GOP SANDBOX

 
Whether it's a Democratic, Republican or Independence primary, Closed is the only way to insure that the members of THAT party influence the outcome, thus deciding who best represents the whole.
 
Democrats across the country argued this point through the 2008 season as the primary season tanked along. Where it was an "open" primary, outside influence was noticeable. Here comes 2012.
 
Democrats have decided to play in the Republican sandbox. Several states have open primaries so there is potential to have fun with their results like they did four years ago. Unfortunately, like a sand box, there are usually things in the sand not many of us would want to bring home. Enjoy.

GOP SILENT FILM TRAILER

This past Sunday on The Chris Matthews Show they celebrated Oscar Weekend with a movie trailer of their own, "Mitt: Better Off Mute". Much like the perfect silent picture star whose career was thwarted by the emergence of sound in cinema, Mitt Romney has stumbled when he's had to open his mouth...

BIG SURPRISE FOR MITTENS

Another self loathing basher revealed. With the sudden exit of Romney's campaign co-chair under the circumstances we've been inundated with, I no longer think of all the haters in the same light as before. I now see them as closeted weaklings struggling with internalized homophobia, usually with a long history of hurting those who are comfortable with their sexual orientation.
 
So where does this put Mitt? Santorum is nipping at his heels in Michigan; "his home state"as they say, and Ricky's whole campaign is about gays, abortion and sweater vests. Crazy I know.
If you add Mitt's comments about the auto industry into the mix, the state becomes a playing field. He certainly didnt need his campaign manager "Coming OUT" and dating one of those damned "Illegals" right before the primary. Who else is entertained by all of this?
 
So there he is, Paul Babeu, the tough-talking, anti-immigration Arizona sheriff taking up valuable prime time news cycles with his personal peccadilloes when Mitt needs some quality catch-up time. 
You'll notice FOX News has not been kind either.

So what are we left with heading into February 28?  Mittens, Newt, Ricky and Ron all spending lotsa money. Certainly helps the networks and printing companies. 
Then there's this little development... the push to link a Ron Paul/Andy Napolitano ticket for the White House. You cant make this stuff up. Every Libertarian just wet their seat at the idea.
 
In reality, every one of these guys falls short of President Obama in the polls, so what's there to do for a blue state liberal like me? 
Simple; I'll just head out and pick up a few argyle sweater vests at JCPenny and watch the show.

ELECTRIC CAR REBATE

Well, President Obama released his new budget plan. We are already tired of hearing both sides praise and condemn the proposal. It's just another source for the pundits and news channels to keep the fight going and make commercial money.
What few people know is that deep in the budget, there is a very green nugget. It's an incentive to spark  additional sales of electric vehicles. Pun intended.

Imagine a rebate of $10K toward the initial purchase of a Chevy Volt, Mitsubishi i or Nissan LEAF. Any one of those would end up around the $20-30K rate with such a chunk of cash. That's quite a difference from the $7K tax credit program associated with electric cars today.

There are already quite a few here in Kingston believe it or not. I have had the pleasure of crossing driveways when an electric car starts to back out. There is no sound from one of these things, so if you don't see a driver, you might want to pay a little more attention. Manufacturers have decided to include a back up sound in the 2012 models.

Is this enough for those who were on the fence to finally buy an EV? I should think so. The rebate would apply to other alternativ-fuel vehicles, too, like natural gas, hydrogen fuel cell or other high-tech green vehicles.

Like any good idea, it's got to get through Congress. What kind of record does Congress have this session? Not so good. Have they made any significant signs of progress in recent years...Nope. Will this EV rebate ever reach the consumer? I can answer this one...Maybe. It's might be during the next session of Congress but probably not this one. You see, the EV flies in the face of big oil companies. Most of these clowns are owned by those same companies. America would have to want to change the members of congress who are owned by such companies.

The insertion of the EV $10K rebate is a wonderful idea, this country needs it, but I sincerely doubt this Congress will act in our favor. After all, this looks like a possitve for Obama during an election cycle. 

We know Hinchey will vote in favor of the measure, but we have little influence elsewhere. The EV Rebate is necessary. The whole budget is necessary. Here's to crossing our fingers and hoping for the best.

PANTS ON THE GROUND

Many of you dont know that last fall, Tunica, Mississippi instituted a ban on saggy pants in public. 
It is just one of many towns that have finally addressed the indecent exposure issue of this different form of crack in the neighborhood.
 

Most of those town folk are happy that their leaders addressed saggy pants by redefining public nudity. Basically, a previous ban on bare breasts or genitals now includes the wearing of pants below the hips where skin or undergarments are exposed.

In the case of Tunica, the Aldermen unanimously approved the measure after receiving a petition signed by a majority of local merchants. Where this has already been addressed, officers may now ask citizens to pull their pants up. 

Police have the power to write citations where this is on the books. Should it be used as a tool to engage people on the sidewalk? For the most part, officers throughout the country have no jurisdiction over what constitutes indecent exposure, but the town boards and city councils can. Maybe this ordinance could be beneficial to the "Quality of Life" issue in central Kingston.

102 THINGS NOT TO DO...

The following list of 102 things NOT to do if you HATE taxes, was taken from www.AdictingInfo.org as it was posted. I just had to repost it so we could have some fun chatter about something.  

1. Do not use Medicare.
2. Do not use Social Security
3. Do not become a member of the US military, who are paid with tax dollars.
4. Do not ask the National Guard to help you after a disaster.
5. Do not call 911 when you get hurt.
6. Do not call the police to stop intruders in your home.
7. Do not summon the fire department to save your burning home.
8. Do not drive on any paved road, highway, and interstate or drive on any bridge.
9. Do not use public restrooms.
10. Do not send your kids to public schools.

11. Do not put your trash out for city garbage collectors.
12. Do not live in areas with clean air.
13. Do not drink clean water.
14. Do not visit National Parks.
15. Do not visit public museums, zoos, and monuments.
16. Do not eat or use FDA inspected food and medicines.
17. Do not bring your kids to public playgrounds.
18. Do not walk or run on sidewalks.
19. Do not use public recreational facilities such as basketball and tennis courts.
20. Do not seek shelter facilities or food in soup kitchens when you are homeless and hungry.
21. Do not apply for educational or job training assistance when you lose your job.
22. Do not apply for food stamps when you can’t feed your children.
23. Do not use the judiciary system for any reason.
24. Do not ask for an attorney when you are arrested and do not ask for one to be assigned to you by the court.
25. Do not apply for any Pell Grants.
26. Do not use cures that were discovered by labs using federal dollars.
27. Do not fly on federally regulated airplanes.
28. Do not use any product that can trace its development back to NASA.
29. Do not watch the weather provided by the National Weather Service.
30. Do not listen to severe weather warnings from the National Weather Service.
31. Do not listen to tsunami, hurricane, or earthquake alert systems.
32. Do not apply for federal housing.
33. Do not use the internet, which was developed by the military.
34. Do not swim in clean rivers.
35. Do not allow your child to eat school lunches or breakfasts.
36. Do not ask for FEMA assistance when everything you own gets wiped out by disaster.
37. Do not ask the military to defend your life and home in the event of a foreign invasion.
38. Do not use your cell phone or home telephone.
39. Do not buy firearms that wouldn’t have been developed without the support of the US Government and military. That includes most of them.
40. Do not eat USDA inspected produce and meat.
41. Do not apply for government grants to start your own business.
42. Do not apply to win a government contract.
43. Do not buy any vehicle that has been inspected by government safety agencies.
44. Do not buy any product that is protected from poisons, toxins, etc…by the Consumer Protection Agency.
45. Do not save your money in a bank that is FDIC insured.
46. Do not use Veterans benefits or military health care.
47. Do not use the G.I. Bill to go to college.
48. Do not apply for unemployment benefits.
49. Do not use any electricity from companies regulated by the Department of Energy.
50. Do not live in homes that are built to code.
51. Do not run for public office. Politicians are paid with taxpayer dollars.
52. Do not ask for help from the FBI, S.W.A.T, the bomb squad, Homeland Security, State troopers, etc…
53. Do not apply for any government job whatsoever as all state and federal employees are paid with tax dollars.
54. Do not use public libraries.
55. Do not use the US Postal Service.
56. Do not visit the National Archives.
57. Do not visit Presidential Libraries.
58. Do not use airports that are secured by the federal government.
59. Do not apply for loans from any bank that is FDIC insured.
60. Do not ask the government to help you clean up after a tornado.
61. Do not ask the Department of Agriculture to provide a subsidy to help you run your farm.
62. Do not take walks in National Forests.
63. Do not ask for taxpayer dollars for your oil company.
64. Do not ask the federal government to bail your company out during recessions.
65. Do not seek medical care from places that use federal dollars.
66. Do not use Medicaid.
67. Do not use WIC.
68. Do not use electricity generated by Hoover Dam.
69. Do not use electricity or any service provided by the Tennessee Valley Authority.
70. Do not ask the Army Corps of Engineers to rebuild levees when they break.
71. Do not let the Coast Guard save you from drowning when your boat capsizes at sea.
72. Do not ask the government to help evacuate you when all hell breaks loose in the country you are in.
73. Do not visit historic landmarks.
74. Do not visit fisheries.
75. Do not expect to see animals that are federally protected because of the Endangered Species List.
76. Do not expect plows to clear roads of snow and ice so your kids can go to school and so you can get to work.
77. Do not hunt or camp on federal land.
78. Do not work anywhere that has a safe workplace because of government regulations.
79. Do not use public transportation.
80. Do not drink water from public water fountains.
81. Do not whine when someone copies your work and sells it as their own. Government enforces copyright laws.
82. Do not expect to own your home, car, or boat. Government organizes and keeps all titles.
83. Do not expect convicted felons to remain off the streets.
84. Do not eat in restaurants that are regulated by food quality and safety standards.
85. Do not seek help from the US Embassy if you need assistance in a foreign nation.
86. Do not apply for a passport to travel outside of the United States.
87. Do not apply for a patent when you invent something.
88. Do not adopt a child through your local, state, or federal governments.
89.Do not use elevators that have been inspected by federal or state safety regulators.
90. Do not use any resource that was discovered by the USGS.
91. Do not ask for energy assistance from the government.
92. Do not move to any other developed nation, because the taxes are much higher.
93. Do not go to a beach that is kept clean by the state.
94. Do not use money printed by the US Treasury.
95. Do not complain when millions more illegal immigrants cross the border because there are no more border patrol agents.
96. Do not attend a state university.
97. Do not see any doctor that is licensed through the state.
98. Do not use any water from municipal water systems.
99. Do not complain when diseases and viruses, that were once fought around the globe by the US government and CDC, reach your house.
100. Do not work for any company that is required to pay its workers a livable wage, provide them sick days, vacation days, and benefits.
101. Do not expect to be able to vote on election days. Government provides voting booths, election day officials, and voting machines which are paid for with taxes.
102. Do not ride trains. The railroad was built with government financial assistance.

The fact is, we pay for the lifestyle we expect. Without taxes, our lifestyles would be totally different and much harder. America would be a third world country.
The less we pay, the less we get in return. 

Americans pay less taxes today since 1958 and is ranked 32nd out of 34 of the top tax paying countries.

ENTITLEMENT SOCIETY

Many of you are tired of the rhetoric we hear daily from the knuckleheads on the campaign trail. As you know, conservative critics of federal social programs are sounding an alarm that the United States is rapidly becoming an entitlement society. 
A society in which social programs are undermining the work ethic and creating a large class of Americans who prefer to depend on government benefits rather than work. This isn't the first time you've heard this dribble.
  
Contrary to the Peter Brimelows of the CPAC world, a new CBPP analysis of budget and Census DATA  shows that more than 90 percent of the benefit dollars that entitlement and other mandatory programs spend go to assist people who are elderly, seriously disabled, or members of working households (not to able-bodied, working-age Americans who choose not to work)  This figure has changed little in the past few years.

In the pie chart above you'll see the grey area at he bottom? That's the boogie-man they talk about at the GOP Rallys. What folks dont realize is that 60-70% of that "wasted" spending goes to Medical bills. Visits to the emergency room. 
People without proper healthcare end up getting primary care at the ER when something drastic happens or when something easily preventable gets out of control. I don't have to tell you that the Emergency Room is the most expensive place to get help. 

We do this to ourselves people.

FAREWELL WHITNEY

REPUBLICAN LEGISLATOR CHOKES UP

Washington State Republican House member Maureen Walsh makes some pertinent comments on the floor of their House during the debate on same-gender marriage. I would like to hear this kind of dialogue more often.

FORMER FIRECHIEF STEPS UP

This Wednesday, our city got to see our new Mayor hold yet another sad but necessary Press Conference. We are still shaking from the Fire Chief Salzmann scandal, and now this. His immediate successor has been shown the door. Without pay.
 
You know, I have a hard time wrapping my mind around the idea that our top leadership, who have served this city so well for so long, would risk so much at the end of some long and honorable careers. 
 

So now interim chief Chris Rea is out. Temporarily replaced with a tried & true leader from our distant past... John Reinhardt. Having served as Fire Chief from '91 to '98, John is no stranger to the position, giving Mayor Gallo the chance to search for a qualified and trustworthy Chief.
  

Gallo announced that chief Chris Rea was suspended without pay for attendance record issues. He walked us through what many of us think as a culture of corruption. When talking about how the city appears to the public, he said “The entire city work force has a black eye.” An image that we, for the most part, don't deserve. And he's right. I work with some pretty damn efficient and trustworthy people in City Hall and have worked side by side with many in other departments.

 

That doesn't mean there isn't room for improvement. If the public ever had any inkling of what was ahead and who would really step up in the task of cleaning up our city, they sure got the idea now.

  

Gallo closed with this thought; “I'm pretty sure there will be more doings in the fire department that might be questionable.” I can understand the Mayor's plight and expect him and the District Attorney to fully investigate the issue, but above that, my hope is that a suitable leader will be brought in and build upon the expected turn around by Reinhardt. Our city needs a proud workforce.

TIMESQUARE SOULTRAIN FLASH MOB

CONGRATS TO NEW YORK!

Congrats to the NY Giants as they beat the New England Patriots in this year's SuperBowl in Indianapolis. 
 
For what was a naturally exciting game, the most interesting moment was the Ahmad Bradshaw squat touch down in the fourth quarter. Pretty much falling into the end zone by mistake. Everyone at the Rendezvous Lounge on Broadway gathered around the big screen for the replay footage in disbelief. It was odd, yet funny.
 
The Giants gave New York a triumphant win regardless and the place went into a roar as the time ran out. 
 
Ironically, most of the people who made up our crowd showed up just before the Madonna half time show, then stayed. Go figure.