Politics in Northeast Pennsylvania: Dunmore Bankrupt?: "The Borough of Dunmore is considering going bankrupt. According to the Scranton Times, Dunmore’s sadistic 36% tax increase simply will not be enough to cover the financial mismanagement of the Borough.
While not entirely ruling out Act 47 (Distressed Municipality) protection, Democrat Melanie Naro seems to be favoring the idea of bankruptcy. It is her opinion that Dunmore might find a more favorable position in bankruptcy instead of Distressed City Status.
Sine inception of Act 47 in 1987, no municipality has filed for bankruptcy. Neighboring municipality Scranton, has been operating under Act 47 protection. Democrat Mayor Chris Doherty has not been able to escape Act 47 during his tenure.
Regardless of the decision council makes, the situation looks bleak in Dunmore."
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This is another blogspot post from a blog called "Politics in Northeast Pennsylvania" that tells of a possible municipal bankruptcy.
Saturday, January 10, 2009
Unpaid fees put Florida condo owners in foreclosure - St. Petersburg Times
Unpaid fees put Florida condo owners in foreclosure - St. Petersburg Times: "Sitting in her small condo in one of Tampa Bay's biggest retirement communities as her hands tremble, a 75-year-old woman reads a letter threatening to put her out of her home. Like so many other Floridians, Ann Studen is facing foreclosure. But in her case, it has nothing to do with her mortgage. She's four months behind on her $280 monthly maintenance fees, and her condo board has put a lien on her $70,000 unit.
It happens more often than you might think. While no one tracks foreclosures prompted by homeowner boards and associations, there are a rising number of people in Studen's situation, according to civil court judges and condominium officials."
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It happens a lot, and not more than I think.
It happens more often than you might think. While no one tracks foreclosures prompted by homeowner boards and associations, there are a rising number of people in Studen's situation, according to civil court judges and condominium officials."
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It happens a lot, and not more than I think.
Rust Never Sleeps | Anthony Bourdain
Rust Never Sleeps | Anthony Bourdain: "I don't know what the Chamber of Commerce will think of the Baltimore segment—or the city fathers of the other cities we're visiting on what we're referring to privately as the 'Rust Belt' show, but I can tell you that I am already a big fan of pit beef, the wonders of 'lake trout' (neither trout—nor from a lake as it turns out), and the heavy but wonderful, vodka soaked charms of Detroit Polish food and Macedonian pastries. And I wonder what my Russian friend and sidekick, Zamir is making of all this, the bombed out, half deserted inner cities, the abandoned Ford plant, the funny, tough-as-nails hard working people we're meeting whose jobs are either gone or under threat. I told Zamir I'd show him America and that's what I'm doing."
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Food of the Rust Belt Cities? Sounds enticing.
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Food of the Rust Belt Cities? Sounds enticing.
Friday, January 09, 2009
Baltimore Mayor Sheila Dixon indicted on perjury, theft charges -- baltimoresun.com: "Baltimore Mayor Sheila A. Dixon was charged today by the state prosecutor in a 12-count indictment.
Dixon was charged with four counts of perjury and two counts of theft over $500, as well as theft under $500, fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and misconduct in office. The charges stem in part from gifts she received from former boyfriend and developer Ronald H. Lipscomb, who was also charged earlier this week.
A grand jury indicted Dixon on 12 counts, including four counts of perjury and two counts of theft over $500. She was also charged with theft under $500, fraudulent misappropriation by a fiduciary and misconduct in office.
Dixon, a Democrat, has been the target of a nearly three-year probe by State Prosecutor Robert A. Rohrbaugh into corruption at City Hall, an investigation that has centered on allegations that Dixon has used her office to award lucrative contracts to various people including her sister, her then-boyfriend and her former campaign chairman."
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This non-Illinois public official indictment interlude is brought to you by a vigorous local prosecutor.
Microsoft's Ballmer: Windows 7 is nearly final
Microsoft's Ballmer: Windows 7 is nearly final: "The new operating system—which could be available for purchase on PCs within a year—uses much of the same underlying technology as its predecessor, the much-maligned Vista. But Windows 7 aims to resolve many problems PC users had with Vista. For instance, Microsoft pledges to make it easier to install peripheral devices and to have the software pump out fewer annoying warnings and notifications.
Ballmer also pledged that Windows 7 will boot faster and drain laptop batteries more slowly.
'I believe Windows will remain at the center of people's technological solar system,' Ballmer said. 'We're putting in all the right ingredients: simplicity, reliability and speed, and we're working hard to get it right and to get it ready.'"
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To me, Windows is the life-destroying, energy-sucking black hole at the center of our technological galaxy, and I am trying to get my little Millenium Falcon moving at light speed in the opposite direction. Unfortunately Microsoft has successfully metastasized this monstrosity--and the even more execrable Microsoft Word--throughout the institutions of higher education, law, and government. That makes a full blown escape impossible.
Ballmer also pledged that Windows 7 will boot faster and drain laptop batteries more slowly.
'I believe Windows will remain at the center of people's technological solar system,' Ballmer said. 'We're putting in all the right ingredients: simplicity, reliability and speed, and we're working hard to get it right and to get it ready.'"
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To me, Windows is the life-destroying, energy-sucking black hole at the center of our technological galaxy, and I am trying to get my little Millenium Falcon moving at light speed in the opposite direction. Unfortunately Microsoft has successfully metastasized this monstrosity--and the even more execrable Microsoft Word--throughout the institutions of higher education, law, and government. That makes a full blown escape impossible.
Mosquitoes match wing beats before mating - Yahoo! News: "Researchers at Cornell University have discovered that Aedes aegypti mosquitoes — the ones that spread diseases like yellow and dengue fever — alter their wing vibrations in a mating signal.
The good news is that the finding could lead to better ways to control mosquitoes, according to Ronald R. Hoy, an author of the report published Thursday in the online edition of the journal Science."
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So it appears that the way to prevent diseases is...to release sterile male mosquitoes who are terrific dancers. Call it the disco strategy.
Thanks to Fred Pilot for this fascinating story.
Thursday, January 08, 2009
Yard Junk Prompts Indictment - washingtonpost.com
Yard Junk Prompts Indictment - washingtonpost.com: "For a decade, Mount Rainier officials tried to get Wade Dunston Jr. to clean up the tires, TV sets and other debris that littered his yard. Cited dozens of times for code violations, Dunston usually cleaned up on days he was due in court, only to fall back to his old ways, authorities said.
Yesterday, prosecutors in Prince George's County announced that Dunston and his mother, Lillie M. Dunston, who owns the property, have been indicted on misdemeanor charges of illegal dumping. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $30,000 fine."
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Tom Skiba sent this link along. What a mess. I am surprised the place hasn't burned down already.
Yesterday, prosecutors in Prince George's County announced that Dunston and his mother, Lillie M. Dunston, who owns the property, have been indicted on misdemeanor charges of illegal dumping. The offense carries a maximum penalty of five years in prison and a $30,000 fine."
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Tom Skiba sent this link along. What a mess. I am surprised the place hasn't burned down already.
Wednesday, January 07, 2009
Extinct animals could be brought back to life thanks to advances in DNA technology - Telegraph: "The idea of resurrecting extinct animals moved a step closer to reality last year when scientists announced that they had decoded almost all of the genome of the woolly mammoth, from 60,000-year-old remains found frozen in Siberia.
Now New Scientist magazine has named the 10 other beasts most likely to rise again, including the Irish elk deer whose antlers measured 12 feet across, the dodo and Neanderthal man."
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Seems to me we have plenty of Neanderthals. Try to watch a movie in a theater sometime.
I think we'd be better off trying to decode the genome of James Madison or Abraham Lincoln so we can get some decent politicians.
U.S. companies face $409 billion pension deficit: study - Yahoo! Finance
U.S. companies face $409 billion pension deficit: study - Yahoo! Finance: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - Volatile markets have saddled U.S. companies with a $409 billion deficit on pension plans, reversing a $60 billion surplus a year earlier, and will cut into earnings in 2009, consulting firm Mercer said."
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The scariest thing about the economy is not the indices--the Dow, the NASDAQ, etc.--because they go up and down all the time. They will go up again. It is the shockingly precarious financial situation of so many institutions, and at a time when the big daddy bank, the US government, is massively in debt with no end in sight. We have states hovering near insolvency, cities and counties bleeding money, major corporations going belly up, and on and on. This means that many people will be hit hard when particular companies or governments...or hoas and condo associations...go under.
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The scariest thing about the economy is not the indices--the Dow, the NASDAQ, etc.--because they go up and down all the time. They will go up again. It is the shockingly precarious financial situation of so many institutions, and at a time when the big daddy bank, the US government, is massively in debt with no end in sight. We have states hovering near insolvency, cities and counties bleeding money, major corporations going belly up, and on and on. This means that many people will be hit hard when particular companies or governments...or hoas and condo associations...go under.
Top Scams of 2008
Top Scams of 2008: "10. Mortgage Foreclosure Rescue Scams
Mortgage foreclosures in Wisconsin are on the rise – up 18 percent from August to September 2008, and up 13 percent from September 2007. And, since troubled properties are public record and easily accessible to the public, mortgage “rescue” scams are on the rise, too. These scams play out in one of two ways: the homeowner pays a large, upfront fee to the rescue company to work with his lender to renegotiate the mortgage, but the rescue company takes the money and is never seen again. Or, the rescue company takes advantage of the homeowner by buying the house below market value, and rents the property back to the homeowner at the same price (or higher) as the homeowner’s original mortgage. In either scenario, the homeowner has not only lost his house, but also loses the money he paid upfront – money which would have been better spent if he’d applied it to his mortgage."
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Nasty. But a person would have to be a bit gullible to fall for either of these, it seems to me.
Mortgage foreclosures in Wisconsin are on the rise – up 18 percent from August to September 2008, and up 13 percent from September 2007. And, since troubled properties are public record and easily accessible to the public, mortgage “rescue” scams are on the rise, too. These scams play out in one of two ways: the homeowner pays a large, upfront fee to the rescue company to work with his lender to renegotiate the mortgage, but the rescue company takes the money and is never seen again. Or, the rescue company takes advantage of the homeowner by buying the house below market value, and rents the property back to the homeowner at the same price (or higher) as the homeowner’s original mortgage. In either scenario, the homeowner has not only lost his house, but also loses the money he paid upfront – money which would have been better spent if he’d applied it to his mortgage."
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Nasty. But a person would have to be a bit gullible to fall for either of these, it seems to me.
Lawmakers dream up a condo and homeowner law wish list -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
Lawmakers dream up a condo and homeowner law wish list -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "As president of Cyber Citizens for Justice, a statewide group that represents condo unit and home owners, Jan Bergemann says he hears lots of complaints about the precarious situation those who pay their cable and utility bills are left in when others in the association do not.
'We have to stop these bulk contracts,' said Bergemann. 'If some people don't pay their bills, that often means other owners have to pay more' to avoid being cut off. 'I talked to a guy last week who says he is paying [the equivalent] of four cable bills because about one in four of his neighbors are not paying their bill.'
Bergemann favors a law that would allow unit owners to pay individually for their TV, electricity, garbage and water bills."
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Check out the various proposals. The article says HOA/condo law reform will be a major issue in Florida this year.
'We have to stop these bulk contracts,' said Bergemann. 'If some people don't pay their bills, that often means other owners have to pay more' to avoid being cut off. 'I talked to a guy last week who says he is paying [the equivalent] of four cable bills because about one in four of his neighbors are not paying their bill.'
Bergemann favors a law that would allow unit owners to pay individually for their TV, electricity, garbage and water bills."
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Check out the various proposals. The article says HOA/condo law reform will be a major issue in Florida this year.
Homeowner's priority: Cut crime, not grass -- dailypress.com
Homeowner's priority: Cut crime, not grass -- dailypress.com: "In 2008, the association budgeted $116,000 on its contract for landscape maintenance. The budget for security patrols was $43,680. The figures in 2009 will be approximately $120,000 on landscape maintenance and $50,000 for security, according to the association."
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With 9 break-ins in a 6-week period, I think the complaining owner has a good point here.
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With 9 break-ins in a 6-week period, I think the complaining owner has a good point here.
Pa. man opens neighbor's door with chain saw - Yahoo! News: "SCRANTON, Pa. – An eastern Pennsylvania man may face up to 37 years in prison for tearing open a neighbor's door with a chain saw. Police say 34-year-old Robert Kane began sawing through the front door of Jamie Zaleski's apartment in Scranton while Zaleski and several friends ran out the back.
Kane was angry because a friend of Zaleski's parked in front of his house across the street."
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I think this takes the defense of property a bit far, especially considering that Kane didn't own the street. He actually took this all the way to a jury trial. I wonder what his defense was. "Hey, I knocked, I rang the bell...What is a chainsaw wielding maniac to do?"
Thanks to Fred Pilot for this insight into Joe Biden's home town.
Democrats misstepped in handling Burris matter
Democrats misstepped in handling Burris matter: "WASHINGTON (AP) - Senate Democrats who thought they could push away Roland Burris misjudged the racial fallout, underestimated public reaction and wound up on shaky legal ground.
The blunders began when the Democrats, including President-elect Barack Obama, insisted they would not seat Burris as the Senate's only black member because the appointment came from a governor accused of trying to sell Obama' former seat.
On Wednesday, they all but admitted being outflanked by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, praising Burris and suggesting he soon will be a senator.
Eight days ago, Obama and Senate Democratic leaders saw Blagojevich as so politically damaged that they announced they would reject anyone he appointed to finish Obama's term. Every Democratic senator signed a letter to the same effect.
Privately, key Democrats now admit they miscalculated from the start. They spent this week trying to backtrack and save face."
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This is the first article I have seen that states clearly what happened, and puts the President-elect right in the middle of it, where he really was. Now the Democrats are scurrying in all directions. The senators are trying to blame Jesse White, as though we are all so stupid that we don't remember what they said a week ago. Obama is pretending he never got involved, never took a position, and didn't see nuttin--which is so typical of his behavior as an Illinois politician that I am sure it is hard-wired into his brain. And no doubt Jesse White will come up with a different excuse in a day or so when he signs the certification of Burris' appointment.
The blunders began when the Democrats, including President-elect Barack Obama, insisted they would not seat Burris as the Senate's only black member because the appointment came from a governor accused of trying to sell Obama' former seat.
On Wednesday, they all but admitted being outflanked by Illinois Gov. Rod Blagojevich, praising Burris and suggesting he soon will be a senator.
Eight days ago, Obama and Senate Democratic leaders saw Blagojevich as so politically damaged that they announced they would reject anyone he appointed to finish Obama's term. Every Democratic senator signed a letter to the same effect.
Privately, key Democrats now admit they miscalculated from the start. They spent this week trying to backtrack and save face."
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This is the first article I have seen that states clearly what happened, and puts the President-elect right in the middle of it, where he really was. Now the Democrats are scurrying in all directions. The senators are trying to blame Jesse White, as though we are all so stupid that we don't remember what they said a week ago. Obama is pretending he never got involved, never took a position, and didn't see nuttin--which is so typical of his behavior as an Illinois politician that I am sure it is hard-wired into his brain. And no doubt Jesse White will come up with a different excuse in a day or so when he signs the certification of Burris' appointment.
Firedoglake » I Want to Play Poker with Harry Reid: "A seventy-one year old dude who hasn't held office for 14 years, appointed by a crook, takes the Senate Majority Leader to the cleaners."
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Pithy analysis of the way Blago and Burris easily managed to pants Harry Reid.
French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel's Gaza operation - Haaretz - Israel News
French TV claims photos from 2005 showed damage from Israel's Gaza operation - Haaretz - Israel News: "French public television network France 2 on Tuesday revealed they had aired photographs that allegedly showed destruction caused by the Israel Air Force during Operation Cast Lead, which were in fact taken during a different incident in 2005, one in which Gaza civilians were killed by an explosion caused by militants in the Strip."
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Other than being 4 years out of date and showing the other side's handiwork, I'm sure it made for great journalism.
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Other than being 4 years out of date and showing the other side's handiwork, I'm sure it made for great journalism.
Real-Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide - WSJ.com
Real-Estate Executive Found Dead in Apparent Suicide - WSJ.com: "CHICAGO -- Real-estate executive Steven L. Good was found dead of an apparently self-inflicted gunshot wound Monday in his Jaguar in a forest preserve outside Chicago, said the Kane County Sheriff's Department."
FT.com / Companies / Pharmaceuticals - Billionaire Merckle commits suicide
FT.com / Companies / Pharmaceuticals - Billionaire Merckle commits suicide: "Adolf Merckle, one of Germany’s wealthiest men, committed suicide after weeks of talks with creditors designed to save his businesses from being consumed by disastrous investments and the global financial crisis.
The billionaire, 74, was said by his family to have been “broken” by the sight of his business empire, which ranged from pharmaceuticals to cement, crumbling. He died on Monday evening, apparently hit by a train a few hundred metres from his home in southern Germany."
The billionaire, 74, was said by his family to have been “broken” by the sight of his business empire, which ranged from pharmaceuticals to cement, crumbling. He died on Monday evening, apparently hit by a train a few hundred metres from his home in southern Germany."
Porn Bailout: Larry Flynt, Joe Francis Seeking Government Money
Porn Bailout: Larry Flynt, Joe Francis Seeking Government Money: "An article in next month's Atlantic asks, 'Is porn recession proof?' According to porn magnate Larry Flynt and 'Girls Gone Wild' king Joe Francis, the answer is no.
TMZ reports that the pornographer pair is heading to Washington to ask for a $5 billion porn bailout:
'With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind,' Flynt says. 'It's time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America.'"
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This gives the term "economic stimulus package" new meaning.
TMZ reports that the pornographer pair is heading to Washington to ask for a $5 billion porn bailout:
'With all this economic misery and people losing all that money, sex is the farthest thing from their mind,' Flynt says. 'It's time for Congress to rejuvenate the sexual appetite of America.'"
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This gives the term "economic stimulus package" new meaning.
Obama refuses to take stand on seating Burris
See? Nobody will ever pin The One down on anything that smells bad. Not ever.
See? Nobody will ever pin The One down on anything that smells bad. Not ever.
Senate Democrats Plan To Accept Burris For Obama's Vacant Seat - cbs2chicago.com
Senate Democrats Plan To Accept Burris For Obama's Vacant Seat - cbs2chicago.com
What did I tell you last week?
I was listening to Dick Durbin as he followed the pathetic Harry Reid, who made an ass of himself at the mike and then shambled off as he turned it over to the former ambulance chaser. Durbin then began to lay a vast slime trail as he attempted to rewrite history and provide some sort of cover for the Democrat's disgraceful and illegal behavior, culminating in their sudden reversal of position and full-blown capitulation.
Now they claim they are waiting for Jesse White, the Democrat Illinois Secretary of State, to be ordered to do his job by the Illinois Supreme Court. I once had great respect for White, but his role in this travesty is so inexcusable, so blatantly illegal, that if there were any semblance of justice in this thoroughly corrupt state, White would be impeached even before Blagojevich.
Make no mistake--these morons have lost to Blagojevich, just as I predicted last week. Chump that he is, Blago nonetheless made complete fools of all of them.
Senate Majority Leader? Assistant Majority Leader? These are two of the most powerful legislators in the greatest nation on earth, buffaloed and embarrassed by the likes of Blagojevich. And of course The One, as usual, is nowhere to be found. Get used to that, because he is a genius at avoiding responsibility, having practiced the art for his entire adult life.
This country is badly led at a time when it is in desperate need of wise and responsible guidance.
What did I tell you last week?
I was listening to Dick Durbin as he followed the pathetic Harry Reid, who made an ass of himself at the mike and then shambled off as he turned it over to the former ambulance chaser. Durbin then began to lay a vast slime trail as he attempted to rewrite history and provide some sort of cover for the Democrat's disgraceful and illegal behavior, culminating in their sudden reversal of position and full-blown capitulation.
Now they claim they are waiting for Jesse White, the Democrat Illinois Secretary of State, to be ordered to do his job by the Illinois Supreme Court. I once had great respect for White, but his role in this travesty is so inexcusable, so blatantly illegal, that if there were any semblance of justice in this thoroughly corrupt state, White would be impeached even before Blagojevich.
Make no mistake--these morons have lost to Blagojevich, just as I predicted last week. Chump that he is, Blago nonetheless made complete fools of all of them.
Senate Majority Leader? Assistant Majority Leader? These are two of the most powerful legislators in the greatest nation on earth, buffaloed and embarrassed by the likes of Blagojevich. And of course The One, as usual, is nowhere to be found. Get used to that, because he is a genius at avoiding responsibility, having practiced the art for his entire adult life.
This country is badly led at a time when it is in desperate need of wise and responsible guidance.
California may delay tax refunds amid budget impasse - Los Angeles Times
California in deep, deep trouble : "Reporting from Sacramento -- State officials on Tuesday braced for the possibility of delaying tax refunds to millions of Californians, along with student grants and payments to vendors, as the latest round of budget negotiations between Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger and Democratic legislators collapsed.
With little more than a month's worth of cash left in the state treasury, the governor and lawmakers have been unable to agree on how to erase a budget gap projected to reach $41.6 billion by the middle of next year. Democrats announced Tuesday that two weeks of discussions had ended in an impasse and sent Schwarzenegger the $18-billion fiscal package they passed last month. The governor vetoed it, as he had promised to do."
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Fred Pilot sent this along. At $42 billion, California is deeper in the hole than any other state, but this isn't just an economic problem. I think the state may well go bankrupt because they are unable to manage their own economic affairs. Underlying the deficit is a breakdown of the political system, and underlying that are some demographic issues that may make it impossible to solve either the political or economic problems.
The middle class has been fleeing the state for some time now, headed for parts east where they get a better deal on taxes, schools, public safety, traffic, home prices, and the other things that matter to them. And the state is the preferred destination for poor people from other nations, for whom it remains a great place to live when compared with where they came from.
The demographic shifts in the state have pushed politics to the far left, except The Governator. But he won't be there forever. LA has a socialist mayor who will likely become the socialist governor pretty soon. And look at the policies that emanate from the People's Republic of San Francisco these days, where there are a million dogs but no children, unless I take mine to visit my sister.
The farmers can't leave because the land is still in that state, but if I were a landowner in the Inland Empire I'd be pushing to cut the state up into three parts and try to salvage one third. That would leave an economy that leads the world in producing movies, music, and litigation, and not much else.
With little more than a month's worth of cash left in the state treasury, the governor and lawmakers have been unable to agree on how to erase a budget gap projected to reach $41.6 billion by the middle of next year. Democrats announced Tuesday that two weeks of discussions had ended in an impasse and sent Schwarzenegger the $18-billion fiscal package they passed last month. The governor vetoed it, as he had promised to do."
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Fred Pilot sent this along. At $42 billion, California is deeper in the hole than any other state, but this isn't just an economic problem. I think the state may well go bankrupt because they are unable to manage their own economic affairs. Underlying the deficit is a breakdown of the political system, and underlying that are some demographic issues that may make it impossible to solve either the political or economic problems.
The middle class has been fleeing the state for some time now, headed for parts east where they get a better deal on taxes, schools, public safety, traffic, home prices, and the other things that matter to them. And the state is the preferred destination for poor people from other nations, for whom it remains a great place to live when compared with where they came from.
The demographic shifts in the state have pushed politics to the far left, except The Governator. But he won't be there forever. LA has a socialist mayor who will likely become the socialist governor pretty soon. And look at the policies that emanate from the People's Republic of San Francisco these days, where there are a million dogs but no children, unless I take mine to visit my sister.
The farmers can't leave because the land is still in that state, but if I were a landowner in the Inland Empire I'd be pushing to cut the state up into three parts and try to salvage one third. That would leave an economy that leads the world in producing movies, music, and litigation, and not much else.
Carnegie Corporation - News
Leading Public Educators Issue Open Letter to President-Elect Obama Urging Investment in Public Higher Education to Rebuild America's Economy: "The higher education leaders who signed the open letter applauded President-elect Obama's commitment to make college more affordable and accessible and to sustain equal opportunity for students to obtain a college education by increasing Pell grants, increasing access to student loans, and extending the grace period for their repayment. In addition, they urged the next administration to make a direct investment in the range of $40 to $50 billion that would support both higher education teaching and research facilities, in partnership with the states."
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Public universities hop into the bailout line.
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Public universities hop into the bailout line.
Tuesday, January 06, 2009
L.A. water cops get muscle to fight drought - Weather- msnbc.com
L.A. water cops get muscle to fight drought - Weather- msnbc.com: "The green thumbs who keep lawns lush and flora flourishing in the city have found a new foe among the aphids, white flies and other yard pests — the water police.
Just as some scofflaws keep an eye out for black-and-white patrol cars, gardeners have learned to spot the white Toyota Priuses driven by Los Angeles water cops out to fight waste as California struggles with an extended drought."
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Here's a plot for a movie. The LA Water Police go to war with the HOA boards that are fining people for not watering their lawns. SWAT teams, shootouts, drownings...kind of a Chinatown meets Snowcrash. What do you think?
Just as some scofflaws keep an eye out for black-and-white patrol cars, gardeners have learned to spot the white Toyota Priuses driven by Los Angeles water cops out to fight waste as California struggles with an extended drought."
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Here's a plot for a movie. The LA Water Police go to war with the HOA boards that are fining people for not watering their lawns. SWAT teams, shootouts, drownings...kind of a Chinatown meets Snowcrash. What do you think?
Empty homes create new challenges: "A number of challenges face neighborhoods with the higher concentrations of foreclosures. Homeowner associations could find themselves having to raise fees as they struggle to stay on top of maintenance of common areas. Traditional neighborhoods face similar problems as they struggle to stay attractive to potential buyers without a mechanism in place to keep properties well maintained."
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The Arizona Republic study cited in the article says the "traditional neighborhoods" were hit harder by foreclosures in Chandler than the newer ones, where the CIDs were. But I would point out that "traditional neighborhoods" are full of individual property owners who don't get hit with a a special assessment followed by a lien. In other words, they are not chained to each other like galley slaves who have to go down with the ship. Remember that scene from Ben Hur?
Brookside Square now has both neighborhood and homeowners' associations - Columbia Missourian
Brookside Square now has both neighborhood and homeowners' associations - Columbia Missourian: "Cantin said that for the past few months, the council has been looking at its policy on neighborhood associations to update it from the 1977 version. The council will decide whether neighborhood associations will have more of a role in city government and will receive funding from the city.
The council is also considering how homeowners’ associations fit into city government. Currently, only neighborhood associations are recognized, meaning the council and staff contact these entities with questions and city planning issues. The situation with the Brookside Square Neighborhood Association has caused the council to start looking at whether homeowners' associations should receive more recognition from the city and whether neighborhood associations are needed in areas where homeowners’ associations are already in place, Cantin said."
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So they have a mandatory membership HOA and a voluntary neighborhood association, and the city is trying to figure out how to relate to either/both of them.
The council is also considering how homeowners’ associations fit into city government. Currently, only neighborhood associations are recognized, meaning the council and staff contact these entities with questions and city planning issues. The situation with the Brookside Square Neighborhood Association has caused the council to start looking at whether homeowners' associations should receive more recognition from the city and whether neighborhood associations are needed in areas where homeowners’ associations are already in place, Cantin said."
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So they have a mandatory membership HOA and a voluntary neighborhood association, and the city is trying to figure out how to relate to either/both of them.
Canyon Courier News, Sports, Entertainment and information for Evergreen, Colorado: "A homeowner and experienced hunter on Bergen View Trail woke up New Year’s Eve morning about 7 a.m. and spotted three, never-before-tagged young mountain lions on his property.
One was trapped in the chicken coop behind his house, and another one was stalking around the front of the house. A third lion was keeping track of the one in the cage."
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We are on yur lonn, eatin yur chikenz.
Fayette schools to teachers: Please donate your raises | ajc.com
Fayette schools to teachers: Please donate your raises | ajc.com: "School board members say if the county’s teachers would return their 2.5 percent raises, it could keep the 24,000-student system afloat. Should they all return the raises, it would add roughly $4 million to the system’s coffers.
In Monday night’s meeting, board members decided they had nothing to lose by writing a letter to Fayette’s roughly 1,800 contracted teachers asking them to voluntarily “make a donation” to the system’s financial well-being."
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Prediction: this tree will fail to bear much fruit.
In Monday night’s meeting, board members decided they had nothing to lose by writing a letter to Fayette’s roughly 1,800 contracted teachers asking them to voluntarily “make a donation” to the system’s financial well-being."
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Prediction: this tree will fail to bear much fruit.
Residents plan to create gated community in Chester village - Chester Chronicle
Residents plan to create gated community in Chester village - Chester Chronicle: "THE prospect of a gated community has led to objections from parish councillors.
Their opposition involves a planning application made by Beth Dudley at 2 Wilbraham Close off the A56 Warrington Road in Mickle Trafford.
Mrs Dudley has told planning officers at Chester City Council she is seeking permission to install automatic 2m high gates at the entrance to the cul de sac of five modern detached homes.
They would be set back over 7m from the road.
Mickle Trafford and District Parish Council insists the entrance would result in a gated community."
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I love these English town names. Mickle Trafford.
Their opposition involves a planning application made by Beth Dudley at 2 Wilbraham Close off the A56 Warrington Road in Mickle Trafford.
Mrs Dudley has told planning officers at Chester City Council she is seeking permission to install automatic 2m high gates at the entrance to the cul de sac of five modern detached homes.
They would be set back over 7m from the road.
Mickle Trafford and District Parish Council insists the entrance would result in a gated community."
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I love these English town names. Mickle Trafford.
Monday, January 05, 2009
New Vision Online : Akright ventures into condominium flats
Uganda : Akright ventures into condominium flats: "Kamugisha, who doubles as the chairman of the Uganda Property Developers Association, said setting up of condominiums was the way to go because land was becoming scarce, mainly in urban areas."
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I have been saying for about 25 years that rising land costs led developers to build CIDs so they could cram more people on less land. Nice to see one developer, even in Uganda, who admits it instead of spouting some drivel about New England town meetings.
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I have been saying for about 25 years that rising land costs led developers to build CIDs so they could cram more people on less land. Nice to see one developer, even in Uganda, who admits it instead of spouting some drivel about New England town meetings.
Dr Rupert Till: Stonehenge a venue for partying | The Sun |News: "STONEHENGE was built as a dance arena for prehistoric raves, a university professor believes.
Dr Rupert Till, who is also a part-time DJ, carried out experiments that he says showed the 5,000-year-old stone circle is ideal for listening to “trance” music.
Archaeologists have argued for decades over the Wiltshire Neolithic monument’s purpose.
But Dr Till, an expert in sound technology at Huddersfield University, West Yorks, believes the stones have perfect acoustics for repetitive rhythms like those used in some dance music."
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I guess that settles it. DJ Stonehenge has spoken.
DailyTech - Sea Ice Ends Year at Same Level as 1979
DailyTech - Sea Ice Ends Year at Same Level as 1979: "Thanks to a rapid rebound in recent months, global sea ice levels now equal those seen 29 years ago, when the year 1979 also drew to a close."
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Remember all the environmentalists saying the ice was melting and the polar bears were drowning? Well, this comes from the University of Illinois, not a right wing think tank. I wonder what Al Gore has to say about this.
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Remember all the environmentalists saying the ice was melting and the polar bears were drowning? Well, this comes from the University of Illinois, not a right wing think tank. I wonder what Al Gore has to say about this.
Senate Dems in tough spot on Burris - Jonathan Martin and Martin Kady II - Politico.com
Senate Dems in tough spot on Burris - Jonathan Martin and Martin Kady II - Politico.com: "Reid’s office isn’t backing down on its plan to not seat Burris — and top advisers to Burris are suggesting that Reid doesn’t want an African-American to succeed Obama.
“It’s interesting that all those who are viable are white women and the ones who are unacceptable are black men,” Prince Riley, a senior consultant to Burris, told Politico.
Riley was alluding to a Chicago Sun-Times story Saturday indicating that Reid called Blagojevich on Dec. 3, shortly before the governor was arrested on corruption charges, including the allegation that he'd tried to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.
In the call — which was presumably taped by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who'd tapped the governor's phones in the course of the investigation — Reid reportedly argued against appointing Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Danny Davis or state Senate President Emil Jones, all of whom are black, in favor of either state Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who is Thai-American, or Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is white."
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It is bad enough that Reid won't seat the only black Senator. Now it turns out that he also decided all three of the black candidates Blagojevich was considering were unacceptable to him, too. But the two white women? Perfectly OK. Even Tammy Duckworth, who is so unqualified for this job that it isn't even funny.
This story is hiding on blogs. If a Rebublican did what Reid has done, it would have been front page news and he would have been forced to resign. Remember Trent Lott?
“It’s interesting that all those who are viable are white women and the ones who are unacceptable are black men,” Prince Riley, a senior consultant to Burris, told Politico.
Riley was alluding to a Chicago Sun-Times story Saturday indicating that Reid called Blagojevich on Dec. 3, shortly before the governor was arrested on corruption charges, including the allegation that he'd tried to sell Obama's Senate seat to the highest bidder.
In the call — which was presumably taped by U.S. Attorney Patrick Fitzgerald, who'd tapped the governor's phones in the course of the investigation — Reid reportedly argued against appointing Rep. Jesse Jackson Jr., Rep. Danny Davis or state Senate President Emil Jones, all of whom are black, in favor of either state Veterans Affairs Director Tammy Duckworth, who is Thai-American, or Attorney General Lisa Madigan, who is white."
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It is bad enough that Reid won't seat the only black Senator. Now it turns out that he also decided all three of the black candidates Blagojevich was considering were unacceptable to him, too. But the two white women? Perfectly OK. Even Tammy Duckworth, who is so unqualified for this job that it isn't even funny.
This story is hiding on blogs. If a Rebublican did what Reid has done, it would have been front page news and he would have been forced to resign. Remember Trent Lott?
Sunday, January 04, 2009
89-year-old arrested for keeping ball sues family: "BLUE ASH, Ohio (AP) - An 89-year-old Cincinnati-area woman arrested for confiscating the neighbor kid's football is now suing the boy's parents."
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Kids play in yard. Balls keep going in neighbor lady's yard. Lady keeps ball in retaliation. Parents call cops. Cops arrest lady and charge her with petty theft. Prosecutor dismisses case. Lady sues parents.
This would be a perfect situation for an HOA to resolve. Just fine both parties, put liens on their homes, and foreclose. But I am wondering how when I was a kid, back in prehistorical times, my friends and I were able to land approximately 1,000,000 baseballs, footballs, basketballs, and soccer balls in the neighbors' yards and retrieved all of them without a single arrest.
Clint Eastwood Is The Man - Figuratively And Literally - Screen Rant: "“My father had a couple of kids at the beginning of the Depression. There was not much employment. Not much welfare. People barely got by. People were tougher then.”
“We live in more of a pussy generation now, where everybody’s become used to saying, “Well, how do we handle it psychologically?” In those days, you just punched the bully back and duked it out. Even if the guy was older and could push you around, at least you were respected for fighting back, and you’d be left alone from then on.”
“I don’t know if I can tell you exactly when the pussy generation started. Maybe when people started asking about the meaning of life.”"
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This is an interesting observation. Eastwood is right that, on the whole, Americans were psychologically tougher and more resilient in the past. I wouldn't go so far as to say we have become a nation of whiners, as Phil Gramm says, but we certainly obsess about our hurties a lot, where in the past people laughed at other people's weakness. I see Oprah Winfrey on the TVs in the gym (I try not to look) and I can hardly restrain myself from chucking a weight through the screen. What a hideous display of weakness and shameless dysfunction. However, while Eastwood is right true about the culture as a whole, the strange thing is that we have some extremely tough subcultures. Take a look at the UFC sometime. They make boxers look like ballet dancers. I trained in mixed martial arts for many years and I didn't see any shortage of tough people, including some women. There are other subcultures like that. Maybe we are turning into Eloi and Morlocks.
Google Hopes to Open a Trove of Little-Seen Books - NYTimes.com
Google Hopes to Open a Trove of Little-Seen Books - NYTimes.com: "A settlement in October with authors and publishers who had brought two copyright lawsuits against Google will make it possible for users to read a far greater collection of books, including many still under copyright protection."
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Google Books will be expanding to include zillions of out-of-print but copyrighted books, and this is a great thing for those of us who do research.
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Google Books will be expanding to include zillions of out-of-print but copyrighted books, and this is a great thing for those of us who do research.
Matusalem Gran ReservaI had a shot of this on New Year's Eve at The Matchbox in Chicago, and it is easily the best rum I have ever tasted. Just a random thought for the New Year.
Political Punch
Obama wants to create 600,000 new government jobs
He's got your libertarianism, right there.
He's got your libertarianism, right there.
Beat the New Boss: D.C. libertarians plot their Obama administration strategies. - Reason Magazine: "With the Bush administration ending in a frenzy of disappointment, most libertarians don't expect much more luck with Obama, outside of a few issues involving drug policy and executive power. The debate in Washington now is on how much effort to spend trying to remake the Republican Party. 'We're fighting for the soul of the GOP,' says Tanner, who adds that libertarians need to look beyond the party, at other reformers, other populists, people who won over Americans as much as Bush has lost them. 'We need to seize that Ross Perot mantle of fighting against these guys.'"
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The article doesn't acknowledge one other fact: the neoliberal economic paradigm has been put through a meat grinder by the collapse of the housing and financial markets and the massive bailout and quasi-socialization strategy that has been put in place. I don't buy the argument that lack of regulation caused the problems, and in fact I think over-regulation has a bigger share of the blame. But the media and policy elites have created a dominant rhetoric that says the federal government must ride to the rescue with vast, expensive, aggressive initiatives. Bush enthusiastically signed on to that agenda and Obama has already said he wants to extend it. And the same thing is happening in Europe. In fact, I don't see any nation that is even remotely interested in laissez-faire economics now.
So as far as I can see, the Thatcher-Reagan era is now over. All this libertarian macho talk about "fighting against these guys" and "winning over Americans" is laughable.
If Libertarians were living in Mom's basement under President Bush, they will be sharing the backyard with the family dog when the new crowd takes over in a couple of weeks.
WBBM 780 - Chicago's #1 source for local news, traffic and weather - AP Digital
Illinois state workers to attend ethics seminar: "CHICAGO (AP) -- Think of a state that could use a little refresher course on ethics in government. There's a good chance a certain state whose governor allegedly tried to sell a U.S. Senate seat comes to mind.
And as it turns out, Illinois is set to hold just such an ethics course for state workers this Wednesday.
More than 200 state employees are expected to take part in the ethics seminar at University of Illinois-Chicago. Featured speakers include agency heads, as well as speakers from Gov. Rod Blagojevich's own office."
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Not from The Onion. At my university, this charade takes place. We peons have been required to take ethics training on-line annually for several years now, while the bouffant crook who ran the state was busy peddling influence, facilitated by the rest of the gang in Chicago and Springfield.
And as it turns out, Illinois is set to hold just such an ethics course for state workers this Wednesday.
More than 200 state employees are expected to take part in the ethics seminar at University of Illinois-Chicago. Featured speakers include agency heads, as well as speakers from Gov. Rod Blagojevich's own office."
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Not from The Onion. At my university, this charade takes place. We peons have been required to take ethics training on-line annually for several years now, while the bouffant crook who ran the state was busy peddling influence, facilitated by the rest of the gang in Chicago and Springfield.
Residents on outdated dirt trail hit dead-end - The Connecticut Post Online
Residents on outdated dirt trail hit dead-end - The Connecticut Post Online The local government won't fix the private road, which seems to be a dangerous one.
Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble - Times Online
Habitat for Insanity? Charity homes built by Hollywood start to crumble - Times Online: "Residents of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it is falling apart.
Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers, including Carter, in a record 17-day “blitz” organised by the charity Habitat for Humanity.
Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious skin rashes."
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The place was built by volunteers, including Hollywood types and of course former peanut farmer and former (horrible) President Jimmy Carter. Now it is a dump.
Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers, including Carter, in a record 17-day “blitz” organised by the charity Habitat for Humanity.
Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious skin rashes."
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The place was built by volunteers, including Hollywood types and of course former peanut farmer and former (horrible) President Jimmy Carter. Now it is a dump.
Democratic Underground - On one hand, we have Dems threatening not to seat an African American - Democratic Underground
Democratic Underground - On one hand, we have Dems threatening not to seat an African American - Democratic Underground: "On one hand, we have Dems threatening not to seat an African American duly appointed to serve in the US Senate by a sitting governor; an African American who has worked his way up from local office through statewide office before this appointment.
On the other hand, we have Dems cheering the naming of a wealthy white woman who has never held public office, interviews badly, but has an important surname and the 'right' pedigree.
No further comment needed."
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This Democratic Underground post was linked on Instapundit. I knew the issue would go in this direction. Blagojevich is crafty, isn't he? If Harry Reid follows through on his threat to physically block Burris from entering the chamber, he is an even bigger fool than he appears, which is saying something.
We are at a historic low point in the quality of American public policy makers. Even the ones at the top of the heap are abysmal. Not just in Illinois--in Washington, and I mean both parties and all three branches of government.
On the other hand, we have Dems cheering the naming of a wealthy white woman who has never held public office, interviews badly, but has an important surname and the 'right' pedigree.
No further comment needed."
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This Democratic Underground post was linked on Instapundit. I knew the issue would go in this direction. Blagojevich is crafty, isn't he? If Harry Reid follows through on his threat to physically block Burris from entering the chamber, he is an even bigger fool than he appears, which is saying something.
We are at a historic low point in the quality of American public policy makers. Even the ones at the top of the heap are abysmal. Not just in Illinois--in Washington, and I mean both parties and all three branches of government.
Legislature expected to get several HOA-related bills
Arizona Legislature expected to get several HOA-related bills
No kidding. That's like saying, "Sun expected to rise tomorrow morning." Why so many single-issue bills every year, instead of the big, complex ones you see in Florida, Arizona, New Jersey, etc.? Pat Haruff tells me it is because the AZ legislators are part-timers, and this piecemeal approach is typical of the way things are done there. I wonder if that is a good or bad thing. I can see arguments for and against it.
No kidding. That's like saying, "Sun expected to rise tomorrow morning." Why so many single-issue bills every year, instead of the big, complex ones you see in Florida, Arizona, New Jersey, etc.? Pat Haruff tells me it is because the AZ legislators are part-timers, and this piecemeal approach is typical of the way things are done there. I wonder if that is a good or bad thing. I can see arguments for and against it.
What's ahead in 2009 for Coto and the canyons? | coto, caza, canyons, county, fire - News - OCRegister.com
What's ahead in 2009 for Coto and the canyons? - OCRegister.com: "CITYHOOD FOR COTO?
Coto de Caza may be a gated community, but it's not a part of any city. So, it gets it government services from the county of Orange. In the last Local Agency Formation Commission annexation study done of the region there were several options detailed for Coto de Caza and surrounding areas ranging from forming its own city to becoming part of a new bigger city to being annexed by neighboring Rancho Santa Margarita.
Residents of Coto de Caza, including members of some of its homeowners' association boards, have been discussing what to do about the future of Coto de Caza's governance. Whether or not that includes the nearby communities of Wagon Wheel, Las Flores and Ladera Ranch remains to be seen."
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I think in the near future a lot of private communities will be thinking about cityhood or annexation or dedication of private roads, etc., to the public.
Coto de Caza may be a gated community, but it's not a part of any city. So, it gets it government services from the county of Orange. In the last Local Agency Formation Commission annexation study done of the region there were several options detailed for Coto de Caza and surrounding areas ranging from forming its own city to becoming part of a new bigger city to being annexed by neighboring Rancho Santa Margarita.
Residents of Coto de Caza, including members of some of its homeowners' association boards, have been discussing what to do about the future of Coto de Caza's governance. Whether or not that includes the nearby communities of Wagon Wheel, Las Flores and Ladera Ranch remains to be seen."
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I think in the near future a lot of private communities will be thinking about cityhood or annexation or dedication of private roads, etc., to the public.
Foreclosure crisis hits Virginia | Waynesboro News Virginian
Foreclosure crisis hits Virginia | Waynesboro News Virginian: "The number of foreclosures in Virginia more than doubled during the first 11 months of 2008, compared with all of 2007.
Data analyzed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch show 27,938 foreclosures statewide in the 2008 period for all property types, including single-family homes, businesses, condominiums and lots. In 2007 in Virginia, the total was 10,718, an increase of 161 percent.
The Richmond area was hit with 2,248 foreclosures last year through November, nearly four times — 287 percent — the total for all of 2007."
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This is a detailed article based on a good deal of research. The author notes that "Residential foreclosures cut across all income levels and house styles and prices..."
Data analyzed by the Richmond Times-Dispatch show 27,938 foreclosures statewide in the 2008 period for all property types, including single-family homes, businesses, condominiums and lots. In 2007 in Virginia, the total was 10,718, an increase of 161 percent.
The Richmond area was hit with 2,248 foreclosures last year through November, nearly four times — 287 percent — the total for all of 2007."
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This is a detailed article based on a good deal of research. The author notes that "Residential foreclosures cut across all income levels and house styles and prices..."
Saturday, January 03, 2009
Sam Shepard Arrested -- Blows It Big Time - TMZ.com
Sam Shepard Arrested -- Blows It Big Time - TMZ.com: "Sam Shepard got popped early this morning for an alleged DUI and speeding. Shepard was doing a reported 46 MPH in a residential zone in -- get this, Normal, IL. The actor responded to the cops request to pull over by parking his Tahoe on the curb. According to the Pantagraph.com, the 65 year-old blew an impressive 0.175 which is roughly twice the legal limit."
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The Right Stuff days are over, I guess. Sam Shepard played test pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. For Chuck Yeager a .175 was the blood alcohol level you woke up with on a week day, just before flying an experimental aircraft at 600 mph. Now you go 46 and go to jail. Plus you get a bad mug shot.
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The Right Stuff days are over, I guess. Sam Shepard played test pilot Chuck Yeager in The Right Stuff. For Chuck Yeager a .175 was the blood alcohol level you woke up with on a week day, just before flying an experimental aircraft at 600 mph. Now you go 46 and go to jail. Plus you get a bad mug shot.
Presenting: Cro-Magnon v. Neanderthal in the Battle of Extinction | Popular Science
Presenting: Cro-Magnon v. Neanderthal in the Battle of Extinction | Popular Science
Good headline for the start of the NFL playoffs.
Good headline for the start of the NFL playoffs.
Who Saw The Housing Bubble Coming? - Forbes.com: "There were, in fact, many warnings dating back more than seven years--but in the euphoria of rising home prices, no one listened. As time went by and no crash occurred, many of those doing the warning lost credibility or decided that perhaps they were wrong and moved on to other issues."
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For my part, I starting posting warnings from others about the housing bubble in August, 2004, but wasn't sure prices were about to collapse yet, and by summer of 2005 I was saying "did you hear a pop?"
'Grand View Six' group fights for right to place political signs
'Grand View Six' group fights for right to place political signs: "Six homeowners, sued for placing campaign signs in their yards during the last election, are fighting back.
The homeowners reside in the Grand View subdivision, a 198-home neighborhood northwest of Patterson and 28 roads, and are being sued by their homeowners association. The HOA’s covenants and restrictions ban political signs from yards, and the HOA contends it has state law on its side. A spokesman for the homeowners disagrees."
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Thanks to Mike Reardon for sending this link. Here we have an association spending the members' money to fight for the power to ban political signs--even though there is a state law saying people can display them. What an outrage. Take a look at this, all you libertarians who love HOAs.
The homeowners reside in the Grand View subdivision, a 198-home neighborhood northwest of Patterson and 28 roads, and are being sued by their homeowners association. The HOA’s covenants and restrictions ban political signs from yards, and the HOA contends it has state law on its side. A spokesman for the homeowners disagrees."
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Thanks to Mike Reardon for sending this link. Here we have an association spending the members' money to fight for the power to ban political signs--even though there is a state law saying people can display them. What an outrage. Take a look at this, all you libertarians who love HOAs.
Friday, January 02, 2009
Ill. governor's federal security clearance revoked: "CHICAGO (AP) - The U.S. Department of Homeland Security has revoked embattled Gov. Rod Blagojevich's access to classified federal security information, officials said Friday."
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This is terrifying. I mean that Rod Blagojevich had a security clearance until today. Can't you just hear him trying to sell classified information? "Are you kidding me? This ^&%$ is @#$%^& golden! I'm not giving this information up for %^&#^*& nothing, you ^*^^$$^&&*^%$#@@#!!"
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This is terrifying. I mean that Rod Blagojevich had a security clearance until today. Can't you just hear him trying to sell classified information? "Are you kidding me? This ^&%$ is @#$%^& golden! I'm not giving this information up for %^&#^*& nothing, you ^*^^$$^&&*^%$#@@#!!"
CNN Political Ticker: All politics, all the time Blog Archive - Aides: Democrats have plan if Burris shows up « - Blogs from CNN.com: "Senate Democratic leaders think Roland Burris, Illinois Governor Rod Blagojevich's pick to fill President-elect Barack Obama's vacant Senate seat, will likely show up on Capitol Hill Tuesday for the opening day of Congress, according to a Democratic aide familiar with Senate Democratic leaders' plans.
They have prepared a contingency plan in case he does, the aide added.
Burris will not be allowed on the Senate floor, according to this aide and a Senate Democratic leadership aide."
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Oh, really? The Democrats who run the Senate are going to physically prevent the only black Senator from entering the chamber? That should make for some images we haven't seen since about 1962. Maybe they can find someplace to hook up a fire hose.
I hope he shows up and calls their bluff.
Five Democratic governors seek $1 trillion federal assistance | U.S. | Reuters: "Governors of five U.S. states urged the federal government to provide $1 trillion in aid to the country's 50 states to help pay for education, welfare and infrastructure as states struggle with steep budget deficits amid a deepening recession.
The governors of New York, New Jersey, Massachusetts, Ohio and Wisconsin -- all Democrats -- said the initiative for the two-year aid package was backed by other governors and follows a meeting in December where governors called on President-elect Barack Obama to help them maintain services in the face of slumping revenues."
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If we continue with this bailout madness the role of the national government in our economy and our system of federalism will be fundamentally transformed. To do such a thing by constitutional amendment would be at least a legitimate decision that the people have the power and the right to make. They would not do it, of course, and the bailout is unpopular. It would never pass as a constitutional amendment. But it is being done simply on the authority of a horrifically unpopular Congress, and a historically unpopular lame-duck President who has a record of making disastrous or highly questionable decisions.
Thursday, January 01, 2009
Ash borers spread in Cook County -- chicagotribune.com: "Trees in south and southeast Cook County forest preserves have been found to be infested with emerald ash borers, which have already killed millions of trees throughout the upper Midwest."
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They are pretty little bugs, but the ash borer may turn out to be a horrifically expensive pest for municipalities and homeowner associations. The infested trees have to be cut down and removed, and that costs $500 per tree at least, according to one arborist I spoke with.
Calif. Taxpayers Due Refunds May Get IOUs - NBCBAYAREA- msnbc.com
Calif. Taxpayers Due Refunds May Get IOUs - NBCBAYAREA- msnbc.com: "If you expect you'll be getting a refund from California when you file your 2008 state income tax return, be prepared: you may instead receive a 'registered warrant.' Translation: an IOU.
California is rapidly running out of money. Blame it on the state budget deficit that continues to bleed billions of dollars from California's reserves. Facing inadequate credit to make up the difference, California's Controller John Chiang warns that by the end of February, the nation's most populous state may not be able to pay some of its debts, and instead be reduced to issuing those creditors IOUs."
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That is pretty cheeky. How about if, just to be consistent, those taxpayers who owe the state more money on April 15 send the state an IOU?
California is rapidly running out of money. Blame it on the state budget deficit that continues to bleed billions of dollars from California's reserves. Facing inadequate credit to make up the difference, California's Controller John Chiang warns that by the end of February, the nation's most populous state may not be able to pay some of its debts, and instead be reduced to issuing those creditors IOUs."
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That is pretty cheeky. How about if, just to be consistent, those taxpayers who owe the state more money on April 15 send the state an IOU?
Government aid could save U.S. newspapers, spark debate | Special Coverage | Reuters
Government aid could save U.S. newspapers, spark debate | Special Coverage | Reuters: "NEW YORK (Reuters) - Connecticut lawmaker Frank Nicastro sees saving the local newspaper as his duty. But others think he and his colleagues are setting a worrisome precedent for government involvement in the U.S. press."
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It doesn't take much imagination to understand why this is a terrible idea. If governments sponsor newspapers, you can kiss goodbye to the entire idea of a free and independent press.
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It doesn't take much imagination to understand why this is a terrible idea. If governments sponsor newspapers, you can kiss goodbye to the entire idea of a free and independent press.
Wednesday, December 31, 2008
Gates to keep crime out of Mohali-Chandigarh-Cities-The Times of India
Gates to keep crime out of Mohali-Chandigarh-Cities-The Times of India: "MOHALI: A 'gated community' in the USA stands for a specially created residential area where the well-provided can stay in peace, cut off from the insanitary outside world. The gates there are filters of luxury that keep out nastiness. The municipal council of Mohali decided on Tuesday to create gated communities in the city. But here, the reason for their existence will be security.
MC will install 45 gates at all the entry and exit points of different residential areas in Mohali at a cost of Rs 66 lakh.
After Mumbai terror attacks, Mohali police had proposed that each sector in the city should have just one entry and exit point."
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Submitted for your consideration: a world of gated communities.
MC will install 45 gates at all the entry and exit points of different residential areas in Mohali at a cost of Rs 66 lakh.
After Mumbai terror attacks, Mohali police had proposed that each sector in the city should have just one entry and exit point."
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Submitted for your consideration: a world of gated communities.
Whatever happened to ... those financially-strapped gated communities? : Local : Naples Daily News
Whatever happened to ... those financially-strapped gated communities? : Local : Naples Daily News: "The Quail West community in North Naples has fallen into bankruptcy.
Affiliates of the once high-powered developer Ginn Cos. based in Celebration, Fla., have filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions on two high-end resort communities: Tesoro in Port St. Lucie and Quail West.
The bankruptcy filings come after Ginn-LA defaulted on $675 million in debt owed on four of its communities six months ago. The other two communities are Ginn sur Mer in Grand Bahama Island and Laurelmor in Boone, N.C."
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So the answer to the question is: "Bankruptcy." And there will be a whole lot more coming. But I believe the law of bankruptcy leaves owners on the hook for the association's debts, up to the value of their units.
Affiliates of the once high-powered developer Ginn Cos. based in Celebration, Fla., have filed Chapter 7 bankruptcy petitions on two high-end resort communities: Tesoro in Port St. Lucie and Quail West.
The bankruptcy filings come after Ginn-LA defaulted on $675 million in debt owed on four of its communities six months ago. The other two communities are Ginn sur Mer in Grand Bahama Island and Laurelmor in Boone, N.C."
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So the answer to the question is: "Bankruptcy." And there will be a whole lot more coming. But I believe the law of bankruptcy leaves owners on the hook for the association's debts, up to the value of their units.
cbs13.com - Lawmakers Could Receive IOUs In Budget Crisis
cbs13.com - Lawmakers Could Receive IOUs In Budget Crisis: "SACRAMENTO (CBS13) State controller John Chiang sent out warning letters to agencies warning that they could receive IOUs in place of paychecks in one month. Many state workers are safe, protected by a court ruling, but elected leaders and their staff may be about to get hit in the wallet.
'We are in a very difficult situation,' said spokeswoman Hallye Jordan from the Controller's Office. 'The state is running out of cash.'
In two weeks, Chiang will pull the trigger and start the process of issuing IOUs for 1,700 people -- legislators, judges and their appointed staff. The IOUs will go out after February 1st if the budget crisis isn't solved."
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At least the legislators are first in line to get paid in monopoly money.
'We are in a very difficult situation,' said spokeswoman Hallye Jordan from the Controller's Office. 'The state is running out of cash.'
In two weeks, Chiang will pull the trigger and start the process of issuing IOUs for 1,700 people -- legislators, judges and their appointed staff. The IOUs will go out after February 1st if the budget crisis isn't solved."
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At least the legislators are first in line to get paid in monopoly money.
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Chronic caller charged with crime in Tamaqua -- themorningcall.com
Chronic caller charged with crime in Tamaqua -- themorningcall.com: "A Tamaqua man who had more than 100 contacts with police in the past two years faces charges of harassing authorities with calls about a rock in his yard being moved 4 inches, pool water ruining his grass and children making noise."
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Here is a fellow who should have moved to an HOA. He would have been in heaven.
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Here is a fellow who should have moved to an HOA. He would have been in heaven.
Why Roland Burris will be seated in the US Senate: The Seventeenth Amendment to the United States Constitution: "When vacancies happen in the representation of any State in the Senate, the executive authority of each State shall issue writs of election to fill such vacancies: Provided, That the legislature of any State may empower the executive thereof to make temporary appointments until the people fill the vacancies by election as the legislature may direct."
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This is pretty clear. Blagojevich is still the governor because the legislature hasn't impeached him yet, even though it was obvious at least a year ago that they needed to. There is a vacancy. He has a duty to fill it. He just did. The legislature also hasn't gotten around to making this a temporary appointment pending a special election, so I think that means Burris has the job until the term expires in 2010.
Now Jesse White, the Illinois Secretary of State, claims he will refuse to certify this appointment to the US Senate. I think he can be forced to do that by writ of mandamus. His function here is limited. He just certifies that the governor made the appointment of a particular person. He has no other discretion.
Then comes the claim by Harry Reid that the Senate will not accept Burris in any event. They will rest this assertion on Article I of the US Constitution. That reads in part as follows: "Section 5: Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members...Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member."
Reid apparently thinks this means he and his pals can on their own authority decide not to seat a Senator who was duly elected or appointed. That is ridiculous. They can pass on the "qualifications" of the person, and those qualifications are defined in Article I as well:
"No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen..."
The Senate's function is limited to ruling on age, citizenship, and residency. That's it. The US Supreme Court said as much in Powell v. McCormack, when the House tried to prevent Adam Clayton Powell from taking his seat because he was charged with making personal use of public funds and evading court process. The Supreme Court said, "...In judging the qualifications of its members, Congress is limited to the standing qualifications prescribed in the Constitution. Respondents concede that Powell met these. Thus, there is no need to remand this case to determine whether he was entitled to be seated in the 90th Congress. Therefore, we hold that, since Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was duly elected by the voters of the 18th Congressional District of New York and was not ineligible to serve under any provision of the Constitution, the House was without power to exclude him from its membership."
That covers the Burris situation pretty well, except that Burris has an even stronger case than Powell because Burris isn't accused of doing anything wrong. The wrongdoing came earlier and concerned other potential appointees to that seat. If Powell couldn't be excluded by the House for his own apparent wrongdoing, certainly Burris can't be excluded by the Senate merely because the Governor who appointed him is under a legal cloud.
Maybe all these folks will ignore the limits on their authority, but I think Blagojevich may very well win this set in the end, just like he won the pathetic excuse for a legal challenge put forward by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
One final thought: Blagojevich abuses his power, so the Attorney General abuses her power by asking the Illinois Supreme Court to abuse their power. They won't, so now the Secretary of State and the US Senate, seconded by the incoming President, say they will abuse their powers to get even for the governor's previous abuses of power. Is there any public official in this entire daisy chain who has any understanding of this simple fact: in this country, government power is limited in specific ways, and those who occupy public offices are sworn to respect those limits? Anybody? Hello?
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This is pretty clear. Blagojevich is still the governor because the legislature hasn't impeached him yet, even though it was obvious at least a year ago that they needed to. There is a vacancy. He has a duty to fill it. He just did. The legislature also hasn't gotten around to making this a temporary appointment pending a special election, so I think that means Burris has the job until the term expires in 2010.
Now Jesse White, the Illinois Secretary of State, claims he will refuse to certify this appointment to the US Senate. I think he can be forced to do that by writ of mandamus. His function here is limited. He just certifies that the governor made the appointment of a particular person. He has no other discretion.
Then comes the claim by Harry Reid that the Senate will not accept Burris in any event. They will rest this assertion on Article I of the US Constitution. That reads in part as follows: "Section 5: Each House shall be the judge of the elections, returns and qualifications of its own members...Each House may determine the rules of its proceedings, punish its members for disorderly behavior, and, with the concurrence of two thirds, expel a member."
Reid apparently thinks this means he and his pals can on their own authority decide not to seat a Senator who was duly elected or appointed. That is ridiculous. They can pass on the "qualifications" of the person, and those qualifications are defined in Article I as well:
"No Person shall be a Senator who shall not have attained to the Age of thirty Years, and been nine Years a Citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an Inhabitant of that State for which he shall be chosen..."
The Senate's function is limited to ruling on age, citizenship, and residency. That's it. The US Supreme Court said as much in Powell v. McCormack, when the House tried to prevent Adam Clayton Powell from taking his seat because he was charged with making personal use of public funds and evading court process. The Supreme Court said, "...In judging the qualifications of its members, Congress is limited to the standing qualifications prescribed in the Constitution. Respondents concede that Powell met these. Thus, there is no need to remand this case to determine whether he was entitled to be seated in the 90th Congress. Therefore, we hold that, since Adam Clayton Powell, Jr., was duly elected by the voters of the 18th Congressional District of New York and was not ineligible to serve under any provision of the Constitution, the House was without power to exclude him from its membership."
That covers the Burris situation pretty well, except that Burris has an even stronger case than Powell because Burris isn't accused of doing anything wrong. The wrongdoing came earlier and concerned other potential appointees to that seat. If Powell couldn't be excluded by the House for his own apparent wrongdoing, certainly Burris can't be excluded by the Senate merely because the Governor who appointed him is under a legal cloud.
Maybe all these folks will ignore the limits on their authority, but I think Blagojevich may very well win this set in the end, just like he won the pathetic excuse for a legal challenge put forward by Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan.
One final thought: Blagojevich abuses his power, so the Attorney General abuses her power by asking the Illinois Supreme Court to abuse their power. They won't, so now the Secretary of State and the US Senate, seconded by the incoming President, say they will abuse their powers to get even for the governor's previous abuses of power. Is there any public official in this entire daisy chain who has any understanding of this simple fact: in this country, government power is limited in specific ways, and those who occupy public offices are sworn to respect those limits? Anybody? Hello?
Housing Market Divorce Twist: Neither One Wants The House
Housing Market Divorce Twist: Neither One Wants The House: "With nearly one in six homes worth less than the mortgage owed on it, according to Moody's Economy.com, divorce lawyers and financial advisers around the country say the logistics of divorce have been turned around. 'We used to fight about who gets to keep the house,' said Gary Nickelson, president of the American Academy of Matrimonial Lawyers. 'Now we fight about who gets stuck with the dead cow.'"
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Nobody wants to be the one who has to buy out the other and keep the house. Instead the smart move is to get bought out and take your half and...then what?
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Nobody wants to be the one who has to buy out the other and keep the house. Instead the smart move is to get bought out and take your half and...then what?
Foreclosure isn't just for lenders these days | Lynchburg News Advance
Foreclosure isn't just for lenders these days | Lynchburg News Advance: "TAMPA - Donna White never thought she’d lead the charge to foreclose on her neighbors.
But that was before she was forced to fork over extra cash every month to cover bills they refused to pay.
At one point, 60 percent of the 242 owners at Kings Lake Townhomes in Gibsonton weren’t paying their monthly $194 town home association fee."
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It never was just for lenders, but finally the press is catching on to how many HOA and condo foreclosures there are.
But that was before she was forced to fork over extra cash every month to cover bills they refused to pay.
At one point, 60 percent of the 242 owners at Kings Lake Townhomes in Gibsonton weren’t paying their monthly $194 town home association fee."
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It never was just for lenders, but finally the press is catching on to how many HOA and condo foreclosures there are.
YouTube - VeggieTales Silly Song "Gated Community"
YouTube - VeggieTales Silly Song "Gated Community"
Just what the culture needed.
Just what the culture needed.
Speeding ticket drove mailboxing | TheUnion.com
Speeding ticket drove mailboxing | TheUnion.com: "A man who was arrested for vandalizing mailboxes in Lake Wildwood was upset over a speeding ticket he received from the community’s security guards,according to a release from the Nevada County Sheriff's Office.
During the evening hours of Dec. 25 and 26, approximately 55 plus mailboxes were vandalized in Lake Wildwood, the release said.
Deputies assisted security officers early Saturday morning to arrest Nolan Gail, 19 in his truck. Gail was visiting his girlfriend in the gated community.
Gail was booked into the county jail on felony vandalism charges after he used his vehicle to ram the mailboxes, the release said.
The estimated damage was between $8,000 to $10,000.
Gail denies responsibility for damaging all of the mailboxes.
“There’s no way I destroyed more than 12,” he said."
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I think copping to 12 will do just fine as a confession.
During the evening hours of Dec. 25 and 26, approximately 55 plus mailboxes were vandalized in Lake Wildwood, the release said.
Deputies assisted security officers early Saturday morning to arrest Nolan Gail, 19 in his truck. Gail was visiting his girlfriend in the gated community.
Gail was booked into the county jail on felony vandalism charges after he used his vehicle to ram the mailboxes, the release said.
The estimated damage was between $8,000 to $10,000.
Gail denies responsibility for damaging all of the mailboxes.
“There’s no way I destroyed more than 12,” he said."
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I think copping to 12 will do just fine as a confession.
crefeed.com | Connecticut gated community fetches $10.6M
crefeed.com | Connecticut gated community fetches $10.6M: "The apartments are located at 35 Sharon Road and sold for $68,000 per unit. Built in 1974, the property contains 156 units on 10.51 acres. It is a 134,904-square-foot gated community and was financed by Fannie Mae through PNC ARCS, a Fannie Mae DUS lender."
Blagojevich to name Roland Burris to Obama's Senate seat :: CHICAGO SUN-TIMES :: Gov. Blagojevich: "Gov. Blagojevich today is expected to name former state Comptroller and Attorney General Roland Burris to Illinois' vacant U.S. Senate seat, a knowledgeable source said this morning."
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Burris is 71 years old, black, and a former state Attorney General and Comptroller. His political career was over until he (and probably Emil Jones) convinced Blagojevich to make him a Senator, because he has run unsuccessfully for Mayor of Chicago, Governor (twice), and Senator. That is the trifecta if you ask me. However, I suspect he would have been at least as good at those jobs as their current or previous occupants, and he is as qualified to be a US Senator as anybody, I suppose. I think that will become obvious as Burris defends his appointment in the media over the next few days.
With his crafty little mind, Blagojevich thinks this appointment will pit the leaders of the Democratic Party, who are white liberals, against black politicians and voters. He hopes the party will have a huge crisis because the Democrats will have to decide whether to reject on legitimacy grounds a respected black politician who is actually qualified to be a Senator--unlike the pathetic Caroline Kennedy, who can be rejected because she is, like, unqualified, you know?
And in the process, Blagojevich thinks he will gain some black popular and political support that will help insulate him against impeachment by the Democrats who run the state legislature. Burris is a buddy of Emil Jones, who as leader of the State Senate was the only major ally Blagojevich had. Jones' shenanigans in the Senate enabled Blagojevich to bring the state government to a standstill over capital spending, taxation, education funding reform, and everything else. Jones is a dunce, Blagojevich is a narcissistic fool, and now they have the Burris appointment to create more dysfunction with. Grandstanding and dysfunction are Blagojevich's hallmarks.
Home prices plunge record 18 percent in October: S&P | Reuters
Home prices plunge record 18 percent in October: S&P | Reuters: "'The bear market continues; home prices are back to their March, 2004 levels.' David M. Blitzer, Chairman of the Index Committee at Standard & Poor's, said in a statement."
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March, 2004? That's not such a bad thing, is it? We were young and carefree then.
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March, 2004? That's not such a bad thing, is it? We were young and carefree then.
Unfinished subdivisions stuck with underfunded HOAs
Unfinished subdivisions stuck with underfunded HOAs: "Developer abandonment is likely to become a serious issue in the coming year for as many as 200 of the more than 10,000 Arizona communities under HOA control, both opponents and supporters of Arizona's HOA policies say."
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Detailed and scary story. These developer abandonment cases are only part of the problem, though. Foreclosures, mismanagement, embezzlement, and litigation will continue to plague many communities.
Fred Pilot notes that the numerous comments to this linked article are striking--take a look.
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Detailed and scary story. These developer abandonment cases are only part of the problem, though. Foreclosures, mismanagement, embezzlement, and litigation will continue to plague many communities.
Fred Pilot notes that the numerous comments to this linked article are striking--take a look.
Police: Pa. man shot for making noise during movie - Yahoo! News: "PHILADELPHIA – A man enraged by a noisy family sitting near him in a movie theater on Christmas night shot the father of the family in the arm, police said.
James Joseph Cialella, 29, of Philadelphia, faces six charges that include attempted murder and aggravated assault. He remained in custody Saturday.
Police said Cialella told the man's family to be quiet, then threw popcorn at the man's son. The victim, whom television reports identified as Woffard Lomax, told police that Cialella was walking toward his family when he stood up and was shot."
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Fred Pilot found this example of holiday cheer. Movies cost about ten bucks a head these days, so you'd think people would behave. But no. Many people are so noisy and inconsiderate that only the action movies are worth seeing because the noise drowns out the cell phone conversations. I think many people have never been taught that you can't behave in public the way you can in private places like your living room. In private you can act like a jerk and those close to you just have to suffer or throw a lamp at you, or perhaps tie you up and leave you in the back yard for the coyotes. In public, however, you have to behave. It was once called "manners," a word that has dropped entirely from the American vocabulary.
But shooting people is not the remedy for bad manners in public or private, so the gunfire trumps the noise complaint anyway.
So says Mr. Manners.
Phoenix officer won't allow neighbor to get stranded cat - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com
Phoenix officer won't allow neighbor to get stranded cat - Phoenix Arizona news, breaking news, local news, weather radar, traffic from ABC15 News | ABC15.com: "'There's some friction here between these neighbors and I said I could care less about the people I just want to go up and get the cat,' said Smith.
Smith and Toman said they chose to go behind the home on a public sidewalk and lean a 25-foot ladder against his back wall.
In this way they figured they were not on his property.
Just as they were about to get the cat, Smith said, 'This guy comes barreling out of his house, flashed his gun and his badge, and started screaming and freaking out.'"
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Normally I would think having a police officer for a neighbor would be a good thing, but it seems in this case it hasn't worked out that way. The cat has been in the tree for 8 days.
Smith and Toman said they chose to go behind the home on a public sidewalk and lean a 25-foot ladder against his back wall.
In this way they figured they were not on his property.
Just as they were about to get the cat, Smith said, 'This guy comes barreling out of his house, flashed his gun and his badge, and started screaming and freaking out.'"
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Normally I would think having a police officer for a neighbor would be a good thing, but it seems in this case it hasn't worked out that way. The cat has been in the tree for 8 days.
Monday, December 29, 2008
Bit of land triggers big fight over city of Houston's powers | Memorial/Spring Branch News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
Bit of land triggers big fight over city of Houston's powers : "What the park will provide is a landscaped gateway to an upscale development planned next door, called BLVD Place."
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This detailed article paints an ugly picture.
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This detailed article paints an ugly picture.
Sunday, December 28, 2008
Caroline Kennedy tells Daily News: I wouldn't be beholden to anybody
Caroline Kennedy tells Daily News: I wouldn't be beholden to anybody: "'I'm really coming into this as somebody who isn't, you know, part of the system, who obviously, you know, stands for the values of, you know, the Democratic Party,' Kennedy told the Daily News Saturday during a wide-ranging interview.
'I know how important it is to, you know, to be my own person. And, you know, and that would be obviously true with my relationship with the mayor.'"
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I think we need, you know, more of these, you know, intellectual heavyweights in, you know, the Senate. You know?
'I know how important it is to, you know, to be my own person. And, you know, and that would be obviously true with my relationship with the mayor.'"
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I think we need, you know, more of these, you know, intellectual heavyweights in, you know, the Senate. You know?
Amateur crimefighters are surging in the US - Times Online: "There are, according to the recently launched World Superhero Registry, more than 200 men and a few women who are willing to dress up as comic book heroes and patrol the urban streets in search of, if not super-villains, then pickpockets and bullies."
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I think we have reached the high or low point of the privatization revolution.
Friday, December 26, 2008
Record pension underfunding seen for 2008-S&P | Markets | Bonds News | Reuters
Record pension underfunding seen for 2008-S&P | Markets | Bonds News | Reuters: "NEW YORK, Dec 23 (Reuters) - The funding status of U.S. pensions has been 'devastated' by sharp declines in the stock market this year and U.S. pensions are expected to register record underfunding levels for 2008, Standard & Poor's said on Tuesday.
Standard & Poor's analyst Howard Silverblatt expects pension funds of companies in the benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX to be underfunded by $257 billion in aggregate this year, beating the previous underfunding record of $219 billion set in 2002."
Standard & Poor's analyst Howard Silverblatt expects pension funds of companies in the benchmark S&P 500 index .SPX to be underfunded by $257 billion in aggregate this year, beating the previous underfunding record of $219 billion set in 2002."
Thursday, December 25, 2008
The Volokh Conspiracy - -
The Volokh Conspiracy - Eric Posner-: "Home ownership policy of the Bush and Clinton administrations was, in essence, an attempt to pay low-income people to make a risky investment that they would otherwise rationally avoid. I cannot understand why anyone would think that such a policy would be sensible."
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Neither can I.
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Neither can I.
Wednesday, December 24, 2008
The Raw Story | Nobel Peace Prize Winner Archbishop Tutu suggests using violence to remove Mugabe
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Maybe there was a typo and it was the Nobel Peach Prize.
Can we have a Defcon Five Irony Alert?
Chinese drywall causes problems on the Treasure Coast : Treasure Coast : TCPalm
Florida: Chinese drywall causes problems on the Treasure Coast : "PORT ST. LUCIE — Martin and St. Lucie counties are two of nearly a dozen counties where complaints of possible exposure to the contaminated drywall in new homes have arisen.
The problem may have been sparked by drywall imported during the local construction boom of 2004 and 2005.
Some common symptoms are irritated eyes, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, and symptoms similar to bronchitis and asthma.
The contaminated Chinese drywall may be emitting one of several sulfur compounds including sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. While exposure to fumes from sulfur dioxide can create irritation and breathing disorders, exposure to hydrogen sulfide can be deadly."
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Nasty situation. I assume the only remedy is to remove and replace all the drywall.
The problem may have been sparked by drywall imported during the local construction boom of 2004 and 2005.
Some common symptoms are irritated eyes, coughing, sneezing, difficulty breathing, and symptoms similar to bronchitis and asthma.
The contaminated Chinese drywall may be emitting one of several sulfur compounds including sulfur dioxide or hydrogen sulfide. While exposure to fumes from sulfur dioxide can create irritation and breathing disorders, exposure to hydrogen sulfide can be deadly."
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Nasty situation. I assume the only remedy is to remove and replace all the drywall.
Tuesday, December 23, 2008
True Facts News: 10 Municipal Bankruptcies in Coming Year
True Facts News: 10 Municipal Bankruptcies in Coming Year: "Dec. 23 (Bloomberg) -- The accountant who predicted the nation’s largest municipal bankruptcy says as many as 10 insolvencies will roil the $2.7 trillion U.S. market for state, county and city debt next year as public finances worsen amid calls for federal aid to state and local governments.
John Moorlach said in 1994 that Orange County, California’s leveraged investing strategy could wreck its finances. The county went bankrupt about six months later after losing $1.6 billion.
As many as four cities in the Golden State and six others nationwide may seek court protection from creditors next year under Chapter 9 of the bankruptcy code, the section devoted to municipal governments, Moorlach said in an interview."
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Only ten?
John Moorlach said in 1994 that Orange County, California’s leveraged investing strategy could wreck its finances. The county went bankrupt about six months later after losing $1.6 billion.
As many as four cities in the Golden State and six others nationwide may seek court protection from creditors next year under Chapter 9 of the bankruptcy code, the section devoted to municipal governments, Moorlach said in an interview."
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Only ten?
Monday, December 22, 2008
Driver banned for having world's most untidy car | Metro.co.uk
Driver banned for having world's most untidy car | Metro.co.uk: "Police have banned a woman driver's car from the road - for being too untidy.
The Vauxhall Astra was so full of junk, magazines, old clothes and even bits of furniture that they could barely see the driver at it roared down a motorway in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The driver - who has not been named by police - has been banned from taking the car on the road again until it has passed a tidiness test."
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I don't see how a human being could fit behind the wheel.
The Vauxhall Astra was so full of junk, magazines, old clothes and even bits of furniture that they could barely see the driver at it roared down a motorway in Dusseldorf, Germany.
The driver - who has not been named by police - has been banned from taking the car on the road again until it has passed a tidiness test."
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I don't see how a human being could fit behind the wheel.
FOXNews.com - Where'd the Bailout Money Go? Shhhh, It's a Secret - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News
FOXNews.com - Where'd the Bailout Money Go? Shhhh, It's a Secret - : "WASHINGTON — It's something any bank would demand to know before handing out a loan: Where's the money going?
But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation's largest banks say they either can't track exactly how they're spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it."
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This fits perfectly with Bush being able to give it to automakers if he chooses. Nobody has to account for anything connected to that $700 billion, apparently.
But after receiving billions in aid from U.S. taxpayers, the nation's largest banks say they either can't track exactly how they're spending the money or they simply refuse to discuss it."
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This fits perfectly with Bush being able to give it to automakers if he chooses. Nobody has to account for anything connected to that $700 billion, apparently.
Sunday, December 21, 2008
Richard White: Associations should allow members to volunteer to do tasks : Columns : Naples Daily News
Richard White: What happens when a CID tries to go banrupt?: "Q. If our condominium were to go into bankruptcy, what would happen to the condominium owners who are current on all assessments and repairs and own our condominiums in full with no mortgage? Would we still be able to live in our condominiums? — P.G., Miami
A. Usually the bankruptcy courts will not accept an association bankruptcy. Their feeling is that all the board needs to do is raise the fees. But let us look at a worst case scenario. Say more than half of your homes went into foreclosure and the fees were just overwhelming for the remaining owners. It means that none or few of your association services would be provided, no insurance, no payment of utilities, no repairs and no operations. The problem is that you could not sell your home for a fair market value and most banks would not provide the buyer with a mortgage if you could find a buyer. In my many years of management, I have only known of one condominium that successfully declared bankruptcy. There may be others but very, very few have been successful.
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If the association does go bankrupt the owners are still on the hook for the debt.
A. Usually the bankruptcy courts will not accept an association bankruptcy. Their feeling is that all the board needs to do is raise the fees. But let us look at a worst case scenario. Say more than half of your homes went into foreclosure and the fees were just overwhelming for the remaining owners. It means that none or few of your association services would be provided, no insurance, no payment of utilities, no repairs and no operations. The problem is that you could not sell your home for a fair market value and most banks would not provide the buyer with a mortgage if you could find a buyer. In my many years of management, I have only known of one condominium that successfully declared bankruptcy. There may be others but very, very few have been successful.
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If the association does go bankrupt the owners are still on the hook for the debt.
Unfinished subdivisions stuck with underfunded HOAs
Unfinished subdivisions stuck with underfunded HOAs: "When the San Tan Heights Homeowners Association switched from developer control to homeowner-elected leaders in August, its new board members and management company learned that the HOA was practically DOA.
Its problems included nearly $1.6 million in unpaid dues that the previous HOA board in the Queen Creek-area community had made no effort to collect.
The biggest individual delinquencies belong to bankrupt home builders.
Developer abandonment is likely to become a serious issue in the coming year for as many as 200 of the more than 10,000 Arizona communities under HOA control, both opponents and supporters of Arizona's HOA policies say. both"
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This is only the beginning.
Its problems included nearly $1.6 million in unpaid dues that the previous HOA board in the Queen Creek-area community had made no effort to collect.
The biggest individual delinquencies belong to bankrupt home builders.
Developer abandonment is likely to become a serious issue in the coming year for as many as 200 of the more than 10,000 Arizona communities under HOA control, both opponents and supporters of Arizona's HOA policies say. both"
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This is only the beginning.
Home Front: Impact fees may be the next battlefield for area builders - Sacramento Business, Housing Market News | Sacramento Bee: "When the housing market soared in Sacramento a few years ago, many cities, counties and school districts hiked fees for a new house, with some soaring into the $80,000s and $90,000s. Builders complained, but moved on. Times were so flush they just paid some and passed the rest to buyers. What did $90,000 matter if a house sold for $470,000 or more to a buyer using exotic financing?
It's sure different today. There are no exotic loans. And much of the new home market is back in the $200,000s. At those prices, builders say, the fees make it hard to break even.
So they're again pushing City Hall to rethink impact fees in light of a devalued housing market."
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When cities were in the driver's seat the developers had to pay the fees, and then they passed them on to the home buyers in the form of higher home prices. So this practice fueled housing price inflation, which in turn contributed, along with other problems, to the whole debacle we are enjoying. Now a developer with money is able to strike a harder bargain. How will this play out? Cities have been minimizing property tax increases on residents by practices like impact fees, mandatory CIDs, TIFs, and other similar cost-shifting mechanisms. How will development be accomplished in this new financial environment, where nobody has any money?
Maybe new housing will be, shall we say, a bit humbler than in the past.
Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
CNN Meteorologist: Manmade Global Warming Theory 'Arrogant'
CNN Meteorologist: Manmade Global Warming Theory 'Arrogant': "CNN Meteorologist Chad Myers had never bought into the notion that man can alter the climate and the Vegas snowstorm didn’t impact his opinion. Myers, an American Meteorological Society certified meteorologist, explained on CNN’s Dec. 18 “Lou Dobbs Tonight” that the whole idea is arrogant and mankind was in danger of dying from other natural events more so than global warming."
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He says there are other environmental problems that we should be concerned about.
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He says there are other environmental problems that we should be concerned about.
Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at Bush was then viciously beaten | World news | The Observer
Not News Department: "The Iraqi journalist who hurled his shoes at President George Bush was viciously beaten after being taken into custody, according to a police officer who accompanied him to prison."
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Shocking. What did he or anybody else think would happen to him? If he had done this to Saddam Hussein, he would have been fed slowly into a plastic shredder.
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Shocking. What did he or anybody else think would happen to him? If he had done this to Saddam Hussein, he would have been fed slowly into a plastic shredder.
A tale of two houses - 12/19/08 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com
A tale of two houses - 12/19/08 - Chicago News - abc7chicago.com: "By Chuck Goudie
Real estate deals involving the governor and his wife have attracted the attention of federal authorities. Since Mr. Blagojevich was charged, most public attention has focused on the allegation that he tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat.
But authorities are looking at far more than that, including the curious tale of two houses.
The governor owns two houses. The governor's well-known residence on Chicago's North Side and a condominium that he and his wife own in the chic Dupont Circle section of Washington, D.C.
For a man who makes $177,000, owes $2 million in legal fees and is at risk of losing his job, according to property and tax records, Rod and Patti Blagojevich appear to be over-leveraged on their known real estate."
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They could be living for free in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, but he has insisted on living in Chicago all this time. He says it is "for the children," meaning that his kids attend a Montessori school in Chicago. The article suggests it is so his wife can make bucks from her real estate license. She is under investigation because her clients seem to be people getting favors from the Governor, such as the Mahajans.
Real estate deals involving the governor and his wife have attracted the attention of federal authorities. Since Mr. Blagojevich was charged, most public attention has focused on the allegation that he tried to sell Barack Obama's Senate seat.
But authorities are looking at far more than that, including the curious tale of two houses.
The governor owns two houses. The governor's well-known residence on Chicago's North Side and a condominium that he and his wife own in the chic Dupont Circle section of Washington, D.C.
For a man who makes $177,000, owes $2 million in legal fees and is at risk of losing his job, according to property and tax records, Rod and Patti Blagojevich appear to be over-leveraged on their known real estate."
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They could be living for free in the Governor's Mansion in Springfield, but he has insisted on living in Chicago all this time. He says it is "for the children," meaning that his kids attend a Montessori school in Chicago. The article suggests it is so his wife can make bucks from her real estate license. She is under investigation because her clients seem to be people getting favors from the Governor, such as the Mahajans.
Paris Hilton Like Totally Burglarized! : "Early reports estimate that upwards of $1 million worth of Hilton's belongings were snagged in the late Thursday/early Friday morning robbery. The break-in reportedly took place late on Thursday. Hilton apparently did not come home till early on Friday morning, at which point (it is presumed that) she called the LAPD.
The police are investigating the break-in at Hilton's swanky gated community. No one has been arrested yet, and there has yet to be a description released of the suspect(s)."
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Ohmigod, I would like totally be wondering what I am getting for my assessments here at this "swanky gated community," I am so totally sure.
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