Debt Ceiling: What’s in it for Virginia?

MoonHowler

Richmond Times Dispatch

Jeff Schapiro

Could this red-white-and-blue weekend augur red ink for Virginia?

Default by the federal government, unless the debt ceiling is raised by Aug. 2, has potentially devastating effects for state government.

The flow of dollars from Washington to Virginia — No. 1 in federal spending per capita — would slow to a trickle. Federal workers wouldn’t be paid, driving up unemployment and choking off income-tax revenue. Medicaid, the federally financed, state-managed health-care program for the poor that is Virginia’s fastest-growing expense, would go begging.

To keep the budget in balance as required by law, Gov. Bob McDonnell would have to start cutting.

Also, transportation dollars would evaporate, potentially slamming the brakes on a defining feature of McDonnell’s just-passed road-building program: debt. He is planning to issue $1 billion in bonds backed by an anticipated federal handout.

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Mixing Guns and Mental Illness

MoonHowler

 New York Times

Michael Luo 

PULASKI, Va. — In May 2009, Sam French hit bottom, once again. A relative found him face down in his carport “talking gibberish,” according to court records. He later told medical personnel that he had been conversing with a bear in his backyard and hearing voices. His family figured he had gone off his medication for bipolar disorder, and a judge ordered him involuntarily committed — the fourth time in five years he had been hospitalized by court order. When Mr. French’s daughter discovered that her father’s commitment meant it was illegal for him to have firearms, she and her husband removed his cache of 15 long guns and three handguns, and kept them after Mr. French was released in January 2010 on a new regime of mood-stabilizing drugs. Ten months later, he appeared in General District Court — the body that handles small claims and traffic infractions — to ask a judge to restore his gun rights. After a brief hearing, in which Mr. French’s lengthy history of relapses never came up, he walked out with an order reinstating his right to possess firearms. The next day, Mr. French retrieved his guns.

Is it really this easy?  How does this all work?  Should the chronically mentally ill be denied gun rights?  How do we balance protecting Virginians (and others) from unstable people and protect people who have had minor emotional illnesses from government abuse? 

Thomas Jefferson, author of the Declaration of Independence

MoonHowler

Thomas Jefferson was only 33 years old when he drafted the Declaration of Independence.  He began June  June 11, 1776.  The Committee of five made a few revisions and the entire document was presented to the Continental Congress July 2, 1776.  They voted for independence and made a few more revisions before releasing the Declaration of Independence to be read to the colonies.  It was read from town to town for the benefit of those who could not read.

The Declaration of Independence stands as America’s most noble  document.  It defines the very essence of the spirit of America.   In 1822, John Adams wrote a response to Timothy Pickering who had asked a number of questions about the writing of the Declaration.  It was published in 1850:

You inquire why so young a man as Mr. Jefferson was placed at the head of the committee for preparing a Declaration of Independence? I answer: It was the Frankfort advice, to place Virginia at the head of everything. Mr. Richard Henry Lee might be gone to Virginia, to his sick family, for aught I know, but that was not the reason of Mr. Jefferson’s appointment. There were three committees appointed at the same time, one for the Declaration of Independence, another for preparing articles of confederation, and another for preparing a treaty to be proposed to France. Mr. Lee was chosen for the Committee of Confederation, and it was not thought convenient that the same person should be upon both. Mr. Jefferson came into Congress in June, 1775, and brought with him a reputation for literature, science, and a happy talent of composition. Writings of his were handed about, remarkable for the peculiar felicity of expression. Though a silent member in Congress, he was so prompt, frank, explicit, and decisive upon committees and in conversation – not even Samuel Adams was more so – that he soon seized upon my heart; and upon this occasion I gave him my vote, and did all in my power to procure the votes of others. I think he had one more vote than any other, and that placed him at the head of the committee. I had the next highest number, and that placed me the second. The committee met, discussed the subject, and then appointed Mr. Jefferson and me to make the draft, I suppose because we were the two first on the list.

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Pitchforks and Torches rise up again

MoonHowler

Rewind back to last summer.  The local uproar was over the new kids in town, KK’s Temptations  adult boutique, that was to open in October.  Some of the City folks had a fit because the shop was in Old Town Manassas.  People envisioned hordes of perverts lining up to see the bustiers and nighties.  It didn’t matter that the City also has Fashion Fantasy over on route 28 and at least one adult movie store over near the library, within blocks of Kindercare and Parkside Middle School on Mathis Avenue.  This new store was going to be in Old Town near the Candy Factory.  Each and every person I talked to who was opposed to the opening of KK’s used the location as the main, if not only reason for objection. 

Fast forward back to the present.  In the past couple of weeks, I have heard some mumblings and grumblings over KKs from two friends who I can clearly say are on different ends of this argument.   KK”s had planned to do some events for  Susan G. Komen for the cure to raise money.  Their  first plan had been a wet tee shirt contest.  Elena and I spoke briefly but negatively about this plan and basically backed off.  Because of issues with the City, KK’s plans changed to a bikini contest at Backyard Grill at the corner of Sudley Road and Williamson Blvd.  We didn’t like that idea either because of the objectification of women but kept our mouths shut.  It was Kim’s business.  In other words, do no harm.  We didn’t.Read More

The Supremes and the deadbeats

MoonHowler

While most people focused on the Supreme Court video game ruling, an equally important case went pretty much unnoticed.  This case affects millions of families, in particular, children.  Turner vs. Rogers dealt with deadbeat dads and is more commonly known as the ‘deadbeat dad case.’

According to the Washington Post :

The justices ruled in a 5 to 4 decision (PDF) to uphold the appeal of Michael Turner, a father who had been jailed for a year because he did not — he said could not — pay the nearly $6,000 in child support payments he owed. The court decided that Turner’s incarceration violated the due process clause because he had not been told that his ability to pay was crucial to the case and the court never determined whether Turner could, in fact, make his child support obligations.

The Turner case addressed one of the biggest problems in the national child support enforcement program. Though most sentient adults agree parents need to meet their child support obligations, enforcement rules often don’t recognize the reality of financial situations.

A noncustodial parent might have lost a job, as millions did in the recession, but it’s doubtful his or her payment schedule changed at all. It can be a slippery slope from provider to deadbeat.

Upon first glance (see PDF link) the original defendant, one Mr. Turner of South Carolina, is not a very sympathetic figure.  I felt he deserved to be jailed.  However, he was not represented by an attorney and he got caught up in a real legal catch-22.  He had to be out of jail in order to make money to pay his child support.  This guy was ordered to pay $52.73 per week. That might not seem like much to some people.  To others, it is a fortune.  Throwing a person in jail who has this few assets seems to be self defeating. 

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Minnesota government shuts down

MoonHowler

People in Minnesota are furious over the state government shut down.  About 23,000 state workers have been furloughed.  Marriage licenses aren’t being issued now and state parks have closed.  Campers have been evicted.   Water and electricity have been shut off.  No flags are flying over state buildings, starting Friday. 

The private sector will also be hit as professional licensing and alcohol licensing will not be done.  Pharmacies won’t get paid by health and human services.   State highway construction ground to a halt.   Rest stops were closed.  Wayside rest areas are closed also, causing a danger to weary travelers over a holiday weekend.   Even the race track will be closed because of state regulation.  $1 million loss in revenue is projected. 

According to the Washington Post:

The details of the Minnesota government’s shutdown show what can go wrong when no agreement can be reached. Last week, a judge ruled that only core government functions — public safety, welfare programs, care for residents in state facilities such as prisons, preservation of the government financial system and necessary administration functions — would continue if the government were shuttered.

When lawmakers failed to fend off the shutdown, about 20,000 state workers were officially laid off.

The governor shut things down.  This is the paralysis that comes from two sides not being able to reach an agreement on the budget.  There was also an impasse 6 years ago.

Do the people of Minnesota have a right to be angry?  Should the governor shut down the government when a budgetary agreement could not be reached?  Why didn’t they wait until after the holiday?  Wouldn’t most people pay a little more in taxes to be able to have services?  I think most of us acknowledge that there is just no free lunch.

 

Pendulum Waves: Better than fireworks?

MoonHowler

From youtube.com

This Harvard physics apparatus uses a series of pendulums of varying lengths, swinging together, to make a mesmerizing dance:

The period of one complete cycle of the dance is 60 seconds. The length of the longest pendulum has been adjusted so that it executes 51 oscillations in this 60 second period. The length of each successive shorter pendulum is carefully adjusted so that it executes one additional oscillation in this period. Thus, the 15th pendulum (shortest) undergoes 65 oscillations.
Our apparatus was built from a design published by Richard Berg [Am J Phys 59(2), 186-187 (1991)] at the University of Maryland. The particular apparatus shown here was built by our own Nils Sorensen.

Strauss-Kahn case disintegrating

MoonHowler

New York Times:

The sexual assault case against Dominique Strauss-Kahn is on the verge of collapse as investigators have uncovered major holes in the credibility of the housekeeper who charged that he attacked her in his Manhattan hotel suite in May, according to two well-placed law enforcement officials.

Although forensic tests found unambiguous evidence of a sexual encounter between Mr. Strauss-Kahn, a French politician, and the woman, prosecutors now do not believe much of what the accuser has told them about the circumstances or about herself.

Since her initial allegation on May 14, the accuser has repeatedly lied, one of the law enforcement officials said.

The accuser has not been seen by the public.  She is in protection.  She has been caught in one lie after another.  She has told authorities that 2 witnesses to her encounter were Moses and John Lennon.  While Strauss-Kahn might have a few problems with morals or scruples, there is something very disturbing about this case. 

Strauss-Kahn  has lost his  job and reputation.   Is it possible for someone to lose their lifetime achievements over a case like this that ends up with its chief witnesses being Lennon and Moses?  He was considered a serious contender for the French presidency.   Now he is being held on in the United States with a forfeited passport and is under strict house arrest. Read More