UPDATED 4/4: GOODBYE WMT

Friday was in all likelihood my last broadcast on-air...maybe. I was dismissed on Friday, so it's no April Fools as some of you have asked. Thanks for lending me your ears, Eastern Iowa.

I have been overwhelmed with emails and I cannot thank you folks enough. It has stopped me from climbing into a bottle...just kidding.

At the moment, I am considering my future in radio. There are some opportunities, one of which popped up on Monday. I will do my best to keep those that care informed, but in all reality - I will not be returning to radio in Cedar Rapids. I thank you for spending time with me, and recently, letting me know how much I have affected some of you.

I am attending to my number one job...being a husband and father. The provider part will be taken care of eventually. I have continued faith in what I am doing and how well I can do it. Your many comments have been proof of that.

This blog was never meant for much more than an additional outlet for my thoughts and as a billboard for my career. That may change at some point as I consider the cost and time involved in keeping it relevant.

I cannot truly speak of what transpired...many of you have asked. Radio is a very small community of people and I don't want to damage what future I have in it. Outside of that, I have been on the other end of terminations as well...and it's no fun. Companies today are truly frightened of wrongful termination lawsuits. Not that I would sue, but enough people have to force companies to give very generic reasons. In fact, when considering references for resumes, companies will only provide start date, end date, and attendance.

Thank you again for all of the emails. The comment area below is for those who want to post anonymously or otherwise, and I appreciate those as well.

greg@gregalan.net

KILLING THE PRESIDENT, THE RIGHT WAY
(note to Secret Service - it's only a play on words, not an actual threat)

Just to show some of you that I indeed have a funny bone...I'm going to reference the letter to the editor in the Cedar Rapids Gazette on Tuesday this week one more time. In case you missed it - or don't have a subscription to the internet version...

Obituary page is surprising place to see Bush’s picture

What an interesting array of headlines and information in the March 21 Gazette. On the front page, perfectly aligned with one another, were three headlines: ‘‘Protesters voice their dismay,’’ ‘‘Violence sweeps across Iraq’’ and ‘‘Bush finds reason for hope.’’Further into the newspaper, I found a headline in much larger letters stating ‘‘No skills required.’’ That pretty much says what George Bush’s resume must state. The only disappointing thing I saw in the paper that day was when I read the obituaries.

Imagine my surprise when I opened that page and saw Bush’s picture on the obituary page, only to realize The Gazette had chosen that particular page to run an article about his impending visit to Iowa complete with picture.

Great use of creative journalism.

Karla Thordsen-Hanrahan
Wellman, Iowa

Okay...nuff said about that one. But how about a stage play where a member of the cast uses an audience members phone to call the White House and shout, "I'm gonna kill the President: A federal offense!"

Now, THAT'S comedy. And I mean it. This is a really unique and interesting play coming to Iowa from New York...

Join political satire — if you dare - Des Moines Register

Those who brave " 'I'm Gonna Kill the President': A Federal Offense" must meet at a random location and must declare on video that they have no ties to any law enforcement agency. Described as "guerilla comedy" and "political satire," this Imagination Liberation Front production began as a way-off-Broadway play (i.e. Brooklyn) in 2003, and has been known to stage its revolutionary theater in warehouses and people's backyards. Lately located in venues across Los Angeles, it will come to Des Moines on April 15 as part of a three-week tour of Midwest and Southwest venues.

You may not be able to tell, but I'm being totally serious...this sounds extremely interesting. It's very creative.

During the show, actors phone the White House switchboard on an audience member's cell phone and the audience yells the play's title...according to the play's author, Hieronymous BANG

Weird name for a guy, but we'll grant him a little license because he's an artist...

According to the story, the Secret Service was in the audience at one point monitoring the production...as well they should. But, there's a difference between having ONE person say that into a phone and having the AUDIENCE say that into a phone. The difference being, of course, actual federal charges.

The play itself is a comedic love story about a college student who falls for a radical activist on the run and joins him in his goal of trying to kidnap the president..."Our intention is to make participating in what happens in the world fun, not didactic or boring or stiff or confusing," BANG said. The show doesn't take sides: It would be equally relevant had Al Gore been elected in 2000, BANG said.

I believe him. Apparently, members of the Department of Homeland Security and Republicans in general have been very P.O.ed about the play. They should get a life and lighten up a little. Anyone have tickets and know where this is being shown?

Oh, and if you reach Karla (the letter writer) at her home in Wellman...you might want to explain the joke. She definitely needs a lesson.

Happy April Fools Day tomorrow!

TOO EASY

I hate to do this to you, because it's been done so many times, but I couldn't help myself.

-Ripping the President for lack of leadership in the war on terror?...hilarious

-Opposing, but authorizing overwhelmingly the renewal of the Patriot Act?...cynical

-Proposing a censure of the President over the wiretapping issue?...dangerous

-Holding up a "real plan" for winning the war on terror in a major press conference?...

Priceless...

Like I said...too easy.

GREG ALAN, P.H.D.

I didn't go to college. I went to a little place called "Brown Institute" (now called Brown College) to learn how to do radio. Considering that I'm still in radio...the money I spent went to good use.

Today's story about the huge debt incurred by college students in Iowa got to me. I believed it. I starting wondering just how much beer you could possibly drink. I felt sorry for them...

"You've just graduated ISU with 28-grand in debt...what do you plan do next, Joe College?"

"...declare bankruptcy!"

Then, I started to use my critical thinking skills and some Googling...and the National Center for Education Statistics

ISU students average $29,480 in debt - Des Moines Register

Students...carry more debt into the world than their peers at four-year schools nationally and at the University of Iowa and the University of Northern Iowa, according new studies...with $13,600 more education-related debt than their national peers, according to the latest study in student borrowing at the university...

Wow...seems like a lot. But there is some good news near the end of the story.

41 percent of graduating seniors in 2004-05 at the University of Iowa graduated without debt, compared with 30 percent at ISU and 22.9 percent at the UNI. Nationally, the regents reported that 34 percent of graduating seniors in 2003-04 were without debt.

All right...there's an upside. But back to the misery, there's some interesting problems all that debt is causing. At least according to the study's author...

The consequence of the debt is that fewer students are choosing lower-paying public interest careers, as they seek higher-paying jobs to pay off loans, said Chris Lindstrom, higher education program director for the Public Interest Research Group, which manages the student debt campaign.

One of the consequences is fewer are choosing lower-paying public interest careers? Like what? Greenpeace? MoveOn.org? PETA?

Oh, my God! We'll have less people to take their clothes off to protest fur and tell little children they'll die if they drink milk! Eeek!!! Who's to blame for this outrage?!?

She blames the debt on less federal and state aid, which results in higher tuition and fees.

Ahh...there's the rub. Enter into my classroom, young blue-collar types...

Blaming the debt on less federal and state aid…uh…federal aid to colleges and university has never been more. And it has grown every year. Meanwhile, tuition increases have been going up faster than the rate of inflation for the last 20 years. 9-percent last year, 14-percent the year before…and it’s not because federal aid has increased that much less than the rate of inflation.

Maybe they don’t teach this in college anymore…but how about supply and demand? You can’t turn on an average politician these days without the idea of "we need more people going to college" pounded into your head. Isn’t it logical that more and more people would take that advice? Even if it doesn’t sound logical to you…it’s true. Look at the enrollment figures for the past 20 years…they’re all up…every year.

And there are more and more ways to pay for it…529’s, Iowa specific savings programs, Pell Grants, other tax-sheltered savings programs, a LOT more conventional loans, other scholarships and grants...and a lot of it doesn’t even have to be paid back. Demand for college is skyrocketing…so is tuition. Ta-da!!

For those of you with college degrees, just think of the Administration of your average University as a member of "Big Oil"...and...oh, nevermind. Bad example.

Then there is the "after college" effect. Naturally, the Des Moines Register uses worst case scenarios…

According to FinAid, a student financial aid Web site, a college loan of $29,480 would cost about $339 per month to be paid off in 10 years. The Web site estimates that a graduate with the loan will need an annual salary of at least $40,711.20 to be able to afford to repay it.

The truth? Over a lifetime – according to nationally recognized statistics and politicians who beat us over the head with the "we need to send more kids to college" rants – a graduate from college will earn roughly $1 million dollars more than he/she would have had they not gone to college. Maybe not in the "public interest" careers…but we don’t really have politicians beating us over the head to join wack-jobs like Greenpeace.

Imagine…all of that logic and common sense without the benefit of a college degree. Mom and Dad ARE proud, thank you.

Now go have a beer...and charge it to your Visa.

<--JOIN THIS PROTEST?

(Photo from a protest outside the Montebello, California High School and Michelle Malkin's website)

There's a guest opinion in the Iowa City Press Citizen today that needs to have a response. It's written by David Marxuach, identified as an Iowa City resident. It might be more appropriate that he use only the first four letters of his last name. In it, he calls on Iowa farmers to join the protest over the awful treatment we would be giving illegal aliens if some people...um...well, we're actually not going to be all that awful to them after our US Senate gets done with them, are we? We'll be granting them amnesty, citizenship, jobs, in-state tuition rights, and all kinds of goodies. In return, we get a lower cost work force to do the jobs "we won't do"...

Join in the protest against this immigration legislation, he says. The true reason he's writing the column is because of the story of Shanti Sellz...daughter of an Iowa City resident who was arrested as part of a humanitarian group that helps illegals cross the hot desert in Arizona. He begins...

This month Republican legislators have decided to take advantage of these increasingly paranoid times and have introduced legislation that would persecute undocumented immigrants in this country and criminalize those who try to come to their aid.

Oh, please…spare me the phoney tricks with the language. Undocumented sounds like, “they’re really nice dogs…they just don’t have their papers.”

It’s not paranoid either. Our US State Department screwed up when we approved visas for a bunch of people back in 1999 and 2000 or so…they ended up learning to fly, but were just a bit undocumented on how to land.

The bill also calls for the prosecution of anyone who gives undocumented immigrants assistance, possibly resulting in prison terms of five years for doctors, nurses, social workers, or others who provide aid.

How about for those that provide jobs? Isn’t that assistance? Or aren't Democrats/Marxuach-ians interested anymore in going after those big companies that hire illegal aliens instead of union workers. If we're not, we should give back all those fines to businesses that have been prosecuted for hiring them. Wal-Mart included.

A perfect example of this prosecutorial overzealousness can be seen in the case of two volunteers for the faith-based No More Deaths, one of whom is from Iowa City. They were arrested in July of last year by the U.S. Border Patrol for saving the lives of three critically injured undocumented immigrants found in the 105-degree Arizona desert. They are currently being prosecuted by the government for transporting persons illegally into the country.

This is simply a bold faced lie. The only reason he includes this is because it involves the child of some Iowa City residents. Shanti Sellz (see photo).

What he doesn’t tell you, is they didn’t save the lives of anything resembling “critically injured” illegals. Read the original news story about Shanti Sellz from the Denver Post (reprinted in the Durango Herald):

Court documents show Strauss and Sellz passed two Border Patrol agents before being pulled over by a third, suggesting that prosecutors may contend that if the immigrants they were carrying really needed help, it was quickly at hand.

Yeah…if they were so critically injured, why didn’t they just turn them over to the Border Patrol who had water, medical supplies, emergency equipment, first aid, radios, etc? Why did they drive to a church in order to make a phone call to a doctor and only then make a trip to Tucson…more than 60 miles away? The rest of the story (pardon me, Paul Harvey) is from MotherJones and an Associated Press story by Andrew Gumbel:

On July 9 last year, a group of eight Mexican migrants made the hazardous journey across the U.S. border into Arizona and, after three days of walking through the blistering desert heat, stumbled into a group of humanitarian aid volunteers near the farming village of Arivaca, about 60 miles southwest of Tucson.

Five of them needed no more than rest, food, water and relatively minor treatment for blisters on their feet before they were on their way again. But the other three were in altogether worse shape. According to several eyewitnesses, they were badly dehydrated and vomiting repeatedly after drinking contaminated water from a cattle trough. One of them, Emil Hidalgo-Solis, later told investigators he was unable to keep anything in his stomach, solid or liquid, and noticed that his diarrhea was streaked with blood.

The aid volunteers, representing a group called No More Deaths, brought the three to their camp in Arivaca and, following standard protocol, discussed the men’s symptoms over the telephone with a registered nurse, who consulted in turn with a physician. Together, they decided the men needed to be brought to Tucson for further examination and treatment...According to the Border Patrol, the three men sitting in the back seat of their car were not sick at all—or at least not sick enough for the assistance they received to be regarded as strictly humanitarian in nature.

See? It doesn’t sound so cut and dry does it? They pass TWO border patrol vehicles on their way to a hospital 60-miles away. All of this after stopping the “critically injured” immigrants off at a church to make a phone call to a nurse who made a phone call to a doctor. The other five they let "go on their way" - presumably into the United States.

The U.S. magistrate presiding over the pre-trial proceedings, Judge Bernard P. Velasco, indicated strongly that his sympathies were on the government’s side. It was one thing to offer medical assistance in the desert, he said in a ruling denying a motion to dismiss the charges ahead of trial, but quite another to drive people into a big city.

So now you know the truth about Shanti Sellz. Now, for you Iowa farmers that desperately need illegal aliens working for you...speak up, says Marxuach

An agricultural state like Iowa would be vulnerable to this senseless legislation because our farmers and processing plants depend on the work of immigrants, many of whom may be undocumented. While farmers may wish to hire legal workers, they are not available. In fact, the New York Times has reported that 70 percent of the 1.2 million hired workers in the agricultural industry are undocumented. Where would this labor come from if this new legislation was passed?

How about from the 72 percent of unemployed young black males? It's a story from from your beloved source, the New York Times.

Or don’t you care about them anymore?

DEAR DISTRACTION, I SECRETLY WISH THE PRESIDENT WAS DEAD TOO

I'm sorry, sorry, sorry, sorry for bringing attention to a letter to the editor that expressed disappointment that the President of the United States wasn't dead yet. After discussing the shocking condition of the country that would inspire that kind of sentiment, I went a little too far on the radio show according to some people.

Brian was a caller to the show, and after he attempted to explain why someone would feel that way toward the President, he asked if I was going to let him finish what he wanted to say. I said no and hung up on him. The following is a copy of our email correspondence...

Brian wrote:

Hey, It's so nice to call your show with a critisizm and be talked over. Nice that you "allow" opposing veiwpoints. Typical Republican. Only supportive calls right? Just like Limbaugh.

What I wanted to say before you cut me off like the coward you are, is that I'll bet that if Clinton's picture had been in the paper, and someone wrote the exact same thing, you would NEVER have mentioned it.

Your OBSESSION with a harmless letter to the editor is nothing but misdirection. You want to keep people from discussing the damage Bush and his crew are doing to America.

I have lost all respect for WMT. Since you went to "Fox news" I can't even trust the news anymore.

"Fair and balanced". Whatever.

When are some of these people going to learn that being compared to the number one most listened to radio host in the country IS NOT an insult? I replied last night...

Wrong on many counts...

Not that I'm trying to prove my credentials, but I spent more than a good share of the program today "bashing" the president for his ridiculous "guest worker" program. I don't get talking points...I see things and react to them.

I hung up on you to prove a point...responsible editing...perhaps a poor example because it didn't allow you to have your full say. For that, I apologize. I would have instructed the screener (who's only job is name, town, and topic callers want to call about) to let you through again. I am not a coward. I am an entertainer...hopefully. I used you to prove a point...think Cindy Sheehan and you get where I'm coming from. Again, I apologize for doing it.

I said at the outset that it didn't matter to me whether it was a Republican president or Democrat. I don't remember the "hate Clinton" crowd (and they were legion) ever getting a letter printed that expressed disappointment that he wasn't dead. I don't begrudge her for writing the letter, but she didn't seem to have any other point other than her sad realization that Bush wasn't dead. I felt I had to call her on the irresponsibility of such statements. If I don't...and the editors at the paper didn't, who will? An idiot dope of a radio talk show guy in St Louis just got fired (within 20 minutes) this week after calling Condoleeza Rice a coon. It was the right decision...or does "free speech" rule in that case too?

Regardless of what this President has "done to the country", it still isn't civil to wish him dead in print. It's a less extreme example of granting permission to fly planes into buildings because of what the US "has done to" Osama.

Thank you for listening. I truly value your ears.

The irony here is pretty sweet, don't you think? Where is the opportunity to provide an opposing viewpoint in the Letter to the Editor? Write one myself in the hopes they print it in a few weeks? Or discuss it on a radio show that allows INSTANT reaction?

My well-reasoned response only seemed to fuel more anger...maybe he's right. I shouldn't have called attention to the letter. It doesn't help to debate these people...as you can see in his reply.

Mr. Alan

My attitude is fueled by people who take something small and insignificant, and make it a big thing. If you hate this woman's opinion so much, better to let it die than to make her a media star. All you do is inspire people to her defense. I don't agree with what the letter SEEMS to say, but I also am angry at you for exaggerating not only her message but it's importance.

There are real issues at stake. Plenty enough for radio fodder, and before you accuse me of hating the media, I don't. I'm just ashamed of it for it's role in helping this treasonous man in the white house.

Please, those that would defend someone who wishes the President of the United States dead...step forward and be heard. We'll start tapping your phones "illegally" too. Good luck in the elections with this kind of rah-rah-rah agenda.

WOMAN DISAPPOINTED BUSH NOT DEAD

When trying to create interest and generate excitement, isn't it best to save the best for last? Or should you shoot straight for the moon right off the bat? It's an old showbiz trick that works, but I find myself in great difficulty today because I can't wait to tell you (if you don't already know) about a recent letter to the editor in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. A newspaper will generally titillate you with a blaring headline, which causes you to become interested...like I just did above...and read the story. Then, when you're about to the climax of the story - you have to turn to page 14A past all of the ads and things to read the rest. Today, let's play newspaper...

WOMAN WISHES PRESIDENT WERE DEAD

More on that story later...first the other news of the day:

General: Guard strong despite deployments - Des Moines Register

Despite repeated call-ups of troops for missions in Iraq and Afghanistan, the 9,600-member Iowa National Guard is at full strength and ready for state emergencies, a top general told state lawmakers Monday.

Darn...suppose we have a disaster in Iowa and not everything goes as smoothly as it should. We won't be able to blame it on Bush and his illegal war using our National Guard troops. Of course, no one will remember this story when and if we have a major disaster that needs the National Guard in Iowa. Thankfully, the internet has cache capabilities and these stories can be searched for in an emergency.

Here's another piece of the story I found interesting...

Iowa soldiers and airmen have participated in humanitarian efforts intended to make these places better than before they arrived, [Maj. Gen. Ron] Dardis said. He cited the case of Chief Warrant Officer Al Kakac and his fellow soldiers from Task Force 168 who worked with agricultural experts from Iowa and the U.S. Department of Agriculture to develop a large farm test plot in Afghanistan. Farmers were shown how to improve their corn yields by more than 100 bushels per acre by planting corn in rows rather than scattering seeds. This provided the Afghan farmers with an alternative to planting opium.

Jesus...how backwards do you have to be to think that scattering seeds is a good way to get a large corn yield. Those Soviets really taught these people a lot when they invaded back in the 70's, eh?

But still...Damn that's cool. Interesting that it takes a major speech to hear this information, isn't it? You'd think that the agriculture-crazy Des Moines Register and other Iowa newspapers would be interested in this kind of a story. It's a unique angle. It captures my imagination...heck, I might even turn to page 14A to read the rest of that story. Guess you couldn't squeeze it in, though.

Coming up...IOWA LADY WANTS BUSH DEAD...now here's more news...

Senators Back Guest Workers - most papers including the Washington Post

A key Senate panel broke with the House's get-tough approach to illegal immigration yesterday and sent to the floor a broad revision of the nation's immigration laws that would provide lawful employment to millions of undocumented workers

That giant sucking sound that 'ole Ross Perot spoke about in 1992 is no longer in Mexico. I may be a simpleton sometimes, but a GUEST usually leaves after a certain period of time. How many of you have ever offered to have Aunt May live with you permanently after the Thanksgiving dinner was finished? But here's where my math skills fail me...

legislation...clears the way for 11 million illegal aliens to seek U.S. citizenship, a victory for demonstrators who had spilled into the streets by the hundreds of thousands demanding better treatment for immigrants...It approved a new temporary program allowing entry for 1.5 million workers seeking jobs in the agriculture industry.

Okay...1.5 million will get jobs in agriculture. What will the other 10 million do?

Still ahead...IOWA WOMAN DISAPPOINTED PRESIDENT BUSH IS ALIVE

Blouin: Soup vs. Bush/Nussle ’feast’ - CR Gazette, but reprinted on the Mike Blouin for Governor website

Democratic gubernatorial candidate Mike Blouin said Monday he plans to spotlight a basic philosophical difference with GOP rival Jim Nussle by hosting soup suppers...Blouin said his campaign and its supporters will be serving soup in Cedar Rapids, Davenport and Des Moines...Blouin said attendees at his soup suppers will be asked to pay $5 or $10 a head, or whatever they can afford, while Republicans attending the Bush event will pay $10,000 for an opportunity to be photographed with the president. Tickets to the GOP fundraiser start at $250 per person.

This is just sick. Funny...playing to the typical class envy crowd...but sick. Again, I hope those fools who still support Democrats remember this story in the future when he's hosting $1,000 a plate fundraisers with Senator John Kerry or whoever...but I know they won't.

Wouldn't it be hilarious if NO ONE PAID ANYTHING for their soup? He'd stop hosting them pretty darn soon after that...

Funnily enough, I can't find any upcoming events that Mike Blouin will be making an appearance at in the near future. The website comes up BLANK when you go there. Kinda like his brain...

Still, can I suggest a headline for his opponents?

DEMOCRAT TAX AND SPEND FUTURE...10 DOLLARS FOR A BOWL OF SOUP

Finally, there is the letter to the editor in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Another mindless, time wasting, pointless, get it off your chest, hateful, idiotic letter that should never have been printed. What the hell is wrong with the editors at the CR Gazette...if this is the best letter they could find to print, I shudder to think of the ones they don't print...

(printed in it's entirety - comments below)
Obituary page is surprising place to see Bush’s picture
What an interesting array of headlines and information in the March 21 Gazette. On the front page, perfectly aligned with one another, were three headlines: ‘‘Protesters voice their dismay,’’ ‘‘Violence sweeps across Iraq’’ and ‘‘Bush finds reason for hope.’’

Further into the newspaper, I found a headline in much larger letters stating ‘‘No skills required.’’ That pretty much says what George Bush’s resume must state. The only disappointing thing I saw in the paper that day was when I read the obituaries.

Imagine my surprise when I opened that page and saw Bush’s picture on the obituary page, only to realize The Gazette had chosen that particular page to run an article about his impending visit to Iowa complete with picture.

Great use of creative journalism.
Karla Thordsen-Hanrahan
Wellman

Imagine opening my paper to see such a waste of ink. She probably thinks she's being rather cute, but she's just showing more and more that the loony left has no argument, no logic, no thought, nothing but hate and venom.

In all the years of living under the Clinton administration, I can honestly tell you I never would have thought myself disappointed to see his photo absent from the obituary section. These people are really just a waste of skin.

As a fellow human being, Ms two-last-names biatch...I still don't wish your photo in the actual obituaries. Just to make sure I have the right one to look for...here's her address and phone number courtesy of ZabaSearch:

Karla T Hanrahan
1724 Hwy 22
Wellman, Iowa 52356
319-646-2531

DO YOURSELF A FAVOR

I have to believe the news this weekend involving all the protests over illegal immigration is not doing a whole lot of good.

Take this widely circulated photo of more than 500,000 protestors in Los Angeles...

I'm here to tell you that a photo like that is likely to help do the opposite of what they want. The more average Americans who see this photo, the more opposition will build to anything that resembles a "guest worker program."

Just a guess, really. But you see very few American flags (mostly Mexican flags), you hear an awful lot of strange rhetoric, and the fact that the photo itself is evidence of the problem of illegal immigration. Do you see any INS agents? No...didn't think so.

Just ask yourself a basic question...Shouldn't I be a bit suspicious of your want to join the United States as a legal citizen in good standing, if all I see are a bunch of signs like this:

And finally, some nice rhetoric about illegal immigration:

"Nobody benefits when the illegal immigrants live in the shadows of society," President Bush.

Mr. President...from what I've seen after this weekend...they're not in the shadows.

LOONY BIN REPORT

I have said, and continue to maintain, that the movement to keep military recruiters off college campuses has nothing to do with any phoney complaint about "don't ask, don't tell" and gays serving in the military. First, let's de-construct what the policy actually does...

Don't ask - military recruiters are not allowed to ask what your sexual orientation is when they are considering your application to join the armed forces.

Don't tell - when you become a part of the military, don't tell everyone about your sexual orientation.

It's that simple, folks. I know that homosexuals are not allowed to be IN the military, but if they don't ask...and you don't tell...you have no problem being a homosexual in a foxhole. You may not like the fact that the US military believes homosexual conduct isn't compatible with military service, but they also don't believe fat people belong in F-16's or blind people should be manning a radar installation. The military is not concerned with civil rights. They are concerned with only one duty - protecting United States interests and citizens from international harm.

Since my memory goes back a little further than the 1990's, the policy on gays in the military isn't the origin of the complaints that college campuses have with armed services recruiters. More proof was presented today in a local guest editorial...

College and not combat - Iowa City Press Citizen

The editorial from a local anti-war group tries to play the gay red herring, but end up focusing mostly on their anti-military viewpoint...

The Supreme Court recently ruled that colleges that accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus...the University of Iowa Antiwar Committee presented to President Skorton petitions [calling] on the administration to bar military recruiters from campus because they violate the university's nondiscrimination statement and human rights policy.

Nice try...now tell me the real reason.

We believe in free speech. We even think it would be nice if this right were extended to active-duty military personnel. But we question whether free speech includes the right to lie and coerce.

Active duty military personnel DO NOT have the right of free speech. It's sometimes called - insubordination - and isn't really a good thing to have in a top-down leadership organization. It gets people killed.

But - lie and coerce - now that's a curious phrase. Especially the word coerce. Google definition: to cause to do through pressure or necessity, by physical, moral or intellectual means. In other words, people must be really stupid to join the military...sort of like being convinced to vote for Harkin. Maybe they're speaking from experience...but I digress.

Both the war and UI's decision to aid and abet the military sprang from economic motives. The armed forces are being used to fight a war to solidify U.S. control over the oil-rich Middle-East and ensure U.S. dominance over other major powers...

Yeah - NO BLOOD FOR OIL and other catchy phrases. Anyone see us making a lot of money on this war?

Not to be too harsh, but the writers actually do want to prove how brilliant they are (and how dumb you coerced military people are) by offering some suggestions...a whopping 3 of them...

Follow the lead of the College of Law in regularly informing all students that the military discriminates against gays and lesbians and encourage discrimination victims to file complaints with the Human Rights Committee.

Yeah...file your whiney complaints. I know a couple of Master Sergeants on Parris Island that could use a good laugh.

Require recruiters to request in advance the dates and times for their campus visits, and post information about these visits on the UI Web site to notify counter-recruiters of their presence.

You know what would be really funny? If they notified them using military time and latitude/longitude. 15-hundred hours, at 41.661N and 91.53W....just so they can prove how smart they really are.

Grant counter-recruiters equal access to information booths next to recruiters so that their lies can be countered and alternatives suggested to potential enlistees.

Alternatives? I'm guessing the Peace Corps. Wouldn't that be coercion?

Now, they don't want to finish this sad editorial (and example of the waste of tuition) on a bad note...they love the troops, you see.

Across the U.S., people are waging campaigns to demilitarize schools. We endorse this effort as part of the broader antiwar movement. But let us be clear: We oppose the presence of the military in schools, not individual enlistees. The individuals recruited to fight this war are our friends, family members, classmates and colleagues. Many enlist because they can't afford college or find decent jobs.

I thought they were coerced. Be honest, you dopes - You don't know a soul in the military. You don't WANT to know anyone in the military. If you did, you wouldn't have the view that they were lied to or coerced into joining. I didn't go to college or anything - but aren't you saying that your friends, family members, classmates and colleagues wouldn't be allowed on campus in their uniforms? Isn't that a human right you're violating there?

Instead of sending them to maim and kill -- and to be maimed and killed themselves -- we should consider what the war's $250 billion cost could have bought in college tuition and other social goods...We must oppose the militarization of our schools and support college, not combat.

Catchy phrase. What is it with you lunatics? You're so good at coming up with catchy, creative phrases...but you can't think yourself out of a box.

They did have the guts to print their names in the editorial, so you have to admire them for that...and you have to email them your comments.

Daisy Espino, Ryan Merz and Brian Shearer are members of the University of Iowa
Antiwar Committee. They can be contacted at EMAIL THEM HERE.

Here's a transcript of their recent meeting:

Daisy: All right, the committee to come up with a catchy phrase is now in order

Ryan: Make a motion we take a smoke break

Brian: Seconded

Daisy: All in favor of taking a smoke break, say aye

Ryan: Hey...that's a military kind of word...I make a motion we ban the word aye on principle..

Brian: Okay, seconded...the secretary general will record the vote

Daisy: Hey, who's a general...that's a rather militaristic word...I thought we agreed on "chairperson"

Ryan: I said the person who chairs...I didn't get a second

Daisy: All in favor of seconds...

Ryan: Wait a minute, I thought we were taking a smoke break

Brian: No smokes, no hoax...something something something...

Daisy: Great phrase. Can anyone finish it? we need something that rhymes with hoax..

Ryan: Tokes...

Daisy: Smoke break...

WHAT A DIFFERENCE A FEW YEARS MAKE...OR NOT

Stay with me on this one...don't skip ahead to the bottom to get the point. Half of the fun in reaching milestones is the journey getting there...

This story made national news the last time we dealt with it...we were still hot over the terrorist attacks on the United States. A group known as Muslim Youth Camps of America wanted to lease the land formerly used by the Girl Scouts in North Liberty. It was federal land, and they wanted to use it 9-months out of the year for campers and to hold conferences the rest of the year. Well...they're back:

Lease signed for Muslim youth camp - Iowa City Press Citizen and Des Moines Register

The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers has signed a lease for up to 25 years with a group that wants to build a Muslim youth camp at Lake Coralville. The lease allows the Cedar Rapids-based Muslim Youth Camps of America to build on 114 acres of federal land. Construction can start once the group works out details with county and state regulators, the corps said Wednesday.

This is radically different from an earlier proposal that generated stories on Fox News, the Chicago Tribune, Washington Post, and others...

"...plans to build a prayer tower, a 17,500-square-foot lodge and cabins to host as many as 120 young campers in the summer and conferences in the off-season..."

They even included a photo representation of the main building. (included in this story thanks to the Iowa City Press Citizen archives).

Here are just a few of the things I plucked out of the news stories at the time and their sourcing:

Fox News story on 6/4/2003

Leasing federal property to non-profit groups isn’t unusual for the Army Corps. But this proposal has raised hackles among residents in the community. Some complaints are environmental in nature...Others are worried because the camp is for young Muslims...E-mails and letters to the Army Corps of Engineers have charged that the youth camp could become a "terrorist cell." One went so far as to call Muslims "parasites."

Muslim camp on fed land sparks terror fears - World Net Daily on 7/1/2003 was the headline. The rest of the story wasn't much better.

In a letter to the Corps an Iowa congressmen, Jerry Kuhn of Iowa City said the camp could provide a camouflage site that terrorists could use as an attack base to hit a nearby dam, nuclear plant or stadium.

He expanded on the comments in a Chicago Tribune story on April 7th, 2003:

In an interview, Kuhn said he believes some racial or religious profiling may be justified after terrorists struck America...."We're in a different kind of era. You have to think in a different way," he said. "You have to look at it for how that group could become a cover for terrorists."

Even syndicated radio host Mike Gallagher came to the area to do a live broadcast.

You'd think they were trying to take over our shipping ports or something...shees.

The new story today follows another story earlier this week about a new Muslim American Society at the Cedar Rapids Library.

Muslim group hopes to shed light on culture - Cedar Rapids Gazette on Monday, March 20th(subscription required)

Calling for a better understanding of their culture, organizers officially opened the newest chapter of the Muslim American Society Sunday afternoon at the Cedar Rapids Public Library...the Muslim American Society’s objectives are to promote an understanding between Muslims and non-Muslims, to encourage a virtuous and moral society, to offer alternatives to many of society’s prevailing problems, and to promote human values and family values.

THE POINT: Muslims opening a learning camp on federal land...an Islamic Center in the public library...what's next?

• Boy Scouts allowed in Public Schools?
• Nativity scenes on city property?
• Military recruiting on a university campus?
• Ten Commandments on State Capital grounds?

ACLU? We're waiting...

ANOTHER EDITION OF QUICK HITS

Otherwise known as "Greg is pressed for time today..." or "this caught my eye today..."

Senate OKs bill banning owning wild animals - 3rd item down the list in the DSM Register

A proposed law cracking down on people who keep bears and other wild animals in captivity won the approval Tuesday of the Iowa Senate...a person would be prohibited from owning or possessing a dangerous wild animal, with exceptions for facilities such as zoos and circuses. The list includes: wolves, coyotes, jackals, hyenas, lions, tigers, cougars, leopards, cheetahs, ocelots, bears, pandas, alligators, crocodiles, venomous snakes and "primates other than humans."

Panda's are dangerous? Primates other than humans? Is that the new PC phrase for monkey? Read that another way and slavery could be making a comeback. Good thing they're doing the hard work in the Iowa Legislature...shees...

How to spot a baby conservative - Toronto Star

Remember the whiny, insecure kid in nursery school, the one who always thought everyone was out to get him, and was always running to the teacher with complaints? Chances are he grew up to be a conservative...95 kids from the Berkeley area that social scientists have been tracking for the last 20 years. The confident, resilient, self-reliant kids mostly grew up to be liberals...

Good God...we're studying why people become conservatives and liberals? Tracking kids from the Berkeley area of California isn't necessarily the most pristine controlled experimental area to conduct the study, is it? One more example of scientists looking for a reason to explain why conservatives are the way they are...THERE MUST BE A REASON PEOPLE BELIEVE THAT STUFF! The story continues:

The results do raise some obvious questions. Are nursery school teachers in the conservative heartland cursed with classes filled with little proto-conservative whiners? Or does an insecure little boy raised in Idaho or Alberta surrounded by conservatives turn instead to liberalism? Or do the whiny kids grow up conservative along with the majority of their more confident peers, while only the kids with poor impulse control turn liberal? Part of the answer is that personality is not the only factor that determines political leanings.

No...mostly it could be their parents leanings. Remember parents? They're usually the ones who raise their children. For example...my son's middle name is REAGAN...

Kill eminent domain bill - Cedar Rapids Gazette Editorial, March 22 2006 (subscription required)
Again they start in on the "this is really going to hurt economic development in the state..." angle:

"...In worst-case scenarios, the public will regret pushing for laws that could someday have very unintended consequences of thwarting neighborhood redevelopment or even chasing a job-creating business out of town...a much better reason not to change the law is because of what eminent domain HAS done and what it can do. Do Iowans really want to take away the most effective tool their locally elected governments have to redevelop their towns? Has anyone considered the consequences?..."

And then they tell us that it's rarely been used so why do we need a law to prevent it in the first place.

"...Because the power is rarely used for economic development, they argue, and it’s almost never been abused in Iowa, this legislation is unnecessary...Perhaps politically, that’s a wise tactic. Certainly, lawmakers note statistics of the Iowa Chamber Alliance showing that 78 percent of the time eminent domain is used for road projects..."

How about an editorial that might explain how "public use" came to mean "raising revenue for the state" or "creating jobs" and we should have government take your land and give it to a "private developer"...

Like I said...shees...

Tomorrow: LIVE show broadcast from the Cedar Rapids Chamber of Commerce "Open for Business Expo" at the US Cellular Center. On location, so bring your eggs and rotten tomatoes.

WHERE IS THE OUTRAGE?

I've been hearing for months that the growing sentiment in the United States is to oppose the war in Iraq. If you believe the polls, a majority of Americans are now against the war. Credit goes to a number of sources: media reporting, Bush's inability to inspire and defend, Cindy Sheehan, boredom...

Here we are at the 3-rd anniversary of the invasion of Iraq. Since the protest-left and media like nice round numbers, one would think there would be massive staged demonstrations. They did so when we had 1000 K-I-A's, 1500, 2000, and we're waiting for 2500 K-I-A's. And this year? Not much happened...

Based on various reports from the Associated Press, here are the tallies for some of the highlighted demonstrations:

"over 50" stage protest in Cedar Rapids (pop. 120,000)
175 at State Capital in Des Moines (pop. 200,000)
None reported in Waterloo/Cedar Falls or the Quad Cities

Other reported cities:
300 in Washington DC (pop. 570,000)
1,000 in Times Square, New York City (pop. 8 million)
15,000 in London, England (pop. 7,500,000) - a reported 45,000 attended last year
6,000 in San Francisco (pop. 750,000)

Based on their populations, that's not a groundswell by any means. Maybe it's the economy and they all have jobs now...I dunno.

I prefer to think it's boredom - because they're saying the same things. Take a recent protest in Iowa City (pop. 62,000) on Monday where about 150 people gathered, according to the Iowa City Press Citizen:

Sunday marked the third anniversary of the start of Iraq war, and Iowa City was one of many cities worldwide that hosted anti-war rallies. The Walk Against War rally and march was co-sponsored by Iowans for Peace and the UI Anti-war Committee. As the cold, biting wind cut across the ped mall, several protesters hoisted signs and placards, some reading: "It's all about oil," "voicing dissent is patriotic" and "Bush is a terrorist."

ZZZZZzzzz...huh? Oh, skewz me...back to the story:

Wayland resident and musician Jeffrey Morgan (CD sales website) led the crowd in a protest sing-along while he played guitar. Morgan said he's written about 40 original protest songs in the last 20 to 25 years." My biggest concern is that we were sold a bill of goods. The reason we were put in this war is false," Morgan said.

20 to 25 years? I thought it was the 3-rd anniversary.

Anyway, you'd think after writing more than 2 songs a year he'd actually be someone I would recognize. And they might be able to include some of that incredible boundless creativity into some new protest rhymes.

The march was supposed to be silent to mourn the dead and wounded, but chants such as "What do we want? Peace. When do we want it? Now," occasionally broke out. At the post office, protesters taped letters signed by themselves on the glass doors outside the military recruiting offices.

Nope. Still the same one from 20 years ago, I guess. Maybe the beat isn't something you can chant to...

Okay, enough. I get it. They ARE bored. Personally, I don't know if I can tell the difference between this story and one written last year...or the year before...or 20-years ago.

Then, I get this press release from the University of Iowa and a note from a colleague who got the same release:

To: Alan, Greg
Subject: Did you hear about this?!?!

A panel of University of Iowa faculty members will hold an open forum from 6 to 8 p.m. Wednesday, March 22 during which the panelists will have 15 minutes to make arguments for stopping the war in Iraq. In turn, audience members will have an opportunity to react to the comments. The event, which will be held in Room C-20 of the Pomerantz Center at the corner of North Capitol and East Market streets, is free and open to the public.

Note to Greg: What's wrong with this picture?

I offer you the same reply I gave him:

A whole host of things are wrong with it...

1. Self important elitists who maintain that anything said from their mouths should be listened to and only slightly reacted to.
2. The belief that they can stop a war by talking for a mere 15 minutes.
3. That anyone with the power to do as they suggest is even mildly interested in their views.
4. The lack of any announced "military credentials" on behalf of anyone attending when they complain about those leading us not having any.
5. I won't be able to attend.

I guess I have a basic question for the anti-war left. How is it you expect to inspire peace through talking when you can't seem to inspire more than 300 people to your cause on a Sunday?

And the best response to your liberal anti-war friends when they say, "there were no WMD's"...

Then I guess that whole Gulf War Syndrome thing from the first time around was a hoax. Those of you who were around in 1994 might remember Senator Tom Harkin of Iowa making a big deal about it and wanting to protect those returning veterans. He doesn't seem to be too interested in that kind of stuff these days. Maybe because he would have to admit there are/were WMD's in Iraq.

DO AS I SAY, NOT AS I DO

I was laughing a little bit at a somewhat small article in the Des Moines Register about Bill Dix's proposal to ban illegal immigrants from being eligible for mortgages in the US. Yes, it's true...and it's been on-going for years. Two banks I personally know of - and do business with - have programs that offer mortgages to illegal immigrants...er...undocumented immigrants. Besides Wells Fargo and Bank of America, there are about 35 others. So far, no one has really assembled a list.

They provide mortages to illegals by not requiring individuals to have Social Security numbers when they apply...they just have to have an Individual Taxpayer Identification Number, or ITIN. The IRS has encouraged the use of the ITIN as an alternative to having a SSN so that even "illegals" can pay their taxes.

Sidenote: You may have seen a story or commentator in a typical debate over illegal immigration say, "but they pay their taxes"...that's true, they do...and they do it by obtaining an ITIN number. The IRS currently DOES NOT investigate or forward suspected illegal immigrants to the INS. They just want the money.

From the story today...

Illegal immigrants would be prohibited from receiving home loans under legislation approved Thursday by the Iowa House. The legislation would prevent banks from giving home mortgages to people who are in the country illegally...House File 2671, which passed 69-25, also includes penalties against employers who knowingly hire illegal workers.

This, of course met with some opposition...

Several House Democrats said that the measure is not necessary and that banks are against the idea. "The bill goes too far in requiring our banks and Realtors to act as some kind of mini INS agent," Rep. Phil Wise, a Democrat from Keokuk, said, referring to the federal Immigration and Naturalization Service. "This is a terrible idea."

I guess if the IRS doesn't do any referring to the INS, nobody else should either.

But here's the best part...Bill Dix, a Shell Rock Republican candidate for Congress, introduced the measure. He and some others had some pretty sensible things to say...

Rep. Bill Dix: "We should not allow these lawbreakers to borrow money to buy a home...this legislation will force those crossing the border illegally bound for Iowa to think twice."

Rep. Tom Sands: "There are only so many dollars in a bank to loan...the question that you would have to come up with is do you want to use some of those dollars to be used for loans to illegal aliens? I believe our dollars in the banks need to go to the people who are here legally and help them buy their homes."

Nice sentiments, but clearly they aren't doing their research.

You have to wonder about a bank that would loan large amounts of money to a person in the country illegally, don't you? I mean, talk about a risky loan. They could be deported any second and - don't blink - there goes your promise to pay.

Except they have the FDIC and FHA helping them out by insuring the loans. That's right...the same FDIC that makes sure your funds in any bank in the US is safe and guaranteed when and if the bank goes under...insures home loans (even encourages them) to illegal immigrants.

Mortgage lenders court illegal aliens - Wall Street Journal, July 8th 2005:

Competition for new customers is driving banks to offer home loans and other financial services to illegal immigrants -- and they are getting help from government agencies, such as the Federal Deposit Insurance Corp. The FDIC encourages banks to lend and invest in underserved markets regardless of customers' immigration status..."Our job is to encourage banks to lend and invest in underserved markets," says Michael Frias, an FDIC official in Chicago. "We don't make distinctions of immigration status."

Yeah...in the union I used to belong to, we often said, "That ain't my job" a lot too. And as long as no one else is doing their job, we might as well try and make some money off the deal...

Dozens of small banks in such states like Ohio, Illinois, Iowa and Texas have recently started offering undocumented immigrants the opportunity to apply for home loans with an ITIN. Big banks, like Wells Fargo & Co. and Bank of America Corp., say they plan to launch their own programs within months. Don Cohen, a vice president at North Shore Bank in Milwaukee, which offers ITIN mortgages, says he has fielded inquiries from banks in Alabama, Minnesota, Mississippi, South Carolina and Washington, among others interested in serving undocumented immigrants.

Can I also ask for a short review on the Bank Secrecy Act of 1972...which requires that banks must know the identity of their customer and must report any illegal activity to authorities. Try depositing or withdrawing more than $10,000 in cash and see what I mean. It's also - under U.S. Criminal Code - a crime punishable by 10 years in jail for aiding and abetting someone in this country illegally for commercial gain.

Or should we just wink and say, "that ain't my job" some more?

THE REVERAND GREG ALAN

Boy, did I get it yesterday. I did my best to explain my point, but some didn't get it. Maybe I need some more practice at this...

I can’t believe you would marry your brother to prove a point. I don’t know what point you were trying to prove, but I didn’t get it.

Ron

If marriage is a constitutional right, then the legislature can't really make all kinds of restrictions on what marriages are allowed, can they? So I could (emphasize COULD) marry my brother.

Your idea was thought provoking, and I guess that was your point. I have some problems with gay marriage, but I don’t see how passing an amendment to the constitution would fix it. The constitution is a document granting us rights…even reading the suggested language makes it plain that it would limit rights…it would define approved marriages. Should we really be toying around with the constitution?

Henry

Since the gay lobby is unwilling to propose an addition to our current laws outlining marriage that would legalize gay marriage, they're going to the court system to have them decide if somewhere in there...are the words, "yes, gay people can legally get married"

The Constitution is NOT a document granting us rights...they are our God given rights that Congress shall make no law that violates them. Admittedly, the wording of the proposed amendment is shaky at best...but finding hidden rights in the Constitution is not a game I like 9 Justices doing. I suggest they simply pass a law allowing gay - and only gay - marriage. Otherwise, they're likely to find all kinds of problems with the restrictions already passed by the legislature.

For instance...we have a perfectly sensible restriction on sibling marriages. The risk of producing genetic deformities when they consummate the marriage is something the state has an interest in protecting. Since my brother and I cannot bear children on our own, what's the risk of us marrying? That was my point. If it's a right...then there can be no limits placed on the kinds of marriages.

I would marry you.

Alice

If things go my way, maybe I'll take you up on it. I suppose there's no state interest in stopping me from marrying another woman in addition to the one I have. As long as you can cook and do laundry.

And finally, I have to use some very limited Bible knowledge to answer the next one...

I only had a chance to listen for a while on Wednesday with the conversations about same sex marriage. As a happily married heterosexual I have no problem with giving others the same right to a civil union and let them enjoy the same "perks"...If a church doesn’t believe in "condoning" homosexuality, don't allow them the religious ceremony. They can visit the justice of the peace.

As for the idea that it is immoral (I fully believe that homosexuals are born, because no one had to tell me to like boys) I think that heterosexuals have been making a mockery of that since Eva enjoyed the apple. (Think about it, if there was only Adam and Eve and they had two sons.....where did they find a mate? I don't remember reading about God whipping up a couple of extra gals! Guess that would give your "marry your sister" argument a boost.) From Henry the VIII lopping off the heads of his wives to modern day, we heterosexuals haven't always made marriage a shining example of morality.

Are some afraid that homosexuals might help improve the divorce rate? With 50% (more or less) of all marriages failing, I can't think that they will do any worse than we do.

Halane

The laws of God came after Adam and Eve and Cain and Abel...with Moses, remember?

Not a biblical historian by any means, but all of the unions between Cain and Abel were personally blessed by God from what I remember in Genesis...Adam (again according to my limited knowledge) was said to have lived for more than 900 years...fathering many children, etc. God endorsed and blessed all of the unions and specifically gave them permission to "be fruitful and multiply"...then when things got out of hand, the hammer came down with Moses.

Just like the Constitutional questions, we have to read the Bible in the context of the times it was written...not try and impose our current morality and scientific knowledge on an age long past.

My whole point was about how gays say that their quest for marital rights (which I believe should be taken up as a matter of law...not judicial decree) isn't about special rights...meaning it wouldn't only affect homosexuals. If that's true, then I would be allowed to marry my brother.

The fact that even gay people acknowledge that it would be morally wrong (and a little weird) for me to marry my brother or father proves it IS about special rights...and they shouldn't try to have them granted by the courts. If they want the right to marry, pass a law.

Not trying to make anyone angry...just think and act as if they're actually engaged in our little experiment in representative democracy...instead of sitting back and waiting for 9 judges to make all their decisions for them because they're too lazy or don't care.

"GREG ALAN, DO YOU TAKE YOUR BROTHER TO BE YOUR LAWFULLY WEDDED..."

My gay, tolerant friends always get visibly perplexed when I pose that possibility if we have a judicial decision that allows gay marriage. I know, I know...gays just want the same rights as anyone else. Ba...low...nee. They want special rights...because none of the suggested ways to achieve it would limit my ability to take on another wife...even my brother could marry me. If we strip Iowa of it's law defining marriage, how then do we word it? This is the current law:

Only a marriage between a male and a female is valid...Additionally, a marriage between a male and a female is valid only if each is eighteen years of age or older. However, if either or both of the parties have not attained that age, the marriage may be valid under the circumstances prescribed in this section...

The rules are far more detailed than that too. There are a whole list of voided marriages...or marriages NOT allowed by the government.

Marriages between the following persons who are related by blood are void: Between a man and his father's sister, mother's sister, daughter, sister, son's daughter, daughter's daughter, brother's daughter, or sister's daughter...Between a woman and her father's brother, mother's brother, son, brother, son's son, daughter's son, brother's son, or sister's son...Between first cousins...Marriages between persons either of whom has a husband or wife living are void, but, if the parties live and cohabit together after the death or divorce of the former husband or wife, such marriage shall be valid.

Very specific, don't you think? If we say it's okay for a man and a man to marry...and there are no apparent "biological" problems with them procreating two-headed kids...why would it be a problem for me to marry my brother? or an additional woman or two, three, four, five?

The Cedar Rapids Gazette had a very dizzy editorial today regarding the proposed Constitutional Amendment in the Iowa Legislature. Democrats have blocked any debate or vote on adding the Amendment to the Iowa Constitution. It reads as follows:

Article I of the Constitution of the State of Iowa is amended by adding the following new section: MARRIAGE. SEC. 26. Only marriage between a man and a woman shall be valid or recognized in the State of Iowa. The State of Iowa and its political subdivisions shall not create or recognize a legal status identical or substantially similar to that of marriage for unmarried individuals.

Adding something to the Constitution is a lot harder than people sometimes think. The resolution would have to pass in two consecutive General Assemblies...then would have to be submitted to the people of Iowa in a referendum vote. Then it becomes part of the Constitution. Constitutions are meant to be amended...heck, it's in the Constitution.

So the Cedar Rapids Gazette (once again, no link is possible because it's subscriber only) says...

Iowans who lobbied at the Capitol on Tuesday for a same-sex marriage ban in the state constitution are wrong on two counts. First, a question of religion does not belong in the political arena. Second, the constitution is no place to enact restrictions on freedoms and rights of the people of Iowa...Regarding the venue, marriage is the business of the church, synagogue, mosque or other religious institution. It is NOT the business of the government...

Their emphasis, not mine. Marriage isn't the business of government? Uh...so I don't need a license? Blood test? Can I have my money back? Hold on to your spinning head...it gets better:

Certainly, governments need to define legal unions because tax issues, health insurance and a host of other public policies rely on definitions of various relationships. That’s a topic for debate, too..

Oh...so IT IS the business of government. But...I, uh...um...nevermind. Let's continue...

Constitutional amendments at both the state and federal level historically have extended rights and freedoms to people and limited the reach of government. This amendment proposes to do the opposite...Amending the constitution is a long, arduous processes for good reason. As a living document, the constitution needs to be able to adapt to lasting changes in society. But it should never be subjected to the whims of political activism...

If it's such a "living document" why do we need to amend it at all?...for any reason. I guess we'll just assume it's alive and say "it's in there...trust me" and have judges make things up. Call it "subject to the whim of JUDICIAL activism."

The Des Moines Register rounded out some of the debate pretty well...

Inside the Capitol, senators sparred over whether amending the Iowa Constitution was necessary. The state already has a law on the books that defines marriage as between a man and a woman.

And with our "living document" (formerly known as the Iowa Constitution), I would guess that the law would be unconstitutional because marriage is not the business of government.

Said Sen. Joe Bolkcom, an Iowa City Democrat: "Let's not use our constitution to institutionalize intolerance and bigotry."

Oh, I'm tolerant, Senator. I can't wait to get me another wife to do the things that my first wife doesn't.

That's a fun exercise for those of you to try out on your liberal buddies...ahem...tolerant buddies. Ask them if it would be the business of government to regulate whether or not you can marry your brother, sister, mother, father, another woman besides the one you have...maybe three more, etc.

It IS government business to prevent anarchy and preserve our system of government. If we cannot protect our rules from judicial "living document" types...then anything goes. Including us.

QUICK HITS

Expanded coverage later...for now, just another example of how easy my job is...

Cedar Rapids makes the NY Times!...Iowa's Residency Rules Drive Sex Offenders Underground - CEDAR RAPIDS, One cornfield beyond the trim white farmhouse where the Boland family lives and a road sign warns, "Watch for children and dogs," is a faded motel. For years a layover for budget-conscious motorists and construction crews, the motel has lately become a disquieting symbol of what has gone wrong with Iowa's crackdown on sexual offenders of children. With just 24 rooms, the motel, the Ced-Rel, was home to 26 registered sex offenders by the start of March. It's nice to see the NY Times interested in Iowa happenings...even if the same story was published months ago in the Cedar Rapids Gazette. Does this mean we're important now?

The Battle Continues...Australia Supreme Court Finds a Speed Camera Inaccurate - New South Wales, Australia authorities pay A$30,000 in fees after losing state supreme court fight over A$75 speeding ticket. I may change my mind on US Courts using foreign court information as a basis for making decisions.

On a related note...Village weighs 'distracted driving' law - WINNETKA, Ill., March 14 (UPI) -- The Winnetka, Ill., police chief has proposed a "distracted driving" law that -- among routine prohibitions -- would also ban tuning the radio, a report said. Can they pick up WMT in Winnetka?

Still somewhat related...Babe the Blue Ox gets fed highway funding - BEMIDJI, Minn., March 14 (UPI) -- Babe, Paul Bunyan's blue ox companion, a concrete statue built in 1937 by the Bemidji, Minn., Rotary Club, will be getting $100,000 worth of repairs. It's a good thing our highway tax money is going to such worthy infrastructural repairs.

And finally...Proposed tanning restrictions burn teens - [Iowa] lawmakers are considering a bill that would ban children younger than 15 from commercial tanning beds, and would require parental consent for customers ages 15 through 17. The bill is being pushed by doctors who say that persistent use of tanning lights causes premature aging of the skin and that it can spark deadly skin cancers. Nevermind on that parental consent to kill your fetus...er - baby.

It's going to be an easy show today...

SIMPLE QUESTION FROM A SIMPLE MAN

I read the Corridor Business Journal quite often. Their website could use some updating, but the February 27th issue just became available on-line and I wanted to direct your attention to the story about eminent domain.

The US Supreme Court created quite a hubub when they ruled that state and local governments could include "economic development" in the "public use" category of the takings law. I've always agreed that government had the power to take your property (after just compensation) to build new roads, bridges, parks, anything that the public would have access to without restriction. But the Kelo ruling included increased tax revenue and job creation within the definition of "public use"...

With that said, Iowa lawmakers have been working on legislation to specifically limit eminent domain takings to actual public use...and eliminate the possibility that your land could be taken by the government and given to a private developer. They outline the situation pretty good in the article...

Too much or not enough? - Corridor Business Journal, Feb 27th

While most Iowans agree that taking property by eminent domain is a last resort, many disagree about the merits of legislation in the state legislature that would restrict a government agency’s ability to exercise that power. On Feb. 15 the Iowa House of Representatives passed House File 2351, legislation that would alter the state’s condemnation powers and among other things essentially prohibit the use of eminent domain for economic development purposes.

If you read the article, that's okay...but let me re-arrange things a little bit. Near the end of the article, they ask several regional city officials whether or not they've ever used eminent domain for economic development or job growth...

• Steve Nasby, the [Iowa City] city’s community and economic development coordinator, said that he couldn’t remember a single case in which the city had used condemnation powers solely for economic development purposes.
• Jim Flitz, interim city manager for Cedar Rapids, said that he can’t think of an eminent domain proceeding that was initiated for economic development purposes. “We make a lot of property acquisitions, but we’re almost always able to work out the details without resorting to termination,” he said.
• Coralville’s City Manager Kelly Hayworth said the city used its condemnation power for the Iowa River Landing District development, but that it was for road use, not economic development purposes.

They also note the incredible limits that they have to go through in order to take property for public use...

The process the government agencies have to go through to receive approval for the use of eminent domain includes over 90 steps. Public notices are required, governing agencies must approve, the property has to be appraised and the sale price must be determined by a condemnation jury appointed by the district court.

So the facts so far are - (1) no one can recall using eminent domain for economic development; (2) it's way to difficult to go through the process; (3) they've usually solved any problems with individual property owners before resorting to eminent domain...

It leaves me wondering why this earlier part of the story has these same officials seem so desperate to stop it...

• The move has many economic development groups and chambers across the state crying foul, arguing that it could have a crippling effect on economic development projects.
• ...many groups were quick to let legislators know they weren’t in favor of the legislation.
• After the legislation was passed, the Iowa Chamber Alliance issued a statement urging the Iowa Senate to oppose the legislation, citing that it would “drastically hinder the economic growth efforts of cities and counties.”
• The Iowa League of Cities issued a similar statement on its web site, adding that the legislation contains “provisions that add to the cost and timing of the process, and would likely prevent important projects from occurring in Iowa.”
• Local development and city officials shared similar sentiments, arguing that current legislation is stringent enough and that there is no need to change the law since it is not being abused and it is working effectively.

Yeah...that had me stumped.

Why would a policy you've never used have such a "crippling effect" on economic development? How could it "hinder economic growth" if you've never had to use it? What "important projects" will be cancelled if you eliminate a power you've never used? If "current policy" is working effectively, why the worry?

Interesting questions...don't you think? Reading the story that way makes me want the restrictions passed more and more...

THE KIDS ARE ALRIGHT?

I'm pleased the following merited a small mention in this past Sunday paper. Given the hype over the "problems in Iraq" and the blaring headlines of the past, it was still refreshing to see that the Army Guard is meeting recruiting numbers...even exceeding them.

Shaking slump, Army National Guard sees boost in recruits - Boston Globe/Washington Post/etc

WASHINGTON -- The Army National Guard, which has suffered a three-year recruiting slump, has begun to bring in soldiers in record numbers, aided in part by an initiative that pays Guard members $2,000 for each person they enlist.

It's hard to spin that one. When the numbers fell short last year, the excuse was that people were fearful of being deployed to Iraq. I can't imagine $2000 bucks would make that much of a difference.

The Army National Guard said last week that it has signed up more than 26,000 soldiers in the first five months of fiscal 2006 -- its best performance in 13 years. At this pace, Guard leaders say they are confident they will reach their goal of boosting staffing levels from the current 336,000 to the congressionally authorized level of 350,000 by the end of the year.

So the Army National Guard is meeting recruiting goals...what does that say for Iraq?

The prospect of serving in a violent Iraq is still part of the equation for potential recruits, and Army officials say that more frequent deployments have hurt recruitment for the active-duty Army, which began suffering shortfalls last year.

And now?

ON A SIMILAR NOTE - Same day, same topic, same source...how does this strike you "don't ask, don't tell" freaks?

(notice the slight sneering attitude in this story)
Uncle Sam only wants some of you - Boston Globe

WASHINGTON (AP) — Uncle Sam wants YOU, that famous Army recruiting poster says. But does he really? Not if you’re a Ritalin-taking, overweight, Generation Y couch potato — or some combination of the above. As for that fashionable ‘‘body art’’ that the military still calls a tattoo, having one is grounds for rejection, too.

Most people in America still call them tattoos too, you elitist fashion Nazi's. And if you snobs would take your heads outside your own rear-ends and research once in a while - instead of automatically being suspect of anything military - you'd understand that these are very simple rules and regulations...for a reason.

In the same way our military weeds out those deemed not good for morale, unit cohesion, and professional standards (practicing homosexuals), we don't want goofball punks running around the Middle East with tattoos all over their faces.

If you don't think things like that can have an impact, run those Danish cartoons (we still call them cartoons, too) you refused to run a while back and see what I mean.

David R. Segal, director of the Center for Research on Military Organization at the University of Maryland, is among those who believe the military is trying to deflect blame for low recruitment.

Uh...see the above story in your own paper. Low recruitment? Haven't you heard? $2000 bucks incentive and they're meeting goals!

The projected pool of shrinks to 13.6 million, when only high school graduates and those who score in the upper half on a military service aptitude test are considered. Other reasons for exclusion: obesity, a lack of physical fitness, the use of Ritalin and other stimulants to treat attention deficit and hyperactivity disorders, other medical problems, criminal histories, and having too many dependents.

Given the fact that this kind of snide reporting comes from the same people who criticize any military involvement because "only the poor black uneducated and white-trash lowlifes" will be the only ones who die...this seems rather strange to see in print.

I would think we would want physically fit, well educated, non-medicated, fine, upstanding moral citizens who don't have 10 kids with 5 different girlfriends to join the military...wouldn't you? They always have, of course.

You just know how they must hate to admit that...

JUST A FEW THINGS BEFORE I GO ON THE WEEKEND

I have a slightly longer weekend thanks to the Friday Iowa Hawkeye game...so here's a few limited thoughts on a few things:

Arab Firm Drops Plan to Manage US Ports - AP and others

On Thursday, Dubai-based DP World backed away in the face of unrelenting criticism and announced it would transfer its management of port terminals in major U.S. cities to an American entity...Bush struck a defiant tone Friday with the Republican-led Congress whose new willingness to buck him has taken its most dramatic form with the ports controversy.

First...it's the first time most of the press has seen fit to call these exactly what they are...port TERMINALS...not the ports themselves. Funny how that happens, eh? Most people under the impression that we were "selling our ports to some Arabs"...when it was only a few of the actual terminals and the Arabs wouldn't have any control over security or management of the actual port.

Secondly, wouldn't it be funny to see Halliburton be that American entity that takes over the terminals? I would laugh so hard I would pee myself.

I got an email from a listener about ethanol:

I just wanted to let you know that my wife and I went to the E85 station in Marion last night with the full intent to gas up and it was $2.46 a gallon!!!! Needless to say we took our E85 capable Taurus to the new Walmart down the road and got E10 for $2.29. What the heck is going on?? I thought they were supposed to have amazing prices on this stuff? I've gassed up there before when it was about 10 cents under, but the mpg was worse, and the location isn't the best since you have to drive through so many lights to get there. Doesn't make it easier when they gouge you for your troubles. I'd love to use it and help local Iowan's but it has to make sense for me.

Answer? In today's Des Moines Register: Ethanol prices rise as supplies tighten

Refiners are buying supplies of ethanol in the Midwest, where the alcohol is primarily produced, and moving it to the East Coast and Texas. The ethanol is needed in areas with air-pollution problems to replace an additive, MTBE, that the companies have stopped using because of concerns about lawsuits. The shift is driving up the price of ethanol nationwide — the wholesale price has doubled since last summer — and is causing shortages that could last for months, industry officials say

Of course, you won't hear the Register or Senator Harkin claim that there's price fixing and gouging going among "big Ethanol"...although I'm sure they'll still find some way to blame the ethanol prices and shortage on the oil companies. They even went so far as to say this is a good thing...

The soaring price of ethanol is a boon to farmers and investors who have been pouring money into construction of new ethanol refineries.

Re-written for the higher prices of gasoline last summer, you might also read that:

The soaring price of oil is a boon to US Oil companies and investors who have been pouring money into exploration of new oil drilling and refineries.

Sure enough...there's a slight conspiratorial tone to this part of the story:

Citgo Petroleum notified gasoline distributors this week that it will stop stocking ethanol-blended gasoline at nine Midwest terminals April 1, including one at Bettendorf, its only Iowa terminal. Citgo has 10 stations in the Des Moines area, as well as stations in Cedar Rapids, Iowa City, Ames and other cities. Citgo's memo warned distributors that ethanol labels should be removed from gas pumps where the fuel no longer contains ethanol. "We are looking for additional supplies of ethanol in the Midwest and will offer ethanol-blended conventional gasoline in those locations where new or additional ethanol becomes available," Citgo spokesman Fernando Garay said.

Those dirty oil companies...hurting our poor Iowa farmers. Even removing the labels on the gas pumps. They never liked ethanol to begin with...it wouldn't surprise me to find them pulling a fast one by creating a phoney shortage to hurt the ethanol industry.

FLYOVER COUNTRY

We often say about the midwest, that we're fly-over country. Yes, for the most part, we're red-staters, but for those stopping on their way to the exciting west and east...a lot of them should consider staying.

Morgan Quitno Press has released their list of the "most livable" states...and Iowa is 3-rd on the list. My former state is 46th. Here's the top 10 at least...

1 New Hampshire
2 Minnesota
3 Iowa
4 Vermont
5 New Jersey
6 Wyoming
7 Massachusetts
8 Virginia
9 Nebraska
10 Connecticut

The list is compiled from 44 different factors...including positives like Personal Income, Job Growth, Home Ownership, and Graduation Rate. Some of the negatives that affect ranking include Crime Rate, Unemployment Rate, Taxes, and Population Per Square Mile.

I have some that I quarrel with -
In the negatives area: State Prisoner Incarceration Rate - I would think we'd want them locked up instead of wandering around.
In the positives: Books in Public Libraries Per Capita - I would think we'd want them checked out and not in the libraries. (that's a joke, folks)

But overall, it seems a pretty good ranking list.

It certainly makes the "low teacher pay" claim by the National Education Association a little harder to swallow. In fact, a few of the states listed as "most livable" are listed very near to each other in the Teacher Pay rankings.

Iowa 41st lowest pay
Nebraska 39th lowest
Wyoming 36th

Even #1 Most Livable New Hamphire is ranked 25th on the list of teacher pay ranks. Connecticut is the highest teacher salary, but 10th most livable.

I don't know about you, but I'd rather have a more livable state with a mediocre salary, than an unlivable state and slightly higher salary. My former state of South Carolina is a perfect example. Sure, I'm paid slightly less than I was making in Charleston, but the money goes a lot further here in Iowa. And that's not even including factors like Car Insurance...which for the sake of argument was cut in half from $1300 per year to $590 per year. That extra $600 dollars or so goes back on my salary. The home we purchased in Iowa is just as large as the home we have in Charleston (basement in Iowa included), but cost 50-thousand dollars less.

So the next time the whiney NEA claims Iowa is ranked so darn low on teacher salaries, remember we're one of the most livable...because the regular media won't.

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A Few Personal Notes:

Many of you have noticed that I have begun soliciting advertising on the website and blog. Please support my sponsors and the merchandise area of my website. I have coffee mugs, computer mousepads, and bumper stickers...and new designs coming soon. I don't make much from the website for the time being, but I'd like to supplement my income enough to get my wife back home doing the dishes and my laundry like she's supposed to...instead of working a part time job. I'm in the red mostly - after you add up the server costs, internet connection, and time I spend on it...but I heard from somebody that you can actually make some money on this here internet.

I've also updated the Biography on the website to include my time in the South and returning to Iowa stuff. Once you go to the area, click on the How I Became Me link and read away. It's long, but I guarantee you'll find it interesting. That's not a boast...it's just the kind of stuff I always want to find out about the people I pay attention to.

KIRBY PUCKETT

I don't pay any attention to baseball these days. Baseball changed for me in the cancelled World Series of 1994. I tuned out, but still paid minor attention to the last team that meant anything for me. The Minnesota Twins of 1987 were underdogs. They entered the playoffs with one of the worst regular season records in Major League history. 85 wins and 77 loses. Nobody gave them a chance. They had a spirit, though. Bruno, Gaetti, Hrbek, Bert Blyleven, Sweet music Viola...and Puck. They won the World Series for the first time in franchise history. I remember leaving work for the parade in downtown St Paul not really knowing why I was doing it...I just wanted to be part of the crowd.

The love for the Twins that year is hard to describe...but maybe a little story can put it in perspective for you. I was standing in downtown St Paul and walking among the crowd when a camera was shoved in my face...a local TV anchor asked me what I thought. I don't remember what I said, but it only lasted a few seconds. When I returned home, I had a message from a long-lost neighborhood friend of mine on my machine. I had moved from South Saint Paul in 1980 and only returned to the Twin Cities in 1985. Somehow, this neighbor friend of mine saw me on the parade coverage, remembered what I looked like, and found my name in the phone book. It was that kind of a togetherness...both what those Twins had, and what they inspired.

1991 was a redemption year for what many considered a lackluster fluke win in 87. To date, the 91 Series is listed as one of the greatest series of games in MLB history...five of the games were decided by a single run, and three games went to extra innings. Including Game 6...probably the greatest of all time. Bottom of the 11-th inning...Kirby Pucket...#34, walk-off home run for the win. If you hadn't seen it, you wouldn't believe it. Jack Buck's call was one of the greatest in broadcasting history..."and we'll see you tomorrow night"...(Interestingly, CBS forced Jack to re-record the call for their archives...because he had said the wrong side of the field on TV)

I hate to sound so mushy and sombre, but Kirby Puckett died yesterday...and I have had to read an awful lot of bad news about him in virtually every account of his death. Why must my heroes be fully destroyed by the media?...or us?

I know we have the ability to retain and record virtually every aspect of a person's life, but is it really necessary to include all of it when we remember? How are we served by that? We tear down our heroes these days...perhaps that's why we have so few of them anymore. Maybe it's our way of making them more human. Or it could be a way of making our own failing lives sound much better.

It's ironic, too. Heroes must be destroyed...and destroyers must be elevated to hero status. Rap music "stars" come to mind.

I prefer to remember Kirby Puckett from Game 6. We should remember our heroes by their last great accomplishment...not their smallest private detail.

Poem Link thanks to Powerline:

To An Athlete Dying Young - A.E. Housman
THE time you won your town the race
We chaired you through the market-place;
Man and boy stood cheering by,
And home we brought you shoulder-high.

To-day, the road all runners come,
Shoulder-high we bring you home,
And set you at your threshold down,
Townsman of a stiller town.

I'll raise a Schmidtty to ya Kirb...

FOR MY FRIENDS ON THE LEFT...

I am about to criticize George W Bush...the President of the United States. Before you jump to conclusions, it ain't the first time. In addition, he's still better than the loser you nominated.

Bush To Try For Line Item Veto - CBS News/Associated Press

President Bush has formally announced he's sending legislation to Congress calling for reinstatement of the line item veto...The White House says the proposal would overcome constitutional questions by allowing an up or down Congressional votes on spending items singled out for the line veto.

NOW he wants to work on spending? He should have done this years ago. The 50-million dollars for a rainforest in Iowa might have been better spent purchasing more Predator Drones, MOAB's and body armor.

See? I can do it. Can you? You've got a lot more material to work with than I did...Al Gore, Harry Reid, John Murtha, Hillary Clinton...

-------------------

NOW, ON WITH THE SHOW

Years ago...prior to this blog...I was engrossed in a big debate at Wartburg College in Waverly. At the time, I was friendly with members (and their commander) of the ROTC program on the campus of UNI. The Lt Col there was trying to establish an ROTC in Waverly, but faculty members voted down a proposal to allow the program...of course, citing the "don't ask, don't tell" policy of the military when it comes to gays. The real reason was the "culture of violence" that the military was said to engage in...and something about the military "not being conducive to a learning environment" which was cited more often than anything having to do with gays. The anti-military bias of colleges goes a lot further back than any "don't ask, don't tell" policy...to the 1970's and Viet Nam. There were students who were in ROTC at Wartburg and had to travel to Cedar Falls in order to take their required classes because they wouldn't allow the program on campus.

Now today, I see a story (obviously written a little too soon as you'll see) in the Iowa City school district.

Military recruiters kept from cafeteria - Des Moines Register/Iowa City Press Citizen/AP

Complaints from parents and teachers have led to a policy change restricting military recruiters' access to students at City High School. District Superintendent Lane Plugge has directed officials at the high school to restrict armed forces recruiters to arranging meetings with individual students in the school's guidance office. Military representatives had been allowed to have a table in the school's cafeteria during lunch. Recruiters handed out souvenirs and brochures in an attempt to boost student interest in the military.

What do you want to bet it was few parents and mostly teachers. It's the same reason as it was in the late 60's and 70's. It's a typical liberal reaction...claim discrimination and then demand discrimination to cure discrimination. So they moved the military recruiting people to the back of the bus - so to speak.

"Overall, it hasn't really affected recruiting efforts," said Scott Canada, a Marine Corps recruiter in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids. "I guess it might give up the overall exposure where kids can come up and talk to me," he said. Canada said he and other recruiters leave their business cards in the school's guidance office and students contact them if they want to discuss potential enlistment.

The story was obviously written prior to today's Supreme Court ruling on military recruiting on University campus'...

Court Upholds Campus Military Recruiting - AP

The Supreme Court ruled unanimously Monday that colleges that accept federal money must allow military recruiters on campus, despite university objections to the Pentagon's "don't ask, don't tell" policy on gays.

Somehow, the issue got termed a "free-speech" battle...when it's really an anti-military or anti-war battle. Nevertheless,

[the ruling lets stand a federal law that] mandates universities give the military the same access as other recruiters or forfeit federal money.

The same access? So can they be moved back to the cafeteria during the job fairs now instead of leaving their business cards at the front office, eh Sparky? How insulting is that by the way for a Marine in uniform...having to leave a business card (which is probably thrown away) at the front office in order advertise a career in the military.

The ruling was really over the meaning of the Solomon Amendment - passed in 1994. At the time, many law schools gave military recruiters limited access. Harvard allowed the military on campus but declined to volunteer its career placement staff to arrange interviews. The University of Southern California, meanwhile, allowed recruiters to interview but didn't invite them to school-sponsored job fairs off campus.

But after the Sept. 11 attacks, the Pentagon began strictly enforcing the measure. In the summer of 2003, Congress amended the Solomon Amendment to require equal access.

But let's be clear about the whole matter. It never has had anything to do with gays. It's simply a more convenient excuse for liberal universities to keep the military off their "institutions of higher learning"...

The University of Iowa, for example...banned the military from their job fairs back in 1989.

NEWS AND NOTES

Just a few comments on some of the more interesting news items I found today:

Did you know they could do this? Radar Didn't Get Her; Radiation Did - from Connecticut, a woman leaving a doctor's office was pulled over by police after setting off "radiation" alarms. A select group of State Patrol officers are armed with radiation detectors so they can keep track of dangerous materials inside of large trucks. I guess the threat of terrorism is real. The woman had received a medical injection of radioactive material used in routine stress tests. The pager-sized devices are hooked to the patrolman's belts and go off whenever they detect small amounts of radiation. Coming soon...radiation profiling lawsuits.

Know anyone with their Christmas lights still up? Aurora Fights Untimely Holiday Lights - from Illinois, city officials have had it with decorations and lights staying on people's homes all year long. Now it's illegal in Aurora thanks to a new law. An ordinance allows homeowners to display decorations 60 days prior to a holiday and requires them to be dismantled within 60 days after the holiday. Fines begin at $50 after a written warning. We've got a new form of government in Cedar Rapids just itching to do something relevant...er...exciting. This is how democracy ends...not with a bang, but a nanny state to tell you when to turn off the lights.

He cleans up real nice, doesn't he? Bentley gets new look for prison stay - the scumbag that kidnapped, raped, and murdered 10-year old Jetsetta Gage has a new do. Gone are the long locks of flowing golden greasy trailer trash hair...now he looks like every other skinhead. My guess is he's trying to look tough for his lifetime prison stay. In the weird sub-culture of justice in our prisons, child molesters don't get treated too nice...do they, Jeffrey Dahmer? Honestly...I hope this guy dies within a few weeks of a severe puncture to his lower intestines.


Speaking of strange justice. Just one day after the publication of a story involving the former police Captain in Cedar Rapids (unavailable without subscription). Phil Peters was convicted of drunk driving in Cedar Rapids, and expected not to be charged because he was one of them...a Des Moines police officer skates after going 99mph in a state-owned vehicle and appearing drunk behind the wheel. Oddly, the DSM officers thought his punishment would be far worse from his employer than the possible civil fines...so they didn't ticket or test him. Who are his employers again? Oh...us. Sorry.

That is all today...have a nice weekend.

MADE IN AMERICA

That's the mantra of some who would seek to bring us more to isolationism. Anytime I bring up the Wal-Mart issue, people always refer to their failed experiment with the "Made in the USA" label idea...quickly replaced by "Made Anywhere" when the prices got less competitive. As if it was all part of some evil plot to stop making American goods. For some reason, people believe that things made in America are better. While that may be a nice thought to have, it's not the actual skills and work ethic that have destroyed that myth...it's the unions. Ford and GM are just the latest examples of problems unions have created for themselves...they've priced their own companies out of the market.

Until now.

You can start being proud of things "Made in America" again...but made not for American companies...but foreign companies making things in America.

Honda cleans up in Consumer Reports picks - Consumer Reports

The annual list of best in class cars according to Consumer Reports has not a single American nameplate in the Top 10. That's different than a "single American car" which some are led to believe.

CNN - Japanese carmakers -- or, more specifically, Honda followed by Toyota and Subaru -- took all ten spots in this year's Consumer Reports magazine top picks. No American or European nameplates are represented in this year's list, which is published in the April issue of Consumer Reports magazine. The lone American model on last year's list, the Ford Focus, was replaced this year by the new, redesigned Honda Civic.

It isn't until later in the story that you find out that a lot of the "Japanese" cars are made in the United States.

Of the five Honda vehicles on Consumer Reports' Top Picks, four are manufactured in the U.S...The remaining vehicle, the Honda Ridgeline, was designed and engineered in the U.S. but is built in Canada. Of the five other vehicles in the list, two are Toyotas, two are Subarus and one is from Nissan's Infiniti luxury division. Those remaining five are all are produced in Japan.

So I guess my question is...why? Why can't we do this for ourselves...why are foreigners doing better at being Americans than we are?

Strangely, the same could be said for recent immigrants...most are more appreciative at being Americans than domestic born ones are.

HIGHWAY SECURITY

Along the same lines as yesterday's post about the sale of an ethanol plant to an Australian company, I wonder if the same concerns we have about an Arab company operating a few terminals in the US extends to law enforcement.

The problem, it seems, stems from the view that many have about security concerns when the Arabs take over. Some in Congress, and other ignorant-types here in the US believe we're risking our security if we turn over the operations of a few terminals to the United Arab Emirates. Of course, lost in the discussion is the basic information people need sometimes...

80% of U.S. Ports Already Foreign-owned - NPR

Not one to usually trust the folks at Public Radio, but you'd think that eventually the other left-leaning media would volunteer this information too...(emphasis added)

Most of the terminals at America's major ports are already foreign-owned, according to a senior official with the largest U.S.-owned ports operator, SSA Marine. In an interview with National Public Radio on Sunday, SSA vice president Bob Waters explained that there are 15 major ports in the U.S., comprising about 100 terminals...A dozen additional terminals nationwide are managed by city or state governments. "Other than that," said Waters, "the rest of the terminals, which comprise about 80 percent of those terminals we're talking about, are operated by foreign entities, primarily shipping lines."...Joe King, former Chief of U.S. Customs' Terrorism Unit, noted that the government of Singapore owns most of a company that operates terminals in Los Angeles and elsewhere. Two Chinese companies, both with close ties to the Chinese government, manage terminals in New York, Long Beach, and other places, he said. And the government of Venezuela owns all or part of marine terminal management at ports in Pennsylvania and Maine.

So it's no big deal for foreign companies to own terminals. BUT...if we're worried about foreign companies in charge of our security, we should look closer to home.

Speeding tickets in mail - Quad Cities Times

I hope you know where I stand on the issue of cameras acting as law enforcement. I don't like it...it should be illegal...and it violates the Constitution as far as I'm concerned. The story is about the recent delay in getting tickets for speeding mailed to the registered owners of the vehicles. A computer glitch is the apparent cause.

[Davenport] Sgt. Dave Turner said it takes about 30 days to process the tickets and send them to the registered owners of the vehicles. He said there are only two fixed-location speed cameras operating right now, but there could be as many as 14 around the city by the end of the year. Three of those additional cameras will be at the same sites as red light cameras.

30 days?!? What good does it do the driver/owner if he doesn't receive notice that he's violating the law for 30-days?!? It kind of defeats the purpose of deterrence, doesn't it? Can we have 30-day delays in any other crimes too? Bank robbery? OWI? Goodness gracious...

The citations do not go on the owner’s record because it cannot be verified who is driving, but they do cost the same as a regular traffic ticket, police said. Anyone who questions the validity of a citation can review the photo at the police department.

Uh, I'll be first in line if I get a ticket. That's precious..."we cannot verify who is driving" but here's a ticket...that's about as American as you get. Well...not quite:

The locations of the remaining cameras, which will be installed by Redflex, a company from Scottsdale, Ariz., have yet to be determined. Turner said the company is reviewing Davenport’s traffic accident data and patterns to decide where they should be positioned.

A little truth here...the company is NOT from Scottsdale, Arizona. They have an OFFICE in Arizona (and Culver City, California), but they're from AUSTRALIA...not the United States.

Over the last decade, the Redflex Holdings Group has established itself as a world leader in traffic management, road safety, defence, transport, security and communications products...The Group is based in South Melbourne, Victoria...Redflex Holdings employs more than 270 people in Australia and the USA, with offices and representatives located throughout the world...

7 offices...but only 3 of them are in the United States.

So...what was that about foreign companies being responsible for our security again? Rhetorical question, I know...

MAKE DECISIONS, NOT LAW

Anytime you have a headline like this...

Iowa federal judge blasts conservatives - Des Moines Register

...I pay attention. It's a good example of creating a lead that interests a reader to continue reading. After reading the article, I don't know if he really "blasted" conservatives, but he certainly gave me pause for wondering a few things.

A federal judge in Iowa accused some of his conservative colleagues Tuesday of practicing their own brand of judicial activism, a term favored by right-wing groups to accuse liberal judges of making laws rather than applying them. "I will say this, and it's not going to be popular, but I believe it to my core: There's more judicial activism from the conservative judges than any liberal judges. there's no question about that in my mind," Bennett said. Bennett, himself a 1994 appointee of President Clinton, forcefully objected to past press reports that made a presidential link. Bennett also bristled at newspapers' references to his previous work as an attorney for the Iowa Civil Liberties Union, implying that the characterization insinuates a political agenda.

Oh sure...we believe you. As a judge, do you have any EVIDENCE to present with your charges? I know I'm just a poor slob without even a journalism degree - but can I ask for specifics?

Bennett declined to elaborate on his accusations, or to identify the judges who he felt were making laws from the bench.

Oh, I see...so you don't have any actual evidence of that, do you? Sounds like a Clinton. So much for judicial conduct rules. Here's the best part...

"We don't wear some of those yellow bands on our arms saying, 'What would Senator Grassley do?' " Bennett said, referring to the Republican from Iowa. "Every judge, to the best of their ability, sets that aside, and they call it the way they see it. All of our judicial philosophy is shaped by our entire life's history.

Uh, no it's not. Your judicial philosophy should be shaped by the laws and the Constitution...not your life history. You should apply the law as it is written...not how your life experience fits into the law. In fact, just this past years' Condition of the Judiciary Address, Chief Justice Louis Lavarato(PDF) outlined some concerns he had...

"...fair and impartial courts that uphold the Constitution and laws free from intimidation and interference...our founders painstakingly designed a balanced government with a wall of separation between the branches, an independent judiciary, and a Constitution that is supreme in all respects...Independent courts guarantee that judges follow the rule of law, the foundation of our civilized society..."

That "interference" would probably include "life history"...

"...Under the rule of law, judicial decisions are based strictly on our statutes and constitutions as well as prior judicial decisions known as legal precedent. The rule of law creates predictability in the application of our laws...If you followed the confirmation process of Chief Justice Roberts, you heard or read statements by members of Congress, the president, and Chief Justice Roberts himself about the duty of judges to render decisions based upon the rule of law, not personal views or the views of politicians or special interest groups. This is how the judiciary works..."

Personal views, Judge Bennett...would include "life history"...or is Chief Justice Lavarato part of the "yellow arm band" gang?

"...Although it may be appropriate for politicians to consider public opinion and the views of special interest groups when drafting laws and regulations, it is never appropriate for judges to do so when deciding cases. In this respect, the judiciary is very different from the other two branches of government. Judges are accountable to the Constitution and the law—not political pressure..."

See? Even my high school education was enough to spot that part.

Perhaps the judge is so upset because he got caught trying to include some of his own "life history" into some trials involving drugs.

Bennett was recently embroiled in a running confrontation with a Bush appointee, U.S. Attorney Charles Larson, over the judge's decisions to reduce prison terms for certain types of defendants. Bennett initiated contempt charges in 2004 against a Larson prosecutor who had repeatedly challenged his decisions, but dropped the matter after he was accused in court documents of improperly intimidating the attorney.

Those "certain types of defendants" are druggies...

• At a 2003 sentencing hearing for an admitted drug dealer, the judge brought a long, wooden board into court that he called an "attorney behavior modification tool." The judge said he hoped he wouldn't have to "use it too often," after noting that prosecutors had failed to file a motion that would allow him to reduce the defendant's sentence.
• During a June sentencing, court records show, Bennett demanded to know why prosecutors had recommended only a 30 percent reduction in the sentence of a California woman who pleaded guilty of participating in a marijuana ring. Bennett, clearly perturbed, launched into a lecture (from the bench): "The fact that she doesn't know the whereabouts of Osama bin Laden is not her fault. I suspect if she did, the government might have gone to 35 percent."Bennett later sentenced the woman, Kim Darby Saenz, to 20 months at a boot camp, over the objections of prosecutors.