jvc wrote on Jun 25, 2008 3:47 AM:WE LOVE YOU GEORGE!

jvc wrote on Jun 25, 2008 4:19 AM:Mr.Reardon,speaking of tickets,please
provide Mr. Rider and Mr. Goodman with
dinner tickets!

WaitingForSugarDaddy wrote on Jun 25, 2008 4:51 AM:Not only will the citizens vote down the needed bond measure to keep Tri-City Hospital a modern medical center, then they'll vote for Hussein to make sure they can be treated there for free.

jvc wrote on Jun 25, 2008 5:08 AM:I hope the NCT can use The New York Time's op-ed columnist Maureen Dowd's
stuff....what a breath of fresh air!
She is the real heir apparent to Molly Ivins!

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 6:19 AM:>>>I have a fundamental difference of opinion with any group that considers the rights of animals more important than the survival of the human race. >>>Well, Mr Perkins,put your job on that list too. The liberals have told Bush to stick it on his proposals to drop the price of gas and stop this crushing commodity inflation. They don't care about your job or if you can afford a car, medical expenses or groceries, they only care about stonewalling any Bush energy proposal in an effort to destroy America enough that they can blame Bush and win in November. You're just an ant waiting to be crushed when their only interest is the White House

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 6:49 AM:>>>>>The communities along the rail line now have an opportunity to recreate their historic pedestrian front doors by planning pedestrian and transit-oriented development. This kind of smart planning leads to more livable communities that are good for our future.>>>> That statement tells the whole story how agendized wackos sold the plan of this choo-choo and ran the costs up 4 fold. Why do these govt employees still have a job, a house or a pension? They should be locked away in orange jumpsuits for 20 years.

Daphne wrote on Jun 25, 2008 7:34 AM:Gee, Neil why would we want a President whose first priority is to release convicts. Compean and Ramos are exactly where they belong and where they should stay in prison. They received a fair trial and were convicted by a jury of their peers. Why do you feel it is fair that a President should release them into society without paying back their debt? No they should remain incarcerated. It seems that this Mr. Baldwin is a one issue candidate and that immigration is the issue. What will he do about the Mortgage crisis, gas prices, and the war, etc…? I see that you want employers prosecuted for hiring undocumented (there is no such word as illegals) because they are breaking the law but you want two criminals to be released from prison, hummm? If you want America restored to its founding principles and our Constitutional rule of law than why don’t you begin with giving the immigrants illegal or not their rights under the 14th Amendment? Sorry but my vote is still going to OBAMA.

Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 7:51 AM:jvc: If Mr. Goodman thinks Richard Rider is a "younger man" then his eyes are as faulty as his logic. "Younger" age is relative, but certainly Rider is not young -- he has sufficient age to have wisdom, and an appropriate amount of wrinkles and gray hair as well. He is one of the top 10 brains I have known -- I attended a few annual college debates with representatives of the Democrats and Republicans debating Rider, and in every case, Rider was voted by the college kids as winning the debates. His political knowledge base is astounding.

I recommend that they pay their own way, and have a fine dinner ay Vincent's Sirinos on Grand I had dinner there just last night. Superb!

the dude wrote on Jun 25, 2008 7:52 AM:to jack do some reserrch cole porter was gay

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:08 AM:You know.. Mervyn Hoover Jr., I've been thinking about this.
Accrding to the latest poll 76% of Americans want to drill here, and drill now. That leaves 24% of the country who are insisting on not drilling.
I say, let's insist they lead the way, today. I say, by government fiat force them to buy solar panels and plug-in cars. The rest of us would receive an immediate 24% relief in demand on gas, lowering prices. And if your concerned about forcing them by government fiat, not to worry. These Big Government types will see it as Daddy looking out for them.

Yokozuna to Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:12 AM:Do we really know how old Mr. Goodman is? Could be much older. Anyway, Mr. Ryder has some real good points about computer usage with relation to libraries. Personal anecdote: When scheduling a visit to my son in law at Fuqua (Duke) School of Business one of my great expectations was to see a graduate business school library. While there I asked him to show it to me. He opened a door and there were no books, just some computers. It seems books cannot keep up with changing business conditions.

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 AM:Hey "Reardon" @7:51 AM. This is the cry baby attempt at winning an argument.
Of course, from my end, I would expect a logic discourse to proceed along the lines of, say: "Well, I agree on this point and this is why, but I disagree with this point and here is why."
In other words, we tend to begin with facts & logic, working through an empirical process to come to a conclusion.
Because David Goodman does not have a response, he must take the "He treated me badly route."
All liberals do this when they lose, or can not answer the question. For liberals, it then becomes.. not only what your answer was, but HOW YOU ANSWERED HIM. And within the liberal circles, whenever you disagree with you opponents assertions, you must do it in a way that allows him to maintain his own dignity. Even though he might have been lying through his teeth.
Because of the fragility of a Leftist's ego, anything that threatens it is intolerable and provokes rage. So most Leftist's can be summarized in one sentence: "How DARE anybody question what I believe!". Rage and abuse substitute for an appeal to facts and reason.
A Leftist's beliefs are all designed to pander to his ego. So when you have an argument with a Leftist, you are not really discussing the facts. You are threatening his self esteem. Which is why the normal Leftist response to challenge is mere abuse.

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:35 AM:Sometimes, you gotta go looking for opportunities to help, Dorothy Salicos.
I called several local area Wal*Mart's and asked "Are you helping flood victims?" The switchboard operator then patched me through to an area coordinator, a Wal*Mart employee, no less.
I wrote the check days ago.

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:43 AM:I think Lance Schulte pretty much nails what the progressives think in this one little sentence...

"Peering into our past, the Sprinter's original rail line; which was built in the 1880s and that ran passenger service until the late 1940s..."

The should be named: "The Regressive party."

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:45 AM:>>>Sorry but my vote is still going to OBAMA.>>>> Of course it is. Taxing people who make more than your envy of them, hosing the employers in this country, and his littany of freebees Hussein offers is just too much to resist, even though you know nothing about him, he has no track record and he's anti-Bush

to Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:49 AM:Well, you're consistent. You say we should go with the quarter of Americans who oppose new drilling sites and let the terrible consequences fall as they may. In Iraq, about a quarter of Iraqi citizens still like US presence there, and we've been going with them for years (with your enthusiastic approval, I might add). The oil companies have millions of acres of leased land already that they can drill on. Why should the taxpayer toss them more, and more, and more gifts? Let them work out the obstacles to drilling land they already have. They don't need new sites. I suspect that they are not altogether against being "immobilized by liberals"...thanks to investor/cheerleaders like Ron and the oil companies' employees (aka the US government), we taxpayers will be tossing them welfare goodies ad nauseum...

Mike wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:53 AM:While Lance Schute is getting nostalgic about railroads, how about restoring the Temecula-Oceanside railroad?

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:54 AM:"I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction." Barack Hussein Obama in his book Audacity of Hope

Yokozuna to Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:56 AM:Ron[-] wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 AM: I would assume then that any "feel good" across the table dinner attended by you and DD would not be fruitful? :-)

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:57 AM:Have you all noticed that Cedar Rapids is under 10 feet of water? Thousands upon thousands of people are displaced?
Have you noticed that nobody is looting every empty property in sight? Have you noticed that nobody is shooting at rescuers? Have you noticed any victims on TV wondering where the federal government is to 'take care of them'? Or, have you noticed victims, who have lost everything, make comments like 'life goes on', 'we'll just need to pick up the pieces and start over', and 'at least we still have our life'. Maybe the Government could help make victims of these survivors as well, convince them that they aren't strong enough to take care of themselves, that they are not smart enough to survive. Maybe we should subsidize their lives for the next 2+ years, free housing, and $2000/month to not work.... Just food for thought.
Have you noticed? (especially you Mayor Nagin????)

Bad news for yahoos wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:01 AM:Sorry Chuck, esteban, raoul, Ron. The Supreme Court decided that punishing the rapist of a child with execution is cruel and unusual punishment and found this unconstitutional. One of their reasons: they did not want the child-victim to be in the position of participating in and contributingt to someone's death. I can hear your responses: "they don't know anything about kids or people: we all LOVE the chance to help kill someone that we've decided deserves it...vengeful blood lust is the BEST!" Sorry, gang, you'll have to settle for the perpetrator sitting in prison for the rest of his life...for your way of thinking, I know, this amounts to punishment via vacation, but alas, I guess your way is out of line with the Constitution. So sorry.

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:02 AM:"I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites."" Barack Hussein Obama in his book, Dreams of MY Father.
And yet, anyone who asks him a tough question is branded a racist.

To Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:08 AM:Ya, Chuck, I got the same email with the out-of-context lines from his books. I realize it is too much for you to actually read them. You are so predictable.

Roger wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:12 AM:While Ron 8:08 AM is correct that "76% of Americans want to drill here, and drill now", I worry that this is mighty close to the same percentage who bought into the Neo-Orwellian's ruinously expensive, counterproductive, "Operation Iraqi Liberation" scam. How's that working out?

Will increasing the global supply of oil by 1% actually cause the price of gasoline to plummet?

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:15 AM:Since jvc loves George Carlin, I think it only fitting to post what George said regarding enviromentalism.
QUOTE: CARLIN: "Let me tell you about endangered species, all right? Saving endangered species is just one more arrogant attempt by humans to control nature. It's arrogant meddling. It's what got us in trouble in the first place. Doesn't anybody understand that? Interfering with nature. Over 90%, way over 90% of all the species that have ever lived on this planet, ever lived, are gone. They're extinct. We didn't kill them all. They just disappeared. That's what nature does. We're so self-important, so self-important. Everybody is going to save something now. Save the trees, save the bees, save the whales, save those snails. And the greatest arrogance of all, save the planet. What?
I'm tired of these self-righteous environmentalists, these white bourgeois liberals who think the only thing wrong with this country is there aren't enough bicycle paths, people trying to make the world safe for their Volvos. There is nothing wrong with the planet. Nothing wrong with the planet. The planet is fine. The people are (bleep) -- difference, difference. The planet is fine. Compared to the people, the planet is doing great. It's been here four and a half billion years. Did you ever think about the arithmetic? The planet has been here four and a half billion years. We've only been engaged in heavy industry for a little more than 200 years.
Two hundred years versus four and a half billion, and we have the conceit to think that somehow we're a threat, that somehow we're going to put in jeopardy this beautiful little blue-green ball that's just a-floatin' around the sun? The planet has been through a lot worse than us, been through all kinds of things worse than us, been through earthquakes, volcanoes, plate tectonics, continental drift, solar flares, sunspots, magnetic storms, the magnetic reversal of the poles, hundreds of thousands of years of bombardment by comets and asteroids and meteors, worldwide floods, tidal waves, worldwide fires, erosion, cosmic rays, recurring ice ages, and we think some plastic bags and some aluminum cans are going to make a difference? The planet isn't going anywhere. We are! We're going away." END quote

Jack_D wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:16 AM:Thank you, Victor Selvig. You are right on the money. Oil drilled in Alaska is not "our" oil, it's Exxon's.

Cluck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:17 AM:I hear the local chapter of the Republican't Party is holding a prayer vigil at a local McChurch and praying for another terrorist attack. Ever since Charlie Black said that another terrorist attack would benefit McCan'ts campaign they have been abuzz with fund raising activities. Jumbo combo meals and super sized sodas will be served with your donation. A donation of 100.00 dollars or more also buys you a seat in heaven. They are hoping for something even bigger than 9/11 this time. Figuring it will guarantee a win on Tuesday.

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:18 AM:"Yokozuna" @8:56 AM:
A lot of heat, but very little light.

Chucks Impeccable Source wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:19 AM:Here, let me help you out, Chuck. Here is the entire email:

Think you know who this man is?

This possible President of the United States !! Read Below and ask yourself, is this REALLY someone you can see as the President of our great nation!!!!

Below are a few lines from Obama's books; In his words!

From Dreams of My Father: 'I ceased to advertise my mother's race at the age of 12 or 13, when I began to suspect that by doing so I was ingratiating myself to whites.'

From Dreams of My Father : 'I found a solace in nursing a pervasive sense of grievance and animosity against my mother's race.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'There was something about him that made me wary, a little too sure of himself, maybe. And white.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'It remained necessary to prove which side you were on, to show your loyalty to the black masses, to strike out and name names.'

From Dreams of My Father: 'I never emulate white men and brown men whose fates didn't speak to my own. It was into my father's image, the black man, son of Africa , that I'd packed all the attributes I sought in myself , the attributes of Martin and Malcolm, DuBois and Mandela.'

And FINALLY the Most Damming one of ALL of them!!!

From Audacity of Hope: 'I will stand with the Muslims should the political winds shift in an ugly direction.'

* If you have never forwarded an e-mail, now is the time to Do so!!!! We CANNOT have someone with this type of mentality running our GREAT nation!! I don't care whether you a Democrat or a Conservative. We CANNOT turn ourselves over to this type of character in a President. PLEASE help spread the word!

Well, Chuck, at least you can feel confident you did your part to save the U S of A! Woohoo! *snore*

Oh Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:20 AM:In other words, if anti-Muslim feeling in America got so strong that Muslims started being targeted for violence because of their religion, Obama would stand with them. That's called being an American, Chuck. You might think it more patriotic to be in the mob hurling firebombs at the mosques, but hey, that's just you. That anyone thinks that quote says bad things about Obama is a perfect small example of exactly this point. Defend Muslims = bad. Hey, Chuck, were you in Mississippi in the early 60's patriotically tossing grenades at the busloads of Freedom Riders? Sounds like your kind of thing.

Cluck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:22 AM:These stupid conservatives are now pushing the oil drilling agenda like crazy. Just shows how little they understand about what has caused the out of control increases in prices. Actually I think some may even be "smart" enough to know it's not the answer and are deliberately using "misleading information". But it's an emotional hot button. And my how they love hot buttons. It's just their way of passing the blame on to someone else and taking no accountability. Typical conservative "personal responsibility".

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:24 AM:>>>The Supreme Court decided that punishing the rapist of a child with execution is cruel and unusual punishment and found this unconstitutional.>>> Decided by the 5 liberals on the Supreme Court who are obviously in the back pocket of the ACLU, NAMBLA, the child molesters and the gay mafia

Chuck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:26 AM:>>>Ya, Chuck, I got the same email with the out-of-context lines from his books""
Yea, I know, everything a liberal writes that shows his true character, is always out of context.

Interesting... wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:26 AM:WASHINGTON — A new Associated Press-Yahoo News poll gives John McCain a 39-33 advantage over Barack Obama among respondents choosing which candidate would do a better job in Iraq.

McCain, who supported a surge in troops and says he would keep U.S. forces in Iraq as long as the situation were stable, was seen as a better leader for the military than Obama. One out of three respondents said that image fits McCain “very well,” whereas only one out of 10 said the same of Obama, who did not serve in the armed forces.

In the poll, more than one out of five of the respondents who said they opposed the war also said they support McCain for president. The sentiment does not discriminate by gender or by age. Most significantly, it splits independent voters in favor of McCain.

The Iraq findings track McCain’s advantage on the issue of terrorism. Of those surveyed, more than twice as many believe McCain can handle terrorism better than Obama.

McCain voted to support the war in Iraq and opposes a timetable to withdraw. His support contradicts the view of a strong majority of Americans, who believe it was wrong to go into Iraq in the first place.

Image often has as much to do with a candidate’s success as policy. McCain is a former Navy pilot who spent more than five years in a North Vietnamese prison.

“He’s more experienced militarily,” said Ann Burkes, a registered Democrat and retired third-grade teacher from Broken Arrow, Okla. “And I don’t know if I agree with stay-the-course (policy), but I think the good probably outweighs the bad with him, experience-wise.”

Earlier this month, McCain kicked off his general election advertising campaign with an ad that featured his and his family’s military service and his years in captivity. However, he never shies from saying as a former military man, he knows as well as anyone how bad war can be.

“Only a fool or a fraud talks tough or romantically about war,” he says in the ad.

The public’s views about Iraq are especially notable because many voters appear to separate McCain’s past record of support for the war from their perception of his performance as a military leader. What’s more, it points to a potential Obama vulnerability.

Only 6 percent of those who say they will vote for Obama say McCain would do a better job on Iraq. But among “weak” Obama supporters, that figure rises to 15 percent. Moreover, among undecided voters, McCain is preferred 25 percent to 15 percent over Obama on Iraq.

Leeann Ormsbee, a registered Democrat from Waterford, Pa., believes the United States rushed to war, but now does not believe troops should simply withdraw. The 29-year-old self-employed house cleaner says she has never voted for a Republican. She might this time.

“I do believe that he will do better in Iraq,” she said of McCain. “Because he’s served in the military and he has said we can’t just pull out. … I think we’re just kind of stuck with it now and we have to finish.”

Cluck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:26 AM:Now I know why they haven't caught Osama Bin Laden, and why terrorism recruitment is on the rise. Talk about the perpetual campain. They have been planning the McCain't campaign since the early days of the Iraq invasion. Hoping, praying, and wishing for more terrorism as it helps the Republicans in their minds. No wonder they have created more terrorists around the world. They're considered "campain fundraisers" and "interns". And then they use the name Hussein in a derogotory manner when talking about Obama.

Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:28 AM:To Bad News: Placing a child-rapist in the general prison population will prove to be REALLY "cruel and unusual punishment."

Patrick Kennedy will rue the day he "won" in Court. This case defines a "Pyrrhic victory."

Focal Point wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:29 AM:Bad news for yahoos[-] wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:01 AM: You can add my name to your list. A child rapist should be hung, drawn and quartered or worse if I could think of a worse punishment. You show absolutely no empathy for the victim or her family.You take glee in a life sentence as if it were some personal victory for your self. Supreme Court has been incorrect in its judgments various times in our history. In fact, it has reversed itself several times. I hope that it shall do so again in the case of child rapists. This is one of the few times that punishment should be applied by the parents.

So Chuck lemme get this straight wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:30 AM:The Mayor of New Orleans was to blame for not properly calling in the feds. Yet now the people of Iowa are heroes for not calling in the feds. And, in cartoon land where Chuck seems to reside, there was NO looting in Iowa, but non-stop looting in New Orleans. In Iowa EVERYONE just helped their neighbors, but in New Orleans NO ONE helped their neighbors. The people of Iowa are GOOD. The people of New Orleans are BAD. And, finally, a question: Chuck, was the impact of Hurricane Katrina on New Orleans comparable to the flooding in Cedar Rapids? Or might they have been on completely different scales? Did you know that a hundred years ago, a huge earthquake caused havoc to the City of San Francisco. The other day, near Redlands, there was a 4.0 quake. The people of Redlands handled theirs with good humor and went on with their lives. The people of San Francisco (you know, liberal-town) just whined and whined and whined. Typical. Oh, Chuck, you should stick to your posts about cucumbers. You get into real trouble when you venture out into riskier, more adult waters.

Cluck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:32 AM:So Karl Rove says Obama is the guy at the country club who smokes a cigarette and leans against the wall and makes fun of everyone who walks by. Is there any depth low enough that this scumbag won't go? LOL!! And he's the Republican super hero. First of all isn't Rove doing EXACTLY what he is describing? And I'm sure if he and his cronies had their way he wouldn't even be allowed in the country club. Typical conservative double speak. It's to be expected from these losers.

DD Wiz wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:35 AM:The published letter from Mervyn Hooper is just another poor dupe of Big Oil propaganda.
In contrast, the published letter from Clifford Brown hits the mark perfectly.
The cause of our energy crisis is not the lack of drilling. It is the diversion of oil to the unnecessary Iraq war of choice, demand from emerging nations, devaluation of the dollar and the McCain/Bush deregulation of oil futures speculation. If drilling were the issue, Big Oil could drill on the 68 million acres they are currently "sitting on" or we could revoke the waiver that was granted 15 years ago allowing them to sell oil from federal lands to other nations instead of satisfying our own people first, as noted in the published letter by Victor Selvig.
Hoover is correct that any new drilling would not lower prices for 10-15 years.
He is wrong about alternative technologies and reflects the "can't do" negativity of conservative pessiminsts or the dupes of Big Oil propaganda.
Solar is available, practical and being installed NOW.
Successful electric cars were deployed 10 years ago but withdrawn for purely political reasons. Even better technologies are now being redeveloped and will be broadly available soon.
When you're trying to get out of a hole: stop digging.
When you're trying to break free of oil addiction: STOP DRILLING!

Submit 8:30am.; re-submit 9:35am

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:35 AM:First of all, "to Ron" @8:49 AM no war should be fought based on polls.

And two, I would expect a response like this from you. A total deflection away from yourself. I say, if you do not want to drill for more oil, fine. Then quit using it. Buy yourself an electric car, plug in into your solar panel, and we'll call it even. OK?

Irony Thy Name is Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:35 AM:PRICELESS.

"Ron
[-] wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:30 AM:
Hey "Reardon" @7:51 AM. This is the cry baby attempt at winning an argument.
Of course, from my end, I would expect a logic discourse to proceed along the lines of, say: "Well, I agree on this point and this is why, but I disagree with this point and here is why."
In other words, we tend to begin with facts & logic, working through an empirical process to come to a conclusion."

Cluck wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:42 AM:Someone remind me; are KKK members Christians or Muslims? Should entire religions be held accountable because of extremists? So if irrational fear should lead some to attack an entire gorup because of the actions of a few should we defend or abandon? No wonder these filthy conservatives are praying for another terrorist attack; it's not only to ensure a win for McBush it's the excuse they have been hoping for to attack Muslims and continue to fight their holy war. Having no real convictions of their own, they need to attack others to validate their own dogmas. It's getting harder and harder to deiscern between a terrorist and a conservative. Maybe we should keep gitmo open?

Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 9:50 AM:Ya' Got'ta love the Democrats!

No fried foods at their Denver convention; they will have an Official Carbon Adviser to tell them how to carbon offset everything they do; everything must be both union-made and organic ("We have a union cap or an organic cap," Mr. DeMasse ( the "Official Merchandiser") says. "But we don't have a union-organic offering."

The Democrats wanted 15,000 Fanny Packs – but they must be made of organic cotton, and made by union labor, and be made in the US. One problem – that combination simply does not exist!

The food must include "at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white."

And the balloons must be biodegradable!

The mind boggles!

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 10:00 AM:Liberals, take note. This is how logical processes work.

Take a look at "Chuck" @6:19 AM: in his post he notes: "..."crushing commodity inflation."

And then, take a look at "to Ron"
@8:49 AM post, in which he says:
"we taxpayers will be tossing them welfare goodies ad nauseum..."

First note, that I read ALL posts, never skip.

and two, Are you aware "commodity inflation" of nearly 240% {corn, wheat, rice, sugar}, is a direct result of "taxpayers tossing them welfare goodies ad nauseum..."

That's how it's done, folks. Logical, fact-filled, and I do a lot of reading.
Read everything. When you use the (-), you limit the information. It's not helpful.

Ms M wrote on Jun 25, 2008 10:01 AM:Chuck
[-] wrote on Jun 25, 2008 8:57 AM: Have you noticed any victims on TV wondering where the federal government is to 'take care of them'? Yes I have and also there have been numerous articles about those citizens asking for MORE help from the government. It seems they feel they need more assistance for this disaster. As request come from those folks I will be glad to post them to your attention.

Bill Too wrote on Jun 25, 2008 10:10 AM:(Not to be confused with Bill One) Thank you DD Wiz – I was beginning to think no one read my blogs.

What I refer to as a REAL flat tax is a tax on ALL income from ALL sources – not just EARNED income – which is what has been proposed by some multi-millionaires in the past. Earned income is defined as money made by physically performing work of some kind for it rather than having your MONEY work for you. That would make only wage earners taxpayers, which is really what the super rich want anyway, isn’t it? And NO I do not think any higher graduations of income brackets are needed or justified. There is no reason at the 5% rate that there should be any reason to give breaks for higher income. BTW - The current poverty level as published by the US government this year is $10,400 for a single person with $3,600 more for each additional person in the family.

Probably the biggest objection to this proposal would be that it would put a lot of lawyers and accountants out of work who now spend vast amounts of time and effort (and earn a lot of money) finding ways around the present laws and make them find honest work. It would also simplify the tax returns and reduce the need for the vast number of IRS employees.. While we are at it - why not eliminate these tax lawyers that I constantly see on TV who get large tax debts for companies reduced to pennies on the dollar, while the poor working stiff who owes a few hundred or even a few thousand will have their home taken to pay the taxes. Fair for the worker – fair for the business. If businesses paid their taxes when they come due they wouldn’t have big debts.

FYI - I owned my own small contract computer (hardware) design business for over 20 years –mostly doing work for companies working on Government contracts - before everyone started farming the work overseas at MUCH lower prices. Yes I DO have an idea about what is involved in running a business. I agree that I should have included ALL businesses in the proposed FLAT TAX - not just Corporations, Maybe 10% is a bit low for covering expenses for some business, but there DOES need to be a way to keep the exorbitant salaries down to a reasonable level. If the law does mot mandate it, it will never happen. Unfortunately we live in a ‘Golden Rule’ society – the ones with the Gold make the rules.

Patriot wrote on Jun 25, 2008 10:11 AM:Daphne, I'm not going to excuse Ramos and Compean for putting a bullet in the butt of a drug smuggler, but the sentence does not match the crime. These two agents were prosecuted for using a firearm while committing a crime of violence. Is chasing a drug smuggler a crime of violence? Senator Dianne Feinstein does not believe the U.S. Attorney prosecuted these agents under the proper statute. Your opinion is at odds with Senator Feinstein and many others who believe an injustice was done. I also believe this country sent the wrong message to drug smugglers with this prosecution. Obama has no stated position on Ramos and Compean that I can find. Moreover, his approach to dealing with drug smuggling is somewhat of a mystery to me since drugs don't appear as an issue on his web site. This makes me question whether he considers smuggling of illegal drugs across our border (and the associated violence) a serious problem. As a supporter, can you tell us: what is his voting record on this problem and what steps has he proposed to curtail it? I invite other Obama supporters to chime in.

Wont get trampled or hooked wrote on Jun 25, 2008 10:50 AM:Chuck, Your right on! But it doesn't mean a thing to some Obamacanknights when they are in that riot mode, Sometimes reading there comments is like watching mad fans go nuts at a soccer game, or fish fighting over a worm.(riot) Carry on Chuck, You are not alone, Many of us are with you, Most people, like me, don't blog, Or bring the baby's out to be kissed, But we do show up at the polls.

The hope candidate wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:05 AM:I see that McCain's push for giving the oil giants offshore and other sites is, in his words, designed to be a "psychological" move, to allow voters to think he's actually doing something meaningful. He says that it's good to give people the feeling of hope. Clever, there, John. Hope! Where'd you pull that word from? So what you're saying is that as we all know, giving the oil companies more drill sites really will have no impact on anything but their own profits. But it would make Americans think it will help them, and this illusion is something worth advocating. Seriously, is anyone considering actually VOTING for this guy? Why?

The hope candidate PS wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:08 AM:Oh, and for the offshore sites, one governor (of California) opposes McCain's idea. The other governor (of Florda) thinks it's a fabulous idea. Now: can anyone guess which of the two governors really, really wants to be McCain's choice for VP? "I'll take slimy self-serving politicians for $20, Alex"

DD Wiz wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:26 AM:The published letter from Mervyn Hooper is just another poor dupe of Big Oil propaganda.
In contrast, the published letter from Clifford Brown hits the mark perfectly.
The cause of our energy crisis is not the lack of drilling. It is the diversion of oil to the unnecessary Iraq war of choice, demand from emerging nations, devaluation of the dollar and the McCain/Bush deregulation of oil futures speculation. If drilling were the issue, Big Oil could drill on the 68 million acres they are currently "sitting on" or we could revoke the waiver that was granted 15 years ago allowing them to sell oil from federal lands to other nations instead of satisfying our own people first, as noted in the published letter by Victor Selvig.
Hoover is correct that any new drilling would not lower prices for 10-15 years.
He is wrong about alternative technologies and reflects the "can't do" negativity of conservative pessiminsts or the dupes of Big Oil propaganda.
Solar is available, practical and being installed NOW.
Successful electric cars were deployed 10 years ago but withdrawn for purely political reasons. Even better technologies are now being redeveloped and will be broadly available soon.
When you're trying to get out of a hole: stop digging.
When you're trying to break free of oil addiction: STOP DRILLING!

Submit 8:30am.; re-submit 9:35am; 3rd submission 11:26am
This post is in response to published letters (the topic of this web comments page) and does not violate any NCT standards.
"Ron" and "Chuck" are allowed numerous, often lengthy submissions processed immediately --
The weekday morning blog editor is clearly withholding and delaying my posts --
FAIRNESS and PROFESSIONALISM, PLEASE

More evidence wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:29 AM:Chuck's impeccable source chimes in, fabulously making my earlier point. S/he says that the most damning of ALL the things Obama wrote was that he would stand with Muslims if they became targeted for violence because of their religion. Folks, the mentality of the KKK is merrily in our midst and posting right here! If you side with them and, if violence against people for being Muslim began, you'd want to be in the mobs, fire-bombing mosques with Chuck and his compadres, go for it. Meanwhile, actual Americans will ALL side with the Muslims, and dare you and your ilk to become murderers in the name of your hatreds. Every time you post, I feel more strongly that Obama is the man for the job, and that the posters belong in some terrible place reserved for violent bigots.

Oh Oh wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:33 AM:Dear Oh, It's getting hard to tell if you just like churning the Obama/Mc pot, or, You just have a thing for Chuck?

Focal Point wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:34 AM:Supreme Court: The editor probbly found my method of capital punishment for child rapists too violent for this blog. Anyway, this is one time that you can put me in the camp of the conservatives on this blog. I think that he should be dispatched.

Oh Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:46 AM:I never said that I opposed more drilling, only that the oil companies drill on land they already lease, which we know has billions of barrels of oil under it. I prefer this to giving them more sites, more freebies, more incentives out of my pocket. Even your guy McCain admits that his promoting giveaways of more drill sites is something to give Americans a "psychological" boost. Yes, even McCain knows that mantras like "drill here, drill now" will not lead to "lower prices". And Ron, if you so oppose polls that speak of matters of war, even when that poll is among an occupied people who want democracy, why are such a big fan of polls when they can be used to back up your selfish (oil investor, hoping for profits at taxpayer expense) interests? Why is that Ron?

Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:48 AM:Ya Gotta love the Democrats!

No fried foods at their convention; they will have an Official Carbon Adviser to tell them how to carbon offset everything they do; everything must be both union-made and organic ("We have a union cap or an organic cap," Mr. DeMasse (Official merchandiser) says. "But we don't have a union-organic offering."

The Democrats wanted 15,000 Fanny Packs – but they must be made of organic cotton, and made by union labor. And be made in the US. One problem – that combination does not exist!

The food must include "at least three of the following colors: red, green, yellow, blue/purple, and white."

And the balloons must be biodegradable!

The mind boggles!

(Resubmission)

The Liberal Court wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:53 AM:This same so-called "liberal court" also decided to reduce the financial penalty on Exxon for the oil spill enormously. Yep, that's the liberals for you! We all know that some people, maybe most people, just love the idea of killing someone that they despise, and this lust for vengeance takes over when they hear of certain kinds of crimes. They feel so strongly the desire to kill these people that they even think that anyone who might propose anything less is actually a supporte of child molestation. Sick. I wonder how they'd feel if their son had been caught molesting a child. Sitting there with him in all his tormented misery, so unlike the "satanic" creature his neighbors all say he is as they stand in the yard with their pitchforks.

Apollo wrote on Jun 25, 2008 11:53 AM:Re: DD Wiz (11:26 a.m.)
C'mon, Wiz, the only way Ron or chuck would ever be able to make a point is to block anyone else from getting equal time.
Ditto for Focal Point (11:34 a.m.)

Alf wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:04 PM:Well, "Focal Point" at 11:34AM, you have let emotion cloud your judgement. I ask you to answer this with your mind, not your emotions - Should the death penalty be applied to crimes other than the killing of another human being? If so, which ones and why? I realize that molesters are the "pariah du jour" and that much misinformation was force-fed to the public in the campaign to pass Prop. 83 aka Jessica's Law (I make it a point NEVER to vote for law or proposition with a name attached, such a law or proposition is almost always aimed DIRECTLY at emotion, not reasoned, rational thought), but do you honestly believe that murdering someone for something other than taking a life is justified? Life without parole, no hope of ever being outside a prison unless it is in a casket is pretty steep. Regards, Alf.

To Neil Turner wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:21 PM:Tell me is ICE going to be in attendance at this function? I am an American of Mexican descent but it seems you and your type think all Mexicans are illegals and I would hate to be deported accidently!!

esteban wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:31 PM:To "bad news yahoos"...I tried to reply to you but NCT censors me...again. So much for free speech (no blog policy violation either).

Reardon wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:42 PM:Alf: If life in prison is so horrible, why does almost every person sentenced to death take every advantage of the Court to get their death sentence reverted to life in prison?

I would agree with ending the death sentence for everything if prison was not so easy.

Boring, yes. Dangerous, yes. But hardly difficult -- free food, free medical care, free cable TV, free books, free time....

My daughter works in a California prison -- in the medical section -- and she is livid with the care prisoners get. She has a poster of Sheriff Joe Arpaio over her desk -- as do many others -- with a banner reading, "Sheriff Joe, He's Our Man!"

The prisoners complain about the posters...they also complain the food, the overcrowding, the book selection…and they write my daughter up for “disrespecting” them. (She is her Daddy’s daughter!)

Question: How much respect is due a murderer? A child rapist? An armed robber?

Bring back chain gangs! Bring back “hard labor!” How long would it take to turn the rocks in the Rocky Mountains into a fine powder?

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:44 PM:Responding to Wizzer @11:26 AM:

Mervyn Hooper is not another poor dupe of Big Oil propaganda, he just wants his car to run, and not break his back while doing it. You know? A regular American?

And based on the following:

"Submit 8:30am.; re-submit 9:35am; 3rd submission 11:26am
This post is in response to published letters (the topic of this web comments page) and does not violate any NCT standards.
"Ron" and "Chuck" are allowed numerous, often lengthy submissions processed immediately --
The weekday morning blog editor is clearly withholding and delaying my posts --
FAIRNESS and PROFESSIONALISM, PLEASE"

I'd say my take on peer-review goes unmatched.

Daphne wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:45 PM:Obviously you feel Ramos and Compean were justified in shooting this individual because as you so plainly put it he was a “drug smuggler” therefore he deserved a bullet in the butt. My concern is the cover up!!! Those agents just as all other Law Enforcement agents do not have the right to serve up justice out on our streets. They do not have the right to act as judge, jury and executioner. Whatever Diane Feinstein believes is irrelevant here because she was not on the jury in this case. She obviously did not hear the compelling evidence against these two men. I believe many people are prosecuted and given harsh sentences everyday why aren’t you concerned about them being freed? You have got to be kidding if you think that anyone in their right mind does not consider drug smuggling of drugs a serious problem. I ask you to research how the next President of the United States plans on curtailing this enormous problem. Also to all other OBAMA supporters do not take the bait put out by this self proclaimed Patriot.

Off the subject wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:45 PM:but still....Does anybody know why the City of Escondido is running their fire trucks and ambulances on red lights only? I know the people sleeping probably appreciate it, but one old guy with a white cane and red tip was getting ready to cross the street in front of the ambulance showing red lights only no siren.

DD Wiz wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:45 PM:The post from "Bill Too" (10:10am) shows he does not understand key aspects of the Flat Tax issue.
He is confusing the tax rate structure with the calculation of income.
Tax simplification is a separate issue, which I support, because most of the loopholes that complicate the calculation were inserted by special interests to get special treatment.
ALL of the complexity comes in figure out your net taxable income. Once that is done, you just look up the tax on a table (probably your computer does it) and it takes less than a minute.
And again, "Bill Too" did not address the fact that the allowance of a primary exemption layer of income essentially concedes the point of the need for recognizing differing levels of marginal utility of money at differing levels of income. So why stop at just two layers? If the principle is valid, then apply progressive (graduated) rates. If not, then don't have any -- but you know how well that would go over, don't you, because it makes the concept way too transparent.

Focal Point wrote on Jun 25, 2008 12:49 PM:My Good Alf: You are always seem to be the voice of reasoned judgment and good advice on this blog. I may even vote for Ron Paul. Yes, my comment was a reaction to the court finding in the cases of child rape. It was highly charged and emotional.
You are probably correct that the lousy culprit should suffer no more than a life sentence. I was also reacting to the person who blogged it. He or she seemed more overjoyed that somehow that the Supreme Court ruling was a victory over the more consecrative bloggers that were mentioned. Using that ruling as some sort of personal victory is reprehensible. Anyway, Alf, them are my two cents and you have a good day. Regards, FP

Ron wrote on Jun 25, 2008 1:03 PM:You seem to be under the illusion, that "life without parole" is actually life without parole.
"Bad news for yahoos" @9:01 AM?
Personally, I can not think of a better punishment for those who rape little children, than to become one of those little children in prison.
But, I do tend to lean in the direction of death for scum like this, because your side is always trying to find ways of excusing their behavior, and then springing them. Down the road, you'll find some lunatic doctor who'll say "they are victims", and they'll let them out.
Under the Ron's rules of life, I have this theory. And I think it's pretty accurate. Let me explain....
Most of us, about 90%.. just want to get up every morning, go to work, make some money to feed our family's, and have a decent shot at life. Oh, sure, we bump into each other from time to time, we don't really mean it, but for the most part, we are not predators on the rest of society.
Then you have the other group, the predators, the 10%. I don't know what's wrong with them, and frankly, it's really none of my concern. Al