Weeding wallops wallets in Adams
There are a lot of people who think this is wrong, but I think I agree with this concept. If these people have been asked by the county to clean up their lots, and they don’t, then stick them with whatever fine is deemed appropriate.
County defends its $7,000-per-acre tab to cut unsightly lots
The man in charge of the county’s public works department says the high rates for laying weeds low are justified.
“Yeah, that’s a lot of money to charge for mowing your lawn. But if you’re going to be a scofflaw and ignore public notices, you ought not expect to get bargains on whatever the process is,” County Administrator Terry Funderburk said.
The article goes on to say that these people are asked to do something about their lots, and given 10 days. Surely there is something you can do in 10 days. If there are other companies charging only $125 per acre, call them up and get it taken care of.
Ohio Police Arrest Woman For $1 In Unpaid Taxes
Ohio Police Arrest Woman For $1 in Unpaid Taxes
“One sheriff approached my car with his hand on his gun,” she said. “Another from the other side of the car leaned in and said, ‘Are you Deborah Combs?’ He said, ‘We have a warrant for your arrest.’ I was absolutely shocked.”
Ok, I understand the principle here. My dad taught me and my sister and brother that stealing was stealing, and he didn’t care if we took a nickel off his desk or a twenty dollar bill from our mother’s purse, but the level of force in which they went after this woman is a bit excessive in my opinion.
How gullible are you?
If you are curious, take The Gullibility Factor Test. Some interesting stuff here.
I got an 88.
Halliburton takes lead in Katrina Reconstruction
This article had two interesting points of interest.
Here’s a good idea: Consumer groups and progressive congressfolks have joined in an effort to stop hundreds of thousands of victims of Hurricane Katrina from being further harmed by the new Bankruptcy Act, scheduled to take effect Oct. 17. This law was notoriously written of, by and for the consumer credit industry, and is particularly onerous for the poor.
The bill was passed with massive support from the Republican leadership in Congress and from a disgusting number of sellout Democrats. While it was being considered in committee earlier this year, Texas Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee offered an amendment to protect victims of natural disasters. It was defeated, without debate, on a party-line vote.
Now, Congress has a chance to rethink some of the most punitive parts of the bill. Katrina victims who were planning to file before the new law goes into effect are s.o.l. — where are they gonna find a lawyer, let alone an open courthouse?
Under the new law, anyone whose income is over the state median must file under Chapter 13, a more restrictive category that requires some repayment of debt. The new law grants no exemption for natural disaster, even though it’s going to be a little tough for some citizen sitting in the Astrodome who no longer has a home to come up with tax statements, pay stubs, and six months of income and expense data. Let’s see if Congress can manage to open its marble heart on this issue.
And equally as important…
Meanwhile, it’s an ill wind that blows no one good, so we should not be surprised to learn the first winner out of the gate on Katrina is none other than the Halliburton Co., whose deserving subsidiary Kellogg, Brown and Root has already been granted a $29.8 million contract for cleanup work in the wake of Katrina.
Of course, no one would suggest Halliburton and its subsidiaries get government contracts (more than $9 billion for reconstruction work in Iraq, with Pentagon audits thus far showing $1.03 billion in “questioned” costs and $422 million in “unsupported costs”) just because Vice President Cheney is still on the payroll. Heavens no. The veep continues to receive deferred pay from the company he formerly headed — $194,852 last year.
But Cheney has nothing to do with the Halliburton contracts — that, friends, goes through none other than the noted lobbyist and former head of — of all things — the Federal Emergency Management Agency. Since Joe Allbaugh, who was Bush’s campaign manger in 2000, left FEMA in December 2002, he has been busy making sure reconstruction contracts in Iraq go to companies that give generously to the Republican Party.
Now, aren’t you ashamed of yourself for thinking there’s something wrong with that? Besides, Allbaugh is now with a big-time Washington lobbying firm, where he also represents Shaw Group Inc., and — viola — Shaw Group, too, already has a $100 million emergency contract from FEMA for housing management and construction, and a $100 million order from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers for Katrina repair.
That is the bulk of the article. I am really almost speechless that Halliburton has their hands in all of this. Shouldn’t these contracts go to local companies who will do the job for less? Perhaps Construction Company X from Baton Rouge or someplace local? A company that actually has a stake in rebuilding the community? They keep talking about how much this is going to cost. I am willing to bed that if local companies and small businesses were given the same contracts, the cost would be significantly less. Ya know, it must be nice to have a job, especially one in our government, where you can make sure all your friends come first and are always well taken care of.
New Orleans hurricane survivors are scumbags
Well, not really, but according to Glenn Beck they are. Oh, and he hates 9/11 victims families too. Yeah.
Glenn Beck called hurricane survivors in New Orleans “scumbags” said he “hates” 9-11 families
I didn’t think I could hate victims faster than the 9-11 victims. These guys – you know it’s really sad. We’re not hearing anything about Mississippi. We’re not hearing anything about Alabama. We’re hearing about the victims in New Orleans. This is a 90,000-square-mile disaster site, New Orleans is 181 square miles. A hundred and — 0.2 percent of the disaster area is New Orleans! And that’s all we’re hearing about, are the people in New Orleans. Those are the only ones we’re seeing on television are the scumbags – and again, it’s not all the people in New Orleans. Most of the people in New Orleans got out! It’s just a small percentage of those who were left in New Orleans, or who decided to stay in New Orleans, and they’re getting all the attention. It’s exactly like the 9-11 victims’ families.
He came to this conclusion after seeing many of them rush the line in the Astrodome for the $2,000 debit cards that FEMA was handing out. These people have absolutely nothing, some donated clothing, and yes they now have food and water, but of course they wanted the 2 grand. Most of these people lost their homes. This money is one step closer to getting the hell out of the Astrodome and perhaps to someplace where they and their family can begin to get a grasp on life again. To fault them for wanting this 2 grand so badly is just wrong.
The Flying Spaghetti Monster
I read about this for the first time today, and thought it was rather hilarious at the same time it was making a good point. He is trying to prove how absurb he believes religion to be.
In the beginning there was the Flying Spaghetti Monster
For a growing band of devoted followers, He is the Supreme Being; creator of the universe and all living things. To the rest of us, the Flying Spaghetti Monster looks like a giant heap of pasta and meatballs topped with eyeballs on stalks. As it turns out, both interpretations are correct.
In the past few weeks, the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster has become perhaps the world’s fastest-growing “religion” and maybe its most improbable. While no one can be sure of the exact numbers of “Pastafarians”, as acolytes are called, they may number in the millions.
I guess this is as foreign to some as the “accepted” religious figures are to others.
Republicans questioning the President’s war tactics
Now this article really caught my attention because it was at foxnews.com, the least likely source for criticism of any Republican.
Bush Supporters Question Iraq War Tactics
When President Bush meets with his Iraqi counterpart at the White House on Tuesday, the administration and its supporters are sure to extol the virtues and the wisdom of the American role in rebuilding Iraq.
But there’s sure to be some head shaking and criticism as well, and this time from some unexpected corners.
Staunch supporters of the Bush administration’s policy in Iraq have become more vocal and public with their concern over the way things are going there, prompting observers to suggest that even Republicans are getting nervous.
It’s about time people started to have questions, instead of being force fed by the administration and the media.
