Know something I can't stand about some blogs?  They talk about the same thing over and over again.

With that out of the way, I have to go back to John Edwards, aka, Silky Pony.

He is calling the Nutroots out for anti-war marches on, of all days, Memorial Day.

On his new website, John says:

This Memorial Day weekend, we will all take responsibility for the country we love and the men and women who protect it. We will volunteer, we will pray, and we will speak out. In the days leading up to Memorial Day, we will take action to support our troops, end the war, and bring them home to the heroes' welcome they deserve. And on Memorial Day, we will honor and remember all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom.

The problem is, if I thought John's March for Surrender would, in any way, "honor and remember all those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom," maybe I could stomach it.  However, past "peace marches" have been anything but occasions of solemn reflections about our war dead.

Instead, they've been more like this:

Protesters burn US Soldier in effigy

Congressman's Office Attacked, Rep. Threatened*

Anarchists Spray US Capitol with Graffiti

And, of course, the protestors have primarily been from groups such the Boy Scouts of America, and .... eh ... check that ... they have been from:

A.N.S.W.E.R. **

Black Bloc / Anarchists

United for Peace & Justice  ***


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ON A SIDENOTE:

* I have met Rep. Rogers, he's a nice guy.  The thing I think they missed in the piece covering the damage to his office is that, on the sidewalk outside, the perp had used paint to a person's outline with the message "YOU'RE NEXT".  So much for peaceful resistance.

** ANSWER is a front for communist organizations.  Even the dreaded anarchists think so.

*** UFPJ is a cobbling together of many other groups including the Communist Party USA, the U.S. Campaign to End the Israeli Occupation, and others.  A little note about UFPJ's point of view:

The breadth of UFPJ's agendas extends well beyond anti-war activism. Passionately anti-American, this group condemns virtually every aspect of U.S. foreign policy and domestic life. It impugns America's "daily assaults and attacks on poor and working people, on women, people of color, lesbians/gays and other sexual minorities, the disabled, and so many others." It asserts that "the government treats all immigrants as potential terrorist threats until proven innocent, in violation of the Constitution," thereby "expanding the scope and depth of racial injustice within the U.S."

END ADD'L COMMENTS
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And lots of others as the Washington Post pointed out:

The event is expected to draw groups of many stripes. The chart for the assembly site shows sections reserved for veterans and labor, gay and peace organizations, in addition to others dedicated to opposing global warming, nuclear arms and torture and a group called End Israeli Occupation of Palestine.

Ooooooookay, so "labor" and "gay" groups, oh, and ones opposing global warming, joined the protest on...our presence in Iraq.  Hmmmm.

Where was I?  Oh yeah, the point is this, John's Memorial Day protest, a day intended for solemn remembrance, is going to be made up of groups that are, generally, simply anti-American.

And he's not naive enough not to know it.  So, he'll have unclean hands as Communists, Castroists, and others who loathe this country march on Memorial Day.

Shameful.

OK, a strange enough question, right?

Well, if you are at all familiar with the farce that has passed for the N.C. budget over the past few years, then you know that waaaay back in 2001 the N.C. General Assembly passed two "temporary" taxes to address a budget "crisis."  Before the taxes could expire, they were renewed in 2003....and they were renewed again in 2005.

The year is 2007, and the N.C. House has passed a budget that would renew the "temporary" taxes for another two years.

An eight year temporary tax?

Everybody's starting to catch on by now.  I think they need to come up with a different name:

Maybe...Transitory Contribution....or...Transient Revenue Enhancement...or...Impermanent Levy Imposition?

From the News & Observer:

"It's not often that a Congressman issues a press release about the state budget.

But U.S. Rep. G.K. Butterfield said today that the House budget approved last night does not give enough Medicaid relief for North Carolina's counties...

'This problem has reached a crisis for many poor counties,' Butterfield said. 'It's reached a point where the most basic services, such as education and public safety, are suffering in the communities that can least afford to go without. Under the current system, the poorest counties will only become poorer and fall further behind.'"


Butterfield has introduced legislation that would prohibit states from passing on any Medicaid share to their counties.  However, it only applies to North Carolina because that is the only state that requires counties to share in that cost.  It is unlikely that the legislation will go anywhere.

Thanks to Cong. Butterfield anyway!

To: My Mother, Mother-in-Law, and Wife:

Thanks for all you do and have done.  We don't tell often enough, but you have a really tough job and we appreciate you doing it.

We love you.

Tim and the boys

I have only been able to mutter under my breath about the budgets proposed by the North Carolina General Assembly and our venerable Governor.  Why?  Because nobody on Jones Street listens and they are apparently awash in cash.  With each new dollar that arrives down the street at the Department of Revenue, the budgeteers quickly find something else to spend it on.

Most of the newspapers have been out to lunch on this, the local news stations can't devote more than about 7.32 seconds to any one particular story, and, for whatever reason, the electorate seems to be satisfied with this profligate spending.

Well finally, a voice in the wilderness has cried out denouncing such financial tomfoolery.

The Dunn Daily Record, in an aptly, if undramatically, named editorial says House Budget Spends Too Much.  Ah, the wisdom of a simple title.

Noting that Gov. Easley has whined that the House has cut too much out of his education "investments," the Record goes on:

While the governor himself has no stellar record on writing budgets, it seems that he is only slightly less competent than many lawmakers. "They have a lot of work to do," Gov. Easley said of the budget proposed by Democrats in the House, where it is expected to come to a vote later in the week. "I don't see the laser-like focus on education that we've seen in the past."

The two-year budget released Monday includes many of the items Gov. Easley wants, including an expensive new program to give low-income students university admission without student loans to repay.

Apparently, the governor doesn't think Democratic House members are spending enough, even though they are planning to spend a whopping $250 million more than he requested. He says the education portion of the budget for next year is nearly $50 million less than what he wanted.

Easley want more for his legacy project "More at Four."  Don't get me started.  What next "Yippee at Three," "Hullabaloo at Two," "Baby Fun at One," "Margaritas for Fetus (virgin of course)".

OK, I'm spent.  And everything the NC politicians can get their hands on is too!

You know, John Edwards is a smart guy.  He's a trial lawyer who has made a gazillion dollars "helping" folks.

But, I have to say, this campaign stuff must be taking its toll on his grey matter.

I mean, first, we have $400 haircuts for the Silky Pony and visits to The Pink Sapphire salon.  For Pete's sake, Johnny, who suggested you go to that place?  Check out their Mission Statement:

Our mission is to provide an avenue into the intriguing world of makeup...Pink Sapphire offers the essentials to treat your body from head to toe, whether your feet deserve a little pampering or you just have to find that perfect shade of lipstick...

You can't make this stuff up.

But on a more serious note, after John and John lost the '04 election, Silky began a center to study poverty, traveled to New Orleans to shake his head dramatically about the poor there, and basically toured the country trumpeting his "Two Americas" theme.

But he also did something else.  He went to work for a hedge fund.  Now a hedge fund has nothing to do with landscaping.  Rather, as the AP notes, they "traditionally cater to the rich..."

The fund for which Johnny worked, Fortress Investment Group, was founded in 1998, with other $35 billion in assets.  Yeah, that's billions with a "B".  Fortress managers were among Edwards' most loyal donors.

OK, I don't fault the guy for trying to make some money.  More power to him.  If he's not practicing law, he probably needs to get out there and make a living.

But with a hedge fund?  A vehicle synonymous with rich folks trying to shelter their piles of cash?  And John is supposed to be a proponent for the poor?  How in the world do you square that circle?

Well, a week went by before he could come up with an answer.  And this is where additional grey matter loss (or poor staff selection) is showing.  You ready?

Edwards says that he took the job at the hedge fund to .... (drum roll) ... to learn more about poverty!

OK, while you clean up the milk, coffee or other beverage that just came out of your nose, let's think about why most people would go to work at a hedge fund: TO MAKE MONEY.

Heck, just admit John and move on.  The tortured attempt at an excuse you are giving is really providing comic relief.  It's also showing Edwards for what he is.  More opportunistic than sincere.

 The General Assembly and Gov. Mike Easley just can't get enough.

After proposing budgets that increased spending well over a $1 billion and denying counties any help for their Medicaid burden, the Legislature suddenly discovered a windfall (from the May 3rd Raleigh News and Observer):

Lawmakers received good news late last week when they found that unexpected growth in tax payments from capital gains on stock and real estate sales pushed North Carolina's revenue surplus to more than $1.1 billion. That gives House leaders more flexibility as they fashion a roughly $20 billion state budget. They could release a budget bill early next week, and planned to release some portions of it today.

The capital gains payments helped bring $260 million more to the state in April, when income tax collections are due. David Crotts, the legislature's economic analyst, said the April income tax revenues are 28 percent higher than in the previous year.

But rather than share the excess with the counties in the form of Medicaid relief, or, perish the thought, return what amounts to overtaxation to the taxpayers, the newly found funds were quickly swallowed up.

Raleigh has become a black hole of spending.  It is growing every year and nothing can escape its grasp.

After six guys had planned for over a year to bust into Ft. Dix (NJ), spray the base with automatic gunfire, and kill as many troops as possible, "White House spokesman Tony Snow [said] there is 'no direct evidence' that the men arrested in the Fort Dix plot have ties to international terrorism."

Well, certainly I am no terrorism expert, but isn't that one of the goals of establishing "cells", i.e., having groups of people with the same ideology that are very loosely connected or not connected at all and have "no direct evidence... [of] ties to international terrorism"?

Saw this elsewhere and thought it was insightful.

Well, I don't think there was evidence of direct ties of those troublesome lads who blew up a couple London's trains to "international terrorism" either.

Let's not get blinded or be obtuse just so we are not labeled "alarmist;" there do not have to be direct links for people to be involved in Islamofascist terror of the kind espoused by jihadists all over the world.  TX

Indeed.

 Remember that joke: "Have you stopped beating your wife?"

There is no answer that won't get you in trouble. 

That's sort of the way it is with liberal policy in North Carolina and taxes: there is never a good time to reduce taxes.

If the economy is roaring and we have surpluses, we cannot reduce taxes because we need to build up our reserves.

If the economy is sputtering, well, we can't spare the revenues that would be sacrificed.

Check out this recent piece by Chris Fitzsimons of N.C. (Liberal) Policy Watch.  Fitz argues that we have just too much money that has to be spent to be giving people back some of their money...especially letting those temporary taxes die that were enacted in, oh, 2001.  There's a joke in there somewhere too.  "How many years can a tax be temporary in North Carolina....?

Anyhoo, too much money to spend to give tax relief?  HELLO!  That's kind of the whole point isn't Chris.  The General Assembly (including a fair share of Republicans) in cahoots with the Governor have spent themselves silly and now they're complaining because they don't have enough money.

Please, give me a break.  If you people had to run a real business and really be held accountable to someone, you wouldn't last a week!

According to widely available figures, which I conveniently do not quote here, North Carolina has seen the highest influx of illegal immigrants in the last several years.

There are a number of reasons for the this (huge agricultural economy base, notoriously easy acquisition of N.C. Driver's Licenses, etc...), but regardless, like all states, we suffer the same ills that massive numbers of illegals brings.

Regardless of which side of the "comprehensive immigration bill" debate you may fall, North Carolinians received some moderately good news in just the past couple of days.

From the Triangle Business Journal:

North Carolina may be home to a new immigration court if the state is chosen from among of the three states being considered for the court.

Missouri and Nebraska are also in the running, says Charles Miller, a spokesman for the U.S. Department of Justice.

It is premature, he says, to speculate on areas within the state might be logical. The location of the court will be determined based on the number of cases seen in a jurisdiction, geography and funding, which is up to Congress, Miller says.

With two judges and their staffs, an immigration court costs about $1.1 million a year, a spokeswoman for the justice department told the Associated Press.

As it stands now, people in the Triad must travel to Atlanta to the immigration court there, says immigration lawyer David Long of Long, Chang & Associates in Jamestown.

The Atlanta court handles immigration law cases from the Carolinas, Alabama and Georgia. Last year about 3,400 cases from North Carolina were heard in the court.

Immigration judges deal with asylum requests, residency status reviews and removal proceedings including deportation.

Long says North Carolina is one of the fastest-growing immigration communities in the nation and one of the largest jurisdictions without its own court. Having a court in the state would make immigration proceedings an expedited process, he says, as his law firm has seen lots of clients travel to Atlanta, which is often an inconvenience for them.

"It's kind of strange that we have this large community without our own immigration court," Long says.

This court would be a welcome relief for our state if we could be assured that the court and its staff could be counted upon to do something concrete with those appearing before it and that cases would be handled in a timely fashion.

Maybe, but after continued news such as this, there is still a great deal of convincing to do by the mostly silent "moderate" Muslim community --

THAILAND: Police temporarily closed 20 schools in Narathiwat, in southern Thailand, after two suspected Islamist militants dressed in student uniforms fatally shot a teacher in front of his fourth grade class. Public school teachers are viewed as government instruments by militants, who have a heavy presence in southern Thailand, and 44 teachers have been killed since 2004, prompting security escorts.

From StratFor.

Okay, now I hate generalizations as bad as the next guy, but this kind of stuff happens far too often and goes uncondemned for it not be seen as an accepted (or at least a "wink, wink, say no'more) type of activity.

More power to the IDF.

They may have waited too long and given Hezbollah too much time to prepare for this conflict.  But now that the Israelis are finally getting medieval on their ass, I sincerely hope they finish the job.

See Yoni's Blog.