The Urban Grind

Kudos to the Wisconsin Supreme Court for standing up to the labor unions and their filthy, smelly goons, who made a mess of the capitol building. What that means is no more collective bargaining for govermnent workers unions, and also that these same government workers will have to pay a little more towards their benefits.

MADISON, Wis. — A divided Wisconsin Supreme Court handed Republican Gov. Scott Walker a major victory Tuesday, ruling that a polarizing union law that strips most public employees of their collective bargaining rights could take effect.

In a 4-3 decision that included a blistering dissent, the court ruled that Dane County Circuit Judge Maryann Sumi overstepped her authority when she declared the law void. She sided with a lawsuit that claimed Republicans didn’t provide proper public notice of a meeting that helped get the original legislation approved.

Of course these unions won’t go gently into the good night. Rather than tighten their belts in tough economic times like all other Americans are doing, they’ll launch an avalanche of lawuits in order to keep on milking the Wisonsin taxpayers like cows, which they view as their G-d given right.

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Walker claimed that the law, which also requires public employees to pay more for their health care and pensions, was needed to help address the state’s $3.6 billion budget shortfall and give local governments enough flexibility on labor costs to deal with deep cuts to state aid. Democrats saw it as an attack on public employee unions, which usually back their party’s candidates.

Walker, in a one-sentence statement Tuesday, said “the Supreme Court’s ruling provides our state the opportunity to move forward together and focus on getting Wisconsin working again.”

For those of you who assumed Congressman Anthony Weiner would really be gone after announcing his resignation, don’t get your hopes up. Being that the whoring congressman has yet to submit a letter of resignation to House Speaker John Boehner, it looks like New Yorkers are still stuck with him.

Although the randy rep. announced Thursday that he was quitting after seven terms, he still has to submit a resignation letter to House Speaker John Boehner that says which day will be his last serving his Brooklyn-Queens constituents.

Even after that happens, his staff will stay on, and his offices — in the Capitol and New York — will be run by the House clerk, officials said.
“Our offices will be open and fully staffed on Monday,” Dave Arnold, who has served as Weiner’s congressional spokesman, said yesterday.

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Every day Weiner puts off his official departure date enlarges his congressional pension.
But so far no one has pushed for Weiner to clear out of the Capitol.

A fellow New York City conservative acquaintance of mine actually predicted this a few days ago. Here’s what she wrote in her email:

FOR THOSE OF YOU WHO HAVE NOT VIEWED THE FULL FRONTAL NUDE PHOTOS WEINER TOOK OF HIMSELF ON GOVERNMENT PROPERTY BOTH FROM THE HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES GYM AND FROM INSIDE HIS OFFICE…YOU KNOW THE ONES WHERE HE IS GRABBING HIS OWN NAKED GENITALIA, WITH HIS GOVERNMENT ISSUED BLACKBERRY DURING GOVERNMENT WORKING HOURS, YOU NEED TO GET UP TO SPEED FAST.

ON THURSDAY WEINER, THE DEMOCRAT CROOK ANNOUNCED HE WAS….OPERATIVE WORD WAS RESIGNING HIS SEAT…
HOWEVER HE DID NOT SAY EFFECTIVE IMMEDIATELY.

IN FACT, ON FRIDAY…THE HOUSE WAITED FOR HIS LETTER OF RESIGNATION TO BE GIVEN TO THE SPEAKER, SO THEY COULD TAKE A VOTE TO ACCEPT IT.

THATS HOW A MEMBER OF CONGRESS RESIGNS AND THAT IS HOW HIS PAYCHECK ENDS. THE LETTER USUALLY PRECEDES THE PRESS CONFERENCE.

BUT THAT NEVER HAPPENED AND WEINER IS STILL A MEMBER OF CONGRESS. HIS OFFICE IN QUEENS SAYS IT HAS NO INTENTION OF SHUTTING DOWN AND HAS NO INFORMATION AS TO WHEN WEINER IS LEAVING OFFICE.

ON TOP OF THIS HIS PAL GOVERNOR CUOMO, ANOTHER OBAMA DOUCHEBAG, SAYS HE HAS NO IDEA WHEN HE WILL BE SCHEDULING A SPECIAL ELECTION FOR HIS SEAT.

THAT IS NOT NORMAL… THE PUBLIC HAS BEEN HAD. WEINER IS COLLECTING PAYCHECKS AND WITHOUT THE LETTER THERE IS NOTHING ANYONE CAN DO ABOUT IT.

And speaking of Weiner’s pension, New York City tax payers will still be on the hook for it, and it’s going to be a hefty one.

The taxpayers will have to shell out up to $1.3 million to the randy rep over the course of his post-Congress career.
Under federal pension rules, Weiner can start collecting reduced pension benefits of up to $32,357 a year as early as 2021, when he turns 56, according to the National Taxpayers Union.
Based on cost-of-living adjustments and life expectancy, that could run up to $1.12 million, the watchdog group said.
If he waits until he turns 62, he could get the full pension of up to $46,224 a year, or $1.28 million, it said.
The tax union said congressional pensions are typically two or three times more generous than for workers earning comparable salaries in the private sector. Also, all members of Congress are enrolled in Social Security.

Update:

Weiner has finally submitted his letter of resignation.

Now all that’s left is for Governor Scott Walker to sign it into law, which he plans on doing as soon as possible.

In a nutshell, this measure would do the following:

In addition to ending most collective bargaining, the wide-ranging measure would help close a budget gap in the current fiscal year, require public employees to pay more for pensions and health insurance, give Walker broad authority over health care programs for the poor, and turn 37 civil service jobs into political appointments. But unlike an earlier version, the bill passed by the Assembly wouldn’t authorize the sale of state power plants or a $165 million refinancing of state debt.

For those of you in Wisconsin, please make a note of the four RINO’s who sided with the Democrats:

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.

Now if only the Republicans in others states would follow the lead of their colleagues in Wisconsin, America would be in much better shape. And who knows? Maybe Obama will have more trouble getting re-elected in 2012 as a result.

They passed governor Walker’s budget repair bill virtually intact!

Here’s how they were able to pass the bill without the three fifths quorum:

The Wisconsin Constitution requires a quorum of three-fifths of the Senate in order to pass a bill that “imposes, continues or renews a tax, or creates a debt or charge, or makes, continues or renews an appropriation of public or trust money, or releases, discharges or commutes a claim or demand of the state.” For weeks, it had been known that Republican senators could separate the fiscal provisions of the bill from the proposed collective-bargaining changes, which were seen as non-fiscal. However, there was speculation that, if a bill was brought to the Senate floor that contained only the collective bargaining changes, it might not have the votes to pass.

On Wednesday night, the bill passed with a number of provisions that could be considered “fiscal,” such as the requirement that many government employees contribute 5.8 percent of their salaries to their pensions and pay 12.6 percent towards their health-insurance premiums.

GOP senators consulted with the Legislative Fiscal Bureau on this point, and were sent a memo indicating that while there were some “fiscal” provisions of the bill, these provisions didn’t technically make an “appropriation,” and therefore were not subject to the three-fifth quorum requirement. This allowed senators to keep the bill virtually intact, which the GOP felt helped bolster their argument that all the collective bargaining changes were, in fact, fiscal in nature.

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The bill now goes to the Assembly, where it is likely Democrats will try to delay its passage by filibustering indefinitely. Assembly Speaker Jeff Fitzgerald will likely limit debate, which will lead to accusations that the GOP is “silencing” the minority.

Now since I haven’t posted in a while, let me just say I don’t understand where these union thugs and their leftist minions are coming from. First off, their pay is extremely generous, and they can’t really get fired from their jobs. So what makes them think they have a right to more and more taxpayer money when people in the private sector are suffering? Do people in the private sector get cost of living increases to their salaries? No! Anyone with a basic knowledge of economics knows that your average private sector employee must contribute about three times his/her salary in terms of economic output in order to keep his position. After all, it has to be profitable for the employer too.

All these spoiled brats have to say for themselves is in essence “tax the rich.” What makes these people think they have a right other people’s money? It’s not like the Government produces any goods or services. So any money that comes their way is from us tax payers. I mean, what’s preventing these people from finding other jobs if the big bad Republicans are making their work lives so miserable? People in the private sector get laid off all the time. 99% of them don’t go storming their bosses offices and holding protests. They find other jobs.

Another thing I really want to know is why are public school teachers so sacrosanct? What’s the big deal about them having to pay more for their pensions? Doctors are important professionals as well. But I have yet to hear of any physicians whining about how hard their jobs are and getting in people’s faces about how they’re owed all sorts of tax payer funded goodies.

What all this really shows is that Democrats do NOT accept the results of fair elections when the vote doesn’t go their way. Just wait until this bill goes to the assembly. If this bill is approved, the L.A. riots of 1992 will be like nothing compared to what these hoodlums will unleash on us.

That’s the first thing that came to my mind when I read about the contortions Democrats are engaging in to blame the Arizona rampage on the right, or on anyone who’s opposed to Obama.

First off, Rep. James Clyburn is blaming the shootings on Sharron Angle, and the “deligitimizing” the President. (Sorry, but I could not embed the video. So I’ll blockquote some text instead.)

“All of this stuff about delegitimizing the president of the United States, that is uncalled for. And all of the stuff taking place in the chamber the other day when the Constitution was being read, all of that stuff is uncalled for. The hanging over the banisters that some members did last year egging on the demonstrators out there, that stuff is uncalled for. We ought to conduct ourselves in public office in the way we teach our children to conduct themselves when they go out into the public. I don’t believe that any one of these members have been teaching their children inside their homes to act the way many of them have acted,” Rep. Clyburn (D-SC) told the Ed Schultz radio program.

Update: This article from the AP says Giffords is still alive, and that her outlook is “optimistic.” Note how the AP is trying to make it look like the work of a tea party person, or some crazy conservative.

Rep. Gabrielle Giffords (D-AZ) was shot in the head at point blank range at an Arizona grocery store today.

According to another report, fifteen other people were reported wounded, and six others dead.

ABC News proves once and for all that it’s people are nothing more than Obama mouthpieces.

Whatever happened to just reporting the news?

So far, Obama has made six recess appointees. So far, the troublesome ones have been James Cole, our new Deputy Attorney General who believes 9/11 was not an act of war, and now Robert Ford as U.S. Ambassador to Syria (something we haven’t had in six years). Of course it’s quite typical of Obama to use any occasion to suck up to Muslim rogue terror states.

Here’s some background on Mr. Ford.

Robert Stephen Ford is an American career diplomat currently nominated as the United States Ambassador to Syria.[1] He served as the United States Ambassador to Algeria from 2006 to 2008.

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Ford is originally from Denver[2] but is more recently a resident of Maryland.[3] He received his Master of Arts in 1983 from Johns Hopkins University.[3] In addition to English, Ford speaks German, Turkish, French, and Arabic.[3] A senior advisor to the Coalition Provisional Authority in Iraq once described Ford as being “regarded as one of the best Arabists in the State Department”.[4] Ford is married to Alison Barkley, who is a fellow diplomat.[2]

Ford is a career member of the United States Foreign Service. He entered the service in 1985 and has been stationed in ?zmir, Cairo, Algiers, and Yaoundé. Ford served as Deputy Chief of Mission in Bahrain from 2001 until 2004, and Political Counselor to the U.S. Embassy in Baghdad from 2004 until 2006.[3]

Ford was nominated for the position of United States Ambassador to Algeria by President George W. Bush on April 13, 2006. The nomination was sent to the Senate on April 24 and confirmed on May 27.[3] He was sworn in on August 11.[3] He served in the Algiers post until June 26, 2008.[citation needed]

Unfortunately, we just have one Republican speaking out against this nomination.

“I am deeply disappointed that the president decided to make such a major concession to the Syrian regime,” Rep. Ileana Ros-Lehtinen (R-Fla.) said in a statement Wednesday night. “Using this congressional recess to make an appointment that has far-reaching policy implications despite congressional objections and concerns is regrettable.”

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“During the past two years, Syria has continued to sponsor violent extremism and pursue dangerous weapons programs, and has also supplied long-range missiles to Hezbollah and reasserted its destabilizing influence in Lebanon at the expense of that nation’s sovereignty,” Ros-Lehtinen said. “In fact, earlier this year, the president continued the national emergency with respect to Syria due to the ongoing ‘unusual and extraordinary threat’ that the regime poses to the national security, foreign policy and economy of the United States.”

Now let’s see if any other Republicans show some backbone and object this appointment. I’m not counting on it.

Meet our newest deputy Attorney General James Cole, who’s going to be the number two guy at the Justice Department.

According to the Washington Post, he and Eric Holder are long time friends.

Cole, 58, is a white-collar defense lawyer and longtime friend of Attorney General Eric H. Holder Jr. Cole has held numerous jobs in government, including 13 years at the Justice Department. He also worked as an independent monitor reviewing the operations of American International Group, the insurance giant that was bailed out during the financial crisis. Senate Republicans said they plan to make that an issue in his confirmation hearings.

Not a good sign. If he’s friends with Holder, chances are Cole has a big chip on his shoulder, hates white people, hates America, and believes that terrorism is caused by America being a big bad bully. But most importantly Cole wrote in 2002 editorial that 9/11/01 was not an act of war against America.

(CNSNews.com) – Despite a resolution by Congress authorizing war against those responsible for the 9/11 terrorist attacks, President Obama’s nominee to be the number two official at the Justice Department, James Cole, wrote an op-ed in 2002 likening the attacks on the World Trade Center and the Pentagon to the domestic crimes of murder, rape and child abuse, while arguing that the attackers ought to be treated like domestic criminals.

“But the attorney general is not a member of the military fighting a war–he is a prosecutor fighting crime,” Cole wrote in a Sept. 9, 2002 article in Legal Times that critiqued the way then-Atty. Gen. John Ashcroft was handling the 9/11 case.

“For all the rhetoric about war, the Sept. 11 attacks were criminal acts of terrorism against a civilian population, much like the terrorist acts of Timothy McVeigh in blowing up the federal building in Oklahoma City, or of Omar Abdel-Rahman in the first effort to blow up the World Trade Center,” said Cole. “The criminals responsible for these horrible acts were successfully tried and convicted under our criminal justice system, without the need for special procedures that altered traditional due process rights.

“Our country has faced many forms of devastating crime, including the scourge of the drug trade, the reign of organized crime, and countless acts of rape, child abuse, and murder. The acts of Sept. 11 were horrible, but so are these other things,” Cole wrote in his op-ed.

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“The ‘war on drugs’–a longer term and far more devastating disaster for our country in terms of the number of affected people has been facilitated by foreign organizations and governments,” he wrote. “Yet, even after Panamanian President Manuel Noriega was arrested by U.S. military forces in Panama, he was brought to the United States, tried in the federal courts, and had full access to counsel, a trial by jury, the right to cross-examine witnesses, and the right to present his own defense.”

If you read this article to the very end, you’ll notice a link to the original Legal Times op ed piece, which was included in the materials Cole had to submit to the Senate Judiciary Committee as part of his confirmation process. However, the link is very conveniently broken right now. It looks like the Donkey thugs in the Senate quickly removed the incriminating evidence. Here’s the error message I received.

Sorry, there is no www.senate.gov web page matching your request. The address may have been typed incorrectly, the page may no longer exist, or the file may have been moved to a new location during our recent redesign.

Your request will be automatically redirected to the www.senate.gov Home page after 10 seconds.

If this problem persists, please contact the Office of the Secretary Webmaster at webmaster@sec.senate.gov.

Fortunately, one Republican, Congressman Peter King (R-NY) has spoken out against this appointment. Let’s just see if the rest of the Republicans will follow in King’s footsteps, and show they’re fit to lead. I’m not holding my breath though.