The Mess Made By Illinois Government

Comptroller: State Finances A Mounting Crisis

As in the lives of regular people, when you get in debt you need to work your way out of it. Otherwise the debt will grow into an uncontrollable monstrosity.

Its way past time for governments to start sacrificing and actually cut spending.

Link Barrage

Haven’t made a post in a couple of days, but here are some links I wanted to write about today.

U.N. and Obama Back Limits On Free Speech – Simply stunning
US funds dry up for Iran rights watchdog – More kowtowing to the Mullahs
The demise of the dollar – With friends like ours, who needs enemies
Is SNL right that Obama’s accomplished ‘nothing’? – Yeah, I think you just proved them right
Plasma Rocket to Mars in 39 days – Woot! Lets go!
Small backyard chicken coop – I need to build a coop, but these chickens need space. Somebody call PETA!

Epic Olympics Fail

Obama failed in his bid to get the 2016 Olympics in Chicago.

Come on – we all have to admit that Chicago doesn’t deserve the Olympics. It is one of the most corrupt cities in the nation. I’m glad this didn’t work.

It also makes Obama look ridiculous.

What are they thinking?

Empire State Building turns red-yellow for China’s 60th

Why would we celebrate a communist revolution?

The only reason I can think of is that China is paying someone a lot of money to do this. OR do you think New Yorkers really love the ChiComs?

No Health Insurance – GO TO JAIL

Want to know the penalty for not having health insurance under the democrat plans?

Politico has a scanned copy of a hand-written note from Joint Committee on Taxation Chief of Staff Tom Barthold to Sen. John Ensign (R-Nev.) stating that if the $1900 fine for not having health coverage is not paid, then the taxpayer

…could be charged with a misdemeanor and could face up to a year in jail or a $25,000 penalty…

As some of the commentators on Politico have pointed out, “Cool… Jail = FREE MEDICAL”.
Man I cannot wait until 2010 and 2012.

LRAD used on crowd in Pittsburgh

A few days ago I posted about LRADs being deployed at a San Diego tea party protest, but now the police have gone a step further.

Police have used an LRAD on a crowd of protesters at the G-20 summit in Pittsburgh, PA. That’s in the USA people! This device should NEVER be used on US citizens. Scary stuff.

The marchers did not have a permit and, after a few blocks, police declared it an unlawful assembly. They played a recorded announcement over a loudspeaker ordering people to leave, as well as ear-piercing sirens, then police in riot gear moved in to break it up.

(emphasis mine)

I do not agree with the protesters or their methods and I do not condone destruction of property. But this is unprecedented and unwarranted. Here are some other choice quotes:

“We’ll continue to make sure our neighborhoods are safe.” – Pittsburgh Mayor.

“That was ridiculous,” said T.J. Amick, 22, of Pittsburgh. “People were being grabbed if they just got too close to the cops. It didn’t matter what they were doing, what they were saying. They were just asking what was going on, and they were being taken off the streets to God knows where.”

From Western Rifle Shooters Association:

“By order of the City of Pittsburgh Chief of Police, I hereby declare this to be an unlawful assembly…no matter what your purpose is.”

Is it just me, or are things quickly spiraling into chaos?

Mm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama

Fox News is covering a story about a class in a N.J. elementary school that was taught songs praising Obama. There is apparently a video on YouTube, which I can’t watch (blocked by corporate bosses) and of course Fox has the lyrics available.

Mm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama He said that all must lend a hand To make this country strong again Mmm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama He said we must be fair today Equal work means equal pay Mmm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama He said that we must take a stand To make sure everyone gets a chance Mmm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama He said red, yellow, black or white All are equal in his sight Mmm, mmm, mm! Barack Hussein Obama Yes! Mmm, mmm, mm Barack Hussein Obama

Is this a remix of the Crash Test Dummies song?   Actually, I believe the article said it was written to the tune of “Jesus Loves the Little Children”. Can anyone say Messiah Complex?

So does this mean Obama is brain washing our kids?

Facepalm

I would say no. I’m sure this wasn’t something the feds told this teacher to do, he/she probably thought it would be a great idea on their own. Stupid, yes. Conspiracy, no.

BUT, it does show that we need to monitor what goes on in our public schools. That is your responsibility as a parent.

Peace in our time

I did not watch Obama’s U.N. speech today, I don’t think I could stomach it really, but here is a comment from Rich Lowry that I hope everyone would consider.

“The yearning for peace is universal,” Obama said. Of course, so is the yearning for war, or it wouldn’t be endemic to human existence. Speeches like this are always going to be aspirational, but is it really too much to ask that U.S. presidents be a little more modulated, sociologically humble, and realistic?

Via the corner, here is the entire comment.

Is it really behind the comprehension of liberals that there may be some leaders of the world that, given the right opportunity, would start a war for personal/national gain. Don’t tell me that’s what Bush did, because it isn’t. I’m talking Hitler, Mussolini, Stalin type dictators – like Mahmoud Ahmadinejad or his Mullah puppet masters. Modern civilization is not immune to war. We ignore history and reality at our own peril.

Energy Sec. Chu(s) on own foot

Oops, another Obama administration official sticks his foot in his mouth… again.

Steven Chu: Americans Are Like ‘Teenage Kids’ When It Comes to Energy

“The American public…just like your teenage kids, aren’t acting in a way that they should act,” Dr. Chu said. “The American public has to really understand in their core how important this issue is.”

The issue being Global Warming Climate Change and energy efficiency.

It seems that we can’t go a week without one of these people saying something really dumb. The American public are a bunch of conservative rubes that need to be taught how to live. Excuse me, Mr. Chu, but I can decide what is right for my self and my family. You stay out of it. If I want to by a Hummer, which I don’t, then fine its my choice. I choose not to because its a waste of money. So is all this global warming nonsense.

The administration aims to teach them—literally. The Environmental Protection Agency is focusing on real children. Partnering with the Parent Teacher Organization, the agency earlier this month launched a cross-country tour of 6,000 schools to teach students about climate change and energy efficiency.

If there is anything that ticks me off more than government waste, its government indoctrinating my kids! STOP IT! Didn’t you learn from the President’s speech to school kids last week? People hate this.

But its your political career… Go ahead and destroy it.

So much for Reunification

One in seven Germans want Berlin Wall back

The survey found that many westerners are bitter about higher taxes to pay for rebuilding the formerly communist east, where some 1.2 trillion euros ($1,762 billion) worth of state funds has been transferred in the last 20 years. Eastern Germans are unhappy about income levels that are on average only 80 percent of western levels and that due to higher unemployment depopulation is decimating parts of the east, where the population has declined by about two million since 1990.

20 years of German welfare and wealth redistribution and they still haven’t learned that socialism doesn’t work. Maybe they should try lowering taxes in the East and killing this “solidarity tax” in the West.

Obama and all liberals take note please.

[UPDATE]
Interesting WSJ article on the status of Germany 20 years after reunification.