Friday, October 19, 2012
Tuesday, October 16, 2012
How is this race even close?
Apparently, Romney is big in rural areas..........
This is what I don't get. Romney is doing better than McCain in 2008 with the following groups
1) Jews
2) Men
3) White working class
4) Hispanics
5) Catholics
6) Asians
7) Young people
8) Old people
And to some level he's doing better among blacks.
In fact, I haven't seen a subset that Romney's doing worse with outside of women and even that gaps closing.
So if he's doing better than McCain among all these groups, how is this even close?
More....
The random cellphone and land line poll of 600 likely rural voters in nine battleground states Oct. 9-11 has Romney at 59 percent among the survey’s respondents. Obama’s support is now down to 37 percent among rural battleground voters, a plunge of 10 points from the actual rural vote in those states four years ago.
The nine battleground states of Colorado, Florida, Iowa, Nevada, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Ohio, Virginia and Wisconsin have a collective rural population of 13.6 million, according to the Census Bureau.
“It’s a boon to Romney,” says pollster Anna Greenberg of Greenberg Quinlan Rosner Research, the Democratic partner in the survey. “It will help him … because, of course, he will lose urban areas by a similar margin. And the suburban areas are still pretty competitive.”
This is what I don't get. Romney is doing better than McCain in 2008 with the following groups
1) Jews
2) Men
3) White working class
4) Hispanics
5) Catholics
6) Asians
7) Young people
8) Old people
And to some level he's doing better among blacks.
In fact, I haven't seen a subset that Romney's doing worse with outside of women and even that gaps closing.
So if he's doing better than McCain among all these groups, how is this even close?
More....
McCaskill: The Good News Is Emissions Are Down Because Of The Recession
If the Obamunists get their way they'll totally wipe out global warming by killing the US economy in its entirety.
Clinton "takes responsibility"
What does that mean?
Seriously, ever since Janet Reno "accepted responsibility" for the Branch Davidian FUBAR, I've always wondered what that meant to a politician.
To "accept responsibility" means to accept consequences. If it's a big enough screw up that should mean either loss of job or criminal charges or some other negative consequence.
Imagine going into your boss and "accepting responsibility" for a lost account because you forgot to follow up with important information to the customer.
What are the potential consequences?
Well, if you are a Secretary of State it means........
1) you admit to a boo boo.
2) you travel to Peru
3) you collect your next direct deposit
This is why I hate politicians.
Seriously, ever since Janet Reno "accepted responsibility" for the Branch Davidian FUBAR, I've always wondered what that meant to a politician.
To "accept responsibility" means to accept consequences. If it's a big enough screw up that should mean either loss of job or criminal charges or some other negative consequence.
Imagine going into your boss and "accepting responsibility" for a lost account because you forgot to follow up with important information to the customer.
What are the potential consequences?
Well, if you are a Secretary of State it means........
1) you admit to a boo boo.
2) you travel to Peru
3) you collect your next direct deposit
This is why I hate politicians.
Worst Debate Question Ever (from 1992)
This isn't the worst debate question ever. The answer was the worst ever.
H.W. should have walked off the stage and slapped the crap out of this guy.
H.W. should have walked off the stage and slapped the crap out of this guy.
Friday, October 12, 2012
Life in "Progress" Country - Greece edition
Greece's biggest company is leaving the country, drinks bottler Coca Cola Hellenic (CCH) said on Thursday in announcing it will move to Switzerland and list its shares in London, dealing a blow to the debt-crippled Greek economy.
The material impact on Greece may be limited — its Greek plants will go on working and CCH said the five percent of its business that the world's second-ranked Coke bottler has in Greece will be unaffected. But analysts quickly saw it as bad news for a nation struggling to compete inside the euro zone.
CCH, which already has secondary stock market listings in London and New York [CCH 21.701.25 (+6.11%)
], said in a bourse filing in Athens that shareholders, most of whom are abroad, will exchange all their stock for shares in Coca Cola HBC, based in Switzerland. That stock will have its primary quote in London [CCB.L 14.90 --- UNCH
"A primary listing on Europe's biggest and most liquid stock exchange reflects better the international character of Coca Cola Hellenic's business activities and shareholder base," the company said in its regulatory statement.The firm, in which The Coca-Cola Company [COKE 69.46"This transaction makes clear business sense," chief executive Dimitris Lois told analysts in a conference call.An overwhelming majority of shareholders have already accepted moving a company which has long complained about Greek taxes.
Wednesday, October 10, 2012
Tuesday, October 09, 2012
Who would he have voted for? #10101
Why is Eddie in the news................
A West Palm Beach man died Friday after he won a roach-eating contest held by a reptile store in Broward County.
Edward Archbold, 32, died Friday shortly before midnight. He had collapsed in front of the Ben Siegel Reptile Store in Deerfield Beach, where he had taken part in the contest.
Archbold and several other people signed up to eat a variety of insects for a chance to win a python.
Archbold ate dozens of roaches and worms, and was declared the winner of the challenge. Shortly after the contest ended, Archbold said he wasn't feeling well and he began to vomit before collapsing.
Archbold was taken to Broward Health North, where he was pronounced dead.
None of the other contestants reported any medical issues after the contest.
Investigators are awaiting the results of the autopsy before they can determine the cause of death.
The best yard sign ever
You know. I'd have a lot more respect for liberals if they'd put one of the no gun signs on their doors and windows like they require businesses.
Monday, October 08, 2012
The Law of Unintended Consequences
As you read this, ask yourself the question who is impacted more by this unintended consequence?In an experiment apparently aimed at keeping down the cost of health-care reform, Orlando-based Darden Restaurants has stopped offering full-time schedules to many hourly workers in at least a few Olive Gardens, Red Lobsters and LongHorn Steakhouses.
Darden said the test is taking place in "a select number" of restaurants in four markets, including Central Florida, but would not give details. The company said there has been no decision made about expanding it.
In an emailed statement, Darden said staffing changes are "just one of the many things we are evaluating to help us address the cost implications health care reform will have on our business. There are still many unanswered questions regarding the health care regulations and we simply do not have enough information to make any decisions at this time."
Analysts say many other companies, including the White Castle hamburger chain, are considering employing fewer full-timers because of key features of the Affordable Care Act scheduled to go into effect in 2014. Under that law, large companies must provide affordable health insurance to employees working an average of at least 30 hours per week.
1) A doctor
2) A NFL football player
3) A college grad paying off student loan debt
4) A NASA engineer
More.......
Sunday, October 07, 2012
Life in "Progress" State - California edition
Just over 8.5 billion recyclable cans were sold in California last year. The number redeemed for a nickel under California's recycling law: 8.3 billion.
That's a return rate of nearly 100%.
That kind of success isn't just impressive, it's unbelievable. But the recycling rate for certain plastic containers was even higher: 104%.
California's generous recycling redemption program has led to rampant fraud. Crafty entrepreneurs are driving semi-trailers full of cans from Nevada or Arizona, which don't have deposit laws, across the border and transforming their cargo into truckfuls of nickels. In addition, recyclers inside the state are claiming redemptions for the same containers several times over, or for containers that never existed.
The illicit trade is draining the state's $1.1-billion recycling fund. Government officials recently estimated the fraud at $40 million a year, and an industry expert said it could exceed $200 million. It's one reason the strapped fund paid out $100 million more in expenses last year than it took in from deposits and other sources.
"The law says California has to make it easy to recycle … so anyone with a devious mind, it's so easy, they can just go right in," said Los Angeles County Sheriff's Deputy Dave Chapman, who has investigated fraud rings in recent months.
Under the state's 25-year-old recycling law, California charges consumers a deposit on most beverage containers sold within its borders. Anyone who brings empty containers back to one of about 2,300 privately run recycling centers can collect 5 cents for most cans and bottles and 10 cents for larger containers.
Only products sold in California are eligible. But a can is a can — and many recycling centers in California aren't that interested in where they come from.
More.........
Life in "Progress" City - Detroit edition
How is it that republicans are responsible for this........
The men and women of the Detroit Police Department believe the city is too dangerous to enter, and they want citizens to know it.
Detroit Police Officer Association (DPOA) Attorney Donato Iorio said officers are holding the “Enter At Your Own Risk” rally at 3:30 p.m. Saturday in front of Comerica Park to remind the public that the officers are overworked, understaffed, and at times, fearful for their lives.
“Detroit is America’s most violent city, its homicide rate is the highest in the country and yet the Detroit Police Department is grossly understaffed,” Iorio told WWJ’s Kathryn Larson. “The DPOA believes that there is a war in Detroit, but there should be a war on crime, not a war on its officers.”
Iorio says the once 2,000 strong force is shrinking rapidly; since the start of summer, hundreds of officers have left the department.
More.....
Friday, October 05, 2012
Just what happened on that unemployment report?
It was awesome, if the ultimate goal is loading up workers with part time employment...........
How is it that the rate could drop by .3% while the actual number of jobs created came in line with expectations at 114k? Prior months revisions of +86k jobs added helpsbut the 3 month average of approximately +145k jobs added is barely enough to keep the overall level of unemployment flat.
Additionally, how is it that the rate could drop by .3% while the more broadly defined U-6 rate of unemployment remained unchanged at the elevated level of 14.7%?
The key to the change in the unemployment rate is the fact that there were a lot of people who reportedly found part-time work. Bloomberg highlights this fact in writing,
Some 582,000 Americans took part- time positions because of slack business
Part-time positions can influence a report to this magnitude? How convenient. At this rate, we could still have the worst economy since the Great Depression and a 5% rate of unemployment. We would also be ridiculed as a nation of liars and fakers.(please see my other commentary this morning).
Who wants my absentee ballot?
I just got my absentee ballot in the mail.
I've decided that I'm willing to give that ballot to any democrat/liberal/"progressive" who can answer the following question for me.
Now mind you this ballot is worth a lot of money. I'm in Ohio, a battleground state. Both presidential candidates are spending millions to get this vote from me.
But it can be yours if you can answer this question in an acceptable fashion to me.
If democratic/liberal/"progressive" policies are so wonderful, why is Detroit such a shit hole?
After all, there's never been a republican run that city since 1952. Obama carried Detroit something like 92-8. So democrats can take total credit for the shape Detroit is in.
Seriously, under any objective measurement (unemployment, home ownership, crime, schools, tax burdens, standard of living) , Detroit is a cesspool.
None the less, let's say you don't like Detroit for some reason. I'll even offer the following cities as substitutes.
1) San Bernadino, CA
2) Modesto, CA
3) Stockton, CA
4) Harrisburg, PA
5) Camden NJ
What do these cities have in common? They are all in municipal bankruptcy and you can't find a republican in their city governments with a search warrant and pack of blood hounds.
But hey, since I'm feeling generous. If cities don't float your boat, I'll let you substitute a state like Illinois or California, both of whom are going under with billions of dollars of unfunded pension liabilities.
But if that doesn't work for you, hell let's thrown in a country or two. I mean, what democrat/liberal/progressive doesn't want to see our country transformed into some Eurotopia?
So substitute one of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece or Spain) and tell me how all those "progressive" policies are working over there.I know it will be hard to find something in the news with all the riots and such going on but give it a shot.
The fact is, you show me a collapsing, bankrupt shit hole of a society and I'll show you an area run by democrats/liberals/"progressives".
But hey, isn't a free absentee ballot for the candidate of your choice and the ability to prove me wrong worth the shot.
I've decided that I'm willing to give that ballot to any democrat/liberal/"progressive" who can answer the following question for me.
Now mind you this ballot is worth a lot of money. I'm in Ohio, a battleground state. Both presidential candidates are spending millions to get this vote from me.
But it can be yours if you can answer this question in an acceptable fashion to me.
If democratic/liberal/"progressive" policies are so wonderful, why is Detroit such a shit hole?
After all, there's never been a republican run that city since 1952. Obama carried Detroit something like 92-8. So democrats can take total credit for the shape Detroit is in.
Seriously, under any objective measurement (unemployment, home ownership, crime, schools, tax burdens, standard of living) , Detroit is a cesspool.
None the less, let's say you don't like Detroit for some reason. I'll even offer the following cities as substitutes.
1) San Bernadino, CA
2) Modesto, CA
3) Stockton, CA
4) Harrisburg, PA
5) Camden NJ
What do these cities have in common? They are all in municipal bankruptcy and you can't find a republican in their city governments with a search warrant and pack of blood hounds.
But hey, since I'm feeling generous. If cities don't float your boat, I'll let you substitute a state like Illinois or California, both of whom are going under with billions of dollars of unfunded pension liabilities.
But if that doesn't work for you, hell let's thrown in a country or two. I mean, what democrat/liberal/progressive doesn't want to see our country transformed into some Eurotopia?
So substitute one of the PIIGS (Portugal, Italy, Ireland, Greece or Spain) and tell me how all those "progressive" policies are working over there.I know it will be hard to find something in the news with all the riots and such going on but give it a shot.
The fact is, you show me a collapsing, bankrupt shit hole of a society and I'll show you an area run by democrats/liberals/"progressives".
But hey, isn't a free absentee ballot for the candidate of your choice and the ability to prove me wrong worth the shot.
Life in "Progress" State - California edition
Gasoline station owners in the Los Angeles area including Costco Wholesale Corp. (COST) are beginning to shut pumps as the state’s oil refiners started rationing supplies and spot prices surged to a record.More.........
Valero Energy Corp. (VLO) stopped selling gasoline on the spot, or wholesale, market in Southern California and is allocating deliveries to customers. Exxon Mobil Corp. (XOM) is also rationing fuel to U.S. West Coast terminal customers. Costco’s outlet in Simi Valley, 40 miles (64 kilometers) northwest of Los Angeles, ran out of regular gasoline yesterday and was selling premium fuel at the price of regular.
The gasoline shortage “feels like a hurricane to me, but it’s the West Coast,” Jeff Cole, Costco’s vice president of gasoline, said by telephone yesterday. “We’re obviously extremely disheartened that we are unable to do this, and we’re pulling fuel from all corners of California to fix this.”
Spot gasoline in Los Angeles has surged $1 a gallon this week to a record $1.45 a gallon premium versus gasoline futures traded on the New York Mercantile Exchange, data compiled by Bloomberg show. That’s the highest level for the fuel since at least November 2007, when Bloomberg began publishing prices there. On an outright basis, the fuel has jumped to $4.3929 a gallon.
A true bully
Have you ever noticed the tendency of Obama to go after enemies when they don't have the ability to respond.
Take the State of the Union, when he ripped the Supreme Court as they sat in the audience.
Or the ripping of Paul Ryan when he sat in the audience.
So when he has a chance to confront a challenger in the debate.... man to man.........he takes a pass.
But he seems to have plenty of balls the next day when the Rominator isn't there to call him out........
Take the State of the Union, when he ripped the Supreme Court as they sat in the audience.
Or the ripping of Paul Ryan when he sat in the audience.
So when he has a chance to confront a challenger in the debate.... man to man.........he takes a pass.
But he seems to have plenty of balls the next day when the Rominator isn't there to call him out........
He cares about the middle class
Tell that to non union Delphi pensioners...............
Read the rest..........
House Ways and Means Committee Chairman Dave Camp, R-MI, says a review of more than 5,000 executive branch documents strongly suggests that the administration hasn't been truthful with Congress about a key decision in President Obama's bailout of General Motors.
At the heart of the bailout was a decision that it would include GM "topping off" the pensions of non-salaried workers who were members of the United Auto Workers, but not those of salaried, non-union employees of the automakers former Delphi parts supplier. Nearly 20,000 of the salaried employees lost as much as 70 percent of their pensions as a result of that decision.
Obama administration officials claimed the decision was made entirely without input from either the White House or the Treasury Department. But the documents provided in response to Camp's August request appear to undercut the administration's claim. Among other things, according to Camp, the documents make clear that:
Read the rest..........
Thursday, October 04, 2012
What's wrong with America
John Stossel with a must read piece on dependency in this country............
You have to read the rest here...........
"There are no jobs!" That is what people told me outside a government "jobs center" in New York City.
To check this out, I sent four researchers around the area. They quickly found 40 job openings. Twenty-four were entry-level positions. One restaurant owner told me he would hire 12 people if workers would just apply.
It made me wonder what my government does in buildings called "job centers." So I asked a college intern, Zoelle Mallenbaum, to find out. Here's what she found:
"First I went to the Manhattan Jobs Center and asked, "Can I get help finding a job?" They told me they don't do that. 'We sign people up for food stamps.' I tried another jobs center. They told me to enroll for unemployment benefits."
So the "jobs" centers help people get handouts. Neither center suggested people try the 40 job openings in the neighborhood.
My intern persisted:
"I explained that I didn't want handouts; I wanted a job. I was told to go to 'WorkForce1,' a New York City program. At WorkForce1, the receptionist told me that she couldn't help me since I didn't have a college degree. She directed me to another center in Harlem. In Harlem, I was told that before I could get help, I had to come back for an 8:30 a.m. 'training session.'"
You have to read the rest here...........
My take
I don't watch debates. If I want people to lie to me, I'll call my ex wife. None the less, I enjoy reading and hearing other people's take on the debates.
One of my clients who is a very discouraged republican told me he really felt that watching Romney was like watching an old Reagan clip.
Many of the writers have ripped Obama for his flat finish.
Let me offer this take on Obama. He's used to reading prepared text off of teleprompters in friendly environments. As a narcissist, he thrives on the adulation. He's had how many press conferences in the past four years? Few. His toughest media questions have come from Joy Behar?
The only tough questions he's received in the past four years has been from Univision and you know how that went.
And here he is wondering why Jim Lehrer is not genuflecting and protecting him from the big bad Rominator.
As I've said for years, liberals do their candidate no favors by being repeatedly soft on them.
I've got a bunch of nieces and nephews in the 1-10 year old range. Many of these kids have been told that they are wonderful from the time that they been able to hear. You should watch the behavior of these kids when confronted with adversity for the first time.
The only difference between these kids and Obama is that Obama knows he can't cry anymore.
One of my clients who is a very discouraged republican told me he really felt that watching Romney was like watching an old Reagan clip.
Many of the writers have ripped Obama for his flat finish.
Let me offer this take on Obama. He's used to reading prepared text off of teleprompters in friendly environments. As a narcissist, he thrives on the adulation. He's had how many press conferences in the past four years? Few. His toughest media questions have come from Joy Behar?
The only tough questions he's received in the past four years has been from Univision and you know how that went.
And here he is wondering why Jim Lehrer is not genuflecting and protecting him from the big bad Rominator.
As I've said for years, liberals do their candidate no favors by being repeatedly soft on them.
I've got a bunch of nieces and nephews in the 1-10 year old range. Many of these kids have been told that they are wonderful from the time that they been able to hear. You should watch the behavior of these kids when confronted with adversity for the first time.
The only difference between these kids and Obama is that Obama knows he can't cry anymore.
12 reasons to vote democratic
12 REASONS TO VOTE DEMOCRAT
1. I voted Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my German Shepherd.
2. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the Government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.
3. I voted Democrat because I believe the Government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
4. I voted Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as only white Christians are offended by it.
5. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
6. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in 10 years if I don't start driving a Prius.
7. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
8. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education and Social Security benefits, and we should take away the Social Security from some who paid into it.
9. I voted Democrat because I believe that businesses should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.
10. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal Judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
11. I voted Democrat because I think that it's better to pay billions for oil from people who hate us but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish.
12. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass, it's unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.
1. I voted Democrat because I love the fact that I can now marry whatever I want. I've decided to marry my German Shepherd.
2. I voted Democrat because I believe oil companies' profits of 4% on a gallon of gas are obscene but the Government taxing the same gallon of gas at 15% isn't.
3. I voted Democrat because I believe the Government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.
4. I voted Democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as only white Christians are offended by it.
5. I voted Democrat because I'm way too irresponsible to own a gun and I know that my local police are all I need to protect me from murderers and thieves.
6. I voted Democrat because I believe that people who can't tell us if it will rain on Friday can tell us that the polar ice caps will melt away in 10 years if I don't start driving a Prius.
7. I voted Democrat because I'm not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.
8. I voted Democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education and Social Security benefits, and we should take away the Social Security from some who paid into it.
9. I voted Democrat because I believe that businesses should not be allowed to make profits for themselves. They need to break even and give the rest away to the government for redistribution as the Democrats see fit.
10. I voted Democrat because I believe liberal Judges need to rewrite the Constitution every few days to suit some fringe kooks who would never get their agendas past the voters.
11. I voted Democrat because I think that it's better to pay billions for oil from people who hate us but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle, gopher or fish.
12. I voted Democrat because my head is so firmly planted up my ass, it's unlikely that I'll ever have another point of view.
Wednesday, October 03, 2012
Tuesday, October 02, 2012
Monday, October 01, 2012
Life in "Progress" Continent - Euro edition
The eurozone unemployment rate was 11.4pc in August, up from 10.2pc last year. Data from the EU statistics agency Eurostat estimated that 25.5m men and women were out of work over the period, 18.2m of whom were in the eurozone.
Compared with the previous month the number of unemployed people in the EU rose by 49,000 and in the eurozone by 34,000.
The overall unemployment rate in Spain has reached 25.1pc, while the latest data from Greece for June shows a figure of 24.4pc. The outlook is far more optimistic in Germany, however, where just 5.5pc of people are out of work.
More.....
Sunday, September 30, 2012
Who will she vote for? #71
Meet Amanda Clayton. Why is she in the news?
The Michigan lottery winner who shot to prominence after admitting that she was still collecting food stamps died Saturday of a possible drug overdose, the Detroit News reported.
Amanda Clayton, 25, was found dead at home around 9 a.m. Saturday, Ecorse police Sgt. Cornelius Herring confirmed. An autopsy is pending, according to WXYZ-TV.
Her friend’s boyfriend told WXYZ Clayton was discovered lying on the bed with her 1 1/2-year-old. The boyfriend said Clayton was “already in a bad stage” Friday night.
In March, a local news station confronted Clayton on camera about why she was still using food stamps to pay for her meals after winning a $1 million lottery prize. She defended the practice, saying, “I feel that it’s OK because I mean, I have no income and I have bills to pay, I have two houses.”
Years ago, a friend of mine once told me that you could take all the world's wealth, divide it evenly among all 8 billions inhabitants and it would be right back where it started right after the next three day weekend.
Amanda here just confirmed it.
Life in "Progress" Country - Spain edition
The middle-aged man sitting on a railway station bench protects a younger man by wrapping his arms around him as he shouts desperately at the helmeted, baton-wielding police officers running up and down the platforms at Madrid's Atocha station.
"Shame on you! Shame on you! Shame on you!" he bellows repeatedly in a video that shows how police charged into the station during violent demonstrations that shook Madrid last week.
On the other side of the ticket barrier a younger man is whacked with truncheons by two policemen. "I don't know whether he is a passenger or a protester," one of them admits. A third man who was waiting for a train is bundled down the platform by police officers as he asks: "And what have I done?" A youth points to blood running down his face. "What the hell is this?" he asks.
On Friday, police told a judge they had needed to chase a group of violent protesters across the railway tracks and had later arrested some in a nearby bar. They, too, had suffered injuries. "People who had been hurling stones at police tried to hide in the station, passing themselves off as normal passengers," a spokesman said. "We had to go in."
As Spaniards respond with dismay to the violence shown by demonstrators, who launched attacks on police, and the response of some riot police, during scuffles in the area around Madrid's parliament building last week, the long-running drama of the country's deflating economy has lurched into a newly confrontational stage, amid fears that there will be more violence to come.
When the hell is a media member going to ask Jay Carney or maybe the president the question "How much money can the US borrow before we start dealing with these problems"?
More.........
Saturday, September 29, 2012
Dear daughter
Dear Daughter,
I found this note crinkled up in the garbage.
I'm going to offer a novel idea for you.
If you are mature enough to engage in sexual activity, then you should be mature enough to deal with the costs and consequences of that activity. If you can't, maybe that meathead boyfriend of yours should kick in.
I can't believe I raised you to believe otherwise.
Now leave your Mom alone. Next time try hand writing a birthday card.
Dad
Friday, September 28, 2012
Life in "Progress" City - East St. Louis edition
Angered by the recent murders of four young people, the mayor announced today that police are going to impose drastic new measurers to keep teens off the streets.
“There is something going on in the community at this point that we’ve got to safeguard them and keep them off the streets,” Mayor Alvin Parks said. “There are people shooting at each other for no reason whatsoever.”
Among the new rules: **Minors are to be off the streets at ten o’clock on both weeknights and weekend nights.**Minors on the street during school hours will be arrested on sight.
**Police will also perform I.D. checks on street corners and conduct gun searches, and Parks says he won’t hesitate to call in the National Guard if the spike in violence continues.
More.....
Life in "Progress" Country - France edition
President Francois Hollande's Socialist government unveiled sharp tax hikes on business and the rich on Friday in a 2013 budget aimed at showing France has the fiscal rigor to remain at the core of the euro zone.
The package will recoup 30 billion euros ($39 billion) for the public purse with a goal of narrowing the deficit to 3.0 percent of national output next year from 4.5 percent this year -
France's toughest single belt-tightening in 30 years.
But with record unemployment and a barrage of data pointing to economic stagnation, there are fears the deficit target will slip as France falls short of the modest 0.8 percent economic growth rate on which it is banking for next year.
The budget disappointed pro-reform lobbyists by merely freezing France's high public spending rather than daring to attack ministerial budgets as Spain did this week as it battles to avoid the conditions of an international bailout.
Anyone want to put a wager down that France's gross tax receipts will go down next year?
More.........
The package will recoup 30 billion euros ($39 billion) for the public purse with a goal of narrowing the deficit to 3.0 percent of national output next year from 4.5 percent this year -
France's toughest single belt-tightening in 30 years.
But with record unemployment and a barrage of data pointing to economic stagnation, there are fears the deficit target will slip as France falls short of the modest 0.8 percent economic growth rate on which it is banking for next year.
The budget disappointed pro-reform lobbyists by merely freezing France's high public spending rather than daring to attack ministerial budgets as Spain did this week as it battles to avoid the conditions of an international bailout.
Anyone want to put a wager down that France's gross tax receipts will go down next year?
More.........
Who will they vote for? #191
Thursday, September 27, 2012
The American way? #1
One of the things that has become a real irritant to me lately is how totally ungrateful people are when getting free stuff.
The client I referenced earlier has been subsidizing his fully capable son for the past ten years. He's given this guy a $1000/mo. plus totally pays for his house expenses, utilities taxes etc.
My client played back a voice mail his son left him calling him every name I've ever used plus some I didn't know existed.
Now there have been people in my life I've had issues with. But if they we're floating my life style to the tune of $25k a year, I'd keep my damn issues to myself.
I've finally come to the conclusion that when you do something nice for someone, you should expect a response in the tone of "is that all".
So yes, these are the 47% of clowns in this country Romney need not campaign for.
The client I referenced earlier has been subsidizing his fully capable son for the past ten years. He's given this guy a $1000/mo. plus totally pays for his house expenses, utilities taxes etc.
My client played back a voice mail his son left him calling him every name I've ever used plus some I didn't know existed.
Now there have been people in my life I've had issues with. But if they we're floating my life style to the tune of $25k a year, I'd keep my damn issues to myself.
I've finally come to the conclusion that when you do something nice for someone, you should expect a response in the tone of "is that all".
So yes, these are the 47% of clowns in this country Romney need not campaign for.
The American way? #2
On Thursdays, I have a standing lunch appointment with a client on the western side of town.
As a result, I try to book appointments nearby around that lunch.
Today, I got the opportunity to go to client who's bookkeeper is currently borrowing student loan money to go to school.
Sounds noble for a young guy to go to school at night to better himself. That's the American way right?
Well apparently it is. See this guy isn't going back to school for more skills or an advanced degree, he's taking borrowing more money to take course so he can continue his student loan payment deferment.
Is this a great country or what?
As a result, I try to book appointments nearby around that lunch.
Today, I got the opportunity to go to client who's bookkeeper is currently borrowing student loan money to go to school.
Sounds noble for a young guy to go to school at night to better himself. That's the American way right?
Well apparently it is. See this guy isn't going back to school for more skills or an advanced degree, he's taking borrowing more money to take course so he can continue his student loan payment deferment.
Is this a great country or what?
The American Way #3
So I'm thinking that if you have enough free time to protest a Mitt Romney campaign appearance, you have enough time to get a job and pay for your own damn phone.
Does that make me insensitive to poor people?
Tuesday, September 25, 2012
Monday, September 24, 2012
Thursday, September 20, 2012
Tuesday, September 18, 2012
Obama's greatest hits
What do you think are the chances Peggy will vote for Romney?
Is she one of the 47%
Is she one of the 47%
Sounds about right to me
A friend recently sent me a jokethat goes something like this.
What's the difference between a Romney voter and an Obama voter?
Romney voters sign their checks on the front. Obama's sign them on the back.
While it was meant to be humorous, it's fairly accurate.
Seriously, the whole democratic party is a conglomeration of victim groups who want something for free.
Take Sandra Fluke, a totally capable 31 year old who wants free birth control pills because that's money she can be using for her next trip to Europe..
Or the Chicago Teachers Union who want more pay for jobs there not doing in the first place.
So Romney isn't too far off when he says
"47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what."
What's the difference between a Romney voter and an Obama voter?
Romney voters sign their checks on the front. Obama's sign them on the back.
While it was meant to be humorous, it's fairly accurate.
Seriously, the whole democratic party is a conglomeration of victim groups who want something for free.
Take Sandra Fluke, a totally capable 31 year old who wants free birth control pills because that's money she can be using for her next trip to Europe..
Or the Chicago Teachers Union who want more pay for jobs there not doing in the first place.
So Romney isn't too far off when he says
"47 percent of the people who will vote for the president no matter what."
Monday, September 17, 2012
Sunday, September 16, 2012
Friday, September 14, 2012
Steyn has it right
So the media is going to bang on Romney because of the timing of his Libya criticism. You know a foreign policy crisis so severe it didn't delay a trip to Vegas for our president
......
......
Thursday, September 13, 2012
Wednesday, September 12, 2012
Back to the future - the Carter years
Remember the good old days when root beer was served in frosted mugs and the world invaded our embassy in Iran because of their hatred of George Bush.
Oh......... that was the Carter administration?
Never mind.
Oh......... that was the Carter administration?
Never mind.
Obama's greatest hits
Gas at $4/gal.......... A coincidence? What will it cost at the end of this guy's second term?
Tuesday, September 11, 2012
Who will she vote for? #1011
Meet Katie Brotherton. Why is she in the news?
What's missing in her rant is what she received in this "investment" in her future.
The word from various local talk shows is that she received a degree in English.
Seriously?
It never dawned on this person that maybe $190k in debt for an English degree qualifies you for what exactly?
She spent $190k for a degree when 15 minutes of on the job training at you local Starbucks qualifies you for a lucrative barista position.
I'll give her this. She is giving voice to a problem. We are educating kids who have no cognitive thinking ability.
Just think about those kids in the Chicago city schools. Will the literacy rate actually go up while the kids are out of school?
None the less, despite her overwhelming stupidity, she'll be allowed to vote this fall. Will she cast her ballot for Obama or Romney?
More.........
My pursuit in excellent education is rooted in a value system that promotes progressive thought for the betterment of the individual as well as society. Education is a core tenet and vested interest of the functioning democratic society. Upon that basic assumption and principle, I am overwhelmingly incensed by the silent epidemic of crippling student debt.
At 25 years old, I have $188,307.22 in student debt, all of which is my sole financial responsibility.
That exorbitant number was abetted by easy lending with a co-signer, negligence and lack of awareness, over-borrowing and the exponential growth of tuition.
I work both a full-time and part-time job, and abide by a strict budget. Yet, I still sleep in my parent’s basement and am dependent for food, gas and health insurance.
I am told I am not alone.
However, this particularly sensitive conversation is being ignored by our mainstream consciousness. Perhaps I should be ashamed for buying such an unaffordable education and internalize my debts as personal failures. Perhaps my mistakes warrant pained silence. But silence breeds apathy, and in regard to the welfare of the American economy, I want to humanize the numbers and give voice to this reprehensible problem.
What's missing in her rant is what she received in this "investment" in her future.
The word from various local talk shows is that she received a degree in English.
Seriously?
It never dawned on this person that maybe $190k in debt for an English degree qualifies you for what exactly?
She spent $190k for a degree when 15 minutes of on the job training at you local Starbucks qualifies you for a lucrative barista position.
I'll give her this. She is giving voice to a problem. We are educating kids who have no cognitive thinking ability.
Just think about those kids in the Chicago city schools. Will the literacy rate actually go up while the kids are out of school?
None the less, despite her overwhelming stupidity, she'll be allowed to vote this fall. Will she cast her ballot for Obama or Romney?
More.........
Sunday, September 09, 2012
Democrats: Let's Ban Profits!
The Gekkos are just back from a long weekend in Nashville.
While we were there, we caught some free concerts in Centennial Park. As I looked around the crowd and the parking lot, I could tell that Obama would probably take the free concert goer demographic by a 80-20 margin.
Prior to us going to the show, I watched this video.............
Between sets, I was really tempted to jump up on the stage and give this speech.
For all you who believe that corporate profits are bad, let me ask you some questions......
1) These "free" concerts are only free to you but they are hardly free to who puts them on. Where do you think the money comes from to put these shows on? Who pays for the stage? the electricity? the park space?
You may think that the money comes from sponsors such as Gibson guitars; which it does. But where the hell does Gibson get the money to fund their sponsorship. That's right......profit. Or as most of you view it......Satan's nectar.
What about the instruments these guys play. How many musicians could make these instruments on their own? But without a profit motivation, why would anyone have the incentive to build these instruments.
In fact, without a profit motivation who would build this band stage? or wire the electricity? Or build those Prius's you're so proud of placing your Obama bumper stickers on? For that matter, who would make Obama bumper stickers if they had to do it for free?
By the way, while all of you are tweeting about the Nazi on stage bragging about profits, do you think Steve Jobs built all those iphones out of some sense of altruism?
So while all you freeloaders come to these "free" shows, how about showing some fucking appreciation for those people who use their profits so you can enjoy them.
Thank you.
While we were there, we caught some free concerts in Centennial Park. As I looked around the crowd and the parking lot, I could tell that Obama would probably take the free concert goer demographic by a 80-20 margin.
Prior to us going to the show, I watched this video.............
Between sets, I was really tempted to jump up on the stage and give this speech.
For all you who believe that corporate profits are bad, let me ask you some questions......
1) These "free" concerts are only free to you but they are hardly free to who puts them on. Where do you think the money comes from to put these shows on? Who pays for the stage? the electricity? the park space?
You may think that the money comes from sponsors such as Gibson guitars; which it does. But where the hell does Gibson get the money to fund their sponsorship. That's right......profit. Or as most of you view it......Satan's nectar.
What about the instruments these guys play. How many musicians could make these instruments on their own? But without a profit motivation, why would anyone have the incentive to build these instruments.
In fact, without a profit motivation who would build this band stage? or wire the electricity? Or build those Prius's you're so proud of placing your Obama bumper stickers on? For that matter, who would make Obama bumper stickers if they had to do it for free?
By the way, while all of you are tweeting about the Nazi on stage bragging about profits, do you think Steve Jobs built all those iphones out of some sense of altruism?
So while all you freeloaders come to these "free" shows, how about showing some fucking appreciation for those people who use their profits so you can enjoy them.
Thank you.
Thursday, September 06, 2012
Life in "Progress" City - Detroit edition
Keep voting for Obama and the rest of the democrats and the rest of our country can look just like this someday...............
Wednesday, September 05, 2012
Tuesday, September 04, 2012
Life in "Progress" Country - Spain edition
Seriously, what's it going to take for some media type to call out Obama for leading the US on the same track as the PIIGS (Portugal, Ireland, Italy, Greece, & Spain)?
Now ask yourself the question, when people flee a bad situation who ends up holding the bag?
garbage collectors
corporate executives
taxi drivers
movie stars
More............
It is, Julio Vildosola concedes, a very big bet.
After working six years as a senior executive for a multinational payroll-processing company in Barcelona, Spain, Mr. Vildosola is cutting his professional and financial ties with his troubled homeland. He has moved his family to a village near Cambridge, England, where he will take the reins at a small software company, and he has transferred his savings from Spanish banks to British banks.
“The macro situation in Spain is getting worse and worse,” Mr. Vildosola, 38, said last week just hours before boarding a plane to London with his wife and two small children. “There is just too much risk. Spain is going to be next after Greece, and I just don’t want to end up holding devalued pesetas.”
Now ask yourself the question, when people flee a bad situation who ends up holding the bag?
garbage collectors
corporate executives
taxi drivers
movie stars
More............
Labor day prediction
A few weeks ago, a client asked me my prediction on the election.
Here it is.
Romney will win with more electoral votes than Obama won in 2008.
How is that when the polls say it's a tight race?
As I told my client, probably half the American public couldn't identify Romney in a police lineup.
As he gets more media attention from his VP pick, he'll get a point or two bump. After people see coverage of the convention and can see that he's not Lucifer complete with a three piece suit and horns, he'll pick up another point.
But the key will be the debates, where people will see him matched up against The One. At that point, the public will be forced to concede that Obama is a loser and will throw him overboard.
I think you are starting to see the water filling up the boat when media types are publiching articles about how he's selfish, arrogant, etc.
That's my call. But then again, prognostication has never been my strong suit.
Here it is.
Romney will win with more electoral votes than Obama won in 2008.
How is that when the polls say it's a tight race?
As I told my client, probably half the American public couldn't identify Romney in a police lineup.
As he gets more media attention from his VP pick, he'll get a point or two bump. After people see coverage of the convention and can see that he's not Lucifer complete with a three piece suit and horns, he'll pick up another point.
But the key will be the debates, where people will see him matched up against The One. At that point, the public will be forced to concede that Obama is a loser and will throw him overboard.
I think you are starting to see the water filling up the boat when media types are publiching articles about how he's selfish, arrogant, etc.
That's my call. But then again, prognostication has never been my strong suit.
Monday, September 03, 2012
Who will they vote for? #1010
A suspected robber is dead after breaking in to a Boone County home early Monday morning.
Three men broke into 92-year-old Earl Jones' home in the 15000 block of Violet Road in Verona at about 2:40 a.m. and Jones shot one of the men as he was coming up the stairs of his basement, according to Boone County spokesperson, Tom Scheben. Jones used his .22 caliber rifle to shoot the alleged robber in the chest.
The injured robber, whose name has not yet been released, fled the scene with the two other men allegedly involved in the robbery. The two men took their injured friend to 2001 Chevrolet Impala on Courtney Road and called police. The pair fabricated a story about the man's injury to try and get him medical attention, Scheben said.
The man died from his injuries. Scheben said the suspect is 24 years old, but they have not yet released his identity.
Police identified the other men as 22-year-old Ryan Dalton and 20-year-old Donnie Inabnit-- both of Dry Ridge. Both are charged with second degree burglary and tampering with physical evidence.
Jones is not facing charges for the shooting. Jones told officials that Monday morning's incident was the third time his home has been robbed.
So in the next presidential election will Earl Jones's vote for the candidate trying to strip him of his medicare or President Obama?
Will the burglars vote for the candidate who hates poor people or Barack Obama?
Will the dead person vote for...... uhhhhhh....... Actually we already know who he'll be voting for.
Welcome to Obamaland
Sure, the economy is adding jobs these days…but most of those positions pay pretty poorly.
Some 58% of the jobs created during the recovery have been low-wage positions, according to a new report by the National Employment Law Project. Only 22% have been mid-wage jobs and 20% higher-wage positions. These low-wage jobs pay $13.83 an hour or less.
“The recovery continues to be skewed toward low-wage jobs, reinforcing the rise in inequality and America’s deficit of good jobs,” said Annette Bernhardt, NELP’s policy co-director. “While there’s understandably a lot of focus on getting employment back to pre-recession levels, the quality of jobs is rapidly emerging as a second front in the struggling recovery.”
The explosion in low-wage job growth comes after the Great Recession hammered the mid-wage job sector. Some 60% of the jobs lost during the downturn were mid-wage, as opposed to 21% of low-wage and 19% of higher-wage positions.
The fastest growing low-wage jobs include retail salespeople, food prep workers, laborers and freight workers, waiters and waitresses, personal and home care aides, office clerks and customers representatives.
More.....
Life in "Progress" City - Detroit edition
A Detroit man suspected of fatally shooting two men attempted to turn himself in on Saturday but, to his surprise, there were apparently no police officers available to take him into custody.
The shooting occurred at around 1:30 a.m. Saturday in Detroit, a city grappling with high crime rates. Witnesses said several people were attending a “social event” when the suspect, identified only as a 36-year-old male, lost his temper in an altercation, pulled out a gun and started shooting, WDIV reports.
After the smoke cleared, two men were dead and two others wounded. The shooter fled the scene in his car.
About two hours after the shooting, Detroit police say the suspect arrived at a Detroit Fire Engine Station and said he was involved in the deadly shooting that night, seemingly turning himself in.
The fire station called the police, expecting them to rush to the station to pick up the murder suspect. Instead, the police told them that area patrol units were too busy “handling high priority runs” and therefore “no units were dispatched to the location,” according to the report.
This allowed the suspect to actually leave the fire station on his own free will. Fortunately, the suspected shooter went directly to the 10th Police Precinct where he was finally taken into custody
More...........
National Empty Chair Day
Our president's contribution to our country the past four years............
How Obama help create the subprime mess....before he was president
From the law of unintended consequences.............
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/03/documents-plaintiffs-in-1995-obama-led-citibank-lawsuit-submitted-class-action-claims/#ixzz25Pj2kSTi
Shit. I'm just surprised to see that the dude had a job in 1995.
The Daily Caller obtained the previously unpublished records for all of Barack Obama’s clients in the 1995 lawsuit “Buycks-Roberson v. Citibank Fed. Sav. Bank.” Obama was named as the lead attorney for two of the three named plaintiffs in the case.
TheDC verified the real estate history of all clients using public databases provided by the Cook County Recorder of Deeds, the Cook County Assessor’s Office, the Illinois bankruptcy court, the federal court system and Zillow, a real estate firm.
These documents are “proof of claim” records for more than 100 of the class-action plaintiffs based in or near Chicago. The paperwork shows their assertion that Citibank had denied them mortgages, an outcome they believed was related to their race. [RELATED: With landmark lawsuit, Barack Obama pushed banks to give subprime loans to Chicago’s African-Americans]
The case was settled out of court with Citibank agreeing to change its standards for lending in urban areas and to applicants who would not otherwise qualify.
The case is emblematic of the subprime mortgage crisis, caused in large part by lenders extending credit to borrowers who, like many of the “Buycks” plaintiffs, were not creditworthy. As a result, countless homes were foreclosed and property values have plummeted in many metropolitan areas of the United States.
At least 46 of Obama’s 186 clients have declared bankruptcy since 1996, often multiple times.
Read more: http://dailycaller.com/2012/09/03/documents-plaintiffs-in-1995-obama-led-citibank-lawsuit-submitted-class-action-claims/#ixzz25Pj2kSTi
Shit. I'm just surprised to see that the dude had a job in 1995.
Life in "Progress" City - Detroit edition
A U-Haul truck loaded with equipment for a Monday event featuring Vice President Joe Biden was stolen in Detroit Sunday, a spokesman for the U.S. Secret Service said.
"A U-Haul that we were utilizing was stolen at the Westin Hotel overnight," Ed Donovan told CNN.
Donovan would not specify what equipment was in the U-Haul at the time it was stolen, and added that the theft shouldn't affect the vice president's plans on Monday.
Biden is scheduled to speak at a Labor Day rally in downtown Detroit Monday and march in a parade organized by the Michigan AFL-CIO. Last year President Barack Obama spoke at the Motor City's Labor Day celebration.
Hopefully, Biden wasn't in the truck.
Article here.........
Sunday, September 02, 2012
From the party of rational thought......
When you can't lick your opponents on the facts, you simply scream like a two year old.
Saturday, September 01, 2012
Friday, August 31, 2012
Why I'm a conservative #189
Because I believe in the KISS (keep it simple stupid) principle.
For instance, I call corn food............ liberals call it fuel..............
As an increasing amount of U.S. corn is being used to meet rising ethanol demand, the United States—the world’s dominant producer and exporter of corn—is exporting less.
Now ask yourself. As we use more corn for fuel instead of food, what happens to food prices? Keep in mind that corn is used in cattle feed, dog food, breakfast cereal, etc, etc.........
When food prices go up who takes the brunt of the pain?
1) A senior citizen on a fixed income?
2) Mitt Romney
3) An opthomoligist
4) A tax accountant in Loveland OH
More.....
For instance, I call corn food............ liberals call it fuel..............
As an increasing amount of U.S. corn is being used to meet rising ethanol demand, the United States—the world’s dominant producer and exporter of corn—is exporting less.
Now ask yourself. As we use more corn for fuel instead of food, what happens to food prices? Keep in mind that corn is used in cattle feed, dog food, breakfast cereal, etc, etc.........
When food prices go up who takes the brunt of the pain?
1) A senior citizen on a fixed income?
2) Mitt Romney
3) An opthomoligist
4) A tax accountant in Loveland OH
More.....
You didn't build that
She's writing this late in the game, but a lib explains how Obama will wear the "you didn't build that comment" for the entire campaign.............
It's a good read.....
Many moons ago, I spent a couple of years in a fiction-writing program at a local university. I never finished the novel I aspired to write, but I did learn some valuable lessons. The most important: “It doesn’t matter what you meant. What matters is what you conveyed.” In the context of class, that meant when we were sharing our work and listening to feedback, we couldn’t butt in and say that we’d meant something else. We needed to take ourselves out of our own head and try to understand what our readers had heard.
In the case of Obama’s Roanoke speech, conservatives everywhere heard, ”You don’t get credit for your hard work.” I agree with the Washington Post for giving the Romney campaign four Pinocchios for repeating the truncated quote ad nauseum. I wish Romney’s team would use the full version. Because even in its full glory, it would inspire largely the same reaction. The sentiment resonates with small-business owners—and it’s small-business owners who have been most vocal in their response to Obama’s comments, from the co-owner of an Iowa deli who good-naturedly catered an Obama campaign stop in a T-shirt saying, “Government didn’t build my business” to the hardware store owner who was a bit less gracious.
Conservatives suspect that President Obama sees government as the solution to everything. Only someone who thinks government is the answer would describe a stimulus program that cost at least $185,000 per job as successful. I can’t think of a starker difference between the liberal and conservative worldviews than the Life of Julia slide show. Liberals look at that video and see a woman aided by a social safety net. Conservatives look at it and are creeped out by the fact that liberals think the very-capable-seeming Julia can’t do anything without government help.
That same sentiment comes through in the “You Didn’t Build That” speech. Obama’s words contain an undertone that business owners are selfish, that they are ungrateful toward those teachers who helped them along the way. And that is where Obama’s misunderstanding of small business, real or perceived, shines through.
Quite apart from whatever taxes they pay, small-business owners are part of the very fabric of their communities. Someone has to run the pharmacy. Someone has to run the gas stations. Local businesses don’t send their profits back to Bentonville, Ark.; Minneapolis, Minn.; or Cupertino, Calif., but rather put them back into the community. The restaurant owner gets his produce and meat from local stores, the mechanic hires a local painter to spruce up his shop. They are the ones who not only give money to the athletic booster club and the PTA, but show up to help out at fundraisers. And if that teacher who helped them with their math homework stops by, the owner gives her a free oil change or an extra slice of pie for dessert.
It's a good read.....
MSNBC Claims that Republicans Are Trying to Tie Obama to Tiger Woods
Mitch McConnell points out that Obama spends more time on the golf course than running the country.
There for...........
Obama = golf = PGA = Tiger Woods = Tiger Woods is black = Barack Obama is Black = Republicans are racist
I think Larry is watching too many Direct TV ads........
There for...........
Obama = golf = PGA = Tiger Woods = Tiger Woods is black = Barack Obama is Black = Republicans are racist
I think Larry is watching too many Direct TV ads........
Thursday, August 30, 2012
Chris Matthews: Chicago
Funny, I don't remember in my republican playbook seeing any reference to "Chicago". Maybe I have an old version of the magic decoder book.
Wednesday, August 29, 2012
Life in "Progress" State - Illinois edition
Standard & Poor's Ratings Services on Wednesday downgraded Illinois' credit rating by one notch to A from A-plus, citing the state's large budget imbalance and an $83 billion unfunded pension liability.
The action affecting the state's general obligation bonds comes less than two weeks after a special Illinois legislative session on pension reform ended without a solution to rein in costs for the state's five pension funds.
"The downgrade reflects the state's weak pension funding levels and lack of action on reform measures intended to improve funding levels and diminish cost pressures associated with annual contributions," said S&P analyst Robin Prunty in a statement.
Investors in the $3.7 trillion U.S. municipal bond market have been demanding higher yields for Illinois debt as the state's fiscal problems fester. Many states are struggling with budgetary constraints and pension liabilities, but the fiscal problems in Illinois predate the 2007-2009 recession and have continued to worsen.
It also keeps Illinois as the second lowest-rated U.S. state after California, which is rated A-minus by S&P.
Life in "Progress" City - Chicago edition
Chicago Teachers Union officials filed a 10-day notice of intent to strike Wednesday, thrusting teachers closer to a walkout that could begin as early as the fifth day of the new school year.Wednesday’s filing comes one day before an emergency meeting of the union’s House of Delegates, when the setting of a strike date will likely be discussed.Both steps are required before the 25,000 members of the Chicago Teachers’ Union can wage the first CTU walkout since the tumultuous 19-day strike of 1987.At a news conference announcing the filing of the 10-day notice, CTU President Karen Lewis said it was “the only way to get the Board’s attention.’’
More.........
Monday, August 27, 2012
Life in "Progress" City - Camden edition
From the city where there hasn't been a republican in city government............. maybe.............. ever.............
Camden, N.J., consistently ranked among the 10 most dangerous cities in the U.S., is losing its police department in an attempt to shave millions of dollars from its budget.
The city is not becoming a completely lawless land. It will be under the jurisdiction of a new, non-union division of the Camden County Police.Camden Fraternal Order of Police President John Williamson told FOXNews.com that the move is “definitely a form of union-busting.”Fewer than half of the 460 officers of the Camden Police Department will transfer to the new county division. Laid-off officers will be training their county “Metro Division” replacements, according to Williamson.
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