Hmm...Those Naughty Russians

I think this is instructive.

Somehow, among all the Kumbaiya, is an assumption that if only we were nicer, people would like us. Growing up in the '50's and '60's meant that we were fully aware that there was an undeclared war against America. And for the values America stands for. Things like freedom and liberty. So, read and enjoy.

United States Attorney Karin J. Immergut
District of Oregon

IMPRISONED SPY AND HIS SON INDICTED ON CHARGES OF ACTING AS
RUSSIAN AGENTS AND MONEY LAUNDERING

Portland, Ore. - A federal indictment was unsealed today in U.S. District Court for the District of Oregon charging Harold James Nicholson, 58, of Sheridan, Oregon, and Nathaniel James Nicholson, 24, of Eugene, Oregon, with two counts of Conspiracy, one count of Acting as Agents of a Foreign Government, and four counts of Money Laundering.

Both defendants are scheduled to appear today at 1:30 p.m. before U.S. Magistrate Janice M. Stewart for arraignment on the indictment. The maximum penalty for the substantive charge of acting as an agent of a foreign government is ten years imprisonment, while the maximum penalty for conspiracy to act as an agent of a foreign government is five years imprisonment.

Each money laundering count, including the money laundering conspiracy, carries a maximum of twenty years imprisonment. The indictment also seeks forfeiture of funds provided to Nathaniel Nicholson by the Russian Federation, which the indictment alleges are the proceeds of his father’s past espionage activities.

As set forth in the indictment, Harold J. Nicholson, a former Central Intelligence Agency (CIA) employee, is serving a 283-month (more than 23-year) sentence at the Federal Correctional Institution (FCI) in Sheridan, Oregon, for a 1997 conviction of conspiracy to commit espionage. The indictment further alleges that defendant Harold J. Nicholson, working through his son Nathaniel J. Nicholson, received cash proceeds of his past espionage activities from, and passed information to, agents of the Russian Federation between 2006 and 2008.

As described in the indictment, during the course of the conspiracy, Nathaniel J. Nicholson met with his father Harold J. Nicholson, on several occasions to obtain information that was intended to be provided to the Russian Federation. Defendant Nathaniel J. Nicholson then travelled to various places to meet with representatives of the Russian Federation, including San Francisco, Calif.; Mexico City, Mexico; Lima, Peru; and Cyprus, where he collected money from them and received additional instructions. Defendant Nathaniel J. Nicholson then brought the funds he received back to Oregon to disperse to family members at the direction of defendant Harold J. Nicholson.

The indictment further alleges that the funds paid by the Russian Federation to defendant Nathaniel J. Nicholson represented proceeds of defendant Harold J. Nicholson’s past espionage activities. For more information, please refer to our press release web site.

U.S. Attorney for District of Oregon, Karin J. Immergut stated, “The conduct alleged in the indictment shows a sinister and continuing scheme, by a former senior CIA officer - turned spy, to betray the United States of America for financial gain. Thanks to the continued vigilance of the FBI, and the extraordinary cooperation of the Bureau of Prisons, we expect to hold a former spy, and the son who joined him in his criminal conduct, responsible for their actions.”

Matthew G. Olsen, Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security, said,
“Today’s indictment alleges that an imprisoned spy recruited and trained his own 24-year-old son to travel the globe to collect on past spying debts and channel information to foreign agents. These charges underscore the continuing threat posed by foreign intelligence services and should send a clear message to others who would consider selling out their country for money."

“Harold James Nicholson, already convicted of spying and compromising national
security, thought he could profit from his previous espionage despite being behind bars," said Executive Assistant Director Arthur M. Cummings, II, of the FBI National Security Division.

"Now, along with his son, he again acted against the interests of the United States, according to the charges."

"This is an amazing case," said David Ian Miller, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI in Oregon. "Harold James Nicholson, a convicted spy, was allowed to serve time in a federal prison in Oregon to be near his family. Without regret, he used that proximity to his family to continue contact with the foreign country for which he was previously convicted of spying."

The Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI), and the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP)
investigated this case. Assistant U. S. Attorneys Pamala Holsinger and Ethan Knight are prosecuting this case. Trial Attorney Patrick Murphy of the Counterespionage Section of the Justice Department’s National Security Division is also assisting.

An indictment is only an accusation of a crime, and a defendant should be presumed
innocent unless and until proven guilty.

SarahPAC

Mebbers you like the credit card links. Me, not so. It took awhile but I found the address, in case you happen to prefer sending a check, rather than using a credit card. I prefer to send a check. It is, as they say, in the mail.

The mailing address is:

SarahPAC

P.O. Box 7711

Arlington, VA 22207

If you click on the banner above you will immediately go to her new website.

Kids! Remember, if you're using your hippy parents' credit card, your contribution has to be more than $200.00 for their name to show up on federal campaign contribution reports! Give often. Think of this as a tax on smart people.

Pornography: (NSFW)

Justice Potter Stewart, in 1964, set a new standard in dumb with his words, " I shall not today attempt further to define the kinds of material I understand to be embraced within that shorthand description; and perhaps I could never succeed in intelligibly doing so. But I know it when I see it, and the motion picture involved in this case is not that." (Jacobellis v. Ohio, 378US184.)



It is dumb since it is so clearly unenforceable. So, let us together view dumb. The kind of sick pornographic dumb that only those raised on Government Think could find appealing.



From the Federal Reserve Bank of Saint Louis, I give you this:


Yes. That perpendicular blue line is the increase in our money supply. You can click on the pic to go to the St. Louis Fed website. They've lots of pictures there. They are pornographic. I thought it might be helpful to compare the money supply with what's happening with our domestic product.



(From nowandfutures.com)

You could get concerned about this and actually call David Wu or Jeff Merkley or Ron Wyden, but you won't. And if you think this is bad, just wait and see what your state government has planned for you. But you won't make that phone call, either.

So, our economy goes to hell in a handbasket and you sit back and watch. (Laughs out loud.)

UPDATE: via Hugh Hewitt.

You Have the Attention Span of a Pea-Hen

Who is the Governor of Illinois?

Who is the Mayor of Portland?

Who is the senior Senator from Connecticut?

Who represents the 12th district of Pennsylvania?

Who represents the 4th district of Massachusetts?

Who represents the 15th district of New York?

From Brain Terminal.

Whenever the subject of corruption, cronyism, lack of ethics, liars and cheaters comes up, we hear the supporters shoot back with a list of names like Newt Gingrich, Henry Hyde, Helen Chenoweth, Ted Haggard, David Vitter, and Larry Craig. Why Duke Cunningham isn't listed is probably an oversight. And for the biggie? Nixon. Just saying the word is a moment of grace for the Left.

We forget about guys like Congressman William J. Jefferson. We forget about guys like Harry Reid. And forgettabout Congresswomen Nancy Pelosi.

For these folks, we simply do. Forgettaboutit. What to do about Oregon's rampant unemployment? Forgettaboutit. The Governor's plan to increase the debt of the state? Forgettaboutit. Oregon's Attorney General's breach of ethics? Wha? Huh?

It is nice to have the attention span of a pea-hen.

Hey! What's for dinner?

The Value of The Government's Plan

Why do they call it a "bailout"?

Perhaps a little time with this bucket will explain the "bailout" and let you better understand why the effort to "bailout" will fail.

A couple of years ago, some smart guys in government found out that financial institutions were making some bad decisions. Other guys, who thought--and still think--they are pretty smart said "nope." "No problem." "Things are fine." "We're helping here, people."

As a government policy it had been determined that "everyone" should own their own home. The problem with government policy is that it is often implemented without any concern about what actually takes place when these policies are adopted. Home ownership does have a lot of attractive benefits to a society--on paper. Imagine the Social Planners and Policy Wonks who are/were more than willing to enumerate the "benefits" of a home-owning society. Pride of ownership means that "starter" home for the low-income folks will cause them to take greater pride in their low-income lives. When you dispose of credit-worthiness as a criterion for determining who owns a home, you should not be surprised to find out that one of the reasons why low-income folks are low-income folks is because they choose to be low-income folks.

So, on one hand, the ability for low-income folks to own homes that they really weren't equipped to own was a feature of a Redemption Policy advocated by Folks Who Know Better. In their rush to provide Equality of Outcome, they created a new set of assets in our financial system.

You and I refer to these as Bad Loans.

At the same time these Bad Loans were being created by Social Planners and Policy Wonks, the Federal Reserve was pumping cash into the market. By targeting interest rates, rather than money supply, the Federal Reserve has been able to craft interest rates that made borrowing money too cheap to resist. And no one stopped to wonder what the effects of easy credit combined with record federal expenditures would have on the valuation of our assets.

Our economy is measured by the size of our Gross Domestic Product. Some refer to this as GNP, I guess you can see I prefer GDP. There are some substantial differences between what the two measure. By looking at GDP, we simplify our measure of our national economy and focus on the product that our economy creates. It's simpler.

GDP is a bucket. And up until the financials started going south last year, we had assumed that we had a five-gallon bucket. Using all the ways we view value, that five-gallon bucket was pretty big. And we were looking at needing to use a 6-gallon bucket. But a funny thing happened on the way to universal riches. We had paper that said we had a five-gallon bucket economy. But too many people made too many bad decisions. Not only were there people "owning" homes who had no business doing so, there was another class of asset holders that we can call "flippers".

Easy money. Low interest rates. And a tax code that benefited speculators.

The home builders, realtors and real estate speculators were rolling in the dough. Own a house two-years? No taxes. Moms and dads were watching "Flip This House" and decided to get into the game. Real estate is solid. It's real. Building and land. And God isn't making any more land.

A piece of property worth $60-thousand dollars ten years ago might be worth $200-thousand today! That's $140-thousand dollars in tax free income! Bejeebus!

A course, the speculation drove up demand for housing. New and used housing. The only problem was, after you sold your house, where were you going to live? No problem. Flipper again!

Zero down. Small down. Cheap rates.

But what if that five-gallon bucket was actually a three-gallon bucket? Last year the price of a barrel of oil was what, $150.00? Do you know what it is today?

We all benefit when the price of oil goes down. Well, most of us in this country. If you're living in Venezuela or Iran right now, chances are the low price of crude oil is a kinda bummer. But, for the consumer of oil, whether you live in the U.S., Venezuela or Iran, you're better off. (Well, not actually in Venezuela and Iran since those governments have set artificially low prices on gasoline. There are lessons to be learned about the value of free-market economics, but you can disregard those lessons when you're ruled by a dictator that sets prices outside of the free-market supply and demand that we have generally relied upon here in teh U.S.)

Now, just as then, the dirty word spoken was "speculator". It was the Oil Speculators that were driving "up" the price of oil. A course it is that same group of Evil Speculators that have driven down the price of gas. So, Social Planners and Policy Wonks have put the Evil Speculators on a shelf--to be pulled out again whenever the Social Planners and Policy Wonks need a demon with which to scare the hoi polloi.

There is a pretty significant difference between what an Evil Oil Speculator does, though, and what Mom and Dad "flipping" does.

When the Evil Oil Speculator makes a mistake, he eats it. Not so Mom and Dad. They go crying to the Social Planners and Policy Wonks to bail them out. With buckets of cash.

Not that Mom and Dad have an agenda. And not that really big speculators--like the Homebuilders Association members--have an agenda. And not the folks stuck holding a five-gallon bucket of paper (when it's really only a three-gallon bucket) at the Bank.

Nope. It has been determined that Home Ownership is a new kinda "Right" in America. Right there with Freedom of Speech and Teh Gay. How can we as a Compassionate Country allow Mom and Dad and Homebuilder Dan and Banker Bob to take a hit?

Because we're Too Big To Fail.

Under Keynesian Analysis, when the components of GDP contract--known as C + I +G--government steps into to fill the gap. And Keynesians will enumerate the benefits of these government steps, and are described as Fiscal Policy. (And Social Planners and Policy Wonks love teh Policy!)

We applaud when oil prices drop, because we all benefit. Why, then, is it Official Government Policy of Change and Hope (and Audacity) to avoid a drop in housing?

Because some very important Friends of Social Planners and Policy Wonks could get hurt. In fact, I'd bet on it. If you've been having the Sex with a guy over at Fanny Mae or Freddie Mac, would you cover his back? Well, for Social Planning reasons. Not for any less desirable reason.

It has been estimated that the value of home mortgages overstates the value of those assets by as much as $7-trillion dollars.

What is suppressing the market? Why is the Dow Average currently around 8-thousand, down from a high of 14,164.53 on October 9, 2007?

Because your government has chosen a policy that has and will result in Epic Fail. Worse yet, in a Spirit of Hope and Changiness, your Senators and your Representatives are committing you to further investment in Epic Fail. Because we cannot allow Mom and Dad and Dan and Bob to lose a buck. So, we're gonna make you pay for it.

We could have a sound, 3-gallon bucket. And we will. Because Markets are more powerful than Governments. But it's going to cost you and me a ton of bank to get to a point where we stop throwing gasoline on the fire. And some Common Sense. But as far as the eye can see, there is no common sense.

Or is there?

UPDATE: There are some articles out there that tend to support the views of this writer. You can check out Robert J. Barro, Alesina and Zingales, Gary Becker and Larry Kudlow. There are more.

Tech News: Intel Closes Plant

Known as Fab 20, the Hillsboro facility is the employer of some 1,000 Oregonians.

I've known about the planning for this closure for several months, but as I have family among the senior staff at Intel and had been requested to keep this info to myself, I did. I did post a comment last Saturday at Max's place hoping that someone could get a jump on a story I would have loved to have broken, but a feller's word is his word.

For more than a decade, economic policy in the state has had a huge disconnect from reality.

Building hamster villages in Hillsboro never seemed too smart to me. And if you've ever had to run Highway 26 during commute you know just how fallacious the whole hamster village model is. And if you know someone who has had to reside in one of those hamster hotels you know how quickly these hobbit habiteers jumped out.

But hamster villages are the Planner's Dream. Put billions of dollars into luring high tech industry to these industrial Potemkin villages and grow a dream of Oregon that leads the way!

Hmm. Wonder is this is going to impact housing values in Washington county?

The billions spent pursuing the dreams of Governors Kitzhaber and Kulonzcynski are money down the pipe. And one can only wonder about the thousands of jobs that would have been created had the state not shut down the woods. I'm old enough to remember when most small communities had lumber mills. But the state's economy went off the rails under the leadership of Democrat governors.

Agriculture. Fishing. Timber. It's hard to look at the lost opportunities that Oregon has had to suffer in order to achieve the dreams of the Planners. And yet, to this day and hour, our current governor continues to suffer delusions about the path to prosperity:

“We must also do our part at the state level by quickly passing legislation that puts Oregonians back to work and improves the quality and safety of our infrastructure, while not losing sight on the investments that are the foundation of a strong economy: education, health care, energy independence and transportation."

How, exactly, does one create an investment strategy based upon education, health care, energy independence and transportation? How does a single green bean get to market better, faster, cheaper because of education, health care, energy independence and transportation? The guys that are growing beans have been growing beans. The successful guys are already educated. Chances are, they already know who their doctor is and how to avail themselves of health care. The bean guy would rather have cheap, abundant energy than energy independence--whatever the hell that is. And transportation? Do you really think the bean guy buys into the argument that increased congestion on I-5 is a reasonable policy goal? Let alone able to figure out how an expenditure of $850-million dollars for seven miles of light-rail track from Portland to Milwaukee is going to help him get his beans to market?

Do I really want Oregon to overtake Michigan's unemployment leadership role?

Nope.

But how much more beating can the state's economy take from the Planner Class in Oregon? Having a vibrant economy means less control not more. Having a vibrant economy means less government not more. Having a vibrant economy means releasing the throat of Oregon's businesses from both hands of the state's government. It means trusting businesses, which are, after all, just men and women trying to make a buck.

Trust. It would mean a return to the fundamentals of free-market capitalism. Something that has always been a tonic for repressed economies. And then government can return to its fundamental responsibility: making sure the playing field is level. Which is hugely different than trying to make sure that the outcomes from economic activity is level.

Predicted government response? Another committee with more Experts. Because your government doesn't trust you.

Now, continue to go about your business. Get back to work.

The Most Ethical Congress Evah!

"This is one of the worst smears you can make against a gay guy. It preys on the homophobic stereotype that gay men cannot be trusted with young people." (Sam Adams, Mayor of Portland.)

Since 2006, we've heard the voice of Nancy Pelosi ringing in our ears.

"The Most Ethical Congress Ever."

Do I care that Sam Adams is a gay mayor?

No.

What I am finding harder and harder to put up with is the Most Ethical Politicians in the World. The Democrats who have lied, are lying and are going to lie.

Jeff Merkley? Federal bail-outs? Lies.

Chris Dodd? US Senator? Special mortgage deals? Lies.

Charles Rangel? US Representative? Tax problems? Truth problems? I mean, what's up with his rent controlled apartments? Apartments? He has more than one? Lies.

Barney Frank? Defending Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac? Having a sexual relationship with a former director? Lies?

There was a commenter over at MaxRedline attempting to defend Mayor Sam Adams by pointing out that years ago, Speaker Gingrich made some mistake over reporting a book deal. What a creep.

What a bunch of creeps!

And there's more to come! Try to pay attention to the upcoming legislative session. It's going to be a doozy. And there are plenty of creeps in Salem. You think it ends with the elected officials. It doesn't. For every elected creep, there are another 50 or 6o creeps on the state payroll working to make them successful.

Being and becoming a creep has become a full-time avocation in Oregon. Congratulations, Mayor Adams.

What a stand-up guy you are. A regulah role model.

Governor Kulongoski's Response To Unemployment Numbers

Awferchrissakes.

The State of Oregon is getting beaten about the head and shoulders by unemployment. Declining revenue. Declining jobs. Declining private investment. Increasing energy costs. And did I mention how stupid the gasoline mandate is?

So, how does the Governor respond to market forces outside his control? Does he attempt to moderate the fees and taxes placed on jobs and investment? Is there a program to streamline the development process? Is there an easing of restrictions on business and investment?

Can you predict the Unagovernor's "Plan"?

Did you know that the Governor cancelled two planned "clean" coal-fired electrical generating plants for Oregon? That would have meant more jobs and lower electricity costs for you and me. For the Unagovernor? No good.

How does the Governor feel about making it easier to invest and develop in the state...is he for it? or agin' it?

Do you know?

Here's the Governor's response:

“Today’s employment numbers reinforce the need for a strong federal and state partnership and immediate action at both the federal and state levels to make investments that put Oregonians back to work and help families during this difficult economic time.

“The greatest assistance the federal government can provide the states as we manage this recession, is an economic stimulus package that invests in our people through education, health care and unemployment benefits, and creates jobs by investing in public works projects.

“We must also do our part at the state level by quickly passing legislation that puts Oregonians back to work and improves the quality and safety of our infrastructure, while not losing sight on the investments that are the foundation of a strong economy: education, health care, energy independence and transportation.

“These are challenging times for Oregon families and I know that uncertainty about when we will come out of this recession is unsettling. But I also know the power of Oregonians when we pull together during difficult times – as we have many times before – and put people over politics to create hope and opportunity for Oregonians again.” ("Statement by Governor Ted Kulongoski On Employment Numbers", January 20, 2009.)

Yes, the Governor is a Democrat. And Democrats believe the only way to be fair is to have someone else pay for it. At a time when the state needs real leadership, we get "these are challenging times."

Hooey.

We need a man who has, at least once in his lifetime, had to roll up his shirt-sleeves and ended up sweating in order to achieve something. Ted Kulongoski, a man that follows in the steps of many Oregon "leaders" has never made a dime in his life. Oh, it's true he's taken tons of bank out of Oregon's Treasury. But for those of us who know what it means to work and work hard, this guy, like many of his ilk, are soft pretenders.

They're elite because they say so. They are incompetent because they are.

Good News For Oregon Unemployment Rates

(The Official Seal of the Democrat Party!)

We have a chance of breaking into the top three states in the union with the 3rd highest unemployment rate in the nation! We're at 9 percent, Baby!

After years of careful crafting, the work of Doctor Kitzhaber and our current Unigovernor, Ted Kuloncynski are finally paying off!

What tops Oregon's agenda?

Well, according to the Unagovernor, the foundation of our state rests on "children, education, health care, renewable energy, green technology, and transportation." ("Statement by Governor Kulongoski on Mid-Revenue Report", January 16, 2009.)

No word on private business investment and affordable energy, timber or farming.

The outlook for jobs? Increasing downward!

Oregon's political leadership is totally committed to making sure that Evil Capitalists--and the attendant Evil Capitalism--is expunged from Oregon Society.

The only sector in Oregon that gained jobs were jobs in education and health. These jobs are so important that they are referred to as a "major industry".

"Educational and health services continues to expand, undaunted by the general economic declines experienced in nearly every other major industry. This private-sector industry added 800 jobs when a loss of 400 is the normal pattern due to the time of year. Social assistance added 800 jobs for the month, leading the way with the largest gain of all published categories within the broader industry." ("Oregon Employment Situation: December, 2008", January 20, 2009.)

So far the prescription is working. Raise fees, raise taxes, increase the size and scope of government. It's working. It's Undaunted! Congratulations, Governor!

You've got to read the full thing to get the real flavour of Oregon's Leadership. You can read it here. (pdf)

Jeff Merkley: Liar

How long does it take for a Democrat to lie?

If you're Jeff Merkley, not long. From campaign to being sworn in? From being sworn in to lying?

Congratulations, Senator Merkley. Your friends from the Right and the Left are proud of your election. Too bad you couldn't keep your word. But, what's a politician gonna do, huh?

What promise is Merkley going to break next?

Still waiting for that crackdown on businesses that hire illegals?

And you're...surprised?

UPDATE: Bruce Hanna, Republican, On Democrat Governor Kulongoski

(Proposed State Seal of Oregon's Democrat Party.)

The Republican brand was built upon fiscal responsibility. It's not the State's money. It's our money. You and me. Simple Oregonians.

The following message comes from House Republican Leader Bruce Hanna:

“The shortfall in the current budget is a product of the Legislature’s massive overspending in 2007. If Democrats had made the tough decisions and spent our tax dollars at sustainable levels, we would have avoided the painful cuts that are being proposed today.

“Oregonians can’t afford to send any more of their hard-earned dollars to Salem. That’s why the Legislature must proceed to balance the budget through appropriate agency reductions. We must prioritize these spending decisions and ensure that services to vulnerable Oregonians are spared as much as possible.

“House Republicans are not supportive of raiding the Rainy Day Fund or further increasing the state’s debt to balance this budget. Because the state’s economy shows little sign of bottoming out, we must continue to save money for the future.”

Common sense. A Republican Brand.

If Ted Kulongoski "Were" A CEO

(There is some language in this post of an "adult" nature. Typically, I refrain from using potty-talk. But when you've had it up to here in stupid, mebbe it's time to start calling things by their real names.)

If you don't watch the financial news, chances are you haven't heard the attacks taking place over the leadership of Kenneth Lewis. In fact, chances are you don't even care about the leadership of Kenneth Lewis and you're reading his name here for the first time.

If you don't have deposits at BofA you're thinking that you're insulated from risk if BofA makes bad decisions. Well, this is where a newspaper--like the Oregonian from the early 1980's--comes in.

Some decisions are so clearly and plainly egregious that on their face the are horrid.

And, perhaps, it's time that a CEO do the responsible thing upon his failure of leadership and resign. Mr. Lewis' record in the past quarter should have stock holders furious. I won't be surprised if there is a lawsuit in the next few weeks...if not days.

So, what to do about our state's governor?

If you don't follow the day-to-day horrors that emanate from that man, you have no reason to ask yourself, "WTF is he thinking?"

And there is no newspaper published in the state capable of writing a serious criticism of our state's chief executive. When I do have the occasional opportunity to read what is being written in the Oregonian, it is simply apparent that something has replaced reason and common sense at that periodical. When I glance at the daily paper published in neighboring Astoria, it is apparent that it is nothing more than a scandal rag. With little more than the local police log serving as a spine in the war against truth.

When actions contradict each other, one is given cause to believe that either one action or the other is wrong. But you seem to never read about these apparent failures in logic from our state's newspapers.

In the face of rising unemployment and declining private investment your governor has chosen to increase the cost of government and increase the expenditures of government. What would this mean to someone of average education?

Since unemployment is increasing, there's a pretty good chance that revenues to the state are going to be lower in the future than in the past. Why? Because the state income tax is based upon a percentage of the income you make. If fewer people are working, they are making less money.

Did you get that?

If fewer people are working, then the people who aren't working are earning less money. Can you figure out how much money they are earning? Your governor can't.

In fact your governor has decided that since people are earning less and working less, the way to spend more is to raise the amount of money that the state takes from you. Revenues from the state's income tax declining? How do you get more money?

You raise taxes. You raise tax rates. You add taxes. You add "fees" (which are, after all, just taxes.)

So while the people of the state are making less money--and investing less of their money in this state--the governor seeks to increase the cost of existence.

He has a plan. (pdf)

(Stolen from RogueRiverPundit. Who he stole it from should be apparent. Click on the graphic to go to his post.)


While the governor has a plan, he doesn't have any common sense. He proposes mounting a campaign against Man Made Global Warming by the citizens of our nation's 27th largest state--by population. That is, 1.23 percent of the nation's population is going to change the fate of the world.

Even though Oregon is the tenth largest state by it's sheer geographic size, at more than 98-thousand square miles, and that only two percent of that huge land mass has actually been developed.

So, here we have specks of population distributed around the state. Specks. Our rural counties have been devastated by reckless environmental abandon and what does our governor propose to do?

Not address the needs of farmers. Not the ranchers or the timbermen.

This retard wants to further limit growth and at the same time raise your taxes to pay for it.

Earlier, last fall, I went to a meeting that was a part of what organizers called the Big Look. The "promise" of the Big Look was to reduce the amount of control the state exercises over local governments (cities and counties).

But control locally over our own affairs is not a priority for our state's chief executive. Weird shit like green energy and "green jobs" is, however. Currently the governor is in a pissing match with the State of Washington over a proposed, new bridge over the Columbia River. "Oregon"--that's you and me--want to build a "green" bridge. Washington wants to build a bridge that maximizes auto traffic at the lowest possible cost.

Oregon? Green enviro-nuts. Washington? Common sense.

So what comes down the pike from our chief executive today? "Today’s mid-quarter revenue report from the state economist is sobering news, though not unexpected."

“While the facts of the economy continue to shift, we cannot shift our focus from doing all that we can to protect investments in the foundation on which our economy rests – children, education, health care, renewable energy, green technology, and transportation." (Governor's Press Release, January 16, 2009.)

See, according to the Governor, the foundation of the state rests with children, education, health care, renewable energy, green technology and transportation.

For the rest of us humps trying to make a buck, we're screwed. But we're screwed Green. I guess that's some consolation.

Why I'm Not Posting Much

Our national nightmare.
(Stolen from AreWeLumberjacks. I think. Can't find it now. Usually, when I steal a pic I put a link to the stolee with the pic. I din't this time. Darn. Click on the image to go there.)

I've given up on Fox News since the iconic personality of that network is O'Rielly. I can't see any real difference between him and Dobbs (the reason I had to stop watching CNN). Both engage in pablum formulated for the easily disturbed. Dobbs' weakness is the role of free trade and how free trade works. O'Rielly doesn't understand how petroleum markets work. At one point I watched Neal Cavuto attempt to bring some common sense to the land of the O, but Cavuto found himself casting pearls.

So I usually land on CNBC.

And the Dow Industrial Average is moving toward 8-thousand.

So what's the big story? Should Madoff be in jail? How sick is Steve Jobs? What's the 600-pound gorilla? TARP didn't work. TARP won't work. And the announced "plans" to "fix" things forget one salient factor: the value of the housing stock is wildly overstated by the value of the mortgages associated with that housing stock, and nothing in TARP or in the plans to fix the market address what needs to be done.

The value of the housing stock needs to adjust.

Governments can mandate. Markets adjust. Even though the direct asset that is in trouble hasn't been given a chance to adjust due to political considerations--i.e., we can't let the poor or minorities fail, even when it is clear that they have--the market has assessed the value of the market moving forward and sees less value. What could have been a problem for one sector of the market has now become a problem for all sectors of the market.

Automobile manufacturers? Again, a sector problem. But now that sector is being financed by the faith and credit of the United States. With more to come. What had been a market sector problem has now become a problem for all sectors of the economy.

And now this.

It's pretty clear that a majority of Americans have learned that private markets are not to be trusted. It's in all the papers. It's what your children are being taught in your public schools. The policy elites in universities, think-tanks and do-gooder agencies are telling you that what we need to do is have them (the policy elites) fix the problem.

And most of us in America believe it.

And while the national economy is going to hell in a handbasket, here in Oregon we have a Governor, House and Senate dedicated to the principle that our exhalations are causing the end of Mother Gaia. Cee-oh-two. When we breath we exchange oxygen for carbon dioxide. Because we live in a carbon based environment, every imaginable activity we choose to participate in creates this killer gas.

And no where is there heard the voice of reason.

So, why post much? I've come to the decision that the rational thing to do is, with a hat tip to Dr. Strangelove, learn to stop worrying and love the bomb. Major publications continue to do things like this. But there is no accountability in Oregon for shoddy publication as in the cited example. Somehow being stupid full-time has been picked up as a banner by public school teachers and union employees. (I forget, public school teachers are union employees.) They've told themselves that private business is bad for so long that they think they're fixing things.

Well...they are. Just in ways that aren't intended. Perhaps this was what meant by John Horgan when he wrote The End of Science? (Previous post on Feyerabend here.)

More good news here.

My question is, why do we have to get an understanding of what is taking place in our state, or in our nation, from sources other than network and cable news and daily newspapers? I think it is because they view themselves as part of the elite that is fixing things. I also think these are the same people who sue the manufacturer for improper warning labels after clearing their garbage disposal without thinking to turn the power off and using a wooden handle.

It's gonna hurt.

An Oregonian To Be Proud Of: Greg Walden

(Click on pic for vid.)

Walden fighting again for broadcasters’ right to free speech

Walden, a longtime radio station owner and operator, wants to preserve First Amendment rights for broadcast media

WASHINGTON, D.C. — Rep. Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and Rep. Mike Pence (R-Ind.) today reintroduced the Broadcaster Freedom Act (H.R. 226), a bill that would block government censorship of political, religious, and other speech on the radio and public airwaves. The bill was introduced with 130 original cosponsors.

“The founders would spin in their graves at the thought of the government censoring speech on many of today’s radio and television stations,” said Walden, who owned and operated radio stations for more than 21 years and is part of a small town broadcast family that dates back to the 1930s. “Yet that’s just what some Democratic leaders seem to be after. Whether as a throwback to the old Fairness Doctrine or under a less controversial guise, any effort to exert government control over speech on the airwaves is an insult to the principles behind the First Amendment.”

In 1985, the Federal Communications Commission (FCC) repealed the so-called Fairness Doctrine, an archaic government regulation from the 1940’s that required public broadcasters to present contrasting viewpoints on controversial topics due to a scarcity of media outlets. The guideline was so vague that most broadcasters avoided controversial topics altogether.

In 1949, only 2,881 radio stations existed. Today, that number is just under 14,000. Likewise, the number of television and Internet outlets available to the consumer has grown exponentially. The scarcity argument has never been weaker.

Since its repeal, public discourse and debate on the public airwaves has flourished, leading to the rise of conservative personalities like Rush Limbaugh, 24-hour liberal enterprises like Air America, and specialized programming like religious broadcasting. If the federal government begins meddling again with the First Amendment rights of those on the radio under the guise of “fairness,” it would usher in another dark age of radio programming.

Even the founding president of Air America, Jon Sinton, says government rule over the airwaves would be a big mistake. In a December 22 op-ed in The Wall Street Journal, he writes, “The Fairness Doctrine is an anachronistic policy that, with the abundance of choices on radio today, is entirely unnecessary.”

The Broadcaster Freedom Act would prevent the Federal Communications Commission from reinstating the requirement that broadcasters present opposing viewpoints on controversial issues of public importance. The same legislation was introduced last Congress as H.R. 2085 and had 208 cosponsors.

Supporters of government censorship

Still, some prominent Democrats in Washington have publicly voiced their support for a reinstatement of government control over radio speech:

Senate Majority Whip Dick Durbin: “It’s time to reinstitute the Fairness Doctrine. I have this old-fashioned attitude that when Americans hear both sides of the story, they’re in a better position to make a decision.” (The Hill, June 27, 2007)

Senator John Kerry: “I think the Fairness Doctrine ought to be there and I also think equal time doctrine ought to come back.” (Brian Lehrer Radio Show, June 26, 2007)

Senator Dianne Feinstein told FOX News Sunday that she was reviewing the Fairness Doctrine because "talk radio is overwhelmingly one way." (June 24, 2007)

Senator Jeff Bingaman: “I would want this station and all stations to have to present a balanced perspective and different points of view instead of always hammering away at one side of the political — … Well I guess my thought is that talk radio and media generally should have a higher calling than just reflect a particular point of view. I think they should use their authority to try to – their broadcast power to present an informed discussion of public issues. KKOB used to be a, used to live under the Fairness Doctrine… All I’m saying is that for many, many years we operated under a Fairness Doctrine in this country, and I think the country was well-served. I think the public discussion was at a higher level and more intelligent in those days than it has become since.” (On 770 AM KKOB, October 21, 2008)

And while President-Elect Barack Obama has yet to endorse government censorship of talk radio, he may not have to in order to facilitate its return. All that’s needed is an FCC regulation – FCC Commissioner Michael Copps said they could try a new angle to achieve the same ends as the Fairness Doctrine:

“What we do need is to make sure our airwaves are open and covering a lot of local events, covering local political races, making sure viewers and listeners both can benefit from a clash of antagonistic ideas and issues being covered. Even though the Fairness Doctrine is gone, that’s still in the Telecommunications Act. Do you go back to a controversial doctrine that was really the product of a previous age when media was different, or do you try to go forward and say, ‘How do we do that now with modern communications and a different media environment?’ We need to have debate about how you keep these airwaves serving the public interest and nourishing the public dialogue our democracy depends on. We still want to be sure we have that kind of free-flowing debate and cover the issues people need covered to make intelligent decisions.” (R&R, October 28, 2008)

“Under any name, government intervention in the speech on the airwaves is nothing more than censorship,” Walden said. “There has never been a more diverse range of opinions on the public airwaves than there is today. There’s no need to fix what isn’t broken.”

Congressman Greg Walden represents the Oregon’s Second Congressional District, which is comprised of 20 counties in eastern, southern, and central Oregon.