Friday, May 20, 2011

Fighting for the Right to Tell Lies

Fighting for the Right to Tell Lies - NYTimes.com
"But though he admitted conjuring the entire tale, Mr. Strandlof has been fighting the case against him, arguing that the law violates his right to free speech.
Simply telling a lie, his lawyers assert, does not always constitute a crime.

Now, a federal appeals court in Denver is weighing whether the act is indeed unconstitutional.
Last July, a judge dismissed the case against Mr. Strandlof on First Amendment grounds, but prosecutors appealed."

An historic first?

Muskegon Taxpayers Alliance
"This is a first for me.
And maybe a first for the Muskegon County commissioners.

They voted 'No' on two spending bills!"

Muskegon County board pulls its annual contribution to Muskegon Heights festival

Muskegon County board pulls its annual contribution to Muskegon Heights festival MLive.com
"“When you see Miss Michigan means more than an entire community, I want to say racial,” Rankin said."

Senate rejects GOP bill to expand, speed up offshore drilling

Senate rejects GOP bill to expand, speed up offshore drilling - The Hill's E2-Wire
"The Senate on Wednesday rejected Republican-backed legislation intended to speed up and expand offshore oil and gas drilling"

Yes, there is a difference between GOPers and democrats.

Thursday, May 19, 2011

THE KEY TO IMPROVING SOCIETY: Economic freedom.

Instapundit » Blog Archive » THE KEY TO IMPROVING SOCIETY: Economic freedom.
"You don’t say.
Funny, it’s easy for some people to accept that artistic freedom is good for art, but they still have trouble accepting that economic freedom is good for the economy."

Aide’s Defense of Gingrich Has D.C. Howling

Aide’s Defense of Gingrich Has D.C. Howling - Washington Wire - WSJ
"Walt Whitman or Allen Ginsberg it isn’t.
But the 2012 campaign has found its early, free-form poet.
He is Rick Tyler, Newt Gingrich’s long-time spokesman, who has penned a defense of his beleaguered boss that is so purple, so mixed in its metaphors, that all of Washington is eating it up – tweeting it, emailing it and otherwise bouncing it around the Internet."

He gone!

A defining moment for Chuck Reed

Herhold: A defining moment for Chuck Reed - San Jose Mercury News
"Make no mistake: The proposal that San Jose Mayor Chuck Reed unveiled Friday to curtail retirement and health benefits for city employees will define his mayoral career."

One man, standing tall!
It CAN happen in Muskegon.

If public pension checks bounce, blame union leaders and politicians, not taxpayers

If public pension checks bounce, blame union leaders and politicians, not taxpayers
"Prichard simply stopped writing pension checks almost two years ago, leaving retirees without promised income even as the town forces current employees and taxpayers to keep paying into the fund.

Sure, Prichard is only a municipality, and states are states.
But that might not make much difference when the money runs out.
In fact, as sovereigns, states can pretty much pay — or not pay — whom they choose."

It's the union members who will be hurt most if this house of cards collapses.
Why do their leaders lie to the membership?

Michigan Senate passes bill requiring public workers to pay 20 percent of health insurance premiums

Michigan Senate passes bill requiring public workers to pay 20 percent of health insurance premiums MLive.com
"Public employers in Michigan at the state, local, school and university levels could pay no more than 80 percent of employees' health insurance premiums under legislation that cleared the Senate today.
The measure was approved on a near party line 25-13 vote."

My gosh!
We may yet get out of this mess!

Teacher 'step increases,' retroactive wages curtailed in bill headed for Gov. Snyder

Teacher 'step increases,' retroactive wages curtailed in bill headed for Gov. Snyder MLive.com
"Teachers will no longer get automatic “step increases” under terms of expired labor agreements, and will no longer be able to bargain retroactive pay increases under a bill headed for Gov. Rick Snyder's signature."

A small step for a governor.
A giant leap for the taxpayer.

How about a National Obamacare Waiver?

How about a National Obamacare Waiver? The Foundry
"On Monday, the Las Vegas Sun reported that Nevada—Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid’s home state—received a partial statewide Obamacare waiver, too.
If you’re keeping score, Reid was Pelosi’s counterpart in the Senate fighting to get Obamacare passed into law.
Now his state will be one of three to get a waiver from the law’s requirements, while the rest of America suffers."

The ENTIRE state of Nevada?

GM Asks for More Tax Incentives

GM Asks for More Tax Incentives [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"The company has been the recipient of at least 10 other deals from the Michigan Economic Growth Authority, with estimated incentives valued at the time of passage at more than $1.5 billion, including its massive special 2009 award.
That’s not even including assistance in these deals from federal or local government incentives, let alone its $50 billion federal government bailout."

The Differences Between Public and Private Sector Unions

The Differences Between Public and Private Sector Unions « Union Watch
"Many supporters of public sector unions suggest there are no meaningful differences between public and private sector unions when it comes to collective bargaining.
As I explain below, however, there are in fact several fundamental differences,"

Wednesday, May 18, 2011

Michigan first to act as states weigh reductions in unemployment benefits

Michigan first to act as states weigh reductions in unemployment benefits - CFED News Clips
"When state unemployment funds are depleted, they borrow from the federal government.
Michigan owes the federal government $3.9 billion for the program.

By comparison, the state's proposed budget for next year is $45.9 billion."

$3.9 BILLION!!!!!!!!!
And it's growing EVERY day!

Andrew Klavan: Behold! Your Public Sector Unions at Work.

Passenger jets nearly collide after Biden plane lands in Chicago

Passenger jets nearly collide after Biden plane lands in Chicago - The Washington Post
"The near-collision involved a pair of 50-seat, twin-engine commuter jets, one inbound from Muskegon, Mich.,"

Hey teachers unions – how about some pay cuts?

Hey teachers unions – how about some pay cuts? - Orange Punch - The Orange County Register
"Wouldn’t people who work only nine months a year have enough of a compassionate heart for their compatriots to effectively work two or three weeks a year without pay in order to save enough money to prevent some of their ranks from being laid off?
Nah."

Why are we so afraid of teachers, for gosh sakes?

Social Security deficits now 'permanent'

Social Security deficits now 'permanent' - Washington Times
"Medicare’s hospital insurance trust fund is now slated to run out of money in 2024, or five years earlier than last year’s projection, while Social Security’s trust fund will be exhausted by 2036, a year earlier than the prior projection."

"Last year's" projection is wrong this quickly?
Maybe we could save some tax money by getting a new "projector"?

Former Mona Shores chief, ousted following Ponzi scheme, interviews at Kenowa Hills

Former Mona Shores chief, ousted following Ponzi scheme, interviews at Kenowa Hills MLive.com

This guy is the public employee version of the captain of the Titanic.
He let his "ship" sink.
Why is he still being considered to captain another ship?

Several Passengers Injured When Elevator Drops Three Floors In Chelsea

Several Passengers Injured When Elevator Drops Three Floors In Chelsea « CBS New York

Not really a big story but check out the comments...harsh!

White House shuts out Herald scribe

White House shuts out Herald scribe - BostonHerald.com
"The White House Press Office has refused to give the Boston Herald full access to President Obama’s Boston fund-raiser today, in e-mails objecting to the newspaper’s front page placement of a Mitt Romney op-ed, saying pool reporters are chosen based on whether they cover the news “fairly.”"

Gangster government tells da media who's boss!

USPS warns of default on retiree benefits

Federal News Radio 1500 AM: USPS warns of default on retiree benefits
"The Postal Service will begin to default on its financial obligations just over four months from now unless Congress takes action to relieve it of its obligation to pre-fund retiree health care accounts, its leader told lawmakers Tuesday."

In other words, "everything will be just fine if only you'll allow us to borrow more money from your grandchildren".

Muskegon Township, fortu PowerCell reach development agreement for battery plant

Muskegon Township, fortu PowerCell reach development agreement for battery plant MLive.com
"Fortu states that, as part of its 2010 tax credit agreement with the state that made the project possible, it won't discriminate against union contractors"

What the heck does that mean?
Yu gotta problem wit dat?

Michigan Irish Music Festival announces 2011 headliners

Michigan Irish Music Festival announces 2011 headliners [video] MLive.com
"Organizers of the Michigan Irish Music Festival have announced three headlining bands direct from Ireland for this year's festivities."

Maybe these organizers ought to take control of Summer Celebration?

Soaring gas prices prompt surge in mo-ped sales

Soaring gas prices prompt surge in mo-ped sales MLive.com

Nice happy-feely article on the joys of high gasoline prices and mo-peds.

The "high gas prices force innocent citizens onto mo-peds. Women and children hurt most" headline saved for a republican administration.

The 2012 GOP guide to the climate debate

The 2012 GOP guide to the climate debate The Daily Caller
"science doesn’t work on a consensus basis.
We don’t accept that the Earth revolves around the Sun because most scientists, or a group of scientists, have agreed to say so.
Science is driven by data, not groupthink."

Monday, May 16, 2011

Muslims to push for sharia

Muslims to push for sharia The Australian
"THE nation's peak Muslim group is using the Gillard government's re-embracing of multiculturalism to push for the introduction of sharia in Australia, but it says it would be a more moderate variety of Islamic law that fits with Australian values"

Watch out, it's on the way here!

Recount in Orchard View sought by candidate who lost by one vote

Recount in Orchard View sought by candidate who lost by one vote MLive.com
"An Orchard View school board candidate who lost by one vote has asked for a recount of some of the ballots cast in the May 3 election."

Next time you think your vote doesn't count, remember this.

Geithner halts investments in 2 gov't pensions

My Way News - Geithner halts investments in 2 gov't pensions
"The nation has reached its debt limit because the federal government has grown accustomed to borrowing massive amounts of money.
The latest estimate is that it borrows 40 cents for every dollar it spends."

What's the democrat plan to stop spending what we don't have?

Why Don't We Hear About Soros' Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations?

Why Don't We Hear About Soros' Ties to Over 30 Major News Organizations? - FoxNews.com
"Soros, who spent $27 million trying to defeat President Bush in 2004, has ties to more than 30 mainstream news outlets – including The New York Times, Washington Post, the Associated Press, NBC and ABC."

This answer is very frightening.