Take your meds.
Note: see the update to this post below!
This is a real Jekyll and Hyde case. It has to be one of three things:
1) He’s just a politician
2) He has a split personality
3) He’s finally seen the light
Phil Gordon is the Mayor of Phoenix. In April he sent a letter to the United States Attorney General calling for an investigation into the work of Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio. Gordon believes that the Sheriff is violating the civil rights of Phoenix residents.
To add emphasis to the letter Gordon went to Washington DC to meet with AG Mukasey.
That was in April.
Today Mayor Gordon (or someone pretending to be him) is in Washington DC demanding that our government do something about illegal aliens in Phoenix. He took with him the wife of Nick Erfle, a Phoenix police officer who was killed by an illegal alien last year.
He will give a speech about the impact of illegals on local communities.
I wonder if Mayor Gordon realizes that the killer was arrested in Scottsdale 16 months before the killing AND WASN’T EVEN ASKED ABOUT HIS STATUS.
I wonder if he realizes that screening is one of the key functions Sheriff Arpaio stresses in his program.
I wonder if this mayor even has a twinge of hypocrisy now and then as he parades Officer Erfle’s wife around Washington.
Most important, I wonder if the voters of Phoenix can see what’s going on here.
Updated August 22nd
Now I get it. There was an Arizona Republic article about Mayor Gordon's appearance. It was a conference of police officials at a group called Police Foundation.
The agenda of Police Foundation is...give amnesty and secure the border. Now that is something Gordon will agree with.
Gordon found an ally in Foundation President Hubert Williams, who also wants Comprehensive Immigration Reform a la US Senate summer of 2007 plan.
The take away message from the "Phil Gordon Show" was that there are a few individuals who commit crime but the rest deserve to stay here and work.
Supplementing the emotional Gordon were the usual apologists for illegal aliens:
*Jeff Passel from Pew Hispanic Center
*Raquel Aldana, an immigration law professor from Nevada
*Clarissa Martínez De Castro from La Raza (NCLR)
*Rubén G. Rumbaut, Cal-Irvine who wrote the report claiming illegal aliens are less likely to commit crime than citizens for The American Immigration Law Foundation and The Immigration Policy Center. (see the Alienrants blog http://alienrants.blogspot.com/2007/05/whoa-there-perfesser.html for more information on the study.
They will all tell you with a straight face that the illegal alien crisis in this country is just racism and xenophobia; that most illegal aliens are actually good for this country.
No wonder Phil Gordon wanted to be with them.
It all makes sense now.
Thursday, August 21, 2008
Tuesday, August 19, 2008
Reagan on Rome
Food for thought from "Dutch"
“Rome had known a pioneer beginning not unlike our own pioneer heritage, and then entered into two centuries of greatness, reaching its pinnacle in the second of those centuries, going into the decline and collapse in the third. Yet, the sins of decay were becoming apparent in the latter years of that second century.
“It is written that there were vast increases in the number of the idle rich, and the idle poor. The latter (the idle poor) were put on a permanent dole, a welfare system not unlike our own. As this system became permanent, the recipients of public largesse (welfare) increased in number. They organized into a political block with sizable power. They were not hesitant about making their demands known. Nor was the government hesitant about agreeing to their demands … and with ever-increasing frequency. Would-be emperors catered to them. The great, solid middle class—Rome’s strength then as ours is today—was taxed more and more to support a bureaucracy that kept growing larger, and even more powerful. Surtaxes were imposed upon incomes to meet emergencies. The government engaged in deficit spending. The denarius, a silver coin similar to our half dollar, began to lose its silvery hue. It took on a copper color as the government reduced the silver content.
“Even then, Gresham’s law was at work, because the real silver coin soon disappeared. It went into hiding.
“Military service was an obligation highly honored by the Romans. Indeed, a foreigner could win Roman citizenship simply by volunteering for service in the legions of Rome. But, with increasing affluence and opulence, the young men of Rome began avoiding this service, finding excuses to remain in the soft and sordid life of the city. They took to using cosmetics and wearing feminine-like hairdo’s and garments, until it became difficult, the historians tell us, to tell the sexes apart.
“Among the teachers and scholars was a group called the Cynics whose number let their hair and beards grow, and who wore slovenly clothes, and professed indifference to worldly goods as they heaped scorn on what they called ‘middle class values.’
“The morals declined. It became unsafe to walk in the countryside or the city streets. Rioting was commonplace and sometimes whole sections of towns and cities were burned.
“And, all the time, the twin diseases of confiscatory taxation and creeping inflation were waiting to deliver the death blow.
“Then finally, all these forces overcame the energy and ambition of the middle class.
“Rome fell.
“We are now approaching the end of our second century.”
(Address by Governor Ronald Reagan of California at Eisenhower College, New York, 1969.)
“Rome had known a pioneer beginning not unlike our own pioneer heritage, and then entered into two centuries of greatness, reaching its pinnacle in the second of those centuries, going into the decline and collapse in the third. Yet, the sins of decay were becoming apparent in the latter years of that second century.
“It is written that there were vast increases in the number of the idle rich, and the idle poor. The latter (the idle poor) were put on a permanent dole, a welfare system not unlike our own. As this system became permanent, the recipients of public largesse (welfare) increased in number. They organized into a political block with sizable power. They were not hesitant about making their demands known. Nor was the government hesitant about agreeing to their demands … and with ever-increasing frequency. Would-be emperors catered to them. The great, solid middle class—Rome’s strength then as ours is today—was taxed more and more to support a bureaucracy that kept growing larger, and even more powerful. Surtaxes were imposed upon incomes to meet emergencies. The government engaged in deficit spending. The denarius, a silver coin similar to our half dollar, began to lose its silvery hue. It took on a copper color as the government reduced the silver content.
“Even then, Gresham’s law was at work, because the real silver coin soon disappeared. It went into hiding.
“Military service was an obligation highly honored by the Romans. Indeed, a foreigner could win Roman citizenship simply by volunteering for service in the legions of Rome. But, with increasing affluence and opulence, the young men of Rome began avoiding this service, finding excuses to remain in the soft and sordid life of the city. They took to using cosmetics and wearing feminine-like hairdo’s and garments, until it became difficult, the historians tell us, to tell the sexes apart.
“Among the teachers and scholars was a group called the Cynics whose number let their hair and beards grow, and who wore slovenly clothes, and professed indifference to worldly goods as they heaped scorn on what they called ‘middle class values.’
“The morals declined. It became unsafe to walk in the countryside or the city streets. Rioting was commonplace and sometimes whole sections of towns and cities were burned.
“And, all the time, the twin diseases of confiscatory taxation and creeping inflation were waiting to deliver the death blow.
“Then finally, all these forces overcame the energy and ambition of the middle class.
“Rome fell.
“We are now approaching the end of our second century.”
(Address by Governor Ronald Reagan of California at Eisenhower College, New York, 1969.)
Illinois politics
Those who follow Springfield are sure to chuckle at the recent news that Emil Jones, President of the Illinois State Senate, is retiring.
He is one of the very few people who stands WITH Gov. Blagojevich.
For a time his clout helped carry the day but lately folks have been ignoring Jones right along with Blago.
One wonders if the recent defeat of the 12% pay raise for legislators had anything to do with it. Jones accused Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn of killing the deal for political purposes.
And Quinn really made it a public battle. He did a media blitz and set up a website where taxpayers could register their displeasure over the proposed pay raise. (It has been quite some time since I've seen anything that noble from an elected official.)
Anyway, Jones groused about the tactics Quinn used and voted "present" rather than vote "no" to a pay raise. And it was only a couple of days later that he announced his retirement.
It appears that king-making continues in Illinois politics. First it was county board chairman John Stroger paving the way for his son Todd to replace him. Now Emil Jones III is going to be on the November ballot to replace dear old dad.
You have to give the Democrats credit here. The GOP lost the Hastert seat in the special election, a tailor-made district map that should have been a shoe-in. But it wasn't. And he wasn't even trying to anoint Denny Junior!
Sadly, Hastert signed on as a senior lobbyist last month, confirming the rumor that he got out when he did to avoid the new rules for ex-Congressmen. If he has served out his term he would have had to wait two years to become a lobbyist. I always thought he was above all that.
But as Mark Twain said, "I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position."
He is one of the very few people who stands WITH Gov. Blagojevich.
For a time his clout helped carry the day but lately folks have been ignoring Jones right along with Blago.
One wonders if the recent defeat of the 12% pay raise for legislators had anything to do with it. Jones accused Lt. Gov. Pat Quinn of killing the deal for political purposes.
And Quinn really made it a public battle. He did a media blitz and set up a website where taxpayers could register their displeasure over the proposed pay raise. (It has been quite some time since I've seen anything that noble from an elected official.)
Anyway, Jones groused about the tactics Quinn used and voted "present" rather than vote "no" to a pay raise. And it was only a couple of days later that he announced his retirement.
It appears that king-making continues in Illinois politics. First it was county board chairman John Stroger paving the way for his son Todd to replace him. Now Emil Jones III is going to be on the November ballot to replace dear old dad.
You have to give the Democrats credit here. The GOP lost the Hastert seat in the special election, a tailor-made district map that should have been a shoe-in. But it wasn't. And he wasn't even trying to anoint Denny Junior!
Sadly, Hastert signed on as a senior lobbyist last month, confirming the rumor that he got out when he did to avoid the new rules for ex-Congressmen. If he has served out his term he would have had to wait two years to become a lobbyist. I always thought he was above all that.
But as Mark Twain said, "I am opposed to millionaires, but it would be dangerous to offer me the position."
Saturday, August 16, 2008
Just when you thought it was safe...
…to go back in the produce aisle.
We still have more questions that answers regarding the salmonella outbreak.
We do know this:
*That the last confirmed case of poisoning was on July 24th.
*That the Serrano and jalapeno peppers were tainted.
*That other produce (including tomatoes) was processed in those same plants and grown on those same farms.
What they don’t know is how the tainted produce could have created an outbreak that large.
And what they don’t want you to know is that in their testing they found other strains of salmonella in Mexico in jalapenos, basil and cilantro. They have put some of those sources on import alert, meaning they are currently subject to additional inspection.
Ain’t NAFTA great? Bush and the other pols in Washington will do anything to avoid showing Mexico in a bad light right now. Between now and November all bad news from south of the border will be kept quiet. We wouldn’t want to cause the voters to ask embarrassing questions now…would we?
We still have more questions that answers regarding the salmonella outbreak.
We do know this:
*That the last confirmed case of poisoning was on July 24th.
*That the Serrano and jalapeno peppers were tainted.
*That other produce (including tomatoes) was processed in those same plants and grown on those same farms.
What they don’t know is how the tainted produce could have created an outbreak that large.
And what they don’t want you to know is that in their testing they found other strains of salmonella in Mexico in jalapenos, basil and cilantro. They have put some of those sources on import alert, meaning they are currently subject to additional inspection.
Ain’t NAFTA great? Bush and the other pols in Washington will do anything to avoid showing Mexico in a bad light right now. Between now and November all bad news from south of the border will be kept quiet. We wouldn’t want to cause the voters to ask embarrassing questions now…would we?
Friday, August 15, 2008
We're Number ONE...
…in the wrong things.
The Editor of the Wall Street Journal commented today on a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which revealed that we are leading the world, not in the Olympics or any measure of trade.
No. We have the honor of the HIGHEST corporate tax rate of any developed nation in the world. (Well, Japan beat us by a nose.) But our combined federal/state tax rate for corporations is an average of 39.3%.
The rest of the civilized world is frantically cutting the corporate tax rates to grab more of the market.
But not us. Senator Obama is poised to go after all those big corporations in the US who don’t pay any taxes at all. And who are they?
Among them are American Airlines, which lost $862 million in 2005 and General Motors, which lost over $10 billion. Do you think that might have something to do with them not paying taxes?
The old notion that Europe is deeply rooted in socialism may not be the case anymore. Europe's average corporate tax rate is 10 points lower than ours. Ireland’s is only 12.5%!
The Obama answer is to chase that tax money overseas by taxing American businesses who set up shop in Europe. Most corporations will simply leave altogether rather than pay taxes like that, resulting in the loss of additional jobs here. (Even Drucker’s “knowledge workers” won’t be safe from lay-offs.)
This chart shows rather clearly that the rest of the world figured it out a decade ago but our politicians still want to punish success.
(Wall Street Journal chart - 8/15/08)
For globalists we’ve got a lot to learn.
The Editor of the Wall Street Journal commented today on a report from the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development which revealed that we are leading the world, not in the Olympics or any measure of trade.
No. We have the honor of the HIGHEST corporate tax rate of any developed nation in the world. (Well, Japan beat us by a nose.) But our combined federal/state tax rate for corporations is an average of 39.3%.
The rest of the civilized world is frantically cutting the corporate tax rates to grab more of the market.
But not us. Senator Obama is poised to go after all those big corporations in the US who don’t pay any taxes at all. And who are they?
Among them are American Airlines, which lost $862 million in 2005 and General Motors, which lost over $10 billion. Do you think that might have something to do with them not paying taxes?
The old notion that Europe is deeply rooted in socialism may not be the case anymore. Europe's average corporate tax rate is 10 points lower than ours. Ireland’s is only 12.5%!
The Obama answer is to chase that tax money overseas by taxing American businesses who set up shop in Europe. Most corporations will simply leave altogether rather than pay taxes like that, resulting in the loss of additional jobs here. (Even Drucker’s “knowledge workers” won’t be safe from lay-offs.)
This chart shows rather clearly that the rest of the world figured it out a decade ago but our politicians still want to punish success.
(Wall Street Journal chart - 8/15/08)For globalists we’ve got a lot to learn.
On Sale Now - Fake Papers!
They just arrested five Mexican nationals in Orange County CA for selling fake documents. They could have also charged them with dumping cheap products on the market.
Get this. For $70 you could get a fake Social Security Card and a fake Green Card.
When they busted up the ring in Little Village (Chicago) in April of 2007 the going rate was $300 for a Drivers License or Social Security Card.
Maybe there is more competition in Southern California. According to the American Dream, that keeps prices low.
We are finding out as part of the fall-out from employer raids that the fake documents were all part of the employee benefits package. If they liked you, they’d take care of all the paperwork. (Someone in personnel “knows a guy……”)
One by one people are seeing what has been going on for years.
Get this. For $70 you could get a fake Social Security Card and a fake Green Card.
When they busted up the ring in Little Village (Chicago) in April of 2007 the going rate was $300 for a Drivers License or Social Security Card.
Maybe there is more competition in Southern California. According to the American Dream, that keeps prices low.
We are finding out as part of the fall-out from employer raids that the fake documents were all part of the employee benefits package. If they liked you, they’d take care of all the paperwork. (Someone in personnel “knows a guy……”)
One by one people are seeing what has been going on for years.
Los Desaparecidos
Could it be that we have a little Star Chamber justice going on in Mexico these days?
Allegations have surfaced that the 2007 disappearances of members of a rebel group were conducted by the Mexican Government. And the allegations are gaining credence because Mexico’s Interior Department used the phrase “forced disappearance” in their press release regarding the investigation.
Iraq, Iran, Argentina, Chile, the USSR…all have a history of making people disappear.
Here in the civilized world such acts are generally carried out by organized crime - a la Jimmy Hoffa legend. The preferred method of western government is faked suicide. (Oooh, that slipped out of my mind. Strike it from the record.)
What makes this story newsworthy is that the Mexican Government is nibbling at the edges of an admission of guilt. Or is just restating the obvious since the Mexican AG office just revealed six moles keeping drug lords one step ahead of the law?
Or perhaps complete police departments so corrupt that the military has taken them over and arrested all the cops?
If you like Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook, the 1983 movie “Star Chamber” is an interesting take on the judicial system. (Rated R. I saw the TV edited version.)
Allegations have surfaced that the 2007 disappearances of members of a rebel group were conducted by the Mexican Government. And the allegations are gaining credence because Mexico’s Interior Department used the phrase “forced disappearance” in their press release regarding the investigation.
Iraq, Iran, Argentina, Chile, the USSR…all have a history of making people disappear.
Here in the civilized world such acts are generally carried out by organized crime - a la Jimmy Hoffa legend. The preferred method of western government is faked suicide. (Oooh, that slipped out of my mind. Strike it from the record.)
What makes this story newsworthy is that the Mexican Government is nibbling at the edges of an admission of guilt. Or is just restating the obvious since the Mexican AG office just revealed six moles keeping drug lords one step ahead of the law?
Or perhaps complete police departments so corrupt that the military has taken them over and arrested all the cops?
If you like Michael Douglas and Hal Holbrook, the 1983 movie “Star Chamber” is an interesting take on the judicial system. (Rated R. I saw the TV edited version.)
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