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March 19, 2009 03:33 PM UTC

Thursday Open Thread

  • 52 Comments
  • by: Colorado Pols

“Let me never fall into the vulgar mistake of dreaming that I am persecuted whenever I am contradicted.”

–Ralph Waldo Emerson

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52 thoughts on “Thursday Open Thread”

  1. Dems are trying to get Arlen to switch

    http://thehill.com/leading-the…

    Probably won’t happen but he could go the independent route and caucus with the Dems.

    He would be a key vote on EFCA.

    If he did become an independent and caucused with the Dems it is likely that the Dems would not run a serious candidate against him in 2010.

    1. Spector is no longer in remission from his cancer.  I can’t imagine he will run in 2010….indeed, I think this is why he feels free to vote with dems…

  2. I just got around to reading HB 1094 and found the dumbest line ever.  Using a phone without a hands-free device would be illegal when “operating a motor vehicle,” but not if you’re parked on the shoulder.

    (d) “OPERATING A MOTOR VEHICLE” MEANS DRIVING A MOTOR

    VEHICLE ON A PUBLIC HIGHWAY BUT DOES NOT MEAN MAINTAINING THE

    INSTRUMENTS OF CONTROL WHILE THE MOTOR VEHICLE IS AT REST IN A

    SHOULDER LANE     OR LAWFULLY PARKED.

    I don’t mean to be insensitive, but I can only think of one recent death by phone off the top of my head.  I can think of three deaths and two people paralyzed while parked on the shoulder.  Sadly ironic that the texting death involved a little girl moving slowly on the shoulder.

    Not the only problem I have with this bill, but if it were fixed I’d feel much better.

    1. Especially if you can’t/didn’t pull way over.

      I recall reading once of cops in one jurisdiction turning off the roof lights and parking lights when they pulled people over at night.  Research showed that drunks often steered to the lights like a moth to a flame.  No lights was actually safer than using lights!

      1. I can’t figure out why it’s there.  The “manual entry” parts are so vague, but there’s a special suggestion for parking on the shoulder?

        Just in case a Rep., or their staff, is reading this, please run a 2nd reading amendment to strike the language.  It’s just that dangerous and, as an added bonus, that useless.

      2. In my job (I operate a tow truck for those who don’t know)the most dangerous places to be are where a car breaks down and there isn’t a sufficient shoulder to get clear of the roadway that people are using.  When law enforcement has a unit available they can have people move over, but all too often we are stuck by ourselves removing the broke down vehicle.  The worst jobs are picking up a vehicle off the highway at night.  Pitch black outside of the towns and you can’t pay attention to the oncoming traffic and safely load at the same time.  

        Highway shoulders are not safe places to be, and unless you have an emergency, get off the highway and into some safe place before you pick up the phone.

  3. from the NY Times

    Yet there is surprisingly little evidence to support the proposition that rich New Yorkers would bolt if forced to pay higher income taxes. Though tracking the movement of wealthy taxpayers from state to state is difficult, experts on public finance and migration say they have yet to document a substantial “rich drain” in states that have raised income taxes in recent years.

    “At the level we’re talking about, there’s no quantitative evidence that it affects the mobility decisions of affluent taxpayers,” said Douglas S. Massey, a demographer at Princeton University and president of the American Academy of Political and Social Science.

    2. laugh at my jokes, please, laugh at my jokes.  See, I’m funny.  Ha ha. Don’t you get it?  Please, give me some attention.  I’m funny.  Get it?  

  6. From Open Left

    In order to protect its bailout plan, the Obama administration protected the bonuses.

    That says it all, but wait there’s more

    Unfortunately, despite overwhelming Democratic support for limiting executive compensation, in order to save their public-private partnership bailout plan, the Obama administration worked against these limits:

       As word spread Friday about the new and retroactive limit — inserted by Democratic Sen. Christopher Dodd of Connecticut — so did consternation on Wall Street and in the Obama administration, which opposed it.(…)

       The administration is concerned the rules will prompt a wave of banks to return the government’s money and forgo future assistance, undermining the aid program’s effectiveness. Both Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner and Lawrence Summers, who heads the National Economic Council, had called Sen. Dodd and asked him to reconsider, these people said.

    Discouraging is right, these actions are just a continuation of failed policies of more government and zero corporate accountability (GM is up to how many BILLIONS just to prop up human resource issues?).


    A senior executive at one of the nation’s largest banks said he had heard from several hedge funds that they would not partner with the government for fear that lawmakers would impose retroactive conditions on their participation, such as limits on compensation or disclosure requirements.

    When your regulated by aggressive regulators there is only so much you can say.


    This scandal is the direct outcome of Geithner’s bailout plan. Because the Obama administration is pursuing a public-private partnership bailout strategy, and because Wall Street wouldn’t participate in this plan if their bonuses were threatened, the Obama administration blocked legislation that would have blocked Wall Street bonuses. They really should have pursued temporary nationalization instead.

    Continued failure will come from more of the same.

    — Chris Bowers http://www.alternet.org/blogs/…

  7. Pete Souza, who is currently the official photographer for President Obama and once served in the same capacity for President Reagan, believes that a “tourist” who met Reagan in Red Square during a visit to Moscow was none other than Vladimir Putin:

    Click on link for larger image and fuller report. HT to Slog.

    2. Just taking some photos of the old red square, heh, heh.  BTW Mr. President, most of us ordinary everyday Russians are just curious – where are the silos where you store ICBM’s ?

      Really interesting find Ari.

  8. Moving with her usual light speed to enact failed carter-era strategies in hopes of covering up the damage done by Tim Geithner and irresponsible banks (Fannie Mae) who lent billions to unqualified home buyers, Madame Pelosi has double dealt Obama a whammy that will further cripple his efforts to nationalize the U.S. economy.

    Responding quickly to public outrage over the Obama backed AIG bonuses, the House voted to approve a 90 percent tax on bonuses for some executives at companies getting federal aid.

    “The whole idea that they should be rewarded millions of dollars is repugnant to everything that decent people believe in,” said Representative Charlie Rangel, the Democratic chairman of the tax-writing Ways and Means Committee.

    Although one agrees, the fault is squarely in the Administrations rush to expand government control over every facet of the economy through a continuation of failed bailouts.

    Trying to lead when you lack initial principles does create an environment inwhich you fail. Its like taking a trip without planning or understanding the complexities of your journey. Not to fear, she does have Hope.

      1. Madame Pelosi has double dealt Obama a whammy that cripples his efforts to nationalize the U.S. economy … and she did it with failed Carter-era taxation policies.

        I think she finally put an end to the Democrat bailout scheme!

        When you get in over your head don’t try to drown yourself. Go belly-up, breathe and stop kicking yourself to death.

        1. But 85 House Republicans just voted to raise the top tax bracket to 90%. It’s going to be hard for them to argue that 39% is too high after they voted for a 90% rate.

          Oops!

          Obama & Pelosi just out-maneuvered the Rethugs and just made it much more likely that the House will be able to pass legislation to raise the upper tax bracket rates.

    2. A class in bad logic and critical thinking could be had just be using your posts.

      BTW, a lot of what happened with the bonuses started in the (Thank God!) waning days of the Bush misadministration.

  9. Ok, in my household no one else cares squat about politics. I’m not sure any could name the governor.

    My wife and 2 older daughters have brought up AIG, asked me about it, and want the people responsible shot. This is resonating big-time. And if Obama does not take control of the bailout process on this issue, he’s going to be viewed as emasculated by the banks and will operate at their whim.

    1. .

      got IRS rules rewritten to cover some of their losses ?  In that scam, all of the victims should have questioned the outrageous profits that were reported, and only 1 or 2 did.  

      That change in the rules amounts effectively to a partial bailout.  

      I think bailing them out is as bad as bailing out the AIG hedge fund.

      But if all it takes to solve a problem today is to “print more money at it,” the updated version of “throw more money at it,”

      I say let’s invest in more ink and make every American a millionaire.

      .

      1. …let’s give every American one billion dollars.  Inflate our way out of the deficit & debt.  Drastically reduce the difference between the richest 5% and the rest of us.

        Not sure what it would do to our trade imbalance, though…

        Nothing like treating a hangnail with amputation, I always say 🙂

      2. No time to look it up, but I recall that there were “paper profits” from fraudulent statements that they paid taxes on. In reality, those profits never existed.

        And as I recall, those profits were never truly outrageous – something like 8%/year. It was the fact that he never had a down year that should have clued people in, but they thought that they were trading big profits (especially during the dot-com bubble) for steady profits.  

        1. .

          I thought they were “earning” profits in the 20% range, every single year.  Even I would have questioned that.  But 8% ?  That actually sounds pretty reasonable.

          .  

          1. Every investor in schemes like this or the original Ponzi think that “If it sounds too good to be true, it is” has been suspended.

            If it sounds too good to be true, 99% odds something is wrong.  

        1. Bush was to dense to take up a Lincoln response … firing Rummy early and putting Powell in charge of Defense before elevating him to VP and making Cheney a senior adviser.

  10. Vistage International is a membership driven organization that claims membership from companies with over $9B in annual revenues in CO. I’m interested in joining, in order to have that level of communication with my peers.

      1. Members combined total revenues exceed $9B. Every dollar counts, but it is expensive to join.

        I’m surprised no CoPols readers are members?

        Just asking.

        1. .

          I’m probably the only one who didn’t get it.  

          Since $1M would be great year for me (I’ve never hit that,) I was imagining what outfit you managed that did $9B in a year, and figured you must be running Air Force Space Command, or maybe Coors.

          .

          2. I’m planning a Spring fest at my haus…so far only Steve Harvey is invited…care to join us?

            E-mail addresses and coordination to follow.

            Anyone else care to come?

      1. For your information (why do I bother?)they have asked me to join. Your facts, again, are pulled from your ass.

        Once again, and for the umpteenth time, you have nothing to contribute. But thanks anyway.

      1. Went to my daughters HS Cinderella performance at Ralston Valley tonight. A first class event. I was overwhelmed. I love to see this quality of arts in high school.

        BTW, her calculus, statistics, economics, literature, etc., are also first class. She’ll be in CU-Booulder next year and I couldn’t be more proud.

        We do love our children, don’t we!

        1. If my kids are in it any play, sporting event, etc is absolutely wonderful. My youngest is in 11th grade but unlike the other two I don’t think she’ll go to school here in Colorado – probably Harvey Mudd or Berkeley. You’re lucky that yours will be close.

          1. It was his choice. The tuition is the same. He told me, “Dad, if I don’t move far way I’ll never leave this wonderful house.”

            In the Glenwood Springs pool late September of 08 I convinced him…..Son, I said, the best place to be in this historical downturn, is safe in school. And, he looked at me, and for once in his life:-)…agreed.

            Someone once said, “To find yourself, move far away from your home”  There’s some truth in that:-)

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