In Case You Doubted That LA Is A Union Town

The Police have been facilitating todays civil disobediance by hotel workers near LAX intended to disrupt traffic. Police have pre-booked 400 potential arrestees and will provide parking. Your tax dollars at work.

The Los Angeles Police Department has been involved at nearly every stage, advising organizers on how to proceed without endangering public safety. Experts say the close cooperation with law enforcement reflects a more powerful and mature labor movement, and a city government that is far friendlier to labor than its predecessors.

More at LA Observed.

Dilemma for Rhode Island Republicans

The victory of the RINO Lincoln Chaffee in the Republican primary campaign leaves Rhode Island republicans with unpleasant options particularly after the National Republican Committee applied artificial respiration to the listless Chaffee campaign. Some Rhode Island perspective here and here

And, of course, Hugh has his opinion with a little help from his friends.

Sharia Fine for the Netherlands

Netherlands should go into the netherworld of Sharia law if that is what the majority wants says the Dutch Justice Minister

read more | digg story

Remembering Robert R. Ploger III

Robert R. Ploger III of Annandale Virginia died on September 11, 2001 whien American Airlines flight 77 crashed into the Pentagon. He had lived a good life but was in no way ready to die. He was flying to Hawaii with his new bride of four months to celebrate a belated honeymoon.

Lincoln Loses a Vote

The flier ... which arrived at my house within the past week (fittingly, on garbage day), will stand as the final motivation for me to actually take the time to go out on primary day and actively vote against Linc Chafee.

To see what the Republican National Committee has done to help Lincoln go here.

Conservation and Efficiency - A State Religion

We have been bludgeoned for at least 30 years with the idea that it is wrong to use energy. The California Energy Commission has insisted that conservation will solve all problems. They prevented electric utilities from building power plants until the energy crisis four years ago demonstrated how foolish was their mission. They told us that we were saving money because we weren't building expensive power plants- and we were. What they didn't tell us and won't now is that those power plants would have been far cheaper than the incredible bills the state ran up to supply energy we needed from those 'unnecessary' power plants.

A similar issue is the quest for energy efficiency - one of the tools of conservation. We are constantly urged to invest in more efficient equipment to save energy. And what is the result of our increased efficiency? Has it solved all our supply problems? Not hardly, and not just because of continued population growth. There is also the efficiency paradox.

The true cost of anything has nothing to do with money. Instead, the true cost of any action is the opportunity cost. Increasing the energy efficiency of any technology lowers the opportunity cost and raises the marginal utility of the technology. Increasing the marginal utility leads to a wider use of the technology, which eventually swamps the initial energy savings.

Not that there is anything wrong with efficiency - particularly if it is cost-effective. It is just contrary to economic principles to expect that it will reduce energy use.

The Coming Democrat Majority

Democrats: In Charge and Charged Up Back From Break, Dem Majority Ready to Roll

America Weakly takes us forward to the coming democrat majority. And don't miss the video.

Not Monty Python

It's almost more than I can do to hold my comments. Michael's are much better anyway.

Chaffee Campaign Recap

I have been following the republican primary campaign of Lincoln Chaffee, the most odious of the Senate RINO's all summer. Now the primary approaches and it appears that Republicans in Rhode Island may turn him out. His opponent, Steve Laffey, would have an uphill battle to be elected given the very large proponderance of democrats in RI. National republican support has been strong to re-elect Chaffee to defend the current majority status. Many mere voters are fed up with a republican senate that can't, or won't act. My feeling is that if Chaffee is the only senator standing between a republican majority and a democrat majority, there is no republican majority.

For those of you that haven't personalized the Chaffee campaign, Anchor Rising has compiled a comprehensive roundup of comments and issues so far. It is worth your attention. This is a critical race. A win for Chaffee means a continuing wimpy republican senate. A loss may give the national party some second thoughts about their failure to lead.

Sweden - One Party Rule

Sweden's social democrats have ruled for 72 years. They do not constitute a majority and yet despite a declining economy they maintain control without an agenda or any program to make reforms. What is the secret?

Since Sweden is generally known to be a well-functioning democracy, the seemingly endless rule of Social Democrats poses something of a riddle. Why is there no shift in power to other parties? Can this merely be attributed to the management and campaign skills of the Social Democrats and the lack thereof in the opposition?

It's really simple.

The phenomenon that a party after many years in power becomes one with the state, and creates an election machinery which is paid off in policy, is not unique to Sweden. It is probably one consequence of a lack of restrictions - by a Constitution, for example - on political power. Now it has gone too far.

Seems kind of like California.

It's Miller Time in Chicago

But not at my house. Miller Brewing Company sponsored illegal immigrant marches. More at Wizbang.

AB 32, Some Call it Eco-Suicide

California is about to commit eco-suicide and wants the rest of the nation to join it. The business and industry that will flee the Golden State is incalculable. The danger of these anti-energy policies to the future of the nation is beyond comprehension.

Details here.

AB 32 Unaccountable Regulation

AB 32 which makes California the first state to regulate Carabon dioxide and other substances believed to be the cause of global warming. Most distressing about this bill is the total control of the fees charged for violation of the standards to the California Air Resources Board which is accountable to no one.

Republican Assemblymember Keith Richman voted against the global warming bill Thursday because it gives the California Air Resources Board the authority to charge fees to all emitters of greenhouse as needed to support programs to achieve the reduction goals.

Some details here and here.

What issue or group will Arnold pander to next?

And what choice do California republicans have?

Meanwhile Russian studies based upon solar emmissions data suggest that we may want all the greenhouse gasses we can get. Global cooling in 50 years.

Laffey Ahead in Poll

Rather than merely prognosticating, Victor Profughi of Rhode Island College has been asking Rhode Island voters what they think (OK, that is his job). The most recent RIC poll conducted between August 28 and August 30 has Mayor Laffey leading Senator Chafee, 51%-34% (15% undecided).

More at Anchor Rising