Wednesday, August 17, 2011

Critic says anti-Sharia bill 'polarizes people based on fear'

Metro and State Critic says anti-Sharia bill 'polarizes people based on fear' The Detroit News
"Detroit— Prominent Muslim leaders and others on Tuesday announced their opposition to a bill to ban 'foreign laws' in Michigan, calling the measure a racist attack on Islam.
State Reps. Rashida Tlaib and Harvey Santana, D-Detroit, joined activists at a press conference outside Cadillac Place in Midtown to denounce a bill sponsored by Rep. Dave Agema, R-Grandville, to outlaw state courts from implementing foreign laws, including Sharia, or Islamic law.
'I'm appalled as the first Muslim woman serving in the Michigan legislature,' Tlaib said. 'This is taking a community and casting suspicion on them … targeting them, and it's completely wrong.
'It's racism at its core.'
Agema has called bigotry allegations 'hogwash.'
Santana said the bill 'polarizes people based on fear.'
'The real fear here is diversity,' Santana said.
Dawud Walid, executive director of the Council on American-Islamic Relations, attended the event Tuesday and said his group plans to file a lawsuit if the legislation is passed.
A House committee has yet to take up the bill"

Opposing Sharia law in the USA is "racist"?
We've got to out these monsters and offer them a one way to a place that does offer Sharia law.

It's getting harder for schools to measure up to federal standards

It's getting harder for schools to measure up to federal standards MLive.com
"Not only do those numbers have to be achieved by students as a whole, but also by certain subsets of students, including African-American, low-income and disabled students.
In addition, a school won't meet AYP unless 95 percent of every subset takes the exams"

Interesting the focus of this article is on "schools" rather than on the child who isn't learning.
But it's "schools" who pay teachers, right?
So we gotta focus on them....right?

New fuel could spell trouble for cruisers

New fuel could spell trouble for cruisers Detroit Free Press freep.com
"Owners of many of the classic cars that will join Saturday's Woodward Dream Cruise say they believe a gasoline blend approved to come on the market this year poses a threat to their vehicles.
The fuel is to contain 15% ethanol, an alcohol additive made from corn."

A threat to old cars?
Heck, converting corn to ethanol is a threat to every human on the earth!


Steve Holy, Steel Magnolia, and more will be unplugged for 'mellower' Moose Fest in Muskegon

Steve Holy, Steel Magnolia, and more will be unplugged for 'mellower' Moose Fest in Muskegon MLive.com
"The three main headliners are Steve Holy, Steel Magnolia and Brantley Gilbert, a newcomer who has generated a lot of buzz recently.
Pearce said the artists will sound a little different than they do on the radio because Moosefest will be entirely acoustic."

It's Muskegon!
It's free!
Come on down!
(click the link to get the free tix!)

August 16 Wisconsin recall election results

August 16 Wisconsin recall election results - JSOnline
"Six months of hugely contentious and massively expensive political warfare reaches its conclusion Tuesday, with the final elections of the 2011 state Senate recall saga."

All caused by democrats unhappy with democracy.
A bummer for the democrat party and the Wisconsin taxpayers.

DHS audit finds millions in questionable purchases

DHS audit finds millions in questionable purchases MLive.com
"The audit of the Michigan Department of Human Services' automated accounting system found state workers used taxpayer money to buy the workers' cars for welfare clients and to buy hundreds of dollars worth of gift cards."

Toll of weekend Detroit shootings now totals 25 as police increase patrols

http://tinyurl.com/4x38pot

Toll of weekend Detroit shootings now totals 25 as police increase patrols

In addition, Detroit Police are now reporting one additional shooting from 6 a.m. Friday to 6 a.m. Saturday, bringing the total to 16 people shot, six fatally, during that 24-hour period.

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

Robert Heinlein

“Throughout history, poverty is the normal condition of man.
Advances which permit this norm to be exceeded — here and there, now and then — are the work of an extremely small minority, frequently despised, often condemned, and almost always opposed by all right-thinking people.
Whenever this tiny minority is kept from creating, or (as sometimes happens) is driven out of a society, the people then slip back into abject poverty.
This is known as ‘bad luck.’”– Robert Heinlein

As true today as it ever was.

What Obama’s Brush with the Tea Party Reveals About Him

What Obama’s Brush with the Tea Party Reveals About Him « The Greenroom
"What’s more, being called a socialist is hardly on a par with being called a terrorist.
The term socialism may seem like a dirty word to a “centrist” like Obama, but it is a bonafide political ideology, not to mention a label proudly worn by at least one member of the U.S. Senate (and coincidentally a man who votes almost unfailingly with Obama’s congressional caucus). As far as I know, there are no self-described terrorists in Congress.

Lastly, as for the claim that Obama was not born in the United States, the birther controversy, like the truther controversy, is history. Everyone has moved on from it—except apparently for Obama."

FJ4 Runs off Runway - AirVenture 2011



And there was this.....

AirVenture 2011 - The World's Greatest Airshow


EAA AirVenture Oshkosh 2011 honoring 100 Years of Naval Aviation
This is a compilation of clips from AirVenture 2011 set to "Starlight" by Muse

Lesson From Europe (Take 2)

Stephens: Lesson From Europe (Take 2) - WSJ.com
"'The real lesson from Europe,' wrote Paul Krugman in January 2010, 'is actually the opposite of what conservatives claim:
Europe is an economic success, and that success shows that social democracy works.'
Here are some postcards from the social democracy that works."

Monday, August 15, 2011

Pat Buchanan Challenges Warren Buffett: 'Set an Example and Send a Check for $5 Billion to the Federal Government'

Pat Buchanan Challenges Warren Buffett: 'Set an Example and Send a Check for $5 Billion to the Federal Government' NewsBusters.org: "The liberal media are predictably fawning over billionaire Warren Buffett's op-ed in the New York Times Monday calling for new taxes on the super-rich.
This led MSNBC's Pat Buchanan on Monday's 'Morning Joe' to challenge the Oracle of Omaha asking, 'Why doesn’t he set an example and send a check for $5 billion to the federal government?' (video follows with transcript and commentary):"

State educators: Michigan accreditation system 'no longer has relevance' | MLive.com

State educators: Michigan accreditation system 'no longer has relevance' MLive.com
"Michigan's school accreditation system “no longer has relevance” state educators say, as every school in the state has met state criteria despite sliding backward on federal testing goals."

The only answer is vouchers for parents and children.
We must free the young people from these madrases of politically correct non-teaching!

The Real Reason Warren Buffett's Taxes Are Low

The Real Reason Warren Buffett's Taxes Are Low - Forbes
"Still, Mr. Buffett is not sharing the real reason that he doesn’t pay much in the way of income tax relative to his great fortune.
The secret is hidden in plain sight.
Mr. Worstall alludes to it when he mentions that Berkshire Hathaway does not in fact pay dividends.
Mr. Buffett’s secret which you can find blasted all over the Internet is one of his famous quotations:
You only pay income taxes at any rate on realized appreciation.

An investment with a holding period of forever incurs a capital gains tax of 0%, while all along the holder can be getting wealthy from appreciation.
That’s the real reason Mr. Buffett does not pay a lot of income taxes."

Five Muskegon-area high schools miss 'adequate yearly progress,' latest school report cards show

Five Muskegon-area high schools miss 'adequate yearly progress,' latest school report cards show MLive.com
"Muskegon Public Schools was among 7 percent of school districts that did not make AYP as a whole"

Muskegon employers are having a tough time finding employees who meet their minimum standards: pass a drug test and posses a high school diploma.
Muskegon, we have a cultural problem.
A big one that too many of our "leaders" refuse to acknowledge.

Muskegon County plans another sewer rate increase

Muskegon County plans another sewer rate increase MLive.com
"County staff members inserted a preliminary wastewater wholesale rate increase of 21 percent in the proposed budget for the upcoming fiscal year, which begins Oct. 1."

‘You Lie!’ — Joe Wilson Was Right

The PJ Tatler » ‘You Lie!’ — Joe Wilson Was Right
"There are between 12 and 20 million illegal aliens in the United States.
The fact that immigration status will not be checked at these health centers means illegal aliens will be treated, at American taxpayer expense, and in contradiction to what President Obama said.
He lied in the service of passing a bill that a majority opposed and which is helping sink the US economy."

15% of Americans have trouble putting food on table

15% of Americans have trouble putting food on table - Nov. 16, 2009
"The one-year jump is all the more significant, given the number of hungry Americans had never been higher than 11.9% since these surveys began."

It was bogus back in 2009 but it is more accurate today.
Yet we see little MSM notice.
Big surprise.....yeah right.....

But these folks are trolling for morons here in Muskegon:
http://feedingamerica.org/hunger-in-america.aspx

State employee unions put trust in unified negotiations

State employee unions put trust in unified negotiations Lansing State Journal lansingstatejournal.com: "Alarmed by a lack of response from state employee unions in crafting $145 million in concessions, state officials laid down a gauntlet in late July.
Come to the table, or prepare for layoffs Oct. 1.
State employee unions responded last week: We will agree to talk with you, but only with one voice.

Bargaining together for the first time, five state employee unions representing about 35,000 workers said they will negotiate together on wages and benefits as part of a new three-year contract.
The wage and benefits portion of that contract begins Oct. 1, 2012.

It's part of a bid by unions to flex their muscle and show solidarity as they negotiate several crucial issues that might include requiring all state employees to pay 20 percent of their health care premiums, retiree health coverage and other pay or benefit reductions totaling $145 million.
Such a united approach by civil service unions may represent a nationally rising trend as financially strapped states, facing federal funding cuts, square off with employees over pay and benefits, said Gary Chaison, a labor relations expert and professor of industrial relations at Clark University in Worcester, Mass.

So far, only civil service unions in a few states, such as Connecticut, have tried the approach.

'It gives them much greater power,' Chaison said.
'They see a common argument being used against them, the need to reduce the budget and they are fearful that a weaker union will agree to concessions."

Why the GOP should give Obama the higher taxes he wants

Sunday Reflection: Why the GOP should give Obama the higher taxes he wants Glenn Harlan Reynolds Columnists Washington Examiner
"Were I a Republican senator or representative, I would be agitating to repeal the 'Eisenhower tax cut' on the movie industry and restore the excise tax.
I think I would also look at imposing similar taxes on sales of DVDs, pay-per-view movies, CDs, downloadable music, and related products."

If we taxed what we spent, the kids would know what's happenin'.

Toxic Raptors Still Grounded

AVwebFlash Complete Issue#205216#205216
"Toxic Raptors Still Grounded, Pilots Losing Currency

An investigation that grounded the fleet of F-22 Raptors back in May, 'has since expanded to include all aspects of the aircraft,' according to the Air Force Times, leaving deliveries on hold and pilots hoping for simulator time.
There are less than 160 Raptors deployed (accounting for roughly $65 billion) and two F-22 simulators -- one at Langley and another at Tyndall Air Force Base.
The actual jets have been grounded because they appear to be poisoning their pilots.
Tests have found multiple toxins in the blood of Raptor pilots affected by symptoms similar to hypoxia while flying the jets.
And the Air Force hasn't been able to source the problem, leading to a cascade of complications."

Rep. John Conyers's seat up for grabs in Michigan

Rep. John Conyers's seat up for grabs in Michigan - Politico Staff - POLITICO.com
"With the passage of Michigan’s Republican-crafted redistricting law, recently signed off on by Gov. Rick Snyder, Rep. John Conyers seat is officially up for grabs after nearly 50 years - and local Democratic district officials are not pleased"

Bummer dudes...

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Muskegon-area legislators to meet Friday with chamber members

Muskegon-area legislators to meet Friday with chamber members MLive.com
"The chamber's Government Affairs Committee will meet with state Sen. Goeff Hansen, R-Hart, and state Rep. Holly Hughes, R-White River Township Friday from 8-9:30 a.m. at the Coffee House, 255 Seminole.
No reservations are needed."

Mich. Republican Party votes to hold closed primary to pick 2012 presidential delegates

Mich. Republican Party votes to hold closed primary to pick 2012 presidential delegates The Republic
"Michigan Republicans have voted to hold a closed primary election to choose 2012 presidential convention delegates.
The Republican State Committee on Saturday approved the recommendation of the party's Policy Committee by a vote of 92-17.
Supporters say it's a more inclusive way of choosing delegates than a convention or caucus."

Suicidal GOPers!
Or are they simply fools?
The democrats must be gearing up their "get out the vote" ACORNistas to vote in the "closed" primary.
It'll be McCain/Bush 2000 all over again.
Seriously, are our republican state leaders morons or is there another agenda going on?