Local reaction to Granholm's proposed budget

Local reaction to Granholm's proposed budget
"Rep. Mary Valentine, D-Norton Shores, candidate for the 34th State Senate District:

'I am pleased to see that the budget restores funding for education and the Promise Scholarships.

A strong education system is key to creating a world-class work force that will attract job providers and prepare our children for jobs in the 21st Century economy."

This retired teacher (on a VERY posh pension) is bonkers!

Our secondary "education" system is a disaster and our college graduates are leaving the state like ........well... like employers, jobs and investment!

The only "attraction" generated by the Granholm/Valentine big union give-away scheme is our graduates and jobs being attracted to other states.

This woman is a menace to anyone hoping for job in our state.

Or hoping to provide private sector jobs to our citizens.

Angela Merkel dashes Greek hopes of rescue bid

Angela Merkel dashes Greek hopes of rescue bid
"Angela Merkel, the German chancellor, mounted stiff resistance tonight to any swift bailout of Greece, as a rift opened up between European capitals over how best to tackle the risks posed to the euro."

This could be the tip of an iceberg.......with the EU as a big, stupid boat.

Tunnel assault on girl sparks security debate

Tunnel assault on girl sparks security debate

"Public safety is our top priority"

Another 10 Far-out Valentine's Gift

Another 10 Far-out Valentine's Gifts - Oddee.com

More West Michigan schools offer free breakfast to all students

More West Michigan schools offer free breakfast to all students

"As students filed into the cafeteria one recent morning at Godwin Heights Middle School, custodian-turned-breakfast-pitchman Jose Rivera welcomed them with food.
'Here, you like cheese? Take a milk, too.'
Then, when a boy slipped past the table empty-handed, Rivera called him back.
'Free breakfast! Come on down, buddy. Take one of each, please.'"


WHY IT MATTERS
Benefits of breakfast
Academic and nutritional claims for students who eat a morning meal:
• Less tardiness and fewer abscences
• More energy
• Fewer disciplinary problems
• More attentiveness in the classroom
• Lower body-mass index
• Higher standardized test scores
• Better diet of nutrients, vitamins and minerals

This is so wrong on so many levels:

1. We are paying an adult to cajole kids into putting food on their tray that the kids don't want.

Nice carbon footprint of uneaten food going to the dump, right.

2. Let's teach our kids that "free food" is the normal way of life in America at an early age!

3. With SOOO many reasons ("Why it matters") to give more free food to kids, why aren't we already seeing all the wondrous benefits from "free lunch"? Oh, it's a bogus lie? OK.

4. If free lunch and breakfast are producing such marvelous benefits to our children's education, why not free dinner?

5. Where is all this "free" money coming from?

Gimme a break!

CARPE DIEM policy vs politics

CARPE DIEM
Michael Barone -- About one-third of the $787 billion stimulus package was directed at state and local governments, which have been facing declining revenues and are, mostly, required to balance their budgets.

The policy aim, Democrats say, was to maintain public services and aid.

The political aim, although Democrats don't say so, was to maintain public-sector jobs -- and the flow of union dues to the public employees unions that represent almost 40% of public-sector workers."

United Solar Ovonics reports $39 million loss in second quarter

United Solar Ovonics reports $39 million loss in second quarter
"USO's parent company, Energy Conversion Devices Inc., reported a grim $39 million loss for its second quarter Tuesday, disappointing analysts and sending its stock to record lows."

No homeowner or any company would buy their worthless products so they depend on "extra" government money (like Jenny's mansion) to pay for their boondoggle.

And government mandates that energy producers to use 10% "green" energy.

Just another way to say "tax" to us fools who vote for the AlGore koolaid drinkers in our state government.

Most of whom are are in the democrat party.

Yes Virginia. There is a Santa Clause...but he ain't in government.

10 of the Dumbest Cops Ever

10 of the Dumbest Cops Ever - Oddee.com

You've GOT to click on the first video.

Big Government: Big Labor's "Bread and Butter"

Big Government: Big Labor's "Bread and Butter"
"In it, NILRR points out that in 2008 and the first 11 months of 2009, unionized private-sector workers lost their jobs at more than double the rate than their private-sector non-unionized colleagues.
Meanwhile, for the first time ever, more than half of our nation's government workers are now under union boss monopoly bargaining control and the number is growing with disastrous consequences:"

State Pension Funds Fall Off a Cliff

ALEC State Pension Funds Fall Off a Cliff
"The financial crisis encountered over the past decade reveals that many state pension plans are fundamentally fawed.
Using more realistic assumptions regarding the rate of return on assets, as well as assumptions regarding the actuarial value of liabilities, it is highly unlikely that these plans will achieve actuarial balance over the amortization period.

The solution to the funding crises in state pension plans will require fundamental reform.

Everything should be on the table, including changes in benefits and increased employee contribution rates, as well as employer contribution rates.
These plans should consider replacing their defined benefit plans with defined-contribution plans for new employees."

Snowpocalypse now?

Snowpocalypse now?
Watch hilarious weather video and heed National Weather Service's winter storm warning

Patrick Henry Hughes

Beautiful!

Recession chugs on, except in government

Recession chugs on, except in government

"But the back story behind the figures provides cold comfort.

First, the drop to 9.7 percent unemployment does not reflect the creation of new jobs that normally accompanies an economic recovery.

Second, anybody who thinks the job situation is going to improve dramatically in coming months is not paying attention to what's going on behind the unemployment rate. ...."the labor force participation rate is the lowest since mid-1985." This means that fewer Americans are in the labor force.

Third, among the few sectors of the economy showing net employment growth over the past year is the federal government.
The federal civil service is rapidly expanding as Obama increases the size of government, with 33,000 new positions being added in January alone.
Only 9,000 of those new slots were for temporary census jobs.

In other words, what we are seeing is good times for the public sector and the growing prospect of a continuing and perhaps even deepening recession for everybody else.

A Tale Both Positive and a Cautionary: President Obama's Phantom $15 Billion Program for Small Businesses

A Tale Both Positive and a Cautionary: President Obama's Phantom $15 Billion Program for Small Businesses
"Last March 16, President Obama and Treasury Secretary Tim Geithner announced a new $15 billion program to help encourage loans to small businesses -- the Unlocking Credit for Small Businesses, or UCSB program.
Subsequently, wrote Neil Barofsky, Special Inspector General of the Troubled Asset Relief Program, in his latest report, 'two additional initiatives were announced to support small-business lending, and Treasury announced an increase of the TARP funding dedicated to support these efforts to $30 billion.'

But oddly, Barofsky noted, as of December 31, 2009, 'the details of the initiative under this program had not been announced and no funds had been disbursed.'

A $15-30 billion program for small businesses and no details have been released?

And no money disbursed??"

The Secret History of the Birthers

The Secret History of the Birthers - The Daily Beast
"Investigating the roots of the Obama birthplace conspiracy theory, John Avlon—author of Wingnuts: How the Lunatic Fringe Is Hijacking America, available now on Beast Books—uncovers the first Birther and finds she's a Hillary Clinton supporter also implicated in Dan Rather's exit from CBS."

Sarah Palin caught with crib notes on her hand

Sarah Palin caught with crib notes on her hand

"A close examination of the former vice-presidential candidate speaking at the National Tea Party Convention in Nashville at the weekend revealed she had the words 'Energy', 'Tax,' and 'Lift Americans Spirits' scrawled in ink on the inside of her left hand.

'Budget cuts' was written and then crossed out."

Hell Hath No Fury More Childish Than Andrea Mitchell Scorned

Hell Hath No Fury More Childish Than Andrea Mitchell Scorned NewsReal Blog

Pretty pathetic for the not pretty feminist NBC "gal".

Sticker Shock: Experts Say World Food Program's Afghan Relief Effort Overpriced

Sticker Shock: Experts Say World Food Program's Afghan Relief Effort Overpriced
"The United Nations’ World Food Program, or WFP, is preparing to launch a mammoth, three-year relief operation in Afghanistan this year for 7.4 million people at a cost of $1.2 billion — but less than half of that amount will actually go to purchasing food for the war-ravaged country.

The majority of the money — nearly $730 million — is being spent on shipping, land transportation, handling, office construction and U.N. staffing and administration costs, according to program documents obtained by Fox News.

Outside experts consulted by Fox News say that some of the costs are more than 100 percent higher than they need to be"

General Dynamics to close Norton Shores facility

General Dynamics to close Norton Shores facility
"General Dynamics Land Systems, a national defense contractor based in the Detroit area, announced Monday it will close its Muskegon Technical Center on June 14, company officials said.

About 100 employees — mostly engineers — will have the option to transfer to General Dynamics headquarters in Sterling Heights or another facility in nearby Shelby Township, said spokeswoman Rae Higgins."

More "hopie, changie" for Muskegon from Jenny and her "yes we can" friend in DC.

Green Police: Audi Super Bowl Ad

This is a weird ad.

Red Eye Celebrates Third Year By Topping CNN Prime Time Last Week

Red Eye Celebrates Third Year By Topping CNN Prime Time Last Week
"And it’s coming at a time when the 3amET show is seeing big ratings in the A25-54 demographic – even topping CNN prime time last week.

....This time, the show had better ratings in the A25-54 demographic than Campbell Brown at 8pmET and Larry King at 9pmET, and tied Anderson Cooper at 10pmET (Monday-Thursday)."

Holy moley!

A 3 AM Fox show that no one has heard about beats CNN PRIME TIME!

Imagine the loneliness of the mokes on MSNBC....is Prozac generic yet?

Obama's Budget Means Higher Taxes and Lower Living Standards - WSJ.com

Obama's Budget Means Higher Taxes and Lower Living Standards

"Moody's Investors Service's warning last week that the AAA credit rating of the United States is in jeopardy raises fresh concern about the nation's fiscal health.
The question to ask about the president's eye-popping budget, also rolled out last week, is whether it prepares the country for its future—or shackles it to past decisions that our leaders would rather not confront.

President Obama's blueprint gave us a federal budget deficit for fiscal year 2010 of $1.6 trillion, about 10.6% of GDP.
While one expects bigger budget deficits in a downturn, the administration expects the deficit and debt buildup to persist.

By 2013, it forecasts that deficits will bring about a debt-to-GDP ratio of 72%, unprecedented in our experience except during a major war.

The problem is spending.

Despite Mr. Obama's words about restraint, the new budget proposes more spending—1.8% of GDP for 2011 to be precise—and a higher level, roughly one percentage point of GDP higher, in subsequent years"

2013 is only 3 years away!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

And EVERY city, county and state in our country is ignoring the very SAME disaster that will hit us ALL soon!

The local problem is government employee pay and benefits!

Too much pay for too little work for too little benefit for the taxpayer.

And automatically growing every year!

If you love your kids or grandkids, you MUST get involved!

Iran anniversary 'punch' will stun West: Khamenei

Iran anniversary 'punch' will stun West: Khamenei
"Supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said on Monday that Iran is set to deliver a 'punch' that will stun world powers during this week's 31st anniversary of the Islamic revolution.
'The Iranian nation, with its unity and God's grace, will punch the arrogance (Western powers) on the 22nd of Bahman (February 11) in a way that will leave them stunned,' Khamenei, who is also Iran's commander-in-chief, told a gathering of air force personnel."

Mark your calendar!
Obama will probably send out invites to his class action lawyer comrades in advance.

‘We Weren’t Told’: Hoekstra Fires Back at Claim GOP Knew Christmas Bomber was Mirandized

‘We Weren’t Told’: Hoekstra Fires Back at Claim GOP Knew Christmas Bomber was Mirandized

Our next governor is calling the Obama administration "LIARS".

And provides proof!

I like it when one of the good guys takes a powerful stand against those who lie to the citizens of our great country.

You go Pete!

10 Amazing Free Fall Survivors

10 Amazing Free Fall Survivors - Oddee.com

Obama's Approval Most Polarized for First-Year President

Obama's Approval Most Polarized for First-Year President
"The 65 percentage-point gap between Democrats' (88%) and Republicans' (23%) average job approval ratings for Barack Obama is easily the largest for any president in his first year in office, greatly exceeding the prior high of 52 points for Bill Clinton."

Seriously!

88% of democrats approve of Obama's performance as president?!

And we let those people have drivers licences?!

Where are the "studies" corrolating voting patterns with IQ .......

Taxpayers to Fork Out $2.5 Million for Single Census Ad During Super Bowl

Taxpayers to Fork Out $2.5 Million for Single Census Ad During Super Bowl
"Taxpayers might want to pay close attention to this Sunday's Super Bowl broadcast or they'll miss Uncle Sam's 30-second, $2.5-million reminder to stand up and be counted."

You have to click the link to see this very odd TV ad from last night's Super Bowl telecast.

Not only is it another idiotic wast of taxpayer future-money, it is so weird that most who watched didn't have a clue what is was about.

This article is from FoxNews.

You probably didn't see it on any of the other Obama pandering "news" operations.

Update: Suspect in custody after security breach at Detroit Metro Airport

Update: Suspect in custody after security breach at Detroit Metro Airport
"The Detroit Free Press reports it appeared the man , who they describe as Arabic, did not appear to understand English as he passed through screening.
But police who took him into custody said that was not the case."

This could be another clear case of terrorists "testing the system".
Or not.
But it is sad that I tend to trust a newspaper over the local police in matters of terrorism and security.

AirTran to begin flights out of Grand Rapids, airfare price competition expected

AirTran to begin flights out of Grand Rapids, airfare price competition expected
Discount airline AirTran Airways will begin air service from Gerald R. Ford International Airport in May, with two flights a day to Baltimore and one to Orlando."

This is wonderful news.

But the newspaper's headline "... price competition expected" is perplexing.

Either they think their average reader needs help in understanding the concept of competition or that concept is new to the writer.

I'm not sure which is more disappointing.

Illinois lieutenant governor nominee Scott Lee Cohen withdraws

Illinois lieutenant governor nominee Scott Lee Cohen withdraws
"Illinois Democratic Lieutenant Governor nominee Scott Lee Cohen announced Sunday evening that he is withdrawing from the race amid revelations about his personal history."