Florida Condo And Homeowner Associations Filing Chapter 11 As A Last Resort

Florida Condo And Homeowner Associations Filing Chapter 11 As A Last Resort: "Last year, we began to see that condo associations in Florida were facing trouble. With many condo owners not paying their fees or facing foreclosure it was inevitable that the condo and homeowner associations would only be able to go on so long. The Miami Herald is reporting that with those fees remaining unpaid some South Florida condo associations are seeing bankruptcy as a way out. So far at least seven Florida condo associations have filed for bankruptcy and there could be many more to follow.

The lure for the associations is that if they are in bankruptcy the utilities they owe money to can't turn off basic services like water and power. The downside may be that it is both costly and only a stopgap measure."
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Yes, and as the article notes, unlike bankrupt businesses, they don't have assets to sell off.

Sotomayor Spontaneously Combusts, Firefighter Frank Ricci Suggests Letting Fire Burn Itself Out

Carbolic Smoke Ball
Somehow the major networks seem to have missed this story.

What's really behind Obama's sudden plea for troubled health reforms today | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

What's really behind Obama's sudden plea for troubled health reforms today | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times: "Obama insists Congress get a healthcare reform program drafted before its members leave on Aug. 7 for their next long vacation. Why? Because members may get an earful back home from the 70% of Americans who say they are satisfied with their healthcare plans and the estimated 98% who don't want higher taxes to pay for reforms that benefit others now and maybe them later someday, who knows.

And if Obama doesn't get his beloved healthcare reforms this year when his party has such firm control of both chambers of Congress, 2010 is a midterm election year when such immense spending will be even more controversial and when, historically, the White House party loses members in Congress. (And unemployment rates are predicted to continue rising.)"
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How about that? Obama's belief, and that of the Axelrod-Emanuel-Pelosi-Reid combine that enables him, is that this massive redesign of the American health care system must be passed by Congress before the people have a chance to tell their legislative representatives what they think of it. He would prefer that the representatives and senators pass it without even reading it themselves.

The truth behind all Obama's power to the people rhetoric is that he has no more respect for democracy than did his predecessor in office. He thinks we are a selfish, primitive, rabble and need to have our lives organized for us by the federal government, led by...guess who?

California closes state offices to save cash

California closes state offices to save cash: "The DMV is one of many state offices to close on Friday, one of three unpaid leave days a month ordered for state workers to help the government reduce its expenses.

The furloughs declared earlier this month are expected to save more than one billion dollars over the next year in California.

On Wednesday, authorities shut down most of the operations of the Los Angeles County Superior Court, the largest court system in the country with approximately 100,000 people passing through its 600 courtrooms every day.

Presiding Judge Charles McCoy said he was forced to take the step in anticipation of a 138-million-dollar funding shortfall for the fiscal year that began this month."
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What's the problem? Just tax the rich. They can pay for everything, can't they?

Unemployment tops 10 percent in 16 states in June

Unemployment tops 10 percent in 16 states in June: "WASHINGTON (AP) - The U.S. Labor Department says unemployment topped 10 percent in 16 states last month. The rate in Michigan surpassed 15 percent, the first time any state hit that mark since 1984."
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We are at 9.5% nationally, and headed up. Watch for the federal government to manufacture some positive statistics in order to generate some positive psychology. The stock market is hanging in there, but they always bet on the come.

White House's $50B foreclosure plan a bust so far - Victoria McGrane - POLITICO.com

White House's $50B foreclosure plan a bust so far - Victoria McGrane - POLITICO.com: "Administration officials blame the mortgage servicers charged with carrying out the mortgage modifications and refinancing under the federal program. Many of their Democratic allies on Capitol Hill back them up, but others are criticizing the White House for fumbling the execution. Whatever the reason, the program hasn’t stopped the rising tide of foreclosures: Experts predict that at least another 2 million homes will be lost this year, and the administration’s plan has so far reached only about 160,000 of the 3 million to 4 million homes it was supposed to protect over the next three years."
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I blame Bush.

Director’s Blog » Blog Archive » The Long-Term Budget Outlook

Director’s Blog » Blog Archive » The Long-Term Budget Outlook: "Under current law, the federal budget is on an unsustainable path, because federal debt will continue to grow much faster than the economy over the long run. Although great uncertainty surrounds long-term fiscal projections, rising costs for health care and the aging of the population will cause federal spending to increase rapidly under any plausible scenario for current law. Unless revenues increase just as rapidly, the rise in spending will produce growing budget deficits. Large budget deficits would reduce national saving, leading to more borrowing from abroad and less domestic investment, which in turn would depress economic growth in the United States. Over time, accumulating debt would cause substantial harm to the economy."
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But as VP Biden says, we have to keep spending or we will go bankrupt.

Housing starts surge 3.6% - Jul. 17, 2009

Housing starts surge 3.6% - Jul. 17, 2009: "NEW YORK (CNNMoney.com) -- Initial construction of U.S. homes and applications for building permits both surged in June, according to government figures released Friday.

Housing starts rose to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 582,000, up 3.6% from a revised 562,000 in May, according to the Commerce Department.

Economists were expecting housing starts to increase to an annual rate of 524,000 units, according to a consensus estimate gathered by Briefing.com."
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I hope this holds.

San Diego: median home price up in June

Median home price up in June: "San Diego County's median home price rose for the third consecutive month in June, hitting $314,250, the highest figure since October, and raising hopes that the region's slumping housing market may finally be poised for a comeback.

With fewer low-priced foreclosure homes on the market and growing sales of higher-priced properties, the county's median price rose $19,250 from May to June. The 6.5 percent one-month percentage gain was the biggest since MDA DataQuick began keeping records in 1988."
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Good news we can believe in at last?

Spend a trillion on health care or go bankrupt

CNSNews.com - Joe Biden: ‘We Have to Go Spend Money to Keep From Going Bankrupt’: "“Now, people when I say that look at me and say, ‘What are you talking about, Joe? You’re telling me we have to go spend money to keep from going bankrupt?’” Biden said. “The answer is yes, that's what I’m telling you.”"
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These people seem to have no idea what they are talking about, much less what they are doing.

California City News

California City News
Fred Pilot sent me the link to this blog, that is "devoted entirely to local government in California."

YouTube - Rants From Lost Wages by James Alexander

YouTube - Rants From Lost Wages by James Alexander
This is a hilarious rant about HOAs in North Las Vegas. Thanks to James for sending it.

Foreclosures at record high in first half 2009 despite aid | Reuters

Foreclosures at record high in first half 2009 despite aid | Reuters: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - U.S. home foreclosure activity galloped to a record in the first half of the year, overwhelming broad efforts to remedy failing loans while job losses escalated.

Foreclosure filings jumped to a record 1.9 million on more than 1.5 million properties in the first six months of the year, RealtyTrac said on Thursday.

The number of properties drawing filings, which include notices of default and auctions, jumped 9.0 percent from the second half of 2008 and almost 15 percent from the first half of last year."
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I'm sure this is all Bush's fault.

Kid Who Beat Cancer May Have to Lose Cross | NBC Miami

Kid Who Beat Cancer May Have to Lose Cross | NBC Miami: "Cancer survivor Taylor Bushing thinks she beat the deadly disease with the help of a cross her mother put on the front of her house.

So you can imagine the 12-year-old's disappointment when her mother's homeowners association told the family to take the cross down because it was in violation of the rules.

At 14.5 inches, the cross is 2.5 inches larger than the Pembroke Falls neighborhood association allows."
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That is the Pembroke Falls HOA, folks. Just when you think you have heard of the stupidest and most heartless thing an HOA or condo association could ever do--such as making a kid in a wheelchair use the service entrance--another association raises the ante by plumbing new depths of idiocy.

Congratulations, Pembroke Falls HOA. You have the title.

I had this sent to me by so many people that I can't thank them all individually, so I'll thank them all collectively--thanks!

Could we be wrong about global warming? - Science Fair - USATODAY.com

Could we be wrong about global warming? - Science Fair - USATODAY.com: "Could the best climate models -- the ones used to predict global warming -- all be wrong?

Maybe so, says a new study published online today in the journal Nature Geoscience. The report found that only about half of the warming that occurred during a natural climate change 55 million years ago can be explained by excess carbon dioxide in the atmosphere. What caused the remainder of the warming is a mystery."
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How about this sentence: "In a nutshell, theoretical models cannot explain what we observe in the geological record," says oceanographer Gerald Dickens, study co-author and professor of Earth Science at Rice University in Houston. "There appears to be something fundamentally wrong with the way temperature and carbon are linked in climate models."

Fed: unemployment will top 10 percent this year - Yahoo! News

Fed: unemployment will top 10 percent this year - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – The Federal Reserve expects the economy this year will sink at a slower pace than it previously thought, but that unemployment will top 10 percent and remain high for the next few years, according to a new forecast released Wednesday."
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Heck of a recovery we have going on here. What is fascinating is the optimism you see in the stock market. Investors are betting on the come. I hope they are right about that.

At least they worked through the Home Run Derby

Illinois budget: Gov. Pat Quinn, top lawmakers inch closer to stopgap deal -- chicagotribune.com: "SPRINGFIELD -- With state worker paychecks hanging in the balance, Gov. Pat Quinn and top lawmakers moved closer Tuesday to a stopgap budget agreement that includes billions of dollars in borrowing and pushing off a tax-hike vote to a more politically convenient time.

After several closed-door meetings and brief legislative sessions of the House and Senate, several lawmakers headed 90 miles down the road to St. Louis for baseball's All-Star Game and to see a ceremonial first-pitch delivered by their former colleague, President Barack Obama.

But two weeks into the state's budget year, no deal was reached among leading Democrats, Republicans and Quinn on a spending plan. With Wednesday the first major payday since the July 1 budget deadline, Comptroller Dan Hynes' office said checks to as many as 6,000 of the state's 69,000 workers would not go out."
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It must be nice to ride so high, so far above the peons, that you can waltz off to a baseball game the day before 6000 state employees aren't getting paid. If there is a more miserable excuse for a legislative body in the world, I would like to hear its name.

Clothesline bill hung out to dry : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis

Clothesline bill hung out to dry : News-Record.com : Greensboro & the Triad's most trusted source for local news and analysis: "Back during crossover (click here), Rep. Pricey Harrison, a Greensboro Democrat, got a little bill (H 1353) through the House that would prohibit cities and counties from adopting blanket prohibitions on clotheslines.

The idea, according to Harrison, is to allow people who want to save energy by hanging out their laundry (rather than use their dryers) even if some folks in the community turn up their nose at the idea. Originally, the bill started out as an effort to keep homeowners associations from adopting restrictive covenants prohibiting clotheslines, but Harrison took that out of the bill after getting a lot of resistance. (Related items here, here and here.)

So the bill came before the Senate Commerce Committee today … and it was doomed."
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So, it is fair game on clotheslines in South Carolina.

Peter Singer: Why we must ration health care

Why We Must Ration Health Care - NYTimes.com: "The debate over health care reform in the United States should start from the premise that some form of health care rationing is both inescapable and desirable. Then we can ask, What is the best way to do it?"
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Who is Peter Singer, you may be asking? He is one of the most famous ethicists in the world. His critics say that his views on many issues put him very close to advocating eugenics.

Here are some of his other views:

--all animals capable of suffering like humans should have equal rights with humans, or it is "speciesism"
--it is possible to have mutually satisfying sexual relations between humans and animals
--a fetus is incapable of having preferences, so abortion is morally permissible
--killing a newborn baby is not equivalent to killing a person who has self-consciousness and wants to go on living

And now he is advocating health care rationing, which means that if you are old and sick you will be less likely to get expensive procedures. This is exactly where Obama's health care plan will lead, of course. There is no way to expand coverage and cut costs (or even avoid runaway increases in costs), given the same number of doctors and hospitals, without rationing.

Maybe Obama can make Prof. Singer the Health Care Rationing Czar.

Glitch hits Visa users with more than $23 quadrillion charge - CNN.com

Glitch hits Visa users with more than $23 quadrillion charge - CNN.com: "NEW YORK (CNN) -- A technical snafu left some Visa prepaid cardholders stunned and horrified Monday to see a $23,148,855,308,184,500 charge on their statements."
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One fellow read the bill and discovered that he had spent the entire sum in one stop at a Mobil gas station. Even a confirmed nicotine addict wouldn't pay $23 quadrillion for a pack of cigarettes--would he?

Randy Barnett: Sotomayor doesn't understand fundamental rights incorporation doctrine

The Volokh Conspiracy - -
The Bill of Rights as originally understood only limited the actions of the national government. But the 14th amendment, passed after the Civil War, is aimed directly at the states, and the due process clause of the 14th amendment says that no state can deprive any US citizen of life, liberty, or property without due process of law. The word "liberty" has been given specific meaning by the USSC by "incorporating" into that word certain specific liberties that are in the Bill of Rights. Which ones? The ones that are considered "fundamental."

Sotomayor has this exactly backward. She thinks you define "fundamental" by asking, "is this incorporated?" No. First the court has to decide whether it is fundamental, which is one of these difficult questions of judicial philosophy they are trying to ask her about that she won't answer. Then, if the court decides the right is fundamental, that right is incorporated.

Sotomayor is either ignorant of a basic principle of constitutional law, or she is being evasive.

Randy Barnett is one of the nation's most distinguished constitutional law scholars, and he says this: "This is both a grossly incorrect (and empty) understanding of the doctrine governing the protection of fundamental rights and an inaccurate statement of the precedents concerning the incorporation of the right to keep and bear arms into the Due Process Clause of the Constitution."

This link came from Instpundit

Potential Senator from Illinois?

#71: Slime Molds Show Surprising Degree of Intelligence | Animal Intelligence | DISCOVER Magazine: "Single-celled slime molds demonstrate the ability to memorize and anticipate repeated events, a team of Japanese researchers reported in January. The study [pdf] clearly shows “a primitive version of brain function” in an organism with no brain at all."

Leahy explains his "wise Latina" misquote, but the video shows... | Washington Examiner

Leahy explains his "wise Latina" misquote, but the video shows... | Washington Examiner: "After the hearings were over Tuesday, I asked Leahy about the misquote. 'I was doing it from memory,' Leahy explained. 'But I knew that she would -- she stated exactly what she said, and the statement is in the record.' Leahy added that he did not consider Sotomayor's precise words very important; her response, he said, was much more critical.

That's Leahy's explanation. But video of his question is available on YouTube, and it certainly appears that Leahy was reading from a text when he misquoted Sotomayor"
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It seems that after people have been in law and politics for a while they lose any connection with the idea of "the truth" as most people understand it. Instead, they think that any lie they can get away with by any means is morally indistinguishable from the truth. Leahy was lying yesterday about what she said, and now he is lying today about what he did. Yet, he is just as self-righteous as ever.

Your government at work: Ghoulbot on the drawing board

Upcoming Military Robot Could Feed on Dead Bodies - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com: "A Maryland company under contract to the Pentagon is working on a steam-powered robot that would fuel itself by gobbling up whatever organic material it can find — grass, wood, old furniture, even dead bodies."
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Who comes up with these ideas?

FACT CHECK: Don't quote Sotomayor on that, Senator

FACT CHECK: Don't quote Sotomayor on that, Senator: "LEAHY SAID: 'You said that, quote, you 'would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would reach wise decisions.''

THE FACTS: If that's all Sotomayor said, the quote would barely have mattered to opponents of her nomination. The actual quote, delivered in a 2001 speech to law students at the University of California at Berkeley, was: 'I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn't lived that life.'"
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This is Senator Patrick Leahy (D--Mars), deliberately misrepresenting what she said, in hopes that the evening news will carry his statement instead of hers, thereby helping to defuse the controversy over her statement, and what it says about her. Everybody who runs his statement would know it is not what she said, but he's hoping they will run it anyway, because these days so many of the media are playing on the Democrat team.

This is what American politics has come to.

Obama mulls rental option for some homeowners-sources | Markets | Markets News | Reuters

Obama mulls rental option for some homeowners-sources | Markets | Markets News | Reuters: "NEW YORK, July 14 (Reuters) - U.S. government officials are weighing a plan that would let borrowers who have fallen behind on their mortgage payments avoid eviction by renting their homes instead, sources familiar with the administration's thinking said on Tuesday.

Under one idea being discussed, delinquent homeowners would surrender ownership of their homes but would continue to live in the property for several years, the sources told Reuters.

Officials are also considering whether the government should make mortgage payments on behalf of borrowers who cannot keep up with their home loans, tapping an unused portion of a $50 billion housing aid kitty."
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Under the first plan, I wonder who they would "surrender ownership of their homes" to. Let me see. It wouldn't be...oh, THE FEDERAL GOVERNMENT, would it? Because that would instantly create a gigantic stock of public housing, and we just spent the last two presidential administrations trying to unload that nightmare.

And under the second plan, Uncle Sam just becomes Uncle Sugar.

Russia says no Iran sanctions for START deal: report | International | Reuters

Russia says no Iran sanctions for START deal: report | International | Reuters: "MOSCOW (Reuters) - Russia will not agree to tougher sanctions against Iran over its nuclear program in exchange for a new nuclear arms cuts deal with Washington, Interfax news agency quoted a foreign ministry source as saying Tuesday.

Last week, U.S. President Barack Obama's nuclear adviser suggested that progress on a U.S.-Russian nuclear arms pact could help persuade Moscow to be more cooperative on Iran."
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Well. That overture certainly worked out beautifully. Not.

Titusville condo owners face fines for violations | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY

Titusville condo owners face fines for violations | floridatoday.com | FLORIDA TODAY: "TITUSVILLE — Code violations keep racking up at Bay Towers Apartments, the fire-scarred riverfront complex facing a crippling cash crunch.
Advertisement

The south tower remains condemned after a May 2008 fire. Since Feb. 6, Titusville officials have fined the property’s South Florida owners up to $1,400 per day for damaged elevators, stairwells, plumbing and other problems.

As of today— 159 days later — these ongoing fines total $222,600."
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Another condo complex that so far hasn't been able to deal with a financial crisis.

Mounting bills force condo associations into bankruptcy - Business - MiamiHerald.com

Mounting bills force condo associations into bankruptcy - Business - MiamiHerald.com: "At least seven Florida condo associations have filed for bankruptcy since the real estate market took a nose dive -- and there may be more on the way.

For a growing number of strapped condo associations, bankruptcy could be the last defense against their hallways going dark and their spigots running dry."
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And this is only the beginning.

Lenders abandoning foreclosed properties - JSOnline

Lenders abandoning foreclosed properties - JSOnline: "For years, lenders complained about debtors who left the keys on the kitchen table and skipped town, leaving it to the bank to file for foreclosure and eventually take title by buying it at a sheriff's sale.

The latest twist: Now it's the lenders who are doing the walking, often without telling the borrowers, who may believe erroneously they have already lost title.

'This is just the meanest and nastiest thing (lenders) could do,' said Catherine Doyle, chief staff attorney at the Milwaukee Legal Aid Society. 'Even more profound is the terrible damage to the community. All of us are going to have to bail them out.'"
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Yes, but first you may have to evict the squatters who will take over many of these abandoned properties, and that could prove to be an interesting experience for all concerned.
Thanks to Fred Pilot for another post-apocalyptic link.

But California finished ahead of Kazakhstan!

British analysts rate California as high risk for credit default - Sacramento Business, Housing Market News | Sacramento Bee: "A London financial firm named CMA puts California in dubious company, ranking it ninth in the world among the 10 governmental entities most likely to default on their financial obligations.

California has a 26.75 percent chance of defaulting over five years, according to CMA. The rankings are based on the prices for credit-default swaps, which are insurance-like products that would pay bondholders in the event of a default.

Others on the list include Kazakhstan, Latvia and Iceland, the latter of which essentially went bankrupt last fall in the global financial meltdown."
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this depressing link.

U.S. mulling mortgage aid for unemployed | U.S. | Reuters

U.S. mulling mortgage aid for unemployed | U.S. | Reuters: "NEW YORK/WASHINGTON (Reuters) - President Barack Obama is mulling new ways to delay foreclosure for jobless homeowners who are unable to keep up with monthly payments, an administration official said on Monday.

The official told Reuters it was reasonable for policymakers to consider options for loan forbearance -- allowing borrowers to delay, defer or skip payments -- that are more effective than those currently available in the private sector."
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But if you impair the bank's security, why should they lend in the first place? Are they just supposed to lend money and not get any loan payments? How is that a business model? I realize it sounds great to a socialist, but we are talking about the real world.

Magazine Ad Revenue Down 21.2 Percent In First Half Of 2009 - mediabistro.com: FishbowlNY

Magazine Ad Revenue Down 21.2 Percent In First Half Of 2009 - mediabistro.com: FishbowlNY: "The Publishers Information Bureau just released its advertising revenue numbers for the first half of 2009, and it's not pretty. Rate-card-reported ad revenue totaled nearly $9.1 billion, down 21.2 percent from the same period last year. Ad pages were also down 27.9 percent, and the impact of the recession was felt across all top 12 ad categories, PIB said."
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This is evidence that the people who sell things are "extremely cautious." The greatest sectoral declines in ad revenue are automotive, finance, and retail. That cuts a pretty big swath.

Gunfire from boat hits home at St. James | StarNewsOnline.com | Star News | Wilmington, NC

Gunfire from boat hits home at St. James | StarNewsOnline.com | Star News | Wilmington, NC: "Residents in the gated town of St. James might have had their feeling of security shaken over the weekend after gunfire struck a waterfront home.

Mayor Shelley Lesher said no one was injured in the shooting. The Brunswick County Sheriff’s Office determined the shots, fired about 3 a.m. Sunday, came from a boat moving along the Intracoastal Waterway."
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This mysterious item was sent along by Cynthia Stephens. What is afoot in St. James?

Pay us or we'll kill the monkey!

Patrick accuses zoo officials of using scare tactics - The Boston Globe: "Governor Deval Patrick yesterday accused Zoo New England officials of creating a false and inflammatory scare with their warning that state budget cuts may force them to close two Greater Boston zoos and euthanize some animals."
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These agencies are getting creative. Red light cameras, selling off bridges, and now threatening to kill zoo animals. What next?

The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room » Congressman: Michigan could hit 20% jobless thanks to Obama

The Hill’s Blog Briefing Room » Congressman: Michigan could hit 20% jobless thanks to Obama: "Michigan's unemployment rate could hit as high as 20 percent with the Obama administrationto blame, one Michigan congressman warned Friday.

Rep. Thaddeus McCotter (R-Mich.) said that Michigan's unemployment — already the highest in the country at 14.1 percent — could go even higher as General Motors and Chrysler continue to shed jobs after their government-financed bankruptcies."
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I posted this because it seems impossible that such a thing could happen. But it seemed impossible that Lehman Brothers and Bear Stearns could implode, too.

Why the Credit Pendulum Is Stuck at 'Stupid' - General * US * News * Story - CNBC.com

Why the Credit Pendulum Is Stuck at 'Stupid' - General * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "The readiness of banks to sell foreclosed properties has led to rising home sales in some areas. But the traditional housing market, the one that involves willing buyers and sellers, is still dead, with transactions lower than they have been for decades.

The recession is the major reason sales are dragging, of course, but it is not the only one. As Dr. Komarovskaya found, buyers once viewed as perfectly qualified are being denied mortgages."
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The pendulum had better start swinging back pretty soon.

House Design Fail!

House Design Fail! by
Thanks to Mystery Reader for this link to an intriguing tree placement.

Tiburon may install license plate cameras

Tiburon may install license plate cameras: "The posh and picturesque town that juts into San Francisco Bay is poised to do something unprecedented: use cameras to record the license plate number of every vehicle that crosses city limits."
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Part of the "towns emulating CIDs" trend--here is snooty Tiburon trying to turn itself into a gated community.

Teen Girl Falls In Open Manhole While Texting - wcbstv.com

Teen Girl Falls In Open Manhole While Texting - wcbstv.com
Darwin strikes.

Mortgage defaults spread as even 'safe' borrowers falter - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee

Mortgage defaults spread as even 'safe' borrowers falter - Sacramento News - Local and Breaking Sacramento News | Sacramento Bee: "No longer is the real estate bust simply the result of exotic, subprime loans that doubled payments and blew up in homeowners' faces. As the Sacramento economy buckles, even the safest mortgages have become part of a new wave of loan defaults, experts say."
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Fred Pilot sent this link. Now government employees are in trouble. But Obama says, "The stimulus is working. These are not the droids you are looking for."

Red-light cameras raking in cash -- chicagotribune.com

Red-light cameras raking in cash -- chicagotribune.com: "Do red-light cameras truly make roads safer, as many towns claim? Or are they merely a high-tech variation on the old moneymaking speed trap?"
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Thanks to Dennis James of Quantum Pork for this link. The data show that this is all about money. The intersections where these camera have been installed have hardly any t-bone collisions, which is the only kind of accident they are supposedly designed to prevent. The fact that the tickets are issued to the vehicle owner rather than the driver is obviously outrageous.