Thanks to Powerline & Michelle Malkin

1. The House Democrats’ bill will cost each and every household $6,700 additional debt, paid for by our children and grandchildren.

2. The total cost of this one piece of legislation is almost as much as the annual discretionary budget for the entire federal government.

3. President-elect Obama has said that his proposed stimulus legislation will create or save three million jobs. This means that this legislation will spend about $275,000 per job. The average household income in the U.S. is $50,000 a year.

4. The House Democrats’ bill provides enough spending - $825 billion - to give every man, woman, and child in America $2,700.

5. $825 billion is enough to give every person living in poverty in the U.S. $22,000.

6. $825 billion is enough to give every person in Ohio $72,000.

7. Although the House Democrats’ proposal has been billed as a transportation and infrastructure investment package, in actuality only $30 billion of the bill - or three percent - is for road and highway spending. A recent study from the Congressional Budget Office said that only 25 percent of infrastructure dollars can be spent in the first year, making the one year total less than $7 billion for infrastructure.

8. Much of the funding within the House Democrats’ proposal will go to programs that already have large, unexpended balances. For example, the bill provides $1 billion for Community Development Block Grants (CDBG), which already have $16 billion on hand. And, this year, Congress has plans to rescind $9 billion in highway funding that the states have not yet used.

9. In 1993, the unemployment rate was virtually the same as the rate today (around seven percent). Yet, then-President Clinton’s proposed stimulus legislation ONLY contained $16 billion in spending.

10. Here are just a few of the programs and projects that have been included in the House Democrats’ proposal:

· $650 million for digital TV coupons.
· $6 billion for colleges/universities - many which have billion dollar endowments.
· $166 billion in direct aid to states - many of which have failed to budget wisely.
· $50 million in funding for the National Endowment of the Arts.
· $44 million for repairs to U.S. Department of Agriculture headquarters.
· $200 million for the National Mall, including grass planting.
· $400 million for “National Treasures.”

11. Almost one-third of the so called tax relief in the House Democrats’ bill is spending in disguise, meaning that true tax relief makes up only 24 percent of the total package - not the 40 percent that President-elect Obama had requested.

12. $825 billion is just the beginning - many Capitol Hill Democrats want to spend even more taxpayer dollars on their “stimulus” plan.

Please Contact your Senator and Representative and urge them to either fix, or block this bill.

             

admin Activism, Democrats, Domestic, Economics & The economy congressional overspending, Stimulus, The economy

85 Habitat for Humanity residents in Fla, sue home builder for shoddy construction

RESIDENTS of a model housing estate bankrolled by Hollywood celebrities and hand-built by Jimmy Carter, the former US president, are complaining that it is falling apart.

Fairway Oaks was built on northern Florida wasteland by 10,000 volunteers, including Carter, in a record 17-day “blitz” organised by the charity Habitat for Humanity.

Eight years later it is better known for cockroaches, mildew and mysterious skin rashes.

A forthcoming legal battle over Fairway Oaks threatens the reputation of a charity envied for the calibre of its celebrity supporters, who range from Johnny Depp and Brad Pitt to Colin Firth, Christian Bale and Helena Bonham Carter.

The case could challenge the bedrock philosophy behind Habitat for Humanity, claiming that using volunteers, rather than professional builders, is causing as many problems as it solves.

April Charney, a lawyer representing many of the 85 homeowners in Fairway Oaks, said she had no problems taking on Habitat for Humanity, despite its status as a “darling of liberal social activists”. She said the charity should have told people that part of the estate had been built on a rubbish dump.

I have mixed feelings about this case, and April Charney (another story):  On one hand, these houses were pretty much a gift so shouldn’t the homeowners have taken better care of them? ..on the other hand - you do actually pay, albeit interest free and below-market price , Habitat for the home you get…so do you have a claim to quality?

One man pulled up his floorboards to find rubbish 5ft deep under his kitchen. Other complaints include cracking walls and rotting door frames that let in rats and ants. Many residents have complained of mildew and mysterious skin rashes.

One resident said her children were suffering from skin complaints. “The intentions are good, but when the politicians and big-shot stars have left we’re stuck with the consequences. This house looks pretty but inside it either stinks or sweats,” she said.

Judy Hall, the charity’s local development director, said recently that it had been dealing with about 30 complaints. She added that skilled work was carried out by professionals.

Some residents dismiss their neighbours’ worries. Diennal Fields, 51, said people did not know how to look after their homes: “It’s simple stuff: if there is mildew, don’t get a lawyer, get a bottle of bleach.”

We’re not going to pass judgement on this one since we don’t have all the facts yet.  We’ll let you the reader decide:  Is this a case of unappreciative home residents living in a place they didnt really deserve or earn and thus not taking proper care? Or is it a matter of a shoddy ‘gift’ that the residents still had to pay for, that was of such poor quality it actually affected the health of the dwellers?…..

See also Michelle Malkin’s take here

             

admin Domestic Charity, lawsuits, liberal activist lawyers

WOODHAVEN, Mich.–

Woodhaven police said four cars on Friday, all produced by foreign car makers, had two tires slashed and “Buy USA” written on them.

Does this mean we should slash tires and write “Make better cars” on all domestics?

Police said three of the cars were parked in a strip mall in Woodhaven that sits next to a Ford stamping plant.

 Kim Lebecki’s 2009 Toyota Camry was one of the four targeted by the vandal.

 “I work very hard to make the payment to drive the car of my choice in the United States and someone else has the audacity to destroy these vehicles,” Lebecki said. “It saddens me to think, ‘Is this a UAW member who did this?’”

 One of incidents was caught on a security tape. A red Ford Escape is seen pulling into a parking space, a middle-aged man can be seen approaching a red foreign car and slashing both tires. The man can also be seen writing a message on the car before leaving.

Good news, since it’s a ford we figure he can only keep up this spree for another 2 years/50,000 miles till the warranty expires.

 “We don’t have any positive evidence to link a Ford employee with this incident,” said Lt. Robert Harabedian, of the Woodhaven Police Department.

             

admin Activism, Domestic, Economics & The economy Activism, auto makers

If you haven’t heard yet, GM released an open letter to the American public.  I’ll link the actual GM apology letter below, but first, here’s a SLATE.com report on the apology:

“From time to time, companies find it necessary to apologize. They may not do it in so many words, but in the wake of a crisis or a scandal or a huge, news-making problem, they will mount an advertising campaign to assure you, the consumer, that efforts are underway to “win back your trust.” During the Ford/Firestone fiasco a couple of years ago, for instance, both of those firms launched forgiveness campaigns.

Like all ad campaigns, the bottom line is that GM, right now, is a fine, high-quality company, whose products you should buy immediately. It’s the journey to this obvious destination that’s interesting. “Thirty years ago, GM quality was the best in the world,” the print ad starts. “Twenty years ago, it wasn’t.”

And apparently the company muddled along in a sub-par manner for 10 years before deciding to change. “The hard part [was] breaking out of our own bureaucratic gridlock,” the ad copy continues, and “learning some humbling lessons from our competitors.” After a “painful” decade of effort, they’re now back up to snuff, putting out great cars, etc., etc. The ad cites positive consumer-satisfaction research and recent automotive awards, presumably the hook for the campaign. “The road to redemption has no finish line,” the copy concludes. “But it does have a corner. And it’s fair to say we’ve turned it.”

GM says that campaign is aimed at the apparently large segment of the car-buying public that simply won’t consider its models. The company’s North American president calls it “a unique effort to reach those consumers whose perceptions of GM are out of step with today’s reality.” I suppose that’s reasonable, but let’s say you’re one of the thousands who did buy a GM car in the 1980s and 1990s. You, apparently, were a sucker. Your vehicle was not put together by a company with “a true culture of quality in every division.” That’s not what I’m saying—it’s what GM is saying.”

Had enough?

Well guess what….

That article is about GM’s apology in 2003!

Yup, you read that right - it’s from five years ago.
Here’s the 2008 version that’s now asking for taxpayer money to continue, but it really begs, no DEMANDS the question:  What’s going to change this time?

Super Props to Michelle Malkin for this one

             

admin Domestic, Economics & The economy, General auto makers, bailout, Economics & The economy, lame excuses

Obama to Visit With Ousted Window Factory Workers

President-elect Obama is going to show his solidarity with about 200 Chicago workers who lost their jobs and then denied severance and their vacation pay.

Ok, so yeah, this is sorta sad, right before Christmas, to lose your job & severance.  Lets read on:

CHICAGO — President-elect Barack Obama is weighing in on behalf of workers staging a sit-in on the factory floor of their former Chicago employer to protest abruptly losing their jobs last week.

Obama told a news conference Sunday that Republic Windows and Doors should follow through on its commitments to the 200 workers, who say they won’t leave the plant until they are assured they’ll receive their severance and vacation pay.

Um, now I’m no expert but wouldn’t their time be better spent..oh, lets see…getting new jobs?
Oh wait, I am an expert, I’ve been fired/layed off/quit more than 15 times.

“The workers who are asking for the benefits and payments that they have earned, I think they’re absolutely right and understand that what’s happening to them is reflective of what’s happening across this economy,” Obama said.

Yes, there is legal claim to benefits and payments that you’ve earned.  No argument there.  But are they really “refelctive of what’s happening across this economy”?

Illinois Attorney General Lisa Madigan also said her office was investigating the company, which has not commented on the sit-in.

To their amazement, the workers have become a national symbol for thousands of employees laid off nationwide as the economy continues to sour.

Really?  How did I miss that one?

“We never expected this,” said Melvin Maclin, a factory employee and vice president of the local union that represents the workers. “We expected to go to jail.”

Ahah!  Now we find out what’s happening…they’re part of a Union!  That’s why they won’t get new jobs, they’ve been convinced that they can’t…that they need the union to take care of them.
Oh and yes tresspassing can get you jail time, but rarely does.  Although - since taxpayer money (by way of unemployment benefits) is likely be feeding and housing you anyway, Jail won’t be so bad either.

[snip]
Leah Fried, an organizer for the United Electrical Workers union that represents the workers, said the company told the union that Bank of America has canceled its financing. The bank had said in a statement that it wasn’t responsible for Republic’s financial obligations to its employees.

Well, now that is kinda sad…back to my point - if this company is so bad off that the bank has cancelled it’s credit then I’d guess that sitting around the old abandoned facility isn’t going to bring it back.  Sorry.

One of the factory’s workers, Silvia Mazon, said in Spanish that she needs the money owed to her for an $1,800 monthly house payment. The 40-year-old from Cicero said she has enough money saved to survive for one month.

Wait a minute.  First of all, the whole “said in Spanish” could launch several pages of comment, but I’ll try to stay focused. 

$1800 house payment?!?!

Are you freakin kidding me? $1800? Do you know how much house that buys?  I do, at 6% it buys a $262,000 house with NO down payment, and that includes property tax!  At 8.5% it buys $206,000!
Shouldn’t she be working to pay that?  Oh way, lemme guess….another victim of predatory lending.

“We’re making history,” she said.

You sure are, shine on you crazy diamond.

Read the full story HERE but beware, the last line may make you barf.

             

admin Domestic, Economics & The economy Economics & The economy, hippies, layoffs, obama, stop whining and do something

St. Louis Alderman Quincy Troupe calls on residents to carry handguns for safety

Full story here

ST. LOUIS POST-DISPATCH
12/02/2008

ST. LOUIS — Alderman Charles Quincy Troupe’s neighborhood has seen nine homicides in 10 months this year, more than all but one other section of the city.

With gunplay wreaking havoc on his ward, Troupe thinks he has found an answer: citizens arming themselves.

The alderman is pleading with constituents to get guns of their own — and learn how to use them. Troupe, who represents a swatch of north St. Louis, is encouraging residents to apply for concealed weapons permits so they can start carrying a firearm.

The city’s new police chief, among others, worries that introducing even more guns into high-crime areas is a recipe for greater turmoil, not less.

Troupe, however, says he has lost faith in the Police Department and is urging residents to take it upon themselves to protect their homes and property.

Not much I can add except: “DUH! That’s what I’ve been saying for years.”

             

admin Domestic crime, handguns, personal defense, second ammendment

from: http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20081207/ap_on_bi_ge/congress_autos

[snip]
Capitol Hill leaders prepared to sell yet another bailout to a skeptical Congress. It is an uphill battle: The anger is fresh over how the Bush administration used the $700 billion Wall Street rescue fund and lawmakers are questioning whether the once-mighty auto giants can survive.

How the Bush administration used? What about Congress?  What about the media that pounded on our skulls about how the world would end if we didn’t act right away? nah, let’s just pin this all on Bush…much easier that way.  Not that he doesn’t deserve his share, lets just keep to to what he does deserve.

Yeah, the “once mighty”…lets just remind everyone what a tragic american tale this is where the once mighty buffalo are now all but.. oh, I mean the once great automakers bla bla bla.

The emerging measure would speed short-term help to General Motors Corp., Ford Motor Co. and Chrysler LLC, while empowering the government to order a wholesale restructuring of the industry and imposing tight restrictions on the Big Three, according to congressional officials and others close to the talks. They described the developing plan on condition of anonymity because the details were not final.

Tighter restrictions.  Of course!  Why didn’t I think of that.  What these companies need is MORE REGULATION, that’s sure to create flexiblility and help streamline production.

It is designed to tide over the companies — particularly GM and Chrysler, which have warned that they are just weeks from going bust — through March, when Barack Obama is president and a new Congress could consider a longer-term solution.

Ya know, if we could just get Obama in there a bit sooner, just everything would be better.  It almost makes me want a “conditional” bailout now thinking that it will be more $ and less or unconditinal once Anno Domini Part 2 begins.

             

admin Domestic, Economics & The economy auto makers, bailout, obama