US Department of Education website advises that the address will be moved up to 12pm EDT.

On the first day of school, public school kids will have a treat:  they will be addressed by the POTUS for the first time “about persisting and succeeding in school.”  While I can’t imagine anyone having a difference of opinion regarding the importance of persisting and succeeding in school, I can foresee difference of opinion in how this is to be accomplished.  As it stands now, I feel that the current and previous administrations believe that such success is not possible without the government.  Loudoun County School District has not published this unprecedented piece of news; I can only assume that all schools will air this broadcast.  My questions are:

1.  Will they air the broadcast?
2.  Will participation be mandatory?
3.  Will students receive a diffing perspective or will only one be presented?
4.  Is this the first of many addresses to students? 

There are some who are calling for boycotting the address by keeping kids home from school that day and others who will politely and boldly asking these questions from their local school board.  What will you do?  While I feel that the government has it’s uses, like creating opportunities for success it is not their responsibility to ensure such success.  The broadcast will broadcast live on the Whitehouse website September 8th at 1pm.

…in Brazil as the WSJ reports.  Looks like the support could top $10B.  Maybe it is part of the stimulus package.  Drilling is bad here, but fine there?  I thought that if it’s bad, then it’s bad.  I guess I should use the same logic regarding torture:  bad here, but fine if we look the other way if our enemies are tortured as other-than-US facilities.

By now, many of us have seen the youtube video or read the Drudge Report headline “SHOCK UNCOVERED: Obama IN HIS OWN WORDS saying His Health Care Plan will ELIMINATE private insurance.”  The White House has responded with their own video saying that the video was basically a mishmosh of Obama’s words taken out of context (Let them be clear!).  Since those news people online seem to do better investigative reporting that other new outlines that will remain un-named, you may see the unaltered version of Obama message here.

It’s pretty clear that what the White House is saying is not the same as its intentions.  Who should be upset about all of this?  Should it be those who feel that insurance companies, while not perfect, should continue to exist and compete against each other (and not the government) for customers?  Or should it be those who feel that single-payer (Govt paid) insurance is where we need to be?

That is the premise of traffic cameras, right?  The Daily Advertiser reports new SafeLight at several Lafayette intersections.  The cameras basically “take photos of vehicles that appear to be speeding or running the red light.”

Ok…key word here is “appear”, effectively admitting to the fact that such photos are no proof at all.  The Lafayette Consolodated Government further states that the cameras attempt to take two pictures 1)when the light is red and the car is headed for intersection and 2) when the light is red and the car is in the intersection “and did not try to stop.” Pause for a moment.  So, running a red is not enough to prove guilt, otherwise only one photo is necessary.  Apparently, guilt occurs when running a red light without trying to stop?  So, the cameras can deduce the acceleration of cars?  Hmmm…interesting.  Don’t buy it, but then again…what choice is there?  Come on you cajuns, change the law.

On a similar note…hat tip to Political Gumbo who reports that Obama wants to further the premise so popular with the use of traffic cams:  guilty until proven innocent:

Obama also planned to ask Congress to crack down on tax havens and implement a major shift in the way courts view guilt. Under Obama’s proposal, Americans would have to prove they were not breaking U.S. tax laws by sending money to banks that don’t cooperate with tax officials. It essentially would reverse the long-held assumption of innocence in U.S. courts.

Too many things happening now which don’t seem to be real.  Let’s not become numb with disbelief and paralyzed by inaction.

My heart goes out to the folks in Italy.  Many will be celebrating an albeit humble Easter.  Chin up, Italians; the US is donating $50,000 in emergency aid.  Some pretty funny comments after the article.  I piratically like the following:

“$50,000? Is that a typo? Why don’t we just send them some DVDs or an iPod?”

“ACORN got $4.17 billion dollars in the so-called “stimulus plan”.

Meanwhile, you’ve probably already read about the $900M in aid to rebuild Gaza.  Overall pledges from over 40 countries were $5B.  Hmmm.  So 2.5% of the donors paid 18% of the aid.  Interesting.  Sounds familiar (hat tip TaxProfBlog via Brain Terminal:

“Top 1% earned 19% of Income, Paid 28% of All Federal Taxes in 2006.”

While I’m sure this isn’t the most unbiased of sources, Hamas is planning on building a military staff college.  Wonder where they got the money to do that?  Guess they didn’t get Obama’s memo and good faith efforts to achieve peace through nonproliferation.

CQPolitics has reported on an earmark that wasn’t until after Obama’s name was disassociated with it.  Hey, his name had to be expunged since he said that he didn’t sponsor any earmarks in 2008.

According to the Senate Appropriations Committee, “Whether Obama cosponsored the earmark depends on what the definition of earmark is and when an earmark becomes an earmark.”  Uh…ok.

Too funny (and pathetic)!

The Daily Advertiser reports that Obama plans to raise excise taxes on oil and gas producers especially in the Gulf of Mexico.  At least we know that Obama won’t kick us when we’re down; he’ll just wait until “after the economy has had time to recover, White House officials said.” That makes me feel so much better!

Will these new taxes discourage exploration, production and/or threaten current and future jobs.  Time will tell, but Louisiana and Texas will feel the pain first.  Don’t blame the oil and gas companies who may decide invest in overseas efforts that may have better ROI (see US Taxpayers make $1B investment in Brazil).

In an editorial titled, The Unfairness Platform, the Washington Post reported on Virginia House of Delegate  Republicans playing politics by voting down a bill to establish a “bipartisan commission to draw Virginia’s voting districts.”  The editorial claims that it is simply a power grab by Republicans.

What does that make the Obama Administration that wants Mr. Emanuel to have close ties to the 2010 Census?  Of course each party wishes to have some input/control over events that have the potential to determine political outcome.  I don’t really trust either of them.  I say Ron Paul
and Joe Lieberman should duke it out at some neutral site in . . . say,Botswana. . . .in a Gladiator-style competition.  Winner gets the census job and Jessica Simpson.

Well, it started out as a serious post.

Following the US House of Representatives unanimous motion to only allow for votes after the text of the legislation has been available for at least 48 hours, the House followed by the Senate approved a $787B and 1073 page bill that was made available 11pm the previous evening.

Check out this disturbing video where the majority leader of the House declares that the 48 hours previously committed to by the entire House of Representatives is not binding and this bill is to be considered “read” at the time of the vote.

Keep in mind that the average reading rate is 2 minutes per page.  This would mean that the bill may be read from start to finish if you sit and read for 35.8 hours straight (no bathroom breaks…eewww!).

President Obama now has perfect opportunity to score a few points with those on the dark other side of the aisle.  Will he abide by his own statements and campaign promises that wooed so many to vote for him and allow time for Americans and elected officials to read this important bill?

“Americans have the right to know how their tax dollars are spent, but that information has been hidden from public view for too long.”

For goodness sake, if the bill is so great then it will stand on its own and he could sign the darn thing on Tuesday.  We shall see.