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Open thread
- By Phillip Brownlee
- Posted April 16, 2007 at 1:05 a.m.
- Filed under Open thread
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(AP) Juliana Barbassa, AP Writer “SAN FRANCISCO — Google Inc. and Clear Channel Communications Inc. announced a long-term agreement Sunday that will allow the Internet search leader to place advertising for its online customers on more than 675 Clear Channel radio stations.”
Sedgwick County holdover commissioner, Tim Norton, must think Sedgwick County citizens, voters and taxpayers arrived in Kansas on a spinach truck.
Incredibly, Tim Norton, county commissioner from Haysville, in an EAGLE editorial page letter yesterday, 4/15/07, described his latest vision … another 16% increase in the SALES TAX to follow the current arena sales taxes demise.
According to Norton, this sales tax extension would go on for only a “few” years … read forever!
Norton’s carefully cut and pasted scheme dances, dodges, surges but eventually falls flat on its face as Norton spins the truth like yarn on a broken down spinning wheel.
Norton throws out some strong bait to our overtaxed citizens — saying he only wants to “reduce the property tax rate.” APPLAUSE BY … TIM NORTON.
Norton throws out the old saw that some portion of a sales tax is paid by visitors from Wellington, Newton and Pratt. But Norton fails to mention that the increased sales tax for the arena is already driving Sedgwick County customers to Wal-Mart stores in Wellington, Newton and Pratt. Business is growing in those towns. Lots of SG car tags at those stores.
Then Norton pulls his coup de grace — that is reminding us that state sales taxes in some states exclude food, clothing, school supplies, etc. Good luck getting that passed by our also tax starved Kansas legislators.
Sedgwick County Commissioners, Tim Norton, Dave Unruh and Tom Winters, promoters of the unneeded $300,000,000.14 white elephant downtown ice hockey arena with 20 new Zambonies NEED TO GET OFF THEIR BIG SPENDING MERRY-GO-ROUND. When they leave office they will hold their heads in their hands and cry “What did I do?”
Gentlemen, its not to late to take a courageous stand against continuously raising taxes. Whats wrong with you? THERE IS A BETTER WAY.
NOT ANOTHER TAX !!!
Sounds like the objective is to reduce the real estate tax burden, by trying to spread the costs of “Community Needs”, arenas, parks, jails etc .. to everyone, not just the 70-75% (a guess) of the population that own real estate. On paper seems like a good idea, except we know prop tax rates won’t go down, so there is no real cost saving to the owners.
In the year that I’ve been back here — I’ve not heard or seen one local politician that vowed to cutspending and waste or increase efficiencies. Let’s start there. Freeze salaries and wages? An immediate budget reduction in all departments — 5-10% —- overseen by a citizen review panel, not any elected official or current employee. Make the department heads earn their keep by finding ways to improve efficiency / cost effectiveness, get rid of redundant spending / administrative programs. Travel expenses immediately cut by at least 25%, much of what we spend sending county employees on road trips could probably be done by phone / email. A 1-2 year moratorium on county official travel for County Official Association Meetings — although some good can come from these, much of what is learned there can be found in Association Journals, googling the internet or participating via closed circuit tv / internet?
Sounds like a good start ….
Interesting assertion:
“Travel expenses immediately cut by at least 25%, much of what we spend sending county employees on road trips could probably be done by phone / email.”
Have you any facts to back that up? Any evidence at all? Or is that just an opinion masquerading as fact?
Positive proof that the American left is giving propogandist hope to enemies.
http://english.pravda.ru/opinion/columnists/89728-1/
Yeah, it was a cheap shot, butthis article just needs to be a reminder that what we (both sides)say is parroted in ways we may not want across the world with consequences we may not desire
An opinion based on some conversations / experiences with government employees at virtually every level — as well as years as government employee (USAF).
So it’s not masquarding as fact — an opinion like everyone else here ….
…. and your contribution to the issue would be ….. ? or are you just the fact checker ….. ?
Just keeping things honest, Kev. Assertions without backup are easy to make and are commonly challenged–not just by me.
Good Job Raptor — except it’s Ken
Republican
You know so very little about me and yet you in essence question my integrity, ethics, loyalty, honor and patriotism. I can’t let that go ….. I rarely ever discuss my background, accomplishments and achievements — but you raise the issue
What possible POLITICAL agenda could I have? I won’t ever run for office – and my voice here is just one of hundreds with an opinion and like many here a PERSONAL agenda – based on my now almost 20 years experience in the civilian / political world that has given little more than lip service to supporting our service members.
Sorry you didn’t catch the tongue in cheek humor about only getting 1 good conduct medal in 20 years. Your statement is not entirely accurate — here’s the criteria:
Criteria:
The Air Force Good Conduct Medal was awarded to active duty enlisted members of the Air Force for exemplary conduct during a specified period of military service (normally three years in peacetime).
The policy in the late 60’s and early 70’s (my first enlistment) was to give the good conduct medal to enlisted folks upon completion of their initial enlistment requirement (then 4 years). I don’t know or recall if enlisted personnel ever got another AF Good Conduct Medal after their initial enlistment – I suspect not because outstanding performers were given other honors.
In my case, because I received my commission in my second enlistment, I was not eligible for an additional GCM, (thus the attempt at self deprecating humor) in my case they were replaced with 12 years of firewall OER’s, 3 AF Commendation Medals, 3 Meritorious Service Medals, 3 Presidential Unit Citations. I made every promotion / advancement board either on time or ahead of time, was nominated / selected junior grade officer of the quarter 4-5 times. I turned down a potential nomination for a Purple Heart in Viet Nam because my relatively minor injury was as much a part of my own negligence as an enemy action. So you’re telling us that all those boards / committees I met were wrong? I earned my commission by competing and being selected for a 2 year scholarship in an AF Enlisted Commissioning Program followed by 12 weeks at OTS. I retired at the 20 year point, turning down a promotion as a Field Grade Officer, primarily because I was a single Dad with 3 pre teen sons, in North Dakota with the promise of an unaccompanied tour attached to the promotion. I will not admit to being the perfect Airmen — but I think my record is one that could have only been achieved with loyal, honorable service and certainly does not deserve the denigration by the likes of you.
Like you, I will not stop advocating for those things that are important to me. As long as we have soldiers in harms way I will do what I can to insure that their sacrifices are rewarded and remembered.
Okay, Ken … glad you put up your record, but still…a retired Air Force Officer would never throw in the face of a fellow retired Air Force Officer an obit of a dead Military people.
You did it twice and therefore you have your own personal agenda. If it isn’t political, it is surely a sick thing to do.
By the way, you are still wrong about the Good Conduct Medal. I guess a career Officer like yourself didn’t care much about such things huh.
Ken–
1. Republican is never wrong. If he is caught clearly being wrong, he’ll be the first one to admit that it is really YOU who is wrong.
2. Republican can’t wrap his mind around the idea that a patriotic ex-service person could ever oppose WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER.
That’s why he maintains this facade of horror that any service man would ever criticize any other service man . . . unless of course it’s a service man who opposes Bush’s war of empire in Iraq.
Then hell hath no fury. Consider Andrew, the war-critic grunt in Iraq whom Republican warned not to exercise his free speech or refer retired service people (Republican) in insulting ways.
However if that retired service person is named John Kerry or Max Cleland or former Navy pilot George McGovern or Marine Col. Jack Murtha, why then you can say any vile thing you want to about them.
The point about Ken being wrong Capn was he was throwing the obits of dead soldiers in my face like it was my fault. He was doing it deliberately.
Now your other rants Capn, you have to live with your own fabrications.
BTW, on Kerry…he just took advantage of the system and typed up his own Medals and submitted them. That would never be allowed today as there must be several verified sources before medals are awarded.
Anyone who supported the war is in part responsible for the consequences of the war.
So, yes, the deaths are on your head.
I opposed the war from before it even started. So I bear no blame. In fact, we anti-war protestors have been proven right time and time again:
no WMD’s in Iraq
no Saddam-Al Qaeda ties
no functioning democratic government emerging in Iraq
a quagmire with no end
American lives sacrificed for nothing.
PBS aired part one of a documentary last night entitled “Operation Homecoming” that pointed out exactly what we anti-war people had been saying from BEFORE day one of this war:
Al Qaeda’s strategy was to bog the US down in some unwinnable war of attrition in some middle eastern country.
WORST. PRESIDENT. EVER. gave it to them.
Did anyone know, according to Retirement Living Information Center, the Kansas Tax Burden is ranked 15th in the nation?Congratulations Kansas…Hey, if we work really, really hard maybe we can be Number 1.Why do we stand for this, isn’t it about time to say enough? Let’s send a message to our State Government, let’s make Taxes, the issue, at the next election, and vote accordingly. Of course we’ll have to get out a few more people that we did at the last Wichita City Election
Not hardly Capn. Deaths of military are not on my head.
By that logic, the Democratic Congressman who you voted for that supported the War makes you responsible for the deaths as well.
32 Co-Eds Wiped out by “A Well-Regulated Militia”
I’m the strongest 2nd Amendment advocate I know.
I believe in the right to keep and bear arms. But I also believe a well-regulated militia is essential to a free state.
And to that end, I wouldn’t mind mind if my neighbor kept a thermo-nuclear device in his rumpus room, provided he were vetted by certain basic requirements and subject to the Miltary Code of Justice. (Well, maybe not so much now that George WMD Bush has lowered the standards of military service to include felons and drop-outs. But the standards could be reinstated to pre-Iraq levels.)
I buy into the NRA’s objections against banning an inanimate object (although most NRA members seem just fine with banning marijuana; it must speak to them. but I digress…) What I’m nost concerned about is the mental stability and technical competence social responsibility and personal reliability of people who insist on owning lethal firepower.
The NRA is perfectly willing to accept minimum governmental standards including background checks and proof of competence for Concealed Carry permit-applicants. Does it make sense to accept less from someone owning an AK-47?
It will take a while to learn the background of the Virginia Tech shooter. But I suspect we’ll learn that there are elements in his life that might have indicated that he wasn’t “well-regulated militia” material.
As far as I’m concerned, guns should be available in vending machines, provided the purchaser is certified to be sane and competent and responsible. Let’s require recertification with an hour a month at the firing range and annual one-day training and refresher course; an opportunity for a 21st Century version of a citizens’ militia to weed out the psychos, the desperate, the irresponsible, and the incompetent.
“Losing” a gun, or having a gun “stolen,” or allowing your crazy teenager access to your personal arsenal would be dealt with with the same severity a solider would face if s/he “lost” a weapon. Possession of a weapon without current militia status would be dealt with the same way we deal with those impersonating military personnel. Harshly.
No, it wouldn’t guarantee elimination of another Columbine or Virginia Tech, but it would likely reduce the risk. And I cannot for the life of me imagine why a sane, competent, responsible gun-owner would object.
Illogical argument Long Time. The shooter could have backed up a propane truck, blew it up and caused more deaths.
Or a thousand other ways to kill people.
BTW, it’s extremely sad, I have friends in Virginia. Gonna call them tonight to ask them about their kids. :(
“BTW, on Kerry…he just took advantage of the system and typed up his own Medals and submitted them. That would never be allowed today as there must be several verified sources before medals are awarded.”
Bull.
http://www.snopes.com/politics/kerry/service.asp
From the link:When Kerry returned to his base, his commanding officer, George Elliott, raised an issue with Kerry: the fine line between whether the action merited a medal or a court-martial.
“When [Kerry] came back from the well-publicized action where he beached his boat in middle of ambush and chased a VC around a hootch and ended his life, when [Kerry] came back and I heard his debrief, I said, ‘John, I don’t know whether you should be court-martialed or given a medal, court-martialed for leaving your ship, your post,’” Elliott recalled in an interview.
“But I ended up writing it up for a Silver Star, which is well deserved, and I have no regrets or second thoughts at all about that,” Elliott said. A Silver Star, which the Navy said is its fifth-highest medal, commends distinctive gallantry in action.
Asked why he had raised the issue of a court-martial, Elliott said he did so “half tongue-in-cheek, because there was never any question I wanted him to realize I didn’t want him to leave his boat unattended. That was in context of big-ship Navy — my background. A C.O. [commanding officer] never leaves his ship in battle or anything else. I realize this, first of all, it was pretty courageous to turn into an ambush even though you usually find no more than two or three people there. On the other hand, on an operation some time later, down on the very tip of the peninsula, we had lost one boat and several men in a big operation, and they were hit by a lot more than two or three people.”
http://www.factcheck.org/article231.htmlNEITHER of these sites is partisan. They go after urban legends, outright lies, and distortions on both sides of the American political spectrum. The allegation that Kerry simply wrote up his own medals is serious and questionable, and the swift boat veterans who were present at the incidents for which Kerry got his awards support the accounts where he got the awards. And Elliot’s own account (never mind his late elction hour reversal) clearly indicates that Kerry did not write up his own silver star.
You Republican, have some nerve to presume to lecture Ken for his behavior as a veteran and yet trash another veteran because his politics significantly vary from yours. I realize that many veterans felt angry and betrayed at Kerry’s testimony at Capitol Hill. But that doesn’t mean that he didn’t serve honorably or deserve his medals.
‘Military leaders say global warming threatens US security’http://www.sanfranciscosentinel.com/?p=1190
You’re the one being “illogical,” “Republic.”
I’m talking about 2nd Amendment rights and you’re trying to divert the issue to stealing propane trucks.
It’s pretty typical of Republic Party advocates these days: Try to change the subject.
And typically pathetic.
I believe Kerry’s Commanding officer used the After Action Report which Kerry typed, to make his recommendation for the Silver Star. I never said he didn’t deserve it. I made the observation that he was very crafty to put himself in the position to type up reports that would be used for medal recommendations.
As far as Ken is concerned, the moment he stops throwing obits of dead serviceman in my face, then I’ll give him a break.
If he wants to meet me at McConnell we can arrange to do so. We can find out how much is fact and fiction.
A nut case in Virginia created a horrid tragedy. Unforunately, like the aftermath of Columbinew, legislators will probably line up to make more laws affecting everyone.
Problem is, I can think of several laws this nut case broke to begin with–such as murdering multiple people. Do the legislators really think that passing more laws will stop a nut case??
I am not a gun owner, a member of the NRA or a rabid run rights type. I just fail to see how passing more laws will help when nutcases don’t care about ANY laws.
Columbine doesn’t have a W…and “Gun rights type”…sorry for the typos..
“I believe Kerry’s Commanding officer used the After Action Report which Kerry typed, to make his recommendation for the Silver Star. I never said he didn’t deserve it. I made the observation that he was very crafty to put himself in the position to type up reports that would be used for medal recommendations.”
Since Kerry was the skipper of the boat, it makes sense that he would have typed up the account of the incident. The being “very crafty to put himself in the position to type up the reports” is therefore nothing more than unsupported innuendo. It was his job. His account was and has been backed up by his crew.
As in a previous discussion, your concern about people’s behavior on this blog seems to be related to which political “side” they are on. And if you aren’t saying that Kerry didn’t deserve his medals, what the hell were you saying…
“BTW, on Kerry…he just took advantage of the system and typed up his own Medals and submitted them.”
…for anyway, if not to question whether Kerry earned (or deserved) the medals? That’s what “he just took advantage of the system” implied to me.
I don’t think Kerry was the skipper, but could be wrong about that. I thought he was the exec officer.
I don’t know this for a fact, but I’ve read that Kerry was the only person in that era who left Vietnam in such a short time frame (four months) without being seriously wounded or dead.
I have nothing against Kerry’s military record, he was there, he served and was awarded medals for valor under combat conditions.
I don’t like what he did afterwards in his testimony in Congress nor do I like his politics.
But that’s America isn’t it?
Give it up Ken, you’re arguing with people that still get shivers and goose bumps when they think of their CIC doing (riding along) the fantastic ‘tail hook landing”!
Yeah Steve, Ken is arguing with someone would called him on his cock and bull story.
For instance, on the Good Conduct Medal. This is from the Air Force web site describing the award.
“It is awarded to Air Force enlisted personnel for exemplary conduct during a three-year period of active military service, (or for a one-year period of service during a time of war).”
For one, he said he served two tours in Vietnam. He would have had a Good Conduct Medal and 1 oak leaf cluster (awarded twice.)
Secondly, he said he served eight years as an enlisted man. He would have received another oak leaf cluster (every three years.)
He would have been awarded the Good Conduct Medal three times, unless there was a reason for not getting the reward; i.e. Article 15 (non judicial punishment), courts martial or some other disciplinary action.
If he would have received any form of non-judicial punishment or courts martial he certainly would not have been eligible for Officer Training School the first time up.
Like I said before, there are review boards that look at the medals before the Officer Candidate package can be forwarded. The lack of oak leaf clusters on his Good Conduct Medal would have stood out like a sore thumb to a reviewer.
Anyone watch “Crossroads” on PBS? Very moving, and accurate portrayl of war, from the participants, soldiers personal perspectives.
AIPAC thwarts attempt to prevent war with Iran
March 14, 2007 – In my February 16, 2007 article – The Approaching War with Iran: Part III[1], I explained that President Bush already has the legal cover to launch attack[s] against Iran, without seeking additional congressional approval.
The fact that Bush currently has the legal cover to invade Iran is further validated by the now abandoned effort of Democratic leaders to include in the current military spending bill a requirement that President Bush gain approval from Congress before moving against Iran.[2] Such a provision would not be necessary if Bush did not already have the authorization and legal cover to invade Iran.
According to ABC News (See footnote 2), House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, and other leaders agreed to remove the requirement concerning Iran after conservative Democrats as well as other lawmakers worried about its possible impact on Israel.
It’s possible impact on Israel? You must be kidding me Madam Speaker. What about the possible impact on the United States? What about the impact on our men and women in uniform and their families? What about the impact on our national debt? What about the impact on the people of Iran and the Middle East? These are of no concern to Pelosi apparently. She is only interested in preserving her political career, as is the case with the overwhelming majority of politicians in the U.S. Congress. And these politicians each understand that to protect their political careers – they must serve Israel first via the Israel Lobby in the United States – and not necessarily the interests of the American people.
I’ve known for quite a while now that Congress is comprised of Israel apologists that bow to the Israel Lobby and take orders from one of the most dangerous organizations in this nation – The America Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC), an organization that does have the power to destroy the political careers of men and women that don’t tow the Israel first, Israel forever line. However, I guess I held out hope that there was limit to the AIPAC influence – that there was an American line that the U.S. Congress would not cross, such as invading Iran for Israel. Shame on me for having hope, all of which is now completely gone.
Clearly, loyalty to Israel trumps loyalty to the United States on Capitol Hill. How AIPAC has gained this level of control in the U.S. Congress and the political process in the United States demands an independent investigation. If conducted thoroughly, the American people would quickly discover how AIPAC uses tactics against our elected officials, on behalf of a foreign government, Israel, that amount to extortion – if not espionage. The American people need to let their elected officials in the U.S. Congress know that “we know” that they are AIPAC puppets, and advice them to cut the strings and fast, or else.
On the same day that Democrats removed the requirement regarding Iran from their military spending bill, Nancy Pelosi received scattered boos[3] when she addressed 5000 to 6000 AIPAC members at their annual meeting. Americans need to also insist that their elected officials stop attending AIPAC events!
According to The Hill piece, the 6000 AIPAC members in Washington DC for the annual meeting that ended yesterday, intended to lobby individual lawmakers for tougher sanctions on Iran, which AIPAC views as a growing threat to Israel. Of course, when sanction fail, as they will, AIPAC members will covertly begin to lobby for war as they did regarding Iraq. Many AIPAC members are already, unofficially, calling for the United States to strike targets in Iran on behalf of Israel.
There is no mention of Iran being a threat to the United States, but that doesn’t really matter does it? Iraq was no threat to the U.S. either, but it was a threat to Israel – one of the many twisted real reasons for the Iraq invasion and occupation. Now that Iraq is no longer a threat to Israel, the next target is Iran, then Syria, then Lebanon again, then whichever country emerges as the next military threat to Israel – real or fancied – it is an endless precession of perpetual crisis for the self-chosen, isn’t it? I wonder what they have done to deserve all this hatred, don’t you? Is it possible that they are truly innocent and peaceful victims, as they love to claim, without playing a role in their own chaotic existence? Is it fair to ask why the Zionist State is despised by so many and barely tolerated by others with only the United States as its strong ally? Isn’t it time to be critical of Israel with so many Americans dying on its behalf?
What Pelosi said to the AIPAC traitors that lust for the blood of others as long as they don’t have to bleed themselves was that the Iraq War had to be judged on three accounts: whether it makes the United States safer, the United States military stronger, and the Middle East more stable. She said, “The war in Iraq fails on all three accounts.” After making this statement, the report is that some of the AIPAC brood of vipers offered polite applause that was then met with catcalls and boos.
The provision the Democrats had in the military spending bill regarding Iran was vital to the national interest. Bush / Cheney are more dangerous now then at any other time during their administration because they now have nothing left to lose. AIPAC operatives clearly pressured Pelosi and her associates into dropping the provision aimed at thwarting the Bush / Cheney plan to bomb Iran on behalf of Israel before they leave office.
She and her fellow Democrats did so at the expense of the American people. Isn’t this treason and if so, why don’t acts of treason matter any longer in America? Oh, I forgot, it’s acceptable to weaken or destroy the United States so long as we’re doing it for Israel.http://www.muckrakerreport.com/id374.html
It seems to me that this whole anti Israel US relationship talk, even if disguised is way off base. The reason for the anti US sentiment was not because of any “real” relationship with Israel. It seems like it started after the 6 day war, when after Egypt, Syria and Jordan shot their mouths off about how they were going to exterminate Israel in an hour, Israel preempted and whooped their butts in a few hours. In fact, if it wasn’t for the Soviet involvement, Israel would have probably brought those 3 countries to their knees. Nasser, couldn’t or/and wouldn’t admit they made a huge mistake underestimating the power of a small (2 million people?) country, so he spread lies that the only way Israel defeated their armies was because of US involvement. This was NOT true, but people loved Nasser and believed his lies. He nationalize the Suez canal and stood up against England and France. Many Arabs are in love with the David and Goliath syndrome. The US did get involved, but only because Russia was supporting the Arabs and that was after the Israeli counter attack. And yes, I used the word counter attack because the 3 Arab countries were amassing troops in the desert with the intent to attack Israel. I feel that was a start of an attack. American Israeli relations need to stay strong. We need to stay in the region which is regimentally the most dangerous in the world and we need to understand this problem was a long term problem. At least 2 generations. But I also feel we should be dropping more internet connections and less bombs. Israel has proven to be a good friend to the US ever since WWII; and they do and will have strategic advantages in that area for the US.