"New York Times best-selling author Brad Thor publicly challenged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a debate on Thursday, vowing to donate $100,000 to Young America’s Foundation if the billionaire accepts the challenge."Friday, August 28, 2015
Best-Selling Author Brad Thor Hits Donald Trump With $100K Debate Challenge — Here’s Who He Wants to Moderate | TheBlaze.com
Best-Selling Author Brad Thor Hits Donald Trump With $100K Debate Challenge — Here’s Who He Wants to Moderate | TheBlaze.com:
"New York Times best-selling author Brad Thor publicly challenged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a debate on Thursday, vowing to donate $100,000 to Young America’s Foundation if the billionaire accepts the challenge."
"New York Times best-selling author Brad Thor publicly challenged Republican presidential candidate Donald Trump to a debate on Thursday, vowing to donate $100,000 to Young America’s Foundation if the billionaire accepts the challenge."
Atheists Want Stickers Off Cop Cars But Sheriff Has 8 BRUTAL Words For Them
Atheists Want Stickers Off Cop Cars But Sheriff Has 8 BRUTAL Words For Them:
"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson immediately remove the decals from the car, but it doesn’t seem that he’s budging on the matter. In fact, his 8 word reply was crystal clear, as he’s most recently responded to their initial letter by saying,"
"The Freedom From Religion Foundation has demanded that Walton County Sheriff Michael Adkinson immediately remove the decals from the car, but it doesn’t seem that he’s budging on the matter. In fact, his 8 word reply was crystal clear, as he’s most recently responded to their initial letter by saying,"Why I Left Greenpeace
Why I Left Greenpeace - Prager University:
"Course Description
Patrick Moore explains why he helped to create Greenpeace, and why he decided to leave it.
What began as a mission to improve the environment for the sake of humanity became a political movement in which humanity became the villain and hard science a non-issue."
"Course Description
Patrick Moore explains why he helped to create Greenpeace, and why he decided to leave it.
What began as a mission to improve the environment for the sake of humanity became a political movement in which humanity became the villain and hard science a non-issue."
Oil’s Down, Gasoline Isn’t. What’s Up?
Oil’s Down, Gasoline Isn’t. What’s Up? | Somewhat Reasonable:
A little more than a year ago, oil prices were above $100 a barrel.
The national average for gasoline was in the $3.50 range.
In late spring, oil was $60ish and the national average for gas was around $2.70.
The price of a barrel of oil has plunged to $40 and below—yet, prices at the pump are just slightly less than they were when oil was almost double what it is today.
Oil and gasoline prices usually travel up or down in sync.
But a few weeks ago the trend lines crossed and oil continued the sharp decline while gasoline has stayed steady—even increasing.
Oil’s down, gasoline isn’t.
Consumers are wondering: “What’s up?”
...The short explanation is “refineries”—but there’s more to that and some other components, too.
Within the U.S. exists approximately 20 percent of the world’s refining capacity.
...But due, in large part, to an anti-fossil fuel attitude, it is virtually impossible to get a new refinery permitted in America.
Most refineries today are old—the newest major one was completed in 1977.
Most are at least 40 years old and some are more than 100.
Despite signs of aging, refining capacity has continued to grow.
Instead of producing at 70 percent capacity, as they were as little as a decade ago, most now run at 90 percent.
They’ve become Rube Goldberg contraptions that have been modified, added on to, and upgraded. The system is strained.
...While there’s some other contributing factors, the current mix of supply and demand explains: “what’s up?”
The lack of new refineries punishes the whole system.
Gasoline prices are up—hurting consumers.
Crude prices are down—hurting producers.
A little more than a year ago, oil prices were above $100 a barrel.
The national average for gasoline was in the $3.50 range.
In late spring, oil was $60ish and the national average for gas was around $2.70.
The price of a barrel of oil has plunged to $40 and below—yet, prices at the pump are just slightly less than they were when oil was almost double what it is today.
Oil and gasoline prices usually travel up or down in sync.
But a few weeks ago the trend lines crossed and oil continued the sharp decline while gasoline has stayed steady—even increasing.
Consumers are wondering: “What’s up?”
...The short explanation is “refineries”—but there’s more to that and some other components, too.
Within the U.S. exists approximately 20 percent of the world’s refining capacity.
...But due, in large part, to an anti-fossil fuel attitude, it is virtually impossible to get a new refinery permitted in America.
Most refineries today are old—the newest major one was completed in 1977.
Most are at least 40 years old and some are more than 100.
Despite signs of aging, refining capacity has continued to grow.
Instead of producing at 70 percent capacity, as they were as little as a decade ago, most now run at 90 percent.
They’ve become Rube Goldberg contraptions that have been modified, added on to, and upgraded. The system is strained.
...While there’s some other contributing factors, the current mix of supply and demand explains: “what’s up?”
The lack of new refineries punishes the whole system.
Gasoline prices are up—hurting consumers.
Crude prices are down—hurting producers.
Insanity!!-----The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act
The Food and Drug Administration and the Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act | Mercatus:
It has become such a cliché that the civics class rendition of how a bill becomes law bears only superficial resemblance to real legislative practice that even Saturday Night Live is in on the joke (after you’ve watched that clip, see our executive orders chart).
The lawmaking process does not end with the president’s signature, contrary to the tidy story presented in civics books.
Instead, the passage of the law might well be considered the foundation, not the end of lawmaking.
It has become such a cliché that the civics class rendition of how a bill becomes law bears only superficial resemblance to real legislative practice that even Saturday Night Live is in on the joke (after you’ve watched that clip, see our executive orders chart).
The lawmaking process does not end with the president’s signature, contrary to the tidy story presented in civics books.
Instead, the passage of the law might well be considered the foundation, not the end of lawmaking.
The Federal Food, Drug, and Cosmetic Act (FDCA) vividly demonstrates the point.
The FDCA, which President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law in 1938, revamped the legal authority for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
...The (1938) FDCA itself was 19 pages long and contained about 11,700 words, as printed in the United States Statues at Large.
In the 2014 edition of the CFR, the regulations associated with the FDCA comprised about 2,180,000 words.
The FDCA, which President Franklin Roosevelt signed into law in 1938, revamped the legal authority for the Food and Drug Administration (FDA).
In the nearly 80 years since, the FDA has built on the foundation of the FDCA and its amendments a tower of regulations, each of which has the force of law.
With RegData, we can size up this accumulation of regulatory law.
RegData counts the number of words and individual regulatory restrictions—words and phrases that identify a specific mandatory or prohibited activity—in each part-level division of the Code of Federal Regulations (CFR). ...The (1938) FDCA itself was 19 pages long and contained about 11,700 words, as printed in the United States Statues at Large.
In the 2014 edition of the CFR, the regulations associated with the FDCA comprised about 2,180,000 words.
About 130,000 new words were added in the previous ten years..."
Obama Sends Message to Congress About Possibility of Government Shutdown Over ‘Ideological Demands’ | TheBlaze.com
Obama Sends Message to Congress About Possibility of Government Shutdown Over ‘Ideological Demands’ | TheBlaze.com:"President Barack Obama warned Republicans in Congress against threatening a government shutdown after returning from their break in September – at which point they will have a month to pass a new federal budget.
“Let’s not introduce unrelated partisan issues,” Obama said Thursday in New Orleans, where he spoke to commemorate the 10th anniversary of Hurricane Katrina. “Nobody gets to hold the American economy hostage over their own ideological demands.”
Mexico warns Texas not to refuse its immigrants' babies U.S. birth certificates
Mexico warns Texas not to refuse its immigrants' babies U.S. birth certificates | Fox News Latino
"The Mexican government is warning that Texas’ denial of birth certificates for U.S. children born here to undocumented immigrants stands to imperil the relationship between Mexico and the Lone Star State.
The concern was raised in an amicus brief filed Monday evening to lend support to immigrants parents who sued Texas after being denied birth certificates for their U.S.-born children, even after showing their “matrÃculas,” the ID cards issued by the Mexican consulate to undocumented immigrants.
Mexico says the practice stands in stark contrast to the historical practice among countries to accept passports or other forms of ID to issue birth certificates.
[It] not only jeopardizes their dignity and well-being, but could threaten the unique relationship between Mexico and Texas, the Mexican government said in a brief tied to a lawsuit filed against the state by Texas Civil Rights Project and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid..."
The concern was raised in an amicus brief filed Monday evening to lend support to immigrants parents who sued Texas after being denied birth certificates for their U.S.-born children, even after showing their “matrÃculas,” the ID cards issued by the Mexican consulate to undocumented immigrants.
Mexico says the practice stands in stark contrast to the historical practice among countries to accept passports or other forms of ID to issue birth certificates.
[It] not only jeopardizes their dignity and well-being, but could threaten the unique relationship between Mexico and Texas, the Mexican government said in a brief tied to a lawsuit filed against the state by Texas Civil Rights Project and Texas Rio Grande Legal Aid..."
Texas Top Destination for Migrating Taxpayers in 2013, New York Biggest Loser
Texas Top Destination for Migrating Taxpayers in 2013, New York Biggest Loser:
"Texas was the top destination for American taxpayers on the move between 2012 and 2013, with 152,477 people moving to the Lone Star State from other parts of the country.
Texas’ in-country migrants accounted for “more than half of the net migration into the South,” according to a report released last week by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In contrast, New York lost the largest number of taxpayers during that same time period, with 113,861 taxpaying residents leaving the Empire State.
“New York made up more than half of the net loss from the Northeast,” the IRS reported, noting that the “data do not represent the full U.S. population because many individuals are not required to file an individual income tax return.”"
Texas’ in-country migrants accounted for “more than half of the net migration into the South,” according to a report released last week by the Internal Revenue Service (IRS).
In contrast, New York lost the largest number of taxpayers during that same time period, with 113,861 taxpaying residents leaving the Empire State.
“New York made up more than half of the net loss from the Northeast,” the IRS reported, noting that the “data do not represent the full U.S. population because many individuals are not required to file an individual income tax return.”"
California pizza shop tries to sell a 'living wage pizza' and learns a tough economics lesson
California pizza shop tries to sell a 'living wage pizza' and learns a tough economics lesson - Red Alert Politics
Liberals love the idea of the minimum wage and a “living wage”…at least until it hits their bottom line.
Lanesplitter Pizza & Pub in Emeryville, California is learning that economics lesson the hard way.
Cities up and down California have been considering hiking up their minimum wage so Vic Gumper, the owner of Lanesplitter, decided to get ahead of the curve and do it on his own.
Rather than just raise the minimum wage for his employees, he decided to do it in the form of creating a “living wage pizza.”
This business model means that all workers now earn $15 to $25 an hour as part of an experimental business model that also did away with gratuities and raised prices, making meals at all five locations “sustainably served, really … no tips necessary,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
“This movement, it’s going on everywhere,” Gumper told the paper.
“We just decided to manage the situation and get to a place where we can sustain it.”
But while patrons have applauded the move verbally, they haven’t put their money where their mouth is.
The “living wage pizza” costs more than $30 and people haven’t been too keen on paying for it.
Gumper has seen a 25% drop in sales since April and has had to eliminate lunch hours at a few of his locations, according to the L.A. Times.
“The necessity of paying people a living wage in the Bay Area is clear, so it’s hard to argue against it, and it’s something I’m really proud to be able to try doing,” he said.
“At the same time, I’m terrified of going out of business after 18 years.”
Liberals love the idea of the minimum wage and a “living wage”…at least until it hits their bottom line.
Lanesplitter Pizza & Pub in Emeryville, California is learning that economics lesson the hard way.
Cities up and down California have been considering hiking up their minimum wage so Vic Gumper, the owner of Lanesplitter, decided to get ahead of the curve and do it on his own.
This business model means that all workers now earn $15 to $25 an hour as part of an experimental business model that also did away with gratuities and raised prices, making meals at all five locations “sustainably served, really … no tips necessary,” the Los Angeles Times reported.
“This movement, it’s going on everywhere,” Gumper told the paper.
“We just decided to manage the situation and get to a place where we can sustain it.”
But while patrons have applauded the move verbally, they haven’t put their money where their mouth is.
The “living wage pizza” costs more than $30 and people haven’t been too keen on paying for it.
Gumper has seen a 25% drop in sales since April and has had to eliminate lunch hours at a few of his locations, according to the L.A. Times.
“The necessity of paying people a living wage in the Bay Area is clear, so it’s hard to argue against it, and it’s something I’m really proud to be able to try doing,” he said.
“At the same time, I’m terrified of going out of business after 18 years.”
Former Clinton Advisor Makes Big Admission About His Hillary Email Scandal Claim, Reveals Why There Is ‘Sheer Panic’ Among Democrats | Video | TheBlaze.com
Former Clinton Advisor Makes Big Admission About His Hillary Email Scandal Claim, Reveals Why There Is ‘Sheer Panic’ Among Democrats | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"Former Bill Clinton advisor Douglas Schoen admitted on Fox News Thursday that he was “wrong” in his assertion that Hillary Clinton’s email scandal would eventually go away."
"Former Bill Clinton advisor Douglas Schoen admitted on Fox News Thursday that he was “wrong” in his assertion that Hillary Clinton’s email scandal would eventually go away."Univ. of Colorado sexual misconduct policy: Students who don’t consent are ‘not required to resist’
Univ. of Colorado sexual misconduct policy: Students who don’t consent are ‘not required to resist’ - The College Fix:
"CU officials refuse to respond to questions on vagueness of new policy
The University of Colorado’s recently updated sexual misconduct policy – which spells out how administrators define and adjudicate assault and rape claims – states that students who do not consent to a sexual encounter are “not required to resist.”
“A person who does not want to consent to sex is not required to resist,” states the system’s new “affirmative consent” policy, approved this summer.
“Consent will be determined using both objective and subjective standards,” it states, adding: “Consent to sexual activity may be withdrawn at any time, as long as the withdrawal is communicated clearly.”
The policy does not list examples or anecdotes that spell out how a student might “subjectively” withdraw their consent, especially when they are “not required to resist.”
What’s more, “silence by itself cannot be interpreted as consent,” the policy states.
University of Colorado officials did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls this week from The College Fix seeking an explanation for the contradictory nature of the clauses or to give examples of how a student may withdraw their consent without resisting or speaking.
"CU officials refuse to respond to questions on vagueness of new policy
“A person who does not want to consent to sex is not required to resist,” states the system’s new “affirmative consent” policy, approved this summer.
“Consent will be determined using both objective and subjective standards,” it states, adding: “Consent to sexual activity may be withdrawn at any time, as long as the withdrawal is communicated clearly.”
The policy does not list examples or anecdotes that spell out how a student might “subjectively” withdraw their consent, especially when they are “not required to resist.”
What’s more, “silence by itself cannot be interpreted as consent,” the policy states.
University of Colorado officials did not respond to multiple emails and phone calls this week from The College Fix seeking an explanation for the contradictory nature of the clauses or to give examples of how a student may withdraw their consent without resisting or speaking.
32 Million U.S. Adults are "Functionally Illiterate"... What Does That Even Mean?
32 Million U.S. Adults are "Functionally Illiterate"... What Does That Even Mean? | Intellectual Takeout:
"In a few of our blog posts we’ve mentioned the statistic that 32 million (1 in 7) adults in the U.S. are considered “functionally illiterate.”
...The most frequently referenced definition of “functional literacy” is from UNESCO’s conference in 1978:
“A person is functionally literate who can engage in all those activities in which literacy is required for effective functioning of his group and community and also for enabling him to continue to use reading, writing and calculation for his own and the community’s development.”
The UNESCO definition implies that a functionally literate person possesses a literacy level that equips him or her to flourish in society.
A functionally illiterate person, on the other hand, may be able to perform very basic reading and writing, but cannot do so at the level required for many societal activities and jobs.
...Last year, a CNN article also pointed out that there are many college athletes are functionally illiterate. Indeed, it’s been estimated that 19% of high school graduates fall into that category.
...Major U.S. corporations such as Ford and Motorola have sponsored remedial reading programs to bring their employees up to a functional level of literacy.”
...According to the findings of the survey, 14% (1 in 7) of adults fell into the category of “Below Basic” in “Prose Literacy,” meaning that they possess “no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills.”
Those who fall into this category are deemed “functionally illiterate...”
"In a few of our blog posts we’ve mentioned the statistic that 32 million (1 in 7) adults in the U.S. are considered “functionally illiterate.”
...The most frequently referenced definition of “functional literacy” is from UNESCO’s conference in 1978:
The UNESCO definition implies that a functionally literate person possesses a literacy level that equips him or her to flourish in society.
A functionally illiterate person, on the other hand, may be able to perform very basic reading and writing, but cannot do so at the level required for many societal activities and jobs.
...Last year, a CNN article also pointed out that there are many college athletes are functionally illiterate. Indeed, it’s been estimated that 19% of high school graduates fall into that category.
...Major U.S. corporations such as Ford and Motorola have sponsored remedial reading programs to bring their employees up to a functional level of literacy.”
...According to the findings of the survey, 14% (1 in 7) of adults fell into the category of “Below Basic” in “Prose Literacy,” meaning that they possess “no more than the most simple and concrete literacy skills.”
Those who fall into this category are deemed “functionally illiterate...”
School threatens student with expulsion over Confederate flag ‘gang symbol’
School threatens student with expulsion over Confederate flag ‘gang symbol’ - EAGnews.org
"WILDER, Idaho – School officials in Idaho claim the Confederate flag is considered a gang symbol and threatened a student with expulsion for driving to school with one waiving from his pick-up.
But the local gang task force told the media it has no idea how school officials equated the Confederate flag to gangs, and forcing someone to remove it could be against their rights.
...School officials told Beattie the Confederate flag is banned on campus because it’s considered a gang symbol, and forced him to remove the flag while at school or face possible expulsion, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“We asked him to take it down during the time when he was on COSSA property,” Agency CEO Harold Nevill told the news site.
“We weren’t saying he was a gang member. … The (COSSA) board has said anything that’s gang related, if it’s called out by the Caldwell street-crimes unit, is something they’re not going to allow on school property.”
But Caldwell Police Department Capt. Frank Wyant – who is ultimately responsible for the department’s gang unit – told the media “we don’t look at the Confederate flag as a gang symbol...”
But the local gang task force told the media it has no idea how school officials equated the Confederate flag to gangs, and forcing someone to remove it could be against their rights.
...School officials told Beattie the Confederate flag is banned on campus because it’s considered a gang symbol, and forced him to remove the flag while at school or face possible expulsion, according to the Idaho Statesman.
“We weren’t saying he was a gang member. … The (COSSA) board has said anything that’s gang related, if it’s called out by the Caldwell street-crimes unit, is something they’re not going to allow on school property.”
But Caldwell Police Department Capt. Frank Wyant – who is ultimately responsible for the department’s gang unit – told the media “we don’t look at the Confederate flag as a gang symbol...”
Curt Schilling Tweets A Warning About Radical Islam, And ESPN Yanks Him Off Their Little League World Series Broadcasts | John Hawkins' Right Wing News
Curt Schilling Tweets A Warning About Radical Islam, And ESPN Yanks Him Off Their Little League World Series Broadcasts | John Hawkins' Right Wing News:
"Has anybody else noticed how painfully stupid and ridiculous a network ESPN has become? If you haven’t, here’s an example."
"Has anybody else noticed how painfully stupid and ridiculous a network ESPN has become? If you haven’t, here’s an example."
D.C. Police Chief And Mayor Say High Capacity Mags Responsible For Murder Spike
D.C. Police Chief And Mayor Say High Capacity Mags Responsible For Murder Spike
Washington D.C. has reached record high murder rates and thrown the city into crisis mode.
The Mayor of D.C, Muriel Bowser, and the Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, have made some outrageous claims as to what the cause of the murder spike is .
They say that it is the “high capacity” that is to blame for the cause.
“Guns continue to make their way into the hands of violent criminals,” said Bowser.
“Unfortunately some of those guns have high-capacity magazines that inflict maximum harm. Multiple of our cases have high-capacity magazines and multiple rounds fired making the shots more lethal,” said Chief Lanier.
...A big problem with the claim given by Lanier is that on the current forms used by the police when they get property in a crime there is no section for magazine size.
They have a section for brand, style, and even how many rounds are left in the gun seized. However, there is no area on any of the current forms for how many rounds in total that the magazine holds.
“Information is power, so if I don’t have anything to compare it against, I have to accept what you tell me,” said Sgt. Delroy Burton, chairman of the D.C. Police Union.
“I think it’s incumbent upon the citizens of the District to put pressure on their elected officials and the mayor’s office and force them to provide that information, provide a statistical breakdown,” said Burton.
Only problem is that not many citizens are going to put pressure on the elected officials.
The point is that the police chief and mayor made a statement of why criminals that are buying guns freely, and claiming that “high capacity magazines” is a bold faced lie.
The Mayor of D.C, Muriel Bowser, and the Police Chief, Cathy Lanier, have made some outrageous claims as to what the cause of the murder spike is .
They say that it is the “high capacity” that is to blame for the cause.
“Guns continue to make their way into the hands of violent criminals,” said Bowser.
“Unfortunately some of those guns have high-capacity magazines that inflict maximum harm. Multiple of our cases have high-capacity magazines and multiple rounds fired making the shots more lethal,” said Chief Lanier.
They have a section for brand, style, and even how many rounds are left in the gun seized. However, there is no area on any of the current forms for how many rounds in total that the magazine holds.
“Information is power, so if I don’t have anything to compare it against, I have to accept what you tell me,” said Sgt. Delroy Burton, chairman of the D.C. Police Union.
“I think it’s incumbent upon the citizens of the District to put pressure on their elected officials and the mayor’s office and force them to provide that information, provide a statistical breakdown,” said Burton.
Only problem is that not many citizens are going to put pressure on the elected officials.
The point is that the police chief and mayor made a statement of why criminals that are buying guns freely, and claiming that “high capacity magazines” is a bold faced lie.
History for August 28
History for August 28 - On-This-Day.com
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy 1828, Nancy Kulp 1921
Ben Gazzara 1930, David Soul 1943 - Actor ("Starsky and Hutch"), Daniel Stern 1957 - Actor
Shania Twain 1965 - Country singer, Jack Black (Thomas Jacob Black) 1969 - Actor, LeAnn Rimes 1982 - Singer
1830 - "The Tom Thumb" was demonstrated in Baltimore, MD. It was the first passenger-carrying train of its kind to be built in America.
1833 - Slavery was banned by the British Parliament throughout the British Empire.
1907 - "American Messenger Company" was started by two teenagers, Jim Casey and Claude Ryan. The company's name was later changedto "United Parcel Service."
1922 - The first radio commercial aired on WEAF in New York City. The Queensboro Realty Company bought 10 minutes of time for$100.
1939 - The first successful flight of a jet-propelled airplane took place. The plane was a German Heinkel He 178.
1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at a civil rights rally in Washington, DC. More than 200,000 people attended.
1972 - Mark Spitz captured the first of his seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He set a world record when he completed the 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes and 7/10ths of a second.
1990 - Iraq declared Kuwait to be its 19th province and renamed Kuwait City al-Kadhima.
1996 - A divorce decree was issued for Britain's Charles and Princess Diana. This was the official end to the 15-year marriage.
1998 - The Pakistani prime minister created new Islamic order and legal system based on the Koran.
Johann Wolfgang Von Goethe 1749, Leo Nikolayevich Tolstoy 1828, Nancy Kulp 1921
Ben Gazzara 1930, David Soul 1943 - Actor ("Starsky and Hutch"), Daniel Stern 1957 - Actor
Shania Twain 1965 - Country singer, Jack Black (Thomas Jacob Black) 1969 - Actor, LeAnn Rimes 1982 - Singer
1830 - "The Tom Thumb" was demonstrated in Baltimore, MD. It was the first passenger-carrying train of its kind to be built in America.
1833 - Slavery was banned by the British Parliament throughout the British Empire.
1907 - "American Messenger Company" was started by two teenagers, Jim Casey and Claude Ryan. The company's name was later changedto "United Parcel Service."
1922 - The first radio commercial aired on WEAF in New York City. The Queensboro Realty Company bought 10 minutes of time for$100.
1939 - The first successful flight of a jet-propelled airplane took place. The plane was a German Heinkel He 178.
1963 - Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., gave his "I Have a Dream" speech at a civil rights rally in Washington, DC. More than 200,000 people attended.
1972 - Mark Spitz captured the first of his seven gold medals at the Summer Olympics in Munich, Germany. He set a world record when he completed the 200-meter butterfly in 2 minutes and 7/10ths of a second.
1990 - Iraq declared Kuwait to be its 19th province and renamed Kuwait City al-Kadhima.
1996 - A divorce decree was issued for Britain's Charles and Princess Diana. This was the official end to the 15-year marriage.
1998 - The Pakistani prime minister created new Islamic order and legal system based on the Koran.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
ALERT: This U.S. State Is Permitting Muslims to Wear Burqas for Driver License Photos... Spread This
ALERT: This U.S. State Is Permitting Muslims to Wear Burqas for Driver License Photos... Spread This:"They’re not so mindful, however, about the right of law enforcement and other agencies to know the identity of the person that they’re dealing with.
That’s one of the points of a drivers license, after all. It’s all about identification and safety. It has nothing to do with religious sensitivities, and the safety of Americans oughtn’t be compromised because of a silly experiment in political correctness."
Outrage: Here's What Cities are Planning to do for Muslims on 9/11...
Outrage: Here's What Cities are Planning to do for Muslims on 9/11...:
"Two Michigan mayors are taking Islamic pandering to a whole new level — and making a whole lot of Americans angry, including yours truly — by planning Ramadan dinners on 9/11.
If that isn’t a slap in the face to every person who lost their life that day and a total show of disrespect to their surviving families, I don’t know what is.
I’m really having a hard time processing how these idiots could possibly think this is a good idea."
"Two Michigan mayors are taking Islamic pandering to a whole new level — and making a whole lot of Americans angry, including yours truly — by planning Ramadan dinners on 9/11.If that isn’t a slap in the face to every person who lost their life that day and a total show of disrespect to their surviving families, I don’t know what is.
I’m really having a hard time processing how these idiots could possibly think this is a good idea."
How Government Killed the Medical Profession
How Government Killed the Medical Profession | Cato Institute:
"Doctors Going Galt?
...It has certainly affected my plans.
Starting in 2012, I cut back on my general surgery practice.
...While I had originally planned to practice at least another 12 to 14 years, I am now heading for an exit—and a career change—in the next four years.
I didn’t sign up for the kind of medical profession that awaits me a few years from now.
Many of my generational peers in medicine have made similar arrangements, taken early retirement, or quit practice and gone to work for hospitals or as consultants to insurance companies.
Some of my colleagues who practice primary care are starting cash-only “concierge” medical practices, in which they accept no Medicare, Medicaid, or any private insurance...
Medicine in the Future
In the not-too-distant future, a small but healthy market will arise for cash-only, personalized, private care.
For those who can afford it, there will always be competitive, market-driven clinics, hospitals, surgicenters, and other arrangements—including “medical tourism,” whereby health care packages are offered at competitive rates in overseas medical centers.
Similar healthy markets already exist in areas such as Lasik eye surgery and cosmetic procedures. The medical profession will survive and even thrive in these small private niches.
In other words, we’re about to experience the two-tiered system that already exists in most parts of the world that provide “universal coverage.”
Those who have the financial means will still be able to get prompt, courteous, personalized, state-of-the-art health care from providers who consider themselves professionals.
But the majority can expect long lines, mediocre and impersonal care from shift-working providers, subtle but definite rationing, and slowly deteriorating outcomes.
We already see this in Canada, where cash-only clinics are beginning to spring up, and the United Kingdom, where a small but healthy private system exists side-by-side with the National Health Service, providing high-end, fee-for-service, private health care, with little or no waiting.
Ayn Rand’s philosophical novel Atlas Shrugged describes a dystopian near-future America.
One of its characters is Dr. Thomas Hendricks, a prominent and innovative neurosurgeon who one day just disappears.
He could no longer be a part of a medical system that denied him autonomy and dignity.
Dr. Hendricks’ warning deserves repeating:
“Let them discover the kind of doctors that their system will now produce.
Let them discover, in their operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled.
It is not safe, if he is the sort of man who resents it—and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t.”"
"Doctors Going Galt?
...It has certainly affected my plans.
Starting in 2012, I cut back on my general surgery practice.
...While I had originally planned to practice at least another 12 to 14 years, I am now heading for an exit—and a career change—in the next four years.
I didn’t sign up for the kind of medical profession that awaits me a few years from now.
Many of my generational peers in medicine have made similar arrangements, taken early retirement, or quit practice and gone to work for hospitals or as consultants to insurance companies.
Some of my colleagues who practice primary care are starting cash-only “concierge” medical practices, in which they accept no Medicare, Medicaid, or any private insurance...
Medicine in the Future
In the not-too-distant future, a small but healthy market will arise for cash-only, personalized, private care.
Similar healthy markets already exist in areas such as Lasik eye surgery and cosmetic procedures. The medical profession will survive and even thrive in these small private niches.
In other words, we’re about to experience the two-tiered system that already exists in most parts of the world that provide “universal coverage.”
Those who have the financial means will still be able to get prompt, courteous, personalized, state-of-the-art health care from providers who consider themselves professionals.
But the majority can expect long lines, mediocre and impersonal care from shift-working providers, subtle but definite rationing, and slowly deteriorating outcomes.
We already see this in Canada, where cash-only clinics are beginning to spring up, and the United Kingdom, where a small but healthy private system exists side-by-side with the National Health Service, providing high-end, fee-for-service, private health care, with little or no waiting.
Ayn Rand’s philosophical novel Atlas Shrugged describes a dystopian near-future America.
One of its characters is Dr. Thomas Hendricks, a prominent and innovative neurosurgeon who one day just disappears.
He could no longer be a part of a medical system that denied him autonomy and dignity.
Dr. Hendricks’ warning deserves repeating:
“Let them discover the kind of doctors that their system will now produce.
Let them discover, in their operating rooms and hospital wards, that it is not safe to place their lives in the hands of a man whose life they have throttled.
It is not safe, if he is the sort of man who resents it—and still less safe, if he is the sort who doesn’t.”"
Listen to Allen West’s Blunt Response After Liberal Radio Host Claims It Was the ‘Guns’ That Killed 9-Year-Old in Ferguson | Video | TheBlaze.com
Listen to Allen West’s Blunt Response After Liberal Radio Host Claims It Was the ‘Guns’ That Killed 9-Year-Old in Ferguson | Video | TheBlaze.com:
"West continued, “As a matter of fact, there would not be the thousands of people who have lost their lives — or even in Baltimore you would not have an epidemic of shootings there, where you have some of the most restrictive gun laws.”
The former Florida congressman went on to say that Democrats are not willing to “face the facts” when it comes to the multitude of issues at play in the inner city — particularly their own purported role in creating the dynamic.
“Their failed policies within the black community, within the urban centers that are causing the breakdown of the family, that are causing the lack of education opportunities,” he said."
"West continued, “As a matter of fact, there would not be the thousands of people who have lost their lives — or even in Baltimore you would not have an epidemic of shootings there, where you have some of the most restrictive gun laws.”The former Florida congressman went on to say that Democrats are not willing to “face the facts” when it comes to the multitude of issues at play in the inner city — particularly their own purported role in creating the dynamic.
“Their failed policies within the black community, within the urban centers that are causing the breakdown of the family, that are causing the lack of education opportunities,” he said."
More Minimum-Wage Backfires
More Minimum-Wage Backfires - WSJ:
"The campaign for higher minimum wages continues to inflict damage on business employees and owners.
About the only ones not feeling the pain are the labor unions that back this movement.
Meanwhile, in a growing number of U.S. jurisdictions, unions are succeeding in exempting themselves from the laws they seek to impose on everyone else.
Wal-Mart announced last week that second quarter operating income was down 10% compared to the same period last year, even as revenue was slightly higher.
Wal-Mart, a non-union shop under relentless media pressure to boost compensation, increased its minimum starting wage to $9 per hour in April, $1.75 above the federal minimum.
This amounted to a raise for more than 500,000 workers. The company says it is a worthwhile investment that is creating a better, happier workforce and a better customer experience.
But—minimum-wage activists, take note—increased compensation costs cannot simply be passed along to consumers at the whim of the company.
In conference calls with securities analysts and reporters, company officials made clear that wage hikes are among the factors exerting a negative impact on Wal-Mart’s profits.
Asked if the company would look to automation to offset the effect of higher wages, CFO Charles Holley reiterated that the company views the wage hikes as valuable investments and “exactly the right thing to do” but also noted that Wal-Mart “will always look for more efficiencies in our stores and in our supply chain and in our costs.”
Sounds like Wal-Mart workers should be as concerned as McDonald’s and Wendy’s employees about being minimum-waged out of a job.
But don’t expect pity from the leaders of organized labor, who are busy making sure they don’t have to play by the rules they’re demanding for everyone else.
Cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco and San Jose have exempted union contracts from laws mandating higher minimum wages.
Union chiefs say the laws unduly limit their flexibility to negotiate labor contracts, which are governed by federal law.
And perhaps they don’t care what the wage is so long as they can collect dues.
Or maybe they want the ability to give higher wages to longtime union members while dictating lower pay for new members.
Flexibility on wages could also be a useful tool to persuade management to accept a unionized workforce, with a demand for higher pay coming later.
But why shouldn’t workers who choose not to join a union enjoy the same freedom?
Too many of our media brethren continue to portray mandated wage hikes as a gift to workers, but it’s increasingly clear that such laws threaten the jobs of unskilled workers in order to benefit a special interest."
"The campaign for higher minimum wages continues to inflict damage on business employees and owners.
About the only ones not feeling the pain are the labor unions that back this movement.
Meanwhile, in a growing number of U.S. jurisdictions, unions are succeeding in exempting themselves from the laws they seek to impose on everyone else.
Wal-Mart announced last week that second quarter operating income was down 10% compared to the same period last year, even as revenue was slightly higher.
Wal-Mart, a non-union shop under relentless media pressure to boost compensation, increased its minimum starting wage to $9 per hour in April, $1.75 above the federal minimum.
This amounted to a raise for more than 500,000 workers. The company says it is a worthwhile investment that is creating a better, happier workforce and a better customer experience.
But—minimum-wage activists, take note—increased compensation costs cannot simply be passed along to consumers at the whim of the company.
In conference calls with securities analysts and reporters, company officials made clear that wage hikes are among the factors exerting a negative impact on Wal-Mart’s profits.Asked if the company would look to automation to offset the effect of higher wages, CFO Charles Holley reiterated that the company views the wage hikes as valuable investments and “exactly the right thing to do” but also noted that Wal-Mart “will always look for more efficiencies in our stores and in our supply chain and in our costs.”
Sounds like Wal-Mart workers should be as concerned as McDonald’s and Wendy’s employees about being minimum-waged out of a job.
But don’t expect pity from the leaders of organized labor, who are busy making sure they don’t have to play by the rules they’re demanding for everyone else.
Cities including Chicago, Milwaukee, San Francisco and San Jose have exempted union contracts from laws mandating higher minimum wages.
Union chiefs say the laws unduly limit their flexibility to negotiate labor contracts, which are governed by federal law.
And perhaps they don’t care what the wage is so long as they can collect dues.
Or maybe they want the ability to give higher wages to longtime union members while dictating lower pay for new members.
Flexibility on wages could also be a useful tool to persuade management to accept a unionized workforce, with a demand for higher pay coming later.
But why shouldn’t workers who choose not to join a union enjoy the same freedom?
Too many of our media brethren continue to portray mandated wage hikes as a gift to workers, but it’s increasingly clear that such laws threaten the jobs of unskilled workers in order to benefit a special interest."
Meet the Humvee’s replacement: Oshkosh’s L-ATV
Meet the Humvee’s replacement: Oshkosh’s L-ATV | Ars Technica:
"There may soon be a whole lot of used Humvees on the market—or in the scrapyard.
The US Army has picked its replacement for the aging vehicle originally designed as a Cold War replacement for the Jeep—and it comes from Wisconsin.
Eventually, the Army and Marine Corps could buy nearly 55,000 of the vehicles over the next 25 years, spending over $30 billion.
The US Army has picked its replacement for the aging vehicle originally designed as a Cold War replacement for the Jeep—and it comes from Wisconsin.
Eventually, the Army and Marine Corps could buy nearly 55,000 of the vehicles over the next 25 years, spending over $30 billion.
Fox: Clinton Aide Sent Hillary Classified Info | The Daily Caller
Fox: Clinton Aide Sent Hillary Classified Info | The Daily Caller:
"Fox News chief intel correspondent Catherine Herridge revealed that “email from aide Huma Abedin to Mrs. Clinton that kickstarted the FBI probe contained classified information from three intelligence agencies: the DIA, the NSA and the NGA.”
Those three agencies are the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency."
"Fox News chief intel correspondent Catherine Herridge revealed that “email from aide Huma Abedin to Mrs. Clinton that kickstarted the FBI probe contained classified information from three intelligence agencies: the DIA, the NSA and the NGA.”Those three agencies are the Defense Intelligence Agency, National Security Agency and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency."
Yes, the bad guys won. Again-----How to Destroy a City in Five Minutes
How to Destroy a City in Five Minutes | World Affairs Journal:
"You don’t need a weapon of mass destruction to ruin a city.
Well, maybe sometimes you do.
You’re not getting rid of New York City without one.
But some of the world’s cities are so vulnerable, so precariously perched above an abyss, that a single bloodthirsty nutjob with a rifle can bring it to its knees in a matter of minutes.
Look at Tunisia’s resort city of Sousse on the Mediterranean.
Two months ago, an ISIS-inspired nutcase named Seifeddine Rezgui strolled up the beach with a Kalashnikov in his hand and murdered 38 people, most of them tourists from Britain.
The police shot him, of course.
There was never going to be any other ending than that one.
And before the police arrived, local Tunisians formed a protective human shield around Rezgui’s would-be foreign victims.
“Kill us! Kill us, not these people!” shouted Mohamed Amine.
According to survivor John Yeoman, hotel staff members charged the gunman and said, “We won’t let you through.
You’ll have to go through us.”
Tunisia’s hospitality and customer service are deservedly legendary, but that was truly above and beyond.
It’s how Tunisia rolls, but in the end, it doesn’t matter.
Tourists are not going back.
A few still wander around here and there, but the locals are calling them ghosts.
Who else lives in a ghost town but ghosts?
Hotels are laying off workers.
Shops are empty and many will have to be closed.
The city is reeling with feelings of guilt and anxiety.
Guilt because one of their own murdered guests, the gravest possible offense against the ancient Arab code of hospitality, and anxiety because—what now?
How will the city survive?
How will all the laid-off workers earn a living with their industry on its back?
Sousse without tourists is like Hollywood without movies and Detroit without automobile manufacturing.
Even Tunisia’s agriculture economy is crashing.
Prices are down by 35 percent because the resorts don’t need to feed tourists anymore.
Rezgui’s ghoulish attack was spectacularly successful, wasn’t it?
A single act of violence and—boom.
Just like that, it’s all over."
"You don’t need a weapon of mass destruction to ruin a city.
Well, maybe sometimes you do.
You’re not getting rid of New York City without one.
But some of the world’s cities are so vulnerable, so precariously perched above an abyss, that a single bloodthirsty nutjob with a rifle can bring it to its knees in a matter of minutes.
Look at Tunisia’s resort city of Sousse on the Mediterranean.
Two months ago, an ISIS-inspired nutcase named Seifeddine Rezgui strolled up the beach with a Kalashnikov in his hand and murdered 38 people, most of them tourists from Britain.
The police shot him, of course.
There was never going to be any other ending than that one.
“Kill us! Kill us, not these people!” shouted Mohamed Amine.
According to survivor John Yeoman, hotel staff members charged the gunman and said, “We won’t let you through.
You’ll have to go through us.”
Tunisia’s hospitality and customer service are deservedly legendary, but that was truly above and beyond.
It’s how Tunisia rolls, but in the end, it doesn’t matter.
Tourists are not going back.
A few still wander around here and there, but the locals are calling them ghosts.
Who else lives in a ghost town but ghosts?
Hotels are laying off workers.
Shops are empty and many will have to be closed.
The city is reeling with feelings of guilt and anxiety.
Guilt because one of their own murdered guests, the gravest possible offense against the ancient Arab code of hospitality, and anxiety because—what now?
How will the city survive?
How will all the laid-off workers earn a living with their industry on its back?
Sousse without tourists is like Hollywood without movies and Detroit without automobile manufacturing.
Even Tunisia’s agriculture economy is crashing.
Prices are down by 35 percent because the resorts don’t need to feed tourists anymore.
Rezgui’s ghoulish attack was spectacularly successful, wasn’t it?
A single act of violence and—boom.
Just like that, it’s all over."
Trainwreck: The Rapid Silver Line leads to falling ridership, rising deficits
Trainwreck: The Rapid Silver Line leads to falling ridership, rising deficits | ITP Watch:
It’s been nearly a year since the $40 million Rapid Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line opened for business, so we thought it would be a good time to check up on how things are going.
To the right is a graph showing the year over year ridership change at The Rapid. In just the first five months of this year, The Rapid’s overall ridership has declined by over 3%, with the most recent four months showing an average decline of 6% year over year. (All data are from the National Transit Database.)
It’s been nearly a year since the $40 million Rapid Silver Line Bus Rapid Transit (BRT) line opened for business, so we thought it would be a good time to check up on how things are going.
The Fantasy: Promotional video from The Rapid showing the Silver Line causing economic development
In short, it’s a disaster:
- Since the Silver Line entered service, The Rapid has been losing ridership
- The Rapid is now losing millions operating the Silver Line
- No new economic development has been caused by the Silver Line
We review each of these items in this article.
Since the Silver Line entered service, ridership has declined
Wait, what? You thought ridership was increasing? One wouldn’t know it by reading The Rapid’s public proclamations. In fact, during the first few weeks of the Silver Line’s operation in August of 2014, The Rapid released statistics purportedly showing that ridership was increasing on both Bus Route 1, which largely overlaps the Silver Line’s route, and on the Silver Line itself. When one looks at the full picture, however, we see that riders mostly shifted from DASH service, the GRCC shuttle, and Route 1 to use the Silver Line.
For instance, in September of 2014 the Silver Line had just under 60,000 riders. In the same month, the ridership on Route 1 dropped by 22,000 riders from September of 2013. The GRCC shuttle similarly dropped by 31,000 riders, and DASH South and West ridership dropped by over 5,000.
This is exactly what we expected and pointed out our position in a Crain’s Detroit article in May of last year. Since the Silver Line route added nothing new to The Rapid’s services, we didn’t expect much of anything to happen. And that’s exactly what happened. Nothing.
Even evidence that ridership is simply shifting from other routes to the Silver Line doesn’t tell the whole story. When The Rapid applied for funding from the federal government to cover the $40 million cost of constructing new permanent bus stops and purchasing buses, the system represented that the Silver Line would carry 7,200 average weekday riders and would attract 1,300 new daily riders to the system — all in its first year of operation. The trouble is that The Rapid’s overall ridership has declined, particularly in the last several months.
To the right is a graph showing the year over year ridership change at The Rapid. In just the first five months of this year, The Rapid’s overall ridership has declined by over 3%, with the most recent four months showing an average decline of 6% year over year. (All data are from the National Transit Database.)
In the most recent month where the data are available, the Silver Line’s ridership was approximately 3,000 per day, far from the 7,200 promised — and since The Rapid’s ridership is down overall, the number of new riders is in negative territory.
All this adds up to the fact that the Silver Line hasn’t added any new ridership to the system, meaning that $40 million was spent for nothing at all..."
School sends girl home with baffling letter banning her Wonder Woman lunch box
School sends girl home with baffling letter banning her Wonder Woman lunch box. | School | Someecards:
"In today's America, schools exist to teach children that life is a series of arbitrary rules handed down by a panel of incompetent adults who literally have no clue what living on planet Earth is like.
It has been so since time immemorial, but somehow gets worse and worse every year.
Sometimes, the problem is dress codes, like this girl who got sent home because her collarbone was "too distracting."
Actually, the problem is often the dress code.
Or it's sex ed.
Or it's school lunches (also a recurring problem), or attendance for kids with cancer.
It's been a while, in fact, since we've had a good old-fashioned outrage moment about a zero-tolerance policy towards violence that goes way below zero into the realm of imaginary violence.
That's what happened in the case of this letter that was sent home from school with the daughter of Daniel and Sarah:
"Dear Daniel and Sarah, we noticed that Laura has a Wonder Woman lunchbox that features a super hero image.
In keeping with the dress code of the school, we must ask that she not bring this to school.
The dress code we have established requests that the children not bring violent images into the building in any fashion — on their clothing (including shoes and socks), backpacks and lunchboxes.
We have defined "violent characters" as those who solve problems using violence. Super heroes certainly fall into that category.
Please refer to the dress code section of the School Handbook. Your cooperation with our dress code will be appreciated."
"In today's America, schools exist to teach children that life is a series of arbitrary rules handed down by a panel of incompetent adults who literally have no clue what living on planet Earth is like.
It has been so since time immemorial, but somehow gets worse and worse every year.
Sometimes, the problem is dress codes, like this girl who got sent home because her collarbone was "too distracting."Actually, the problem is often the dress code.
Or it's sex ed.
Or it's school lunches (also a recurring problem), or attendance for kids with cancer.
It's been a while, in fact, since we've had a good old-fashioned outrage moment about a zero-tolerance policy towards violence that goes way below zero into the realm of imaginary violence.
That's what happened in the case of this letter that was sent home from school with the daughter of Daniel and Sarah:
"Dear Daniel and Sarah, we noticed that Laura has a Wonder Woman lunchbox that features a super hero image.
In keeping with the dress code of the school, we must ask that she not bring this to school.
The dress code we have established requests that the children not bring violent images into the building in any fashion — on their clothing (including shoes and socks), backpacks and lunchboxes.
We have defined "violent characters" as those who solve problems using violence. Super heroes certainly fall into that category.
Please refer to the dress code section of the School Handbook. Your cooperation with our dress code will be appreciated."
Birthright Citizenship Is a Magnet for Illegal Immigrants, and It Has Real Economic Costs | National Review Online
Birthright Citizenship Is a Magnet for Illegal Immigrants, and It Has Real Economic Costs | National Review Online:
"According to Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) legal policy analyst Jon Feere, who testified before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security in April, between 350,000 and 400,000 children are born annually to an illegal-alien mother residing in the United States — as many as one in ten births nationwide. As of 2010, four out of five children of illegal aliens residing in the U.S. were born here — some 4 million kids."
"According to Center for Immigration Studies (CIS) legal policy analyst Jon Feere, who testified before the House Judiciary Committee’s Subcommittee on Immigration and Border Security in April, between 350,000 and 400,000 children are born annually to an illegal-alien mother residing in the United States — as many as one in ten births nationwide. As of 2010, four out of five children of illegal aliens residing in the U.S. were born here — some 4 million kids."Marathon Pundit: Detroit: $1 million US Customs center only being used to store equipment for politically connected catering firm
Marathon Pundit: Detroit: $1 million US Customs center only being used to store equipment for politically connected catering firm:
A top-of-the line $1 millions customs facility on the Detroit River sits unused.
From the Detroit News:
Two years after completion, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have never used the 4,000 square feet of offices, holding cells and labs built for the agency inside the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Public Dock and Terminal at Atwater and Bates.
The facility includes a floor designed so that Customs could process cruise ship passengers.
The agency says the facility doesn't meet standards; port authority officials say they can't afford $170,000 computer and camera upgrades to make it suitable.
So the waterfront offices, next to the Renaissance Center, are crammed with chairs, linens, tables and signs owned by a catering company that hosts weddings and corporate events on the second floor of the building.
And what about those cruise ships?
More...
One cruise ship has stopped once in Detroit in the past two years, though, and the terminal is used mostly by Continental Services and Catering, a Troy-based company with deep ties to the Democratic Party.
The events held at the facility aren't church-basement style budget affairs.
Catered wedding receptions start at $18,500 at this taxpayer paid-for building.
As you will see below--the customs cash sinkhole is only the tip of the cruise ship iceberg.
Related post:
$22 million in taxpayer funds flushed away on Detroit cruise ship" lurehttp://marathonpundit.blogspot.com/2015/08/22-million-in-taxpayer-funds-flushed.html
A top-of-the line $1 millions customs facility on the Detroit River sits unused.
From the Detroit News:
Two years after completion, U.S. Customs and Border Protection officials have never used the 4,000 square feet of offices, holding cells and labs built for the agency inside the Detroit/Wayne County Port Authority Public Dock and Terminal at Atwater and Bates.
The agency says the facility doesn't meet standards; port authority officials say they can't afford $170,000 computer and camera upgrades to make it suitable.
So the waterfront offices, next to the Renaissance Center, are crammed with chairs, linens, tables and signs owned by a catering company that hosts weddings and corporate events on the second floor of the building.
And what about those cruise ships?
More...
One cruise ship has stopped once in Detroit in the past two years, though, and the terminal is used mostly by Continental Services and Catering, a Troy-based company with deep ties to the Democratic Party.
The events held at the facility aren't church-basement style budget affairs.
Catered wedding receptions start at $18,500 at this taxpayer paid-for building.
As you will see below--the customs cash sinkhole is only the tip of the cruise ship iceberg.
Related post:
$22 million in taxpayer funds flushed away on Detroit cruise ship" lurehttp://marathonpundit.blogspot.com/2015/08/22-million-in-taxpayer-funds-flushed.html
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