Counting by Race at Hillsdale

Posted on August 7, 2013 by ChrisA

Counting by Race at Hillsdale | Online Library of Law and Liberty.

You can’t make this stuff up.

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Boulder to ask voters for $214 million debt limit to buy Xcel system

Posted on August 7, 2013 by ChrisA

Boulder to ask voters for $214 million debt limit to buy Xcel system – Boulder Daily Camera.

That debt limit is not intended to represent Boulder’s estimates of the actual acquisition costs — city officials hinted they believe those costs will be lower — and it explicitly does not include possible stranded costs, which Xcel Energy says Boulder will owe if it forms a municipal utility. (emphasis added)

From the first comment, srhaymes:

I was at the City Council meeting which went past 1:00 AM. What the Boulder Daily Camera fails to report is that Senior Assistant City Attorney Kathy Haddock said that the condemnation costs for the muni will be the highest in Colorado’s history and 3 times higher than any other previous condemnation in Colorado.

The $214 price tag for the muni that City Council passed does not included the stranded costs, separation costs, and however many years of legal costs. It is an incomplete figure. The City Attorney’s PowerPoint presentation to City Council stated that too high of a cost could result in lower voter approval.

As the cost of the muni continues to go up, voter support for the muni continues to go down.

The City of Boulder cannot be trusted on the true cost of the muni.

Steve

Although Boulder deserves their own muni, the headaches that come with it and the promises that won’t be kept, it’s beginning to appear that the “common Boulderite” is now realizes that it’s a “bridge too far”.

Posted in City of Boulder is stoopid, energy | Tagged , | 1 Comment

The NY Times: Start the Countdown Clock

Posted on August 7, 2013 by ChrisA

The NY Times: Start the Countdown Clock | Power Line.

If you think Liberalworld is upset about the Post leaving the fold of the Rich Liberal Establishment (keep in mind that while Bezos may be a liberal of some sort, he’s just not a member in good standing of the Acela Corridor Club), imagine the rending of garments that will happen when the Times is sold.

If by some chance the Sulzberger family waits too long and can only sell the Times at a fire sale price to the Koch brothers, mass suicide will ensue. Someone needs to start the Times Sale Countdown Clock. Fun times (pun intended) ahead.

Where will the Boulder Daily Camera get their talking points after the Times sale?

Posted in msm | 3 Comments

“Now, as Obamacare founders, they are paying the price.”

Posted on August 7, 2013 by ChrisA

concludes Michael Barone. Democrats Own Obamacare, and Its Political Cost Keeps Rising | RealClearPolitics.

A second point is that Obamacare — unlike Social Security, Medicare and Part D — wasn’t consistently supported in public opinion polls. Quite the contrary.

Please don’t pass this bill, the public pleaded, speaking in January 2010 through the unlikely medium of the voters of the commonwealth of Massachusetts when they elected Republican Scott Brown to the Senate as the 41st vote against Obamacare.

Democrats went ahead anyway, at the urging of Speaker Nancy Pelosi and with the approval of President Barack Obama. They made that decision knowing that, without a 60th vote in the Senate, the only legislative path forward was for the House to pass a bill identical to the one the Senate passed in December 2009.
No one had intended that to be the final version. Democrats expected to hold a conference committee to comb the glitches out of the Senate bill and the version the House passed in November.

Voters had done all they could do to signal that they wanted not a Democratic version of Obamacare but a bipartisan compromise or no legislation at all. Obama and Pelosi ignored that demand.

Under those circumstances, it’s not surprising that Republicans — politicians and voters — regard the passage of the law as illegitimate. And that they believe they are morally justified in seeking repeal and replacement of legislation they consider gravely harmful to the nation.

Prediction: Chaos

 

Posted in healthcare reform | Tagged | Leave a comment

“Math is hard” T-Shirt withdrawn

Posted on August 6, 2013 by ChrisA

Children’s Place apologizes, pulls girls’ ‘math is hard’ T-shirt after backlash | Twitchy.

Unfortunately, in general the school systems does make math hard.

Posted in Education | Leave a comment

RNC: Take This Miniseries and Shove It! | Power Line

Posted on August 6, 2013 by ChrisA

RNC: Take This Miniseries and Shove It! | Power Line.

John Hinderaker concludes:

The letter to CNN is substantially identical. I say: three cheers for Mr. Priebus. The liberal media long ago forfeited any right to be taken seriously as neutral observers of the political scene, let alone arbitrators of political virtue. Rather than trying to appease a relentless enemy, Republicans need to confront liberal journalism, and call it what it is: propaganda for the Democratic Party. This is a useful step in that direction.

 

 

Posted in politics | Tagged | Leave a comment

Too much MJ? City of Boulder and roads

Posted on August 6, 2013 by ChrisA

Heresy: Boulder officials want tax shift from open space to roads, general fund – Boulder Daily Camera.

A tax shift from open space to roads? Perhaps the county could take a play out of the City playbooks when it comes to subdivision paving. Highly unlikely considering how much they have invested in the LID/PID false scenarios.

Posted in Boulder | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Oil & Jobs: Someone tell whiner Jared Polis…

Posted on August 5, 2013 by ChrisA

and Democrats in general: How Much Is Oil Supporting U.S. Employment Gains? | Zero Hedge.

API commissioned a report from PricewaterhouseCoopers, which said the U.S. oil and gas industry supported more than 9 million jobs in 2011, a 6.5 percent increase from the last assessment in 2009. In a state like Texas, which hosts a significant portion of the U.S. onshore oil reserves, API said the industry supported 2 million jobs and made up 33 percent of the state’s economy.

Posted in #GREENFAIL, energy | Leave a comment

Drew “Take this Job and Shove It” Johnson editor for Chattanooga Times Free Press…

Posted on August 5, 2013 by ChrisA

is looking for employment: Newspaper fires editor for “Take your jobs plan and shove it, Mr. President” headline « Hot Air.

And of course, as usually happens when the Internet notices that someone’s paid a steep price for his political leanings, people on Johnson’s side are rallying to him. News of his firing is linked on Drudge as I write this; he’ll be on Glenn Beck’s Blaze network tonight at 6 p.m. too. With any luck, some righty media outlet will snap him up before the week’s out.

Me thinks Drew Johnson will come out on the other end just fine.

You can read the re-titled editorial here although the actual link still has what is apparently the original title. Briefly reviewing the comments, it appears the liberal reinforcement were called in. If I had the time, I read through the comment history but alas I don’t.

Posted in economy | Tagged | Leave a comment

“Virginia Democrats reportedly inconsolable.”

Posted on August 5, 2013 by ChrisA

Virginia Gun Sales Rise, Firearm-Related Crimes Drop | Weasel Zippers.

“It’s a quite interesting trend given the current rhetoric about strengthening gun laws and the presumed effect it would have on violent crimes,” Baker told the newspaper. “While you can’t conclude from this that tougher laws wouldn’t reduce crime even more, it really makes you question if making it harder for law-abiding people to buy a gun would have any effect on crime.”

It is, isn’t it?

Posted in 2nd amendment | Leave a comment

The parallel track: Keep exploring municipalization

Posted on August 5, 2013 by ChrisA

The parallel track: Keep exploring municipalization – Boulder Daily Camera.

It was clear when the slim majority of Boulder voters approved the exploration of forming a municipal energy utility in 2011 that the fight wasn’t over.

Wow Erika, if it was so “clear”, why didn’t you enlighten your readership  earlier? It’s been 21 months since the election. Perhaps you were expecting the 49+ percent to go meekly away and the affected county residents to bow down to the City elite?

I’ve got news for you, the County residents already have to deal with the idiotic County Commissioners and subdivision roads, they don’t need the uncertainty of how Boulder “elite” are going to manage and “nudge” the electric rate structure.

Posted in Boulder, Boulder is stoopid | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Boulderites, get busy

Posted on August 2, 2013 by ChrisA

Chevy Volt sales drop to 1,788, Nissan Leaf up to 1,864 in July.

Posted in #GREENFAIL | Tagged | Leave a comment

“I think they have a very romanticized vision of running a utility,”

Posted on August 2, 2013 by ChrisA

Ya think?

Boulder adds high-power loop to Xcel acquisition plan – Boulder Daily Camera.

Posted in Boulder, energy | Tagged | Leave a comment

Obamacare inside the castle walls

Posted on August 2, 2013 by ChrisA

Obama Promises to Help Congressional Staffers Avoid Obamacare.

Some lawmakers on both sides of the aisle have been threatening to push through a legislative “fix” to the problem thereby exempting Congress and its employees from Obama’s healthcare law. But such a fix could be characterized as a certain measure of hypocrisy as Congress exempts itself from the healthcare law it forced on the rest of us.

It is an axiom among many in Congress that if staffers are forced into Obamacare, a “brain drain” will result as key staffers with years of experience will quit and go home to find other work.

What goes on inside the castle walls? They voted on this, a bad law, they need to live with it. Remember why they were in a hurry to pass it. They need to live with it.

Bring on the brain drain.

Posted in healthcare reform | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Issa threatens IRS boss Werfel

Posted on July 31, 2013 by ChrisA

Issa threatensIRS boss Werfel with 5 years in Prison. – Columbia Public Policy | Examiner.com.

In his warning to Werfel, Issa wrote the following:

“Obstructing a congressional investigation is a crime.”.

“Despite your promise to cooperate fully with congressional investigations, the actions of the IRS under your leadership have made clear to the committee that the agency has no intention of complying completely or promptly with the committee’s oversight efforts.

“The systematic manner in which the IRS has attempted to delay, frustrate, impede, and obstruct the committee’s investigation raises serious concerns about your commitment to full and unfettered congressional oversight,”

I think Werfel better start paying attention in class.

Posted in freedom | Tagged | Leave a comment

Europe’s Renewable Romance Fades

Posted on July 31, 2013 by ChrisA

Coming to a stoopid progressive city near you: David Garman and Samuel Thermstrom: Europe’s Renewable Romance Fades – WSJ.com.

The subtitle is

High energy bills and threats of blackouts ended the honeymoon. America, take note.

As the blogmaster of Boulder is a Stoopid Place, I’m re-writing it as:

High energy bills and threats of blackouts ended the honeymoon. Boulder, take note.

But alas, the Boulder municipalization beat goes on. Inside the 24 square miles surrounded by reality anything is possible.

Posted in Boulder | Tagged , , | Leave a comment

Abuse the system

Posted on July 30, 2013 by ChrisA

EXography: Many disability recipients admit they could work | WashingtonExaminer.com.

Recipients of federal disability checks often admit that they are capable of working but cannot or will not find a job, that those closest to them tell them they should be working, and that working to get off the disability rolls is not among their goals.

More baffling, most have never received significant medical treatment and not seen a doctor about their condition in the last year, even though medical problems are the official reason they don’t work. Those who acknowledge they’re on disability because they can’t find a job say they make little effort to find one, according to a Washington Examiner analysis of federal survey results.

Let me be crystal clear: These undeserving recipients make me want to puke. They deserve no part of the American dream and no portion of my tax dollars.

This sheds some light on the issue:

But the analysis also revealed more practical barriers to weaning recipients off the disability rolls: The jobs they’d be candidates for often don’t provide health insurance, which is essential for those with medical problems, and they’d rather receive the federal benefit. Many also say they don’t have transportation to work.

But, but… the article just mentioned many hadn’t seen a doctor in the last year. I’m confused.

Posted in freedom | Tagged , | Leave a comment

Bob Filner: Another MSM shining moment

Posted on July 30, 2013 by ChrisA

San Diego Media: We Knew About Filner and Said Nothing.

Doug Curlee, a San Diego reporter, admits in a Monday editorial that “San Diego news media reporters, editors, producers and writers pretty much knew who and what Bob Filner is and has been.” But except for talking about it over drinks, “we did nothing about it.” Worst of all, Curlee claims that the rumors around Filner were “incessant,” but no one bothered to confirm them, choosing instead to accept denials.

Oh btw, Mayor Filner is a Democrat, which leads to the following…

Naturally, the real reason is not listed there, which is why this kind of thing will happen again and again.

If Filner were a Republican, does anyone doubt he would not have gotten away with this for as long he did? And not just with the local media, but also with the national media?

Of course not.

John Nolte concludes asking reporters what should be, but most likely is NOT, a haunting question…

If Mr. Curlee is truly interested in doing some soul searching, he should add this to his list:

Was it because those of us in the media can never bring ourselves to cover Democrats with the same energy, skepticism, and zeal that we do Republicans?

But the number of reporters capable of facing that truth are few and far between.

How long has Boulder been a single party city with a compliant press?

Posted in Boulder | Tagged , , , , , | Leave a comment

Fracking: Jared Polis whines…

Posted on July 29, 2013 by ChrisA

Fracking can happen to any of us

But last weekend, our dream became a nightmare when Perry noticed a few trucks and construction occurring on the neighbor’s property across the street. They raise horses, so we thought maybe they were building a new stable. We were shocked when a couple days later this bright tower went up overnight.

In the photograph I’ve provided, you can see our garage and guesthouse in the foreground. The huge fracking tower is just dozens of feet away from the foot of our driveway. Like the thousands of Coloradans unlucky enough to be in a similar situation, we received no notice or information about what is going on next door.

The commentors perform “the takedown”. For starters, the tower is not a “fracking tower”.

There isn’t anything much worse than a whining politician trying to play on people’s emotions. Jared knows there isn’t a friendlier audience anywhere than the People’s Republic of Boulder but there are evidently pockets of sanity inside the 24 square miles.

Posted in Boulder is stoopid, stoopid progressives | Tagged , | Leave a comment

PID vs. LID: A false choice for Boulder County subdivision roads

Posted on July 28, 2013 by ChrisA

Ron Laughery: Boulder County government doesn’t do roads?

Well, that’s sort of what the commissioners are saying. When you start fiddling with a simple concept like “we all share in the cost of our roads,” things get messy fast. Rather than just saying, “We don’t do subdivision roads anymore,” the county commissioners started drawing lines between road “routine maintenance” (which they are more than happy to pay for) and road “rehabilitation” (which they feel is completely inappropriate to pay for). I’m confused. It seems to me that, maintaining a road routinely involves occasional major repairs. I never knew that roads had to go into rehab occasionally, like Keith Richards should have. But, it’s the government and I’m sure they know what they’re talking about. Or, maybe it’s just doublespeak to keep us confused. Hard to tell.

Ron concludes…

It’s pretty clear that what Boulder County leaders are really trying to do is find a way to raise money for county government without having to tax most county residents, just those living on these rehab-ready roads. But, to do that, they have to break one of the social contracts we’ve had with our government for centuries. That seems like a bad deal for everyone. One of the hallmarks of Colorado government is transparency, and if the county needs more money to fund their activities, then they should make the case for additional taxes and ask us all if we are willing to pay them. By squeezing the road budgets and then forcing a small subset of county residents to pay more for what the county had  already promised them, our County Commissioners will only make us all more  cynical about future government promises.

John Lilly: Paving tax: County breached its contract

I urge residents to vote NO on the PID. Don’t let them penalize us for their malfeasance. If the PID is defeated and the county commissioners enact a LID, residents should take the county to court to enforce the terms of the original contract.

Subdivision residents are strongly encouraged to attend the Boulder County Commissioners hearing at 4 p.m. on August 14 at the downtown courthouse, 1325 Pearl St. Do not be distracted by the PID vs. LID debate, it is a false choice. We should demand that the county commissioners abide by the original contract and nothing less.

I particularly like the following comment posted at the end of John Lilly’s editorial by “itsjustthetruth”:

….  After having reviewed the county’s budget, there’s no way I would volunteer to pay for roads directly out of pocket. No way. If you do that, you might as well write “damned fool” on your chest and lay down in the crumbling streets. (emphasis added)

Vote ‘NO’ on the PID vote and be prepared to take the county to court on the LID. There are other actions you can take regarding the counties intimidation on the LID vs. PID issue but that’s a topic for another post.

Posted in Boulder county is stoopid | Tagged | Leave a comment