Dear Grandkids, We’re Leaving You Some Bills

Dear Grandchildren,

It’s March 16, 2013 and we’re all in a dither about the debt we’re passing along to you.  Yes, it’s a big one.  The lines on the charts look devastating indeed:

We chose to ignore the actual debt and real deficit reduction efforts in order to focus on cutting the “size of government” in your life so you could have more “freedom.”

But, all this said, we are leaving you some bills we sincerely hope you can pay!  In our fervor to erase the national budget deficits and reduce the level of national debt we left a few things for you to do to pick up after us, we hope you don’t mind.

The Water Bill:    We knew that as of 2009, and more information is coming on March 19, 2013, that we were running up an $11 billion per year backlog of funding to replace aging water system components.  In reality, the 2009 report wasn’t our first clue:

“The Congressional Budget Office (CBO) concluded in 2003 that “current funding from all levels of government and current revenues generated from ratepayers will not be sufficient to meet the nation’s future demand for water infrastructure.” The CBO estimated the nation’s needs for drinking water investments at between $10 billion and $20 billion over the next 20 years.” (emphasis added)

We knew that there had been a 159% increase in the demand for clean drinking water between 1950 and 2000, but we did precious little about the issue.  We moaned about the ARRA’s expenditures for water treatment, about how it would run up the Debt, so our Congress appropriated a “drop in the bucket.”

“The new federal stimulus law provides $6 billion for water projects, with $2 billion of that directed to drinking water systems. But that money is only, well, a drop in the bucket: a report released last month by the E.P.A. estimated that the nation’s drinking water systems require an investment of $334.8 billion over the next two decades, with most of the money needed to improve transmission and distribution systems.” [NYT, 2009]

We knew that the design life of concrete treatment plants would expire in 60-70 years, so the plants built in 1950 are now on their last legs.  We knew that the trunk mains were built to last from 65 to 95 years. Some of those are now aging into oblivion. [ASCE]  So we’re leaving you with the bill for $334.8 billion over the next twenty years to pay for the maintenance of a water distribution system we bragged about but didn’t really want to pay for.

The Sewer Bill:  Our 15,000 public wastewater treatment facilities serve about 225 million people in this country, but we’re still subject to about 900 billion gallons of good old raw sewage discharged every year from aging and dilapidated facilities. [NYT 2011]  We knew back in November 2002, when you were just little tykes, that the Congressional Budget Office estimated the expenditures needed for new and improved wastewater treatment would be in the range of $3.2 to $11 billion. [CBO pdf]  There was a Gap Analysis conducted by the CBO back in 2002 which had some more disheartening information:

“According to the Gap Analysis, if there is no increase in investment, there will be a roughly $6-billion gap between current annual capital expenditures for wastewater treatment ($13 billion annually) and projected spending needs. The study also estimated that if wastewater spending increases by only 3% per year, the gap would shrink by nearly 90% (to about $1 billion annually).

The CBO released its own gap analysis in 2002, in which it determined that the gap for wastewater ranges from $23 billion to $37 billion annually, depending on various financial and accounting variables.”  [ASCE]

So, when all is said and done, we dawdled around until the EPA estimated that it would cost about $390 billion over the next 20 years to repair or replace inadequate water treatment plants and other components of the systems.  We hope you don’t mind we’re leaving you this bill for $390 billion?

The Education Bill:  It’s hard to account for all the needs of our 98,917 public schools in this country. [NCES]   If we’re being honest, we haven’t really looked at the number of aging buildings, or carefully studied their functional age since the “turn of the last century,” in 1999.  We do know that children who are in poverty are also in the oldest buildings. [NCES]   Additionally, we’ve known this not-so-fun fact since the 1999 study: “While 40 percent of small schools (enrollments of less than 300) were built before 1950, 23 percent of large schools (enrollments of 1,000 or more) were built before 1950.”  Since large schools tend to be secondary, we can assume we’ve been following the time honored practice of building nice big new high schools and moving the junior high kids into the old buildings?  Then there’s the “portable building” problem — we’ve known since the Fall of 2005 that portable buildings have more problems which interfere with instruction than standard buildings. [NCES] While the issues might not be too far from the similar interferences in standard buildings — we know they exist — it was just cheaper to ignore them.  Our spending on school construction, as analyzed by the ASCE might give you some pause:

“While detailed conditions and needs numbers do not exist, we do have up-to-date numbers on spending levels. According to the American School and University’s 34th Annual Official Education Construction Report, school construction completed in 2007 (which included both new construction and renovations) totaled more than $20.2 billion. That is down from a peak of $29 billion in 2004. The downward trend is expected to continue: with $52.7 billion in funding is projected between 2008 and 2010. This represents a significant decrease from the $68.4 billion spent between 2005 and 2007.^1″

If you are thinking that you might be able to kick this discussion down the road, as we did, because privatization is the solution to every public problem, please think again. First, the charter schools are public buildings in which instruction is immediately governed by groups outside the system.  Secondly, they may not be located conveniently near you, or serve the age groups of your offspring:

“In 2009–10, over half (54 percent) of charter schools were elementary schools. Secondary and combined schools accounted for 27 and 19 percent of charter schools, respectively. In that year, about 55 percent of charter schools were located in cities, 21 percent were in suburban areas, 8 percent were in towns, and 16 percent were in rural areas. [NCES]

There are studies indicating some charter schools are doing better than some public schools, but we have to be careful with our numbers.  For example, one summarization of the different levels of educational achievement (read: test scores) failed to note that charter schools youngsters tend to be from more financially secure families.  [WaPo]  However, if we’re honest, we’d tell you that we’ve not been looking too closely behind the numbers of either the cost of building or maintaining schools, or at the cost of employing qualified teachers… But, Hey, we walked to school and back uphill both ways in driving blizzards.   And, about those standardized tests — “States are likely to spend $1.9 billion to $5.3 billion between 2002 and 2008 to implement NCLB-mandated tests, according to the non-partisan Government Accounting Office (GAO),” as of 2005. [RSO]  We’re leaving you the bill for that too. Whatever it might be.

The War Bill:  We were going to have another “Splendid Little War,” the one in Iraq.  The Bush Administration and a compliant Congress authorized the expenditures as “supplemental appropriations,” meaning that we didn’t have to look at the tab we were running in real time.

Total federal spending associated with the war has reached $1.7 trillion. Future promised health and disability payments for veterans through 2053 add up to $490 billion. So, as it stands now, the Iraq War has cost $2.2 trillion, which is a far cry from the initial 2002 estimates of $50 to $60 billion. When you factor in the interest, war expenses could swell to more than $6 trillion over the next four decades. [NYDN]

So, we missed by a few dollars… but we’re leaving you with the very possible  $6 trillion bill anyway.

We might have paid for some of these items ourselves. We might even have given more consideration to the state of our bridges, dams, and public buildings.  We could have thought of the state of the air traffic system, or the highway syste, or the rail transportation system, we were leaving to you.  However, fretful as we were about these expenses and future costs, we decided that it was not in our best interests to close tax loopholes for giant multi-national energy corporations, or for yachts, or for private jets.  We decided that we “over taxed” our corporations, and rewarded them when they “repatriated” money earned overseas to the U.S.   We decided it was more important to appropriate money for airplanes that didn’t fly than to pay for G.I. benefits earned by service.  We decided it was more important to protect the interests of Wall Street than Main Street.  We decided that money earned in speculation was just as hard won as income from investments or good old fashioned hard labor.   We didn’t want to “burden” you with restrictions on financiers, or humongous banks, or on the incomes to be earned by the top 1% of the population — we wanted you to be “free,” to have “liberty,” and to say nice things about America!

We love you dearly, and want you to know that we think of you always.   Good Luck.   (PS: Hope you don’t mind we’re moving in with you.  After cuts in Social Security and the voucherization of Medicare we’re having a little financial difficulty at the moment.  Even Meals on Wheels isn’t coming anymore.  We could babysit for you now that the Headstart Program serves only a few kids in your neighborhood?)

The Gramps

>John Ensign: Private Arbitration for Gang Rape & Imprisonment in Shipping Containers?

>Female employees of KBR are advised that according to Senator John Ensign (R-NV) the only recourse to being drugged, gang raped, and imprisoned in a shipping container is the private arbitration incorporated in the fine print of one’s employment contract. [ISS] Ensign was one of 30 members of the U.S. Senate to vote against the Franken Amendment which “prohibits DOD from spending federal money on existing or new contracts if the contractor or a subcontractor requires the employee or an independent contractor to resolve sexual assault, discrimination or certain other claims through arbitration.” [ISS]

In voting with Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) we can assume that Senator Ensign adopted the arguments set forth by Sessions on October 6, 2009:

Senator Jeff Sessions (R-AL) “The amendment would impose the will of Congress on private individuals and companies in a retroactive fashion, in validating employment contracts without due process of law. It is a political amendment, really at bottom, representing sort of a political attack directed at Halliburton, which is politically a matter of sensitivity. Notwithstanding, the Congress should not be involved in writing or rewriting private contracts.” [CngRecord]

As comedian Jon Stewart noted, Republican members of the House and Senate were only too happy to “write and rewrite” contracts given to ACORN, substantially less lucrative than any issued to Halliburton or KBR. Be that as it may, surely Senator Sessions doesn’t mean to abrogate Congressional powers to shape federal contracting? If Senator Sessions, and by extension Senator Ensign, hold that government should be limited in nature, then contending that Congress should exercise no oversight over the drafting of federal contracts is at the very least utterly self-contradictory, imbuing the executive branch with the power to draft unsupervised contracts at will.

Sessions continued: “There is no doubt that contracts are a property right. We do not have any allegations that the contracts Senator FRANKEN is trying to invalidate were imposed on employees or that fraud or coercion was involved in creating them. To invalidate these contracts would violate not only the due process rights of employers but the employees as well. Employees could, indeed, benefit from arbitration rather than having to go to Federal court.”

There might be times when an employee could benefit from mediation and arbitration, but when the employer is contending that a rape occurred as part of Ms. Jones’ employment. KBR employee Jamie Leigh Jones was imprisoned so she could not report the sexual assault, and then told that if she sought medical attention she would be fired. KBR required she seek redress in arbitration. Frustrated with the slow pace of the arbitration process, “Jones then brought a civil suit against KBR arguing, among other things, that they negligently hired and supervised those who assaulted her. Jones and KBR spent the next fifteen months in mandatory arbitration- a private, secret forum with a mediator hired by KBR to hear Jones’s claims. If Jones lost at arbitration she would have no record of the proceedings, nor would she have any right of appeal.” [Care2] Note that the mandatory arbitration had taken 15 months, was secret, there was no official record kept, and she had no right to appeal the ruling. How Ms. Jones could possibly “benefit” from this form of mandatory arbitration is a mystery.

“As the arbitration dragged on Jones decided to fight the arbitration clause and won. On Tuesday, the 5th Circuit Court of Appeals ruled that Jones’s rape and false imprisonment claims were not job-related and thus not covered by her employment contract. Such a conclusion seems simple and apparent to most outsiders, but in fact Halliburton had used this argument to keep Jones and her claims out of a public forum for years.” [Care2]

Contending that such things as rape, false imprisonment, discrimination, and related charges are “employment related” and then using a protracted, secret, and mandatory arbitration process from which there is no appeal protects any contractor from the likelihood that anyone would ever successfully challenge any untoward, or downright illegal, behavior by corporate management or its minions. It was hard enough to imagine that contractor’s behavior in Iraq was not subject to either U.S. Code of Military Justice or Iraqi jurisdiction; harder still to consider that it was not subject to U.S. statutes in general.

And yet, Senator Jeff Sessions (R-LA) and 29 others in the U.S. Senate were ready to vote in favor of corporate management, and the “sanctity” of unconscionable contracts, and against the interests of women who were subjected to everything from the indignity of discrimination to the violence of rape.

Those members of the U.S. Senate who voted in favor of corporate management’s “right” to discriminate against women, and to require a woman to submit to a mandatory, secret, process without recourse or appeal were: [Senate]

Alexander (R-TN) Barrasso (R-WY) Bond (R-MO) Brownback (R-KS) Bunning (R-KY) Burr (R-NC) Chambliss (R-GA) Coburn (R-OK) Cochran (R-MS) Corker (R-TN)

Cornyn (R-TX) Crapo (R-ID) DeMint (R-SC) Ensign (R-NV) Enzi (R-WY) Graham (R-SC) Gregg (R-NH) Inhofe (R-OK) Isakson (R-GA) Johanns (R-NE)

Kyl (R-AZ) McCain (R-AZ) McConnell (R-KY) Risch (R-ID) Roberts (R-KS) Sessions (R-AL) Shelby (R-AL) Thune (R-SD) Vitter (R-LA) Wicker (R-MS)

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Friday Morning Coffee and the Papers

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Nevada News: Construction workers Harvey Englander, Harold Billingsley, David Rabun Jr., Bobby Lee Tonhanni, Angel Hernandez, Norvin Tsosie, Michael Hanson, Michael Taylor, Isidro Pelayo were killed in accidents on the Las Vegas Strip. [LV Sun] During a 18 month span 12 workers died on various construction projects in the Las Vegas metropolitan area, no workers have been killed in accidents since June 2008. Problem solved? No. The laxity of oversight and supervision by Nevada’s OSHA has prompted the organization of a U.S. Labor Department Task Force to review the state agency’s practices for investigating work place accidents. [LV Sun] Investigative task forces, rare as they are, happen when state OSHA administrators tell the Feds they “will not comply” (with a review of state practices) “immediately.” More cooperation is expected from current Nevada OSHA administrators. It’s about time. Note: acting Assistant Secretary of Labor Jordan Barab is also working on the department’s inspection program for safety for airport traffic control tower personnel. [DoL]

The Nevada Attorney General’s office is appealing the ruling of a state district court that there is a conflict of interest in the handling of the misadministration of public funds case against Republican Lt. Governor Brian Krolicki, but there is a Plan B – a contract with a special prosecutor willing to discount his usual fees. The Nevada Supreme Court is scheduled to take up the AG’s appeal on August 31. A legislative audit concluded that more than $6 million “in fees in the Nevada College Savings Program was spent outside the state’s budgetary process.” [full story LV Sun] [previous DB commentary] [NV LCB Auditor's Report]

Other Items: Steve Benen graphs the responses to a Research 2000 poll that asked “Do you think Barack Obama was born in the United States.” Looking at the results by geographical region shows that most of the “Birtherism” is in the South. More evidence the core of the GOP is increasingly becoming southern, white, male, and very poorly informed. FactCheck.Org is getting abusive e-mails claiming that they are helping “perpetrate a dangerous falsehood,” regarding their debunking of the Great Birther Conspiracy. It’s hard to make these things go away – in 1999 some 6% of the American population thought the Apollo Moon Landings were fake. [Wik]

Winding down in MessO’Potamia, British forces have left Iraq. [CNN] “Britain Initiates Iraq War Inquiry: Ex Prime Minister is set to testify” [WaPo] “Calls for fresh Dr. Kelly inquiry” [BBC] “UK troops in Iraq moved to Kuwait” [BBC]

Big House News: Russell Caso, Jr. who served as chief of staff to former Representative Curt Weldon (R-PA) from 2005-2006 [DU] has been sentenced to three years probation, 170 of home detention, and 100 hours of community service after his guilty plea to one count of conspiracy to commit ‘honest services’ wire fraud. [more details from DoJ]

Ecology: A study conducted by the USGS finds the number of large diameter trees in Yosemite declined 24% between the 1930s and 1990s, resulting in habitat loss and reduction of some species.

To Our Health: FactCheck.Org debunks the Health Reform Scare “False Euthanasia Claims: The claim that the House health care bill pushes suicide is nonsense.” [FactCheck]

Politics As Unusual: Rep. Michele Bachmann (R-MN) received a “Defender of Economic Freedom Award” from the Club For Growth. [RWW] Rep. Bachmann is “anti-compact flourescent light bulbs,” [MST] and believes that there has been no climate change in the 6000 years of this planet’s existence. [TPM] ‘Makes her a perfect candidate for the award!

Culture Warriors: “Concerned Roman Catholics of America (CRCOA) condemn the Knights of Columbus for their continuing failure to expel pro-abortion and pro-homosexual politicians.” [Christian News Wire] {via RWW}

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Sunday: Quick Roundup

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From the Sunday Papers: “Silence, not calls for Ensign to quit: Nevada Republicans have lots of reasons to prefer the senator stay in office,” Las Vegas Sun. Jon Ralston asks, “Will Ensign do what’s best for his party?” “Senator’s Affair: Ensign wounds keep festering – news that parents paid Hamptons $96,000 adds to questions” [LVRJ] There are at least two reasons why the payoffs from the parents are problematic. First, the payments make Ensign look infantile. The jibes of the week were variations on “When will Ensign get to wear long pants?” Being 51 years old and having one’s parents cut the checks to the family of the former Object of Affection doesn’t indicate adulthood and responsibility. Secondly, it places the Ensign family in an extremely awkward and precarious position – gift taxes are paid by the donors. Merely having one’s attorney repeat the word ‘gift’ like an incantation in a press release, doesn’t mean that the IRS isn’t going to investigate. Since the timing of the ‘gifts’ is highly suggestive of a payoff for silence, further investigation could lead straight back to the Ensign’s front door. While drafting 8 checks for $12,000 may cover the technicalities of the statutes, if there is evidence that this is a deliberate attempt to defraud the Treasury then Ensign hasn’t made life any easier for anyone – his own family included. Senator Ensign thus compounds the character issue: His character is called into question by the affair itself; and, called into question again as he drags his parents into his miasmic situation.

Judge Sonia Sotomayor is profiled in today’s Washington Post, a timely article since her confirmation hearing will begin next week, with Senator Jeff Sessions playing the role of point man for Republican opponents. Session said last May of his own experience, “What I found was that charges come flying in from right and left that are unsupported and false. It’s very, very difficult for a nominee to push back,” Sessions said. “So I think we have a high responsibility to base any criticisms that we have on a fair and honest statement of the facts and that nominees should not be subjected to distortions of their record.” [Politico] Thus far it doesn’t appear that Jefferson B. Sessions III has been able to maintain that standard. [“New Jeff Sessions, Same as the Old Jeff Sessions” TP; “25 Latino Groups Hit Sessions for Racial Attacks” TP; “Supreme Hypocrisy” TPR] The New York Times adds interviews is “Plotting the Questions, Strategizing the Defense.” “Sotomayor, true to her roots, defies simple labeling” [McClatchy]

Economically Speaking: “Retail probably rose, factory slump eased: US economy preview” [Bloomberg] “Economists raise U.S. outlook as recession fades” updated [Bloomberg] “Hearing how companies are faring,” [Reuters] “Pace of stimulus contracting picks up” [GovExec]

Meanwhile back in MessO’Potamia: “Iraqi forces not seeking U.S. help in urban combat” [Reuters] “Bomb rips through market in Baghdad” [BBC]

War on Terra: “Report: effectiveness of Bush wiretap program in dispute” [McClatchy] “Cheney is linked to concealment of C.I.A. project” [NYT] “Holder weighs probe of alleged torture” [WaPo] “Democrats may investigate secret program” [WaPo] “Cheney ordered C.I.A. to hide plan” [BBC]

Across the Pond: “Demjanjuk Trial to Break Legal Ground in Germany” [Der Spiegel] “Stasi Files Reveal East Germany’s Dirty Reality” [Der Spiegel]

China Hands: “Crackdown or conciliation: China’s politburo split over response to Uighur violence” [IndyUK] “Hundreds rally in Japan behind China’s Uighurs” [AFP] “Security chiefs failed to spot signs calling for Uighur revolt” [TimesUK] “Rumbles on the rim of China’s empire” [NYT]

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Overnight Express News Roundup

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Wow! The Clark County (NV) School District canceled classes for a snow day for the first time in 30 years. The Las Vegas Sun has “photo documentation.” Those of us in the northern climes who use 4WD to get out of our driveways in Winter are smiling. The Gleaner even has a snowman! News that isn’t so pleasant for rural Clark County communities is the possible permanent closure of two schools because of budget considerations. [LV Sun] Nevada isn’t alone – The CBPP reports that 27 states are cutting educational funding because of budget deficits.

Former Senator and Governor Richard Bryan expresses his optimism that the proposed nuclear waste dump at Yucca Mountain is on its last legs. [LV Sun] President-elect Obama’s selection for Secretary of Energy, Stephen Chu, signed onto an August report which included reference to Yucca, however Senator Reid’s office confirms that Reid has spoken with Chu and “got a commitment from him the dump won’t become a reality.” [LVRJ]

Nevada’s other Senator has signed on to a letter telling President Bush that his group of seven GOP members oppose using any TARP funds for the automobile industry because the “unions refused to agree to changes necessary…” [LV Sun] Interesting that Senator Corker (R-TN) isn’t listed among the signatories because he was the Senator who met with the UAW, which thought it had reached a compromise during their meeting. Corker left the meeting with UAW representatives saying he “would get back to them,” but according to the union representatives, never returned.

Health Care concerns may not be on the front burner for daily news coverage at the moment, but a report from Families USA released this month about the recession and states’ capacity to provide a health care safety net for their citizens should not be ignored. From the introduction: “As of November 2008, at least 43 states have faced or are facing budget deficits for the current 2009 fiscal year and/or the coming 2010 fiscal year that, taken together, total $140 billion. In response to this extreme fiscal pressure, states are forced to cut their Medicaid and CHIP budgets. This report documents this real impact of the recession. By looking at a 2008 snapshot of the first round of these cuts and the harm they have caused, our report offers a preview of the even greater harm that lies ahead if states do not receive help from the federal government.” [FUSA]

Another report that shouldn’t be lost in the shuffle comes from OMB Watch, “An Assault on Public Protections: Regulatory Policy News in 2008.” The very timely, “Closing Santa’s Sweatshop” report is available online from Public Citizen. (note: PDF) The Pew Research Center for the People and the Press has compiled a “year in review” of their polling, see “What a Year! People-Press Poll Reports in 2008.” The Drum Major Institute has also published its “2008 year in Review” with The Best of Public Policy, and The Worst of Public Policy, along with the “2008 DMI Injustice Index: The Bush Legacy.” Ana Marie Cox sums up “Washington’s Five Biggest Losers” [TDB]

The GAO has released more reports of interest this month including recommendations for improving implementation of the Crime Victims Rights Act, and improving the collection of medical evidence for Social Security disability.

Filing in the Blanks: The Consumer Federation of America issued a press release commending the appointment of former Iowa Governor Tom Vilsack as the Secretary of Agriculture in the Obama Administration. The Economic Policy Institute was pleased with Vice President-elect Joe Biden’s selection of its senior economist Jared Bernstein as the new vice president’s Chief Economist and Economic Policy Advisor to the VP. Bloomberg posts “Obama’s pick of Shapiro to head SEC may clear way for overhaul.” “Picks made for SEC and Transportation post” [NYT] “Issa moving to create House Republican investigative unit” [GovExec]

The Stupid Economy: “Fed’s rate moves fail to spur home buying: Chart of the Day” [Bloomberg] “Chrysler to idle plants, pressure builds for aid” [Reuters] “GM suspends major work on Flint engine plant” [Reuters] “GM puts the Volt’s engine factory on hold” [Wired] “Nissan to cut production, temporary workers” [BusWk] “On Wall Street, bonuses, not profits, were real” [NYT] “Madoff scandal shaking real estate industry” [NYT] “SEC: Our Bad” [Portfolio] “Innocence lost: in the Spring of 2001 a Barron’s reporter was among the first to publicly question Bernie Madoff’s record…”[Portfolio]

Meanwhile in MessO’Potamia: “35 Iraq officials held in raids on key ministry” [NYT] “Blackwater may be banned from Iraq, report says” [NYT] “Iraq troop debate ends in uproar” [Ajnet] “Brown announces full British troop withdrawal by July 31” [LAT] “As Iraq calms, Mosul remains a battle front” [CSM] “US costs of Iraq, Afghan wars top $900 billion; report” [Reuters] “Army to meet goal (recruiting), but it’s not enough” [Army Times]

Energy: “World coal reserves could be a fraction of previous estimates” [Wired] “Conservation services group praises Obama’s energy and environmental picks” [Mrkwtch] “Obama focuses on alternative energy, environment” [Reuters] “BP exec likes Obama energy picks, calls for clarity” [Reuters]

Africa: “Rwanda tribunal to issue verdict: international tribunal is due to issue its verdict on the man accused of masterminding Rwanda’s 1994 genocide” [BBC] “UN chief rules out Somalia force” [BBC] “China may send warships to Somalia coast” [LAT] “US says piracy resolution allows for airstrikes in Somalia” [AFP] “Impeachment proceedings begun against Somali leader: Yusuf’s two years of rule backed by Ethiopian Army, U.S.” [WaPo] “NGO’s concerned about humanitarian situation in Somalia” [VOA]

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Quick Clips: News Roundup

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Nevada Headlines: “Strip gaming win plummets 25% in October – Numbers show 10^th straight month of decline” [LV Sun] “Will name game avoid blame? Budget maneuvering looks an awful lot like the T-word so dreaded in Nevada” [LV Sun] “Governor wants to eliminate step pay increases for teachers, state employees” [LV Sun] “Budget Plans: Gibbons rules out raises” [LVRJ] “County’s poorest face pain of cuts: Biggest loss expected when money is taken from indigent fund” [LVRJ] “Little Light Reading for Ensign” [LV Sun] The money situation isn’t any better in California, “Gov. Schwarznegger: Budget gap has increased by $3.6 billion” [LAT]

Bailing Wire: “House decidedly passes auto bailout bill” [WaPo] “House passes auto rescue plan” [NYT] H.R. 7321 passes 237-170 [roll call 690] Representative Berkley (D-NV1) and Representative Porter (R-NV3) voting in favor; (notice to automobile dealers’ association members) Representative Heller (R-NV2) voting against. “Panel overseeing bailout criticizes Treasury Department” [WaPo] “Tough questions on TARP: Neel Kashkari in the hot seat” [Dealbook NYT] “Treasury official vows to beef up oversight of bailout funds” [GovExec]

MessO’Potamia, et alia: “U.S. forces kill 6 Afghan police officers by mistake” [NYT] “Britain says most troops to leave Iraq” [NYT]

All I want is the air that I breathe: “White House backs down on easing air pollution rules” [McClatchy] “Burbank airport’s solar powered hangar to be unveiled” [LAT] “Obama will name Nobel Prize winner from Lawrence Berkley National Laboratory as Energy Secretary” [SJMN] “Miami-Dade lawmakers raise concerns over state’s sugar deal” [MiamiHer]

Across the Internet Tubes: “White House opposes FCC’s free Internet plan” [CNET] “Report urges Obama to appoint Internet safety official” [WaPo]

Politics as Unusual: “Young loses top spot on House committee” [AnchDN] “Rep. Jackson: No pay to play deal” [ChiTrib] “US Senate Dems to Governor: Don’t Make a Pick” [ChiTrib] “Obama to Blagojevich: Step Down” [ChiTrib]

Over There Somewhere: “Jamaica: Gangs oust 200 people from homes” [MiamiHer] “US resumes deportations to Haiti” [VOA] “Haitian advocates hold meeting on deportations” [PBPost] “Federal agents accused of roughing up immigrants during Homestead raid” [MiamiHer] “Greece hit by 5^th day of violence” [Reuters] “Congo Rebels delaying progress in talks: mediator” [Reuters] “Zimbabwe cholera toll soars: Mugabe under pressure” [Reuters]

Unfinished Business: “Does the U.S. owe torture victim? 2^nd Circuit hears argument on whether government should pay damages” [WashInd] “Religious Right Watch: Christian fringe paints gays as ‘religious bigots’ in NYT ad” [MNInd]

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Coffee and the Papers: Senate Judiciary Committee on vote suppression; other items

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Nevada headlines: “Foreclosure kills huge project near mountain – Homes have yet to be built on land by Kyle Canyon purchased for $510 million” [LV Sun] “Why should Nevada care about the automakers?” [LV Sun] “Legislature, governor mum on budget cut discussions” [LV Sun] “State Budget: Gibbons, leaders near deal – Governor, Legislators discuss cuts” [LVRJ] “Clark County: talk turns to layoffs, pay cuts – government, union leaders discuss crisis” [LVRJ] “More Reno area hungry people need help this year” [RGJ] “Housing sales up 47%, but…” [RGJ]

Economic news: “The Citi Conundrum – Too big to fail, the bank has few options” [Portfolio] More at Naked Capitalism. “Citigroup tries to stop the drop in its share price” [NYT] “Goldman slashes GDP forecast” [Calculated Risk] “The ill-considered problem of a GM Bankruptcy” [Naked Capitalism] “Detroit’s bid for aid fails – for now” [NYT] “Justice Department probing Golden West Financial” [Forbes]

Agriculture: “Fields of grain and losses” [NYT] “Farmers caught in ethanol shakeout” [BW] “Industrial Animal Agriculture is eating our future” [MrktWtch]

MessO’Potamia: “Iraqi throng protests agreement on U.S. forces” [CNN] “In Baghdad, debating post U.S. outlook” [NYT] “US may begin using warrants in Iraq” [UPI] “Security firms told they lose immunity in Iraq: official” [AFP] “Iraqis want walls torn down” [AJ-E]

Afghanistan/Pakistan: “U.S. strike reportedly killed five in Pakistan” [NYT] “Pakistan army practices shooting drone aircraft” [IHT] “Pakistan protest to U.S. ambassador” [BBC] “Pakistan says NATO Afghan supply lines will stay open” [VOA]

And Justice For All: “NYPD, Justice Department battle over eavesdropping warrants” [Newsday] “Leahy backs Holder” [WaPo] “Justice Department sues Alabama for failure to protect voting rights of overseas citizens” [USDOJ] Voting Rights Report from the Senate Committee on the Judiciary, “The Committee reports favorably on resolutions authorizing the President of the Senate to certify the facts of the failure of Karl Rove and Joshua Bolten to appear and testify before the Committee on the Judiciary and to produce documents as required by Committee subpoena and recommends that the resolutions do pass.” [KCS- pdf]

desertbeacon.blogspot.com

>Veterans Day News Roundup

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Nevada Roundup: “Two of every three homes sold in southern Nevada are owned by lenders” [LV Sun] At least Las Vegas isn’t the most “underwater town in the country,” that dubious honor goes to Mountain House, California. [NYT] “Citigroup offers to ease mortgage terms” [NYT] “Budget deficit: Gibbons calls for salary cuts” [LVRJ] [RGJ] “Nevada Board of Examiners proposes tax rebate cut for seniors” [RGJ]

How to botch a bailout? Neel Kashkari, interim assistant Treasury Secretary, announced on November 10^th that the restructuring of AIG’s TARP bailout was necessary to “maintain the stability of our financial markets.” [Blmbrg] The Washington Post reported today that “Fannie, AIG struggling after federal takeover: firms report massive losses, cite shortcomings of rescue,” and Rick Newman of USNWR explains “Why AIG is devouring the Bailout Fund.” Unfortunately, the corporate types at AIG haven’t gotten the message that the taxpayers won’t be pleased with their efforts to maintain a posh lifestyle while U.S. citizens play the role of insurer of last resort – they’ve done it again – spending $343,000 on a conference held at the Pointe Hilton Squaw Peak resort in Phoenix. [AZ Republic]

Let the investigations begin! The Justice Department is investigating possible criminal actions by UBS whose “cross border private banking services for U.S. clients” may have helped wealthy Americans evade $300 million per year in taxes from 2000 to 2007. Since UBS owns Paine-Webber, the SEC is looking into possible violations of securities laws. [NYT] Remember, former Senator Phil Gramm, who has been “the key instigator of some of the biggest money making UBS deals of recent years,” was one of the top economic advisers for Republican presidential candidate Sen. John McCain. [Slate] Someone might want to follow up on this piece from the Los Angeles Times: “Goldman Sachs urged bets against California bonds it helped sell.” And, then there’s “Probe Sought of Bush handling of Alaska oil spill case” [McClatchy]

More items on the President-elect Obama To Do List: Reform government procurement programs. “An annual Government Accountability Office assessment of Defense Department weapons programs helps illustrate some of the problems. Planned commitments on systems rose from $790 billion in 2000 to $1.6 trillion in fiscal 2007, the report found. At the same time, the amount that programs exceeded cost estimates soared from $42 billion in 2000 to $295 billion last year. Average delays of the programs examined by the GAO increased from 16 months to 21 months. “They’re inheriting an almost broken procurement system” said Charles Tiefer, a contracting law professor at the University of Baltimore Law School. “During the last eight years, a lot of the critical oversight machinery was undercut or neglected.” [WaPo] The Clinton Administration cut the number of oversight officials to cut red tape, and the Bush Administration accelerated the cuts because of its “philosophical commitment to outsourcing and small government.” It may take the hiring of thousands of new auditors to clean up the backlog and make up for these past reductions.

Foreign Service employees at the State Department are calling for President-elect Obama to reform what they are calling an “arbitrary security clearance process.” Foreign Service Officers said some security clearances were improperly suspended, and noted: “The next administration will…need to focus on Iraq, Afghanistan, the Middle East peace process, Russia, and many other bilateral and multilateral foreign policy issues,” said John Naland, president of the American Foreign Service Association. “But unless urgent steps are taken to strengthen the diplomatic element of national security, no amount of jetting around the globe by the president or secretary of State will restore our nation’s role as the world’s leader in global affairs.” [GovExec]

Meanwhile back in Iraq: “Iraq studies US amended pact as deadline looms” [AFP] “Violence in Iraq continues as bombings kill two more” [IHT] “Iraq’s Sunni fighters leave U.S. payroll” [LAT] “Iraq, CNPC (China) put final signature on oil deal” [Reuters] “Iraq: Summary of U.S. Casualties” Congressional Research Service, October 31, 2008.

Political Leftovers: Senator John Ensign’s (R-NV) NRSC is running an ad in Georgia calling for the election of Saxby Chambliss because if challenger Jim Martin wins the Democrats will get closer to the 60 seats necessary to break through the Road Block Republican filibusters. [Roll Call sub req]

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>Overnight Express News Roundup

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Sad notes: “Madelyn Dunham, grandmother of Democratic candidate Sen. Barack Obama has passed away.” Official Statement from Obama and his sister. Terence Tolbert, Obama’s Nevada Campaign Director died Sunday night of a heart attack. Deepest condolences to the families and friends.

Nevada notes: “Record voter turnout expected in Clark County: county election official thinks Tuesday’s election turnout will top 2004′s presidential race” [LV Sun] “Close to 1,700 attend Michelle Obama rally” [LV Sun]

Elsewhere: The Dixville Notch Report: Obama 15, McCain 6 [RGJ] “Feds denied extra hours off to vote” “The acting director of the Office of Personnel Management on Thursday denied a request to give federal employees two additional hours of excused absence to vote on Election Day.” [Gov Exec] “ES&S voting machines in Michigan flunk tests, don’t tally votes consistently” [Wired] “The Steal This Election Citizen Investigation Map” [MJ]

The Stupid Economy: “Automakers report grim October sales” General Motors down 45%, Ford down 30.2%, Chrysler down 34.9%, Toyota down 23%, Honda down 25.2%, Nissan down 33%. [NYT] “Bank survey shows credit is growing even tighter” [NYT] “Seattle Times to cut 130-150 in another wave of layoffs” [BizJrnls] “More layoffs at L.A. Tech company Spot Runner” [LAT] “Motorola eliminates 4,800 jobs in ’08” [ChiST] “Whirlpool plans more job cuts; Q3 net off 7%” [NY2] “Furniture Brands plans additional job cuts after $41.7 million net loss last week” [HFBus] “National City’s 3Q loss widens, job cuts planned” [WaPo] “Circuit City closing 155 stores” [LAT] “Manufacturing falls to 26 year low” [WaPo] “Viacom earnings drop 37%; ad slump hurts” [Reuters]

MessO’Potamia: “9 killed, dozens hurt in Iraq blasts” [WaPo] “Iraq attacks include on on oil official” [NYT] “Iraq violence in figures” [BBC] “Iraqi lawmakers OK provincial council quotas for minorities” [LAT] “Baghdad water pipeline blown up” [BBC] “U.S. airstrikes creating tension, Pakistan warns” [WaPo] “Pakistanis give Petraeus an earful on his first visit” [McClatchy] “Afghan officials aided an attack on U.S. soldiers” [NYT]

Veterans’ Issues: “More VA hospitals could suspend prostate cancer treatment” [Gov Exec] “VA plans changes for documents” [WFSL] “Vets vs. McCain” [Village Voice]

Hmmm: “November 4, 1952: Univac gets election right, but CBS balks” [Wired] “Nuns beat me, says restaurateur” [Guardian UK] The man claims he was beaten by two 83 year old nuns, and a priest, over a property dispute.

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>Coffee and the Papers: Voting, Polls, Pols

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The AP/Gfk poll for 10/22-26 shows Senator Obama leading in Nevada with 52% to Senator McCain’s 40%. (MOE 3.9%) Other swing states included in the polling are Colorado, Obama 50-41%; Florida Obama 45-43%; New Hampshire Obama 55-37%; North Carolina Obama 48-46%; Ohio Obama 48-41%; Pennsylvania Obama 52-40%; Virginia Obama 49-42%. [Pollster] “AP Poll: Obama widens lead in Nevada” [LV Sun] The RGJ poll gives Obama a five point lead in the Silver State. [INP] The McCain Campaign holds that turnout among African American and younger voters will be matched or exceeded by GOP partisans. [WaPo]

Waiting lines are shrinking as early voting hours lengthen in Florida. [MiamiHerald] It’s always interesting to find articles from Florida that describe voters as “braving 50 degree weather.” “Partial early ballots: Dem voters outnumber GOP” [CNN] “Enthusiasm for early voting at a high” [Asheville Ctimes] “Early voters report problems in 3 counties” [DallasMN] “Record throngs in Dallas area elect to vote early” [DMN] “Early voting reaches 215,000 ballots” [NOLA]

The trend estimate in Nevada’s Congressional District 3 race shows State Senator Dina Titus leading 43.4% to incumbent Rep. Jon Porter’s 41.4%. The Research 2000 polling completed on October 22^nd showed Titus with 47%, Porter with 45%, 8% undecided. The MOE is 5%. [Pollster] Pollster’s trend lines show Republican incumbent Dean Heller declining from a 53-39% spread in June. However the trend lines for Democratic challenger Jill Derby have not broken the 42% line. [Pollster] Exit polling shows Derby with a lead in the District, with 55% of the early voters contrasted to a 44% early turnout for Dean Heller. [LVRJ] Heller also has a problem with Notable Music Co. which sued because Heller had not gotten permission to use the song “Big Spender” in his commercials. [LVRJ] First McCain with several artists upset because of copyright infringement, now Heller – what is it with Republicans and intellectual property rights?

The Las Vegas Review Journal seems pleased to headline that early voting is lagging among the young, Hispanic, and new voters in Nevada. As of Tuesday evening, 68,258 citizens in Washoe County (Reno) had cast early ballots – 33,954 Democrats and 23,053 Republicans. [RGJ] The Nevada AFL-CIO is making a push for voter turnout in northern Nevada, including a full time operation in Reno, and a part time one in Elko. [RGJ]

Republican wailing to the contrary, “State: No false or stifled votes here – election chief’s probe turns up no fraud, debunking allegations” [LV Sun] The Las Vegas Review Journal evidently found no reason to cover this story.

Senator Harry Reid (D-NV) addressed community leaders at a conference on economic development in southern Nevada, [LV Sun] Senator John Ensign (R-NV) was a “no show,” citing an elusive “scheduling conflict” with TV and radio “interviews.”[LV Sun]

The Economy: Analysts have concluded that both the Obama and McCain tax plans would increase the deficit, but that Senator McCain’s plan would “likely create a deeper hole.” [NYT] “Reserve Fund’s investors still await their cash” [NYT] Manufacturing orders were up in September but outside the transportation sector durable goods orders declined 1.1%. [NYT]

Meanwhile back in Iraq: The Defense Department has not taken steps to suspend or debar contractors in Iraq who were terminated for poor performance. In several cases poorly performing contractors were awarded additional contracts. [GovExec] Full text of SIGIT report. “Iraq condemns U.S. assault on Syria” [LAT] “Iraq seeks changes to security pact” [WaPo] “South Korea to withdraw its forces from Iraq in December” [AP]

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