#5
David Mc Williams appears to be Irish. Maybe he was just speaking Austrian. It didn't sound like the Austrian School of Economics at all.
For years, we have been told how great Europe is. "America sucks! In Greece, they take 3 months off a year and retire at 50. Why can't we be more like them?" I hope the answer to that is becoming clear. I fear it isn't... even to the Europeans.
California's economy, with a Gross State Product of about $1.9 trillion, is more than six times the size of Greece's. At $90 billion, the state's budget (excluding the few hundred billion dollars of federal money distributed there) is only sixty percent of the size of Greece's national budget. But, California's budget deficit, estimated at $16 billion for the current fiscal year unless substantial changes are made, represents a stunning 17.5 percent shortfall and a huge miss from January predictions of a $9.2 billion deficit. Greece is now anticipating a deficit under 7 percent of GDP, but even allowing for typical politician optimism, the Greek deficit problem is arguably small compared to California's.
While both places are full of union members and socialists (pardon my redundancy) focused on preventing cuts in government spending, California does have one advantage: it is not full of people who make a full-time job of tax evasion as is the case in Greece. According to a fascinating article on the subject, "the gap between what Greek taxpayers owed last year and what they paid was about a third of total tax revenue, roughly the size of the country's budget deficit."
California Governor Jerry Brown is proposing certain spending cuts (including cuts to higher education and to programs for the poor) and tax increases (a massive income tax rate hike -- from 10.3 percent to 13.3 percent on those earning over $250,000 -- and a 0.25 cent increase in the state's sales tax.) Even so, his budget calls for a more than 5 percent increase in state spending, including a 16 percent increase to public school spending, over the prior fiscal year, giving a new meaning to "austerity" and emphasizing the power of teachers unions over Democrats.
Brown is taking the tax hike part of his plan directly to voters, using the typical Democrat threat of cuts to public education if the hikes are not passed. It's time to call his bluff, at least if California wants to stop hemorrhaging people, jobs, and talent.
If you enjoy this movie, take heart, there will soon be a sequel: Illinois' state budget website says that "Illinois faces a budget shortfall of more than $11 billionÂ… Spending growth consistently exceeds revenue growth [and it is] getting worse each year."
#2
The voters have put together quite a few initiatives that might help but the special interest groups such as the public unions have found ways to smack them down. In other instances activist judges have smacked them down. California is not too big to fail--it is already failing or failed; in other words it is a large Greece.
#3
As a product of California's educational system I can tell you that it carries a whole butt load of crap. I remember them saying that it would make me a "well rounded person" whenever I asked what relevance some of the classes had. Well, these days we have a lot of well rounded people living in tents under bridges and in the river valleys. Some of them get jobs as cocktail waitresses or in real estate sales.
But when it comes to cutting I'm afraid the politicians will leave the crap and cut the muscle.
Posted by: Abu Uluque ||
05/18/2012 10:46 Comments ||
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#4
Unfortunately, many courses are not relevant; only PC.
#5
focused on preventing cuts in government spending True-ish, but not accurate. The referenced special interest group is dedicated to a constantly increasing level of government spending. To their simple minds, merely holding government spending unchanged at its currently absurdly elevated level is AUSTERITY.
#6
not until the political class and the voters that keep them in place recognize that there is a problem.
The problem is that the political class and the special interests don't see themselves as having a problem. The voters are the only one that can fix this because they are the only ones for whom the problem bites. The unlimited cash and perks of the elites will never be seen as a problem by the elites.
An op-ed from - naturally - the San Francisco Chronicle
Petty local politics shouldn't ruin a truly meaningful national gesture, which is naming a U.S. Navy ship after gay icon Harvey Milk.
A ship named for the first openly gay supervisor in San Francisco seems like such a bold and audacious gesture that you wonder whether the Navy would consider such a thing. Actually, it might. Last week, the service commissioned the Cesar Chavez, a ship named for the Mexican American labor leader. Chavez served two years in the Navy during World War II. Good God...between the Cesar Chavez, the (gag) John Murtha and the LCS named after a Democrat House backbencher who was nearly unknown until being shot by some nutjob, you just know this jackass will be all over this idea...
Rep. Bob Filner, D-San Diego, the ranking member of the House Armed Services Committee, made the formal request to the Secretary of the Navy, and supporters lined up. Next on the list...the USS Freddie Mercury! And how about the USS Liberace? And let's not forget the USS RuPaul...we have to give proper public honor to the entire LGBT community, after all!
Then some people lost their compass.
Supervisor Christina Olague, who voted against the idea in committee this week, thinks Milk's objection to the war in Vietnam makes a Navy ship a poor choice. "It's a warship," she said. "I'm not convinced that reflects Harvey Milk values."
Even more vehement is gay activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca. "Why not name a bomber after Gandhi?" he asks. "The purpose of the military is to kill people, no matter how we look at it. I know Harvey opposed the Vietnam War, and if he were alive, he would be against the wars we are in now. I think it is inappropriate." If the Bay Area's hard-left, military-hating nut sandwiches can put the kibosh on this stupid phuecking idea, I'm almost willing to forgive them for being hard-left, military-hating nut sandwiches.
#2
I could make a snarky comment about "torpedoed in the stern." But that would just be wrong.
Posted by: Ricky bin Ricardo (Abu Babaloo) ||
05/18/2012 2:06 Comments ||
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#3
How about a Submarine named the USS Richard Simmons, a Cruiser named the USS Rock Hudson, A Destroyer named the USS Rosie O'Donnell or an Aircraft Carrier named the USS Castro District.
We're not far from a demand that "Special Services" provide bases and ships with Bath Houses as part of their recreation programs.
#7
Even more vehement is gay activist Tommi Avicolli Mecca. "Why not name a bomber after Gandhi?"
I would have no problem with a bomber named after Gandhi. He forged his anti-war beliefs as a streacher bearer, carrying wounded and dying British soldiers to aid stations and field hospitals in a bloody African conflict.
#8
...It should be pointed out that the gay community is actually against the idea. By all accounts Mr. Milk was a pretty decent guy, and served honorably, but he strongly protested the Vietnam war (which, after all, was his right)and a great many folks don't think a warship (according to them, even if it's a supply ship, it's gray so it's a warship)should be named after him.
After all, the government should listen to the people. :D
Mike
Posted by: Mike Kozlowski ||
05/18/2012 6:06 Comments ||
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#12
As a gay guy, I want to say I find this idea patronizing, humiliating, and shameful. Milk is being honored for two reasons: he is a victim and he fought for partisan political causes that not everyone agrees with. Hey, I've got a novel idea! Let's name ships after people admired by patriotic Americans of all political outlooks. How could this be anything other than a no-brainer?
Even more radically, I might suggest that we name ships only after people who have contributed significantly to the cause of American security. Is there a shortage of such candidates? I don't think so!
If the politicians are so damn committed to shamelessly catering to identity politics, even naming a ship after the gay guy who probably helped take out the Flight 93 terrorists would at least be somewhat appropriate.
#14
I still cannot believe they commissioned a ship named for Chavez. Chavez described his experience in the military [US Navy] as "the two worst years of my life."
Something is seriously f'd up in the Dept of the Navy regards ships names.
#15
What about reserving the names for CMH winners, those who died in the line of service, and deceased FEDERAL elected office holders (like Congress or Pres only), or those who conspicuously aided their service and the nation. Plenty of non-controverisal names there. As small as the navy is getting, I would thing limiting the list to Naval heroes (Jones, etc), CMH awardees, States and major city names would be plenty.
Posted by: Barbara ||
05/18/2012 12:22 Comments ||
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#18
Problem is a lot of the modern battles arent well named. My own for instance: the USS 73 Easting doesn't exactly pop, yet its the largest armored land battle the US Army has fought since WW2.
Its taught in the academies as a textbook example of how a meeting engagement and assault are done with modern cavalry in the absence of air support (due to weather). For those unaware:
The Battle of 73 Easting and the movement to contact south of the battle brought the 2nd Armored Cavalry Regiment's covering force mission for VII Corps to its conclusion. During the operation the Regiment covered the advance of three different U.S. divisions in turn, moved 120 miles in eighty-two hours and fought elements of five Iraqi Divisions. The violent battle at 73 Easting fixed the southern forces of the Iraqi Republican Guard Corps and permitted the Corps Commander to launch First Infantry Division into the depths of the Iraqi defenses and on into Kuwait.
The 2nd ACR, which advanced between the Iraqi 12th Armored Division and the Tawakalna Division, was the only American ground unit to find itself significantly outnumbered and out-gunned. In moving to and through the Battle of 73 Easting, 2nd ACR destroyed 160 tanks, 180 personnel carriers, 12 artillery pieces and more than 80 wheeled vehicles, along with several anti-aircraft artillery systems during the battle.[22]
Too bad they dont teach recent history in school. Kids hear all about Vietnam, but not about this.
#19
Basically the largest armored/mech turn and assault since the Bulge. I think Patton would have been proud of us, as he was when the regiment served as "The Ghosts of Patton's Army" (as the Germans called us).
To be accurate, tho. the Cesar Chavez is a USNS vessel not USS. That's the designation for Military Sealift Command vessels; fleet auxiliaries with civilian crews (albeit with a military detachment on some).
So it's pandering, but, since it's not a warship, it's in a way rather meaningless (kind of like the most of the diversity movement).
#21
Even more radically, I might suggest that we name ships only after people who have contributed significantly to the cause of American security. Is there a shortage of such candidates?
Unfortunately ryuge, things are done in the name of PC and perceived political advantage but what you say is a good idea and the right thing to do.
#25
Harvey was a decent guy, but his only two achievements were the "pooper scooper" law and to get shot. They say it's bad luck to rename a ship but......
A multi-volume chronology and reference guide set detailing three years of the Mexican Drug War between 2010 and 2012.
Rantburg.com and borderlandbeat.com correspondent and author Chris Covert presents his first non-fiction work detailing
the drug and gang related violence in Mexico.
Chris gives us Mexican press dispatches of drug and gang war violence
over three years, presented in a multi volume set intended to chronicle the death, violence and mayhem which has
dominated Mexico for six years.
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