Do the democrats really stand for not allowing us to listen to the foreign intercepts?
Politics News Article Reuters.com: "
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Vice President Dick Cheney strongly defended a secret domestic eavesdropping operation in use since the September 11, 2001, attacks, saying it was not violating American civil liberties and has helped fend off potential terrorist attacks.
'The enemy that struck on 9/11 is weakened and fractured yet it is still lethal and planning to hit us again. Either we are serious about fighting this war or we are not,' "
Thursday, January 05, 2006
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
The future?
OpinionJournal - Extra: "in your advanced industrial democracy, the political platforms of at least one party in the United States and pretty much all parties in the rest of the West are largely about what one would call the secondary impulses of society--government health care, government day care (which Canada's thinking of introducing), government paternity leave (which Britain's just introduced). We've prioritized the secondary impulse over the primary ones: national defense, family, faith and, most basic of all, reproductive activity--'Go forth and multiply,' because if you don't you won't be able to afford all those secondary-impulse issues, like cradle-to-grave welfare. "
Ace of Spades HQ
Check out this photo of a guy under major media scrutiny. Who is telling this guy how to dress? What a bozo.....
Ace of Spades HQ: "Abramoff's Plea Deal Requires He Dress Like B-Movie Heavy For Rest Of Life
Either that his public relations consultant is Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Yeah, that's a good look for a man accused of serious crimes. Now all he needs to do is complete the ensemble by burning the relief of a $100 Indian casino chip into his palm."
Ace of Spades HQ: "Abramoff's Plea Deal Requires He Dress Like B-Movie Heavy For Rest Of Life
Either that his public relations consultant is Toht from Raiders of the Lost Ark.
Yeah, that's a good look for a man accused of serious crimes. Now all he needs to do is complete the ensemble by burning the relief of a $100 Indian casino chip into his palm."
Bill Gill out! Democrat schism?
The County Commission has shown some real class. Rejecting the racebaiting of Bill Gill and his supporters, they elected a quality democrat and the supremely qualified republican, John Snider as vice-chairman.
For those Gill supporters, name one.... just one accomplishment of Bill Gill. What will be his legacy as a long term commissioner?
The next question is how does a democrat controlled county commission, 7 demos to 4 repubs, elect a republican as vice chair? What's up with the elected democrats?
For those Gill supporters, name one.... just one accomplishment of Bill Gill. What will be his legacy as a long term commissioner?
The next question is how does a democrat controlled county commission, 7 demos to 4 repubs, elect a republican as vice chair? What's up with the elected democrats?
Pension issues
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "Pension issues land at Muskegon's feet
Pension costs don't bedevil only big corporations, like personnel-heavy airlines or automakers. They're a big expenditure, too, for municipalities -- and taxpayers -- and must be addressed.
Retired city of Muskegon employees now actually outnumber active employees 300 to 275, and the city must set aside more than $1.8 million on an annual basis to fulfill its pension obligations to them. Those retirees are the lucky ones. Think of all the underfunded pension plans in the private sector that have been slimed by corporate skullduggery in recent years.
Personnel spending is the biggest component of a city's budget. It goes to police who patrol your neighborhood, the firefighters who respond quickly to an emergency, the men who plow your street in the middle of the night.
Obviously, local governments can't simply dissolve the pensions earned by such individuals, the way some troubled private corporations have done recently, nor should they. These are legal obligations that have to be met not just by force of law, but out of a sense of honor and decency that says -- or used to -- that a promise is a promise.
However, cities can and should find new ways of addressing those costs.
Muskegon took what looks like a good step when it changed the way it deals with its new employees. Instead of saying it will pay them a certain number of dollars for every year of service, it is requiring them to pay some of the cost. And it gives them a say in how those dollars are invested. That, and the fact that those benefits can transfer to a new employer, give workers a feeling of ownership and responsibility for their futures. More importantly, the new employees understand up front how the system works.
The city also is shifting non"
Pension costs don't bedevil only big corporations, like personnel-heavy airlines or automakers. They're a big expenditure, too, for municipalities -- and taxpayers -- and must be addressed.
Retired city of Muskegon employees now actually outnumber active employees 300 to 275, and the city must set aside more than $1.8 million on an annual basis to fulfill its pension obligations to them. Those retirees are the lucky ones. Think of all the underfunded pension plans in the private sector that have been slimed by corporate skullduggery in recent years.
Personnel spending is the biggest component of a city's budget. It goes to police who patrol your neighborhood, the firefighters who respond quickly to an emergency, the men who plow your street in the middle of the night.
Obviously, local governments can't simply dissolve the pensions earned by such individuals, the way some troubled private corporations have done recently, nor should they. These are legal obligations that have to be met not just by force of law, but out of a sense of honor and decency that says -- or used to -- that a promise is a promise.
However, cities can and should find new ways of addressing those costs.
Muskegon took what looks like a good step when it changed the way it deals with its new employees. Instead of saying it will pay them a certain number of dollars for every year of service, it is requiring them to pay some of the cost. And it gives them a say in how those dollars are invested. That, and the fact that those benefits can transfer to a new employer, give workers a feeling of ownership and responsibility for their futures. More importantly, the new employees understand up front how the system works.
The city also is shifting non"
Abramoff
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Abramoff scandal ticking time-bomb for Republicans
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The worst apparently isn't over for the reeling presidency of George W. Bush and the Republican majority in Congress, and the name of perhaps the most potent ticking political time-bomb is Jack Abramoff.
It's not as if the national GOP hasn't already blundered into the corruption minefield. A special prosecutor's probe into a potentially treasonous political smear against an Iraq war critic has forced the resignation of I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. Cheney himself remains a person of interest in that investigation, as does President George W. Bush's political guru, Karl Rove -- and others.
U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, has been forced to step down from his role as Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives to face indictment on money laundering charges. Over on the U.S. Senate side, U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is under criminal scrutiny for ethics violations related to possible insider trading.
That's just the tip of the pyramid. The list of GOP political figures caught up in the net of the still-burgeoning Abramoff influence-peddling scandal has expanded exponentially as dozens of Republican legislators have been exposed for accepting tainted contributions from the powerful lobbyist and his associates.
That net is rapidly closing. Michael Scanlon, Abramoff's business partner, pleaded guilty to conspiracy last week in exchange for turning prosecution's witness in the case, which involves at its core hefty cash-for-legislative favors. The allegations include helping Indian tribe clients of Abramoff's secure sweetheart deals on Capitol Hill for their casino operations against competitors .
Abramoff's infl"
Abramoff scandal ticking time-bomb for Republicans
Tuesday, December 06, 2005
The worst apparently isn't over for the reeling presidency of George W. Bush and the Republican majority in Congress, and the name of perhaps the most potent ticking political time-bomb is Jack Abramoff.
It's not as if the national GOP hasn't already blundered into the corruption minefield. A special prosecutor's probe into a potentially treasonous political smear against an Iraq war critic has forced the resignation of I. Lewis 'Scooter' Libby, Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff. Cheney himself remains a person of interest in that investigation, as does President George W. Bush's political guru, Karl Rove -- and others.
U.S. Rep. Tom DeLay, R-Texas, has been forced to step down from his role as Majority Leader in the U.S. House of Representatives to face indictment on money laundering charges. Over on the U.S. Senate side, U.S. Sen. Bill Frist, R-Tenn., is under criminal scrutiny for ethics violations related to possible insider trading.
That's just the tip of the pyramid. The list of GOP political figures caught up in the net of the still-burgeoning Abramoff influence-peddling scandal has expanded exponentially as dozens of Republican legislators have been exposed for accepting tainted contributions from the powerful lobbyist and his associates.
That net is rapidly closing. Michael Scanlon, Abramoff's business partner, pleaded guilty to conspiracy last week in exchange for turning prosecution's witness in the case, which involves at its core hefty cash-for-legislative favors. The allegations include helping Indian tribe clients of Abramoff's secure sweetheart deals on Capitol Hill for their casino operations against competitors .
Abramoff's infl"
Gee what asurprise!
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "Gee, what a surprise
It seems President George W. Bush actually did have access to more sensitive intelligence information than members of Congress in spite of his angry speeches to the contrary.
Bush has said time and again that 'some of the most irresponsible comments about manipulating intelligence -- have come from politicians who saw the same intelligence I saw and then voted to authorize the use of force against Saddam Hussein.'
Our opinion has been that such claims by the president are just not believable, since so many policy experts have stated for the record that the White House inner circle and perhaps a few well-placed representatives are privy to far more detailed intelligence information than your average elected representative.
And even fewer have access to the original source material, or the insider debates about how to present such material, which are classified top secret.
Now, that viewpoint is official. A new congressional report made public last week by the bipartisan Congressional Research Service concludes that President Bush and his close advisors do indeed 'have access to a far greater volume of intelligence and to more sensitive intelligence information.'
Gee, what a surprise. The only other bigger surprise would be the president admitting he has been misleading the public on this vital point about his decision to go to war. "
It seems President George W. Bush actually did have access to more sensitive intelligence information than members of Congress in spite of his angry speeches to the contrary.
Bush has said time and again that 'some of the most irresponsible comments about manipulating intelligence -- have come from politicians who saw the same intelligence I saw and then voted to authorize the use of force against Saddam Hussein.'
Our opinion has been that such claims by the president are just not believable, since so many policy experts have stated for the record that the White House inner circle and perhaps a few well-placed representatives are privy to far more detailed intelligence information than your average elected representative.
And even fewer have access to the original source material, or the insider debates about how to present such material, which are classified top secret.
Now, that viewpoint is official. A new congressional report made public last week by the bipartisan Congressional Research Service concludes that President Bush and his close advisors do indeed 'have access to a far greater volume of intelligence and to more sensitive intelligence information.'
Gee, what a surprise. The only other bigger surprise would be the president admitting he has been misleading the public on this vital point about his decision to go to war. "
Rich Lowry on War & National Security Agency on National Review Online
Rich Lowry on War & National Security Agency on National Review Online: "Every administration, liberal or conservative, has claimed this warrantless surveillance power, and no court has ever denied it. The FISA court of review explained, citing the 14th Circuit's 1980 decision in a case involving the surveillance of a Vietnamese spy named David Truong, 'The Truong court, as did all the other courts to have decided the issue, held that the President did have inherent authority to conduct warrantless searches to obtain foreign intelligence information.' The court added, 'We take it for granted that the President does have that authority.'"
Judge decideshe can't stopcounty boardchair election
Judge decideshe can't stopcounty boardchair election: "Judge decideshe can't stopcounty boardchair election
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
The Bill Gill county board chairmanship controversy rages on, following an inconclusive hearing Tuesday in 14th Circuit Court. "
Wednesday, January 04, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
The Bill Gill county board chairmanship controversy rages on, following an inconclusive hearing Tuesday in 14th Circuit Court. "
Any hope for Muskegon?
Probably not until they realize their problem is what the City does, not what employers do. When was the last time anyone (Chronicle?) asked a businessperson who chose to relocate elsewhere why they chose a location other than Muskegon? I guess it's best to not ask a question if you don't want to hear the answer. Bummer....
What's is it with democrats?
For what seems like the hundredth time a newly introduced, friendly democrat gave me a "compliment".
"gee, for a republican, you're not such a bad guy". Add "stupid", "greedy", "selfish" I received from others. My new democrat "friend" preened as she glowed in her good nature......
"gee, for a republican, you're not such a bad guy". Add "stupid", "greedy", "selfish" I received from others. My new democrat "friend" preened as she glowed in her good nature......
Guilty of murder?
St. Paul Pioneer Press 12/24/2005 Two charged in teen's heroin death: "Posted on Sat, Dec. 24, 2005Two charged in teen's heroin deathAssociated PressTwo people remain in jail Friday after being charged in the death of a 17-year-old Cedarburg girl who died of a heroin overdose shortly after getting her driver's license.Benjamin R. Stibbe, 23, of Grafton and Caitlin E. Schuette, 17, of Cedarburg were each charged Thursday with first-degree reckless homicide in the death of Angela Raettig, who died Nov. 30 of a heroin overdose, according to a criminal complaint.The two are being charged under Wisconsin's rarely used 1989 Len Bias law, which allows for someone who provides drugs that are a 'substantial factor' in a death to be prosecuted for homicide.Bias, a star basketball player at the University of Maryland and draft pick of the Boston Celtics, died of a drug overdose in 1986.Schuette and Stibbe face up to 40 years in prison if convicted of the charges. Stibbe is being held in lieu of $50,000 bond and Schuette's bond is set at $30,000, jail officials said.According to the criminal complaint, Schuette, Raettig and 19-year-old Ryan Hinkle were at Hinkle's apartment Nov. 29.'(Schuette) stated that Angela had just gotten her driver's license and they had decided to go to Milwaukee to get some heroin,' the complaint said.Stibbe says Raettig called him on Scheutte's cell phone to set up the transaction, but Stibbe refused to deal with Raettig since he did not know her or Hinkle, the complaint said.He agreed to arrange the purchase once Schuette, whom he knew, got on the phone, and the complaint says Stibbe and the group met in Milwaukee with a heroin dealer.Stibbe told investigators Schuette gave him $50 and Raettig gave him two $20 bills, which he used to buy four bags of an unspecified amount of heroi"
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
better every year
Instapundit.com -: "Then again, maybe that attitude is explained by this passage: 'During an election year, D.C.'s standards of attractiveness -- already graded on a generous curve -- tracked to availability and not physical beauty. It's like the Special Olympics of sex, Melanie thought. Everyone's a winner!'
Unlike the lovers, the laptops get better every year . . . .
posted at 08:25 PM by Glenn Reynolds"
Unlike the lovers, the laptops get better every year . . . .
posted at 08:25 PM by Glenn Reynolds"
Global warming junk science
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Global warming evidence is truly frightening
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference ended on a disturbing note -- and no, it wasn't the weaseling diplomatic posture of the United States in regards to its responsibilities as a member of the world community to reduce the so-called 'greenhouse gases' that may well be contributing to the phenomena of global warming. It was the actual evidence itself that keeps mounting up even as we Americans do our best to pretend nothing much out of the ordinary is really happening.
Two recent developments have added an additional chill to the other scientific warnings that have been piling up since the 1960s, when scientists recorded global temperatures inching higher. The first was a finding by a team of European researchers studying ice core samples drawn from the innermost recesses of Antarctica. They show that there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point during the last 650,000 years.
The second is a more recent finding, that of the measurement of the currents that flow in the Atlantic Ocean that carries warmer Gulf Stream water toward Northern Europe. The overall circulation of these currents, say scientists from the National Oceanography Center in Great Britain, has slowed by some 30 percent since a similar set of measurements was examined back in 1957. The Atlantic Current directly impacts weather in Europe, and a slowdown would be expected to have a tremendous impact on conditions ranging from weather to ocean fisheries.
Meanwhile, an almost stunning range of climate-related data continues to pour in -- the melting of ancient glaciers worldwide, the shrinking of the North Pole and speculation that it might disappear entirely within our children's lifetimes, t"
Global warming evidence is truly frightening
Wednesday, December 14, 2005
The recent United Nations Climate Change Conference ended on a disturbing note -- and no, it wasn't the weaseling diplomatic posture of the United States in regards to its responsibilities as a member of the world community to reduce the so-called 'greenhouse gases' that may well be contributing to the phenomena of global warming. It was the actual evidence itself that keeps mounting up even as we Americans do our best to pretend nothing much out of the ordinary is really happening.
Two recent developments have added an additional chill to the other scientific warnings that have been piling up since the 1960s, when scientists recorded global temperatures inching higher. The first was a finding by a team of European researchers studying ice core samples drawn from the innermost recesses of Antarctica. They show that there is more carbon dioxide in the atmosphere today than at any point during the last 650,000 years.
The second is a more recent finding, that of the measurement of the currents that flow in the Atlantic Ocean that carries warmer Gulf Stream water toward Northern Europe. The overall circulation of these currents, say scientists from the National Oceanography Center in Great Britain, has slowed by some 30 percent since a similar set of measurements was examined back in 1957. The Atlantic Current directly impacts weather in Europe, and a slowdown would be expected to have a tremendous impact on conditions ranging from weather to ocean fisheries.
Meanwhile, an almost stunning range of climate-related data continues to pour in -- the melting of ancient glaciers worldwide, the shrinking of the North Pole and speculation that it might disappear entirely within our children's lifetimes, t"
Chronicle continues its race baiting
If there is some "there" there, then this is a worthy story. Anyone gotta a guess what really happened and how the Chronicle will report it if the "there" doesn't exist? Gotta love their commitment to better race relations....... sophistry!
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Parent accuses school district of racist treatment
Monday, January 02, 2006
By Nate Reens
CHRONICLE NEWS SERVICE
A former third-grader at a Benzie County school alleges in a federal lawsuit that administrators forced her to use a separate bathroom and students taunted her with racial slurs and threats because she is black.
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Parent accuses school district of racist treatment
Monday, January 02, 2006
By Nate Reens
CHRONICLE NEWS SERVICE
A former third-grader at a Benzie County school alleges in a federal lawsuit that administrators forced her to use a separate bathroom and students taunted her with racial slurs and threats because she is black.
Imagine if Gill was white....
... and said the same crap!
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
County board chairman fight goes to court
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
If it comes, the election of the Muskegon County Board chairman likely will qualify as an anti-climax compared to the pre-election uproar.
Lawyers were scheduled to be in court today fighting over whether a chairman's election should be part of the board's annual organizational meeting Wednesday.
Bill Gill, the current board chairman, recently filed suit in 14th Circuit Court, seeking to determine whether the majority of county commissioners have the legal right to replace him as chairman.
The suit named commissioners John Snider, Chuck Buzzell, James Derezinski, Robert Scolnik, Marvin Engle and Steve Wisniewski as defendants.
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
County board chairman fight goes to court
Tuesday, January 03, 2006
By Steve Gunn
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
If it comes, the election of the Muskegon County Board chairman likely will qualify as an anti-climax compared to the pre-election uproar.
Lawyers were scheduled to be in court today fighting over whether a chairman's election should be part of the board's annual organizational meeting Wednesday.
Bill Gill, the current board chairman, recently filed suit in 14th Circuit Court, seeking to determine whether the majority of county commissioners have the legal right to replace him as chairman.
The suit named commissioners John Snider, Chuck Buzzell, James Derezinski, Robert Scolnik, Marvin Engle and Steve Wisniewski as defendants.
Sunday, January 01, 2006
Micheal Andretti back at Indy 500 this year!
Al right! He may be a geezer, but he's a legend and the son of a greater legend! Yeah!
Saturday, December 17, 2005
Newspaper ignorance!
Why even read the junk science these ignoramuses print?
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Error shifts local rankings on bad air 'list of infamy'
Thursday, December 15, 2005
By Jeff Alexander and Dave LeMieux
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITERS
Muskegon Heights can breathe easy, but Muskegon County residents who live along the Lake Michigan coast may be wheezy due to industrial air pollution that blows across the lake from Chicago and Gary, Ind.
That was the gist of a correction The Associated Press issued late Wednesday, after the news service reported that people living in Muskegon Heights breathe some of the nation's most polluted air.
An AP story read on TV newscasts and published in newspapers across the state Wednesday, including The Chronicle, reported that four of the state's five most at-risk neighborhoods for health hazards due to industrial air pollution were in Muskegon Heights. As it turns out, residents in four mostly white areas in Muskegon, Norton Shores and Roosevelt Park face some of the nation's most serious health risks from breathing polluted air, according to EPA data analyzed by the AP.
Local health officials said they are skeptical of the rankings and the methods used to create them.
'It doesn't seem plausible to me,' said Ken Kraus, director of the Muskegon County Health Department. 'It would seem to me that places producing the pollution, places like Houston, Detroit and Gary, would have the highest pollution levels.
'There has to be some dissipation of that stuff (smog-forming air pollution) when it comes across the lake,' Kraus said.
Muskegon Heights City Manager Melvin C. Burns II said he didn't think Wednesday's erroneous article will have a long-range negative effect on the city.
'It's safe to breathe the air in Muskegon Heights,' Burns said. 'We kno"
Mlive.com's Printer-Friendly Page: "
Error shifts local rankings on bad air 'list of infamy'
Thursday, December 15, 2005
By Jeff Alexander and Dave LeMieux
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITERS
Muskegon Heights can breathe easy, but Muskegon County residents who live along the Lake Michigan coast may be wheezy due to industrial air pollution that blows across the lake from Chicago and Gary, Ind.
That was the gist of a correction The Associated Press issued late Wednesday, after the news service reported that people living in Muskegon Heights breathe some of the nation's most polluted air.
An AP story read on TV newscasts and published in newspapers across the state Wednesday, including The Chronicle, reported that four of the state's five most at-risk neighborhoods for health hazards due to industrial air pollution were in Muskegon Heights. As it turns out, residents in four mostly white areas in Muskegon, Norton Shores and Roosevelt Park face some of the nation's most serious health risks from breathing polluted air, according to EPA data analyzed by the AP.
Local health officials said they are skeptical of the rankings and the methods used to create them.
'It doesn't seem plausible to me,' said Ken Kraus, director of the Muskegon County Health Department. 'It would seem to me that places producing the pollution, places like Houston, Detroit and Gary, would have the highest pollution levels.
'There has to be some dissipation of that stuff (smog-forming air pollution) when it comes across the lake,' Kraus said.
Muskegon Heights City Manager Melvin C. Burns II said he didn't think Wednesday's erroneous article will have a long-range negative effect on the city.
'It's safe to breathe the air in Muskegon Heights,' Burns said. 'We kno"
Huh?
Didn't Gary Thrasher just stiff a bunch of folks who he owed money to at Dockers?
Planning commission OKs permit for tavern: "Planning commission OKs permit for tavern
Saturday, December 17, 2005
By Robert C. Burns
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
A bar and restaurant planned for West Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon got a boost from the city's planning commission Thursday.
Planning commissioners unanimously approved a special-use permit for the single-story building at 609 W. Western -- future home of The Tipsy Toad Tavern........
Gary Thrasher, Hoby's older brother, describes himself as a 'managing partner' in The Tipsy Toad. He also has been involved in a number of local drinking and dining establishments, most recently Dockers at Harbour Towne. "
Planning commission OKs permit for tavern: "Planning commission OKs permit for tavern
Saturday, December 17, 2005
By Robert C. Burns
CHRONICLE STAFF WRITER
A bar and restaurant planned for West Western Avenue in downtown Muskegon got a boost from the city's planning commission Thursday.
Planning commissioners unanimously approved a special-use permit for the single-story building at 609 W. Western -- future home of The Tipsy Toad Tavern........
Gary Thrasher, Hoby's older brother, describes himself as a 'managing partner' in The Tipsy Toad. He also has been involved in a number of local drinking and dining establishments, most recently Dockers at Harbour Towne. "
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