California: Still Stuck on Stupid

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

I snark at flatulent arrogant progressive California on a regular basis. But the latest economic news out of the state is so bad it falls deep into  “You Can’t Make This Stuff Up” territory:

The governor, who unveiled his revised budget proposal in the Capitol on Monday, is facing a nearly $16-billion budget gap, far larger than the $9.2 billion he predicted in January.

At least they didn’t say, “Unexpectedly.” Alison Vekshin and James Nash at Bloomberg point out that it’s no shocker:

Brown’s forecast for a swelling California deficit shouldn’t come as a shock, as he balanced his budget by relying on optimistic revenue estimates, according to Christopher Thornberg, an economist in Los Angeles.

“The reason the revenues aren’t coming in as expected is that the state was counting on $4 billion that was never going to materialize,” Thornberg, a co-founder of Beacon Economics LLC, said yesterday by telephone. “It was eminently predictable from the very beginning.”

Now Brown continues beating the tax drum. But when millions of Californians have left already, you can’t raise taxes on the remainder to make up for it. Related Tweet:

@TerryBranstad If you are a California company facing stifling tax and regulatory burdens, we will welcome you in Iowa.

Good to know. I hear Texas is getting fed up with the invasion of Californians.

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Coburn: 2-5 Years to Financial Meltdown

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

The Daily caller is reporting on an interview with Oklahoma Senator Tom Coburn discussing America’s financial situation where he says the federal government is in the “midst of committing murder to our republic” and predicted that the U.S. faces a financial meltdown in 2-5 years. The long-term picture is even worse:

“In 2022, less than 10 years from now, unless we make major changes that everybody’s saying they know has to be made but none of the politicians have the courage to make, the entire federal budget will be made of only three things: interest, Medicare and Social Security, nothing else.”

“It’s very honorable to speak honestly to the American public about what the problems are. It is dishonorable to lie to them about it not being. Talk to any politician up here, they all know Medicare’s in trouble, they’ll say it privately so tell me, when you will speak something privately but not talk about it publicly, what’s that say about your integrity? That you just really want to win an election rather than fix our country.”

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The Rich Getting Richer Doesn’t Hurt Me

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

Over at IMAO Frank J brings the point home in Random Thoughts: How to Get Ahead:

If we could all just repeat to ourselves, “The rich getting richer doesn’t hurt me,” this country could do anything.

Posted in Economy | Tagged | 1 Comment

Student Unimpressed With Obama Using Her as a Prop

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

Columbia Political Review has an article by a young graduate Ayelet Pearl who was present during President Obama’s commencement address this weekend. While she described the speech as beautiful, motivating and meaningful, she also seemed to see beyond the curtain and didn’t appreciate the view:

President Obama asked whether we can “muster the will … to bring about the changes we need,” concluding that the Barnard graduates and this generation “will help lead the way.” But what if our way is not his way? More importantly, what if my way differs from the woman sitting next to me in my art history class or my English class or my computer science class? What if the change I think we need is a different brand of education reform and a more conservative economic plan?

I think you should be quiet, Ayelet, or President Obama might include you when he’s punishing his enemies.

But Ms Pearl continues:

The oppressive and suffocating categorization of women as this uniformly thinking block is even more rampant at a women’s liberal arts college in New York City, where many women do hold similar political viewpoints. Barnard President Debora Spar, in an interview on MSNBC, boldly told the show’s hostess that “they’re [Barnard students] all huge fans [of Obama].”  Is that true? Can the president of Barnard College say, in good faith, that every single one of her students is a fan of President Barack Obama? Are we that unindividual? Or are we just a liberal student body, and, as women, a key component of the Democratic vote? Too often, the assumed answer is yes.

And she concludes with:

Today, as the president delivered the Barnard commencement speech under thick political circumstances, I was pleased and relieved that the speech itself was apolitical and inspiring. But its context in this increasing political conceptualization of “women’s issues” left me, as a Barnard student, feeling stereotyped, simplified, and used.

Obama’s key to victory is the hope that people will not notice the divisive rhetoric. Fortunately for us all, hundreds of thousands of Americans are waking up to their own Obama hangover.

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California Train to Nowhere: Fastest rate of transportation construction known in U.S. history

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

The LA Times is running a story about the high-speed boondoggle in southern California, a 130 mile rail segment from Fresno to Bakersfield:

The bullet train track through the Central Valley would cost $6 billion and have to be completed by September 2017, or else potentially lose some of its federal funding. It would mean spending as much as $3.5 million every calendar day, holidays and weekends included

Check out the article. There’s not a word discussing whether or not they should. The entire argument and analysis focuses on whether or not they can.

Yes, California, you are boned.

Posted in Economy, Government/Politics | Tagged , | 2 Comments

Obama Doubles Down on Gay Marriage: Repeal DOMA

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

President Obama took his gay marriage endorsement to the next level last night, as reported by The Atlantic:

President Barack Obama made it clear in his remarks at a Ricky Martin-hosted fundraiser in New York Monday night that repealing DOMA is now a goal for him.

And the Obama Campaign calls Romney a flip-flopper. I guess the point is that Obama hasn’t flip flopped and his stance hasn’t really evolved. It’s more likely that he has supported SSM for some time and lied to everyone for political purposes. Standard Operating Procedure.

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Obama, Wright, Bribes and the Chicago Way

Posted on May 15, 2012 by Darth Chipmunk

From Ace of Spades HQ:

A new book by Edward Klein called The Amateur alleges that a friend/supporter of Obama tried to pay Reverend Wright $150,000 to just go away and be quiet.

Now, the saving fact here for Obama is that this came from a friend so Obama can pretend this wasn’t done at his behest.

The trouble is, immediately after Wright refused the bribe, Obama then met with him and tried to sugar-talk him into doing the same thing.

And:

I’m wondering why this isn’t the Number One story in America.

But the answer is obvious. This story kills Obama — ends the election now, over, done — so it cannot be a story.

That’s why it’s up to us.

The media will not report this so there isn’t any point whining about it.

It’s up to us to report it, to publish it far and wide, to make sure every citizen in this country is aware of this bribe and the Chicago Way.

Damn. Straight.

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