One Citizen Speaking

CONNECTICUT AG THINKS EMPLOYEES OF PUBLIC CORPORATIONS HAVE A DUTY TO SERVE PUBLIC INTERESTS AND CONTRACT LAW SHOULD BE IGNORED?

It is amazing that the top lawyer and law enforcement officer in Connecticut claims that the AIG contracts, executed in New York and paid to Connecticut residents, should be ignored as employees of a public company are now apparently required to serve the public interests …

I wonder if he holds politicians, himself included, to that standard – as they do have a sworn duty to uphold the public interests as specified in the Connecticut and United States Constitution.

Watch Glenn Beck put democrat weasel, Connecticut Attorney General Richard Blumenthal, on the hot seat …

Beck on the AIG bonuses …

GLENN: They are their bonuses. They earned that money. What right, what law did they break that gave you the ability in Connecticut to go after those bonuses? BLUMENTHAL: Well, let's take it one step at a time. The money they received came from us, the taxpayers. GLENN: Oh, I know how this works. I'm asking you, sir. You're the attorney general. I'm asking you for the law that they broke that gave you the ability. Are you not the defender of the law in Connecticut? BLUMENTHAL: The law that they broke GLENN: Yes. BLUMENTHAL: is the law that requires that they serve the public interests, that bonuses that they GLENN: What law is that? Wait, wait, what law is that, sir? You're the chief law enforcement officer. What law say that again? I don't recognize that law. It sounds like a good policy. It sounds like a good rule of thumb but I'm not sure I recognize that law. Could you give that to me again? BLUMENTHAL: Well, you know, again these funds belong to us, the taxpayer. GLENN: No, no, sir, look, you know what you've done? You know what you've done? You have you are an insult to George Washington, sir. George Washington made it very clear that we are a respecter of laws, not of men. For your own political gain you have decided to go after these people at AIG because it is a popular thing. And while I may agree with you that it is obscene, I would like to know, sir, not what's right as a rule of thumb, not what makes us feel good. You, sir, are to protect people and to stand for the law in Connecticut. So again I ask you, sir, what law gave you the right to go after them, what law did they break? BLUMENTHAL: Well, I think you're wrong in the basic premise. We're not going after any individual. We're asking the United States GLENN: You as the attorney general BLUMENTHAL: Let me finish. You have to let me finish if you want to know what law I'm talking about. We're asking the United States of America, our federal government to ask that this money be returned or pursue it because they were undeserving of it. Now, I'm not enforcing the law GLENN: They are undeserving of it? BLUMENTHAL: against them. They are not deserving this money. GLENN: What right do you have to say the people that worked for $1 a year GLENN: Stop, stop, stop, stop. GLENN: How dare you. This just makes my blood boil. How dare you. There is a contract. There is a contract. Just as I have a contract with my mortgage company and I am required by law. And if I don't honor my contract with my mortgage company, these weasels will send the sheriff out to kick me and my family out of the house. "Well, they didn't deserve it. These banking people, they didn't deserve to have my mortgage. They aren't very good. Look how much trouble they're in." No, I have a contract and so I honor that contract because if we don't honor the contracts, then all of society breaks down. They didn't deserve it. I'm sorry. It's in the contract. Most of these people were working and this didn't come out in the press. Most of these people were working for $1 a year. They stayed on because they were begged by the government, "Please help us. Please help us. We don't even understand how to unwind these things. Please help us." The dirtbags that caused it, most of them are gone. For some reason or another we're not seeing anybody grabbing them. Nobody in the media, nobody in congress. They're busy talking to the executives, Liddy, who was their pick! They are busy talking to him who's also working for a dollar so they can accuse the other people they begged to stay on who were also working for a dollar. And all they said was could we please just get our pay in bonuses? Now, people don't understand bonuses on Wall Street. Neither do I. I get it; fine. But most people, because of what congress did in the 1990s with Bill Clinton and said these salaries are too high, what they did was make everybody stop making big salaries. So they make small salaries and then they get paid in bonuses at the end of the year. I've never lived in a place where when I bought my house, I live because of New York and Connecticut, it's all banking. It's all financial. It's all of this stuff. And when I went to get my loan for my house, they said, how would you like your payments. And I said, as small as possible. And they said, no, how would you like them structured; when do you want to pay them. And I said, oh, I don't know, honey. On the 16th? When do you think? And I said, what are our options here? Because he looked at me like I was a foreign life form. And he said, well, a lot of people pay it once a year. I said, what? He said, yeah, a lot of people, because their pay structure, they make a very small salary during the week or during the year and then they make all of their money at the end of the year and so they get one lump sum payment at the end of the year. I said, you've got to be kidding me. He said, no. It's a different world. So you may look at $160,000 and say that's an outrage. Well, $160,000 if you're making a dollar the rest of the year doesn't even qualify for being rich under Barack Obama! You're not even in the millionaire tax which starts at 300 grand, which isn't a millionaire. Just like to point that out! Drives me crazy the duplicity of these people.

No excuse for not knowing the law, other than he is a liberal democrat …

Blumenthal is well-credentialed to serve as the top law enforcement officer of Connecticut, having graduated with honors from Harvard College (Phi Beta Kappa; Magna Cum Laude) and Yale Law School, where he served as the  Editor-in-Chief of the Yale Law Journal.

And to allow political considerations for him to seek redress concerning valid bonus payments guaranteed by contracts executed in New York, but paid to Connecticut residents is a stretch. Especially since Connecticut Senator Christopher Dodd, Chairman of the Senate Banking Committee placed the “Dodd Amendment” into the stimulus bill at the request of the Treasury Department to insure that those bonuses were honored. Of course, when the matter became offensive to the public, Dodd did what all democrats are wont to do under the circumstances: he lied about inserting the exact language in the amendment and used the SODDI defense. “Some OTHER dude did it!”

Richard Blumenthal is said to be considering a run for the governorship of Connecticut –- I think this piece proves he doesn’t even deserve a position as a dogcatcher (no insult to animal enforcement officers).

-- steve

 

Obama: Gutting the Navy? (Updated)

Further illustration why we need a "man of integrity and honor" as the Secretary of Defense, a man willing to stand up against an Administration that wants to gut defense spending in favor of entitlements and social engineering. Remember: the prime directive for the government is to provide for our common defense ...

UPDATE: 03-31-09 DEFENSE COMMITTEE: EXPECT PAINFUL CUTS

According to an Associated Press Report ...

A Senate defense committee chairman says Pentagon budget will include large, painful cuts. Senate Armed Services Committee Chairman Carl Levin said Tuesday that major program cuts will not be pushed off until the 2011 budget, but will be included when Defense Secretary Robert Gates sends his spending plan to the president later this month.

Levin's comments confirmed what many contractors and military leaders have expected, but he offered no details on which programs may be axed. He said Pentagon officials have indicated they will not be able to submit the much-anticipated spending plan by April 21, as initially hoped.

UPDATE: 03-31-09 CHINESE CARRIER "KILL WEAPON"

From the USNI (United States Naval Institute) ...

"With tensions already rising due to the Chinese navy becoming more aggressive in asserting its territorial claims in the South China Sea, the U.S. Navy seems to have yet another reason to be deeply concerned. After years of conjecture, details have begun to emerge of a "kill weapon" developed by the Chinese to target and destroy U.S. aircraft carriers."

"First posted on a Chinese blog viewed as credible by military analysts and then translated by the naval affairs blog Information Dissemination, a recent report provides a description of an anti-ship ballistic missile (ASBM) that can strike carriers and other U.S. vessels at a range of 2000km. The range of the modified Dong Feng 21 missile is significant in that it covers the areas that are likely hot zones for future confrontations between U.S. and Chinese surface forces. The size of the missile enables it to carry a warhead big enough to inflict significant damage on a large vessel, providing the Chinese the capability of destroying a U.S. supercarrier in one strike."

"Because the missile employs a complex guidance system, low radar signature and a maneuverability that makes its flight path unpredictable, the odds that it can evade tracking systems to reach its target are increased. It is estimated that the missile can travel at mach 10 and reach its maximum range of 2000km in less than 12 minutes."

Original Blog Post ...

There is no doubt in my mind that the United States Navy is the premier “offshore” player in the armed services for one exceptional reason: Only the United States Navy has an accountability standard where every Officer, from fleet admirals to seaman recruits, has well-defined duties and responsibilities, complete responsibility for themselves, their fellow seamen and those serving under them.  You are responsible for what happens on your watch, regardless of whether or not you were personally present, awake or asleep. An incredible amount of personal honor and integrity in both officers and enlisted personnel.

And now, Obama has apparently nominated someone who seems as flawed as his Chicago political machine buddies to serve as the SecNav, the Secretary of the Navy.

As reported by the New York Times …

"Navy Secretary Nominee Drew Notice Over Divorce"

“President Obama’s nominee for secretary of the Navy was involved in a divorce that drew national attention for his secret taping of a conversation between his wife and his family priest that he used against her in court proceedings.”

“The nominee, Ray Mabus, is a former governor of Mississippi and a former ambassador to Saudi Arabia, and he served in the Navy during the Vietnam War. Mr. Mabus, a Democrat, was a strong supporter of Mr. Obama in the campaign last year.”

“In 1998, as Mr. Mabus and his wife, Julie (now Julie Hines), sought to work out their marital problems, he surreptitiously recorded a meeting the couple had with the Rev. Jerry McBride, a mutual friend.”

Entrapment?

“Mr. Mabus had told Mr. McBride in advance that he had been advised by a lawyer to tape the conversation, according to court records. Neither man mentioned the recording to Ms. Hines. During the session, she admitted having an affair and told her husband, ‘I will hate you till the day I die, and I will tell my children.’”

“An expert psychiatric witness for Mr. Mabus referred to Ms. Hines’s recorded comments as evidence that he should get legal custody of the couple’s two daughters. The judge in the case awarded legal custody to Mr. Mabus and split physical custody between him and Ms. Hines.”

“The suit drew attention in 2002 as a potential test case for privacy rights involving churches. Ms. Hines went on something of a media blitz, describing in nationally televised interviews what she called a betrayal by her priest in collusion with her ex-husband. A judge dismissed her suit in 2006; the Mississippi Supreme Court is expected to consider an appeal this year.”

“A White House official, who requested anonymity to discuss internal deliberations on a personnel matter, said that officials who reviewed Mr. Mabus’s background knew about the messy divorce and did not view it as material to his potential duties as Navy secretary.”

I disagree. It goes to a question of character – of course, what can you expect from a politician – and the question of right and wrong, as opposed to the simple question of legality. I wonder whether or not Mabus would be willing to take certain shortcuts in favor of the Administration’s political agenda and which might harm the effectiveness, efficiency and operational readiness of the Navy.

It is not so much that I am concerned about Mabus as a person, but his responses to the environmentalists which have been infiltrated by those who do not wish America well. Or his capability of putting forth opinions which might slight Israel in favor of the Saudis – whom I consider as evil and dangerous as Iran as they promote world-wide Wahabism and allegedly fund terrorists in exchange for not attempting to overthrow the “Kingdom” and its ruling family. 

A recent example saw the environmentalists trying to “blind” our Navy assets patrolling the coast of California by preventing the use of SONAR on their patrols on the theory that it interferes with marine mammals. The proof presented included beached whales although scientists cannot pinpoint a reason for this naturally-occurring phenomena. In some instances, beached mammals were found to have been infected with a “flu-like” virus.

“In response to questions, the White House released a statement Sunday that said, “The president nominated Governor Mabus to be secretary of the Navy because he has the proven leadership and experience our nation needs to serve in this important position.”

Does he have the strength to stand-up and be counted when the Administration moves to impose wacky environmental or other conditions which would impair the Navy’s mission or will he “go political” and roll-over to save his career?

The democrats: the party of parsing lawyers …

“Mr. Mabus declined to comment Sunday. But his lawyer, Richard C. Roberts III, said Mr. Mabus recorded the session with his wife based on advice from his lawyer at the time and after having learned that she was having an affair.”

“It would just be a travesty,” Mr. Roberts said, “if this became a controversy when Ray Mabus was nothing more than a private individual confronting his wife about an adulterous affair in a manner prescribed by his lawyer.

First, lawyers do what is in the best interest of their client, with apparently little or no consideration of what is moral, just, proper and decent. And second, we can all remember another democrat’s sexual scandal by recalling those famous words of the Horndog-in-Chief: “It all depends on what the meaning of ‘is’ is.” 

“Mr. Mabus was governor of Mississippi from 1988 to 1992 and served as the United States ambassador to Saudi Arabia for two years under President Bill Clinton. In the early 1970s, Mr. Mabus served in the Navy, aboard the cruiser Little Rock. As a civilian, he won distinguished public service awards from the Defense Department and the Army.

Funny they don’t mention any military accomplishments or awards and cite only awards traditionally given out for favors or funding received? Funny, they don’t mention that he has a Harvard Law degree and is considered an expert on the Middle East?

What can YOU do?

Decide for yourself if the far-left components of our current Administration are continuing to pursue their ideological agenda of weakening the military, disarming both the troops and civilians and moving forward with an agenda that might do as much damage to our intelligence and military communities as that done under fellow democrats, Jimmy Carter and Bill Clinton.

One needs only to remember that 9/11 may have been prevented if not for a Clinton lawyer named Jamie Gorelick who had decided that the intelligence agencies (CIA, FBI) should be separated by an artificial legal wall and not share information. Gorelick was also rewarded with a multi-million dollar position with the democrat’s favorite piggy-bank Fannie Mae.

I personally do not want another person like National Security Advisor Sandy “the Burglar” Berger and those of similar ilk who timidly seek political approval before protecting us from our enemies, both foreign and domestic. Admittedly, the position of SecNav is a political one – but there exists an opportunity to inflict severe damage on our premier “offshore” fighting force. I want a man to stand up to the Joint Chiefs of Staff and other advisors when it comes to de-funding existing and necessary combat systems and operations. I want a man to continue the traditions of the Navy without trying social experiments that promote disharmony in the corps. And, most of all, I want a man willing to resign in protest over egregious actions and then go public. No leaks or backchannels to make your point.

Do not vote for any candidate or current politician who is willing to subvert the safety, security, sovereignty and economic strength of the United States or limit an individual's right of self-defense for their personal philosophy, power, prestige or profits.

-- steve

Quote of the day: “I would much rather have the SecNav chosen by the consensus of Navy Chiefs, then appointed by the Commander-in-Chief.” – steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

Navy Secretary Nominee Drew Notice Over Divorce - NYTimes.com

Obama: Dangerous appointment may significantly weaken our economy and military as well as reduce personal freedoms? Climate czar has socialist ties|OneCitizenSpeaking

How the Far-Left Weakens National Defense with their environmental concerns (Updated)|OneCitizenSpeaking

Californians: Thinking about registering your cars out of state to avoid the tax increase?

A word to the wise: it only takes one neighbor, co-worker or pissed-off person to start an investigation by state authorities … which may lead to fines, penalties and worse – the potential necessity to hire a lawyer.

E-fink with a click of the mouse …

California Highway Patrol

Forewarned is forearmed!

OBAMA: BULLYING INDUSTRY LEADERS FOR POLITICAL GAIN? WAGONER OUT AT GM!

It is one thing to be a politician and hold hearings for the purposes of attracting media attention, but it is quite another for the government to demand that the head of a public company surrender their position in order to receive emergency government funding. It seems, at least to me, to be un-American that a person can be singled out by the White House or Congress for political purposes without being given a fair hearing. There is something about ignoring the Constitution, due process and abusing government power for political purposes that rankles my sensibilities.

I have no idea whether or not the General Motors Chief Executive Officer, Rick Wagoner, was a capable or effective leader. But I do know that there was a confluence of  circumstances beyond his immediate control that  contributed to the downward spiral of the automaker. Consider, first and foremost, the impact of the unions and their onerous financial and work rules demands. Second, consider that a portion of General Motors, GMAC was involved in investor finance and the housing sector which was subject to a catastrophic downturn – mostly caused by government actions and the Wall Street Wizards. And third, consider that some of General Motor’s competitors were able to secure foreign government subsidies and did not have a long tail of union benefits.

If his compensation, salary, benefits and perks were outrageous, this is a matter between the shareholders and the General Motors Board of Directors – that is unless you are a socialist or a liberal democrat playing off of class warfare.

If anything, I will blame Wagoner for dumping the Buick LeSabre and trying to use Tiger Woods to attract a younger audience to the Buick line.  Some of us old farts remember the days when you started with a Chevy, moved to a Pontiac, upward to a Buick and then to the top tier, Cadillac. Your dealer was pricier than the local gas station, but the work was done right and they stood behind their efforts. You had your own service advisor or, in my case, my own personal team (lead by Brian and backstopped by John). But that is my personal opinion.  Or the rather pricey cost of OnStar personal calling minutes. Hardly a CEO firing offense.

So I am really unsure of what the hell the Obama Administration is trying to accomplish other than to signal that the game needs to be changed. But if that were the case, there are a number of Administration officials who should lose their jobs – and I can think of a number of Members of Congress who should be thrown out of their own committees -- Barney Frank (D-MA) and Christopher Dodd (D-CT) come to mind.

But to deprive a man of his job on the basis of political showmanship – especially by an Administration consisting of flawed people (from the top down) is especially aggravating.

Make a case against Wagoner. Make a case against the Board of Directors. And then provide the shareholders with the details and proceed accordingly. If there was criminal wrongdoing, which I sincerely doubt, bring your case in court. Due process! The American Way. Except, of course, for far-left liberal democrats who want to destroy American business to support their own political ideology.

But once the government can interfere in private business and dictate compensation, we have just moved a step closer to a government-run dictatorship.

If you don’t like GM products, don’t buy them. If you don’t like Rick Wagoner as CEO, try a shareholder lawsuit. But uphold due process and the rights of American business to proceed with a minimal amount of government interference – to guarantee equality of opportunity and not the equality of outcomes. We need to throw these political bums out of office before they turn our country into something akin to Europe with its elite, effete ruling socialists.

-- steve

Reference Links:

GM CEO Wagoner to step down at White House request

APRIL 1ST WORM: DON'T WORRY, BE HAPPY

This blog entry is dedicated to my best friend who asked if he should be worried about the hyperbolic media reports that April 1st poses a systemic threat to the world’s computers.

What:     Conficker Worm

A worm is a small computer program that is capable of replicating itself and spreading to other computer programs over a network. (Network shares and thumb drives can also spread the worm)  Unlike a virus, this computer program does not need to be attached to another program to spread. Most worm coding is designed to facilitate its spread to other computers – and sometimes carries with it a malicious payload designed to interfere with the user’s computer system.

The name “conficker” is a not-so-subtle contraction of the words “configuration” and “fucker.” However, because most computer systems scan for porn using the secondary word, it was modified to “ficker.”

Dangerous: Only to un-patched Microsoft Windows systems …

If you have consistently updated your Windows Operating System, anti-virus and anti-spyware programs – you will probably be fine.

The United States Computer Emergency Response Team (US-CERT)  encourages users to prevent a Conficker infection by ensuring all systems have the MS08-067 patch (part of Security Update KB958644, which was published by Microsoft in October 2008), disabling AutoRun functionality (see http://www.us-cert.gov/cas/techalerts/TA09-020A.html), and maintaining up-to-date anti-virus software.

Are you infected?

The presence of a Conficker infection may be detected if a user is unable to surf to the following websites: Anti-virus vendor Symantec Anti-virus vendor McAfee If a user is unable to reach either of these websites, a Conficker infection may be indicated (the most current variant of Conficker interferes with queries for these sites, preventing a user from visiting them).

Symptoms to be aware of include:

• Account lockout policies being reset automatically.
• Certain Microsoft Windows services such as Automatic Updates, Background Intelligent Transfer Service (BITS), Windows Defender and Error Reporting Services disabled.
• Domain controllers responding slowly to client requests.
• System network becoming unusually congested.
• Websites related to antivirus software becoming inaccessible. 

If you are infected  …

If a Conficker infection is suspected, the infected system should be removed from the network. Major anti-virus vendors and Microsoft have released several free tools that can verify the presence of a Conficker infection and remove the worm. Instructions for manually removing a Conficker infection from a system have been published by Microsoft.

What could happen …

According to the Computer Emergency Response Team, “a remote, unauthenticated attacker could execute arbitrary code on a vulnerable system.” In other words, do anything they want with your system.

“Upon infection, the worm saves a copy of its DLL form to a random filename in the Windows system folder, then arranges to load itself thereafter at boot as a system service with a randomly-generated name.”

“The worm then resets System Restore points and disables a number of system services such as Windows Automatic Update, Windows Security Center, Windows Defender and Windows Error Reporting. Processes matching a predefined list of antiviral, diagnostic or system patching tools are watched for and terminated.”

The future …

In the future, your computer will feature a “virtual” system where the actual underlying operating system is unavailable to any invading malware. If your system should be infected, you can simply revert to a clean configuration in a matter of minutes. Such systems already exist from such vendors as Microsoft and VMware, but installation and implementation may require intermediate or advanced computer skills.

Bottom line …

If you find any of this information confusing, seek professional advice.

Due to the number of virus, worm and malware variants, your computer may be exposed to the evildoers at some point in time, so preparation for an adverse event is always a good practice. Anyway, you are more likely to suffer from a crashed hard drive or file corruption than malware, so the precautions below are always a good idea.

Best practices demand that your critical files, as well as your system, are backed up at all times. I perform backups weekly on external drives that are not connected to my home network and never overwrite older backups until I really need more disk space. In addition to my weekly backups, I immediately backup any critical files whose re-creation would be impossible or take an inordinate amount of time. All of my financial records and documents are backed up to DVDs (more space than CDs) periodically. Consider off-site storage for duplicate copies of your backups. It is smart to encrypt your backups to prevent unauthorized use. My personal backup software is Acronis True Image Home.

The best defense against malware of all types is keeping current with the latest versions of all programs. In addition to backups, I always check for program updates for my operating system, application programs, anti-virus, anti-spyware and firewall software. Periodically, I check for microcode updates for my bios, routers, switches and other computer components. (P.S. I always check for software updates for my digital cameras at the same time.)

I rarely mix personal and professional information on the same computer.

And, of course, I have trained myself never to visit sites which have no immediate value to my projects or open e-mail with strange attachments or misleading subject lines. I often forsake the “electronic greeting cards” from friends in favor of system security.

Considering the rather low probability of your system being infected with the conficker worm, relax, don’t worry and be happy.

-- steve

Reference Links …

• Basic Information about Conficker|Wikipedia
• Virus alert about the Win32/Conficker.B worm
• Microsoft Security Bulletin MS08-067 - Critical 
• Microsoft Windows Does Not Disable AutoRun Properly 
• MS08-067: Vulnerability in Server service could allow remote code execution 
• The Conficker Worm |Symantec  
• W32/Conficker.worm|McAfee  

[X] NO -- CALIFORNIA PROPOSITIONS 1A-1F (MAY 19, 2009)

DO NOT ALLOW THE SACRAMENTO ASSHATS TO RAISE YOUR TAXES FOR ANOTHER TWO YEARS WHILE THEY CONTINUE THEIR OUTRAGEOUS SPENDING

Recycle Arnold Schwarzenegger, Governor 1A-Hole … NO MORE TAXES – VOTE NO ON PROPOSITIONS 1A – 1F

Your dishonest Governor, Arnold Schwarzenegger, Legislature and Attorney General, Jerry Brown are lying:

Proposition 1A IS NOT A ‘SPENDING LIMIT” IT IS THE EXTENSION OF TAXES FOR TWO MORE YEARS AND CONTAINS A LOOPHOLE THAT WOULD ALLOW THE LEGISLATURE TO SPEND MORE MONEY AS TAX REVENUE INCREASES!

“If taxpayers are wary of any offer of reform coming from those who have behaved so irresponsibly that they have run up a $42 billion deficit, their suspicions are justified.” “Masked behind a weak spending limit — the limit goes up with each and every tax increase — is a two year extension of the massive tax increase that was supposed to expire in two years, doubling the damage to California taxpayers.” - Jon Coupal, The Howard Jarvis Taxpayers Association

The Fraudulent deception continues .,.

Because the propositions originated with the corrupt legislature, they were able to pick the party to write the opposition argument that appears in the so-called neutral “official” ballot arguments that are distributed with all ballots. Who did these lying slimeballs pick?

A pro-tax colleague, Sen. Loni Hancock, who wrote a very weak argument that does not mention that this is not a spending cap but a massive tax increase that extends taxes for an additional two years. Thus insuring that a struggling California is mired deeper in debt and that the corrupt and profane legislature is allowed to continue to spend more money as tax revenues rise.

THIS IS A TAX INCREASE!

Read the Official Arguments for yourself … Complete Voter Information Guide (pdf ~1.04 MB) Cover (pdf ~143 KB) Letter from Secretary Bowen (pdf ~133 KB) Table of Contents (pdf ~53 KB) Voter Information Pages (pdf ~164 KB) Quick Reference Guide (pdf ~105 KB) Overview of the State Budget (pdf ~102 KB) Voter Bill of Rights (pdf ~46 KB) Back Cover (pdf ~112 KB) Propositions Proposition 1A Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~101 KB) Proposition 1A Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~70 KB) Proposition 1B Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~85 KB) Proposition 1B Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~45 KB) Proposition 1C Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~164 KB) Proposition 1C Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~56 KB) Proposition 1D Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~92 KB) Proposition 1D Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~71 KB) Proposition 1E Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~89 KB) Proposition 1E Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~59 KB) Proposition 1F Title, Summary and Analysis (pdf ~72 KB) Proposition 1F Arguments and Rebuttals (pdf ~63 KB) Text of Propositions 1A-1F (pdf ~204 KB)

PROPOSITION  1A FIXES NOTHING AND ALLOWS THE LEGISLATURE TO KEEP SPENDING THE TAXPAYER'S HARD-EARNED FUNDS ...

 

(Source: Non-Partisan California Legislative Analyst)

Proposition 1A will not address the fundamental problem: the profligate spending of the legislature which has upset almost all California citizens who are not on the government payroll or party to the special interests where the money is being spent. To see what the lefties think of the proposal, there is also a nice 8-page report from the California Budget Project on "What Would Proposition 1A Mean for California's Future." The CBP acknowledges that:

"Proposition 1A would not address California’s existing structural shortfall – the gap between revenues and expenditures – that exists in all but the best budget years. The state’s two long-term budget forecasts, issued by the Legislative Analyst’s Office (LAO) and the Department of Finance, both identify an ongoing gap between revenues and expenditures. Moreover, the Department of Finance’s forecast projects a signifi cant ongoing gap even taking into account the continuation of the spending reductions outlined by the Governor in his proposed 2009-10 budget."

Governor 1A-Hole was elected to replace democrat Gray Davis whose profligate fund-raising and pandering to the special interests culminated in a massive tax increase – tripling the car registration fees. While Schwarzenegger refused to sign a no new tax pledge to allow for the possibility of a need to raise funds for a natural disaster or other fiscal emergency, he pledged to reduce the size of government by eliminating wasteful and duplicative boards and services, curtail the influence of the special interests, bring legislative spending under control and reform the budgetary process.

SCHWARZENEGGER IS A FAILURE!

He outdid democrat Gray Davis on all fronts: personal fundraising, pandering to the special interests, joining the democrats to authorize an orgy of spending, nominating his nanny and other friends to paying positions on “do nothing” boards, signing a dishonest budget – and now attempting to further increase your taxes for another two years. He has proven to be an utter and complete failure as a governor and remains just another fading jet-setting movie star seeking acclaim and adulation for his movie roles. He has become the devil that he was elected to fight, a RINO (Republican In Name Only) whose policies mark him as a liberal democrat in the Teddy Kennedy mold – perhaps being influenced by his Kennedy family wife, Maria Shriver.

[X] VOTE NO ON PROPOSITIONS 1A-1F (MAY 19, 2009) SEND A MESSAGE TO THE CORRUPT GOVERNOR, LEGISLATURE AND ATTORNEY GENERAL – WE ARE MAD AS HELL AND WE ARE NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE!

DEMOCRAT MANTRA: "DON'T DO AS WE DO, DO AS WE SAY" -- FRIEND OF BIDEN'S DAUGHTER SHOPPING TAPE OF HER ALLEGEDLY DOING COCAINE (Updated)

UPDATE: 03-31-09  SPIN ATTEMPT ONE: DEMONIZE THE PHOTOGRAPHER ...

According to RadarOnLine.com: Biden Daughter Video Was A Setup ... 

"The video purporting to show Vice President Joe Biden's daughter Ashley snorting cocaine was preplanned by a man trying to get rich selling the tape, RadarOnline.com has learned exclusively. The man, who is apparently a friend of Ashley's, even bought the cocaine and the hidden camera, our investigation has uncovered."

It shouldn't matter who bought the cocaine or videoed the proceedings, nobody shoved the cocaine up another person's nose.

I find it terribly ironic that democrat Vice President Biden was the anti-drug crusader who instituted the "Drug Czar" position which is to be filled by a nominee whose son allegedly sits in a Florida jail over some alleged "drug-related" matter. Or as they say, from Malibu to Manhattan, it's not just raining on the democrat parade of candidates, it appears to be snowing.

Original Blog Entry ...

According to the New York Post …

“A friend of the daughter of Vice President Joseph Biden is attempting to hawk a videotape that he claims shows Ashley Biden snorting cocaine at a house party this month in Delaware.”

“Vice President Biden has been an outspoken crusader against drugs, coining the term ‘Drug Czar’ while campaigning for a more forceful ‘war on drugs’ in 1982.”

“An anonymous male ‘friend’ of Biden took the video, said Thomas Dunlap, a lawyer representing the seller. Dunlap and another man claiming to be a lawyer showed The Post about 90 seconds of 43-minute tape, saying it was legally obtained and that Biden was aware she was being filmed. The Post refused to pay for the video.”

“The lawyers declined to name the person who shot the video, but said he knew Ashley Biden well and had attended other parties with her at which there were illegal drugs. The lawyers said the shooter used a camera with a hard-drive that he later destroyed, drilling into the device and tossing it into a lake.”

More details of the alleged encounter can be found at the New York Post.

Which brings up some interesting questions …

• How far will the administration go to covertly suppress this tape?
• How far will the Obama-mania press corps go to suppress or minimize this story?
• How will the spinmeisters “spin” the story?  “Untrue?”  “Faked footage?”  “Personal matter?” “Of no real news value?”  “Hoax?” “Politically-motivated trick from the Vast Right Wing Conspiracy?”

“The unnamed lawyer hinted that his client had additional information that could embarrass the vice president's daughter.” 

“The other lawyer said Biden didn't have secret service protection at the time of the party because she complained about agents blocking her driveway.  ‘She complained to her dad about it and he got rid of them,’ he said.”

If this were a member of Sarah Palin’s family, even the suggestion of wrong would be covered 24/7 in all media --and in heavy rotation.

Let’s see what the media does with this story?

-- steve

Reference Links:

FRIEND OF BIDEN'S DAUGHTER SHOPPING TAPE OF HER ALLEGEDLY DOING COCAINE - New York Post

WORLD EXCLUSIVE: Vice President Biden’s Daughter Caught Up In Cocaine Scandal|RadarOnLine.com

THINK OBAMA WILL TAKE CARE OF YOU ... HE ISN'T EVEN WILLING TO TAKE CARE OF HIS OWN RELATIVES! (Updated)

UPDATE: 04-01-09  THE DEMOCRAT WAY: USING THE JUDICIARY TO KICK THE CAN DOWN THE ROAD

There are reasons that the democrats are called the party of lawyers and often accused of using the courts when they can't seem to get traction for the unpalatable ideas in Congress or at the voting polls. And it is often a loosely-coupled conspiracy, where people do not have to be told how to proceed and just know what the democrats expect, to obtain action.

According to Reuters: "Judge extends Obama aunt's stay in United States"

"President Barack Obama's Kenyan aunt, who was ordered deported five years ago, can stay in the United States legally until next year when she makes a new asylum bid, an immigration judge ruled on Wednesday."

"The issue of her immigration status flared three days before Obama was elected the first African-American president in the November 4, 2008 election. His late father was from Kenya and his white mother, also deceased, was American. Zeituni Onyango, 56, whom Obama calls 'Auntie Zeituni' in one of his memoirs, has been living in a public housing complex in Boston and is the half-sister of Obama's father."

" ''The decision as to Ms. Onyango's request to stay permanently in the U.S. will be made during a second hearing,' Michael Rogers, a spokesman for Onyango's lawyer, Margaret Wong, said in a statement."

"The hearing on Wednesday was closed to the media. The next hearing is set for February 4, 2010. Onyango first visited the United States in 1975 at age 23 and has traveled between Kenya and the United States several times since then, Rogers said."

"In 2001 she received a U.S. Social Security card after proving she was in the United States legally and the following year she sought political asylum due to violence in Kenya. She applied to live in a public housing project in Boston. A federal immigration judge rejected her asylum request in 2004, ordering her to leave the country. She remained in Boston."

This story stinks to high heaven. One, how did the aunt prove that she was legally in the United States and obtain a social security card without any citizenship proceedings or asylum ruling? Obviously she is not afraid to travel back and forth to Kenya, so her only claim might be that being an Obama relative puts her at risk -- yet she does not seem to have Secret Service protection or does she? And what passport was used on her travels. It couldn't have been a United States passport as she was not a citizen. She is also guilty of defying the court's deportation order. 

So in a nutshell, we see the incompetence of the entire immigration apparatus, why there are long delays in immigration proceedings, why immigration issues are another federal subsidy for lawyers, and why anyone can flout immigration law with impunity -- relative of the President or not. It is time to reform the system -- not the so-called "comprehensive immigration reform" of the far-left open borders crowd, but a rational system which denies those illegally here from ever becoming citizens. And if we really want immigration reform, we need to re-interpret the 14th Amendment which was designed to give stateless slaves their citizenship, not produce "anchor babies" to create American citizens with an allegience to a foreign sovereign power.

Being floated in the blogosphere: perhaps the reason President Obama is working so hard to achieve his political agenda, without seeming regard for the 2012 consequences, is because he might be foreign-born and is worried that it will end any hope of a next term?

Original Blog Entry ...

With all of the political favors dispensed by the democrats – involving billions of taxpayer dollars – President Obama will not even come to the aide of a family member because he is afraid of media scrutiny. What an asswipe!

If Obama is willing to throw family members under the bus for the sake of appearances, then what are the chances he can  be trusted to govern the United States for the benefit of honest, hard-working taxpayers?

Perhaps if his buddy Tony Rezko needed a favor, Obama would have been more inclined to find private shelter for his relative. Maybe Obama is so stupid that he forgot he could turn to any number of democrat-fixers cum attorneys – like Vernon Jordan – and get assistance.

The fact that Obama would turn his back on his family should outrage his ACLU and ACORN buddies who are always looking out for the disadvantaged.

But what bugs me the most is that there is an elderly lady trying to live her life and her wealthy relative with position, power and prestige won’t lift a finger to help her. Making Obama am insensitive putz.

While there are any number of things that I could fault Obama for, from being a telegenic TelePrompTer’d empty suit and a radical who is willing to destroy the United States economy for the sake of his socialistic agenda – the worst thing I can say about him is that he puts appearances before realty – the ultimate triumph of style over substance.

I would have more respect for Obama, the man – not the political cartoon – if he would have reached out to his democrat buddies and made sure that his aunt lived out her days, among her friends, in relative ease and comfort.

Considering the nepotism of Vice President Biden, Obama’s failure to help his own relatives is ludicrous.

 According to the Boston Globe … 

“President Barack Obama's aunt, a Kenyan immigrant who ignited controversy last year for living in the United States illegally, has returned to her quiet apartment in a Boston public housing project to prepare for an April 1 deportation hearing that will be closed to the public.”

“Zeituni Onyango, a tall, frail-looking woman in her late 50s who walks with a cane, had fled Boston to stay with relatives in Cleveland last fall after media attention erupted over her case. She was spotted at Obama's inaugural festivities in January and, according to neighbors, returned to Boston a few weeks ago for her third attempt to fight removal from the United States. She had been living in the country illegally since she was ordered deported in 2004.”

“Now the woman Obama called ‘Auntie Zeituni’ and described as a kindly woman who kissed him on both cheeks and guided him during his trip to Kenya 20 years ago, is in a national spotlight, where her case is seen as a test of the Obama administration's commitment to enforcing immigration laws. Critics, outraged that she is living in taxpayer-funded public housing while thousands of citizens and legal immigrants are on waiting lists, are scrutinizing the case for political favoritism. Others caution that she may have legitimate grounds to stay in the United States.”

" ‘The case is unusual in American history because it's a relative of the president involved in immigration matters,’ said Mark Krikorian, executive director of the Washington-based Center for Immigration Studies. ‘It really does present the White House with an opportunity or a minefield. If they follow through on a decision that she should go home, that would actually raise the president's credibility enormously on immigration enforcement.’"

“Obama has said that he has not had any involvement in the case and that it should run its ordinary course, White House spokesman Ben LaBolt said.”

Can you trust a man who will not step up to the plate and help out his own extended family? What does that say about a leader who professes to care for the larger family of American citizens?

-- steve

Reference Links:

Back in Boston, Obama's aunt fighting deportation - The Boston Globe 

Obama's aunt becomes symbol in immigration debate

BIG DEMOCRAT MISTAKE: THE FED IS NOT RESPONSIBLE TO THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES AND SHOULD NOT BE "THE ONE" REGULATOR OF SYSTEMIC RISK

Treasury Secretary Timothy “Turbo Tax” Geithner, testifying about the current financial crisis before the House Financial Services Committee …

“These failures have caused a great loss of confidence in the basic fabric of our financial system, a system that over time has been a tremendous asset for the American economy.”

“To address this will require comprehensive reform. Not modest repairs at the margin, but new rules of the game. The new rules must be simpler and more effectively enforced and produce a more stable system, that protects consumers and investors, that rewards innovation and that is able to adapt and evolve with changes in the financial market.”

“I want to begin that process today by focusing on proposals that are essential to creating a more stable system, with stronger tools to prevent and manage future crises. In this context, my objective is to concentrate on the substance of the reform agenda, rather than the complex and sensitive questions of who should be responsible for what.”

Of course as in past testimony, Geithner was a little vague on the details …

“Over the next few weeks we will outline proposals in the areas of consumer and investor protection and for reform of regulatory oversight arrangements.”

The “Plan” …

The key elements of our plan to address systemic risk are:

First, we need to establish a single entity with responsibility for systemic stability over the major institutions and critical payment and settlement systems and activities.

Second, we need to establish and enforce substantially more conservative capital requirements for institutions that pose potential risk to the stability of the financial system, that are designed to dampen rather than amplify financial cycles.

Third, we should require that leveraged private investment funds with assets under management over a certain threshold register with the SEC to provide greater capacity for protecting investors and market integrity.

Fourth, we should establish a comprehensive framework of oversight, protections and disclosure for the OTC derivatives market, moving the standardized parts of those markets to central clearinghouse, and encouraging further use of exchange-traded instruments.

Fifth, the SEC should develop strong requirements for money market funds to reduce the risk of rapid withdrawals of funds that could pose greater risks to market functioning.

And sixth, we need to establish a stronger resolution mechanism that gives the government tools to protect the financial system and the broader economy from the potential failure of large complex financial institutions.

Which regulatory agency or institution will become “THE ONE” …

Most people believe that the Federal Reserve will be chosen as the single “systemic regulator” with unprecedented powers.

Proposing the Federal Reserve as a regulator of “systemic risk” with wide-ranging powers is clearly a major mistake …

The Federal Reserve is a PRIVATE INSTITUTION owned by its member banks. It has a congressional charter to act on behalf of the United States as a central bank, but otherwise is not responsible to the people of the United States.

There is no way for the citizens of the United States to address their grievances against Federal Reserve policies by direct action against the Governors of the Federal Reserve.

Is the Federal Reserve responsible for the current financial crisis?

There are those who believe that the Federal Reserve is at the root of all of our problems. It is through their manipulation of the United States monetary policy that has led us to asset bubbles, inflation and recessions/depressions. Many people put this current financial crisis squarely at the feet of former Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan who kept interest rates artificially low in response to the bursting of the dot com bubble. This allowed easy access to money – which produced a moral hazard where money could be invested in ventures without the careful due diligence that would have been required with harder to obtain funding. In addition, it was the flight of the global capital pool from uninteresting, but perfectly safe, low interest Treasuries into higher yield mortgage-related securities. That we suffered a regulatory failure and greed-fest which left the economy vulnerable to the malfeasance of the financial industry was due, in part, to the fact that the Federal Reserve did not prevent predatory lending under their HOEPA (Home Owner Equity Protection Act) authority.

The Fed refuses to reveal which institutions are  getting assistance …

In any event, ceding unprecedented power to the Federal Reserve is a bad idea; if for now other reason is that the Fed has steadfastly refused to transparently indicate who was receiving Fed loans which may have led to the public’s questioning of the soundness of the institutions.

The Fed claimed that they were refusing to reveal the details to prevent a mass collapse of financial institutions due to a loss of public confidence which may result in bank runs like what happened at California’s IndyMac Bank. However, the flip side of the issue is that the Fed clearly knows which institutions were potentially and were betraying both the investors and the American public by letting people place their money at further risk.

Many people have argued that the opaque operations of the Federal Reserve and the Treasury Department is the causal factor preventing investors from reentering the marketplace and thus prolonging the crisis.

The fundamental question: is it better to know the depth and breadth of the crisis, and which institutions are bound to fail, or is it better to attempt a salvage and recovery operation in secret, has yet to be asked and adequately answered by the President, Congress, the media or the American public.

Clearly, the choice of the Federal Reserve does raise serious constitutional issues not only about the Federal Reserve’s very existence as a PRIVATE institution handling PUBLIC money, but about the lack of public responsibility for its secret actions.

Considering that the Federal Reserve has seemingly co-opted the Treasury Department under former Secretary Henry Paulson (formerly head of Wall Street’s Goldman Sachs) and now under Secretary Timothy Geithner who served as the head of the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the latest question facing Congress is: do we nationalize the Federal Reserve or nationalize the financial institutions?

More as this story develops …

-- steve

Reference Links:

Addressing the Need for Comprehensive Regulatory Reform|Timothy Geithner Testimony

Red Light Cameras: Automating Revenue Generation in Tough Times

Most municipalities have given up even the pretense of claiming automated red light enforcement systems are more about intersection safety than they are about revenue generation in these financially desperate times. In fact, the only complaints we are hearing is when the devices fail to generate the expected revenue and force the municipalities to shell out additional cash for maintenance to the system’s vendors who share in the bounty.

There is now worry by some that a California Assembly Bill, A.B. 766, introduced by  Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, may be used to gut existing speed trap legislation and allow for the expanded use of automated enforcement devices such as red light and stop sign cameras. Since the legislation is in rough form, it can be modified by amendment before vote -- which makes it significantly more dangerous to the driving public.

Krekorian, who was elected to the California State Legislature in 2006 to serve the communities of Burbank, Glendale, Los Feliz, North Hollywood, Silver Lake, Valley Glen, Van Nuys and Toluca Lake, is a liberal lawyer/activist who prides himself to be a champion of causes.

According to the non-partisan legislative counsel’s digest …

AB 766, as introduced, Kerkorian. Vehicles: speed limits.

“Existing law permits a local authority to decrease or increase a prima facie speed limit on any street, other than a state highway, based on an engineering and traffic survey, and for enforcement purposes requires that survey to be redone after a certain number of years. This bill would allow a local authority retain a prima facie speed limit on any street, other than a state highway, if the local authority makes a finding, after a public hearing, that a higher speed limit is not the most appropriate for the orderly movement of traffic upon the street and does not promote a safe environment for the neighborhood or pedestrians.”

What is the purpose of this bill …

First, the existing law seems complete and adequate to the regulatory task at hand. While it does require the additional expenditure of municipal funds to conduct an engineering and traffic survey, it seems infinitely better than waiving such a rational approach and throwing the matter open to the vagaries of the political process – a process which we have seen in recent years as being corrupt and easily manipulated by politicians for their own self-interests.

I believe the most significant problem with this legislation is that it takes a concrete procedure and opens it up to the political whims of politicians and others who no longer have to have any rational basis for their decisions or any accountability to the public for their operations.

The bill’s language makes that abundantly clear …

“SECTION 1. Section 22358.2 is added to the Vehicle Code, to read:

22358.2.

(a) Notwithstanding Section, 40802, a local authority may retain a prima facie speed limit that is provided by this code or by local ordinance under subparagraph (A) of paragraph (2) of subdivision (a) of Section 22352, or established under Section 22354, 22357, 22358, or 22358.3 on any street other than a state highway, if the local authority makes a finding, after a public hearing, that a higher speed limit is not the most appropriate for the orderly movement of traffic upon the street and does not promote a safe environment for the neighborhood or pedestrians.

(b) If a local authority makes a finding pursuant to subdivision (a), the prima facie speed limit does not have to be rejustified by an engineering and traffic survey as provided in Section 40802.”

This is bad legislation from a lawyer who should know better. And since Krekorian is a lawyer, one can only assume that it was done to weaken existing laws and make them susceptible to the political winds which blow haphazardly upon the land.

There is also an interesting article that appeared in the Glendale News Press that points out the perfidity of municipal organizations in lobbying their state legislatures for less restrictive legislation.

"The [Glendale City] council, at the suggestion of Councilman Bob Yousefian, also instructed city officials to return with a draft resolution lobbying the state legislature for greater freedom to test new enforcement technologies, such as radar photo cameras, as a way to calm traffic." 

"And state Assemblyman Paul Krekorian, whose district includes Glendale, is pushing a bill that would give local jurisdictions greater freedom to respond to pedestrian concerns when evaluating street safety plans."

What can YOU do?

Notify your elected representative that you believe that the existing law is fine and that no further amendment of existing law is necessary.

You may also explain that you are tired of California’s laws being manipulated by lawyers and politicians for their own special interests and that vague laws which have a variety of unannounced “intended” purposes and unintended consequences are not acceptable in the face of adequate existing legislation.

If these people want to manipulate the laws to gut existing legislation or create further automated red light and stop sign enforcement usage, they should clearly state that in a single-purpose bill rather than hiding behind the obscurity of a vague and ill-conceived attempt at fooling the public into ceding as yet unknown powers to politicians.

It is about time that we took back our government from those politicians who believe that they are some kind of ruling elite whose power and financial needs supersede the wants and needs of the public which elected them.

A money-saving tip: according to traffic engineering analysis, 80% of all red light tickets are issued for "rolling stops" involving right-hand turns without stopping. You can reduce your exposure to red light cameras by 80% by simply stopping before making that right-hand turn.

-- steve

Quote of the Day: “The most duplicitous lawyer/politician  is one who creates an innocuous piece of legislation designed to do something that he would rather the people did not see in the light of day.”-- steve

A reminder from OneCitizenSpeaking.com: a large improvement can result from a small change…

The object in life is not to be on the side of the majority, but to escape finding oneself in the ranks of the insane. -- Marcus Aurelius

Reference Links:

AB 766 Assembly Bill – INTRODUCED

For the best information on Red light Cameras and other traffic-related information, you may wish to visit www.highwayrobbery.net which is a web site that I enthusiastically endorse.