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BlogsSome relationships are not the same.....
During the nineteen eighties, at the height of urban redevelopment (at least in the South--the North had it's boom earlier), I eventually got clued into the fact that the enthusiasm for cost/benefit analysis, which was supposed to make it possible to separate "good" projects from "losers" ahead of time, was not as objectively motivated as it seemed. Because, while one might assume from the pairing, which had been transitioned from traditonal business accounting practices and was part of the program to "make government more like a business," that the entity bearing the costs and enjoying the benefits would be the same, closer analysis of the projections revealed that was not the case. Urban redevelopment routinely relied on long-time residents and owners of marginal property bearing the cost (in time, energy and disruption) of relocating so the development community could enjoy the benefit of acquiring real estate on the cheap and, if they were really lucky, pocket a subsidy to boot.
By monica smith at 07/02/2009 - 10:09 | Accountability | login or register to post comments | read more
Of Rights and Obligations
Some recent commentary on public health has referred to health care as a right. And, perhaps that's what prompted Justice Clarence Thomas to come out of his shell and question the very concept of "rights." Presumably, he's sensitive because some people seem to expect that, as an African American, he'd be more focused on rights and the failure to respect them than he is.
By monica smith at 06/26/2009 - 10:50 | Civil rights | login or register to post comments | read more
The Roots of Opposition to the Welfare State
I didn't begin to understand the Republican opposition to the welfare state or "socialism" as they often prefer to call it until I moved to Georgia, where Newt Gingrich hails from, in 1993. Republicans were not an issue in North Florida in the late '70s when fundamentalists were still trying to infiltrate the Democratic establishment and failing. They moved on to become Republicans and more successful later.
Anyway, Georgia turned out the be the very model of the socialist state with an abundance of public recreational facilities, parklands, public housing for mill workers and whole islands to "protect" the seashore from over-development--all acquired during an era when some segments of the population could legally be kept out of public facilities. In other words, the socialist state was fine as long as it only served the "proper" elements of society. By monica smith at 06/22/2009 - 16:15 | Republicans | login or register to post comments | read more
Air Force--A Russian Connection?
Presumably, it's the Air Force that's making deals with Russian contractors since the plane they hired was in transit from the base on Diego Garcia to the base at Kandahar.
US plane forced to land in Mumbai, crew questionedThe question is why?
Air Force--In Southwest Asia, with care
From time to time I check out the Air Force almost daily summaries of airpower use. They tend to be rather formulaic. Though, in addition to the numbers of sorties flown and the fuel transfered in flight, there are occasional subtle changes. The locale from which the press releases are issued in one. Most recently, it's been Southwest Asia--to distinguish it from Southeast Asia, no doubt.
June 10 airpower summary: C-17s move outsized loads Posted 6/11/2009Also, perhaps because of concern that some air assets are about to be slashed, the reports have been featuring the "toy" of the day.
Air Force:Quadrennial Defense Review--What does it do?
If Marine Corps Gen. James E. Cartwright, Vice Chairman of the Joint Chiefs of Staff, is to be believed, not much. Change is not in the air at the Pentagon.
Vice chairman: Deterrence plays into overseas basing decisions Healthcare Opt-in
The Obama Administration is gearing up to get community groups organized and making noise about reforming the health care system beginning June 6th. I've long been skeptical about the term health-care because, other than some basic preventive stuff like inoculations against infectious diseases, healthy people don't need care. Though, for one reason or another, often psychological, they may want and like it.
By monica smith at 06/05/2009 - 12:57 | Health care | login or register to post comments | read more
Biden at Bondsteel
Camp Bondsteel in Kosovo is the prototype for United States mega bases that have subsequently been built in Iraq.
SOURCE:National Journal
For Immediate Release May 21, 2009 Roots of 21st Century American Authoritarianism
Back in 1989, just before H.W.Bush picked him to be his
Secretary of Defense, Dick Cheney had an essay published by the American Enterprise Institute under his name, though it may have been written in whole or in part by one Michael J. Malbin, an academic. In other words, the perspective in the essay was perhaps not entirely his own.
Paul Hodes is NOT a challenger
Writing on the Huffington Post web site, Jennifer Donahue opines,
Jennifer Donohue Rep. Kris Roberts Changed His Mind
Representative Kris Roberts of Keene changed his mind on HB 436 and voted to concur with the Senate amendment. On the floor of the New Hampshire House, Rep. Roberts explained:
Adding More Spice
If the plural of mouse is mice, why can't the plural of spouse be spice?
It is possible to make words mean what we want, you know. Republicans do it all the time. Anyway, what HB 436 is really about is adding more spice to the roster of couples committed to looking after each other, until death do them part. You'd think that the party opposed to selfish individualism would be all enthusiastic about that. If they're not, then not being responsible is really what it's all about, don't you think? Anti-social Republicans?
SOURCE:New York Times op-ed
We Didn’t Have to Lose Arlen Specter What's the Opposite of Equality?
In the epic struggle between public officials and the will of the people, officials with an authoritarian bent frequently excuse themselves by arguing that they either don't know the will of the people or the people don't know what they want. This is a canard.
By monica smith at 04/26/2009 - 07:45 | Accountability | Democrats | Republicans | login or register to post comments | read more
Equality not yet at Critical Mass in NH Senate
SOURCE:Blue Hampshire
True Leadership
SOURCE:NH Union Leader
Terie Norelli: Discrimination against the transgendered is wrong By monica smith at 04/24/2009 - 08:39 | Civil rights | Democrats | Family | GLBT | Privacy | login or register to post comments | read more
"A Class Act" Not!
In commenting on the special election results in New Hampshire Senate District Three, John H. Sununu, the recently designated Chair of the NH Republican party allowed himself a somewhat unfortunate prediction.
Bradley could be counted on to sustain a Lynch veto of the gay marriage and transgender discrimination legislation, "if he (Lynch) finds the strength to veto that garbage," Sununu said. Sanctioned Degradation--another version of "failure by design"
SOURCE:Newsweek
TERROR WATCH By monica smith at 04/22/2009 - 05:57 | Accountability | Crime | Terrorism | War | login or register to post comments | read more
Your Tax Dollars at Work
Why is it that when people are discovered doing wrong, they do the same thing over and over again? Is it because to stop is seen as an admission of guilt?
By monica smith at 04/20/2009 - 06:54 | Accountability | Civil rights | Crime | Terrorism | Video | War | login or register to post comments
Public Officials' Preference for Privacy Prompted This
Our Senate majority leader, Maggie Hassan, being quoted in the New York Times
The Senate majority leader, Maggie Hassan, who has not publicly shared her opinion of same-sex marriage, said that Senate Democrats were "still having a lot of discussions" and that the testimony on Wednesday would figure heavily into their decisions.prompted me to send the following along to her office, as well as my own Senator, Amanda Merrill:
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