Vancouver Secrets

How Could Anything Possibly Go Wrong?

UAW Would Own 55% of Chrysler Stock Under Deal

The United Auto Workers union would eventually own 55% of the stock in a restructured Chrysler LLC under the deal reached by the union and the auto maker, according to a summary of the agreement that was reviewed by the Wall Street Journal.

According to the summary, Chrysler will also issue a $4.59 billion note to the health care trust fund that the union will manage for retired workers. The agreement says Chrysler will pay $300 million in cash into the trust fund in 2010 and 2011, and increasing amounts up to $823 million in the years 2019 to 2023.

The trust fund will also own a “significant” amount of Chrysler stock and will be allowed to appoint a representative to Chrysler’s board, the summary says. In the future the trust fund will be allowed to sell the stock to other parties, it says.

The UAW accord is likely to provide the blueprint for deals at General Motors Corp., and possibly Ford Motor Co., said labor experts, dealing the union a broader setback. In addition to cuts in wages and benefits, the loss of members and their dues, due to the shutdown of union factories, will shrink the union’s clout, giving it less money for organizing and political operations. On Monday, GM said it would eliminate 21,000 hourly-wage jobs.

“This will make it more difficult to do the things that the union is known for: organizing, political action, bargaining and community development,” said John Russo of the Center for Working-Class Studies at Youngstown University.

The Government and the unions will pretty much own the car makers.

Kill them now, while there is still time.

If Adam And Eve Were In Vancouver

How To Scare A Couple Of Million People

Geniuses at work… You’d think they may have thought of advanced publicity to let people know?

Photo Opp Triggers Panic in Manhattan

A photo shoot involving a 747 used as Air Force One and two fighter jets flying at low altitude led to hundreds of frightened calls from residents and workers in Lower Manhattan this morning, triggering memories of 9-11 as many evacuated their offices. The president was not aboard.

Although the shoot was authorized, the normal system of public notification broke down, multiple officials said.

The FAA says military jets flying over Lower Manhattan this morning were part of an authorized military photo shoot and were no cause for alarm.

The Department of Defense had pre-approved the flight of a 747 and two F16 military fighter jets to fly around Staten Island and the Statue of Liberty.

UPDATE:

White House Apologizes for Air Force Flyover

Last week, I approved a mission over New York. I take responsibility for that decision. While federal authorities took the proper steps to notify state and local authorities in New York and New Jersey, it’s clear that the mission created confusion and disruption. I apologize and take responsibility for any distress that flight caused.

More here.

Another great example of the inept staff Obama has hired.

Swine Flu – What You Need To Know

Now that the Swine Flue has surfaced in Canada, let’s hope it doesn’t touch off a SARS panic… the cases are mild so far.

Makes me glad I get to work from home.

Federal health officials have confirmed six cases of human swine influenza in British Columbia and Nova Scotia and are warning more cases are likely in the near future.

Dr. Donald Low, the chief microbiologist at Mount Sinai Hospital in Toronto who played a key role in battling the SARS crisis in 2003, said:

What you’re seeing here is the makings of a pandemic,” Low said. “You’re seeing a new virus that we have no natural immunity to. You’re seeing a virus that can cause disease, and in causing disease, can transmit from person to person.

“All it needs to complete that equation is the recognition that it’s spreading over a wide geographical area. And I think that’s what we’re hearing this weekend, that it’s actually happening,” he said.

They’ve declared a public health emergency in the US:

As a consequence of confirmed cases of Swine Influenza A (swH1N1) in California, Texas, Kansas, and New York, on this date and after consultation with public health officials as necessary, I, Charles E. Johnson, Acting Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, pursuant to the authority vested in me under section 319 of the Public Health Service Act, 42 U.S.C. § 247d, do hereby determine that a public health emergency exists nationwide involving Swine Influenza A that affects or has significant potential to affect national security.

April 26,2009

Acting HHS Secretary Charles E. Johnson

From the Center For Disease Control:

Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection have been identified in the United States. Human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) virus infection also have been identified internationally. The current U.S. case count is provided below.

Investigations are ongoing to determine the source of the infection and whether additional people have been infected with swine influenza viruses.

CDC is working very closely with officials in states where human cases of swine influenza A (H1N1) have been identified, as well as with health officials in Mexico, Canada and the World Health Organization. This includes deploying staff domestically and internationally to provide guidance and technical support. CDC has activated its Emergency Operations Center to coordinate this investigation.

Laboratory testing has found the swine influenza A (H1N1) virus susceptible to the prescription antiviral drugs oseltamivir and zanamivir and has issued interim guidance for the use of these drugs to treat and prevent infection with swine influenza viruses. CDC also has prepared interim guidance on how to care for people who are sick and interim guidance on the use of face masks in a community setting where spread of this swine flu virus has been detected. This is a rapidly evolving situation and CDC will provide new information as it becomes available.

Swine Flu

What is Swine Influenza?
Swine Influenza (swine flu) is a respiratory disease of pigs caused by type A influenza virus that regularly causes outbreaks of influenza in pigs. Swine flu viruses cause high levels of illness and low death rates in pigs. Swine influenza viruses may circulate among swine throughout the year, but most outbreaks occur during the late fall and winter months similar to outbreaks in humans. The classical swine flu virus (an influenza type A H1N1 virus) was first isolated from a pig in 1930.

How many swine flu viruses are there?
Like all influenza viruses, swine flu viruses change constantly. Pigs can be infected by avian influenza and human influenza viruses as well as swine influenza viruses. When influenza viruses from different species infect pigs, the viruses can reassort (i.e. swap genes) and new viruses that are a mix of swine, human and/or avian influenza viruses can emerge. Over the years, different variations of swine flu viruses have emerged. At this time, there are four main influenza type A virus subtypes that have been isolated in pigs: H1N1, H1N2, H3N2, and H3N1. However, most of the recently isolated influenza viruses from pigs have been H1N1 viruses.

Swine Flu in Humans

Can humans catch swine flu?
Swine flu viruses do not normally infect humans. However, sporadic human infections with swine flu have occurred. Most commonly, these cases occur in persons with direct exposure to pigs (e.g. children near pigs at a fair or workers in the swine industry). In addition, there have been documented cases of one person spreading swine flu to others. For example, an outbreak of apparent swine flu infection in pigs in Wisconsin in 1988 resulted in multiple human infections, and, although no community outbreak resulted, there was antibody evidence of virus transmission from the patient to health care workers who had close contact with the patient. More »

The Competition Goes In For The Kill

This kind of marketing means the end of GM, Ford and Chrysler.

100 Days Of Epic Failure – How Obama Is Tanking America

As the Obama Administration approaches the hundred day benchmark, the “Obama owned media” will make sure their audience is oblivious to just how badly he’s failing as a leader… the Obama drool squad are too busy turning his presidency into the longest campaign in history.

The MSNBC poll is going off the rails and probably reflects the real opinion of the man.

Here’s my perspective on his term so far… starting with the understatement of our generation:

“Mark my words,” the Democratic vice presidential nominee warned at the second of his two Seattle fundraisers Sunday. “It will not be six months before the world tests Barack Obama like they did John Kennedy. The world is looking. We’re about to elect a brilliant 47-year-old senator president of the United States of America. Remember I said it standing here if you don’t remember anything else I said. Watch, we’re gonna have an international crisis, a generated crisis, to test the mettle of this guy.”

In the first three months they’ve been tested…

Picking His Adminstration:

1) Picks Nancy Killefer for First Chief Performance Officer — to police government spending. A tax lien was slapped on her DC home in 2005 for failure to pay unemployment compensation tax on household help. She withdrew.

2) Picks Bill Richardson as Secretary Of Commerce – withdrawn after it was discovered a criminal investigation involving David Rubin, who had donated over $110,000 to Richardson’s campaign committees and had also profited from $1.5 million in contracts from the state government.

3) Timothy Geithner nomination as Secretary of Treasury and given the job despite the fact that he failed to pay $34,000 in Social Security and Medicare taxes. He also employed an illegal immigrant as a housekeeper.

4) Annette Nazareth for Deputy Treasury Secretary – withdrawn after a probe into her taxes.

5) Adolfo Carrion confirmed Director of White House Office of Urban Affairs – despite allegations that he accepted thousands of dollars in cash from developers whose projects he approved.

6) Tom Daschle as Secretary of Health and Human Services – until it was discovered he had failed to pay income taxes. More »