The AP posted a story today that Oregon auto dealers wanted the state to prohibit car sales on Sunday. Huh?
The story (read it here) never really analyzed how this would help dealers. AP is not known for getting too far below the surface. But one may assume that the argument is that unless car dealers can cut costs, more of them will go out of business.
This is not economics, it is ignorance. Like the French imposing a 35 hour work week years ago to boost employment. It only seems like a good idea for about 10 minutes.
Basically the dealerships are saying that they want to cut labor costs. Which means that sales and service people will have less income, and therefore less money to spend. Which may do an individual dealership some good, but does nothing for the general population, which would have fewer options when to buy a car.
It is not the job of the state to introduce inefficiencies into the marketplace to support less productive dealers. If there are too many dealers to support the current level of sales, then the less efficient dealerships should close.
In the long run, this will lead to higher wages, more options for the buying public and a stronger industry.
There will be many such "emergency" measures proposed by various interest groups during these hard times. Most should be ignored. The state needs to provide a safety net so that the most disadvantaged can find new opportunities. But proping up failed business models is the wrong solution for the wrong problem.
Saturday, December 6, 2008
Monday, November 10, 2008
America works
It's a wonderful thing.
We Americans have voted for a black man, repudiated the divisive fear used by the right-wing (read it here) to seize and maintain power for the last decade, and shown the world that revolution can be made in peace.
Sarah Palin and the ignorance she represents is still a threat to our children. The left, with its hubris that the laws of economics can be suspended for all the right reasons, is still a threat to our children.
But for now the right wing of Bill O'Reilly and Rush and Lars and the xenophobes and jingoists and the hatemongers are banished, after damaging our economy and the country and destroying many lives. In its greed it finally ate its own heart. It will be back, because anger never dies, and it will exploit, because the thirst for power is never sated.
But for now, the greatness that is America has again confounded the world. The "market place of ideas" that Jefferson championed has triumphed. Change has come.
There will be mistakes and missteps and false starts. But for those of us who felt that America had misplaced its values, this is a great day.
We Americans have voted for a black man, repudiated the divisive fear used by the right-wing (read it here) to seize and maintain power for the last decade, and shown the world that revolution can be made in peace.
Sarah Palin and the ignorance she represents is still a threat to our children. The left, with its hubris that the laws of economics can be suspended for all the right reasons, is still a threat to our children.
But for now the right wing of Bill O'Reilly and Rush and Lars and the xenophobes and jingoists and the hatemongers are banished, after damaging our economy and the country and destroying many lives. In its greed it finally ate its own heart. It will be back, because anger never dies, and it will exploit, because the thirst for power is never sated.
But for now, the greatness that is America has again confounded the world. The "market place of ideas" that Jefferson championed has triumphed. Change has come.
There will be mistakes and missteps and false starts. But for those of us who felt that America had misplaced its values, this is a great day.
Monday, October 27, 2008
Sarah spreads her ignorance
On October 24th, Sarah Palin gave a speech at a Special Needs conference. In her speech, she mocked "fruit fly research." She was apparently referring to a recent study of Drosophila fruit flies revealing that a protein called neurexin is essential for proper neurological function -- a discovery with clear implications for autism research.
Imagine -- mocking scientific research at a conference on problems understanding of which that very research has has proven to be essential!
It’s unclear if Palin is unaware of the central role that fruit fly research plays in modern genetics, or if she was pandering to her fans at Fox News. Suffice to say that “fruit fly research” has enabled us to discover much of what we know about ... congenital disorders.
Every high school biology student knows that identifying genetic patterns in fruit flies has led to genetic discoveries in humans.
Again, it’s not clear if Palin is unaware of the significance of those discoveries ... Palin has a Down’s Syndrome son, and our knowledge of how that syndrome works (as well as its eventual treatment and prevention), comes from fruit fly research. The next round of significant Down’s Syndrome discoveries will not be called significant, until they are first tested on fruit flies.
There is nothing contestable about the above facts. Like Mendel’s discovery of gene pairing rules, they’re just basic science. But regardless of Palin’s motivation for spreading her ignorance, you should watch the clip noted below, especially the moment where Palin utters the term “fruit fly research.” Her contempt and disdain for even these fundamentals of science – is unmistakable. (And juvenile. Her inner Jr. High princess coming out again)
... As if fundamental science can be shouted down by the indignation of a thousand screaming Joes.
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCXqKEs68Xk and
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/24/palin-fruit-flies/ and
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WSS-4PKGJV3-C&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fce005ed770e9f7a99f2d55716dbeea7
John McCain's war policies will cost America nearly $1 trillion and with far fewer results than genetic research, including that on, yes, fruit flies.
God bless America and may the power of democracy protect us. We need to fix our economy. We need to fix our roads. We need bridges. We need jobs. We need schools where kids are taught the principles of science if we are to compete with China and India and Russia to raise our standard of living. We deserve to be a country where poor kids like Obama can become president, and not just rich kids like Bush and McCain.
(Most of the above was sent to us as an email. It appears to be valid, but most is not original with EyeonOregon).
Imagine -- mocking scientific research at a conference on problems understanding of which that very research has has proven to be essential!
It’s unclear if Palin is unaware of the central role that fruit fly research plays in modern genetics, or if she was pandering to her fans at Fox News. Suffice to say that “fruit fly research” has enabled us to discover much of what we know about ... congenital disorders.
Every high school biology student knows that identifying genetic patterns in fruit flies has led to genetic discoveries in humans.
Again, it’s not clear if Palin is unaware of the significance of those discoveries ... Palin has a Down’s Syndrome son, and our knowledge of how that syndrome works (as well as its eventual treatment and prevention), comes from fruit fly research. The next round of significant Down’s Syndrome discoveries will not be called significant, until they are first tested on fruit flies.
There is nothing contestable about the above facts. Like Mendel’s discovery of gene pairing rules, they’re just basic science. But regardless of Palin’s motivation for spreading her ignorance, you should watch the clip noted below, especially the moment where Palin utters the term “fruit fly research.” Her contempt and disdain for even these fundamentals of science – is unmistakable. (And juvenile. Her inner Jr. High princess coming out again)
... As if fundamental science can be shouted down by the indignation of a thousand screaming Joes.
Visit http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HCXqKEs68Xk and
http://thinkprogress.org/2008/10/24/palin-fruit-flies/ and
http://www.sciencedirect.com/science?_ob=ArticleURL&_udi=B6WSS-4PKGJV3-C&_user=10&_rdoc=1&_fmt=&_orig=search&_sort=d&view=c&_acct=C000050221&_version=1&_urlVersion=0&_userid=10&md5=fce005ed770e9f7a99f2d55716dbeea7
John McCain's war policies will cost America nearly $1 trillion and with far fewer results than genetic research, including that on, yes, fruit flies.
God bless America and may the power of democracy protect us. We need to fix our economy. We need to fix our roads. We need bridges. We need jobs. We need schools where kids are taught the principles of science if we are to compete with China and India and Russia to raise our standard of living. We deserve to be a country where poor kids like Obama can become president, and not just rich kids like Bush and McCain.
(Most of the above was sent to us as an email. It appears to be valid, but most is not original with EyeonOregon).
Al Qaeda endorses McCain
An excerpt of why Al Qaeda wants John McCain as president (read it here):
"...Yet the endorsement of Mr. McCain by a Qaeda-affiliated Web site isn’t a surprise to security specialists. Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism director, and Joseph Nye, the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, have both suggested that Al Qaeda prefers Mr. McCain and might even try to use terror attacks in the coming days to tip the election to him.
“From their perspective, a continuation of Bush policies is best for recruiting,” said Professor Nye, adding that Mr. McCain is far more likely to continue those policies.
"An American president who keeps troops in Iraq indefinitely, fulminates about Islamic terrorism, inclines toward military solutions and antagonizes other nations is an excellent recruiting tool. In contrast, an African-American (Christian) president with a Muslim grandfather and a penchant for building bridges rather than blowing them up would give Al Qaeda recruiters fits."
"...Yet the endorsement of Mr. McCain by a Qaeda-affiliated Web site isn’t a surprise to security specialists. Richard Clarke, the former White House counterterrorism director, and Joseph Nye, the former chairman of the National Intelligence Council, have both suggested that Al Qaeda prefers Mr. McCain and might even try to use terror attacks in the coming days to tip the election to him.
“From their perspective, a continuation of Bush policies is best for recruiting,” said Professor Nye, adding that Mr. McCain is far more likely to continue those policies.
"An American president who keeps troops in Iraq indefinitely, fulminates about Islamic terrorism, inclines toward military solutions and antagonizes other nations is an excellent recruiting tool. In contrast, an African-American (Christian) president with a Muslim grandfather and a penchant for building bridges rather than blowing them up would give Al Qaeda recruiters fits."
Wednesday, October 22, 2008
$150,000 for Palin's wardrobe, make-up
Hey, Joe Sixpack! Your Snow Job Barbie just spent $150,000 on a new wardrobe, hair and makeup. No wonder she looks so good!
"Spending records filed with the Federal Election Commission and obtained by Politico show the RNC paid for "campaign accessories" from upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, where nearly $50,000 was spent, Neiman Marcus, $75,000, and $4,700 for hair and makeup." (Read it here)
Ah, the common touch. Of course she's one of us.
By the way, the lies she's spreading about "socialism" are silly, though she may not have the horsepower to understand the issue. Obama is trying to give the middle class a tax break. From income taxes, payroll taxes, etc. Bush gave tax breaks to the rich. Obama wants to roll those back a bit, and give a tax break to the rest of us.
That's all. She is utterly unqualified to be president, and if McCain is elected, there is a one-in-five chance she will be, since he is old and has had cancer.
"Spending records filed with the Federal Election Commission and obtained by Politico show the RNC paid for "campaign accessories" from upscale department stores such as Saks Fifth Avenue, where nearly $50,000 was spent, Neiman Marcus, $75,000, and $4,700 for hair and makeup." (Read it here)
Ah, the common touch. Of course she's one of us.
By the way, the lies she's spreading about "socialism" are silly, though she may not have the horsepower to understand the issue. Obama is trying to give the middle class a tax break. From income taxes, payroll taxes, etc. Bush gave tax breaks to the rich. Obama wants to roll those back a bit, and give a tax break to the rest of us.
That's all. She is utterly unqualified to be president, and if McCain is elected, there is a one-in-five chance she will be, since he is old and has had cancer.
Thursday, October 16, 2008
"Joe the Plumber" already owes taxes
Too bad John McCain -- again -- didn't do his homework before the last debate.
(1) "Joe the Plumber" is not a licensed plumber (read it here)
(2) "Joe the Plumber" owes unpaid taxes (read it here).
(3) "Joe the Plumber" even if he was a plumber, and bought the business, probably would not pay any more taxes under Obama's tax plan, and might even have his taxes reduced. (read it here).
McCain has a history of launching off on a half-backed course of action based on shoddy investigation (see Palin, Sarah; Keeting, Charles; Deregulation of banks). This is another example. Or it's another example of McCain campaign fiction, like the Ayer's flap.
Obama's tax plan would give most of us tax breaks paid for by simply rolling back the tax breaks George Bush and John McCain gave to the super rich six years ago (breaks to John McCain by the way, which is why they are hiding Cindy's tax returns). McCain has transferred wealth from the working man to the corporate elite.
It's time for a president who will make America strong, not simply bleed the middle class while denying the rest of us opportunity. We need Obama.
(1) "Joe the Plumber" is not a licensed plumber (read it here)
(2) "Joe the Plumber" owes unpaid taxes (read it here).
(3) "Joe the Plumber" even if he was a plumber, and bought the business, probably would not pay any more taxes under Obama's tax plan, and might even have his taxes reduced. (read it here).
McCain has a history of launching off on a half-backed course of action based on shoddy investigation (see Palin, Sarah; Keeting, Charles; Deregulation of banks). This is another example. Or it's another example of McCain campaign fiction, like the Ayer's flap.
Obama's tax plan would give most of us tax breaks paid for by simply rolling back the tax breaks George Bush and John McCain gave to the super rich six years ago (breaks to John McCain by the way, which is why they are hiding Cindy's tax returns). McCain has transferred wealth from the working man to the corporate elite.
It's time for a president who will make America strong, not simply bleed the middle class while denying the rest of us opportunity. We need Obama.
Sarah's rapture
There have been a few -- too few -- opportunities to see Sarah Palin in her natural habitat. A couple were presented last week by Jon Stewart, possibly lifted from UTube, but I can't find them, now.
One that disturbs most profoundly was captured when Palin answered a question about whether she had seen the second debate between Obama and McCain. She wrinkled her nose in what would otherwise be an expression of pain, tossed back her head with her eyes closed and said McCain "did awsome."
This mannerism, "rapture rhetoric," is not uncommon among elements of the right. It is a form of communication not unlike "gangsta speak" of ghetto Blacks. The painful expression indicates total emotional capitulation. It communicates a context more revealing than the words themselves.
We have seen this in a few of Palin's other displays. When she prepares a "gotcha," she tips her head to one side and wrinkles her nose and pretends with a look of disgust to ask a question. She is really making a "holier-than-thou" accusation. She looks and sounds like the middle school girl too popular to ever be wrong.
This is what her handlers (seasoned Bush professionals) are hiding. And for good reason. They know if the world were to see this woman as she is, there would be great dismay about the judgement of John McCain, an old man who has had cancer, for his choice of who to put next in line as president.
One that disturbs most profoundly was captured when Palin answered a question about whether she had seen the second debate between Obama and McCain. She wrinkled her nose in what would otherwise be an expression of pain, tossed back her head with her eyes closed and said McCain "did awsome."
This mannerism, "rapture rhetoric," is not uncommon among elements of the right. It is a form of communication not unlike "gangsta speak" of ghetto Blacks. The painful expression indicates total emotional capitulation. It communicates a context more revealing than the words themselves.
We have seen this in a few of Palin's other displays. When she prepares a "gotcha," she tips her head to one side and wrinkles her nose and pretends with a look of disgust to ask a question. She is really making a "holier-than-thou" accusation. She looks and sounds like the middle school girl too popular to ever be wrong.
This is what her handlers (seasoned Bush professionals) are hiding. And for good reason. They know if the world were to see this woman as she is, there would be great dismay about the judgement of John McCain, an old man who has had cancer, for his choice of who to put next in line as president.
Sunday, October 12, 2008
Is Palin a bigot ?
Sarah Palin quoted an anti-semite, Westbrook Pegler, in her speech at the Republican convention.
Her speech referred to "a writer," when she spoke of small towns. The writer was Pegler, who talked hopefully of the assassination of Franklin Roosevelt, and of Bobby Kennedy. Pegler, who loved small towns where there were no Jews, few Blacks.
This puts her recent comments about Barrak Obama in a different perspective. It puts her linking Obama (when he was 8 years old) to a Viet Nam "terrorist" (an old hippie now a prof at the University of Illinois active in education) in a different perspective. She is fanning the flames of extremism not just for political gain, but because she quotes anti-semites and says of Obama "This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," (them's who's different than us) should not lead this country.
Is Sarah Palin a bigot with a pretty smile? We don't need that nastiness with a one-in-five chance at being president (McCain is old, he has had cancer, and Republicans are hiding his health records). We have problems to solve.
We need Obama to give tax breaks to the middle class, not just the rich who own seven hosues like McCain. We need Obama to craft a health care policy that is fair to all Americans, not just those who have jobs with the decreasing number of employers providing insurance. We need Obama to lead America back to its feet economically, an America ready to become again the powerful nation that reflects the American people.
Her speech referred to "a writer," when she spoke of small towns. The writer was Pegler, who talked hopefully of the assassination of Franklin Roosevelt, and of Bobby Kennedy. Pegler, who loved small towns where there were no Jews, few Blacks.
This puts her recent comments about Barrak Obama in a different perspective. It puts her linking Obama (when he was 8 years old) to a Viet Nam "terrorist" (an old hippie now a prof at the University of Illinois active in education) in a different perspective. She is fanning the flames of extremism not just for political gain, but because she quotes anti-semites and says of Obama "This is not a man who sees America like you and I see America," (them's who's different than us) should not lead this country.
Is Sarah Palin a bigot with a pretty smile? We don't need that nastiness with a one-in-five chance at being president (McCain is old, he has had cancer, and Republicans are hiding his health records). We have problems to solve.
We need Obama to give tax breaks to the middle class, not just the rich who own seven hosues like McCain. We need Obama to craft a health care policy that is fair to all Americans, not just those who have jobs with the decreasing number of employers providing insurance. We need Obama to lead America back to its feet economically, an America ready to become again the powerful nation that reflects the American people.
Reagan Palled Around with Terrorists, Too
(Update: Apparently Hekmatyar refused Reagan's invitation.) It was back in 1985 that (Reagan) invited Gulbuddin Hekmatyar, then a key Mujahadin leader (and major Islamo-fascist, as some might call him), at the White House. (Read it here).
"Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer."
McCain = Bush,
Palin = Cheney.
Enough = enough.
"Keep your friends close. Keep your enemies closer."
McCain = Bush,
Palin = Cheney.
Enough = enough.
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