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Can Governor Gregoire Create A Budget We Can Believe?

Remember last June when Governor was so upset working on the budget? She said she was cutting/slashing and she did not like what she was having to do at all. She said they worked with extremely low budgets and stream lined everything they did with no frills. Well you already know that is a crock of baloney, when you look at the salaries they pay the top managers, superintendents or whatever they are called. There are many stories in this Emerald City Journal about the superintendent of the school, the president of the University of Washington etc so wont list numbers here but since they are paid by “we the taxpayers” its should be a crime. The June budget she signed made massive cuts to education, including the reduction of teachers salaries of 1.9%. She said she did not like the budget but the state just has no money and there will be another larger cut across the board. BUT, the day after she gave that speech about the budget she left on a trade trip. She didn’t mention that in her speech. Why didn’t she say,” I am going on a very expensive trip, tomorrow with a huge delegation at taxpayer expense”? Before she headed out on her European trade trip with her delegation she said it would cost less than $40,000. But the actual cost(that we know about) is more than double that. Her hotel room in Paris was $500 a night. She had not included the cost of her security, which cost more than her estimate of $40,000. She had not included the wages of the people she took along on this vacation. They all got paid the same as if they were home working on whatever they are supposed to be doing plus per diem’s, $100 dinners , $56.00 lunches. They took in the Paris Air Show and as far as I know A GOOD TIME WAS HAD BY ALL. We paid for it. Things have gotten worse and she is going to call a special session to deal with the shortfall, and call for an additional 10% across the board cut. Why would anyone believe a thing she says about spending after that slap in the face with that expensive trip? What plans does she have now that she is a lame duck Governor? She better take all the taxpayer paid trips she can before she quits. For sure we the people should not get hit for a tax, fee, or anything else. Government(all of it) has to stop the spending. Look at Congress doing nothing but fighting with each other and cobbling agreements to keep the government from shutting down all the while spend, spend spend. President Obama has been doing nothing but campaigning since before he was elected. He travels all over in his little Air Force One and costs city’s fortunes by coming to visit, but when he arrived at Boeing field last month Governor Gregoire was right there giving him the thumbs up. She is not capable of creating a budget. She(and most of the politicians) do not have a clue what the word means. For sure it means you cant spend more than you have on hand. A fifth grader would know that. I hope someone really questions her budget numbers because she has proved she has no interest in keeping expenses down. She only wants them to figure out how to suck more money out of us people who are already hurting. I had to really talk to myself when I spent over ten bucks on fish and chips at Ivar.s the other day because it was from my social security check and believe me I know what cut and slash expenses mean. The governor obviously does not. It should be a crime to waste our money the way she did on her trip. She had to know she could not do it on $40,000 and even that was way to much in these hard times. Don’t believe the phony numbers she uses or the crap she says when she says how it hurts her to make these cuts.

Presidents Visit To Seattle, A/K/A Santa Claus is Comin’ to Town

President Obama will be in Seattle Sunday Sept 25th to attend fundraisers. No public events have been announced so why should this be funded by taxpayers? I think it should be paid for by the democratic party completely.

Former Microsoft Executive Jon Shirley is hosting a brunch at his Medina home. This event will cost $35,000 per couple. They are expecting 400 people. A larger fundraiser will be held at the Paramount Theatre in Seattle. Tickets range from $100 to $7500. The more expensive the ticket the closer you get to the president. The VIP seating gets you a photo with the President.

I had suggested to Mayor McGinn and each City Council Member to decline his visit. We simply cannot afford him. He is not coming for the good of Seattle in any way. At a meeting of ask the Mayor, McGinn said it would cost between $100,000 and $150,000 for police protection for the president. That is just a drop in the bucket as to the cost. Think of the skies having to be cleared, streets where he travels closed down, all sorts of disruption to the entire city who will gain absolutely NOTHING. The Mayor and Council members say we are completely broke. Why didn’t they tell him we cannot afford to have him come? He has no official business to attend to here at all.

Not only can cities not afford to have him visit but the Federal Government is about to shut down AGAIN because it is trillions in debt. The president is telling everyone we are in this together, we have to cut down the Federal debt but every time Air Force one takes off it costs $214,768, and the cargo plane that flies with it costs $32,140. Then you have the per hour cost to come clear across the United States to ATTEND A FUNDRAISER. How much sense does that make? Every time Air Force One takes off it costs what a family could buy a nice house for, to say nothing of all the fuel he uses. It should be used only as official duties and then very limited. On valentines day he made two trips to Chicago. He attended a train opening 150 miles away but flew there on Air Force one. He could have taken a helicopter or better still bought a train ticket for $90.00. It would have made a better photo shoot. He has blown thru millions on his little private trips and we pick up the tab to hear him tell us times are tough. Time for him to stay home. He said he had visited 57 states(yes fifty seven). Wish the seven states that I cant seem to think of would host and pay for his visits and he stay out of Seattle. This time he is not even going to have time to tell us to tighten our belt. He is too busy attending fundraisers.

For sure we don’t need him to tell us to build more roads and bridges. Have you tried driving around Seattle and not having to detour or seeing something torn up. They have had Corson Ave shut down for over two months “repairing” it. To the naked eye no one could see a thing wrong with it. The street is 4 blocks long and still shut down. Its just like digging a hole and filling it with tax dollars, then wanting another levy passed so they can screw away more money all the while nothing is getting done that is worthwhile at all.

Emergency Managers or Dictators

Benton Harbor, Michigan has been taken over by the state. An Emergency Manager has been assigned all the duties. Benton Harbor/s elected commissioners have lost all of their power. They do not have the authority at this point in time to order a pot hole fixed. The new Emergency Manager, named Joseph Harris can set aside all union contracts with the city and call it budget repair.

Does this look like Dictatorship? If a state can take over a city, can Washington D.C. take over our states? Can they say we are in a financial crisis, and appoint an emergency manager, that takes away all the power from our elected officials, break all the unions and even replace the police force with Homeland Security. Obama has mentioned a time or two that he wants to have more Homeland Security force larger than the Military. This has to be really looked into. Could we wake up some morning having been taken over by the government homeland security and our police department gone? Does this scare you?

There is no mistake our cities and states and Federal Govt. have to stop their spending. But is this the way to do it? Hundreds of rowdy non-union protesters filled the State Capitol, and a day later the Senate voted to grant broad new powers to emergency managers who oversee financially struggling cities and schools, including the authority to void union contracts and remove elected officials.

This website is for independent thinkers and it is time for all of you to put on your thinking cap. I know the cities are wasting money, I know there is fraud, but would we better off under a one man dictatorship. I don’t think so. Better really keep up on this story while you are still allowed to read stories like this.

A 14 Trillon Dollar Deficit Cut

Obama was in the news today suggesting a 4 trillion dollar  (12 year) plan to cut the deficit.  I would kindly suggest the President modify his plan to a 12 trillion dollar deficit cut.  Well as this article suggest it’s not really a 14 trillion dollar cut – its actually a 1 trillion 200 billion tax cut.  I just times it by 12 to figure out the 12 year plan (14 trillion) like all the smart people do in the Government.  Why they do that I don’t really know.  Each year we create a new budget anyway and vote it.

You can read my previous article here:  https://www.emeraldcityjournal.com/2011/04/american-government-why-bankruptcy-is-the-best-option-now/

I updated it, however, so we can reach the 14 trillion dollar deficit cut in 12 years like this:

In the link above you’ll see I cut many departments that came to: 728 billion.

I suggest we make every man, women, and child make a $100 donation so that would come to:  310 billion

The Feds take 2 trillion a year from us for taxes each year and since we are cutting half the programs (see above) at least 25% of that could be saved each year:  500 billion.

That adds up to 1.2 trillion x 12 (for the important 12 year plan which makes everything look good) = A 14 trillion dollar deficit cut (+400 billion positive revenue).

Now seriously, I write this in part with laughter.  But if you really think a 4 trillion dollar deficit cut (over 12 years) with Obama is going to make it happen you’re sadly wrong.  First that is 333 billion a year.  Last Friday when they were negotiating the Government shutdown they blew 8 billion in a week.  52 weeks in the year folks that is 448 billion dollars for doing nothing.  This isn’t even a drop in the bucket to repair the mess we have going on.

We need to be cutting atleast 1 trillion a year.

Alleged Saudi Bomb Plotter Pleads Not Guilty in Texas Court

The Saudi college student who allegedly planned to bomb a collection of U.S. targets, such as the Dallas household of previous President George W. Bush, pleaded not guilty in federal court Friday.

Khalid Ali-M Aldawsari, 20, faces the highest sentence of life in prison along with a $250,000 fine if convicted of trying to utilize a weapon of mass destruction.

In his personal journal, the chemical engineering pupil wrote that he was organizing an assault inside the USA for a long time, even just before coming towards the U.S. on the scholarship, based on court paperwork introduced Thursday. He stated he was influenced by Osama bin Laden’s speeches and that he bemoaned the plight of Muslims.

“After mastering the English language, studying tips on how to develop explosives and steady preparing to goal the infidel People in America, it truly is time for jihad,” or holy war, Aldawsari wrote inside the journal, based on the paperwork filed by prosecutors.

A federal public defender in Lubbock, David Sloan, stated he could be at Friday’s court look in situation U.S. Magistrate Nancy Koenig required to appoint him to symbolize Aldawsari.

Aldawsari was arrested Wednesday on the cost of tried utilization of a weapon of mass destruction.

Aldawsari was anticipated to seem in federal court Friday, two days right after his arrest on the cost of tried utilization of a weapon of mass destruction.

“As we lay out on this affidavit, there had been a collection of targets becoming contemplated,” Robert Casey, the FBI unique agent in cost from the situation, stated. “I cannot communicate to his state of thoughts or even the priority in his thoughts of any with the vary of targets we feel we found.”

In e-mails Aldawsari apparently sent to himself, he outlined twelve reservoir dams in Colorado and California; the paperwork didn’t state their precise places. He also wrote an e-mail that talked about “Tyrant’s House” using the tackle of Bush’s residence.

The FBI’s affidavit mentioned Aldawsari regarded as employing infant dolls to conceal explosives and was probably focusing on a nightclub having a backpack crammed with explosives.

Aldawsari was utilizing various e-mail accounts. 1 e-mail concept traced to him described directions to convert a cellular phone right into a remote detonator. A 2nd outlined the names and house addresses of 3 Americans who had earlier served inside the U.S. army and had been stationed at Abu Ghraib prison in Iraq.

Aldawsari also described a strategy in his journal that concerned leaving automobile bombs in unique locations in the course of rush hour in NY Metropolis and remotely detonating them.

Aldawsari, who entered the U.S. legally in 2008 on the pupil visa, studied chemical engineering at Texas Tech College till January prior to transferring to some close by school to review company.

The White House mentioned President Barack Obama was notified regarding the alleged plot prior to Aldawsari’s arrest.

It had been not right away obvious no matter if Aldawsari had employed a attorney. Phone numbers that Aldawsari had supplied to other people had been not functioning Thursday. Nobody answered the buzzer or perhaps a knock in the door in the handle outlined as Aldawsari’s apartment close to the Texas Tech campus.

The situation outlined in court paperwork was substantial simply because it suggests that radicalized foreigners can reside quietly inside the U.S. without having raising suspicions from neighbors, classmates, teachers or other people. However it also confirmed how rapidly U.S. law enforcement can transfer when tipped that a terrorist plot may possibly be unfolding.

“We believe we have now neutralized every other threats or imminent hurt encompassing the steps that he is charged with, however the investigation is continuing,” Casey stated.

Aldawsari wrote that he was organizing an assault even prior to coming towards the U.S. on the scholarship, the court paperwork say. He stated he was influenced by bin Laden’s speeches and he bemoaned the plight of Muslims.

Federal authorities mentioned they discovered with the plot immediately after a chemical provider, Carolina Biological Provide of Burlington, North Carolina, documented $435 in suspicious orders by Aldawsari for the FBI on Feb. one.

Individually, Con-way Freight, the delivery provider, notified Lubbock police and also the FBI the exact same day with comparable suspicions for the reason that it appeared the purchase wasn’t meant for business use. Inside weeks, federal agents had traced Aldawsari’s other on the internet purchases, found extremist posts he produced on the web and secretly searched his apartment, laptop or computer and e-mail accounts and study his diary, based on court documents.

Neighbors in Lubbock mentioned they did not don’t forget viewing Aldawsari but observed an strange quantity of individuals within the hallway the day of his arrest.

“That’s so scary,” mentioned Sally Dierschke, a 21-year-old senior at Texas Tech. “That’s my neighbor. … Needless to say, I am terrified.”

Ahmid Obaidan, a senior at Tennessee State College who also is from Saudi Arabia, met Aldawsari in Nashville, Tennessee, when Aldawsari was learning at an English language middle at Vanderbilt College.

“He was peaceful. I believed he was a great man,” Obaidan mentioned.

The FBI stated the North Carolina provider noted the attempts to buy 13 gallons (4.9 liters) of phenol, a chemical that may be utilised to create the explosive trinitrophenol, also recognized as TNP, or picric acid. Aldawsari falsely informed the supplier he was related having a college and needed the phenol for “off-campus, individual study,” based on court documents. Discouraged by concerns, Aldawsari canceled his buy and later on e-mailed himself directions for creating phenol, the paperwork say.

TNP, the chemical explosive that Aldawsari was suspected of attempting to make, has roughly the exact same harmful energy as TNT. FBI bomb specialists stated the quantities inside the Aldawsari situation would have yielded just about 15 kilos (six.eight kilograms) of explosive. That is in regards to the identical quantity utilized per bomb within the London subway attacks that killed scores of men and women in July 2005.

Prosecutors stated that in December, he purchased thirty liters of concentrated nitric acid for about $450 from QualiChem Technologies in Georgia, and 3 gallons of concentrated sulfuric acid which are blended to create TNP. The FBI later on discovered the chemical compounds in Aldawsari’s apartment also as beakers, flasks, wiring, a Hazmat go well with and clocks.

A Saudi industrial corporation, which was not recognized in court paperwork, was spending Aldawsari’s tuition and dwelling costs inside the U.S.

Casey declined to go into why the arrest occurred when it did.

“We just felt it absolutely was the proper time,” he stated.

IF Mitt Romney Wins the GOP Nomination 2010 (Discussion)

Mitt Romney

Mitt Romney is in high gear promoting his new book.  I caught him on the Sean Hannity show last night and Sean actually asked him if he is considering another run for President.  Ahhh, (with a Beavis & Butthead intonation) talk about a charade; come on Sean!  Do you think he has been traveling the circuit and authored the book because he needs the money?  I felt like I was watching one of those Saturday morning infomercials where the get-rich-quick pitchmen have the studio set up like it’s a “talk show”.  I guess there are actually people who believe that approach.

Nevertheless, if Mitt Romney wins the GOP nomination we will need to develop some comparisons to Barack Obama so we should start thinking this through in advance.

There are similarities and differences between the two:

Romney has the advantage of consistency.  He has consistently been on both sides of important issues, depending on who he was running against.

They both may be able to say they used their respective executive branches to impose socialized medicine on their constituents.

I did find one major difference.  A key difference between Mitt Romney and Barack Obama is that as a Mormon, Mitt Romney believes he is going to become a god over his own planet; while Barack Obama believes he already is.

Seriously, we cannot afford another division like the last primary that diluted the conservative vote so much it gave us the one nominee that no conservative actually wanted.  That is one irony we cannot repeat and that is exactly what is going to happen if we do not devise a system where each state must have a run-off if one Presidential candidate does not receive a 51% majority of the votes.

Another critical thing that states need to do is stop allowing the states with early primaries and caucuses the novelty of doing so.  By dragging these elections out for weeks in between, we are allowing the media to engineer the outcome through the manipulation of incessant polling.  Polling has become more of an art than a “science” to these people.  They use these polls to create self-fulfilling prophecies that are actually self-serving and ignominious. It makes me literally sick to my stomach to think of the many glaring instances this manipulation manifested itself in 2008 and I mean EVERY news network is guilty of this.  We simply CANNOT allow this anymore.

There are many theoretical reasons why the majority of states have allowed these smaller states to have their primaries earlier than the rest.  These reasons have merit but not one of these reasons is acceptable at a time when our republic is hanging on by a thread.  They declare these elections over before the majority of the country has even voted and the outcomes would likely be entirely different if all states voted on the same day.  They MUST be simultaneous.

This can be accomplished if states prepare themselves early on – to have their primary elections as soon as they possibly can.  If some states move their elections even further up in order to be first, other states need to be nimble enough to follow.  Of course, this only applies to states that actually care about this problem.  I suspect that some of the liberal states do not care about their autonomy as much. 

Discussion Comments:

Melinda:

Question any rational person would ask.

Why do you assume the reader would support Mitt Romney?  How could anyone support him? 

Neither man can be trusted – except to continue repping the corporations with zest and elan. 

The last time America was set for disaster the moment Ron Paul was eliminated.

Those polls!  Darn those people having opinions, for instance, the instant polling that took place after the South Carolina GOP Debate. 

Support Ron Paul and your problem will be simplified. 

I hope this is your idea of satire.

Jess: Romney would be another McCain. The Republican Party can do much better, and it better, or we will just see more of the same. Bigger, more expensive, more controlling, more invasive and more incompetent government. The Nation needs a 180′ turn and get the U. S. back to ‘The Home of the Brave and The Land of the Free’. 

Stone: We don’t need health care, because Mitt told me anyone can go to the emergency room and be taken care of without insurance. I would vote for Mitt because he has nice hair and he’s always smiling.

Unfortunately, this article discussion has been closed because it was in 2010.

Photo credit: Mitt Romney by Gage Skidmore” by Gage Skidmore is marked with CC BY-SA 3.0

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