Swinestoppers as ornamental pig in garden sparks harassment claim from policeman neighbour | The Sun |News: "A DAD was hauled out of bed and arrested for having an ornamental PIG in his garden — after his policeman neighbour claimed it was put there to poke fun at him."
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He says the pig has been there for 8 years. The copy moved next door 4 years ago.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Church, Kiddieland among institutions 'strong-armed' by police chief, prosecutors charge -- chicagotribune.com
Church, Kiddieland among institutions 'strong-armed' by police chief, prosecutors charge -- chicagotribune.com: "Former Melrose Park Police Chief Vito Scavo used 'extortion and strong-arm tactics' to get local institutions—including bars and restaurants, Our Lady of Mt. Carmel Catholic Church, Navistar and Kiddieland amusement park—to use guards from his security firm for protection, a federal prosecutor charged Tuesday.
But an attorney for Scavo defended his client's law enforcement record.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Andersson told a federal jury in his opening arguments in Scavo's racketeering and extortion trial that Scavo ran his private security firm out of the Melrose Park police station. He often used on-duty village police officers who were paid twice, once by the village and once by the client, for their service, Andersson said."
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Privatization gone bad?
But an attorney for Scavo defended his client's law enforcement record.
Assistant U.S. Atty. Stephen Andersson told a federal jury in his opening arguments in Scavo's racketeering and extortion trial that Scavo ran his private security firm out of the Melrose Park police station. He often used on-duty village police officers who were paid twice, once by the village and once by the client, for their service, Andersson said."
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Privatization gone bad?
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
Lehman Sits on Bomb of Uranium Cake as Prices Slump (Update1) - Bloomberg.com
Lehman Sits on Bomb of Uranium Cake as Prices Slump (Update1) - Bloomberg.com: "April 14 (Bloomberg) -- Lehman Brothers Holdings Inc. is sitting on enough uranium cake to make a nuclear bomb as it waits for prices of the commodity to rebound, according to traders and nuclear experts.
The bankrupt bank, in the throes of paying off creditors, acquired uranium cake “under a matured commodities contract” and plans to sell it when the market improves “to realize the best prices,” Chief Executive Officer Bryan Marsal said."
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Maybe we need to invade and change that regime before they sell the yellowcake to terrorists.
The bankrupt bank, in the throes of paying off creditors, acquired uranium cake “under a matured commodities contract” and plans to sell it when the market improves “to realize the best prices,” Chief Executive Officer Bryan Marsal said."
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Maybe we need to invade and change that regime before they sell the yellowcake to terrorists.
Home
New Territory Sentinel
Here is a web site based in Texas that says, "What you don't know about your Home Owner Association could destroy you."
Here is a web site based in Texas that says, "What you don't know about your Home Owner Association could destroy you."
Monday, April 13, 2009
Wells Fargo May Need $50 Billion in Capital, KBW Says (Update1) - Bloomberg.com
Wells Fargo May Need $50 Billion in Capital, KBW Says (Update1) - Bloomberg.com: "April 13 (Bloomberg) -- Wells Fargo & Co., the second- biggest U.S. home lender, may need $50 billion to pay back the federal government and cover loan losses as the economic slump deepens, according to KBW Inc.’s Frederick Cannon."
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They have gotten enough of my money over the years to pay that bill.
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They have gotten enough of my money over the years to pay that bill.
Pakistan in danger of collapse
Pakistan in danger of collapse: "PAKISTAN could collapse within months, one of the more influential counter-insurgency voices in Washington says...We have to face the fact that if Pakistan collapses it will dwarf anything we have seen so far in whatever we're calling the war on terror now," said David Kilcullen, a former Australian Army officer who was a specialist adviser for the Bush administration and is now a consultant to the Obama White House. "You just can't say that you're not going to worry about al-Qaeda taking control of Pakistan and its nukes," he said."
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The man is a master of understatement. Time to get that Utah survival shelter all stocked up.
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The man is a master of understatement. Time to get that Utah survival shelter all stocked up.
KTNV ABC,Channel 13,Las Vegas,Nevada,News,Weather,Sports,Entertainment,KTNV.com,Action News .:. Foreclosed community a mess for residents
KTNV ABC,Channel 13,Las Vegas,Nevada,News,Weather,Sports,Entertainment,KTNV.com,Action News .:. Foreclosed community a mess for residents: "The property is no longer owned by the builder, Astoria Homes. It was foreclosed on by one of Astoria's lendors KeyBank, back in December when still in the early stages of development.
Out of the 370 homes planned for Hillside, only 57 were actually built.
Astoria President, Tom McCormick tells Action news, 'no one expected what happened to be as bad as it is,' he continues, 'it's crushing.'"
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Yet another struggling HOA--courtesy of a builder who went under.
Fred Pilot sent this link.
Out of the 370 homes planned for Hillside, only 57 were actually built.
Astoria President, Tom McCormick tells Action news, 'no one expected what happened to be as bad as it is,' he continues, 'it's crushing.'"
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Yet another struggling HOA--courtesy of a builder who went under.
Fred Pilot sent this link.
Robbery suspect killed at AA meeting place - Local / Metro - The State
Robbery suspect killed at AA meeting place - Local / Metro - The State: "The AA visitor who fired his weapon and killed the suspect had a concealed weapons permit, police said...This is the second time in five weeks that a person with a concealed weapons permit has killed a person in the Midlands. In early March, an Irmo pizza delivery man shot and killed an attacker who telephoned in a phony order. In that case, pizza man Christopher Miller shot and killed Paul Andrew Sturgill, 17, as Sturgill and three others tried to rob him, police said."
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And if there were CCW holders in Illinois, as in South Carolina, there would be fewer robberies here. I realize there is room to differ on the scope of the Second Amendment and whether it should be incorporated into the 14th Amendment due process clause so it would restrict the states. But there is another way to see this. The most fundamental human right is self-preservation. People have the right to defend themselves, and to me that includes the right to have the means of effective self-defense, such as personal possession of firearms and the right to carry them. Background checks, training, and other limits are part of the deal. But here in Illinois there is no such thing as a carry permit, and that is just wrong.
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And if there were CCW holders in Illinois, as in South Carolina, there would be fewer robberies here. I realize there is room to differ on the scope of the Second Amendment and whether it should be incorporated into the 14th Amendment due process clause so it would restrict the states. But there is another way to see this. The most fundamental human right is self-preservation. People have the right to defend themselves, and to me that includes the right to have the means of effective self-defense, such as personal possession of firearms and the right to carry them. Background checks, training, and other limits are part of the deal. But here in Illinois there is no such thing as a carry permit, and that is just wrong.
The ideology is dead. Long live the deal - Haaretz - Israel News
The ideology is dead. Long live the deal - Haaretz - Israel News: "One of the last great ideological strongholds in the kibbutz movement is tumbling down, as the members of Shefayim have voted to privatize the kibbutz.
Shefayim its not just a kibbutz; it's The Kibbutz. No one driving along the coastal highway can miss the massive shopping center that it owns; it is one of the largest and richest kibbutzim. This is one of the reasons why, after over 150 kibbutzim have been privatized over the past decade, the privatization of Shefayim is drawing considerable press attention.
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The world's leading examples of socialist communities...turning capitalist.
Shefayim its not just a kibbutz; it's The Kibbutz. No one driving along the coastal highway can miss the massive shopping center that it owns; it is one of the largest and richest kibbutzim. This is one of the reasons why, after over 150 kibbutzim have been privatized over the past decade, the privatization of Shefayim is drawing considerable press attention.
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The world's leading examples of socialist communities...turning capitalist.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
My Way News - 2 more banks fail, lifting this year's tally to 23
My Way News - 2 more banks fail, lifting this year's tally to 23: "NEW YORK (AP) - Federal regulators shut down two more banks Friday, raising the number of bank failures so far this year to 23.
The first bank was Cape Fear Bank in Wilmington, N.C., the first North Carolina bank to fail in nearly 16 years. The other bank was New Frontier Bank of Greeley, Colo., the second Colorado bank this year to collapse.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over both banks Friday after their respective state regulators closed them down."
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The first bank was Cape Fear Bank in Wilmington, N.C., the first North Carolina bank to fail in nearly 16 years. The other bank was New Frontier Bank of Greeley, Colo., the second Colorado bank this year to collapse.
The Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. took over both banks Friday after their respective state regulators closed them down."
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Lee County condos linger in limbo | news-press.com | The News-Press
Lee County condos linger in limbo | news-press.com | The News-Press: "Some lenders in Lee County are deciding to not enforce mortgage foreclosures they’ve filed — leaving the properties in a limbo that homeowners associations say could destroy some communities...That creates a downward spiral that’s hard to escape from, said Bill Davis, secretary of the condominium board at the 112-unit Renaissance on the Winkler Avenue extension in Fort Myers.
The problem, he said, is the property is left effectively with nobody in control of it. The borrower still owns the property but can’t sell it because it’s worth less than the mortgage.
Meanwhile, the bank doesn’t have control because it’s still not the owner and the condo board can’t file its own foreclosure to get back maintenance fees because the lender’s mortgage has priority."
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The banks start foreclosure proceedings and then stop. That way they don't end up owning the unit, so they don't have to pay the six months of back assessments mandated by law, or any future units if it becomes their REO. The association, according to a Becker and Poliakoff attorney, then has no incentive to foreclose either, because the bank's lien has priority and they will end up with nothing. The net result of this practics: units that are abandoned and deteriorating, associations not getting their assessments, and a condo development in crisis.
The problem, he said, is the property is left effectively with nobody in control of it. The borrower still owns the property but can’t sell it because it’s worth less than the mortgage.
Meanwhile, the bank doesn’t have control because it’s still not the owner and the condo board can’t file its own foreclosure to get back maintenance fees because the lender’s mortgage has priority."
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The banks start foreclosure proceedings and then stop. That way they don't end up owning the unit, so they don't have to pay the six months of back assessments mandated by law, or any future units if it becomes their REO. The association, according to a Becker and Poliakoff attorney, then has no incentive to foreclose either, because the bank's lien has priority and they will end up with nothing. The net result of this practics: units that are abandoned and deteriorating, associations not getting their assessments, and a condo development in crisis.
Saturday, April 11, 2009
New Jersey Community May Debate Gay Flag Displays | News | Advocate.com
New Jersey Community May Debate Gay Flag Displays | News | Advocate.com: "Residents of Shark River Hills, an unincorporated area in New Jersey’s Neptune Township, may address the appropriateness of gay rights flag displays at their annual meeting on April 28.
The Asbury Park Press reports that a member of the community in Monmouth County submitted a question concerning the flags for consideration by the Township Committee and the Shark River Hills Property Owners’ Association.
'Ref: Display of sexual orientation flags,' the question begins. 'More and more, we are noticing flags being displayed on [Shark River Hills] properties declaring the occupants' sexual orientation or proclivity -- not just the multicolored 'gay' striped flags, but also banners indicating fetishes and or other 'lifestyle' choices. While this type of display may be acceptable in certain gay enclaves, there is simply no justification for it in a family-oriented neighborhood like [Shark River Hills]. Your comments?'"
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Here's a new flag issue. Question: how can there be such a place as "Shark River Hills"? Why not "Whale Desert Falls"?
The Asbury Park Press reports that a member of the community in Monmouth County submitted a question concerning the flags for consideration by the Township Committee and the Shark River Hills Property Owners’ Association.
'Ref: Display of sexual orientation flags,' the question begins. 'More and more, we are noticing flags being displayed on [Shark River Hills] properties declaring the occupants' sexual orientation or proclivity -- not just the multicolored 'gay' striped flags, but also banners indicating fetishes and or other 'lifestyle' choices. While this type of display may be acceptable in certain gay enclaves, there is simply no justification for it in a family-oriented neighborhood like [Shark River Hills]. Your comments?'"
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Here's a new flag issue. Question: how can there be such a place as "Shark River Hills"? Why not "Whale Desert Falls"?
The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent
The dark side of Dubai - Johann Hari, Commentators - The Independent: "There are countless buildings half-finished, seemingly abandoned. In the swankiest new constructions – like the vast Atlantis hotel, a giant pink castle built in 1,000 days for $1.5bn on its own artificial island – where rainwater is leaking from the ceilings and the tiles are falling off the roof. This Neverland was built on the Never-Never – and now the cracks are beginning to show. Suddenly it looks less like Manhattan in the sun than Iceland in the desert.
Once the manic burst of building has stopped and the whirlwind has slowed, the secrets of Dubai are slowly seeping out. This is a city built from nothing in just a few wild decades on credit and ecocide, suppression and slavery. Dubai is a living metal metaphor for the neo-liberal globalised world that may be crashing – at last – into history."
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Amazing story sent by Mystery Reader.
Once the manic burst of building has stopped and the whirlwind has slowed, the secrets of Dubai are slowly seeping out. This is a city built from nothing in just a few wild decades on credit and ecocide, suppression and slavery. Dubai is a living metal metaphor for the neo-liberal globalised world that may be crashing – at last – into history."
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Amazing story sent by Mystery Reader.
'Forgotten' road burden of residents? :: Herald News :: Local News
'Forgotten' road burden of residents? :: Herald News :: Local News: "PLAINFIELD, IL -- For 13 years, most of the residents of Cambridge Circle apparently had no idea they were supposed to maintain their street. The village has been plowing it, changing street lights, even citing them for shoveling snow out onto the street. They had to call the police department to get permission to have a party on the street, said one resident. In June, the homeowners association discovered their subdivision's original annexation agreement, which states that Cambridge Circle was supposed to be a private road, maintained by the homeowners association. The residents were not informed of that and have never reserved cash to cover the cost of maintaining the road, said Mark Lindsay, president of the homeowners association. The homeowners association recently asked the village to take ownership of the road, seeking an amendment to the annexation agreement. Village staff recommended against it."
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Surprise!
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Surprise!
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | CCTV cars snap distracted drivers
BBC NEWS | UK | England | Manchester | CCTV cars snap distracted drivers: "New CCTV cars to catch drivers using their mobile phones or being otherwise distracted at the wheel are being piloted by Greater Manchester Police. The small Smart cars, which have a 12ft (3.6m) mast with a camera attached, are parked at junctions to monitor traffic. Mike Downes of the Greater Manchester Casualty Reduction Partnership said the scheme was successfully 'driving the number of accidents down'. But the AA's Paul Watters said drivers 'might regard it as Big Brother'."
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this report of what I would call "Little Brother" given the size of these dinky little cars.
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Thanks to Mystery Reader for this report of what I would call "Little Brother" given the size of these dinky little cars.
Woody Harrelson claims he mistook photographer for zombie - CNN.com
Woody Harrelson claims he mistook photographer for zombie - CNN.com: "(CNN) -- Woody Harrelson defended his clash with a photographer at a New York airport Wednesday night as a case of mistaken identity -- he says he mistook the cameraman for a zombie."
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This is a defense I have not heard of before, but now that I think about it, perhaps it is plausible. You can't be too careful when dealing with zombies.
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This is a defense I have not heard of before, but now that I think about it, perhaps it is plausible. You can't be too careful when dealing with zombies.
Local Governments Turn to Fees to Fill Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com
Local Governments Turn to Fees to Fill Budget Gaps - NYTimes.com: "With the economy flailing and budgets strained, state and local governments are being creative about ways to raise money. And the go-to idea is to invent a fee — or simply raise one."
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Fees for responding to traffic accidents, "streetlight user fees," charges for idling your car engine, massive increases in parking rates and dog tags...the list goes on.
The pols think that fees are easier to impose than taxes because each fee hits a minority of people, but taxes hit much larger groups and generate opposition. Clever, isn't it?
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Fees for responding to traffic accidents, "streetlight user fees," charges for idling your car engine, massive increases in parking rates and dog tags...the list goes on.
The pols think that fees are easier to impose than taxes because each fee hits a minority of people, but taxes hit much larger groups and generate opposition. Clever, isn't it?
Friday, April 10, 2009
L.A. Houses Modeled after Fairytales (PICS)
L.A. Houses Modeled after Fairytales (PICS)
I like the hobbit house.
I like the hobbit house.
Condo groups gagged | Straight.com
Condo groups gagged | Straight.com: "There are about 460,000 strata-housing units across the province. Comprising 25 percent of taxable properties, according to VISOA figures, these are owned by some 600,000 British Columbians, or roughly 15 percent of the population."
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Strata property means condominiums.
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Strata property means condominiums.
Jewish Herald-Voice
Jewish Herald-Voice: "Texas homeowners’ associations no longer will be able to ban residents from affixing a mezuzah to their front doorposts if a bill pending the Texas House passes. The bill, HB 3025, is waiting for passage by the House Committee on Business and Industry. If the committee passes the bill, it will go to the House floor, where the Texas House of Representatives will vote on it."
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Another state making another special exception. Why not just force associations to show some respect for civil liberties in general?
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Another state making another special exception. Why not just force associations to show some respect for civil liberties in general?
Neighborhood Experiences Rank Side Effect of Foreclosure Crisis | NBC Washington
Neighborhood Experiences Rank Side Effect of Foreclosure Crisis | NBC Washington: "Thursday was trash day in the Lake Crest subdivision. At least, it was supposed to be trash day. As was Monday. And last Thursday. Actually, it's been about two-and-a-half weeks since the homeowners association was able to pay for pick up.
So trash bags and cans line the sidewalks. With Easter on the way, the whole thing smells like rotten eggs.
Not only does trash look bad and smell bad, it behaves poorly, as well, attracting birds, rats and other potentially unhealthy animals.
The problem? Foreclosures. The neighborhood is littered with them. Fewer homeowners means less dues in the homeowners association coffers."
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Another HOA in financial trouble. Insolvency is looming for an increasing number of community associations. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link.
So trash bags and cans line the sidewalks. With Easter on the way, the whole thing smells like rotten eggs.
Not only does trash look bad and smell bad, it behaves poorly, as well, attracting birds, rats and other potentially unhealthy animals.
The problem? Foreclosures. The neighborhood is littered with them. Fewer homeowners means less dues in the homeowners association coffers."
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Another HOA in financial trouble. Insolvency is looming for an increasing number of community associations. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link.
Pulte Homes agrees to buy Centex in $1.3B deal
Pulte Homes agrees to buy Centex in $1.3B deal: "NEW YORK – Pulte Homes Inc. is buying Centex Corp. for $1.3 billion in stock in a deal that will create the nation's largest homebuilder that caters to everyone from first-time homebuyers to grandparents looking to move into retirement communities.
The acquisition also will give Pulte large tracts of land in Texas and the Carolinas, two of the most resilient real estate markets, and a presence in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
The new company, which will include the Del Webb and Fox & Jacobs brand homes, will keep the Pulte name and headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. There will be an unspecified number of job cuts."
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"The two most similar companies in homebuilding" decide that...there can be only one!
The acquisition also will give Pulte large tracts of land in Texas and the Carolinas, two of the most resilient real estate markets, and a presence in 29 states and Washington, D.C.
The new company, which will include the Del Webb and Fox & Jacobs brand homes, will keep the Pulte name and headquarters in Bloomfield Hills, Mich. There will be an unspecified number of job cuts."
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"The two most similar companies in homebuilding" decide that...there can be only one!
Wood-bender Chris Mroz: Ahead of the curve | The News Tribune - TOP BUSINESS | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination
Wood-bender Chris Mroz: Ahead of the curve | The News Tribune - TOP BUSINESS | Seattle-Tacoma News, Weather, Sports, Jobs, Homes and Cars | South Puget Sound's Destination: "Imagine an indoor park four times the size of downtown Tacoma’s Tollefson Plaza – with a tiered amphitheater, rolling hills and winding paths formed entirely of bent red oak planks.
A premier London landscape architect imagined it. Chris Mroz, an innovative Gig Harbor woodbender, may get the chance to build it.
Mroz likes his chances. Martha Schwartz Partners created the concept for a $1.6 billion development in Seoul, South Korea, around Mroz’s technological woodbending method – the only one of its kind in the Americas."
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This is amazing, but I'm sure no HOA will allow this sort of thing because wood is supposed to be straight and bent wood is bad for property values.
A premier London landscape architect imagined it. Chris Mroz, an innovative Gig Harbor woodbender, may get the chance to build it.
Mroz likes his chances. Martha Schwartz Partners created the concept for a $1.6 billion development in Seoul, South Korea, around Mroz’s technological woodbending method – the only one of its kind in the Americas."
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This is amazing, but I'm sure no HOA will allow this sort of thing because wood is supposed to be straight and bent wood is bad for property values.
Developers plan first solar city - Florida AP - MiamiHerald.com
Developers plan first solar city - Florida AP - MiamiHerald.com: "Developers say they're planning the world's first completely solar-powered city in southwest Florida.
Syd Kitson, of the West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners, said Thursday that the new city will be powered by a $300 million 75-megawatt solar plant that Florida Power & Light plans to build in Charlotte County. He says the company plans to begin building homes on the large tract of land called Babcock Ranch by 2011."
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Too bad Del Webb already used that "Sun City" name...
Syd Kitson, of the West Palm Beach-based Kitson & Partners, said Thursday that the new city will be powered by a $300 million 75-megawatt solar plant that Florida Power & Light plans to build in Charlotte County. He says the company plans to begin building homes on the large tract of land called Babcock Ranch by 2011."
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Too bad Del Webb already used that "Sun City" name...
Thursday, April 09, 2009
Binmen blockaded by furious householder after they refuse to take garden waste... because it had five stones in it | Mail Online
Binmen blockaded by furious householder after they refuse to take garden waste... because it had five stones in it | Mail Online: "Mr Bilton saw red when the rubbish collectors refused to empty his neighbour's wheelie bin because it contained five small stones and a sweet wrapper. The council workers were collecting garden waste to be turned into compost – and according to the rulebook the stones, none bigger than a golf ball, and the wrapper were household waste. Even when Mr Bilton, 39, removed the offending items, the dustmen still refused to empty the brown bin. It was apparently 'contaminated' with the household waste. Stunned by such petty bureaucracy, Mr Bilton wheeled two bins into the road, trapping the lorry and its crew in the cul-de-sac in Royston, Hertfordshire. Mobile phone footage shows him leaning on one bin as the binmen look on."
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The Brits have such civilized disputes. In the US this would have turned into a gunfight or a hostage situation around the contaminated household waste stage. At least, if it was my trash.
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The Brits have such civilized disputes. In the US this would have turned into a gunfight or a hostage situation around the contaminated household waste stage. At least, if it was my trash.
With Advocates’ Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home - NYTimes.com
With Advocates’ Help, Squatters Call Foreclosures Home - NYTimes.com: "MIAMI — When the woman who calls herself Queen Omega moved into a three-bedroom house here last December, she introduced herself to the neighbors, signed contracts for electricity and water and ordered an Internet connection.What she did not tell anyone was that she had no legal right to be in the home.
Ms. Omega, 48, is one of the beneficiaries of the foreclosure crisis. Through a small advocacy group of local volunteers called Take Back the Land, she moved from a friend’s couch into a newly empty house that sold just a few years ago for more than $400,000.
Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said about a dozen advocacy groups around the country were actively moving homeless people into vacant homes — some working in secret, others, like Take Back the Land, operating openly. "
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I'd be careful which land I was trying to take. Might meet up with somebody who has a shotgun and no tolerance for squatters. I wonder what a feature in the NYT will do for the squatter population.
Ms. Omega, 48, is one of the beneficiaries of the foreclosure crisis. Through a small advocacy group of local volunteers called Take Back the Land, she moved from a friend’s couch into a newly empty house that sold just a few years ago for more than $400,000.
Michael Stoops, executive director of the National Coalition for the Homeless, said about a dozen advocacy groups around the country were actively moving homeless people into vacant homes — some working in secret, others, like Take Back the Land, operating openly. "
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I'd be careful which land I was trying to take. Might meet up with somebody who has a shotgun and no tolerance for squatters. I wonder what a feature in the NYT will do for the squatter population.
D.A. investigates Brown Act violations - Los Angeles Times
D.A. investigates Brown Act violations - Los Angeles Times: "Dozens of local government agencies across Los Angeles County have silenced critics at public meetings, held secret conferences to hash out important business or taken other actions that violated the state's open meetings law, according to a Times review of the district attorney's records."
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Hard to see why the industry doesn't want HOAs and condo associations to be held to public standards, if the public agencies are behaving like this. What's the difference?
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Hard to see why the industry doesn't want HOAs and condo associations to be held to public standards, if the public agencies are behaving like this. What's the difference?
Widow fighting eviction, cancer - 4/08/09 - Raleigh News - abc11.com
Widow fighting eviction, cancer - 4/08/09 - Raleigh News - abc11.com: "DURHAM (WTVD) -- A widow fighting cancer is also fighting to keep her home.
The Treyburn Homeowners Association in one of the Triangle's most affluent neighborhoods is trying to toss out 67-year-old SueAnn Demmerle."
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It appears that she is heavily in arrears to the association, as well as to the mortgage company and the county. A sad situation.
The Treyburn Homeowners Association in one of the Triangle's most affluent neighborhoods is trying to toss out 67-year-old SueAnn Demmerle."
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It appears that she is heavily in arrears to the association, as well as to the mortgage company and the county. A sad situation.
Homeowners' Association Proposes ATV Ban in Meadow Village. - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com
Homeowners' Association Proposes ATV Ban in Meadow Village. - WBOY-TV - WBOY.com: "CLARKSBURG, WV -- The Harrison County Commission held its first public hearing on a proposed ATV ban in Meadow Village near Good Hope.
Members of the Homeowners' Association say ATV's pose a danger to the children in their small community of 14 households."
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In West Virginia, the journalists use apostrophes to indicate the plural. Or should I say, the "journalist's" use "apostrophe's" for that purpose.
Members of the Homeowners' Association say ATV's pose a danger to the children in their small community of 14 households."
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In West Virginia, the journalists use apostrophes to indicate the plural. Or should I say, the "journalist's" use "apostrophe's" for that purpose.
Concrete Controversy: HOA Sues Woman Over Lawn - Central Florida News 13
Concrete Controversy: HOA Sues Woman Over Lawn - Central Florida News 13: "POINCIANA -- Carole Athias says her allergies are so extreme she had to replace the grass in both her front and back yards with concrete. Now the Poinciana resident has 20 days to respond to a lawsuit filed by her Homeowners Association.
Athias thought she was in the clear after she obtained permits from the city of Poinciana, but that's when the real headache began."
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One of her neighbors said, "We're actually paying people to harass us."
Thanks to Fred Pilot for paving the way to this link.
Athias thought she was in the clear after she obtained permits from the city of Poinciana, but that's when the real headache began."
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One of her neighbors said, "We're actually paying people to harass us."
Thanks to Fred Pilot for paving the way to this link.
How Derivatives Got Cities and Counties in Hot Water -- Seeking Alpha
How Derivatives Got Cities and Counties in Hot Water -- Seeking Alpha
This is an interesting blog post that has some informative links.
This is an interesting blog post that has some informative links.
Rasmussen Reports™: The Most Comprehensive Public Opinion Data Anywhere
Rasmussen Reports™: Americans favor capitalism...by a slight majority: "Only 53% of American adults believe capitalism is better than socialism.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better.
Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better."
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I think that libertarian utopia that is being urged on us by advocates of CIDs may be lacking in popular support.
The latest Rasmussen Reports national telephone survey found that 20% disagree and say socialism is better. Twenty-seven percent (27%) are not sure which is better.
Adults under 30 are essentially evenly divided: 37% prefer capitalism, 33% socialism, and 30% are undecided. Thirty-somethings are a bit more supportive of the free-enterprise approach with 49% for capitalism and 26% for socialism. Adults over 40 strongly favor capitalism, and just 13% of those older Americans believe socialism is better."
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I think that libertarian utopia that is being urged on us by advocates of CIDs may be lacking in popular support.
Wednesday, April 08, 2009
More States Look to Raise Taxes - WSJ.com
More States Look to Raise Taxes - WSJ.com: "A free fall in tax revenue is driving more state lawmakers to turn to broad-based tax increases in a bid to close widening budget gaps.
At least 10 states are considering some kind of major increase in sales or income taxes: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. California and New York lawmakers already have agreed on multibillion-dollar tax increases that went into effect earlier this year.
Fiscal experts say more states are likely to try to raise tax revenue in coming months, especially once they tally the latest shortfalls from April 15 income-tax filings, often the biggest single source of funds for the 43 states that levy them."
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Illinois is looking at a budget deficit for the coming year that is equal to over 16% of this year's budget. New York and New Jersey are at about 25% and California is even higher than that. So, if these states were just going to spend next year what they are spending this year, they'd be way short. And of course many costs will have gone up, such as health care, so the gap is even greater than that.
At least 10 states are considering some kind of major increase in sales or income taxes: Arizona, Connecticut, Delaware, Illinois, Massachusetts, Minnesota, New Jersey, Oregon, Washington and Wisconsin. California and New York lawmakers already have agreed on multibillion-dollar tax increases that went into effect earlier this year.
Fiscal experts say more states are likely to try to raise tax revenue in coming months, especially once they tally the latest shortfalls from April 15 income-tax filings, often the biggest single source of funds for the 43 states that levy them."
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Illinois is looking at a budget deficit for the coming year that is equal to over 16% of this year's budget. New York and New Jersey are at about 25% and California is even higher than that. So, if these states were just going to spend next year what they are spending this year, they'd be way short. And of course many costs will have gone up, such as health care, so the gap is even greater than that.
Banks aren't reselling many foreclosed homes
Banks aren't reselling many foreclosed homes: "'We believe there are in the neighborhood of 600,000 properties nationwide that banks have repossessed but not put on the market,' said Rick Sharga, vice president of RealtyTrac, which compiles nationwide statistics on foreclosures. 'California probably represents 80,000 of those homes. It could be disastrous if the banks suddenly flooded the market with those distressed properties. You'd have further depreciation and carnage.'"
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Well, that's just peachy, isn't it? I wonder if Mr. Banker has any more surprises for us. I'm not one of those torch and pitchfork types, but it would be nice if we could at least get the full measure of this debacle so we can see how much the tab will be.
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Well, that's just peachy, isn't it? I wonder if Mr. Banker has any more surprises for us. I'm not one of those torch and pitchfork types, but it would be nice if we could at least get the full measure of this debacle so we can see how much the tab will be.
Governor signs community association pay bill | www.chesterfieldobserver.com | Chesterfield Observer
Governor signs community association pay bill | www.chesterfieldobserver.com | Chesterfield Observer: "Gov. Tim Kaine last week signed a revision of the Property Owners' Association Act (POAA) that allows members of community associations to get salary information for the top six persons earning over $75,000...The Community Association Institute opposed releasing salary information, saying community associations are private, non-stock corporations, which are not like governments. Last year, Brandermill Community Association President Joel Bradner called the change "unnecessary," saying it could jeopardize the ability of community associations to recruit and retain employees and be "a breach of privacy" for their staffs."
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Thanks to Shu Bartholomew for this update. I'm glad to hear Gov. Kaine signed it. I find CAI's rationale for opposing the law unconvincing and a red herring. Whether CIDs are governments or not is beside the point. Owners paying such sums to property managers and other employees should know who is getting how much. This is, after all, their money. They shouldn't be treated like a bunch of sheep waiting patiently for the shears. And they can't even make intelligent decisions about board elections without knowing how their money is being spent.
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Thanks to Shu Bartholomew for this update. I'm glad to hear Gov. Kaine signed it. I find CAI's rationale for opposing the law unconvincing and a red herring. Whether CIDs are governments or not is beside the point. Owners paying such sums to property managers and other employees should know who is getting how much. This is, after all, their money. They shouldn't be treated like a bunch of sheep waiting patiently for the shears. And they can't even make intelligent decisions about board elections without knowing how their money is being spent.
Housing agencies faulted in audits to get $300M of stimulus - USATODAY.com: "WASHINGTON — The federal government will soon send more than $300 million in stimulus funds to 61 housing agencies that have been repeatedly faulted by auditors for mishandling government aid, a USA TODAY review has found.s
The money is part of a $4 billion effort to create jobs by fixing public housing projects that have fallen into disrepair. Recipients include housing authorities in 26 states that auditors have cited for problems ranging from poor bookkeeping to money that was spent improperly, according to the review of summaries the agencies must file with the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB)."
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Congress said the Obama administration could hold up the funds to "troubled" agencies, but they chose to let the money flow forth. Oh, and the Chicago Housing Authority is getting more dough than any other troubled agency: $144 million.
The money is part of a $4 billion effort to create jobs by fixing public housing projects that have fallen into disrepair. Recipients include housing authorities in 26 states that auditors have cited for problems ranging from poor bookkeeping to money that was spent improperly, according to the review of summaries the agencies must file with the federal Office of Management and Budget (OMB)."
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Congress said the Obama administration could hold up the funds to "troubled" agencies, but they chose to let the money flow forth. Oh, and the Chicago Housing Authority is getting more dough than any other troubled agency: $144 million.
Hawaii, suffering tourism drop, appeals to Obama - Los Angeles Times
Hawaii, suffering tourism drop, appeals to Obama - Los Angeles Times: "Hawaii has suffered one of the worst winters for tourism in recent years and has appealed to the state's most famous native son -- President Obama -- to help turn its fortunes around.
Hotel occupancy rates in the winter were the lowest in at least five years, and in February -- traditionally the state's busiest month -- the rate dropped to 75%. That was the lowest level since 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, when it fell to 69.7%, according to Smith Travel Research."
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No surprise here. Vegas is hurting, too. Fewer people have the money to spend on a vacation.
Hotel occupancy rates in the winter were the lowest in at least five years, and in February -- traditionally the state's busiest month -- the rate dropped to 75%. That was the lowest level since 1991, during the Persian Gulf War, when it fell to 69.7%, according to Smith Travel Research."
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No surprise here. Vegas is hurting, too. Fewer people have the money to spend on a vacation.
heraldsun.com: Eviction of Treyburn widow put on hold
heraldsun.com: Eviction of Treyburn widow put on hold: "DURHAM -- The 67-year-old cancer-stricken widow nearly tossed out of her home in a northern Durham subdivision has been saved from eviction again, at least until Monday."
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This link requires registration. Thanks to Mike Reardon for the link.
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This link requires registration. Thanks to Mike Reardon for the link.
Apartment rents fall in Southern California - Los Angeles Times
Apartment rents fall in Southern California - Los Angeles Times: "Apartment rents are falling across most of Southern California as unemployed tenants double up with friends or family and the affordability of foreclosed homes makes some renters into buyers, a new survey has found.
The average rent in Los Angeles County fell almost 4% in 2008 as apartment occupancy rates dropped and new units came online. The decline should continue this year as more renters lose their jobs, according to the annual USC Casden Forecast expected to be released by the university today."
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The average rent in Los Angeles County fell almost 4% in 2008 as apartment occupancy rates dropped and new units came online. The decline should continue this year as more renters lose their jobs, according to the annual USC Casden Forecast expected to be released by the university today."
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Chicago Public Radio Blog » Blago Photo: Is it real or photoshopped or a year old? Who cares, it’s funny. | News and Notes from WBEZ
Chicago Public Radio Blog » Blago Photo: Is it real or photoshopped or a year old? Who cares, it’s funny. | News and Notes from WBEZ
Check out this photo. Look closely at Blago's left arm.
Check out this photo. Look closely at Blago's left arm.
Small U.S. Towns Caught on Downside of Risky Bond Scheme - NYTimes.com
Small U.S. Towns Caught on Downside of Risky Bond Scheme - NYTimes.com: "Lewisburg is one of hundreds of small cities and counties across America reeling from their reliance in recent years on risky municipal bond derivatives that went bad. Municipalities that bought the derivatives were like homeowners with fixed-rate mortgages who refinanced by taking out lower-interest, variable-rate mortgages. But some local officials say they were not told, or did not understand, that interest rates could go much higher if economic conditions worsened — which, of course, they did."
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This relentless search for easy money by local governments is proving to be costly beyond anybody's expectations. You would think that after the Orange County, CA, bankruptcy in the early 1990s others would taken note, but apparently not. The insistence on building only in CIDs is another free lunch strategy that may be backfiring.
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This relentless search for easy money by local governments is proving to be costly beyond anybody's expectations. You would think that after the Orange County, CA, bankruptcy in the early 1990s others would taken note, but apparently not. The insistence on building only in CIDs is another free lunch strategy that may be backfiring.
Tuesday, April 07, 2009
Eight Forty-Eight - The Role of Privatization in Efficiency and Democracy
Eight Forty-Eight - The Role of Privatization in Efficiency and Democracy
Here is what I hope is a permalink to the audio of the NPR/WBEZ broadcast I was on this morning.
Here is what I hope is a permalink to the audio of the NPR/WBEZ broadcast I was on this morning.
Group digs up dirt on swing set -- chicagotribune.com
Group digs up dirt on swing set -- chicagotribune.com: "In the latest episode of Life Under the Microscope, the White House playground for Sasha, Malia and friends is stirring controversy. An environmental health group is contending that the playground's ground-up-tire mulch poses a health risk.
'This is not a material that children should be playing on,' wrote Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health Inc., which calls itself a 'non-profit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts ... dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms.'
The group said an analysis of ground-up tires done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found a carcinogen as well as chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes."
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I have never heard of this problem before, although I have noticed how hot these materials get. My kids have spent countless hours on public playgrounds made of ground up tires. It seems odd that a President of the US can follow the recommendations of the National Recreation and Park Association and then be told that he is responsible for building The Doomsday Playground.
'This is not a material that children should be playing on,' wrote Nancy Alderman, president of Environment and Human Health Inc., which calls itself a 'non-profit organization composed of doctors, public health professionals and policy experts ... dedicated to protecting human health from environmental harms.'
The group said an analysis of ground-up tires done by the Connecticut Agricultural Experiment Station found a carcinogen as well as chemicals that irritate the skin, eyes and mucous membranes."
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I have never heard of this problem before, although I have noticed how hot these materials get. My kids have spent countless hours on public playgrounds made of ground up tires. It seems odd that a President of the US can follow the recommendations of the National Recreation and Park Association and then be told that he is responsible for building The Doomsday Playground.
$1 million worth of fixtures vanish from foreclosed home
$1 million worth of fixtures vanish from foreclosed home: "ENCINITAS — After a high-profile foreclosure, the county's largest and possibly most luxurious bank-owned home is missing an estimated $1 million worth of fixtures, from antique doors to top-of-the-line toilets...The 16,000-square-foot Spanish hacienda-style house on 1.24 acres in rural east Encinitas cost $13 million to build and furnish. In February, it failed to sell at a bank foreclosure auction with a starting bid of $2.3 million. "
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I used to live in Encinitas. It is in northern San Diego County. This is a pretty bold burglary. Fred Pilot ran down this lead.
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I used to live in Encinitas. It is in northern San Diego County. This is a pretty bold burglary. Fred Pilot ran down this lead.
HOA seminar focuses on meaning of bankruptcy | west, invite, association - Surprise - YourWestValley.com
HOA seminar focuses on meaning of bankruptcy | west, invite, association - Surprise - YourWestValley.com: "Surprise and the West Valley Homeowners Association invite residents to attend the next HOA Connection seminar, where the discussion will be centered on 'Bankruptcy: What does it mean for your community?'"
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Coming to a community near you...
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Coming to a community near you...
The American Suburb Is Bouncing Back - Forbes.com
The American Suburb Is Bouncing Back - Forbes.com: "Nationwide, existing home sales--predominately in the suburbs--have been on the rise for the last few months. The strongest growth is occurring in Sunbelt markets in Arizona, Nevada and Florida, as well as in California. These places experienced some of the greatest surges in prices, which forced many buyers to turn to subprime and interest-only loans.
These loans are largely not available today, Guerrero notes. Instead of financial quackery, lower prices--sometimes as much as 50% below peak--are allowing new buyers to buy affordably. In 2007, Inland Empire median house prices were roughly seven to 10 times the average annual income of potential buyers. Now they are settling close to the historic norm of three times."
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As Kotkin points out, the academic anti-suburban types will lament this.
These loans are largely not available today, Guerrero notes. Instead of financial quackery, lower prices--sometimes as much as 50% below peak--are allowing new buyers to buy affordably. In 2007, Inland Empire median house prices were roughly seven to 10 times the average annual income of potential buyers. Now they are settling close to the historic norm of three times."
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As Kotkin points out, the academic anti-suburban types will lament this.
Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com
Communities print their own currency to keep cash flowing - USATODAY.com: "A small but growing number of cash-strapped communities are printing their own money.
Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.
The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.
Workers with dwindling wages are paying for groceries, yoga classes and fuel with Detroit Cheers, Ithaca Hours in New York, Plenty in North Carolina or BerkShares in Massachusetts"
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What would happen if local HOA does the same thing and sets up a currency exchange market where private and public "community currencies" co-exist?
Borrowing from a Depression-era idea, they are aiming to help consumers make ends meet and support struggling local businesses.
The systems generally work like this: Businesses and individuals form a network to print currency. Shoppers buy it at a discount — say, 95 cents for $1 value — and spend the full value at stores that accept the currency.
Workers with dwindling wages are paying for groceries, yoga classes and fuel with Detroit Cheers, Ithaca Hours in New York, Plenty in North Carolina or BerkShares in Massachusetts"
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What would happen if local HOA does the same thing and sets up a currency exchange market where private and public "community currencies" co-exist?
Mortgage delinquencies soar in the U.S. | Special Coverage | Reuters
Mortgage delinquencies soar in the U.S. | Special Coverage | Reuters: "More U.S. consumers are falling behind on their mortgages, an indication that the housing market has yet to hit bottom, a top credit bureau executive told Reuters.
Dann Adams, president of U.S. Information Systems for Equifax Inc, reported that 7 percent of homeowners with mortgages were at least 30 days late on their loans in February, an increase of more than 50 percent from a year earlier."
Dann Adams, president of U.S. Information Systems for Equifax Inc, reported that 7 percent of homeowners with mortgages were at least 30 days late on their loans in February, an increase of more than 50 percent from a year earlier."
Monday, April 06, 2009
US Banks 'Basically Insolvent': Soros - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com
US Banks 'Basically Insolvent': Soros - Economy * US * News * Story - CNBC.com: "The U.S. economy is in for a 'lasting slowdown' and could face a Japan-style period of relatively low growth coupled with high inflation, billionaire investor George Soros said on Monday.
Soros, speaking to Reuters Financial Television, also warned that rescuing U.S. banks could turn them into 'zombies' that draw the lifeblood of the economy, prolonging the economic slowdown."
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He probably wonders why he doesn't get invited to more parties.
Soros, speaking to Reuters Financial Television, also warned that rescuing U.S. banks could turn them into 'zombies' that draw the lifeblood of the economy, prolonging the economic slowdown."
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He probably wonders why he doesn't get invited to more parties.
YouTube - Barack Obama thinks Austrian is a language
"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian -- wheeling and dealing."
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Now imagine that George Bush or Sarah Palin had said that. I don't think you'd have to search for it on YouTube because it would be on the front page of the Washington Post and the New York Times.
"It was also interesting to see that political interaction in Europe is not that different from the United States Senate. There's a lot of -- I don't know what the term is in Austrian -- wheeling and dealing."
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Now imagine that George Bush or Sarah Palin had said that. I don't think you'd have to search for it on YouTube because it would be on the front page of the Washington Post and the New York Times.
Ft. Lauderdale Condo Complex Abandoned After Foreclosures Hit - cbs4.com
Ft. Lauderdale Condo Complex Abandoned After Foreclosures Hit - cbs4.com: "FORT LAUDERDALE (CBS4) When CBS4 News cameras first toured the property at the New River condos in Ft. Lauderdale back in November, we saw months' worth of garbage piled up and residents furious about living in filth.
When CBS4 Reporter Carey Codd went back in early April, the garbage bags were gone. And so were the residents.
New River Condos, located at 510 N. 24th Avenue, appears to have fallen victim to the foreclosure crisis. The complex, which has more than 50 units, is a haven for the homeless and a burden to the people who still own units there."
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This isn't the first condo complex to be abandoned, and it won't be the last. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
When CBS4 Reporter Carey Codd went back in early April, the garbage bags were gone. And so were the residents.
New River Condos, located at 510 N. 24th Avenue, appears to have fallen victim to the foreclosure crisis. The complex, which has more than 50 units, is a haven for the homeless and a burden to the people who still own units there."
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This isn't the first condo complex to be abandoned, and it won't be the last. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Eight Forty-Eight 4/6/2009
Eight Forty-Eight 4/6/2009
I will be on 848, on WBEZ, which is Chicago's NPR affilate, tomorrow morning at 9:00 am (that is Tuesday). The topic is...privatization! Chicago style, that is. That includes selling off the parking meters, the Chicago Skyway (which is really a toll road), and Midway Aiport.
I will be on 848, on WBEZ, which is Chicago's NPR affilate, tomorrow morning at 9:00 am (that is Tuesday). The topic is...privatization! Chicago style, that is. That includes selling off the parking meters, the Chicago Skyway (which is really a toll road), and Midway Aiport.
CaliforniaCityNews.org: gadfly hall of fame
CaliforniaCityNews.org: gadfly hall of fame
Here is the corrected link to the local government Gadfly Hall of Fame, sent to us by Fred Pilot, who is not a gadfly.
Here is the corrected link to the local government Gadfly Hall of Fame, sent to us by Fred Pilot, who is not a gadfly.
Indianapolis Mayor Robbed In Detroit - Breaking News: The Post Chronicle
Indianapolis Mayor Robbed In Detroit - Breaking News: The Post Chronicle: "Indianapolis Mayor Greg Ballard was robbed while visiting Detroit, losing his cell phone in the incident, his communications director says."
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The Motor City is distinguishing itself in so many ways. You can buy a house for a hundred dollars, and even visiting mayors get robbed.
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The Motor City is distinguishing itself in so many ways. You can buy a house for a hundred dollars, and even visiting mayors get robbed.
YouTube videos unflattering to Doral mayor - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com
YouTube videos unflattering to Doral mayor - South Florida - MiamiHerald.com: "Three videos have popped up on YouTube that point to turbulent times at Doral City Hall.
Posted by CrazyPoliticians on March 23, the videos show Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez in action. The recordings from three council meetings -- one from last month and two from 2007 -- have picked up nearly 1,000 combined views."
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I wonder if there is a web site for posting viral videos of crazy HOA/condo directors.
Posted by CrazyPoliticians on March 23, the videos show Doral Mayor Juan Carlos Bermudez in action. The recordings from three council meetings -- one from last month and two from 2007 -- have picked up nearly 1,000 combined views."
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I wonder if there is a web site for posting viral videos of crazy HOA/condo directors.
The Purple Center: Outside authorities should review the slow police response in Binghamton mass killings
The Purple Center: Outside authorities should review the slow police response in Binghamton mass killings
Here is a blog post on the issue.
I really don't blame the police, because situations like this underscore the problems with over-reliance on the police for public safety.
It seems that when a mass murder takes place in a building, the police always treat it as a hostage situation, where the procedure is to surround the building and set up communication with the hostage-taker, then proceed cautiously to enter the building as safely as possible. All that makes perfect sense--if you are dealing with a hostage-taker.
But mass murderers aren't usually interested in hostages. They just want to kill as many people as possible before the police kill them. It seems that sometimes they get tired of waiting for the police to enter the building, so they kill themselves. This maniac in Binghamton was wearing body armor, so I assume he wanted a shootout with police. The police remained outside, so he killed himself.
Result: 14 dead civilians, 25 wounded civilians, one dead mass murderer, and zero police casualties.
The hostage situation response doesn't save civilian lives if the murderer's objective is mass murder and suicide. The only kind of police response that might make a difference in a Binghamton-type situation is the John Wayne type, where the first patrol officers on the scene crash through the door as fast as they can and try to kill the murderer before he kills them or anybody else.
That would help only if they get there while the murderer is still killing people. Often it is already over within a few minutes. And that is really too much to ask of patrol officers, isn't it? They aren't equipped for it, they aren't trained for it, they don't know what is going on inside, and they could be walking into a trap with explosives or an ambush.
That's why the only really effective response would come from armed citizens who are capable of defending themselves.
Here is a blog post on the issue.
I really don't blame the police, because situations like this underscore the problems with over-reliance on the police for public safety.
It seems that when a mass murder takes place in a building, the police always treat it as a hostage situation, where the procedure is to surround the building and set up communication with the hostage-taker, then proceed cautiously to enter the building as safely as possible. All that makes perfect sense--if you are dealing with a hostage-taker.
But mass murderers aren't usually interested in hostages. They just want to kill as many people as possible before the police kill them. It seems that sometimes they get tired of waiting for the police to enter the building, so they kill themselves. This maniac in Binghamton was wearing body armor, so I assume he wanted a shootout with police. The police remained outside, so he killed himself.
Result: 14 dead civilians, 25 wounded civilians, one dead mass murderer, and zero police casualties.
The hostage situation response doesn't save civilian lives if the murderer's objective is mass murder and suicide. The only kind of police response that might make a difference in a Binghamton-type situation is the John Wayne type, where the first patrol officers on the scene crash through the door as fast as they can and try to kill the murderer before he kills them or anybody else.
That would help only if they get there while the murderer is still killing people. Often it is already over within a few minutes. And that is really too much to ask of patrol officers, isn't it? They aren't equipped for it, they aren't trained for it, they don't know what is going on inside, and they could be walking into a trap with explosives or an ambush.
That's why the only really effective response would come from armed citizens who are capable of defending themselves.
As condo owners default, neighbors left holding bag | Portland Press Herald
As condo owners default, neighbors left holding bag | Portland Press Herald: "'A quarter of our income has been withdrawn, and it has been now for a long time,' said David Pitt, one of the owners and president of the Rosemont Condominium Association.
Associations rely on those fees to pay insurance and to maintain and repair common property. But under current law, they're hard-pressed to recover that money when an owner stops paying. The remaining owners in the association must pick up the tab.
Associations around the state increasingly are facing that burden as the recession, falling property values and a wave of troubled mortgages generate drawn-out foreclosure procedures.
Now, condo association officials are seeking some relief. They're asking for a change in the law governing condominium rules to allow them to recover some of that lost money from lenders, after the owners bail."
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Portland, Maine. Not a whole lot of condos in Maine, but about half of them are in the Portland area.
Associations rely on those fees to pay insurance and to maintain and repair common property. But under current law, they're hard-pressed to recover that money when an owner stops paying. The remaining owners in the association must pick up the tab.
Associations around the state increasingly are facing that burden as the recession, falling property values and a wave of troubled mortgages generate drawn-out foreclosure procedures.
Now, condo association officials are seeking some relief. They're asking for a change in the law governing condominium rules to allow them to recover some of that lost money from lenders, after the owners bail."
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Portland, Maine. Not a whole lot of condos in Maine, but about half of them are in the Portland area.
Homeowners’ Hard Times Are Good for the Foreclosure Business - NYTimes.com
Homeowners’ Hard Times Are Good for the Foreclosure Business - NYTimes.com: "Welcome to the spring 2009 Reomac conference, which has attracted nearly 3,000 real estate agents and property managers to this lush desert resort. The crowd brimmed with a gusto that is hard to find in this recessionary era. The hotel bar did more business on Saturday night than it did on New Year’s Eve. Small wonder: These are the people cashing in on the boom in foreclosed properties.
R.E.O. is industry lingo for “Real Estate Owned,” the term that bankers assign to homes they have taken in a foreclosure. Reomac is the industry group that serves the mortgage default trade, specializing in selling the busted-up American dream.
“Things are going tremendously,” said Darren Johnson, an R.E.O. agent from the Detroit area, who has handled about 180 bank property sales in the last year. “It has never been this good.”"
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There are supposedly 700,000 REO properties for sale now. In all of 2006 there were 100,000.
R.E.O. is industry lingo for “Real Estate Owned,” the term that bankers assign to homes they have taken in a foreclosure. Reomac is the industry group that serves the mortgage default trade, specializing in selling the busted-up American dream.
“Things are going tremendously,” said Darren Johnson, an R.E.O. agent from the Detroit area, who has handled about 180 bank property sales in the last year. “It has never been this good.”"
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There are supposedly 700,000 REO properties for sale now. In all of 2006 there were 100,000.
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned'
BBC NEWS | Middle East | Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned': "Some 200 mosques in Islam's holiest city, Mecca, point the wrong way for prayers, reports from Saudi Arabia say.
All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque. But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba.
Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers.
There have been suggestions that laser beams could be used to make an exact measurement."
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This may explain the outcomes of all those wars with Israel.
All mosques have a niche showing the direction of the most sacred Islamic site, the Kaaba, an ancient cube-like building in Mecca's Grand Mosque. But people looking down from recently built high-rises in Mecca found the niches in many older mosques were not pointing directly towards the Kaaba.
Some worshippers are said to be anxious about the validity of their prayers.
There have been suggestions that laser beams could be used to make an exact measurement."
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This may explain the outcomes of all those wars with Israel.
My Way News - Binghamton officials defend response to massacre
My Way News - Binghamton officials defend response to massacre: "BINGHAMTON, N.Y. (AP) - Even if police officers had immediately entered the immigrant center where a gunman had just shot down 13 people, the victims' injuries were so severe that none would have survived, a county prosecutor said Sunday.
But police didn't enter the American Civic Association until nearly 45 minutes after the first 911 calls came in at 10:30 a.m. Friday. They began removing the wounded about 15 minutes after that.
It took more than two hours to clear the building. Survivors reported huddling for hours in a basement, not knowing whether they were still in danger after the gunman, 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, killed 13 people."
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But the police didn't know the extent of people's injuries, as they milled around the building for 45 minutes. The bottom line, unfortunately, is that the only defense against massacres by lunatics is armed citizens. In these situations, we cannot count on the police to do anything more significant than picking up the bodies. In nearly all cases, it seems that these mass murderers are done with their work, and often have taken their own lives, before the police even have time to respond, much less take up positions and coordinate a building entry.
But police didn't enter the American Civic Association until nearly 45 minutes after the first 911 calls came in at 10:30 a.m. Friday. They began removing the wounded about 15 minutes after that.
It took more than two hours to clear the building. Survivors reported huddling for hours in a basement, not knowing whether they were still in danger after the gunman, 41-year-old Jiverly Wong, killed 13 people."
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But the police didn't know the extent of people's injuries, as they milled around the building for 45 minutes. The bottom line, unfortunately, is that the only defense against massacres by lunatics is armed citizens. In these situations, we cannot count on the police to do anything more significant than picking up the bodies. In nearly all cases, it seems that these mass murderers are done with their work, and often have taken their own lives, before the police even have time to respond, much less take up positions and coordinate a building entry.
Sunday, April 05, 2009
Quinn signs foreclosure grace period bill - Chicago Breaking News
Quinn signs foreclosure grace period bill - Chicago Breaking News: "Illinois Gov. Pat Quinn has signed legislation that gives delinquent homeowners facing foreclosure a grace period of up to 90 days. The bill gives people extra time to work with lenders. It was passed by the state legislature in January and Quinn signed it early Sunday afternoon at a church on Chicago's southwest side. The legislation prohibits lenders from beginning foreclosure proceedings within the first 30 days that a homeowner is delinquent. After that, lenders have to tell homeowners that they have another 30 days to seek credit counseling before legal action could begin. People who get housing counseling approved by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development have an additional 30 days to develop a plan with their lenders."
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And if they say "Candyman" three times while looking in a mirror, they get another 30 days. Or else a monster chases them down the street. I forget which.
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And if they say "Candyman" three times while looking in a mirror, they get another 30 days. Or else a monster chases them down the street. I forget which.
Washington Times - EDITORIAL: The traffic-camera scam
Washington Times - EDITORIAL: The traffic-camera scam: "Arlington, Falls Church, Fairfax and Virginia Beach are preparing to stimulate public spending with new red-light camera programs. This is part of a push to fill government budget shortfalls by ramping up tickets for moving violations."
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Aren't these CID-heavy communities?
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Aren't these CID-heavy communities?
Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address
Get Your Walk Score - A Walkability Score For Any Address
This web site ranks neighborhoods in terms of how "walkable" they are.
This web site ranks neighborhoods in terms of how "walkable" they are.
Ohio.com - Judge orders animal removal
Ohio.com - Judge orders animal removal: "Common Pleas Judge Judy Hunter issued a permanent injunction against Pearson and his ex-wife, Barbara Pearson-Brown, on Friday for keeping animals in unsanitary conditions. They are permanently barred from keeping exotic animals.
The two were also found in contempt of court and each was fined $150.
Hunter's 10-page order allows the Summit County Health Department and Copley Township to remove six horses, three goats, four pigs, three pot-bellied pigs, 20 ducks, one calf, five guinea fowl, seven chickens and pigeons from the Columbus Avenue property."
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I guess the judge let them keep the partridge in a pear tree.
The two were also found in contempt of court and each was fined $150.
Hunter's 10-page order allows the Summit County Health Department and Copley Township to remove six horses, three goats, four pigs, three pot-bellied pigs, 20 ducks, one calf, five guinea fowl, seven chickens and pigeons from the Columbus Avenue property."
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I guess the judge let them keep the partridge in a pear tree.
Thursday, April 02, 2009
Croatian Village Comes to Collin County | NBC Dallas-Fort Worth: "Adriatica is a new community designed to have the look and feel of a Croatian village by the sea. 'It has character. Its personality is different than other's, almost like cookie cutter houses,' said Croatian native Vesna Solano. Homes vary from mansions to flats and businesses are within walking distance. Adriatica has a bell tower that is an exact replica of the one in Supetar,Croatia. The developer even preserved parts of Croatian buildings nearly destroyed in the war. 'Everything is real. All the stone is really carved, all the buildings are really stone, there's no fake material in the whole project,' said developer Jeff Blackard."
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To really bring the feel of Croatia to North Texas, a sniper hidden in that bell tower would add just that little frisson of reality, don't you think?
Marketplace: Home selling moves to a new stage
Marketplace: Home selling moves to a new stage: "These days, savvy realtors sometimes 'stage' whole neighborhoods, mowing lawns on abandoned properties, hiring dog walkers to stroll the streets. And when the financial stakes are high enough, employing professional actors to give the place a truly 'lived-in' feel. I get to see this played out the following weekend."
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I guess hiring actors is an effective way to convince people that there is really some community in those community association-run developments. This is an extension of the advertising literature, where they show actors posing as happy soccer moms pushing the kids on the swings. But the whole thing is creepy. Too Stepford-Wifeish for me.
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I guess hiring actors is an effective way to convince people that there is really some community in those community association-run developments. This is an extension of the advertising literature, where they show actors posing as happy soccer moms pushing the kids on the swings. But the whole thing is creepy. Too Stepford-Wifeish for me.
To urban hunter, next meal is scampering by | detnews.com | The Detroit News: "Detroit - When selecting the best raccoon carcass for the special holiday roast, both the connoisseur and the curious should remember this simple guideline: Look for the paw.
'The paw is old school,' says Glemie Dean Beasley, a Detroit raccoon hunter and meat salesman. 'It lets the customers know it's not a cat or dog.'
Beasley, a 69-year-old retired truck driver who modestly refers to himself as the Coon Man, supplements his Social Security check with the sale of raccoon carcasses that go for as much $12 and can serve up to four. The pelts, too, are good for coats and hats and fetch up to $10 a hide..."This city is going back to the wild," he says. "That's bad for people but that's good for me. I can catch wild rabbit and pheasant and coon in my backyard."
Detroit was once home to nearly 2 million people but has shrunk to a population of perhaps less than 900,000. It is estimated that a city the size of San Francisco could fit neatly within its empty lots. As nature abhors a vacuum, wildlife has moved in.
A beaver was spotted recently in the Detroit River. Wild fox skulk the 15th hole at the Palmer Park golf course. There is bald eagle, hawk and falcon that roam the city skies. Wild Turkeys roam the grasses. A coyote was snared two years ago roaming the Federal Court House downtown. And Beasley keeps a gaze of skinned coon in the freezer. "
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The article says that if you cook the meat thoroughly, there is "small chance of contracting rabies from the meat." That's encouraging.
'The paw is old school,' says Glemie Dean Beasley, a Detroit raccoon hunter and meat salesman. 'It lets the customers know it's not a cat or dog.'
Beasley, a 69-year-old retired truck driver who modestly refers to himself as the Coon Man, supplements his Social Security check with the sale of raccoon carcasses that go for as much $12 and can serve up to four. The pelts, too, are good for coats and hats and fetch up to $10 a hide..."This city is going back to the wild," he says. "That's bad for people but that's good for me. I can catch wild rabbit and pheasant and coon in my backyard."
Detroit was once home to nearly 2 million people but has shrunk to a population of perhaps less than 900,000. It is estimated that a city the size of San Francisco could fit neatly within its empty lots. As nature abhors a vacuum, wildlife has moved in.
A beaver was spotted recently in the Detroit River. Wild fox skulk the 15th hole at the Palmer Park golf course. There is bald eagle, hawk and falcon that roam the city skies. Wild Turkeys roam the grasses. A coyote was snared two years ago roaming the Federal Court House downtown. And Beasley keeps a gaze of skinned coon in the freezer. "
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The article says that if you cook the meat thoroughly, there is "small chance of contracting rabies from the meat." That's encouraging.
Too Costly to Keep, Boats Become Castaways - NYTimes.com
Too Costly to Keep, Boats Become Castaways - NYTimes.com: "They often sandpaper over the names and file off the registry numbers, doing their best to render the boats, and themselves, untraceable. Then they casually ditch the vessels in the middle of busy harbors, beach them at low tide on the banks of creeks or occasionally scuttle them outright.
The bad economy is creating a flotilla of forsaken boats. While there is no national census of abandoned boats, officials in coastal states are worried the problem will only grow worse as unemployment and financial stress continue to rise. Several states are even drafting laws against derelicts and say they are aggressively starting to pursue delinquent owners."
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First, ditch the condo. Then ditch the boat. What's next? Make the kids work as street performers?
The bad economy is creating a flotilla of forsaken boats. While there is no national census of abandoned boats, officials in coastal states are worried the problem will only grow worse as unemployment and financial stress continue to rise. Several states are even drafting laws against derelicts and say they are aggressively starting to pursue delinquent owners."
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First, ditch the condo. Then ditch the boat. What's next? Make the kids work as street performers?
Wednesday, April 01, 2009
Pro-pest group opposes Charlotte's war on cankerworms | CharlotteObserver.com: "As crop dusters swooped across Charlotte last year to coat the Queen City with cankerworm-killing spray, a young woman raised her head to the skies and whispered: Why?
Yes, the insects have been blamed for devouring the canopy and bedeviling neighborhoods as they rain down from the trees. But the way April Hatcher looks at it, our infamous insects are part of nature and must be preserved.
So she formed a local chapter of Join Our Kindly Ecosystem, which is dedicated to saving insects under attack by man."
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The photo shows treed defoliated by cankerworms. I don't know about you, but I am shedding a tear for the noble cankerworm. I like the part where April and her friends will rescue the cankerworms as they slide down out of trees on their slime trails, catching them in "special leaf-lined, recycled cardboard containers," and transport them to some more tolerant community.
Where they can get eaten by a bluebird.
What Does One Get a Queen? - Political Punch
What Does One Get a Queen? - Political Punch: "President and First Lady Obama gave Her Royal Highness Queen Elizabeth II a video iPod with inscription, songs uploaded and accessories, plus a rare musical songbook signed by Richard Rodgers."
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So he gave the Prime Minister some DVDs that won't work on European players, and he gave the Queen an IPod that was packed with Obama speeches. How charming. I'm surprised he didn't put Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols on there. "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK" would have had her moshing in Buckminster Abbey for certain.
This Obama sure has the sophistication Bush lacked, doesn't he? Perhaps he can stop by Walmart and pick up a Wii for Nicolas Sarkozy.
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So he gave the Prime Minister some DVDs that won't work on European players, and he gave the Queen an IPod that was packed with Obama speeches. How charming. I'm surprised he didn't put Johnny Rotten and the Sex Pistols on there. "God Save the Queen" and "Anarchy in the UK" would have had her moshing in Buckminster Abbey for certain.
This Obama sure has the sophistication Bush lacked, doesn't he? Perhaps he can stop by Walmart and pick up a Wii for Nicolas Sarkozy.
Proposed water rate hike blocked | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California
Proposed water rate hike blocked | Inland News | PE.com | Southern California News | News for Inland Southern California: "City officials say the goal of the proposed rate increase was to bring the rates of the 1,266 households serviced by McCanna in line with what other water users in Perris pay.
A group of homeowners from the Villages of Avalon, the designer home tract that contains most of the impacted households, said the rate increase was too much.
'Not only would this affect individual homeowners in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosures, this would be adding an extra $200,000 to the homeowner association's budget,' said Marnie Aislin-Kay, who heads the association."
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When municipalities are after money, they have the power to sock it to the HOAs. But the reverse isn't true, is it?
A group of homeowners from the Villages of Avalon, the designer home tract that contains most of the impacted households, said the rate increase was too much.
'Not only would this affect individual homeowners in a neighborhood hit hard by foreclosures, this would be adding an extra $200,000 to the homeowner association's budget,' said Marnie Aislin-Kay, who heads the association."
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When municipalities are after money, they have the power to sock it to the HOAs. But the reverse isn't true, is it?
Four Resign From Live Oak Preserve CDD Boards
Four Resign From Live Oak Preserve CDD Boards: "LIVE OAK PRESERVE - Days after an announcement by parent company TOUSA to wind down production, Engle Homes, the developer of Live Oak Preserve, is relinquishing some of its authority at the development. Engle Homes Vice President Rick Feather said all Engle employees who serve on the Live Oak I, Live Oak II and The Hammocks' community development district boards are stepping down immediately. 'We resigned under the advice of counsel,' Feather said. Feather served as a board supervisor on all of the three developer-controlled CDDs. Engle employees Lauren Arcaro, Dennis DeMott and Michael Mulvihill were members of the Live Oak II and The Hammocks boards. The taxing authorities are in charge of setting the budgets and overseeing management of the common areas throughout the community."
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If I read this article correctly, TOUSA is going out of business, as in "...wrapping up construction projects, selling off its inventory of homes and not planning to build any new ones."
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If I read this article correctly, TOUSA is going out of business, as in "...wrapping up construction projects, selling off its inventory of homes and not planning to build any new ones."
Construction-defects bill before Colorado Senate panel - Denver Business Journal:
Construction-defects bill before Colorado Senate panel - Denver Business Journal:: "Senate Bill 246, sponsored by Sen. John Morse, D-Colorado Springs, is intended to encourage contractors to correct defective construction and gives homeowners bigger settlements when the problems aren’t addressed.
Under current law, homeowners are entitled to claims dating back to the closing of the house — even if defects are not known to the homeowner at that point.
SB 246 establishes a 6 percent interest on the claims that accrue on a defect from the time of closing and 8 percent that accrues on the defect once there has been notification and the legal process begins."
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The contractors are not amused.
Under current law, homeowners are entitled to claims dating back to the closing of the house — even if defects are not known to the homeowner at that point.
SB 246 establishes a 6 percent interest on the claims that accrue on a defect from the time of closing and 8 percent that accrues on the defect once there has been notification and the legal process begins."
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The contractors are not amused.
It's time again to answer your condo questions -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com
It's time again to answer your condo questions -- South Florida Sun-Sentinel.com: "Q: A new state law requires candidates for a condo board to submit a signed form stating they have read and understand state laws and governing documents. What are the consequences if this form is not submitted?
A: The Condominium Act, §718.112(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2008), does not state consequences; however, from the statute's context it would appear that a candidate who fails to provide a form will not have his or her name printed on a ballot."
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Generally the point of a form that requires people to say they have read and understood something is to prevent them from claiming later that they didn't read or understand it, and shouldn't be accountable for violating its terms.
Now, in this case perhaps it is a substitute for training condo residents and board members. The candidates are required to say "I read and understood all that stuff" and presto, no need for the state to do anything more. The problem of ignorance has been eradicated. Our job here is finished.
What do you Florida folks have to say? Am I right or am I wrong?
And what is with those butterfly ballots, anyway?
A: The Condominium Act, §718.112(2)(d), Fla. Stat. (2008), does not state consequences; however, from the statute's context it would appear that a candidate who fails to provide a form will not have his or her name printed on a ballot."
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Generally the point of a form that requires people to say they have read and understood something is to prevent them from claiming later that they didn't read or understand it, and shouldn't be accountable for violating its terms.
Now, in this case perhaps it is a substitute for training condo residents and board members. The candidates are required to say "I read and understood all that stuff" and presto, no need for the state to do anything more. The problem of ignorance has been eradicated. Our job here is finished.
What do you Florida folks have to say? Am I right or am I wrong?
And what is with those butterfly ballots, anyway?
Failure to Sell San Quentin Reflects Deeper Problem | Fox & Hounds Daily
Failure to Sell San Quentin Reflects Deeper Problem | Fox & Hounds Daily: "The fact that a bill by state Senator Jeff Denham to sell San Quentin failed to move forward from the Senate Committee on Public Safety yesterday indicates a deeper problem than the state managing this one piece of property.
Over the years, the state has acquired property as if it were a real estate magnate building an empire. California should not be in the real estate business. It should just hold property related to its essential functions and manage that property wisely.
While a prison is an essential state function, San Quentin is an example of poor management of resources."
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Good point. Why is a piece of real estate with a spectacular ocean view being used as a state prison in the first place? Fred Pilot found this followup story.
Over the years, the state has acquired property as if it were a real estate magnate building an empire. California should not be in the real estate business. It should just hold property related to its essential functions and manage that property wisely.
While a prison is an essential state function, San Quentin is an example of poor management of resources."
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Good point. Why is a piece of real estate with a spectacular ocean view being used as a state prison in the first place? Fred Pilot found this followup story.
Justice Dept. Seeks To Void Stevens' Conviction : NPR: "The Justice Department on Wednesday asked a federal judge to drop all charges against former Sen. Ted Stevens of Alaska.
A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. However, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial."
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It was the Bush justice department that did this. They went after Stevens, cheated to get a conviction that occurred eight days before the election (they withheld from the defense notes of an interview with a key prosecution witness that would have allowed the defense attorneys to undermine his credibility on important issues), and then Stevens narrowly lost his Senate seat to a Democrat. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history.
Here is what Stevens' attorneys had to say:
Stevens' attorneys claimed the government "disregarded the Constitution" by going through with the prosecution but praised both Holder, the new prosecutorial team and Judge Emmett G. Sullivan for demonstrating integrity in the case.
"The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and created false evidence that they provided to the defense," said attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. and Robert M. Cary.
The Iraq war and the meltdown of the economy overshadow the incompetence and venality of the Bush administration in running the Justice Department. Bush actually nominated Harriet Miers for the United States Supreme Court. That tells you all you need to know about his respect for law.
Eric Holder wouldn't have been my choice for AG, but at least he has some common sense and realizes that the Stevens conviction would undoubtedly be reversed on appeal anyway. And now that Stevens is gone and the Democrats have snagged a Senate seat in a Republican state for six years, there is no political fallout for Holder's party in letting the case die.
It is a strange thing to hear Republicans still defending Bush, considering that he destroyed his own party. Talk about blind loyalty.
A jury convicted Stevens last fall of seven counts of lying on his Senate disclosure form in order to conceal $250,000 in gifts from an oil industry executive and other friends. Stevens was the longest-serving Republican in the Senate. However, he lost his bid for an eighth full term in office just days after he was convicted. Since then, charges of prosecutorial misconduct have delayed his sentencing and prompted defense motions for a new trial."
---------------
It was the Bush justice department that did this. They went after Stevens, cheated to get a conviction that occurred eight days before the election (they withheld from the defense notes of an interview with a key prosecution witness that would have allowed the defense attorneys to undermine his credibility on important issues), and then Stevens narrowly lost his Senate seat to a Democrat. He was the longest-serving Republican Senator in history.
Here is what Stevens' attorneys had to say:
Stevens' attorneys claimed the government "disregarded the Constitution" by going through with the prosecution but praised both Holder, the new prosecutorial team and Judge Emmett G. Sullivan for demonstrating integrity in the case.
"The misconduct of government prosecutors, and one or more FBI agents, was stunning. Not only did the government fail to disclose evidence of innocence, but instead intentionally hid that evidence and created false evidence that they provided to the defense," said attorneys Brendan V. Sullivan Jr. and Robert M. Cary.
The Iraq war and the meltdown of the economy overshadow the incompetence and venality of the Bush administration in running the Justice Department. Bush actually nominated Harriet Miers for the United States Supreme Court. That tells you all you need to know about his respect for law.
Eric Holder wouldn't have been my choice for AG, but at least he has some common sense and realizes that the Stevens conviction would undoubtedly be reversed on appeal anyway. And now that Stevens is gone and the Democrats have snagged a Senate seat in a Republican state for six years, there is no political fallout for Holder's party in letting the case die.
It is a strange thing to hear Republicans still defending Bush, considering that he destroyed his own party. Talk about blind loyalty.
TechEBlog » Artist Recreates City of Kings with Matchsticks
Now, that's what I call a gated community.
Neighbour from hell 'blew up own home' minutes before eviction | Mail Online
Neighbour from hell 'blew up own home' minutes before eviction | Mail Online: "A 'neighbour from hell' is thought to have committed suicide by blowing up his home minutes before he was due to be evicted.
Wheelchair user Donald Joyce, 58, had been ordered to leave his two-bedroom bungalow after a campaign of harassment against neighbours during which he blocked access to their homes, filmed them through windows, and shouted abuse.
Bailiffs were due to remove him at 10.30am yesterday but at 9.45 a series of explosions blew apart the building in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, and it burned to the ground."
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I take it alternative dispute resolution efforts must have broken down.
Wheelchair user Donald Joyce, 58, had been ordered to leave his two-bedroom bungalow after a campaign of harassment against neighbours during which he blocked access to their homes, filmed them through windows, and shouted abuse.
Bailiffs were due to remove him at 10.30am yesterday but at 9.45 a series of explosions blew apart the building in Cherry Hinton, Cambridge, and it burned to the ground."
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I take it alternative dispute resolution efforts must have broken down.
California lawmaker proposes selling San Quentin prison - CNN.com
California lawmaker proposes selling San Quentin prison - CNN.com: "State Sen. Jeff Denham is proposing selling the 432-acre prison, which offers a breathtaking view of San Francisco Bay, to garner money for California.
'Our inmates just don't need an ocean view. Let's level it off,' said Denham, a Republican.
'Let's rebuild something for the community there and reap the benefit for the state by having that money come in,' he added.
Denham estimates that the property could sell for as much as $2 billion, even amid a down market."
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I could see a developer making it into a different kind of gated community.
'Our inmates just don't need an ocean view. Let's level it off,' said Denham, a Republican.
'Let's rebuild something for the community there and reap the benefit for the state by having that money come in,' he added.
Denham estimates that the property could sell for as much as $2 billion, even amid a down market."
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I could see a developer making it into a different kind of gated community.
Tuesday, March 31, 2009
Spokane residents smuggle suds over green brands: "SPOKANE, Wash. – The quest for squeaky-clean dishes has turned some law-abiding people in Spokane into dishwater-detergent smugglers. They are bringing Cascade or Electrasol in from out of state because the eco-friendly varieties required under Washington state law don't work as well. Spokane County became the launch pad last July for the nation's strictest ban on dishwasher detergent made with phosphates, a measure aimed at reducing water pollution. The ban will be expanded statewide in July 2010, the same time similar laws take effect in several other states."
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This is just the beginning. Soon the government will require us to take the laundry out to a stream and pound it with rocks.
Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell by a Record 19% (Update2) - Bloomberg.com
Home Prices in 20 U.S. Cities Fell by a Record 19% (Update2) - Bloomberg.com: "March 31 (Bloomberg) -- Home prices in 20 U.S. cities fell 19 percent in January from a year earlier, the fastest drop on record, as demand plummeted and foreclosures rose.
The S&P/Case-Shiller index’s decrease was more than forecast and compares with an 18.6 percent decrease in December. The gauge has fallen every month since January 2007, and year- over-year records began in 2001.
A glut of unsold properties may keep prices low, shrinking household wealth and damping spending. Still, sales of new and previously owned homes rose in February, indicating the housing slump, now in its fourth year, may ease as policy efforts to unclog credit and aid borrowers begin to take hold."
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Prices down, sales up. Eventually prices start going back up, driven by the demand. At least, that's the theory. But we need to see an end to the foreclosure epidemic first, because the banks are unloading their foreclosed properties and that keeps overall prices suppressed.
The S&P/Case-Shiller index’s decrease was more than forecast and compares with an 18.6 percent decrease in December. The gauge has fallen every month since January 2007, and year- over-year records began in 2001.
A glut of unsold properties may keep prices low, shrinking household wealth and damping spending. Still, sales of new and previously owned homes rose in February, indicating the housing slump, now in its fourth year, may ease as policy efforts to unclog credit and aid borrowers begin to take hold."
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Prices down, sales up. Eventually prices start going back up, driven by the demand. At least, that's the theory. But we need to see an end to the foreclosure epidemic first, because the banks are unloading their foreclosed properties and that keeps overall prices suppressed.
Monday, March 30, 2009
Tax Day Tea Party FREE sign artwork supplies national shirts slogan buttons
Some of these are pretty clever.
Homeless in Lancaster get free tickets to go away - Los Angeles Times
Homeless in Lancaster get free tickets to go away - Los Angeles Times: "Nonprofit pays for people to bus to places where they have family or other support systems. Mayor R. Rex Parris says Lancaster has become a 'dumping ground' for other cities' homeless...Parris is a strong advocate of the bus program, even contributing $10,000 of his own money. He said he is upset by what he believes is an unspoken policy by Los Angeles agencies and others to use his city as a "dumping ground" for the homeless.
"
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Support systems? Must be a support system they didn't know they had, until the city of Lancaster handed them a bus ticket. It sounds like these folks are being shipped from pillar to post like so much freight. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this depression-era link.
"
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Support systems? Must be a support system they didn't know they had, until the city of Lancaster handed them a bus ticket. It sounds like these folks are being shipped from pillar to post like so much freight. Thanks to Fred Pilot for this depression-era link.
Obama team drops war on terror rhetoric | Politics | Reuters: "THE HAGUE (Reuters) - U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton said on Monday the Obama administration had dropped 'war on terror' from its lexicon, rhetoric former President George W. Bush used to justify many of his actions."
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I understand that the term "terrorist" has been replaced with "friend you haven't met yet."
How Michael Osinski Helped Build the Bomb That Blew Up Wall Street -- New York Magazine: "I have been called the devil by strangers and “the Facilitator” by friends. It’s not uncommon for people, when I tell them what I used to do, to ask if I feel guilty. I do, somewhat, and it nags at me. When I put it out of mind, it inevitably resurfaces, like a shipwreck at low tide. It’s been eight years since I compiled a program, but the last one lived on, becoming the industry standard that seeded itself into every investment bank in the world.
I wrote the software that turned mortgages into bonds."
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Read the sordid story for yourself. Plus you can see Osinski at work in his new occupation: oyster farmer.
I wrote the software that turned mortgages into bonds."
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Read the sordid story for yourself. Plus you can see Osinski at work in his new occupation: oyster farmer.
More condo owners breaking homeowners rules | Business | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington
More condo owners breaking homeowners rules | Business | KING5.com | News for Seattle, Washington: "SEATTLE - Desperate times call for desperate measures as more and more condo owners are breaking the rules to survive the saturated market.
They're renting out their condos while they wait for them to sell, but the short-term rentals don't fly with most homeowners associations."
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And what else can these owners do? They have to stay afloat. But this can cause huge problems for the other owners. If rentals go about 20-25% Fannie Mae and banks and insurance companies shy away from any involvement with the units or the association. So: does the association take action against the owner and incur legal expenses for both sides?
Thanks to Fred Pilot, who sent this link.
They're renting out their condos while they wait for them to sell, but the short-term rentals don't fly with most homeowners associations."
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And what else can these owners do? They have to stay afloat. But this can cause huge problems for the other owners. If rentals go about 20-25% Fannie Mae and banks and insurance companies shy away from any involvement with the units or the association. So: does the association take action against the owner and incur legal expenses for both sides?
Thanks to Fred Pilot, who sent this link.
In Homeowners’ Latest Woe, Banks Are Skipping Foreclosures - NYTimes.com
In Homeowners’ Latest Woe, Banks Are Skipping Foreclosures - NYTimes.com: "City officials and housing advocates here and in cities as varied as Buffalo, Kansas City, Mo., and Jacksonville, Fla., say they are seeing an unsettling development: Banks are quietly declining to take possession of properties at the end of the foreclosure process, most often because the cost of the ordeal — from legal fees to maintenance — exceeds the diminishing value of the real estate.
The so-called bank walkaways rarely mean relief for the property owners, caught unaware months after the fact, and often mean additional financial burdens and bureaucratic headaches. Technically, they still owe on the mortgage, but as a practicality, rarely would a mortgage holder receive any more payments on the loan. The way mortgages are bundled and resold, it can be enormously time-consuming just trying to determine what company holds the loan on a property thought to be in foreclosure."
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Thanks to Daniel Bliss for this link. What an astounding turn of events: now the banks are walking away from foreclosed properties. Maybe they can't prove or even figure out who owns it, or they just don't want to bother spending a dime on it.
"The next wave of the crisis," says one law professor.
The so-called bank walkaways rarely mean relief for the property owners, caught unaware months after the fact, and often mean additional financial burdens and bureaucratic headaches. Technically, they still owe on the mortgage, but as a practicality, rarely would a mortgage holder receive any more payments on the loan. The way mortgages are bundled and resold, it can be enormously time-consuming just trying to determine what company holds the loan on a property thought to be in foreclosure."
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Thanks to Daniel Bliss for this link. What an astounding turn of events: now the banks are walking away from foreclosed properties. Maybe they can't prove or even figure out who owns it, or they just don't want to bother spending a dime on it.
"The next wave of the crisis," says one law professor.
Sunday, March 29, 2009
Urban coyote attacks on rise, alarming residents
Urban coyote attacks on rise, alarming residents: "Since December, four people in the Denver area have been nipped or bitten by coyotes. A fifth told police a coyote lunged at him.
State wildlife officers have killed seven coyotes. An eighth was killed by a sharpshooter hired by Greenwood Village, in Denver's southern suburbs."
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Greenwood Village is a municipality. Near us, an HOA hired a tracker because there were mountain lion sightings. He was walking around the area packing a .44 magnum. Have HOA, will travel.
But on the coyote front, these rascals are everywhere and they are hardy and smart. They aren't particularly afraid of people, either, although they would just as soon avoid us.
State wildlife officers have killed seven coyotes. An eighth was killed by a sharpshooter hired by Greenwood Village, in Denver's southern suburbs."
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Greenwood Village is a municipality. Near us, an HOA hired a tracker because there were mountain lion sightings. He was walking around the area packing a .44 magnum. Have HOA, will travel.
But on the coyote front, these rascals are everywhere and they are hardy and smart. They aren't particularly afraid of people, either, although they would just as soon avoid us.
Coyotes in North Pinellas are getting more aggressive - St. Petersburg Times: "The increase in aggressiveness among North Pinellas coyotes is exactly what authorities would expect from a predator that has lived for generations in close proximity to people. Based on what happened in Dunedin about four years ago and in South Florida last year, this is what East Lake can expect next:
Coyotes snatching dogs right off leashes, crashing through lanai screens to grab cats by the throat, people mauled trying to protect their pets.
Already, residents have armed themselves with sticks, golf clubs, a stun gun and, in at least one case, a cane that transforms into a sword."
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We have plenty of coyotes around here. A few days ago I was standing at the kitchen sink and I watched a coyote trot past the back yard with a small furry animal in its mouth. Where we live there are lots of squirrels and rabbits, so there haven't been any pets attacked. But these coyote vs. suburbanite situations are getting so common that a cartoon would be in order.
Cities Deal With a Surge in Shantytowns - NYTimes.com
Cities Deal With a Surge in Shantytowns - NYTimes.com: "Like a dozen or so other cities across the nation, Fresno is dealing with an unhappy déjà vu: the arrival of modern-day Hoovervilles, illegal encampments of homeless people that are reminiscent, on a far smaller scale, of Depression-era shantytowns. At his news conference on Tuesday night, President Obama was asked directly about the tent cities and responded by saying that it was “not acceptable for children and families to be without a roof over their heads in a country as wealthy as ours.”"
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Why are they still calling them "Hoovervilles"? Hoover didn't have a whole lot to do with this. Can we find somebody to name them after who is a little more directly related to the problem?
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Why are they still calling them "Hoovervilles"? Hoover didn't have a whole lot to do with this. Can we find somebody to name them after who is a little more directly related to the problem?
Unpaid association fees pit neighbor against neighbor | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press
Unpaid association fees pit neighbor against neighbor | Freep.com | Detroit Free Press: "The wear marks of Michigan's poor economy are appearing in some of metro Detroit's tidiest neighborhoods, where annual condo and homeowner association fees have traditionally kept things looking good.
Faced with job losses and potential foreclosures, many owners have decided to skip these fees, forcing the associations to go to such measures as placing liens on properties, levying special assessments and suing property owners. Some have even considered garnisheeing owners' wages."
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A person would have to be blind not to see where this situation might be heading. And yet I don't think anybody regards it as a public policy issue. If this situation escalates across the nation, as I think it may, the repercussions will be substantial.
Faced with job losses and potential foreclosures, many owners have decided to skip these fees, forcing the associations to go to such measures as placing liens on properties, levying special assessments and suing property owners. Some have even considered garnisheeing owners' wages."
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A person would have to be blind not to see where this situation might be heading. And yet I don't think anybody regards it as a public policy issue. If this situation escalates across the nation, as I think it may, the repercussions will be substantial.
Nagin may lose Dallas home for failure to pay homeowner fees - Breaking News from New Orleans - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com
Nagin may lose Dallas home for failure to pay homeowner fees - Breaking News from New Orleans - Times-Picayune - NOLA.com: "Mayor Ray Nagin and his wife have 10 days to pay outstanding homeowners' association fees on their suburban Dallas townhouse before it is sold in a public auction from the steps of the local county courthouse, a Texas TV station reported Saturday.
Public records unearthed by CBS-affiliate KTVT-TV show that the Bella Casa Owners Association filed a lien Jan. 28 against the property owned by the mayor and his wife, Seletha Smith-Nagin. The documents, posted at the station's Web site, claim the Nagins have 'continued to default' on fees owed to the association in the city of Frisco, which now total $1,507.14.
The notice of sale, filed March 17, states that if the fees are not paid, the property will be auctioned off between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on April 7."
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Shu Bartholomew sent this along. Check it out. The mayor of New Orleans, who waxed so eloquently about the failures of the federal government to evacuate people in Hurricane Katrina (but forgot he had a fleet of buses at his disposal, seems to have forgotten or otherwise neglected to pay his HOA assessments. His Dallas townhouse is about to be sold on the courthouse steps.
I say it is all Bush's fault.
Public records unearthed by CBS-affiliate KTVT-TV show that the Bella Casa Owners Association filed a lien Jan. 28 against the property owned by the mayor and his wife, Seletha Smith-Nagin. The documents, posted at the station's Web site, claim the Nagins have 'continued to default' on fees owed to the association in the city of Frisco, which now total $1,507.14.
The notice of sale, filed March 17, states that if the fees are not paid, the property will be auctioned off between 10 a.m. and 4 p.m. on April 7."
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Shu Bartholomew sent this along. Check it out. The mayor of New Orleans, who waxed so eloquently about the failures of the federal government to evacuate people in Hurricane Katrina (but forgot he had a fleet of buses at his disposal, seems to have forgotten or otherwise neglected to pay his HOA assessments. His Dallas townhouse is about to be sold on the courthouse steps.
I say it is all Bush's fault.
Saturday, March 28, 2009
Tightening belt, standards through difficult times -- chicagotribune.com
Tightening belt, standards through difficult times -- chicagotribune.com: "Many a musician has crooned about hard times—Johnny Cash, Eric Clapton and Ludacris, to name a few. Today, community associations are singing the blues about the many foreclosures in their midst."
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The Chicago Tribune's real estate writer Pam McKuen talks about how associations can "soften the blows" of this foreclosure crisis.
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The Chicago Tribune's real estate writer Pam McKuen talks about how associations can "soften the blows" of this foreclosure crisis.
Time to eliminate a bad sign law: "Roland Cole’s sign experience highlights the problems created by the Grand View Homeowner’s Association prohibition on political yard signs.
Cole, a candidate for Grand Junction City Council and a resident of Grand View, cannot even display support for his own candidacy with a political sign in his yard, at least according to the current interpretation of the Grand View rules.
So Cole has placed a campaign sign in the yard of a friend whose property is just outside the boundaries of the Grand View subdivision. Cole, who told The Daily Sentinel he supports the Grand View rule, said his sign is just a foot over the border from Grand View.
Well, that ought to protect the Grand View residents from the emotional distress of viewing political signs."
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And there is also a state law involved that prohibits sign bans if your dues are over $300 but allows them if you pay less than that. What??? And that law is under attack.
I think a complete ban on political signs is one of the most outrageous things an association can do. Reasonable time, place, and manner restrictions are fine, and cities have those as well. If people don't want lawns festooned with dozens of political signs six months after the election ended, fine. But we are way down the road to authoritarianism when your neighbors can prevent you from announcing your support for a political candidate or cause (even Ron Paul!) as the election nears.
Beware cashing check marked 'payment in full'
Beware cashing check marked 'payment in full': "In some circumstances, without contacting the association, owners simply will remit a payment for a past-due balance with the words 'payment in full' written on the check as their own way of offering a settlement to resolve the account balance.
If the association receives a check from the homeowner that reads 'payment in full,' the association should not cash the check unless it intends for the amount of the check to wipe out the entire balance owed to date. If the check is cashed, it is equivalent to accepting the owner's settlement offer.
The Uniform Commercial Code makes it clear that if a party accepts a payment that is clearly submitted as full satisfaction of the debt, the party has released the debt.
Further, a letter or other document stating that an enclosed check is remitted for payment in full has the same effect as if 'payment in full' were written on the check itself."
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Attorney Curtis Ekmark offers a word of advice that can be equally valuable to associations and delinquent owners alike...
If the association receives a check from the homeowner that reads 'payment in full,' the association should not cash the check unless it intends for the amount of the check to wipe out the entire balance owed to date. If the check is cashed, it is equivalent to accepting the owner's settlement offer.
The Uniform Commercial Code makes it clear that if a party accepts a payment that is clearly submitted as full satisfaction of the debt, the party has released the debt.
Further, a letter or other document stating that an enclosed check is remitted for payment in full has the same effect as if 'payment in full' were written on the check itself."
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Attorney Curtis Ekmark offers a word of advice that can be equally valuable to associations and delinquent owners alike...
Right To Privacy Not Guaranteed By Constitution, Says Supreme Court Justice Peeking In Bathroom Window | The Onion - America's Finest News Source
Right To Privacy Not Guaranteed By Constitution, Says Supreme Court Justice Peeking In Bathroom Window | The Onion - America's Finest News Source: "'After careful consideration, it is this justice's finding that there is no specific mention of the right to privacy in any of the 27 amendments,' Alito whispered, before furtively looking around and then jimmying Daltry's bathroom window ajar with a penknife. 'A rigorous originalist interpretation of the pertinent statutory language has yielded the conclusion that privacy is not now, nor has it ever been, a federally protected liberty.'"
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Thanks to Chris Olson for this enlightening story from The Onion.
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Thanks to Chris Olson for this enlightening story from The Onion.
The vanishing shopping mall - THE WEEK
The vanishing shopping mall - THE WEEK: "Enclosed shopping centers, long the cathedrals of American consumerism, are closing their doors by the hundreds as the recession continues to clobber retail sales. Is America’s love affair with the mall over?"
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I think this is overstated, but I just looked at retail sales tax data for Lake County, IL, where I live. Holy recession, Batman. The decline in revenues to cities is astounding, and the number of businesses that have closed their doors is terrifying. And it will get worse before it gets better. As noted here earlier, there is about to be a foreclosure crisis in commercial real estate. It will be accelerated by Alt-A mortgages resetting their interest rates upward over the next 9 months or so. Alt-A is a bit better than subprime, and a lot of those mortgages are for commercial real estate. If a business is losing money, letting the bank take the building is less painful than losing the house you live in.
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I think this is overstated, but I just looked at retail sales tax data for Lake County, IL, where I live. Holy recession, Batman. The decline in revenues to cities is astounding, and the number of businesses that have closed their doors is terrifying. And it will get worse before it gets better. As noted here earlier, there is about to be a foreclosure crisis in commercial real estate. It will be accelerated by Alt-A mortgages resetting their interest rates upward over the next 9 months or so. Alt-A is a bit better than subprime, and a lot of those mortgages are for commercial real estate. If a business is losing money, letting the bank take the building is less painful than losing the house you live in.
Your Windy City Guide
Your Windy City Guide:City of Chicago imposes trash fee that will sock condo and homeowner associations: "Effective with April 1st your trash hauler will be adding the full payment of the annual permit fee to your association’s bill. For some associations, this fee will come as huge shock and potentially a significant cash flow issue, especially those who use trash-totes for individual units. The minimum fee is $80.00 per trash container up to $780 per trash container.
The ordinance is written in such a way that EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR TRASH BINS IS SUBJECT TO THE MINIMUM PERMIT FEE.
Refuse haulers have been lobbying the City to repeal the new fee or at least allow customers to pay the fee over several months rather than 100% up front. Unfortunately, the City has not acted upon these requests.
For Wellington Park Homeowners Association that will fee will be approximately $7,520.00 of new tax due in April. That amount will be due every April 1st until the Ordinance is repealed or changed."
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Yet one more unanticipated cost for associations to deal with. Wait until the emerald ash borer gets fully established and local governments order property owners to pay for cutting down and hauling away all their ash trees. The way I see it, local governments get squeezed financially and the first thing they do is start offloading costs and charging special user fees. Associations are a perfect target for this because, unlike businesses, they can't relocate.
The ordinance is written in such a way that EACH AND EVERY ONE OF OUR TRASH BINS IS SUBJECT TO THE MINIMUM PERMIT FEE.
Refuse haulers have been lobbying the City to repeal the new fee or at least allow customers to pay the fee over several months rather than 100% up front. Unfortunately, the City has not acted upon these requests.
For Wellington Park Homeowners Association that will fee will be approximately $7,520.00 of new tax due in April. That amount will be due every April 1st until the Ordinance is repealed or changed."
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Yet one more unanticipated cost for associations to deal with. Wait until the emerald ash borer gets fully established and local governments order property owners to pay for cutting down and hauling away all their ash trees. The way I see it, local governments get squeezed financially and the first thing they do is start offloading costs and charging special user fees. Associations are a perfect target for this because, unlike businesses, they can't relocate.
Friday, March 27, 2009
I didn't delete people's comments!
Someone posting under the name "Bunny" has been claiming in a Yahoo group that I deleted comments critical of Tom Skiba, who got into it with some folks here. This is simply not true. I didn't delete a single comment. Starting from that completely false premise, Bunny then proceeds to denounce me at length for squelching the critics of the Evil Empire.
This is just complete hogwash. Not only did I not delete anybody's posts, I don't even moderate the comments. Your comments go straight from your computer to the internet for all to see. And if that isn't enough latitude, I even let people post anonymously.
Folks, you can't get more freedom than that unless you start your own blog.
I would like to keep things this way. I hope and trust that people will use all that freedom responsibly. Actually, my main concern with this approach is not real comments from real people, however angry. The biggest problem with open comments is commercial spam from people trying to sell condos in Costa Rica or some such thing. When these people find you they can wreck the comments section in no time.
One final note: I am not part of an evil conspiracy, I don't take orders from a Death Star that lurks behind the moon, and I am just trying to have an informative and entertaining blog that is open to different points of view. Please keep in mind that I was writing about the mistreatment of owners in associations as long ago as 1985. I was called a crackpot for saying that when practically nobody else was. I really don't require any high-handed, self-righteous lectures on the importance of that problem, thank you very much.
Someone posting under the name "Bunny" has been claiming in a Yahoo group that I deleted comments critical of Tom Skiba, who got into it with some folks here. This is simply not true. I didn't delete a single comment. Starting from that completely false premise, Bunny then proceeds to denounce me at length for squelching the critics of the Evil Empire.
This is just complete hogwash. Not only did I not delete anybody's posts, I don't even moderate the comments. Your comments go straight from your computer to the internet for all to see. And if that isn't enough latitude, I even let people post anonymously.
Folks, you can't get more freedom than that unless you start your own blog.
I would like to keep things this way. I hope and trust that people will use all that freedom responsibly. Actually, my main concern with this approach is not real comments from real people, however angry. The biggest problem with open comments is commercial spam from people trying to sell condos in Costa Rica or some such thing. When these people find you they can wreck the comments section in no time.
One final note: I am not part of an evil conspiracy, I don't take orders from a Death Star that lurks behind the moon, and I am just trying to have an informative and entertaining blog that is open to different points of view. Please keep in mind that I was writing about the mistreatment of owners in associations as long ago as 1985. I was called a crackpot for saying that when practically nobody else was. I really don't require any high-handed, self-righteous lectures on the importance of that problem, thank you very much.
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