At that point, you don't have a choice

Parents of students in one Chicago Public School have made a startling discovery:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-gold-coast-school-cabrinimay25,0,5726163.story

The parents live in a very upscale neighborhood and send their kids to the local elementary school, which does not have a current desegregation plan.  This means that their kids do not get bussed to a different neighborhood and the kids from other neighborhoods do not get bussed in.  Everyone has been happy until now when the school will be temporarily closed for remodeling.  Now the students will be bused to a school in a neighborhood with at very different social culture.

This quote from one parent is a classic:

"At that point, you don't have a choice."

No choice in education is the foundation of the public school system.  If parents had a choice they would send their kids to the best schools available. This would force the local school bureaucrats and teachers unions to compete.

Competition is never acceptable to government employees and labor unions.

For more on School Choice follow this link:

http://www.friedmanfoundation.org

Stand up and take action

President Obama apparently has a new approach to foreign policy:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-North-Korea/

Highlights of his remarks:

Now, the United States and the international community must take action in response.

We will work with our friends and our allies to stand up to this behavior and we will redouble our efforts toward a more robust international nonproliferation regime that all countries have responsibilities to meet.

I have several questions.

Does the use of the term stand up imply that we have been lying down?

Does this mean that we are done talking to Kim?

What “action" does the President propose?

A new Governor but the same old story

The new governor of Illinois Patrick Quinn is accused of selling "face time":

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/05/in-midst-of-reform-push-quinn-campaign-sought-campaign-contributions-for-face-time-with-new-governor.html

Some of the sordid details:

• One of the trade association executives said today his group received a call Thursday from Quinn’s political operation, seeking a $15,000 fundraiser. The other association executive said his group was called a week ago.



• One organization official said their group was called by a Quinn political staff member and told that “you would probably like to have face time with the governor to talk about your industry concerns and we’re making time available.”

Congratulations you have the highest sales tax in the USA

The Cook County Board had an opportunity to override the Board President's veto of a sales tax reduction. Of course the Board voted to sustain the veto and so Cook County, Illinois continues with the highest sales tax in the nation. The sales tax rate in the City of Chicago is 10.25% but there are also add on rates for Chicago. Dining in a downtown Chicago restaurant is subject to a 11.50% sales tax.

Some of the comments by the County Board members would be funny if taxpayers money were not involved:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/opinion/chi-0520edit1may20,0,1895904.story

"The sales tax applies to things that most poor people don't buy." -- Cook County Commissioner Joseph Mario Moreno, arguing that sales taxes really aren't regressive

"I would like to go home for once in my life and relax."
-- Commissioner Earlean Collins, accepting that her support of a county sales-tax increase may push voters to oust her from office

"We don't have any businesses in my district to leave."
-- Commissioner Deborah Sims, challenging the notion that high taxation is driving businesses -- and jobs -- out of Cook County

During the vote of the County Board a large rally was held outside the Cook County office building. The rally was organized by public employee unions. They cheered wildly when the veto was upheld preventing the reduction in the sales tax. This rally was held during normal working hours so most taxpayers were at work and could not stage a counter rally.

You Can't Spend Your Way Out of the Crisis

Not every government in the world is expanding. This article is about the current administration in New Zealand:

http://online.wsj.com/article/SB123638162497057661.html

Some highlights of this article:

• "We don't tell New Zealanders we can stop the global recession, because we can't," says Prime Minister John Key.



• "We have been on a slippery slope," Mr. Key says, pointing to the country's slide to the bottom half of the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development's per-capita GDP rankings. "So we need to lift those per-capita wages, and the only way to really do that is through productivity growth driving efficiency in the country." He talks at length about how to attract and retain talented workers. What does he think about populist arguments about the end of capitalism? "Nonsense!"



• Mr. Key's program focuses first on personal income tax cuts, which -- given that the new top rate, as of April 1, will be 38% -- are still high, especially when compared to Hong Kong and Singapore. "We just think it's good tax policy to lower and flatten your tax curve," he says. "People will move in labor markets and they look at their after-tax incomes."



• Cutting the corporate tax rate -- which is now 30% -- isn't as crucial just now as keeping liquidity flowing, Mr. Key argues. "A lot of [companies] won't pay tax if they don't make money," he reasons. "So they might be slightly less focused on corporate tax in the immediate future. Longer-term, they will be." Why? Corporate money is "mobile." "If you really are out of whack with the prevailing corporate tax rates, and there's been a global shift toward countries lowering their corporate tax rate, then you're not likely to attract capital, or you're likely to lose capital." Mr. Key and his coalition partner, the ACT Party -- Mr. Douglas's party -- want to eventually align personal, trust and company tax rates at 30%..

I now have New Zealand on my list of potential future residences

An Israeli Prime Minister Comes to Washington Again

This article is a very interesting discussion of the multidimensional chess match of international politics in the Mideast:

http://www.stratfor.com/weekly/20090518_israeli_prime_minister_comes_washington_again

Conservatives for Patient's Rights

You have an opportunity to oppose government takeover of health care. The following link will take you to the Conservatives for Patient's Rights website:

http://www.conservativesforpatientsrights.com/


The supporters of "single payer health care" have singled out CPR as their most difficult opponent. Health Care for America Now (HCAN) and the Service Employees International Union (SEIU) have orchestrated a campaign of personal attacks on Rick Scott, the founder of Conservatives for Patient's Rights .

Leon Panetta's statement

CIA Director Leon Panetta issued this statement to CIA employees on 5/15/09:

https://www.cia.gov/news-information/press-releases-statements/message-from-the-director-turning-down-the-volume.html

I am impressed by his willingness to contradict the Speaker of the House Nancy Pelosi. These 2 paragraphs from his statement are unequivocal:

Let me be clear: It is not our policy or practice to mislead Congress. That is against our laws and our values. As the Agency indicated previously in response to Congressional inquiries, our contemporaneous records from September 2002 indicate that CIA officers briefed truthfully on the interrogation of Abu Zubaydah, describing “the enhanced techniques that had been employed.”

We are an Agency of high integrity, professionalism, and dedication. Our task is to tell it like it is—even if that’s not what people always want to hear. Keep it up. Our national security depends on it.

incompetent or dishonest

Newt Gingrich comments on Nancy Pelosi and the CIA briefings:

http://abcnews.go.com/video/playerIndex?id=7595688

Some highlights of his comments:

"She is a trivial politician, viciously using partisanship for the narrowest of purposes, and she dishonors the Congress by her behavior."

"Speaker Pelosi is the big loser, because she either comes across as incompetent or dishonest. Those are the only two defenses," he continued. "The fact is, she either didn't do her job, or she did do her job and she's now afraid to tell the truth."

TARP for major life insurers

Now the federal government will run the insurance industry:

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_INSURERS_TARP?SITE=WIJAN&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT

he is "leading by example"

Mayor Daley is leading the way in government transparency:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chi-daley-reform-15may15,0,793475.story

"We've done everything here. We're leading the way with our inspector general, office of compliance, all the things we've done," Daley said. "We're more transparent than any other government. Look at it."

Chicago is more transparent in its corruption than most other governments, so in a way he is correct.

Cato University

If you have ever considered attending a seminar on current affairs this is the one that you should choose.

Cato University is the Cato Institute's premier educational event of the year. This annual program brings together outstanding faculty and participants from across the country and, often, from around the globe – business and professional people, retirees, small business owners, high school and college students, employees of large and small firms and many others who share a commitment to liberty and learning.

Senator Russ Feingold lets the truth slip out

Sen. Russ Feingold explains the process for moving to socialized medicine:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vxa4dgwnzS0&feature=player_embedded

why does President Pantywaist hate America so badly?

One of my friends emailed me this blog post:

http://blogs.telegraph.co.uk/gerald_warner/blog/2009/04/24/barack_obama_and_the_cia_why_does_president_pantywaist_hate_america_so_badly

Note that Gerald Warner is a British journalist.

In case you are wondering, the definitions for pantywaist are:

1. child's undergarment consisting of a shirt and pants buttoned together at the waist.

2. Slang A boy or man who is considered weak or effeminate.

"they are human beings and they are not perfect"

Cook County Board President Todd Stroger is afflicted with a common malady in today's political society. He has not paid his federal income taxes:

http://newsblogs.chicagotribune.com/clout_st/2009/05/irs-slaps-lien-on-cook-county-board-president-todd-strogers-home-for-unpaid-income-taxes.html

The IRS has filed a tax lien on his house. The irony of this is that the Cook County Recorder of Deeds Office is required to file the lien and notify the tax delinquent. Stroger as president of the Cook County Board is responsible for appointing the Recorder of Deeds. The current office holder is Eugene "Gene" Moore:

http://www.ccrd.info/CCRD/controller;jsessionid=A1BF40C13CF16916BED6EACE09DB8405.CCRDAPPSRV2


We now have a new excuse when the IRS audits us. Tax delinquency is the result of human frailty.

hydrogen fuel cell vehicles

Even the US Department of Energy admits that hydrogen fuel cells will not be a viable option for powering vehicles at any time in the foreseeable future:


http://news.cnet.com/8301-11128_3-10236740-54.html?part=rss&tag=feed&subj=GreenTech

European cooperation

President Obama's tour of Europe has reslulted in one country (France) agreeing to accept one inmate from Guantanamo:

http://www.reuters.com/article/topNews/idUSTRE54812A20090509?feedType=RSS&feedName=topNews

Germany is asking a good question, if these inmates are not dangerous why not just release them in the US?

John Murtha Johnstown-Cambria County Airport

One of my friends sent me a link to the following news report:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/up/player/popup/?cl=13140642

Note that the airport has averaged only 20 passengers per day but the Federal Government has granted $800 million to build an additional runway.

To visit the airport website follow this link:

http://www.flyjohnstownairport.com/index.htm

Congressmen John Murtha can be contacted through his official website:

http://www.murtha.house.gov/

Unafraid In Greenwich Connecticut

One of my friends emailed me the following letter from Cliff Asness, who runs quant fund AQR Capital:

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d2m2xj2_2fnzb3mhr

Cliff sums up his opinion in this sentense:

The hedge funds were singled out only because they are unpopular, not because they behaved any differently from any other ethical manager of other people's money. The President’s comments are backwards and libelous.

For more information about Cliff Asness follow this link:

http://www.aqrcapital.com/

Andrew C. McCarthy

One of my friends sent me an email concerning the following letter written to Attorney General Holder by Andrew C. McCarthy former chief assistant U.S. attorney in the Southern District of New York. Andrew McCarthy prosecuted the terrorists that bombed the World Trade Center in 1993.

http://docs.google.com/Doc?id=d2m2xj2_1c8fhh2cj

This letter is a very detailed analysis of the current presidential administration’s policies on detaining terrorists and prosecuting justice department lawyers for giving their legal opinions. I think that it should be read in its entirety. These 2 paragraphs summarize the major points of the letter:

I admire the lawyers of the Counterterrorism Division, and I do not question their good faith. Nevertheless, it is quite clear—most recently, from your provocative remarks on Wednesday in Germany—that the Obama administration has already settled on a policy of releasing trained jihadists (including releasing some of them into the United States). Whatever the good intentions of the organizers, the meeting will obviously be used by the administration to claim that its policy was arrived at in consultation with current and former government officials experienced in terrorism cases and national security issues. I deeply disagree with this policy, which I believe is a violation of federal law and a betrayal of the president’s first obligation to protect the American people. Under the circumstances, I think the better course is to register my dissent, rather than be used as a prop.

Moreover, in light of public statements by both you and the President, it is dismayingly clear that, under your leadership, the Justice Department takes the position that a lawyer who in good faith offers legal advice to government policy makers—like the government lawyers who offered good faith advice on interrogation policy—may be subject to investigation and prosecution for the content of that advice, in addition to empty but professionally damaging accusations of ethical misconduct. Given that stance, any prudent lawyer would have to hesitate before offering advice to the government.

Chrysler bondholders

One of my friends sent me an email on this subject.

President Obama is angry with the bond holders of Chrysler:

http://www.whitehouse.gov/the_press_office/Remarks-by-the-President-on-the-Auto-Industry/

This paragraph explains the reason for his anger:

While many stakeholders made sacrifices and worked constructively, I have to tell you some did not. In particular, a group of investment firms and hedge funds decided to hold out for the prospect of an unjustified taxpayer-funded bailout. They were hoping that everybody else would make sacrifices, and they would have to make none. Some demanded twice the return that other lenders were getting. I don't stand with them. I stand with Chrysler's employees and their families and communities. I stand with Chrysler's management, its dealers, and its suppliers. I stand with the millions of Americans who own and want to buy Chrysler cars. I don't stand with those who held out when everybody else is making sacrifices. And that's why I'm supporting Chrysler's plans to use our bankruptcy laws to clear away its remaining obligations so the company can get back on its feet and onto a path of success.

On 5/1/09 Frank Beckmann of Detroit radio station WJR interviewed Tom Lauria, bankruptcy attorney at White & Case, who represents a group of lenders that object to the Chrysler sale:

http://www.760wjr.com/Article.asp?id=1301727&spid=6525

Excerpts from this interview follow:

Lauria: ... they bought a contract that says that they get paid before anyone else does by Chrysler. And they have been told by the government who is in complete control of Chrysler, oddly enough, that despite their contractual right, they do not get paid before everyone else...So they are standing on their rights, standing on the law, trying to defend in effect what is the Constitution of the United States, to make sure that they get what they’re entitled to for their investors...

Lauria: ....I can tell you for sure that I represent one less investor today than I represented yesterday. One of my clients was directly threatened by the White House, and in essence compelled to withdraw its opposition to the deal under threat that the full force of the White House press corps would destroy its reputation if it continued to fight. That’s how hard it is to stand on this side of the fence. ....

If the White House is willing to trample the constitution during a bond restructuring negotiation what will be next?

An important lesson to be learned from this situation is that if you disagree with this White House your reputation will be destroyed.

Health Care

United States Congressperson Jan Schakowsky outlines the goals of health care reform:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dJkXl4wG2eU

Visit her official website if you have any comments you would like to share with her:

http://www.house.gov/schakowsky/

Jack Kemp

One of the lights of liberty has gone out.

Jack Kemp’s contributions to the cause of limited government are overshadowed by the accomplishments of President Ronald Regan. We must realize that President Regan was “able to see far for he stood on the shoulders of giants”. Jack Kemp was one of those giants.

Jack Kemp’s obituary in the LA Times:

http://www.latimes.com/news/obituaries/la-me-jack-kemp3-2009may03,0,2173172.story

I think that this paragraph from the above obituary describes Jack Kemp’s place in history:

• 
  The congressman was the leading architect of the Kemp-Roth tax bill, first proposed in 1978 with Sen. William Roth of Delaware, that proposed a 30% cut in federal taxes over three years. Kemp's 1979 book, "American Renaissance: A Strategy for the 1980s," contained what became known as Reaganomics during Ronald Reagan's presidency and helped redefine the GOP's economic identity.
• 
  "Jack more than any other person made Reagan aware of the potential appeal of supply-side economics, but Reagan probably would have come to that conclusion on his own because that's where the Republicans were headed," said Reagan's biographer Lou Cannon.

Jack Kemp was considered an extremist and an eccentric for his belief in reduced taxation. This was during the Carter Administration when government expansion was rampant. After Regan was elected Kemp’ views were considered mainstream.

We have lost many of the leaders, spokesmen and scholars who believed in limited government and personal freedom. To fill their place are their colleagues, readers and students. At one time there were only a few voices shining a light into the darkness, now there are millions of advocates who will carry on their legacy.

Chicago Hit Parade

Some of the highlights of Chicago’s organized crime murders are pictured here:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/features/photostore/chi-080904-mob-hits-photogallery,0,1027145.photogallery

The Spilotro brothers (photo 28) and Allen Dorfman (photo 33) were prominent characters in the Movie “Casino”.