The Kind And Compassionate Left Strike Again

From Badger Blogger:
From: XXXXSent: Wed 3/9/2011 9:18 PMTo: Sen.Kapanke; Sen.Darling; Sen.Cowles; Sen.Ellis; Sen.Fitzgerald; Sen.Galloway; Sen.Grothman; Sen.Harsdorf; Sen.Hopper; Sen.Kedzie; Sen.Lasee; Sen.Lazich; Sen.Leibham; Sen.Moulton; Sen.OlsenSubject: Atten: Death threat!!!! Bomb!!!!
Please put your things in order because you will be killed and your families will also be killed due to your actions in the last 8 weeks. Please explain to them that this is because if we get rid of you and your families then it will save the rights of 300,000 people and also be able to close the deficit that you have created. I hope you have a good time in hell. Read below for more information on possible scenarios in which you will die.
WE want to make this perfectly clear. Because of your actions today and in the past couple of weeks I and the group of people that are working with me have decided that we’ve had enough. We feel that you and the people that support the dictator have to die. We have tried many other ways of dealing with your corruption but you have taken things too far and we will not stand for it any longer. So, this is how it’s going to happen: I as well as many others know where you and your family live, it’s a matter of public records. We have all planned to assult you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head. However, we decided that we wouldn’t leave it there. We also have decided that this may not be enough to send the message to you since you are so “high” on Koch and have decided that you are now going to single handedly make this a dictatorship instead of a demorcratic process. So we have also built several bombs that we have placed in various locations around the areas in which we know that you frequent. This includes, your house, your car, the state capitol, and well I won’t tell you all of them because that’s just no fun. Since we know that you are not smart enough to figure out why this is happening to you we have decided to make it perfectly clear to you. If you and your goonies feel that it’s necessary to strip the rights of 300,000 people and ruin their lives, making them unable to feed, clothe, and provide the necessities to their families and themselves then We Will “get rid of” (in which I mean kill) you. Please understand that this does not include the heroic Rep. Senator that risked everything to go aganist what you and your goonies wanted him to do. We feel that it’s worth our lives to do this, because we would be saving the lives of 300,000 people. Please make your peace with God as soon as possible and say goodbye to your loved ones we will not wait any longer. YOU WILL DIE!!!!
http://badgerblogger.com/?p=19446
Well, at least this thug got the liberal talking points right.
I guess this thug is taking President Obama seriously:“If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun,”
Some people take life way too seriously. Whoever sent this needs some serious psychological help.

WI. State Assembly Passes Collective Bargaining Law

From jsonline: After police carried demonstrators out of the state Assembly Thursday, Republicans entered the chamber and approved Gov. Scott Walker's bill repealing most collective bargaining by public employee unions.
The body voted 53-42 in favor of the proposal, sending the bill to the Republican governor after an epic month of struggle unlike anything in living memory in Wisconsin politics.
All Democrats voted against the bill and were joined by four Republicans - Dean Kaufert of Neenah, Lee Nerison of Westby, Travis Tranel of Cuba City and Richard Spanbauer of Oshkosh. All other Republicans and the body's lone independent, Bob Ziegelbauer of Manitowoc, voted for the bill.
After Republicans cut off debate a little more than three hours after it started, Democrats jumped up to protest. Assembly Minority Leader Peter Barca (D-Kenosha) brought a megaphone out from under his desk and through it yelled, "Mr. Speaker, I demand to be recognized."
He was ignored.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117735163.html
Good for the State of Wisconsin. It shows that the GOP can stand up to the bullies and thugs of the Democratic party and the thugs and goons from the government employee unions and their supporters.

My predictions:
1. Not much will change in terms of working conditions
2. Unions will lose about 25 % of their members
3. Pay will actually go up for the government employees because the CPI will go up significantly.
4. Peter Barca will challenge Scott Walker in the next governor's race. Why else is Barca looking for the spot light and acting like a fool.
5. This will be a non-story in 2 weeks or less. The only time it will be mention will be when it goes to court.
6. Other conservative states will be embolden to try and do what Wisconsin is doing and they will be successful.
7. There will be fewer layoffs in school districts that adopt Walker's rules than school districts that already have settled and will not adopt Walker's rules.
8. There will be fewer State of Wisconsin employee union layoffs as opposed to what would have happened if the law did not pass.
Wisconsin was the battleground state and the GOP won. Elections have consequences.

City Of Henderson Stealing Taxpayer Money

The Las Vegas Sun has an excellent article today(Wednesday) about a government agency that no longer exists but yet is still collecting money from taxpayers. Further, not only the City of Henderson is refusing to stop collecting the money for the defunct agency, they are keeping the money they already have collected and refusing to give it back to the taxpayers.
From the Sun: Millions of dollars are being collected in Southern Nevada for a small public agency that no longer exists.
And although Clark County plans to return about $2.7 million to sewer ratepayers, other municipalities have yet to decide whether to keep the money they have collected on behalf of the Clean Water Coalition, earmark it for another purpose or return it to people who paid it.
The coalition was established in 2002 to oversee construction of an $860 million pipeline to return treated, phosphorous-rich wastewater deep into Lake Mead so it would not promote shoreline algae blooms that threaten water quality. But almost 10 years later, water treatment experts say the pipeline is no longer needed because of new wastewater treatment technology.
The Clean Water Coalition is scheduled to be formally shuttered in June. Its board decided it would not collect fees for the pipeline after Oct. 1.
However, in it's arrogance, the City of Henderson says this: Henderson collects a monthly fee for the Clean Water Coalition from utility ratepayers, about $8 annually. For the moment, it doesn’t have plans to refund the money or stop collecting it.
The city is considering a new use for the fee, which brings in about $800,000 annually, said City Councilman Steve Kirk, Henderson’s representative on the Clean Water Coalition board.
“One idea is to call that fee something else and keep collecting it,” he said, possibly for wastewater treatment upgrades, a reserve fund, legal fees or discretionary spending. He added that he is not necessarily in favor of any of those options.
But fees are still being collected. (emphasis mine)
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/09/pipeline-plan-died-so-where-do-fees-go/
We are not talking about a lot of money per person, but this shows that once a tax is implemented, it is almost impossible to get of.
The City of Henderson should be ashamed of it's self. They are collecting a tax for an agency that no longer exists. The arrogance of Steve Kirk is just amazing. Doesn't this man have an ounce of ethics? Nahhh, he's just a greedy politician. And the City of Henderson is just another greedy city.

Time To Defund NPR and PBS Of Taxpayer Money

If there is any doubt why NPR and PBS, then this should dispel any notion that NPR and PBS should be defunded.
From the Wall street Journal: Vivian Schiller, president and chief executive of NPR since January 2009, stepped down just hours after a video showed the head of NPR's fund-raising arm making disparaging remarks about the Republican Party and tea-party activists to men posing as prospective donors, and suggesting NPR would be better off without government funding. That executive quit Tuesday.
The pressure on NPR intensified Wednesday as the conservative activist behind the video, James O'Keefe, said he planned to release additional damaging materials about the radio network on Thursday.
NPR Chairman Dave Edwards said the scandal had become such a distraction that "it hindered Vivian Schiller's ability to lead the organization going forward." That opinion was not shared by Ms. Schiller, according to a person familiar with the matter. The board ultimately decided she needed to resign....
In the video that surfaced Tuesday, Mr. Schiller, the head of NPR's fund-raising arm—who is no relation to Vivian Schiller—and a colleague are shown meeting two men in a café pretending to be from the fictitious Muslim Education Action Center and offering a donation of as much as $5 million to NPR because of what they describe as "Zionist coverage" by other news organizations.
In the video, Mr. Schiller said the GOP had been "hijacked" by groups hostile to Muslims. One of the "Muslim Center" men asked, "The radical, racist, Islamophobic, tea-party people?" Mr. Schiller responded, nodding, "And not just Islamaphobic but really xenophobic. I mean basically, they are, they believe in sort of white, middle-America, gun toting. I mean, it's scary. They're seriously racist people."
Ms. Schiller said she watched the video released Tuesday shortly after it was posted online and was "shocked" and "incredibly disturbed by some of the things Ron said."
http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424052748704132204576190344232339766.html?mod=WSJ_hp_MIDDLETopStories
First, I don't think that Ms. Schiller was shocked by what Mr. Schiller said. (no physical relationship between the two Schillers- just a philosophical relationship)
Aside from that, why do taxpayers still need to fund NPR and PBS. For the most part, they have high quality shows that people will listen to. I actually listen to several shows on NPR- Prairie Home Companion, Car Talk, Whose Line Is It Anyways etc. As far as PBS is concerned, I don't watch it too much, except for some concerts.
PBS and NPR have to come out the Ice Age and accept commercials because they already do accept advertising. They will say "this segment is brought to you by..." So, if they accept this kind of advertising, why not accept commercials that last 30-60 seconds?
Further, it's not right that the government has control of a network of radio and television stations and they compete against private companies/radio and television stations.
Now, back in the day when there were many areas of the county not covered by commercial radio and TV stations, you could have justified public radio and TV. But now, with the advent of satellite TV, cable TV, Internet and the expansion of commercial stations, you just don't need the government run PBS and NPR.
So, now is the time to defund NPR and PBS as it is not needed anymore.

Cry Baby Thugs Storming WI. Capitol

From Madison.com: Thousands of protesters rushed to the state Capitol Wednesday night as word spread of the hastily called votes that sent Gov. Scott Walker's controversial bill limiting collective bargaining rights for public workers speeding through the Legislature.
Shortly after 8 p.m., hundreds of protesters gathered outside the locked King Street entrance to the Capitol, chanting "Break down the door!" and "General strike!"
Moments later, police ceded control of the State Street doors and allowed the crowd to surge inside. The area outside the Assembly, which is scheduled to take the bill up at 11 a.m. Thursday, was jammed with protesters who chanted, "We're not leaving. Not this time."
http://host.madison.com/wsj/news/local/govt-and-politics/article_260247e0-4ac4-11e0-bfa9-001cc4c03286.html
First, why the hell did the cops let these thugs inside the capitol? The Capitol Police Department chief needs to be fired immediately.
Further, the goons invaded the Assembly area, where the Assembly will vote on restriciting collective bargaining. This is will ensure that there will be arrests and riots, if the Assembly wants to vote tomorrow.
The action by these thugs is anti-democractic. If they don't allow a vote tomorrow, then these thugs are anti-American.
One hopes that there will be no arrests or riots, especially now that the bill is about to pass. But now, the liberals will be desperate and like a cornered animal, they will strike. Hopefully, this will not happen, but we do know, the liberals will be cryiong like a bunch of babies.
Here is your typical Wisconsin liberal:

WI. Senate Passes Law To Strip Government Workers OIf Collective Bargaining

The WI. Senate put more pressure when they passed a bill to strip WI. state and local government workers of their collective bargaining non-rights.

From AP: Republicans in the Wisconsin Senate voted Wednesday night to strip nearly all collective bargaining rights from public workers after discovering a way to bypass the chamber's missing Democrats.
All 14 Senate Democrats fled to Illinois nearly three weeks ago, preventing the chamber from having enough members present to consider Gov. Scott Walker's so-called "budget repair bill" - a proposal introduced to plug a $137 million budget shortfall.
The Senate requires a quorum to take up any measures that spend money. But Republicans on Wednesday split from the legislation the proposal to curtail union rights, which spends no money, and a special conference committee of state lawmakers approved the bill a short time later.

The dumbest comment came from a Democrat, of course: Before the sudden votes, Democratic Sens. Bob Jauch said if Republicans "chose to ram this bill through in this fashion, it will be to their political peril. They're changing the rules. They will inflame a very frustrated public."

http://hosted.ap.org/dynamic/stories/U/US_WISCONSIN_BUDGET_UNIONS?SITE=AP&SECTION=HOME&TEMPLATE=DEFAULT&CTIME=2011-03-09-19-32-37

"They're changing the rules"? Hmm, how about the Democrats changed the rules when they ran away like a bunch of cowards.

My guess is that if the Dem's stayed, they would have gotten more compromises had they been in attendance rather than run away like Fog Horn Leg Horn.

Interesting Tidbits About Pawn Stars You Probably Don't Know

Unless you live in Pahrump, NV., you will not know these interesting tidbits about Pawn Stars.

First, the "Old Man", Richard Harrison, just turned 70 on March 4th.

When the Pawn Stars go to the shooting range, they don't go to Las Vegas and shoot, they go to a private shooting range in Pahrump (about 60 miles west of Las Vegas).

From the Pahrump Valley Times: The commands were straight from a Civil War battlefield.So were the guns.“Forward march.”“Halt.”“Make ready your weapon.”“Take aim.”“Cock your weapon.”“Fire when ready.”The “soldier” in this display, though, looked anything but the part. Nope, it was just the tattooed comic foil, “Chumlee” from the History Channel’s popular Pawn Stars television show.Austin “Chumlee” Russell joined cast mates Rick and Corey Harrison, the father and son Las Vegas celebrities of pawn, who along with the “Old Man,” Richard Harrison, own Gold & Silver Pawn Shop on Las Vegas Blvd. along the downtown Strip. The local celebrities were in Pahrump on Friday filming a segment for an upcoming episode involving Civil War era guns pawned in Las Vegas.About 10 people, cast and crew, invaded Pahrump’s Lone Wolf Range, a members-only gun club, to test the firearms.Rick said cast and crew love coming to Pahrump on filming field trips. “We’re out here all the time,” the star said. “We probably come out about once a month.” http://pvtimes.com/news/pawn-stars-invade-local-gun-range/

Also from the article: “It’s his 70th birthday today,” said Rick, “so that’s why he’s not out here with us.”But, joining the stars was the show’s gun expert, Sean Rich, who has done more than 50 episodes of Pawn Stars and has a following of his own. Rich is also President and CEO of Tortuga Trading, Inc. and was the weapons consultant for Pirates of the Caribbean.

So, you learn something new every day.

Happy belated birthday, Old Man.

picture from vegasnews.com http://www.vegasnews.com/ and Scott Winn

Proving Once Again, The GOP Has No Backbone

Well, it looks like the WI. State Senate, under the GOP, have caved on an important issue- whether to make the Dem's get their paychecks in person or just mail the Dem's their paychecks they don't deserve.

From the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune: Paychecks have been mailed to the 14 Senate Democrats who fled Wisconsin rather than vote on a bill taking away collective bargaining rights from public workers.
Senate Majority Leader Scott Fitzgerald said Tuesday he decided to mail the checks to the AWOL Democrats on Friday even though the Senate had voted to keep them as a way to pressure Democrats to return.
Fitzgerald said he mailed the checks Friday because it was unclear whether the law allowed for the checks to be kept more than a couple days and because negotiations were going well.

http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20110308/WRT0101/110308139/Wis-Senate-Democrats-get-their-paychecks

If the checks expire, then cut them a new check. So what if negotiations are going good, you need to pressure the Dem's to come back and by backing down on the pay issue, you are saying to the Dem's you are weak.

You have to give credit to the Democrats; they know how to fight and they know how to fight dirty. Unfortunately, the GOP has not learned to fight like a vicious pit bulls and it sounds like they are going to let the Democrats run over them.

Maybe, someday, the GOP will learn how to fight like the Democrats. But right now, they fight like my pet dog Brodie. With Brodie, when he plays with other dogs, he just surrenders and lies on his back and let the other dogs dominate and bite him.

Wisconsin GOP Senator negotiating with WI. Democratic State Senators

UNLV To Cut Worthless Programs

Because of the severe budget crisis in Nevada, UNLV is proposing laying off 315 people (about 1/2 are unfilled positions) and dropping at least programs.
From the LVRJ: Past budget cuts of $49.6 million at UNLV have resulted in larger class sizes, tuition and fee increases, employee buyouts, hiring freezes and, last year, the elimination of six departments. Academics makes up about 75 percent of the university's budget, but has taken only 25 percent of the cuts in the past. Smatresk said there is no way to do that anymore.
"Our ability to take cuts from other parts of the budget is exhausted," he said.
Tuesday, 12 more departments got the bad news. Some will be eliminated, and some will be folded into other departments.
Philosophy, Women's Studies and Social Work would go under Smatresk's proposal, which would ultimately require approval from the higher education system's Board of Regents. That would not come until the Legislature is through this summer because the cuts are only proposed until the Legislature acts and the governor signs a bill. http://www.lvrj.com/news/unlv-to-kill-315-jobs-33-degree-programs-to-meet-proposed-budget-cuts-117623393.html
It's great news that UNLV will eliminate the Philosophy and Women studies programs. Those two programs are completely worthless. The social worker's program is kind of iffy because you can actually get a job as a social worker.
There are other programs UNLV could eliminate as well. Latin American, Afro-American and Italian studies should go as well.
So, kudos to UNLV for getting rid of two worthless programs. Hopefully, this is a start to reforming the higher education system in Nevada.

Stupid Government News: Nevada Stops Execution Because Of ADA rules

Today, it was announced that the death chamber in the Nevada State Prison will have to be closed because the death chamber was not accessible.
From the Las Vegas Sun: The execution chamber at the ancient Nevada State Prison in Carson City is unusable and the state could not carry out a death penalty.
Gus Nunez, manager of the state Public Works Board, Tuesday listed numerous violations at the prison including the death chamber which is not ADA accessible.
He told the state Prison Board that an elevator would have to be installed on the outside to carry the public up to see the execution and there were code violations. And the stairs and hand rails leading up to the execution chamber violated the ADA code.
The last execution was in 2006 and Greg Cox, interim director of the state Department of Corrections, said the state could not put an inmate to death because it doesn’t have the drug to do the job and a judge would probably stop the execution because of the code violations.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/08/public-works-official-states-execution-chamber-unu/
I'm sorry, but not having the death chamber ADA accessible is just plain nuts.
First, where in the constitution does it say that a visitor has to be physically in the death chamber to watch the execution? Why not have a special room where they could watch the execution on a closed circuit TV? There is no right to have family members present at the funeral. For the victims, they can still watch the execution on the closed circuit TV.
2nd, why do you need handrails and a special stairs to be built? It's not like the thug about to executed is going to be harmed by not holding onto a handrail. They are going to die in a few minutes anyways, so what's the point?
As far as the drugs are concerned, who cares? Give him a dose of pure heroin and the thug will die quickly and probably painlessly. It's a shame that the death of a thug has to be so dragged out for such a long time. Part of it is tradition. For instance, the last meal. There is no legal right to a special dinner before the thug is executed, so why have it.
There many drugs on the market that will kill someone painlessly or almost painlessly. Who cares if the thug suffers a little bit. It's not like the thug cared too much about pain in the person they killed.
But I don't think Nevada is serious about the death penalty and some people are using this as excuse to stop executions. We have a inmate or two who have been on death row for 30 years or so. Thirty 30 years? It's time execute the thugs and who cares if they have suffer a little pain or that their families may not be present personally in the death chamber.
On the other hand, it's not like they need a lot of space to execute someone. Just move the damn room to an area or prison that offers the same amount of space.
So, stop boo-hooing the thugs on death row. Thy deserve no sympathy and very few rights.

C.R.E.W.: Liberal Front Group

Heidi Harris interviewed Melody Sloan from C.R.E.W. (Citizens For Responsibility And Ethics in Washington), a supposed non-partisan organization that has filed ethics complaints most against conservative politicians.
Today, they started off by talking about John Ensign and his not seeking re-election. C.R.E.W. filed a complaint about Ensign and his activity regarding his affair. Fair enough, though they haven't filed complaints against Charlie Rangle and other Democratic sleezy politicians.
This is the same group that thinks it is just awful for conservative congress critters to sleep in their office in the capitol, even though it has been going for years. They also complain that senators can't live in the same building even though they pay rent at the going rate.
Anyways, the conversation turned to Wisconsin and the activity going on there and Harris did a wonderful job just ripping C.R.E.W. to shreds. Apparently, it is ok for the Democratic Senators from Wisconsin to run away from their jobs but it is not ok for Scott Walker to use Wisconsin State Troopers to bring those senators back.
Oh wait, it's not Walker who is using the troopers to bring back the Democrats, it's the State Senate GOP who ordered the police to bring back the Democratic senators via a vote in the senate. Scott Walker supposedly sent a State trooper to a Senators house to see if he was home. Perfectly legal.
To listen to Harris's interview, click here: http://www.kdwn.com/index.php?page=195
However C.R.E.W. defended the senators for not going to work and said they would not file a complaint about that. What a bunch of liberal hacks.
This is what liberal organization put out: Today, Citizens for Responsibility and Ethics in Washington (CREW), a non-partisan government watchdog group, asked the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board to investigate whether Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker violated state law by sending the Wisconsin State Patrol (WSP) to the home of Democratic Senate Leader Mark Miller. CREW also submitted open records requests to the Office of the Governor, Office of the Senate Majority Leader and the WSP seeking records regarding the use of the troopers. Click here to read CREW’s letter to the Wisconsin Government Accountability Board. Click here to read the open records requests.
“Governor Walker has many tools at his disposal to fight the state’s public employees, but using troopers to track down a political opponent crosses the line,” said CREW Executive Director Melanie Sloan. Sloan continued, “The governor’s conduct is especially egregious in light of a Wisconsin law specifically barring troopers from taking part in any dispute between an employer and employee over wages, hours, labor, or working conditions -- the subject of the governor’s bill.
http://www.citizensforethics.org/press/entry/crew-wi-governor-violated-state-law-by-sending-troopers-after-missing-legli
If you read the press release, there is no doubt that this liberal front group is not non-partisan but a hateful group full of spite.
Walker didn't do anything wrong. He followed the rules of the Senate and the troopers did not get involved in a dispute an employer and employee. Since when is a state senator an employee and Walker a member of mangement? The troopers were sent to a politicians home to get him to come to work. It is a very simple concept.
So, to C.R.E.W., stop being engaging in unethical behavior. Come clean and say that you are a liberal front group that is only going after GOP politicians and moderate to conservative Democrats. Come out and say you hate Scott Walker and that you don't want him to be governor. Just tell the truth.

Public Employee Contract Abuse

In a typical union/management, there is supposed to be an adversarial role. Management on one side, union on the other.
Bus as we have seen time and time again, there is little if any adversarial role between public employee unions and local management.
For instance, in Clark County, you have some firefighters making over $250,000 and about 200 making over $100,000 a year because of overtime. Clearly, there was not an adversarial relationship until Steve Sisolak from the Clark County commission started to cause a stink.
Charlie Sykes out of 620 AM, Milwaukee, WI. detail other abuses both union and management have done to the taxpayer: Employer must provide bulletin boards to post information about union social and recreational activities. The size and location of the board is subject to collective bargaining.
2. When a local union meets the following conditions are subject to bargaining:
1. lighting,
2. vision care and examinations,
3. noise,
4. chairs,
5. desks,
6. footrests,
7. adjustable terminals and keyboards,
8. work environment design (wall cover, carpet, windows),
9. room temperature
http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/117601258.html?blog=y
And more: A Wausau public employee union filed a grievance to prohibit a local volunteer from serving as a school crossing guard. The 86-year-old lives just two blocks away and serves everyday free of charge.
Principal Steve Miller says, "He said, you know, this gives me a reason to get up in the morning to come and help these kids in the neighborhood."
But for a local union that represents crossing guards, it isn't that simple. Representatives didn't want to go on camera but say if a crossing guard is needed, then one should be officially hired by the city.
A Cedarburg school teacher was reinstated by an arbitrator after being fired for viewing pornography on a school computer. The school district ultimately succeeded in terminating the teacher only after taking the case to the Wisconsin Supreme Court at great cost to the taxpayers.
Milwaukee Public Schools teacher Megan Sampson was laid off less than one week after being named Outstanding First Year Teacher by the Wisconsin Council of English Teachers. She lost her job because the collective bargaining agreement requires layoffs to be made based on seniority rather than merit.
Informed that her union had rejected a lower-cost health care plan, that still would have required zero contribution from teachers, Sampson said, “Given the opportunity, of course I would switch to a different plan to save my job, or the jobs of 10 other teachers.
The Milwaukee Teachers Education Association (MTEA) tried to use a policy established by collective bargaining to obtain health insurance coverage that specifically paid for Viagra. Cost to taxpayers is $786,000 a year. (the union dropped the lawsuit during collective bargaining- what did they get in return?)
http://www.620wtmj.com/shows/charliesykes/117579793.html?blog=y
In the Clark County School District teachers were paid $30 an hour to voluntarily attend diversity lectures up until this year.
This is another reason why collective bargaining rights need to be eliminated. There is no one looking out for the taxpayer.

Pete King Needs To Hold Hearings On Radical Muslims

U.S. Rep. Pete King wants to hold hearings on the radicalization in the Muslim community. Apparently, to prove their point that King is right, radical Muslim supporters have threatened King and he needs a security detail.
From CBS New York: I want to show the extent of that radicalization, how it happens. Also whether or not the Muslim community is fully cooperating,” Rep. King said.
Every Homeland Security chair gets protection, but King’s has been stepped up in the wake of threats — some generated by the controversy over the hearings.
“I’m getting a lot of hostile phone calls now, but the main threats I’m getting are from overseas,” Rep. King said.
http://newyork.cbslocal.com/2011/03/07/in-wake-of-muslim-hearings-rep-king-gets-security-upgrade/
Of course, most Muslims are not radicals, but to ignore the problem is just ignorant.
And if Christians were arrested for trying to bomb parts of the U.S., then King should investigate that.
But everyone who has been arrested for trying to commit terrorists acts have been Muslim and that needs to be investigated as to why this happening.
Otherwise, just stick your head in the sand and pretend nothing is happening.

Pawn Stars Review: March 7, 2011

Well, it was quite a week in Las Vegas. We had the NASCAR races in town, in which IO saw both and got a heck of a sunburn. The weather was beautiful with highs in the lower 70's. Great tailgating weather. Our disgraced Senator said he wasn't going to seek re-election because of an affair. He told us this on Booty Appreciation Day. Only in Las Vegas.

Today's shows are reruns. the first episode was shown on January 17th, 2011: http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2011/01/pawn-stars-review-january-17-2011.html

The second episode was shown on January 24, 2011: http://lasvegasbadger.blogspot.com/2011/01/pawn-stars-reviewjanuary-24-2011.html

Have a nice week and stop by any time.

Joh Ensign Resigns On Booty Appreciation Day

Heh.
I am sure John Ensign didn't do this on purpose, but John Ensign, disgraced Senator because of an affair, resigned on Booty Appreciation Day.
For some reason, our school didn't celebrate this day.
For more information on Booty Appreciation Day: Today is Booty Appreciation Day and I wanted to thank a few celebrities for their assets.
If you frequent Twitter then you would know today is Booty Appreciation Day. Right now it is the #1 trend in the world as everyone pays homage to the lovely ladies who have an amazing backside.
http://celebritiesrock.us/booty-appreciation-day-kim-kardashian-nicki-minaj-jennifer-lopez

On the other hand, I've been told not to celebrate it. It would kill the day.

More Christian Bashing Commercials

So, angels will throw away their halos for a mere mortal.
Let's see the same commerial producers do the same with Islam women. Maybe the 72 virgins promised to suicide bombers would disown Allah for a hunky guy.
I'm not holding my breath for that to happen because they know Christians, for the most part, will not care and if they did that to Islam, they would be killed.

PETA Supports Rats With Wings

Wow, PETA had a choice, protect pigeons, aka, rats with wings or Mike Tyson, whose life has been a tragedy.
Mike Tyson, former boxer, has a new show a new show about his life and his racing pigeons.
From the LVRJ: Upset by the show's portrayal of a "sport" that often leaves its winged competitors grounded for good, about 20 people Monday flocked outside Tyson's gated Seven Hills neighborhood with signs decrying the former boxing champ's role in pigeon racing.
"Mike doesn't give pigeons a fighting chance," read some signs. "Featherweights: No match for a heavyweight," read others.
Lisa Lange, a PETA official who flew in from Los Angeles, said the protest was timed to follow Sunday night's debut of Tyson's show on Animal Planet. "Taking on Tyson" pits the former boxer and lifelong pigeon lover against other pigeon racers in the New York City area.
The group hoped to ruffle feathers over the treatment of racing pigeons, who are separated from their mates and family and forced to race up to 600 miles to get back home. As many as six out of 10 racing pigeons never make it, she said, likely the victims of birds of prey or sheer exhaustion.
Umm, PETA, most pigeons end up as birds of prey from neighborhood cats, getting hit by cars or dying by other means.
But Tyson loves his pigeons: Tyson developed his love for pigeons during his troubled childhood in Brooklyn. He's said he threw his first punch after a neighborhood bully killed one of his pigeons in front of him, and he continued to keep and breed the birds throughout his rise and fall in the boxing world.
"The first thing I ever loved in my life was a pigeon. I don't know why," Tyson said in an Animal Planet press kit on the show. "Pigeons are a part of my life. It's a constant with my sanity in a weird way; this is just what I do. If I'm lucky enough to die an old man, I'm going to have birds." http://www.lvrj.com/news/mike-tyson-s-new-show-about-pigeon-racing-ruffles-feathers-117559653.html
I am pretty sure that Tyson takes care of his pigeons better than those in the wild. He feeds decent food that is healthy for them instead of the pigeons that will eat just about anything. He also trains them and shows them love, something that wild pigeons lack.
PETA should out protecting Mike Tyson from all the predators that surround him. He has needed protection all of his life from leeches and hanger's on. Now, that would be a hell of a cause.
But PETA chooses to protest about rats with wings. Too bad.

News No One Is Surprised With

U.S. Sen. John Ensign decided not to run for re-election.
He says that he did it for his family, because after all, he had an affair for his family, didn't he?
He said he didn't want to run because it would be a dirty campaign. No, the real reason is that he finally found out he was going to lose in the primary, which would not have been dirty. Dean Heller would only have to say two words and he would have won and those two words are : "John Ensign". Nothing more.
So, congratulations for Ensign seeing the light. Too bad he didn't see it sooner and resigned.

Las Vegas Sun's John Kats: Liar?

From todays Las Vegas Sun's Kats report: The hosing of Stewart was the pivotal moment in Sunday’s Kobalt Tools 400 at Las Vegas Motor Speedway, but it was lost on most of us sitting in the Dale Earnhardt Terrace as we watched the supercharged stock cars shriek out of Turn 4 and down the front straightaway.
It was clear that on the 151st lap, something unexpected had forced Stewart from the lead, where he had driven with numbing efficiency for almost the entire race, to the back of the field.
I asked the race fans seated nearby. What happened to Stewart? Why was he being pushed to the back of the class, other than he is Tony Stewart and he sometimes runs afoul of the rules? No one knew. You could not hear any updates on the speedway’s sound system,...

Clearly, the author of the artile, John Katsilometes, states he was at the race, but was he?

The triumph, the money and the wrench-shaped championship trophy went instead to Agent 99 Carl Edwards, described as such for his easy-to-locate Ford Fusion painted with that number and the Aflac insurance company logo (emphasis mine)

Small problem- Carl Edwards was not in his AFLAC car, but his Scott Seeds. There was a small decal on the car, but not really visable from the grandstands.

Carl Edwards in the Scotts Car. (photo from Gulfnews)

Carl Edwards in his AFLAC car. There is a huge difference between the cars.

Further, Kats claims credit for photos taken on sunday of the scoring tower and people watching the race action on TV's on the concourse.

First, there were no TV monitors of the race anywhere on the main concourse, which runs the entire front stretch of the track.

Second, as far as the picture of the scoring tower is concerned, (and you have to look at the picture in the article) how come none of the lights on scoring tower is not lit? Maybe because the picture was not done on Sunday? The pictures with the scoring tower are from another day. On Sunday, that picture would have been filled with motorhomes and car haulers/trailers along with safety equipment. The picture shows neither. Further, the 4 pick up trucks with trailers were not there on Sunday. That crane was not by the scoring tower on Sunday. The cranes were used to take the stands by the start finish line back to where they belong and they did not come back to that location. Before that, they were parked on the front stretch.

So, was John "Katz" Kastsilometes really at the event or was he reporting what his friends said and wrote what he thought was right? This was not a simple mistake, even if you are an amateur. The camera pictures Kats really do show that he was not there.

So, Kastsilomentes need to prove he was there at the race or he needs to come clean about what really happened. otherwise, he needs to resign or be fired.

Kats response from the same article:
SaveLasVegas, yes, I was at the race. Note the photo credits from the pictures taken during the race at the track, the ones that say "John Katsilometes." That's me. I eliminated the reference to Aflac, which was not nearly so noticeable as the No. 99 (or, 66, if you were watching the race while standing on your head) on Edwards' car. And BeSafe, I used "supercharged" as a general term synonymous with "highly charged" or even "really fast," and have since swapped "really fast" for "supercharged" as to not confuse the reader. Thanks one and all!

No, John, I still don't believe you and your response is pathetic. Come clean, John. Please tell the truth.

Look Out For A Major Scandal In Las Vegas Regarding HOA

Las Vegas is big on many things and one of the biggest things the Las Vegas Valley does is the operation of Home Owner Associations.
HOA's can be gentle and not harass their neighbors and use common sense when it deals with homeowners.
On the other hand, there are few HOA's that have board members who believe they are little Hitlers in how they enforce HOA rules and now some are going to be in trouble.
From the LVRJ: Federal prosecutors have identified 75 to 100 co-conspirators, including judges, attorneys and former police officers, at various levels of a massive fraud scheme involving Las Vegas Valley home­owners associations, the Las Vegas Review-Journal has learned.
Some 25 to 30 targets of the investigation are taking plea deals that will ensure their cooperation in the prosecution of as many as two dozen high-level players in the scheme.
Some of the plea deals will be finalized in meetings with prosecutors from the Justice Department's Fraud Section Tuesday and Wednesday at the FBI's Las Vegas field office. Prosecutors expect to seek grand jury indictments against the high-level players in coming weeks.
The long-running investigation appears to be entering a new phase at the hands of the Justice Department lawyers from Washington, D.C., who recently took over the case.
The shift came in part because of suspicion that the U.S. attorney's office in Las Vegas had stalled the investigation.
The fraud investigation became public 2½ years ago with raids of law firms, HOA offices and businesses across the Las Vegas Valley.
http://www.lvrj.com/news/federal-probe-into-valley-hoas-broadens-117482798.html
Further in the article: FBI agents reportedly seized records related to a scheme to rig homeowner association board elections to position conspirators, including former police officers, who would push the boards to file construction defect lawsuits against builders.
Legal work and multimillion-dollar repair contracts then would be funneled to associated lawyers and companies.
The Washington-based prosecutors have arranged the plea agreement meetings away from the U.S. attorney's office, where prosecutors are themselves under criminal investigation, suspected of leaking information to suspects.
This has the potential to bring down some politicians and judges and it can be one of the biggest scandals in Las Vegas history and there have been some big scandals in the Vegas Valley.
This morning, as people who are involved in this investigation read the newspaper, all collectively pooped in their pants when they read this article.

More Teacher Union Bashing. Good

Here is another cartoon about teacher unions. The sad part is that many teachers completely believe in teacher unions that they totally lose focus. This was the case, especially when I taught in Wisconsin and many teachers believed more in the union than the kids. Many teachers I worked with in Wisconsin put the union first instead of the children and their families.

Here in Las Vegas, I choose to belong in the union. In Wisconsin, I didn't have that choice- you had to belong to the union or pay fair share to the union- which is the same amount.
In Nevada, that is not a requirement, at least I don't think it is. I do know, the people don't respect the union here in Vegas and most teachers I know would never stage a protest with the result of a day off for students, unlike Wisconsin teachers.


h/t Real Debate Wisconsin

Happy Belated Birthday: Penn From Penn And Teller

Yesterday, Saturday March 5th, Penn Jillette celebrated his 56th birthday. Here is as burning flag trick, followed by Penn and Tellers making hippies look like fools. (not that it's that tough)

How Sad, Rescuers Leave Man To Die In Shuttered Mine Shaft

Earlier this week, a man fell about 200 feet into an abandoned mine shaft and after two attempts to rescue the man, the rescuers decided it was too usafe to try and rescue the man and they let him dies in the mine shaft without making another rescue attempt.
From the Las Vegas Sun: A worker plunges deep into an abandoned mine shaft. Nearly 200 feet down, video images show he is injured but still breathing, trapped by debris.
The century-old shaft, though, is extremely unstable, its walls crumbling. As one rescuer tries to descend to reach the man, he is hit by a large rock, which splits his hard-hat. Other efforts yield more falling rocks and clear evidence: This is going to be a dangerous mission _ maybe too dangerous.
The scenario unfolded underneath Nevada last week, when rescue teams were told to stand down in their bid to reach Devin Westenskow, a 28-year-old father of five, even as they had evidence he was still alive.
But the ethical questions are more universal: How do you balance the desire to save a human being in peril with the equally important priority of keeping emergency workers safe and alive to rescue another day?
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/06/us-mine-accident-playing-god-2nd-ld-writethru/
As a former volunteer firefighter, I have been on both ends- making a rescue and also seeing people die in a fire. No matter however you try and forget about the fire deaths, you can never forget about them.
And I am also sure the rescuers are going to have the same problem. Not only will the public second guess them, the rescuers will forever second guess themselves.
I really, really hope that the rescuers tried to reach out to everyone possible before calling off the rescue and letting Mr. Westenkow die.
The only second guessing I would have is why they didn't try and drill a second hole next to the mine shaft, like they do with kids when they fall in a well. I am sure this was considered and rejected, though I would love to know why it was rejected.
So, R.I.P Mr. Westenkow, I hope you, your family and rescuers find peace.

What Was The Las Vegas Motor Speedway Thinking Of?

We came home about an hour and half ago, after watching a great NASCAR race, getting sun burned and spending about 2 hours to get home from the Speedway.
But what was LVMS thinking of when just before driver introductions, they had Paris Hilton strut on stage. Paris Hilton? Seriously, why? What does she have in common with NASCAR, other than she was arrested for speed (cocaine is a form of speed, isn't it?) and she smells of skank which I think kind of smells like a blown engine.
I don't think more than Hilton's entourage cheered for her- she was greeted with a ton of boos.
Last year, they had Kim Kardashian on stage, but at least she was sponsoring a car during the race.
Further, having a fake Elvis announce the drivers names and he was butchering so many names, it was truly embarrassing. After a few names, i think he was replaced by someone who knew the drivers and it was an improvement over Robin Leach, who they had last year, announcing the driver's names.
Other than that, the LVMS put on a great show and a great race. Thanks for a great weekend.

Thank You NASCAR.Com And Chevy

I went down to the speedway this morning to just look around, when I was by the Chevy trailer. After looking at the engines there and waiting for Paul Menard to speak, they asked if anyone needed tickets and I said yes and they gave me 4 tickets to today's NASCAR Sprint Race.
So, thank you NASCAR.Com and Chevy for the tickets. We'll enjoy them.

What? No One Is Buying The Volt Electric Car?

The Chevy Volt- the electric car of the future is selling like Lindsey's Lohan's book on rehab. ain't no one buying it.
From fenderbender.com "Sales of Chevrolet’s Volt were down 40 units in February compared to January sales, according to the company’s monthly sales report.
GM sold 321 of the new plug-in hybrid electric vehicles in January and 281 in February. The numbers were released shortly after GM announced plans to make the Volt available nationwide by the end of the year.
At the end of January, the car had been delivered to customers in the Washington, D.C. area, California, New York, Connecticut, New Jersey and Texas. Deliveries to Michigan are planned this spring and the car is supposed to be available nationwide during the second quarter of the year, with deliveries starting on the east coast.
http://www.fenderbender.com/FenderBender/March-2011/Chevy-Volt-sales-fall-in-February/
The Volt needs to be charged every 30 miles. 30 miles. That's about how far I travel to and from work.
I saw the Volt for the first time today and while they are asking for $41,000+ for the car, it's not much better than a smart car. It is tiny, not much trunk room, not much leg room or back seat room. It's a horrible car in every sense of the imagination.
And so, this is the liberals answer to solve green house emissions? Heaven help us.

Rory Reid Lucky He wasn't Elected Governor Or He Would Have Been Impeached

My guess is that when Rory Reid was defeated in his bid for governor, he was probably fairly happy.
It turns out that Rory has been playing loose and easy with PAC money and the law and he was caught red handed.
From the Las Vegas Sun: In one of the most brazen schemes in Nevada history, gubernatorial candidate Rory Reid’s campaign formed 91 shell political action committees that were used to funnel three quarters of a million dollars into his campaign, circumventing contribution limits and violating at least the spirit – and maybe the letter – of the laws governing elections.
Reid, who was fully aware of what was done, essentially received more than $750,000 from one PAC – 75 times the legal limit -- after his team created dozens of smaller PACS that had no other purpose other than to serve as conduits from a larger entity that the candidate funded by asking large donors for money. Indeed, the shell PACs were formed in the fall and dissolved on Dec. 31, after they had served their short-term function, which was to help the candidate evade campaign contribution laws.
Reid solicited donations for the Economic Leadership PAC, which raised more than $800,000 over a five-month period – donations that were then disbursed in $10,000 increments to dozens of other PACS, which quickly funneled the money back to the candidate’s campaign account.
Records show many of the PACS had names implying rural provenance –such as the Douglas County Committee for Change and Lyon County Leadership Fund – but they all had the same Las Vegas residential address before being quietly dissolved after the election. The money laundered through these PACS often resided there only for a couple of days, a transaction that was needed to, they believed, comply with contribution limits on a technicality. The Reid campaign could then quickly make use of the money in a futile attempt to salvage his faltering gubernatorial bid.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/blogs/ralstons-flash/2011/mar/04/rory-reids-gubernatorial-campaign-circumvented-con/
First, this story was broken by Jon Ralston, a huge Rory and Harry Reid supporter in the media and he admits it. Did Ralston know about this before the election and withheld the information?
Second, it would be a very long stretch if daddy Reid did not know about this.
Finally, this may be the end of Rory Reid and any other Reid involvement in politics, at least for a long time.
If Jon Ralston is calling out Rory Reid, albeit, after the election, then he is doomed. When uber liberal, Jon Ralston, calls out a fellow liberal, they are doomed. Just ask Dina Titus.

Wisconsin Protesters Getting Desprate

The Wisconsin protesters in Madison, WI., have to be getting desperate in their attempt to look for attention.
Today, they had Michael Moore, the fat, rich slob of a director/writer of fantasy movies.
Like Moore has anything in common with protesters. But he has the same credentials as Jesse Jackson, who has nothing in common with the protesters.
It used to be the real protesters would get musicians like Joan Baez, Bob Dylan, Arlo Guthrie, Sheryl Crowe, Tom Petty, Willie Nelson and others to help with a liberal cause. Michael Moore is way down the list. He could not even beat D-lister, Cathy Griffin in helping out in a protest?

Desperate times means desperate measures. Who are they going to bring out next? Fidel Castro? Charlie Sheen?

Las Vegas Motor Speedway, Great For the Las Vegas Economy

Besides watching a boring race until the last lap today, I also realized how much money the speedway brings to the Las Vegas economy.
For instance, a gentleman from the South Point Hotel and Casino was asking people where they were from and tabulating the results.
People came from 49 states (Maryland was the only state not at the racetrack today) and 22 countries, including Canada, Jamaica and Australia. Wisconsin was the 3rd most represented state except for California and Nevada, of course, according to this gentleman's informal survey.
Then you had all the employees that is hired by the speedway and it's contractors. Everywhere from parking lot attendants, crossing guards, ticket takers, elevator operators, cleaning crews security guards, tram drivers, EMTs, rescue crews, and so many more jobs.
Of course, you also had the people selling the tickets, working in the gift shop in addition to the front office people and ultimately, the top administration.
Then include the people who volunteer to work in the food booths for their charitable organizations- they bring in a lot of money for the speedway and their charity. (for the best food in a food booth, go to the food booth that is in the farthest south part of the speedway, by Gate A. BBQ sandwich, footlong hot dogs, Philly cheese steak etc- good food)
The speedway also pays for the extra police officers, probably about 100, Medic West paramedics and even a small crew of City of Las Vegas fire fighters. (what they were doing, I have no idea, but they were traveling in a Gator but no firefighting equipment and one was wearing alligator looking type shoes- not exactly fire fighting shoes)
Then NASCAR employs all of their people. Besides the drivers and their crews, most bring in trailers of souvenirs which employee people full time and travel the NASCAR circuit, Speed Channel, different displays including Sprint and the car companies and all the different sponsors.
I am sure I am missing something, but it is clear that NASCAR brings in and spends a lot of money in the Las Vegas Valley. They also pay a significant amount of taxes to the state and local governments and also give money to different charities in and around the Valley.
So, thanks, LVMS, for providing so many opportunities for people to spend money, make money, and to donate money.

The Old MAN Wins One!!

After being sick for the most of the week, including Friday, where I slept for 14 hours after work, I felt better and the family+1 and myself went to the NASCAR Nationwide Sams Town 300 race at the Las Vegas Motor Speedway. It was beautiful weather, with plenty of sun and warmth. But now, I am dealing with a little sunburn.
For the most part, it was a very boring race, except for the last lap, and my horse in the race, the old man, Mark Martin won an improbable race.
We sat in the farthest section to the right, at the end of turn 1 and it turned out to be the best seats in the house. The race had very few cautions and no big wrecks, but with the exception of the first caution, the rest of the action happened in front of us. When Kyle Busch crashed, it happened right in front of us. When Brad Keslowski crashed on the final lap, it happened almost a straight shot in front of us and the end of pit road was also close to our seats.
It was great that Martin won, one of only 2 NASCAR drivers in the race older than me and he did it with patience- he was in the top 10 all race, but never that close to the front of the race. But with his experience, he saved enough fuel and won the race. And in typical classy Mark Martin fashion, did not do a burn out.
The other news was Danica Patrick. she has an above average car, crew chief and pit crew but she is severely lacking in NASCAR talent.
Yes, she came in 4th by the same way Mark Martin did- conserve fuel, but she was never in contention the entire race. She had been lapped once, from the mid-race to the end, she was almost always a straight away from the leaders. She did pass Trevor Bayne once, but that's pretty much it.
But it was very creepy seeing middle to older men cheering her on and also wearing her t-shirt. Very creepy, indeed. I think those are the guys you see on Dateline NBC.
So, congratulations to Mark Martin, the second oldest man in the race, winning the Sams Town race.

Wisconsin Doesn't Have A Monopoly On Stupid Democrats

Silly me, and here I thought Wisconsin and Washington D.C. had monopolies on stupid Democratic lawmakers. Well, in Nevada, we have State Senator Bill Lee of North Las Vegas who would fit in nicely with Wisconsin and Washington D.C. Democrats.
From the Las Vegas Sun: Will boisterous demonstrators fill the streets of Las Vegas to fight for increased funding for the College of Southern Nevada the way demonstrators filled the streets of Cairo to fight for freedom?
One lawmaker thinks so.
Sen. John Lee, D-North Las Vegas, warned a committee making decisions on higher education funding that the people would do what they have to do to make sure CSN is equally funded.
“This is going to get to a point that the regents are going to have to take advantage of working with us or we are going to do what we have to do as they did in Egypt and fight for these rights,” Lee said.
Egypt?
Lee didn’t back down when talking to reporters in the hallway after the hearing.
“I’m serious,” he said. “The people need and are dying for the opportunity to figure out how to feed their families. The world’s on fire and now this is something that could cause the same sort of uprising.”
Lee, who owns a plumbing business and just closed a tile business, said he had to lay off “80 guys.” He worries about how they will be retrained to find new work.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/03/fight-csn-funding-akin-fight-freedom-egypt/
So, John Lee, a failed business man, like many in the Valley, is worried that people are going to protest like they did in Egypt?
Let's see. In Egypt, the protesters put their lives on the line and could have been killed at any minute.
If they protest at CSN (a community college) they will not put their lives on the line. they are fighting for cheaper education, not for freedom or putting food on the table.
In Egypt, they were fighting a dictator who defeated his opponents through death, fraud and intimidation.
In Nevada, all the legislators and governor were elected fairly and without intimidation.
In Egypt, the government was corrupt and the president stole billions of dollars..
In Nevada, some members of the legislators are morally corrupt, like Sen. Lee, and no one has stolen billions of dollars.
In Egypt, they overthrew a government that did nothing for the poor, including education.
In Nevada, the protesters are protesting for CSN, which would be a grand luxury in Egypt if they had such a school in Egypt. Only the wealthy are educated in Egypt.

Bottom line, for anyone, in Nevada, Wisconsin, Indiana or where ever, to compare what went on in Egypt to what is going on in the U.S. is a moron and makes themselves look like an uneducated fool. There is no comparison to what is happening in Egypt and what is going here in Nevada or elsewhere.
Sen. John Lee, join your brethern in Wisconsin so we can keep all the fools in one place.

Janet Napolitano Needs To Be Fired

From azstarnet: Border Patrol agents shot beanbags at a group of suspected bandits before the men returned fire during a confrontation in a remote canyon, killing agent Brian Terry with a single gunshot, records show.
And an illegal immigrant wounded in the gunbattle who is now the only person in custody linked to the slaying contends he never fired a shot, according to FBI search warrant requests filed in the U.S. District Court in Tucson.
The documents provide the most detailed version yet of what happened in the deadly gunbattle Dec. 14 in Peck Canyon, northwest of Nogales....
But Terry's brother, Kent Terry, said the other agents who were there that night told him that they were instructed to use the non-lethal beanbags first. It's a policy that doesn't make sense to Kent Terry.
"You go up against a bandit crew that is carrying AKs, and you walk out there with guns loaded with beanbags - I don't get it," Terry said in a phone interview from Michigan. "It's like going to the Iraqi war with one knife. It boggles my mind. ... These guys (Border Patrol agents) are professionals; they should be able to use their judgment call on their own."
On the night of the deadly encounter, agents were trying to apprehend at least five suspected illegal immigrants. One agent, using thermal binoculars, spotted two men carrying rifles. When the group came close, at least one agent identified himself as police and ordered the men to drop their weapons.
Here's how the rest of the events are described in the FBI document:
"When the suspected aliens did not drop their weapons, two Border Patrol agents deployed 'less than lethal' beanbags at the suspected aliens. At this time, at least one of the suspected aliens fired at the Border Patrol agents. Two Border Patrol agents returned fire, one with his long gun and one with his pistol.
http://azstarnet.com/news/local/crime/article_681d29cf-845a-5aea-9f34-3837d70b8a31.html
If it is the policy of the Border Patrol to shoot bean bags at people holding guns, then Napolitano and the head of the Border Patrol need to be fired immediately. Not tomorrow. Not next week but now. They are putting the lives of Border Patrol officers in immediate danger.
come on, john Ensign, you want to get re-elected with conservative help- call for Napolitano and the head of the Border Patrol firings immediately. This is horrible policy.

No Wonder Union Leaders Are Scared

From the outset. I have always said, the main reason for all the protests in Madison and other capitol cities is not because workers would lose collective bargaining (most workers would be better off in pay if pay is based on the CPI)
However, the union bosses are petrified because it could end their lavish lifestyle. If the government no longer collects union dues, which they shouldn't do anyways, this will result in the loss of union dues.
No, jsonline comes along and does the unthinkable and lists some union leaders salaries. From jsonline: The Center for Public Integrity found compensation for leaders of the 10 largest unions ranged from $173,000 at the United Auto Workers to $618,000 at the Laborers' International Union of North America, and almost $480,000 for the president of the American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees. The latter is the target of GOP governors in Wisconsin, Indiana, Ohio, Tennessee and Kansas.
The union reports, filed with the Department of Labor, list compensation for all union employees and officers. Salaries make up the biggest portion, but other benefits can include tens of thousands of dollars for meal allowances, mileage allowances and entertainment. Health care and pension contributions are not specifically addressed.
The reports show that assets of the various labor unions run into the hundreds of millions of dollars, and payrolls rival midsize companies. Among the Top 10 unions, dozens of top officials have salary-and-benefit packages that rank them among the top percentage of income-earners in the country.
http://www.jsonline.com/news/statepolitics/117290533.html
Further, the article shows that the unions own the Democrats. The left complains that the Koch brothers own Walker, but they fail to mention that the unions have bought and paid for the Democrats. For instance, the SEIU, which is huge in Las Vegas and Clark County: Service Employees International Union. Membership: 1.8 million; assets: $187 million. The SEIU, whose membership has increased in recent years, has been organizing hospital, home care and nursing home workers, along with local and state government employees, janitors and security officers. The union has nine headquarters officers and employees who earn more than $200,000. The former president, Andy Stern, was paid $306,388 in salary and benefits from the union in 2009. Stern resigned in 2010 and was replaced by Mary Kay Henry, formerly the executive vice president. Over the past two years, SEIU gave almost $2 million to Democratic candidates and $8,500 to Republicans. It has 18,000 members in Wisconsin.
For AFCME: American Federation of State, County & Municipal Employees. Membership: 1.5 million; assets: $78 million. AFSCME, one of the fastest growing unions in the United States, was founded in Wisconsin almost 80 years ago. At union headquarters in Washington, 10 officers and employees receive more than $200,000 a year. McEntee was paid $479,328 in salary and benefits in 2009. Over the past two years, AFSCME has donated $2.3 million to Democratic candidates and $78,500 to Republicans.
These union leaders make upwards to 10 times more than their average union member makes.
The bottom of all of this is that the peons or union members, are protesting to protect the lavish lifestyle of the union leaders. Nothing more, nothing less.
This just makes me sick. (actually, it's the flu, been throwing up off and since last evening and the weekend)

Desert Tortoise's Are Damn Expensive

Desert Tortoise's can be sold in pet stores. Desert Tortoise's can be someone's pet. But if you are an industry in Nevada and you might disturb a wild Desert tortoise, it will cost you thousands of dollars.

From the Pahrump Valley Times: Valley Electric Association officials were delighted when they finally received a right-of-way from the U.S. Bureau of Land Management to build a new transmission line around the Spring Mountains and over public land.
It only took 10 years.
That’s the good news. Now comes the bad news.
Valley Electric Association paid $546,000 last month for desert tortoise mitigation on the new, 58-mile transmission line. VEA budgeted $3.6 million for mitigation for the entire project....

The mitigation fee dwarfs those paid by other developers.
Corrections Corporation of America paid $753 per acre for disturbing 69 acres for the federal detention center on East Mesquite Avenue. That amounted to $51,957.
The Nye County School District paid $623 per acre or $49,840 in desert tortoise mitigation fees for 80 acres at the Hafen Elementary School site...

“So there’s a lot of land there. This is a very sensitive tortoise area,” he said. “People are going to be shocked when they hear about the tortoises. Whether they agree or not, those are the rules today. We comply with the rules.”
There are some real consequences too, Husted said.
“If we don’t comply and we take a tortoise, the project is shut down,” he said.

http://pvtimes.com/news/vea-antes-up-546000-and-counting-for-mitigation/

While people can get tortoises for pets, businesses have to pay a fee for potentially distrubing an area where tortoise's roam.

Muslim Terrorist Kills 2 Soldiers In Germany

A Muslim terrorist, yelling "allah akbar" or "Allah kills" or something like that, killed 2 soldiers at a German airport.
From Fox News: A gunman shot at U.S. Air Force personnel on a bus outside Frankfurt airport Wednesday, killing two airmen and wounding two others before being taken into custody, authorities said.
Kosovo's interior minister told The Associated Press that German police have identified the shooter as a man from Kosovo.
The attack came as the bus sat outside Terminal 2 at the airport, according to Frankfurt police spokesman Manfred Fuellhardt. The bus driver and a passenger were killed, and one person suffered serious wounds and another light injuries, he said.
A source tells Fox News that the shooter yelled "Allah Akbar" when opening fire on the U.S. military personnel. He then dropped his gun at the scene, ran into the terminal and was subdued.
U.S. Air Force Europe spokeswoman Maj. Beverly Mock said all four victims were airmen. The were all based at the Lakenheath military base in Britain.
http://www.foxnews.com/world/2011/03/02/shots-fired-bus-carrying-soldiers-germany/?test=latestnews
But did anyone dare say it wasa terorist attack? Not President Obama- he called it an outrageous act and a tragedy. The German Chancellor said it was a terrible event.
And then there was this: "The German news agency DAPD quoted Hesse's state interior minister, who had rushed to the scene of the shooting, as saying there were no indications of a terrorist attack."
You mean that other than the terrorist being a Muslim, attacking U.S. soldiers and yelling allah akbar? Those are some pretty strong indications. I guess the interior minister got his talking his points from Obama.

NASCAR Events Thursday

With NASCAR week in full swing, there are hundreds of campers already in the parking, the haulers are here and some drivers are going to make some appearences. On Thursday, there will be the hauler parade.
Here is the list of drivers who will make appearences on Thursday from the LVRJ:
THURSDAY12:30 p.m. -- Tony Stewart; Office Depot (1435 West Craig Rd.); wristbands available beginning at 8 a.m. (first 600 fans)1:30-2:30 p.m. -- Trevor Bayne, Justin Allgaier, Kyle Busch, Carl Edwards, Denny Hamlin, Kevin Harvick, Brad Keselowski, Mark Martin, Danica Patrick, Elliott Sadler, Kenny Wallace, Steven Wallace; Neon Garage at Las Vegas Motor Speedway6 p.m. -- Matt Kenseth; MGM Grand; wristbands available beginning at 3 p.m. (first 300 fans)6-8 p.m. -- Robby Gordon; Carnival Court at Harrah's Hotel & Casino6:30-7:30 p.m. -- Michael Waltrip, David Reutimann; The Pub at Monte Carlo6:30-8:30 p.m. -- Kyle Busch; M&M's World (Las Vegas Boulevard); contact store regarding wristbands (702-736-7611)7:30-8:30 p.m. -- Q&A with Jimmie Johnson; Sam's Town Live!; no autograph session; doors open at 6:30 p.m.6:30-7:15 p.m. -- Kyle Petty, Ryan Newman; Hard Rock Hotel7-8:30 p.m. -- Brad Keselowski; PT's Sierra Gold (6515 South Jones Blvd.)
For more information: http://www.lvrj.com/sports/nascar-driver-shepherd-serves-higher-calling-helps-metro-nab-suspect-117212603.html

The hauler parade will start at the South Point Casino at 6:00, on the far south side of the Strip and go down Las Vegas Blvd. to Sahara Ave. Besides watching from the Strip, another good place, where we will be is on the exit at the Speedway and park in one of the parking lots at the small businesses. The best place to take photos is by the speed bumps in the road- the trucks almost have to complete stop, so, it will be a great time to take pictures.
So, enjoy a full day of autograph seeking and parade watching.

Bogus CCSD Budget Survey

Here is a budget survey that CCSD want it's employees and I believe parents to fill out: http://www.ccsd.net/budgetsurvey/

It has all the scary budget items the public and staff will hate to lose.
What is missing? How about administrative cuts? Cuts to the School Board. Privatize some school functions like plumbing, painting, transportation etc. Modernize old systems, like how to mail a letter.

Does the CCSD administration really think it's employees and the public are really that stupid to fall for this bogus survey? Umm, please don't answer that.

WI. Dem Senators Face $100 Fine For Missing Work

Well, this is one way to reduce the WI budget deficit. Any WI. Senator who misses 2 days of work will be fined $100 a day.
From the Wisconsin Rapids Tribune: The 14 Wisconsin state Senate Democrats who left the state two weeks ago will now face fines of $100 for each day they stay away.
Republicans remaining in the Senate approved the daily fine on Wednesday with none of the Democrats present.
The Democrats left Wisconsin in order to delay indefinitely a Republican-backed bill taking away collective bargaining rights from public employees.
The resolution passed on Wednesday also requires the missing Democrats to reimburse the Senate for any costs incurred during attempts to force them to return. Their salary and other per diem payments can be withheld until they pay back the penalties and costs.
Republicans have already withheld the checks of missing Democrats from direct deposit and denied access to copying machines for their staff.
http://www.wisconsinrapidstribune.com/article/20110302/WRT0101/110302084/Missing-Wis-Democratic-senators-now-face-fines
Of course, it is costing the State of Wisconsin $3-4 million a week for the security of the capitol, in which mutual aid police officers are coming in from much of the state to provide protection from the 99% liberal crowd.
From jsonline: Administration Secretary Michael Huebsch estimated Wednesday that law enforcement costs to provide security at the State Capitol through February would likely total $4 million to $5 million.
Huebsch testified in a court hearing involving a union-sponsored request for a temporary injunction to grant more access to the Capitol. He was asked by Assistant Attorney General Steven Means how much the costs would be.
Huebsch provided the law enforcement estimates, and said that did not account for cleaning and other expenses.
He also said that, before access to the Capitol was restricted, total costs appeared to be running at $3 million to $4 million a week to the state.
Huebsch testified that at least 35 law enforcement agencies had assisted State Capitol police.
He said at the peak of the protests, more than 400 officers were on duty.
http://www.jsonline.com/blogs/news/117258373.html
Meanwhile, in Nevada, we have as a percentage, have a much bigger deficit than Wisconsin and we are not protesting in the capitol. We are just dealing with it. Democrats and Republicans. Yes, there are some disagreements, but nothing like Wisconsin. But time will tell.

I Would Be Scared For My Job Also

The Las Vegas Sun ran a sob story about a professor there who may lose her job job because of budget cuts.
From the Sun: Should the Nevada System of Higher Education’s Board of Regents declare a state of financial exigency as a way of dealing with Gov. Brian Sandoval’s draconian cuts to higher education, I could be one of hundreds of professors at UNLV who would lose their jobs. My research profile (ranked “excellent” by my peers), teaching accomplishments (also ranked “excellent”) and service to the university (again, “excellent”) would amount to nothing. UNLV would be forced to eat its own in a perverse form of cannibalism, and I would become a faceless, nameless, cost-saving measure totaling $63,440.
There’s no way that I, or anyone else for that matter, could have predicted this scenario four years ago when I stepped onto campus for my job interview. Signs of growth were visible, and everyone I spoke with was excited about UNLV’s future. This was a university on the up-and-up, I was told. Come and be part of it.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/02/professor-threatened-cuts-are-demoralizing/
The professor is Lynn Comella.
She is a Woman Studies professor.
Her field of study is useless and is repeated at just about every college in the U.S.
They need to eliminate her job- it is not needed.
Just like Italian, Latin American and Afro American studies.
Good luck looking for a new job, professor.

There's A Special Place In Hell for Parents Like This

From The Las Vegas Sun: Stanley and Colleen Rimer, accused in the death of their special needs son who died after being left in a hot family vehicle in 2008, were found guilty Tuesday of involuntary manslaughter.
The eight-man, four-woman jury also found both of the parents guilty of multiple counts of child abuse and neglect.
Chief Deputy District Attorney Marc DiGiacomo estimated that could mean prison terms from 14 to 36 years for Colleen Rimer and 21 1/2 to 54 years for Stanley Rimer.
Judge Douglas Herndon set bail at $500,000 for Stanley Rimer and $250,000 for Colleen Rimer. Sentencing was set for 9 a.m. May 31.
Despite arguments by their attorneys to let them stay under house arrest until sentencing, Herndon immediately remanded both of them into custody.
"You can't not look at the fact that we're dealing with a situation where a 4-year-old child was left alone for 17 hours without anybody ever having the state of mind to think to go look at him, look for him, to see if he needed lunch after being at church for three hours, needed dinner, needed to get ready for bed, no one checked any of those things," Herndon said.
Police said Jason’s body was found on Monday morning, June 8, 2008, after being left in the family's SUV, where he was strapped in his seat after his mother had driven him and several other members of the family home from church.. ...
The judge was particularly critical of Stanley Rimer.
"The thought process that goes into thinking it's OK to break a boat oar across the ass of your child is seriously flawed," Herndon said.
"It indicates to me a real concern about the kind of judgment that you exhibit about the affairs in your life.
"And that's separate and apart from the threats that were issued to state workers that are trying to help the children by calling them up and telling them you know where they live and spouting their home addresses."
The judge said because of those "threat of violence or just generalized threats to these people," he thought both of needed to be brought into custody and be psychologically evaluated before sentencing.
The jury had been asked to consider a second-degree murder charge in Jason Rimer's death, but returned a guilty verdict of the involuntary manslaughter instead.
The jury also found both of them guilty of child neglect and endangerment resulting in substantial bodily harm and both guilty of child abuse and neglect of Jason before June 8, 2008.
The jury also found Stanley Rimer guilty of separate child abuse and neglect charges of Spencer Rimer, Enoch Rimer and Quaylyn Rimer. Testimony in the trial revealed that Rimer used corporal punishment on the boys with two boat oars and that one of them had broken while he was disciplining one of his sons. Colleen Rimer was found not guilty of those charges.
The jury also found them both guilty of separate child abuse and neglect charge of their son Aaron Rimer, who has a learning disability and who was found by a special education teacher to have had body lice at one time...
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/01/couple-found-guilty-involuntary-manslaughter-4-yea/
It is very tough to have a child with severe disabilities and to have another child is that much more difficult. I work with these types of students and their families and the parents I work with are far more responsible than these devils.
I hope these devils will have the book thrown at them for the pain and suffering they have caused.

Please Consider Donating To The Salvation Army For Christchurch's Earthquake

The Salvation Army is a world wide organization that has responded to the New Zealand earthquake in Christchurch.
I realize that many organizations are helping out in Christchurch, including the Red Cross.
I have worked at a Salvation army homeless shelter in Wausau, WI. and learned a lot of the Salvation army, including the fact that very little money the Salvation army raises goes for salaries and benefits, unlike the Red Cross, which pays it's higher level employees quite a lot more than more than the Salvation Army. http://www.payscale.com/research/US/Employer=American_Red_Cross/Salary
The executive director of the Red Cross made $651,000+ for a year, while the head of the Salvation Army made $13,000. http://urbanlegends.about.com/library/bl_charities_salaries.htm
So, if you give to a charity, please consider the Salvation Army.
For more information on what the Salvation Army is doing in Christchurch and to donate, please go here: http://www.salvationarmy.org/ihq/www_sa.nsf/vw-news/31742C7A7C72153B8025783F003F6D52?opendocument
Thanks

Well, Lookee Here, The State Of Wisconsin Invests In The Koch Brothers

From Fox Nation: The vitriol from protesting Wisconsin workers towards the Kochs emerged quickly and intensely. Signs ranging between lame and vulgar (often both) dot the public-union marches.
But what the protesters don't realize is that they actually have a reason to root for the Koch brothers.According to the State of Wisconsin Investment Board (SWIB), the Wisconsin Retirement System owns $5.5 million in Georgia Pacific corporate bonds. (Georgia Pacific is owned by Koch Industries.) This is the retirement system in which the overwhelming majority of state and local employees participate. These are the pension benefits that public employees are trying so hard to protect.
So here's the challenge: Explain to a Wisconsin state worker that they are the ones helping fund the Koch brothers. Then sit back and watch the fun.
http://nation.foxnews.com/politics/2011/03/01/wisc-public-employees-invest-koch-owned-company
Unless, the investment came within the last two months, the investment was made or overseen by the Doyle Administration, a liberal Democrat administration.
Will the liberal pensioners who hate Koch return a small portion of their pensions in protest that is part of their pension?

WI.Sen. Mobbed By Liberal Thugs

WI. Sen. Glenn Grothman was mobbed by angry liberals at the state capitol in Wisconsin.

Makes me wonder where the cops where.

Just more liberal hate*

* The obligatory saying that not all liberals thugs and goons. But the numbers are growing.

h/t Badger Blogger

Nolan Finley: Democrats Threaten Democracy

From Nolan Finley and the Detroit News: American-style democracy holds together because no matter how nasty the political game gets, the players honor a few inviolable rules. We obey the laws, even the ones we disagree with. We respect the ballot box. And after even the most bitterly contested election, the loser accepts the results, works within the system and awaits another chance to prevail with voters.
These guidelines kept the nation from shearing apart in 2000, when supporters of Al Gore (wrongly) believed the presidential election was stolen by George W. Bush. A tense period of uncertainty ended when Gore, in perhaps his finest moment, conceded and urged his backers to work to heal the country.
But what's happening in Wisconsin and Indiana breaks that tradition and puts a crack in our democratic foundation.
Democrats in those states, as in most others, were shellacked in legislative races last fall, giving
Republicans majority control of their legislatures.
Republicans interpreted their overwhelming victories as a mandate to change the course of the states. Specifically, they set about undoing decades of laws put in place by Democrats to favor labor unions over taxpayers.
Instead of staying on the field to defend their positions, Democratic lawmakers in both states fled to neighboring Illinois, where they hope to win with their absence what they couldn't at the ballot box — namely, the right to control policymaking.
Without the Democrats, the legislatures don't have the required quorums to pass budget measures, including cutting pay and benefits for public workers.
The lawmakers in exile call this a defense of democracy. In truth, it's a step toward anarchy. If it catches on as a practice, it will officially end government by, of and for the people.
It's part of a disturbing trend by Democrats to embrace a by-any-means-necessary approach to governing. We saw it during passage of Obamacare, when the Democratic majority in the U.S. Senate blew up the rules to block a filibuster. In Massachusetts, Democrats used after-the-fact law changes in a failed attempt to keep a Republican from succeeding Ted Kennedy....
The strategy exposes the arrogant liberal conviction that they are justified in imposing their will on the people, because only they know what's best for America.
These Democrats in Indiana and Wisconsin merit universal condemnation.
What they are saying is that the people no longer have the right to use the ballot box to decide the direction of their government.
That's a rule change our system can't survive. From The Detroit News: http://detnews.com/article/20110227/OPINION03/102270310/AWOL-Dems-defy-ballot-box#ixzz1FOzCc3gU
This is a great piece by Mr. Findley. The Democrats have been acting like a bunch of spoiled brats. They can't accept the fact that they lost and election have consequences. But this behavior has gone on for years. Remember Clarence Thomas and the disgraceful behavior of the Democrats and Anita Hill because they did not want a black conservative on the bench?
When a child does not get their way, they stamp their feet, pout, then scream and shout. Most mature kids will then accept what ever that is expected of me. But a spoiled child will yell and scream and then run away and continue to throw their temper tantrum.
What the GOP has to do is how most adults handle spoiled children. Ignore the child's temper tantrum, don't give in and don't negotiate. After awhile, the spoiled child will tire out of their temper tantrum and return home and face the consequences.
Sooner or later, the spoiled child, the Democratic Party, will tire of their antics and return home to face the consequences.

69 Year Old Morgan Shephard Of Nationwide Chases Down Thug

From WMGT 41: Most NASCAR drivers don't come to mind when you think of Las Vegas crimefighters, but then again, most NASCAR drivers aren't 69-year-old Morgan Shepherd.
The veteran of 44 NASCAR seasons was getting out of his rental car in the parking lot of a Wal-Mart store Monday evening just minutes away from Las Vegas Motor Speedway just as three men burst from the store's entrance with security forces trailing behind.
Thats when Shepherd, a daily jogger and fitness perfectionist, sprang into action.
"I just got out and took off after them," Shepherd said. "I caught one of them just as they were getting ready to hop a little wall at the end of the parking lot. I yanked him down and got on top of him."
Shepherd said in a matter of seconds a Las Vegas police officer pitched the ageless NASCAR driver a pair of handcuffs and continued pursuit of the other two suspects, along with the store's security force.
"I cuffed him and sat on top of him," Shepherd said. "The police department officers showed up and asked if I could hold him a while longer while they ran down the others. I told them he wasn't going anywhere."
http://www.41nbc.com/sports/1911-69-year-old-nascar-driver-chases-down-thief-in-las-vegas
Apparently, the thug was about 18-19 years old. That has to be embarassing and I am sure, once this information gets out to the jail population, thug will never hear the end of it.
I used to live across the street from this Wal-Mart and this a total ghetto Wal-Mart. They have one of the highest theft rates in the Las Vegas area, so I am not surprised that this incident happened. I'm just happy that Morgan Shepherd is ok after this incident as these thugs could have easily had a gun with them.

Las Vegas Soldier Dies In Afghanistan

A soldier from Las Vegas was killed in Afghanistan when his unit was ambushed. From the Las Vegas Sun: A 21-year-old soldier from Las Vegas died Sunday in Afghanistan after insurgents attacked his mounted patrol unit, the Department of Defense announced today.
Spc. Brian Tabada, 21, died in the Kunar providence of Afghanistan from wounds suffered when attacked by insurgents using small arms fire and a rocket-propelled grenade, officials said.
Tabada, who joined the Army in August 2008, was assigned to the First Battalion, 327th Infantry Regiment, First Brigade Combat Team of the 101st Airborne Division based in Fort Campbell, Ky.
He had arrived at Fort Campbell in January 2009 as a fire support specialist, officials from the base said.
Fort Campbell officials said Tabada is survived by his father, Muncko Kruize, of Honolulu, and his mother, Leinette Mahan, of Las Vegas.
Clark County School District officials said Tabada had attended Shadow Ridge High School and then Arbor View High School before moving out of state in 2005.
http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2011/mar/01/las-vegas-soldier-killed-afghanistan-attack/
Gov. Sandoval ordered flags to fly at half staff in Nevada.
May this hero rest in peace and his family find comfort in knowing that he is a hero.