Friday, June 8, 2007

Dhimmi in Oregon


I hire a guy/girl. She/he wants to wear some goofy gear. Maybe it's religious. Maybe it isn't.


Not good enough for our friends the democrats in Salem. Because they have the power to legislate, they must legislate.


Calling this a "Religious Freedom Act". It's not a religious freedom act. It allows an individual to break down the contract between an employer and employee.


But dems are spoiling for a fight. They need an action to show how progressive they are. Here's the killer 'graph from today's press release from the House Majority office:


"Current Labor Bureau statistics demonstrate a decline in age discrimination and flat discrimination complaints based on race or gender. Workplace religious discrimination—in sharp contrast--has risen by 82 percent in recent years."


I don't think they're talking about Lutherans. I do keep my out for Lutherans. They're a pesky race.


But read the whole thing. One of the best laugh lines is their reference to a devout Catholic woman. Talk about spin attempt. Another stupid bill? From Democrats? In Salem?


" Democrats Champion Effort to Protect Religious Liberty in the Workplace
Religious Freedom Act Clears House With Bipartisan Support

Salem—Democrats in the Oregon House of Representatives championed a bill Thursday evening that, having received bipartisan approval in the House, will protect religious liberty for Oregon workers.

“The ability to worship and observe religious tenets free from recrimination is among the most fundamental of human rights,” said House Majority Leader Dave Hunt (D-Clackamas County), chief sponsor of the bill. “This bill preserves those rights and reaffirms our commitment to a discrimination-free Oregon.”

As approved by the House, the bill would require employers to allow an employee to use vacation or other available leave for religious observance and to allow employees to wear religious clothing, take time off for a holy day, or take time off for religious observance, if doing so does not impose an “undue hardship” on the employer’s business operation.

“People of faith in the workplace too often confront impossible conflicts between their employment obligations and their religious obligations,” said State Representative David Edwards (D-Hillsboro). “This bill goes a long way toward eliminating those conflicts.”

Democrats say the bill is needed because federal law falls short in two important areas: taking time of for religious observance, holy days or religious practice and wearing religious apparel in the workplace. The bill preserves the right, for example, of a Muslim woman to wear a headdress and modest clothing, for a Jewish man to wear his yarmukle or for a devout Catholic woman to take Christmas Day off of work.

Current Labor Bureau statistics demonstrate a decline in age discrimination and flat discrimination complaints based on race or gender. Workplace religious discrimination—in sharp contrast--has risen by 82 percent in recent years.

“All religious people, whether Christians, Muslims, Seventh Day Adventists or Orthodox Jews, ought to be concerned when employees with sincerely held and practiced religious beliefs must risk their job to practice their faith,” said State Representative Terry Beyer (D-Springfield).

“Today’s vote ensures that all Oregonians, whatever their religious beliefs and practices, are protected from religious discrimination in the workplace,” said State Representative Arnie Roblan (D-Coos Bay).

The bill now moves to the Oregon Senate for consideration. "


Hell...handbasket...motive force. I have to put up with this to live in this state.

Thursday, June 7, 2007

no responsibility

Imagine.

"Imagine there's no heaven

"It's easy if you try

"No hell below usAbove us only skyImagine all the peopleLiving for today...Imagine there's no countries

"It isn't hard to do

"Nothing to kill or die forAnd no religion tooImagine all the peopleLiving life in peace...You may say I'm a dreamer

"But I'm not the only oneI hope someday you'll join us

"And the world will be as one

"Imagine no possessions

"I wonder if you can

"No need for greed or hunger

"A brotherhood of man

"Imagine all the people

"Sharing all the world...You may say I'm a dreamer

"But I'm not the only one

"I hope someday you'll join us

"And the world will live as one"

Imagine.

Imagine a world where people realize that the poor will always be with us. Imagine a world where adults view the problems we have and set about addressing them. Not through collectivization.

Pretty music. I love music. Raised upon music. My sons are musicians.

Music doesn't take you there. "It's easy if you try" is not a battle cry of reason. It's capitulation.

It's a case of ontogeny recapitulates philogeny. Armed with a priori convictions, mounds of data and fallacious arguments Lefties dominate political thought in Oregon. 75,000 Oregonians have serious problems with gambling. Gambling...the state run lottery. Only five states have higher unemployment rates than Oregon. The government voluntarily raises the costs for investment, for energy and still no recognition that passing laws that mandate utopia changes nothing in the way men and women still make those all important microeconomic decisions in their day-to-day lives. You can pass a law telling a man not to be selfish, but left to his own, it's all he's got.

One of the big legislative achievements so far this session? Establishing a state agency for animals in case of flood, tornado or earthquake. If you own a dog, cat, horse, or herd, soon you'll be answering questions about how you're planning to take care of them in the event, say, of a flood.

The utter silliness of the law is beyond parody. The fact that our state's legislators view this as "landmark" legislation simply illustrates the paucity of intellectual depth at our state's highest levels. What's next on the state's agenda. Raise taxes and spend more money. Why? To help kids, the elderly, teachers and union employees. Oh, I forgot. Teachers are union employees.

Global Warming Science


You can jump to the bottom for the kicker. It's about cats. But, it's science!


The best thing about Global Warming is the science. Science is cool because we can know stuff. Unlike religion, science "proves" facts. Stupid Egyptians believed the sun was pulled across the sky by a giant chariot. This is not a fact.


But, it made sense because the sun moved. Things don't "just" move. And it just wasn't some ordinary feller driving that chariot. It was a god. Gods can drive giant chariots in the sky. At the time, it pretty much made clear sense. Things that would be needed to exist in order to explain nature were presumed to exist. Otherwise logically consistent description of man's apprehension of reality were impossible.


So too, with today's grim onslaught by politicians and writers on Global Warming. To gain a logically consistent order of things our political leaders are pointing us to a new belief system, more akin to abiogenesis than to that dreaded standard of observation, hypothesis and testing.


So how looney is this new scientific catechism? The Oregon Legislature has passed a bill to increase energy costs to its citizens. It has voted to, indirectly, increase unemployment, reduce investment and increase the scarcity of an already scarce good.


But how looney is Global Warming becoming?


Science is good. So, a website with "science" in its name must be "sciencey". Like, "Livescience.com". So take a look. We're in danger of a "Cat Invasion Due to Global Warming". No poop. These dimrods have taken a look at Al Gore's feral work and concluded that it's not just a metaphor.


Wednesday, June 6, 2007

Barn Door Open, No One Cares

The level of disbelief I have when faced with our state's government and its designated hitters--members of the Oregon House and Sentate--does not lend itself to invigorating me to post.

Time and again I've pointed out that in Oregon we have high unemployment, high taxes, high central control of planning and development and a wacky group of solons, huh, who seem hellbent on turning the vision of a man who has never had a job--Governor K--into some sort of dystopic reality.

You want high gas and electricity prices? Well, kids, you got 'em. Rather than smoothing the road to lower energy costs, this group of idiots has passed legislation guaranteeing the highest energy costs in the nation. Yes. This state. Blessed with low power options of BPA electricity.

From the Gov's PR today:


“This bill is the most significant environmental legislation we can enact in more than 30 years that will also stimulate billions of dollars in investment – creating hundreds, if not thousands, of jobs in both urban and rural Oregon,” Governor Kulongoski said. “Today we are not only setting the state on a responsible path toward 25 percent renewable energy by 2025, but we are protecting our quality of life, reducing greenhouse gas emissions, stimulating our economy—and protecting ratepayers with more stable and predictable utility rates.”

The legislation creates interim targets of: 5 percent by 2011; 15 percent by 2015; 20 percent by 2020; and 25 percent by 2025. To meet the standard, electricity must come from a new renewable energy source that was in operation on or after January 1, 1995. Sources of energy that count toward the standard include wind, solar, wave, geothermal, biomass, new hydro or efficiency upgrades to existing hydro facilities.

The legislation also contains protections for ratepayers, including a 4 percent cost-cap. Utilities are not required to comply with the standard if doing so will result in cost increases of more than four percent. In addition, if none of the options for compliance are cost-effective, utilities have the option to make an Alternative Compliance Payment (ACP) to help meet their renewable energy requirement under the standard. The money will be placed into an account that can be used at a later date to acquire renewable energy, invest in conservation or, in the case of consumer-owned utilities, research and development.

Utilities that contribute less than three percent to the total state energy load are exempt from meeting 25 percent of their demand with new renewable energy source by 2025. Instead, they must meet either a five percent or 10 percent target, depending on their size. They also must comply with the large utility standard if they make new investments in coal-fired generation.

“This bill is not the end – it’s just the beginning of a much broader, sustained effort to reestablish – and maintain – Oregon as a leader in innovative environmental and energy policies that protect our quality of life, contribute to a robust economy and combat global warming,” the Governor continued. “There is still work before us this session to build on today’s success. We must not leave without enacting the biofuels legislation and expanding the business energy tax credit program so we can continue to address the very real issue of climate change and create a stronger, cleaner and more energy independent Oregon.”

This guy is killing us. But who cares?

Governor to Sign Two Key Pieces of Environmental Legislation

Salem – Governor Kulongoski tomorrow will sign Senate Bill 707, expanding the Oregon Bottle Bill to include water bottles to the list of containers requiring a five-cent deposit and sign House Bill 2626, establishing an electronic waste program for the recycling of used electronics.

Hey. We're Progressives. We're cool.

Me? Just waiting for the cows to come home.