The Year the Mythical Democrat Was Hand Bagged by the Reality of Their Rot...

polifrog


Democrat myth was hand bagged by reality this past year.

Governance through Obama, Peosi, and Reid revealed the democrat party's true nature, and that the fabricated definitions of the democrat party by the Media, Education, and Popular Culture were myth. In the run up to this past November's election I said the following:

...Where once they were able to sell the idea they were the party of fiscal discipline, the lie to the myth has been laid bare. Where once they claimed they were the party of the people, they are now the party of government owned businesses, takeovers and bailouts with the people's money. Where once they claimed to be the party of choice, they are now the party of limiting choice in health-care. Where once they feigned compromise, they lead unilaterally. Where once they seemed to reflect the wishes of the people, they defined themselves through immigration reform, Guantanamo, ObamaCare, and the Ground Zero Mosque as above the will of the people.

They paid a price for their immoral governance this past November and will likely continue paying through several more election cycles, but it has become clear that Pelosi, Reid, and Obama have a long term strategy for regaining and enhancing democrat power that called for those dues to be paid. It is a strategy that should be recognized as detrimental for our nation and any fruit it bears should be allowed to rot.

Pelosi, Obama, and Reid recognized the power of programs like Social Security, Medicare, and Medicaid. Militaries are periodically scaled back; not so social programs. Social programs show no history of cuts, only growth, and that growth benefits the party of big government ... democrats. Talk of cuts has historically benefited democrats, as such talk usually stems from their opposition which is quickly accused of being mean spirited our worse for political points. There are also votes of dependency to be gained. Social programs are the mother's milk of bureaucracies and bureaucracies are dependant on the party that favors their programs for their existence.

What they needed was another social program. That social program was ObamaCare. I doubt they initially entered the Obamacare debate thinking their program would be rejected by the people of America, but when it was rejected [see Scott Brown], they did not stop pursuing ObamaCare. With Scott Brown in Teddy's seat the numbers in the senate no longer allowed for the back and forth between the houses for ObamaCare that normally clenses bills. As a result, the house signed off on the poorly crafted senate bill rather than risk the failure of a better written version at the hand of a single person ... Scott Brown. Prior to the house's passing of ObamaCare Pelosi even considered using a maneuver referred to as "deem and pass" in which they would deem ObamaCare passed within a package of fixes in an effort to fix the Senate bill and garner votes through the anonymous nature of "deem and pass" votes.

Clearly the passage of ObamaCare was more important to Obama, Pelosi and Reid than the constitutional production of a quality Health-Care bill, or even the voice of the people.

Why?

Because they came to realize that the passage of ObamaCare, even against the will of the people, was worth the temporary cost to their party, that ObamaCare was an affliction on America that is unlikely (based on history) to be removed, an affliction on our nation that would strengthen their party while weakening our nation through government growth and control for decades to come.

In short, ObamaCare is the result of a tyranny of our exiting democrat majority that was willing to abuse our system of governance to saddle our nation and its people with a law that it gambled would not be repealed and would return them to power with enhanced influence over time.

The fruit of this tyranny of the majority, ObamaCare, should be allowed to rot least we see more.

Looking forward to 2011.....



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Western Flowers...

polifrog



On last year's road trip west I took to photographing flowers as a way to keep the lens pointed toward the beauty of nuance within reach and not solely on the stunning expanses.

I didn't know what I had until this past Christmas break.









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Fools Debating Spending Cuts or Increased Taxes in an Overtaxed and Over Spending Climate...

polifrog


Via journalnow.com:

Will [Bev Perdue] agree with Republican preferences to cut $3 billion to $4 billion, casting an eye back on November's elections and the big GOP victory? Her political strategy in that case would be to curry favor with conservative voters in anticipation of a re-election run in 2012.

Or will she propose to cut less, demanding that schools and other human services be protected by extending expiring taxes or by raising other taxes and fees? This course would be chosen to shore up her support with Democratic voters, making a "last stand" fight for preserving educational and social-service programs established over the past several decades.

It should be noted that education already eats up 60% of NC's budget. Taking 60% of the budget (education) plus the cost of the unspecified "human resources" would leave less than 40% from which to cut.

Furthermore, it should be noted that the percentage of the NC budget devoted to education would rise if spending in the remaining areas is reduced.

This could easily result in our state spending 70 to 80% of its budget on education. When last year it had been considered fair to spend 60% of the NC budget on education, how is it fair to spend 70 to 80 percent the next year at the cost of other programs?

Truly, the only fair and workable solution would be cuts that hit each recipient of state funds equally so that all recipients of state funding share the burden of the cuts equally.

No cows, sacred or otherwise.




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Jury Nullification - Citizens Perched Above the Three Branches...

polifrog



Does no one find it as offensive to liberty as I that Judges often review a verdict prior to a jury's reading of their verdict? What is the point of a jury if a judge can simply set their finding aside on the grounds that the jury did not apply appropriate law? Depending on the state, Judges can do just that, set aside a jury's verdict when the jury decides to nullify (not apply) an egregious law used against a defendant. Unfortunately jury nullification is a check on governance that seems to be fading.

Frequently judges overturn guilty verdicts:

• Judge overturns Uniloc's record $388M victory over Microsoft
• Judge overturns overturns jury verdict in Parkland

Less frequently, but more frighteningly, judges can overturn findings of innocence where jury nullification is most effective:

• Judge Overturns Jury's Decision in Medical Malpractice Case
  

Martin's mother filed a lawsuit against Moscowitz alleging malpractice, however the jury in the case held that Martin's injuries did not result from negligent care.

In reviewing the case, Hurd said that he could not understand how a competent and impartial jury could have decided in favor of Moscowitz.

He entered a verdict against the doctor and established a date for a jury to decide the amount of damages to which Martin and his family are entitled.

Accordingly, I agree with Washington Rebel, TL Davis in his post promoting citizen action through jury duty:

I suggest we look at the unconstitutional laws and work as citizens to make sure they cannot be enforced. How? Volunteer for jury duty. I know, no one likes it, but when judges and Supreme Court Justices (like Stephen Breyer) sit atop their perch and cast down snide comments to us, pretending to offer “intelligent, wise counsel” all the while denigrating us simpletons for our presumption to know what the Constitution says, when they believe they are the only ones learned enough to decide that, it is time to take direct action.

Jury Nullification via Wikipedia:

The jury system was established because it was felt that a panel of citizens, drawn at random from the community, and serving for too short a time to be corrupted, would be more likely to render a just verdict.^{[citation needed]} It was feared that a single judge or panel of government officials may be unduly influenced to follow established legal practice, even when that practice had drifted from its origins. However, in most modern Western legal systems, juries are often instructed to serve only as "finders of facts", whose role it is to determine the veracity of the evidence presented, and the weight accorded to the evidence,^[2] but not the application of that evidence to the law. These instructions are criticized by advocates of jury nullification.

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Gov. Bev Perdue - Bogarting Mad Job Creation Skills (Part 1)...Gov.

polifrog



I have been essentially disconnected from all media for the past week and a half and with the exception of a short visit to McDonald's represented by the post below polifrog has suffered. I considered an "on vacation" post but decided against telegraphing my absence to the unknown.

I'm back now and kinking off my return with what will likely become a reoccurring feature judging from history.

Via charlotteobserver.com :

Gov. Bev Perdue's office announced Wednesday that the company plans to create 100 new positions in North Carolina and will invest $36 million as part of the project, which was made possible in part by state grants from the Job Development Investment Grant program and One North Carolina Fund.

[emphasis mine]

Perhaps it would be cheaper to not drive perspective new corporations and their jobs from NC with an utter disrespect for property rights and contract law as Perdue has done in respect to Alcoa.

Although, claiming that which Perdue had no hand has a certain political luster.



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Bev Perdue Puts 60% of NC's Budget Off the Tablefor Cuts...

polifrog


According to WTVD on the staggering NC budget shortfall:

The cuts are expected to come from every corner of government.

However, the one area Perdue says she wants to protect is education despite it making up nearly 60 percent of the state budget.

So, education makes up 60% of the NC budget yet Perdue refuses cuts to education despite the obvious diminishing returns for every dollar spent.

Creating winners and losers with our tax dollars by forcing those areas of governance outside of education to shoulder the burden of the budget cuts will fail.




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Should Bev Perdue Resist the Tempatation of Listening to the Electorate On the NC Budget?

polifrog


On the Perdue budget:

Chris Fitzsimon, director of N.C. Policy Watch, in Perdue Must Resist Temptation to Shift to the Right argued that:

If Perdue proposes a budget that does not include a revenue increase, it reframes the debate and hands the Republicans a powerful rhetorical tool to pursue their agenda of shrinking government and slashing budgets of education and human services.

Would the Fitzsimon argue that what has become the often referenced "Clinton economic success" was in reality simply a shift to the right as a result of his advisers convincing him to listen to the electorate that had just installed the Gingrich 1994 congress -- in short, would Fitzsimon argue today that the Cinton response to the 1994 election was simply an unfortunate reframing of the debate?

Unlikely.



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Bev Perdue and a NC Budget Proposal...

polifrog



The NC budget deficit is growing. Is it $3.2 billion? $3.5?

A new report from the National Conference of State Legislatures on budget conditions in the 50 states and Puerto Rico puts the hole North Carolina is facing at more than $3.8 billion, or 20.3 percent of current budget. NCSL collected information for its report from legislative fiscal offices.

I guess a budget deficit of between 3 and 4 billion is close enough for government work; is it for you?

According to Bev Perdue the only course available to reduce the NC state budget deficit is "to focus on supporting mission critical services and eliminating programs that have outlived their usefulness."

BusinessWeek
[Bev Perdue's] administration directed agencies this week to offer ways to cut spending by up to 15 percent in the fiscal year starting next July 1.

...

In a memo dated Thursday to departments and agencies, State Budget Director Charlie Perusse asked for options on how they would cut 5 percent, 10 percent and 15 percent from their offices.

"Across-the-board reductions have already been taken," Perusse wrote. "This budget cycle we need to focus on supporting mission critical services and eliminating programs that have outlived their usefulness."

Targeted cuts as a method of lowering spending is a poor method for lowering budgets and is destined for failure. Targeted cuts impact recipients of state funds unequally. The result is the creation of haves and have-nots; those who bear the brunt of the cuts and those who do not. Further, those who bear the burden of the state budget cuts would rightfully respond to the unfairness of being singled out poorly and attempt to eliminate the budget cuts. In all likelihood the budget cuts would be severely reduced or eliminated altogether in an effort to draft a fairer budget to those who carry the burden of the cuts. The end result of Perdue's targeted budget cuts would be continued deficits resulting in a continuation of NC's dependence on conditional federal handouts.

NC's budget problems have become dire, so perhaps we should put the cart before the horse... and look back to our previous budget before going forward.

We can assume that a state budget once passed is essentially fair. If it were overly unfair in its distribution of state funds the budget would have failed until a fair budget were reached. This is the point at which the fair and equitable distribution of state funds can be found. It is also the point at which cuts should begin.

In keeping with the sense of fairness Americans are accustomed, the cuts should be made across the board so that all departments and all individuals carry the burden of the budget cuts. There would be no haves, just have-nots, each carrying a load lessoned by pervasiveness.

When departments complain of lowered funding, they can be reminded of their moral obligation to carry their share; they can be reminded that they are not alone in their burden.

It's not hard to be fair until you become a politician.






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Health Care Reform - ObamaCare Infringing on Interstate Commerce...

polifrog



I am a spectator as ObamaCare marches through the courts and rightly so. I have no training and that in itself likely answers the following question.

Is ObamaCare not an infringement of interstate commerce? I realize it relies on the interstate commerce clause for constitutional muster. But it seems to me that ObamaCare is so extreme in its interpretation that it overshoots the intent of the interstate commerce clause and by its vary nature infringes on interstate commerce itself.

For example: If I choose to spend $20 dollars in SC (I live in NC) on cold medicine, but prior to that expenditure ObamaCare pries those dollars from my hands thereby limiting my choice to buy cold medicine in SC and thus engaging in interstate commerce, is ObamaCare not infringing on interstate commerce?

I don't see where this is any less tenuous an argument than the one our the administration is clinging to: that a citizen's choosing not to engage in economic activity affects interstate commerce. In fact, my argument seems far more reflective of the intent of the interstate commerce clause.

Another example. If, for instance, ObamaCare destroys the market for catastrophic health insurance (and it will as such insurance will not be considered when one attempts to meet their obligation for health insurance under ObamaCare), then the choices of US citizens will have been limited by government in just the same way as when an individual state interferes with commerce between the states if it were to limit commerce across state lines.


It seems to me that it does not matter whether a single state limits commerce across its boarders or the federal government limits commerce across all state lines --- the result is that interstate commerce is no longer free and regular.

I wonder. Does the interstate commerce clause only apply to laws passed by states that negatively impact commerce across state lines or does does it also apply to laws passed by the federal government that negatively impact commerce across state lines?


On the other hand, we can enjoy the joy of this wonderful video...





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More of That Wikileak Truth Serum - This Time Exposing Climate Talk Nitwittery.......

polifrog



Why is any of this considered a leak?

But more importantly, why is our government involved with any of this climategate proven nitwittery at all? There is no way an agreement from these talks will result in anything but a limiting of liberty for US citizens. The vary fact that our leaders are involved in these negotiations is evidence that they do not represent the interests of the citizenry.

With that in mind ... withdraw, let the rest of the world agree to cut their own throats while we prosper on the fruits of our liberty.

But no.

Guardian:

Hidden behind the save-the-world rhetoric of the global climate change negotiations lies the mucky realpolitik: money and threats buy political support; spying and cyberwarfare are used to seek out leverage.

Once again the embarrassment is not the leak, but rather our government's willingness to involve itself (with a reliance on the unethical) in an unethical sham, this time the Global Warming nonsense -- a concern of statists and enemies of liberty.

Once again Wikileaks shows us that if our leaders respected liberty these "leaks" would be inconsequential.




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Ron Paul On Wikileaks...

polifrog


I don't have much company concerning my views on Wikileaks, but I have some...

[I]n a Thursday interview with Fox Business, Paul said the idea of prosecuting Assange crosses the line.

“In a free society we're supposed to know the truth,” Paul said. “In a society where truth becomes treason, then we're in big trouble. And now, people who are revealing the truth are getting into trouble for it.”

And:

Ron Paul Twitter account post Friday morning:

"Re: WikiLeaks — In a free society, we are supposed to know the truth. In a society where truth becomes treason, we are in big trouble."

It seems the greatest damage due to the publishing of these leaks is that of exposing needless systemic secrecy/information control/lying, and the resulting political damage to those who likely exercised power beyond that granted their position. Hillary.




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Wikileaks - Is the Truth Damaging?

polifrog



Leaks damage those who seek control of truth most, as the apparatus of that control is exposed by truth.

I tend to believe the truth is most damaging to governments with too much power. If our government were not so large, were not so invasive, and instead governed within its limits, these leaks would never had cause to exist. Ask yourself --- Could similar leaks have occurred within the first 50 years of this nation's founding?

Consider the Soviet Union. Most of us came of age with the USSR as a question mark behind an iron curtain, or more accurately, a government so pervasive that all truth was controlled.

In short, free nations of limited powers have few if any instances of the truth leaking as truth is privately held rather than a government controlled commodity with which to herd the citizenry.

Judge Napolitano,







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Earmarks - Rep. (elect) Renee Ellmers Equivocates, and Rep. Brad Miller Surprises No One,

polifrog




Earmarks seem to have been inoculated from the public's will by politicians in need of currying votes through the use of the electorate's money. Additionally, earmarks have become rife with wasteful spending, spending at a time when Keynesian Theory is falling from favor; at a time when all Gov. spending has become suspect.

A new congress will soon convene and the topic of an earmarks ban is near the top of the list.

This past Nov.2 we saw, with the help of the TeaParty, the election of many new representatives. Renee Ellmers is one of those representatives.

Where is she now on the issue of Earmarks? Disturbingly she seems to have found a home in equivocation.

According to newsobserver.com,

Rep.-elect Renee Ellmers of North Carolina said the litmus test will involve how many exceptions the House carves out - for transportation projects, for example, or for defense earmarks.

"We're saying this is what we've heard from the American people," said Ellmers, a Dunn Republican. "But will we be able to hold to this? Because this is what is going to determine the seriousness."

[emphasis mine]

Bans don't require a "litmus test" or "buts". Disappointment, though, can be built on such hedging ... and I feel a foundation for disappointment is being laid. Sigh.

Renee Ellmers was not alone in commenting on the issue of banning earmarks in the next congress. Rep. Brad Miller, in his search for future relevance in the face of his beloved yet diminished Keynesian mistakes, seemed intent on keeping the spirit of the defrocked Alan Greyson alive by deriding the current movement toward national solvency.

According to charlotteobsever.com Brad Miller had this to say,

"Right now, it's a sound bite in search of substance," said U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat who sponsored $26.7 million in earmarks last year.

No surprises from Rep. Brad Miller. Our debt is his friend.




Update:
Sorry, I forgot my links. Fixed.



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Failed Socialism Does not End in Enhanced Individualism...

polifrog



No commentary needed....






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Rep. Brad Miller's Love of the Failure of Government Involvement in Business - The Prospect Hill and Elm Street Center Boondoggles....

polifrog



If there is a theme that is plainly evident concerning the nexus of governance and business, it is that government involvement in business is either the result of poor business practices or, more traditionally, poor business practices are the result of government involvement.

If GM and Chrysler had been sound would government have so easily and so heavily gotten involved with them? Ford's example lays bare the obvious answer to that question. Ford successfully navigated the market downturn of late 2008 without a government bailout as a result of proper business practices .

If the US Postal Service were not run by government would the business of shuffling mail be unprofitable? FedEx and UPS lay bare the obvious answer to this question as well. FedEx and UPS are profitable while the USPS is currently losing billions.

Not to be forgotten, though, is government involvement in starting up businesses that private sources of funding reject as unprofitable. On a national level the corn-gas debacle comes to mind as an obvious example of this due to the recent revelations by Al Gore that his support for the debacle was political rather than scientific.

A more local example is Brad Miller's proposal to help round up government funding in lieu of a private investment group's failure to find private funding for a 180-room hotel in Greensboro North Carolina on the site of Elm Street Center. The search for funding was based on market research dating from 2008 (pre great recession) that concluded that the Greensboro market could support such a hotel. Funding from private resources has proven difficult.

Via News-Record:

Kaplan has been interested in building a hotel on the site of Elm Street Center, a convention and ballroom space, since 2008, when he got the results of a study saying this market would support a luxury hotel downtown.

Rep. Brad Miller, though, chooses to overlook the dated market study:

“We’re still working diligently as if (the deal) could close, but realistically we don’t think we’ll get it all put together,” Randall Kaplan said Monday.

That is, unless the deadline for the federal program can be extended into 2011.

There’s a chance that could happen. Late Monday, U.S. Rep. Brad Miller, a Raleigh Democrat whose district covers parts of Greensboro, agreed to co-sponsor a bill that would extend parts of the federal stimulus bill, including the bond financing, into 2011.

[emphasis added]


The mixing of government in a business is a sign that that business or its idea should be buried. Period.

A good socialist would disagree and Rep. Brad Miller does in the following.

In another local example of government involvement in what should be a private venture, Rep. Brad Miller lavishes praise on the project. According to The News of Orange County:

Debra Markley, project coordinator for Piedmont Health Services, which oversees the Prospect Hill center, said the two-story building will likely be completed in about nine months.

...

The facility, which is largely being paid for with federal stimulus money, will be more efficient that Prospect Hill’s current 20-year-old building.

So, a twenty year old building was not good enough, not efficient enough - likely due to government regulation?- and just absolutely had to be replaced. And "Jim Yong, manager of facilities and planning, said the new office will be designed in a circular fashion, making it easier to navigate for patients."

According to Rep. Brad Miller the current facility functions just fine:

Rep. Brad Miller said Prospect Hill Community Health Center, which offers medical and dental services, along with an in-house pharmacy, should serve as an example to other communities.

But despite this praise, government funding (federal stimulus money) was rounded up by Brad Miller to replace the currently fully functioning facility. The total cost of this is absent in the article, however the amount can be found here:

...$1.1 million, will go toward building a new facility in Prospect Hill, which is immediately north of the Orange County line in southernmost Caswell County, said Brian Toomey, the executive director of Piedmont Health Services.

What did Brad Miller have to say of his boondoggle?

“It saves us a lot of money. This is how health care should work in this country. Period,” Miller said.

In other words -- government and business in cahoots is the way to go, or more accurately, socialism is the way to go. Period.

This the sad state of Brad Miller's immoral governance.




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Rep Brad Miller's Extreme Makeover Begins...

polifrog



Rep. Brad Miller's extreme makeover has begun.

In previous cycles Rep. Brad Miller won his district by large margins. (approx. 70 - 30) His most recent race against Bill Randall this past Nov 2, though, was won on the back of his self drawn gerrymandered district. Miller won 55-45. This represents a massive loss in support and the effectiveness of the Tea Party.

But with the NC State legislature under Republican control for the first time in over 100 years his gerrymandered seat is in jeopardy as his party no longer has control over districting. This has not gone unnoticed by Miller and he seems to have come to the conclusion that he must recast his past immoral governance.

He asks us to forget his votes and listen to his words.

FireDogLake quoted Miller as saying:

I do not place a high priority on protecting the solvency of the banks if they are. insolvent.

His bank favoring votes tell a different tale:

• $13 trillion according to PBS in financial bailouts from our pockets and the pockets of our children to the coffers of the largest banks.
• HR 3808 - A bill that, had it not been vetoed, would have given the banks a quick way out of their chain of title and notarizing problems with MERS at the people's expense.
  

Should we really believe Miller's words over his votes? Miller seems to think so.



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1998, 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003 Sienna Repair and Radiator Replacement...

polifrog





One of my fears during our family's Grizzwald like great western trip "out west" was that of over heating. In no place was this more true than when we climbed out of Death Valley. At the time the Sienna had around 210,000 miles on the odo, we had our 1200lb camper in tow, it was 120 degrees and the climb out of the valley required an assent of over a mile. We were forced to stop four or five times to let the engine cool. Fortunately the high coolant temperatures and resultant high pressures did not cause any failures.

But now, a little over a year latter, my radiator has failed. It is of the newer plastic / aluminum variety and it developed a crack along the upper plastic portion near the radiator hose. The convenient location, the wait required for shipping the new radiator, and curiosity prompted me to try a patch type of fix. The most familiar is JB Weld, but there are other products that are formulated for plastic radiators. It worked! .... for about 3 weeks. The stuff is, after all, just a patch, but as a patch it proved itself and has become a valuable addition to the travel emergency tool box.

On to the fix...

With the expected failure of the patch it was time to install the new radiator.

Tools required:

• 10mm ratchet
• 12mm ratchet
• channel lock pliers

Yea, that was all! Not even a screw driver or the common fall back - a hammer - was required.

I began by draining the coolant into a pan I normally use for oil changes. I used the petcock located at the bottom corner (pass. side) of the radiator.





While the coolant was draining I removed the wires that powered the cooling fans; there was one connector on each side of the radiator corresponding to each fan.





I then turned to the transmission oil lines. They are much smaller than the big radiator hoses. For those of you who don't know, the radiator often performs double duty in that it not only cools the coolant, but the transmission fluid as well. Rather than remove the hoses where they connected to the radiator, I opted to remove them from the other end so as to eliminate transmission fluid from leaking from the radiator. I used the pliers to remove the spring clamps that held them on. Once loose I bent the rubber hoses around and tucked the open ends into the fan blades so that they were above the level of the oil in the radiator thereby keeping the transmission fluid from dripping.

By this time the coolant had been reduced to a slow drip so I closed the petcock and turned to removing the two large radiator hoses. One was easily seen at the top of the radiator and the other was at the bottom (driver's side) of the radiator. Both were easy to reach. The channel locks easily allowed me to slide the hose clamps away from the radiator and down the hose. With a slight tug both the hoses easily slipped off the radiator.

Finally, with the 12mm ratchet, I removed the clamps that held the radiator in place. It offered no resistance as it lifted up and out with the two cooling fans attached. There are two rubber grommets that the radiator sits in at the bottom. They can either stick to the radiator as they did in mine, stick to the hole they sit in on the van or they can fall free and roll away. Keep an eye out.

I laid the two radiators side by side on the driveway and began transferring a few items from the old one to the new one. The two fans unbolted from the old radiator with the 10mm socket. I also transferred the hoses.

Instillation of the new radiator was the reverse of the above. Do not use the traditional green antifreeze as it will cause the new plastic radiators to fail.

A couple of related bits of info:

• The radiator was bought through ebay for $75 (shipping included) I had my doubts, but everything matched and it was a drop in replacement. You might prefer a Toyota part as the quality will be higher, but the cost will be higher as well.
• When you choose your antifreeze get the type that is formulated for plastic radiators. There is also a one size fits all formulation as well. Avoid the traditional green stuff as it will degrade the plastic that the radiator is constructed of.
  
• I did the final bit if filling of the cooling system with the car running. I first filled it as much as I could, then I started the car. As the car warmed the coolant began to flow allowing bubbles to escape from the cooling system. I added coolant as needed.
• The whole job took less than 45 minutes and I recommend it for anyone with a pare of channel lock pliers, a 10mm socket, a 12mm socket, and a ratchet.
  
• Easy Peasy.

Good luck.



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Rep. Renee Ellmers Has Been Found Victorious Over Bob Etheridge...

polifrog



I am currently engaged in a Snoopy Happy Dance for Renee Ellmers.

Via WWAY:

State Board of Elections director Gary Bartlett said Friday that a recount in the 2nd Congressional District has found that Ellmers defeated Democratic Rep. Bob Etheridge by about 1,500 votes.

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Breaking the Cycle of NC Gerrymandering ...

polifrog




Over at Swing State Project they are discussing NC redistricting which includes images of redrawn districts.

1 Heath Shuler: 11

4 blue districts: 1, 4, 7, 12

8 red districts: 2, 3, 5, 6, 8, 9, 10, 13

There are other examples at the link above.

Although I like the higher number of republican districts, I have a problem with the fact that scant attention is being paid to county lines. The NC Constitution requires that districts be drawn along county lines in an effort to curb gerrymandering. I would prefer discussion that leans toward more honest representation. Gerrymandering disenfranchises citizens of both parties. Currently there are democrats in districts that favor republicans who's votes are essentially voided by gerrymandering, the same is true of republicans citizens in districts like Brad Miller's.

Admittedly, I am torn. Although retribution for the current unlawful districts with new districts that favor republicans would be sweet, I prefer honest districting along county lines.

At some point the democrats will be voted back into power and it would be nice if republicans had reinstated a belief among the citizenry in following the NC Constitution's requirement that districts be drawn along the county lines.

In short Republicans should break the cycle of gerrymandering and be stuck with the moniker of fair districting.




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Sorry so quiet...

polifrog



Been secluded in the back waters of wonderful Lucedale Mississippi...

I will return to regular posting soon.



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QE2 Explained...

polifrog







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A Reshuffling...

polifrog






Of course, it is the shift in the NC legislature that brings on a happy dance. For a 4 years in the mid 90's the NC house was Republican. With that exception the NC House and senate have been under continuous Democrat control.

“This is the first time since 1898 that we’ve had control.”

Phil Berger living near Eden NC is poised to become the president of the NC senate and is intent on tackling the NC budget deficit left by the Democrat leadership.

When asked how the North Carolina budget problems would be fixed without raising taxes, Berger said that the Republican leaders want to reduce the size of North Carolina government.

Ole!





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Limit Gerrymandering -- Enforce NC Constitution Requirements in Drawing Congressional Districts...

polifrog




We have had some good wins, but we must move forward and for right now that means, get local. One local issue the citizens of NC have to contend with is a blatant infringement of the NC Constitution regarding districting.

The NC constitution requires congressional and senate districts to follow county lines in an effort to stem gerrymandering.

Article II Section 3 paragraph 3 States: No County shall be divided in the formation of a senate district.

Article II Section 5 Paragraph 3 States: No County shall be divided in the formation of a representative district.

But, Brad Miller ignored the NC Constitution not only when he helped draw the many districts across NC, but also his own gerrymandered district following the 2000 census. Brad Miller, it seems, has a penchant for disenfranchising voters of both parties for his benefit.

According to western.ncfreedom.us:

Division of Counties Must Be Minimized:
Article II of the State Constitution says that in drawing State House and Senate districts, no county shall be divided. In 1981, the US Department of Justice said that requirement was inconsistent with the Voting Rights Act, so the General Assembly disregarded it for 21 years. Then in 2002 the State Supreme Court in the case of Stephenson v. Bartlett said the “Whole County Provision”, found in the State Constitution must be honored to the extent it can be honored, consistent with the Voting Rights Act and other State and federal precepts. The Stephenson decision for the first time said the equal protection clause of the State Constitution contained a presumption for single-member legislative districts, and that presumption should be a limitation on the Whole County Provision. The US Justice Department approved the Stephenson opinion and withdrew its 1981 objection to the Whole County Provision. The Court in Stephenson prescribed a step-by-step method for harmonizing the Whole County Provision with the other laws.

• First, the General Assembly should draw the districts required by the Voting Rights Act.

• Second, it should take all the counties with just the right population to be single-member districts and make them one-county single-member districts.

• Third, it should take all the counties that have just the right populations for one or more districts and divide those counties into compact single-member districts.

• Fourth, for the remaining counties it should group them into clusters of counties and divide the clusters into compact single-member districts, crossing county lines within the cluster as little as possible.

It is time the citizens of NC hold our state's constitution to the feet of those who draw the congressional districts.

TeaParty, lets crush NC gerrymandering.



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NC Legislature History Made Tonight -- Senate and House Go Republican for the First Time in Over 100 Years....

polifrog


NC State Election Board:

Senate - 31 of 50 Seats Republican
House - 67 of 120 Seats Republican


That a double win folks.
First time in over 100 years!

Plus Renee Ellmers and no more Bob Etheridge!



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Renee Ellmers vs Bob Etheridge With all Reporting -- Ellmers May Have Won!...

polifrog



North Carolina Board of Elections


Ellmers 91,920 (49.5)
Etheridge 89,821 (48.5)


Oye!!




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Don't look now, but Ellmers vs. Etheridge has become a nail biter...

polifrog

NC State Board of Elections

Renee Ellmers -- 48.95% with 85,408 votes

Bob Etheridge -- 49.21% with 85,857 votes



449 votes between and 5 of 10 counties reporting.
10:16PM


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Republican Control of NC House and Senate is Needed...

polifrog


Control of the North Carolina's State Senate and House is an imperative if we want properly competitive districts drawn. In an election as powerful as this we are still stuck with the socialists like Bob Etheridge, David Price, GK Butterfield, and Brad Miller.

The Dems have had control of the House for nearly 100 years and the Senate for over 100 years.
With Republican control, adherence to the NC. Constitution which requires not dividing counties when drawing districts, will result in fairer elections.

100 years is long enough.

NC State Board of Elections:

Current count: (10:00PM)
House - 67 of 120 seats (Republican Favor)
Senate - 30 of 50 seats (Republican Favor)


Update: (10:50)

House - 66 of 120 seats (Republican Favor)
Senate - 31 of 50 seats (Republican Favor)

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FOX Calls the House for Republicans...

polifrog 9:20



FOX projects a 60 seat gain for Republicans in the House.

Alternatively, the Senate seems to be out of reach.




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NC State Senate and Congress Count...

polifrog



This matters greatly with redistricting.


Count as of 9:05 PM....

NC State Senate: 30 of 50 Republican

NC State Congress: 62 of 120 Republican (About 5 were not reporting and were not counted)



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It Seems that Miller's Gerrymandered Districts are Holding...

polifrog



I hope to be wrong as the Democrat areas of Miller's district post results early, but Miller appears to be holding as does Butterfield and Bob Etheridge.

David Price, on the other hand is down.

Watch the NC State house and senate. If they flip we can draw some constitutional districts. (NC. constitution.)



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Marco Rubio Wins Florida...

polifrog


Marco Rubio - 50% in a 3 way race....





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Fox Calls Rand Paul and Dan Coats...

polifrog



1) Fox called it for Rand Paul, Kentucky Senate.

2) Fox calls Dan Coats for Indiana Senate.



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Enthusiasm Gap Poll Favoring Bill Randall, Renee Ellmers, BJ Lawson, Ashley Woolard Over Brad Miller, Bob Etheridge, David Price, GK Butterfield...

polifrog



Enthusiasm Gap 19 points.
Gallup





The result of governance through broken consent.





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The Gavel is Yours For the Day...

polifrog




Pound them with it,


This is our country, not theirs.





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The Failure of an Unmanaged ObamaCare...

polifrog



Instapundit:

MICKEY KAUS: Countdown To Demageddon. “You have to wonder if the Dems, when they were designing the health reform, planned for the possibility that they’d lose control of Congress. Or did they create a system that needed constant legislative upkeep—confident that they would be in charge to perform it? That may have been Pelosi’s most damaging hubris.”

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Rasmussen Confirms Gallup's Poll on the Precarious Seats of Rep. Brad Miller, David Price, Bob Etheridge and GK Butterfield...

polifrog



Rasmussen confirms Gallup's numbers that haven't been seen in generations in the previous post with Republicans +12 in generic polling. Gallup calls for between 10 and 15.

What would these numbers be if Republicans had not governed so poorly prior to Pelosi?






Ole...




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Severe Poll Turnout Trouble for Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13), David Price (NC-4), Bob Etheridge (NC-2), GK Butterfield (NC-1)...

polifrog



Bye, Brad Miller
Bye, David Price
Bye, Bob Etheridge


Gallup:

Taking Gallup's final survey's margin of error into account, the historical model predicts that the Republicans could gain anywhere from 60 seats on up, with gains well beyond that possible.

It should be noted, however, that this year's 15-point gap in favor of the Republican candidates among likely voters is unprecedented in Gallup polling and could result in the largest Republican margin in House voting in several generations. This means that seat projections have moved into uncharted territory, in which past relationships between the national two-party vote and the number of seats won may not be maintained.

• Week 1 --I had first referred to the voter turnout models by Gallup as possibly flaky. No longer.

• Week 2 --I then referred to them as less flaky the second week. No longer.

• Week 3 --A trend has been born with week three...Advantage Republican.
  

• Week 4 -- The trend has been sustained, though with modest weakening ... Advantage still Republican:

Week 5 -- Last poll by Gallup before the Nov 2 election found here. Advantage remains Republican with extremely modest slide back in the Republican direction. The weakening seen in week 4 has been stemmed.

Under the high voter turnout:
Week (5): 42 /52
Week (4): 43 /52
Week (3): 42 / 53
Week (2): 41 / 53
Week (1): 40 / 53

Under the low voter turnout:
Week (5): 40 / 55
Week (4): 41 / 55
Week (3): 39 / 56
Week (2): 39 / 56
Week (1): 38 / 56


=================


For reference to Gallup's predictive ability I give this via Morning Jay of weeklystandard.com:



=========

Finally, if you assume Brad Miller, David Price, and Bob Etheridge are in "safe" seats, then think again. RCP puts Ethridge in "Leans Dem." and both Miller and Price in "Likely Dem."




The point is, these guys are weak, none have a "safe" seat, so don't let yourself be convinced otherwise and let inertia get the better of you.
-- GO VOTE!

-- GO VOTE!



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End of Posting Carpet Bomb -- Happy Halloween...

polifrog



Polifrog's first biannual Posting Carpet Bomb is now complete.

Despite the expected onslaught of reporting in the final 2 weeks of this election season polifrog retained near top google billing in the polifrog sphere of interest.

Posting Carpet Bomb = success.




Happy Halloween,






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Rep. Brad Miller -- Touting Affordable Housing or Just Pushing Unaffordable Loans?...

polifrog


What is affordable housing?

Both Brad Miller (D-13) and "Who are you?" Bob Etheridge (D-2) were in Zebulon, North Carolina basking in the glow of their stimulus housing funds.

According to Eastern Wake News Brad Miller had this to say:

Miller said affordable housing is an important goal in troubling times for the industry. He said “old-fashioned greed” and banking lending practices caused the downward spiral that has led to record numbers of foreclosures.

...

“If you find yourself in a foreclosure, you’ve lost your membership in the middle class and for many of those families, they’ll never get it back,” said Miller.

“We have to reinvent our financial system,” he said.

Miller noted that it wasn’t affordable housing that got the country in trouble and that it still needs to be a priority.

[emphasis added]

What is affordable housing?

Historically (past 10-15 years) housing was made more affordable by reducing the down payments required to qualify for a loan. This is otherwise known as less skin in the game. It worked! People were able to get loans (homes in Brad Miller's parlance) they would not have otherwise been able to afford. This is an affordable home to Brad Miller.

But to someone living outside the political class, to a real American, Brad Miller's vision is better known as an unaffordable loan. These unaffordable loans were scattered across the US and they caused an economic downturn that rivals the Great Depression.

Still, Brad Miller keeps coaxing people into his unaffordable loans through bills like H.R. 5409, The Residential Construction Lending Act which he introduced this year, while simultaneously laying blame for his similar past failed policies on a loan industry intimately regulated by Washington Bureaucrats and back stopped by Washington through Fannie and Freddie.

For real Americans Brad Miller's vision has resulted in the "Miller Homes" below; truly affordable homes made possible through Brad Miller's unaffordable loans:

Bessemer City, NC
$16,200
Find it here.

Durhan, NC
$28,800
Find it here.

Durham, NC.
$15,300
Find it here.

High Point, NC.
$12,800
Find it here.

Gastonia, NC.
$18,000
Find it here.

Stantonsburg, NC.
$8,000

Find it here.

Winston Salem, NC.
$19,800
Find it here.








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Rep. Brad Miller -- A Grade School Economist...

polifrog


From Fabius Maximus:

After three years neither the public nor many of our leaders see the driver of the housing crisis: we built too many homes. In some places (e.g., Las Vegas, California’s central valley) far in excess of any real demand. Outmigration from mismanaged and dying urban areas (e.g., Detroit) caused more over-capacity. Supercharging the bubble was the purchase of homes by people who could not afford the prices paid. But overcapacity was the primary driver.

[emphasis added]


The obvious nature of this statement is lost on Brad Miller, who in an act of comedic brilliance (were it not so tragic) offered up H.R. 5409, the Residential Construction Lending Act this summer.

Brad Miller's solution to excess capacity?... more supply!!

Brad Miller, Grade School Economist.



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Rep. Brad Miller (NC-13) - Dressing Up Bank Bailouts as Saving Jobs...

polifrog



Brad Miller is at it again -- Dressing up Bank bailouts as jobs protection through an overtly friendly press.


Eastern Wake News:

Mortex owner Ed Morrell met with U.S. Rep. Brad Miller on Wednesday to explain how the U.S. Department of Agriculture's Rural Development office helped work out the details for a loan that kept his company afloat.

And this is how it was done...

Capital Bank's Triangle Region president Todd Warrick suggested the company and the bank work on an application to the USDA.

Under the terms of the deal, Capital Bank loaned Mortex $2.6 million on a 15-year note. They loaned the company another $500,000 on a 10-year note. The bank also extended a $750,000 line of credit, which Morrell says he does not plan to use. The loans are collateralized by the buildings and Morrell's personal savings.

Mortex didn't borrow any money from the government, a point Morrell made Wednesday in a meeting with employees. The deal calls for the USDA to guarantee 80 percent of the loans.

That means if Mortex defaults, the USDA would pay Capital Bank 80 percent of the loan balance.

And because the loans are fully collateralized, Capital Bank's exposure is limited.

That puts the pressure on Morrell and his family, which owns the privately-held company.

"(Morrell's wife) Kissie and I are on the hook," Ed Morrell told employees Wednesday. "If we fail, we lose everything we have."

Wouldn't you like to be Capital Bank in this transaction?

• Make a loan that is fully collateralized.
• Make interest on a no-risk loan due to an 80% back-stop on losses. In this case the loans total $3.1 million (credit lines do not qualify for the USDA 80% back-stop).
  

The interest rate of a loan is usually based on the risk of the loan. In this case the loan is fully backed with assets plus, in the event of default, coverage for 80% of the losses in the loan value. Where is the risk? There is none, yet the bank presumably charges interest. The interest rate is not given in the article, but business loan interest rates are generally quite a bit higher than home loans. In any event, interest charged on a risk free loan above 3% (estimated cost of loan administration and profit) is a government subsidized giveaway to the banks. The interest rate charged by Capital Bank is certainly much greater than 3%.


--This is a possible win for employees of Mortex, if Mortex doesn't fail.
--This is an absolute win/win no risk event for Capital Bank, whether Mortex survives or not.
--Supporting a weak business in a dying industry on the backs of taxpayers is a no win for America.


But how did Eastern Wake News report all this in the opening paragraph?

More than 600 people in Nash, Johnston and eastern Wake counties still have jobs thanks to provisions in a federal stimulus package that loosened underwriting rules for loans to companies in rural areas.

Brad Miller added:

"If you hear of people who say the stimulus package never saved a job, you can look at them and tell them it saved yours," Miller said.

It must be nice having friends in the press who are willing to throw reputation to the wind for the cause of your election.

Imagine the influence, though, -- Mortex beholden to government, Capital Bank beholden to government handouts, employees beholden to Brad Miller, and government under pressure of a $3.o8 million payout to keep Mortex from failing.

Now imagine weakened business across America taking advantage of such loans and the government giveaway (whether the business defaults or not) to Brad Miller's Bank friends at the expense of the productive class. Risk is for the little people not for the Miller's friends at the banks. Meanwhile Brad Miller dresses up this fleecing of citizens as a jobs saver. Immoral governance.

Are these connections likely to end in economic vitality, or or will they result in increased government influence for the ruling class and a loss of influence for the citizens of America?

Lastly, this sort of activity is what got America into the over leveraged position it that currently plagues our economy. According to this USDA Rural Development PDF this program "allows lenders to make loans above their legal lending limits".

Why does Brad Miller want the citizens of this nation indebted to his Big Bank Friends while protecting those same banks from all risk?

---

As an aside, a few questions have to be asked.

• Just how bad do the banks expect to economy to get that they require an 80% back-stop on fully collateralized loans before considering going forward?
  
• Just how bad does our government think things might get that they agree to this %80 back-stop?
  
• And finally, is inflation considered in measuring losses on these? A bout of inflation would not only increase the likely hood of default but it would run up the losses that could be counted against the %80 back-stop.

Thank You Brad Miller.


out

Rep. Bob Etheridge (NC-2) -- Touting Affordable Housing or Just Pushing Unaffordable Loans?...

polifrog


What is affordable housing?

Both Brad Miller (D-13) and "Who are you?" Bob Etheridge (D-2) were in Zebulon, North Carolina basking in the glow of their stimulus housing funds.

According to Eastern Wake News Brad Miller had this to say:

Miller said affordable housing is an important goal in troubling times for the industry. He said “old-fashioned greed” and banking lending practices caused the downward spiral that has led to record numbers of foreclosures.

...

“If you find yourself in a foreclosure, you’ve lost your membership in the middle class and for many of those families, they’ll never get it back,” said Miller.

“We have to reinvent our financial system,” he said.

Miller noted that it wasn’t affordable housing that got the country in trouble and that it still needs to be a priority.

[emphasis added]

What is affordable housing?

Historically (past 10-15 years) housing was made more affordable by reducing the down payments required to qualify for a loan. This is otherwise known as less skin in the game. It worked! People were able to get loans (homes in Brad Miller's parlance) they would not have otherwise been able to afford. This is an affordable home to Brad Miller.

But to someone living outside the political class, to a real American, Brad Miller's vision is better known as an unaffordable loan. These unaffordable loans were scattered across the US and they caused an economic downturn that rivals the Great Depression.

Still, Brad Miller keeps coaxing people into his unaffordable loans through bills like H.R. 5409, The Residential Construction Lending Act which he introduced this year, while simultaneously laying blame for his similar past failed policies on a loan industry intimately regulated by Washington Bureaucrats and back stopped by Washington through Fannie and Freddie.

For real Americans Brad Miller's vision has resulted in the "Miller Homes" below; truly affordable homes made possible through Brad Miller's unaffordable loans:

Bessemer City, NC
$16,200
Find it here.

Durhan, NC
$28,800
Find it here.

Durham, NC.
$15,300
Find it here.

High Point, NC.
$12,800
Find it here.

Gastonia, NC.
$18,000
Find it here.

Stantonsburg, NC.
$8,000

Find it here.

Winston Salem, NC.
$19,800
Find it here.








out

Rep. David Price (NC-4) Has a Self Serving Vision for Health-Care...

polifrog



It is a vision in which the recipients of health-care become a cost and government becomes the customer, a system in which the health-care industry grovels at the feet of the source of its funding - bureaucrats, while the infirmed wait in line for the chance to beg for the health-care they paid recalcitrant bureaucrats for.

David Price's vision of better health-care inserts himself between my doctor and myself through insurance companies.

Eventually, though, the nation will question the existence of the insurance companies and the end result will be the NHS, England's government health-care. Via dailymail.com:

Earlier this year the Government's rationing body said more cuts in medical treatments are planned to save the NHS at least £600million.

Patients could find it harder to get into hospital under plans from the National Institute for health and Clinical Excellence, which advises on drugs and procedures to be funded.

David Price's vision for Health-Care in the US is to fully break the bond between health-care customer and health-care provider, so that he, governance embodied, will be the one the infirmed come to when in need. He has no medical degree, has taken no Hippocratic oath, yet his governance will be the source of our health-care.

Imagine our need, imagine Brad Miller's influence, imagine our lack of recourse...

Health-care has to be paid for out of our pockets. Either it goes directly from our pockets to the health-care industry, or it goes in to the hands of governance then to the health-care industry. The question is...is it more efficient for us to give our dollars directly to those who wish to provide us with a service and retain the power we have as a customer over a provider, than to give those dollars and influence to David Price, and be left groveling at his feet when we fear services may be cut.

David Price's vision for health-care increases David Price's influence while decreasing ours, it strengthens government while weakening America. Under David Price's vision Europe's socialist failure will be ours.