• Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 4th from 14:04 to 15:26

    These are my links for March 4th from 14:04 to 15:26:

    • Video: Staring at Breasts Increases Heart Health | Flap’s Blog – FullosseousFlap’s Dental Blog – Video: Staring at Breasts Increases Heart Health #tcot #catcot
    • Flap’s Dentistry Blog: VA Dentist Implicated in Unhygienic Dental Practice and Spread of Hepatitis Receives Raise in 2010 – VA Dentist Implicated in Unhygienic Dental Practice and Spread of Hepatitis Receives Raise in 2010
    • Amazon.com: State stands up to anti-tax attack – Amazon.com: State stands up to anti-tax attack
    • Amazon.com: State stands up to anti-tax attack – Is Amazon.com getting nervous?

      How else to explain its intemperate letter threatening to put more than 10,000 Californians out of work should the state even think about enforcing the collection of unpaid sales taxes on Amazon and other Internet retailers?

      "I'm not surprised by what Amazon's done," said Board of Equalization Chairwoman Betty Yee. "I think it's their way of getting California to back off."

      Support has been growing for legislation, backed by Yee, that would clear the way to collect an estimated $1.145 billion in unpaid taxes that out-of-state online merchants such as Amazon, and catalog houses such L.L. Bean, have thus far successfully evaded.

      "If any of these new tax collection schemes were adopted, Amazon would be compelled to end its advertising relationships with well over 10,000 California-based participants in the Amazon 'Associates Program,' " the company wrote to a receptive Republican tax board member, George Runner.

      The "associates," or affiliates, get a cut of every sale Amazon makes to customers via a click-through from affiliates' websites.

      "Amazon has made it clear to me that the checks they send Californians will be cut off overnight if pending legislation aimed at regulating their operations becomes law," said Runner, one of the elected board's five members.

      ++++++

      Read it all.

      If the legislation receives 2/3rds I will be amazed and then the legal battle commences.

      The nexus issue will be long fought in the federal appellate courts.

  • Corporation for Public Broadcasting,  Jim DeMint,  National Public Radio,  Tom Coburn

    Senate Republicans Introduce Bill to De-Fund Public Broadcasting

    Probably a prudent savings in light of the massive salaries being paid to NPR and CPB executives and look at Sesame Street.

    The statement from Senators Jim DeMint and Tom Coburn:

    Today, U.S. Senator Jim DeMint, R-S.C., a member of the Senate Commerce Committee that oversees the Corporation for Public Broadcasting (CPB), and U.S. Senator Tom Coburn, M.D., R-Okla., introduced legislation to stop taxpayer subsidies to public radio and television. CPB-funded television and radio programs are distributed through National Public Radio (NPR) and the Public Broadcasting Service (PBS). Since 2001, CPB has received nearly $4 billion in taxpayer money.

    “Our nation is on the edge of bankruptcy and Congress must make some tough choices to rein in spending, but ending taxpayer subsidies of public broadcasting should be an easy decision,” said Sen. DeMint. “Americans struggling to make ends meet shouldn’t be forced to fund public broadcasting when there are already thousands of choices for educational and entertainment programming on the television, radio and web. President Obama’s own bipartisan debt commission proposed ending these unnecessary subsidies to public broadcasting. NPR boasts that it only gets 2 percent of their funding from taxpayers and PBS gets about 15 percent, so these programs should be able to find a way to stand on their own.”

    “Politicians in Washington should focus their attention on eliminating the more than $200 billion in duplicative spending GAO highlighted this week and stop defending indefensible subsidies for public broadcasting,” said Dr. Coburn. “The federal government has no business picking winners and losers in today’s highly competitive media environment. NPR and CPB will do just fine without largesse from Washington.”

    CPB was incorporated as a private nonprofit corporation under the authority of the Public Broadcasting Act of 1967, and its first taxpayer subsidy in 1969 was $5 million. Today, CPB is slated to receive $430 million from taxpayers in the current fiscal year and President Obama recently asked for an increase to $451 million.

    According to the 2009 tax forms all nonprofits are required to file (990), PBS President Paula Kerger received $632,233 in compensation that year while NPR President Emeritus, Kevin Klose, received more than $1.2 million in compensation. The PBS program Sesame Street’s Sesame Workshop President and CEO Gary Knell received $956,513 — nearly a million dollars — in compensation in 2008. And, from 2003 to 2006, “Sesame Street” made more than $211 million from toy and consumer product sales.

    In 2010, NPR accepted a controversial $1.8 million grant from the Open Society Foundation, backed by liberal financier George Soros, to hire 100 reporters. Additionally, NPR has an endowment of over $200 million.

    List of federal funding for CPB over the years, provided by the Congressional Research Service:

    • 2001: $340 million

    • 2002: $350 million

    • 2003: $362.8 million

    • 2004: $377.8 million

    • 2005: $386.8 million

    • 2006: $396 million

    • 2007: $400 million

    • 2008: $393 million

    • 2009: $400 million

    • 2010: $420 million

    • 2011: $430 million

    Of course, it is doubtful Democrat Senate Majority Leader Harry Reid will take up the bill but as an amendment to a “money bill” is a definite possibility.

  • Mike Huckabee,  Mitt Romney,  Newt Gingrich,  Polling,  President 2012,  Sarah Palin

    President 2012 Wisconsin Poll Watch: Obama is Weaker Than 2008 But Solid?

    I don’t know about the solid part in the latest PPP poll.

    Wisconsin is one state where Barack Obama definitely seems to be weaker than he was in 2008, but he would still win it comfortably if he had to stand for election today if not quite by the lofty margin he did last time around.

    Favorable Vs. Unfavorable:

    • Obama –  49% Vs. 45%
    • Ryan – 36% Vs. 35%
    • Huckabee – 34% Vs. 37%
    • Romney – 30% Vs. 41%
    • Gingrich – 26% Vs. 49%
    • Palin 32% Vs. 60%

    Heads – Up:

    • Obama 48% Vs Huckabee 41%
    • Obama 49% Vs. Ryan 40%
    • Obama 48% Vs. Romney 38%
    • Obama 51% Vs. Gingrich 39%
    • Obama 54% Vs Palin 35%

    President Obama won Wisconsin by 14 points in 2008 and the GOP will need to win this state to be competitive in the Electoral College. Is there any wonder why Obama has stayed away from the Wisconsin public employee union flap? He is smart to stay out of it and not let it increase his negatives.

    Obama’s approval rating in the state is 49% with 45% of voters disapproving of him. The Democratic base stands pretty universally behind him at 89% approval and independents break slightly in favor of him by a 49/43 spread. Holding him below 50% is that he has virtually no support from Republicans, only 10% of whom approve of his job performance.

    Obama took Wisconsin by 14 points in 2008, so his margins over Huckabee, Ryan, Romney, and Gingrich all represent a tightening from his victory over John McCain. Still he appears to be on much more solid ground in the state than Democrats were in 2000 or 2004. As for Palin Wisconsin makes for another of her ‘Goldwater’ states- her 19 point deficit would be the biggest loss for a Republican in the state since the party lost by 24 points in 1964.

    The entire poll (Pdf) is here.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 4th from 12:06 to 12:25

    These are my links for March 4th from 12:06 to 12:25:

    • A New Strategy for Wisconsin – On February 17, the 14 Democratic members of the Wisconsin senate fled across the state line to the Best Western Clock Tower Resort in Rockford, Ill., the city in which I grew up. They were denying Republicans a three-fifths quorum on a bill that would restrict public unions in Wisconsin. They are believed to be still wandering about the Midwest, on an odyssey that poses problems for democratic government.

      One potential solution that has not received enough attention is dividing Wisconsin Senate Bill 11 into several separate bills, and passing the parts that do not require a three-fifths quorum. The most controversial provisions — the restrictions on collective bargaining — are subject to a quorum of only a majority of elected senators, and Republicans hold 19 of the Wisconsin senate’s 33 seats.

      ++++++

      Just may be a solution…..

    • President 2012: Mitch Daniels’s Obamacare Problem – Mitt Romney isn’t the only Republican presidential hopeful with an Obamacare problem: Indiana governor Mitch Daniels, were he to become the GOP’s nominee, could also undermine the repeal campaign that has united the party’s base and independent voters.

      To be sure, Daniels’s Obamacare problem is less obvious than Romney’s; the law that Romney signed as governor of Massachusetts in 2006 is essentially identical to Obamacare. It sent insurance premiums higher and left Massachusetts struggling with runaway Medicaid spending. Romney’s stubborn “no apology” stance on his own law could sink the repeal effort by making it appear unprincipled and political. President Obama is already laying the groundwork, most recently by reminding the National Governors Association that Romney remains “proud” of Romneycare.

      +++++++

      Read it all

    • Huckabee: Natalie Portman a “distorted image” of single motherhood; Update: “I did not slam or attack Natalie Portman” – As a conservative cultural commentator, Huckabee hit the right notes.  If Huckabee wants to run for President, however, generating a debate over Natalie Portman’s pregnancy specifically doesn’t seem like a good choice, especially with the echoes of the Murphy Brown debate as context.  Regardless of how single motherhood relates to others, Portman certainly has the resources to ensure that her child won’t fall into poverty.  Also, given the description of Millepied, it sounds as if they will be rectifying the main complaint in a short while anyway.  Perhaps Portman will end up setting a good example by marrying the father of her child, something that happens far too infrequently in Hollywood and everywhere else.

      Besides, when was the last time Hollywood provided a good example of family life, especially in real life?  Charlie Sheen may be an extreme example, but the entertainment industry is hardly known for its commitment to stable families.  Portman’s example, considered in contrast to many of her colleagues, looks pretty good, and she seems committed to giving her child a two-parent environment.  At least she didn’t terminate the pregnancy. That may sound like damnation through faint praise, but given the “role models” Hollywood produces, Portman is at the very least an odd target for a presidential contender.

      ++++++++

      Being judgmental in this regard will do Huckabee NO good if he plans to run for the Presidency.

      But, Huck is not running anyway.

    • Jennifer Rubin’s Right Turn – Ohio and Gov John Kasich – Ohio Gov. John Kasich is rolling over the public employee unions in his state. "Public workers are setting up tent cities in Columbus, as in Madison. Yet despite some defections, most Republicans hung together in a crucial vote Wednesday in the state senate, narrowly passing 17-16 a bill that will limit collective bargaining for government unions and move to merit from step pay, among other reforms. It now goes to the house, which Republicans control 59 to 40. . . . The bill gives Ohio and its cities and counties new tools to manage the costs of some 360,000 state and local workers. They will earn pay increases on the basis of performance, rather than the automatic seniority and length-of-service increases that now apply beyond the annual increases negotiated by unions. It also allows collective bargaining for wages up to inflation, but not for benefits or pensions. Far from a 'right' divinely etched into stone, Ohio only allowed government collective bargaining in 1983."
  • Polling,  Scott Walker

    Poll Watch: Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker Plunges in Job Approval Rating

    This latest Rasmussen poll could possibly portend a compromise with the Wisconsin Democrat State Senators who remain out of the state in Illinois.

    Wisconsin Governor Scott Walker won his job last November with 52% of the vote, but his popularity has slipped since then.

    A new Rasmussen Reports telephone survey of Likely Wisconsin Voters finds that just 34% Strongly Approve of the job he is doing, while 48% Strongly Disapprove. Overall, including those who somewhat approve or disapprove, the new Republican governor earns positive reviews from 43% and negative reviews from 57% of voters statewide.

    In addition to the usual partisan and demographic breakdowns, it’s interesting to note that Walker, now engaged in a budget battle with unionized state workers, receives a total approval rating of 46% from households with private sector union members. However, among households with a public sector union member, only 19% offer their approval. Among all other households in the state, opinion is nearly evenly divided—49% favorable and 51% unfavorable.

    It’s also interesting to note that among households with children in the public school system, only 32% approve of the governor’s performance. Sixty-seven percent (67%) disapprove, including 54% who Strongly Disapprove.

    This may be partly due to the fact that 77% of Wisconsin voters have a favorable opinion of the state’s public school teachers. However, only 50% have a favorable opinion of the teachers’ union.

    The survey of 800 Likely Voters in Wisconsin was conducted on March 2, 2011 by Rasmussen Reports. The margin of sampling error is +/- 4 percentage points with a 95% level of confidence.

    The fact remains voters do not like turmoil and the unions have created just that in Wisconsin. It is my belief that Walker should go “all in” and stay the course.

    Walker will either win or lose but any half-way measure will spell certain defeat for him and his party.

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 4th from 11:51 to 11:52

    These are my links for March 4th from 11:51 to 11:52:

    • When Everyone Dares to Call it a Conspiracy – The Koch Brothers – In today's Examiner, Mark Tapscott discusses William F. Buckley's banishment of John Birchers to the fringe of the conservative movement decades ago and how it relates to today's conspiracy mongering on the left. In particular, the bleatings about the influence of Koch Industries have run comepletely off the rails and it's discrediting to the left:(…)

      Just add to Tapscott's point, this the left's collective Koch delusions are especially odd considering that for years liberals have been accusing conservatives of wallowing in the fever swamps whenever George Soros' name comes up. And in some select instances, this is a not unfair criticism.

      But Tapscott's fellow Examiner columnist Tim Carney has made the point that the political influence of the different billionaire funders is an instructive contrast. Charles and David Koch own a privately held company, whereas hedge fund head and currency manipulator George Soros depends a lot on state coercion to make his money.

      Further, Carney notes that some of the biggest critics of Koch on the left, such as the Center for American Progress and Common Cause, are big recipients of Soros funding. Go figure.

      ++++++++

      Fancy that…..George Soros

    • Paranoia 2011: Beware of the Koch behind every bush – The search is over, for now anyway, because the paranoid Left has decided the real evil genius on the Right is named Koch. Actually, that would be "geniuses," as in Charles and David Koch. For decades, these two have been funding libertarian-oriented causes, candidates and organizations. David even ran for vice president once, on the Libertarian Party ticket.

      But in recent months we have begun to hear "Koch whore" chanted at every turn by leftist bloggers, think tankers and political activists.

      Typical is this from a fundraising e-mail circulated yesterday by Faiz Shakir of the Center for American Progress: "Before most of the general public knew who they were, we were exposing the Kochs as the architects of the Tea Party movement in early 2009. We revealed their culpability for severe air pollution and, most recently, catalogued their union-busting efforts in Wisconsin."

      The paranoid left has made much of the Koch Political Action Committee's $43,000 donation to Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker, saying that money proves the Badger State GOPer is a Koch puppet. They never explain how a politician who, according to MAPLight.org has received more than $9.7 million in political contributions since entering politics in 1993 could now be swayed by a contribution that represents 0.004 percent of his total career funding.

      Thus is illustrated what Buckley meant by views being "so far removed from common sense."

      The stereotypical conspiracy theorist, of course, is Welch, thanks to decades of mainstream media agitprop. That's ironic considering Saul Alinsky's Rule 12: "Pick the target, freeze it, personalize it, and polarize it." With that maxim, Alinsky unhinged the Left by turning political paranoia into a strategic necessity.

      Is there a liberal editor today willing to do for the Left what conservative Buckley did decades ago for the Right?

      +++++++++

      Read it all

  • Pinboard Links

    Flap’s Links and Comments for March 4th from 10:32 to 11:30

    These are my links for March 4th from 10:32 to 11:30:

    • Speaker Boehner, Allow Frank Buckles Into the Rotunda – Melt the Phones 202 225-0600 – think Speaker John Boehner is making a terrible mistake.

      The Speaker’s Office is blocking a request that Frank Buckles be allowed to lie in state in the rotunda of the United States Capitol.

      Frank Buckles is not just anybody. I agree that we should not let just anybody lie in state in the rotunda. The right should be reserved for a very special few.

      But Frank Buckles is not just a special few. He is the last of his kind. The very last.

      ++++++++

      Agreed…..call the Speaker and let him know. 202 225-0600

    • Should Edwards Really Be Indicted? – Here is the problem I have with indicting John Edwards:  Apparently the prosecutors’ idea is that if Edwards used money from “Bunny” Mellon and others to keep his mistress stashed away and quiet, this was really a campaign expense and should have been paid for out of campaign funds. But suppose Edwards had paid for it with campaign funds. Don’t you think prosecutors would now be thinking of indicting him for an improper use of campaign funds?  (You can’t pay for most meals using campaign funds. You can’t buy mittens with campaign funds. Are mistresses going to OK?) …

      P.S.: That’s one of the problems with campaign finance laws: the categories are inherently slippery. Everything John Edwards did–every breath he took–for four years was designed to get him elected president, after all. His antipoverty work was designed to make him look good.

      +++++++

      Read it all and I disagree with Mickey here.

      Yes, he should.

      John Edwards should have used personal funds to stash away his mistress, but of course, his wife might have discovered this.

      Instead he apparently used sham transactions and his campaign accounts.

      Bad move for Edwards and he may well pay a criminal price – depending upon the applicable law and a jury.

  • American Economy,  Unemployment Rate

    Poll Watch: Underemployment 21% or Higher In Nine States Including California

    View underemployment data for every state

    Despite the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics report today, Gallup raises another issue that may loom as more important – UNDEREMPLOYMENT.

    Underemployed Americans are generally those who are not working to their desired capacity. Gallup considers respondents to be “underemployed” if they are either 1) unemployed or 2) employed part time (under 30 hours per week) and wish to be employed full time. The definition of unemployment used as a component of underemployment closely follows the government’s definition; respondents are “unemployed” if they don’t have a job, and are actively looking for work and are available to begin work. Gallup reports underemployment by state in the following ranges: 9.0%-11.9%, 12.0%-14.9%, 15.0%-17.9%, 18.0%-20.9%, and 21.0%-24.9%.

    The nine states with underemployment rates of 21% or higher were relatively spread out across the country and include the nation’s largest state, California, as well as Michigan and Nevada, which have been hit by downturns in the automotive and gambling industries, respectively. Twenty-two states cluster in the underemployment range of 18% to 20.9%, relatively close to the 18.9% national average.

    Here are the charts:

    So, what does this mean?

    Although the national unemployment rates are marginally decreasing, there is a large population of Americans that are not working enough. This is a measure of the real impact of the job situation and will have political implications – particularly in key battleground states as the campaigns for 2012 begin. Note the states of North Carolina, Nevada, Florida and Michigan are on the highest underemployment list.

    Underemployment is a measure of the real impact of the job situation in the U.S., taking into account as it does workers who are out of and explicitly looking for work, as well as those who may be working part time but would like to work full time. The extent of underemployment in the U.S. varies widely by state, from relatively low levels in the energy states of North Dakota and Wyoming to quite high levels in a number of states, including the nation’s largest, California.