A Whiter Shade of Pale

The Signal - Santa Clarita Valley News - Shades of beige: "Homeowner's associations have sprung up rapidly since 1970, said Evan McKenzie, an associate professor of political science at the University of Illinois at Chicago.

In 1960, there were fewer than 500 HOAs. Today, there are about 300,000, McKenzie said.

McKenzie said he could spend days talking about problems with HOAs, but one of the biggest is how residential governments have changed the cultural landscape by invading residents' personal space.

'Nobody wants to live under a nitpicky level of government,' McKenzie said. 'HOAs manage an aspect of peoples lives that have always been private.'"
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Thanks to Shu Bartholomew for locating this one. Where is Procol Harum when you need them? (I think my cultural reference may be lost on the younger set, but can I get an amen here?)

FT.com: US Public Pensions Face $2 Trillion Deficit | Benzinga.com

FT.com: US Public Pensions Face $2 Trillion Deficit | Benzinga.com: "Much like we were early citing the coming fiscal disaster that are state budgets [Dec 16, 2007: California in a State of Fiscal Emergency - Coming to a Theater Near You] so will be early to the disaster that is the US public pension system. As we clearly now see, there is no political will to make hard decisions that alienate any of the potential voting public. So, much like the state (and city) budget crisis, I expect the nation to continue to kick the can, doling out pensions we cannot afford to the public worker - until we run into a wall at 180 mph. And then your grandchildren will be asked to foot the bill 'in the public interest' or 'to keep the system stable' or 'this is what we promised'. And when the bill for Medicare comes due sometime later in the decade - perhaps when it starts eating up 20%+ of all US GDP - we'll hear the same thing. At some point there will be no extra sources to borrow from, so Federal Reserve Chief Geithner? Summers? will be printing new US pesos at a rate that makes Ben Bernanke's quantitative easing look like child's play. It's all the same pattern - played over and over, just in different future liability accounts."
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You can read the details of what is coming toward us at light speed.

U of Illinois President Ikenberry: ‘we may in fact have to do some layoffs’ | The Daily Illini

Ikenberry: ‘we may in fact have to do some layoffs’ | The Daily Illini: "DI: What is the worse case scenario for the University right now for the budget crisis? Will there be any consolidation or layoffs in any academic or administrative units?

SI: Yes, there will be."
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Oh, yes. There will be. The state of Illinois is insolvent, and there has been no adult supervision for the state legislature, in the form of a sane and honest governor, since...who knows when...12 years? First the crook Ryan, then the crook and lunatic Blagojevich, and now the airhead do-gooder Quinn. The state is now in the process of destroying the University of Illinois system. And I am not exaggerating. The situation will be so bad in a few months that entire departments will be eliminated and faculty positions along with them. You can say what you want about rebuilding, but there is no chance of this state ever (in the remotely forseeable future) being able to get out from under its existing obligations to fund rebuilding of the U of I. To take only one crisis, the State of Illinois has systematically, over many years, underfunded its public pension plans in the amount of $80 billion dollars.

Eighty. Billion. Dollars.

And despite not making those payments, and despite not paying the U of I $400 billion dollars, and despite not paying doctors and social service agencies and despite ignoring crumbling infrastructure, and a host of other such bogus and shortsighted money-saving policies...the State of Illinois is running a budget deficit this year of $13 billion.

So, once this system is reduced to a shadow of itself, which will have happened by a year from now, there will never be the resources to restore it. It would take a national economic boom the likes of which this country hasn't seen since 1946. And even if there were such a time (which I think would be possible to envision only after smoking a big fat bag of crack), the U of I's reputation will have been wrecked in the academic hiring market forever. If you were a first-rate job candidate, and you were on the market a few years from now, would you go to a university that has just gone through radical downsizing of departments and now promises that, don't worry, your job is safe?

Here's the irony--our tuition revenues are up, and our enrollments are up, and to all appearances the institution is thriving, as long as you don't know about the fiscal nightmare that is unfolding.

Libertarian paradise emerging in post-earthquake Haiti

Lynch mobs turn on looters amid Haiti aid crisis - Times Online: "Six days after the Port-au-Prince earthquake large areas of the city remain untouched by the global aid effort as bottlenecks continue to clog the airport and looting threatens to descend into wholesale violence."
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I would be interested in hearing the libertarian perspective on why, when Haiti's government collapsed along with the government buildings, people didn't immediately begin ordering their affairs with voluntary and efficient contracts. Instead, with no government and a long delay before external aid appears, Haiti is offering a good look at Thomas Hobbes' vision of life in a state of nature: "solitary, poor, nasty, brutish, and short."

This is also a good lesson for the survivalist wingnuts who can't wait for the the US to collapse so they can grab their bugout bag and a .223 and machete-hack their way through the marauding gangs to a patch of open land where they will set up a homestead and live off venison and home grown mung beans. Good luck with that.

Foreclosure Expert: The Worst is Yet to Come - Foreclosure filings reach nearly 3 million in 2009, record high | foreclosure, shutters, million - Local News - The Star Online : The Newspaper of Cleveland County

Foreclosure Expert: The Worst is Yet to Come - Foreclosure filings reach nearly 3 million in 2009, record high | foreclosure, shutters, million - Local News - The Star Online : The Newspaper of Cleveland County: "Some of those mortgages are simply walking away from homes because the outstanding principal on the mortgage is higher than the home’s value. Adding to the problem are mortgage companies, which also walk away from homes because of back taxes, lawyers’ fees and homeowners’ association fees.
“The problem is working its way up in income levels,” said Gardner.
Overall, he expects the number of foreclosures to increase at least until 2012 as they extend into wealthier neighborhoods, targetting professionals such as doctors, accountants and lawyers, he said.
And because of that Gardner has a simple message for consumers: The worst is yet to come."
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I think he's right. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this depressing but true perspective.

Columbia Association cuts gym towels from budget - baltimoresun.com

Columbia Association cuts gym towels from budget - baltimoresun.com: "Members of the Columbia Association's three gyms can wave their free towels goodbye starting Nov. 1, the result of an austere budget proposed for the next two years that would also reduce employee pay raises but leave residents' property lien fees unchanged"
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The horror. The horror.
Thanks to Fred Pilot for this sign of the apocalypse.

Joe Biden update: He meets on transparency today. But the meeting is closed | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times

Joe Biden update: He meets on transparency today. But the meeting is closed | Top of the Ticket | Los Angeles Times
Between Obama's people singing the praises of Guantanamo (maybe a future condo for Haitian refugees?) and Biden morphing into Dick Cheney with secret transparency meetings, the Irony Meter is headed for the red line.

For my part, I wish I were blogging from an undisclosed location. However, I am at home. Full disclosure.

FOXNews.com - U.S. Preparing for Potential New Wave of Haitians Fleeing North

FOXNews.com - U.S. Preparing for Potential New Wave of Haitians Fleeing North: "A top military official told reporters on Thursday that his department is hoping to prevent a mass exodus of Haitians by working 'very aggressively' to 'mitigate their tragedy,' particularly through major relief efforts.

'We've got a lot of work to do, and we're securing and getting those relief efforts in there,' said Gen. Douglas Fraser, commander of U.S. Southern Command. 'That's what we're going to continue to do, and that's the best way we can reduce the aspect of people wanting to leave the island.'

If those efforts fail and Haitians do try to flee, several 'options are on the table,' one official said.

Among the options being considered is use of part of the U.S. naval base at Guantanamo Bay, Cuba."
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oh, the irony. Obama has been screaming about closing Gitmo for two years. And now...maybe it comes in handy for him. If they can't use Gitmo, they either turn back these poor people to anarchy, dysentery, and possible starvation...or let them move to Miami.

HOA demand restrictions in federal buyout

The Galveston County Daily News: "GALVESTON — Some West End homeowners, worried about the city’s plans for beach-front properties acquired through a federal buyout program, want the city to restrict what it does with the newly public land in their neighborhoods. As part of its agreement to buy 64 hurricane-damaged houses under the Hazard Mitigation Grant Program, the city asked those property owners to obtain releases from the homeowners associations so the city wouldn’t have to pay association fees or follow deed restrictions. Homeowners associations typically have some legal authority through deed covenants over how property is used. However, some homeowners associations are refusing to release the properties until the city agrees to leave the land as open space, City Attorney Susie Green said.

Although the federal government allows it, neighbors don’t want the city to transform the properties into camping sites, public bathrooms or unpaved parking lots, she said."
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And of course the city council isn't interested in being dictated to by a bunch of HOA directors. Thanks to Bill Davis for this fascinating story.

Internet Argument Techniques | Cracked.com

Internet Argument Techniques | Cracked.com
If you can find anything funnier than this, please tell me what it is.

Obama staffer wants ‘cognitive infiltration’ of 9/11 conspiracy groups | Raw Story

Obama staffer wants ‘cognitive infiltration’ of 9/11 conspiracy groups | Raw Story: "In a 2008 academic paper, President Barack Obama's appointee to head the Office of Information and Regulatory Affairs advocated 'cognitive infiltration' of groups that advocate 'conspiracy theories' like the ones surrounding 9/11."
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Coming to a blog near you?

Coakley cites GOP ‘stalkers’ in D.C. dust-up - BostonHerald.com

Coakley cites GOP ‘stalkers’ in D.C. dust-up - BostonHerald.com: "Bay State Attorney General Martha Coakley blamed GOP “stalkers” today for triggering tensions outside a Washington, D.C., fund-raiser last night where a Weekly Standard reporter said he was roughed up by a Coakley campaign volunteer."
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Great spin by the Boston Herald. Her (Democrat) staffer shoves a reporter to the ground. What's the headline? It's the fault of the Republican Party. That's what the (Democrat) candidate says, so that's the angle.

Cash for saving energy? California considers this and first statewide green building code - Green House - USATODAY.com

Cash for saving energy? California considers this and first statewide green building code - Green House - USATODAY.com: "California, long a trendsetter for eco-friendly living, is breaking ground again this week. It's set, as early as today, to adopt the nation's first statewide green building code, which environmentalists say is not tough enough, and is also considering paying residents to cut their energy use."
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California is indeed a trend setter. If the trend is going broke. And now they are adding yet more government-imposed limitations on the construction industry in the middle of the worst housing market collapse in 70 years.

5 Cities Where Homes Aren't Selling - Yahoo! Real Estate

5 Cities Where Homes Aren't Selling - Yahoo! Real Estate
Las Vegas, Phoenix, Tampa, Miami, and...where else? Motown. This is based on decline in prices and time on market. All these places except Detroit are CID Central.
Thanks to Fred Fischer for this link.

California Creditors Dread IOUs With Aid Plea Failing (Update3) - Bloomberg.com

California Creditors Dread IOUs With Aid Plea Failing (Update3) - Bloomberg.com: "California’s hopes are fading for federal help in closing a projected $19.9 billion deficit that has caused the lowest-rated state’s borrowing costs to rise 24 percent since September.

“We recognize they have enormous problems,” David Axelrod, senior adviser to President Barack Obama, said in an interview. “But we can’t solve all of those problems from Washington.”"
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Yes. And there isn't any cavalry riding to the rescue of California, Illinois, New York, New Jersey, Michigan, or any other insolvent state. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the update.

HOA Wants Police Precinct - Detroit Local News Story - WDIV Detroit

Neighborhood Wants Police Precinct - Detroit Local News Story - WDIV Detroit: "Residents in the Jefferson-Chalmers area said they deal with break-ins and gunshots daily.

'We need a police station in our area, that would help. That's the first step,' said resident James Jackson.

The Jefferson-Chalmers Homeowners Association is pushing for its own police precinct, which residents said will hopefully stand right in the heart of the neighborhood"
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this story about an HOA that is turning to local government for help. They are leveraging their organizational capacities and numbers. But all the libertarians tell us that HOAs are better than cities. Go figure.

Rotten stinking foreclosure in Galvestion

The Galveston County Daily News: "GALVESTON — A West End property owner is suing Bank of America Corp., asserting its agents mistakenly seized a vacation house he owns free and clear, then changed the locks and shut the power off, resulting in the smelly spoiling of about 75 pounds of salmon and halibut from an Alaska fishing trip and other damages."
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Another grabby bank. Not yours.

White House opens door to money talks with financially strapped states | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times

White House opens door to money talks with financially strapped states | D.C. Now | Los Angeles Times: "Facing criticism about how healthcare overhaul will hurt already financially strapped states, the White House today left the door open for working with state leaders to deal with their problems.

California Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger has been leading the charge to get more federal funds for his state, hoping to fill a $19.9-billion hole. The governor argues that California should get $6.9 billion from the federal government."
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It seems that some governors are ticked off that Nebraska got a big pot of Medicare money as part of Obama, Inc., buying Nebraska Senator Ben Nelson's vote. Now the White House is willing to "talk" about doing the same for everybody else. And if they give money to California, don't they have to copy that all around as well? There are 50 of these little hungry mouths to feed, and 2/3 of them are in rocky financial shape.

Thanks to Fred Pilot for this LA Times link.

Neighborly ties survive even when HOAs rule

Neighborly ties survive even when HOAs rule: "John Kolodziej did not care if his neighborhood had a homeowners association when he moved to Glendale's 80th Lane more than a decade ago.

But now he is glad that his neighbors dropped their restrictions and let the HOA die. He finds them to be more neighborly."
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But the article claims a study shows associations don't kill the sense of community.

State of the states? Broke and going broker

State of the states? Broke and going broker: "As of December, the National Conference of State Legislatures fiscal survey found: “Thirty-six states already report another round of gaps since FY 2010 began. The total now hit $28.2 billion, and the fiscal year for most states doesn’t end until June.” They already are in the hole despite raising taxes, cutting spending, squandering “rainy day” funds and using federal debt and accounting tricks to close $146 billion in cumulative budget gaps.

Those shortfalls pale against the lurid reality of unfunded promises to retirees, deferred public works projects and years of accounting tricks hiding true deficits.

Compounding all that is the fact that $248 billion in federal American Recovery and Reinvestment Act funds stop Dec. 31, halfway through most states’ fiscal years."
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Remember how the housing market was obviously going to crash, and a few people were predicting it but the mainstream media didn't bother to cover it until it happened? Well, now a few people are saying that most of the states are in major financial trouble. And what do the media giants have to say about it? Very little. They talk about their own states finances, but not the bigger picture, which is that most of the state governments will have to radically raise taxes or radically cut spending in the next 12 months.