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.