Those Delusional California Democrats

Will California find its way out if it’s fiscal mess? Reading what the left thinks doesn’t leave much hope. Not a word about cutting pensions, budgets. Instead, this writer believes only the Democrats, the ones that have been bankrupting every state they control, can fix the problem.

Estimates place the current gap between what is required by all the states in the union to pay public employee retirement obligations and what is available in public employee pension funds to meet those obligations at about a $2 trillion deficit and on its way to $3 trillion.

In California, we are all Europeans now.

… The good news is that there may be a glimmer of hope in the person of Speaker of the California Assembly, John Pérez.

Speaker Pérez, chosen to be the leader of the Assembly during only his freshman term in office, is an extremely bright and highly capable legislator. He might also have a unique edge when it comes to addressing the pension problem as, prior to entering elective office, Mr. Pérez spent his career as a union organizer and political representative. He is a man whom the unions trust and, hopefully, might listen to when it comes to finding a reasonable approach to solving the problem of reforming the public employees pension programs that California can no longer afford.

But make no mistake. Speaker Pérez is not in an enviable position. As the man charged with the responsibility to maintain the Democratic majority in California’s assembly, he has no choice but to keep an eye on political realities as he works towards a  resolution of the budgetary issues. To be sure, one such reality of politics is that encouraging the anger and opposition of the unions is not the best way to go about keeping Democratic legislators in office.

Still, if anyone can create a meaningful discussion with the unions charged with representing California’s public employees, Speaker Pérez could be precisely the right man for the job.

Joseph Campbell defines a hero as a one who jumps into the bottomless chasm – not knowing if survival is possible- because it is the right thing to do.

Let’s hope that Speaker Pérez and his fellow Democrats are prepared to be heroes. Those of us who live in California know that we cannot look to our GOP to assume the mantle and must depend on our Democrats to find a way out of the thicket.

Time to pray for California.

photo credit: G|o®g|O

May 20th – Don’t Forget Draw Muhammad Day

Free speech on parade tomorrow…

It’s started already:

A group of Islamic lawyers today won a court order requiring officials in Pakistan to block access to Facebook until May 31. Meanwhile, thousands of protesters flocked to the streets of Karachi, carrying placards denouncing both Facebook and the proposed “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day.”

Of course, this being 2010, much of the fighting over the proposed event has been conducted on the Web – and more specifically, on Facebook. Two groups – one entitled “Everybody Draw Mohammad Day” and other called “Protest Against Draw Mohammad Day” – each have attracted thousands of fans.

By Wednesday afternoon, the tone of the comments on both group pages had grown so acidic that many users called for Facebook to take action. “Let us all unite against these elements that spread hatred and disrespect in the world. Let’s report such pages and groups as abuse, that’s the least we can do to promote love and peace,” one user wrote on the “Protest Against Draw Mohammad Day” page.

Caught In A Lie: Looks Like We’ll Stop The HST In BC

Amazing. BC has a tea party. When you have a government that resorts to lying to get elected, and then proceeds to add even more taxes on the people, there is a limit to how far you can actually go. Even in BC.

The recent news the Premier Gordon Campbell won’t seek reelection is also good news.

“I recognize today that people are pretty — they are very upset in fact,” said Campbell in an interview with Keith Baldrey for Global TV. “They think they were misled with regard to the HST initiative that we undertook.”

“I still think it was the right decision to make,” Campbell continued. “We all knew that we would be hit hard politically as a result of that decision. It was not a comfortable decision to make. So I understand why people are upset. I don’t underestimate how upset people are and the anger that people feel about it.”

Gordon, you lied about the BC deficit to get elected. Now to overcome that lie, you take a bribe to punish BC residents with the HST (BC gets $1.5 billion from the federal government to do the HST). It also means a $1.9 billion tax shift from industry to BC families.. or $1,700 in higher taxes for a family of four.

The good news is that the Bill Vander Zalm petition to repeal the HST has passed the 500,000 signature mark, with 7 weeks to go.

The petition has achieved the 10% Elections BC threshold in 56 out of a total of 85 ridings across the province. 34 ridings have reached the Fight HST internal threshold of 15% of registered voters or more.

“What is really exciting about this report is the big jump in signatures in both Vancouver and Burnaby this week. We were a little slow getting started in those ridings, but they are catching up quickly, with signature gathering in those regions keeping pace with all other regions now,” said Chris Delaney, Fight HST lead organizer.

With just over 8 weeks left to go in the 13 week signature gathering campaign, Delaney says the Fight HST petition is poised to hit the 500,000 signature mark, equivalent to over 1/3 of all the voters who voted in the last provincial election.

“This is the largest sample of public opinion ever done in the history of BC. It shows a deep, pervasive and across the board rejection of the government’s policy to implement the HST. It has become much more than just a legal petition to repeal the HST. It has become a referendum on the tax and the government that gave it to us,” Delaney explained.

Fight HST leader, Bill Vander Zalm, says it’s time for the government to act.

“We are calling on Premier Campbell and Finance Minister Hansen to publicly announce they will repeal the HST right now. There can no longer be any purpose to continuing with a tax that nobody wants, and which the government has just admitted it won’t even pay itself when it comes to government purchases. How many more voters do they have to hear from before they will do the right thing and get rid of this tax?” Vander Zalm asked.

The campaign also weighed in on the government’s recently released HST list with Vander Zalm saying it simply doesn’t tell the truth as there are more than 30 items “missing in action.”

“We spent some time reviewing the list and have determined it is totally bogus,” Vander Zalm said in a release. “The government has, once again, deliberately tried to mislead the public when it comes to the HST. They just can’t seem to ever tell the truth.”

Vander Zalm said the list excludes almost all services that will now have HST applied to them.

“They left out items such as catering, computer repair services, consulting services, commercial leases, fishing charters, home appraisals, investment counseling, limousine rentals, skiing and even parking fees,” he said.

As they say, get out and vote. You can find a location to sign the petition here.

Where Corruption Breeds

The National Post put out a graphic on ‘Just how corrupt is the United States?”, and the top three states all seem to have something in common.

States that are left wing win the contest by a wide margin. (click image to enlarge)

America may not be the most corrupt nation in the world, but on the Corruption Perception Index issued by an organization called Transparency International, the U.S. scored 19th from the top in 2009, barely trailing Britain and Japan, and just ahead of Barbados. (Canada is tied for eighth most honest with Iceland and Australia.)

If Texas could clean up its act, it would be a clean sweep of corruption for the left.

What Happens When You Have Way Too Much Time On Your Hands

At the same time, I’d like one of these.

Greece Explained.

“Our country is weary of borrowing and spending and bailouts from Washington, D.C. so the American people deserve to know we are bailing out Greece and future Americans may be picking up the tab for as much as $50 billion in additional loan guarantees for the rest of Europe in the form of a bailout.

“Here’s how it works. The European Union’s members and the IMF recently pledged $145 billion in the Greek bailout. Forty billion dollars of that came from the International Monetary Fund. Since the United States pays 17 percent, we are the largest contributor to the IMF. American taxpayers are on the hook for $6.8 billion in loan guarantees from the IMF and it may just be a down payment.

“The EU this last weekend talked about a $1 trillion bailout plan that could put U.S. taxpayers on the hook for $50 billion in additional loan guarantees to bail out Europe.

“Look, the EU was formed to compete with the U.S.A., economically. It is simply not right to ask the people of the United States of America to provide loan guarantees to bail out an economic competitor in Europe. Nobody wants to see the EU fail, but we are not asking their help in New Jersey or California. They shouldn’t be asking our help with Portugal, Spain, or Greece.”

In other news..

Greece Considering Legal Action Against U.S. Banks for Crisis.

Biting the hand that feeds.

US State Governors With Balls.

Is it me, or is there a sudden rise of State Governors who seem to be making sense?

The new Arizona law is the exact same law of the US federal government – something that’s been intentionally down played by the detractors.

Gov. Brewer takes on Obama for his racial political agenda:

I don’t know about you, but my next flight through Phoenix won’t be just a connection any more. I think it’s time show support for Arizona. The golf alone justifies the trip.

Then, we have Gov. Chris Christie of New Jersey:

In contrast, we have this gem:

It’s time that our Canadian leaders grew a pair. I’m more than tired of the NDP and Liberal party’s constant whining. I’ve yet to hear one idea from these parties that would mean less taxes, more freedom, or, heaven forbid, increased business growth.

Trouble isn’t that far off for North America… if you want to see the scary picture, here’ a great article comparing the different counties debts titled: US faces one of biggest budget crunches in world – IMF

We’ll start hearing more of the term “test of civil cohesion” as government won’t have a choice but to slash budgets in terms we have never lived through. An unlike Greece, riots won’t make money magically appear to fund our socialism.

We need someone who has the guts to deliver a blunt and honest message. A message that speaks to the majority of “silent” Canadians.

Imagine if Harper would make it a platform to cut taxes, cut government, and cut spending. Doing so may save Canada from what’s coming. Let’s start now by canceling the unspent stimulus budget. Defund the CBC which only speaks to a small minority of Canadians. Freeze social program budgets, and get rid of at least half of the federal departments. (Not possible? Go through the list and see what you can do - and ry to explain what this one does for example -Atlantic Pilotage Authority) .

I know I have put away my major spending plans in favor of banking a few dollars right now.

I really believe that whoever would campaign on a austerity agenda would easily form a majority government. Canadians aren’t stupid – we see what is happening around us.

How many more years does universal daycare need to be the main election promise? No one will actually ever do it, but every election cycle it’s at the top of the list for campaign promises. As for global warming…

The silent majority has risen in the US – it’s time for the Canadians to follow to do the same.

Smoke ‘em If You Got ‘em

Great inventions and a way to beat the taxman:

In a US ruling, a judge ruled the Food and Drug Administration may not block the importation of “electronic cigarettes,” battery-powered versions of conventional smokes.

If yu are a smoker and haven’t heard of this yet, check out this site…

After your initial investment, it costs about $5-10 per equivalent carton of smokes.. leaving the taxman with nothing.

As the e-cigarette is essentially a nicotine patch, with the joyous mechanics of smoking, this is the way it should be.

Watch for Ottawa to make a move once this catches on. Canadians paying $10-a-pack will love this. Plus you can smoke in bars and planes again without annoying anyone.

A blurb from the esmoker mag:

Electronic Cigarettes (a.k.a E-Cigarettes or E-Cigs) are quite literally the next wave of recreational smoking. While tobacco cigarettes deliver a whole host of carcinogens as they are burned and inhaled, toxicological studies on e-cigs show it to be a much safer means of delivering nicotine while still resembling typical smoking behavior.

E-Cigarettes do not produce tar so your lungs are not polluted, your teeth and fingers will not stain, your clothes and skin will not stink while those around you will not be offended.

Whereas in most developed countries a smoker is required to step outside for a smoke, e-cig smokers can smoke anywhere because the ’second-hand smoke’ contains nothing dangerous to those around you. Being an electronic smoker means not having to leave your friends and loved ones for a smoke, it means you get to enjoy a smoke like you normally would but in a more comfortable location. Not only will you not harm those around you, your walls will not turn yellow and your room or car will not stink.

Imagine having an electronic cigarette and relaxing while traveling on a plane or at the bar without having to leave your seat or your drink. Circumstances like this can be frustrating to the modern tobacco smoker but the e-cig smoker experiences none of these difficulties. The modern tobacco smoker faces a whole host of health problems related to smoking while the e-cig smoker enjoys a much more measured, controlled and safer smoking experience.

Electronic cigarettes are the future of smoking and it is time for all smokers to evolve and leave tobacco with all its dangers and annoyances behind. Electronic cigarettes are the new, safer and more enjoyable way to smoke.

Would you build your mosque here?

It’s all set for the grand opening on 9/11/11 and it seems to have upset a few people. American kids are getting thrown out of school for wearing American flag shirts on Cinco de Mayo (a Mexican beer holiday) because they were being insensitive. But it’s totally OK to open a mosque right across the street from ground zero on 9/11?

Ten years after the attack on the World Trade Center… still nothing in its place. But right across the street from Ground Zero is a brand new 13 story mosque.

Not saying the Muslims are being insensitive… but I think it may be a little higher on the outrage scale that a cartoon of Muhammad.

There’s a blog dedicated to the subject here.

photo credit: LuRoGo ®