Tuesday, March 29, 2011
The Green Energy Economy Reconsidered
"Have we ever seen such a 'green economy'?
Yes we have; in the 13th century.
Renewable energy is quite literally the energy of yesterday."
Detroit: Haunting photos of crumbling remains highlight decline of Motor City
Detroit: Haunting photos of crumbling remains highlight decline of Motor City Mail Online
"Must the show go on? The United Artists Theater in Detroit, derelict and open to the elements."
Fraud contaminating free health-care pool
Fraud contaminating free health-care pool - BostonHerald.com
"Gaping loopholes in the program that covers poor uninsured Bay Staters have cost taxpayers tens of millions in bogus claims from out-of-staters and foreigners —not to mention gynecological bills for men and foot X-rays for headaches, according to the commonwealth’s inspector general.
“We’re finding overpayments, double payments and medically unnecessary payments,”"
Fraud? I'm shocked, shocked to find that fraud is going on here!
"Gaping loopholes in the program that covers poor uninsured Bay Staters have cost taxpayers tens of millions in bogus claims from out-of-staters and foreigners —not to mention gynecological bills for men and foot X-rays for headaches, according to the commonwealth’s inspector general.
“We’re finding overpayments, double payments and medically unnecessary payments,”"
Jean Auel concludes prehistoric saga with 6th book
Jean Auel concludes prehistoric saga with 6th book - latimes.com "The cycle first appeared in 1980 with 'The Clan of the Cave Bear,'"
Taxpayers’ K-12 Money Diverted to Union Business
Taxpayers’ K-12 Money Diverted to Union Business [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"Maryanne Levine is a full-time elementary school teacher with the Chippewa Valley School District who was elected to the Michigan Education Association board of directors.
The district releases her from teaching responsibilities so that she can deal 100 percent with union issues.
But Chippewa Valley still pays for $103,807of Levine’s $145,117 total compensation.
The union pays the remaining $41,310."
So, a teacher who doesn't teach gets paid $145,117 not to teach for the nine month she doesn't teach?
That makes sense, doesn't it?
"Maryanne Levine is a full-time elementary school teacher with the Chippewa Valley School District who was elected to the Michigan Education Association board of directors.
The district releases her from teaching responsibilities so that she can deal 100 percent with union issues.
But Chippewa Valley still pays for $103,807of Levine’s $145,117 total compensation.
The union pays the remaining $41,310."
So, a teacher who doesn't teach gets paid $145,117 not to teach for the nine month she doesn't teach?
That makes sense, doesn't it?
EU to ban cars from cities by 2050
EU to ban cars from cities by 2050 - Telegraph "Cars will be banned from London and all other cities across Europe under a draconian EU masterplan to cut CO2 emissions by 60 per cent over the next 40 years." Their cities will mirror Detroit if they continue to do the same things Detroit did.
Attacking Public Employees
Attacking Public Employees « Burypensions Blog
"Were Mr. Baker et. al. truly concerned about public employees and the solvency of their pension funds they would be calling to infuse more money into the plans instead of seeking to justify the status quo"
"Were Mr. Baker et. al. truly concerned about public employees and the solvency of their pension funds they would be calling to infuse more money into the plans instead of seeking to justify the status quo"
Muskegon County considers financial details for proposed jail
Muskegon County considers financial details for proposed jail MLive.com
"If Muskegon County officials decide to build a new, 376-bed jail — one of the preliminary options on their drawing board — then they would have to find between $1.4 and $1.6 million in their annual budget or convince voters to approve around 0.35 mills to pay for it."
The question might be asked "what are we getting for $1.5 million/year?"
And "isn't that just the starting point, with annual, triple automatic raises for every employee?"
And, maybe "where're gonna get that money?"
"If Muskegon County officials decide to build a new, 376-bed jail — one of the preliminary options on their drawing board — then they would have to find between $1.4 and $1.6 million in their annual budget or convince voters to approve around 0.35 mills to pay for it."
The question might be asked "what are we getting for $1.5 million/year?"
And "isn't that just the starting point, with annual, triple automatic raises for every employee?"
And, maybe "where're gonna get that money?"
Coldwater prison to close: Florence Crane Correctional Facility
Coldwater prison to close: Florence Crane Correctional Facility, Michigan Department of Corrections, MDOC - FOX 17
"The Florence Crane Correctional Facility in Coldwater will close by June 1"
Yes, this ought to affect the county jail decision.
"The Florence Crane Correctional Facility in Coldwater will close by June 1"
Yes, this ought to affect the county jail decision.
Monday, March 28, 2011
Why Liberals Hate Clarence Thomas and Sarah Palin
Why Liberals Hate Clarence Thomas and Sarah Palin- Star Parker - Townhall Conservative
"Such is the fate today of those uppity souls who choose to challenge the authority and legitimacy of our inexorably growing government plantation."
"Such is the fate today of those uppity souls who choose to challenge the authority and legitimacy of our inexorably growing government plantation."
In Georgia, high erasures triggered criminal investigation
In Georgia, high erasures triggered criminal investigation - USATODAY.com
"Fifty agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, an agency like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, began in October 2010 to question teachers and principals at 58 Atlanta schools where there were statistically significant rates of wrong answers changed to right ones on students' answer sheets."
Overpriced teachers may be the issue now.
But when are we going to focus on this government monopoly's abject failure of delivering "education" to our children?
"Fifty agents from the Georgia Bureau of Investigation, an agency like the Federal Bureau of Investigation, began in October 2010 to question teachers and principals at 58 Atlanta schools where there were statistically significant rates of wrong answers changed to right ones on students' answer sheets."
Overpriced teachers may be the issue now.
But when are we going to focus on this government monopoly's abject failure of delivering "education" to our children?
The ‘Real World’ vs. Public School Budget Cuts
The ‘Real World’ vs. Public School Budget Cuts [Michigan Capitol Confidential] "These school officials are getting away with it because the media isn’t doing their job,” Owens said. Other examples: Saline Superintendent Scot Graden told AnnArbor.com that his district had cut $6.8 million in expenses over the last three years. But Saline’s general fund expenses climbed from $51.2 million in 2008-09 to a budgeted $51.8 million for 2010-11. The information was available on the district’s website, located in their annual audits. Graden didn’t respond to an email seeking comment. Godfrey-Lee Superintendent David Britten was quoted in the Grand Rapids Press saying that the school had cut $1.4 million from its budget for 2010-11. However, budget documents show the district’s general fund revenues increased from $16.4 million in 2009-10 to $18.7 million in 2010-11. In an email, Britten said the increase in his budget was due to federal dollars awarded after the planning of the budget. Walled Lake Superintendent Kenneth Gutman claimed that his district had cut $31 million from its budget over the past 10 years. But that district’s budget increased from $119 million in 2000 to $159 million in 2011. An East Grand Rapids Public Schools letter to Michigan legislators claimed that the district has “removed $3.5 million from costs from our system” since 2005-06. However, overall, East Grand Rapids’ general fund expenditures have increased from $23.8 million in 2005 to $28.1 million in 2011."
The following is a presidential address to the nation — to be delivered in March 2026 as our economy collapses from debt
theblogprof: The following is a presidential address to the nation — to be delivered in March 2026 as our economy collapses from debt "An interesting column up over at The News York Times by Harvard economist Greg Mankiw: It’s 2026, and the Debt Is Due. Maybe it's just me, but 2026 seems way optimistic at this point. The debt burden is so unsustainably large that there there is no way we're getting past this decade without a major course correction, and one focused exclusively on entitlements." Watch his graphs and click the links......chilling!
Michigan universities spending more on administrators
Michigan universities spending more on administrators MLive.com
"Michigan universities increased spending on administrators by about 30 percent in the past five years as student enrollment and state funding remained about the same"
So let's increase tuition and give them more government money....right?
"Michigan universities increased spending on administrators by about 30 percent in the past five years as student enrollment and state funding remained about the same"
So let's increase tuition and give them more government money....right?
Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus's and Hansen and Hughes?
Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance: Progressive Democratic Women's Caucus's and Hansen and Hughes? "This far left organization, festering in Ottawa county, is planning a rally next week to demand more of OUR money. Nothing new in that except that they are listing Muskegon GOPers Sen. Goeff Hansen and Rep. Holly Hughes as 'invited speakers'." Far left unionists expect Hughes and Hansen to grace their greed filled hatefest? The gimme-gimmes are getting more delusional with every free dollar they get from the taxpayers...and their kids....and their grandkids.....
The Coming, And Why The Left Doesn’t Understand Irane short film …
Instapundit » Blog Archive » ROGER SIMON: The Coming, And Why The Left Doesn’t Understand Iran.
ROGER SIMON: The Coming, And Why The Left Doesn’t Understand Iran. “The message of the short film was clear: The current crisis in the Middle East (Egypt, Bahrain, Libya, now Syria… all of it) is a harbinger that the Mahdi (the hidden one, the Twelfth Imam) was coming soon and that, in the ensuing chaos and destruction, Khomeini’s version of Shia Islam would shortly rule over the entire globe.” I think they just can’t wrap their mind around religious apocalypticism that doesn’t come from that old bugbear, the Christians. (Bumped, because this is important).
Here’s a direct link to the Iranian movie in question, with subtitles. No subscription required.
Butler Bulldogs!
My Way - Sports News:
"Butler prefers old-school basketball and old-style celebrations to all the preseason nonsense.
That's why the Bulldogs wait until late March to hold Midnight Madness."
"Butler prefers old-school basketball and old-style celebrations to all the preseason nonsense.
That's why the Bulldogs wait until late March to hold Midnight Madness."
PETA Wants To Remove Animal Discrimination From The Bible
Say Anything » PETA Wants To Remove Animal Discrimination From The Bible
"Now PETA wants some revisions of their own, with “it” when used in reference to an animal also replaced with “he or she.”"
These same loonies want to rename fish as "sea kittens":
http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/search?q=kittens
"Now PETA wants some revisions of their own, with “it” when used in reference to an animal also replaced with “he or she.”"
These same loonies want to rename fish as "sea kittens":
http://muskegonpundit.blogspot.com/search?q=kittens
Arab newcomers help Dearborn buck trend of population loss in Metro Detroit
Arab newcomers help Dearborn buck trend of population loss in Metro Detroit MLive.com
"The city of Dearborn is nationally known as the home of Ford Motor Co., the Henry Ford museum and one of the country's most concentrated Middle Eastern communities.
Now it can boast of bucking a trend that saw Detroit and most other surrounding communities lose population."
Visit Dearborn and make up your own mind if this is a good trend.
"The city of Dearborn is nationally known as the home of Ford Motor Co., the Henry Ford museum and one of the country's most concentrated Middle Eastern communities.
Now it can boast of bucking a trend that saw Detroit and most other surrounding communities lose population."
Visit Dearborn and make up your own mind if this is a good trend.
Unthinkable foursome heading to Houston
My Way News - Unthinkable foursome heading to Houston "This Final Four includes: _Four teams with a combined 37 losses and a combined winning percentage of .755, second lowest since 1985. _Four teams whose combined seeding equals 26, breaking the record of 22 in 2000. _Not a single No. 1 seed for only the third time since seeding began in 1979. _Not a single No. 1 or No. 2 for the first time. No surprise then, that out of the 5.9 million entries in the ESPN bracket contest, only two had this foursome making its way to Houston."
States' Buck-Passing, NASA Waste
States' Buck-Passing, NASA Waste, Your Ignorance, Google's Gaga: The Live Wire, March 24, 2011 FlaglerLive
"From the Orlando Sentinel: “Congress has again failed to rid a temporary spending bill of language forcing NASA to waste $1.4 million a day on its defunct Constellation moon program."
"From the Orlando Sentinel: “Congress has again failed to rid a temporary spending bill of language forcing NASA to waste $1.4 million a day on its defunct Constellation moon program."
Written by a Delta pilot on approach to Tokyo during earthquake
Written by a Delta pilot on approach to Tokyo during earthquake : reddit.com
"'I'm currently still in one piece, writing from my room in the Narita crew hotel.
It's 8am.
This is my inaugural trans-pacific trip as a brand new, recently checked out, international 767 Captain and it has been interesting, to say the least, so far.
I've crossed the Atlantic three times so far so the ocean crossing procedures were familiar."
"'I'm currently still in one piece, writing from my room in the Narita crew hotel.
It's 8am.
This is my inaugural trans-pacific trip as a brand new, recently checked out, international 767 Captain and it has been interesting, to say the least, so far.
I've crossed the Atlantic three times so far so the ocean crossing procedures were familiar."
Few employees denied step increases for poor performance
Few employees denied step increases for poor performance - FederalTimes.com
"Does job performance play a factor in employee raises and step increases?
Unions defending the General Schedule say yes. But the latest numbers say clearly no.
Only 737 out of more than 1.2 million GS employees — or one in every 1,698 — were denied a regularly scheduled step increase and accompanying raise in 2009 because of poor performance, according to data provided by the Office of Personnel Management at Federal Times' request."
"Does job performance play a factor in employee raises and step increases?
Unions defending the General Schedule say yes. But the latest numbers say clearly no.
Only 737 out of more than 1.2 million GS employees — or one in every 1,698 — were denied a regularly scheduled step increase and accompanying raise in 2009 because of poor performance, according to data provided by the Office of Personnel Management at Federal Times' request."
Delhi to investigate 4500 pilot licences
Delhi to investigate 4500 pilot licences News.com.au
"EVEN the most cavalier passengers knew something was amiss onboard IndiGo airlines' January 11 flight from Goa when it landed with a terrifying, lurching thud - nose wheel first - on the New Delhi tarmac.
The flight's captain, Parminder Kaur Gulati, may have been the only one that day to see nothing awry in the unconventional and perilous landing.
A subsequent investigation determined she had done it 15 times before. More distressing still was the discovery that Ms Gulati, 38, had failed one of her pilot exams and then forged her results to obtain her licence.
'Only a woman could do it,'' read an ensuing headline - one of several predictable joke lines that followed, besmirching women drivers."
"EVEN the most cavalier passengers knew something was amiss onboard IndiGo airlines' January 11 flight from Goa when it landed with a terrifying, lurching thud - nose wheel first - on the New Delhi tarmac.
The flight's captain, Parminder Kaur Gulati, may have been the only one that day to see nothing awry in the unconventional and perilous landing.
A subsequent investigation determined she had done it 15 times before. More distressing still was the discovery that Ms Gulati, 38, had failed one of her pilot exams and then forged her results to obtain her licence.
'Only a woman could do it,'' read an ensuing headline - one of several predictable joke lines that followed, besmirching women drivers."
Obama gas tax
Obama gas tax The Daily Caller
"In addition to pushing up unemployment rates in the Gulf, these policies are keeping 97 percent of America’s offshore oil and gas off limits."
"In addition to pushing up unemployment rates in the Gulf, these policies are keeping 97 percent of America’s offshore oil and gas off limits."
Egypt Air wipes Israel off the map – a sign of where Egypt could be headed
Egypt Air wipes Israel off the map – a sign of where Egypt could be headed – Telegraph Blogs
"Israel has quietly dropped off Egypt Air’s route map this week."
"Israel has quietly dropped off Egypt Air’s route map this week."
Still Rosy After All These Years
Still Rosy After All These Years - Investors.com
'Live in the past, borrow from the future' could be the motto for public retirement funds.
Their forecasts are tinted by '90s nostalgia, and they favor short-term politics over the advice of actuaries.
If only we all could make money the Calpers way.
The California Public Employees Retirement System, at $227 billion the nation's biggest public-worker pension fund, gave state and local governments a gift worth several hundred million dollars earlier this month. It did so without writing a check or otherwise spending a penny.
All it did was decide against changing a single, but crucial, number — its expected annual investment return.
By a 10-to-3 vote, the Calpers board on March 16 voted to stick with a forecast of 7.75%. Its chief actuary had recommended taking the number down a notch to 7.5%."
'Live in the past, borrow from the future' could be the motto for public retirement funds.
Their forecasts are tinted by '90s nostalgia, and they favor short-term politics over the advice of actuaries.
If only we all could make money the Calpers way.
The California Public Employees Retirement System, at $227 billion the nation's biggest public-worker pension fund, gave state and local governments a gift worth several hundred million dollars earlier this month. It did so without writing a check or otherwise spending a penny.
All it did was decide against changing a single, but crucial, number — its expected annual investment return.
By a 10-to-3 vote, the Calpers board on March 16 voted to stick with a forecast of 7.75%. Its chief actuary had recommended taking the number down a notch to 7.5%."
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