Stupid should hurt...

Now, I'm not talking about folks that due to injury/heredity/misfortune are simply not quite bright - they can't really help it, and picking on them is, at absolute best, not nice. One doesn't put them in charge of physics departments or complex ordnance, but again, not their fault.

I'm talking about those folks that are, at least allegedly, of average intelligence or better - capable of, at least in theory, intelligent action. Folks who, by virtue of their position, if they are remotely responsible should be capable and willing of studying history as a factor in their weighty ponderings and deliberations involving what really constitutes "a good idea to legislate". Hint: the list is awfully darned short.

Instead we have a group of ninnies, congress-critters, that are rushing towards their own political doom even as their leadership chivvies them into one great lemming-like leap off the public precipice in passing ObamaCare^tm.

We have the National Health Service (here, here, here, here, here) of formerly great Britain to look to as a great and horrible example of what ObamaCare^tm will give us, even before the cronyism and corruption kick in. With the accountability of the courts largely applicable only to physicians in private practice, such neglect and abuse prospers in an environment where meeting "management goals" is of greater importance than patient care.

Already, we hear that perhaps a third of doctors are considering entirely leaving the practice of medicine should health care reform pass. And then there are those who will take one of my former doctors (who I'd still be seeing if he wasn't 1200 miles down the road) path of refusing all insurance - private or public - and practicing medicine for cash on the barrelhead, up front, at rates comparable to local attorneys. He was happy to provide patients with documentation (at an hourly rate to create additional documentation or perform extra tests demanded by insurers), but his focus, as he put it, was "medicine, not paper-juggling".

Between the two phenomenon, if ObamaCare^tm passes, we're in for a fairly rocky road even before we consider organizational responses. E.g., Caterpillar has already noted that from what they can tell from what's been disclosed, that the FIRST YEAR of ObamaCare^tm will cost them One Hundred Million Dollars (or more).

Now...using Caterpillar as our example... We have a large company, in a depressed economy, in a particularly depressed segment (heavy equipment) with unionized (and costly) labor about to take a $100,000,000 hit if this thing passes. Because of the economy, they can't jack up prices to compensate for new expenses and still stay in business - folks won't buy products at those prices. Because they like to eat, simply shutting down isn't especially palatable. Moving production abroad and cutting in-country staff to the bone...well...that does make sense, with shutting down a valid "Plan B".

Now, consider this hitting the broader business community, particularly smaller and more fragile businesses. This is not unlike hurling a torch into a oil refinery and expecting calm and relaxation.

Stupid should hurt. And ObamaCare and its supporters are malignant tumors upon the body politic, finding specious reasons to sabotage or evade deliberation whenever possible, hiding legislation from analysis, and utilizing a distasteful combination of buy-off's and bribery sprinkled with constitutionally doubtful maneuvering (Slaughter Solution, anyone?) to ramrod through legislation despised by the vast majority of the American public.

How should stupid hurt? Well, elections are coming up and the first step is to make sure that every single pro-ObamaCare Representative or Senator up for election has an electable opponent - a solid threat to their re-election.

In disciplining a politician, one cannot be subtle. To my friends in the medical profession, those that remain in the the profession (as opposed to going on semi-permanent sabbatical) - desperate times call for desperate measures. Should you find yourself so emotionally distraught that you cannot summon the proper detachment and objectivity required to treat patients when faced with a CongressCritter (or their family member(s)) that voted for ObamaCare - I certainly would not be able to blame you - after all, if you can't summon that objectivity, you are required to step aside, are you not?

For the rest of us, public shunning and condemnation of these scoundrels and their families on a risk-analysis basis (if it's going to put you starving in the gutter, in jail, or otherwise shoot you in the foot...perhaps some restraint might be wise).

The best hope here is to turn up the heat, not give up the fight. There is, if naught else, repeal.

Mississippi...not just Southern Hospitality & Tolerance

In recent news, it seems the Itawamba County School Board in Mississippi is so threatened by the notion of a lesbian couple attending spring prom (one of them wearing a tux), that after prodding to lighten up by the ACLU, they chose instead to cancel the entire event.

A few thoughts. Like it or not, holding proms is not a primary or even core function of schools. If a school board, for whatever reason, wishes to host a prom at a school - so be it. Similarly, if they don't, so be it.

If you challenge the way an organizer or host does things, or the rules they set, they are well within their rights to simply fold their tent.

Activism is not risk-free. Your opponents may well decide that rather than dealing with you and/or your issues they would rather fold their tent and go home - as is their right. If they do, you are left with either doing without or throwing your own party.

Suck it up, and start planning a better party without the petty bureaucracy and micromanagement imposed by the average school board.

That the Itawamba County school board chose to act in a petty and bigoted fashion is without doubt, and that their choice of response was reactionary at best (likely subjecting the girls in question to serious hostility from their classmates) and reprehensible. But simply being vile is not a legal matter, per se.

Again - throw a prom, a better one that's bigotry-free and that allows students a maximum of freedom while providing the structured environment necessary to ensure student safety and a minimum of negative consequences (i.e., steps should likely be taken to keep vodka out of the punch bowl and post-prom pregnancies to a minimum).

Correction: Mississippi, not Missouri

It's good to remember....

What ones opponents think of you...in this pre-Obama piece that pulls no punches, the editorial staff of the Seattle Stranger cut loose and tell us what they really think of folks who aren't members of their PC political clique....

I'd suggest that that the Stranger staff merely express plainly what the vast majority of progressive liberals feel in their heart of hearts, and are simply too politically aware (or gracious) to come out and declare publicly...

A good read of this screed is a worthwhile primer on the respect in which these urban progressive liberal elitists hold us, and a fair explanation of many of the actions of the present administrations in Washington and Olympia.

After that good read - remember that voting season is coming up, and that any of us can help out by either volunteering for a candidate - or just plain running for office.

Warden Decision - Does not revive Seattle Parks Ban

In regrettably bad journalistic practice, stories such as this proclaimed that as a result of Warden v. Seattle today, the Seattle Parks Gun Ban was revived. The journalist did, at least, get the part about the Chicago case right, and the likelihood that post-SCOTUS on that, it will be something of a moot point. Still, bad reporting and poor practice.

The case in question, Warden v., that you'll be seeing on KOMO tonight is *not* the one that the SAF triumphed over Seattle in a month or so back. That case remains a triumph, and the Parks Ban remains quite thoroughly dead.

Warden was the Gent from Kent who marched into the SW Community Center to get "standing" to sue, and based his case before the Federal Court on Second Amendment and Section 24 of Article I of the WA Constitution. This is what was shot down today. Thankfully, Warden did not address the Pre-emption issue, thus it was not *available* to be shot down.

Chan, et al. v. Seattle, etc was the case brought before the King Co. Superior Ct. by the SAF, NRA, and several individual plaintiff's against the city...and its' primary argument was that Pre-Emption (as described in RCW 9.41) precluded Seattle from enacting a gun ban on city property. The judge took that argument, and ran - ruling that not only did pre-emption preclude the city from such a ban, but that the city was subject to both the provisions of the Federal & State Constitutions.

The Federal decision in Warden case today was unfortunate, and may fail on appeal - undoing a great deal of the misfortune in today's decision. While technically more or less correct (following the current trend of decisions in the 9th Circuit), todays Warden decision claiming that neither the Washington nor Federal Constitutions applied to the City strikes me as neither original, good, nor intellectually honest. Good law often comes from trial court judges with the courage to rule contrary to precedent when the conflict between statute and constitutional provision(s) is this astonishingly clear.

The critical element of the SAF case ruling (the judge enjoining the city from enforcement or displaying signage) remains intact, and the 2A and WA Constitutional issues are *debateable* - only time will tell.

I am not an attorney, not even for pretend. None of the above consists of legal advice, and only a full-bore ninny would consider it so. For legal advice, see an attorney, not me!

Caption That Picture - 2.0

This is too much fun...let's try this one, folks...what is the strange man saying?

Caption That Picture.....

We are THIS close? My ______ is SO small? Whatever was he saying? Caption it yourself....

Free Speech - only for those we like?

In a ringing endorsement of a stunningly hypocritical view of the First Amendment, actor Sean Penn (known for his equanimity, unusually logical analysis of complex situations, and patriotism) recently declaimed "Every day, this elected leader is called a dictator here, and we just accept it, and accept it" said Penn, winner of two Best Actor Academy Awards. "And this is mainstream media, who should -- truly, there should be a bar by which one goes to prison for these kinds of lies."

On a more serious note...

I like where I work. I like the folks I work with. For the most part, I even like the customers. I get good benefits. I believe, if perhaps for what some folks would consider the wrong reasons, in the core mission of the operation both as a profit-maker and a socially good thing.

But I just did my taxes.

I don't *want* to go anyplace else, employment-wise. On all but a single front, it's a pretty good gig at many, many levels. But the numbers are calling me stupid, and I'm having a difficult time with counter-arguments.

For the moment, the best strategy is to give my best every day...and keep my eyes open.

And local job market wasn't all that special even before the WA legislature decided it was better to pass a 390-million economy-buster tax package than make the tough but necessary cuts to the state budget.

Testing for Effect

Well, RobAllen over at Sharpest Marble suggests the ultimate hit generator is a image of a revolver with testicles while commenting that the best the anti-gun crowd has to offer in the way of arguments are genitalia jokes - what with being bereft of logic and analytical thought.

JayG, on the other hand, of Marooned in Massachusetts (poor man), suggests that writing of the mighty idiocy of gun laws in the Peoples Republic of Massachusetts is even more potent in generating new readers. Verily, the gun laws of Massachusetts do indeed make little sense, being composed largely of equal parts of idiocy, malice, hoplophobia, and auroch dung...but there's a reason folks are bailing the hell out of that state.

And then Ambulance Driver is always a good read...and once you scroll past his show report, there's a tidbit that most journalists need tattoo'd on their foreheads...

WA State Senate Vote on 390 Million Tax Hike

The Senate Roll Call List of those voting on ESSB 6143 (The "Let's Kill All Hope of an Economic Recovery" $390 million Tax Hike Bill). Asterisks have been placed before those Democrats who voted Yes and are up for re-election November 2, 2010. Vote'm out.

State Senate
Bill No.: ESSB 6143

Description: 3RD READING & FINAL PASSAGE. Relating to revenue and taxation.
Revised for 1st Substitute: Modifying excise tax laws to preserve funding for public schools, colleges, and universities, as well as other public systems essential for the safety, health, and security of all Washingtonians.
Date: 3-7-2010
Yeas: 25 Nays: 23 Absent: 0 Excused: 1

Voting Yea: Senators
Name, Party, District, E-mail address
***Jean Berkey D (38) berkey.jean@leg.wa.gov
Lisa Brown D (3) brown.lisa@leg.wa.gov
***Tracey Eide D (30) eide.tracey@leg.wa.gov
***Darlene Fairley D (32) fairley.darlene@leg.wa.gov
***Rosa Franklin D (29) franklin.rosa@leg.wa.gov
Karen Fraser D (22) fraser.karen@leg.wa.gov
***Randy Gordon D (41) gordon.randy@leg.wa.gov
James Hargrove D (24) hargrove.jim@leg.wa.gov
Brian Hatfield D (19) hatfield.brian@leg.wa.gov
Mary Margaret Haugen D (10) haugen.marymargaret@leg.wa.gov
***Ken Jacobsen D (46) jacobsen.ken@leg.wa.gov
Jim Kastama D (25) kastama.jim@leg.wa.gov
***Karen Keiser D (33) keiser.karen@leg.wa.gov
***Adam Kline D (37) kline.adam@leg.wa.gov
***Jeanne Kohl-Welles D (36) kohl-welles.jeanne@leg.wa.gov
Rosemary McAuliffe D (1) mcauliffe.rosemary@leg.wa.gov
***Joe McDermott D (34) mcdermott.joe@leg.wa.gov
***Ed Murray D (43) murray.edward@leg.wa.gov
***Eric Oemig D (45) oemig.eric@leg.wa.gov
Margarita Prentice D (11) prentice.margarita@leg.wa.gov
Craig Pridemore D (49) pridemore.craig@leg.wa.gov
Kevin Ranker D (40) ranker.kevin@leg.wa.gov
Debbie Regala D (27) regala.debbie@leg.wa.gov
Phil Rockefeller D (23) rockefeller.phil@leg.wa.gov
***Paull Shin D (21) shin.paull@leg.wa.gov

***Note: Senators who voted YES and are up for re-election November 2, 2010

Voting Nay: Senators
Name, Party, District, E-mail address
Randi Becker R (2) becker.randi@leg.wa.gov
Don Benton R (17) benton.don@leg.wa.gov
**Dale Brandland R (42) brandland.dale@leg.wa.gov
Mike Carrell R (28) carrel.michael@leg.wa.gov
**Jerome Delvin R (8) delvin.jerome@leg.wa.gov
Mike Hewitt R (16) hewitt.mike@leg.wa.gov
**Steve Hobbs D (44) hobbs.steve@leg.wa.gov
**Janea Holmquist R (13) holmquist.janea@leg.wa.gov
**Jim Honeyford R (15) honeyford.jim@leg.wa.gov
**Claudia Kauffman D (47) kauffman.claudia@leg.wa.gov
**Derek Kilmer D (26) kilmer.derek@leg.wa.gov
Curtis King R (14) king.curtis@leg.wa.gov
**Chris Marr D (6) marr.chris@leg.wa.gov
**Bob Morton R (7) morton.bob@leg.wa.gov
Linda Evans Parlette R (12) parlette.linda@leg.wa.gov
Cheryl Pflug R (5) pflug.cheryl@leg.wa.gov
**Pam Roach R (31) roach.pam@leg.wa.gov
Mark Schoesler R (9) schoesler.mark@leg.wa.gov
**Tim Sheldon D (35) sheldon.timothy@leg.wa.gov
Val Stevens R (39) stevens.val@leg.wa.gov
Dan Swecker R (20) swecker.dan@leg.wa.gov
**Rodney Tom D (48) tom.rodney@leg.wa.gov
Joseph Zarelli R (18) zarelli.joseph@leg.wa.gov

Excused: Senators
Bob McCaslin R (4) mccaslin.bob@leg.wa.gov

**NOTE: These Senators voted NO on this huge $390 million tax hike and are up for re-election on November 2, 2010.

Mass Transit: Outmoded & Counterproductive

Living anywhere near an even moderately sized burg, the bleating of the brainwashed elitists of the "it's for your own good, you poor beknighted dear" set on the topic of mass transit is hard to escape.

They claim that the world will come to a screeching halt in a transit Armageddon if vast transit operations aren't put into place, that the poor will be unable to find a way to get around, and that the pollution from those damned individual vehicles will kill us all - and that cramming folks onto hugely subsidized trains and buses (that can never, ever, be owned or operated by private individuals or organizations) is the one true path to urban (and which, on principal, must be inflicted on rural and suburban residents at great cost and inefficiency for largely "moral" purposes).

The usual red flags of shenanigans in progress are typically in full flight and easy to pick out in such discussions - "European cities are doing it", "it's for the children", "you want to be a world-class city, don't you?". On observing such phrases, one should immediately don chest waders as truth, logic, and sanity are likely to be departing shortly in the face of a deluge of cattle by-products.

We seldom see serious discussion that not only that the car isn't the enemy (more on that later), but that mass transit typically either introduces or intensifies a number of environmental, economic, and social problems at vast cost to the involuntary taxpayer - and are normally run as a bottomless money-losing entitlement, a semi-permanent drain of the public purse.

The myth of the "private vehicle as the tool of evil" seems to have begun in the smog-ridden cities of Southern California in the initial days of the environmental movement and been perpetrated by the surviving hoary old dinosaurs of the founding days of that movement and their semi-religious disciples.

Combustion supported vehicles do, indeed, pollute. What the transit proponent fails to consider is that trading a bunch of what, today, are comparatively clean-burning gas vehicles for filth-spewing multi-passenger diesel and bunker-oil driven rigs is not precisely a screaming victory for the environment.

As subways, trains, and buses around the world have shown us - each mode of mass transit, even as it moves people inflexibly and inefficiently according to bureaucratic schedules and rules rather than convenience and efficiency, concentrates large(ish) groups of people in confined spaces for extended periods with no convenient method of egress and minimal to wholly inadequate security, ventilation, and but the dampest of sops thrown at comfort.

Even at the victim loading stations, one sees enhanced criminal activity as we observe potential victims waiting about to be abused and molested by the local criminal element that is drawn like a fly to honey. Yet, the muggings and beatings and fun that typically continue unencumbered by transit operators virtually immune from liability for their own facilities don't stop at the bus or train door - they just become less escapable when the door closes, securing potential victims in an enclosed environment with their predators, prevented from degenerating into a full-out "feeding time at the zoo" environment only by the fundamental cunning of said predators in realizing that even the most foolish and ideologically blinded prey will eventually figure out a situation is bad and stop showing up to be abused if one goes too far.

Yet amidst the enhanced risk of victimization by the two-legged critters, passengers are immersed in a seldom-cleaned rolling petri dish of every variety of contagious crud currently extant in the population being coughed, hacked, sneezed, and spat into a potpourri of stagnant humid air and cramped quarters no better than a 19th century hospital ward before sanitation became a popular concept.

Even as these smoke-spewing, crime-ridden, engines of infectious disease and victimization roll down the road or rail they add yet another benefit - they are great big massive beasties, slow to stop, and when they fail to stop, likely to inflict far more severe damage and injury on persons and property when they squash said persons and property like insignificant bugs - which, to a vehicle of that mass, they pretty much are.

As a bonus to all of the considerations above, by the very nature of their existence, the various forms of mass transit are locked into inflexible lowest common denominator shackles of politically driven schedules and routes with efficiency and convenience of the passenger (or their employer) running a distant second or third to the political drivers of the agency in question.

That very inflexibility makes mass transit less than optimal for a free society that wants a nimble and adaptive economy resistant to the boom/bust cycle - slow-moving bureaucracies adapt poorly to employers changing hours and and days to meet service and production needs on a daily basis - creating costly delay and complication for employees.

When any other reasonable option exists, these mobile boondoggles typically see minimal usage by persons with any other option (unless said person has some ideological axe to grind "it's GREEN!" - maybe if you catch the smoke and particulates in *just* the right light...), leading to campaigns to coerce potential victims into using the unpleasant and inconvenient behemoths - reducing parking availability, reducing traffic lanes for private vehicles, refusing to build or maintain roads, and punitive taxation of private vehicles.

These bullying proponents of crime and disease, even if forgiven on the grounds that they are "just trying to reduce pollution" fail to consider that increasingly (Coda, Volt, Wheego, BYD, Tesla, etc) freeway speed and neighborhood electric vehicles are not only available - but offer at far greater efficiency a cleaner solution than the smog-generating road-whales. And, as far as I can tell, more cheaply.

The individual zero emissions vehicle gets folks where they want or need to be smog-free*, on the individuals schedule, with greater safety for not only the individual but everyone in their vicinity (if something goes wrong and there's a crash, it's a SMALLER crash), and at hugely lower cost to the taxpayer than the mobile boondoggles - preserving and promoting the flexible mobility that has long been not only a hallmark but an engine of the uniquely American economy.

Subsidizing, as Oklahoma has, the purchase of Zero Emissions Vehicles (particularly for the economically challenged folks who are often forced to drive ancient smoke-spewing hulks in ill repair, thus garnering more environmental bang for buck by retiring said hulks) is a cheaper and healthier solution than buying more buses. Restoring general parking and providing parking with charging stations for electric vehicles begins to repair the damage that the anti-parking nazi's have done to the downtown business cores of our cities (Umm...go to mall w/ free parking? Or go downtown and be hassled by parking enforcement, pay obscene amounts for inconvenient parking, etc?) and begin reducing ONE reason for urban sprawl (suburbs - less hassle for folks doing *what they want*, owning and operating their private and convenient vehicle).

In Western Washington the siren song of mass transit has lured in sufficient dollars, infrastructure, and inertia that progress to repair the damage will be slow - even in a region uniquely unsuited for practical mass transit. If naught else, too many folks have publicly imbibed the kool-aid and are loathe to publicly admit the possibility of error.

But in a time of economic depression, when governmental agencies are running huge deficits at all levels, perhaps this is one sinkhole where the losses can be somewhat stanched, incrementally, over time by de-funding and privatizing transit - allowing routes and systems to stand or fail on their own, driven by demand, without taxpayer subsidy and charging riders something approaching actual operational costs per mile. And ending at least this one form of bullying and bully-ragging propaganda.

On Public Transit, and $$

Cutting service on Sundays in Snohomish County is a good start. Ending operations between midnight and 6 A.M. is a logical second step. Raising fares by $1.00 across the board is a good third step. If necessary, reduced mid-day services and reducing rush hour services to once every TWENTY minutes is worthwhile.

To make up for the deficit, allowing the return of privately operated public transit lines as either subscription or pick-up services may fill the gap. Or folks can drive electric cars - Wheego, over at Wheego.net, is releasing a freeway speed EV for under 40k in July, apparently.

Running transit at not just a dead loss, but a horrific loss is a bad idea at any time - but especially during a economic depression. If it's cheaper to buy each rider an electric car and sell the buses - then let's do that. If it's more affordable to sell the buses to private operators and allow them to charge market rates - let's do that.

What we can't do is cripple individuals and businesses, the very engines of economic recovery, by nickel and diming them to death with new taxes every time a badly administered boondoggle runs short of cash - yet again.

Sad news...and a reason I enjoy that last video so much...

One of CrankyProf's students was driven to suicide by, by her account, a grossly dysfunctional family that disowned the young man.

I will repeat my comment here that I left over at Cranky's blog:

It saddens me more every time this tragedy *repeats*.

If the young man’s partner is up to it, invite him to the funeral with you – by preference, with the largest and scariest sorts of your acquaintance to keep y’all from getting lonely.

Not just sad, but angry to the point of being perfectly willing to be socially unpleasant, violate a few taboo’s, and dole out vindictive verbal wrath if even slightly crossed.

My condolences at losing your former student, to his partner on losing his lover, and may his family come to a full and complete understanding of their essential vileness – and live long, miserable, guilt-ridden lives contemplating said vileness.

Go. Read Cranky's post. And, vindictive sort that I am, I hope someone prints out Cranky's post and the comments and nails them to the chapel door.

Status: Peeved

On a different note...

Someone dear, an ex, fired this my way...enjoy (or not)..as I'm still busy giggling...