Makes Me Wonder

It really makes one wonder why minorities continue to support democrat candidates.

In a decision handed down just this past week, a US District Court judge issued a ruling that bars a voter approved referendum from listing on ballots the party the affiliation of candidates running for office.

The reason given for the suit was that without the party of the candidate listed on the ballot, minority voters would not know who to vote for.

The organizations that filed or supported the suit are all left-wing and progressive. In other words, they vote democrat.

All my life, I have never had an issue identifying my candidate of choice and I don’t need to have a party affiliation listed next to their name for me to place the “check-mark” next to their name. But maybe I am usual in that I actually do some research and can identify a candidate not by their party but by what they stand for.

It is a crying shame that the people who run the democrat party really have such a low opinion of a minority being able to gather information and make an informed decision. Based on the ruling and it sure seem like they are saying that minorities are too stupid to read and review a candidate’s platform and make a decision based on whether or not they can support a candidate’s ideals.

Cuts Aren't Balanced

I know it has been a while since I last posted, but have been up to my eyeballs in some new stuff.  I’ll cover this in another post in the next day or two.

On to the posts

Many of you are aware that the state of Washington is struggling to balance its budget. Poor revenue forecasting and just plain old decreasing revenue has caused another huge shortfall in what the state is going to bring in and what it has to spend. Like most states (and unlike the feds) Washington State is required by its Constitution to balance the budget. Because of the lack of income, the Governor and state legislature are trying to deal with the $1.2 billion gap.

Initially I have been a supporter of the tough decisions that Christine Gregoire has made. In times of budget constraints, there really aren’t any sacred cows anymore. But recent events have made me reconsider both my support and my opinion.

Merry Christmas from PACNW RIghty

My family and I would like to wish all of my readers a very Merry Christmas. Thank you all so much for reading my blog over the past year. May your New Year bring you much happiness and warmth.

And always please remember the reason for the season.

Click for Larger Image

Slow Housing Recovery

Most of you know that one of the subjects that I blog about is how the housing market is or isn’t doing.  For the most part the news has been a bit gloomy, but showing some sign of recovery, although very slowly.

But according to this clip from Breitbart TV, maybe the news isn’t so good. Link to video here.

I know that many will have the reaction that we need to get rid of the man currently occupying the White House, the sooner the better, but not all of the blame can be laid at his feet. Oh, I do blame him for the sluggishness that has taken hold of the entire economy. But the housing crisis and the slow climb out from the depths had its roots before the guy took office. Has he made it worse? Most certainly! Policies and decisions from the White House that has caused the economy to continuously falter impacts the housing market as much as the housing market impacts the economy. In a way, this is a vicious circle that, until someone does something to bump it off track, will continue for the foreseeable future.

Labor Goes After Seattle PD

Over the past two years or so, the Seattle Police Department has been mired in controversy over several incidents of excessive use of force. The most noteworthy example was when a SPD member shot and killed a woodcarver in downtown when the woodcarver made a threatening move towards the police officer who shot him. There have been other incidents recent which finally caught the attention of the US Justice Department.  After a top-down review, the report was particularly harsh on the SPD, especially the senior-level leadership.

Now a influential labor group, the King County Labor Council, has called for Mayor Mike McGinn to replace or shuffle the SPD leadership.

The King County Labor Council urged McGinn to make sweeping changes to the command structure with SPD, calling the leadership within the department “deficient” and saying there’s a lack of oversight from the top down. (Source: Seattle PI)

The council might not be reaching far enough in my opinion. They are calling for changes within the department, which I think might be a good idea, but I think they need to look at McGinn. While it is true that McGinn is not the Chief of Police for the SPD, John Diaz, who is the chief, works for McGinn. Diaz does admit the DOJ report has merit and changes will be made.

Executive secretary David Frieboth writes that “this situation is particularly troubling, as it tars good cops with the sins of the few.”

He also writes that there appears to be a “pattern of excessive force that clearly indicates deficient leadership,” and “this absence of accountability reveals a major defect in leadership at the Seattle Police Department.” (Source: Seattle PI)

I do have to wonder why a labor group would stick their nose into an issue that really is kind of out of their area of expertise. While everyone does have an opinion about the SPD situation, a labor group is probably reaching outside their neighborhood by getting involved with this matter.

Occupy Vs. Tea Party

The linked article is a little old, but still worth a read.

Arrests related to the Occupy movement:

5,425

Arrests related to the Tea Party Movement:

Zero

Is there really anything more that needs being said?

Is Fast And Furious Just the Tip?

Several links that discuss possible links between Eric Holder and the Oklahoma City bomber, Tim McVeigh. As I read through the links and the articles, I was troubled for two reasons.

First, while this might paint me as naïve, I do have troubles trying to wrap my hands around a conspiracy this large. Is it really possible that people within our own government would be so calloused and evil as to assist someone with plans to kill US citizen for purely political gain? As more information comes out about Fast and Furious (F&F), it does seem more and more likely that the people mentioned in the articles would use any means necessary to achieve their ultimate goals. Maybe that is why so many people on the left actually believe that Bush and Cheney lead us to war just for the oil profits. Would Eric Holder really be so uncaring of human life that he would be willing to sacrifice his fellow citizen just to inflame the narrative against the extreme right?

Secondly, I am troubled by the lack of supporting evidence. The articles do provide a lot of information on which they base their suppositions. But several key documents have been pulled and are no longer available for review. The authors of the linked post do make it clear that some of the documents they used as background are no longer readily available, but they do stand behind their story. Of course, in the initial stages of the F&F case, much of what was said was mostly tying together some very loose information, easily denied or dismissed. But as time has gone along and more evidence is released, it has become quite apparent that F&F is more than just guessing and crazy-talk by a bunch of right-wingers in a cabin in Montana. In the case of F&F, there was smoke, and it led to fire. Could we be looking at the same thing here? Time will tell.

Holder Playing Race Card

Interesting post over at Sister Toldjah about how Obama and Attorney General Eric Holder are beginning to play the race card as both the 2012 presidential race and the fast and Furious case heat up.

ST provides several examples of how the race card has been played in the past, noting that when his back is up against the wall like during the 2010 mid-term elections, he really ratchets up the rhetoric.

The longer this guy stays in office, the further the divide is going to get.

Wyden Supports Free Speech?

As someone who was born and raised in Oregon and could be considered a SNOB (Son of Native Oregon Born), I would be hard-pressed to support nearly any of the Senators or Representatives that come from my former home.

However, Democratic Senator, and a real bleed-heart liberal if there ever was one, Ron Wyden has decided that something like free-speech actually really matters. He has promised to filibuster the PROTECT IP Act once it makes it way to upper chamber. The bill was initially designed to make it more difficult to sell music, movies and counterfeit products illegally online. But Wyden and other who oppose the bill feel that it goes too far and infringes on free speech.

Now if we could be sure that Senator Wyden wouldn’t support giving President Obama the ability to knock out the internet whenever he might feel like.

News Bits For Your Enjoyment

A couple of quick news tidbits.

This guy is not a fan of FDR. He feels (and I agree) that FDR was the leading edge of the socialist movement here in the US. FDR policies were certainly not limited government. He also makes it a point to show how one of the left’s great heroes wasn’t exactly a believer in “social justice” when he force Japanese-Americans into internment camps during WW II. (h/t Director Blue)

Senate approves the payroll tax cut that also includes the Keystone XL pipeline construction approval. Obama has said he will reject the bill if it includes any Keystone language.

Some Chevy Volt news: Is GM being less than truthful when it comes to sales and production of the electric-hybrid? This article seems to think so.  And the Audi chief doesn’t think highly of the vehicle either.

Cool Rhetoric From the Left

Unless you live under a rock, you will recall that the media and President Obama called for a cooling of the heated rhetoric in the wake of the Tucson Tragedy that claim the lives of six people and severely wounded several others, including Rep Giffords.

Well, here is a fine example of the cool rhetoric coming from left. (h/t: The Blaze)

Government Abuse: Rails to Trails

Over the course of the next several weeks I am going to highlight some government abuses that were done in the name of the greater good.

My source of this information was a paper written a few years ago that is chock-full of anecdotal evidence of government abusing their power just because they can. The paper is titled SHATTERED DREAMS: One Hundred Stories of Government Abuse by the National Center for Public Policy Research.

Many of you have heard of the Rails to Trails Act that authorized the government at both the state and federal level to seize land for the development of bike and hiking trails. These bike and hiking trails are being built on abandoned rail lines. There are several in my area that have been converted to such a purpose. Much of the land at one time was actually owned by private landowners, but was taken from them for the development of the railroads. However, when this land was originally taken, provisions and laws were written in such a manner as to return the land back to the original landowners. The railroads had no property rights to the land once they abandoned the land.

Here is one story:

Book Review

A few months ago I purchased Patrice Lewis’ book The Simplicity Primer through her website Rural Revolution.

In this well-written and easy to read book she lays out 365 different tips and ideas on how to simplify your life. Each tip and idea falls under one (sometimes two) of 12 different categories ranging from “Getting Personal” to “Your Daily Bread” to “It’s Easy Being Green.”

Among the many reasons why I liked this book is that its not only for those who wish to live off the grid. Most of the ideas and tips she provides could easily be implemented by those of us who live in a suburban environment and even for folks who live uptown. It is not a survivalist book chock full of how-to’s for living off the land, or shooting and dressing your own meat, or getting your cable for free. It is a book that gives you ideas on how you can take a step back, simplify your daily activities, and declutter your life.

Woman Uses 4-Year Old To Stop A Train

This has to be seen to be believed. Video found here in case this doesn’t work or I have to delete.

How can anyone be so stupid?

GOP Field (Part One)

As we move along in 2011 and approach 2012, the GOP presidential hopeful field continues to shrink and front-runners are beginning to emerge (sort of).

Early on, in the Iowa straw poll, it looked like Michelle Bachmann was going to gain some steam. She has conservative bonifides, and she had the backing of the Tea Party. But after that early momentum, she has sort of falling off the face of the earth.

Next came Rick Perry, Governor of Texas, and heir-apparent, for good or bad, of the Bush legacy. But after several stumbles in the debates, he too has fallen by the wayside.

About the same time Perry came along John Huntsman of Utah announced he was going to run. The main stream media made much ado about his joining the race, but after about 10 minutes, he slide to the very rear of the pack.

Early in the summer Rep Thad McCotter decided to join the fray, but was quickly eliminated as his candidacy was never able to gain any traction. It didn’t help matters when the rest of the GOP field wouldn’t include him in one of what has turned out to be an endless stream of debates.

For over a year, Sarah Palin teased us. Was she going to run? Was she happy being a king-maker? When she finally made her announcement I think there were more than a few sighs of relief. Not only from the Republican field, but from the general public. I really do think she would have made terrific candidate, but the MSM would have crucified her. She has proven to be a strong woman, but I have my doubts she (or any other for that matter) could have survived the beat the media had in store for her.

Herman Cain got his 15 minutes, that eventually turned in 30 minutes with the last 5 minutes being a treatise on how to bring everything tumbling down on your head. I was actually gearing up to support Cain even after the first wave of accusations began to appear. When Gloria Allred got involved, it actually bucked up my resolve. But the latest news about the possible affair was the end for me. I feel it was wise of him to withdraw; he needs to spend some time repairing his relationships.

Newt Gingrich also teased us for while, but when he finally made it known he was going to run, it barely caused a ripple. He started off slow and only got slower. I actually thought that he might drop out, especially after his Iowa team imploded. But he has resurged in recent weeks as the GOP voters look for the “anyone but Romney candidate.

I will only mention “The Donald” because he did throw his hat into the ring for a bit, but as a complete political novice, he was more of an interesting sideshow than a candidate to really look at all that hard. It is true we are trying to find a candidate who isn’t a beltway insider, but Trump was too far out of the circle as to make Obama look like a seasoned pro.

Ron Paul cannot be forgotten here as he poses some interesting feelings. The guy has a strong conservative background, especially when it comes to small government. But as a libertarian candidate, he is going to struggle to get much more than a cursory glance from the voters. This is not to dismiss his as serious candidate, of which he is. But I think his foreign policy of isolationism is going to get him bypassed by most of the voters

Finally we have Mitt Romney, the former Governor of Massachusetts. During all of this he has remained fairly consistent. I’m not talking about his political consistency; I’m referring to his polling. Others have surged ahead of him from time to time. First Bachman, then Perry, the Cain, and now Gingrich.

As has happened with the previous candidates, the MSM has is taking it whacks at Newt.

After Bachmann gained serious traction after the Iowa straw poll, the media really began to focus on political positions, painting her as a cold-hearted person. Never mind that she and her husband took in many, many foster kids over the years.

When Perry began to surge the media was waiting in the bushes to ambush this guy and it didn’t take too long for him to provide the fodder. While his early debate performances were nothing to write home about, it was when he couldn’t remember the three government agencies he would close that did him. Granted, the wounds could be considered self-inflicted, but I certainly don’t remember the MSM going after Obama for his “57 states” comments or his mispronunciation of Corpsman. Of the first mistake, the media, playing their role as his protector, chalked it up to him being tired. As for the later, they pretty blew it off, most likely because none of them would have pronounced the word correctly either.

As for Cain, they certainly did a great job of digging into his background, which is entirely fine with me. But the question must be asked (and has many times); why didn’t they vet Obama as well as they vetted Cain? Why haven’t they insisted on Obama showing his grades while at Columbia and any of his legal papers while studying at Harvard? Why not question his alliance with proud domestic terrorist Bill Ayers? And they most certainly glossed over his 20-year association with Rev. Jeremiah Wright.

Now they are going after Gingrich. Only this time they have help from the conservative wing of the Republican Party.

I will have more later.

Unions Require Photo ID to Vote

Hypocrisy at its finest.

Unions, who are the democrats biggest supporter in terms of dollars, are requiring photo ID to vote. But democrats are crying racism when the national voter ID card has been suggested.

Make sure you click through the links at the site.

Wind Turbine Projects Stopped

OK Greenies, you need to come clean. You don’t want solar panels in the Mojave Desert because of some tortoise and a bug. You don’t want nuclear power because of the issue of burying the waste miles underground. You don’t want fossil fuels because of the environmental damage done during extraction, production, and usage. You don’t want wind farms because of the slight possibility it could kill some birds. And you want to remove dams that generate hydroelectric power because of the salmon runs.

So just how do you propose we generate our electricity? I know how much you guys like your bicycles, maybe you could get a bunch of your friends together and have a power generation party. You could sip fine wines and eat cheese and crackers while riding your bikes in place, kind of like hamsters on a wheel

Before anyone gets their knickers in a knot over this post, I do have to tell you that I am a fan of alternative power generation. I do believe that we need to reduce our consumption of oil and coal. But I also think we need to be smart about it. Right now, other that nuclear power, there is not a source of energy generation that can touch oil and coal for it's deliveralbes (energy). Solar, wind and other sources cannot touch oil, it isn't even close. To replace oil and coal we need massive projects, somewhere on the scale of the building of the interstate highway system. But I also feel we should tap into the resources that we have while the other forms of power generation become much more mature.

Two recent events here in the PACNW goes to show just how far in the sand the environmental movement has buried its head.

Unemployment's Real Rate

Did you go “Yippee!” when the news broke last week that unemployment fell to 8.6 percent? Well if you did here is some sobering news that might interest you.

Since 2007, the percent of the population that either has a job or is actively looking for one has fallen from 62.7 percent to 58.5 percent. That’s millions of workers leaving the workforce, and it’s not because they’ve become sick or old or informed. It’s because they can’t find a job, and so they’ve stopped trying. That’s where Luce’s calculation comes from. If 62.7 percent of the country was still counted as in the workforce, unemployment would be 11 percent. In that sense, the real unemployment rate – the apples-to-apples unemployment rate – is probably 11 percent. And the real unemployment rate – the so-called “U6” – is near 20 percent (Source: Washington Post)

When calculating the unemployment rate, only people out of work and actually seeking employment are considered when developing the unemployment rate. Those who have given up the search for work are no longer considered.

Occupy Efforts Fall Short

As the Occupy Wall Street protests began to wind down last month, the leaders of the movement called for one last desperate move to try and infuse some life into the movement. As the call for the shutdown of ports along the west coast went out, it seemed that this try might have some success.

But it wasn’t to be. First off, the longshoremen who run the ports refused to join the folks aligned with the Occupy movement. This lack of support from the unions is understandable. When many democrats and other liberals are quickly backing off of their support to the movement, the unions followed suit. Plus, when you think of how difficult times are right now, taking a day off without pay may not be in the budget for most of these folks who work the docks. Unlike many of the Occupy folks, the union people actually have jobs.

Today was the big day when the Occupy people were going to gather and shutdown commerce along the west coast. A funny thing happened on the way to this utopia: commerce wasn’t impacted in the least. A few routes into the ports were disrupted for a few minutes by a few hundred people at the various locations:

A Burlington Northern-Santa Fe train was delayed north of Seattle.

Protesters briefly shutdown the access to the Seattle port.

In Portland, workers were told to stay home, without pay, for the day to avoid any confrontations.

Up in Vancouver, Canada, protester shutdown to access points for less than 30 minutes, barely causing a ripple.

Weather in LA significantly reduced participation and caused minimal disruptions.

All in all, I would have to say this wound up being a failure on the Occupier’s part.

US Wealth Drops

More bad news for the economy and our recovery. Household wealth has taken a very sharp drop.

Americans’ wealth last summer suffered its biggest quarterly loss in more than two years as stocks, pensions funds and home values lost value.

At the same time, corporations raised their cash stockpiles to record levels.

Household net worth fell 4 percent to $57.4 trillion in the July-September quarter, according to a Federal Reserve report released Thursday. It was the sharpest drop since the tumultuous period after the September 2008 bankruptcy of investment bank Lehman Brothers. And it was the second straight quarterly fall. (Source: Seattle Times)

We have entered the fourth (and hopefully, final) year of Barack Obama’s presidency. Over the course of that time, wealth in this nation has plummeted, jobless rate remains staggeringly high, and people, at home and abroad, have lost confidence in America. Please tell me again what makes this guy so wonderful.

One thing I would like you to notice is the second paragraph of the excerpt above. “…corporations raised their cash stockpiles to records levels.” Why is this? It shows me that there is money to be made out there, and that there is money to expand the economy. Yet why are corporations holding onto, and growing, funds? I really do think it can be all traced back to one man. Barack Obama. Business leaders from both sides of the political spectrum do not have confidence that he can lead us to a robust recovery. They are concerned how much Obama Care is going to cost them, they are concerned about new taxes to help feed the runaway deficit, and they are concerned about Obama’s ties to organized labor and his administrations attempts to appease labor.

If I had a fist full of money and was unsure how regulations were going to impact my invest of that money, I’d hang on to it like a baby does a rattle.

Another Pepper-Spraying Incident

An unrelated but related update to the UC Davis pepper-spraying incident that got a lot of Americans (and a few on my readers) really worked up.  You will recall that I posted this: and my support for the police and their actions remain unchanged. The article linked here asks why aren’t Americans up in arms over Marines that get pepper-sprayed and then forced to navigate an obstacle course lined with drill sergeants trying to knock them off their feet.

Mr. Paul Hair and I are just askin’

HHS Overrides FDA

I know this post is going to stir some controversy and most of you know that I speak my mind. Sometimes you agree, and sometimes you don’t. This post might cause you to reevaluate your opinion of me and this blog. At the risk of doing that, here we go:

When it comes to the sexual activity of our young population, I tend to be a realist. The kids are going to experiment, and they are going to be sexually active. And teenage girls are going to get pregnant. I certainly do not support or encourage youngsters being active in this manner because I don’t feel they are emotionally ready for that level of commitment nor are they ready for the consequences.

Today’s decision by Health and Human Services Secretary Kathleen Sebelius to not allow the so-called morning after pill to be sold to those under 18 gives me pause. As mentioned above, teenagers are going to be active and teenage girls are going to get pregnant. No amount of burying your head in the sand is going to change this fact. And teen pregnancy is not a pleasant road. Very few of these girls and their child(ren) make it out of poverty unless given tremendous support from their immediate family. At the risk of being obvious, the best way to avoid getting pregnant is not participate in the activity that causes pregnancy. However, reality is: kids are active.

Looking at the other side of the coin is this pill is designed to terminate a pregnancy. If you believe that life begins at conception, then this is akin to abortion. As Christians is that something you can support, knowing that if the girl take the pregnancy to term, her life (and the baby’s) life will forever be altered?

Most of my life I have held a firm belief that you sleep in the bed that you have made. As my kids will attest, I am the kind of guy that will tell you not to put your hand in the flame, and I will tell you what the consequences are if you put your hand in the flame. I will tell you this several times. But if you insist on putting your hand in the flame after I have told you what is going to happen, I’ll bandage your hand, make sure you are going to be OK, but I will not kiss your booboo. But on the subject of teen pregnancy my feelings are more muddled and I am less inclined to be so hard-nosed. Hormones cause people to do stupid things and to lose the sense of reasoning. Should a teenage girl be made to pay the life-altering price just because they made this mistake?

I just don’t know.

Is the best answer here for us to be sanctimonious and not allow teenage girls to end something that will have a tremendous negative impact on their lives? Or do we turn our backs on or heartfelt beliefs and allow the pregnancy to be terminated?

I wish I had an answer.

As you might guess from this little post, I am torn. My convictions state that the pill should not be allowed. I try to live my life as best as I can in a way that I think the Lord will be pleased with my thoughts and actions. But I also do not want to see a teenage girl have her life driven towards poverty because of a one-time poor decision made in the heat of a backseat.

The Military and Terrorism

Here is a couple of disturbing links regarding the military and terrorism.

-- In the grand tradition of mollifying terrorists in the hopeless hope they will like us; the Obama White House has categorized the Fort Hood massacre that killed 14 people and carried out by an Islamist as “workplace violence.” This little bit of word play is no different than the term “man-caused disasters” and changing Global War on Terrorism to Overseas Contingency Operations. Gee, those phrases have worked so well in gaining us likability in the region; why not go for strike three.

If you want to get a feeling of just how bad this makes the folks in the White House look, Susan Collins, A republican Senator from Maine was upset. Collins, not known for her conservative ways, blasted the White House:

Sen. Susan Collins on Wednesday blasted the Defense Department for classifying the Fort Hood Massacre as workplace violence and suggested political correctness is being placed above the security of the nation’s Armed Forces at home.

During a joint session of the Senate and House Homeland Security Committee on Wednesday, the Maine Republican referenced a letter from the Defense Department depicting the Fort Hood shootings as workplace violence. She criticized the Obama administration for failing to identify the threat as radical Islam. (Source: Fox News)

Day of Infamy, 70 Years Ago

Today I would like to offer my deepest thanks to the men and women of our “Greatest Generation” who responded magnificently to the surprise attack at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii 70 years ago today. Life magazine has some images from the days following the attack.

A Couple Chevy Volt Links

Has there been a cover up regarding the lack of safe performance of the lithium battery in the Chevy Volt?

GM may not be buying back Volts if people are scared of the fire.

Gingrich Surges

As the Republican primaries get closer to commencing, Newt Gingrich, whom I had written off this past summer, has seen a dramatic surge in the polls. I think his standing has as much to do with Herman Cain’s trials and tribulations as it does with the “anyone but Romney” feelings out there. I also happen to think that folks are discovering that Gingrich is actually a very smart man, who truly knows his stuff and would wipe the floor with Obama in any debate.

But Newt doesn’t come without some warts; many of them in fact. Most of us are aware of his serial marriages and some of the issues he had with ethics while serving as Speaker of the House during the Clinton Administration.  However, if you are willing to dig a little deeper, there might be a few other issues that might cause one to pause.

A friend of mine sent me a link to a blogger than she reads quite frequently and he really does have a problem with some of the stances that Gingrich has taken over the years.  In his post, the writer covers several topics that he feels make Gingrich not qualified to be the Republican nominee for President. (my take in italics)

- Campaigned for Nelson Rockefeller during the 1968 presidential elections. Anyone remotely familiar with the Rockefellers in general and Nelson in particular knows full well that no conservative could ever support such a candidate.

   A little bit before my time, but I during some research on the Rockefellers, they do seem to have a bit of an elitist attitude towards most people. In fact, the Rockefellers could be the poster children for everything bad ever said about the Republicans.

Occupy and Tea Party Align

File this under “eventually we can all agree on something”. Recently I posted about how the Mayor of Richmond, VA has initiated an audit process against the Richmond Tea Party. What triggered the Mayor’s ire was an invoice sent to the city requesting that funds the Tea Party group used to pay for toilets and trash collection be reimbursed. The Tea Party figured that since the Occupy Richmond group got all of these services for free, why shouldn’t the Tea Party.

Now it seems that all of the stars and planets have aligned, if only for a brief moment. The Occupy Richmond group has released a statement in support of the Richmond Tea Party:

After the city accused the Richmond Tea Party of being overdue on tax filings, Occupy Richmond issued a statement saying “it would not surprise us” if the move was “retaliation” for the Tae Party’s criticism of Mayor Dwight Jones. […] “The Tea Party and Occupy movements disagree on many, many issues,” Occupy Richmond’s Thursday statement said. “This should not stop all Americans from proudly standing together against government abuses.” (Source: Big Government) (Emphasis BG’s)

I would have loved to be a fly on the wall when word of this reached the Major’s office. Using a term that my younger teenaged son might use, I’m sure the dude had a cow. “Those ungrateful ingrates. I paid for their toilets (didn’t want them pooping on my cop cars), I gave them trash collection, I gave them a place to set up their tents, I even offered them showers. And this is how they repay me!? Anybody got any pepper spray?”

Cain Suspends His Campaign

The “high-tech lynching” is done and Herman Cain has decided to suspend his presidential campaign.

After several allegations of sexual harassment and one woman claiming that she a Cain had a 13 year extra-marital affair, former CEO of Godfather’s Pizza and one of the more recognizable faces of the Tea Party movement, Cain has decided it would be better for him and his family if he slipped from the national scene.

We all know the story. About two months back sexual harassment allegation began to surface, although with one notable exception, the women pretty much remained unknown and the reports were anonymous. The earlier this week, which has proven to be the backbreaker, Ginger White came forward and said she had a long-lasting affair with the married Cain.

GM Offers to Buy Back Volts

To say this is any less than HUGE would be a big understatement.

General Motors will buy back Chevrolet Volts back from any owner who is afraid the electric cars will catch fire, the company CEO said Thursday.

In an exclusive interview with the Associated Press, CEO Dan Akerson insisted that the cars are safe, but said the company will purchase the Volts because it wants to keep customers happy. Three fires have broken out in Volts after side-impact crash test done by the federal government.

Akerson said that if necessary, GM will recall the more than 6,000 Volts now on the road in the U.S. and repair them once the company and federal regulators figure out what caused the fires. (Source: Big Government)

Many of you are aware that I have been blogging about the Volt for the past year. The links are too numerous to link here, but if you are interested in updating click “Chevy Volt” on the left sidebar. I recommend you start with this one, then work your way through the post. Mike over at Stately McDaniel Manor has also been posting on this subject.

Golly, I wonder if GM would buy back my truck if I suddenly was unhappy with it. They wouldn’t, mostly because I don’t drive a Chevy, but also because they aren’t trying to keep the customers happy, they are trying cover their backsides. As far as I can tell none of the other models in the GM line are in danger of spontaneous combustion while resting in the garage.

One more thing I’d like to point out. The mileage the Volt delivers per charge has been sliding backwards. When GM initially released the Volt, there were some who said the Volt would get upwards of 75 miles per charge. In this recent commercial GM has dropped that distance to 35 miles.

"Buy American" Ads Turned Down

I think I’d file this under a “little kooky.” The Seattle area Metro bus company has refused to sell ad space on their buses to a company that is asking folks to buy American made products this Christmas season.

A local group’s plan to buy ads on Metro buses urging people to “Buy American” and “shop Locally” has been rejected by King County as too political

TAP America, a Seattle-based nonprofit, sought to place the ads starting this week on the outside of Metro buses, concentrating on bus routes that run through shopping districts of downtown Seattle and Bellevue.

The message was meant as a reminder to holiday shoppers that they could do something positive for the country by thinking about how they spend their money, said Richard Tso, TAP America’s executive director. (Source: Seattle Times)

Did the UC Davis Protesters Provoke?

You know what they say about hind-sight? It has 20/20 vision. Looking back at the video of the UC Davis issue where the students got pepper-sprayed by UC Davis police for not leaving the campus after being told to do so, it is easy to see why they might have reacted the way they did. At the risk of sounding like I don’t know what the heck I am talking about, I do remember watching the videos the first go-around and thinking about the students in the background. I didn’t concern myself about the students sitting on the ground that were receiving the spray. After all, they were told to move, they were told if they didn’t they were going to get sprayed, they choose not to move, hence they choose to get sprayed. It is as simple as choosing one path over another. Regardless of the choice, there are consequences that one must take responsibility for.

If you look at the video, the campus police are surrounded by protesting students. The students were also asked to leave and they refused. They were violating campus policy by setting up the camps, which the head of the campus initially ignored. When the police were told to remove them, the students would not leave. So they got pepper sprayed.

Now comes along this video where one of the protesters basically said they provoked the pepper spray. It was their intended purpose all along.

Humor

I know that many of my readers are also readers of Patrice’s Rural Revolution blog, but just in case you missed or are one of the few who have not discovered her site I think you’ll enjoy this link.

Mayor Threatens Tea Party

This is what you get when you stand up to the leftists and their Occupy movement:

Two weeks after the Richmond Tea Party delivered an invoice to Richmond (VA) Mayor Dwight Jones for cost incurred for previous rallies, we received a letter from the City of Richmond formally stating that the city is auditing our Tea Party. Coincidence? This audit is an obvious attempt to intimidate and harass us for standing up against the unfair treatment and discrimination against our Tea Party. Source: (Big Government)

Apparently, the City of Richmond has allowed the Occupy movement folks to use their park facilities at no charge, providing the protesters with free portable toilets and trash pickup. When the Tea Party hosted rallies their earlier this year, they paid for the permits, purchased their own sanitation services, and filed all paperwork properly.

The blog Virginia Right reported that the city provided services such as portable toilets, trash pickup, etc. The incomplete invoices obtained from the city total $7,000. This was only a portion of the actual costs to taxpayers because the costs of police, helicopter and incarceration were not included. Also not accounted for was the 24-hour police protection of the Mayor’s home after the Occupiers moved their camp next door to the Mayor’s house. The Richmond Tea Party, conversely, paid for all services for our rallies, including the police, portable toilets, park fees and permits, amounting to approximately $8,500. (Source: Big Government) (Bold emphasis PACNW Righty’s)

Please note the one glaring difference between the costs incurred by the Occupy movement vs. the Tea Party. There were no incarcerations for the Tea Party folks.

Arab Spring Turning Very Chilly

I wonder how the folks that supported the “Arab Spring”, like President Obama, feel now after dozens were killed earlier this week at last spring’s epicenter of the protests that forced Hosni Mubarak from power.

One week before Egypt’s much-anticipated parliamentary elections, the streets have turned to bedlam once again. The decision by the military, which has run the country since strongman Hosni Mubarak resigned in February, to crack down on the remnants of a massive protest on Friday have reignited large segments of the opposition – many of them young and jobless, and some wielding rocks – who have once again piled into Tahrir Square and its nearly environs, demanding the free and fair election they called for earlier this year.

…

Since Sunday, more than 1,500 have reportedly been injured and dozens killed. (Source: The Daily Beast)

With the ongoing troubles in Syria, the election of pro-Islamist governments in Tunisia and Morocco, this whole Arab Spring has been a no win situation for the Obama Administration and for the America people. When you included Obama’s nearly open hostility towards Israel, I really think we are headed for trouble in the region.

Gregoire Proposes Sales Tax Increase

I have blogged may times about the budget situation here in the Evergreen State. A special session of the state legislature has been called and will convene tomorrow in hopes of finding further budget cuts totaling nearly $2 billion.

In an effort to close the shortfall, Governor Christine Gregoire has called for additional taxes and fee increases. In what will probably be the most hotly debated increase is her proposal to temporarily increase the state sales tax by 1/2 percent, increasing the baseline sales tax to 7%. If the voters approve of this increase, Washington State would only trail California as the highest sales tax rate in the nation.

A couple of issues must be addressed before I could even begin to consider this tax increase. The biggest concern that I have is would this actually be a temporary increase, or would the politicians, who are mostly tax and spend democrats, attempt to keep this increase? I certainly would not hold my breath or trust the words of a politician. There must be some language written into the bill that would give us an iron-clad promise this increase would only be for the stated number of years (currently proposed for three years). Even if the economy continues to tank in three years (a distinct possibility if Obama gets reelected) the increase must go away AND only through voter approval could it continue.

The other concern I have is how the money would be spent. Would this increase just give the democrat-control legislature a license to spend? Or could it be directed at only those areas mostly in need? I am not sure if there are any sort of safeguards that could be put into place that would prevent the corruptocrats in Olympia from not being wise with our money. They certainly haven’t been able to do so thus far. I foresee these bungles of our money following the letter of the law: the increased revenue from the tax increase going towards what is required by the law. But I also see general funding being redirected towards pet projects and vote-buying schemes. Then we’ll be back at square one, but only with an increase in our sales tax to show for our troubles.

One thing to note here: If approved, folks living in certain sections of Seattle would see their sales tax increase to a full 10%

Blog Quiet for Thanksgiving

PACNW Righty is going to be silent for the next couple of days while I enjoy time with my family. And as that I work retail, of course I will be there when the doors open up Friday AM, Maybe not so bright-eyed, but very early.

Hope all of you have a wonderful Thanksgiving.

1 Thessalonians, 5:18 “in everything give thanks; for this is the will of God in Christ Jesus concerning you.” (emphasis mine)

Climategate Again

While it is still early in the game, it looks like Climategate 2.0 has arrived. Another batch of emails from Michael Mann and others heavily invested in global warming/climate change has been released. From what I have been able to gather, these new emails are not quite as shattering as the initial release two years ago. But they do give a good insight into the thinking of these folks.

One snippet indicates that one of the folks may have deleted emails to avoid Freedom Of Information Act requests. Now why would you do something like that unless what you had was damaging? Just askin'.

The climate blog Watts Up With That has the story with periodic updates. It is well worth your time to take a gander.

Reason Comes to Life

The other day I posted a little ditty called “Why I Vote Democrat”. One of the lines was I vote democrat because I’m not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

Lo and behold, the very liberal Governor of Oregon John Kitzhaber (D) has decided not to allow any executions while he is Governor. Interestingly enough, he is quite pro-choice, which is another way of saying he supports unfettered access to abortions.

So let me get this straight, he is against the death penalty, yet supports the lawful execution of the unborn. On the one hand it fails the "basic standards of justice" and on the other it is OK to use abortion as a means of birth control, oh, I mean basic reproductive rights. He is against the killing of someone who has committed a heinous crime, yet has no issue with the death of the innocent.

I point out this not as a way to get a pro life/pro choice argument started, but as a way to point out the possibility of a discrepancy.

I do want to let you all know that I am not a 100% supporter of the death penalty. I do believe it has its uses, but there are enough issues to give me pause. However, I am not a supporter of abortion except for extreme cases (incest, danger to mother, rape), but still struggle with an outright ban (limited government interference in our lives). Oddly enough, my views on both have evolved over the years as I have aged and mellowed (somewhat).

Solyndra Workers to Receive Taxpayer Assistance

As if throwing money at a company that was already sinking fast wasn’t bad enough, the federal government is now going to give employees affected by Solyndra going under will be eligible for government assistance in getting job retraining and income assistance.

The labor department announced today that it had approved Trade Adjustment Assistance (TAA) for the former employees of the bankrupt solar panel maker Solyndra.

That means all of the firm’s 1,100 ex-employees are eligible for federal aid packages, including job retraining and income assistance. The department has valued packages at about $13,000 a head ($14.3 million total). (Source: Investors.com)

The TAA is a program that compensates businesses and employees impacted by unfair trade practices committed by foreign companies that compete with American businesses. Solyndra and other US solar panel companies are claiming (rightfully so, most likely) that China is undercutting US panel makers with cheaper panels. Under this program, companies can file a claim with the Department of Labor and receive so sort of aid package. In the case of Solyndra, the package is for the ex-employees to get retraining.

Solyndra has been a money pit for the American taxpayer. First off, they were given a $535 million dollar loan even though it is becoming increasing clear that the company was already well on its way to insolvency. When it appeared that Solyndra was going to have difficulties paying back the origianl loans, the loan package was reworked and included private monies. To attract the private investors, the government guaranteed these private investors would not lose their $75 million. Once the company folded, the private investors were given back their investment, while the taxpayer can expect to see not one thin dime of the half-a-billion dollar "loan." Now we are on the hook for another $14 million.

I don’t completely begrudge the retraining assistance to the ex-employees, although I am a capitalist at heart (businesses make it on their own). When you throw in how China is undercutting American businesses with unfair practices, I am even less inclined to rally against these grants. But I will have to say this: When you consider the labor costs involved maybe the American workers needs to understand with our high wages, American businesses are already at a disadvantage against foreign competition. Don’t get me wrong, I do not advocate that we roll wages to the level of the Chinese worker, but it still something that we have to account for when competing against other countries.

Home Sales Up, Values Down

Once again the real estate market is providing us both good and bad news. Sales continue to show slight upticks and home values continue to be depressed.

Homes sales did show an increase, but some of that might have been brought on as investors are snapping up homes.

Home sales rose 1.4 percent in October to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.97 million, the National Association of Realtors said Monday. That is below the 6 million that economists say is consistent with a healthy housing market and slightly ahead of last year’s sales – the worst in 13 years. (Source: The Oregonian)

On the negative side, values continue to slide.

Most economist say home prices will keep falling, by at least 5 percent, through the rest of the year. Many forecast don’t anticipate a rebound in prices until at least 2013.

The medium sales price dropped roughly 2 percent to $162,500 in October.

The high rate of foreclosures has made re-sold homes much cheaper than new homes. The medium price of a new home is roughly 30 percent higher than the price of one that’s been occupied before – twice the normal markup. (Source: The Oregonian)

For those of us who own homes, this news can be a bit unsettling. Many have been counting on the value of our homes seeing us through retirement down the road. Now it looks like it might be years before the value is returned. But on the bright side, at least sales are moving in the right direction, which eventually will put pressure on the values, pushing them upwards.

Communists Out In Full Force (Sort of)

Great post and images of a teacher’s “strike” down in California. Donald over American Power posted the images. On the positive side, there was little to none of the violence that the Occupiers have become known for. On the negative side (well, other than the freedom to express their opinion) these guys are really starting to show who and what they are.

With the election of an avowed socialist as president, these guys have become much more embolden, thinking the nation is ready for their crap. Hopefully, the nation will show them that we are a nation of individual liberty, not collective socialism. But I do fear that if Obama is elected for another four years, these guys will push even harder for their agenda and things will really get out of hand.

Please don’t let apathy rule the day in Nov 2012.

CAFE Standards to Add To Cost of A Car

Earlier this summer the Obama Administration hammered together new MPG standards for the auto-industry. By the year 2025 the industry-wide mileage standard will be 55.4 MPG for passenger cars. As expected, folks from the auto industry balked at the increases saying that this will increase the cost of building these vehicles which would then be passed along to consumers.

It even looks like President Obama’s National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and the EPA agree with the auto industry. These agencies predict that…”CAFE standards would add an average of $2,000 to the price of each new passenger vehicle.

Calls for Kagan, Thomas to Recuse

In an earlier post regarding the SCOTUS finally placing Obama Care on the docket, I mentioned there are two justices that should consider recusing themselves from this debate as they had a hand in shaping the bill. I must back-track slightly. Apparently, Justice Sotomayer was really not a part of the debate. I think she might have had a ruling at some point but I can’t seem to locate it. But that alone should not disqualify her as most of the Justices sitting on the SCOTUS have ruled, in lower courts, on matters that have come before the Supreme Court.

Of course, there is a call from the left that Justice Thomas should recuse himself from the arguments because his wife was involved with a lobbying group that is opposed to Obama Care and later started her own lobbying firm. Apparently, the efforts began early this year when it looked likely that the bill was headed to the SCOTUS.

Seventy-four House Democrats, led by New York Rep. Anthony Weiner (pre Wiener-Gate), sent a letter to Justice Clarence Thomas Wednesday (9 Feb, 2011) calling him to sit out deliberations on the Affordable Care Act because of his wife’s ties to a lobbying group that opposes the health care law.

“The appearance of a c conflict of interests merits recusal under federal law,” the letter said. “From what we have already seen, the line between your impartiality and you and your wife’s financial stake in the overturn of the healthcare reform is blurred.” (Source: ABC News)

Of course, this letter did not request that Justice Kegan recuse herself from the hearings even though it had been a point of questioning during her confirmation hearings. If they had really wanted to send a statement to Justice Thomas the letter could have mentioned that Justice Ginsburg has also been involved with cases where her husband has had a financial stake and, to their disappointment, she didn’t step aside.

As for the monetary gain, I do think this might be worth exploring, but not as much as the stake that Justice Kagan might have with the bill. As evidenced by the recently released e-mails, Justice Kagan was a huge supporter of the bill. “I hear they have the votes Larry!! Simply amazing.” Based on those simple words in an email she has already clearly played her hand. Of course she won’t set aside, but maybe she doesn’t need to attend the arguments since she has already clearly stated her position. Maybe there will be a softball game.

If you think she'll step aside don’t hold your breath, you’ll turn blue.

Humor - "I Vote Democrat Because..."

I’m sure that many, it not all, of you have seen this. But it bears repeating.

Top 12 reasons people vote democrat:

1) 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.

2) I vote democrat because I believe the government will do a better job of spending the money I earn than I would.

3) I voted democrat because Freedom of Speech is fine as long as nobody is offended by it.

4) 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.

5) I voted democrat because I’m not concerned about millions of babies being aborted so long as we keep all death row inmates alive.

6) I voted democrat because I think illegal aliens have a right to free health care, education, and Social Security benefits.

7) 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 ten years if I don’t start driving a Prius.

8) 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.

9) I voted democrat because I believe that business 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 think that it’s better to billions to people who hate us for their oil, but not drill our own because it might upset some endangered beetle of gopher.

11) I voted democrat because while we live in the greatest, most wonderful country in the world, I was promised “Hope and Change.”

12) I voted democrat because my head is do firmly in wonderland, it’s unlikely that I’ll ever have another point of view.

The really good thing about this list is that it gives you a readi-made list of places to start when discussing politics with a liberal/democrat/progressive.

Example:

You: I really think we need to open up more areas for oil and gas exploration.

Liberal: We can't do that. What about the poor (fill in the animal or plant of their choice)?

You: Well, I guess we can continue to send money to countries that sponsor terrorism. You do know those terrorist hate everything about the US don't you? They even hate liberals even more because of some of the things you stand for. etc., etc., etc.

Shout out to ScottyBil for sending this to me.