“‘Q: You cut jobs at HP, you know what it’s like to cut jobs, you made tough choices – so are you saying that you want to go to Washington, DC to cut jobs? Is that the argument to the people of California – ‘Send me to Washington, I know which jobs to cut, and I’ll cut them?’ Is that what people want to hear when they need jobs?’

“‘A: Well, look. It’s unacceptable that Californians are living with 12.6 unemployment and federal employees are growing at 14.5% a year. That is unacceptable. So yes, let us start with the basic proposition that the federal government shouldn’t be getting any bigger.’

“‘That’s why, by the way, I would have voted against the financial regulatory reform bill….Barbara Boxer’s solution is to create yet another agency, to hire yet more people.’

“Just so we’re clear, Fiorina believes that in the worst recession in 60 years, government should not be hiring to fill in the gap, that higher unemployment is good, that more federal employees should be laid off so that everyone is miserable.

“What more evidence do we need that Fiorina does not understand how the economy works? She has no clue about the need for government to step in to provide stimulus and job creation when the private sector is not creating jobs.”
Fiorina: Higher Unemployment Good for America, by Robert Cruickshank, July 13, 2010

What planet is Carly Fiorina living on? Does anybody know?

Vote for Barbara Boxer. She’s rich, but at least she gets how the rest of us live.

“‘The Western States Council is endorsing Proposition 19 based upon our previous support of the medical cannabis initiative, 1996’s Proposition 215,’ George Landers, the council’s executive director, said in a statement. ‘We view Proposition 19 as an enhanced version of the previous proposition, that creates taxable revenue and produces jobs in agriculture, health care, retail and possibly textile. We further believe that the proposition will deprive narcotics traffickers of a significant source of criminal revenue.’

“Ron Lind, international president of the union, and Dan Rush of its Local 5 also spoke out in favor of Proposition 19.

“‘The marriage of the cannabis-hemp industry and UFCW is a natural one,’ said Rush. ‘We are an agriculture, food-processing and retail union, as is this industry.’”
Union endorses initiative to legalize marijuana in California, by John Hoeffel, LA Times, July 14, 2010

Ah, California.

• 50th in student to teacher ratios, with 21.3:1 compared to a national average of 13.8:1
• 49th in student to guidance counselor ratios, with 809:1 compared to a national average of 440:1
• 46th in student to school administrator ratios, with 358:1 compared to a national average of 216:1
• 46th in education spending as a percentage of personal income, and
• 44th in spending per student, with $8,826 spent per student compared to a national average of $11,372

“Unfortunately for our children, in the context of our $19.1 billion deficit, California could soon place 50th in all categories. The governor and Republican legislators are refusing to discuss revenue alternatives. Their cuts-based approach to closing our budget gap inevitably places a huge target on K-12 education because it is the largest single expenditure from our General Fund.”
Public Education in Crisis, by Assemblymember Noreen Evans, July 10, 2010

Assemblymember Noreen Evans, Cassandra of California.

Alas.

“Orange County pension records show that convicted former Sheriff Michael S. Carona collected about $215,000 last year in retirement payments — and he was just one of more than 400 county pensioners who received more than $100,000 in retirement in 2009.

“Carona, who was convicted last year of witness tampering, remains free on bail pending appeal. But his indictment in 2007 rocked the county and forced major changes to the county’s top law enforcement agency.

“Also on the list is former county Treasurer-Tax Collector Robert L. Citron, whose investments led Orange County into bankruptcy in 1994. He collected about $142,000 last year.

“The information was released by the Orange County Employees Retirement System following a lawsuit by the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility, which advocates for pension reform and has filed similar suits throughout the state. The county retirement agency initially refused to provide the information, saying that releasing the names of those who receive large pensions would compromise their privacy.”
Convicted Orange County sheriff collects $215,000 pension, by Paloma Esquivel, LA Times, July 8, 2010

And people worry that the puny pensions of state employee are going to break us. I, personally, find it more disturbing and distasteful that taxpayers pay millions to felons and fiscal idiots such as Carona and Citron. And this is just 2 of them; the rest of the list probably isn’t prettier.

Can California be saved…from itself?

Oh, it’s worse than that. The original County hospital had about 900 beds and Womens and Childrens hospital down the street from it had about 650 and they’ve both been crammed into a 600 bed new LAC USC hospital. I am told there are only 19 pediatric beds in the whole building. Thanks Michael Antonovich, Yvonne B. Burke, Don Knabe and Zev Yaroslavsky, thanks a lot you westside class warrior idiots. Betcha no County patients are getting beds in Cedars Sinai Hospital. I mean, LAC USC is in Molina’s district, she might know what her own district needs more than anyone else. Geeze.

And before anyone says anything stupid: illegal immigration has nothing to do with this problem. Los Angeles has considerably more than 600 working poor U.S. citizens in need of medical care and no insurance, alas.

“Quintana spent a mere $100,000 to receive 253,243 votes which translates to $ .39 per vote.

“Meg Whitman spent over $80 million for 1,101,528 votes which translates to $72.62 per vote.

“Steve Poizner spent over $35 million for 461,823 votes which translates to $75.78 per vote.

“Chris Kelly spent over $12 million for 265,110 votes which translates to $45.26 per vote.

“Carly Fiorina spent over $6.7 million for 952,072 votes which translates to $7.03 per vote.

“Barbara Boxer spent over $3.7 million for 1,426,923 votes which translates to $2.59 per vote.

“Chuck DeVore spent over $2.1 million for 321,218 votes which translates to $6.53 per vote.

“Tom Campbell spent over $1.7 million for 366,581 votes which translates to $4.63 per vote.”
Brian Quintana Knows the Value of Comic Relief, by Brian Leubitz, Calitics, June 09, 2010

Politics in California has become too expensive for democracy in California. And God help us if Brown doesn’t win in November.

So, Unhappy Hipsters, usually a very amusing site usually devoted to mocking pretentious twits with too much money that’s not making them happy and very strange architectural taste as well, labels this photo:

The last vestige of a once-promising gentrification.

“The last vestige of a once-promising gentrification.” I think to myself, “Hm, there’s no unhappy hipster in this photo, perhaps I should click on the link for more information.” And here it is:

“Architects: buildingstudio; Location: New Orleans, LA, USA; Design Team: Coleman Coker, David Dieckhoff, Varuni Edussuriya, Tom Holloman, Jonathan Tate; Client: Neighborhood Housing Services; General Contractor: Evolution Builders; Project Area: 960 sq ft; Budget: US $116,000; Project Year: 2010; Photographs: Will Crocker & Undine Prohl

“This affordable home arose out of the post-Katrina re-housing effort in New Orleans for an inner city neighborhood in dour [sic] (they must mean dire, ED) need of new places to live. buildingstudio was working with an affluent client in Boulder, CO who voiced great concern for the lack of effort being made in New Orleans after the storm. As result we asked if they’d be willing to contribute toward an affordable home for a Katrina refugee. Not only did the clients generously give their own money, they invited their friends and colleagues to participate towards the cost of constructing an affordable home. The total sum contributed was $50,000.00. This generous contribution allows Neighborhood Housing Services, who promotes and markets low-cost properties in economically-strapped neighborhoods of New Orleans, to offer the house at a vastly reduced rate. buildingstudio, contributed its full design and coordination services as well.”
Alligator / buildingstudio, by Nico Saieth, Arch Daily, June 3, 2010

Up until now I’ve enjoyed reading Unhappy Hipsters, but I don’t think their blogging mission is to mock affordable and sustainable housing for anyone, especially those who’ve lost their homes due to some horrible event.

$116K might sound like a lot of money in some parts of the country, but I’m looking for a house in the less swanky, very less swanky, part the city of Los Angeles and 960 sq ft, 2 bd, 2 baths, start around $300K for a “fixer.” If I could get an Alligator house for half or two-thirds that price, I WOULD.

I read a few of the comments at Arch Daily, but thought this one worth blogging:

“I like this, but is this really what the people of New Orleans want? Is this truly their aspirational housing model?”

This person has obviously never been homeless and might not have much of a heart either. I don’t think the Alligator house was forced on anyone. Most people I know have aspirations in housing that are affordable and livable. The Alligator house meets both of those criteria. And, as a bonus, your friends will always be able to find your house.

Note: The Arch Daily article seems to contradict itself. In one paragraph they write “And while the best intentions went into these, they’re disappointingly constructed. This limits their lifespan and undermines the long-term viability of the neighborhood.” and then in the next one, “The home, meeting hurricane resistance requirements, has insulated windows with an efficient thermal envelope to lower utility bills. Exterior walls and roof are clad in factory-painted, preformed metal siding for ease of maintenance and long-term durability.” So, which is it? “Disappointingly constructed” or “long-term durability”?

Note2: I hate architecture, really I do. I just want something I can get a reverse mortgage on when I’m old and gray.

“Gary Pierce, a member of the Arizona Corporate Commission, sent a letter to L.A. officials Tuesday discussing the possibility that Arizona cut power to L.A. from generators in that state. It’s unclear whether Pierce’s suggestion has any support from other members of the commission — or whether such a cutoff is legally allowed.

“‘If an economic boycott is truly what you desire, I will be happy to encourage Arizona utilities to renegotiate your power agreements so Los Angeles no longer receives any power from Arizona-based generation,’ he wrote in the letter. ‘I am confident that Arizona’s utilities would be happy to take those electrons off your hands. If, however, you find that the City Council lacks the strength of its convictions to turn off the lights in Los Angeles and boycott Arizona power, please reconsider the wisdom of attempting to harm Arizona’s economy.’”
Arizona official suggests cutting off power to L.A. over boycott on illegal immigration crackdown, by Shelby Grad, LA Times, May 19, 2010

Mr. Pierce should learn to read a contract: according to Councilman Tom LaBonge, the Los Angeles DWP owns enough of those power plants to keep this from happening. And further to Mr. Pierce’s eduction, he might want to learn not to make idle threats in writing. It’s stupid, embarrassing and detrimental to whatever integrity Arizona has left. People of Arizona, does Gary Pierce really speak for all of you? Huh.

Readers might be wondering why some people really hate Los Angeles. Well, one reason is that we don’t scare easily. We ride out earthquakes, wildfires, riots, whatnot, and look great doing so. America, we love you! Welcome to Los Angeles!

Vote no on Prop 16. We have enough problems.

“Liberal San Francisco Assemblyman Tom Ammiano, the man behind a legislative proposal to legalize marijuana, wants to close some of the loopholes in state tax law that have allowed some businesses to change hands without being reassessed for rising property values and corresponding taxes.”
Bill Would End Tax Loopholes Under Prop. 13 For California Businesses, by Dennis Romero, LA Weekly, May 11, 2010

~&~

“Proposition 13 made property taxes predictable and, for many California homeowners, affordable. It’s no wonder that there’s a fierce backlash whenever anyone suggests rethinking any aspect of the 1978 ballot initiative.

“But here goes.

“A new study concludes that the rules adopted by the Legislature for commercial property sales have had the effect of shifting the tax burden to residential property owners. The California Tax Reform Association says changing those rules would produce millions of additional tax dollars for schools, police and fire protection and other local services that have been cut time and again — without any impact on taxes paid by homeowners.

“Here’s why: Under Proposition 13, residential property taxes are straightforward. When a house is sold, the tax bill is fixed at 1 percent of the sale price with increases limited to 2 percent annually. The formula is written into the state constitution and can be changed only by the voters.

“If a business property changes hands in a single transaction with a single buyer, the same rules apply. But if no one buys a majority interest all at once, the property tax base remains unchanged. Most business deals are structured to avoid a reassessment. Among the examples cited in a recent legislative report was the 2002 sale of Louis M. Martini Winery to E&J Gallo, which would have resulted in $700,000 a year in additional property tax revenue, mostly in Napa and Sonoma counties, if not for the special treatment of commercial property sales.”
PD Editorial: Old Prop. 13. It’s time to revisit the rules for commercial property sales. Sales of commercial property, such as office space, can be treated differently than sales of residences for property tax purposes, by Kent Porter, The Press Democrat, May 14, 2010

~&~

“On November 5, 2009, two ballot initiatives to remove certain Proposition 13 property tax protections for California commercial property were filed with the state’s Attorney General.

“The first initiative, titled the “Protect the Homeowners and Close Corporate Tax Loopholes Act” (No. 09-0077, the “Reassessment Initiative”), would remove the Proposition 13 limits on assessed value of commercial real property and subject such property to reassessment at fair market value at least once every three years.

“The second initiative, titled the “Education and Taxpayer Fairness Act” (No. 09-0078, the “Rate Initiative”), would raise the property tax rate on commercial real property by 55 percent (from 1 percent to 1.55 percent) and reserve the incremental property tax revenue for California public schools.

“Neither initiative would change any of the existing Proposition 13 protections for residential real property.”
California Ballot Measures Would Cut Proposition 13 Protection for Commercial Properties, By Craig A. Becker and Lawrence L. Hoenig, tax partners in the Palo Alto office of Pillsbury Winthrop Shaw Pittman LLP, December 2009

~&~

“Proposition 13, the famous – or infamous – California property tax limit passed by voters in 1978, requires property to be reassessed upon a “change of ownership.”

“For homeowners, that’s an easily understood provision. When one buys a house, its base tax value is pegged at its sales price.

“When it comes to commercial property, however, change-of-ownership rules adopted by the state three decades ago are anything but simple. If business property changes hands entirely in a single transaction with a single buyer, the rules governing homes also apply – but business deals are typically more complex.

“If no one buyer purchases more than 50 percent of the property at any one time, it generally does not constitute a ‘change in ownership.’ Business deals in California are frequently structured to avoid reassessment.

“That, say critics, is a giant loophole that artificially depresses commercial property taxes, thus costing local governments – and indirectly the state – untold billions of dollars.”
Dan Walters: Bill looks to fix Prop. 13 ‘loophole’, by Dan Walters, Sacramento Bee, May 11, 2010

~&~

“On May 5 the San Francisco Bay Guardian, a leftist political pamphlet, weighed in with a different view of the 1978 measure in an unsigned editorial supporting Assemblyman Tom Ammiano’s AB 2492, which would preserve Prop 13′s tax breaks to residential property owners, while eliminating certain breaks for owners of commercial property.

“‘Millions of homeowners love their low taxes, and even the liberals among them are dubious about giving up their cherished perk,’ said the editorial, before going on to suggest Prop. 13′s homeowner tax breaks aren’t nearly as bad as Buffett makes them out to be.”
Guardian Editors Would Benefit from Prop. 13 Legislation They Endorsed, by Matt Smith, SF Weekly, May. 7 2010

~&~

“In Los Angeles, residential property accounted for 53% of the property taxes paid in 1975. In 2009, that figure had mushroomed to 69%, according to the report.

“Lenny Goldberg, executive director of the California Tax Reform Assn., which wrote the study, said a broken property tax system has allowed companies like Chase, which purchased Washington Mutual in 2008, to avoid paying higher property taxes on all the bank branches’ land.”
Companies ‘laughing at us’ over property tax loopholes, says lawmaker, by Shane Goldmacher, LA Times blog, May 6, 2010

~&~

“What businesses dodge, of course, the homeowner pays. It’s fair to say that lots of well-off California businesses are making out like bandits at the homeowners’ expense.

“Goldberg calculates that Disneyland, which hasn’t had a reportable change of ownership since, well, forever, is currently taxed at an average of about a nickel per square foot. For comparison, a median California home bought last year (2009) out of foreclosure, measuring 1,600 square feet and selling for about $330,000 (these are averages from the California Assn. of Realtors), would incur property tax of about $3,300 per year, or $2.06 per square foot.”
It’s time to close a big tax loophole for businesses. California’s property tax burden has gradually shifted to homeowners because commercial and industrial property doesn’t change hands as often as homes and the sales can be easily disguised, by Michael Hiltzik, California Tax Reform Association, July 13, 2009 (Even Disneyland is screwing California. Or maybe especially Disneyland is screwing California. Disneyland seems to own the City of Anaheim now, too.)

~&~

Here is the new report mentioned above at California Tax Reform Association.

Making mega-corporations, like Chase Bank, pay their fair share of California property taxes isn’t going to destroy small businesses in California any more than updating property taxes on multi-million dollar homes is going to throw seniors out of their cottages. AB 2492 isn’t going to solve all of California’s problems, but it’s a step in the right direction. And taxing legalized marijuana should get the old long green rolling right into the States coffers. Also get rid of the 2/3 majority rule, and we be stylin’.

Otherwise we’ll turn into Mississippi with a surf culture and not much else to define us and nothing left to be proud of.

“1. Immigrants take jobs from American workers.

“Although immigrants account for 12.5 percent of the U.S. population, they make up about 15 percent of the workforce. They are overrepresented among workers largely because the rest of our population is aging: Immigrants and their children have accounted for 58 percent of U.S. population growth since 1980. This probably won’t change anytime soon. Low U.S. fertility rates and the upcoming retirement of the baby boomers mean that immigration is likely to be the only source of growth in what we call the ‘prime age’ workforce — workers ages 25 to 55 — in the decades ahead. As record numbers of retirees begin drawing Social Security checks, younger immigrant workers will be paying taxes, somewhat easing the financial pressures on the system.”
5 Myths about immigration, by Doris Meissner, Washington Post, May 2, 2010

I knew someone was going to have to support me in my old age. And now I know who.

And I wish I had more of these.

“You might be one of those non-voters, giving it all that ‘Yeah, doesn’t matter who you vote for, the government still get in,’ and ‘They’re all a bunch of trough-gobbling cock-heads’ and ‘I heard a rumour about my MP – turns out he’s into snuff, sailors and Saturday Night Fever.’

“That’s fair enough, but it turns out that if you’re so apathetic that you haven’t even bothered to register to vote, you’re probably affecting your chances when it comes to getting credit for yourself.

“You know, borrowing money that you’ll spunk away on cars and electronic goods you don’t need, and then blaming the government when you can’t afford the repayments and your house gets repossessed.

“But not being on the electoral roll can affect your credit score – being registered to vote helps to verify your identity and will work in your favour when it comes to obtaining those consumer goods that you’re only buying in order to fill a hole caused by a chronic lack of self-esteem. You complete tit.”
Register to vote and improve your chances of getting a loan, by Andy Dawson, Bitter Wallet, April 12, 2010

So…I guess they have voter apathy in the UK…or something. Oh well. Vote. Vote early. Vote often. And vote as along as you can.

“In early March, DBD let go two employees, which was immediately followed by a “glitch” that caused books carried by DBD to be priced incorrectly at online retailers Amazon and Barnes & Noble for a short period of time. A few weeks ago, Checker Book Group ended its relationship with DBD and Diamond Comic Distributors, citing problems with Diamond’s ability to collect debt from retailers.”
DBD loses largest publisher client to Hachette, by Simon, Icarus Comics, April 12, 2010

Hmmm….

“Something is profoundly wrong with the way we live today. For thirty years we have made a virtue out of the pursuit of material self-interest: indeed, this very pursuit now constitutes whatever remains of our sense of collective purpose. We know what things cost but have no idea what they are worth. We no longer ask of a judicial ruling or a legislative act: Is it good? Is it fair? Is it just? Is it right? Will it help bring about a better society or a better world? Those used to be the political questions, even if they invited no easy answers. We must learn once again to pose them.

“The materialistic and selfish quality of contemporary life is not inherent in the human condition. Much of what appears ‘natural’ today dates from the 1980s: the obsession with wealth creation, the cult of privatization and the private sector, the growing disparities of rich and poor. And above all, the rhetoric that accompanies these: uncritical admiration for unfettered markets, disdain for the public sector, the delusion of endless growth.”
Ill Fares the Land, by Tony Judt, NYT Review of Books, April 29, 2010

I’m glad someone else is saying this about the Reagan era, too.

“And when our students ask about Reagan, sure, by all means, you can talk about how he spent the Russians into bankruptcy, or how he blatantly and illegally defied Congress, but what I’ll remember most about Ronald Reagan will be the action that he didn’t take. And his inaction speaks as much about the man Ronald Reagan as any action, or any myth the Right is trying to build up about him.”
Ronald Reagan Day? I’ll Be Wearing a Red Ribbon, by Brian Leubitz, Calitics, April 9, 2010

Ronald Reagan and Co. were bad for America. Can someone name one Reagan and/or Reagan era policy that hasn’t become a nightmare in the present? Do we really need a day to celebrate dismal, malicious, dire, hateful failure and stupidity? I’m sure our great and glorious State has better things to do. Like saving us all from becoming Mississippi with a surf culture. (And if not, we are well and truly fucked.)

Oh, for those of you who haven’t gnashed your teeth today: Reagan visits Bitburg Cemetery

“In February 1985, then White House deputy chief of staff Michael Deaver made an advance-planning visit to Bitburg. The 32 rows of headstones were covered with snow. Deaver was usually very skillful in carrying out his role as public relations maestro for Reagan, but this time he and his team failed to discover that 49 members of the Waffen-SS were buried at Kolmeshöhe. A decision was made by the Reagan team not to include a visit to a concentration camp, as had been previously suggested by Kohl. The president said he didn’t want to risk ‘reawakening the passions of the time’ or offend his hosts by visiting a concentration camp.”

…reawakening the passions of the time…

“The past is never dead. It’s not even past.”
Wm Faulkner

Oooooooooo-kaaaaaay. Well, if they just held Comic-con twice a year — once in LA and once in SD — that would probably solve most of the problem. The movie people would probably only want to do the LA show. I’ve never met one who liked going to SD for the fanboys. Comic-con could even be held three times a year. The third could be in Las Vegas, for God’s sake, and it would sell out every time. It’s not like Christmas; Comic-con can come more than once a year. Jesus, must I think of everything?

“Ronald Reagan destroyed unions…cut the budgets for education, EPA, poverty programs, etc…engaged in a public policy initiative aimed specifically at screwing over the poor…advanced the prison-industrial complex….hollowed out the Federal government to the best of his ability…ironically espoused the belief that government was the enemy (hello! he was the president *facepalm*)…was reckless and neglectful in responding to HIV/AIDS…tried to cut disabled people from social security rolls (that’s right…disabled people)…HUD grant fraud…Sewergate…”
General Electric Pandering To Right-Wing: Why Are Progressives Silent?, by Angelo, Another War of Jenkins’ Ear, March 20, 2010 (via)

And just to get back to me-me-me and my book, one of the many reasons I bothered to write the Hackenbush novels was to remember what Reagan, his policies, and minions did to hurt artists and anyone in the working class in the 1980s. To name just one here: 8% waitress tax anyone? Because the Reagan administration assumed all waitresses lie about their tips. C’mon, folks, tax cuts for the rich and balancing the budget on the backs of the working poor. It started with Reagan and he got away with it and I’m not forgetting or forgiving.

Angelo, at Another War of Jenkins’ Ear above, asks where the progressives are on this issue. Well, they’re probably too busy dealing with the horrors of the present to post about the horrors of the past. But if you have a Reagan horror story, please post it on your blog and everywhere else you can. Or if you don’t have a blog, you can post it in the comments here. You can also post the link in these comments if that widens the dissemination or something. I love Reagan horror stories, and for your convenience, I have a page of links to them.

I think the Lapham Quarterly writer is missing an important point. In the late 50s, over-extended auto consumers bought the Edsel to be swanky. In the 21st Century, over-extended (and the not so over-extended, too) auto consumers bought Hummers to be able to drive over the bodies of rioters, counter-insurgents, refugees, freedom fighters, or whoever scares them the most when the social order completely breaks down. I believe this because after the Rodney King Rebellion Los Angeles exploded with SUVs of the ‘my car can crush your car’ variety.

“Congressman Grayson said, ‘Obviously, America wants and needs more competition in health coverage, and a public option offers that. But it’s just as important that we offer people not just another choice, but another kind of choice. A lot of people don’t want to be at the mercy of greedy insurance companies that will make money by denying them the care that they need to stay healthy, or to stay alive. We deserve to have a real alternative.’

“The bill would require the Secretary of Health and Human Services to establish enrollment periods, coverage guidelines, and premiums for the program. Because premiums would be equal to cost, the program would pay for itself.

“‘The government spent billions of dollars creating a Medicare network of providers that is only open to one-eighth of the population. That’s like saying, “Only people 65 and over can use federal highways.” It is a waste of a very valuable resource and it is not fair. This idea is simple, it makes sense, and it deserves an up-or-down vote,’ Congressman Grayson said.”
Grayson Bill Opens Up Medicare To Anyone Who Can Pay For It, Todd Jurkowski, Press Secretary, Rep Alan Grayson’s office, March 9, 2010

I like this idea, but it would be better and a better use of my taxpayer dollars if it was just FREE MEDICARE FOR ANYONE WHO WANTS/NEEDS IT. Oh, sorry , the capslock was on and I didn’t notice. Actually, this is a good idea, better than the mess the House is still working on.

Anyway, hurray for Alan Grayson!

“‘I’m just going to be blunt with you,’ he told Blankfein. ‘It sounds to me a little bit like selling a car with faulty brakes, then buying an insurance policy on the buyer of those cars. It doesn’t seem to me that’s a practice that inspires confidence in the market.’

“The bankers adopted a ‘mistakes-were-made’ posture while defending their pre-crisis methods as a product of the times and promising to do better since, as they admitted, the Federal Reserve has been watching them far more closely than the Securities and Exchange Commission.

“Blankfein, pressed on whether his company would own up to ‘excessive risk’ practices, raised the notion of a rare season of dangerous hurricanes.

“Angelides shot him down.

“‘Having sat on the board of the California Earthquake Authority, acts of God (are) exempt. These were acts of men and women. These were controllable,’ he said.”
Metaphors flying at Wall Street bankers hearing, by Steve Holland, Reuters, January 13, 2010

Phil Angelides: my hero.

And “…selling a car with faulty brakes, then buying an insurance policy on the buyer of those cars” really sums up the old moral hazard issue right there, don’t it?

“‘I never really think so much about the Option B, because that’s a loser’s attitude,’ Schwarzenegger answered, saying he would keep pushing until he succeeds.

“He neglected to tell the national television audience that he does have an Option B: a ‘trigger’ he included in his budget plan Friday under which he would eliminate the state programs providing welfare, children’s healthcare and home care for the elderly and disabled, among other cuts, if the federal government doesn’t come though. That plan is unlikely to be approved by state lawmakers, however.”
Governor chides California’s Congress members over federal money, by Michael Rothfeld in Sacramento and Richard Simon in Washington, LA Times, January 10, 2010

Oh my God, how much longer is this poltroon going to continue to pretend he’s governor of California? How much longer can we last with this bs?

My one regret is that I’ve known about these good people for years and never promoted them before. I’ll try to make up for that this year. They seem to have anything I’d buy from those people in Seattle, and what I can’t find there, I dig up on AbeBooks.com. Yay!

“The Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors has approved an increase in the cost of a marriage license to $90 from $70. The cost of a so-called confidential license will rise to $85 from $70.

“According to a statement from the county, the fee hike will generate about $500,000 in additional revenue for the cash-strapped county government coffers between January and June.”
Cost of getting married in L.A. County is going up, by Shelby Grad, December 23, 2009

And if we’d legalized gay marriage, we could pay off the Schwarzendebt and live happily ever after forever and ever in lovely sunny California – a paradise on earth.

Dream on, Ginger, just dream the fuck on.

Not all of us need the Public Option.

Burden of proof on the consumer not the insurer! Noooo! Yes.

Private insurance even fucks over conservatives, but only if they’re dying.

It’s so obvious, America, it hurts: just expand Medicare to cover anyone and everyone who asks for it. Are we really this stupid as a country and a people? Don’t answer that, okay?

So there IS something to look forward to.

“Hundreds were turned away just on Tuesday, the first day of a weeklong clinic run by the nonprofit Remote Area Medical Volunteer Corp as part of its mission to provide free health, dental and eye care in needy spots around the world.

“It marks the first time in RAM’s 25 years that it has gone to a major U.S. metropolitan area — a reminder that even in Los Angeles, with world-class doctors and hospitals, many do not have access to affordable healthcare.”
LA sports arena hosts health clinic of last resort, By Dan Whitcomb, Reuters, August 13, 2009

Does somebody want to tell me again why, in what should be one of the richest cities in the richest country in the world, this should be so and why we don’t need universal healthcare? Or, Christ, just give Medicare to anyone who applies for it. Is it really that difficult?

“DETROIT (Reuters) – The punishing four-year decline in U.S. auto sales may have reached a turning point this week — just as Michael Papa handed over the keys to his 1996 Ford Explorer for a government-sponsored trade-in.

“Papa, a Detroit-area restaurant owner, and thousands of other Americans took advantage over the past week of the U.S. government’s ‘Cash for Clunkers’ incentive of up to $4,500 to trade in older gas-guzzlers for newer, more fuel-efficient cars.

“The sudden rush of demand at car dealerships long empty of customers quickly exhausted the $1 billion allocated for the program and drove U.S. auto sales to their highest level of 2009, analysts and industry executives said.

“‘I wasn’t really looking for a new car, but that was a big incentive. That was the driving force to finally get rid of (the old car),’ said Papa.

“His Explorer had 150,000 miles on it and averaged 15 miles per gallon. The Ford Escape he got in return posts average fuel economy of 24 miles per gallon.”
Clunker trade-ins to boost July U.S. auto sales, Reuters, August 3, 2009

I think we got more for that first billion than 222,222 gas guzzlers off the roads. I’d be happier if they all had to buy really fuel efficient cars or hybrids, but this isn’t a bad lurch toward gasoline efficiency. Oh, yeah, auto sales are good, too.

This is also better than a tax deduction because the saving is RIGHT NOW for the buyer and most of us are a RIGHT NOW kind of consumer. I’m not, but apparently 222,222 of my fellow Americans are.

Be interesting to see what happens in a year or two when former gas guzzler drivers’ gasoline costs are half as much. Yay!

UPDATE 080609:
“Toyota’s Corolla sedan overtook the Ford Focus as the best-selling vehicle in the “clunker” program. Toyota had two other passenger cars, the Prius hybrid and the Camry, in the top five. The Honda Motor Co Civic was No. 3.”
U.S. “clunker” sales top 180,000: officials, Reuters, August 6, 2009

I have a Toyota Corolla and it gets great gas mileage. It also starts when I turn the key and keeps running until I turn it off. It’s also comfortable and not flashy, but still easy on the eyes. I’ve had Fords (69 Mustang and some year Escort) and they just weren’t as good experiences as I’ve had with Toyotas. I had a Toyota Echo, I had an accident in the Echo, the Echo was crushed and totaled by a Chevy Tahoe SUV. The other driver filed a medical claim from being slammed around in her SUV while crushing my fuel-efficient compact car. I didn’t have any injuries. Proof once more that size does not matter. Toyotas will always be my first choice when buying a car.

I’m glad to know people are voluntarily buying fuel efficient and hybrid cars on the program. America is getting smarter by the minute. And someday American automakers get smart and make cars as well as Japan.

I wonder. You just don’t see PSAs like this anymore.