Fiscal Year 2012 Budget from the House Committee

Let's hear it for Representative Paul Ryan who takes us on the Path to Prosperity. ". . . it cuts $6.2 trillion in spending from the president's budget over the next 10 years, reduces the debt as a percentage of the economy, and puts the nation on a path to actually pay off our national debt. Our proposal brings federal spending to below 20% of gross domestic product (GDP), consistent with the postwar average, and reduces deficits by $4.4 trillion." (WSJ, April 5, 2011)

I don't think they'll get these cuts--no guts no glory, it's the same old story. Too bad the Republicans only get fiscally responsible when the other guy's in office.

"The current path – which the President’s irresponsible budget commits us to – will result in a debt-fueled economic crisis, the shredding of the safety net, and a diminished future. Americans deserve better than empty promises from a government going broke. The budget advanced by the House Budget Committee ensures real security through real reform. The House Budget Committee’s FY2012 Budget Resolution helps spur job creation today, stops spending money the government doesn’t have, and lifts the crushing burden of debt. This plan puts the budget on the path to balance and the economy on the path to prosperity."Fiscal Year 2012 Budget | Committee On The Budget

Tiger didn't have a good day today

In Augusta. At the Master's. Good.

There is one Jewish state in the world

And there are over 60 Islamic or Arab states. So please. Don't give me that nonsense about you not being anti-Jewish, or that antisemitism isn't on the rise among the Democrats.

Democracy can be a messy business

I Googled that line to see if I could get the full text of the Badger State Bungle story that appeared in the WSJ today, and "Democracy can be a messy business" turned up 109,000 matches. My, is it that messy? I mean worse than National Socialism, Communism, or Anarchy, or any of those other systems being demonstrated at our state capitals in Wisconsin and Ohio by union members?

"Democracy can be a messy business, but it shouldn't be as big a mess at it's been this week in Wisconsin. A nail-biter of a state supreme court election turned into a political uproar on Thursday with the discovery of 14,000 previously overlooked votes in conservative-leaning Waukesha County. The new totals gave incumbent Justice David Prosser a lead of some 7,500 votes over challenger and union favorite JoAnne Kloppenburg and guaranteed weeks if not months of more political heartburn. Democrats pounced on the new totals, claiming the error must be evidence of partisanship, and state assembly minority leader Peter Barca suggested that Waukesha County Clerk Kathy Nickolaus's long-time Republican affiliation made the incident "troubling." He's right on competence grounds, though perhaps not on the partisanship. One of Ms. Nickolaus's Democratic colleague attests that overlooking all of the votes in Brookfield, a Milwaukee suburb, was a computer mistake, not a fraud, and that the vote count is accurate."

The original WSJ article is locked, but can be found here.

Air Travel isn't what it used to be

Some things are better; most worse. We flew out of Columbus on March 30 at 6:05 a.m., to change planes in Houston and land in Santa Ana about 11 a.m. However, before we left the gate in Columbus, a passenger became ill, the plane returned, and an ambulence came and EMTs took him off the plane. Then we had to wait for more fuel because the pilot planned to make up the time. So we landed in Houston only 5 minutes late, but it sure was a bumpy ride!

Bush (Houston) is a huge airport and we were really hoofing it to make our connection, so we asked a driver of a transportation cart for directions. She explained the walk-way, and then took a good look at us, and offered to drive us to our gate, which meant back tracking because the cart didn't do stairs. Along the way she picked up several other passengers and detoured to their gates, always assuring us we'd get to ours with a few minutes to catch our breath, and we did--while whizzing through the airport at ground speed limits hanging on as we went around corners and other passengers.

Airlines now charge extra for just about everything--not that those things weren't covered in your ticket price before, but if you can't raise ticket charges, then they charge for the air you breathe. We each took a carry-on and checked one larger bag through ($25). What some people call "carry-on" amazes me--like the size of a fat golfing bag, then a back-pack is called the personal bag (no charge) and an overloaded duffle is called a purse or computer bag (no charge).

Airline food was never terrific, but it helped pass the miles. It is no more. Now you can order from a menu and pay (credit card only), which is more fiction than fact. We decided to split a lovely sandwich after leaving Houston--since it was nearing our lunch time, but the attendant had no choices, plus she said they only had four of the non-choice for the entire plane! The grilled hamburgers at our relatives' beautiful backyard in Tustin never tasted so good!

Beautiful, young stewardesses with engaging smiles and personalities also don't exist any more. Flight attendants are either burly males, or over-fifty, tired, cranky females whose feet hurt. No more smashing uniforms either. On our return flight the emergency instructions were read by a woman who either had forgotten her glasses, didn't know how to read, or she was hung over. It was almost comical, although not confidence building.

Airport attire is very casual--I converted to athletic shoes and new, light weight sweat pants for the trip, something I almost never wear outside exercise class. I saw well dressed foreigners, however, and some business men in suits and dress shoes. One woman looked like she had painted on her faded jeans and was wobbling through on 4" wedge heels, looking a bit like a call girl, but I suppose it was fashionalbe (not sure what part of town, though). One couple on our return plane on April 7 had a baby, a toddler, and a dog, with all the necessary equipment. The dog was quieter than the children, but really, considering how difficult it is to explain to a child or a dog why their ears are hurting, all five did very well.

E-tickets are a bit confusing for those of us who don't fly much. No more nice little folders for the tickets, which are now thin paper and not card stock. Little bar code type thingies on paper, scanners, no eye contact. But I saw wonderful assistance and treatment for the disabled and people with small children. Wonderful too, to have smoke free airports and airplanes. Remember how awful that recirculated blue smoke was staying with you long after the trip just a few years back?

If this teacher had been a Republican. . .

This gal is probably too dangerous to be around children, but I'm sure there will be no jail time, because she only threatened Republicans. Now if she's been a Tea Party member and sent threats to Democrats, well, even President Obama would have been in on the sentencing.

http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/03/breaking-wi-teacher-charged-with-sending-death-threats-to-gop-lawmakers/

She really sounds unstable--says "please" to people whose children she is threatening to kill. Folks, this is what union thugs sound like. Want to join them? Want them representing you?

"Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your families will be killed…So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it’s a matter of public records. We have all planned to assault you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent. This includes your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won’t tell you all of them because that’s just no fun. Since we know that you are not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided to make it perfectly clear to you."

Dane County Wisconsin charges

President Obama laughs off consumers' concern about high gasoline prices

Because he's a socialist/environmentalist, Obama is thrilled with the high gas prices--he's so naive that he thinks everyone can just run out an buy a hybrid--also ignores that the taxes will necessarily go up for those folks since gasoline taxes support highways, and if you buy less the difference has to be made up somehwere. Even talking to a friendly crowd, he sounds terribly out of touch. Food prices are soaring, and we noticed in California people were paying $4.15/gal for gasoline with no end in sight. We saw windmills in the mountains, but that won't cut it. Obama says we need to reduce our dependence on foreign oil. Well, sir, guess why we're dependent. Because of pressure from environmentalists not to use our own oil. Duh! It's our own government stabbing us in the back, and this predates Obama's administratiion by many years.

President Obama Blames You for High Gas Prices | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.


"Let them eat hybrid Cake" comments from Obama

Our 2011 California vacation

We're home from California--our flight arrived in Columbus 45 minutes early and our daughter picked us up at the airport. Our sister and brother-in-law treated us to a fabulous week, and we had a wonderful time sight-seeing, enjoying a week of gorgeous weather, and spending lots of quality family time. My husband and his sister did not grow up in the same household (divorce and remarriage), but as adults they've reconnected and are great friends. He walked her down the aisle in 2006 and we really love her husband too.

Just a brief overview before I download and sort through the photos (although glancing through them it looks like we did nothing but eat).

March 30--After arriving we enjoyed hamburgers on the grill and toured Old Towne Orange and Old Town Tustin, and Chapman University

March 31--Toured Roger's Gardens; visited Dana Point, walked on the beach and enjoyed the company of many others who also looked retired; ate at Jolly Roger; drove through Capistrano; attended a neighborhood Bible Study.

April 1--Started out early for Reagan Museum and Library, stopping in Tarzana for breakfast at "The Little Cafe." Lots of school busses and tours at the Reagan--gorgeous scenery. Wine tasting event at Malibu Wines; bought carry out at Trader Joes. Spent the night at a near-by Homewood Suites hotel so we could visit with family in the area. Lovely accomodations, pool, great breakfast, and lots of fun visiting with nieces, great-nephew and nephew-in-law.

April 2--Breakfast at Paradise Cove on the beach with niece's family, then in the afternoon watched our great-nephew Justin's baseball game in Calabasa.

April 3--Attended church at Sound Chapel, a Foursquare church, a warm and lovely congregation with contemporary music, with brother-in-law, and then met my husband's brother and wife at Black Bull Chop Housein Huntington Beach for buffet lunch, later stopping by the Elks club where he is active.

April 4--Drove to Palm Springs about 8:30 where my husband's brother has 2 condos at Ramon Estados--just a delightful place (both for sale, if you are interested), and we enjoyed the mountains and views and walking around. Visited the Air Museum and Library. Ate Italian for dinner--Nicolino's near by. Walked through some lovely shopping areas.

April 5--My husband's sister fixed a fabulous breakfast of ham and eggs and fresh fruit for the birthday boy, we enjoyed some walking while the air was still cool, then drove around and looked at some sights, including Bob Hope's home (from a far distance). Home to Tustin--did some shopping, grilled hamburgers.

April 6--After breakfast drove to Laguna Beach and wandered through the little shops and galleries, bought some souvenirs, and ate at The Cliff overlooking the ocean. It was a bit overcast, but hey, the Pacific Ocean was there for sound and atmosphere, with gulls and pelicans flying in formation overhead.

April 7--Up at 4 a.m.--at John Wayne Airport by 5 a.m. for a smooth flight home.

SPRING BREAK

Mansfield school chief pulls plug on 'anti-Islamic' tea party event

Imagine. Our last four Presidents can involve us in wars against a variety of groups of Muslims, but a little old Tea Party group in central Ohio can't even invite a speaker to discuss radical Islam without getting their event cancelled. Odd, isn't it? Who wants to keep the American public uninformed?

"A Mansfield North Central Ohio Tea Party Association event featuring a speaker on radical Islam will go on at 7 p.m. today [March 28, 2011] as planned, but in a different location. Usama Dakdok will speak at Premier Office Complex, 1456 Park Avenue West, Suite J. Attendees are advised to bring lawn chairs. The group had planned to meet at its usual location at the high school until this morning, when Mansfield City Schools Superintendent Dan Freund, citing safety concerns, withdrew permission for the group to meet there."

Or is it the Tea Party people are afraid of, and not radical Muslims?

Mansfield school chief pulls plug on 'anti-Islamic' tea party event | Mansfield News Journal | mansfieldnewsjournal.com

Obama’s ’transparency’ --NOT

The Obama administration is the least transparent of any in history according to the Associated Press--hardly a right wing fanatic. But then, are people even surprised at this? It was a campaign promise thrown out to his gullible supporters.

AP exposes Obama’s ’transparency’ lie - Denver Libertarian | Examiner.com

Virginia's governor supports Governor Walker of Wisconsin

HT Bob Kirchman, a Virginia blogger, Christian and conservative. Also a great photographer. Check out his web site.

Size still matters

Obama's not a great coalition builder like our previous 3 presidents--probably because he's never run anything before. He thinks it's all about him. Attack first, then work the phones and try to get support. Not the way it's been done in the past. Might have helped to check with our Congress, too--support at home never hurts.

Thirty two nations in Desert Storm and Desert Shield (1991 GHW Bush); 34 nations involved in the Bosnia mission (1995 Clinton); 19 in Kosovo mission (1999 Clinton); 49 in Afghanistan Enduring Freedom (2002 GW Bush); 40 nations in Iraq (2003 GW Bush ); and only 15 in Libya Odyssey Dawn. Maybe he shouldn’t have rushed off to Brazil to give away drilling rights so we'd have to continue buying foreign oil. It's possible other national leaders have noticed, as we have, that he dithers, dawdles and heads for the golf course when a problem arises.

Why Obama’s Libya war coalition is the smallest in decades | The Cable

Is the Federal Reserve System part of the U.S. Government?

". . . the Fed is more accurately seen as a private, not a governmental institution, though with substantial governmental ties.

The ambiguity arises from a combination of misleading appearances; the fact that our President appoints (with consent of the Senate) the Chairman of the Fed to four year terms, and the 5 member Board in Washington to 14 year terms; the fact that the Fed is supposed to promote governmental fiscal policy; and the fact that the system was originally set up in law by Congress in 1913 and can be altered, nationalized or even dismantled by Congress.

. . .most Americans would be surprised to learn that almost all of what we use for money is not issued by our government, but by private banks. They have been “allowed” to form erroneous assumptions about our money and banking system that are far from reality and that serves to shield from closer scrutiny, whether the Fed is truly operating in the public interest or advancing more private agendas, either on purpose or by default.

Is the Federal Reserve System part of the U.S. Government? | Ron Paul 2012 | Sound Money, Peace and Liberty

Still think it is part of the government? Which branch--it's not Executive, Legislative, Judicial or Military; its expenses (extremely high) are not in the budget; its employees are not civil service; it is not supervised or overseen by any government agency; it has never been audited although it controls everything about our monetary system. The Federal Reserve Act describes what it can do, but not what it is. Each Federal Reserve Bank is a separate corporation owned by commercial banks in its region--does that sound like the federal government? A department owned by commercial banks?

CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - GLEE or Red Meat for my troll

Who was the creator of Nip/Tuck? Ryan Murphy.

What other immensely popular show did he create?

Glee.

The similarities between the two shows are not exactly hard to see. Emmy winning, groundbreaking and more popular than any other show Murphy has created, Glee is a massive hit. It’s also a show with much more heart and soul than Nip/Tuck and occasionally rises to incredible highs the likes of which other comedies could only dream of.

Unfortunately, it can also be unbelievably frustrating, saccharine, cynical and unwatchable. Sometimes, those highs and lows can occur in the space of an episode.

Box Seat: CONSTRUCTIVE CRITICISM - GLEE

Spooky Dude Soros plans Event to Remake Global Economy

And guess who will come out on top? Soros, of course, the man with no guilt.

"The event is bringing together "more than 200 academic, business and government policy thought leaders' to repeat the famed 1944 Bretton Woods gathering that helped create the World Bank and International Monetary Fund. Soros wants a new 'multilateral system," or an economic system where America isn't so dominant. More than two-thirds of the slated speakers have direct ties to Soros. The billionaire who thinks "the main enemy of the open society, I believe, is no longer the communist but the capitalist threat" is taking no chances. Thus far, this global gathering has generated less publicity than a spelling bee. And that's with at least four journalists on the speakers list, including a managing editor for the Financial Times and editors for both Reuters and The Times. Given Soros's warnings of what might happen without an agreement, this should be a big deal. . .

Speakers include chairman of President Obama's Economic Advisory Board, Paul Volcker (former head of the Fed); director of The Earth Institute and longtime recipient of Soros charity cash, Jeffrey Sachs; Soros friend Joseph E. Stiglitz (World Bank);INET Executive Director Rob Johnson (Soros funded and founded).

Unreported Soros Event Aims to Remake Entire Global Economy

In comparison, the Koch Brothers don't have enough money to shine Soros' shoes, but the left loves to trot them out as funding all sorts of nefarious events and causes on the right. It must tough to live in Soros' brain or hide, a Hungarian Jew who collaborated with the Nazis, and a capitalist funding communist causes--he's already said he has no guilt--probably because he has no conscience.

NATO deal on Libya doesn't mean quick exit for US - Yahoo! News

Well now, isn't this a shocker (not)! Also not a shock, but still a surprise, is that more Republicans than Democrats supported Obama's bellicose behavior. A surprise because he's basically yellow, doesn't believe in a government of freedom and democracy, so why follow him into battle if we just get another Muslim dictator? This morning driving in the dark, I saw a tiny mouse skiddaddling across the road from one drain to another right in my headlights. First thing I thought of after I braked, was the Republicans.

AP report via Yahoo News. WASHINGTON – NATO's limited role in command of the no-fly zone over Libya doesn't allow the U.S. to make a quick exit from the costly military operation as the Obama administration had wanted.

CREDO study on charter schools funded by liberal Joyce Foundation

The Joyce Foundation funded in part the study on the successes and failures of [public?] charter schools, CREDO national charter school study [alert: this is one of the most visually boring websites you'll find on the internet--Stanford needs a new web designer] The Joyce Foundation in its causes and in its directors is left wing, with Barack Obama and Valerie Jarrett members of its board of directors.

The 2009 CREDO report, “Multiple Choice: Charter School Performance in 16 States,” “recognized a robust national demand for more charter schools from parents and local communities, it found that 17 percent of charter schools reported academic gains that were significantly better than traditional public schools, while 37 percent of charter schools showed gains that were worse than their traditional public school counterparts, with 46 percent of charter schools demonstrating no significant difference.”

The full report plus supplements since the 2009 issue, includes those states like Indiana and California where charter school students did better than those in traditional classrooms, but also those in Ohio who did worse. (This could mean that Ohio's public schools were better at the starting gate than Indiana's or California's.) With 46% demonstrating no difference and 17% better, that’s at least 63% positive--at least they didn't loose ground. And then there’s the unmeasurables--parental involvement, safety, bullying, behavior, spiritual and moral guidance, special focus (art, music, math, sports) etc. . . . some things aren't measured in test scores. Also, I don't know of a way to account for the "head start" that traditional public schools have over the charters--public or private--nor how to account for the positive affect of competition on the public schools.

It will be interesting to see how the report is used by the various sides, including the unions, within the school system to woo the parents. Also it looks to me like Ohio charters ought to visit Indiana to see what's happening.

At least the President knows how to dress

Tuesday night I served supper at the homeless shelter. The women there were better dressed than the first family women who seemed to be making a fashion statement, but in translation it just came off sloppy and messy.

Geraldine Ferraro dead at 75

A great lady--I enjoyed her appearances and viewpoints as a Fox commentator. Her last TV appearance on Fox was with Sarah Palin after the November election. The only two top ticket females in our history--together--watch the video. They were both very gracious.

The Federal Reserve

A friend at the coffee shop alerted me that Glenn Beck would be covering the Federal Reserve on his program tonight. So I guess that means we'll be late for our Friday night date. Even if you can't stand him, this would be a good thing for you to know. The Federal Reserve is not a government agency, but a private for profit bank. The Federal government only recommends the chairman--and that's Ben Bernanke, who seems to have more power than Barack Obama and also served "under" George W. Bush.

"On Friday 2011 March 25, the entire Glenn Beck show will be devoted to an exposé of the Federal Reserve. I was invited to be a guest on the program and, when it was taped last Tuesday, I was amazed to find that Beck, not only has read the book but praised it highly. In fact, almost his entire opening monologue was based on the information and, in some cases, the very same phrases used in the book and in my lectures. I was delighted to know that someone, either Beck or his researchers, had spent a great deal of time studying The Creature from Jekyll Island. But what is even more encouraging is that several million viewers will be exposed to an hour of economic and monetary truth. This will bring us a giant step closer to actually slaying the Creature." G. Edward Griffin

Thanks, but no thanks

This came today. "As your family tree grows, you need software that will grow with it. In Family Tree Maker 2011 you'll find the features and tools you need to define complex relationships, organize your family history and design beautiful family trees and posters." I am so, so sorry I ever upgraded to 2008. The 6th ed. of Broderbund (1999) was wonderful, and I really miss its flexibility which apparently was turned in for more splashy graphics capability.

On the Ancestry.com site there is an explanation dated 2002 about when the software was sold to Riverdeep, so it's been passed around, like a cheap date, but in my opinion, many of the useful features have been lost.

"Broderbund produced Family Tree Maker for several years. Late in 1999, Broderbund’s owners at that time, Mattel, decided to spin off the genealogy software division to create an independent company called Genealogy.com which, in turn, was later acquired by A&E Television Networks early in 2001 (see my article for details). As part of the Mattel spin-off, Genealogy.com does all software development and also sells the software via the Web and by mail order. Broderbund retained exclusive rights to sell Family Tree Maker in retail stores, such as at Costco, CompUSA, etc.

The relationship apparently does not change with the new owners: Genealogy.com will continue to develop the software and sell it via direct sales channels while Riverdeep will sell it into retail outlets."

George W. Bush thought he was helping the Iraqi people (and he did)

In Afganistan, Bush freed more women than Lincoln did slaves--but did you hear any applause from NOW?

But that didn't carry any weight with his detractors, the howling Democrats, even the ones like Ms. Clinton, Kerry and Edwards who warned us about WMD. But especially Senators Barack Obama and Joe Biden were critical of Bush's motives of wanting democracy for Iraqis. Now with calls to return that ridiculous Nobel award for peace (when he hadn't done anything), Obama denies the conflictin a CNN interview,

He says the United States is involved in attacking Libya to help the Libyans. “I think the American people don’t see any contradiction in somebody who cares about peace also wanting to make sure that people aren’t butchered because of a dictator who wants to cling to power,” he said.

Both Obama and Bush have misjudged these people--they definitely aren't ready for western style freedoms, particularly where women are concerned.

Samantha Power, the power behind the Gaddafi strike?

They are the glam couple of the Obama Administration--and I don't mean Michelle and Barack. Cass and Samantha (and baby makes three). He left his main squeeze (Martha Nussbaum) in Chicago for the Harvard Professor (much, much younger than his "partner" Martha) he met in the Obama campaign in 2008.

"Most of the commentary on Libya has focused on the tension between Obama’s apparent desire to displace Qaddafi and his reluctance to admit to it. But the chief reason for this intervention is the one that’s staring us in the face. Obama dithered when it was simply a matter of replacing Qaddafi, yet quickly acted when slaughter in Benghazi became the issue. What Samantha Power and her supporters want is to solidify the principle of “responsibility to protect” in international law. That requires a “pure” case of intervention on humanitarian grounds. Power’s agenda would explain why Obama acted when he acted, and why the public rationale for action has not included regime change.

Yet Obama has so far been reluctant to fully explain any of this to either Congress or the American public, perhaps because he realizes that the ideological basis of his actions would not be popular if openly admitted. If Obama were a different sort of president, we would have all heard about “responsibility to protect” long ago. The country would have thoroughly debated Power’s ideas, and the public would have quickly recognized the core motives of the president’s actions in Libya."

President Reticent - By Stanley Kurtz - The Corner - National Review Online

Mrs. Sunstein is very anti-Israel. I wonder if he is?

Samantha Power Sunstein's ties to George Soros who funds her Responsibility to Protect organization.

3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate—USGS

This report by the US Geological Survey is from April 2008, but the oil hasn't gone away. It came through on an e-mail, so I decided to take a look--and yes, the report is at the U.S.G.S. web page.

"North Dakota and Montana have an estimated 3.0 to 4.3 billion barrels of undiscovered, technically recoverable oil in an area known as the Bakken Formation.

A U.S. Geological Survey assessment, released April 10, shows a 25-fold increase in the amount of oil that can be recovered compared to the agency's 1995 estimate of 151 million barrels of oil."

USGS Release: 3 to 4.3 Billion Barrels of Technically Recoverable Oil Assessed in North Dakota and Montana’s Bakken Formation—25 Times More Than 1995 Estimate— (4/10/2008 2:25:36 PM)

It really is strange that U.S. environmentalists have such a stranglehold on leaders of both parties, because the shutting down of our energy supplies and regulating it out of business, certainly isn't unique to this administration. It forces us to buy foreign supplies--where we have no control over the environmental conditions--involves us in foreign wars with Muslims, and sends our President to Brazil to offer them to drill where he says we can't. It would seem that the long term goal is to destroy both the U.S. and the environment, so obviously they are not interested in "Mother Earth."

However, depending on which version of the e-mail you get, the number of barrels keeps expanding as it is passed along (as does our use for oil), so it's best to go to the website to read the article. And new sources are being found all the time. What doesn't expand is our government's willingness to pursue it. We just pay others to pollute.

Detroit's Liberal Nightmare

"What happens when a city buys the liberal dream hook, line and sinker? Just take a look at the City of Detroit. The once-great city lost 237,493 residents over the last decade according to the 2010 Census, bringing it to 713,777 – a population plunge of 25%. That's its lowest population since 1910, and it marks the city's fall from a 1950s peak of two million, over 60%. And that’s just the people who can afford to leave."

Detroit's Liberal Nightmare | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Other articles by Mike Brownfield

And look at what Hiroshima, which we destroyed in 1945, was able to accomplish by embracing the free markets in about the same period of time, compared to Detroit which took the "easy" progressive road. And now Obama and the Democrats want that for the whole nation. Looks like they will get it too, with the help of the union thugs, socialists and Muslims mixing it up in Madison and Columbus.

Glenn Reynolds law: "The government decides to try to increase the middle class by subsidizing things that middle class people have: If middle-class people go to college and own homes, then surely if more people go to college and own homes, we’ll have more middle-class people. But homeownership and college aren’t causes of middle-class status, they’re markers for possessing the kinds of traits — self-discipline, the ability to defer gratification, etc. — that let you enter, and stay, in the middle class. Subsidizing the markers doesn’t produce the traits; if anything, it undermines them." via Belmont Club

Or maybe it was Union greed?

RealClearMarkets - Who, or What, Killed Detroit? Union Greed

Bill Gates and Oprah Winfrey

Could two of the wealthiest Americans, neither of whom finished college and began working at their current career when very young--one black, one white, one female, the other male--have ever made it with the advice, encouragement and assistance of the Office of Financial Empowerment of New York City. OK--that's probably not fair. Could anyone, who is never reminded to get a job, or to save and invest, or to plan for retirement, or to even pay their bills on time, have even climbed out of poverty with the help of the Office of Financial Empowerment? If you liberals are advocating closing the gap between rich and poor, maybe you should look at the agencies that keep people poor?

I glanced through the on-line dictionary. Phishing and payday loan were defined, but not paycheck or salary. It does no good to build on a weak foundation.

Jon Stewart gets it once in awhile

The Daily Show - Odyssey Dawn - Unconstitutional War
Tags: Daily Show Full Episodes,Political Humor & Satire Blog,The Daily Show on Facebook

Now who could be in charge of this mess in Libya?

Westerncanadian says: "Besides America, there are competent fighting men and women in Britain, France, Canada and Poland. How they must cringe with embarrassment at being involved in this comedy of errors.

Apart from the Tent Flap Wiper (Khadafi), the villain of this piece must be whomever convinced the gang to go into this with no clear objective, no command structure, no timetable and no laundry ticket.

It has to be someone who has never run a project that did more than talk about things; has never run a private business where your own house is the collateral for the bank and a bunch of families depend on the business; has never taken success or fail decisions on the ground, alone; and who thinks that he is a genius Messiah, unaccountable and blameless simply because he exists. Someone who upon hearing “two fish in a tank; one says ‘ I’ll drive, you man the guns”, would think it was some kind of fishy military training.

Now who could that be? The Sopranos of Europe aside, we keep coming back to the same World Class Ninny. This is getting downright depressing."

http://pajamasmedia.com/richardfernandez/2011/03/22/laundering-a-war/#comment-150471

Obama squanders America's legacy

Obama the internationalist--and not even a very good one, at that.

"How painfully and awkwardly Mr. Obama steps forward and timidly flexes the mighty sword that was bequeathed to him. Even his most uninspired and uninspiring predecessors at least understood they had inherited an American legacy that was the gleaming beacon of freedom and humanity around the globe."

HURT: Obama squanders America's legacy - Washington Times

Union boss goes off at meeting, prison guards say - Washington Times

They thought it was a Charlie Sheen moment when the union boss exploded when questioned about tactics and benefits of membership.

Union boss goes off at meeting, prison guards say - Washington Times

Over 6,000 hits and chocolate too

I've been blogging since October 2003--not sure how many posts--the count says 8,829 Posts (just for this blog), but I have deleted quite a few. I've maxed out labels at 5,000 and occasionally go in and delete some old ones used only once so I can add something more current.

Blogger dot com has a new (to me) stats feature, and today I looked at it and discovered that just three posts account for over 6,000 hits to my blog (which right now has about 410,000). These are the guys and dolls paper dolls (have no idea why this is so popular, but guy paper dolls must be fairly rare); the Morganthau quote post on the failures of FDR's Great Despression programs; and finally, the HGTV show on Tony, the Chinese-Vietnamese immigrant millionaire moving to Los Angeles. A very distant fourth, I'm happy to say, is the page that lists my poetry. And then there's the sock puppet or troll that likes to visit under various names and argue with me about my religion and values, the latest being at the one and only post I did on Glee, and I was quoting someone else's blog. Hate to scare away a "valuable" stat, but she needs to get a life.

I gave up Facebook for Lent--call it a Facebook Fast. It's much easier than blogging and therefore a bigger time waster. My neighbor Jerry gave up chocolate for Lent. He had to go home to walk his dog today, so I had his lunch on our tour. Fabulous chocolate dessert--so rich I couldn't finish it. Thank you, Jerry. You can post on Facebook for me, since I ate your lunch.

Freedom of speech in the country that owns our debt

And don't you dare quote Shakespeare!

China Phone Censorship | China Dropped Call | Protest | Mediaite

Housing's Meltdown Continues - Seeking Alpha

It grieves me to see how much the building professions, especially architecture with which I'm most familiar, are as bound to the government largesse as much as any public employee union or academe. Some get it, some don't. Here's one who does, and it mirrors the gloomy discussions my husband heard recently at continuing education event.

"Dousing the markets with easy money, containing toxic “assets” through the suspension of “mark-to-market” accounting, propping up besieged mortgage security markets, rescuing “underwater” households, securing the foundations of teetering financial institutions through direct-inject recapitalization … try as they might, the Feds were unable to prevent the continued meltdown of the nation’s housing markets. It’s a sad day for those policy junkies who believe that government meddling is the solution to all the “evils” that nature stirs up."

Read the rest here. Housing's Meltdown Continues - Seeking Alpha

One World Government Obama

"Where did Mr. Obama get the authority to commit United States forces to war in Libya? There was no declaration of war. There was no authorizing resolution by Congress allowing money to be spent on a war against Col. Gaddafi. As far as I know, there was no meeting of Mr. Obama and top leaders of Congress to discuss the subject in even rough form, let alone detail. There was no lengthy buildup in which the Congress was "allowed" to express the people's opinion on whether we want to be in a third concurrent war."

The American Spectator : One World Government Obama

All this does is weaken the United States so that enemies from within can take us down even further. So, for Obama, this makes perfect sense. It's a two-fer. He gets to act like be the despot he is by ignoring Congress, while making it even harder to get us out of Afghanistan and Iraq, so he can point more fingers at Bush and say, "he did it."

Interesting perspective on the size of Japan

Today I'm finally reshelving the books on the newly painted bookshelves. I came across a title I'd forgotten--I don't think it is a family book. I may have picked it up at a yard sale. "New World Horizons; geography for the air age," edited by Chester H. Lawrence, Maps by Ray Ramsey. (New York: Duell, Sloan and Pearce, 1942).

The foreward notes that since the United States entered a global war (in those days everyone knew which war you were discussing) they had struggled a bit with geography."Mandalay, Java, Egypt, Archangel, Hawaii, and countless other names have been stripped of their veils of romance and glamor, and stand revealed as geographical realities possessing vital and strategic importance. Screaming newspaper headlines and verbose radio commentators have made the man in the street aware of the existence of these major centers of world conflict. . . " P. 9

This then was a geography for the millions, not the school child. The map of Japan gives me a much better idea of why life is going on as usual in some parts of Japan, while others suffer terribly. From north to south, it is the distance from Labrador in Canada to the southernmost point of Mexico, and east to west, the distrance from New York to Omaha, a sea area of millions of square miles.

And mine has a very good, in tact dust cover, so I figure it's worth about $25.00. The paper is in very good condition--and just about as old as I am.

"If the belief that the Western Hemisphere is safe from military attack is illusionary, so is the theory that it is economically self-sufficient." p. 28

And then sadly: "The United States got a greater fortune from nature than any other country of the world. It has forty percent of the known supply of coal. It pipes two-thirds of the world's oil. Iron is abundant, and furthermore, much of it is close to the surface where it can be mined easily. It has more zinc and lead than any other country . . ." p. 34. Of course, we don't have much dysprosium, gadolinium, and praseodymium--the rare earth elements for computers, cell phones and green technology--and we've regulated our own industries to death. Now China has what we need, sold for a dear price. Thank you, environmentalists.

A subtle way to support the unions

My local library, Upper Arlington Public Library, does have a number of copies of the movie/video "Waiting for Superman," however, there are 63 on the waiting list for the DVD and 21 for the Blue Ray.

Waiting for ‘Superman’, director Davis Guggenheim’s blockbuster 2010 documentary film about American schooling, concludes in dramatic fashion with the camera panning the anxious faces of students and their parents. The families, wrought with emotion, are awaiting the results of a lottery that will decide whether they receive a coveted place at a public charter school. When the results are announced the lottery winners—charter schools have more applicants than places available—are overjoyed. Those who lose are devastated." Charter Schools and Government Pensions

Money matters in foreplay

"John J. Sweeney, longtime labor leader and president emeritus of the AFL-CIO, on February 15 became a recipient of the Presidential Medal of Freedom alongside such luminaries as poet Maya Angelou and former president George H.W. Bush. That Sweeney would receive any medal with the word “freedom” in the title, let alone the nation’s highest civilian honor, is laughable, considering that he is a leader of a labor movement that has championed legislation restricting freedoms, like Obamacare and card check. But then, back in the 2008 presidential campaign the AFL-CIO endorsed Obama and pledged to deploy $53.4 million to secure his election. That’ll buy you a “Medal of Freedom.” " Capital Research Center, Labor Notes, March 2011

The Katzenjammer Kids go to War

Obama's globalist ideas clash strongly with our Constitutional requirements that he needs to check with Congress first. He hooked up with the UN, but not the Congress of the United States.

"Even as the coalition advances in imposing the no-fly zone over the country, coalition members and their allies remain divided over who would take command of the cooperation.

The previous NATO secretary-general Tuesday said that the structure of an allied-led no fly zone over Libya was still unclear, and he expected Turkey would object to NATO's involvement in military operations in Libya."

U.S. Jet Crashes in Libya, Pace of Strikes to Slow - WSJ.com

As Senator Barack Obama said in December, 2007,

"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation. As Commander-in-Chief, the President does have a duty to protect and defend the United States. In instances of self-defense, the President would be within his constitutional authority to act before advising Congress or seeking its consent. History has shown us time and again, however, that military action is most successful when it is authorized and supported by the Legislative branch. It is always preferable to have the informed consent of Congress prior to any military action."

According the to news, Libyans were waiting in line for gasoline and were shopping, but Obama thinks there is a "humanitarian" crisis. The only crisis I can see is that he promised more than he could deliver lauding those rioting in Middle East countries and is bombing to save face when it turned ugly.

"The core principle that has to be upheld here is that when the entire international community, almost unanimously, says there's a potential humanitarian crisis about to take place … that we can't simply stand by with empty words, that we have to take some sort of action," Mr. Obama said at a joint news conference in Santiago with Chilean President Sebastian Pinera."

Obama justifies decision to attack - Washington Times

New shoes--Walk n Tone

They feel and look like they have little golf balls on the soles. Can't find the ones I liked so much and have used the past 2 years, so I had to try something different. These are only for WALKING--an entire pamphlet was in the box explaing why I must not run or twist in these shoes. L.A. Gear Walk n Tone. On sale at Meijer's

MedCity--Get an entertainment rundown of medical culture

If these guys can make it in the media with such a narrow focus, then NPR and PBS should be able to find investors and listeners to cough up enough to put their stuff out there.

"MedCity Life is a city guide for the healthcare industry, providing insights into the social side of the country's most important medical cities. It's a directory of where the people in healthcare are seen and the history of the life sciences was written. MedCity Life also fits the overall goal of MedCity Media Web sites: to cover local medical industries like communities or, better yet, scenes, where industry leaders can be known and in the know. Our motivation comes from what we've heard from our readers. They know deals are made over dining rooms as often as they are across board rooms. While stakeholders know the business reputation of our medical cities, they are less informed on the work-play-life aspects of these markets. They don't know which bars and events naturally attract their peers."

Isn't this clever? They know their market and go after it. (Cleveland, Twin Cities (MN) and Research Triangle (NC) NPR could do that--they already go after liberals and Democrats--why not ask them to pay for the programming and leave the rest of us alone?

Get an entertainment rundown of medical culture in the healthcare industry.

But they also cover the medical news. Who are benefitting the least from Obamacare? Those ages 55 to 65, low-income adults and the unemployed. More men are having facelifts, botox and breast reduction. I didn't know Cleveland Clinic was building a 360-bed Abu Dhabi hospital that's projected to open late next year. What? We're now outsourcing medicine for the mega-rich? And here's a really messy story about a 15000% price increase in a pregnancy drug.

Juan Williams Takes Gloves Off: Defund NPR Now

This is no surprise. NPR's former token black gets to smack them back. Juan Williams comments on Rep. Steve Israel, chairman of the Democratic Congressional Campaign Committee, fundraising letter

"In the letter, Israel wrote that Republicans “know NPR plays a vital role in providing quality news programming – from rural radio stations to in-depth coverage of foreign affairs. If the Republicans had their way, we’d only be left with the likes of Glenn Beck, Limbaugh and Sarah Palin to dominate the airwaves.”

That convinced Williams, whom NPR fired last fall because of comments he made that were judged offensive to Muslims.

“With that statement Congressman Israel made the case better than any Republican critic that NPR is radio by and for liberal Democrats,” Williams wrote. “He is openly asking liberal Democrats to give money to liberal Democrats in Congress so they can funnel federal dollars into news radio programs designed to counter and defeat conservative Republican voices.”

If a conservative idea had a chance of surviving on NPR, there would be no calls for defunding, because Republicans like pork and free things and advertising just as much as the next guy, but why would you want to fund your opposition?

Juan Williams Takes Gloves Off: Defund NPR Now

Sounds fair to me . . .if

They really need to put out the numbers--what the little guy pays into Social Security, what he gets after 50 years, compared to what the academic and unionized employees get after 30 years.

From an OSU HR memo:

"Last week, Ohio Governor John Kasich presented his proposed biennial budget. In his plan, the Governor is proposing a 2 percent shift between employer and employee pension contributions for all state and local public workers. As proposed, employee contributions would increase by 2 percent, and employer contributions would decrease by 2 percent."

When the wolf is at the door about to eat the Democrats for lunch

They change the menu choices.

"The late economist Herbert Stein famously declared that "If something cannot go on forever, it will stop," and sure enough, this logic is now working even in the reality-free zone of liberal New York. Democratic Governor Andrew Cuomo and Republican Senate Majority Leader Dean Skelos seem to be winning their fight to close a $10 billion state budget deficit by cutting spending while favoring tax relief.

The Empire State currently imposes a top tax rate of 8.97% on income over $500,000, a "temporary" surcharge imposed in 2009 that is due to expire at the end of the year. Assembly Speaker Sheldon Silver wants to extend the tax, as liberals always do, and what passes for a concession in Albany is to raise the threshold to $1 million. Mr. Silver is used to getting his way, and the Manhattan Democrat is backed by the perennial tax increase caucus of organized labor and the progressive Working Families Party.

No surprise there. More notable is that in the negotiations for the budget due in two weeks, Messrs. Cuomo and Skelos have refused to consider this tax hike, or any other new taxes. Mr. Silver seems to be in retreat, while the Governor's other ruptures with Democratic orthodoxy include a 2% cap on property tax increases and budget cuts, like a 10% drop in state operations and especially in the Medicaid program that covers one of four New Yorkers." Wall Street Journal, Market Watch

Justice Loses Its Stars and Stripes

My cousin mentioned that the Department of Justice had lost it's stars and stripes (a number of months ago), so I took a look. It's somber and boring, but I don't think the lack of splash is the problem. The announcements are just scary--like asking us to read about Obama's new transparency or why Obamacare is so great. Are they kidding? He's the least transparent of any president in my voting years. Recent revelations on the fraud in Medicare and Medicaid show that this government is not ready for health care prime time.

But the quote on the website has an interesting trail--one very appropriate and transparent about this administration

. . . it's thought to be from C. Wilfred Jenks, a socialist/globalist, "British lawyer, C. Wilfred Jenks, who back in the late 1930s and after World War II was a leading figure in the "international law" movement, which sought to impose a global, common law, and advocated for global workers rights. Jenks was a long-time member of the United Nation's International Labor Organization, and author of a number of globalist tracts, including a set of essays published back in 1958, entitled The Common Law of Mankind.

Most telling: Jenks, as director of the ILO is credited with putting in place the first Soviet senior member of the UN organization, and also with creating an environment that allowed the ILO to give "observer status" to the Palestinian Liberation Organization, and to issue anti-Israeli statements, which precipitated efforts by the U.S. Congress to withdraw U.S. membership from the ILO. The U.S. actually did withdraw in the mid-1970s due to the organization's leftist leanings.

"It was Jenks's efforts that helped make the ILO a tool of the socialist and communist movement," says one of the DOJ lawyers. "We used to joke about how fitting it was that this was Janet Reno's favorite quote to use in speeches, and now the Obama folks think it encapsulates out department's mission."

Too bad they couldn't have found an American worth quoting for the "transparent" web page.

The American Spectator : Justice Loses Its Stars and Stripes

The left's love-hate relationship with Gaddafi

Apparently the romance is over? We're "the leading edge" of a Coalition [ 3rd front]. (Pentagon) Bush had more support than this, used months of debate and discussion, and years of research and espionage from the previous administration before going after Saddam, and he was blasted by the left. Where are the critics now? Hoping to put their own, easier to control, Muslims in power all across the Middle East.

Gaddafi hates Israel--writes op-ed in NYT

All the nasty things Gaddafi says about the U.S., but he hopes Obama who he believes is a Muslim and an African can redeem us

For some reason, no one caught on what a bad dude he is

Mr. Dithers turns on a dime

The view from Israel

Senator Obama advises President Obama about including Congress in his decisions (2007):

"The President does not have power under the Constitution to unilaterally authorize a military attack in a situation that does not involve stopping an actual or imminent threat to the nation. As Commander-in-Chief, the President does have a duty to protect and defend the United States. In instances of self-defense, the President would be within his constitutional authority to act before advising Congress or seeking its consent. History has shown us time and again, however, that military action is most successful when it is authorized and supported by the Legislative branch. It is always preferable to have the informed consent of Congress prior to any military action."

Don't send me money

Today I received an e-mail from a Facebook friend asking for money--she was stranded in England. Of course, it was a scam, and I had heard of this one, so I notified the group of which we are members. She wasn't even aware of it, but is taking steps to correct it.

So, if you get an e-mail from me asking you to send money, don't do it. I would never ask, plus after getting deathly ill on my last two transatlantic flights, I don't plan any trips across the pond.

Michigan Boosts Power to Intervene in Cities - WSJ.com

"DETROIT—Michigan Gov. Rick Snyder signed into law a measure that broadens state powers to intervene in the finances and governance of struggling municipalities and school districts, giving these local bodies a stronger hand in renegotiating labor contracts.

The law also requires local government to send financial projections to Lansing, the capital, which could lead to the state stepping in earlier in hopes of averting a crisis."

Michigan Boosts Power to Intervene in Cities - WSJ.com

Democrats are of course objecting. Public employees have 3 forms of representation--their unions, their Democrats, and their elected representatives. The people who pay their salaries and benefits have only elected representatives, who need to be very, very strong.

Radical Carol Browner Energy Czar--where did she go?

Yes, I know she's under the bus with Van Jones, but he got a really cool gig and gets to do a lot of speaking engagements--I think he's sort of a rock star of the left (and very good looking and a better speaker than Obama). Been there, done that, bought the t-shirt. Does she get a tour and a cushy job at a socialist think tank?

Radical Carol Browner created oil spill lies,False drilling memos « SHAWSBLOG

And now from the middle.

And now equal coverage from the left.

The most recent item I can find on Browner is that she was supposed to be the speaker at Berea College on March 3. The press release of Feb. 28 said she was [still] White House coordinator [czar] of energy and climate policy for the Obama administration, but in the description of her duties, only her past "accomplishments" were mentioned--Clinton, Albright, Gore and hiking in the Everglades as a child. It was a free event and she must have been one of the headliners when she got the gig. Next week the Berea College Country Dancers perform at 8 p.m. in Old Seabury Gym.

Rand Paul accuses Democrats of being anti-choice--particularly about toilets

His toilets don't work and he can't find a decent light bulb and Democrats are shipping jobs overseas with their energy regulations. They are anti-choice--putting people out of business or fining them with their efficiency standards. Appalling and hypocritical, he says, you are busy-bodies. Besides these toilets have to be flushed multiple times to even work. Amen, brother!

NPR and the Democrats

Republicans aren't stupid. If they thought for a minute that funding NPR would represent their viewpoint even once in awhile, there's no way they would defund it. But of course, if you've ever listened for any period of time to NPR or watched PBS television you'll see the reason--that is, if you are conservative. Liberals don't see it, which is why President Obama is opposing H.R. 1076. It has nothing to do with rural areas, which in case Obama hasn't noticed, seem to be well served by many forms of media. When I visit Mt. Morris, Illinois, 100 miles west of Chicago with a population about 2,500 and decreasing after the closing of several important industries, I can get AM and FM radio and broadcast and cable stations from Chicago, Rockford, Freeport, DeKalb, Sterling, etc. and probably some Wisconsin stations if I tried--ABC, NBC, CBS, MSNBC, Fox and the internet with its vast array of programing.

"The Administration strongly opposes House passage of H.R. 1076, which would unacceptably prohibit Federal funding of National Public Radio (NPR) and the use of Federal funds by public radio stations to acquire radio content. As part of the President’s commitment to cut spending, the President’s Budget proposed targeted reductions in funding for the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), which provides a small amount of funding for NPR, and the Administration has expressed openness to other spending reductions that are reasonable. However, CPB serves an important public purpose in supporting public radio, television, and related online and mobile services. The vast majority of CPB’s funding for public radio goes to more than 700 stations across the country, many of them local stations serving communities that rely on them for access to news and public safety information. Undercutting funding for these radio stations, notably ones in rural areas where such outlets are already scarce, would result in communities losing valuable programming, and some stations could be forced to shut down altogether." Link

No it has nothing to do with rural areas, and everything to do with another mouthpiece for Obama's hope and chains. He's got millions for his next campaign chest, so I really don't think this is a problem. Just advertise on the "new" public radio which won't be taxpayer supported and let the choir listen.

Pine Ridge Reservation Wind Power FM Radio KILI

Printed prayers

The older I get, the more I appreciate a well written prayer. Yes, written, as in published. I find prayer books very useful, and enjoy the little short prayers included in the daily meditation booklets I use from Concordia. Usually, they contain passages of scripture or basic theological concepts. Today I came across a published prayer for Christians on strike in the 1957 My Prayer Book by Concordia Publishing House (Lutheran). In quoting I've somewhat modernized the pronouns thee and thou. Somehow, I don't think workers in King James era were going on strike.

"Owing to disagreements between my labor union and my employer, I am now on strike and out of work. I know you love all, and it is your will that I love all men as brothers. Therefore help me, my fellow workers, and my employer to overcome all selfishness and pride and to seek a fair solution of our difficulties. . .

Protect the property of strikers and employers during the conferences between them. Give our employer a sympathetic understanding of the problems and needs of his workers. Likewise give me and the other workers a proper insight into the problems and resources of our employer, that we may not ask more than is reasonable. Prevent bitterness and strife, and where ungodly strife is present, grant your healing and peace. Guide the negotiations toward an early agreement whereby both employer and worker may profit. May fairness and justice prevail for all concerned. . .

Give your blessing to honest labor everywhere that the needs of mankind may be supplied and that your kingdom may flourish; through Jesus Christ. Amen."

In 1957 there were no unions representing government employees--it was practically unthinkable. Wisconsin, the "progressive" state, was the first to allow state employees to bargain with their employers. In 1957, both public and private workers knew the basics of negotiating and that if you negotiate with yourself, you, not your neighbor [employer], always are the winner because of self-interest. It's like going into a ballgame where the final score is already determined. Home team wins every time. Public sector unions are negotiating with "self," i.e., the workers' union representatives are negotiating with the workers' elected representatives, and often with their own political party representatives [Democrats]. Therefore, this 1957 prayer sounds archaic--from a long distant past--and it is.

There is no "justice to prevail" at the state houses of Ohio or Wisconsin or New Jersey where one group of workers doesn't pay for their benefits at the expense of another group of workers who pay the salaries of the other group. A public sector worker employed for 35 years will pull out thousands of dollars more a year in her retirement check than a private sector worker who worked 50 years to receive Social Security. The school teacher who retires at 55 may get $80,000 a year (or more), and the real estate broker or small businessman who can't retire until 66 will get $28,400. And the businessman has contributed more! Both have elected representatives, but one has double the representation.

The disgraceful behavior of the Wisconsin teachers (and their friends)

So you thought the Communist/Islam link was just a parnoid threat by Glenn Beck? How do you like the Cairo to Madison link?

How Poverty won the War on Poverty--duplication, waste, poor planning and lobbying Congress

Community Action Agencies are local groups who get their funding from The Community Services Block Grant (CSBG) which is federal tax money. They were first incorporated 47 years ago with the Economic Opportunity Act of 1964--the so-called War on Poverty.

This "war" has provided a steady stream of income for well paid middle class government workers and employees of non-profits, but hasn’t done much for the poor of Ohio even with half a billion a year. If you have the patience for the paperwork, you can set one up yourself and become a staff of one and recruit volunteers from your church. If you don't wish to work with the poor directly, organize an association of agencies and providers and lobby your city or state governments for a budget line. Or become a workshop provider for other agencies--show them how to use Twitter, Facebook and Blogging to recruit clients or make nice Power Point presentations. Do sensitivity training. The money's there.

There are tremendous duplication and few measures of success or accountability. Remember, the half a billion a year that Ohio agencies get doesn’t include all the other programs like SNAP (former food stamps) or TANF (former AFDC), Medicaid, or WIC or home weatherization or school feeding programs. That’s not home foreclosure workshops or programs for zero percent mortgages.

Vast amounts of money are funneled to local nonprofits whose purpose is to reduce poverty and to help low-income people become self-sufficient. Church groups can get this money as long as they just perform social acts and don't do anything religious, like tell their clients about Jesus. There are more than 1,100 Community Action Agencies in the United States and there are 50 Community Action Agencies in Ohio, “with every county receiving service. During the last program year, they administered $523,407,248 in resources aimed at alleviating the problems of poverty in Ohio's Communities.” (http://www.development.ohio.gov/community/ocs/cacs.htm )

Half a billion a year should be able to solve a lot of problems, wouldn’t you think? Apparently not, because the agencies were doing so poorly they needed a huge influx of temporary ARRA funding to stay afloat. (Example of application) The American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law by President Obama on February 17th, 2009 and was supposed to be “a down payment on addressing long-neglected challenges so our country can thrive in the 21st century.” A down payment? Neglected? We’ve been addressing those challenges for 47 years, and it’s not like there were no state and local programs before 1964 which addressed poverty.

There are loud cries of alarm coming from the CAAs that receive CSBG funding right now because the Obama administration is looking at cutting some duplication in the block grants (not to worry--right now there’s no budget at all). All the CAA websites say pretty much the same thing--WE ARE DOING ESSENTIAL WORK FOR THE POOR!!!

It’s time to take the federal budget apart, agency by agency, bureaucrat by bureaucrat, nonprofit by nonprofit. And let’s begin with the bloated Block Grants’ overlapping programs and their 1100 Community Action Agencies. They don’t seem to be meeting their goals and mission statements if after almost half a century they they only morph and expand. Examples of mission statements:

http://www.impactca.org/ -- “provides a comprehensive array of services that enables struggling families to find jobs, maintain affordable housing and get on the road to becoming active, contributing, tax-paying citizens.” (Don't use these folks for computer training--still offering Windows XP).

http://www.leadscaa.org -- “is a private non-profit corporation that provides immediate assistance and lasting solutions for people in need”

http://www.tricountycls.com/index.htm “helps people find jobs, get educated and become financially secure”

http://www.lccaa.net/default.aspx “committed to improving the social well-being, economic capacity and opportunities for low- to moderate-income individuals and families.”

What is wrong with Republicans?

How can they possibly be taking Donald Trump seriously? Questioning Obama's birth will get him what--1% of the votes he needs? And Newt Gingrich? These men are moral midgets. How many marriages did the Pope have to annul for Gingrich? Let's find candidates with fewer personal problems. Those always become the focus, and Republicans just don't have the smarts or the knee cappers that the Democrats have when it comes to cover ups. We've got some great talent--stop with the preeners and pretty boys. We've got Bobby Jindal, Paul Ryan, Michele Bachman, Chris Christie--even Walker of Wisconsin seems to have some potential--at least he knows how to stand up to unions. But let's stay away from the thrice married and I don't care how much money they have. They're more useful to us as tax payers and cheerleaders for good candidates.

Trump Raises Birther Questions

The No-Fly Zone vote

No more wars to keep Muslims from killing each other. All we do is install new despots and they hate us. Stay out of Libya.

Update: Sounds like Obama is taking us to war. Or at least the stand-in President Hillary Clinton is.

Secretary of State Hillary Clinton says enforcing a no-fly zone in Libya would require bombing raids - one of several options being debated by the UN Security Council. Clinton made the comments while visiting neighboring Tunisia - where she met aid workers who have been helping refugees from Libya. NPR

The adrenaline rush and Lara Logan

Two things came to mind when I read this story (op-ed really) about Lara Logan's assault in Egypt and her "come-back kid" attitude. The fearless reporter had only hesitated a bit after becoming a mother (after a tabloid type scrutiny of her love life and behavior).

"Surrounded by a frenzied mob in Tahrir Square, she was separated from her crew, severely beaten and sexually assaulted. Logan was saved by a group of Egyptian women and nearly two dozen soldiers who pulled her to safety. She promptly flew home and was hospitalized for days.

"Lara is utterly fearless," says veteran newsman Bob Schieffer. "She just has guts and courage under fire." He called her ordeal "just awful." CBS and Logan decided to make the sexual assault public last week after learning an Australian journalist was on to the story."The Price Lara Logan Paid in Egypt - The Daily Beast

When I was working in the veterinary library at Ohio State I learned that of all dairy cattle breeds, Holsteins grieved the least when separated from their babies--an emotional trauma even for a momma bovine which causes the milk to dry up. (The veal industry is what happens to the male calves removed from the cow's side and natural mothering instinct.) In Lara's case, not even a sweet, beautiful, healthy baby dependent on her for love and security could cause her to turn her back. She apparently didn't have the same emotional wiring that other women have who have chosen to stay home and raise their families.

And second, years ago when I was attending Al-Anon, learning the 12 steps and listening to other survivors' stories, I learned that there are people addicted to the risk taking behavior of others, and many of them are women married to alcoholics. This just horrified me--I'll go to great lengths to avoid the "thrill of a risk" like riding a motorcycle without a helmet or bungee jumping off bridges or mountain climbing on icy cliffs or even riding a Ferris wheel. But for some, it is a drug they desperately need to stay feel alive.

Combine those two and you have a woman who will return to the battle front to stand in front of cameras (and wave to her babies being cuddled by nannies or grandma who may or may not care by that time).

One out of Four

One of every four workers was out of a job at the height of the Great Depression (1933) which ran from 1929 to 1941. But not my parents. They both graduated from high school in May 1930 and started at the same college that September (having met the summer of 1930 on a blind date). During their school days Mom worked in the college library and Dad worked in a local restaurant. When the college closed Dad worked at the printing plant and on the neighbors' farms and Mom worked as a domestic until she too could find work at the plant. Both U.S. presidents of this awful period threw money at the problem--first Hoover then Roosevelt to no avail. Both prices and tax rates soared. "We the people" have been left with the residue of broken social programs and burdensome regulations and bureaucracies which were expanded beyond anything Roosevelt could have imagined Americans would tolerate by President Johnson in the 1960s (all of which I thought were wonderful then because I believed they would end poverty). And what may be worse, we've elected men and women who actually think a decade plus of those policies worked! If first it fails, do more of the same. The poor of the United States are rich in material goods beyond anything a well-off family in the 1920s could have imagined, but not because of government programs--houses with bathrooms, electricity, automobiles, telephones, closets full of clothes, freezers, refrigerators, insulation in the walls and paved roads for our cars. But in values and common sense we seem to have become impoverished by layer after layer of government programs and safety nets. We are a naive, ungrateful people and have made mud pies from the tears and hard work of our parents and grandparents.

How do you home school a kid this smart?

Evan O'Dorney has won the National Spelling Bee, a gold medal at an international math Olympiad, and the Intel Science Talent Search's $100,000 top prize. And he's no slouch in his spare time either--a black belt in tae kwon do, and studies piano performance and composition at the San Francisco Conservatory of Music.

"Evan says the person who's had the most influence on his scientific career is his mother, Jennifer, who home-schools him. His dad, Michael, is a BART operator."

Danville's Evan O'Dorney wins Intel Science Talent Search - San Jose Mercury News

HT Joanne Jacobs

Washington Post Apologizes For 'Substantial' Plagiarism In Two Stories

Borrowed? Ten out of 15 paragraphs in two articles? I wonder if Pulitzer Prize winner Sari Horwitz, who is from Arizona, has read the new White House White paper on intellectual property on increasing the prison terms? I think that came out today and it looks pretty grim and over reaching.

Washington Post Apologizes For 'Substantial' Plagiarism In Two Stories

Why are they demonizing the Koch brothers

When you see the Socialist/Communist/Progressives waving their posters at the various rallies, like Madison, or Washington in October, you always see something about the Koch brothers being behind some vast right wing conspiracy. I have no idea who they are or what they do, but progressives just turn purple at the mention of their name, kind of like Halliburton (in which so many liberals are invested) and so I noticed this item at Volokh.

David Bernstein writes "Let’s review: It seems undisputed that the Kochs total spending on political and ideological causes is somewhere around 10–15 million dollars per year. How big a role does this money play in the American political system? Let’s start with ideological/intellectual causes. The liberal Ford Foundation spends over $400 million a year. The liberal MacArthur Foundation spends about $140 million a year. Liberal billionaire George Soros spends about $150 million a year. Liberals control the vast majority of academic positions in almost every humanities and social science department in every major university in the country, with total budgets in the tens of billions.

Even in the libertarians’ tiny corner of the ideological universe, 10 million dollars would only keep the Cato Institute running from January to April this year, and leave nothing left for any other libertarian cause or organization. So the idea that the Kochs are having some huge influence on American politics through their ideological philanthropy is grossly exaggerated, at best.

Even more absurd is the notion that the Kochs’ political contributions are distorting American politics. The Obama campaign spent hundreds of million of dollars on the 2008 election. The 2010 midterm elections cost about $4 billion. The Koch’s relative spending is like pissing in an ocean. Such spending, of course, can under the right conditions win an interest group some narrow favors, but that’s a far cry from suggesting that it can buy “a great deal of influence over the political system” in general.

No, the reason that some liberals have latched on to the Kochs as their bogeymen is that this is what demagogic political propagandists due to win support from their base. They find a mysterious, ominous-sounding (billionaires! who sell oil!–what could raise greater suspicions on the Left?) villain on whom to blame their troubles, and rouse the passions of the partisans of their sides. As these things go, the Kochs are a more innocuous villain than, say, the “Likudnik” bogeymen of the mid-2000s, or Pat Robertson’s “secular humanists who support a New World Order” of the 1990s, but it’s all the same phenomenon."

The Volokh Conspiracy » Jonathan Chait Completely Misses the Point
I figured as much. The libs are upset that George Soros who supports hundreds of leftist causes and church groups gets such bad publicity from the right, so they had to find somebody on the right who contributes to politics, but they are a drop in the bucket compared to the left's deep pockets.

Questions and Answers about Potassium Iodide (KI)

For some reason, there are talking heads and reporters accusing the Surgeon General Regina Benjamin of being irresponsible in her suggestions about Potassium Iodide. Sounds like she's up on things to me. KI should be used only under instruction from local health authorities and it's really not her responsibility to know that Californians were panicking--at least in my opinion. There's enough going wrong in the Obamadmin without making things up to criticize.
Thyroid.org: Questions and Answers about Potassium Iodide (KI)

Ohio's House Bill 63--to save children

"(COLUMBUS, OH) - Ohio Right to Life's H.B. 63, the Judicial Bypass legislation, was voted out of the House of Representatives yesterday with an overwhelming 64 to 33 bipartisan vote - nearly three quarters of the members of the house. This pro-life legislation now heads to the Ohio Senate for additional hearings.

"Ohioans know that parental consent laws save lives," said Mike Gonidakis, Executive Director for Ohio Right to Life. "We are trying very hard to preserve parents' ability to help their daughters when they are confronted with the challenges of teenage pregnancy. A recent study proved that responsible parental consent laws reduce the minor abortion rate by 18.7 percent."

Current Ohio law states that parental consent is required before a minor can obtain an abortion, but a loophole exists which allows judges to bypass parental involvement and allow a minor to obtain an abortion. H.B. 63, which is sponsored by Rep. Ron Young (R-Leroy) and Rep. Lynn Slaby (R-Copley), puts an end to this "rubber-stamp" judicial approval. On behalf of all pro-life Ohioans, we would like to thank Representatives Young and Slaby, along with Speaker of the House Bill Batchelder for his support and leadership by passing pro-life legislation.

Ohio Bill to Strengthen Parental Consent on Abortion Passes | LifeNews.com

No Bureaucrat Left Behind

Or is that the Behind of Left Bureaucrats?

"NCLB [No Child Left Behind] is actually the eighth reauthorization of the Elementary and Secondary Education Act of 1965 (ESEA). Passed as part of President Lyndon B. Johnson's War on Poverty, this first federal intervention into what was originally a state responsibility included just five titles in 32 pages. The effect of the ESEA was felt quickly across the country—but not by the nation’s school children: after passage of ESEA, state education bureaucracies doubled in just five years. Now NCLB spans more the 50 programs, 10 titles, and 600 pages. The bureaucrats are winning."
Morning Bell: No Bureaucrat Left Behind | The Foundry: Conservative Policy News.

Billions and billions have been spent the last almost 50 years on "The War on Poverty," and yet to hear Democrats moan about food insecurity, wage gaps, education wastelands, food deserts, minorities in prison populations, Head Starts that need a kick-start, and dying cities (all controlled by Democratic administrations), the war was lost after the first decade of infusing money. It's America's 50 year war, and we're still losing because the generals and majors are designing, manufacturing, and distributing failed weapons for the boots on the ground.

In Egypt's Tahrir Square, women attacked at rally on International Women's Day - CSMonitor.com

After George W. Bush freed the women of Iraq and Afghanistan, I believe a number of women ran in democratic elections for office and won. So what's wrong in Egypt that women are being attacked on International Women's Day and told to go home and wash clothes? (Actually, the guys in the picture look like they could use a shower and change of clothes.) Maybe President Obama, who was so bold in speaking out on behalf of unions in Madison, should say something just as bold about the rights of women in Egypt? But, maybe they couldn't reach him on the golf course.

Women attacked in Egypt

The core and the crust of leadership

No one in our media bothered to check out Barack Obama's facts and story he supplied them in two books--but this German leader's thesis is bogus and he loses his job. All of Obama is bogus according to Cashill's book--Bill Ayers was the author, not just a ghost writer, of Obama's books. He even included a relationship with a young woman in the Obama book that was really Ayer's. Cashill is an editor; he says no one who is a poor writer at 21 turns into a good writer at 33 unless he's been writing regularly, and Obama didn't. All evidence (and it's very little) of his writing before his books shows someone who couldn't pass 8th grade English. So where did all this talent come from that just wowed the critics? From buddy Bill Ayers. These things are not that difficult to uncover. Never mind a birth certificate--how about a little paragraph checking and an SAT score. But the Germans?

"Two weeks ago, the charismatic German politician and heir-apparent to Chancellor Angela Merkel, Karl-Theodor zu Guttenberg, resigned as minister of defense. It had come to light that his doctoral dissertation was adorned with more than 300 instances of plagiarism. A spectacular leadership failure to be sure, but why? A simple way to think about leadership is to divide it into two parts — a core and a crust. The distinction gives us a clearer eye. The core represents those things that are indispensable, while the crust those things that are important. What then goes in the core? And what goes in the crust?"

The core and the crust of leadership | Deseret News

Yes, what goes on at the core?

More Mortgage Mischief and ways to stall the recovery

Some days I think the Obamadmin is looking for ways to stall the recovery. Are his people against him, or are they helping him with his plan? It's too complicated to track his lies, which began even before his campaign. His treatment of the American people is like an abusive spouse. And the Democrats just keep coming back for more.

"The new federal Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's website proclaims that no financial company "should be able to build, or feel pressure to build, a business model around unfair, deceptive, or abusive practices." How ironic, then, that the bureau itself is trying to extend its reach by extorting billions of dollars from private mortgage servicers, regulating their business by fiat, and stalling a U.S. housing market recovery."

Review & Outlook: More Mortgage Mischief - WSJ.com

Sorry Mr. Krugman, you flunk unionizing 101

Paul Krugman, left wing journalist and Nobel prize in something, has really stepped into it now. He claimed that Texas children were doing more poorly than Wisconsin's who have the benefit of all those rich, well-pensioned, unionized teachers with collective bargaining rights.

However. . .

Texas students beat Wisconsin in every category when ethnicity is taken into account. See Iowahawk, who usually writes a humor column, but in this case is very serious.

"So how to compare educational achievement between two states with such dissimilar populations? In data analysis this is usually done by treating ethnicity as a "covariate." A very simple way to do this is by comparing educational achievement between states within the same ethnic group. In other words, do black students perform better in Wisconsin than Texas? Do Hispanic students perform better in Wisconsin or Texas? White students? If Wisconsin's kids consistently beat their Texas counterparts, after controlling for ethnicity, then there's a strong case that maybe Texas schools ought to become a union shop.

Luckily, there is data to answer this question via the National Assessment of Educational Progress (NAEP). The NAEP is an annual standardized test given to 4th and 8th graders around the country to measure proficiency in math, science, and reading. Participation is fairly universal; if you've had a 4th or 8th grader in the last few years, you're probably familiar with it. Results are compiled on the NAEP website, broken down by grade, state, subject and ethnicity."

Could this be why attendance at German Mass is so low? They're Protestants?

"In anticipation of Pope Benedict XVI's forthcoming visit to his homeland, more than two hundred German theologians -- men and women who have earned doctoral degrees in theology and teach in German universities -- have issued a manifesto, "The Church in 2011: A Necessary Departure." The manifesto itself does not identify the destination for which the Church is to depart, but the terminus ad quem seems reasonably clear from a careful reading of the document: Catholicism is to transform itself into another liberal Protestant sect by conceding virtually every point at issue between classic Christianity and the ambient culture of the post-modern West.

It is, perhaps, no surprise to find German Catholic theologians publicly supporting the ordination of married men and women to the ministerial priesthood (overtly), same-sex "marriage" (slyly), and full communion within the Church for those in irregular marriages (subtly but unmistakably). These causes have been espoused for years. German theologians dissented en masse from the 1993 teaching of Veritatis Splendor on the nature of moral acts and from the 1994 teaching of Ordinatio Sacerdotalis on the Church's inability to admit women to Holy Orders. What was particularly striking about this new manifesto was its attempt to address serious problems with tried-and-failed solutions. That bespeaks a remarkable lack of intellectual creativity and historical sense." Continue reading here