Saturday - May 28, 2011
handouts for africa do not help
And speaking of Africa and aid to that place. Here’s an interesting note and it even compliments Wardmom’s comments on a previous post.
Call me Dave (Cameron), the Brit PM wants to increase foreign aid not just to the cause of the “Arab Spring” but more for Africa and poor countries.
How nice when one can be generous with other peoples money. But then, that’s what politicians do.
But this caught my eye, and how could it not? “Handouts are making Africa a spoilt child.” Well, well. What’s this?
Mandela aide: Lavish handouts are making Africa the ‘spoilt child of the planet’
By JASON GROVES
Lavish aid to Africa is turning the continent into a ‘spoilt child’, according to the head of a charity backed by Nelson Mandela.
Mike Kendrick, founder of the respected Mineseeker Foundation, warned that aid often increased the hardship faced by the world’s poorest people.
In a devastating verdict, he told the Daily Mail last night: ‘I sometimes use the analogy of a spoilt child. We have all seen rich parents give their child everything they need, without earning it.
‘Africa is a spoilt child of the planet. It is not their fault. It is ours.
‘It is completely pointless and totally detrimental to spend endless billions on projects that are well intentioned but badly thought out and poorly implemented.
‘The current government is apparently determined to repeat the mistakes of the former one.’
Mr Kendrick decided to speak out as David Cameron defended of his controversial pledge to increase spending on international aid by 34 per cent while cutting budgets at home.
He is now seeking a meeting with the Prime Minister to discuss his experiences of the impact of aid on developing countries.
The Mineseeker Foundation was established ten years ago with the backing of Sir Richard Branson to help the victims of landmines in former conflict zones, including many parts of Africa.
Mr Kendrick said he had witnessed the failure of international aid at first hand and his views were ‘shared’ by Mr Mandela.
He said that as well as making people dependent on handouts, aid money often undercut local businesses and initiatives.
‘International financial aid, unless specifically targeted toward practical and ongoing projects, is of little use and should be stopped immediately to prevent yet more suffering,’ he added.
‘We need to change lives permanently, not just whilst funds last, and develop sustainable sturdy economies that will transform lives on a long-term basis.
‘The problem is that aid, when badly directed, actually kills people and this is a matter of fact – not opinion. In the past few decades the West has provided several trillion dollars in aid, yet the average African is now twice as poor as he was before all that started.’
Mr Kendrick said that even well-meaning initiatives, such as Gordon Brown’s project to supply £100million of mosquito nets to Africa, could have damaging unintended consequences.
‘I doubt he realised that in doing so he was committing many hundreds of people into a poverty trap that would possibly reduce them to starvation.
‘Making and repairing mosquito nets is one of the few remaining cottage industries in Africa and by dumping millions of dollars worth of nets in various areas it simply shut all of those local businesses down.’
Mr Kendrick is pioneering a series of ‘aid-free zones’ in Mozambique to attract investors to directly support local businesses. The first project, to create a major coconut plantation, could eventually sustain 50,000 people and is being set up without a penny of aid.
Mr Kendrick said similar projects could transform Africa in the long term, while aid would never be more than a quick fix.
Posted by peiper
on 05/28/2011 at 02:37 PM
Filed Under: • Africa • Economics •
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Permalink • people who find things to be offended by
Some things just rattle me that might not bother anyone else. So that’s what blogs are for I guess. One of the things anyway.
For example, there’s going to be a WW2 remembrance gathering and a war reenactment somewhere.
You probably aren’t interested and I can’t blame ya for that. Big deal. Americans have reenactments of Civil War battles. Don’t we? Sure we do.
But what if a reenactment of say the battle of Bull Run had a new rule. What if the sponsors suddenly said WAIT! We can have the battle but NOBODY must represent the Southern side. No grey uniforms or Stars and Bars on display. Cos that might offend some people.
What if I told you that were happening? Would you be interested then?
Well ... it is. It’s happening in politically correct Britain where nobody must ever be offended. If only one person finds offense, that’s enough to bring things to a halt. Now this really pisses me off for another reason beside beings stupid or pc. And I’ll get to that in a minute.
Here’s the lighter version of the incredible story as written up by Richard Littlejohn of the Daily Mail.
For you Hans, the war games are overGot anything planned for the bank holiday? Why not pop along to the annual World War II weekend being organised by the East Lancashire Steam Railway.
There will be an air raid shelter, vintage and military vehicles, authentic 1940s fashions, jitterbugging, wartime-inspired food stalls and battle re-enactments.
‘Experience the thrill of battle. fire power at its best. Blitzkreig. enjoy the glamorous charms of Miss Katie Spitfire. swing along to ENSA entertainers. explore an authentic recreation of a military camp.’There’s even a Palais Glide at the Town Hall. Sounds fantastic. What’s not to like?
But my attention is drawn to the ‘Important Notice’ on the event’s website:
‘Due to a large amount of adverse publicity over the past few years with regards to a small number of re-enactors wearing German and Axis officers’ uniforms, we feel it necessary to advise that NO German or Axis uniforms should be worn on any East Lancashire Railway premises, platforms or associated land.
‘We have no wish to cause any offence or upset to any of our visitors. Previous requests on the wearing of uniforms appear not to have been followed. Any persons found to be in breach of this request will immediately be asked to leave the event.’
Raus! Raus!
I’m not sure how you re-enact WWII battles without any Germans. Or why anyone should be offended or upset, unless they think the Nazis will win this time.
But if you are going along to the East Lancs Railway at the weekend, you’d better be on the safe side.Don’t mention the war.
Ha,Ha. Stupid maybe but at the time I read it I also thought it was stupidly funny. I was going to just post the above with a comment but ....
The Lancashire Telegraph and the Saturday Telegraph both ran a fuller version. And that’s when I decided it wasn’t really funny at all.
If a handful of people find something disturbing, they can avoid it and let others get on with things. Oh but no. You see, there are some Jews who like a much disliked cousin I have, are also professional Jews and professionals at being offended. These ass wipes who are an embarrassment beyond measure, will go out seeking things to be offended by. And not only as Jews. Oh no. They’ll find themselves offended on behalf of other people a world away they’ll never meet.
They are also as you might guess, liberals. All of them. But as “offended Jews” these folks shine and are in a class all their own.
They never understand and you can’t tell them because they already know all things. But these particular Jews are the reason so many people just do not like Jews. And that makes it god damn hard on all the rest who aren’t that stupid and who don’t think that a re-enactment with ppl wearing a Nazi uniform is somehow a threat to the race or to the world. I can understand (uncomfortable as it is) why anyone attending this event and getting the word would say, “fuckin Jews.” “Wouldn’t ya know.”
So I’m pissed at the organizers for caving in to a small group that just can’t allow others to have a bit of fun with a war re-enactment, and the constant harping and the inability of some Jews to understand that not everything is aimed at offending and if it does, they need to get the fuck over it. This isn’t 1933.
Nazi uniforms banned from East Lancashire Railway war weekendRAILWAY bosses have declared war on people dressing up in Nazi uniforms during a popular 1940s war weekend.
A ban on visitors wearing Swastikas and SS outfits has been imposed on the East Lancashire Railway after concerns they could offend Holocaust survivors.
Christina Seidel, ELR’s marketing manager, said: “We are asking people not to turn up in German officer or SS uniforms, because we do not want to offend the Jewish community on our doorstep.”The ban was introduced after complaints that a minority had turned up the annual event in SS regalia, with one even impersonating Hitler’s henchman Herman Goerring.
Officials from the Greater Manchester Jewish Represenative Council (GJRC) have been lobbying the ELR after receiving complaints regarding last year’s celebrations.Lucille Cohen, GJRC secretary, said: “I am very gratified that they taken into account the correspondence we have had with them.
“There are a number of people in this area who suffered at the hands of the Nazis during the way and the Holocaust, which should be taken into account.”
Other complaints included a jeep arriving draped in a red swastika flag.Mock battles will still take place at Bury, Rawtenstall and Ramsbottom stations over the weekend between ‘Allied’ and ‘Axis’ volunteer troops.
Notices posted in the official programme state that the ban has been imposed because warnings, in previous years, have been ignored.
David Harris, editor of the Jewish Telegraph, said: “The wearing of a Nazi uniform is not only deeply offensive to Jewish people, for obvious reasons, but to anyone who fought in the last world war or was tortured in prisoner of war camps.“There have been instances of Holocaust survivors, passing the railway, who have been confronted by people wearing Nazi uniforms and it has been deeply distressing.
“Why bother dressing in a Nazi uniform for a re-enactment?
Because you dumb stupid thin skinned shit, it’s a re-enactment of WW2. But you don’t catch on to that apparently. World war, get it? Two sides? Two uniforms?
“It is fair enough to have British servicemen, because they would not be out of place, but no Nazis ever made it to this country.”
(well actually dumb shit, a few did. they were caught. but a few did get here. you might know that if your reading of history weren’t restricted to only one topic.)
County Alyson Barnes, leader of Rossendale Council, said: “The railway clearly has some very real concerns.
“I hope this does not detract from the whole exercise or affect anyone’s enjoyment of the weekend.”
County councillor Peter Evans, who represents Rossendale West, was a wartime evacuee from Manchester who said he appreciated the sensitivities of protesters.
It’s worth visiting the source for the comments.
Posted by peiper
on 05/28/2011 at 01:22 PM
Filed Under: • Politically Correct B.S. • Stoopid-People • UK •
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Permalink • LyndonB here at bmews sparked this post with a comment he made
On the subject of immigration and scum like ppl, LyndonB said the following.
The dregs and dross of humanity, all eager to exploit Britains insane welfare and human rights giveaway. I wish we could have shipped them off to Kuala Lumper or even just back to Fwance.
Posted by LyndonB
Reading papers and seeing things like some letters written by anti-Americans with poison pens, or keyboards as the case is. Kinda gets ones dander up, especially when someone writes how dumb Americans are (Friday Telegraph) and how much smarter they are here. Yeah … really smart. Wife says I shouldn’t allow jerks to get under my collar but it’s hard to avoid.
And an editor who writes that America doesn’t understand the rule of law and drags up Gitmo yet again. Like it’s his fraken business.
He should be writing editorials about a man whose job it was to torture people while working for that crooked, thieving. killer creep, Robert Mugabe.
Here’s a guy who really enjoyed his work, which included pulling out his victim’s teeth with pliers. I’ll get to him (Phillip Machemedze) in another moment or two.
It was announced yesterday that a former Serb general (Ratko Mladic), has been arrested on a warrant by the UN war crimes tribunal. He’s been free now and in hiding for 16 years. But Serbia dearly wants to become an EU member and so they allowed his capture. They deny this of course and say they’ve been looking all this time, and found him cos he was betrayed. Fine. I don’t much care. But it occurs to me that killing and torture alone is nothing. It’s numbers that count.
Killing and torture as practised by Machemedze in small numbers are okay.
Killing on a higher scale as alleged done by Mladic are naughty and won’t be tolerated, and the UN will have you arrested for crimes against humanity.
So then, Mladic will be extradited as per the gas bags and holy men and women of the high court on the UN …. while Machemedze who is ill and is HIV positive, is given asylum here in Britain. Oh yeah. And medical benefits courtesy of the NHS.
His wife and a kid have asylum and they’re gonna bring in two other kiddies left behind in Zimbabwe, thus adding another family to the burden of tax paying white people Nice.
So, how smart is this?
Mugabe torturer given asylum in Britain… and yes it’s in case he’s tortured back in Zimbabwe
By JACK DOYLE and CHRISTIAN GYSINA thug who carried out horrific acts of torture for Zimbabwean dictator Robert Mugabe has been allowed to live in Britain – to protect his human rights.
An immigration tribunal found Phillip Machemedze inflicted terrible injuries on political opponents of the vile Mugabe regime.But despite ruling he was involved in ‘savage acts of extreme violence’ – including smashing a man’s jaw with a pair of pliers – immigration judges said he could not be deported.
They said the 46-year-old, who is HIV positive, could himself face torture if he was returned home, having turned his back on Mugabe’s Zanu PF regime.
Both he and his wife – who was granted asylum – can stay in Britain indefinitely.Machemedze worked as a bodyguard to a senior Zanu PF minister, as part of Mugabe’s feared Central Intelligence Organisation.
Court documents exposed the horrendous crimes he committed as a state-sponsored torturer.The tribunal heard he smashed one victim’s jaw with a pair of pliers, before pulling out a tooth.
Another victim, a farmer accused of supporting the rival Movement for Democratic Change, was shocked with electric cables, slapped, beaten and punched unconscious.Judge David Archer said: ‘I find the respondent has produced a compelling case that the first appellant has committed crimes against humanity.
‘I reject his claim that he was acting under duress. The first appellant was deeply involved in savage acts of extreme violence.’
He added: ‘I find that the appellant’s protected rights under Articles 2 and 3 of the Human Rights Convention will be breached by returning him to Zimbabwe.
‘Those rights are absolute and whatever crimes he has committed, he cannot be returned to face the highly likely prospect of torture and execution without trial.’
MOUNTING COSTS OF HIV TREATMENT
The cost of treating someone with HIV in the UK is estimated to be around £18,000 per year when they are not showing any symptoms.
This is based on the price of care as well as triple-drug antiretroviral therapy.
However, it costs £21,500 to treat patients who are showing symptoms and £41,000 for those with full-blown AIDS.
Patients who have four drugs cost the NHS between £22,775 and £48,000 per year.
Why aren’t the acts of ppl like this enough to put them beyond such considerations?
Posted by peiper
on 05/28/2011 at 12:43 PM
Filed Under: • Judges-Courts-Lawyers • UK •
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Permalink • Bait
In case you haven’t noticed, I’ve been re-reading Steven Brust’s Vlad Taltos books. This quote comes from book eight, Dragon:
“It seems to be the cause of all this unpleasantness; either the weapon, or the fact that he stole it, or…”
She waited. “Yes? Or?”
“Or something entirely different that I have no clue about. I always have to include that as one of the possibilities.”
She looked at me. “Well, you seem to be out of danger, and I have better ways to spend my time than to be interrogated by a Jhereg, so you’ll have to excuse me.”
“Hugs and kisses to you, too.”
She gave me a glance and floated out of the room. I carefully sat up, discovered that doing so hurt, and began looking around for my clothing.
“On the little table at the foot of the bed, Boss. You’re going to need a new shirt, and your trousers have some bloodstains.”
“All right. Feel like shopping?”
“Going to buy me something?”
“Like what?”
“Catnip.”
“Catnip? Does catnip affect you? When did you––?”
“Probably not. But I don’t want to eat it myself.”
“Then why––?”
“Bait,” said Loiosh.
Loiosh, Vlad’s pet venemous dragon, likes cats. Who knew? Oh yes, just to make it clear, Vlad ‘talks’ to Loiosh psionically. Their conversations are always in italics.
Posted by Christopher
on 05/28/2011 at 04:50 AM
Filed Under: • Literature •
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Permalink • Friday - May 27, 2011
Scientific conversions
Flapjawman sends this from Afghanistan!
Scientific Conversions
1. Ratio of an igloo’s circumference to its diameter = Eskimo Pi
2. 2000 pounds of Chinese soup = Won ton
3. 1 millionth of a mouthwash = 1 microscope
4. Time between slipping on a peel and smacking the pavement = 1 bananosecond
5. Weight an evangelist carries with God = 1 billigram
6. Time it takes to sail 220 yards at 1 nautical mile per hour = Knotfurlong
7. 16.5 feet in theTwilight Zone = 1 Rod Serling
8. Half of a large intestine = 1 semicolon
9. 1,000,000 aches = 1 megahurtz
10. Basic unit of laryngitis = 1 hoarsepower
11. Shortest distance between two jokes = A straight line
12. 453.6 graham crackers = 1 pound cake
13. 1 million-million microphones = 1 megaphone
14. 2 million bicycles = 2 megacycles
15. 365.25 days = 1 unicycle
16. 2000 mockingbirds = 2 kilomockingbirds
17. 52 cards = 1 decacards
18. 1 kilogram of falling figs = 1 FigNewton
19. 1000 milliliters of wet socks = 1 literhosen
20. 1 millionth of a fish = 1 microfiche
21. 1 trillion pins = 1 terrapin
22. 10 rations = 1 decoration
23. 100 rations = 1 C-ration
24. 2 monograms = 1 diagram
25. 4 nickels = 2 paradigms
26. 2.4 statute miles of intravenous surgical tubing at Yale University Hospital = 1 IV League
27. 100 Senators = Not 1 decision
Posted by Christopher
on 05/27/2011 at 04:57 PM
Filed Under: • Fun-Stuff •
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Permalink • What, so soon?
Another Crowder. Already!
Posted by Drew458
on 05/27/2011 at 02:37 PM
Filed Under: • Humor •
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Permalink • For every rule, an exception
Rule 5 Friday
Rule 5.01 Some links are not for Christopher.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/27/2011 at 01:48 PM
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy • Humor •
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Permalink • a quick and amusing story. not too amusing for some though.
£900,000 State coach made for the Queen ‘missing’A £900,000 handmade state coach designed as a gift for the Queen’s 80th birthday has vanished in Australia.
OK Drew, what did you do with the Queen’s coach? She wants it back.
By Bonnie Malkin, Sydney 11:17AM BST 26 May 2011
The jewel-encrusted 2.75 tonne black carriage, made with $250,000 (£161,000) of Australian taxpayers’ money, was supposed to be delivered in 2006, but government officials have admitted they have no idea where it is.
The coach, named Britannia, is decorated with 24 diamonds, 130 sapphires and 400 books of gold leaf and is estimated to be worth a total of A$1.5 million (£900,000).
It was made by monarchist Jim Frecklington and is said to feature fragments of more than 100 British historical artefacts including timber from Henry VIII’s flagship the Mary Rose, a piece of the 1760 doorway from 10 Downing Street and gold from Admiral Nelson’s crown from the Battle of Trafalgar.
While he was prime minister, John Howard committed $250,000 worth of public money to the project to support “Australian craftsmanship”.
Two years ago Mr Frecklington said the coach was ready and awaiting shipment to Britain, but under questioning in a Senate inquiry on Wednesday, government officials admitted that they do not know where the coach is and had never inspected it.
“Someone could have absconded with it,” Senator John Faulker told the inquiry “Is there any hope that the carriage will be presented to Her Majesty by the time she is 90?”
Mr Frecklington has insisted that the coach, which was not commissioned by the royal household and therefore will not be an official royal carriage, is not missing but would not elaborate on its whereabouts.
“It’s ready to go, “ he told the Sydney Daily Telegraph. “You will see more of it soon.” Mr Frecklington also designed the Australian State Coach, which was given to the Queen on behalf of the Australian people for the Bicentennial in 1988.
Posted by peiper
on 05/27/2011 at 12:36 PM
Filed Under: • News-Briefs •
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Permalink • un race commy-sar brands australia racist. screw the un.
The UN just has to stick it’s big nose into everyone’s business in the holy name of ‘rights.’
Guess who da new racists be.
AUSTRALIANS
Yeah. How about that? I wish the head of state would look the commissioner in the eye and just say .... “up yours.”
The Prime Minister .... Doin’ her job trying to protect her country.
But the commissioner doesn’t approve.
Well ...
‘Racist’ Australia compared to Apartheid South Africa by UN Human Rights commissioner
By DAILY MAIL REPORTER· Prime Minister, Julia Gillard, unlikely to change policy
· Aboriginals make up 2 per cent of Australian populationThe United Nations’ top human rights watchdog has attacked Australia’s tough refugee policies and the treatment of outback Aborigines, saying there was a strong undercurrent of racism in the country.
According to UN Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay, long-standing policies of locking up asylum seekers had ‘cast a shadow over Australia’s human rights record’, and appeared to be completely arbitrary.
‘I come from South Africa and lived under this, and am every way attuned to seeing racial discrimination,’ she said.
U.N. Human Rights Commissioner Navi Pillay claims that the Australian government does not do enough to support Aborigines, who make up 2 per cent of the population.
The 69-year-old is a former anti-apartheid campaigner and international criminal court judge, and she was speaking to reporters at the end of a six-day visit.
‘There is a racial discriminatory element here which I see as rather inhumane treatment of people, judged by their differences, racial, colour or religions,’ she said yesterday.
Before she left Pillay held talks with Prime Minister Julia Gillard and expressed deep concern about the minority Labor government’s latest plan to send hundreds of asylum seekers to Malaysia for refugee processing, hoping to appease voter concern about asylum seekers arriving by boat.
The government has been struggling to handle the flow of illegal immigrants and earlier this month said it had struck a deal with Kuala Lumpur to ensure asylum-seekers caught heading to Australia would be sent to Malaysia, which is not a signatory of the U.N. refugee convention.More than 900 people, mostly from Afghanistan, Iraq, Iran and Sri Lanka, have arrived in Australia so far this year.
A total of 134 boats carrying 6,535 people turned up last year, prompting the government to harden immigration policy.
While Pillay’s criticism may cause Australia some discomfort internationally, it is unlikely to convince Gillard or her conservative political opponents to change tack, given polls showing wide voter concern about border security.
She also criticised an ‘intervention’ policy.
It was introduced by the former conservative government and continued by Gillard.
It places controls on welfare spending for Aborigines to help fight alcohol and child sex abuse in remote outback areas.
‘In my discussions with Aboriginal people, I could sense the deep hurt and pain that they have suffered because of government policies that are imposed on them,’ she said.
Australia’s 460,000 Aborigines make up about 2 per cent of the population.
They suffer higher rates of unemployment, substance abuse and domestic violence than other Australians, as well as having a 17-year gap in life expectancy.
Posted by peiper
on 05/27/2011 at 11:10 AM
Filed Under: • Racism and race relations •
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Permalink • strike up the band …
I’m not certain anyone can blame Obama for this wee bit of embarrassment. But someone in his support group dropped the ball.
It reads like I suspect is a case where everybody co-operates and understands how it’s supposed to work, but no. Americans for some dumb reason were not on the same page. Our side just wouldn’t play by the rules on this one. And it was so darn easy to do.
Take a look.
Source is the Mail but there isn’t any link I could find. So I copied out of paper.
AND THE BAND PLAYED ONThey may have praised the ‘special relationship’, but bi-lateral relations weren’t entirely in tune at the state banquet held in Buckingham Palace.
The band accidently started playing the national anthem over the end of Obama’s speech on Tuesday night.The slip-up happened when the orch. of the 1st Scots Guard Battalion piped up with God Save The Queen from the ballroom balcony prematurely, assuming Mr. Obama had finished speaking when he picked up his glass to toast the Queen.
In fact, he was only beginning his concluding remarks, in which he quoted Shakespeare. CLearly bemused, Mr. Obama soldiered on as the band played.
Here’s how it happened.
The band are normally given copies of both the Queen’s speech and that of her guest of honour so they know when to start playing. BUT ...
The Americans refused to hand over a copy of theirs, so the band was forced to guess when to strike up.
-30-
she has nothing at all to do with the story but I thought you might like something nice to look at, and I thought she’s cute.
more later ...
Posted by peiper
on 05/27/2011 at 10:50 AM
Filed Under: • Miscellaneous •
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Permalink • Masquerade
a quick post for CBullit
Masquerade!
Paper faces on parade.
Masquerade!
Hide your face, so the world will never find you!
Masquerade!
Every face a different shade.
Masquerade!
Look around - there’s another mask behind you!
- Phantom of the Opera
sometimes a hat will work just as well
but when everyone else is all made up fancy with hats and masks
the natural look stands out in the crowd
Posted by Drew458
on 05/27/2011 at 09:08 AM
Filed Under: • Eye-Candy •
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Permalink • Thursday - May 26, 2011
NJ Bows Out From Carbon Credit Scam
TRENTON, N.J. — Republican Gov. Chris Christie says New Jersey will exit a 10-state regional greenhouse gas reduction program by the end of the year.
Christie says the program is ineffective at combatting global warming.
“The whole system is not working as it was intended to work. It is a failure,” the governor said Thursday.
The announcement thrilled conservatives, who have been after governors in Northeast states to abandon the effort to limit greenhouse gas emissions by having companies pay for their fossil fuel output.
New Jersey has been in the program reduce carbon dioxide pollution since 2008.
Besides New Jersey, participating states include Connecticut, Delaware, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, Rhode Island and Vermont.
Governor Christie, making another stride to bring his state out of the morass. Forcing businesses to pay for their CO2 output is just one more reason for them to flee the state, taking jobs and tax revenue with them.
An updated version of the article, in which the title has changed to “EPA asks NJ to reconsider leaving emissions pact”:
New Jersey is dropping out of the Northeast’s program to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, Republican Gov. Chris Christie announced Thursday, calling the pact a failure at cutting pollution and a burden to taxpayers.
The decision to withdraw from the 10-state cap-and-trade program at the end of the year marks a turnaround for New Jersey, a heavily industrialized state that was an early backer of efforts to curb the heat-trapping gases blamed for global warming.
Environmentalists were dismayed, while conservatives were thrilled.
“This program is not effective in reducing greenhouse gases and is unlikely to be in the future,” said Christie, a first-term governor and rising GOP star who has been widely mentioned as potential presidential candidate because of his combative stands on teacher unions, government spending and taxes. “It is a failure.”
The federal Environmental Protection Agency urged him to reconsider.
“This is a disappointing step given New Jersey’s legacy of leadership on environmental issues,” said EPA spokesman Brendan Gilfillan. The EPA’s administrator, Lisa Jackson, was chief of New Jersey’s environmental agency when the state joined the pact, which went into effect in 2008.
Christie is just the latest Republican governor to announce that his state would withdraw from a regional pact to reduce greenhouse gases. Similar agreements in the West and Midwest are struggling. And efforts by the Obama administration to establish a national cap-and-trade program have failed in Congress.
Lisa Jackson was an utter failure as NJ enviro head, making a total mess of several superfund clean up sites and so forth. She was one of Obama’s earliest appointments. Look her up; I’m sure she’s doing as bang-up a job for the feds as she did for our state. Her main qualification seems to be her ability to toe the Green line. As Charlie Sheen would say, “Winning!”
Note the bias in the article from the NY Post here - environmentalists are dismayed, but conservatives are thrilled. Because there is no such thing as a pro-environment Conservative you know. We all run around setting forests on fire, digging our own open pit mines with double extra run off, specialize in mass fawn killing, and so forth. If it’s green, kill it, rape it, burn it.
The cap-and-trade pact “does nothing more than tax electricity, tax our citizens, tax our businesses with no discernible or measurable impact upon our environment,” Christie said. Residential customers in states that participate in the pact paid an average of about 73 cents extra on their monthly electric bill to fund the program. [ Drew: that’s about $50 million per year in NJ ]
Jeff Tittel, director of the New Jersey Sierra Club, disputed the governor’s assessment of the pact’s effectiveness, saying it is working as designed.
He said New Jersey’s greenhouse gas emissions from electric power plants had declined 10 percent since 2009. He said the pact was responsible for creating 18,000 jobs in the region and generating $2.3 billion in economic benefits.
Is that right? How many of those 18,000 jobs are in the private sector Mr. Tittel? What? None? Seriously, how many?? And a government program with an immediate 82-to-1 economic payback? And we haven’t heard of this fantastic level of success every hour of every day? Who are you trying to fool, fool?
An actual NJ newspaper, the Bergen Record, explains how the RGGI thing works much better than the NY Post did:
New Jersey is dropping out of the nation’s largest regional effort to reduce greenhouse gases in a move announced by Governor Christie Thursday that was praised by business groups and criticized by environmental advocates.
Ah, at least we now know who those “conservatives” are: business groups, the people who give other people jobs!
“RGGI has not changed behavior and it does not reduce emissions,” Christie said at a news conference in Trenton.
“RGGI does nothing more than tax electricity, tax our citizens, tax our businesses, with no discernable or measurable impact upon our environment,” he said.
Christie’s decision to withdraw by year’s end comes after similar efforts in New Hampshire, Maine and Delaware were met with resistance in recent weeks. New Jersey is the first state to stop [step?] out of the program and some environmentalists fear Christie’s decision could provide momentum for other states to withdraw.
Ah ha! Now we’re getting somewhere!
The move was applauded by business leaders who said RGGI, a cap-and-trade program, drives up energy rates because energy producers who are by forced to buy credits for the carbon they emit pass that cost along to their customers.
“High energy costs, like taxes, just make New Jersey a tougher state in which to do business,” said Philip Kirschner, president of the New Jersey Business & Industry Association.
Today’s announcement is a victory for Americans for Prosperity, a conservative advocacy group that has waged much of the opposition in New Jersey and other states.
“By pulling the plug on New Jersey’s participation in the RGGI cap and trade scheme, Governor Christie has stood up for New Jersey’s struggling taxpayers and sent a strong signal that New Jersey is, once again, open for business,” said Steve Lonegan, AFP’s state director and a former mayor of Bogota.
Steve Lonegan, my hero. He ran for Governor in the GOP primary against Christie and lost. While the rest of the country is watching the news, going “Wow, that Christie in New Jersey sure seems like a smart and fearless Conservative!”, compared to Lonegan he’s a spineless Democrat. Lonegan is ... ferocious. Oh don’t get me wrong, Chris Christie’s doing an Ok job. But Steve Lonegan would have almost started a revolution by now. Pure awesomeness.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/26/2011 at 09:20 PM
Filed Under: • Climate-Weather •
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Permalink • Jose Guerena: not much for me to add
There is not much left for me to add to the story you’ve probably already read a dozen articles on. I’ve been reading and researching for over a week now, and it stinks. This is at least my third attempt to write this post, but I don’t know where to begin. Absolutely wrong 8-1 decision by the Supreme Court seems to gut the 4th Amendment. Even Scalia signed on. Lunatic liberal as Sheriff. Militarization of the police. Disinterested media. Jack booted thugs. Racism? Just another damned Mexicano, so who cares? The whole damn country should be screaming from the rooftops demanding a fully transparent investigation from the highest levels of state government. Yet 3 weeks after the event, pretty much all we have is “nothing to see here, move along.” There should be major media pieces, with graphics, time lines, coroner’s report diagrams, photographs and interviews ... and there haven’t really been. Oh, there’s been some. But they haven’t dug down deep enough.
On May 5, Tuscon citizen and USMC veteran Jose Guerena was killed in his own home by a multi-departmental SWAT team under the jurisdiction of infamous Sheriff Dupnik. In an absolutely stellar display of police marksmanship he was hit 60 times from 71 shots fired in about 7 seconds by 5 officers, who panic reacted when one of their own shot first. While his wife and small son hid in a closet and called 911, who dicked about and wasted at least 15 minutes before sending an ambulance. Which the police refused access to Guerena for an hour and 15 minutes. And that’s about the only real facts that we have, because the bullshit and the CYA began almost immediately thereafter.
Please, if you haven’t read about this story, go here to the Huffington Post and spend a few minutes reading Radley Balko’s essay. It’s long, but this iteration covers almost all the details.
Almost all. One point it misses which I’ve seen elsewhere, is that the police refused to allow the EMS crew into the house because they felt that they had a barricade situation. This is a crock. You’re going to have to do some of your own Googling, because I’ve lost track of most of the dozens and dozens of articles I’ve read on this. There are thousands of them. Find the ones written by Ghost32, the ones at Reason, and the original May 6 article and it’s follow ups. Sorry, but I’m just overwhelmed by all of it. The barricade story is just one more of the lies put out by Dupnik’s goons.
Guerena was shot 60 times. He didn’t crawl off anywhere with his gun. He died on the spot. I’m sorry. I know the meme is that the amped up cops cruelly left him to die, but lets get real. The weapons of choice of any SWAT team are the H&K MP5 machine pistol and the M16 (or any of it’s variants, full auto or semi). High velocity 9mm pistol bullets, or 5.56mm military rifle bullets. His body was torn to shreds, obviously. As his wife said in the 911 call, his intestines were all over the floor. So there was no reason at all to deny the EMS crew, but there was nothing for them to do. Even if they’d got there within 3 minutes of the shooting, there would have been nothing for them to do. People just don’t survive 60 bullets. Worst case they bleed out in a couple minutes. Possibly in a handful of seconds.
One article I found said how a reporter had been in the house afterwards and saw the enormous blood puddle in the hallway, sans drag marks. Where’s the picture please? Or the statement that they weren’t allowed to take any. Several others have said how interviews with the neighbors belied the story that the cops showed up with sirens wailing and lights flashing. One mentions how a neighbor was on the phone with his father, when suddenly gunshots rang out ‘pop pop pop’.
Some of the posts I’ve read have conjectured that some of the police fired at him right through the walls of his house. Given thermal imaging this is entirely possible; the typical home construction in America will hardly slow bullets down, much less stop them. But with thermal imaging (which we do not know if the SWAT cops had) it would be very easy to know that there were other people in the house, including a child. And having such gear would really put the lie to the “barricade situation” story. But that “some cops shot through the walls from the side of the house” idea does provide an answer to another unanswered question: how can you fit 5 big burly cops in body armor in the hallway of a small house, or at the doorway, so that they all have a clear line to the target, and NOT have this as a premeditated assassination? You can’t. The SWAT team had to be arrayed in some kind of battle square formation with prone, kneeling, and standing shooters BEFORE they kicked in the door. Lined up like a three tiered firing squad.
About the only thing I can add is that there is a good chance that the SWAT cops never needed to fire a shot, even if they had been shot at. Why? Read the article: they had shields. Now, I don’t know what kind of shields. Obviously not Viking targes, or Roman Scutums, but something modern. Possibly something like the plexiglass affairs the Bobbies used against that machete guy in the UK video Peiper put up the other day, but hey. This is a SWAT team. So my guess is that they had SWAT shields. And those things are bulletproof. Seriously so; they are designed to stop full power military rifle fire. And they’re big enough to hide behind.
So every day it looks more and more like this is the dirtiest cover up ever, engineered by a foaming lefty in charge. The story changes every day. The warrant was sealed 4 days after the event transpired. There is no evidence of any narco trafficking by Guerena, and even the later claim that he was involved in a home invasion ring seems to be little more than slander. I have not heard of any independent investigation being started up from Phoenix.
I would have thought that Sheriff Dupnik would have been canned after his idiotic remarks started a partisan nationwide shitstorm of baseless accusations after the shooting by Jared Loughner back in January. Or placed on leave of absence pending investigation over his own non-action prior to that, since he was well aware of Loughner’s crazy and had ignored it multiple times. And now we’ve got one of the lamest CYAs ever, and that still isn’t enough for the Arizona government to act?
It’s over folks. We live in a police state. At least one state’s high court supports them. And to some extent, so does the Supreme Court. More than 50,000 No Knock Warrants issued every year. No right to defend yourself against illegal entry or home invasion if, afterwards, one they take off their masks, take off their armor, take off their ninja outfits, and turn out to be police. With a sealed warrant you have no right to see. But it’s Ok for them to shoot you on the spot in your own home, even if you haven’t fired a shot in your own defense. 60 times.
Looks like somebody’s “fundamental change” to America is nearly complete.
Posted by Drew458
on 05/26/2011 at 01:25 PM
Filed Under: • Government • Jack Booted Thugs •
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Permalink • Wednesday - May 25, 2011
He’s Dead!
Something Macker said in the comments brought this to mind. Enjoy!
I’m still wondering, where is the orchestra during her dance?
Posted by Christopher
on 05/25/2011 at 10:53 PM
Filed Under: • MOVIES •
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Not that very many people ever read this far down, but this blog was the creation of Allan Kelly and his friend Vilmar. Vilmar moved on to his own blog some time ago, and Allan ran this place alone until his sudden and unexpected death partway through 2006. We all miss him. A lot. Even though he is gone this site will always still be more than a little bit his. We who are left to carry on the BMEWS tradition owe him a great debt of gratitude, and we hope to be able to pay that back by following his last advice to us all:
It's been a long strange trip without you Skipper, but thanks for pointing us in the right direction and giving us a swift kick in the behind to get us going. Keep lookin' down on us, will ya? Thanks.
- Keep a firm grasp of Right and Wrong
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- Keep talking to each other, whether here or elsewhere
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Oh, and here's some kind of visitor flag counter thingy. Hey, all the cool blogs have one, so I should too. The Visitors Online thingy up at the top doesn't count anything, but it looks neat. It had better, since I paid actual money for it.
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