Open Line Friday!

13 thoughts on “Open Line Friday!”

1. Maybe we should have a poll once a week on the most stupid, inane action by a Colorado politician.  Of course if his track record is any indication, Gessler would win at least 7 out of 10.

   This morning Pueblo Chieftain reports that he told County Clerk Ortiz not to mail the 70 military ballots yet to go out.  

   http://www.chieftain.com/news/…

   Ortiz, God Bless him, is taking it to his attorney.

   Log in to Reply

   1. uh… well not Democracy apparently. At least not for them. This is despicable.

      Log in to Reply

   2. The SOS says that the military (stationed wherever in the world) can “apply” for a ballot.  I’m sure that will work with only one month left until the Nov 1st election — apply for a ballot, ballot gets mailed, mail back ballot by election day.  No problem.  Of course, first you have to know that you’re not going to be automatically mailed a ballot.  No problem — I’m sure all overseas military personnel are reading Colorado news daily, and keeping track of what Colorado’s SOS (each time I have to check to make sure I haven’t accidentally misspelled that . . .) is ordering.  This is the same SOS who alleged (or should we say committed perjury in testifying to a Congressional committee) large numbers of illegal voters in the state, but couldn’t produce proof of one (or maybe did find one and only one).  

      Log in to Reply

2. Consumerist.com breaks story on Congress @work: Bill Introduced To Let Robots Call Your Cellphone

   Since ’91, it’s been illegal for telemarketers to use autodialers and other robot-like devices to call your cellphone. Last week, a bill was introduced to change that. While in the past email hoaxes have gone around saying that your cellphone could be opened up to telemarketers, HR 3035 seeks to let businesses contact your cellphone “for informational purposes.”

   Right … just for informational purposes. Gawker.com tells it a little more sarcastically:

   Introduced by sexy lobbyist-loving Rep. Lee Terry (R-Nebraska) and Rep. Edolphus Towns (D-NY), this exciting new piece of legislation would “modernize” the Communications Act of 1934 to permit companies to reach you by cell phone “for informational purposes.”

   The bill gets an accompanying letter cosigned by all the shitbags wanting to unleash robocall hell — just for you:
   
   – American Bankers Association
   
   – ACA International (representing collections agencies)
   
   – Consumer Bankers Association
   
   – Coalition of Higher Education Assistance Organizations
   
   – Education Finance Council
   
   – Financial Services Roundtable
   
   – Housing Policy Council
   
   – Mortgage Bankers Association
   
   – National Council of Higher Education Loan Program
   
   – Student Loan Servicing Alliance
   
   – Student Loan Servicing Alliance Private – Loan Committee
   
   – The Clearing House (The Publishers’ ??)
   
   – U.S. Chamber of Commerce

   “This legislation will enact limited, common-sense revisions to facilitate the delivery of time-sensitive consumer information, while continuing to protect wireless consumers from unwanted telemarketing calls,” says ACA International CEO Patrick J. Morris, who’s just looking out for our best interests.

    
   
   Yeah, he’s the guy speaking for a collective of Collections Agencies — the one with info serving “our best interests.”  We have Federal & State Do Not Call lists for a reason but that only pertains to land lines.  We’ve been protected from this cellphone robocall BS because call services would charge the consumer for incoming calls, but somehow they feel that is no longer a potential burden that is outweighed by the needs of these bullshit robocallers.  

   How about readers making a few call of their own?  Call or right because Congress would sure like to know what your opinion:

   Representative Eldolphus Towns
   
   2232 Rayburn House Office Building
   
   Washington DC 20515
   
   202-225-5936 (DC phone)
   
   718-855-8018 (NY phone)
   
   email form (use 11236-2806 for zip code)

   Representative Lee Terry
   
   2331 Rayburn House Office Building
   
   Washington DC 20515
   
   202-225-4155 (DC phone)
   
   402-397-9944 (Nebraska phone)
   
   email form (use 68154-1500 for zip code)

   Log in to Reply

3. Fun with TSA report: Second flight out of Denver in a row I’ve managed to avoid the body scanner and gropey-patdown, but security has added an incredibly creepy video while you’re waiting in line that addresses the 10th anniversary of 9/11 and reminds you not to stop being scared. Also, Janet Napolitano makes an appearance to remind you to be vigilant and report other passengers if you notice anything odd.

   In Atlanta, there is a preponderance of police officers on Segways at the airport. They appear to be very serious about their Segwaying and have an elaborate code of hand signals.

   Log in to Reply

   1. Sounds like another planet.

      Log in to Reply
   2. Log in to Reply

      1. …ehh who am I kidding, I’m not worldly at all 😛 I’ll watch my back.

         Log in to Reply

4. The House Appropriations subcommittee overseeing health, labor and education programs made public Thursday a $153.4 billion draft fiscal year 2012 spending plan that would slash spending for the president’s health care law, eliminate all funding for his “Race to the Top” education overhaul, cut funding and restrain the powers of the National Labor Relations Board (NLRB), and cancel all federal money for National Public Radio and Planned Parenthood.

   And the substance isn’t the only problem, there’s also the process:

   the panel was the only one of 12 House appropriations subcommittees yet to hold a formal markup of its fiscal 2012 bill.

   Log in to Reply

   1. Here:

      The bill would:

      Prohibit federal funding for Planned Parenthood through programs such as Medicaid which provides low-income women with preventive health care, including birth control, breast and cervical cancer screenings, annual exams, and STD testing and treatment;

      Eliminate funding for the Title X Family Planning Program, which provides access to birth control, cancer screenings, and other family planning services to five million low-income women each year, and through which women can avoid unintended pregnancies that would otherwise lead to abortion;

      Ban insurance coverage of abortion in the new health exchanges under the Affordable Care Act – taking away a common health benefit that most women currently have;

      Prevent the implementation of the Affordable Care Act (the health care reform law passed last year by Congress), and eliminate the new benefits that include insurance coverage of women’s preventive services like mammograms, cancer screenings, and birth control, with no additional co-pays;

      Cut the Teen Pregnancy Prevention Initiative by $64.79 million – from $ 104.79 million to $40 million – stipulating that $20 million of that money must be used for grants to provide ineffective, abstinence-only education;

      and put in place a sweeping new refusal provision that undermines patients’ access to quality health care, effectively imposing a religious ideology test on access to essential care.

      Log in to Reply

      1. There must be some tax cuts in there somewhere.

         Log in to Reply

      2. Or something.

         And pap smears?  We all know that’s code for socialism.  More sick poor people with more malnourished babies.  It’s a GOP dream come true.  

         Log in to Reply
      3. Log in to Reply