Crescent video, Part 2: “The terrorist memorializing features all point to each other”
Set to everybody’s favorite gunslinger music:
If you have a fast connection, there is a high quality viewing option at the lower right of the viewing screen here.
Part 1 focused on the blatant Islamic symbolism in the Flight 93 memorial, and on Tom Burnett’s efforts to stop this desecration of his son’s grave. Part 2 is about the terrorist memorializing features.
Continue reading “Flight 93 Update”
-By Warner Todd Huston
The first two paragraphs of a recent Salon Magazine piece by Michael Lind on Obama’s plans for America’s future are striking for the utter lack of any relationship whatsoever between them.
Take a look at the aforementioned graphs:
Barack Obama is a man with a plan. On Dec. 6, the president-elect announced major parts of his plan to revitalize the American economy. He listed four priorities: “a massive effort to make public buildings more energy-efficient”; “the single largest new investment in our national infrastructure since the creation of the federal highway system in the 1950s”; “the most sweeping effort to modernize and upgrade school buildings that this country has ever seen”; and a program to “renew our information highway” by increasing broadband adoption, by schools and hospitals in particular.
Obama’s priorities make excellent sense. After emergency measures to stabilize the economy, public investment aimed at accelerating U.S. economic growth should be domestic reform priority No. 1. That’s because raising the rate of economic growth is the reform that makes all subsequent reforms easier. Accelerating the long-term growth of the productive economy will get us out of the recession faster, refill depleted federal, state and local government funding for public services sooner, and permit larger investments to be made with the same or lower tax rates in areas of needed reform like social insurance, energy and education. And the more rapidly the economy grows, the more quickly the colossal but necessary deficits the U.S. is now running up will melt away.
After reading these two opening sections, one must realize that there is little reason to read the rest of Lind’s piece because of the fallacy that his first paragraph has anything whatever to do with the second. The logic connecting the two is so strikingly lacking that one might suspect that these two paragraphs were randomly snipped from completely different articles by two different writers.
Let’s review what Lind says are Obama’s priorities in the first paragraph in a simple bulleted list.
And what does Lind say of this list? He says it “makes excellent sense.” He says that these program ideas are “aimed at accelerating U.S. economic growth” because that policy “should be domestic reform priority No. 1.” Then he praises Obama because he is interested in “raising the rate of economic growth” and that this is the “reform that makes all subsequent reforms easier.”
And the logical disconnect? Obama’s pie-in-the-sky ideas that Lind lays out in paragraph one have little to do with “accelerating U.S. economic growth” as Lind claims they do in paragraph two. The plans Obama offered just don’t have any bearing on economic growth in anything but the most tangential way.
Let’s take them one at a time.
Sure, after this “massive effort” the government might find that it saves several cents a day on its electric bill. Sure that will add up to millions eventually. But would, as Lind lovingly believes, this little program accelerate U.S. economic growth? Hardly.
Sounds nice. But, what does it even mean? It’s wonderfully vague. Still, even if we equate it to the national highway system that was built in the 50s, such an effort might not bear fruit for decades to come. Further, when the system of national highways was built there was nothing at all comparable to it and its creation was a major addition to our lives. What new project could be so amazingly transformational? And, even if there was such an idea that could approximate that sort of transformation, Obama didn’t offer it as the central idea in his “plan.” And once again, this Obama pronouncement has little bearing on improving our economy in a time when Lind’s “emergency measures” were required.
So, new buildings equate to well-informed students? Lincoln learned from the back of a shovel, as the saying goes. This obvious big government trope is meaningless. Sure it will be good to have nice schools, but again, how does this have anything at all to do with our current economic crisis? Nothing, of course.
This one is an area that has economic import, but, it is not in the proper purview of government. The best thing government can do to spur the Internet is to stop over regulation and get out of the way of private business and the market place.
In the end, the most striking aspect of Lind’s two paragraphs is the utterly slavish belief in big government as the solution to all ills. Lind’s entire lack of logic even shoehorn’s “emergency” status onto actions that will obviously take decades to come to fruition not to mention the singular fact that Obama’s plan has a spurious connection to the economy to begin with.
The only thread that draws Lind’s two paragraphs together is the simple, near religious belief that big government is the cure all. So, since Obama is announcing giant, expensive, feels good programs, Lind assumes without any hesitation that it all serves to make us a better country which must, in his false logic, positively impact the economy.
The illogic boggles the mind.
(Photo credit: forthecause.us)
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Warner Todd Huston is a Chicago based freelance writer, has been writing opinion editorials and social criticism since early 2001 and is featured on many websites such as newsbusters.org, Human Events Magazine, townhall.com, New Media Journal, Men’s News Daily and the New Media Alliance among many, many others. Additionally, he has been a frequent guest on talk-radio programs to discuss his opinion editorials and current events. He has also written for several history magazines and appears in the new book “Americans on Politics, Policy and Pop Culture” which can be purchased on amazon.com. He is also the owner and operator of publiusforum.com. Feel free to contact him with any comments or questions : EMAIL Warner Todd Huston
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-By Warner Todd Huston
Talk about arrogance, but apparently New York Times Columnist Timothy Egan wants to stop Joe the Plumber from being allowed to have his book published and calls the government oppressed blue collar man a “no good citizen” and a “no good plumber.” Arrogantly, Egan imagines that Joe somehow doesn’t deserve to have a book deal.
Egan imagines himself more qualified than Joe to write a book and in his column Egan asks Joe if he wants him to fix a leaky toilet? He then haughtily replies, “I didn’t think so.” You see, Egan thinks he is smarter than anyone as low as a Joe the Plumber.
-By Warner Todd Huston
On Tuesday morning of December 10, I sent out my piece titled “Thomas Jefferson says forget about Barack’s birth certificate.” I was sure it would raise the hackles of those vested in the Barack Obama birth certificate issue, abbreviated as COLB (certificate of live birth) by those so inclined to care about it. Boy was I right. My email has been stuffed with accusations that I hate the Constitution or am secretly an Obama supporter despite that in my original piece I clearly called the man a socialist whom I didn’t want in the Oval Office.
But, I felt we need an actual discussion, not of Obama’s birth itself, but of the Constitutional, electoral, and philosophical issues that underlay the debate. Fortunately, Michael Gaynor of RenewAmerica.us obliged. To that end and to his piece, I’d like to take some time to reply here, being sure to thank him for at least allowing that I was “well-intentioned” with my original consideration of the matter.
Unfortunately, Mr. Gaynor starts out right off the top with a misconception of what I am saying and it misinforms his entire take on my piece. He writes:
Continue reading “Jefferson and Obama’s Birth Certificate: My Reply to Michael Gaynor”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Evidence in abundance of AP’s new “style” of news coverage.
Not long ago, the Associated Press informed its writers that they should be more emotive in their writing. Instead of an old newsy just-the-facts style of reporting, then AP was looking to goose it up and add more opinion and emotion to its reporting of the “news.” Well, with the story of the arrest of corruption plagued Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich and his connection to Illinois Senator and president in waiting Barack Obama, the emotive words flow fast and furious. This incident serves as an interesting example of the APs new more emotive style.
For instance, for the AP Sharon Cohen gives us a piece headlined “Illinois governor’s arrest stuns politicos.” This piece tries to force upon Blago’s fellow Illinois politicians a sort of “shock” in response to Blago’s arrest. But, while some politicians and FBI officials expressed disappointment and a sort of faux shock, no one in Illinois or Chicago politics is really shocked that Blago is finally under arrest. It has been building for several years at this point and for most folks in Illinois at all aware of the situation, it was a matter of when Blago was going to get picked up by the feds, not if. There really isn’t much genuine shock and it is hyperbole to say there is. Truth be told, instead of real shock, it is more like weariness. (Even this AP piece featuring a series of quotes from Illinois politicians doesn’t reveal any of them being “shocked.”)
Continue reading “AP’s Emotive Language For Gov. Rod Blagojevich”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Jonathan Alter was an early accuser of new President George W. Bush when he and VP Cheney began to try to warn the country that an economic downturn was well underway as he was taking office. As Bush tried to warn the nation, the media jumped all over him for “talking down the economy.” Yet, as we watch the reporting of Obama’s current down talking of the economy, the media has said nothing similar to the condemnation reigned upon Bush.
The myth that people like Alter was pushing in 2001 was that Clinton bequeathed a good economy to Bush, but the reality was that the spiral had already begun to fall into negative territory months before Bush took office. Despite that obvious downturn, the media formed a chorus of attacking Bush for being too negative in the face of the American people. On March 26, Alter unleashed his Newsweek piece headlined “Thanks Ever So Much, President Poor-Mouth.” Alter called Bush’s warnings “risky and unusual,” and made the pronouncement that Bush was wrong to do so. “Even if Bush turns out to be right in his predictions of gloom,” Alter wrote, “that doesn’t mean he was right to make them.”
-By Frederick Meekins
Each Thanksgiving, the President pardons a turkey — an actual barnyard fowl and not a member of Congress. For the most part, the custom is itself harmless and mildly cute; however, should taxpaying citizens learn what is done with the turkey, they will likely end up with a case of indigestion.
According to a Fox News account, after the White House ceremony the turkey was to be flown first class to Disneyland in California. There the gobbling celebrity was to serve as the grand marshal of the park’s Thanksgiving parade.
Many would dismiss this story as something not to get worked up over. Yet in this dawning era where we are constantly reminded how our very way of life must change or face collapse along various fronts, escorting a turkey to Disneyland in stratospheric luxury raises a number of questions.
Continue reading “Thanksgiving Turkeys Not The Only Ones In America”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Media ignored Guv’s party today, but also links to Rezko corruption and Barack Obama and his chief strategist David Axelrod during presidential campaign.
As folks in Illinois were waking up or just getting to work, news hit like an avalanche that Governor Rod Blagojevich had been taken into custody by federal authorities this morning. The news was flying hot and heavy, and still is, over what the feds are alleging that Blago (as we call him in Chicago) did. There are reports of wiretaps, solicitations for bribes, mail and wire fraud… the list is long and shocking.
But one thing seems to be missing from many of these news reports. You guessed it, the fact that Blago is a Democrat seems to have slipped under the radar. But also his connections to Obama and his associates has continually gone unnoticed.
Now, as usual, we cannot really smack around the home papers or TV reports. After all, people in Chicago and Illinois already know that their governor is a Democrat. But it is the news wires and outlets outside Illinois that should be questioned.
Continue reading “Ill. Governor Arrested by Feds, Media Ignored Connection To Obama”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Well. I am sure that this is going to anger some of you. But, I have to say it anyway…
OK, I have basically stayed silent about this whole Obama birth certificate dust up until now because I have been trying to resolve the dichotomy in my mind between being a Constitutional constructionist and a pragmatist. But, at long last I have realized that the two really aren’t as much at odds as it might seem. In fact, I found my answer in the words of Thomas Jefferson — as well as Madison, Franklin and a few others, but we’ll stick with Jefferson quotes for the sake of a sharply focused discussion.
I have discovered that Thomas Jefferson has already told us upon which side we as conservatives should descend over the question concerning Barack Obama’s birth certificate and his eligibility for the office of president of the United States. Mister Jefferson would tell you all to shut up, accept cruel fate, and get ready to claim Barack Obama as the 44th president of the United States of America.
That’s right, forget about it. Move on. Nothing to see here.
Before you get your Constitutional shorts in a bunch, I absolutely agree with you that we are a nation of laws and not men. Jefferson did too, once saying that we must consider what the original intent of the Constitution was before we rush into a decision and the original intent in this case was clearly to make sure every president was a natural born citizen of this country before being eligible to run for that highest of offices. (“The Constitution on which our Union rests, shall be administered … according to the safe and honest meaning contemplated by the plain understanding of the people of the United States at the time of its adoption — a meaning to be found in the explanations of those who advocated [for it]…”– Thomas Jefferson)
Continue reading “Thomas Jefferson Says Forget About Barack’s Birth Certificate”
-By Scott Cleland
Below is the press release for the first-ever research study of U.S. Consumer Internet Usage and Cost which I authored.
The 27 page research study can be accessed at this link:
http://www.netcompetition.org/study_of_google_internet_usage_costs2.pdf
For Immediate Release December 4, 2008
Contact: Scott Cleland 703-217-2407
First-Ever Study of U.S. Consumer Internet Usage and Cost Finds Google Uses 21 Times More Bandwidth than it Pays For
Google uses 16.5% of U.S. consumer Internet capacity today, rising to an estimated 37% in 2010
Continue reading “Google uses 21 times more bandwidth than it pays for — per first-ever research study”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Apparently, if one calls an Arab-American an A** H*le, Reuters and the American-Arab Anti-Discrimination Committee want all Americans to know that this is to be considered a “violent hate crime.” At least that is what it seems when looking over the very lose and sloppy definition of “violent hate crimes” in a recent story on the falling numbers of such crimes against Arab-Americans in the U.S.
While ostensibly a good story — discrimination against Arab-Americans has decreased — it is still odd that Reuters allows this Muslim advocacy group to define even name calling as a “hate crime” and “violent” at that. So many levels of behavior are categorized under the rubric “hate crime” here that it really makes a mockery of the term, if one is even disposed to accept such a term in the first place.
Reuters starts off saying that so-called “hate crimes” against Arab-Americans have “decreased steadily since the Sept. 11, 2001,” yet it goes on to claim that attacks “are still more common than they were before the hijacking.” It’s as if these crimes are rampant here, or something. As to the presented stats, Reuters reports the following:
Continue reading “Reuters Calls Name Calling a ‘Violent Hate Crime’ Against Arab-Americans?”
-By Warner Todd Huston
I suppose the Associated Press wants us all to feel sorry for Mexico. With so many illegals here either having trouble finding work or actually returning home, Mexico is finding that its citizens illegally in the US have fewer American dollars to send home. AP says the “situation is so serious” that the Mexican government is trying to create new programs to reinforce ties between illegals here and its citizens at home. Of course, no where in AP’s story does it seem to occur to anyone that Mexico clean itself up and offer opportunities there as opposed to trying to squeeze money from people here.
The whole story is reported as a legitimate economic issue instead of the thievery by illegals that it really is. The AP sternly informs us that as the “economic crisis worsens” Mexico finds that the money sent home is at “record lows.” And we are treated once again to the euphemism for this theft of American dollars that is doled out in every such story. The AP calls this sending of American money back to Mexico a “remittance revenue stream,” as if it is some sort of legitimate economic matter. It’s a great way to gussie up the word “theft,” isn’t it?
The truth is that the Mexican government is trying to undermine our nation yet the AP treats this as if it is just an average story.
Continue reading “AP Feels Sorry for Mexico Over Drop in ‘Money Sent Home’ By Returning Illegals”
-By Warner Todd Huston
SEIU chief Alejandro Stephens not only benefited from some nasty double dipping with his undeserved salary, but he made thousands running a so-called charity that was to benefit union members, even though that “charity” ended up losing money netting nothing for the rank and file members. It’s a sweet deal if you can get it. It just might be, though, that Stephens has finally been caught with his hand in the till enough times that his criminal behavior is at an end.
Stephens used to be a union chief for the largest public employees local in California until the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) merged his local with another. As the consolidation occurred, the SEIU made a deal with Stephens. They would give him a $180,000 severance deal and he would step down. In the agreement he was also required to forego his compensation from Los Angeles Country coffers.
An aside before we continue. It is the perfect example of corruption and graft that the County of Los Angeles pays ANY union operative a salary that the union is supposed to be paying him. It simply does not matter at ALL what this person was doing for the county, there is NO reason the taxpayers should be paying his union salary. Now, if the county has some other job that he can hold at the same time, well that is another matter. But there is no fiscally responsible reason that a county should ever pay a union chief’s union salary. None. Not a one.
Continue reading “SEIU ‘Charity’ For Union Members Nets Nothing While Chief Makes Thousands”
-By John Armor
As I write this on Thursday, December 4, I’m watching the Big Three auto presidents talking to the Senate Banking Committee, chaired by Chris Dodd, Democrat from Connecticut. In the interests of accuracy, GM, Ford and Chrysler should instead be called the pathetic two and a half.
Normally, the questions asked by Committee members at these hearings are as self-serving and vacuous as the prepared remarks of the high-level witnesses. Today was an exception. Chairman Dodd’s first question went right to the point.
“No matter what we do here, nothing happens until people go into dealerships and buy cars?” The auto presidents had to agree.
The Ranking Minority Member, Senator Shelby of Alabama, followed with an equally pointed question:
Continue reading “A Bridge Loan to Nowhere”
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Politico reported recently that the Democrat majority intends to “restore” the “proper” role of the vice president once Obama is sworn into office. They claim that they will somehow roll back the power that Cheney “stole” from Congress and that Biden will not be allowed as much leeway as Cheney was.
Of course, it’s all well and good that what the vice president can or cannot do is reassessed from time to time. It is certainly up to each administration how to use its vice president and, to a certain degree, for Congress to assist the administration to set that role. Many vice presidents have had almost no role at all in the administration, still others have had a little while a few have comparatively had a lot of powers and duties.
Continue reading “Has Joe Biden EVER Read the Constitution?”
-By Warner Todd Huston
A school disinvited a Pulitzer Prize winning political cartoonist because he jabbed the California teachers union in a newspaper cartoon. What was so egregious that the school banned this prize winning cartoonist? See for yourself:
Political cartoonist, Steve Breen of the San Diego Union-Tribune was originally scheduled to appear at Sunset View Elementary School in Point Loma, California, but the week before his visit he was disinvited from the school. And the reason he was disinvited is because of the December 3 cartoon above.
The cartoon shows how the California Teachers Union, depicted as pirate ships waylaying a larger ship labeled “Sacramento (the capitol of Calif.), have been a baneful force in California.
Continue reading “An Anti-Intellectual Teacher’s Union”
-By Michael M. Bates
Raul Castro is, at 77, Fidel’s kid brother. When Fidel’s health forced him to take a break from full-time dictator duties, he installed baby brother as president.
Raul swiftly demonstrated his leadership skills by consulting with some of the wisest people available. You know, deep thinkers like Hollywood millionaires. Recently he met with actor and activist Sean Penn.
The performer wrote in The Nation magazine of his meetings with Raul. According to Penn, Castro the younger is open to getting together with Obama. The Cuban said the setting would have to be a neutral one, perhaps Guantanamo Bay.
Continue reading “Fun and Game Boys at Guantanamo”
-By Warner Todd Huston
The Oakland Tribune reports the story of a hipster granny from Berkeley that has decided to sue the U.S. military over a reporter embed she arranged in Iraq that was abruptly canceled by the government. While the Oakland Trib and the hippie granny try their hardest to make the U.S. military the villain, it’s a bit hard to feel too sorry for her when the facts are considered. On top of that, the Trib absurdly calls her situation an “ordeal” which, when comparing her situation to what the soldiers have to go through, seems a bit over-the-top and silly, really.
Jane Stillwater of Berkeley, CA, had arranged an embed in Iraq and was told on January 19 that she was accepted. She immediately bought her plane ticket and arranged for the trip. Later that same day, however, she was contacted again and told her embed was canceled. Regardless of the cancellation, Stillwater flew to Kuwait anyway hoping the military would change its mind. They didn’t and now she is suing in small claims court for the plane ride and other expenses.
Continue reading “Lefty Granny Sues Army Over Embed SNAFU”
-By Thomas E. Brewton
Liberal-progressives presume that they can do no wrong, so long as they take other people’s money for the benefit of the secular and socialistic welfare state.
iticorp’s Robert Rubin is getting harsh words from investors who ask why he should receive $115 million in annual compensation, while shrugging off any suggestion of personal responsibility for the banking giant’s horrendously imprudent investment policies. Mr. Rubin says that he was merely a broad-gauge policy advisor, that problems arose from the policies he supported only because of poor execution by underlings.
In the same vein, liberal-progressives steadfastly maintain that socialist welfare-state policies always fail only because the government didn’t spend enough money, long enough.
Continue reading “Generous With Other People’s Money”
-By Warner Todd Huston
A criminal without legal status deported by US immigration officials is the subject of the latest pity party thrown by The New York Times. The Times seems to find it lamentable that this gang member and armed robber was deported from “his homeland” — that would be the USA — to Cambodia, the land of his birth (one he left when he was a 3-year-old). Why does the NYTimes bemoan the deportation of this thug? Why would he make a fine American despite his criminal history? He can dance, man!
The Times waxed maudlin that their friend “K.K.” was deported at 26-years of age ending up in Cambodia, a land with which he was quite unfamiliar. Apparently, the Times feels “K.K.” is doing wonderful work there, though, by teaching Cambodian street kids how to street dance. Yes, despite that he is a “former gang member” and convicted felon, the Times thinks he’s a swell fellow because he is bringing “a little slice of Long Beach, Calif.” to street kids in Cambodia.
Continue reading “Unsurprisingly, Illegal Deported for Armed Robbery Finds NYT in His Corner”
-By Warner Todd Huston
This particular Palin report is funny for it’s cluelessness, but a spokesman for the Internet search engine company Lycos is astounded that people are still interested enough in Governor Sarah Palin to put her name in the search field of an Internet search engine like Lycos or Google. After all, we have Obama, now, the spokesman says. Why do we need Palin info still?
The quotes from Kathy O’Reilly, a spokeswoman for Lycos, were reported by Politico last week and goes to show that the appeal of Sarah Palin is still little understood in many quarters.
Sarah Palin has stayed in the list of the top 5 Internet searches since she was chosen as John McCain’s running mate in October.
Continue reading “Media Can’t Understand Why Palin’s Still Popular Internet Search”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Oprah cries: “She talked to Greta. She talked to Matt. She talked to Larry. But she didn’t talk to me…”
Apparently, Oprah is whining that Sarah Palin won’t come on her show now that the election is over. But, who can blame Governor Palin for snubbing Oprah after the nasty things Oprah reportedly said about her before the election?
Continue reading “Oprah Whines that Sarah Hasn’t Come on Oprah Show”
-By Frank Salvato
The Founders and Framers were incredibly intelligent people. In fact, they operated, intellectually, at a grade 24 level, grade 12 equating to the senior year in high school. Therefore, it shouldn’t come as any surprise that each Article and Amendment – each tenet – in The Charters of Freedom was painstakingly examined, debated, reviewed and, finally, included. Article II, Section 1 of the United States Constitution – the Article that clearly states the qualifications for holding the office of President of the United States – is no different.
To be clear, I have no decided position on whether or not President-Elect Barack Obama is a natural-born citizen or otherwise. I believe that we – as a people – need to base our understanding on any and every issue on the facts. But in the case of Mr. Obama’s status of natural-born citizenship there are too many unanswered questions and not enough transparency where the facts are concerned. For a candidate who ran his presidential campaign on the promise of transparency, Mr. Obama has proven in the earliest moments of his executive tenure that transparency is subjective.
The most troubling of the troublesome questions is why Mr. Obama didn’t immediately release his vaulted, original birth certificate for examination. This act would have not only eliminated a potential stumbling block for his campaign, but it would have certified his eligibility for the office of President of the United States and saved the taxpayers the cost of judicial intervention. Instead, under the pretext of visiting an ailing grandmother in Hawaii just days before the 2008 Presidential Election, Mr. Obama had his vaulted, original birth certificate sealed by Hawaii’s governor, Linda Lingle (D).
Continue reading “Why the POTUS Needs to Be a Natural-Born Citizen”
-By Warner Todd Huston
It reads like the lyrics of the song in West Side Story where the “Jets” gang members sing to Officer Krupke claiming they are just misunderstood kids, not punks and criminals. The Minneapolis Star Tribune takes this approach to the story of young male Somali refugees that have taken residence in Minneapolis who have decided to go back to Somalia to “visit.” The suspicion is, though, that are they going back to join terrorist gangs there. The Star Trib claims they absolutely are not in its coverage, however. Yet, for some unexplained reason, the Star Trib also leaves out the fact that Somali recruiters have been seen roaming the streets of Minneapolis encouraging Somali men to return for just that purpose, as well as other important details linking the “visits” with terrorism.
Why would the Star Trib leave out such important facts in the story?
Of course, the subject arose when it was discovered that a recently returned Somali refugee had blown himself up in a suicide bombing attack in northern Somalia in October. The man, Shirwa Ahmed, was also a former resident of Minneapolis.
Continue reading “Minn. Star Tribune Leaves Out Important Parts of U.S. Terror Recruiting Tale”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Apparently, the Service Employees International Union is worried about the state of California’s budget. The SEIU, one of the nation’s biggest employee unions for state workers, would like Sacramento to know they have a cure for the millions in the red state budget.
Could it be that the union is going to offer cutbacks for its exorbitant union perks? Maybe a cut in their overly generous pension is in order? How about a cut in the pay scale that they enjoy, a scale that exceeds the private sector in nearly every way?
Well, don’t be ridiculous. The union is not offering to help the state with its budget. The union is demanding that the state raise taxes to keep them in the lifestyle to which they undeservedly have become accustomed.
Continue reading “Union’s Cure for State Budget Shortfall? Raise Taxes!”
-By Warner Todd Huston
The folks at the Workforce Fairness Institute conducted an interesting and enlightening post election survey that they are now ready to release and it shows that a significant majority of American voters do not support the Democrat’s and the Union’s Employee Free Choice Act (EFCA). The anti-democratic policy of card check was particularly disliked by those surveyed.
Public Opinion Strategies is pleased to present the key findings from a national post-election survey of 800 voters who said they voted on Election Day (November 4, 2008) or voted early. The telephone survey was conducted November 17-19, 2008, and has a margin of error of plus or minus 3.46%.
THE BOTTOM LINE
When presented with neutral language that describes the two main components of the Employee Free Choice Act, solid majorities of those who voted in this year’s elections oppose the proposed legislation. A couple of important themes arise in this survey data.
Continue reading “Majority of US Voters Oppose Ideas in EFCA”
-By Warner Todd Huston
It seems that Froma Harrop of Creator’s Syndicate news service was on vacation from just about five days before the general election until today and she’s just catching up on all the Palin hatin’ she must have missed. Unfortunately for Harrop, she still hasn’t caught up with the truth yet because her latest is filled with every lie about Governor Palin she could jam into one column, quite despite that for weeks her digs have been proven lies.
In hers headlined, “Palin should move to TV talk show,” Harrop proves that she should move from Creator’s Syndiacte to the National Enquirer… unless Creator’s Syndicate is trying to unseat the supermarket tabloid in hack writing. If that is the case, then Harrop is on the right track.
Continue reading “On Gov. Palin All the Lies Fit to Print”
-By Warner Todd Huston
Where is the most innovative, cost effective, and modern auto manufacturing plant in the world? It sure as heck isn’t in the USA. Why isn’t it here, in a country that has traditionally been at the top of the game for innovation?
The one word answer: Unions.
Continue reading “Union Stifles Modern Auto Innovation”
-By Dan Scott
This morning to my dismay I see the headlines in the Wall Street Journal (WSJ), Fed Signals More Action as Slump Drags On, with the summary line of “Recession Began a Year Ago, Making It Longest Since Early ’80s, Panel Says; Bernanke Considers Rate Cuts, Bond Purchases” The part which caught my eye was “Bond Purchases.” As I read the article I was stunned at the rationalizations being offered why the Federal Reserve should take actions that ordinarily would be considered extremely foolish in the light of history.
Earlier this week The National Bureau of Economic Research (NBER) had pronounced the country was in recession since December 2007. A rather odd pronouncement since we only had one confirmed quarter of negative Gross Domestic Product (GDP) and we are assuming this current quarter is also in negative territory, thus giving us the recession which the MSM and Democrats have so longed for in the past five years. NBER gave a rather interesting definition of a recession: A recession begins when the economy reaches a peak of activity and ends when the economy reaches its trough. Between trough and peak, the economy is in an expansion. So in essence if the economy is not climbing to a peak, it must be in recession, an interesting mental summersault since what they are saying is if two months in a row showed no increase or decrease, then according to their definition, the economy is in recession. Then comes the next interesting comment, The committee believes that the two most reliable comprehensive estimates of aggregate domestic production are normally the quarterly estimate of real Gross Domestic Product and the quarterly estimate of real Gross Domestic Income, both produced by the Bureau of Economic Analysis. In concept, the two should be the same, because sales of products generate income for producers and workers equal to the value of the sales. However, because the measurement on the product and income sides proceeds somewhat independently, the two actual measures differ by a statistical discrepancy. (emphasis mine) So now according to this committee the volatile Gross Domestic Income (GDI) is an equal measure to the GDP? What the NBER committee did not tell us is that GDI is affected by productivity. A spike in productivity will drive down the GDI and those who gauge the economy based on the GDI will erroneously assume an ailing industry when in fact automation and better production methods reduced employment payroll but profits either remained the same or increased. An example of this would be the Auto Industry when gas prices were down before 2005, manufacturers shed 30% of their labor force over 10 years but made the same number of cars and trucks. Notice their definition excludes profits, how socialist of them. Using the GDI would essentially mean the old Soviet Union was going swimmingly until they collapsed for some mysterious economic reason. Continue reading “The Great Money Printing Cover UP”