GUN FAIL ACCIDENTS

Of course these are the ones that didn't kill anyone and those with the rare video recordings of the incidents. 
To date, there have been more than 1,400 additional gun deaths in the USA since Newtown. That number continues to rise.
 

WHITE: SEC CHAIR NOMINEE

 

As noted on CNNMoney: President Obama on Thursday nominated Mary Jo White, a former federal prosecutor in New York, to head the Securities and Exchange Commission, the watchdog agency that monitors Wall Street and corporate financial disclosures.

Also in the article: White is best known for her nine years as the the chief federal prosecutor for the Southern District of New York, a territory that includes Wall Street. She built a reputation as a tough prosecutor, taking on complicated financial fraud, terrorism and organized crime. 

 All I know is from reading some of the resume' and testimony regarding her watchdog history, I think President Obama has chosen wisely. Ironically, the RWNJs are already up in arms about this nomination. This would be not only a well qualified director for the SEC, but also a woman appointee. 
My guess is she is expected to be too good at her job and therefore a threat to some who support the crazy talk from the right. Including Mr "Bad Hair Day" Donald Trump who has some history with Ms White.

Lets see if this confirmation is as smooth as John Kerry's.  

CITIZENS UNITED

Like a breath of fresh air, the Congressman from Massachusetts, James McGovern has recently offered a constitutional amendment to snuff out that traitorous decision publicly known as "Citizen's United" during this extended first day of congress. Where it goes, probably nowhere, considering the 112th and now the 113th GOP controlled House will continue to do whatever hurts Americans, so I'm not expecting the chance for an up or down vote. Still, the mere fact that this gets it's chance on the floor in daylight is still better than Virginia's redistricting vote they took in Legislative darkness last Monday. Thank you Mr Congressman.

GUN SAFETY PSA

CANNABIDIOL FIGHTS CANCER

 

Published on Sep 20, 2012

"A pair of scientists at California Pacific Medical Center in San Francisco has found that a compound derived from marijuana could stop metastasis in many kinds of aggressive cancer, potentially altering the fatality of the disease forever...Desprez, a molecular biologist, spent decades studying ID-1, the gene that causes cancer to spread. Meanwhile, fellow researcher Sean McAllister was studying the effects of Cannabidiol, or CBD, a non-toxic, non-psychoactive chemical compound found in the cannabis plant...".

Ana Kasparian and Cenk Uygur break it down on The Young Turks.

TROUBLE TENANTS

This past October 31st, I had the pleasure of serving an eviction notice to Christopher Smith and Justina Page of Kingston, NY. 
They were hold up in an apartment near the Kingston High School where they refused to leave and pretty much set out to make the landlord miserable right up to the point where the Ulster County Sheriff was about to visit.

Folks, I really don't know what it is with people who actually think it's OK to squat and ruin a living space that's not yours. Could someone please explain the mentality behind this? How are these people raised? I bet the Honey Badger has a cleaner den. 

Below are some pictures I took from the apartment once I got in to look around. Granted, I've discovered worse living quarters. Some were still occupied while I was doing estimates for the CDBG housing program last spring, but still, who would want to live like this?

Because these two left the apartment 10 hours before the actual removal by the UC Sheriff, I doubt they will make it to the KingstonLandlordSupport.com list of mayhem tenants, so make a note not to rent to either of these two in the Kingston area yourself.
I think they are up in the Saratoga area until spring.

MICHELE THROWING SHADE: PRICELESS

 

We may never know what Boener was saying to Obama, but the reaction from the First Lady is priceless. He's such a weasel.

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COST OF WAR VS BUSH TAXCUTS

As you can see, the two unfunded wars by the last administration were actually a bargain compared to the stab in the back they gave Americans from the Tax Cuts. 
Why we refuse to put some of these people in jail is beyond me.

NY EDUCATION COMMISION REPORT

Funding and political opposition to any upgrade in test results have always been in the way of fixing our educational system in New York. So long as we underfund our public schools, we can assure that the resulting graduates, if they even graduate, will be ready to perpetuate the service industry limitations that big business conservatives advocate. How else do you explain away the constant denial of school funding across the country?

Governor Cuomo's Education Reform Commission has come out with a report that just may help. That is, unless political foes resume their tired old stance that we shouldnt fund our struggling school systems. 

Not all of the ideas are necessarily perfect or desirable, but it's such a better starting point when addressing the very issue that keeps this country's education levels below most developed countries annually. 
 
Longer teaching days and a longer schooling year is something we can all agree on. Just keeping students occupied during the idle afternoon hours that parents are usually still at work will certainly change the mischief factor at home.
Teacher competency exams makes perfect sense as well. Even the teacher's union endorses this one.  If you have no ability to convey standard concepts and encourage individual growth within your students, you have no business being a teacher.
In addition, I love the idea of School District consolidations. Administration costs at the top of every district adds a tremendous drain on the limited funding we have. Imagine cutting out most of the administration at the top and merging this group (large enough to occupy a small village) into one administration to handle a county wide school district? 
Picture it: Ulster County Central School System


The school buildings we are closing down today could be developed into senior housing. Actually whatever the private sector wishes to do with them so long as we sell off the property and get that property beck on the tax rolls.

The Commission's Chairman, Richard Parsons, wrote to Cuomo in the introduction of the report that “The problem New York confronts, we concluded, is how to replicate these examples of excellence in every school district in New York; how do we create a statewide system of public education that ensures that every child will have the opportunity to get an education that will enable them to achieve their true potential?”
 
Although I'm not so sure limiting our teacher hirings to high end scholars would be the best idea. There are terrific teachers out there who are fairly educated in their field who more than match education skills through the pure passion of teaching. You may lose that if you restrict hirings to just the elite professors out there.  

 In closing; Governor Cuomo is expected to elaborate where he wants our school system to address these issues in his State of the State. If there is enough political will and we find the funding through consolidation and property sales, we may actually see some movement on an issue that has plagued New York State for decades.

PASSING ON GOVERNMENT WORK

I have been asked to provide any indication that one of the awarded contractors in the program I used to manage at City Hall had given permission to re award a project to another contractor should I need to.


Is a text message enough?

GOVERNMENT PROMO FOR HEMP

The folks in DC actually deny making any effort to promote the production of hemp as a textile for any reason. I thought everyone would enjoy this classic.

FOUR MORE YEARS

KOLOB IN SPRING

There's a Mormon Cult Bishop running for President and most people don't know what his church actually dictates. What the cartoon doesn't address is what family members endure when they try to leave the Mormon community or anything about the odd rituals that occur in their windowless church in Utah. 

I have known a few recovering Mormons in my time. As a landlord, I have had the pleasure of meeting many families. When the two issues meet, you can get an enlightening crash course in what painstaking measures these people have to prepare before making their escape. More so when there are younger children in the troop.

Americans should know about any Presidential candidate before voting. We all know what a tough vetting process Obama and Clinton put us through during the primary four years ago. We still chose Obama over McCain in the General.
Obama has been a gentleman through the three and a half years he's served considering the crazy, hurtful and slanderous crap that's been hurled his way. That alone should indicate how right we were to elect him the first time. Who else could maintain their equanimity under such an endless assault?

Since I am in New York, the urgency to get out and vote for Obama is less intense, here we GOTV for the down ticket candidates trying to unseat the few Tea Party fruitcakes that made it in two years ago.

Enjoy the informative cartoon and think about how nice it must be on planet Kolob this time of year.