• Day By Day,  Scott Walker

    Day By Day February 22, 2011 – Prescription for Disaster

    Day by Day by Chris Muir

    The MORONIC Wisconsin physicians who were writing fraudulent ‘scripts for teachers and other public employees to use as excuses for missing work have been caught with their fingers in the cookie jar. They will be wrist slapped in some way.

    But, most importantly, Big Labor will NOT be able to call out their cadre of sycophants to do shady crapola in any of their other protest demonstrations. Trackers from the conservative movement will be on the scene – just as the LEFT terrorized the GOP in 2006 and 2008.

    Truth in protesting now works both ways.

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    The Day By Day Archive

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links for February 22nd from 19:02 to 19:42

    These are my links for February 22nd from 19:02 to 19:42:

    • Everything You Need To Know About This Sarah Palin Tell-All – It is unclear whether or not the memoir being shopped around by former Palin aide Frank Bailey, "In Blind Allegiance to Sarah Palin: A Memoir of our Tumultuous Years," will find a publisher.

      The biggest reason why not? Well, as Alex Pareene points out today, this new offering only "confirms what you know about Sarah Palin." Come to think of it, why didn't you write this book? Probably because you have better things to do! Anyway, here's a brief and lamentable compendium of everything you need to know about this:

      –Ben Smith and Andy Barr talked to a "Palin ally, who spoke on the condition of anonymity," who said that the content [of Bailey's book] should be viewed through the lens of Bailey being "the quintessential disgruntled employee." This disgruntled employee still had access to Palin's email passwords, however!

      –The folks at Wonkette discovered that Sarah Palin apparently operates a second Facebook account under the name "Lou Sarah," which is exclusively used to "like" the things the actual Sarah Palin likes. This is deeply weird: is Sarah Palin not aware that she has a huge and obsessive fanbase on Facebook that will reflexively do these things anyway?

      –Andrew Sullivan: "Bailey describes Palin's eventual media strategy: avoid any MSM interviews and get talking points out through surrogates. Who were they? Bailey names names: Bill Kristol, Mary Matalin, former Bush aides Jason Recher and Steve Biegun, GOP officials Nick Ayers and Michael Steele, Rush Limbaugh, Laura Ingraham, Glenn Beck, Greta Van Susteren, Sean Hannity, and Bill O'Reilly." Bailey says: "We could normally expect them to repeat any coordinated message we sent." This is all pretty shocking to you, I'm sure.

      ++++++

      Pretty damning stuff – as usual….

    • Sarah Palin reality show receives $1.2 million in Alaska State Tax Credits – “Sarah Palin’s Alaska,” the TLC reality show starring the former governor in her home state, will receive roughly $1.2 million in tax credits for filming in Alaska, the state says.

      Under a state subsidy created by the Legislature in 2008 and signed into law by Palin, Alaska allows film and TV producers to recover 30 percent or more of the money they spend on filming in the state.

      All told, the Palin show spent $3.6 million in Alaska, the state says.

      TV and movie-makers may not have tax liability in Alaska but they can sell the credits at a discount to corporations that do. The tax revenue would have otherwise gone into state coffers.

      Shows such as “Deadliest Catch” and “Ice Road Truckers” have also received credits in the past year, though no reality show spent or received as much as “Sarah Palin’s Alaska” according to a state list of approved tax credits.

      Season four of "Ice Road Truckers" spent $2.7 million in the state, receiving about $900,000 in tax credits. Season six of "Deadliest Catch" spent $1.7 million and received about $600,000.

      +++++++

      More Big Government interfering with the free market – this time thanks to Sarah Palin and about Sarah Palin

    • President 2012: Sarah Palin Despises Newt Gingrich – Here's what Palin sent to her "team" after her scheduled appearance speaking about Gingrich at a fund-raising event was canceled:
      “Yes, (Newt/GOP) are egotistical, narrow minded machine goons… but all the more reason God protected me from getting up on stage in front of 5000 political and media ‘elites’ to praise him, then it be shown across the nation.” Palin wrote in the e-mail.

      “At some point Newt would have shown his true colors anyway and we would have been devastated having known we’d earlier prostituted ourselves up in front of the country introducing him and acting like that good ol’ rich white guy is the savior of the party,” she continued.

      Yeesh. Can't wait for the next time those two try to pretend to like each other. Also, Good ol' rich white guy? In private, Sarah Palin kind of sounds like Markos Moulitsas.

      ++++++

      I can hardly wait for a Presidential debate – if either of them runs.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links for February 22nd from 14:50 to 18:56

    These are my links for February 22nd from 14:50 to 18:56:

    • California fees boost traffic fines to aid budget – Justin Jachens learned of California's soaring traffic penalties when he got slapped for a red-light violation.

      Ticketed drivers have been squeezed hard during the budget crisis, perhaps because few complain until they get fined – then it's too late.

      "We're the ones taking the brunt for everything," said Jachens, 21, a student at California State University, Sacramento. "It's outrageous."

      Jachens was nabbed by a red-light camera for not making a complete stop at the intersection of Watt Avenue and Fair Oaks Boulevard. Three years ago, the offense would have cost Jachens $371.

      Now it's $470.

      With unemployment soaring and median income foundering, California's rising traffic fines stand out. Lawmakers generally have not increased base fines, but they have raised total penalties for each ticket the past three years by expanding or tacking on assessments:

      • $20 for court security.

      • $35 for court construction or renovation, plus an "immediate and critical needs" fee of $2 for every $10 of base fine.

      • $4 to bolster emergency medical air transport services.

      • $2 for every $10 of base fine to assist crime labs in processing DNA samples.

      Jachens plans to attend traffic school, for which state-approved fees have doubled to $49 over the past three years. He also must pay a $7 county charge and tuition for the course itself, perhaps $25, lifting the total tab for attendance above $80.

      Jachens' bottom line to clear his red-light camera ticket? More than $550.

      "It's an entire paycheck for someone like me," Jachens said.

      +++++++

      California is nickel and diming its citizens to pay for public employee pensions and benefits for illegal alien's children,etc.,etc.

    • California teachers’ pension system headed toward insolvency – As California school districts anticipate possibly the worst budget crisis in a generation, many will try to lighten their burden by enticing older teachers into retirement. But as more and more teachers retire — with a pension averaging 55 percent to 60 percent of salary — they will be straining a system that already can't meet its obligations.

      The California State Teachers' Retirement System is sliding down a steep slope toward insolvency. The threat isn't to teachers who have retired or plan to, but to the people of California. Taxpayers, who already pick up 23 percent of CalSTRS expenses, will be increasingly burdened as the giant pension system fails to meet its obligations.

      "We're on a path of destruction," said Marcia Fritz, president of pension-reform group California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility.

      And merely rejiggering formulas for new employees won't rescue the system, she said. Simply put: "We overpromised."

      Among those promises, "Californians have typically given their public employees richer retirement benefits" than have other states, according to the nonpartisan Legislative Analyst's Office.

      +++++

      Read it all

      Another example of Big Government and Big Labor promising too much to a constituent group.

    • Flap’s Links for February 21st through February 22nd | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links for February 21st through February 22nd #tcot #catcot
    • YouTube
      – Koch Membrane Systems and Santa Paula Water Recycling Facility
      – I uploaded a YouTube video — Koch Membrane Systems and Santa Paula Water Recycling Fac…
  • Mitch Daniels

    Mitch Daniels Salutes Democrat Lawmakers Who Leave Indiana to Avoid Right to Work Labor Vote – Kisses His Presidential Ambitions Good Bye

    Say what Mitch?

    Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels, still weighing the possibility of a presidential bid, said today that he “salutes” Democrats who fled Indiana to prevent a vote on a controversial labor bill. A Daniels aide says the governor’s words did not accurately reflect what Daniels meant to say.

    Daniels made the statement during a press availability at the governor’s office. The day had been a tumultuous one, with protesters coming to Indianapolis and Democratic lawmakers fleeing to Illinois, all over right-to-work legislation, which Daniels opposes. “The activities of today are a perfectly legitimate part of the process,” Daniels told reporters. “Even the smallest minority, and that’s what we’ve heard from in the last couple days, has every right to express the strength of its views and I salute those who did.”

    Daniels added that he would not send Indiana state troopers to find the fleeing Democrats. “I trust that the people’s consciences will bring them back to work,” Daniels said. “I choose to believe that they’ll come back and do the job that they’re paid to do.”

    Daniels’ remarks are particularly noteworthy because Democratic state senators in Wisconsin have also fled their state to stop the legislative process on Republican Gov. Scott Walker’s budget bill. Although opinion is divided on the merits of the issue, which involves collective bargaining for public employee unions, there has been widespread criticism of the Wisconsin lawmakers for fleeing the state.

    Asked about Daniels’ comments, the governor’s aide said Daniels was “saluting” only those who had come to the state capitol, not those who left it. “He was saluting the protesters who came up and peacefully and loudly expressed their point of view,” the aide says. “The language that was used probably wasn’t as clear as it could have been in the context of what was going on.”

    Asked whether Daniels views fleeing the state to stop a vote as legitimate legislative activity, the aide answered, “People have walked out before. Leaving the state is kind of an extreme action…but we’ve had walkouts in the legislature before, and it is part of the process.”

    Sorry, but this is a major gaffe and there is no way to talk your way out of it – context or no context. There is no way a national Republican leader can condone the activity of the Democrats to flee Indiana for Illinois to stop a vote of the Indiana Legislature.

    As far as a Presidential run is concerned – forget about it, Mitch. You will NEVER be able to win a GOP Primary race now.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links for February 21st through February 22nd

    These are my links for February 21st through February 22nd:

    • Mitch Daniels Wants to Drop Bill That Forced Democrats to Flee – Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels (R) signaled that Republicans "should to drop the right-to-work bill that has brought the Indiana House to a standstill for two days and imperiled other measures," the Indianapolis Star reports.

      Daniels told reporters that "he expects House Democrats will return to work if the bill dies. It would be unfortunate if other bills are caught up in the turmoil, he said."

      He also said he will not send out state police to corral the Democrats who fled to prevent a quorum in the state House.

      ++++++

      Mitch Daniels had an opportunity here to lead and he voted expedience.

      Bye Bye Presidential race…..

    • Mitch Daniels: Indiana Republicans Should Drop the Right to Work Bill – Color me extremely disappointed with Indiana Gov. Mitch Daniels right now:

      Gov. Mitch Daniels signaled this afternoon that Republicans should to drop the right-to-work bill that has brought the Indiana House to a standstill for two days and imperiled other measures.

      Daniels told reporters this afternoon that he expects House Democrats will return to work if the bill dies. It would be unfortunate if other bills are caught up in the turmoil, he said.

      He will not send out state police to corral the Democrats, the Republican governor said. The Democrat minority has right to express its views, he added.

      The governor clung to his view that this is not the year to tackle right to work.

      If the Indiana House Democrats get what they want through this tactic, what’s to prevent them from using it again and again every time they think they’ll lose on a big issue?

      I had been open-minded about Daniels’ “truce” talk — no matter how much a Republican presidential candidate talks about the importance of social issues, 75 to 90 percent of the president’s time from January 2013 to 2017 will be spent on economic and fiscal crises and managing a dangerous and rapidly changing world. But a concession to Democrats on major reforms like these will spur a lot of talk about Daniels’ toughness, or whether he’s too conciliatory to an opposition that has gone completely off the rails, or more accurately, out of the state….

      +++++++

      Read it all

      Color me extremely disappointed with Mitch Daniels as well

    • Day By Day February 21, 2011 – Hands On | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Day By Day February 21, 2011 – Hands On #tcot #catcot
    • Flap’s Links for February 21st from 15:02 to 19:10 | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Flap’s Links for February 21st from 15:02 to 19:10 #tcot #catcot
  • Charles Koch,  David Koch

    Video: Look What the Big Bad Capitalist Koch Brothers Did to My Community

    Well, I am being a little disingenuous in the headline of the post. I live in Thousand Oaks, California and what the Koch Brothers did through their company Koch Membrane Systems is in Santa Paula, California which is about a 30 minutes drive from here.

    What did the Kochs (You know those dirty capitalists who support all of those right-wing (pro-business) think tanks/conferences and rail against the LEFT in this country) do?

    In Santa Paula the Kochs helped build a state of the art water recycling plant to help the environment – as well as the folks that live there.

    The Santa Paula water recycling facility (WRF) is a membrane bioreactor (MBR)-based, 3.4MGD (expandable to 4.2MGD) water recycling facility located in the City of Santa Paula, California. The new facility is the first of its kind built under California’s Government Code Section 5956, which promotes public-private partnerships in public infrastructure projects.

    Construction was completed in December 2009 and the facility became fully operational in May 2010, seven months ahead of the Regional Board compliance deadline.

    And, why the replacement facility?

    Before commissioning the new facility, the City of Santa Paula was served by a wastewater treatment plant built in 1939. It had reached the end of its service life and required replacement.

    The original plant was also unable to comply with the waste discharge requirements of the Los Angeles Regional Water Quality Control Board.

    The non-compliance discharges were being transferred into the Santa Clara River, as a result of which the city faced fines of over $8m from the State Regional Water Quality Control Board.

    In May 2007, a consent judgement given to the state allowed that it could apply the fines toward construction of a new wastewater treatment facility, if completed by December 2010. Following the judgement, the city decided to replace its old plant with a new wastewater recycling facility.

    Frankly, I don’t know what to say – either the Koch Brothers have gone “GREEN” or maybe, just maybe, the media portrayals of these BUSINESSMEN have been a little skewed.

    I know what the residents of Santa Paula think…..

  • John Thune

    President 2012: Sen John Thune Takes a Pass on Presidential Race

    Sen. John Thune, R-S.D. speaks on Capitol Hill in Washington. Thune has declined to pursue a bid for president next year. He is joined by Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell of Ky., left, and Sen. Lamar Alexander, R-Tenn

    John Thune, although an up and comer in the national GOP is out as a Presidential contender in 2012.

    John Thune isn’t running for president.

    “For months now, my wife Kimberley and I have received encouragement from family, friends, colleagues, and supporters from across South Dakota and the country to run for the presidency of the United States,” Thune said in a statement posted on his website today.

    “I feel that I am best positioned to fight for America’s future here in the trenches of the United States Senate,” he said. Thune’s statement didn’t indicate who he might support in the 2012 presidential primary.

    Thune had an afternoon conference call to speak with supporters, and he called top donors early Tuesday to inform them of his decision.

    Thune, who beat Democratic Majority Leader Tom Daschle to win his Senate seat in 2004, has been thinking about a presidential bid for months — but his inquiries were tepid compared to other more organized candidates. Earlier this month, he was tapped to serve on the powerful Finance Committee — and with Senate Minority Whip Jon Kyl (R-Ariz.) set to retire next year, there is space for Thune to move up the ranks of the Senate leadership.

    The South Dakotan had made clear in recent weeks that he lacked any burning desire to get on the campaign trail. “I like where I am,” Thune said in an interview with POLITICO earlier this month. “I like what I do. These committee assignments are obviously going to give me a full portfolio for the foreseeable future. … I’m in a place where I think I can make a difference.

    Probably a smart choice where it is apparent that ANY race for the Republican nominee will be tough against the incumbent President Obama. And, besides his Senate responsibilities are not a bad day job.

  • Mitch Daniels,  Right to Work

    Indiana Democrat Legislators Leave the State Rather than Vote on Anti-Union Legislation



    I guess the Wisconsin situation is contagious – the mockery of democracy and the American system of government, that is.

    Seats on one side of the Indiana House were nearly empty today as House Democrats departed the the state rather than vote on anti-union legislation.

    A source tells the Indianapolis Star that Democrats are headed to Illinois, though it was possible some also might go to Kentucky. They need to go to a state with a Democratic governor to avoid being taken into police custody and returned to Indiana.

    The House was came into session twice this morning, with only three of the 40 Democrats present. Those were needed to make a motion, and a seconding motion, for any procedural steps Democrats would want to take to ensure Republicans don’t do anything official without quorum.

    With only 58 legislators present, there was no quorum present to do business. The House needs 67 of its members to be present.

    The issue is “Right to Work” Legislation and it is unclear whether Indiana GOP Governor Mitch Daniels supports the efforts of his own party to push the legislation forward.

    Union supporters say the bill which has sparked the protests, House Bill 1468 such a measure would weaken bargaining power because companies under collective bargaining agreements would no longer have to hire union members. Supporters, including the state’s Chamber of Commerce, say it would makes Indiana more appealing to business and will bring jobs to the state.

    Stay tuned……

  • Scott Walker

    University of Wisconsin Health is Investigating Fraudulent Sick Notes Written by Physicians for Protesting Public Employees

    As tens of thousands of public employees skipped work last week to attend protest rallies outside the Wisconsin State Capitol, many wondered if they would face any disciplinary action for unexcused absences.

    On Saturday, a group of men and women in lab coats purporting to be doctors were handing out medical excuse notes, without examining the ‘patients.’

    You remember the Flap.

    And, the Wisconsin Medical Society has criticized the doctors.

    UW Health is investigating reports of doctors writing sick notes last weekend to excuse Capitol protesters from work, and the Wisconsin Medical Society has criticized the doctors’ actions.

    “These charges are very serious,” a statement by UW Health said. “These UW Health physicians were acting on their own and without the knowledge or approval of UW Health.”

    The Wisconsin Medical Society, the state’s largest doctors association, said it “does not condone these actions under any circumstances.”

    The Wisconsin Medical Examining Board has received information about the events, the medical society said. Representatives from the state Department of Regulation and Licensing, which includes the medical board, could not be reached for comment.

    The chances of the Wisconin Medical Board doing anything in a timely manner is remote. But, there will be some sort of an investigation and some physicians will get their wrists slapped.

    State regulations ban doctors from “knowingly making any false statement, written or oral, in practicing under any license, with fraudulent intent.”

    Dr. Lou Sanner, a family medicine physician at UW Health, told the Associated Press he was one of the doctors involved. He said he wrote hundreds of sick notes for protesters because they were suffering from stress.

    “Some people think it’s a nod-and-a-wink thing but it’s not,” he said.

    Several doctors reportedly joined Sanner, filling out formatted notes excusing protesters from work. The notes said each doctor “evaluated” each “patient.”

    Dr. Tim Bartholow, a senior vice president of the medical society, said the doctors may have meant well but could end up harming physicians’ reputation.

    “I’m sure they were acting out of conscience,” he said. “But our actions as professionals have got to earn the public trust.”

    I certainly would not want any of these physicians treating me. But, the most these miscreants will receive will be a letter in a file and some public scorn, which if you are in private practice is probably not what you want.

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    Updated: Video: Wisconsin Physicians Distribute Fraudulent Sick Notes to Protesting Public Employees

    Video: Wisconsin Physicians Distribute Fraudulent Sick Notes to Protesting Public Employees