May 22, 2009
— Gabriel Malor The union is fed up with editorials suggesting that part of California's and San Diego's budget problems is caused by overlarge salaries and benefits for public employees. That's no surprise. But the union's power over the newspaper is tenuous at best.
The pension fund of the L.A. police officers and fire fighters is invested in the newspaper's owner to the tune of $30 million. The union claims that makes it part-owner of the newspaper.
"Since the very public employees they continually criticize are now their owners, we strongly believe that those who currently run the editorial pages should be replaced," Weber wrote in a March 26 letter to Platinum CEO Tom Gores.Weber, in an interview, emphasized that the League is not demanding changes in the paper’s news coverage of the issue or in its staff of reporters. "It’s just these people on the opinion side. There is not even an attempt to be even-handed. They’re one step away from saying, ‘these public employees are parasites,’ " Weber said.
The newspaper and its owner, Platinum, told Weber to take a hike. You don't own a company unless you actually own the company. I'm sure the unions can find plenty of pro-parasite editorials up here at the L.A. Times, anyway. Or the Sacramento Bee.
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07:30 AM
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— Gabriel Malor Any excuse to use the Blago-skull:
State sentors voted 59-0 to authorize the attorney general to sue Blagojevich after his criminal trial for "all proceeds traceable to the elected official's offense" on behalf of the state. They're trying to set it up so they can seize the money he makes on a book deal.
"Were not trying to prevent him from making a living. We're trying to prevent him from taking advantage of the people of the state of Illinois," said Sen. Terry Link (D-Vernon Hills), the bill's lead Senate sponsor.Link said the legislation, sponsored by Rep. Jack Franks (D-Woodstock) in the House, would not apply to income former First Lady Patti Blagojevich derives from her role in NBC's jungle-based, reality show, "I'm a Celebrity ... Get Me Out of Here!"
Blagojevich's attorneys counter that the law is "patently unconstitutional" and I tend to agree. Didn't we just have a national conversation about bills of attainder? The bill's supporters say they've modeled the law on other states' laws which prevent criminals from profiting from their crimes. The difference, however, is that this one pretty clearly targets Blagojevich.
Posted by: Gabriel Malor at
07:11 AM
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— Gabriel Malor She is the only governor to turn away stimulus funds for energy efficiency.
State legislators and U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, immediately criticized Palin for turning down the $28.6 million. Legislators, who had voted overwhelmingly to take the money, said it will just go to other states to spend while Alaska could have funded weatherization work and renewable energy projects. They said no other state has rejected it.Palin announced her decision Thursday while signing the state budgets into law. The governor made few other spending vetoes, in contrast with previous years, and accepted the rest of the $930 million in stimulus money that Alaska is eligible for.
Palin said accepting the energy stimulus money would have required the state to follow a federal demand and "entice" local communities to adopt building codes.
The governor believes that building codes are a local issue which should not be subject to federal oversight or reporting. Accepting the money would require Alaska to prepare and submit to the Department of Energy a plan for how it would meet new energy efficiency standards.
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06:58 AM
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— Gabriel Malor Two weeks ago the D.C. Council voted 12 to 1 to recognize gay marriages gay marriages lawfully performed elsewhere (it does not allow gay marriages to be performed in the district). Yesterday, a bipartisan group of congressmen introduced a bill to define marriage in the nation's capital as "the union of one man and one woman."
The lead sponsors of the D.C. Defense of Marriage Act are Reps. Jim Jordan (R-Ohio) and Dan Boren (D-Okla.). The bill has a total of 30 sponsors from both parties."The ideal institution for raising children is family; it is moms and dads," said Jordan yesterday at a Capitol Hill rally, where he was flanked by clergy members and other supporters. "We saw what happened in Iowa. We saw what happened in New Hampshire. And when the D.C. Council did this, this is the national city, this is the national capital of the greatest country in the world, and this is a fight worth getting into, defending that key institution."
If Congress fails to take action by July 6, the D.C. Council resolution becomes law in the district.
From a purely partisan perspective, this will put enormous pressure on the President and Congressional Democrats to make good on their promises about gay marriage. Lefty gays are already pissed that Obama is not moving on his promise to end Don't Ask, Don't Tell. This may be wildly optimistic, but it might be possible to peel some more gays out of the Democratic coallition (27% of gays voted for McCain/Palin).
Posted by: Gabriel Malor at
06:42 AM
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— LauraW It's Fuck it All Friday again.
I ain' doin' shit today, and I suspect you ain' either.
So relax, let that paperwork fester until next week, sit back in your chair, pull the Valu-Rite out of your desk drawer and unbutton your pants. If you happen to be at work, so much the better.
Here, check this out; man arrested for being old-fashioned:
LONDON (Reuters) – A man who tried to hire a prostitute to take his 14-year-old son's virginity as a present was spared jail by a court on Friday.The Polish national took the boy out in his car and allowed him to pick out the prostitute, who was standing at the side of the road in the red-light district of Nottingham.
Judge Jonathan Teare said he would spare the father jail because of his excellent character and that he believed he did not mean any harm to his son. Judge Teare made the unusual gesture of descending from the bench and embracing the man, saying "I wish you had been my daddy," and "That's some kickass old-school parenting, broheim."
Half of that last paragraph might be fabricated.
Got any good weekend plans?
Posted by: LauraW at
06:06 AM
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— Gabriel Malor Just exactly what the headline says:
The talk of a Cabinet post was prompted by an audience member who asked the panel about judicial pay raises -- or the recent lack thereof. Breyer pointed out that even though federal law provides a cost-of-living increase to sitting judges, Congress has consistently voted to cancel the pay hike. The problem isn't the law, he said, but the fact that judges -- even on the high court -- lack political clout."When I was on the Judiciary Committee in the staff, I received a phone call one day from Warren Burger, the chief justice of the United States," Breyer recalled. "And he spoke to me and asked me about a bill that was relevant. I thought after, Why is he calling me? And the reason is that no one else would talk to him."
Breyer argued that despite concerns about separation of powers, there should be "a person with political responsibility" in the Cabinet to express the judiciary's viewpoint directly to the president. He compared the position to that of lord chancellor in England.
When the issue is limited to things like judicial pay increases, (lower) court expansion, and other employment-related issues this seems like no big deal. After all, judges can't unionize and it wouldn't be a bad idea to give them a voice. (Although a Cabinet position for that seems like a major overreach.)
But his suggestion that the purpose of the position would be to make ex parte communications with a frequent litigant in the Supreme Court--"ask about a bill that was relevant", "express the judiciary's viewpoint directly"--he's completely lost his mind. It is the job of the litigants to raise and explore relevant issues. And the judiciary should bee keeping its "viewpoint" to itself. As conservatives have to keep reminding Leftists in black robes, it is not the job of the courts to set policy. The Constitution commits that to Congress and the President.
*Alternative headline suggested by DrewM. He really knows how to express the blog's viewpoint directly.
Posted by: Gabriel Malor at
05:56 AM
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— Gabriel Malor Friday before the long weekend! Wooooooooooo!
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04:08 AM
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May 21, 2009
— Open Blog (Rainbow beam weapons are discussed at the bottom)
Item #1: From the police blotter in Spokane, WA we get the story of a brutal drive-by egging of a car dealership. Or maybe a “walk-by egging”…as it was meant to send A MESSAGE:
”Vandals who egged a Colfax car dealership early Wednesday morning left a note at the scene decrying “the ignorant use of fossil fuels” – a note written on the back of a Winco receipt for 5 dozen eggs. Whitman County Sheriff’s investigators visited the grocery store and reviewed video footage of the egg purchase, which enabled them to identify four suspects. “
Which makes me wonder, do eco-terrorist groups like ELF have something similar to the pledge system that frats do? I bet these guys were wearing beanies when they launched their egg barrage (though beanies made by non-exploited members of a South American mountain/rainforest village out of sheddings from the non-exploited animals they live with woven together with belly lint.) Also, I wonder if there’ll be an outcry which leads to greater “egg control.” (h/t by several people).
Item #2: From the Today Show, via the Dori Monson radio show we learn that Archie is finally going to tie the knot and marry either Betty or Veronica in an upcoming edition. Of course, the Betty vs. Veronica debate has been raging for nearly 70 years now and has often been compared to the similar debate over Mary Ann vs. Ginger (which at certain points in history has ripped families apart and even threatened to tear our entire union asunder.) HereÂ’s how the Archie situation is supposed to go down:
”In the story, Archie has finally graduated from Riverdale High School; in fact, he’s five years older and a college graduate. (We told you this was the apocalypse.) He may even have an actual job when he gets engaged. But to whom? Will it be the elegant Veronica Lodge, daughter of wealth and privilege? Or will it be girl-next-door Betty Cooper?”
Is nothing sacred anymore? What next!?! Does Ritchie Rich suddenly get thrust into puberty?
More below the fold...
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06:42 PM
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— Dave in Texas Will provide another 7.5 beelyon dollars to GM.
With some additional convolutions, because hey, when you're spending serious jack, you can't let the crazy "for God's sake don't do this" speed bumps insist upon you as they do.
The Fed had to waive a rule separating banking and commerce so that GMAC, the former financing arm of GM which recently became a bank holding company, would be able to lend to GM customers. The rule would have blocked it from doing so because GM is a major shareholder in GMAC.
I think this actually helps Michelle's children with their algebra homework.
Gabe mentioned here the dire warning cry.
Message ack.
Posted by: Dave in Texas at
03:57 PM
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— Ace Usually I don't like joke-type jokes.
Thanks to Ricky.
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03:16 PM
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