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Just received a contestment from a "free market" guy I know. The claim is that "liberals" are stupid with respect to economics.
http://econjwatch.org/articles/economic-enlightenment-in-relation-to-col...
@rladlof, an even easier rule of thumb to follow (at least the one I follow), check your partys' website and see what they endorse and why. Generally if you're a progressive, your party should reflect your views. Oh and here's another easy rule of thumb (not directed at you personnely) get off your fat ass, go to the polls and vote, because your vote does count if its there to be counted.
It takes all of maybe 10 minutes to see who your party endorses, and maybe a total of a 1/2 hour to go to the polls and vote and return home, all in all, less than an hour to do it all and get back to the couch to watch American Idol.
Siiiigh.
N
FILE UNDER: Sign me up on the mailing list . . . I'll pay a penny.
http://tpmmuckraker.talkingpointsmemo.com/2010/06/ensign_establishes_fund_to_help_with_his_legal_bil.php
Carly Fiornia, previously most notable for almost destroying Hewlett-Packard and personally out-sourcing off-shore literately tens of thousands of California jobs, BUYS GOP Senate Primary with moneys HP paid her to get lost . . .
Meg Whitman BOUGHT the GOP Gubernational Primary . . . It only cost her $71 million of $80 million . . .
As a general rule with consumer products, the more heavily advertised it is, the less a prudent consumer would want it. This goes triple in the marketplace of 'ideas.'
Off subject & totally coolamundo:
http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/herocomplex/2010/06/the-vader-project-strikes-back-the-pop-art-show-returns-to-la-on-june-11.html
Last night's election results point toward most Californians being too lazy, stupid and/or insane to read before they cast their ballots.
Rule of Thumb: If folk are not going to read the booklet and the law in the big booklet or on-line . . . PLEASE take note of who is paying for the advertisement. The insurance industry or a big insurer . . . Not your friend. The same can be said for bankers, brokers and real estate firms. The Chamber of Commerce hates you... The taxpayer's union and the Club for Growth want the middle-class wiped from the face of the planet. The Republican Party wants to lessen your power and give it to big corporations. Even if they don’t wanta read they could figured out they were being screwed by just paying attention.
On the other hand, There is another possibility . . . They could hate themselves and their fellow Californians sooooo much they will happily farg themselves into the dirt to inflict pain upon themselves and everyone else.
@rladlof, re #15, yes, I'm in downtown LA on a daily basis 9 out of 14 days during a two week pay period. Last week I attended my first Long Beach Green Party meeting. I'm getting too pissed with politics as usual to do nothing.
N
Conservadems buy into the right's 'laws of economics' rhetoric. Sociology is also an empirical science. The laws of sociology, like the laws of economics, are self-enforcing and non-negotiable. While there's no escaping the fact that 'there's no such thing as a free lunch,' there's also no escaping the law to the effect that 'no justice, no peace.'
I knew there was a reason I liked these guys:
The Arizona Diamondbacks announced Monday that Daryl Hall and John Oates canceled their postgame concert scheduled for July 2 at Chase Field because of their personal stance against Arizona's new immigration law.
Hall and Oates issued the following statement:
"In addition to our personal convictions, we are standing in solidarity with the music community in our boycott of performing in Arizona at this time. We would like to emphasize that this has nothing to do with the management of the Arizona Diamondbacks, who have been professional and cooperative throughout our dealings with them. This is our response to a very specific action of the state."
http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/attytood/
A result of the Dems not being able to pass anything through congress.
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/business/09estate.html?hp
Re: President Obama IS a Super-Conserva-DEM.
Shortly after Sen. Blanche Lincoln (D-Ark.) emerged victorious, an anonymous White House aide began spreading word that the President Obama's political team thought that the money unions had spent on Halter's candidacy was a massive waste and damaging to the party.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2010/06/09/blanche-lincoln-win-spark_n_605443.html
@MAXROT: I live in the Valley and work on the Westside . . . Are you a local Los Angeleno also?
@Maxnels, Radlof, re: all of the above -
Maybe you guys need to leave the fascist state of CA.
Maybe we ALL need to leave the fascist nation of Amerika. Denmark & the Netherlands are lookin' better to me EVERY freakin' day!
@rladlof, many of us are just learning that 16 and 17 flipped to No (thank god for small favors). However, with the passing of 14, its just a matter of time before they're put back on the ballot for another go. Thom probably is swamped with the rest of the country's results to be completely up to date.
The shenanigans in Arkansas is proof that the DLC is screwing the progressives, and I can't disagree with you're take on Obama. However, Obama is becoming less and less of a concern to me, as my attentions are becoming more and more focused locally. I don't know what I'll do if Brown loses, and I don't even care all that much for him. Christ, it sucks to be a progressive on days like this.
N
Proposition 14 is WAY more insidious than Open Primaries.
Prop 14 throws all Primary candidates into ONE buck with Party affiliation spurged THEN the TOP TWO go off to the General . . . SO Corporations and winger special interest groups can dump big bucks into the their top two or three wet-dream candidates and we have to choose between two wing-nuts in the Fall.
THOM: I am beginning to type like a broken record . . . President Obama IS a Super-Conserva-DEM. Why are you continually surprised that he acts like who he is?
I noticed last night the Wicked Whitman of the West had a banner behind her stating that "The Jobs Are On Their Way", I can only assume that the fine print below continued with "....To China."
Ferino had Aisan American support banners behind her, I think the American part was added as an afterthought.
Damn, damn, damn, damn.... it's an uphill struggle for progressives here in the Golden State, the state where those who have gold rule.
N
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/06/09/opinion/09wed1.html?hp
Please talk about this Tom. It appears that the Supreme Court struck down Arizona's public campaign finance system. We are descending into plutochracy.
Salomon Orellana
Los Angelinos should be completely ashamed of themselves - and the vast majority certainly don't have ANY right to complain!!!
Los Angeles county narrowly beat Orange and San Bernardino for the lowest voter turnout in California (19.6%, 19.7%, 19.8% respectively): http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/status.htm
Props 14 & 15 - pure tragidies. Props 16 & 17, surprisingly we landed upright on; I don't know how, but we did.
Everybody should know that there were election intergirity issues in LA too: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/john-wellington-ennis/polling-place-proble... ---> And surprise, surprise, they were in Marcy Winograd's district too! Here's another account: http://www.bradblog.com/?p=7884
The live stream on KTLK just went down.
THOM: NO!!! Prop 16 & Prop 17 broke to NO once they counted Los Angeles County . . . See above . . . The Secretary of State totals are above.
@rladlof, as I figure it, hardly any progressives showed up yesterday to vote, since Brown had the primary sewn up from the get go. That, and uber wealthy groups can spend unlimited amounts of money convincing the morons to shoot themselves in the foot... because it feels good.
N
"Lincoln won with Clinton and anti-union message"
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100609/ap_o n_el_se/us_lincoln_how_she_wonRight, in a "right to work" state. Just forget that Clinton's wins could have easily been attributed to labor's support!
Yes 13 Property Taxes and Seismic Retrofit of Buildings 3,200,194 84.5% - 588,582 15.5%
Yes 14 Primary Election Participation 2,077,100 54.2% - 1,761,410 45.8%
No 15 California Fair Elections Act 1,593,698 42.5% - 2,147,745 57.5%
No 16 Local Electricity Providers 1,830,278 47.5% - 2,015,297 52.5%
No 17 Auto Insurance Pricing 1,848,768 47.9% - 2,004,410 52.1
http://vote.sos.ca.gov/returns/props/59.htm