"A government big enough to give you everything you want, is big enough to take away everything you have"
Thomas Jefferson

Sunday, May 31, 2009

You Asked - Open Thread

Several commenters here have asked for an open thread, so here it is. Anything flies, but as the Mayor says - "within the bounds of good taste."

Talk; state, local or national politics, talk POTUS or SCOTUS, address or ask questions of Dan Francis or Hermit Thrush, even talk about how ugly the parking garage sitting so close to Washington St looks at SMC.

It is all yours, have at it today!

26 comments:

Anonymous said...

Libs want my guns?

Anonymous said...

Am I the only one that is very scared of the direction that Obama and NYS leaders are taking? I don't know if I can live here any more if our state and country do what I fear they will.

Anonymous said...

Tell us about your beloved Empire Zones and how your corporate welfare and proven to be a complete scam in the Adirondack region.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

Thanks IV for this "open thread," good move (maybe?).

I don't want to be or appear picky but this caught my eye today and well ... I just don't like it.

To wit:

* President and Mrs. Obama landed in New York Saturday afternoon, and after taking a helicopter from JFK into Manhattan, drove up the West Side Highway, where the northbound lanes were shut down by police for their visit, past Ground Zero, into the Village for dinner at the Village's Blue Hill restaurant (their "date night").

* From there, they went north to Times Square, where they went to to see a production of "Joe Turner's Come and Gone" at the Belasco Theater on West 44 Street.

Deputy Press Secretary Josh Earnest read a statement from Obama that said he was taking his wife to New York City because he promised her during the campaign that he would take her to a Broadway show after it was all finished.

Their "date night" is (was) fine and dandy (before he won), but now it seems out of place with all the other stuff going on to have a "date night." And, quite frankly their 'nite out' to me could be in any number of places tied in with his many travels - weren't they just in Hollywood a few days ago raising millions with Spielberg and Katzenberg, et al? I thought so...

Anyway, just my view - and I know the GOP is having a field day with the cost and security and such, and I tend to agree with them on this issue.

View from my foxhole.

Anonymous said...

Is it better to be 'holed-up' in the bunker in the White House or in Crawford? Unlike the last guy, who really did have a bunker mentality, this guy likes to show that it is safe to circulate in our great Country, and there are no boogie men around every corner, nor a spook behind every bush.

One commenter, on another blog, opined that since GM was declaring bankruptcy Monday, that it is inappropriate for the President to be out having a good time! Gee, how many of you were home last night with your prayer beads over GM's fate? (Or anyone else's fate?)

I recall other presidents supporting the arts (Kennedy Center), sports (baseball, football), or a myriad of Politcal events. Wasn't Bush sitting in a Kindergarten class during the 9/11 attacks? Tell me THAT was part of his 'official' duties . . .

Anonymous said...

My concerns include our move towards socialized medicine, even though Bama denies that intention. If we are going to take that step, we should be taking some hard looks at the nations that have led the way int at direction. We aren't. Our media is in the bag for the Great One and will not take a balanced look at much of anything.

NY State budget. Again, media wouldn't do its job. Thusly, corrupt politics continue.

Empire Zones. How did The WDT get on the "tax free" list? Does that have anything to do with media not doing its job?

GE is pushing healthcare and medical records expenditures, all the while kissing the Great One's ring. Libs used to gripe about defense contractors in bed with the administration. How come they don't gripe about this one?

More gun laws in NY. It's funny, all that stupidity is being driven by sleazy opportunists like Schumer and Shelly Silver. They will never stop trotting out this crap as long as people dumb enough to lap it up. People who do them gun crimes ignore dozens of laws. People, if a guy (or girl/neutral/gay/transgender)ignores 30 felony laws, does ya think one more will stop him? Enforce the laws we have and quit being stupid.

But if we were smart so many of our political problems would go away. And our leaders would be one unhappy group of folk.

Anonymous said...

Nice series of comments. Esp Mr Francis, who is now going to pass judgement on Obama, a man who CAN get elected.
And if 2:58 doesn't think we already have hybrid forms of socialized services, I'd like to know where (s)he has been slumbering. Medicare, medicaid, food stamps, SSI, flood insurance, FEMA (did this person receive any aid after the '98 ice storm?), farm subsidies, tax credits, higher education, housing (the $8000 tax credit for 1st time homebuyers isn't socialism?), pension plans, etc. Any place where the risk is spread amongst us is a form of socialism. The big problem is that nobody seems to know what socialism is. But we have a nice community college that's not expensive for those who'd like to learn a little.

Anonymous said...

On a unique note Steve Bradley is throwing his hat into the political ring again, credit him with blowing the whistle on the "boys in blue" and the way things are done.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

NYS has some of the toughest gun laws in the country.

Still car trunk loads of guns make their way into hands of people in dark allies who have plans for them outside of mainstream thinking.

That in turn spoils it for everyone who has a right to own guns for reasons that are their own (sport shooting, hunting, collection, or yes, even self-protection).

The bad cases are the ones that get the attention then the focus is on "everyone with a gun" and that simply is not true.

Earthbob said...

It is time for an economic regeneration of ideas from both political parties and at every level of government.

The President will show his mettle IF he lets people know that entitlements, and their associated future costs, can no longer be maintained at there current levels.

Tax and expenditures under either political party's control have been out of whack for decades.

That means a future loss of credibility, and that translates into a weakened US Dollar.

There has been an explosion in government borrowing. The demand for debt is at its highest level in History.

Now debt can not be sold as cheaply as it was years ago. Interest rates will climb higher.

Government spending of $1.9 Trillion is 13% of our GP.

Printing dollars is the catalyst for Inflation.

The 1970's taught us that double digit Inflation means double digit interest rates.

If you believe that a technical end of the Recession is the "Recovery", you have your eye off the ball.

A Fiscal Crisis can be the embryoic growth of economic ideas.

Conservative Jack Kemp, co-author if Kemp-Roth, used the concept of enterprise zones with some successes in the 1980's.

When New York Empire Zones were first begun, they used Kemp's Enterprise Zones as a model.

However, under the Pataki's Administration, they wavered away from the enterprise zone concept.

What is a Taxpayer to do?

Ask what are you getting for what you are paying.

Or ask what you have paid for that you haven't received.

We now have a County owned Airport. Why is our service essentially Cessnas to Albany?

We have a new Super Walmart finishing its construction. Why has it taken years for the Arsenal-Coffeen Connection to be completed?

Remember the Sales Tax Increase that was supposed to keep our County Budget in Balance?

Isn't it time to look at the County Budget from the ground up?

The Tax and Expenditure Imbalance occurs at every level of government, and is administered in one form or another by either political party.

What doesn't bend breaks.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

Anon 4:35... I'm not passing judgment on President Obama, or anyone else for that matter; not in the least bit ... I want him to be successful; Lord knows we need massive change and some successes.

But, the "date night" fling under the conditions of a one-day flight to NYC musta cost a bundle ... that's my issue, plus as I noted: they were in Hollywood just last week ... so, I guess there are no
places to "date" out there?

Re: Bradly getting back into the spotlight - I presume you mean city council again. I wonder that if he wins he'll wait more than a week before asking for a pay hike and health care coverage like he did the last time?

Anonymous said...

I don't care how they sugar coat it - universal health care will either bankrupt the country or restrict patient access. The reason that the costs are so high now is the amount of research and testing done to develop new cures and procedures. If we either ration care or more simply eliminate research and development we would get the costs to a level where it would be free for everyone. Remember the $50,000 x-ray machine does a pretty good job and it's much more cost-effective than a multimillion dollar MRI or PET scanner.

Anonymous said...

"Why is our service essentially Cessnas to Albany?"

You can thank Jim Wright for that one when he got a "plumb" for Big Sky and booted out the Delta Connection to Pitt. I and others used that connection several times a week. Full flights, good parking, It was reliable and seldom cancelled. Jim Wright and the county went for a Boston and Albany connection. BIG TIME SCREW UP. I wrote Wright at the time. He said he knew what he was doing. He had no clue. Thank Jim Wright and the Republicans on the Jefferson Board for that one. These guys have no clue about what a great resource that airport could be.

Anonymous said...

4:35. Just cause a person stinks a little is no reason to throw in the towel and stop taking showers altogether. We have the best health care system in the world. Read something about the places where the system has been completely socialized. It isn't what people like you pretend it is. But who cares. Do it. I got mine. Screw the kids, again. They won't know till it's too late. And if it can win some votes so much the better. That's all that really matters.

Dan, regarding guns. Your comments are perfectly logical. I hope when you go to parties full of fools you continue to educate people as you have here. Why is this issue so tough for people to understand?

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

Anon 8:04. I don't know - I've always held that position about guns ... sometimes people toss the message when the do not like the messenger.

Danny M. Francis (Eyepublius) said...

Anon 8:04. I don't know - I've always held that position about guns ... sometimes people toss the message when the do not like the messenger.

Anonymous said...

Dan, right on about the guns. Why is it every time a gun crimes' committed, attention turns to law-abiding owners instead of renewed efforts to get skells off the streets?

Instead, we open the prison doors to let more of them out (thanis, Sen. Aubertine), then vote on crazy new laws to limit oru rights (we're watching you, Sen. Aubertine).

I wish PIV would spend more time on these issues, too.

ResponsibleHunter said...

Anonymous.

Don't be afraid. No one is going to take away your guns. Any laws regarding guns passed in New York in the last few years were directed toward safety and responsible ownership which any sportsman that I have been involved with has regarded with respect.
Yes, keep an eye on gun legislation and Senator Aubertine, but don't let your fear drive you into carelessness. Don't let your fear encourage crazy people like the guy who just assassinated the Doctor out west lead you to misinformed judgement.
Senator Aubertine is not going to take your guns and I believe he intends to keep his, too.
Read what JLL and RWiley wrote about our Ducks Unlimited get together yesterday.

Senator Aubertine, a sportsman

Anonymous said...

Where's the EZ outrage? Or are all of you on the take? I challenge you to read this:
http://www.syracuse.com/news/index.ssf/2009/02/waterloo_truck_stop_enjoys_5m.html#comments

Anonymous said...

The problem, 9:50 is you can talk all you want about there not being any intent to infringe on rights, but the record proves otherwise. All this recent stupid stuff on the state level was held up when there was a balance of power in the state, now the flood gates are open. I hope they don't pass, but your party has shown itself to be nothing but panderers on issues of gun laws. And Sir, Ducks Unlimited has nothing to do with it. As has been said, in words simple enough for the dumbest among us, the second ammendment is not about duck hunting. But I'm sure you know that.

Anonymous said...

" I hope they don't pass, but your party has shown itself to be nothing but panderers on issues of gun laws."

I am a Republican. Haven't you guys figured out yet that the Senator won his district by getting a lot of Republican votes. No wonder Republicans in this district are tanking.

Read this blog and you can figure out why.

Anonymous said...

I'd counter what you've said, but you haven't said anything. Consider, intead of lip locking with politically correct groups and making nice with people who would like nothing better than to regulate guns out of exisitance, get some facts. If the Dems get their way in NYS, you will be hunting ducks with rocks pretty soon. I know you can't break away from your donkey love, but with firearm issues, you need to educate yourself.

Anonymous said...

Well well well the city is raising taxes and fees. now all you Golisano wannabe blowhards can pack up and move out of the state! Watertown management gives
themselves raises, which pass silently while the hyenas foam at the mention of Paterson. Watertown fees are rising, but silence all over town. 225 years ago, the H2O webcam would have shown farmers with pitchforks headed up Washington St in protest. But they didn't have the Idol or DWTS shows to mesmerize 'em.

Anonymous said...

7:05 I think I agree with you. If your point is nobody gives a damn, then I agree.

I too was gratified to see that in the face of budget concerns city management got another raise. And I was also happy to see they got more than the people who do the work. It is always best to keep them uneducated, unconnected, non-upwardly mobile, unwashed union represented nothings in their place. I hope when worker raises are considered the chosen ones put up the obligatory fight and make a public issue of financial constraints.

Anonymous said...

Nice to see Heneshee throwing a tantrum in defense of Darrell. C'mon Mr A, defend yourself. I would openmindedly listen to what you have to say. I don't need to hear what Shawn the Hack has to say, and I hope you don't get in the habit of allowing this guy to speak for you on issues. You should tell us your views on this farm bill fiasco and how you are planning to fight it. A lot of people would listen to what you had to say.

Anonymous said...

Heard an interesting story at abay circus

Seems the blogger at the circus site has been videoing the underage girls at the local beach and putting the videos on his site.
It also seems that the parents of the girls saw their daughters beach videos on the internet. Not a smart move by Mr Cummings. Now he'll have to deal with some very upset parents and lawyers.

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