The following appeared in Atlas Shrugs on 2-27-2011.

Is it any wonder that we have a radical in the White House? I mean, seriously. The Democrat heroes of the left have for decades been the worst subversives in our nation’s history, actively working against individual rights, capitalism, and basic Constitutional principles. Time and time again. Is it any wonder that we wound up in this current crisis, with an imposter at 1600 Pennsylavania Avenue? It’s a wonder that it didn’t happen sooner. We are in a chokehold, held hostage by the leftwing government’s union armies.

What I want to know is, why were these traitors protected? Teddy was the tip of the poisonous spear. Time after time, year after year, decade after decde, their treason is/was covered up. Was there not one decent man or woman with integrity? One?

The Teddy Files: Even Worse Than You Thought! Powerline hat tip Rut

After repeated attempts, Judicial Watch has managed to pry loose certain documents relating to Teddy Kennedy from the FBI. The FBI’s original redactions plainly had nothing to do with national security, so the agency apparently was trying to protect Kennedy’s reputation.

The most entertaining documents relate to a trip Kennedy took to Latin America in 1961. He visited a number of countries, accompanied by his “political counselor.” In each country, Kennedy met with prominent Communists or other left-wing leaders. The U.S. Ambassador to Mexico was outraged that Kennedy wanted to bring such people to the embassy–this was the heart of the Cold War, after all–and he refused, telling Kennedy to arrange his own interviews somewhere else. A State Department official in Peru described Teddy as “pompous and a spoiled brat.”

In Colombia, the first person Kennedy wanted to meet with was Lauchlin Currie, a Russian spy who served as a key aide to Franklin Roosevelt, then moved to Colombia and renounced his American citizenship.

By the time he got to Chile, Kennedy apparently was tired of political work, so he “made arrangements to ‘rent’ a brothel for an entire night” in Santiago. You can read the FBI reports here. Here is one of them;

The year after his Latin American tour, Kennedy entered the United States Senate. It is quite remarkable: the Kennedy that emerges from the FBI reports sounds like a right-winger’s cartoon fantasy of the man. However bad you thought Ted Kennedy was, he was worse!

Who has the Worlds largest ARMY?

Well there are approximately 1 million licensed deer hunters in Pennsylvania followed closely by Texas.
Michigan has 756,000 licensed hunters.
About 640000 licensed gun-hunters in Wisconsin.
This does not include bow hunters or the myriad of gun owners in all of the other states.
Of course this does not include all of the gun owners who were grandfathered into gun ownership before the gun laws became so stringent.

It is THE FOOL who marches in to a gun recall center and surrenders his guns for a few blocks of cheese.

Now compare all of those armed hunters (known and unknown) to this:
As of 30 September 2010, in the US 1,430,895 people are on active duty in the military with an additional 848,000 people in the seven reserve components.
The Armed Forces of the Islamic Republic of Iran with a total of about 545,000 active personnel.
The current strength of the Libyan Army consists of 25,000 volunteers with an additional 25,000 conscripts (total 50,000).
The French Armed Forces employ 220,650 regular troops and 33,350 part-time reservists
A total of 91,752 soldiers are currently on active service in the German Army.

Now is it clear why enemies here and abroad want to disarm American Citizens?

Mises Daily: Thursday, February 24, 2011 by Frank Shostak

As compared to September last year, the growth momentum of price indexes shows visible strengthening. Year on year, the rate of growth of the consumer price index (CPI) rose to 1.6 percent in January from 1.5 percent in the month before and 1.1 percent in September last year. Also the growth momentum of the consumer price index less food and energy has strengthened in recent months. The yearly rate of growth climbed to 1 percent from 0.8 percent in December and 0.6 percent in October.

Economists blamed the increase in price indexes on the higher prices of apparel, airline fares, and shelter costs. Note that attempting to explain general increases in prices in terms of the components of the price index is not an explanation, because it doesn’t address the key causes.

Is Inflation about Price Rises?

The fundamental problem here is a failure to define the problem properly. The essence of inflation is not a general rise in prices as such but an increase in the supply of money, which in turns sets in motion a general increase in the prices of goods and services.

As Mises explained in his essay “Inflation: An Unworkable Fiscal Policy,”

“Inflation, as this term was always used everywhere and especially in this country, means increasing the quantity of money and bank notes in circulation and the quantity of bank deposits subject to check. But people today use the term “inflation” to refer to the phenomenon that is an inevitable consequence of inflation, that is, the tendency of all prices and wage rates to rise. The result of this deplorable confusion is that there is no term left to signify the cause of this rise in prices and wages. There is no longer any word available to signify the phenomenon that has been, up to now, called inflation. …

As you cannot talk about something that has no name, you cannot fight it. Those who pretend to fight inflation are in fact only fighting what is the inevitable consequence of inflation, rising prices. Their ventures are doomed to failure because they do not attack the root of the evil. They try to keep prices low while firmly committed to a policy of increasing the quantity of money that must necessarily make them soar. As long as this terminological confusion is not entirely wiped out, there cannot be any question of stopping inflation.”

Now a price of a good is the amount of money asked for the good. Hence for a given amount of goods the more money is in the economy, the higher the amount of money per good spent is going to be, all other things being equal. This means that for a given amount of goods, an increase in the money supply, i.e., the amount of dollars, all other things being equal, must lead to more dollars spent per unit of a good, i.e., a general increase in prices of goods.

When inflation is seen as a general rise in prices, then anything that contributes to price increases is called inflationary. It is no longer the central bank and fractional-reserve banking that are the sources of inflation, but rather various other causes. In this framework, not only does the central bank have nothing to do with inflation, but, on the contrary, the bank is regarded as an inflation fighter.

Thus, a fall in unemployment or a rise in economic activity is seen as a potential inflationary trigger which therefore must be restrained by central-bank policies. Some other triggers, such as rises in commodity prices or workers’ wages, are also regarded as potential threats and therefore must always be under the watchful eye of the central bank.

We suggest the Fed’s massive pumping during 2008 to September 2009, and the consequent increase in the growth momentum of the money supply (AMS), is the key factor behind the present strengthening in price inflation. Observe that the yearly rate of growth of Fed’s balance sheet stood at 153 percent in December 2008 whilst the yearly rate of growth of AMS jumped to 14.3 percent in August 2009.

The Popular Definition Cannot Explain Why Inflation Is Bad

If inflation is just a general rise in prices, then why is it regarded as bad news? What kind of damage does it do? Mainstream economists maintain that inflation, which they label as general price increases, causes speculative buying, which generates waste. Inflation, it is maintained, also erodes the real incomes of pensioners and low-income earners and causes a misallocation of resources.

Despite all these assertions regarding the side effects of inflation, mainstream economics doesn’t tell us how all these bad effects are caused. Why should a general rise in prices hurt some groups of people and not others? Why should a general rise in prices weaken real economic growth? Or, how does inflation lead to the misallocation of resources? Moreover, if inflation is just a rise in prices, surely it is possible to offset its effects by adjusting everybody’s incomes in the economy in accordance with this general price increase.

However, if we accept that inflation is an increase in the money supply, and not a rise in prices, all these assertions can be easily explained. It is not the symptoms of a disease but rather the disease itself that causes the physical damage. Likewise, it is not a general rise in prices but increases in the money supply that inflict the physical damage on wealth generators.

Increases in the money supply set in motion an exchange of nothing for something. They divert real funding away from wealth generators toward the holders of the newly created money. This, not price rises as such, is what sets in motion the misallocation of resources. Moreover, the beneficiaries of the newly created money — i.e., money created “out of thin air” — are always the first recipients of money, who can divert a greater portion of wealth to themselves. Obviously, those who either don’t receive any of the newly created money or get it last will find that what is left for them is a diminished portion of the real pool of funding.

Furthermore, real incomes fall, not because of general rises in prices, but because of increases in money supply; in other words, inflation depletes the real pool of funding, thereby undermining the production of real wealth — i.e., lowering real incomes. General increases in prices, which follow increases in money supply, only point to the erosion of money’s purchasing power — although general rises in prices by themselves do not undermine the formation of real wealth as such.

Contrary to popular thinking, the Fed’s preoccupation with maintaining price stability by keeping the CPI rate increases at a particular acceptable range, such as 2 percent, can actually generate nasty surprises. For instance, as a result of strong monetary expansion and a correspondingly strong increase in the production of goods, prices remain stable. Notwithstanding this stability, various nasty side effects are likely to emanate from monetary expansion. Hence we suggest that Fed policy makers should pay close attention to the sources of monetary inflation rather than focusing on the symptoms of inflation.

On this Rothbard wrote,

The fact that general prices were more or less stable during the 1920s told most economists that there was no inflationary threat, and therefore the events of the Great Depression caught them completely unaware.[1]
Prospects for Price Inflation

When money is injected into the economy, it never affects the prices of goods instantly. Because money moves from one market to another market there is a time lag. We have estimated that in the United States it takes about 36 months before changes in money supply generate a visible effect on the prices of goods in general. It must be emphasized that the lags are variable, i.e., in some periods the time lag could be less than 36 months, in some other times it could be more than 36 months.

Based on past massive monetary pumping and using the time lag of 36 months, we can suggest that the growth momentum of the full CPI and the CPI less food and energy is likely to visibly strengthen in the months ahead. We forecast that the yearly rate of growth of the CPI could rise to 2.4 percent by September before jumping to 4.4 percent by December. Year on year, the rate of growth of the CPI less food and energy is forecast to climb to 1.5 percent by September before climbing to 2.7 percent in December. The message from our monetary analysis that there is a growing risk of acceleration in price inflation in the months ahead.

Since September last year, the growth momentum of the US consumer price index (CPI) has displayed visible strengthening.

We suggest that the Fed’s massive monetary pumping during 2008 to September 2009 is the key factor behind the strengthening in price inflation.

Based on past monetary pumping, we expect the growth momentum of the CPI to strengthen further.

To the American left who worship Chairman Mao, Che, Castro and State Capitalism aka fascism it’s all just a bunch of fun and games. Grown people going into the streets to throw rocks at the police or yell and scream. In America for decades if you were a “radical” it meant a nice government job where you punched a keyboard all day, attend various meetings acting like you were important, and pretended you were contributing to a better society when in fact government workers are lazy parasites looking for a cushy job with benefits.

We all remember in high school during our indoctrination sessions our desire to be a “radical revolutionary” and “different.” We were taught corporations are evil and government was good. We needed to side with government to discipline those evil capitalist pigs.

CBS Liberal Reporters Thought the Egyptian Revolution was all fun and games until Lara Logan was repeatedly raped in a crowd of demonstrators.

We have these idiots here in Orlando. They are everywhere. Fat ass ex-county commissioners who never meet a tax hike they did not like. Living the high life on their $120,000 a year pensions railing against social injustice and the virtues of a “progressive” agenda. Most never having worked a productive day in their life like our president. Most not having a clue what it is like to create a job, a building, a road, or a bridge. To them these things just appear out of thin air magically at the wave of their hand and command.

Big business panders to their every whim and desire making the government slugs feel like royalty. It is good business. And so we end up with a pampered, spoiled privileged class of government parasites and corporations that pander to them. And this is how revolutions begin. A out of touch government, a peasant class highly taxed both by taxes and inflation from a bloated fiscally irresponsible central bank and government. Marie Antoinette-Obama cruising over to Spain, eating her arugula salads and ribs, preaching revolution and living like the pig she is off of other peoples sweat and labor. So much injustice and contempt from the privileged government class and their contractors towards the “little people.” And the fuse explodes.

It is all fun and games until people start dying

Wars and revolutions are unpredictable messy affairs. Just because Saul Alinsky or Mao says it happens this way doesn’t not mean it will happen that way. These fat pigs in government are playing with fire. The end game for them is more taxes and power. Their fat cat corporate buddies want more contracts and money.

These fake radicals “for the people” think it is all fun and games. While the peasants starve the government fat cats want to build a new government multi-billion dollar choo choo train. Why not some pyramids? According to government thinking a broken window adds to the economy just as much as food production. Why not a pyramid right smack in the middle of I-4 in Orlando. It will add jobs and create wealth using government logic. Why pay the peasants? Who needs all the little people? Let them eat free health care.

Now we have Google executives playing the role of a new revolutionary like their hero Che. Yea all fun and games and now Lara Logan is screwed up for life and 300 people are dead. These revolutions can be quite messy affairs and they never turn out the way the instigators envisioned. Unfortunately for the fat asses milking the system for $120,000 a year in government pensions information is the equalizer. May the best most organized group win. Power to the people.

Around 300 dead in Egypt unrest: UN

California has been run by the PARTY OF SPEND for decades.
Now “the MOONBEAM” (Jerry Brown) is faced with a big problem. The feds are likely to say no to filling the gaping shortfall.

So as citizens we hear the first to go should be police and firemen.

Well I have a better idea.
Start with the government state agencies listed below.
Half would be a good start

California Academic Performance Index (API) * California Access for Infants and Mothers * California Acupuncture Board * California Administrative Office of the Courts * California Adoptions Branch * California African American Museum * California Agricultural Export Program * California Agricultural Labor Relations Board * California Agricultural Statistics Service * California Air Resources Board (CARB) * California Allocation Board * California Alternative Energy and Advanced Transportation Financing Authority * California Animal Health and Food Safety Services * California Anti-Terrorism Information Center * California Apprenticeship Council * California Arbitration Certification Program * California Architects Board * California Area VI Developmental Disabilities Board * California Arts Council * California Asian Pacific Islander Legislative Caucus * California Assembly Democratic Caucus * California Assembly Republican Caucus * California Athletic Commission * California Attorney General * California Bay Conservation and Development Commission * California Bay-Delta Authority * California Bay-Delta Office * California Biodiversity Council * California Board for Geologists and Geophysicists * California Board for Professional Engineers and Land Surveyors * California Board of Accountancy * California Board of Barbering and Cosmetology * California Board of Behavioral Sciences * California Board of Chiropractic Examiners * California Board of Equalization (BOE) * California Board of Forestry and Fire Protection * California Board of Guide Dogs for the Blind * California Board of Occupational Therapy * California Board of Optometry * California Board of Pharmacy * California Board of Podiatric Medicine * California Board of Prison Terms * California Board of Psychology * California Board of Registered Nursing * California Board of Trustees * California Board of Vocational Nursing and Psychiatric Technicians * California Braille and Talking Book Library * California Building Standards Commission * California Bureau for Private Postsecondary and Vocational Education * California Bureau of Automotive Repair * California Bureau of Electronic and Appliance Repair * California Bureau of Home Furnishings and Thermal Insulation * California Bureau of Naturopathic Medicine * California Bureau of Security and Investigative Services * California Bureau of State Audits * California Business Agency * California Business Investment Services (CalBIS) * California Business Permit Information (CalGOLD) * California Business Portal * California Business, Transportation and Housing Agency * California Cal Grants * California CalJOBS * California Cal-Learn Program * California CalVet Home Loan Program * California Career Resource Network * California Cemetery and Funeral Bureau * California Center for Analytical Chemistry * California Center for Distributed Learning * California Center for Teaching Careers (Teach California) * California Chancellors Office * California Charter Schools * California Children and Families Commission * California Children and Family Services Division * California Citizens Compensation Commission * California Civil Rights Bureau * California Coastal Commission * California Coastal Conservancy * California Code of Regulations * California Collaborative Projects with UC Davis * California Commission for Jobs and Economic Growth * California Commission on Aging * California Commission on Health and Safety and Workers Compensation * California Commission on Judicial Performance * California Commission on State Mandates * California Commission on Status of Women * California Commission on Teacher Credentialing * California Commission on the Status of Women * California Committee on Dental Auxiliaries * California Community Colleges Chancellors Office, Junior Colleges * California Community Colleges Chancellors Office * California Complaint Mediation Program * California Conservation Corps * California Constitution Revision Commission * California Consumer Hotline * California Consumer Information Center * California Consumer Information * California Consumer Services Division * California Consumers and Families Agency * California Contractors State License Board * California Corrections Standards Authority * California Council for the Humanities * California Council on Criminal Justice * California Council on Developmental Disabilities * California Court Reporters Board * California Courts of Appeal * California Crime and Violence Prevention Center * California Criminal Justice Statistics Center * California Criminalist Institute Forensic Library * California CSGnet Network Management * California Cultural and Historical Endowment * California Cultural Resources Division * California Curriculum and Instructional Leadership Branch * California Data Exchange Center * California Data Management Division * California Debt and Investment Advisory Commission * California Delta Protection Commission * California Democratic Caucus * California Demographic Research Unit * California Dental Auxiliaries * California Department of Aging * California Department of Alcohol and Drug Programs * California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control Appeals Board * California Department of Alcoholic Beverage Control * California Department of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating) * California Department of Child Support Services (CDCSS) * California Department of Community Services and Development * California Department of Conservation * California Department of Consumer Affairs * California Department of Corporations * California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation * California Department of Developmental Services * California Department of Education * California Department of Fair Employment and Housing * California Department of Finance * California Department of Financial Institutions * California Department of Fish and Game * California Department of Food and Agriculture * California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection (CDF) * California Department of General Services * California Department of General Services, Office of State Publishing * California Department of Health Care Services * California Department of Housing and Community Development * California Department of Industrial Relations (DIR) * California Department of Insurance * California Department of Justice Firearms Division * California Department of Justice Opinion Unit * California Department of Justice, Consumer Information, Public Inquiry Unit * California Department of Justice * California Department of Managed Health Care * California Department of Mental Health * California Department of Motor Vehicles (DMV) * California Department of Personnel Administration * California Department of Pesticide Regulation * California Department of Public Health * California Department of Real Estate * California Department of Rehabilitation * California Department of Social Services Adoptions Branch * California Department of Social Services * California Department of Technology Services Training Center (DTSTC) * California Department of Technology Services (DTS) * California Department of Toxic Substances Control * California Department of Transportation (Caltrans) * California Department of Veterans Affairs (CalVets) * California Department of Water Resources * California Departmento de Vehiculos Motorizados * California Digital Library * California Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program * California Division of Apprenticeship Standards * California Division of Codes and Standards * California Division of Communicable Disease Control * California Division of Engineering * California Division of Environmental and Occupational Disease Control * California Division of Gambling Control * California Division of Housing Policy Development * California Division of Labor Standards Enforcement * California Division of Labor Statistics and Research * California Division of Land and Right of Way * California Division of Land Resource Protection * California Division of Law Enforcement General Library * California Division of Measurement Standards * California Division of Mines and Geology * California Division of Occupational Safety and Health (Cal/OSHA) * California Division of Oil, Gas and Geothermal Resources * California Division of Planning and Local Assistance * California Division of Recycling * California Division of Safety of Dams * California Division of the State Architect * California Division of Tourism * California Division of Workers Compensation Medical Unit * California Division of Workers Compensation * California Economic Assistance, Business and Community Resources * California Economic Strategy Panel * California Education and Training Agency * California Education Audit Appeals Panel * California Educational Facilities Authority * California Elections Division * California Electricity Oversight Board * California Emergency Management Agency * California Emergency Medical Services Authority * California Employment Development Department (EDD) * California Employment Information State Jobs * California Employment Training Panel * California Energy Commission * California Environment and Natural Resources Agency * California Environmental Protection Agency (Cal/EPA) * California Environmental Resources Evaluation System (CERES) * California Executive Office * California Export Laboratory Services * California Exposition and State Fair (Cal Expo) * California Fair Political Practices Commission * California Fairs and Expositions Division * California Film Commission * California Fire and Resource Assessment Program * California Firearms Division * California Fiscal Services * California Fish and Game Commission * California Fisheries Program Branch * California Floodplain Management * California Foster Youth Help * California Franchise Tax Board (FTB) * California Fraud Division * California Gambling Control Commission * California Geographic Information Systems Council (GIS) * California Geological Survey * California Government Claims and Victim Compensation Board * California Governors Committee for Employment of Disabled Persons * California Governors Mentoring Partnership * California Governors Office of Emergency Services * California Governors Office of Homeland Security * California Governors Office of Planning and Research * California Governors Office * California Grant and Enterprise Zone Programs HCD Loan * California Health and Human Services Agency * California Health and Safety Agency * California Healthy Families Program * California Hearing Aid Dispensers Bureau * California High-Speed Rail Authority * California Highway Patrol (CHP) * California History and Culture Agency * California Horse Racing Board * California Housing Finance Agency * California Indoor Air Quality Program * California Industrial Development Financing Advisory Commission * California Industrial Welfare Commission * California InFoPeople * California Information Center for the Environment * California Infrastructure and Economic Development Bank (I-Bank) * California Inspection Services * California Institute for County Government * California Institute for Education Reform * California Integrated Waste Management Board * California Interagency Ecological Program * California Job Service * California Junta Estatal de Personal * California Labor and Employment Agency * California Labor and Workforce Development Agency * California Labor Market Information Division * California Land Use Planning Information Network (LUPIN) * California Lands Commission * California Landscape Architects Technical Committee * California Latino Legislative Caucus * California Law Enforcement Branch * California Law Enforcement General Library * California Law Revision Commission * California Legislative Analyst’s Office * California Legislative Black Caucus * California Legislative Counsel * California Legislative Division * California Legislative Information * California Legislative Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, and Transgender (LGBT) Caucus * California Legislature Internet Caucus * California Library De velopment Services * California License and Revenue Branch * California Major Risk Medical Insurance Program * California Managed Risk Medical Insurance Board * California Maritime Academy * California Marketing Services * California Measurement Standards * California Medical Assistance Commission * California Medical Care Services * California Military Department * California Mining and Geology Board * California Museum for History, Women, and the Arts * California Museum Resource Center * California National Guard * California Native American Heritage Commission * California Natural Community Conservation Planning Program * California New Motor Vehicle Board * California Nursing Home Administrator Program * California Occupational Safety and Health Appeals Board * California Occupational Safety and Health Standards Board * California Ocean Resources Management Program * California Office of Administrative Hearings * California Office of Administrative Law * California Office of AIDS * California Office of Binational Border Health * California Office of Child Abuse Prevention * California Office of Deaf Access * California Office of Emergency Services (OES) * California Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment * California Office of Fiscal Services * California Office of Fleet Administration * California Office of Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act (HIPAA) Implementation (CalOHI) * California Office of Historic Preservation * California Office of Homeland Security * California Office of Human Resources * California Office of Legal Services * California Office of Legislation * California Office of Lieutenant Governor * California Office of Military and Aerospace Support * California Office of Mine Reclamation * California Office of Natural Resource Education * California Office of Privacy Protection * California Office of Public School Construction * California Office of Real Estate Appraisers * California Office of Risk and Insurance Management * California Office of Services to the Blind * California Office of Spill Prevention and Response * California Office of State Publishing (OSP) * California Office of Statewide Health Planning and Development * California Office of Systems Integration * California Office of the Inspector General * California Office of the Ombudsman * California Office of the Patient Advocate * California Office of the President * California Office of the Secretary for Education * California Office of the State Fire Marshal * California Office of the State Public Defender * California Office of Traffic Safety * California Office of Vital Records * California Online Directory * California Operations Control Office * California Opinion Unit * California Outreach and Technical Assistance Network (OTAN) * California Park and Recreation Commission * California Peace Officer Standards and Training (POST) * California Performance Review (CPR) * California Permit Information for Business (CalGOLD) * California Physical Therapy Board * California Physician Assistant Committee * California Plant Health and Pest Prevention Services * California Policy and Evaluation Division * California Political Reform Division * California Pollution Control Financing Authority * California Polytechnic State University, San Luis Obispo * California Postsecondary Education Commission * California Prevention Services * California Primary Care and Family Health * California Prison Industry Authority * California Procurement Division * California Public Employees Retirement System (CalPERS) * California Public Employment Relations Board (PERB) * California Public Utilities Commission (PUC) * California Real Estate Services Division * California Refugee Programs Branch * California Regional Water Quality Control Boards * California Registered Veterinary Technician Committee * California Registrar of Charitable Trusts * California Republican Caucus * California Research and Development Division * California Research Bureau * California Resources Agency * California Respiratory Care Board * California Rivers Assessment * California Rural Health Policy Council * California Safe Schools * California San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission * California San Gabriel and Lower Los Angeles Rivers and Mountains Conservancy * California San Joaquin River Conservancy * California School to Career * California Science Center * California Scripps Institution of Oceanography * California Secretary of State Business Portal * California Secretary of State * California Seismic Safety Commission * California Self Insurance Plans (SIP) * California Senate Office of Research * California Small Business and Disabled Veteran Business Enterprise Certification Program * California Small Business Development Center Program * California Smart Growth Caucus * California Smog Check Information Center * California Spatial Information Library * California Special Education Division * California Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology Board * California Standardized Testing and Reporting (STAR) * California Standards and Assessment Division * California State Administrative Manual (SAM) * California State Allocation Board * California State and Consumer Services Agency * California State Architect * California State Archives * California State Assembly * California State Association of Counties (CSAC) * California State Board of Education * California State Board of Food and Agriculture *California Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) * California State Children’s Trust Fund * California State Compensation Insurance Fund * California State Contracts Register Program * California State Contracts Register * California State Controller * California State Council on Developmental Disabilities (SCDD) * California State Disability Insurance (SDI) * California State Fair (Cal Expo) * California State Jobs Employment Information * California State Lands Commission * California State Legislative Portal * California State Legislature * California State Library Catalog * California State Library Services Bureau * California State Library * California State Lottery * California State Mediation and Conciliation Service * California State Mining and Geology Board * California State Park and Recreation Commission * California State Parks * California State Personnel Board * California State Polytechnic University, Pomona * California State Railroad Museum * California State Science Fair * California State Senate * California State Summer School for Mathematics and Science (COSMOS) * California State Summer School for the Arts * California State Superintendent of Public Instruction * California State Teachers Retirement System (CalSTRS) * California State Treasurer * California State University Center for Distributed Learning * California State University, Bakersfield * California State University, Channel Islands * California State University, Chico * California State University, Dominguez Hills * California State University, East Bay * California State University, Fresno * California State University, Fullerton * California State University, Long Beach * California State University, Los Angeles * California State University, Monterey Bay * California State University, Northridge * California State University, Sacramento * California State University, San Bernardino * California State University, San Marcos * California State University, Stanislaus * California State University (CSU) * California State Water Project Analysis Office * California State Water Project * California State Water Resources Control Board * California Structural Pest Control Board * California Student Aid Commission * California Superintendent of Public Instruction * California Superior Courts * California Tahoe Conservancy * California Task Force on Culturally and Linguistically Competent Physicians and Dentists * California Tax Information Center * California Technology and Administration Branch Finance * California Telecommunications Division * California Telephone Medical Advice Services (TAMS) * California Transportation Commission * California Travel and Transportation Agency * California Unclaimed Property Program * California Unemployment Insurance Appeals Board * California Unemployment Insurance Program * California Uniform Construction Cost Accounting Commission * California Veterans Board * California Veterans Memorial * California Veterinary Medical Board and Registered Veterinary Technician Examining Committee * California Veterinary Medical Board * California Victim Compensation and Government Claims Board * California Volunteers * California Voter Registration * California Water Commission * California Water Environment Association (COWPEA) * California Water Resources Control Board * California Welfare to Work Division * California Wetlands Information System * California Wildlife and Habitat Data Analysis Branch * California Wildlife Conservation Board * California Wildlife Programs Branch * California Work Opportunity and Responsibility to Kids (CalWORKs) * California Workers Compensation Appeals Board * California Workforce and Labor Development Agency * California Workforce Investment Board * California Youth Authority (CYA) * Central Valley Flood Protection Board * Center for California Studies * Colorado River Board of California * Counting California * Dental Board of California * Health Insurance Plan of California (PacAdvantage) * Humboldt State University * Jobs with the State of California * Judicial Council of California * Learn California * Library of California * Lieutenant Governors Commission for One California * Little Hoover Commission (on California State Government Organization and Economy) * Medical Board of California * Medi-Cal * Osteopathic Medical Board of California * Physical Therapy Board of California * Regents of the University of California * San Diego State University * San Francisco State University * San Jose State University * Santa Monica Mountains Conservancy * State Bar of California * Supreme Court of California * Teach California * University of California * University of California, Berkeley * University of California, Davis * University of California, Hastings College of the Law * University of California, Irvine * University of California, Los Angeles * University of California, Merced * University of California, Riverside * University of California, San Diego * University of California, San Francisco * University of California, Santa Barbara * University of California, Santa Cruz * Veterans Home of California

The odds of an Egypt or Tunisia-like revolution coming to the richer states in the Gulf have always seemed long.
But now Bahrain is happening, and the rest of the countries in the region are freaking out.

There are reports that the six-nation Gulf Cooperation Council would intervene militarily if it appeared as though the Bahrain regime would fall.

And check out what a Saudi prince told the BBC: “Unless problems facing Saudi Arabia are solved, what happened and is still happening in some Arab countries, including Bahrain, could spread to Saudi Arabia, even worse.”

For people living under dictatorship for years this is obviously exhilarating and exciting. For Israel and the US that love the stability of the status quo, it’s terrifying.

It was precisely for this domino effect possibility that we explained why the Bahrain riots were a much bigger deal than the ones in Egypt.

Read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/saudi-price-fears-uprising-in-saudi-arabia-2011-2#ixzz1EMWf9RZP

The following appeared in the Politico on 2-18-2011.

Republicans successfully added an amendment to the continuing resolution that would leave President Barack Obama’s senior advisers on policy issues including health care, energy and others out of a job.

The vote was 249-179.

Rep. Steve Scalise (R-La.) offered the amendment that blocks funding for various policy advisers to combat what he called “a very disturbing proliferation of czars” under Obama.

“These unappointed, unaccountable people who are literally running a shadow government, heading up these little fiefdoms that nobody can really seem to identify where they are or what they’re doing,” Scalise said Thursday. “But we do know that they’re wielding vast amounts of power.”

The jobs on the chopping block: White House-appointed advisers on health care, energy and climate, green jobs, urban affairs, the closure of the Guantanamo Bay detention center, oversight of TARP executive compensation, diversity at the Federal Communications Commission and the auto industry manufacturing policy.

These so-called “czars” have been favorite targets of Republicans and conservative talk radio hosts, especially energy and climate adviser Carol Browner, who is leaving the administration.

“This is a person who’s continued to do things behind closed doors,” Scalise said of Browner.

GOP lawmakers assailed Browner’s office after a recent report showed that the White House rewrote crucial sections of an Interior Department report to suggest an independent group of scientists and engineers supported a six-month ban on offshore oil drilling.

“It was found out that it was the climate czar that actually doctored the president’s own scientific study to try to say that scientists that the president appointed recommended a moratorium on drilling,” Scalise said. “It turned out the scientists didn’t say that at all.”

A federal investigation found no wrongdoing by Browner.

But Scalise had harsh words to go around for the other “czars,” too. “There’s actually a czar out there trying to still impose a cap-and-trade regime,” he said of the special envoy for climate change, Todd Stern, who works at the State Department.

The amendment would defund the White House “green jobs czar” slot that has been vacant since Van Jones resigned in 2009 after reports surfaced that he signed a petition seeking an investigation into whether the U.S. government was behind the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks.

“The last green jobs czar we had left in disgrace because he expressed comments embracing communism and actually tried to blame the government, the American government, for September 11th attacks,” Scalise said.

Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) welcomed Republicans’ use of what he called “gender neutral” language to describe the administration’s appointees.

“A large number of the czars would have been called czarinas in the old days,” Frank said. “So I appreciate the fact that we’ve gotten past sex stereotyping of people.”

And Frank blasted his colleagues for trying to fire Kenneth Feinberg, who was appointed to oversee payments and compensation plans for recipients of federal cash under the Troubled Asset Relief Program.

“This amendment would say to AIG and General Motors, and Chrysler and Ally – the financial company – no one will now be supervising what you do, and even though you haven’t yet paid back the federal government, there will be no enforcement of restrictions on your bonuses, no enforcement of restrictions on your compensation,” he said.

Scalise got 13 Democrats to vote for his amendment and it wasn’t just the usual Blue Dogs: Dan Boren (Okla.), Ben Chandler (Ky.), Jerry Costello (Ill.), Henry Cuellar and Gene Green of Texas, Peter DeFazio (Ore.), Jim Matheson (Utah), Ed Pastor (Ariz.), Nick Rahall (W.Va.), Mike Ross (Ark.), and North Carolina’s Heath Shuler, Mike McIntyre and Larry Kissell.

One Republican – Wisconsin’s Reid Ribble – v

As usual I and millions of other Americans are getting tired of these phony GDP numbers telling me the economy is just grand. Unlike most people who can only complain I happen to be a overeducated American who can figure out where the bull crap is. It was not that difficult to figure out. In case anyone missed the news flash the government is spending way too much money. Here are the numbers.

I did a simple evaluation of the Gross Domestic Product (GDP) numbers comparing the 2005 economy to the 2010. Back in 2005 the economy was in year three of the five-year housing boom. Government spending from the Bush administration was in full swing with two wars and Homeland Defense spending.

First the equation Y = C + I + G + NX means Gross Domestic Product (GDP) = Consumption (C) + Investment (I) + Government Spending (G) + Exports minus Imports (NX).

Professor of Economics and Statistics, 1971 Nobel Prize winner Simon Kuznets invented the GDP equation

The fallacy of the equation, Austrian economist have been pointing out for years, is that consumption, investment, and government spending are NOT equally as important for economic growth and prosperity. The idea of a model to measure national prosperity is preposterous to most Austrian economist.

Government has a negative effect on the economy. That is not to say we don’t need peace and stability, we do. But we defiantly do not need more than 11% to 20% of the federal, state and local governments consuming national wealth.

The Austrian economist might rewrite the equation as Y = C + (1.05) I + (-0.05 to -0.10) G + l NX l placing a absolute value on imports minus exports portion of the equation.

To a Austrian trade always balances out. We give IOU’s for our trade deficit. If the recipient of the IOU does not want reciprocating trade in return then good luck with the financial instrument and may the buyer beware.

Some economists would argue that the United States has, in recent years, been able to print $6 to $7 trillion dollars (the official number is $4.5 trillion) and export them (and our inflation) to foreign countries in return for goods and services. These foreign countries have used these dollars as reserves. This is a very inflationary policy, consuming another countries paper dollars and exporting goods produce by the home country. Let the buyer beware.

The Austrian fix to the equation, Y = C + (1.05) I + (-0.05 to -0.10) G + l NX l, would increase the importance of investment into the economy. Savings and investment, as opposed to printing dollars and stashing them away for future use, is what determines future economic performance, not central government and banking decisions.

Negative emphasize would be placed on government spending to show that for every 10% of government growth the economy loses one half to one percent in annual GDP growth. Ohio State economists estimate that the optimal level for federal spending should be around 11% of GDP. Currently, 2011, it is estimated to be a staggering 24.1% with revenue collection at of 15.4% of the GDP. With a healthy economy 18% revenue collection is typical.

Applying a little common sense to the calculation makes the medicine go down so much better. Austrian economist do not believe in models but this one makes a lot more sense than the one currently used.

Really what economist, other than Paul Krugman, think the government contribution to the GDP is anywhere near as important as private sector investment into the economy?

John Maynard Keynes and his General Theory of Employment, Interest, and Money gets the blame for giving politicians the green light to spend, spend and spend.

In 2005 the equation was, using percentages to make it as clear as possible, 100% GDP = 68.7% (consumption) + 17.3% (investment) + 20% Government spending + (- 6% imports minus exports) or

2005 GDP 100% = 68.7% + 17.3% + 20% + (-6%).

Note that because of a negative trade balance this equation subtracts from the GDP and considers the imbalance “bad” for the national wealth. This economic philosophy dates back to the mercantilism economic philosophy of the 18th century.

Compare 2005 to the 2010 numbers.

2005 GDP 100% = 68.7% + 17.3% + 20% + (-6%).

2010 GDP 100% = 67.6% + 11.5% + 24.1% + (-3.2%).

Consumption decreased 1.1%. That is fine but, the stunning fact is investment as a part of the GDP numbers has decreased from 17.3% to 11.5%. This is a staggering 33.5% decline in investment as a percent in the GDP equation. Clearly there was over investment caused by Federal Reserve Chairman Alan Greenspan’s cheap money policies. Normally investment is 16% of the GDP.

Government spending has increased from 19.9% of the GDP to 24.1%, an increase of 21.1%.

In numerical terms investment has declined from $2,276.3 (billions) to $1,796.7. Government spending has increased from $2,634.6 bn to $3,778.8 bn. This is the exact opposite of what should be happening for our economy to provide long term growth and a positive standard of living.

Looking at it another way just looking at consumption and investment the GDP has gone from $11,314.8 bn to $12,380.0 bn. This represents a growth rate of 9.4% over 5 plus years or a growth rate of 1.9% annually. Not even enough to keep up with the population growth. Compare that to a bloated 19% growth rate in the GDP numbers when government growth is included or a 3.8% clip.

So it is stating the obvious that government spending is way up and investment is way down. What is so devastating is that when inflation rears it’s ugly head and the government cannot borrow trillions of cheap dollars to prop up the Y = C + I + G + NX equation the economy will drop like a rock.

Half of our GDP growth in recent years has been the government borrowing, printing cheap dollars, and spending them.

Borrowing money from the Chinese, so government can spend it, so people can buy Chinese products, does not help our economy, it just adds debt.

We can clearly see it in the sharp reduction in domestic investment into the economy. We can see it with the ballooning government spending and deficit. What this is saying is that when that money bubble, government spending bubble, burst this economy will crash HARD!

We have followed the path of the Weimer Republic of Germany in the 1920’s of financing government expenditures with borrowed dollars. It’s that simple. Sooner or later the rest of the world will figure it out that we have way too many dollars in circulation and they will divest themselves from the dollar.

When that happens the dollar will fall, imports become more expensive, inflation will ruin rampant, government unions will demand more raises, government will print more money to pay the unions and provide more bailouts, and the vicious cycle will have begun. It will all be one big emergency after another. Inflation, misery, poverty and the perfect conditions for a Hitler, Stalin or our american tyrant to gain power.

2012 and 2013 budget will be earmark free!

It did not take a rocket scientist for the public to understand how EARMARKS work. Senators or congressmen supported EARMARKS with “campaign contribution” raked in as a reward.

The tea party activists and Senator John McCain as well as other Republicans get the credit for this achievement.

Harry Reid who initially scoffed at the suggestion was FORCED TO BACK DOWN as he lost the support of not only the President but his Democratic com-padres.

Apparently some of the Democrats are beginning to realize a certain segment of the population means business when they say enough spending IS ENOUGH!

Hopefully the Republicans are getting the same message and not simply pretending.