 6,904,336 for a “System and Method for Residential Emissions Trading.” The patent was assigned to the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and CO2e.com, LLC of New York. The patent lists former Fannie Mae Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Franklin D. Raines as the primary inventor. Former Fannie Mae executives Scott Lesmes and Robert Sahadi are also listed as inventors.
“I have serious questions about why Fannie Mae, back in 2005, was working on a Cap and Trade scheme,” said Rep. Chaffetz. “Why would they be spending their resources on something that is well outside of the scope of Fannie Mae’s charter? We want to see all the information relating to the patents issued to these ‘inventive’ former Fannie Mae executives?”
“Having ventured far beyond sub-prime lending policies, Fannie Mae appears to have served as a full-blown liberal think tank for crony-capitalist ideas,” said Rep. Issa. “While the crony-capitalist Democrats who ran Fannie Mae like Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson used these kinds of ideas to enrich themselves, it was the American taxpayers who were left holding the bag after they failed. It’s disturbing that Fannie Mae executives were positioning themselves in 2005 for financial gain from an Obama Administration cap-and-trade system, but given the huge amount of campaign contributions Fannie Mae poured over President Obama it should be no surprise.”
http://chaffetz.house.gov/Letter.pdf
Link to patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ePQVAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
Washington, DC—Today, Rep. Chaffetz (R-UT), along with Rep. Issa (R-CA) sent a letter to David Kappos, the Director of the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office, as well as Michael Williams, President and CEO of Fannie Mae, seeking information concerning a patent issued to Fannie Mae regarding a residential Cap and Trade system.
On June 7, 2005, the U.S. Patent and Trademark Office (USPTO) issued Patent No. 6,904,336 for a “System and Method for Residential Emissions Trading.” The patent was assigned to the Federal National Mortgage Association (“Fannie Mae”) and CO2e.com, LLC of New York. The patent lists former Fannie Mae Chairman and Chief Executive Officer Franklin D. Raines as the primary inventor. Former Fannie Mae executives Scott Lesmes and Robert Sahadi are also listed as inventors.
“I have serious questions about why Fannie Mae, back in 2005, was working on a Cap and Trade scheme,” said Rep. Chaffetz. “Why would they be spending their resources on something that is well outside of the scope of Fannie Mae’s charter? We want to see all the information relating to the patents issued to these ‘inventive’ former Fannie Mae executives?”
“Having ventured far beyond sub-prime lending policies, Fannie Mae appears to have served as a full-blown liberal think tank for crony-capitalist ideas,” said Rep. Issa. “While the crony-capitalist Democrats who ran Fannie Mae like Franklin Raines and Jim Johnson used these kinds of ideas to enrich themselves, it was the American taxpayers who were left holding the bag after they failed. It’s disturbing that Fannie Mae executives were positioning themselves in 2005 for financial gain from an Obama Administration cap-and-trade system, but given the huge amount of campaign contributions Fannie Mae poured over President Obama it should be no surprise.”
http://chaffetz.house.gov/Letter.pdf
Link to patent: http://www.google.com/patents?id=ePQVAAAAEBAJ&printsec=abstract&zoom=4&source=gbs_overview_r&cad=0#v=onepage&q&f=false
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