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Thursday, November 09, 2006

Independents

I have to say, the fact that there are now two Independents in the US Senate is encouraging to me. I have always been anti-two party system and the fact these two have been able to run without national party support is a good sign. I don't know whether such independence can endure or even expand, but I for one hope it does. We need more people who are not quite conservative or liberal, or too conservative or liberal for the two national parties to run more. People in this country want more, and independents and 3rd parties are a way to give people more.

Oh Ann Coulter......again

You know, I think for one year, I would like to see the world the way Ann Coulter does. I really don't know how she has such pent up aggression and hate for the other side. She lives to argue and take character shots. People talk about what is wrong with this country? It is not the liberal media, it is people like her and Rush who insist on trying to polarize this country even more than it is.

Also, check out this website. I wonder if he could actually win? I would vote for him, just for the cabinet.

Tuesday, November 07, 2006

Goodbye Nancy

The democrats took back the house. They may or may not take back the Senate (ok, they won't). No matter what happens, Nancy Johnson is no longer in congress.

Chris Murphy, please do a good job.

To all newly elected congresspersons and senators (or relected ones): Work with the opposing party. Listen to you constituents, not your largest campaign contributors. Do what is best for the American people, not what is politically expedient. Listen, compromise, and realize there is more that unites us than divides us.

Thursday, November 02, 2006

Ann Coulter

Oh how she boils my blood sometimes. I'm really glad to know that every Republican or Conservative I know dismisses her as being as crazy as the people she accuses of being crazy in this column. She seems to imply that focusing on anything but the War on Terror and the War in Iraq would be absolutely insane. There are other things in this country we need to be concerned with. Least of all is budget management which seems to be pretty low on the priority of the fiscally responsible Republican Party. Yeah, we are in a war, but we have been in a couple and I don't seem to remember having such a huge disparity in spending and income during those wars. You know why? Because in order to pay for those wars, the government raised taxes, especially the estate tax in order to pay for those wars. Previous leaders of our country understood that everyone has to give a little bit more in a time of war.

Wrong Voting Precinct?

Oh Ann Coulter, how we love you.

Tuesday, October 31, 2006

What rule of civil procedure am I?

As a law student, I am obligated to take this quiz.







Which Federal Rule of Civil Procedure Are You?



YOU ARE RULE 11!You were designed to make sure that attorneys in federal cases make reasonable inquiries into fact and law before submitting pleadings, motions, or other papers. You were a real hardass in 1983, when you snuffed out all legal creativity from federal proceedings and embarassed well-meaning but overzealous attorneys. You loosened up a bit in 1993, when you began allowing plaintiffs to make allegations in their complaints that are likely to have evidenciary support after discovery, and when you allowed a 21 day period for the erring attorney to withdraw the errant motion. Sure, you certainly won't get any brownie points for being outgoing, but you keep things on the up and up. It's pretty clear that the whole operation would fall apart without you around.
Take this quiz!








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Monday, October 30, 2006

Environmental Economics

See previous post.

Now we even have a leading British Government Economist saying that it makes good economic sense to protect the environment and take measure to prevent climate change.

He predicts that if we do not prevent global climate change, world economic growth will begin to slow considerably. While he concedes that it is not certain that this will happen, he finds the economic risks far outweigh the uncertainty. He believes there is a need for the world governments to set regulations to encourage a move away from a carbon based economy through taxes or carbon trading. He also believes this can be done for as little as 1% of the global economic output and will create enormous opportunity for investment, not kill investment like some say.

In my view, there is a more pressing economic risk of staying depending on carbon based fuels, specifically oil: China and the rest of Asia is continuing to develop and increasing their demand for oil. As that demand increases, the price of oil increases. As our economy is do dependent on oil, that any increase in the price has a significant impact on spending, travel, transportation, and many other facets of our economy. The sooner we get off our dependence on oil, the better economic position we will be in when the price of oil really goes through the roof.

Friday, October 27, 2006

Abortion? Not in Nicaragua.

Eeek! Nicaragua has joined 2 other Latin American Countries as being the only countries in the Western Hemisphere that completely ban abortion. No exception. Not even for rape or incest. Glad to know we are SO much more progressive than these countries...a complete ban could NEVER happen here.

Thursday, October 26, 2006

Private Police Force

I LOVE these guys. They provide a bit of entertainment, though their views a little ummm......scary.

Friday, October 20, 2006

Talk to the bush because the Bush ain't listening.

This is good. To be honest, I watched this first thing in the morning and didn't realize the analogy for like half the video.

Monday, October 09, 2006

Ok, where does a 13 year old get an AK-47?

Parent's using children as weapons and now 13 year olds bringing AK-47s and Bombs into school.

Now my question: Where does a 13 year old get an AK-47? His parents had one. Why? Because they need to protect themselves from skunks.

There is no reason an AK-47 should be anywhere a 13 year old boy (or girl) could reach it. For that matter there shouldn't be any reason a 13 year old has access to any sort of weapon unless properly supervised by a parent. I am not against hunting, I am against guns in the hands of kids without proper adult supervision. I also do not think there is any reason why anyone should have an AK-47!

Since everyone is posting about N. Korea

I will share something scary a bit closer home.

This is very disturbing.

Monday, October 02, 2006

Palestine in Civil War?

Hmmm.....two factions of the government fighting against each other.....sounds kinda like a certain other middle eastern country.

Thursday, September 28, 2006

Gas Prices

I am making the prediction now: Within 6 months of the 2006 Congressional election, gas prices will begin to creep back up to where they are.

I guess I am far to cynical, and maybe have too much faith in the power of those in power, but I think oil companies and oil producing countries would be far happier with Republicans in control than with Democrats in control of this country so they are artificially lowering prices to give the Republicans a bump before election time.

Monday, September 11, 2006

Guess it is time for more Dork nights and online gaming...

I am nerdier than 28% of all people. Are you nerdier? Click here to find out!

Why must school prevent me from posting anything than this? How I would love to go off on the "spoiled brat" tax and election reform...

Monday, August 28, 2006

Crumbling Camden

So, as some of you may or may not know, Sunny Camden, NJ is currently trying to redevelop itself. While this is a wonderful idea and much needed it is not very simple and the people in charge of it continue to make things worse instead of better.

They are trying so hard to get businesses into the city (which is necessary) that they are giving incredible tax breaks and abatements for businesses that they cannot afford to do the same for residents. They are trying to redevelop a large residential area of the city, giving new houses to residents who already live there. However, they aren't given a property tax break to those who stay, so they will soon be taxed out of the area.

Recently, they also started condemning properties to do building and promising to reimburse owners. Not only are they condemning unprofitable businesses, but also some of the few profitable businesses in the city, and are apparently having trouble doing the actual work or reimbursing or assisting those businesses that have to relocate.

I am all for redevelopment, but not at the expense of people who already live and do business in the city.

Thursday, August 24, 2006

Terror and US Foreign Policy

Thank you to Geoff over at American Entropy for this one. He gives a good intro, so I will just link the Q&A with Michael Scheuer from Harper's.

It is always an argument I get into with my more conservative friends; whether US Foreign policy, especially in the middle east, only increases support for terrorist organizations. Here is a pretty conservative CIA guy saying it does.

Wednesday, August 23, 2006

Sorry!

I have been in the process of moving and trying to get internet so have not been able to post. I hope to be back up fairly regularly soon, but I am back at Law School and might not have as much time. So keep checking back and see what I got.

-PV

Wednesday, August 16, 2006

I cannot believe I am quoting Ann Coulter!

But I am. It is her column from last week. I am a little behind, but it takes me a few days to build up the joy and happiness I need to have so that when I read Ann Coulter I don't do something very bad. But last week, she actually said something I agree with:

"When you vote Democratic, you're saying NO to mindless patriotism. "

Now she says that as it is a bad thing. She thinks we should be mindlessly patriotic, which scares me. I would like to remind her what mindless patriotism gave us: Nazi Germany, WWII Era Japan, the USSR, and North Korea to name a few. Mindless patriotism is what most often puts dictators in power.

So please, whether you vote Democrat, Republican, Green, Working Families, or Right to Life; Say NO to mindless patriotism!

Tuesday, August 15, 2006

Posner Weighs in

Judge Posner has a lot to say about counter-terrorism methods in the US. For those of you who don't know, Judge Posner is a sitting judge on the 7th Circuit United States Court of Appeals.

Basically Judge Posner is recommending that the US create a counter-terrorism unit similar to Britain's MI-5. Because MI-5's main responsibility is counter-terrorism, not crime prevention, and they can hold a suspect for 28 days w/o a judicial hearing, Judge Posner believes they are more effective against terrorism. The FBI can hold a suspect for more than 48 hours, but only in extraordinary circumstances.

While I do not agree with everything Judge Posner says, the idea of allowing authorities to hold a terror suspect for an extended period of time may have some merit (I can just see the entire left side of the political spectrum calling for me head right now). I do not mean indefinitely, but a period of time similar to Britain. Again, this would ONLY be for terrorist activity, activity that is very hard to prove unless something has actually happened, hence the difficulty under our legal system. I would also want to include some heavy civil sanctions against the detaining agency for wrongful detainment. We do not want the federal government picking up Muslims off the street just to try and pump them for information when the Feds have no reason to believe they are involved in terrorism. Stiff civil penalties would help alleviate the chances of this happening (though admittedly, not eliminate). However, as most people know, theory and practice are two different things. While in theory it may not be so bad, I would be fearful that we would start having people disappear into black vans on the street. The authorization to do this would have to be clear and unambiguous with significant monitoring and oversight. While I am not saying we should start doing this tomorrow to prevent terrorism, it is something we might want to have serious conversation between the opposing sides beyond, "You are wrong, we are right."

As I mentioned above, there are a lot of things I don't agree with Judge Posner on. One in particular is the end of his column where he appears to be saying that we should presume Muslim Americans are intent on attacking us until proven otherwise. That is a scary thing to imply. Maybe it is just me, but thoughts like that lead to things like the Japanese Internment camps and what happened in The Siege. Yes we need to balance civil liberties and protection from terrorism, but as soon as we start making people think all Muslims are terrorist we start breeding mistrust and hate which in turn would create more terrorists.

Dell Recall

Heads up to all you Dell laptop owners, they are recalling a large number of their laptops due to a problem with their batteries catching on fire.

Check out Dellbatteryprogram.com for details on the recall. I would like to point out that while this is appearing all over the internet news, Dell only has a small little 8-point font link to "battery recall" at Dell.com.

Monday, August 14, 2006

Private Police Force?

Wow.

That is just about all I have to say to that.

My favorite line from it is under "The Uncooperatives" link:

"If we receive any resident opposition, we will prosecute them for interference in a legal proceeding. There are always dissidents who feel they are beyond the law. "

Apparently there are. I bet ICE is not so happy that these guys are listing them under "Supporting Websites." I really have to remember to follow these guys and see what happens.

Here is what The Californian had to say about it.

Friday, August 11, 2006

The Post "Almost Terror Attack" TSA Rules

So apparently people are starting to adjust to the no liquids rule on planes. Yes, this is a little annoying, but my brother, who flew today made a point that I think was very valid: This ban on liquids is the best thing that has happened to air travel in a while. People are not bringing on these huge carryon bags that holding up security checks and delay boarding of the plane. In his experience today, the trip through security was quicker than it has ever been and so was boarding and deparking the plane. Maybe in the end, this ban will be good for air travel. I mean to we honestly have to carry our entire bathroom and kitchen with us on the plane?

About the only thing I would be upset about not being able to carry on is my water bottle. I don't know if they are allowing people to bring an empty water bottle through security and then fill it up after.

Thursday, August 10, 2006

World War III?

Well when you put it that way:

Two full-blown crises, in Lebanon and Iraq, are merging into a single
emergency. A chain reaction could spread quickly almost anywhere between Cairo and Bombay.
Turkey is talking openly of invading northern Iraq to deal with Kurdish terrorists based there. Syria could easily get pulled into the war in southern Lebanon. Egypt and Saudi Arabia are under pressure from jihadists to support Hezbollah, even though the governments in Cairo and Riyadh hate that organization. Afghanistan accuses Pakistan of giving shelter to al-Qaeda and the Taliban; there is constant fighting on both sides of that border. NATO's own war in Afghanistan is not going well. India talks of taking punitive action against Pakistan for allegedly being behind the Bombay bombings. Uzbekistan is a repressive dictatorship with a growing Islamic resistance.

The only beneficiaries of this chaos are Iran, Hezbollah, al-Qaeda and the Iraqi Shiite leader Moqtada al-Sadr, who last week held the largest anti-American, anti-Israel demonstration in the world in the very heart of Baghdad, even as 6,000 additional U.S. troops were rushing into the city to "prevent" a civil war that has already begun.


This combination of combustible elements poses the greatest threat to global stability since the 1962 Cuban missile crisis, history's only nuclear superpower confrontation.

The World seems down right scary!

Wednesday, August 09, 2006

White House Drafts War Crimes Act Amendment

History

The Bush Administration continues its push to limit criminal prosecution of Americans who violate the Geneva Convention. There is something very wrong with the idea of, "We did something wrong. Let’s change the law so we don't get in trouble." It is scary that they think they can just change laws that get in their way. They are not even considering the fact that the War Crimes Act also creates a criminal offense when a foreigner violates the Geneva Convention on an American Citizen.

Former Justice Department lawyer John C. Yoo similarly said that U.S. soldiers and agents should "not be beholden to the definition of vague words by international or foreign courts, who often pursue nakedly political agendas at odds with the United States."

This is not about foreign courts, this is about American courts. An American statute cannot create a cause of action in an international or foreign court. It is outside our jurisdiction. The federal government would need to prosecute a case under this law. It would be tried in our courts, by our prosecutors, not by foreigners. It would need to be and egregious violation of the Geneva Convention for our government to prosecute under this law (hence the fact that no one has been). If anything, this does more to allow for prosecution of foreigners violating the Geneva Convention than for us violating it.

All this will do is make us look worse in the eyes of the world. Why should we care? We are the New York Yankees of the World. We are big, we are powerful, we win, and we throw our money around. If we continue to pretend like international conventions we helped write and agreed to do not completely apply to us, we will continue to undermine our foreign policy objects and further alienate our allies and harm our relations even further with nations that already see us as the great Satan.

Tuesday, August 08, 2006

While some are destroying things in the Middle East...

...Some are building. Leave it to those wacky guys in Dubai to use their other resources, sand and rock, to build beautiful designer islands. I will take one in the New York Ranger's Statute of Liberty emblem if you please and do not forget my mountains. I need my skiing and mountain biking.

Monday, August 07, 2006

If they don't get you one way...

...they will get you another.

Taxes. We hate 'em. Government needs them. If they do not get us with income taxes, they will get us with property taxes. I think what people fail to understand is that we need to pay for government. Those great Bush Tax cuts greatly benefited business and the higher income brackets, but as a result, there was less money to be given back to states and therefore states (also because of a slow in economic growth) had less money to give to local governments. So to make up the shortfall, local governments had to increase property taxes or fees. I know of someone who was all happy with their 300 dollar federal tax rebate from the tax cuts. He was not so happy when he got slapped with a $150 busing fee for his kids and an increase in his property taxes to make up the shortfall in the school budget that more than made up for his federal rebate.

Tax cuts can be great, but if they are not accompanied by intelligent cuts in spending, the deficit will increase and other taxes will increase. So Bush looks popular for cutting taxes while local governments take the heat because they need to increase local taxes partially because of the Bush Tax cut.

Globalize Me

First off, I just have to say, I took the Delta Shuttle between Washington and New York this weekend and it was wonderful. I got to relax in comfortable terminal while sipping free coffee and reading my free Washington Post before getting on a 50 minute flight where I was actually fed. Had I had my laptop with me I would have been online for free and writing about the experience right then and there. It was such a great flying experience, I would do it everyday if it weren't so incredibly impractical, expensive, and environmentally bad.

Anyway, I was sharing this story of the joy of the Delta Shuttle and discussing Globalization, specifically The World is Flat by Thomas Friedman, with some friends and I heard a great story about what our world is coming to:

Wife was flying to visit some family and the weather was horrible. Flights
have been delayed and cancelled all day, but so far her flight is fine.
She is sitting in the airport talking to Husband on the cell phone.
Husband decides to check the status of Wife's flight. To both of their
surprise, the airline's website shows the flight as cancelled. Husband
tells Wife to get up to the counter and get on a new flight before they announce
the cancellation in the airport (which they haven't done yet). Still on
the phone, Wife goes up to the counter while Husband checks flights
online. Wife asks at counter if there are any seats on the next flight and
is told "No." Meanwhile, it has been announced that the flight is
cancelled and there is now a huge line behind Wife at the counter. Husband
says to her, "Ask them about seat 9B." So Wife says to employee, "I
understand seat 9B is available." The employee remarks, "My, you are
correct, I don't know how I missed that. Let me get you on that
flight." Husband watches online as seat 9B disappears from the list of
available seats online.

I was amazed when I heard that story. I am not so surprised that it can be done, but that it was done. It is one of those things I need to keep in my bag of tricks. The world truly is getting "flat." Anyone, anywhere can find out almost anything they want and use it to help themselves or others. Three cheers for the internet, cell phones, and airline employees who know when they are beaten.

Thursday, August 03, 2006

Goodbye Freedom Fries!

Well, the House of Representatives has gone back to good ol' French Fries at the lunch counter. I still cannot believe there ever was a switch. Talk about an immature way to lash out at someone who does not agree with our policies. The fact that Congressmen spent their time getting the name changed makes me feel almost as good about the priorities of our Congress as it spending an entire day discussing a non-binding resolution.

The Gettysburg Address

Four score and seven years ago our fathers brought forth on this continent, a new nation, conceived in Liberty, and dedicated to the proposition that all men are created equal. Now we are engaged in a great civil war, testing whether that nation, or any nation so conceived and so dedicated, can long endure.

We are met on a great battle-field of that war. We have come to dedicate a portion of that field, as a final resting place for those who here gave their lives that that nation might live. It is altogether fitting and proper that we should do this. But, in a larger sense, we can not dedicate -- we can not consecrate -- we can not hallow -- this ground. The brave men, living and dead, who struggled here, have consecrated it, far above our poor power to add or detract. The world will little note, nor long remember what we say here, but it can never forget what they did here.

It is for us the living, rather, to be dedicated here to the unfinished work which they who fought here have thus far so nobly advanced. It is rather for us to be here dedicated to the great task remaining before us -- that from these honored dead we take increased devotion to that cause for which they gave the last full measure of devotion -- that we here highly resolve that these dead shall not have died in vain -- that this nation, under God, shall have a new birth of freedom -- and that government of the people, by the people, for the people, shall not perish from the earth.

Lately I have felt the need to go back and read this great speech by one of our greatest Presidents. It is short, simple, and powerful (Three qualities it seems most of today's speech writers don't possess).

In a time when the country seems so divided, we must remember where we came from and what we have been through. We have the extreme right cursing the left and the extreme left doing the same thing back. We have rumors of the dissolution of the United States and creation of a North American Union through the Security and Prosperity Partnership (which seem to have died off some since the Commerce Department responded to Corsi's FOIA request). We get some conservatives saying liberals in office hate America and should be removed from office while some liberals say Bush is a terrorist.

Yes we are divided. The country does not agree on what to do about Iraq or Israel/Lebanon, or even social security and stem cell research. But we are not nearly as divided as we once were. Sure some of us may get into verbal sparing matches or dismiss the other side because they don't agree with us; there are those who still stand for a lot of the same things while understanding that neither side is ever going to get exactly what they want. This is precisely because we are a democracy and democracy is about working together. Those who respond to the opposition by attacking their character and instigating confrontations are the one who hate America because they only like the American system when things go their way and curse it when they don't.

So remember what we are capable of doing to each other when we get heated over political disagreements. We must always remember that there is more that unites us than divides us.

Tuesday, August 01, 2006

Biden for President?

I guess there are worse reasons to run for President than Joe Biden apparently has.

Some Common Sense

If you are going to steal and ID to try to pass as 21, be sure not to hand that ID to the waitress you stole it from.

Monday, July 31, 2006

Friendly Reminder

This is a friendly reminder from the Bush Administration: Mission Accomplished.

Saturday, July 29, 2006

Further in the financial hole...

It is no surprise that the costs of reconstruction in Iraq are turning out to be more than anticipated. Though apparently things are worse than they even appeared! According to an independent auditor that reports to Congress, the people in charge of reconstruction have been cooking the books. They have been reporting that projects are within the budget while classifying any overrun as "indirect costs" which aren't fully reported to Congress. One of my favorite lines is:

The hospital’s construction budget was $50 million. By April of this year, Bechtel had told the aid agency that because of escalating costs for security and other problems, the project would actually cost $98 million to complete. But in an official report to Congress that month, the agency “was reporting the hospital project cost as $50 million,” the inspector general wrote in his report.

The project was actually reported as being on time when it was close to 300 days behind schedule. And the Bush Administration claims it is the liberal media that only reports the bad news.

Krugman: Reign of Error

This was so good, I had to reprint the entire thing:

July 28, 2006 Op-Ed Columnist Reign of Error By PAUL KRUGMAN

The New York Times

Amid everything else that's going wrong in the world, here's one more piece of depressing news: a few days ago the Harris Poll reported that 50 percent of Americans now believe that Iraq had weapons of mass destruction when we invaded, up from 36 percent in February 2005. Meanwhile, 64 percent still believe that Saddam had strong links with Al Qaeda.

At one level, this shouldn't be all that surprising. The people now running America never accept inconvenient truths. Long after facts they don't like have been established, whether it's the absence of any wrongdoing by the Clintons in the Whitewater affair or the absence of W.M.D. in Iraq, the propaganda machine that supports the current administration is still at work, seeking to flush those facts down the memory hole.

But it's dismaying to realize that the machine remains so effective.

Here's how the process works.

First, if the facts fail to support the administration position on an issue -- stem cells, global warming, tax cuts, income inequality, Iraq -- officials refuse to acknowledge the facts.

Sometimes the officials simply lie. "The tax cuts have made the tax code more progressive and reduced income inequality,"Edward Lazear, the chairman of the Council of Economic Advisers, declared a couple of months ago. More often, however, they bob and weave.

Consider, for example, Condoleezza Rice's response a few months ago, when pressed to explain why the administration always links the Iraq war to 9/11. She admitted that Saddam, -- as far as we know, did not order Sept. 11, may not have even known of Sept. 11.-- (Notice how her statement, while literally true, nonetheless seems to imply both that it's still possible that Saddam ordered 9/11, and that he probably did know about it.) "But," she went on, "that's a very narrow definition of what caused Sept. 11

Meanwhile, apparatchiks in the media spread disinformation. It's hard to imagine what the world looks like to the large number of Americans who get their news by watching Fox and listening to Rush Limbaugh, but I get a pretty good sense from my mailbag.

Many of my correspondents are living in a world in which the economy is better than it ever was under Bill Clinton, newly released documents show that Saddam really was in cahoots with Osama, and the discovery of some decayed 1980's-vintage chemical munitions vindicates everything the administration said about Iraq's weapons of mass destruction. (Hyping of the munitions find may partly explain why public belief that Saddam had W.M.D. has made a comeback.)

Some of my correspondents have even picked up on claims, mostly disseminated on right-wing blogs, that the Bush administration actually did a heck of a job after Katrina.

And what about the perceptions of those who get their news from sources that aren't de facto branches of the Republican National Committee?

The climate of media intimidation that prevailed for several years after 9/11, which made news organizations very cautious about reporting facts that put the administration in a bad light, has abated. But it's not entirely gone. Just a few months ago major news organizations were under fierce attack from the right over their supposed failure to report the "good news" from Iraq -- and my sense is that this attack did lead to a temporary softening of news coverage, until the extent of the carnage became undeniable. And the conventions of he-said-she-said reporting, under which lies and truth get equal billing, continue to work in the administration's favor.

Whatever the reason, the fact is that the Bush administration continues to be remarkably successful at rewriting history. For example, Mr. Bush has repeatedly suggested that the United States had to invade Iraq because Saddam wouldn't let U.N. inspectors in. His most recent statement to that effect was only a few weeks ago. And he gets away with it. If there have been reports by major news organizations pointing out that that's not at all what happened, I've missed them.

It's all very Orwellian, of course. But when Orwell wrote of "a nightmare world in which the Leader, or some ruling clique, controls not only the future but the past," -- he was thinking of totalitarian states. Who would have imagined that history would prove so easy to rewrite in a democratic nation with a free press?

Compromise Passes the House

Well, the Estate Tax/Minimum Wage compromise passed the house early this morning. The Republicans played it very well. The bill includes an increase in the minimum wage over 3 years to$ 7.25 but they included enough stuff the democrats could not stomach, such as eliminating the tax on estates up to 5 million dollars (10 Million for married couples). So now if (and I say IF) the bill passes the Senate next week, it will look like Republicans passed a minimum wage bill while the Democrats voted against it. Hopefully people will realize that it has been in fact the Democrats who have been fighting for an increase in the minimum wage all along, even more so since gas and heating prices have gone through the roof. The only reason this bill even came to the floor was because moderate Republicans are scared. People are upset with Republican leadership and they needed something to make it look like they were out to help the little guy.

It is great that we are giving more tax cuts; great if you like debt and making our children pay for it. Even the Treasury Department agrees that down the road we are going to have to cut spending or raise taxes to pay for Bush's tax cuts, and here we added even more tax cuts. Yes, in the long run, the taxes might benefit the economy, but that necessitates also limiting spending, something has decided not to do. So we continue to increase spending and continue to cut taxes. Any economist would agree that is bad in the long run. Government costs money to run, no question. If we do not pay for it, our children will.

Some other highlights of the Compromise bill: Pension reform, tax break to timber, increase educational tax deduction, shifting the costs of health care and environmental reclamation from coal companies to the federal government, a research-and-development tax credit, a credit for hiring workers off welfare, and a credit to promote wind energy.

Friday, July 28, 2006

Oil Subsidies

It is a good thing that we are subsidizing big oil to keep them afloat. If it weren't for the federal government, they would not make any money at all!

Maybe if we stopped subsidizing oil so much with tax breaks and direct subsidies switching from oil dependency wouldn't look so bad.

We are subsidizing them with tax breaks and other subsidies. They are making more money than they have ever made in the history of their industry. They are taking that money saved in subsidies and money made in sales and using it to further influence the political process to make more money and slow the development of alternative energy options. We pay for their profits and lobbying efforts and then we pay for the cleanup when they have an environmental disaster.

If we had to really face the cost of oil, like Europe, we would realize the need to develop alternatives, use public transportation, not buy SUVs and increase fuel efficiency. This will not happen for a very long time because the exact industry that needs to get changed is the one that continues to make enormous profits and use their money and influence to continue to do so and because Americans are content and we are not willing to change our ways in the short run to benefit us and our children in the long run.

It must be an election year

Why else would Republicans be pushing so hard for a raise in the minimum wage? It is disturbing that politics and riders could prevent this from being passed. I bet Republicans would love to attach a repeal of the estate tax or a roll back of minimum health benefits required for employees of small businesses. That way, either they get these passed or they get to say it was the Democrats that voted down the minimum wage increase.

Dear Congress:
Do something right for once. Pass the minimum wage increase and do not try and attach unessesary politically motivated riders. Give a reason to believe that not everything you do is politically motivated and self serving.

Very Best,

PV

War Crimes

Meet the 1996 War Crimes Act. It was passed with little debate by a Republican controlled Congress. It creates a criminal penalty for anyone who commits a war crime by violating provisions of various international agreements and treaties, including the Geneva Convention.

This Act has the Bush Administration scared. It leaves open the possibility of criminal sanctions against Administration and military officials for violations of the Geneva Convention in the treatment of detainees in the war on terror.

So now, instead of further attempting to punish those who have committed such crimes, the Administration is attempting to weaken the 1996 Act by exempting law suits involving detainees in the war on terror.

The only reason they would be attempting to do this is that they know they have violated the 1996 Act. This Act is a good tool to ensure compliance with the Geneva Convention by US Military personnel and nations, especially when we refuse to join the International Criminal Court. This is just another step in the direction of the US losing international credibility; "You have to follow these rules, but we do not. Why? Just because."

We can't continue to preach human rights while we are trying to get around them.

Tuesday, July 25, 2006

Two candles

There are a lot of bad things that happen in the world. Then there are things that happen that make you ask what is wrong with people in this world.

My thoughts go out to the Perry family.

Be afraid. Be very afraid.

No, I am not talking about Al Gore's movie. I am talking about the fact that our current President believes he can set aside any law passed by Congress that he believes is unconstitutional. Of everything he has done since being in office, I think this is the scariest. It basically implies that he doesn't need the Congress. How it is supposed to work is that Congress makes the laws, the Courts interpret their constitutionality, and the President ensures their enforcement. This is called separation of powers. The framers created this system so that no single branch could take too much power. This is a foundation of our democracy and it terrifies me to see it happening.

Thank fully, people are standing up to him. My only hope is that they are successful. The belief that the Presidency is more important than the other branches and has more power is something I feel we need to move away from. Our Constitution was not put together haphazardly. Everything in there was put in its place for a reason. Art. I, the first and most comprehensive section of the Constitution talks about the legislature and gives them their powers. Art. II is much shorter and talks about the President's limited powers. Art. III is also relatively short and talks about the power of the Courts. If any conclusion can be drawn from the structure of the Constitution it is that the Legislative Branch has the most power but is still limited by powers given to it in the Constitution. The Executive Branch is not the superior branch. It is a dangerous idea to entertain and should be squashed as soon as possible or we endanger our freedoms even more than they have been in the past.

Update: Someone who can articulate the President's actions far better than I.

Monday, July 24, 2006

I want my two dollars!

So I just had a realization today: In the last 8 years, the price of gasoline in New Jersey had gone up about two dollars or 300%. I know gas prices have been sky rocketing, but I guess it doesn't really sink in until you set a reasonable baseline in your life. How much were you paying for gas in 1998?

Am I glad I do not drive that Ford Bronco anymore.
These gas prices that are only likely to rise as China and the rest of the world industrializes and conflict continues to be so prevelant in the middle east. Maybe it is time for consideration of alternatives...

Well, at least fewer people are buying SUVs. Maybe our American Car companies will eventually catch on to the likes of Honda and Toyota.

(yes, I know the link to NJ gas prices only goes back to 2003, but it is still a pretty striking increase since then.)

Save the planet and make money too

Who says saving the planet cannot be economical? Vinod Khosla doesn't. He is betting heavily on ethanol as a replacement for oil and having our country dependent on Middle America, not the Middle East for our fuel.

You could just say he's crazy and is throwing away his money. People probably said that when he invested in those complete failures Amazon.com and Google. When you have one of the most successful venture capitalists out there investing in something, I would take a hint. It is probably going to be a money maker. Which is a good thing, because if there is going to be any real progress in alternative energy and cleaner fuels it is going to have to be economically driven. If it is driven by necessity, it is probably already too late. It is just human nature to think about our personal best interests in the relative short term.

Hopefully Mr. Khosla will have some luck with his investment and his work trying to convince our country's leadership that change is needed. Ethanol fuel is not and end-all-be-all, but it is a start and his success could spur others to pursue increased investment in alternative carbon reducing technologies.

Saturday, July 22, 2006

I want one!

Too bad my birthday has passed. I could really use one of these.

Who says the electric car is dead? Yes there have been some attempts to get rid of it. Oil executives don't like it one bit, but the people do. Approximately 86% would use more fuel efficient to reduce their energy usage.

Things you can do to help get companies to improve their fuel efficiency of cars or at least reduce how much you spend on gas and contribute to air pollution:
-Write your congressman and ask him or her to improve CAFE standards.
-Write your favorite car maker and tell them you want more fuel efficient vehicles.
-Don't buy SUVs. If you need the extra space, by a car rack.
-Ride your bike. A lot of businesses these days have a gym or at least a shower at work. Take advantage of it.
-Take Public Transit. You get to relax, sleep, read a book, and not honk your horn at other drives.
-Car pool. Even better if you can get someone else to drive!

I know it is not realistic for everyone to do all of those. Public transit in the US, not exactly the best. Bike riding, not likely happening in Anchorage in December. But gas prices are getting obscene and our air quality can be better. Fuel efficient or emissionless vehicles are good for everyone.

Friday, July 21, 2006

A letter to the Tourists

Dear Tourists,

I think it is wonderful that you come to our fair city to see the sights and support our economy. It is a joy to see you walking around being awed by buildings, monument, and statutes that we have long since come to take for granted. I am glad our city is here for your enjoyment because it is a wonderful city and all who live here want to share it with you.

During your time wandering the city seeing the sights, please remember, we live here and we work here. This is a very fast paced city for those who live in it. We are always on the move and always in a hurry. You may notice this when you ride an escalator down to the T or the Metro. While some like yourself are sitting there aweing at the length of the escalator, we are running up and down it because we are in a hurry to catch our train because we don't have the luxury of being a little late for a visit to a monument or for dinner. So please, if you are not walking up or down the escalator, do not stand on the left, stay to the right. We want you to enjoy your vacation, but we want to get to work. We can both do that without any problems if you will just please please please stay to the right on the escalator so we can walk down it. It is all we ask while you visit our fair city.

Thank you for your time, and enjoy your stay.

-PV

Thursday, July 20, 2006

North American Union? Not without the Senate.

I love World Net Daily. They have been running a series of articles and commentaries on SPP and the "North American Union." This is just the most recent. They claim the President and the leaders of Canada and Mexico are secretly planning the dissolution of our three countries and the formation of the North American Union by the year 2010.

Obviously, no one there has read the Constitution (which they say Bush completely dismisses). Specifically, Article II Section II, "He (the President) shall have power, by and with the advice and consent of the Senate, to make treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur." Whether or not he is planning to dissolve the United States or not, it is not something that can be done without at least the agreement of 2/3 of the Senate. I seriously doubt the Senate would stand for that, mainly because their constituents wouldn't stand for it. I don't believe even Scalia would uphold it. People who think this could be done with out the support of the Senate or the people have a bit too much faith in the power of the Executive Branch.

The idea of SPP is not to eliminate each country's national borders and create a super state, but join forces on continental security and commerce. Yes it needs to be discussed more, and the public needs to give their input. We need people like Corsi and McGuire to poke and prod the government with FOIA requests and questions. It keeps our democracy open and free, something it feels like we have to fight for these days. However, the idea of sharing security and making commerce freer between us and our neighbors is not necessarily a bad idea. I mean, something that would help reduce the number of illegal aliens coming into the country is to make life better in Mexico. It is not going to happen over night. Conditions don't just have to be better, they have to have the appearance of being better and that can take time. The world is eventually going to globalize. Either through an open democratic means or less than democratic means, it will happen. Taking open, intelligent steps towards that means to ensure we are a major player when it happens is not necessarily a bad thing.

White House Economics as usual

This guy seems to explain Bush's "economic" theory on the deficit pretty well. Politicians claiming responsibility for economic upturns when their policies had very little if any effect on the outcome and politicians trying to something look better than it actually is (our deficit is smaller than we thought it was going to be!). If out economy is booming as Bush says it is, why is it that he isn't able to keep our spending under control? Clinton could. Yes, Clinton didn't have the war on terror, but Clinton also didn't create the biggest addition to government since FDR. Clinton had the benefit of an economic boom, but doesn't Bush?

Running a deficit gives support to the idea that we need to cut social programs. Reagan was famous for it: we need to spend money on defense to protect us from the evil Soviet Union! Oh, because we are spending so much on that we are running a deficit. Well, we can't cut defense spending; we have to cut social programs!

I don't know...those terrorists are too much of a threat...we certainly can't cut defense spending...

Limiting defense spending does not necessarily mean limiting defense. There is a lot of waste in our government spending and a lot of services that could be offered at lower costs. Some examples: Competitive bidding for certain government contracts, stop subsidizing industries making enormous profits, and don't let companies offering to house hurricane victims charge the government more per room/cabin than they charge a regular guest.

This is a good link to some additional discussion of the deficit and spending and a discussion of the piece I linked above.

Tuesday, July 18, 2006

Global Warming

I've decided from now on I am going to blame everything on Global Warming.
Tornado in New York - Global Warming
Flooding in DC - Global Warming
Tsunami in South Pacific - Global Warming
Lebanon kidnapping Israeli Soldiers - Global Warming
My hangover - Global Warming

Bye Bye Penny?

Well, it looks like there is another attempt to get rid of the penny as part of our monetary system. You know what? It is probably about time.

Apparently, because of the cost of zinc, it now costs 1.4 cents to make each penny. In a time where you can’t buy anything for a penny (except maybe novelty candy in cute little tourist towns) and our country is running a deficit, we should stop making pennies.

Rep. Jim Kolbe of Arizona has introduced legislation that among other things, includes a provision for the elimination of the penny. My favorite thing about this bill, aside from getting rid of the penny is that is called the Currency Overhaul for an Industrious Nation or COIN Act. I really want the job of the person in Congress who is responsible for coming up with names for acts that form such perfect acronyms (See also USA-PATRIOT Act and US-VISIT). But I digress…

Thought a Gallop poll says that 55% of Americans favor keeping they penny, I don’t put much faith in polls, especially when the CNN poll right next to this statistic says 62% of those polled favor getting rid of the penny. Spending more to print the penny than it is worth is just ludicrous. This is just one of the many reasons why our country continues to go farther and farther into debt.

I hope that someone will read this and contact their Representative to support this bill.

I do not believe the bill has been posted on the house website yet, but I am told the bill number will be H.R. 5818, which you can search for here.

Monday, July 17, 2006

Check Card or Credit Card?

I heard an interesting thing on the radio the other day, George Pataki in Iowa stumping for a mayoral candidate. Nothing is too unusual about that, he is a potential candidate for President in 2008 and has to be seen around the primary states. What I found interesting was one of him comments about the difference between Democrats and Republicans. He said that Democrats think they can spend a person’s money better than the person can while Republicans think people know how to spend their money best. This is not a new concept and certainly something I have heard before, but for some reason (probably my impending 4 hour drive) I actually thought about it a bit more beyond the usual dismissive Republican propaganda.

It is true. There are Democrats who think they know how to spend someone’s money better than they do, but there are also Republicans who feel the same way. There are also Democrats and Republicans who know most people know how to spend their money best.

It is not that all Democrats feel they know best about spending money. Democrats believe in a safety net. Democrats believe in a government that is there when no one else is. When a disastrous hurricane hits, a rogue nation decides to attack us, or the stock market crashes, the government should be there. The insurance policy you purchased is likely not going to cover the damage, if at all. The government is the insurance company that will (hopefully) always be there. It is the private security force that defends our borders. They are the children or the 401k that provide for us in our old age.

Key word in the name of country, “United.” Democrats want to provide for the entire population of the United States of America not just some.

Neither side is spectacular with spending money, just look at deficit since 2000. Democrats like to spend money we have which means higher taxes now. Republicans like to spend on credit which means higher taxes later. Neither of those is necessary, just what we end up with the modern political climate. The answer is some modification to the tax code. Our tax system is very regressive and is in need of a considerable overhaul, but I will leave that to the economists.