Saturday, April 04, 2009

For Marlboro Smokers

Philip Morris, makers of Marlboro cigarettes, has a message for Marlboro smokers in response to the recent 158% increase in the excise tax.

On February 4th, 2009, the Federal Government enacted legislation to fund
the expansion of the State Children’s Health Insurance Program (SCHIP) that
increases excise taxes on cigarettes by 158%.

As a result, you will see the price of all cigarettes, including ours, increase
in retail stores.

We know times are tough, so we’d like to help. We invite you to register
at Marlboro.com to become eligible for cigarette coupons and special offers
using this code: MAR1558

Click the Marlboro link, above, to register and obtain coupons.

Via From My Position…

Posted by John Venlet on 04/04 at 09:12 AM
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The New York Times - A More Equal Pig

On December 28th, 2008, in a New York Times editorial titled The Labor Agenda, the editors had the following to say in regards to unions.

The argument against unions — that they unduly burden employers with unreasonable demands — is one that corporate America makes in good times and bad, so the recession by itself is not an excuse to avoid pushing the [card-check] bill next year. The real issue is whether enhanced unionizing would worsen the recession, and there is no evidence that it would.

There is a strong argument that the slack labor market of a recession actually makes unions all the more important. Without a united front, workers will have even less bargaining power in the recession than they had during the growth years of this decade, when they largely failed to get raises even as productivity and profits soared. If pay continues to lag, it will only prolong the downturn by inhibiting spending.

Today, in a Washington Post piece titled New York Times Co. Threatens to Shutter The Boston Globe, we read that the New York Times considers unions somewhat less important, and an impediment, at least when it comes to the New York Times self interest.

In a striking example of corporate hardball, the New York Times Co. has threatened to shut down one of its journalistic jewels, the Boston Globe, unless the New England paper’s unions agree to sweeping concessions.

Quotes and links to articles lifted from The Corner.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/04 at 08:53 AM
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Disturbing Political Trends

When the POTUS, whether directly, or with the complicity of Congress, can simply dismiss CEOs like Rick Wagoner, and make statements such as “My administration is the only thing between you and the pitchforks” to CEOs of large financial institutions, and writers, such as the New York Times’ David Leonhardt, reference Hitler’s Germany positively, as kudos to Obama’s stimulus plans, you can understand why comparisons are made between Obama’s actions and “Mussolini-style fascism”.

The above are all interrelated, and reflect a trend in the political landscape which should greatly disturb all Americans, but unfortunately, many American individuals, rather than being disturbed, are applauding.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/04 at 07:58 AM
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Friday, April 03, 2009

A Plan for INDIVIDUALS to Save Detroit

Yesterday, I posted regarding Detroit’s continued decay, wondering if the city could ever rise again.

Today I read, at No Third Solution, a piece posted under the title Homesteading Detroit: On Urban Farming.  Within the post, we read that prior to Detroit becoming an automotive manufacturing behemoth, the lands in and around Detroit were mostly farm lands, and the question, now, is, with property abandonment rising in and around Detroit, can these lands be reverted to urban farms, but not by obtaining permissions from the city or the state, but through individual initiative.

Some people think that the city can be brought back to life through urban farming, a grass-roots sort of movement taking roots across the country, is usually small- or micro-scale farming operations, where individuals (or groups of friends/activists acting in concert) till vacant lots in inner cities, either for produce or for aesthetics.

I think the urban farming movement is a ripe opportunity (ok, no more horticultural puns!) for people to become involved in their communities, however I think the approach is fundamentally flawed: working with the cities that have neglected to be good stewards sends the wrong message. This “compromise” rewards the city’s prior failures. The biggest impediment to urban farming of course, is the City, which sat idly by as land fell into disrepair, neglect, disuse, etc.

The City and its bureaucracies are the last people anyone should have to ask for permission to do anything. Instead, urban farmers should be saying “screw you, City!” and should contest the City’s claim to “ownership,” asserting the principles of abandonment and homesteading, at every possible opportunity.  Although these claims would likely be challenged in court, the City should not contest these adverse possessions. Since, as evidenced by the aforementioned “decades of neglect”, the City has no real interest in seeing urban farms (or anything, for that matter!) thrive, it could simply offer these lots to residents on a “homesteading” basis: “If you maintain it, improve it, live on it, etc., it’s yours; free and clear.”

The entire piece, complete with links to recent Bloomberg, Examiner.com and Detroit Free Press articles on this subject, is worth a read.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 07:55 AM
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Humane Society Weighs in on Cops Killing Dogs

Most instances in which police shoot dogs are avoidable. These incidents often underscore other problems, whether in policies, procedures, communication or training.

The above quote is from Randall Lockwood of the Humane Society of the United States and was taken from an article titled Police shootings of dogs may reveal their attitudes toward the public as published by the Civil Liberties Examiner.  But it is the conclusion of the article, like the headline, which I think says it all.

When there is no judgment or restraint ... well ... we may get a window into institutional police attitudes toward the public. How do officers wield force when they think they can get away with it?

These shootings may offer a disturbing answer to that question.

Radley Balko?

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 07:20 AM
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AR-15 Raffle

Roberta Regnier, owner of Alpha Omega Services “Armageddon Armory” in Nampa, Idaho is raffling off an AR-15, with 1,000 rounds, to feed the hungry.

A local gun shop has collected more than three tons of food for the Lighthouse Rescue Mission in exchange for raffle tickets to win an AR-15 rifle and 1,000 rounds of ammunition.

Good for you, Roberta Regnier.

Rifle raffle will feed the hungry

Via Bill at Free In Idaho.

I really like the State of Idaho.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/03 at 07:04 AM
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Thursday, April 02, 2009

Libertarian Party - Not Even on the Political Radar

Here’s a comment from Newt Gingrich, from a speech he gave at Missouri’s College of the Ozarks.

“If the Republicans can’t break out of being the right wing party of big government, then I think you would see a third party movement in 2012,”...

Evidently the Libertarian Party, which has been around since 1971, hasn’t ever registered on the political radar since its inception, and I do not hold out hope for it to in 2012.

Gingrich warns of third party in 2012

Posted by John Venlet on 04/02 at 11:23 AM
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Walking Away from Cars, Homes, Whole Neighborhoods, and Now Boats

A few days ago I noted, via Karen DeCoster, in a post titled Should I Burn My Car or Let it Be Repossessed?, that more and more individuals were dumping autos that they could no longer afford, and probably could not afford in the first place.

Then, just a couple of days ago, via Mike Soja, in a post titled No Man’s Land and I Don’t Want It, I noted that Flint, Michigan was considering abandoning an entire neighborhood of foreclosed and abandoned homes, and that some banks were also simply walking away from foreclosed homes.

Today, in an article in the New York Times titled Boats Too Costly to Keep Are Littering Coastlines, we learn that boats are also being abandoned with abandon.

Boat owners are abandoning ship.

They often sandpaper over the names and file off the registry numbers, doing their best to render the boats, and themselves, untraceable. Then they casually ditch the vessels in the middle of busy harbors, beach them at low tide on the banks of creeks or occasionally scuttle them outright.

What next will be adandoned?  It will not be principles, principles have been being abandoned for decades, now.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/02 at 07:49 AM
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NCAA Final Four Magic Dust

This morning, an AP article headlined Final Four host Detroit puts its troubles aside, wonders if the fact that the NCAA Final Four games being held in Detroit this coming weekend will somehow raise the City of Detroit from its decay to new heights of glory and respect as one of America’s top cities.  Don’t count on it.

Detroit is dying, and the high from the shots in the arm Detroit has received from hosting events like the Super Bowl and baseball’s All-Star game, recently, have worn off faster than cheap grade heroin, and yet the decay remains and is even accelerating.

Let’s not kid ourselves in regards to Detroit.  It is no longer one of America’s top cities, and now that Obama’s facist style management of the automobile industry is rising, I expect Detroit’s decline to achieve its nadir.  Whether it can actually arise again, remains to be seen.

UPDATE:  The rise of Detroit?  Racoon - It’s What’s For Dinner.

Posted by John Venlet on 04/02 at 06:36 AM
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