The Union Narrative on The Arrest Of Walker Supporter at Barret-Clinton Event

AP Photo I’ve received a few comments on my previous post about the Barret rally at which a US Marine protester was removed and arrested.  The commenters are making a case that David Willoughby was cursing and presented a threat to the Mayor and former President Clinton, which the Milwaukee Police News documents as follows.

David B. Willoughby, 39, of West Allis, was issued a municipal citation for disorderly conduct when he refused to comply with Milwaukee Police orders to step back from his location where he was waving a large wooden pole with a sign mounted on it. Given his proximity to Mayor Tom Barrett and other dignitaries, officers believed he posed a threat with the large sign and was asked to move back.

I think this is basically a load of crap.

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GrokTV Special Interview: Josh Youssef for NH State Senate. Question 3: Philosophical: more in favor of self-governance vs the Progressive external governance?

Given Josh’s answer to the second question, I just had to ask the quintessential philosophical question that can go to the heart of “are you a Conservative or are you a Progressive?” – who controls you?  What governs your behavior?  And is one better than another? Previous Questions: Question 1: Why are you running? Question … Read more

I remember when….

Like all teenaged boys getting ready to get their license, I started to look at the costs of cars.  I know this will date me, but my high school days were the early ’70s.  This from Instapundit brought back a couple of memories: ALEX NUNEZ likes the Kia Rio. “Man, if you’re in the market … Read more

The unions have been defining “the Middle Class” as themselves – so what happens when members become UMINOs?

UMINOs – Union Members in Name Only (e.g., still belonging to the Union, but no longer paying the dues?)

I saw this a couple of days ago and didn’t blog it then because I got distracted.  However, I think it is a very important turning point in the Union political battles and that it shows a major chink in the vaunted “Solidarity Forever!” that is constantly blasted out in the political and cultural realms.  Frankly, this gives lie to the union yell of “Mighty, Mighty Union!” we hear at protests – the only takeaway from this news is now going to be “Mighty, Mighty Poorer!”.

I think this is rather amusing myself – after all the trouble and money spent by Unions all over the country as Right To Work efforts have become law in several states (alas, not here in NH because of some squishy Republicans not understanding that they were actually keeping their political foes strong and flush with political funds from their members’ dues by not following Gov. Scott Walker’s example in this).  And of course, the most well known state is that of Wisconsin where the Left is going all in AGAIN to try to stop “the destruction of the unions by Republicans!”.

This is just laughable – as they have a much more serious problem (as reported by the Wall Street Journal (paywall) via American Thinker).  Solidarity?  Not so much – given the chance, given the Freedom to Choose (after all, what IS freedom but the ability to choose among alternatives and letting someone choose something that satisfies their own needs and self-interests?), union members are choosing to not pay their union bills (emphasis mine):

Wisconsin membership in the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees-the state’s second-largest public-sector union after the National Education Association, which represents teachers-fell to 28,745 in February from 62,818 in March 2011, according to a person who has viewed AFSCME’s figures. A spokesman for AFSCME declined to comment.

Much of that decline came from AFSCMECouncil 24, which represents Wisconsin state workers, whose membership plunged by two-thirds to 7,100 from 22,300 last year.

A provision of the Walker law that eliminated automatic dues collection hurt union membership. When a public-sector contract expires the state now stops collecting dues from the affected workers’ paychecks unless they say they want the dues taken out, said Peter Davis, general counsel of the Wisconsin Employment Relations Commission.

In many cases, AFSCME dropped members from its rolls after it failed to get them to affirm they want dues collected, said a labor official familiar with AFSCME’s figures. In a smaller number of cases, membership losses were due to worker layoffs.

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I can agree with John Hawkins on these!

‘Grok friend John Hawkins from RightWingsNews has a list of 20 things that he, as a Conservative, believes in for his latest TownHall column.  Here’s a few of my Likes – but as always, GRTWT:

1) Any illegal alien caught in this country should be forever barred from legally visiting this country, working here, or becoming an American citizen.

18) The whole purpose of our immigration system should be to benefit the Americans who are already here. Therefore, we should favor the best and brightest emigrants from Western cultures. Other immigrants to this country who get in because of family ties should have someone who’s willing to vouch for them and take care of them if they have hard times. No naturalized American citizens should ever be eligible for food stamps, welfare, school lunches, or any other hand-outs from their fellow citizens.

I don’t care that the reason is to feed his family back home or to provide a better future for their kids (what father or mother wouldn’t if the DREAM act is codified into law?).  If the first act of coming to this country is to flagrantly flount our laws, you do not deserve to be here.  I know too many who have spent the time, money, and heartache to go through our LEGAL immigration system properly (including Grokster Mike who is getting close to being a naturalized citizen!!!) to EVER countenance illegal immigration.

We can thank Ted “The Swimmer” Kennedy for changing the rules that Society became responsible for immigrants instead of sponsors or families.  We should go back to 1965 and revoke that change.

2) If you take welfare or food stamps or if your kids have to get free meals at school, you should be ashamed. Your kids should feel ashamed by your failure, too.

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Minorities, The Elderly, And The Poor Shut Out of Massachusetts Democrat State Party Convention

Just doing my morning reading when what to my wondering eyes should appear…but a link to the Massachusetts Democrat Committee Delegates Guide for their 2012 Convention (Which is happening today, right now.)  It looks like the Democrats in Massachusetts don’t want minorities, the elderly, or the poor to participate in their state party.  Just scoot … Read more

Is this starting to show that Obama isn’t a good enough manager of the economy?

Obama-Unemployment May 2012As if we already didn’t know it.  He keeps blaming Bush for the economy he inherited; I remember the economy that Reagan inherited too.  Reagan merely said “let’s get down to working at making it work” and produced one of the (if not THE) largest recoveries ever in US history.  It did take a while, but he didn’t whine about things the way that Obama has.  In three and a half years, the only time he has acknowledged that he would be held accountable is when he said “If I don’t have this done in three years, there is going to be a one term proposition“.

They why does he keep insisting “HEY!  It’s NOT MY FAULT”?  It has been one excuse after another: Bush, Europe, the weather, a tsumani, Republicans (even as he “owned” Congress as Democrats controlled it before he was elected  and for his first two years) and at a cost of over $800 Billion.  Meanwhile, the latest jobs report yesterday shows his Administration’s continued ineptitude in setting up and implementing the policies in the best way to help American families: setting those conditions that make it easiest to get a job.

People don’t like whiners, Mr. President, they want results.  I understand that Government does not create jobs – it does, simply because of its size and its rule / law ability, set the environment that tells others the conditions under which they can operate and thus, decide to hire.  What the market is saying is “Mr President, we find your environment wanting, and wanting too much from us in believing you will do the right things.  Thus, we will wait”.  Now, one month upwards is not a trend, but it is indicative that even a President and all the smartest Progressive ideas can implement a command and control system that would truly meet the needs of the nation’s businesses that are, in turn,  supposed to meet the needs of over 300 million consumers.

I expect that soon, Mr. Obama will soon revert to bashing business for “not caring about American families” by hiring the unemployed” and continuing his class warfare scorched earth policies.  Bashing may indeed be a campaign strategy but it is not an economic one – too bad (for all of us) that Obama doesn’t understand the difference.

The problem is that there are just 6 months left in this campaign – while most people DON’T want to get involved in politics, they are paying attention to the economics coming up to the vote.  And they will do the one thing that often Liberals decry – they will vote their self-interest and their wallets.  Politics is fine but for most, taking care of their family is job one.  And they will ensure that the person best suited to enable that will get the nod.

And this above result is not going to cement the feeling that Obama is up to the job.

(H/T: Instapundit)

The hard data:

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10 top and 10 bottom of College Endowment funds – how well would they respond to “spread the wealth around”?

Certainly there is a LARGE disparity between these funds that allow university systems fund either “new” stuff or offset the cost of attendance to their places of higher learning to economically disadvantaged students (or so we are led to believe): 2,011 Endowment Rank Name State Funds 1 Harvard University MA 31,728,080,000 2 Yale University CT … Read more

An example: When Government oversteps it bounds via Boards and Commissions

“Can the government throw you in jail for offering advice on the Internet about what people should buy at the grocery store?…When does the government’s power to license occupations trump free speech?” Blogger becomes overly hefty Researches / picks a “Paleo” diet Works fabulously He blogs it Natural extension: answers questions about his diet North … Read more

Romney At Solyndra – The New Shape Of Solar.. (cough-cough)

solyndra for sale - Hope it sells for more than 535 million

Solyndra was going to be “The New Shape of Solar” but it turned out to be the old one, losing millions and collapsing under the weight of it’s own incompetence.   And how fitting that Solyndra parallels the same glide path as the one their crony capitalist political benefactors have put the entire country on.

Makes you wonder why Mr. Obama isn’t out in front of the shuttered plant with a big ‘Mission Accomplished’ sign hanging behind him, in preparation for America Inc to come crashing down around his ears as everything wrong with government and the progressive vision of it screams FAIL.

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Time to Come to the Aid of Your Republican Party in New Hampshire….

Tim to get into the fray....I meant "time" to get into the fray. But I'll leave it like that....

How NOT to be a summer soldier or sunshine patriot for your party.

TO: All New Hampshire Republicans

FROM: Tim Condon (with information originally provided by Ray Chadwick)

We’re all familiar with the effort to recruit candidates for the NH State House and Senate. But you should also give thought to becoming a Delegate to the Republican State Party Convention(s). Basically, the job of NH GOP Delegates is…

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Planned Parenthood – No Early Abortion for Their Growing Gender Bias Problem

The second shoe has hit the floor in the Planned Parenthood ‘gendercide’ scandal.  Video number two has been released, taken at the Margret Sanger Clinic, in Bloombergville (NYC), and that staff also seems to have been absent the day Big Abortion’s Corporate Messaging folks announced that…

“Gender bias is contrary to everything our organization works for … Planned Parenthood condemns sex selection motivated by gender bias.”

…becasue at the New York City office they say things like…

 “I can’t tell  you that, you know, here at Planned Parenthood we believe that it’s not up to us to decide what is a good or bad reason for somebody to decide to terminate a pregnancy.”

They can’t tell you.  But they can keep your secret, whatever that may be.

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Brett Kimberlin is a….

At GraniteGrok lately, we’ve been talking a lot about Brett Kimberlin lately HERE, HERE, HERE, and HERE. He’s the guy over on the left, a convicted felon who now is out of prison and threatening various high-profile national bloggers. For a little background, see the short video about this character HERE. He’s becoming better and better … Read more

The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Instutite Doesn’t Like CACR 6 or CACR 13

Why would we give a damn what Jeff McLynch–Executive Director of the New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute–thinks about Republican efforts to push CACR 6 and CACR 13?  It’s a great question.

CACR 6  is a constitutional amendment that would require a 3/5 vote of the legislature to pass any new taxes.  CACR 13 would change the state constitution to prohibit a personal income tax.

Jeff McLynch is “concerned, but Jeff McLynch is a Democrat, the former State Policy Director at the Soros/left wing funded Institute on Taxation and Economic Policy (ITEP)–which pushed for an income tax in the Granite state (see also here), and Jeff is also an avid Obama supporter.

The New Hampshire Fiscal Policy Institute he runs is the New Hampshire chapter of the State Fiscal Analysis Initiative, which is a state by state project of the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities (CBPP).  CBPP is a left wing group that promotes the Democrat parties social and economic justice agenda through budget based think tanks and policy organizations with support from the cranky Progressives over at the Bookings Institute and deep pocketed left wing foundations like Ford, Rockefeller and George Soros’ Open Society Institute. So Jeff isn’t working too far out of his known circle of “friends.”

So if you have not yet connected the dots, NHFPI looks all smart and sophisticated but it is really just another socialist/Democrat front group, using the cover of  a welfare-state based (we’re the ones who really care) tax-and-spend-budget policy agenda (Social and Economic Justice) to advocate for the progressive creep of bigger government and the higher and broader revenue streams needed to fund it.

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Remembering Democrat Rule Part 2

If New Hampshire Democrats were ever again allowed to run the State legislature we already know the first thing they would do.  They would overestimate revenue to justify spending for the purpose of driving us into a broad based tax.  They did it during a recession, with unemployment skyrocketing, embarking on one of the most massive modern day expansions of New Hampshire state government.  What’s to stop them doing it again under any other condition?  Republicans.  Barring that, nothing.  It’s who they are.

Spending was and always is the Democrats first priority and Governor Lynch’s most recent budget was just another example.  Even without a Democrat legislature he wanted to spend 4.731 billion on General and Education funds, almost 300 million more than the current Republican Budget; a budget 6% less than that of Governor Lynch; a Republican budget that is almost exactly in line with actual revenue.  (That means it spent what they estimated they would take in.)

But left unchecked by Republicans Democrat Governor Lynch would have got his budget and then some, and added another 300 million dollar hole that the taxpayers of New Hampshire would have had to fill because there wasn’t another $300 million plus to spend without raising some more taxes in this lousy economy.

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