Valpo Wins Again

I may not agree with the writer's effusive use of flowery language, but read up on Valparaiso's most recent award as being "Best" in the state.

Canadian with some Perspective

Love this article from Canada:


George Bush, the man
David Warren...The Ottawa Citizen

• There's plenty wrong with America, since you asked. I'm tempted to say that the only difference from Canada is that they have a few things right. That would be unfair, of course -- I am often pleased to discover things we still get right. But one of them would not be disaster preparation. If something happened up here, on the scale of Katrina, we wouldn't even have the resources to arrive late. We would be waiting for the Americans to come save us, the same way the government in Louisiana just waved and pointed at Washington, D.C. The theory being that, when you're in real trouble, that's where the adults live. And that isn't an exaggeration. Almost everything that has worked in the recovery operation along the U.S. Gulf Coast has been military and National Guard. Within a few days, under several commands, finally consolidated under the remarkable Lt.-Gen. Russell Honore, it was once again the U.S. military efficiently cobbling together a recovery operation on a scale beyond the capacity of any other earthly institution. We hardly have a military up here. We have elected one feckless government after another that has cut corners until there is nothing substantial left. We don't have the ability even to transport and equip our few soldiers. Should disaster strike at home, on a big scale, we become a Third World country. At which point, our national smugness is of no avail. From Democrats and the American Left -- the U.S. equivalent to the people who run Canada -- we are still hearing that the disaster in New Orleans showed that a heartless, white Republican America had abandoned its underclass. This is garbage. The great majority of those not evacuated lived in assisted housing and receive food stamps, prescription medicine and government support through many other programs. Many have, all their lives, expected someone to lift them to safety, without input from themselves. And the demagogic mayor they elected left, quite literally, hundreds of transit and school buses that could have driven them out of town parked in rows, to be lost in the flood. Yes, that was insensitive. But it is also the truth; and sooner or later we must acknowledge that welfare dependency creates exactly the sort of haplessness and social degeneration we saw on display, as the floodwaters rose. Many suffered terribly, and many died, and one's heart goes out. But already the survivors are being put up in new accommodations, and their various entitlements have been directed to new locations. The scale of private charity has also been unprecedented. There are yet no statistics, but I'll wager the most generous state in the union will prove to have been arch-Republican Texas and that, nationally, contributions in cash and kind are coming disproportionately from people who vote Republican. For the world divides into "the mouths" and "the wallets." The Bush-bashing, both down there and up here, has so far lost touch with reality, as to raise questions about the bashers' state of mind. Consult any authoritative source on how government works in the United States and you will learn that the U.S. federal government's legal, constitutional, and institutional responsibility for first response to Katrina, as to any natural disaster, was zero. Notwithstanding, President Bush took the prescient step of declaring a disaster, in order to begin deploying FEMA and other federal assets, two full days in advance of the storm fall. In the little time since, he has managed to co-ordinate an immense recovery operation -- the largest in human history -- without invoking martial powers. He has been sufficiently presidential to respond, not even once, to the extraordinarily mendacious and childish blame-throwing. One thinks of Kipling's poem If, which I learned to recite as a lad, and mention now in the full knowledge that it drives postmodern leftoids and gliberals to apoplexy -- as anything that is good, beautiful, or true: If you can keep your head when all about you Are losing theirs and blaming it on you; If you can trust yourself when all men doubt you, But make allowance for their doubting too; If you can wait and not be tired by waiting, Or being lied about, don't deal in lies, Or being hated, don't give way to hating, And yet don't look too good, nor talk too wise . Unlike his critics, Bush is a man, in the full sense presented by these verses. A fallible man, like all the rest, but a man.
  

Resignation Requested

It's time for John Hardwick to submit his resignation, effective immediately. His comments to the utility board confirm his lack of support for the Costas Plan for Valparaiso.

Read the Times article

And by the way, Glenda Snyder should resign too.

I could care less about government over-stretching their authority to make us non-smoking, whatever. But this kind of out-in-the-open back-stabbing by a department head is exactly what got Dave Butterfield thrown out in the first place.

Supreme Court #2

Bush will make a nomination, perhaps as early as Thursday.

It looks like Chief Justice Roberts will get 72 votes! That's good news

It looks like there is pressure for a black, a woman, a hispanic. Even W's wife is pushing for a woman to replace Justice OConner

• In an interview, Dean said Democratic unity is essential in the upcoming battle and that the party "absolutely" should be prepared to filibuster -- holding unlimited debate and preventing an up-or-down vote -- Bush's next high court nominee, if he taps someone they find unacceptably ideological. He cited appellate court judges Priscilla R. Owen and Janice Rogers Brown as two who would be likely to trigger such opposition.
  "Those people are clearly not qualified to sit on the Supreme Court, and we're going to do everything we can to make sure they don't," he said. "If we lose, better to go down fighting and standing for what we believe in, because we will not win an election if the public doesn't think we'll stand up for what we believe in."

National Review blog site tracking all the rumors and predictions.

Katrina investigation is going to get interesting. Looks like the former FEMA director disagrees that he caused the hurricane. Do some follow up on your own, start with this article about his remarks on the hill yesterday.

More articles in the next couple days.

Be aware, politics are constant! Don't get lulled into thinking that all these politicians are working together, they aren't.

Sun Times article, ''My biggest mistake was not recognizing by Saturday that Louisiana was dysfunctional,'' Brown told a special panel set up by House Republican leaders to investigate the catastrophe.

Rep. Kay Granger, R-Texas, scolded Brown, "I don't know how you can sleep at night. "You lost the battle."

National Review Buzz during the testimony yesterday

Hospital Backed Down

Interesting way that the Times covers this story. A government owned business wants to keep competition out and create a monopoly. They ask politicians to maintain that monopoly by passing a law protecting them over others.

The politicians, thinking they can buy some votes, say "yes"

Citizens buy in because they're scared that they may lose this "valuable" service.

We sell our rights out and then what is left?

Governments have no more right to a monopoly than Rockefeller did. You bet our county commissioners backed down ... even if they wanted free, and frankly foolish, votes ... they were going to lose. It's wrong!

Mr. Harper, take some of that welfare money that you're handing out by the pocket full, and give that to the hospital you're running so poorly. They could use some corporate welfare.

Builder does something for town

Now first let me compliment Art Gift and his partner on a great idea. Read the Times article and they deserve our accolades.

But the sad and twisted part of the story is that the paper acts like this is abnormal of a builder to do something just for the sake of a town. How foolish. Builders and developers build infrastructure for cities and towns every day ... for free ... donated back to the municipalities. They give money to local charities, serve on boards, and are aggressive supporters of tax payer rights and local rule.

Somehow Bob Harper and Dave Butterfield have confused some small minded people into thinking that builders and developers are bad people. Stand up and think "Don't Get Stuck on Stupid" ... you live in a home or apartment that a builder created. It's high time we get off this stupid arrogant anti-developer crusade in Porter County. Kudos Art Gift. Thumbs down to Stuck on Stupid politicians.

Stuck on Stupid

It seems we have a new favorite phrase "Don't get stuck on stupid" Like the ring?

Read the transcript of a terrific question and answer with reporters by our general in command down in New Orleans. Looks like maybe that goof-ball mayor down there just needs to stay out of the good general's way.

Reporters beware!

Yeah, I can tell how much you welcome my thoughts, you arrogant windbag.

Like the sounds already? You arrogant windbag is music to my ears when talking about our political representatives.

OK you gotta read this guy's little story. He sends a letter to his representatives to challenge them to cut pork to pay for the Katrina assistance. Watch what happens.

So these morons can't even read or have a staff member read their mail?

Want some local sources for information on the hurricanes?

I guess if the police won't stop Katrina refugees from looting, it's politically incorrect, they won't stop them anywhere else right? Then we may just remember why the NRA said "keep you guns gang" ... Seems that a couple guys in Houston had to partol their own way.

A representative from Kentucky circulated a letter challenging fellow politicians to committ to cutting pork projects in their districts to redirect to Hurricane relief.

See Porkbusters page and Instapundit for lists of potential cuts ... this is just a start.

Read the letter:
September 19, 2005Moratorium on Earmarks:Common Sense in Funding Reconstruction

Dear Colleague,I am heartened by the generous response millions of Americans have shown in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina. Each day, we witness further evidence that the effects of this disaster are more profound and far-reaching than anything this nation has ever encountered.We enter an immense rebuilding effort at a time when Congress is facing massive budget constraints. An already complex fiscal situation has now been amplified, and as legislators we are faced with the task of navigating unprecedented relief and reconstruction spending.It is easy to identify broad revenues fixes and far-reaching program cuts that have little direct impact on our own districts. While this discussion is necessary and appropriate, this critical fiscal situation requires more: as Members of Congress, we must also be willing to consider sacrifices close to home.I have included on reverse a letter to the Appropriations Committee requesting a one-year moratorium on all non-defense appropriations earmarks for Fiscal Year 2006. I ask that you join me in taking this small but necessary step to ensure that we have the financial resources to again make the Gulf Coast region whole. If you have any questions or would like to be added to the letter, please contact Alison Friesen at x53501.

Sincerely,RON LEWISMember of Congress

Calling all opinions on property rights specifically as they apply to the power of a municipality to take property with emminent domain.

I hadnt really followed this conundrum, India may not support the US and the Europeans on there effort to push Iran away from nukes.

so here goes the thought ... India really needs power and gas. They would like to buy it from Iran by way of a Pakistani pipeline. Wow?

But if they help the US in the nuke dispute, then Iran may just drop the deal.

You know what, I'm conservative but I can't stand boycotts. They don't work. Capitalism works because everyone has to eventually compete. India should be allowed to purchase gas and oil and power from Iran. So actually should we.

Pakistan is in the middle, wow, I think we call that the middle man in a business relationship. And what do we want most? A stable and anti-terrorist Pakistan. Then let's support the business relationships of Iran, Pakistan, and India ... while also decrying lies and decpetion from the foolish terrorists that are still trying to control these middle east countries. Businesses will eventually have to overthrow these governments too.

Hey builders arent the lowest on the food chain

An insightful comment on the state of affairs in today's economy. Those who provide state of the art medical research are what? They are the demons of society.

"Thank God for the evil pharmaceutical companies. One day, when the history of this period is written, I have a feeling we will look back with astonishment as we recognize that advances in medical science, particularly pharmaceuticals, were arguably one of the most significant developments of this era. And yet the people who pioneered these breakthroughs were ... demonized and attacked. Baffling and bizarre. I'm merely grateful the attacks haven't stopped the research progress. "

Amazingly that was written by a liberal.

Economic News Today

Looks like the Fed will raise rates again, that's actually good news!

Housing starts were down a bit, of course, we've raised rates six times and talked about the end of the housing bubble for a year. By the way, there is no housing bubble in middle American.

Oil is down marginally awaiting the results of this next hurricane. Remember my prediction a couple weeks ago, we will see $40 oil again and soon.

New Orleans Mayor >>>Again

It appears that the Mayor of New Orleans has been trumped by the feds and a new hurricane. He really wants to look important ... but just can't seem to get the national guard, $200 billion, and the weather to make him look good.

My thought? He needs to resign, he's not an effective leader of the 155 people left in New Orleans.

Read the Times story

Councilman Must Want to be Mayor

Read the article and then you tell me? Is this councilman playing back-up mayor for the run for office in two years?

Word has it that with Butterfield unable to raise any money for an effective "anti-Costas" campaign, that the aforementioned republican councilman may just flip parties and run himself.

Go for it!

If they only had a union

Walmart is the big hero from the after-hurricane reports. Read Tom Peters' thoughts on Walmart as a corporate citizen.

Now if the union had its way and got into the company, would they still have that ability and agility? Or, would they "require" Walmart to protect the union jobs and to hell with the people in New Orleans?

If they only had a "brain"

Ok I've been asked many times in the last two weeks my thoughts on the Bush-bashing going on after the Hurrican Katrina. First let me say that when they built the levees wrong 45 years ago our President was 10 years old ... I have a 10 year old and he too would be a poor engineer on a levee project of that scale. So I guess I agree with those who say he messed it up!

Here's a great analysis of our present state in America ... after 45 years of welfare ... we watch people sit in water and complain that the government just "aint" doing enough for the.


"We are now reaping the benefits of a welfare state. For more years than most can remember, we have been told by those holding office that they will take care of us. We have provided food, clothing and shelter to the extent that the recipients became entirely dependent on government resources to live. They have reached the point that no longer do they have the knowledge to take care of themselves. They will sit there and drown or go hungry, and curse the fact that the government has not gotten them out of this mess. When it is all said and done, there is but one person who is responsible for me, and that is me. The responsibility falls to me to take care of my family, not the government. Society, not government, has an obligation to provide care and sustenance to those who, because of age or physical impairment cannot take care of themselves, but able-bodied people who stand around and complain that no one is doing anything for them deserve whatever the fates cast in their direction. Life is hard, and you either get tougher or you get washed away—it is as simple as that.

Politicians will never, ever take care of you—they only want one thing from you, and that is to stay in power as long as they can. In a situation like Katrina, they will stand in front of the cameras and microphones and denigrate everyone above them in government to take the eye off of their pathetic efforts. This is a situation that they have created, and now the good citizens of the area will have to step in and clean up the mess that has been created by the politicians. It won't happen overnight, but it will happen—there are too many good people who live in that area for it not to happen. I love the people of New Orleans and the surrounding parishes, but I despise the politicians... I just hope that when the area is rebuilt, they stay away from the massive welfare system they had before—absolutely no good comes from welfare. It depletes available resources, making it ever more difficult for what passes as government to respond to the true needs of the community."—Robert Johnson, retired NOPD captain

I know that one will get you talking. Remember our county chairman's mantra "We are Republicans"

Watch for Oil to drop

I think I might be the first to predict:

We will see $40 a barrel oil and $2.00 gas again. Let's just call it March of 2006.
The recent run-up has some irrationalness to it. Also, the rebuilding of production and refining in the Gulf will actually increase both production and efficiency. Give us another hurricane and $200 billion and the gulf will be one of the economic miracles of this decade.

With gas settling, and oil retreating, inflation will no longer be a concern for the next 12 months.
Watch for a stock market run-up during the oil retreat. A couple more interest rate increases will help slow the housing run-up ... causing even more consolidation in the home building business.

Now, since I'm the only amateur economist suggesting this result, read some others. Times,
Yahoo News, Bloomberg Energy

Go ahead tell me I'm wrong

Valpo is Smokin

So the city council in Valpo is trying to decide if they should allow smoking in the new bars and restaurants that will come downtown. Remember last year our mayor and councilman Williams pushed our local state representatives to pass a state statute enabling Valpo to issue 10 more liquor licenses for downtown as an economic development initiative. Read the Times article from last night's couuncil meeting.

What are your thoughts?

Fit City? Health Issue?

Economic Development? Too much government?

Come on weigh-in ... it looks like the City wants the residents to have an opinion.

Popcorn Drunks

So the anti-Costas people are siding with drunks and tavern owners who break the law?
Good ... maybe they could side with attorneys for child molesters next?

Read the Times' article on what actually happened Saturday night.

So what's the rumor on the street? That the Butterfield nuts are siding with 700 drunks who screamed expletives at police and excise officers. "#$%$ Costas" i think was the favorite shout of the night.

I remember Jon once saying "we don't want to administrate the city if we have to dip to that level" keep up the good work Jon.

Two Different Sets of Rules

If Jews burn or tear down mosques the world erupts in righteous indignation, right?

But if Muslims burn down synagogues, what happens? Nothing, right?

alt.muslim says this dichotomy just isnt right. Why do we protect the Muslim and basically allow the Palestinians to be such poor global citizens?

My thoughts? Our globe isn't built on fairness, don't kid yourself. Radical muslims have shown no ability to allow even basic freedoms, like life liberty and the pursuit of hapiness. If we believe in our own declaration of independance, we fight radical muslims with the very passion we fought the British monarchy!

Fight? No not with vengeance and vigilantism, but with prayer and peaceful outreach into the moderate muslim community. It's high time that the moderate muslims meet American liberties and are challenged. But it's still a fight.