Tuesday, August 30, 2011
Monday, August 29, 2011
It's probably the wrong time to whine about how hard you have it at $174,000 a year
Everyone complains about their job now and then, and members of Congress are no exception.
A few lawmakers have suggested in recent months that despite a $174,000 annual salary, generous health care and pensions, and perks for things like travel and mail, being one of the elite 435 ain't always what it's cracked up to be. And when you calculate the hours they put in, the pay isn't stellar either, they say.
The Florida Capital News reported last week on a speech Steve Southerland, a Republican representative, gave to a retirement community in Tallahassee in which he complained about some of the parts of his new job:
"He said his $174,000 salary is not so much, considering the hours a member of the House puts in, and that he had to sever ties with his family business in Panama City. Southerland also said there are no instant pensions or free health insurance, as some of his constituents often ask him about in Congress.
"'And by the way, did I mention? They're shooting at us. There is law-enforcement security in this room right now, and why is that?" Southerland told about 125 people in an auditorium at the Westminster Oaks retirement community. "If you think this job pays too much, with those kinds of risks and cutting me off from my family business, I'll just tell you: This job don't mean that much to me. I had a good life in Panama City.'
"...He added that 'if you took the hours that I work and divided it into my pay,' the $174,000 salary would not seem so high."
Southerland, a freshman, ran a family funeral home business in Panama City and earned about $90,000 before joining Congress in January.
His sentiments were not unlike those expressed by Sean Duffy, a Republican representative from Wisconsin, when he said in March it was a "struggle" to pay his mortgage and student loans with his congressional salary. "At this point, I'm not living high on the hog," Duffy, a father of six, said. (Compared to his colleagues, Duffy is one of the least wealthy members of Congress.)
At the height of the debate over a possible government shutdown last spring, Linda Sánchez, a Democratic representative from California, said during an MSNBC interview that she was living "paycheck to paycheck" on her congressional salary. And she wasn't the only one. Renee Ellmers, a Republican representative from North Carolina, was asked if she would forgo her pay in the case of a shutdown. Ellmers declined, saying, "I need my paycheck."
Are times really so tough that even members of Congress are struggling to get by? The numbers suggest otherwise. A recent analysis of congressional pay found that members of Congress earn about 3.4 times the salary of the average American worker. Using that standard, members of Congress are among the highest paid legislators in the developed world.
This talk probably won't help Congress' approval rating. The federal government is the worst-rated industry in the country, viewed favorably by only 17 percent of Americans, according to a new Gallup survey.
- Yahoo news
A few lawmakers have suggested in recent months that despite a $174,000 annual salary, generous health care and pensions, and perks for things like travel and mail, being one of the elite 435 ain't always what it's cracked up to be. And when you calculate the hours they put in, the pay isn't stellar either, they say.
The Florida Capital News reported last week on a speech Steve Southerland, a Republican representative, gave to a retirement community in Tallahassee in which he complained about some of the parts of his new job:
"He said his $174,000 salary is not so much, considering the hours a member of the House puts in, and that he had to sever ties with his family business in Panama City. Southerland also said there are no instant pensions or free health insurance, as some of his constituents often ask him about in Congress.
"'And by the way, did I mention? They're shooting at us. There is law-enforcement security in this room right now, and why is that?" Southerland told about 125 people in an auditorium at the Westminster Oaks retirement community. "If you think this job pays too much, with those kinds of risks and cutting me off from my family business, I'll just tell you: This job don't mean that much to me. I had a good life in Panama City.'
"...He added that 'if you took the hours that I work and divided it into my pay,' the $174,000 salary would not seem so high."
Southerland, a freshman, ran a family funeral home business in Panama City and earned about $90,000 before joining Congress in January.
His sentiments were not unlike those expressed by Sean Duffy, a Republican representative from Wisconsin, when he said in March it was a "struggle" to pay his mortgage and student loans with his congressional salary. "At this point, I'm not living high on the hog," Duffy, a father of six, said. (Compared to his colleagues, Duffy is one of the least wealthy members of Congress.)
At the height of the debate over a possible government shutdown last spring, Linda Sánchez, a Democratic representative from California, said during an MSNBC interview that she was living "paycheck to paycheck" on her congressional salary. And she wasn't the only one. Renee Ellmers, a Republican representative from North Carolina, was asked if she would forgo her pay in the case of a shutdown. Ellmers declined, saying, "I need my paycheck."
Are times really so tough that even members of Congress are struggling to get by? The numbers suggest otherwise. A recent analysis of congressional pay found that members of Congress earn about 3.4 times the salary of the average American worker. Using that standard, members of Congress are among the highest paid legislators in the developed world.
This talk probably won't help Congress' approval rating. The federal government is the worst-rated industry in the country, viewed favorably by only 17 percent of Americans, according to a new Gallup survey.
- Yahoo news
The Obamessiah can't even wing it for 3 minutes?
"I am very pleased to appoint Alan and I look forward to working with him," Obama said, staring at the large, flat-screen monitor to his right, then shifting his eyes to the teleprompter on his left. "I have nothing but confidence in Alan as he takes on this important role as one of the leaders of my economic team."
Krueger stood silently to the right of Obama as the president spoke. Krueger will replace Austan Goolsbee, who recently stepped down as chairman of the White House Council of Economic Advisers. A professor at Princeton University, Krueger served two years in the U.S. Treasury Department under Obama. He also served as chief economic adviser for the Labor Department during the Clinton administration. Obama did not give Krueger a chance to make any comments on Monday.
Even his own people are starting to hate him
A new poll by CNN and ORC International finds that 27 percent of Democrats would like to see their party nominate a candidate other than Barack Obama for president in 2012.
In response to the question, "Do you think the Democratic party should renominate Barack Obama as the party's candidate for president in 2012, or do you think the Democratic party should nominate a different candidate for president in 2012?" -- 72 percent said they wanted to see Obama renominated. But 27 percent, slightly more than one in every four, said they wanted to see Democrats nominate a different candidate. One percent had no opinion.
The poll was taken August 24-25. In a survey taken in early August, 28 percent of Democrats said they wanted a different candidate. Polls taken in July and before showed Obama in a stronger position, with no more than 22 percent saying they preferred a different candidate. The current poll is based on interviews with 463 Democrats and has a margin of error of 4.5 percent.
The new poll is another indication of Democratic unhappiness with the president, but it does not mean Obama will face a challenge in his party's primaries. Despite the complaints of a few liberals like Sen. Bernard Sanders, the odds of a Democrat opposing the president appear to be something less than zero. But the new poll is still a matter of concern to Democrats, because it is yet another indication that there is significant disillusionment with the president within his own party. Whether those disaffected Democrats will come around to supporting Obama next year is an open question -- and perhaps the most worrying of the president's re-election bid.
The Washington Examiner
In response to the question, "Do you think the Democratic party should renominate Barack Obama as the party's candidate for president in 2012, or do you think the Democratic party should nominate a different candidate for president in 2012?" -- 72 percent said they wanted to see Obama renominated. But 27 percent, slightly more than one in every four, said they wanted to see Democrats nominate a different candidate. One percent had no opinion.
The poll was taken August 24-25. In a survey taken in early August, 28 percent of Democrats said they wanted a different candidate. Polls taken in July and before showed Obama in a stronger position, with no more than 22 percent saying they preferred a different candidate. The current poll is based on interviews with 463 Democrats and has a margin of error of 4.5 percent.
The new poll is another indication of Democratic unhappiness with the president, but it does not mean Obama will face a challenge in his party's primaries. Despite the complaints of a few liberals like Sen. Bernard Sanders, the odds of a Democrat opposing the president appear to be something less than zero. But the new poll is still a matter of concern to Democrats, because it is yet another indication that there is significant disillusionment with the president within his own party. Whether those disaffected Democrats will come around to supporting Obama next year is an open question -- and perhaps the most worrying of the president's re-election bid.
The Washington Examiner
Not Uncle Onyango!!!
Barack Obama’s illegal alien Uncle Onyango Obama was arrested in Massachusetts this past week after he hit a cop car. He wanted to call the White House.
Kerry Picket at The Washington Times reported:
- http://www.thegatewaypundit.com
Kerry Picket at The Washington Times reported:
A number of media outlets have already reported that an illegal immigrant from Kenya by the name of Onyango Obama, 67, was arrested last week on Wednesday after he rammed his SUV into a police car in Framingham, Massachusetts.The Boston Herald has more on the arrest.
He was later charged with DUI among other violations. I spoke to Framingham Public Information Officer Lieutenant Delaney who told me that when Onyango Obama was asked at booking if he wanted to make a telephone call to arrange for bail, the Kenyan immigrant replied: “I think I will call the White House.”
- http://www.thegatewaypundit.com
Sunday, August 28, 2011
Never Abandoned
A lone Tomb Sentinel, 3d U.S. Infantry Regiment (The Old Guard), walks his tour in humble reverence during Hurricane Irene in Arlington National Cemetery, Va., Aug 27.
While Hurricane Irene bears down on much of the mid Atlantic states on its way north, and residents of the Washington, D.C. area have been advised to remain indoors, the elite soldiers who are the sentinels at Arlington Cemetery’s Tomb of the Unknowns remain at their posts.
Since taking over the mission on April 6, 1948, Tomb Sentinels from the Army’s 3rd Infantry Regiment’s “The Old Guard” have guarded the Tomb for 24 hours a day, 365 days a year regardless of the weather.
Sentinels trade off marching in front of the tombs that are the final resting place for unknown soldiers from World War I, World War II and the Korean War. The Changing of the Guard at the Tomb is a popular stop for Washington tourists.
- http://weaselzippers.us/
Federal government to reimburse states for Irene damage
NEW YORK (Reuters) - Hurricane Irene could cost U.S. state and local governments billions of dollars in damages, but funds from the federal government might ultimately cover much of this expense.
It is too early to estimate the cost of the storm, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said New Jersey alone may have suffered tens of billions of dollars in damage.
The timing is terrible for municipalities as they dig their way out of their bleakest economic period in decades after the financial crisis and recession sank budgets and forced widespread cuts in expense and increased taxes.
Anyways, the Obamessiah and his boy start screaming wolf over a Category One storm and the millions of dollars and lives at risk, everybody freaks out, and when it's all said and done, the feds are gonna bail them out.
Now the headscratching begins and motherfuckers from the High Gov'ner His Ownself on down to the crackhead on the corner is going to start thinking of all the fucked up shit they had before the storm and now Uncle Barack is going to give them money for shit that wasn't worth much to begin with. Roof leaked during the storm? Here ya go.
Roads that were full of potholes got another one because of the storm? Can't be having that now, go repave that motherfucker and widen it while you're at it. We're buyin'.
Merchandise damaged at your used tire shop during the storm? Valued at $750,000? No problemo, Senor.
You lost business because of the storm? Gotcha covered, man.
Yeah, I can see it now. And every fucking nickel is going to come out of a treasury that was broken (blame Bush, blame Bush) long ago and fucking destroyed by Obamessiah and his gang of thieves. My line of thinking on this is that maybe they should've held off before announcing this. Granted, there was going to be some fleecing anyways but shit, let the waters recede before you start throwing our money away.
But the big question in my camel toe obsessed mind is this: What about letting the fucking insurance that everybody pays (including cities and counties/townships) handle it? I mean, that's what it's for right? But I can see their point too - the insurance companies are going to go crying to the feds for a bailout anyways, so why not just cut out the middle man?
It is too early to estimate the cost of the storm, but New Jersey Governor Chris Christie said New Jersey alone may have suffered tens of billions of dollars in damage.
The timing is terrible for municipalities as they dig their way out of their bleakest economic period in decades after the financial crisis and recession sank budgets and forced widespread cuts in expense and increased taxes.
*****
And you can bet your sweet redneck ass that those damages are gonna be hugely overestimated. That fucking punk Christie is already estimating tens of billions of dollars - that's a joke. If you bulldozed every square inch of New Jersey you'd be hard pressed to come up with 250 bucks worth of damage. I know, I've been there. Twice. Granted, it was just long enough to catch the very next flight out, but still....Anyways, the Obamessiah and his boy start screaming wolf over a Category One storm and the millions of dollars and lives at risk, everybody freaks out, and when it's all said and done, the feds are gonna bail them out.
Now the headscratching begins and motherfuckers from the High Gov'ner His Ownself on down to the crackhead on the corner is going to start thinking of all the fucked up shit they had before the storm and now Uncle Barack is going to give them money for shit that wasn't worth much to begin with. Roof leaked during the storm? Here ya go.
Roads that were full of potholes got another one because of the storm? Can't be having that now, go repave that motherfucker and widen it while you're at it. We're buyin'.
Merchandise damaged at your used tire shop during the storm? Valued at $750,000? No problemo, Senor.
You lost business because of the storm? Gotcha covered, man.
Yeah, I can see it now. And every fucking nickel is going to come out of a treasury that was broken (blame Bush, blame Bush) long ago and fucking destroyed by Obamessiah and his gang of thieves. My line of thinking on this is that maybe they should've held off before announcing this. Granted, there was going to be some fleecing anyways but shit, let the waters recede before you start throwing our money away.
But the big question in my camel toe obsessed mind is this: What about letting the fucking insurance that everybody pays (including cities and counties/townships) handle it? I mean, that's what it's for right? But I can see their point too - the insurance companies are going to go crying to the feds for a bailout anyways, so why not just cut out the middle man?
The Pinkos are at it again - planning an "occupation" of Freedom Square in DC on 10/06
Thanks to Bill for kicking this to me.
Coyote bits from Steve
EASTERN COYOTES ARE DIFFERENT FROM YOUR WESTERN ONES.
When coyotes migrated east they circled around the Great Lakes. Along they way they picked up some wolf DNA. So says the Oct. 2010 issue of National Geographic.
That means is our coyotes are a bit larger than yours. The .223 is the smallest round local hunters use. More and more using the 6.5 & 6.8 mm rounds ... at least from AR platforms.
Still as crafty. Most suburban 'yotes don't howl. No sense in upsetting the local caterers.
The local bicycle trail is a major commuter route for the critters going from open areas in Loudoun County to the dumpster dense environs of Herndon and Reston.
Gun buddy set up an IR game camera to catch the snots running their motor bikes on the bike trail. Along with the punks he got good photos of 4-5 coyotes east bound in the evening and west bound
in early morning.
Early morning bicycle riders have gotten use to seeing a coyote or three sitting in the shadows waiting for the small yippy dogs to accompany their jogging humans. Sort of a buffet that comes to you.
A few weeks ago a pack tried to cut a small child away from a group of kids in a playground. The lone adult was on her Blackberry and it was a Labrador Retriever that busted up the pack. Needless to say that's one Lab who gets prime cut every night.
Our local Canadian Geese population has dropped significantly thanks to the coyotes fondness for their eggs. Oh, ya. Our Hispanic neighbors also do their bit do lower the goose population by eating adults.
WTF?
Obama goes to a primary school to talk to the kids to get a little PR. After his talk he offers question time. One little boy puts up his hand and Obama asks him his name.
" Walter," responds the little boy."And what is your question, Walter?
"I have 4 questions:
First, why did the USA Bomb Libya without the support of the Congress?
Second, why do you keep saying you fixed the economy when it's actually worse?
Third, why did you say that Jeremiah Wright was your mentor, then said that you knew nothing about his preachings and beliefs?
Fourth, why are we so worried about Brazil drilling for oil, but we aren't allowed to?"
Just then, the bell rings for recess. Obama informs the kiddies that they will continue after recess.
When they resume Obama says, "OK, where were we? Oh, that's right: question time.. Who has a question?"
Another little boy puts up his hand. Obama points him out and asks him his name.
"Steve," he responds.
"And what is your question, Steve?"
Actually, I have 6 questions.
First, why did the USA Bomb Libya without the support of the Congress?
Second, why do you keep saying you fixed the economy when it's actually worse?
Third, why did you say that Jeremiah Wright was your mentor, then said that you knew nothing about his preaching’s and beliefs?
Fourth, why are we so worried about Brazil drilling for oil, but we aren't allowed to?
Fifth, why did the recess bell go off 20 minutes early?
And sixth, what the FUCK happened to Walter?"
- Stevienatt
Coming here soon
Norwegian Police Arrest Man for Stockpiling Weapons, Explosives
Norwegian police say they have arrested a right-wing extremist who has been stockpiling weapons and explosives at his home in Oslo, but has no connection to mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.
Norwegian police say they have arrested a right-wing extremist who has been stockpiling weapons and explosives at his home in Oslo, but has no connection to mass killer Anders Behring Breivik.
"The police have no information linking him to Breivik, but after the terrorist attacks, they did not want to take any risks and made the resources available to find this person as quickly as possible," the Daily Verdens Gang reports.
The man is being investigated for the "possession of unauthorized weapons, possession of explosives and making threats,” according to his lawyer, Vidar Lind Iversen.
Breivik killed 77 people on July 22 in a bombing in Oslo and shooting rampage on a nearby island, and has since confessed to the killings.
*****
To be honest with you, I'm surprised the same thing isn't already happening here on a large scale basis.
Evidently, judging by the number of people with bug-out bags (SHTF bags, git kits, etc.), I'm not the only one that thinks so.
Holy shit! Evacuate Kansas City! Indianapolis! Des Moines!
MIAMI (Reuters) - Tropical Storm Jose formed near Bermuda on Sunday, becoming the 10th named storm of the 2011 Atlantic hurricane season, U.S. forecasters said.
At 2 p.m. EDT, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Jose was 60 miles west of Bermuda and churning northward over the central Atlantic Ocean. It posed no threat to the U.S. coast or to energy interests in the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm was packing top sustained winds of 40 mph and little change in strength was expected over the next 24 hours, the hurricane center said.
It said stiff winds were buffeting Bermuda, where Jose was expected to dump up to 3 inches of rain. But the storm was forecast to lose strength on Monday before dissipating as it takes a projected north-northeast track further out to sea.
Jose formed near the British territory on Sunday morning as Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season, hit New York after swirling up the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina, where it made landfall on Saturday.
At 2 p.m. EDT, the U.S. National Hurricane Center said Jose was 60 miles west of Bermuda and churning northward over the central Atlantic Ocean. It posed no threat to the U.S. coast or to energy interests in the Gulf of Mexico.
The storm was packing top sustained winds of 40 mph and little change in strength was expected over the next 24 hours, the hurricane center said.
It said stiff winds were buffeting Bermuda, where Jose was expected to dump up to 3 inches of rain. But the storm was forecast to lose strength on Monday before dissipating as it takes a projected north-northeast track further out to sea.
Jose formed near the British territory on Sunday morning as Hurricane Irene, the first hurricane of the 2011 Atlantic season, hit New York after swirling up the U.S. East Coast from North Carolina, where it made landfall on Saturday.
Lies, bullshit and video
One thing my folks taught me about lying (or 'mis-speaking' for all you politically correct fuckers) is that it'll ALWAYS come back to bite you in the ass.
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