Bill would give president emergency control of Internet | Politics and Law - CNET News: "Internet companies and civil liberties groups were alarmed this spring when a U.S. Senate bill proposed handing the White House the power to disconnect private-sector computers from the Internet.
They're not much happier about a revised version that aides to Sen. Jay Rockefeller, a West Virginia Democrat, have spent months drafting behind closed doors. CNET News has obtained a copy of the 55-page draft (excerpt), which still appears to permit the president to seize temporary control of private-sector networks during a so-called cybersecurity emergency."
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I wonder if this will be another issue where "inaction is not an option," and if you don't like it you are in "the party of no" or worse.
Friday, August 28, 2009
60 days for man convicted of embezzling $44K
Jail time for man convicted of embezzling $44K: "Weinrich was the subdivision’s homeowners association board president when other board members found something was fishy with the books. It came to light that Weinrich had set up a secret HOA checking account and was paying his credit cards with those checks, his attorney Mark Krumbein said."
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60 days in the can plus pay back the $45K he stole. Too lenient? Too harsh?
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60 days in the can plus pay back the $45K he stole. Too lenient? Too harsh?
Condo association meltdown
Condos are cheap, but some hike fees to cover for owners who refuse to pay -- OrlandoSentinel.com: "Desperate condo associations are starting to seek court-appointed receivers — a trend that started in South Florida but has spread to this part of the state. It's a sign of how dire the situation is, said Donna Berger, executive director of the Community Advocacy Network, a nonprofit group representing more than 1,500 condo and homeowner associations. 'The current economic downturn and foreclosure crisis have placed many associations on the brink of disaster,' she said."
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A grim situation, indeed. And as the story explains, many associations are going into receivership.
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A grim situation, indeed. And as the story explains, many associations are going into receivership.
Thursday, August 27, 2009
Anger reigns over dress code | pal-item.com | Palladium-Item
Anger reigns over dress code | pal-item.com | Palladium-Item: "The school board approved revisions to RCS' dress code by a 5-2 vote in May after school officials said they were unable to enforce a less restrictive code last school year. Why? To create a 'culture of success' that focuses students on learning instead of fashion.
The result has been a doozy for families. While the revisions allow for students to wear jeans, and hooded sweatshirts, the clothing must contain solid colors only -- unless they promote RCS or its programs. Low-cut shirts, anything not considered a crew neck, is also prohibited, along with other baggy or tight-fitting clothing.
As a result of the dress code, Richmond High School officials suspended 239 students during the first week of school. Principal Barb Bergdoll orchestrated the iron-fist approach to show students that her staff was taking the dress code seriously."
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Solid colors only. Of course we all know that no school can function with kids wearing striped shirts.
The result has been a doozy for families. While the revisions allow for students to wear jeans, and hooded sweatshirts, the clothing must contain solid colors only -- unless they promote RCS or its programs. Low-cut shirts, anything not considered a crew neck, is also prohibited, along with other baggy or tight-fitting clothing.
As a result of the dress code, Richmond High School officials suspended 239 students during the first week of school. Principal Barb Bergdoll orchestrated the iron-fist approach to show students that her staff was taking the dress code seriously."
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Solid colors only. Of course we all know that no school can function with kids wearing striped shirts.
University of Florida News - Snap! Crackle! Pop! Electric Bug Zappers Are Useless For Controlling Mosquitoes, Says UF/IFAS Pest Expert
University of Florida News - Snap! Crackle! Pop! Electric Bug Zappers Are Useless For Controlling Mosquitoes, Says UF/IFAS Pest Expert: "GAINESVILLE—If mosquitoes and other insects are taking a bite out of your summer fun, don’t bother with one of those electric bug zappers, says a University of Florida pest control expert.
“They are a total waste of money. Bug zappers will not control mosquitoes or other biting insects such as horseflies, dogflies or deerflies,” said Jonathan Day, associate professor of entomology with UF’s Institute of Food and Agricultural Sciences.
“They simply do not work as advertised. In fact, bug zappers actually make things worse by attracting more mosquitoes into your yard, and they end up killing thousands of beneficial insects that don’t bother people.”"
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
The babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets | Mail Online
The babies born in hospital corridors: Bed shortage forces 4,000 mothers to give birth in lifts, offices and hospital toilets | Mail Online
Another triumph of the British National Health Service. Coming to a nation very near you?
Another triumph of the British National Health Service. Coming to a nation very near you?
Man collapses with ruptured appendix... three weeks after NHS doctors 'took it out' | Mail Online
Man collapses with ruptured appendix... three weeks after NHS doctors 'took it out' | Mail Online: "To his shock, surgeons from the same team told him that not only was his appendix still inside him, but it had ruptured - a potentially fatal complication.
In a second operation it was finally removed, leaving Mr Wattson fearing another organ might have been taken out during the first procedure.
The blunder has left Mr Wattson jobless, as bosses at the shop where he worked did not believe his story and sacked him."
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Gotta love that British National Health Service.
In a second operation it was finally removed, leaving Mr Wattson fearing another organ might have been taken out during the first procedure.
The blunder has left Mr Wattson jobless, as bosses at the shop where he worked did not believe his story and sacked him."
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Gotta love that British National Health Service.
Builder's woes stir property concerns - al.com
Builder's woes stir property concerns - al.com: "Several dozen homeowners met Tuesday night at the Laurenwood Preserve clubhouse to discuss ways to keep the remaining 250 undeveloped lots in the subdivision on Capshaw Road from being built under more lenient covenants than the ones their homes were built under. The subdivision's original builder filed for bankruptcy."
Feds: Stimulus money sent to 4,000 cons - BostonHerald.com
Feds: Stimulus money sent to 4,000 cons - BostonHerald.com: "One day after the Herald reported some surprised Bay State inmates - including murderers and rapists - were cashing in $250 stimulus checks, federal officials revealed the same behind-bars bonus was mailed to nearly 4,000 cons nationwide.
A federal watchdog is now probing how the cons were cut the checks. The same cash also may have been sent to fugitive felons, people kicked out of the country and even individuals now deceased.
It’s all part of the massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - and what is becoming an accounting nightmare for red-faced feds."
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Well, I'm sure these fellows put the money to good use and stimulated the market for shanks, pruno, and cigarettes.
A federal watchdog is now probing how the cons were cut the checks. The same cash also may have been sent to fugitive felons, people kicked out of the country and even individuals now deceased.
It’s all part of the massive American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 - and what is becoming an accounting nightmare for red-faced feds."
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Well, I'm sure these fellows put the money to good use and stimulated the market for shanks, pruno, and cigarettes.
Tuesday, August 25, 2009
Dog Uses Balcony As His Bathroom - Chicago Bar-tender
Dog Uses Balcony As His Bathroom - Chicago Bar-tender: "A condominium association filed a complaint today against residents of a unit who allegedly allow their dog to defecate on the unit's balcony."
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And the doggie weighs...one hundred pounds. Must be like that scene in Jurassic Park with the triceratops where Laura Dern...oh, never mind.
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And the doggie weighs...one hundred pounds. Must be like that scene in Jurassic Park with the triceratops where Laura Dern...oh, never mind.
Hugh Hewitt: Housing depression headed our way | Washington Examiner
Housing depression headed our way | Washington Examiner: "The employment picture in the United States cannot brighten appreciably until and unless government at every levels stops the continuing assault on homebuilders and even begins to help them with the processing of projects, with the costs and with the tax incentives to buy a new home.
If President Obama returns from vacation committed to a jobs policy that actually creates rather than kills jobs, assistance to the home builders on a number of fronts will be at the heart of any serious plan."
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Hewitt says there won't be a recovery until the housing market recovers, especially in California, and he thinks policy-makers are holding back the real estate development industry instead of stimulating it.
If President Obama returns from vacation committed to a jobs policy that actually creates rather than kills jobs, assistance to the home builders on a number of fronts will be at the heart of any serious plan."
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Hewitt says there won't be a recovery until the housing market recovers, especially in California, and he thinks policy-makers are holding back the real estate development industry instead of stimulating it.
My Way News - RI gov to shut down state government for 12 days
My Way News - RI gov to shut down state government for 12 days: "The shutdown will force 81 percent of the roughly 13,550-member state work force, excluding its college system, to stay home a dozen days without pay before the start of the new fiscal year in July.
The closures come as the worst recession in decades has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections and pushed unemployment to 12.7 percent, the second-highest jobless rate in the nation behind Michigan.
Carcieri predicted the state's fiscal future could grow even bleaker."
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I wonder how many states will have these shutdowns. Maybe I should start a "Government Shutdown Blog."
The closures come as the worst recession in decades has eliminated hundreds of millions of dollars in tax collections and pushed unemployment to 12.7 percent, the second-highest jobless rate in the nation behind Michigan.
Carcieri predicted the state's fiscal future could grow even bleaker."
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I wonder how many states will have these shutdowns. Maybe I should start a "Government Shutdown Blog."
Obama Weekly Approval Average Now 52%, a New Low
Obama Weekly Approval Average Now 52%, a New Low: "While Obama has taken some flak from the left wing of his party over his apparent willingness to take the idea of a 'public option' for healthcare reform off the table, Gallup finds little slippage in liberal Democrats' support for the president. In fact, among his Democratic base, Obama's approval rating has dropped more among moderates than among liberals. Among Republicans, the erosion is primarily seen among liberals and moderates, while his already-scant support from conservative Republicans has hardly changed."
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He is down 4 percentage points with liberal democrats, but he lost 7 points with moderate democrats, and 8 points with liberal/moderate republicans.
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He is down 4 percentage points with liberal democrats, but he lost 7 points with moderate democrats, and 8 points with liberal/moderate republicans.
White House projects bigger deficits, bigger debt - Yahoo! News
White House projects bigger deficits, bigger debt - Yahoo! News: "WASHINGTON – The federal government faces exploding deficits and mounting debt over the next decade, White House officials predicted Tuesday in a fiscal assessment far bleaker than what the Obama administration had estimated just a few months ago."
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Surprise, surprise, surprise.
Saturday, August 22, 2009
People With Illegal Chickens As Pets Form Group To Urge Legalization - wcbstv.com
People With Illegal Chickens As Pets Form Group To Urge Legalization - wcbstv.com: "Campaign For Legalization Of Urban Chicken Keeping Takes Wing"
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And it's Sacramento, CA.
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And it's Sacramento, CA.
Is God protecting Fla. at Gov. Crist's request? - Yahoo! News
Is God protecting Fla. at Gov. Crist's request? - Yahoo! News: Thus spake Governor Crist: "'Do you know the last time it was we had a hurricane in Florida? It's been awhile. In 2007, I took my first trade mission. Do you know where I went?' said Crist, a Methodist, referring to a trip to Israel.
He then told of going to the Western Wall and inserting a note with a prayer. He said it read, 'Dear God, please protect our Florida from storms and other difficulties. Charlie.'
'Time goes on — May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December — no hurricanes,' Crist said. 'Thank God.'"
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Better keep this man in office. He has a direct connection to the Creator.
He then told of going to the Western Wall and inserting a note with a prayer. He said it read, 'Dear God, please protect our Florida from storms and other difficulties. Charlie.'
'Time goes on — May, June, July, August, September, October, November, December — no hurricanes,' Crist said. 'Thank God.'"
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Better keep this man in office. He has a direct connection to the Creator.
Friday, August 21, 2009
Unplug your clothes dryer: Save energy, reduce carbon emissions | Daily Loaf
Unplug your clothes dryer: Save energy, reduce carbon emissions | Daily Loaf: "clothesline2 Unplug your clothes dryer: Save energy, reduce carbon emissionsHouseholds that do commit to hanging laundry outside in their yard or balcony may discover an unlikely obstacle – their homeowner’s association. Unfortunately many community associations prohibit clotheslines and other efforts to let the sunshine dry clothes. Project Laundry List is a nonprofit that has helped to fight anti-clothesline ordinances in many neighborhoods, often by passing city or state legislation that invalidates such ordinances."
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Garden Rant: "Grass Nazi" on Penn & Teller Tonight
Garden Rant: "Grass Nazi" on Penn & Teller Tonight
Links to a video of the rant.
Links to a video of the rant.
First New Miami Condo Tower Files for Chapter 11 - Real Estate Channel Global News Center
First New Miami Condo Tower Files for Chapter 11 - Real Estate Channel Global News Center: "(MIAMI, FL) -- The bankruptcy bell has rung in the Miami-Dade luxury condominium market for one of the highest-profile Downtown residential communities.
Saddled with estimated debt that could reach $500 million to 200 creditors, Cabi Downtown LLC, the Mexican owners of the one-year-old, $300 million Everglades on the Bay community have filed for Chapter 11 protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The twin-tower, 49-story project has closed only 9 percent of its 849 units for an estimated total sales of $31 million, according to Bal Harbour, FL-based Condo Vultures® Bulk Deals Database."
Saddled with estimated debt that could reach $500 million to 200 creditors, Cabi Downtown LLC, the Mexican owners of the one-year-old, $300 million Everglades on the Bay community have filed for Chapter 11 protection under the U.S. Bankruptcy Code. The twin-tower, 49-story project has closed only 9 percent of its 849 units for an estimated total sales of $31 million, according to Bal Harbour, FL-based Condo Vultures® Bulk Deals Database."
DA looks into Channelview complaints | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle
DA looks into Channelview complaints | Houston & Texas News | Chron.com - Houston Chronicle: "The issues at play in Sterling Green South focus attention on the practices of management companies that collect assessments for associations representing millions of American families.
In many neighborhoods, particularly those in unincorporated areas such as Sterling Green South, power and knowledge are limited to the management company, attorneys who focus on collections and perhaps the association president, said Evan McKenzie, a University of Illinois-Chicago political science professor whose research specializes in private governance.
“It's the most massive privatization of local government that has ever happened,” McKenzie said. “There's no transparency at all.”"
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Don't think I posted this earlier.
In many neighborhoods, particularly those in unincorporated areas such as Sterling Green South, power and knowledge are limited to the management company, attorneys who focus on collections and perhaps the association president, said Evan McKenzie, a University of Illinois-Chicago political science professor whose research specializes in private governance.
“It's the most massive privatization of local government that has ever happened,” McKenzie said. “There's no transparency at all.”"
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Don't think I posted this earlier.
Private investment in infrastructure: A perfect match? - San Francisco Business Times:
Private investment in infrastructure: A perfect match? - San Francisco Business Times:: "Not everyone is convinced private infrastructure investment is the right strategy. Some public employee labor unions have opposed public-private deals, fearing they might be frozen out of work. And some taxpayers question whether spending private money will reduce public access or accountability.
“Privatization offers enormous opportunity for corruption,” said Evan McKenzie, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “The government too often is taking the money and running with it.”"
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Yeah. What he said.
“Privatization offers enormous opportunity for corruption,” said Evan McKenzie, associate professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago. “The government too often is taking the money and running with it.”"
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Yeah. What he said.
Thursday, August 20, 2009
Ananova - Police reject candidate for being too intelligent
Ananova - Police reject candidate for being too intelligent: "A US man has been rejected in his bid to become a police officer for scoring too high on an intelligence test.
Robert Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took an exam to join the New London police, in Connecticut, in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125.
But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.
Mr Jordan launched a federal lawsuit against the city, but lost."
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Your government at work.
Robert Jordan, a 49-year-old college graduate, took an exam to join the New London police, in Connecticut, in 1996 and scored 33 points, the equivalent of an IQ of 125.
But New London police interviewed only candidates who scored 20 to 27, on the theory that those who scored too high could get bored with police work and leave soon after undergoing costly training.
Mr Jordan launched a federal lawsuit against the city, but lost."
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Your government at work.
Nashuatelegraph.com: Nashua ranks No. 4 when it comes to federal stimulus cash
Nashuatelegraph.com: Nashua ranks No. 4 when it comes to federal stimulus cash: "The report also revealed that through the end of June that stimulus money created or saved 796 jobs, with 700 of those state workers who did not have to get laid off thanks to the federal grants, Fitch said."
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Maybe it will turn out that the stimulus package has been mainly responsible for saving government jobs (see below).
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Maybe it will turn out that the stimulus package has been mainly responsible for saving government jobs (see below).
Obama fires back at political critics
Obama fires back at political critics: "'There is something about August going into September where everybody in Washington gets all wee weed up!'"
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That makes two firsts for me. I never heard that expression before, and I don't think I've ever heard a President say a thing that in a speech. There have been open mike profanities and so forth, but being this juvenile in a speech is a new one on me.
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That makes two firsts for me. I never heard that expression before, and I don't think I've ever heard a President say a thing that in a speech. There have been open mike profanities and so forth, but being this juvenile in a speech is a new one on me.
Demand rises for publicly funded burials - USATODAY.com
Demand rises for publicly funded burials - USATODAY.com: "Coroners and funeral directors in several cities say the number of people seeking government-paid funerals, cremations and burials is spiking. Most counties and states will use public money to cremate or bury people who are too poor to pay for private services.
'People just aren't in a position to pay $7,000 for a private funeral and burial,' says Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, where the number of people seeking county burial has nearly doubled since last year."
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Just wait until the death panels start yanking those plugs out the wall.
Kidding. Just kidding.
'People just aren't in a position to pay $7,000 for a private funeral and burial,' says Lt. David Smith of the Los Angeles County Coroner's Office, where the number of people seeking county burial has nearly doubled since last year."
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Just wait until the death panels start yanking those plugs out the wall.
Kidding. Just kidding.
Seminole Chronicle - W.S. divided on HOA-like control
Seminole Chronicle - W.S. divided on HOA-like control: "The Winter Springs City Commission is divided on the issue, especially when it comes to what you can do with your homes. It's been three years since the city passed a compatibility law, which, in its broadest sense, means that everything concerning your house - the paint, the roof, the garage, the color of the door and the type of fence - has to be compatible with your neighborhood.
'Even though the Supreme Court allows us to do it, I don't think it's the job of government to dictate what color somebody's house is going to be or what color their roof is going to be or what style their fence is going to be if that individual doesn't live in a deed-restricted community,' City Commissioner Rick Brown said at the Aug. 10 meeting."
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As I keep saying, more and more cities are imitating HOAs.
'Even though the Supreme Court allows us to do it, I don't think it's the job of government to dictate what color somebody's house is going to be or what color their roof is going to be or what style their fence is going to be if that individual doesn't live in a deed-restricted community,' City Commissioner Rick Brown said at the Aug. 10 meeting."
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As I keep saying, more and more cities are imitating HOAs.
Are new lending rules going to destroy condo values?
Are new lending rules going to destroy condo values?: "Effective October 1, 2009, FHA is implementing new condo guidelines that could devastate the values in condo developments."
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How about the one that says no more than 15% of the units can be over 30 days delinquent in assessments?
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How about the one that says no more than 15% of the units can be over 30 days delinquent in assessments?
How about hiring the goats as contractors?
Hungry goats to eat up fire hazards in Diamond Bar - DailyBulletin.com: "In order to clear potentially flammable brush from 48 acres of open land in south Diamond Bar, the city appropriated $43,000 Tuesday for hand crews and goats. It's a significantly cheaper option than using only humans.
When the Los Angeles County Fire Department recently inspected fire breaks in the city, it found three parcels of land that weren't in compliance with the fire code. But there was a problem. The three parcels, near the intersection of Pathfinder and Peaceful Hills roads, belong to two homeowners' associations and Diamond Bar had never maintained them before. The Oakridge Community Homeowners' Association owns one parcel of land, while the Woodglen Community Homeowners' Association owns two. The city argues it doesn't have legal responsibility to maintain the land and shouldn't have to pay for the brush clearing. But given the ongoing wildfire season and last year's Triangle Complex Fire, the city opted to take on the work for safety of its residents - but will seek reimbursement from the homeowners' associations."
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BAAAAAAAAH.
Condo owners pay for property they can't use | Dallas County | WFAA.com
Condo owners pay for property they can't use | Dallas County | WFAA.com
There was a fire. The HOA didn't have enough insurance. The city won't sign off on the repairs. And everybody keeps on having to pay their assessments.
There was a fire. The HOA didn't have enough insurance. The city won't sign off on the repairs. And everybody keeps on having to pay their assessments.
Government Jobs Have Grown Since Recession - NYTimes.com
Government Jobs Have Grown Since Recession - NYTimes.com: "While the private sector has shed 6.9 million jobs since the beginning of the recession, state and local governments have expanded their payrolls and added 110,000 jobs, according to a report to be issued Thursday by the Nelson A. Rockefeller Institute of Government...The report offered several possible explanations for the disparity between the private and public sectors. It noted that there can be a short lag between an economic downturn and the time it hits states in the form of lower tax collections, and an even longer delay before the problems hit local governments in the form of reduced state aid and lower property tax collections. It pointed to the slow pace of decision-making in many states, and the power yielded by politically influential unions. But it also noted that the demand for many government services rises in a recession, and said that billions of dollars of federal stimulus money sent to states helped them avert layoffs."
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Interesting. It seems that some nations may be coming out of the recession--Germany, France, Japan--but we will see how the US fares, with the massive stimulus spending that can help in the short term and hurt in the long.
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Interesting. It seems that some nations may be coming out of the recession--Germany, France, Japan--but we will see how the US fares, with the massive stimulus spending that can help in the short term and hurt in the long.
Nutter Warns Of 'Virtual Shutdown' Of Courts - cbs3.com
Nutter Warns Of 'Virtual Shutdown' Of Courts - cbs3.com: "PHILADELPHIA (AP) ―
Philadelphia's court system will face a 'virtual shutdown' if the cash-strapped city does not get state approval for a sales tax increase and changes to how it makes its pension payments.
That's according to Mayor Michael Nutter and court officials at a news conference Wednesday.
Philadelphia is facing a $1.4 billion five-year budget deficit."
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Philadelphia is one of the cities that was called "ungovernable" by a number of urban politics specialists back in the 1990s. Seems as though some of the doom and gloom predictions of the 1970s and 1980s are beginning to materialize, but much later than the theorists said, and for different reasons.
Philadelphia's court system will face a 'virtual shutdown' if the cash-strapped city does not get state approval for a sales tax increase and changes to how it makes its pension payments.
That's according to Mayor Michael Nutter and court officials at a news conference Wednesday.
Philadelphia is facing a $1.4 billion five-year budget deficit."
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Philadelphia is one of the cities that was called "ungovernable" by a number of urban politics specialists back in the 1990s. Seems as though some of the doom and gloom predictions of the 1970s and 1980s are beginning to materialize, but much later than the theorists said, and for different reasons.
Wednesday, August 19, 2009
Hermosa Beach wins round in Macpherson Oil case - The Daily Breeze
Hermosa Beach wins round in Macpherson Oil case - The Daily Breeze: "Adding another chapter to a long legal saga that has ensnared Hermosa Beach for more than a decade, the city has won a chance to argue before a state appellate court that it should not pay damages to Macpherson Oil for breaking a contract to drill in town more than a decade ago. Less than three weeks before a jury was set to determine how much Hermosa owed the Santa Monica-based oil company, the 2nd District Court of Appeal granted the city's writ Monday, City Attorney Michael Jenkins said. Both parties will now argue their sides in a downtown Los Angeles courtroom Dec. 7. At this stage, the protracted lawsuit centers around how much money Hermosa Beach owes for breaking its 1992 lease agreement with Macpherson. City leaders voted about six years later to deny drilling permits after voters approved a proposition banning present and future oil drilling projects in town. Los Angeles County Superior Court Judge Joanne O'Donnell ruled in February 2008 that the city indeed broke its contract and owed damages, but left it to a jury to decide exactly how much. Don Macpherson Jr., the company's president, has long asked for $500 million in damages, a figure city leaders contend would bankrupt the tiny municipality."
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Mistakes can be expensive for cities...and for HOAs. But how many owners know that they are ultimately personally liable for their directors torts and breaches of contract?
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Mistakes can be expensive for cities...and for HOAs. But how many owners know that they are ultimately personally liable for their directors torts and breaches of contract?
City looking at outsourcing ticketing
City looking at outsourcing ticketing: "As the city focuses more on trimming down to provide core services only, the mayor said Windsor will probably continue to shed employees as it has since 2005 during annual budget sessions.
Francis said Windsor has no other choice given the downturn in the local economy and the need to invest to transform that economy. “Otherwise, we may as well lock up the doors and go bankrupt,” he said.
Valentinis said he’s “very, very open” to looking at privatization of city services and that it’s nothing new."
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Francis said Windsor has no other choice given the downturn in the local economy and the need to invest to transform that economy. “Otherwise, we may as well lock up the doors and go bankrupt,” he said.
Valentinis said he’s “very, very open” to looking at privatization of city services and that it’s nothing new."
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Would Privatization Help Public Universities Excel? - US News and World Report
Would Privatization Help Public Universities Excel? - US News and World Report: "In a trend that parallels the 'charter school' movement among public elementary schools, a number of colleges are seeking to semiprivatize.
These schools say they are tired of getting less money from state legislators. They want to seek additional revenues by setting, and keeping, their own tuition. They also want the freedom to enter into business arrangements without obeying many state rules."
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Isn't it ironic that the academy was and is so overwhelmingly supportive of President Obama, but still there are these initiatives going on to make universities, even public ones, operate more like private business corporations.
These schools say they are tired of getting less money from state legislators. They want to seek additional revenues by setting, and keeping, their own tuition. They also want the freedom to enter into business arrangements without obeying many state rules."
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Isn't it ironic that the academy was and is so overwhelmingly supportive of President Obama, but still there are these initiatives going on to make universities, even public ones, operate more like private business corporations.
Privatization of Parking Meters Incites Case Against City Comptroller - Chicago Bar-tender
Privatization of Parking Meters Incites Case Against City Comptroller - Chicago Bar-tender: "An association comprised of taxpayers and citizens and one named citizen, Aviva Patt, are seeking to sue the City and State Comptroller and Secretary of State over the privatization of parking meters in Chicago."
Local governments privatize foreclosure for unpaid taxes
Tax Bills Put Pressure on Struggling Homeowners - NYTimes.com: "With the economy faltering and property values plunging, homeowners and landlords are falling behind on their bills or abandoning their property, just as governments are facing huge budget shortfalls.
Private investors step in and buy tax liens, paying governments upfront all or part of the value of the taxes. The investors then get the right to foreclose on the properties, taking priority over mortgage lenders, and to charge interest rates as high as 18 percent on the unpaid taxes."
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link. This is called "tax farming." It has been going on for a long time. As with CIDs and red light cameras, the privatization ends up producing a nice payoff for the government, and a big payday for the private corporation, but at the expense of the individual citizen who ends up with no cards to play and takes a big hit. Not that people should get a freebie on their taxes, but should they be paying 18% interest?
Private investors step in and buy tax liens, paying governments upfront all or part of the value of the taxes. The investors then get the right to foreclose on the properties, taking priority over mortgage lenders, and to charge interest rates as high as 18 percent on the unpaid taxes."
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Thanks to Fred Pilot for this link. This is called "tax farming." It has been going on for a long time. As with CIDs and red light cameras, the privatization ends up producing a nice payoff for the government, and a big payday for the private corporation, but at the expense of the individual citizen who ends up with no cards to play and takes a big hit. Not that people should get a freebie on their taxes, but should they be paying 18% interest?
My Bad! Woman's House Mistakenly Auctioned by Bank | NBC Miami
My Bad! Woman's House Mistakenly Auctioned by Bank | NBC Miami: "Ramirez and her family had three hours to get out of the house, police ordered. They had to stash their belongings at multiple locations and shacked up with a friend for the night as cops chained the doors of their home. With Taylor's help, Ramirez appeared before a judge two days later to explain what happened.
'I had all my stuff scattered everywhere,' she said. 'They did this in front all my neighbors. It was so embarassing.'
A mistake in the Miami-Dade Clerk's Office appears to be behind the mishap, which landed Ramirez homeless for more than 24 hours.
The sale was eventually reversed by a Miami-Dade judge, allowing Ramirez to return to her old digs. Ramirez said she wants to sue for the damage to her furniture."
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I think she deserves a little more than compensation for damage to the furniture.
'I had all my stuff scattered everywhere,' she said. 'They did this in front all my neighbors. It was so embarassing.'
A mistake in the Miami-Dade Clerk's Office appears to be behind the mishap, which landed Ramirez homeless for more than 24 hours.
The sale was eventually reversed by a Miami-Dade judge, allowing Ramirez to return to her old digs. Ramirez said she wants to sue for the damage to her furniture."
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I think she deserves a little more than compensation for damage to the furniture.
Vogue model Liskula Cohen wins right to unmask offensive blogger - Times Online
Vogue model Liskula Cohen wins right to unmask offensive blogger - Times Online: "Justice Joan Madden rejected the blogger’s claim that the blogs “serve as a modern-day forum for conveying personal opinions, including invective and ranting”, and should not be treated as factual assertions."
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I think when you get to invective and ranting that it ceases being a forum and turns into the Jerry Springer Show.
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I think when you get to invective and ranting that it ceases being a forum and turns into the Jerry Springer Show.
Tuesday, August 18, 2009
Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval
Gallup Daily: Obama Job Approval
Gallup now has President Obama at 52/42. This is about the lowest approval rating Gallup has ever recorded for him as President. If you smooth out the bumps in the trend lines, the situation looks troubling for him. But if a health care reform bill passes that controls costs and expands coverage without the public option, I think he may recover rapidly. In other words, he is losing independents because he is acting like a leftist. If he starts acting like a centrist, he will be back in business. But that will tick off his lefty base. The conventional wisdom on that is, "So what?" because they have nowhere else to go.
Gallup now has President Obama at 52/42. This is about the lowest approval rating Gallup has ever recorded for him as President. If you smooth out the bumps in the trend lines, the situation looks troubling for him. But if a health care reform bill passes that controls costs and expands coverage without the public option, I think he may recover rapidly. In other words, he is losing independents because he is acting like a leftist. If he starts acting like a centrist, he will be back in business. But that will tick off his lefty base. The conventional wisdom on that is, "So what?" because they have nowhere else to go.
Low intensity conflict in the suburbs
'Angry Neighbors With Paintball Guns' amazed at reaction :: WRAL.com: "Durham, N.C. — A group of Durham residents taking aim at speeders with the threat of a paintball gun said Tuesday that they are 'amazed and gratified at the reaction.'
The group, Angry Neighbors With Paintball Guns, posted signs at strategic locations throughout the city, warning motorists to slow down or risk being shot at with a paintball gun."
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So what if the drivers start shooting back? It will be like the wild west out there except that instead of being dead everybody will be covered with paint.
NJ city considers adult curfew after crime spate - NewsFlash - NJ.com
NJ city considers adult curfew after crime spate - NewsFlash - NJ.com: "PATERSON, N.J. - Curfews might not be just for kids anymore in one city in northern New Jersey.
Officials in Paterson are considering one for people of all ages in a bid to curb violence after a spate of deadly shootings.
Several experts say they believe it would be the nation's first curfew of its type to include adults. The state ACLU says it would open Paterson to legal action.
The curfew would last for two months and would bar people from loitering outside from midnight to 7 a.m. Violators would face up to a $2,000 fine and 90 days in jail."
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I can't see this surviving a constitutional challenge, short of rioting, war, or natural disaster.
Officials in Paterson are considering one for people of all ages in a bid to curb violence after a spate of deadly shootings.
Several experts say they believe it would be the nation's first curfew of its type to include adults. The state ACLU says it would open Paterson to legal action.
The curfew would last for two months and would bar people from loitering outside from midnight to 7 a.m. Violators would face up to a $2,000 fine and 90 days in jail."
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I can't see this surviving a constitutional challenge, short of rioting, war, or natural disaster.
Philip Kennicott on Images: Obama as the Joker Betrays Racial Ugliness, Fears - washingtonpost.com
Philip Kennicott on Images: Obama as the Joker Betrays Racial Ugliness, Fears - washingtonpost.com: "Superimpose that idea, through the Joker's makeup, onto Obama's face, and you have subtly coded, highly effective racial and political argument. Forget socialism, this poster is another attempt to accomplish an association between Obama and the unpredictable, seeming danger of urban life. It is another effort to establish what failed to jell in the debate about Obama's association with Chicago radical William Ayers and the controversy over the racially charged sermons of the Rev. Jeremiah Wright."
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No. Actually you don't have that at all. See below.
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No. Actually you don't have that at all. See below.
Clean Slate: Obama Joker Artist Revealed - Political News - FOXNews.com
Clean Slate: Obama Joker Artist Revealed - Political News - FOXNews.com: "A 20-year-old college history major of Palestinian descent who supported Rep. Dennis Kucinich's presidential candidacy is the anonymous artist who turned a Time magazine cover photo of Barack Obama into the nefarious Joker of the Batman series, The Los Angeles Times reported Tuesday.
Firas Alkhateeb was home in Chicago on his winter break from the University of Illinois when he toyed around with Photoshop to come up with the image. He posted it to the picture site Flickr for friends to see his artwork, the paper reported.
Months later, the doctored picture appeared on posters around the country with the word 'Socialism' added to it."
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After all the ink spilled about this image and declaiming the nastiness of conservatives, it turns out the image was created by a supporter of the most left-wing clown who ran for the Democratic nomination.
Firas Alkhateeb was home in Chicago on his winter break from the University of Illinois when he toyed around with Photoshop to come up with the image. He posted it to the picture site Flickr for friends to see his artwork, the paper reported.
Months later, the doctored picture appeared on posters around the country with the word 'Socialism' added to it."
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After all the ink spilled about this image and declaiming the nastiness of conservatives, it turns out the image was created by a supporter of the most left-wing clown who ran for the Democratic nomination.
A Short Walk Down Memory Hole Lane
A Short Walk Down Memory Hole Lane: "Nancy Pelosi recently claimed that protestors were 'carrying swastikas and symbols like that to a town meeting on healthcare', as if she were astonished to hear of such behavior. The truth of the matter is that this crass, adolescent style of protest has been standard fare at virtually all anti-war and leftwing political demonstrations since at least 2003. In fact, the number of offensive signs that have shown up at recent 'tea parties' and townhalls is not even comparable to the sheer quantity of signs featuring swastikas, Hitler comparisons and other outrageous imagery at anti-war protests. The only thing that's new is that all of a sudden the media has begun to notice them."
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And he proves it by posting an endless series of Bush=Hitler photos taken at left-wing demos, all of which never added up to a significant issue for the media at the time. Now it is right-wingers who are acting like idiots, showing up with rifles and Hitler posters, and suddenly the media are analyzing it to death and, even worse, suggesting that these Obama=Hitler bozos are somehow typical of those who oppose Obama's policies.
As a political science professor I find that kind of "free speech" depressing, but it is protected by the First Amendment. The point is that both sides should be subject to criticism...or should both sides be ignored because all they want is the attention from the media?
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And he proves it by posting an endless series of Bush=Hitler photos taken at left-wing demos, all of which never added up to a significant issue for the media at the time. Now it is right-wingers who are acting like idiots, showing up with rifles and Hitler posters, and suddenly the media are analyzing it to death and, even worse, suggesting that these Obama=Hitler bozos are somehow typical of those who oppose Obama's policies.
As a political science professor I find that kind of "free speech" depressing, but it is protected by the First Amendment. The point is that both sides should be subject to criticism...or should both sides be ignored because all they want is the attention from the media?
My Way News - Fla. population drops for 1st time since 1946
My Way News - Fla. population drops for 1st time since 1946: "The head of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research says Monday that the state's total population dropped by 58,000 in the past year. It's the first decline since large numbers of military personnel left the state in 1946 after World War II."
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I suppose a libertarian could say that they are voting with their feet and refusing to live in condos and hoas...they wouldn't say such a thing, of course, but they could.
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I suppose a libertarian could say that they are voting with their feet and refusing to live in condos and hoas...they wouldn't say such a thing, of course, but they could.
Monday, August 17, 2009
Gee--thanks, guys. I think.
Explorers Discover Giant Rat-Eating Plant, Name it After Famed Scientist - Science News | Science & Technology | Technology News - FOXNews.com: "Explorers have discovered a new species of giant rodent-eating carnivorous plant and have named it after legendary TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
Nepenthes attenboroughii, a previously unknown variety of pitcher plant discovered on a remote mountain in the Philippines, is so big that small rodents could be trapped inside and slowly dissolved by flesh-eating enzymes."
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Not to look a gift rat-eating plant in the mouth, but did David Attenborough really consider this a "great honour," as he said? You have to wonder if he was just being polite. He has a dinosaur named after him, and that would be cool. But this...thing? It looks like the plants from Little Shop of Horrors. FEED ME!
White House disables e-tip box - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com
White House disables e-tip box - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com: "Following a furor over how the data would be used, the White House has shut down an electronic tip box — flag@whitehouse.gov — that was set up to receive information on “fishy” claims about President Barack Obama’s health plan."
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Administration Official: "Sebelius Misspoke." - The Atlantic Politics Channel
Administration Official: "Sebelius Misspoke." - The Atlantic Politics Channel
This is a pretty confusing clarification. There are at least four different reactions from insiders.
One (unnamed) says she was merely echoing the president's views, so what she said was true but it wasn't a change in position.
Then Linda Douglass, designated presidential health care flack, says Obama still wants a public option (obviously--but the issue is whether he will give it up to get a bill passed).
Then there is a third (unnamed) who says she didn't misspeak but "the media misplayed it." (as a change in position?)
The fourth is from White House flack numero uno Robert Gibbs, who says that that the specific mechanism used to roll back costs and "fostering competition" are up for discussion. That presumably includes the health cooperatives in lieu of a government corporation.
So if you put all this together, it seems that the White House may be trying to have it both ways--changing position while claiming they are not. They want to crawfish back from insisting on the public option, saying that if it is a deal-killer for Congress, these health cooperatives are an acceptable option. But they are also saying that this flexibility is not really what it looks like--a retreat from insisting on the public option.
Some people think the Sibelius statement was a deliberate trial balloon that was intended to see how outraged the left wing of the party, including the House leadership and Democratic caucus, would get if Obama dropped the public option. Maybe. But it seems that over the last few days the campaign for a public health insurance option has begun to leak oil and may be about to throw a rod.
This is a pretty confusing clarification. There are at least four different reactions from insiders.
One (unnamed) says she was merely echoing the president's views, so what she said was true but it wasn't a change in position.
Then Linda Douglass, designated presidential health care flack, says Obama still wants a public option (obviously--but the issue is whether he will give it up to get a bill passed).
Then there is a third (unnamed) who says she didn't misspeak but "the media misplayed it." (as a change in position?)
The fourth is from White House flack numero uno Robert Gibbs, who says that that the specific mechanism used to roll back costs and "fostering competition" are up for discussion. That presumably includes the health cooperatives in lieu of a government corporation.
So if you put all this together, it seems that the White House may be trying to have it both ways--changing position while claiming they are not. They want to crawfish back from insisting on the public option, saying that if it is a deal-killer for Congress, these health cooperatives are an acceptable option. But they are also saying that this flexibility is not really what it looks like--a retreat from insisting on the public option.
Some people think the Sibelius statement was a deliberate trial balloon that was intended to see how outraged the left wing of the party, including the House leadership and Democratic caucus, would get if Obama dropped the public option. Maybe. But it seems that over the last few days the campaign for a public health insurance option has begun to leak oil and may be about to throw a rod.
Sen. Barbara Boxer (D-Mars) could face re-election fight of her career against Fiorina - San Jose Mercury News
Boxer could face re-election fight of her career against Fiorina - San Jose Mercury News: "What looks increasingly likely is that Boxer will be in for the re-election fight of her career. While she has yet to announce her candidacy, all signs point to a run by Republican Carly Fiorina, the charismatic ex-chief of Hewlett-Packard who was ousted from her job in 2005 and last year served as a top surrogate for John McCain's presidential bid."
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So you can get fired from H-P, participate in the worst presidential campaign since Dukakis, and then get elected Senator? OK. But Fiorina could base her campaign on some of Boxer's public statements. That "Call me Senator" thing, for example.
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So you can get fired from H-P, participate in the worst presidential campaign since Dukakis, and then get elected Senator? OK. But Fiorina could base her campaign on some of Boxer's public statements. That "Call me Senator" thing, for example.
Sunday, August 16, 2009
Camelot, or Spamelot?
White House will change e-mail rules - Mike Allen - POLITICO.com: "The White House said Sunday night that it will change its e-mail sign-up procedures after some recipients of a health-care e-mail complained that they had not asked to receive updates.
“We are implementing measures to make subscribing to e-mails clearer, including preventing advocacy organizations from signing people up to our lists without their permission when they deliver petition signatures and other messages on individual’s behalf,” spokesman Nick Shapiro said in a statement Sunday night."
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How does it feel? To be on your own...
My Way News - You're Bob Dylan? NJ police want to see some ID: "Rock legend Bob Dylan was treated like a complete unknown by police in a New Jersey shore community when a resident called to report someone wandering around the neighborhood."
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With no direction home? Kind of like a...rolling stone?
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With no direction home? Kind of like a...rolling stone?
White House appears ready to drop 'public option' - Yahoo! News
White House appears ready to drop 'public option' - Yahoo! News: "Facing mounting opposition to the overhaul, administration officials left open the chance for a compromise with Republicans that would include health insurance cooperatives instead of a government-run plan. Such a concession probably would enrage Obama's liberal supporters but could deliver a much-needed victory on a top domestic priority opposed by GOP lawmakers."
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HHS Secretary Sebelius said the public option is "not the essential element" of the administration's proposed policy. That's because the real essential element is greatly increased federal control over health insurance. The public option will return to the agenda if the Democrats do well enough in the 2010 elections. For now, the administration is bowing to political reality. It has been clear for at least a month that the Blue Dog Democrats were listening to the private insurance industry on the public option. Then the public outcry kicked in. This health care takeover was shaping up as a debacle for the Obama administration and the Democrats. Now they will probably get a bill--and it may turn out to be a good one--and can declare victory, living to fight another day.
That is, unless most of the independent voters have irrevocably decided, based on the health care debate, that Obama isn't what they thought he was.
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HHS Secretary Sebelius said the public option is "not the essential element" of the administration's proposed policy. That's because the real essential element is greatly increased federal control over health insurance. The public option will return to the agenda if the Democrats do well enough in the 2010 elections. For now, the administration is bowing to political reality. It has been clear for at least a month that the Blue Dog Democrats were listening to the private insurance industry on the public option. Then the public outcry kicked in. This health care takeover was shaping up as a debacle for the Obama administration and the Democrats. Now they will probably get a bill--and it may turn out to be a good one--and can declare victory, living to fight another day.
That is, unless most of the independent voters have irrevocably decided, based on the health care debate, that Obama isn't what they thought he was.
Meant no harm? Say what?
Blogger's Case May Test Limits of Political Speech - washingtonpost.com: "CHICAGO -- Internet radio host Hal Turner disliked how three federal judges rejected the National Rifle Association's attempt to overturn a pair of handgun bans.
'Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed,' Turner wrote on his blog on June 2, according to the FBI. 'Their blood will replenish the tree of liberty. A small price to pay to assure freedom for millions.'
The next day, Turner posted photographs of the appellate judges and a map showing the Chicago courthouse where they work, noting the placement of 'anti-truck bomb barriers.' When an FBI agent appeared at the door of his New Jersey home, Turner said he meant no harm."
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And now he is in custody awaiting his trial. After somebody really tried to kill a Chicago-based federal judge and instead murdered her husband and mother, you would think people would understand that this is the wrong subject for unleashing your internet personality. When he says he "meant no harm," he means that in the real world he would never kill anybody or solicit anybody's murder. But like many other people, he has this rageaholic activist internet personality that says all kinds of irresponsible things.
'Let me be the first to say this plainly: These Judges deserve to be killed,' Turner wrote on his blog on June 2, according to the FBI. 'Their blood will replenish the tree of liberty. A small price to pay to assure freedom for millions.'
The next day, Turner posted photographs of the appellate judges and a map showing the Chicago courthouse where they work, noting the placement of 'anti-truck bomb barriers.' When an FBI agent appeared at the door of his New Jersey home, Turner said he meant no harm."
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And now he is in custody awaiting his trial. After somebody really tried to kill a Chicago-based federal judge and instead murdered her husband and mother, you would think people would understand that this is the wrong subject for unleashing your internet personality. When he says he "meant no harm," he means that in the real world he would never kill anybody or solicit anybody's murder. But like many other people, he has this rageaholic activist internet personality that says all kinds of irresponsible things.
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff, Wields Power Freely, but Faces Risks - NYTimes.com
Rahm Emanuel, Obama’s Chief of Staff, Wields Power Freely, but Faces Risks - NYTimes.com: "Seven months after moving into his office in the West Wing, Mr. Emanuel is emerging as perhaps the most influential White House chief of staff in a generation. But with his prominence in almost everything important going on in Washington comes a high degree of risk."
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Replace Emanuel with Cheney and chief of staff with Vice President and you could clone these stories from 2002. Is it that we keep electing people who are all image and no substance, who need a Svengali to do anything, or is it that the press creates these stories as a reflection of their own skepticism?
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Replace Emanuel with Cheney and chief of staff with Vice President and you could clone these stories from 2002. Is it that we keep electing people who are all image and no substance, who need a Svengali to do anything, or is it that the press creates these stories as a reflection of their own skepticism?
The city that works...but not on Monday
Chicago City Government Closed For Business Monday, Due To Budget Constraints - cbs2chicago.com: "The City of Chicago will basically be closed for business on Aug. 17, a reduced-service day in which most city employees are off without pay, according to a release from the Office of Budget and Management. City Hall, public libraries, health clinics and most city offices will be closed."
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But no matter. The voters will shamble off to the polls and re-elect His Eminence again when the time comes. It doesn't matter that corruption is the essence of Chicago politics and the Machine insiders are getting rich while city employees are furloughed and municipal services suffer.
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But no matter. The voters will shamble off to the polls and re-elect His Eminence again when the time comes. It doesn't matter that corruption is the essence of Chicago politics and the Machine insiders are getting rich while city employees are furloughed and municipal services suffer.
Saturday, August 15, 2009
Retailers See Back-to-School Sales Slowing - NYTimes.com
Retailers See Back-to-School Sales Slowing - NYTimes.com: "Halfway through the back-to-school shopping season, retail professionals are predicting the worst performance for stores in more than a decade, yet another sign that consumers are clinging to every dollar."
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People are reusing last year's backpacks, pencils, and markers. How do I know that? Because we are doing it. That is Izzy, Hunter, and Conor at Land's End in San Francisco. Responsible father that I am, I didn't let them jump.
Friday, August 14, 2009
My Way News - Colonial BancGroup and Pennsylvania thrift shut
My Way News - Colonial BancGroup and Pennsylvania thrift shut: "Regulators on Friday shut down Colonial BancGroup Inc., a big lender in real estate development that marked the biggest U.S. bank failure this year, and a small bank in Pennsylvania."
Homeowners association cases fill court dockets - St. Petersburg Times
Homeowners association cases fill court dockets - St. Petersburg Times: "Prolonged — and some might argue trivial — homeowners association spats fill Florida court dockets. Unassuming homeowners, who pay assessments to maintain their communities and enforce deed restrictions, are left to foot legal bills that can run into hundreds of thousands of dollars.
State Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, has tried for years to get both sides to consider swift and inexpensive resolutions rather than resorting to lawyers and costly court battles. His Home Court Advantage program would allow the HOA or the homeowner to file a dispute and settle the issue within 90 days through mediation. The cost: $300.
The measure passed the House and the Senate in 2008 before Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed it. It passed the House again this year, but the legislative session ended before the Senate could follow suit.
Ambler plans to reintroduce the bill during the next legislative session. He said he keeps pushing the issue because more than 80 percent of Floridians live under HOAs."
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80%? That's the highest percentage I have ever seen for any metro area, let alone an entire state. And if you read the first few graphs you will see how utterly out of control the situation is. Read the story of A. J. Vizzi, who just wanted to keep parking his pickup truck in the driveway, as he had for the preceding FOUR YEARS. And then the HOA went after him, and now, "Nearly eight years, two judges, five lawyers and more than $100,000 later, there's still no resolution."
These associations and their lawyers are wasting huge amounts of everybody's resources doing things like this. Who benefits? The association lawyers, I suppose. State legislators like Ambler want to push these disputes into mediation, which would make them less costly, but if it means the associations get to trample on owners less expensively, it is still not a good solution.
State Rep. Kevin Ambler, R-Tampa, has tried for years to get both sides to consider swift and inexpensive resolutions rather than resorting to lawyers and costly court battles. His Home Court Advantage program would allow the HOA or the homeowner to file a dispute and settle the issue within 90 days through mediation. The cost: $300.
The measure passed the House and the Senate in 2008 before Gov. Charlie Crist vetoed it. It passed the House again this year, but the legislative session ended before the Senate could follow suit.
Ambler plans to reintroduce the bill during the next legislative session. He said he keeps pushing the issue because more than 80 percent of Floridians live under HOAs."
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80%? That's the highest percentage I have ever seen for any metro area, let alone an entire state. And if you read the first few graphs you will see how utterly out of control the situation is. Read the story of A. J. Vizzi, who just wanted to keep parking his pickup truck in the driveway, as he had for the preceding FOUR YEARS. And then the HOA went after him, and now, "Nearly eight years, two judges, five lawyers and more than $100,000 later, there's still no resolution."
These associations and their lawyers are wasting huge amounts of everybody's resources doing things like this. Who benefits? The association lawyers, I suppose. State legislators like Ambler want to push these disputes into mediation, which would make them less costly, but if it means the associations get to trample on owners less expensively, it is still not a good solution.
Toxic Loans Topping 5% May Push 150 Banks to Point of No Return - Bloomberg.com
Toxic Loans Topping 5% May Push 150 Banks to Point of No Return - Bloomberg.com: "More than 150 publicly traded U.S. lenders own nonperforming loans that equal 5 percent or more of their holdings, a level that former regulators say can wipe out a bank’s equity and threaten its survival.
The number of banks exceeding the threshold more than doubled in the year through June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, as real estate and credit-card defaults surged. Almost 300 reported 3 percent or more of their loans were nonperforming, a term for commercial and consumer debt that has stopped collecting interest or will no longer be paid in full."
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The article says 72 lenders have failed so far this year--and it seems that at least another 150 are in serious trouble.
The number of banks exceeding the threshold more than doubled in the year through June, according to data compiled by Bloomberg, as real estate and credit-card defaults surged. Almost 300 reported 3 percent or more of their loans were nonperforming, a term for commercial and consumer debt that has stopped collecting interest or will no longer be paid in full."
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The article says 72 lenders have failed so far this year--and it seems that at least another 150 are in serious trouble.
Thursday, August 13, 2009
Summer of fail: Why are new shows bombing?--The Live Feed
Summer of fail: Why are new shows bombing?--The Live Feed: "This summer is one for the record books: more than a dozen new programs launched on broadcast television and not one breakout hit, with returning shows down and ratings at an all-time low."
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This has to be one of the dumbest questions ever put in print. It's like asking "Who's buried in Grant's Tomb?"
Why are the new shows bombing? Because they are so bad that people won't even watch them for free. Question answered.
Episodic television is the only conclusive proof that Darwin was wrong. It has been devolving ever since they canceled Get Smart but it refuses to become extinct.
'Fastest Dying Cities' Meet for a Lively Talk - WSJ.com
'Fastest Dying Cities' Meet for a Lively Talk - WSJ.com: "They met at the Dayton Convention Center last weekend to swap ideas about how to halt the long skid that's turned cities like Detroit, Cleveland and Buffalo, N.Y., into shorthand for dystopia.
The city representatives lunched on $6 sloppy Joes and commiserated through Power Point strategy sessions: Lure back former residents, entice entrepreneurs and artists, convert blighted pockets into parkland.
What emerged was a sense of desperation over the difficulty of rebounding from both real problems -- declining populations, dwindling tax bases -- and perceived woes."
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Good luck. Luring bohemians and building more parks for the gangs to hang out in wouldn't be on my top five list for these cities. But that's the mindset that has driven these cities into the ground. They don't get the nature of their own situation. People don't particularly want to live in rust belt cities that have crime, horrible public schools, and a declining job base. What these cities need more than anything else is to restore some sense of safety, order, and civility on their streets. Then somebody will dare to open a business that isn't a drug dealership. They could tell the teachers' unions to take a hike and start cleaning up the public schools. Put the kids in uniforms, get serious about discipline, kick out the gang bangers and thugs, and teach to increase standardized test performance on reading and math.
I could go on, but the middle class families that formed the core of these cities in years past has been deserting them for a long time, and now there doesn't seem to be much support for any of the policies that would make the cities livable again. All the solutions involve real estate developers, business proprietors, people who don't want to be taxed to death, people who hate the idea of living on government assistance, parents who want their kids to be successful as individuals in a competitive economy, and other people Nancy Pelosi would probably call villains. Here is a parody that says it all.
The city representatives lunched on $6 sloppy Joes and commiserated through Power Point strategy sessions: Lure back former residents, entice entrepreneurs and artists, convert blighted pockets into parkland.
What emerged was a sense of desperation over the difficulty of rebounding from both real problems -- declining populations, dwindling tax bases -- and perceived woes."
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Good luck. Luring bohemians and building more parks for the gangs to hang out in wouldn't be on my top five list for these cities. But that's the mindset that has driven these cities into the ground. They don't get the nature of their own situation. People don't particularly want to live in rust belt cities that have crime, horrible public schools, and a declining job base. What these cities need more than anything else is to restore some sense of safety, order, and civility on their streets. Then somebody will dare to open a business that isn't a drug dealership. They could tell the teachers' unions to take a hike and start cleaning up the public schools. Put the kids in uniforms, get serious about discipline, kick out the gang bangers and thugs, and teach to increase standardized test performance on reading and math.
I could go on, but the middle class families that formed the core of these cities in years past has been deserting them for a long time, and now there doesn't seem to be much support for any of the policies that would make the cities livable again. All the solutions involve real estate developers, business proprietors, people who don't want to be taxed to death, people who hate the idea of living on government assistance, parents who want their kids to be successful as individuals in a competitive economy, and other people Nancy Pelosi would probably call villains. Here is a parody that says it all.
Accused nude doorbell ringer pleads not guilty - Yahoo! News
Accused nude doorbell ringer pleads not guilty - Yahoo! News: "REDWOOD CITY, Calif. – A man suspected of appearing nude at homes and ringing doorbells is being held on $60,000 bail after pleading not guilty to a series of charges. Peter Allen Steele, who is 6 feet 7 inches tall and weighs 250 pounds, entered his not guilty pleas Tuesday after being charged with seven counts, including driving under the influence, evading a peace officer, indecent exposure and entering a house without permission."
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Fred Pilot says, "this is why we need gated communities." :-)
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Fred Pilot says, "this is why we need gated communities." :-)
Eldo Telecom: Migration of boomers to Penturbia will boost small town broadband
Eldo Telecom: Migration of boomers to Penturbia will boost small town broadband: "The Daily Yonder has an interesting item in today's issue that lends credence to Jack Lessinger's prediction two decades ago that America is poised to enter its fifth major settlement pattern. This fifth era -- dubbed Penturbia by Lessinger in the title of his 1990 book on the topic -- will be marked by a shift away from metro areas and suburbs to less populated smaller towns outside of metro areas.
The Daily Yonder story cites a U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service forecast that the baby boomers -- a hugely populous demographic group -- will shun the burbs in favor of Lessinger's Penturbs. A big draw will be natural amenities, which a map accompanying the article shows are primarily in the western U.S.
This is also where the nation's telecommunications infrastructure is least likely to offer broadband and other advanced telecommunications services, services the boomers are likely to expect and demand but telcos and cable companies have found difficult to profitably provide there. An influx of boomers could change those economics. And where the providers won't upgrade or expand their infrastructures, look for the boomers to form telecom cooperatives and do the job themselves."
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So says blogger Fred Pilot.
The Daily Yonder story cites a U.S. Department of Agriculture Economic Research Service forecast that the baby boomers -- a hugely populous demographic group -- will shun the burbs in favor of Lessinger's Penturbs. A big draw will be natural amenities, which a map accompanying the article shows are primarily in the western U.S.
This is also where the nation's telecommunications infrastructure is least likely to offer broadband and other advanced telecommunications services, services the boomers are likely to expect and demand but telcos and cable companies have found difficult to profitably provide there. An influx of boomers could change those economics. And where the providers won't upgrade or expand their infrastructures, look for the boomers to form telecom cooperatives and do the job themselves."
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So says blogger Fred Pilot.
Kausfiles : Will You/Won't You Be on My "Death Panel"?
Kausfiles : Will You/Won't You Be on My "Death Panel"?: "THE PRESIDENT: So that's where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues. But that's also a huge driver of cost, right?
I mean, the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here.
LEONHARDT: So how do you - how do we deal with it?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think that there is going to have to be a conversation that is guided by doctors, scientists, ethicists. And then there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place. It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels. And that's part of why you have to have some independent group that can give you guidance. It's not determinative, but I think has to be able to give you some guidance. And that's part of what I suspect you'll see emerging out of the various health care conversations that are taking place on the Hill right now."
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And Mickey Kaus thinks calling that "independent group" a "death panel" (Sarah Palin's term) might not be such a stretch. The point, as Kaus puts it, is that "he's talking about a panel of independent experts making end-of-life recommendations in order to save costs that have an effect at an individual level."
And by "independent" he means people who don't care about your Mom--not her MD, not her family members, and not Mom herself. Right now, these decisions are largely made by the MD and the patient, with family input. But under Obama's plan, there would be a government panel making cost-benefit decisions about cases like this.
My Mom is 87 and has a chronic painful condition--osteoporosis of the spine. She just had an expensive surgical procedure done on her spine to relieve the pain of multiple stress fractures. As a result she is now back on her walker moving around. For how long? I don't know. Maybe not long. Is it worth the expense? You bet. And I don't like the idea of some "independent" people having the power to recommend denial of Medicare payment for that procedure on the basis that it isn't a good allocation of government resources, given her age and condition, so let her just take pain killers and lie in bed (until she gets pneumomia and dies). And I am completely convinced by everything Obama and others have said that this is exactly the kind of cost-benefit decision they want the government to make.
Clearly, many people are furious and terrified about this prospect. That doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that so many people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that this is what is being proposed. Obama has said over and over that he wants to do this. He just sugar-coats it with a lot of talk about "difficult choices," and then he fobs that whole mess off onto a mysterious panel of academic and governmental experts who will make "recommendations" about life and death.
It is no wonder people are blowing their tops at these meetings with their elected representatives.
I mean, the chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health care bill out here.
LEONHARDT: So how do you - how do we deal with it?
THE PRESIDENT: Well, I think that there is going to have to be a conversation that is guided by doctors, scientists, ethicists. And then there is going to have to be a very difficult democratic conversation that takes place. It is very difficult to imagine the country making those decisions just through the normal political channels. And that's part of why you have to have some independent group that can give you guidance. It's not determinative, but I think has to be able to give you some guidance. And that's part of what I suspect you'll see emerging out of the various health care conversations that are taking place on the Hill right now."
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And Mickey Kaus thinks calling that "independent group" a "death panel" (Sarah Palin's term) might not be such a stretch. The point, as Kaus puts it, is that "he's talking about a panel of independent experts making end-of-life recommendations in order to save costs that have an effect at an individual level."
And by "independent" he means people who don't care about your Mom--not her MD, not her family members, and not Mom herself. Right now, these decisions are largely made by the MD and the patient, with family input. But under Obama's plan, there would be a government panel making cost-benefit decisions about cases like this.
My Mom is 87 and has a chronic painful condition--osteoporosis of the spine. She just had an expensive surgical procedure done on her spine to relieve the pain of multiple stress fractures. As a result she is now back on her walker moving around. For how long? I don't know. Maybe not long. Is it worth the expense? You bet. And I don't like the idea of some "independent" people having the power to recommend denial of Medicare payment for that procedure on the basis that it isn't a good allocation of government resources, given her age and condition, so let her just take pain killers and lie in bed (until she gets pneumomia and dies). And I am completely convinced by everything Obama and others have said that this is exactly the kind of cost-benefit decision they want the government to make.
Clearly, many people are furious and terrified about this prospect. That doesn't surprise me. What does surprise me is that so many people stubbornly refuse to acknowledge that this is what is being proposed. Obama has said over and over that he wants to do this. He just sugar-coats it with a lot of talk about "difficult choices," and then he fobs that whole mess off onto a mysterious panel of academic and governmental experts who will make "recommendations" about life and death.
It is no wonder people are blowing their tops at these meetings with their elected representatives.
Foreclosures rise 7 percent in July from June - Yahoo! News
Foreclosures rise 7 percent in July from June - Yahoo! News: "The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes rose 7 percent from June to July, as the escalating foreclosure crisis continued to outpace government efforts to limit the damage.
Foreclosure filings were up 32 percent from the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday."
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This recession is starting to remind me of the late 1970s, when the economy wouldn't fully recover for years. Various economic indicators would point up, others would trend down, and things just kept sputtering along. Politicians would argue about what to do, but nobody really seemed to know.
Foreclosure filings were up 32 percent from the same month last year, RealtyTrac Inc. said Thursday."
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This recession is starting to remind me of the late 1970s, when the economy wouldn't fully recover for years. Various economic indicators would point up, others would trend down, and things just kept sputtering along. Politicians would argue about what to do, but nobody really seemed to know.
How about sporks?
Lynn bans BB guns, bats, clubs to increase school safety - The Boston Globe: "The City Council authorized police this week to arrest students who bring to school objects that could be used as weapons, officials said.
The ordinance, which passed Tuesday, expands the definition of a weapon to include items that are otherwise legal but could be used to inflict physical harm, said Police Chief Kevin F. Coppinger."
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They didn't "ban" these things. They made it a crime to bring anything to school that could be used as a weapon. There is a constitutional rule that says it is a denial of due process of law to draft a vague, overly-broad ordinance that could include just about anything, depending on how the police feel at the moment. Kind of like this one? How do you like this: "“We’re trying to be proactive,’’ Coppinger said. “We didn’t see an uptick in kids bringing weapons to school." He said police will make arrests depending on an individual’s actions, motivations, and circumstances.
Wednesday, August 12, 2009
Michigan Dems consider 2010 ballot proposals - Coldwater, MI - The Daily Reporter
State Dems consider 2010 ballot proposals - Coldwater, MI - The Daily Reporter: "The state Democratic Party (MDP) has raised eyebrows and drawn fire by suggesting some controversial ballot proposals for next year’s general elections.
With the heading of “Putting People First,” they listed them as such:
- Mandating all employers to provide affordable health care for their employees and dependents or pay a penalty.
- Raising the minimum wage from $7.40 per hour to $10 and covering all workers with no exceptions.
- Increasing unemployment benefits by $100/week, making all workers eligible and adding six months to the time one can receive benefits.
- Cutting utility rates by 20 percent.
- Imposing a one-year moratorium on home foreclosures."
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Wow. Michigan's economy is already just about the worst of all states. This ought to drive out the rest of the businesses.
With the heading of “Putting People First,” they listed them as such:
- Mandating all employers to provide affordable health care for their employees and dependents or pay a penalty.
- Raising the minimum wage from $7.40 per hour to $10 and covering all workers with no exceptions.
- Increasing unemployment benefits by $100/week, making all workers eligible and adding six months to the time one can receive benefits.
- Cutting utility rates by 20 percent.
- Imposing a one-year moratorium on home foreclosures."
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Wow. Michigan's economy is already just about the worst of all states. This ought to drive out the rest of the businesses.
Shut Yer Mouth: Man Gets 6 Months for Yawning | NBC New York
Shut Yer Mouth: Man Gets 6 Months for Yawning | NBC New York: "[Clifton} Williams, 33, attended his cousin's July hearing at Will County Courthouse in Joliet. His cousin, Jason Mayfield, pled guilty to a felony drug charge. As the judge sentenced Mayfield to two years probation, Williams let out a yawn, an involuntary faux pas in such a formal setting.
Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak thought the yawn was criminal and sentenced Williams to six months in jail, the maximum penalty for contempt of court without a jury trial. Rozak's order said that Williams 'raised his hands while at the same time making a loud yawning sound,' causing a disrespectful interruption in court."
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The article goes on to say that Judge Rozak is known for this sort of thing.
Circuit Judge Daniel Rozak thought the yawn was criminal and sentenced Williams to six months in jail, the maximum penalty for contempt of court without a jury trial. Rozak's order said that Williams 'raised his hands while at the same time making a loud yawning sound,' causing a disrespectful interruption in court."
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The article goes on to say that Judge Rozak is known for this sort of thing.
Obama Says Grandmother’s Hip Replacement Raises Cost Questions - Bloomberg.com
Obama Says Grandmother’s Hip Replacement Raises Cost Questions - Bloomberg.com: "Obama said “you just get into some very difficult moral issues” when considering whether “to give my grandmother, or everybody else’s aging grandparents or parents, a hip replacement when they’re terminally ill.
“That’s where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues,” he said in the April 14 interview. “The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health- care bill out here.”"
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That was Obama on April 14, 2008. In the previous sentence, he said, "“I would have paid out of pocket for that hip replacement just because she’s my grandmother.” So it is seems that he is questioning whether Medicare should pay for procedures like this. That's the only way it becomes a public policy issue. He made other similar statements. How far does he want to carry this cost-benefit principle in rationing health care to the elderly?
“That’s where I think you just get into some very difficult moral issues,” he said in the April 14 interview. “The chronically ill and those toward the end of their lives are accounting for potentially 80 percent of the total health- care bill out here.”"
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That was Obama on April 14, 2008. In the previous sentence, he said, "“I would have paid out of pocket for that hip replacement just because she’s my grandmother.” So it is seems that he is questioning whether Medicare should pay for procedures like this. That's the only way it becomes a public policy issue. He made other similar statements. How far does he want to carry this cost-benefit principle in rationing health care to the elderly?
Tuesday, August 11, 2009
Obama on public-private competition
Breitbart.tv » Obama: ‘It’s the Post Office That’s Always Having Problems’
Yes, it is. But how is that an argument for a "public option" in health care? The US Postal Service has a government-granted monopoly on delivering letters, and also has exclusive access to all citizen-owned mailboxes. Fedex and UPS are excluded from that gigantic market entirely and are restricted to delivering packages.
How would the Postal Service be doing without that monopoly, I wonder? If private businesses could compete to deliver mail, the way they arrange cell phone calls and internet service and deliver packages, what would happen to the US Postal Service?
And that's the example he chose to illustrate his claim that the public option in health care won't wipe out the private insurance industry--a market in which Congress has given a huge protected share of the market to its own government corporation, excluding all competition, and a market in which it is still true, as Obama says, the Postal Service "is always having problems."
Maybe we should all think about that for a minute in the context of Obama's health care proposal--because it seems that he hasn't.
Yes, it is. But how is that an argument for a "public option" in health care? The US Postal Service has a government-granted monopoly on delivering letters, and also has exclusive access to all citizen-owned mailboxes. Fedex and UPS are excluded from that gigantic market entirely and are restricted to delivering packages.
How would the Postal Service be doing without that monopoly, I wonder? If private businesses could compete to deliver mail, the way they arrange cell phone calls and internet service and deliver packages, what would happen to the US Postal Service?
And that's the example he chose to illustrate his claim that the public option in health care won't wipe out the private insurance industry--a market in which Congress has given a huge protected share of the market to its own government corporation, excluding all competition, and a market in which it is still true, as Obama says, the Postal Service "is always having problems."
Maybe we should all think about that for a minute in the context of Obama's health care proposal--because it seems that he hasn't.
Manhunt Underway After Home Invasion in Gated Community - KTLA
Manhunt Underway After Home Invasion in Gated Community - KTLA: "The robbery was reported shortly before 3 a.m. at a residence at an upscale gated community off Grand Avenue called 'The Country', according to Sgt. Bret Bodenstedt of the Los Angeles County Sheriff's Department.
A woman was home at the time of time of the robbery, along with her three children.
She was able to fight off her attacker, and she was transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries."
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Some of these places are less secure than others, it seems.
A woman was home at the time of time of the robbery, along with her three children.
She was able to fight off her attacker, and she was transported to a local hospital with non life-threatening injuries."
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Some of these places are less secure than others, it seems.
Monday, August 10, 2009
Lost in Translation: Clinton Says She, Not Bill, is the Secretary of State - Political Punch
Lost in Translation: Clinton Says She, Not Bill, is the Secretary of State - Political Punch
A Congolese student asked Hillary Clinton, through a translator, what President Obama thought of some trade deal between China and the Congo. The translator goofed and said "Mr. Clinton" instead of "Mr. Obama." Hillary Clinton then proceeded to vent her sarcastic spleen at the student (of the male persuasion) for the crime of asking her to "channel" her husband, saying, "My husband is not Secretary of State. I am." Watch the video to get the full pants-suited, 1970s-feminist snarkyness of her response.
But those who understood the original question as being about what Obama thought must have been puzzled by her response. Clinton started referring to "my husband," based on the translator's mistake, and that must have sent some people's brains spinning. They must think that (a) she is married to Barack Obama, and (b) she doesn't give a rip what he thinks about foreign policy.
ps: I think Hillary Clinton is doing a good job overall as Secretary of State, notwithstanding the prickly demeanor that cost her votes during the primary season.
_______________________________
A Congolese student asked Hillary Clinton, through a translator, what President Obama thought of some trade deal between China and the Congo. The translator goofed and said "Mr. Clinton" instead of "Mr. Obama." Hillary Clinton then proceeded to vent her sarcastic spleen at the student (of the male persuasion) for the crime of asking her to "channel" her husband, saying, "My husband is not Secretary of State. I am." Watch the video to get the full pants-suited, 1970s-feminist snarkyness of her response.
But those who understood the original question as being about what Obama thought must have been puzzled by her response. Clinton started referring to "my husband," based on the translator's mistake, and that must have sent some people's brains spinning. They must think that (a) she is married to Barack Obama, and (b) she doesn't give a rip what he thinks about foreign policy.
ps: I think Hillary Clinton is doing a good job overall as Secretary of State, notwithstanding the prickly demeanor that cost her votes during the primary season.
_______________________________
Brutalist Style » The Windy Pixel
Brutalist Style » The Windy Pixel: "Brutalism is a term used to describe a specific architectural style popular from the ’50s to the ’70s – you’ve probably seen many examples without knowing they constitute an an architectural movement. Brutalist buildings are typically made of poured concrete and are marked by their blocky, strong, rough appearance. Famous Chicago examples include the University of Chicago’s Regenstein Library and the inner campus of the University of Illinois at Chicago (the building that gets wider as it gets taller is called University Hall – see photo below). Both were designed by Walter Netsch (of Air Force Academy Cadet Chapel fame)."
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Brutalism is such great description of the UIC central campus. The photo shows University Hall (right next to my building, Behavioral Sciences) in some dramatic lighting conditions.
Shoreline Towers condo association plans to be a buyer in foreclosure market -- chicagotribune.com
Shoreline Towers condo association plans to be a buyer in foreclosure market -- chicagotribune.com: "At Shoreline Towers, a 378-unit building along the lake in the city's Edgewater neighborhood, where there's recently been an average of 12 to 14 foreclosures at any given time, board members are trying a new tack. If they receive the required 66 2/3 percent majority approval needed from owners, the association will buy up to eight foreclosed condos during the next two years and rent them as apartments until the housing market improves. Then they'll resell them."
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Condo association turning itself into landlord...thanks to Brian Flood of UIC's Public Affairs Office and Fred Pilot for this link.
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Condo association turning itself into landlord...thanks to Brian Flood of UIC's Public Affairs Office and Fred Pilot for this link.
YouTube - The Public Plan Deception - It's Not About Choice
YouTube - The Public Plan Deception - It's Not About Choice
This is a powerful video. I suppose everything was taken out of context, it's misleading, and so forth. But when you listen to Rep. Schakowsky, who is from the same Chicago machine as Obama, it's hard not to see what the agenda is here.
This is a powerful video. I suppose everything was taken out of context, it's misleading, and so forth. But when you listen to Rep. Schakowsky, who is from the same Chicago machine as Obama, it's hard not to see what the agenda is here.
Sunday, August 09, 2009
Iran to privatize northern oil exploration rights
Iran to privatize northern oil exploration rights: "The Iranian Privatization Organization has been given the rights to privatize 80 percent of the rights to explore oil in the country's northern sector and the Caspian Sea."
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I wonder what the Koran says about the ethics of privatization. The requirements for charitable giving, especially to "evkaf" or religious charitable institutions, are pretty demanding.
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I wonder what the Koran says about the ethics of privatization. The requirements for charitable giving, especially to "evkaf" or religious charitable institutions, are pretty demanding.
Neighborhood rules can trump solar power - UPI.com
Neighborhood rules can trump solar power - UPI.com: "WOODBURY, Minn., Aug. 9 (UPI) -- Folks in a Minnesota city say a homeowners association is blocking their plans to install solar-power panels purely because of the way they look.
The dispute was the topic of a recent planning commission meeting in the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury where neighborhood aesthetics were a big issue in the 'greening' of the community, about 70 percent of which is under the jurisdiction of a homeowners' association."
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Clotheslines, solar panels, water-saving landscaping, satellite dishes, pickup trucks, flags, signs, mezuzahs...don't these HOA directors have lives of their own to attend to?
The dispute was the topic of a recent planning commission meeting in the St. Paul suburb of Woodbury where neighborhood aesthetics were a big issue in the 'greening' of the community, about 70 percent of which is under the jurisdiction of a homeowners' association."
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Clotheslines, solar panels, water-saving landscaping, satellite dishes, pickup trucks, flags, signs, mezuzahs...don't these HOA directors have lives of their own to attend to?
Killer's Diary Shows Need to Patrol Web: Top News Stories at Officer.com
Killer's Diary Shows Need to Patrol Web: Top News Stories at Officer.com: "Two days after a gunman killed three people at a suburban Pittsburgh health club, local police said they are taking a closer look at monitoring the Internet."
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When you post something to the web, you are publicizing it, so I don't see this proposal as an invasion of privacy in the normal sense. It is like reading something you spray painted on a wall that could be seen by anybody who passed by. In Fourth Amendment terms it is what we call "plain view," meaning if police are in a place they have a right to be and see something that has value as evidence, it is usable with no warrant because it isn't really a search at all. This Sodini creep created a web page that was out there, but probably nobody saw it because (duh) he didn't have any friends who cared what he was doing.
On the other hand, this kind of police "monitoring" is a bit troubling because it could lead to a lot of frivolous investigations and reputational damage. People say things on the web that they don't mean and would never say but for the anonymity of the web. Many people take on a persona, give themselves a screen name, and talk like some character they made up. When it gets out of hand, moderators often step in, and that's that. But with the cops looking for potential future mass murderers, that kind of rhetoric takes on a different aspect. The anonymity of the web is illusory because a law enforcement officer can get access to identifying information by a number of means. And suddenly a person could be the subject of an investigation because of something he or she said as "Mr. Doomsday" or some such ridiculous moniker, and never meant at all. He puffs himself up to look like a tough guy, and a cop thinks he is a potential killer.
For example, I have seen posts here and elsewhere in which people say some pretty dire and threatening things about lawyers, property managers, and HOA/condo directors. I have even seen expressions of support for killer Richard Glassel who shot up his board meeting in Arizona, killing two people and wounding several others. He was sentenced to death in 2003.
I hope we don't end up with people getting targeted, investigated, interviewed, and even arrested, for venting their spleen on the web on the grounds that someday they might kill somebody.
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When you post something to the web, you are publicizing it, so I don't see this proposal as an invasion of privacy in the normal sense. It is like reading something you spray painted on a wall that could be seen by anybody who passed by. In Fourth Amendment terms it is what we call "plain view," meaning if police are in a place they have a right to be and see something that has value as evidence, it is usable with no warrant because it isn't really a search at all. This Sodini creep created a web page that was out there, but probably nobody saw it because (duh) he didn't have any friends who cared what he was doing.
On the other hand, this kind of police "monitoring" is a bit troubling because it could lead to a lot of frivolous investigations and reputational damage. People say things on the web that they don't mean and would never say but for the anonymity of the web. Many people take on a persona, give themselves a screen name, and talk like some character they made up. When it gets out of hand, moderators often step in, and that's that. But with the cops looking for potential future mass murderers, that kind of rhetoric takes on a different aspect. The anonymity of the web is illusory because a law enforcement officer can get access to identifying information by a number of means. And suddenly a person could be the subject of an investigation because of something he or she said as "Mr. Doomsday" or some such ridiculous moniker, and never meant at all. He puffs himself up to look like a tough guy, and a cop thinks he is a potential killer.
For example, I have seen posts here and elsewhere in which people say some pretty dire and threatening things about lawyers, property managers, and HOA/condo directors. I have even seen expressions of support for killer Richard Glassel who shot up his board meeting in Arizona, killing two people and wounding several others. He was sentenced to death in 2003.
I hope we don't end up with people getting targeted, investigated, interviewed, and even arrested, for venting their spleen on the web on the grounds that someday they might kill somebody.
Should we read between the lines?
'End-of-Life' Counseling Intensifies Health Care Debate - Political News - FOXNews.com: "'As the nation looks to ways to improve patient care and reduce costs of health care, end-of-life conversations should be considered, ' said the study's senior author, Holly Prigerson, a professor of psychiatry at Harvard Medical School.
'Policies that promote increased communication, such as incentives for end-of-life conversations, may be cost-effective ways to both improve care and reduce some of the rising health care expenditures.'
White House aides acknowledge it's a sensitive issue.
A quarter of all Medicare spending takes place in a patient's final year of life, and studies show most people facing a terminal illness or simply very old age prefer less medical intervention to more. That suggests the potential for savings."
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So we, the taxpayers, can achieve "savings" if somebody talks with "people facing a terminal illness or simply very old age" about their...options? I see three. One is getting expensive treatment, the other is not getting that treatment, and the third is drifting away on a drug cocktail, also known as "assisted suicide," as people are now doing in the Netherlands and other European nations. How far would this new approach to health care in the US go, I wonder?
'Policies that promote increased communication, such as incentives for end-of-life conversations, may be cost-effective ways to both improve care and reduce some of the rising health care expenditures.'
White House aides acknowledge it's a sensitive issue.
A quarter of all Medicare spending takes place in a patient's final year of life, and studies show most people facing a terminal illness or simply very old age prefer less medical intervention to more. That suggests the potential for savings."
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So we, the taxpayers, can achieve "savings" if somebody talks with "people facing a terminal illness or simply very old age" about their...options? I see three. One is getting expensive treatment, the other is not getting that treatment, and the third is drifting away on a drug cocktail, also known as "assisted suicide," as people are now doing in the Netherlands and other European nations. How far would this new approach to health care in the US go, I wonder?
Friday, August 07, 2009
U.S. Considers Remaking Mortgage Giants - washingtonpost.com
U.S. Considers Remaking Mortgage Giants - washingtonpost.com: "The bad debts the firms own would be placed in new government-backed financial institutions -- so-called bad banks -- that would take responsibility for collecting as much of the outstanding balance as possible. What would be left would be two healthy financial companies with a clean slate.
The moves would represent one of the most dramatic reorderings of the badly shattered housing finance system since District-based Fannie Mae was created by Congress to support mortgage lending during the Great Depression."
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Here we go again. Another grand scheme. And only today I heard President Obama expounding about how his policies had rescued the financial system from "the brink." But now another massive reform is called for.
The moves would represent one of the most dramatic reorderings of the badly shattered housing finance system since District-based Fannie Mae was created by Congress to support mortgage lending during the Great Depression."
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Here we go again. Another grand scheme. And only today I heard President Obama expounding about how his policies had rescued the financial system from "the brink." But now another massive reform is called for.
Breitbart.tv » Obama: ‘Don’t Want the Folks Who Created the Mess to Do a Lot of Talking’
Breitbart.tv » Obama: ‘Don’t Want the Folks Who Created the Mess to Do a Lot of Talking’
I can't remember an American President declaring that he doesn't want to hear from this or that interest group. And the other problem is that he acts like he is the only policy maker we have. He is just the President, not the entire national government. Congress makes the laws, and they should hear from everybody. When you consider how little interest Obama takes in the details of legislation, preferring to leave that to Congress, you'd think he would leave the issue of who has input to the people who will write the laws.
I can't remember an American President declaring that he doesn't want to hear from this or that interest group. And the other problem is that he acts like he is the only policy maker we have. He is just the President, not the entire national government. Congress makes the laws, and they should hear from everybody. When you consider how little interest Obama takes in the details of legislation, preferring to leave that to Congress, you'd think he would leave the issue of who has input to the people who will write the laws.
Breitbart.tv » AARP Organizers Cancel ‘Listening Session’ After Participants Refuse to ‘Keep Their Comments Quiet’
Breitbart.tv » AARP Organizers Cancel ‘Listening Session’ After Participants Refuse to ‘Keep Their Comments Quiet’
AARP will have to do some fast talking to get out of this PR disaster.
AARP will have to do some fast talking to get out of this PR disaster.
Privacy Act request to report health plan objections
Of Arms and the Law: Privacy Act request to report health plan objections: "The Administration has asked that anyone who gets an email or 'see[s] something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy' report it to flag@whitehouse.gov.
Evan Coyne Malone suggests the request may be illegal under the Privacy Act and the Dept of Justice's statement about its purpose.
As a recovering bureaucrat, I can point to a much, much, bigger illegality under that Act.
5 US Code §552a(e)(7) commands that any Federal agency
'(7) maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity;'"
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So say two conservative bloggers. Whether or not it is illegal, this White House request is outrageous, and if Bush had done it the press would have gone ballistic.
Evan Coyne Malone suggests the request may be illegal under the Privacy Act and the Dept of Justice's statement about its purpose.
As a recovering bureaucrat, I can point to a much, much, bigger illegality under that Act.
5 US Code §552a(e)(7) commands that any Federal agency
'(7) maintain no record describing how any individual exercises rights guaranteed by the First Amendment unless expressly authorized by statute or by the individual about whom the record is maintained or unless pertinent to and within the scope of an authorized law enforcement activity;'"
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So say two conservative bloggers. Whether or not it is illegal, this White House request is outrageous, and if Bush had done it the press would have gone ballistic.
Breitbart.tv » UFO Appears Behind Broadcaster During BBC Program
Breitbart.tv » UFO Appears Behind Broadcaster During BBC Program Pretty strange--send for Mulder and Scully!
Thursday, August 06, 2009
Final report of U. of I. admissions panel -- chicagotribune.com
Final report of U. of I. admissions panel -- chicagotribune.com
Here's the report on this entire sordid situation. What a disgrace to the University of Illinois. And it's all at the top.
Here's the report on this entire sordid situation. What a disgrace to the University of Illinois. And it's all at the top.
Refrigerator Recycling Programs Take Off - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com
Refrigerator Recycling Programs Take Off - Green Inc. Blog - NYTimes.com: "Programs that allow homeowners to trade in their old refrigerators and scoop up a rebate — a sort of “cash for clunkers” system for the fridge — are spreading quickly across the country."
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Why not just cut straight to "the guvmint will buy all your old stuff," and have one big national yard sale where the feds drive up the street and give us cash on the barrel head for all our outdated cars, appliances, and furniture? Then we can replace it all with "green" stuff.
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Why not just cut straight to "the guvmint will buy all your old stuff," and have one big national yard sale where the feds drive up the street and give us cash on the barrel head for all our outdated cars, appliances, and furniture? Then we can replace it all with "green" stuff.
Edwards' ex-mistress appears at federal courthouse :: WRAL.com
Edwards' ex-mistress appears at federal courthouse :: WRAL.com: "Raleigh, N.C. — Rielle Hunter, John Edwards' former mistress, went inside the federal courthouse in Raleigh Thursday morning. A grand jury is meeting in the courthouse."
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Edward is under investigation for possible misuse of his campaign funds to support his mistress. While married. To a woman with cancer. And this creep came very close to being Vice President of the United States.
But let's talk some more about Sarah Palin.
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Edward is under investigation for possible misuse of his campaign funds to support his mistress. While married. To a woman with cancer. And this creep came very close to being Vice President of the United States.
But let's talk some more about Sarah Palin.
Fannie Mae seeks $10.7B in US aid after 2Q loss - Yahoo! Finance
Fannie Mae seeks $10.7B in US aid after 2Q loss - Yahoo! Finance: "The mortgage finance company, seized by federal regulators last September, posted a second-quarter loss of $15.2 billion, or $2.67 per share, including $411 million in dividend payouts. That compares with a loss of $2.6 billion, or $2.54 per share, in the year-ago period.
The government, which seized control of Fannie Mae and its sibling Freddie Mac last September, has already spent about $85 billion to prop up the two companies."
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How does this sound? "We are dependent on the continued support of the Treasury in order to continue operating our business." Thus spake Fannie Mae.
The government, which seized control of Fannie Mae and its sibling Freddie Mac last September, has already spent about $85 billion to prop up the two companies."
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How does this sound? "We are dependent on the continued support of the Treasury in order to continue operating our business." Thus spake Fannie Mae.
Homeowners Associations Win Foreclosure Court Battle - cbs4.com
Homeowners Associations Win Foreclosure Court Battle - cbs4.com: "Revenues have fallen off a cliff as homeowners, many in foreclosure, are choosing not to pay their bills. In May The Oaks in Miami Gardens began using a new legal strategy presented by the Associated Law Group. The attorneys proposed to go after landlords who were collecting rents but not paying their association dues.
Instead of rent payments going to the landlord, the court appoints a receiver to collect that rent. The receiver then pays the association what's owed.
What's new about this maneuver though is the judge isn't doing this on a case by case basis. The receiver is appointed to collect for any rental unit in foreclosure in the entire building."
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And it seems that the Third District Court of Appeals approves of this method. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
Instead of rent payments going to the landlord, the court appoints a receiver to collect that rent. The receiver then pays the association what's owed.
What's new about this maneuver though is the judge isn't doing this on a case by case basis. The receiver is appointed to collect for any rental unit in foreclosure in the entire building."
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And it seems that the Third District Court of Appeals approves of this method. Thanks to Fred Pilot for the link.
No More Perks: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users - WSJ.com
No More Perks: Coffee Shops Pull the Plug on Laptop Users - WSJ.com: "Amid the economic downturn, there are fewer places in New York to plug in computers. As idle workers fill coffee-shop tables -- nursing a single cup, if that, and surfing the Web for hours -- and as shop owners struggle to stay in business, a decade-old love affair between coffee shops and laptop-wielding customers is fading. In some places, customers just get cold looks, but in a growing number of small coffee shops, firm restrictions on laptop use have been imposed and electric outlets have been locked."
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These folks are driving away the paying customers. Some of them even talk to themselves and chuckle strangely at odd intervals. Mom's basement needs Wi-Fi.
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These folks are driving away the paying customers. Some of them even talk to themselves and chuckle strangely at odd intervals. Mom's basement needs Wi-Fi.
The "next phase of the housing decline"
About half of U.S. mortgages seen underwater by 2011 - Yahoo! News: "NEW YORK (Reuters) – The percentage of U.S. homeowners who owe more than their house is worth will nearly double to 48 percent in 2011 from 26 percent at the end of March, portending another blow to the housing market, Deutsche Bank said on Wednesday.
Home price declines will have their biggest impact on prime 'conforming' loans that meet underwriting and size guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the bank said in a report. Prime conforming loans make up two-thirds of mortgages, and are typically less risky because of stringent requirements."
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This is just about the last thing I needed to read.
Home price declines will have their biggest impact on prime 'conforming' loans that meet underwriting and size guidelines of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the bank said in a report. Prime conforming loans make up two-thirds of mortgages, and are typically less risky because of stringent requirements."
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This is just about the last thing I needed to read.
Wednesday, August 05, 2009
Rat out your friends to the White House if they don't want government health care!
The White House - Blog Post - Facts Are Stubborn Things: "There is a lot of disinformation about health insurance reform out there, spanning from control of personal finances to end of life care. These rumors often travel just below the surface via chain emails or through casual conversation. Since we can’t keep track of all of them here at the White House, we’re asking for your help. If you get an email or see something on the web about health insurance reform that seems fishy, send it to flag@whitehouse.gov."
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That's what Linda Douglass wants you to do. She is one of the former journalists now flacking for Obama, and her role is to do PR for the health care reform.
So go start some "casual conversations" and scour the web, and see if you can ferret out the people who are a little "fishy."
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That's what Linda Douglass wants you to do. She is one of the former journalists now flacking for Obama, and her role is to do PR for the health care reform.
So go start some "casual conversations" and scour the web, and see if you can ferret out the people who are a little "fishy."
Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county - Yahoo! News
Guard troops may be needed in troubled Ala. county - Yahoo! News: "BIRMINGHAM, Ala. – The sheriff in Alabama's most populous county may call for the National Guard to help maintain order, a spokesman said Tuesday, after a judge cleared the way for cuts in the sheriff's budget and hopes dimmed for a quick end to a budget crisis.
Circuit Judge Joseph L. Boohaker ruled that leaders in Jefferson County — now trying to head off a municipal bankruptcy filing of historic proportions — could go ahead with plans to slash $4.1 million from the budget of Sheriff Mike Hale, who had filed a lawsuit that temporarily blocked spending cuts for his office."
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And so the idea of having to defend your own home may be coming back into fashion.
Circuit Judge Joseph L. Boohaker ruled that leaders in Jefferson County — now trying to head off a municipal bankruptcy filing of historic proportions — could go ahead with plans to slash $4.1 million from the budget of Sheriff Mike Hale, who had filed a lawsuit that temporarily blocked spending cuts for his office."
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And so the idea of having to defend your own home may be coming back into fashion.
Tuesday, August 04, 2009
California Father Refuses to Take Down Tattered U.S. Flag - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com
California Father Refuses to Take Down Tattered U.S. Flag - Local News | News Articles | National News | US News - FOXNews.com: "A California dad is refusing to take down the tattered and torn American flag that's been flying on his lawn in Fresno for almost a year, despite complaints from neighbors on his military-heavy block and from a national veterans group that says he's mistreating the Stars and Stripes."
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He told his son he would fly this flag until he returns from Iraq. This is a great example of how emotions sometimes lead people to use their property for expressive purposes that run afoul of the aesthetic standards prevalent in their neighborhoods. With an HOA you get an immediate crackdown more often than not, but with a city there is usually some reluctance to leap right in with an enforcement action.
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He told his son he would fly this flag until he returns from Iraq. This is a great example of how emotions sometimes lead people to use their property for expressive purposes that run afoul of the aesthetic standards prevalent in their neighborhoods. With an HOA you get an immediate crackdown more often than not, but with a city there is usually some reluctance to leap right in with an enforcement action.
American Thinker: The Myth of the Expert
American Thinker: The Myth of the Expert: "As we struggle out of the mess created by the affordable housing experts, we get to watch the president and Congress try to convert the plans of their health and climate experts into legislation. They want to control health care with a panel of experts, and they are trying to control the earth's climate with an energy tax gussied up by experts to look like a market in carbon emission permits. Meanwhile their previous expert-led projects in education and welfare sink further and further into failure."
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Interesting conservative perspective on the link between big science and big government.
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Interesting conservative perspective on the link between big science and big government.
Monday, August 03, 2009
High-End Homes Frozen Out of Budding Housing Rebound - WSJ.com
High-End Homes Frozen Out of Budding Housing Rebound - WSJ.com: "KENILWORTH, Ill. -- Housing is fast dividing into two markets: Sales of low- and moderately priced homes are picking up and values have stopped falling in some parts of the nation. But on the upper end, sales remain mired in a deep slump and price declines are expected to accelerate."
Friday, July 31, 2009
The Volokh Conspiracy - A Tax Break for Trial Lawyers?
The Volokh Conspiracy - A Tax Break for Trial Lawyers?: "Walter Olson notes that some folks in Congress are pushing a tax break for trial lawyers. Specifically, the proposal would enable plaintiffs' lawyers to deduct loans to clients to cover litigation expenses as made, rather than at the conclusion of the litigation. The estimated value of the tax code revision is $1.6 billion."
Rudy: 'Shut Up' - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com
Rudy: 'Shut Up' - Ben Smith - POLITICO.com: "Rudy Giuliani, who has returned as a leading Republican spokesman, condemned Obama's health care plan in an interview with Sean Hannity.
He also offered, in response to the president's hope that the Gates arrest would be a 'teachable moment,' this:
'He's actually right. It is teachable. Here's the lesson: Shut up.'"
He also offered, in response to the president's hope that the Gates arrest would be a 'teachable moment,' this:
'He's actually right. It is teachable. Here's the lesson: Shut up.'"
California's default rate soars to 9.5% - Los Angeles Times
California's default rate soars to 9.5% - Los Angeles Times: "About 1 in 10 Californians with a home loan is now in default, and there's growing evidence that the mortgage meltdown is spreading to commercial real estate.
The home mortgage delinquency rate -- the percentage of borrowers who have missed several payments and are in the first stage of foreclosure -- climbed in June to 9.5% in California and 9.9% in Los Angeles County, according to First American CoreLogic."
The home mortgage delinquency rate -- the percentage of borrowers who have missed several payments and are in the first stage of foreclosure -- climbed in June to 9.5% in California and 9.9% in Los Angeles County, according to First American CoreLogic."
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