Today is the 146 anniversary of the technical end of the Civil War. I am not sure it is really over.
The budget crisis has been subdued for a few days. Will it rain this weekend and will the bluebell festival be ruined?
137 Thoughts to “Open Thread……………………………………………Saturday, April 9”
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Blogroll
- 9500Liberty
- Bacons' Rebellion Blogspot
- Bearing Drift
- Blue Virginia
- Citizen Tom
- Counts of Monte Cristo. The
- Derecho, The
- Dixie Pig, The
- My Side of the Fence
- My Star Journey
- NARAL Pro-Choice VA Blog
- New Dominion Project
- Nova Common Sense
- NovaTownHall Blog
- One Libertarians's Point of View by Al Alborn
- Pete Candland's Blog
- Potomac Local
- Prince William Muckraker
- PW Conservation Alliance
- PWC Moms
- PWCPolitics.com
- PWCPolitics.com
- Red NoVA
- Shad Plank, The
- She the People
- State of NoVA, the
- The Jeffersoniad
- Townhall
- VEA Daily Reports
- VivianPaige
- WDGolden.com
- You, Me and the Lamp Post
Fareed’s Take: Why Paul Ryan’s budget won’t work
The plan does not touch social security. It actually increases defense spending over the next 10 years, then it never actually explains what it will cut from discretionary spending. It simply asserts spending will go down massively.
The bulk of the deficit reduction, which allows for $4 trillion of tax cuts, would come from changing America’s healthcare.
Now, there, too, Ryan’s plan is simply unrealistic. The theory behind it is that if individuals have to pay for their health care, they will shop carefully and drive down costs. It’s a good theory, but in health care, a huge part of the expenses relate to a small percentage of sick patients and to the last year of life – and those two categories overlap.
Eighty-five percent of Medicare’s costs are generated by just 25 percent of patients. Now, even in the most conservative health alternatives, the health savings account, people get to buy catastrophic insurance. Well, the sick 25 percent of the patient population would have catastrophic insurance, which would still explode the Medicare budget.
http://globalpublicsquare.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/10/fareeds-take-why-paul-ryans-plan-wont-work/?hpt=Sbin
Poll: – Four in Ten White Southeners Sympathize With
Confederacy.
– 23% of All Americans Side With South.
TIME (4-12-2011)
@Big Dog,
I bet its higher than that!
http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/04/08/us-deer-goose-idUSTRE7374IB20110408
A deer has been standing watch for several days over a female goose nesting in a city cemetery, a scene normally reserved for a children’s movie.
The dark side is engaging in very slanderous gossip both on the dark side and on another blog starting with a V. He speaks as though he were there as a personal witness to the cuckholding.
Are Republicans trying to change a Macaca moment into a Macheating moment?
Why would he want to knock off George Allen? Would it be to help the Tea Party candidate or to help his good friend Corey?
http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/casey/wb/28306
Virginia Is For Lovers … of the weird?
http://www.roanoke.com/columnists/casey/wb/283036
@Moon-howler
Reply to #1 above.
If the poor don’t create jobs and the rich don’t create jobs. Who creates them?
I appologize if I offended moon bats by comparing them to Starry. For that, I am sorry.
Truthfully, I would prefer we don’t call each other names, ESP, taking my name in vain (moon)
The bombardment of Fort Sumter started today.
California teachers endorse unrepentant, confessed cop killer, Mumia Abu-Jamal. WTF?
http://gatewaypundit.rightnetwork.com/2011/04/nuts-ca-teachers-union-endorses-cop-killer-at-annual-convention/
Among the resolutions largely pertaining to education and collective bargaining rights was Resolution 19 – to “Reaffirm support for death row journalist.”
“Therefore, be it resolved, that the California Federation of Teachers reaffirm its support and demand that the courts consider the evidence of innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal,” the Committee Report reads.
He confessed. And there were witnesses. And he was convicted and sentenced to death by jurors, some of which HE HELPED TO PICK.
Is it any wonder that unions have a bad reputation?
@cargo,
Why have you declared war on teachers? Help me understand it.
In the first place, I can’t find evidence of that story on the web except on right wing publications. That includes the CA AFT website. Had that been something they had done, I would expect them to crow about it.
Even if every word of it is true and those teachers are backing a cop killer (and why WOULD they want to do that?), that is one group. Don’t tar all unions with the same brush.
Am beginning to think Cargo has a bad case of hemorrhoids or something.
Perfect response from you. Respone? Best you can………….what? Almost at the first grade level! Grade: D-
I was attacking leftist unions. I did not attack teachers. If it had been garbagemen doing it, I would have mentioned it. I just can’t understand why TEACHERS are doing it?
Just because it’s on a “right wing” site, its suspect? Here’s the PDF.
http://www.cft.org/uploads/Convention2011/docs/2011_CFT_Conv_Report.pdf
Resolution 19
Reaffirm support for death row journalist
Mumia Abu-Jamal
Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal’s 1982 trial in Philadelphia was characterized by illegal suppression of
evidence, police coercion, illegal exclusion of black jurors, and unfair and unconstitutional rulings by
the judge; and
Whereas, the trial judge, Albert Sabo, has been quoted in a sworn statement to have vowed at the
time of the trial to help the prosecution ‘fry the n—–;’ and
Whereas, subsequent appellate rulings have bent the law out of shape to sustain the guilty verdict of
that trial; and
Whereas, the appellate courts have also refused to consider strong evidence of Mumia Abu-Jamal’s
innocence that has emerged continuously in the years subsequent to the trial; and
Whereas, the U.S. Supreme Court, in denying relief to Mumia Abu-Jamal, ignored key precedents
such as its own ruling in Batson v Kentucky, which was supposed to prevent exclusion of jurors on
the basis of race; and
Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal still is incarcerated on Death Row while awaiting a decision from the
U.S. Third Circuit Court of Appeals that could remove a stay on his execution; and
Whereas, Mumia Abu-Jamal has for decades as a journalist fought courageously against racism and
police brutality and for the human rights of all people and has taken strong stands in support of
working people involved in labor struggles and in support of well-funded, quality, public education;
and
Whereas, the continued unjust incarceration of Mumia Abu-Jamal represents a threat to the civil
rights of all people; and
Whereas, the CFT has at a previous Convention voiced its support for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal;
Therefore, be it resolved, that the California Federation of Teachers reaffirm its support and demand
that the courts consider the evidence of innocence of Mumia Abu-Jamal; and
Be it further resolved, that the CFT introduce and advocate on behalf of a resolution at the 2012
AFT Convention reaffirming the AFT’s support for justice for Mumia Abu-Jamal should he not have
been cleared of charges and released by that time.
I’m not the one tarring unions. Their actions do it to themselves quite well. It seems that its the public sector unions always doing these things. I don’t see my buddy’s electrician’s union or the local UPS unions, etc, doing stuff like this. They bring it on themselves. The actions in WI are the perfect example. They commit an illegal strike and declare themselves the victims that can do no wrong. They endorse cop killers, and they’re supposed to be respected. They intimidate businesses, but they’re the good guys. The union bosses make sure that THEIR union pensions are fully funded, but expect the state to pick up the tab on the rest.
http://www.thoseshirts.com/mumia.html
Here’s a place that supports justice for this cop killer.
@Cargosquid
When you generically attack teachers unions, you attack teachers.
Now this is *very* interesting: http://www2.timesdispatch.com/news/2011/apr/11/fairfax-democrat-exploring-us-senate-bid-ar-965215/
I can’t address the trial. I know no facts. However, do know that sometimes those convicted aren’t guilty. Perhaps they felt strongly and knew something we didn’t know. It hardly brands all teachers’ unions. Now if they were picketing for Charles Manson, you might be on to something.
There was no stricke in Wisconsin that I am aware of. Additionally, all the people out there weren’t teachers.
I stand by my statement about war on teachers. A rose by any other name….
I think the entire Muma thing is absurd on all levels.
@Cato the Elder
Could be a breath of fresh air in what is otherwise a very stale environment.
Cargo, when you attack teachers’ unions you are attacking their livelihood. Did you see how little those people earn annually in Wisconsin? They are not overpaid.
I don’t speak for California teachers. However, those in CFT do not represent all teachers.
As I said, I wasn’t attacking all teachers. I was attacking THAT union. And p pointing out that such actions make unions look bad. So, if a union does reprehensible things, and yet the teachers still approve of those actions, I’m supposed to give them a pass because they’re teachers?
My mother was a teacher for 26 years. She was never in a union. She couldn’t stand the union. She thought the entire Louisiana union was a scam. She would be the first one to attack any union that advocated supporting a cop-killing scam artist like Mumia. She would be the first one to point out that, if a union uses illegal tactics, uses the kids as props, and intimidates businesses into supporting them, they should be put out of business.
She not only walked THROUGH the picket line, she stood dead center in the middle of it and told the teachers to get back to work, that the union was ripping them off.
And they were. They lost six weeks of pay, and got a whole $500/year raise, so they lost money on the deal. But the unions got control of some pension money. Which they squandered.
So, attacking unions is not attacking their livelihood. Their LIVELIHOOD is teaching. And, as demonstrated by Virginia, doesn’t need unions.
Yes, attacking someone’s union is attacking their livelihood. Virginia has professional teaching associations. The reason it isn’t a true union? No collective bargaining and no closed shop.
No disrespect towards your mother. I am trying to figure out the union situation in Louisiana. The south tends to not be closed shop. Did they have collective bargaining? Before I comment I need to make sure I understand the situation. It is very difficult to address how things work in a different state or region.
That is why I get so riled up when you start broadbrushing the situation in Wisconsin. It isn’t necessarily like whatever it is you dislike so much in Louisiana. I will await your reply.
I should tell you, I have spent hours trying to sort out the unions in Wisconsin. It isn’t just one unions, it is many.
@Moon-howler
The “sick out” has been exposed by revealed emails to be a union organized strike. Such strikes are illegal.
Technically sick outs are not strikes. Who deemed it a strike? Beaver boy Walker?
Making personal attacks on you would be easy, kind of like booing at the Special Olympics – so I will refrain from doing so.
@Moon-howler
It wasn’t a closed shop and they had collective bargaining.
And when I talk about the unions in WI, I’m not just talking about the teachers’ unions. It was the public sector unions, working together, that are using intimidation tactics.
And it was the UNION that called it a strike in the revealed emails. Apparently, “sick outs” organized by the union, are considered a strike, and since those are not authorized, they are illegal.
I’ve read that state law prohibits teachers from striking. I’ve also read that its “wildcat striking” that’s illegal. According to this:
http://pajamasmedia.com/tatler/2011/04/12/proof-wisconsins-teacher-sick-out-was-a-premeditated-illegal-strike/
the teachers used a phone tree to organize the sick out. And it was coordinated by the union, Madison Teachers, Inc.. That would make it an illegal strike.
As if it wasn’t obvious in the first place.
@Cargo, I have never heard of right to work and collective bargaining in the same place. Hell of a deal. So how did they get people to join? Why didn’t people just scab? If I can get something for free and let others pay for it….you see where this is going.
I realize that Louisianna has very different politics than other places. Any place that produces Huey Long….
I don’t understand what you are saying. Who says that wild-cat striking is illegal? Wisconsin or the union? I understand why unions don’t care much for a wild cat strike.
The guy you are citing as the authority sounds like an average joe who really can’t speak with full authority. In fact, I have very little respect for him for dropping the names thing. What would have happened to you in the Navy for pulling that crap?
I would say that a sick out constitutes a labor violation. I would say removing the collective bargaining powers also constitutes a labor violation. I understand intellectually what happened. As for my gut reaction, I would have had to have been there. I thought all and all from what I have seen and read people handled themselves fairly well.
I saw no large spread violence. Remember, I am not a union supporter …or I didn’t use to be. The public employees in Wisconsin made a believer out of me. I support them. What is being done is not right.
Now where was I on the affluent that you all want to protect? Do you not see the public employees as low hanging fruit? Is it because you fear the rich people you are protecting?
I will never be convinced that budgets need to be balanced on the backs of teachers and cops and other public employees while the affluent get a free pass and not even a half percent of tax increase.
Shame shame shame!
Evidence shows that increasing the taxes on the “affluent” to pay for pensions and benefits that are breaking the bank doesn’t work. Again, its not a lack of taxation. Its a spending problem. New York and California tax the rich, especially New York. The “rich” are leaving. Then, if the rich leave, where does the state get the money then? Its the public sector union agreements that are the biggest drain on state budgets. That is what the governors, including Democrat governors, across the nation, are tying to fix.
Remember, to an out of work man, that used to make 30,000 dollars including overtime, that gets two weeks off, and basic benefits, its the public sector that looks affluent.
According to the http://www.henrico.k12.va.us/HumanResources/SalaryScale.html
Henrico teachers: Bachelor’s Degree From $39,739 to $69,754
I made 42,000 + after 18 years in the Navy, including all the other payments like hazardous duty, etc.
And the teachers in Henrico start at $39+K. That’s good money.
And while Wisconsin starts lower, it catches up to a comparable average teacher salary.
Yes, I understand that one needs certification and a bachelors. But, I bet if I took a bachelors in History, I’d probably be starting in the private sector in the low 20’s too.
Is it just me…or is it spooky that, for the last hour, just as I finish reading a topic on the internet, Glenn Beck’s show covers something similar….
http://pagetutor.com/trillion/index.html
– To spend a trillion dollars would require $1,000 a second 24/7
for 28 years.
– The US government is currently close to 13 trillion in debt.
http://www.brillig.com/debt_clock/
Its worse than that Big Dog.
Its $14, 274, 848, 043, 911.52 .
GDP: 2010: 14.6 trillion.
@Cargo, you know, it doesn’t bother me for my wino tax money to go pensions for public servants. I know they aren’t getting fat and sassy off of public pay. I also know existentially what they have to put up with dealing with the public.
I don’t want to burden the rich. However if they make a million, they can afford to bump it up a % or 2. The Public employees don’t have that kind of wiggle room. Paying your own pension fee means the difference in saving for your kid to go to college, or driving your old car another 5 years or qualifying for a house in a middle class neighborhood vs a project house.
You talk of the rich leaving. The teachers and cops will leave also. That’s just the reality. And what will happen is the taxpayers, us, the winos, will have to pay a huge amount just to attract a teacher for your kid’s classroom.
The old ones are retiring and there aren’t replacements coming along in schools of education, especially in critical shortage areas? Want a math or science teacher? We are moving in to the world of tough crap. Same with foreign language, speech, etc. I heard it was even difficult to find social studies and English teachers.
Social studies is a better major. It covers many more things than just history and not many are endorsed in social studies.
@Cargosquid
Are you listening on the radio? Where has Beck been? I need my day ruined. I almost miss the tin foil hat hour.
@Cargo, it depends on what you do. What do history majors make in non-teaching jobs?
Move to NoVA. You will make more. You get to pay more too, esp for food and a place to live. Gasoline is pretty normal though.
Posted at 01:06 PM ET, 04/13/2011
Poll: Independents agree with Dems on Medicare and tax hikes for rich
By Greg Sargent
Ezra Klein reads the new Gallup poll and discovers, strikingly, that a “plurality of Republicans want Medicare left alone.” Ezra notes that the composition of the GOP electorate may make the drive to end Medicare as we know it somewhat difficult for the party.
But here’s something else that may make this fight problematic for Republicans: The poll also finds that majorities of independents agree with the Democratic position on both Medicare and tax hikes for the rich, two central topics of this fight. And as we keep hearing, the spending battle is all about independents.
The poll finds that a total of 58 percent of independents thinks we should either make only minor changes to Medicare or do nothing at all to the program — which roughly represents the spectrum of Dem positions. Only 30 percent of indys want major changes or a total overhaul — the GOP position.
Meanwhile, 60 percent of independents think we should raise taxes on those making more than $250,000, versus only 37 percent who think we shouldn’t.
http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/plum-line/post/poll-independents-agree-with-dems-on-medicare-and-tax-hikes-for-rich/2011/03/03/AFeK0lWD_blog.html
Looks like you got your work cut out for you, cargo.
Cargo,
A trillion here and a trillion there and pretty soon we are talking
about real money.
lol
Censored-take a “peep” at what I just found! 🙂
http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/magazine/peeps-show-v/2011/04/11/AF3NYHSD_gallery.html#photo=1
I have President’s Obama’s speech transcript up at United Conservatives. http://unitedconservatives.blogspot.com/2011/04/fisking-obamas-speech-so-you-dont-have.html
Of course, if you want to save time, here’s the summary…
blah, blah, Reagan’s fault, Bush’s fault, evil rich people, tax cuts and deductions are actually spending, blah blah, clean energy unicorns, I will streamline the government, save trillions, and won’t change a thing. And if it doesn’t work, it won’t matter because a)I won’t be in office or I’ll be re-elected b)I’ll have Congress come back and kick it down the road again.
You really don’t like him, do you?
I like him much better than I thought I would. I also thought he did a great job. He didn’t say it was anyone’s fault. He stated facts. These are measurable facts.
Why do you feel you know more about macro economics that any presidential team of experts?
Are you holding out for ‘Private Ryan?’ Republcians should be very scared of his proposal. No one over 50 will vote for anyone that supports it once they find out it is a slash and dash over medicare and social security.
Lafayette, I saw them this morning. Some of them are really funny but I don’t think that they’re as good as last year’s. We should do some Manassas and PWC scenes – a KK Temptations one could be fun!
When will it be ready? My favorite is still the HSM bracelet.
http://www.1911encylopedia.org/Manassas
If a town of less than 1,000 people managed a Peace Jubilee in 1911,
a city of over 37,000 people should be able to handle one in 2011.
By golly.
http://www.1911encyclopedia.org/Manassas
why the republicans cant find a candidate
http://www.atimes.com/atimes/Global_Economy/MD05Dj02.html
Two gang of six members talk deficit reduction
By: CNN Capitol Hill Producer Rachel Streitfeld
Republican Saxby Chambliss of Georgia and Democrat Mark Warner of Virginia said the pitch from their so-called Gang of Six bipartisan group would come soon, and warned their colleagues and constituents to expect proposed changes to two hotly contested issues – taxes and entitlement programs.
The two senators called a budget proposal by Republican House Budget Chair Paul Ryan of Wisconsin “a serious plan” but faulted it for not addressing taxation and for not solving the deficit problem quickly enough.
“What he seeks to do is to, number one, balance the budget over about a 10-year period simply by reducing spending,” Chambliss said. “And you can’t do that. It’s not going to work.”
http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2011/04/11/two-gang-of-six-members-talk-deficit-reduction/?iref=allsearch
Heh, That’s a Republican calling for tax hikes. What do you Repugs think of that?
DOA
be afraid, be very afraid
http://www.foxnews.com/scitech/2011/04/13/yellowstones-supervolcano-surprisingly-humongous/?intcmp=obnetwork
Transportation Secretary Ray Lahood on air traffic controllers falling asleep at the switch:
“I guarantee the flying public we will not sleep until we can guarantee that there’s good safety in the control towers when these planes are coming in and out of airports,” LaHood told ABC’s “World News.”
Bad choice of words.
The worst I ever heard was after the challenger went down and some announcer said part of a foot had been discovered. The person went on to say …and on the heels of this discovery…whatever…
Everyone in the room audibly groaned at that choice of words. I don’t think it was intentional.
@Moon-howler
If this speech is an example of his “macroeconomics expertise,” my DAUGHTER has a better grasp of economics.
Let’s see…about the blame….
“But as far back as the 1980s, America started amassing debt” (Reagan with a DEMOCRAT CONGRESS.)
“America had to start borrowing less and saving more to prepare for the retirement of an entire generation” (AND YET THOSE CONGRESS MEMBERS IGNORED CONSERVATIVE WARNINGS TO FIX IT THEN.)
“As a result of these bipartisan efforts, America’s finances were in great shape by the year 2000.” (HE DESCRIBES 3 EFFORTS BUT ONLY THE REPUBLICANS BALANCING THE BUDGET UNDER CLINTON WORKED. AND EVEN THAT SURPLUS WAS FAKE. THEY TOOK THE MONEY FROM SS, AND IF YOU COULDN’T HAVE RECORD INCOME FOR THE GOV’T DURING THE FREAKING DOT COM BOOM…. ALSO, IF WE TRULY DID HAVE A SURPLUS, HOW DID THE DEBT KEEP GROWING?
“But after Democrats and Republicans committed to fiscal discipline during the 1990s, we lost our way in the decade that followed.” (I AGREE. BUSH AND CONGRESS SPENT TOO MUCH. REVENUES WERE STILL UP THOUGH. )
“Instead, we made the problem worse with trillions of dollars in unpaid-for tax cuts ”
“tax cuts that will force us to borrow an average of $500 billion every year over the next decade.” (HOWEVER, OBAMA IS LYING HERE. HE IS SETTING THE STAGE FOR DESCRIBING TAX POLICY WITH WHICH HE DISAGREES, AS SPENDING. HE ALSO MAKES NO MENTION OF THE RECORD DEFICIT SPENDING UNDER PELOSI STARTING WITH THE 2009 FISCAL YEAR. THAT IS WHAT IS GOING TO FORCE US TO BORROW. BUSH’S DEFICITS WERE LESS THAN 480 BILLION, AT THE MOST. PELOSI TRIPLED THAT.
“if we had simply found a way to pay for the tax cuts and the prescription drug benefit, our deficit would currently be at low historical levels in the coming years” AGAIN, HE LIES THROUGH OMISSION, AT BEST. ONE DOES NOT PAY FOR TAX CUTS. THAT IMPLIES THAT THE MONEY BELONGS TO THE STATE. AND HE AGAIN IGNORES HIS SPENDING.
The entire speech was a campaign speech trying to justify raising taxes without changing a thing in spending. All of his solutions were of the “fix fraud, waste, and abuse” and “cut spending in the tax code.” CUT SPENDING IN THE TAX CODE? Deductions are spending. Really? AND if his plan doesn’t work and Congress overspends again, his “fail safe” is for Congress to automatically raise taxes again. They play and we pay.
He blamed everyone but himself and the previous Congress for the spending mess we’re in. He put forth no plan. He voted “present” again. Every single one of his talking points was right out of the progressive play book.
If he wants rich people to pay more, then let him put a million or two towards paying down the government debt that HE helped create instead of hiding his past.
@e
He was writing a good article until his judgment came into question:
“here are several prospective contenders who could emulate Ronald Reagan with a fair degree of credibility – Mike Huckabee, Newt Gingrich and Rick Santorum all come to mind.”
He talks about getting a charismatic candidate that appeals to the masses and entrepreneurs and then mentions Huckabee? Gingrich? Please….he’s got some good points. I disagree with is image of the Tea Party, but, he’s right that the US is facing competition and we need to change our culture. We need to become lean and hungry again.
He didn’t blame, he stated facts. By the way, do you think Reagan thought up Reaganomics all by himself?
Reaganomics was not good for many families, including my own. The only way things trickled was UP. The Reagan years were truly gravity defying.
I voted for him so I don’t think I am being partisan.
Cargo, you hate Obama. Just admit it.
I don’t even want to hear anything about Pelosi congress and deficits. You know, there was the Great Recession. We didn’t go under. Good enough for me. Do you realize how close we were?
For right now, I think he did a great job. I will give him a B +. I am waiting to give the F to the person who is going to attempt to destroy SS and medicare. I think I like the Obama plan a lot better than what I hear trickling out of the Private Ryan Plan.
If I ever heard one of you guys do anything but bash public sector unions, planned parenthood, and pensions, I might be more charitable. Never to I hear you address the 2 theater war we have been at for nearly 10 years. Wars aren’t free.
We just have a different world view.