Pure, Blind, Dumb luck

I saw our Homeland Director on two TV news/opinion shows this a.m. She appeared either clueless, or restrained — either way it was not reassuring.
The Obama administration appears to treat this ‘attack” as a criminal matter at home, while it engages in war abroad — not just Afghanistan and Iraq, but in Yemen. Yemen appears [...]

Alchemy!

While I find it interesting that Amazon.com sold MORE Kindle books this Christmas  season than they did printed books, the Senate healthcare Reform Bill was far more interesting.
In what can only be called alchemy, the Senate says they can take half a TRILLION dollars out of Medicare but keep it whole without reducing its value [...]

There is a Tsunami Coming!

“Dec. 24 (Bloomberg) — California Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger, anticipating a $21 billion state budget deficit, plans to ask President Barack Obama to ease mandates and minimums on social programs to save as much as $8 billion.
The Republican governor plans to seek the relief, according to a California official who asked not to be identified because [...]

Hugo Learns Fast…

From the Wall Street Journal: “Venezuela Warns on Toyota Plant
“Venezuela’s president has threatened to expropriate Toyota’s local assembly plant if it doesn’t produce more vehicles designed for rural areas and increase technology transfer.”
President Obama needs to send an envoy to teach Hugo how to do these things with greater subtlety!

Reform The Public Pension Program?

 

All negotiations regarding pay and pension for public employees to be done in PUBLIC. (It’s OUR Money!)

 

Pensions to be figured ONLY on “base pay” — ignoring “spiking” final pensions by including overtime, and extra pay and benefits.

 

All disabilities to be figured and determined after retirement, stopping “Chief’s illness” where police and firepeople get disability in [...]

Gosh! You’re Kidding, Right?

U.S. local government pension costs exceeds $530 billion: govern
Wed Dec 23, 5:43 pm ET
NEW YORK (Reuters) – U.S. state and local governments face more than $530 billion in unfunded public pension liabilities and most do not have funds set aside to pay for them, a government report showed on Wednesday.
As of June, state governments were on the hook for [...]

Redistributionists

I don’t think that liberals deny that they want redistributionist policies — although they may dislike the word.
It is a bit harsh, because it is blunt. They probably prefer something like “helping the less fortunate,” which certainly sounds nice until you realize that it is not they who they want to “help the less fortunate” [...]

The Market Speaks

 
Carbon prices fall in wake of Copenhagen
By Chris Flood and Fiona Harvey
Published: December 22 2009 02:00 | Last updated: December 22 2009 02:00
“Carbon prices plunged yesterday in the aftermath of the Copenhagen conference on climate change, dealing a blow to the credibility of the European Union’s carbon-trading scheme.
Prices for carbon permits for December 2010 delivery, [...]

Some Educational Ideas Need To Be Replicated

The work to have better schools need not, and should not be a partisan affair.
The latest US News and World Report has an article about Green Dot Schools – there are 19 of them, all inner-city schools in LA except one in New York City.
It was founded by Steve Barr – best guess is that [...]

Outrageous!

Los Angeles City Councilman Bernard Parks has a $178,789 annual salary. He also receives a $265,000 annual retirement as the Police Chief, meaning that his annual income from the taxpayers is $443,789. (Actually, more. He has subsequently received a 10% increase in his retirement!)
“The Times reported in May that Parks, 65, who has publicly warned [...]