This is the flier (picked up at Simmons today) for the closest Tea Party to me and I will be there unless work is burning. ;)
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Showing posts with label News. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 8, 2009
Thursday, March 26, 2009
Suing over clean air
Here (PR Newswire story posted on MSN Money about parents suing corporations over air quality) is another one of those conflicts that fills my soul every day. Is industry responsible for the environmental quality surrounding its manufacturing plants?
The answer is an unequivocal yes, in my opinion. Environmental stewardship, Employee safety, Exemplary quality, Unequaled customer service & Stable profitability should be the hallmarks of US manufacturing. Unfortunately, all too often it is not. This is in part due to corporate irresponsibility and in part due to US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility.
Corporate irresponsibility takes many forms... didn't see the drum of toxins leak into the river, didn't know it was toxic, didn't care that it was toxic, figured it was someone else's problem, third world does it and we need to compete... ad nauseum.
US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility takes primarily two forms... I want it the cheapest I can get it and the cheapest comes from places without our rules AND as long as it is not in my backyard, I really don't care. People just don't realize how tightly tied to manufacturing, most of our jobs really are. So for all of you out there pointing fingers at "bad" manufacturers, take a look around your house and tell me how many Made in China - Taiwan - Singapore - Pakistan tags you see. Then, point the fingers at yourself as well.
And now, for the cynicism... One part successful ambulance chasers + one and one-half parts governmental stooge + one part indignant media + one-half parts injured citizen = corporate earnings to take a beating + additional case precedent set for air quality lawsuits.
I wonder how much of this stems from the EPA's new stance (John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard) on CO2 emissions? And I wonder when the rest of us can expect the same for the emissions of our... whatever has a "Carbon Footprint". I truly loathe that combination of words. This is going to end in taxation on cattle ranchers commensurate with the size of their herd. Might just as well bag the rest of us for our pets.
As a side note, I used to work for US Steel - Gary and lived near Lake county. If they are going after the big ones, they also need to go after the little ones.
The answer is an unequivocal yes, in my opinion. Environmental stewardship, Employee safety, Exemplary quality, Unequaled customer service & Stable profitability should be the hallmarks of US manufacturing. Unfortunately, all too often it is not. This is in part due to corporate irresponsibility and in part due to US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility.
Corporate irresponsibility takes many forms... didn't see the drum of toxins leak into the river, didn't know it was toxic, didn't care that it was toxic, figured it was someone else's problem, third world does it and we need to compete... ad nauseum.
US citizen (individual human) irresponsibility takes primarily two forms... I want it the cheapest I can get it and the cheapest comes from places without our rules AND as long as it is not in my backyard, I really don't care. People just don't realize how tightly tied to manufacturing, most of our jobs really are. So for all of you out there pointing fingers at "bad" manufacturers, take a look around your house and tell me how many Made in China - Taiwan - Singapore - Pakistan tags you see. Then, point the fingers at yourself as well.
And now, for the cynicism... One part successful ambulance chasers + one and one-half parts governmental stooge + one part indignant media + one-half parts injured citizen = corporate earnings to take a beating + additional case precedent set for air quality lawsuits.
I wonder how much of this stems from the EPA's new stance (John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard) on CO2 emissions? And I wonder when the rest of us can expect the same for the emissions of our... whatever has a "Carbon Footprint". I truly loathe that combination of words. This is going to end in taxation on cattle ranchers commensurate with the size of their herd. Might just as well bag the rest of us for our pets.
As a side note, I used to work for US Steel - Gary and lived near Lake county. If they are going after the big ones, they also need to go after the little ones.
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard
John Lott's Website: EPA: Proposing to classify Carbon Dioxide as health hazard
Typical government, don't they know it is now called global climate change? Since the Globe is not warming anymore...
I simply do not have the words (that can be printed in polite company) for this bit of buffoonery.
Typical government, don't they know it is now called global climate change? Since the Globe is not warming anymore...
I simply do not have the words (that can be printed in polite company) for this bit of buffoonery.
Friday, March 6, 2009
Various things in short form that I have been meaning to...
rant about but didn't get around to and now don't have the urge to rant... dang it anyway, I loathe a missed opportunity to rant.
Kennedy awarded an honorary knighthood - yeah, I know, I missed it... still frosts my ... I like people a little less every day.
Treasury secretary says tax increases necessary - I have enough unpleasant thoughts about this to fill the Internet... will suffice with this. 1. Why would this ... guy care? He won't pay them anyway. 2. No shit Sherlock, keep spending it like it grows on trees... oh wait, for the Fed, it does grow on trees... err, it is the trees. 3. I still don't know how a tax cheat becomes the Treasury Secretary.
Housing plan details which borrowers get help - No matter what we do, no matter how much we fuss & no matter how much we ignore it... the ones who did / are doing it right will still get screwed in the end.
Gupta withdraws name from surgeon general job - At least this nominee turned down the job for a legitimate reason, he doesn't want to have to take the pay cut associated with the new job... can't blame the guy. As the dollar dives toward zero value, having a guaranteed income is not a bad idea.
The US Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis - This has so much information that I don't know what I will do. ;)
For those of us who wondered why we talk GDP instead of GNP - Essentially, Gross Domestic Product is earned by everyone here in the US and Gross National Product is earned by US Citizens wherever they are. Let the difference sink in for a bit... if you didn't already (like back in high school).
Kennedy awarded an honorary knighthood - yeah, I know, I missed it... still frosts my ... I like people a little less every day.
Treasury secretary says tax increases necessary - I have enough unpleasant thoughts about this to fill the Internet... will suffice with this. 1. Why would this ... guy care? He won't pay them anyway. 2. No shit Sherlock, keep spending it like it grows on trees... oh wait, for the Fed, it does grow on trees... err, it is the trees. 3. I still don't know how a tax cheat becomes the Treasury Secretary.
Housing plan details which borrowers get help - No matter what we do, no matter how much we fuss & no matter how much we ignore it... the ones who did / are doing it right will still get screwed in the end.
Gupta withdraws name from surgeon general job - At least this nominee turned down the job for a legitimate reason, he doesn't want to have to take the pay cut associated with the new job... can't blame the guy. As the dollar dives toward zero value, having a guaranteed income is not a bad idea.
The US Department of Commerce Bureau of Economic Analysis - This has so much information that I don't know what I will do. ;)
For those of us who wondered why we talk GDP instead of GNP - Essentially, Gross Domestic Product is earned by everyone here in the US and Gross National Product is earned by US Citizens wherever they are. Let the difference sink in for a bit... if you didn't already (like back in high school).
Wednesday, March 4, 2009
John Lott's Website: "AFL-CIO UNION EXECS HOLD WINTER MEETING AT LUXURY MIAMI RESORT"
John Lott's Website: "AFL-CIO UNION EXECS HOLD WINTER MEETING AT LUXURY MIAMI RESORT"
Doubt that there will be much mention of this... anywhere.
Doubt that there will be much mention of this... anywhere.
Thursday, February 19, 2009
Nothing like a Little 1A Encroachment
Take a little read on this over at Irons in the Fire. Early in the read, it is fairly innocuous... dimwitted, but innocuous. That is until the Secret Service gets involved with someone's vehicle-mounted placard regarding abortion. I guess we don't read for context anymore.
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Global News
A tremendously interesting link that was sent to me by a friend, appreciate it Mike.
Title linked as http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
Title linked as http://www.newseum.org/todaysfrontpages/flash/
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