I started to flip through all the unread articles over the last six weeks and did exactly that: moved on it.
What I've managed to save and read over the last few weeks, and it is more than enough to prove my point.
"Moving rate in US is at lowest ever tracked; Residents stuck amid struggle with economy" October 28, 2011|By Hope Yen, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Yet another symptom of the economic downturn: Americans are not moving.
We were told it was over for two years, blah, blah, blah. And remember, this is the same mouthpiece media that his the beginning of the Grand Depression from you for over ten months, dear readers.
Young adults are staying put, often with their parents.
What do you mean the kid is not finding his own place?
Older people are not able to retire to beachfront or lakeside homes. US mobility is at its lowest point since World War II.
Related: Boomers Retirement Goes Bust
All so banksters could get phat on fraud.
New information from the Census Bureau highlights the continuing impact of the housing bust and unemployment on US migration, after earlier signs that mobility was back on the upswing. It is a shift from America’s long-standing cultural image of ever-changing frontiers, dating to the westward migration of the 1800s and more recently in the spreading out of whites, blacks, and Hispanics in the Sun Belt’s housing boom....
Can we please dispense with the self-delusional, self-aggrandizing myth regarding the nation?
Residents have been largely locked in place. Families are stuck in devalued homes, and young adults are living with parents or staying in the towns where they went to college.
“The fact that mobility is crashing is something that I think is quite devastating,’’ said Richard Florida, an American urban theorist and professor at the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He described America’s residential movement as an important element of its economic resilience and history, from development of the nation’s farmland in the Midwest to its coastal ports and homesteading in the West.
“The latest decline shows that we are in a long-run economic reset, and that we never really recovered,’’ Florida said. “ We’ve just been stagnating along.’’
Yes, dear readers, it is EXACTLY AS I HAVE BEEN RAGING here on this blog for MONTHS if not YEARS NOW!!!
The GRAND DEPRESSION was REALLY A DEVISED PLAN into an "economic reset" and the CONTINUED ADVANCEMENT of the GLOBALIST AGENDA. Your economies were RUINED ON PURPOSE so BANKSTERS could PROFIT and ADVANCE THEIR PLANS!
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The share of people moving has been declining for decades, due in part to increases in two-income families that are more tied down by jobs and to an aging population that is less mobile....
Become more and more like a Third World Nation, America -- with the banana republic government to boot.
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Oh, nothing to worry about:
"Growth eases worry of a repeat recession; US, Mass. show gains; Europe acts on debt crisis" October 28, 2011|By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff
The likelihood that the nation or state will slip into a second or ‘‘double-dip’’ recession lessened yesterday, as state and national economies reported stronger growth and European leaders took steps to avert an economic meltdown abroad.
The improved domestic outlook, combined with relief over developments in Europe, sent US stocks soaring. The Dow Jones industrial average gained nearly 340 points to close above 12,000for the first time since early August.
“We do have good forward momentum going on here,’’ said John Silvia, chief economist atWells Fargo & Co. in Charlotte, N.C. Silvia’s forecast: ‘‘Modest growth, no recession.’’
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In the United States, much of the economic growth was the result of an increase in business and consumer spending. Businesses, enjoying strong profits, increased investment in real estate and equipment at annual rate of more than 16 percent, the Commerce Department reported.
Consumer spending, which accounts for more than two-thirds of economic activity accelerated to a 2.4 percent annual rate, after growing less than 1 percent in the previous quarter.
Many consumers who have been putting off purchases of big-ticket items, may have found that they could no longer delay.
‘‘At some point, no matter how gloomy you are, you still need to replace stuff,’’ said Silvia,of Wells Fargo. ‘‘That’s what’s catching up to us now. People are buying, whether it’s a washer, dryer, or a machine shop tool.’’
An analysis of yesterday’s growth reports by IHS Global Insight noted that increase in consumer spending was the result of households dipping into savings, rather than increases in earnings....
‘‘That’s not a solid foundation for growth,’’ said Nigel Gault, chief US economist at IHS Global Insight.
But let's not let that get in the way of the propaganda message.
Northeastern University economics professor Alan Clayton-Matthews, one of the authors ofthe report on the Massachusetts economy, noted much of the growth was the result of gains in productivity, an indication that companies are getting more work from existing employees, rather than bringing on new ones.
‘‘That tones down my enthusiasm,’’ Clayton-Matthews said.
Mine, too.
And even if the face of "growing corporate profits" the bastards are still not happy. Now move it, slave!!
Michael Goodman, a public policy professor at UMass Dartmouth and another of the Massachusetts report’s authors, said the improvement in growth combined with a lack of hiring showed that ‘‘employers and business enterprises in Massachusetts were able to get by with the same or fewer workers.’’
‘‘It’s another illustration of the imbalance in the recovery we’ve been experiencing in Massachusetts and the US,’’ Goodman said, ‘‘where the growth is concentrated in a small number of industries and the benefits are going to a small segment of the population.’’
Meaning there has NOT BEEN a RECOVERY for MOST OF US -- a fact MASKED by the EXORBITANT ADVANCES of the ELITE!!
The quarterly report, published by the University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute incollaboration with the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, called another recession in Massachusetts unlikely, but said that the state’s economy will slow in the next six months, due to shrinking global demand for the state’s technology products, such as semiconductors and electronics manufacturing equipment.
We never got out of the first recession, and just looking at the source of the report one can smell the bulls***.
The state’s exports fell between June and August from the previous three months, theUMass report said. Massachusetts also faces other problems; the report’s analysis of tax withholding suggested that wage and income in the state declined. The report also noted a that Massachusetts employers cut jobs in August and September.
And yet were are told time and again by the Globe how great the state economy has bounced back, and how much better it is than the nation.
Related: Boston Globe Giving You the Business
They sure are!
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"Report says state’s economy will slow; 2012 job losses seen, followed by recovery" November 18, 2011|By Megan Woolhouse, Globe Staff
Massachusetts’ economy is expected to slow dramatically and the state is unlikely to reach prerecession employment levels until mid-2014, according to a forecast to be released today by the New England Economic Partnership.
The darkening projections by the nonprofit forecasting group come on the heels of a state employment report that pleasantly surprised several economists because it showed solid job gains last month, nearly 11,000 spread across most sectors.
The unemployment rate held steady at 7.3 percent, well below the national rate of 9 percent, the state’s Executive Office of Labor and Workforce Development reported yesterday.
Northeastern University economist Alan Clayton-Matthews, who prepared the forecast for Massachusetts, said the monthly report was a relatively good one, but it does not significantly change his predictions for slowing growth and job losses through the first three months of 2012.
Although Massachusetts’ economy recovered faster than the nation’s, largely due to the strength of the state’s high-tech industry, the global economy has contracted and demand for the state’s high-tech products is expected to decline significantly.
You can see why I'm sick of reading the Globe, right? The repeating of lies is really enough now.
“That phase of the expansion is now over,’’ Clayton-Matthews wrote in his forecast. “The state’s economic growth is decelerating sharply.’’
If it was ever really here.
The state will avoid a recession, according to the forecast, but the labor market will be weak enough to cause the unemployment rate to rise by about a half percentage point before the second half of 2013, then an economic recovery will kick into high gear, Clayton-Matthews said.
Then it's not avoiding a recession (heavy pair of sighs).
Massachusetts has lost nearly 140,000 jobs since its peak prerecession employment in early 2008, Clayton-Matthews said, and has gained back 76,000, or a little more than half. The state will not regain the rest of the jobs until the second half of 2014, according to the forecast.
They keep pushing that back.
Business confidence appears to be slipping in the state, largely due to bleak or uncertain national and international global economic conditions, said Andre Mayer, vice president for research at Associated Industries of Massachusetts, a trade group....
University of New Hampshire management professor Ross Gittell, who compiled the regional report, said the New England economy lost 343,000 jobs in the recession and has recovered just 101,000, or less than one-third. The six-state region is not expected to return to prerecession employment levels until mid-2015....
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Related: New England economy growing, but hiring lags
Mass. unemployment rate drops, but state loses jobs
Gee, how could that happen?
"US jobless rate plunges to 8.6%; Yet 315,000 gave up hunt for work" December 03, 2011|By Catherine Rampell, New York Times
Somehow the US economy appears to be getting better, even as the rest of the world is looking worse.
Things are NOT ALWAYS AS THEY APPEAR -- especially in the business pages of the Boston Globe.
In the midst of the European debt crisis, lingering instability in the oil-rich Middle East, and concerns about a Chinese economic slowdown, the US unemployment rate unexpectedly dropped last month to 8.6 percent, its lowest level in two and a half years.
Wait until you see why.
The Labor Department also said that the nation’s employers added 120,000 jobs in November and that job growth for the previous two months was better than initially reported.
Translation: They are lying now.
Economic growth figure revised downward
Then either way someone is lying, aren't they?
That looks like good news for President Obama as he heads into the 2012 presidential election - especially since just a few months ago the end seemed to be nigh....
What CRAP!!!!
Part of the reason the jobless rate fell so low was that 315,000 unemployed workers simply stopped applying for jobs.
Yeah, if you STOP COUNTING THEM the PERCENTAGES SURE WILL LOOK BETTER, 'eh?
And resilient as the economy seems to have been since this summer, the fate of the fragile recovery is still tied to external - especially European - events.
Meaning globalization sucks.
So far Europe’s problems have been relatively contained to the Continent. Many economists worry that a disorderly default of Greece or Italy, which still looks alarmingly possible, could plunge Europe into a depression.
See: Monti the New Mussolini
Globe Gives Greece the Answer
If recent history is any guide, even a modest shock wave from across the ocean could throw the US economy off course; this year, a series of shocks from higher oil prices, the Japanese earthquake, and the stalemate on the US debt ceiling managed to drain the energy from a rejuvenated recovery.
November’s drop in unemployment was a welcome relief, given that the jobless rate had been stuck at 9 percent for most of 2011. It is now at the lowest level since March 2009; the rate has been above 8 percent for 33 months.
The share of workers who were unemployed fell in November partly because some people found jobs and partly because some discouraged workers dropped out of the labor force altogether.
That's why the number went lower. They simply were not counted.
That left the share of Americans participating in the workforce at a historically depressed 64 percent, down from 64.2 percent in October....
Meaning the REAL UNEMPLOYMENT RATE is near 30%, and it has NEVER BEN WORSE!!!!!!!!! You think I'm engaging in historian's hyperbole when I say such things?
Companies have been taking on more and more temporary workers, suggesting that more permanent hiring may be in the cards.
And HOW LONG have you SEEN THAT CARROT DANGLING in front of you?
What is more, help-wanted advertising, retail sales, and auto sales have risen; jobless claims have fallen; and businesses seem to be getting loans more easily.
We know why the jobless claims have fallen. It's in the SAME FRIKKIN' ARTICLE, fer cripes sake, and yet they CITE IT AS POSITIVE EVIDENCE!!!!
Of course, looking just at the claims figure can be misleading.
What do you mean "some of that decline is because recipients found work, but much of it is because many of the unemployed have used all of their benefits?"
Perhaps most encouraging was a recent survey of small businesses that found hiring intentions to be at their highest level since September 2008, when Lehman Brothers collapsed.
Intentions and actions are two different things, sorry.
“Small businesses were cheering up at the end of last year, but then got clobbered by the jump in oil prices, the Japanese earthquake, and then the debt ceiling fiasco,’’ said Ian Shepherdson, chief US economist at High Frequency Economics. “Small businesses employ half the workforce, and we need them on board.’’
Still, serious concerns remain about the economy’s ability to weather the financial and economic turmoil from abroad. The public sector continues to shed workers at the federal, state and local level. And excluding the hundreds of thousands who have left the labor force, the country still has a backlog of more than 13 million unemployed workers, whose average period of unemployment is at a record high of 40.9 weeks.
Where have all the corporate profits and borrowed bailouts and stimulus gone?
“They say businesses are refusing to look at resumes from the unemployed,’’ said Esther Perry, 59, of Bedford, Mass., who participated in a recent report on unemployed workers put together by USAction, a liberal coalition. “What do you think my chances are? Once unemployment runs out, I don’t know what I will do.’’
Even those with jobs are in weak positions. Average hourly earnings fell 0.1 percent in November. Yeah, save that for last.
You FELL EVEN FURTHER BEHIND as things "improved."
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Related:
"Post-recession, pay kept falling" October 10, 2011|By Robert Pear, New York Times
WASHINGTON - Household income declined more in the two years after the recession ended than it did during the recession itself, new research has found.
Meaning the "recession" NEVER ENDED!!
Between June 2009, when the recession officially ended, and June 2011, inflation-adjusted median household income fell 6.7 percent to $49,909, according to a study by two former Census Bureau officials. During the recession - from December 2007 to June 2009 - household income fell 3.2 percent.
That is why no one believes "officials" anymore.
The finding helps explain why attitudes toward the economy, the country’s direction, and political leaders have continued to sour even as the economy has been growing. Unhappiness and anger have come to dominate the political scene....
The distortions and lies of the paper in the service of shoveling propaganda hasn't helped my attitude.
Two main forces appear to have held down pay: The number of people neither working nor looking for work has risen, and the pay of employed people has failed to keep pace with inflation, as the prices of oil products and many foods have jumped.
Well, a bunch of people gave up soon after on that first one.
During the recession itself, wage gains outpaced inflation.
They really expect us to believe that?
And if true, then the wealthy elite must have made a real killing to balance it all out.
One reason pay has stagnated is that many people who lost their jobs in the recession - and remained out of work for months - have taken pay cuts in order to be hired again....
If they could find slave service somewhere.
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And why is the answer always RAISE TAXES in the newspaper?
"Dip in government jobs playing role in nation’s anemic recovery; Private hiring up, but jobless rate is still very high" October 25, 2011|By Tom Raum, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Cities and counties are hampered by lower property tax revenue because of collapsing real estate values. States are hurt by lower income and sales tax revenue because of the deep recession and stubborn unemployment.
MORE EVIDENCE there has been NO RECOVERY!
The National Association of State Budget Officers says states were able to sustain spending growth through 2010 principally with federal stimulus money. But it has since dried up. The loss of the federal stimulus “combined with a slow recovery in state revenue collections will continue the tight resource environment for states in fiscal 2012,’’ reports the association. Most state fiscal years begin in July.
It should be known as stimuloot because it didn't create jobs; it just filled well-connected coffers with tax loot.
Private business gains are too modest to significantly lower the unemployment rate, despite last week’s claim by Senator Harry Reid, the majority leader, that “private-sector jobs have been doing just fine.’’
Those guys are so out of touch in their taxpayer-paid-for world of privilege.
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Statistically, the recession ended in June 2009, but it’s been a tough slog since for nearly everybody. One exception: The number of people earning $1 million a year or more increased in 2010 by nearly 20 percent, the government reported last week....
Do I really need to type it?
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"US stocks soar on help for Europe; Central banks ease terms for loans; analysts warn move alone won’t end crisis" December 01, 2011|By Robert Weisman, Globe Staff
Investors poured money into US stocks yesterday, sending the Dow Jones industrial average up 490.05 points, as the Federal Reserve and other central banks moved to contain the European debt crisis and calm jitters in world financial markets.
But even as the benchmark index rose 4.2 percent - the biggest gain since March 2009 - market watchers questioned whether the action to offer dollars at cheaper rates to foreign banks was a stopgap measure, or the first step toward a solution that would spark a sustained stock rally.
That is a FANCY WAY of saying the FEDERAL RESERVE is instituting an American-taxpayer bailout of European banks.
“The market for today at least is highly encouraged,’’ said Harvard Business School management professor Robert S. Kaplan, former vice chairman of investment bank Goldman Sachs & Co. “But it’s going to be a messy muddle. The markets can deal with a messy muddle that will be scary at times. What they can’t deal with is chaos.’’
No, his former employer only causes it for profit.
James T. Swanson, chief investment strategist for Boston mutual funds firm MFS Investment Management, described yesterday’s buying surge as a “traders’ rally’’ that will probably not last.
“Choppiness remains the near-term outlook,’’ Swanson said. “This central bank action kicks the can down the road, but it doesn’t address the fundamental problem of the unsustainable debt load of the peripheral countries in Europe.’’
Then write it off as odious debt that the people had no say in and leave the billions-per-quarter-in-profits banks holding the bag.
Rattled by growing fears that the European financial crisis could spiral out of control, a half-dozen government banks around the world yesterday said they would cut in half the cost of a program under which banks in Europe and elsewhere can borrow dollars from central banks. The discount will help the banks fund their own operations and make loans to businesses. The Fed acted in concert with the European Central Bank, the Bank of England, the Bank of Japan, the Swiss National Bank, and the Bank of Canada.
The news pushed the Dow back over the 12,000 mark to close at 12,045.68. With all 30 component stocks rising, the Dow added $142.1 billion in market value yesterday. Other financial markets also rallied, with the tech-heavy Nasdaq exchange jumping 104.83 points, or 4.2 percent, and the Standard & Poor’s 500 gaining 51.77 points, or 4.3 percent. Investors were especially eager to snap up bank stocks, which were beaten down in recent months.
But the stock buying binge - which has the Dow ahead by 813.9 points, or 7.2 percent, so far this week - followed a Thanksgiving week retreat that sent the benchmark index down 564.4 points, or 4.8 percent, in one of its worst weekly performances in years.
Translation: It is an ARTIFICIAL DRIVE-UP, folks. I hate to be the one to tell you, but the STOCK MARKET is RIGGED!!
The dramatic swings are attributable to a series of mixed economic signals, said David Sowerby, portfolio manager for Loomis Sayles & Co., a Boston investment firm. While investors have been heartened by robust third-quarter earnings, surprisingly strong post-Thanksgiving retail sales both in stores and online, and China’s move to relax its requirements for banks’ cash reserves - making it easier for them to lend money - the uncertainty in Europe points to continued market volatility, Sowerby said.
“It’s only Wednesday,’’ he said. “After a very strong October, and an up-and-down November that finished flat, you have plenty of reason to expect more of the same.’’
Harvard Business School’s Kaplan cautioned investors against interpreting yesterday’s move to pump money into foreign banks as a signal that Europe had turned the corner and a recovery had begun. But the action by the Fed and other central banks suggested that government and financial leaders are grappling with the challenge, he said. “This would be like the patient being very sick, and we just reduced the chance of one of the complications killing him,’’ Kaplan said.
Under the best-case scenario, he said, European banks and governments will agree to a series of moves that will keep credit flowing, but impose austerity measures that force European countries to pay off debt for years into the future.
So you know where the tax money is going.
Under the most pessimistic scenario, he said, cooperation among Europe’s economic players would collapse, leading to government defaults, bank failures, and frozen credit.
Didn't we just go through all this a few years ago, and weren't we told the geniuses who caused it fixed it?
“What the central banks did today is reduce the probability of chaos and dislocations,’’ Kaplan said. “It’s nerve-racking, but Europe will have to work through this.’’
Much will hinge in the short term on whether the greater availability of dollars will help Europe’s banks loosen their lending practices, and whether European governments can take other steps to bolster their common currency in the face of slowing growth.
That means the PRINTING PRESS is going to be ROLLING, and that YOUR DOLLAR will be WORTH EVEN LESS, American -- all so Europe's banks can be bailed out (or more likely paid back because of all the mortgage-backed Wall Street securities they bought).
That could mean a largely sideways market for the time being, “until people can be assured that Europe won’t drag the US down,’’ said Swanson at MFS.
“The overall picture is easing people’s fears of a recession in the US,’’ he said. “But if Europe continues to weaken, we can’t remain insulated from that forever.’’
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Finally, poll results you can believe:
"Poll finds deepening economic pessimism; Faith in the future is very weak among Mass. residents as they remain wary about stocks and home values" by Megan Woolhouse Globe Staff / December 4, 2011
Despite improvements in the economy, Massachusetts residents hold deeply pessimistic views about the future, including a stark lack of confidence in real estate and stock markets, two traditional paths to financial security, according to a new Suffolk University/Boston Globe poll.
The survey found more than a continued bleak outlook; it found a disheartened population that says it is saving less, giving less to charity, and planning to work longer, generally for one reason: lack of money.
The real estate and stock markets offer little hope, they said. Nearly two out of three surveyed say they are unsure about stocks or currently consider them a bad investment. More than half think housing prices will remain stagnant or continue to drop in the year ahead.
“Things have been really bad but it’s reached another level now - people have lost hope,’’ said David Paleologos, director of Suffolk’s Political Research Center, which conducted the poll. “The American dream of owning a home and owning stocks are the pillars that have held up hope throughout our history. This is signaling to us that those pillars are shaking.’’
Meaning in the future ONLY SOME PEOPLE will own (multiple) homes and stocks.
Also see: Poor Boston
The American dream is dead.
The poll of 400 Massachusetts residents was conducted early last week, with a margin of error of plus or minus 4.9 percentage points.
Remarkably, optimism was easier to find in the same poll taken two years ago, when the nation was still reeling from the worst economic slowdown since the Great Depression. Most believed then that the recession would end in late 2009.
Two years later, three-fourths of those surveyed said the recession in Massachusetts has yet to end and half said they expected it to last at least two more years.
Because it never did.
The recession technically ended in June 2009, and since then, unemployment has ticked downward both nationally and in Massachusetts. (The state’s unemployment rate was 7.1 percent in October and the US rate fell to 8.6 percent for November.) In the last year, hiring, manufacturing and consumer confidence have all shown modest improvements.
And we know why they can say that.
Yet among those polled, gloom prevails, a sign that many have not shared in these gains or don’t believe they will last.
Yeah, ONLY MILLIONAIRES HAVE!!
One in five respondents said someone in their household had lost a job within the last 18 months, and of those who did, 36 percent said the person had been unemployed for a year or more.
Jeffrey Bolger, a Halifax resident, said too many manufacturing companies have moved their operations outside the United States, eliminating good jobs, leaving a new generation of workers in positions that pay less or offer few benefits. He said his adult son, for example, has a college degree and a job, but remains on Bolger’s health insurance plan.
Bolger, 61, said he is grateful to have a pension - he has been a state employee for nearly 40 years - but that he realizes the pension’s value and his retirement are also linked to corporations’ ability to maximize their profits.
What's good for corporations is good for you, 'murka.
“I want a good return on my retirement investments. On the other hand, the loss of jobs is killing the country,’’ he said. “I don’t know what the answer is - I’m just glad we’re not raising kids.’’
Even a potential bright spot in the survey - more than 80 percent of respondents say they’ve been spending the same or more on goods and services over the last six months - did not necessarily signal an improving consumer outlook, Paleologos said. The increase in spending probably reflected the rising cost of gas, food, and health care in the last year, he said.
Mark Zandi, chief economist at Moody’s Analytics, a forecasting firm in West Chester, Pa., said consumers are buying because they have to, not because they want to. “You can only rein in [spending on necessities] for so long,’’ Zandi said.
There’s plenty to be depressed about, Zandi added. Housing values have fallen by one-third in the last six years, stocks are flat, and political leaders appear incapable of resolving national budget woes.
How can STOCKS BE FLAT when the DOW JONES is ZOOMING according to this FRONT PAGE PIECE?
“People have been put through the wringer,’’ Zandi said. “They’re very tired and they’re psychologically scarred.’’
That's what happens when you read a Globe every day.
Commercial real estate agent Toni Shelzi of Belmont said the number of jobless Americans and congressional proposals to cut federal spending have made her increasingly worried about the direction of the nation.
She said she supports tax increases on the wealthy to lessen spending cuts “even if it means I have to pay more or someone I know has to pay more.’’
I resent the debate being framed that way; however, if true, why did the Democrat super-majority extend the Bush tax cuts? All this could have been avoided years ago.
Yeah, I AM SICK of the S*** POLITICAL FOOLEYS!
“You hear about all the strife - I wish there was more I could do,’’ she said.
What is stopping you from unloading the cash?
Cutting the national deficit ranked at the top of poll participants’ concerns; 80 percent said it was either “very’’ or “somewhat’’ important to helping the economic recovery.
End the empire! How many times do I have to type it.
More than one-third said deficit reduction should be achieved primarily through spending cuts, compared with just 13 percent who thought the budget should be balanced primarily by raising taxes. Another one-third thought the deficit should be reduced “equally with spending cuts and raising taxes.’’
Claudia Heller, a retired fourth-grade teacher who lives in Wayland, said she has grown increasingly disgusted with government leaders who won’t compromise to solve the nation’s problems. Many politicians have allowed the standard of living for the middle class to erode, she said, while protecting the interests of the wealthy.
We are ALL IN AGREEMENT there.
She cited the recent financial crisis as an example, blaming banks and ineffective policy-makers and regulators for offering mortgages to customers who couldn’t afford them....
That's where the Globe leaves the mortgage-backed securities fraud perpetrated by Wall Street that generated them profits and allowed fraudulent foreclosures and the seizing of homes. That's what has destroyed the world economy -- and not one person has even been arrested.
Hell, they were bailed out with taxpayer dollars and Washington is still working for them.
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Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Sunday, December 4, 2011
US Senate Cares More About Israel Than America
And here is the proof:
"Shortly before final passage, the Senate unanimously backed crippling sanctions on Iran as fears about Tehran developing a nuclear weapon outweighed concerns about driving up oil prices that would hit economically strapped Americans at the gas pump. The vote was 100-0"
And I better watch what I type, huh?
"Senate approves $662 billion defense bill" December 02, 2011|Donna Cassata, Associated Press
Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a massive, $662 billion defense bill that would require the military to hold suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaida or its affiliates, even those captured on U.S. soil, and detain some indefinitely.
I will attend to that last part in a bit; however, note the wars always received plenty of money.
Btw, I read that the Pentagon budget was really $926 billion.
The vote was 93-7 for the bill authorizing money for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs in the Energy Department, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Reflecting a period of austerity and a winding down of decade-old conflicts, the bill is $27 billion less than what President Barack Obama requested and $43 billion less than what Congress gave the Pentagon this year.
And if you believe that..... Worship War Day: Pentagon Cries Poverty
Yeah, the "defense" cuts are going to be restored.
Shortly before final passage, the Senate unanimously backed crippling sanctions on Iran as fears about Tehran developing a nuclear weapon outweighed concerns about driving up oil prices that would hit economically strapped Americans at the gas pump. The vote was 100-0....
The legislation also would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation’s borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention....
And THERE GOES YOUR BILL of RIGHTS, AmeriKan!!
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!
Sorry, just giving this government what it wants to hear.
The series of detention provisions challenges citizens’ rights under the Constitution, tests the boundaries of executive and legislative branch authority and sets up a showdown with the Democratic commander in chief. Civil rights groups fiercely oppose the bill.
The bill reflects the politically charged dispute over whether to treat suspected terrorists as prisoners of war or criminals. The administration insists that the military, law enforcement and intelligence agents need flexibility in prosecuting the war on terror....
You know, the WAR BASED on LIES!!
Republicans counter that their efforts are necessary to respond to an evolving, post-Sept. 11 threat....
That's where my printed Globe ended it, and the bill passed 93-7 so why is the paper drawing that division as if Repugs are only to blame?
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"Shortly before final passage, the Senate unanimously backed crippling sanctions on Iran as fears about Tehran developing a nuclear weapon outweighed concerns about driving up oil prices that would hit economically strapped Americans at the gas pump. The vote was 100-0"
And I better watch what I type, huh?
"Senate approves $662 billion defense bill" December 02, 2011|Donna Cassata, Associated Press
Ignoring a presidential veto threat, the Democratic-controlled Senate on Thursday overwhelmingly approved a massive, $662 billion defense bill that would require the military to hold suspected terrorists linked to al-Qaida or its affiliates, even those captured on U.S. soil, and detain some indefinitely.
I will attend to that last part in a bit; however, note the wars always received plenty of money.
Btw, I read that the Pentagon budget was really $926 billion.
The vote was 93-7 for the bill authorizing money for military personnel, weapons systems, national security programs in the Energy Department, and the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan in the fiscal year that began Oct. 1. Reflecting a period of austerity and a winding down of decade-old conflicts, the bill is $27 billion less than what President Barack Obama requested and $43 billion less than what Congress gave the Pentagon this year.
And if you believe that..... Worship War Day: Pentagon Cries Poverty
Yeah, the "defense" cuts are going to be restored.
Shortly before final passage, the Senate unanimously backed crippling sanctions on Iran as fears about Tehran developing a nuclear weapon outweighed concerns about driving up oil prices that would hit economically strapped Americans at the gas pump. The vote was 100-0....
The legislation also would deny suspected terrorists, even U.S. citizens seized within the nation’s borders, the right to trial and subject them to indefinite detention....
And THERE GOES YOUR BILL of RIGHTS, AmeriKan!!
Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil! Sieg Heil!
Sorry, just giving this government what it wants to hear.
The series of detention provisions challenges citizens’ rights under the Constitution, tests the boundaries of executive and legislative branch authority and sets up a showdown with the Democratic commander in chief. Civil rights groups fiercely oppose the bill.
The bill reflects the politically charged dispute over whether to treat suspected terrorists as prisoners of war or criminals. The administration insists that the military, law enforcement and intelligence agents need flexibility in prosecuting the war on terror....
You know, the WAR BASED on LIES!!
Republicans counter that their efforts are necessary to respond to an evolving, post-Sept. 11 threat....
That's where my printed Globe ended it, and the bill passed 93-7 so why is the paper drawing that division as if Repugs are only to blame?
--more--"
Boiling Mad at Obama's EPA
I blew my stack when I read it.
"EPA relaxes rules on boilers and incinerators; Officials say health benefits to be unaltered" December 03, 2011|By Dina Cappiello, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Facing criticism from industry and lawmakers, the Obama administration yesterday proposed easing rules aimed at reducing toxic air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators.
But administration officials maintained that the health benefits of the regulation would not be compromised.
They actually think we are so stoo-pid we will believe that. As you can imagine, readers, the sentence set me off.
“We have found a way to get better protections, lower emissions, and lower costs as well,’’ said the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air pollution official, Regina McCarthy.
In a conference call with reporters, McCarthy said the agency had found the “sweet spot’’ since issuing the final rule under a court-ordered deadline in March.
And it SMELLS like ASS!!!
That “spot is affordable, practical regulations that provide the vital and long overdue health benefits that Americans demand and deserve,’’ said McCarthy, a Boston native who served in the Paul Cellucci and Mitt Romney administrations in Massachusetts....
The tweaks are the latest for a rule that has undergone numerous revisions and has been among the most criticized by industry and lawmakers for its cost and its scope....
Yesterday, some industry groups still were not satisfied.
Jay Timmons, president and chief executive of the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a statement that the boiler rules would still do significant harm to job growth.
What job growth? Where?
The American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical companies, pressed for legislation to delay the rules while acknowledging improvements had been made....
A bipartisan bill pending in the Senate would give the EPA additional time to rewrite the rule and for industry to comply....
Some environmentalists were guarded in their response.
“We’re encouraged that long overdue protections that could save lives, improve the health of thousands, and create thousands of jobs are finally on the books,’’ Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive director, said in a statement.
You guys are so worthless it's not even worth responding.
--more--"
Also see:
Obama's EPA
EPA Running Off at the Mouth
Obama's Hot Air
Is that what is causing the alleged global warming?
"EPA relaxes rules on boilers and incinerators; Officials say health benefits to be unaltered" December 03, 2011|By Dina Cappiello, Associated Press
WASHINGTON - Facing criticism from industry and lawmakers, the Obama administration yesterday proposed easing rules aimed at reducing toxic air pollution from industrial boilers and incinerators.
But administration officials maintained that the health benefits of the regulation would not be compromised.
They actually think we are so stoo-pid we will believe that. As you can imagine, readers, the sentence set me off.
“We have found a way to get better protections, lower emissions, and lower costs as well,’’ said the Environmental Protection Agency’s top air pollution official, Regina McCarthy.
In a conference call with reporters, McCarthy said the agency had found the “sweet spot’’ since issuing the final rule under a court-ordered deadline in March.
And it SMELLS like ASS!!!
That “spot is affordable, practical regulations that provide the vital and long overdue health benefits that Americans demand and deserve,’’ said McCarthy, a Boston native who served in the Paul Cellucci and Mitt Romney administrations in Massachusetts....
The tweaks are the latest for a rule that has undergone numerous revisions and has been among the most criticized by industry and lawmakers for its cost and its scope....
Yesterday, some industry groups still were not satisfied.
Jay Timmons, president and chief executive of the National Association of Manufacturers, said in a statement that the boiler rules would still do significant harm to job growth.
What job growth? Where?
The American Chemistry Council, which represents chemical companies, pressed for legislation to delay the rules while acknowledging improvements had been made....
A bipartisan bill pending in the Senate would give the EPA additional time to rewrite the rule and for industry to comply....
Some environmentalists were guarded in their response.
“We’re encouraged that long overdue protections that could save lives, improve the health of thousands, and create thousands of jobs are finally on the books,’’ Michael Brune, Sierra Club executive director, said in a statement.
You guys are so worthless it's not even worth responding.
--more--"
Also see:
Obama's EPA
EPA Running Off at the Mouth
Obama's Hot Air
Is that what is causing the alleged global warming?
The Roosevelt Renovation
I'm glad you can afford the cost as your health care and social security are facing cuts, dear American taxpayers:
"Roosevelt home ready for makeover; Teddy’s ‘summer White House’ to get $6.2m facelift" December 03, 2011|By Frank Eltman, Associated Press
OYSTER BAY, N.Y. - The entire contents of Sagamore Hill are being packed up and put in storage as the National Park Service prepares for a three-year, $6.2 million renovation of the 28-room, Queen Anne-Shingle style mansion in Oyster Bay. The 26th president of the United States, who had the home built for him in 1885, lived there until his death in 1919. He used Sagamore Hill as a “summer White House’’ during his presidency from 1901-1909.
Look, I love history as much as the next guy, but isn't there something better taxpayer money could be devoted to right now?
Btw, are you getting a government renovation of your home -- if you managed to keep it, that is -- American?
Workers have already spent nine months packing books and other smaller items into boxes, using special care to catalog every one and place it on a computer spreadsheet. The three-story home has 15 bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as sitting rooms and offices. It sits on a nearly 83-acre lot high atop a hill overlooking an inlet that leads to Long Island Sound.
Sagamore Hill, which sees about 50,000 visitors annually, closes to the public on Monday so craftspeople can begin the heavy lifting in earnest to rehabilitate the 1885 home that hasn’t seen any major renovations in more than a half century. A much smaller display of Roosevelt memorabilia - including his White House china - will remain on display in a smaller building on the property throughout the three-year project.
Plans call for upgrades to the electrical, heating, security, and fire suppression systems throughout the home, which has been a National Park Service historic site since the early 1960s. Exterior work will include a new roof, gutter and drainage system, foundation waterproofing, and restoration of 78 historic windows, doors, porches, and siding.
Also to be restored are Sagamore Hill’s original rear porch and a skylight in the center of the house, both of which were altered or removed in the 1950s when the Theodore Roosevelt Association owned the property and first opened it to public visits. The association ran Sagamore Hill for about a decade before the National Park Service took over in 1962, a fitting custodian for the home of the man who championed the creation of the national park system.
“Theodore Roosevelt’s house is like anybody else’s house,’’ said Amy Verone, chief of cultural resources at Sagamore Hill.
Is your pos home a mansion, set-upon Americans?
She joked, however, that not everyone tackling a renovation project in their home has to contend with finding a place for 10-foot-elephant tusks adorned with silver inlays.
“You should replace your furnace system, you should update your electrical system, you should do all those kinds of things,’’ Verone said...
. I would if I received a $6 billion dollar government check.
--more--"
"Roosevelt home ready for makeover; Teddy’s ‘summer White House’ to get $6.2m facelift" December 03, 2011|By Frank Eltman, Associated Press
OYSTER BAY, N.Y. - The entire contents of Sagamore Hill are being packed up and put in storage as the National Park Service prepares for a three-year, $6.2 million renovation of the 28-room, Queen Anne-Shingle style mansion in Oyster Bay. The 26th president of the United States, who had the home built for him in 1885, lived there until his death in 1919. He used Sagamore Hill as a “summer White House’’ during his presidency from 1901-1909.
Look, I love history as much as the next guy, but isn't there something better taxpayer money could be devoted to right now?
Btw, are you getting a government renovation of your home -- if you managed to keep it, that is -- American?
Workers have already spent nine months packing books and other smaller items into boxes, using special care to catalog every one and place it on a computer spreadsheet. The three-story home has 15 bedrooms and three bathrooms, as well as sitting rooms and offices. It sits on a nearly 83-acre lot high atop a hill overlooking an inlet that leads to Long Island Sound.
Sagamore Hill, which sees about 50,000 visitors annually, closes to the public on Monday so craftspeople can begin the heavy lifting in earnest to rehabilitate the 1885 home that hasn’t seen any major renovations in more than a half century. A much smaller display of Roosevelt memorabilia - including his White House china - will remain on display in a smaller building on the property throughout the three-year project.
Plans call for upgrades to the electrical, heating, security, and fire suppression systems throughout the home, which has been a National Park Service historic site since the early 1960s. Exterior work will include a new roof, gutter and drainage system, foundation waterproofing, and restoration of 78 historic windows, doors, porches, and siding.
Also to be restored are Sagamore Hill’s original rear porch and a skylight in the center of the house, both of which were altered or removed in the 1950s when the Theodore Roosevelt Association owned the property and first opened it to public visits. The association ran Sagamore Hill for about a decade before the National Park Service took over in 1962, a fitting custodian for the home of the man who championed the creation of the national park system.
“Theodore Roosevelt’s house is like anybody else’s house,’’ said Amy Verone, chief of cultural resources at Sagamore Hill.
Is your pos home a mansion, set-upon Americans?
She joked, however, that not everyone tackling a renovation project in their home has to contend with finding a place for 10-foot-elephant tusks adorned with silver inlays.
“You should replace your furnace system, you should update your electrical system, you should do all those kinds of things,’’ Verone said...
. I would if I received a $6 billion dollar government check.
--more--"
State Bets on Casinos
It's not one I'm taking.
"Patrick vows speed as casino era begins; Says he’ll soon name panel leader; foes consider ballot initiative" November 23, 2011|By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
Massachusetts joined a growing number of states turning to gambling for jobs and revenue yesterday, embracing Las Vegas-style casinos and concluding an emotional four-year legislative battle over the state’s moral and economic future.
At a State House ceremony, Governor Deval Patrick officially ushered in the casino era, signing a law authorizing a slots parlor and three full-scale gambling establishments in designated regions across the state.
Vowing to move swiftly toward making casinos a reality, he said he would shortly appoint the chairman of a new and powerful gambling commission that will make nearly every key decision about the state’s newest industry, including where gambling establishments will go and how they will be regulated. “Now, the work will turn to getting it right in the implementation,’’ Patrick said.
Depending on how long the commission takes to set up regulations and choose developers, the first slots parlor could be up and running in a year, while the first of three casinos could open in five years.
In other words, no immediate relief in sight at all.
Patrick’s signature ends a fight that reaches back generations, as political leaders had steadfastly resisted increasingly strong overtures from the gambling industry.
That's why Sal DiMasi was outed and dethroned. He was a one-man roadblock.
It also represents a profound cultural shift in a state founded on strict religious principles that have persisted in some laws and public attitudes.
Oh, is that why I am so vehemently opposed?
Since Patrick embraced casinos four years ago, the gambling debate has consumed Beacon Hill, generating millions of dollars in lobbying expenditures, thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and untold hours of closed-door negotiations.
Patrick and fellow Democrats in the Legislature are hoping that gambling, while not as strong an industry as it was a decade ago, can reclaim enough business from neighboring states that already have casinos to employ thousands of people and enough revenue to fortify a smorgasbord of state services....
Opponents argue that gambling’s benefits will be erased by the costs of regulation, police, and social services needed to combat addiction, crime, and corruption. They also argue that the state’s reputation as a center of history and education will be forever altered....
Now let it ride, will ya?
On another front, casino opponents say they are likely to begin a drive to repeal the law by statewide ballot initiative, which could give some developers and financiers pause as they consider committing about $600 million in start-up costs.
I'll sign!!
Local opponents have begun efforts, as well, preparing for a requirement under the law that gives residents the right to vote for or against a casino in their community.
But for now, organized labor and others who see the potential for jobs are celebrating....
Lawmakers say they expect to collect at least $280 million in one-time licensing fees and about $300 million a year in taxes from casinos. The money has been carved up in the law to meet a variety of state needs and desires, which has helped broaden the political coalition favoring casinos.
Efforts to remake the state health care system, for example, will get about $50 million to $60 million from the licensing fees. Community colleges could get $44 million. A “manufacturing fund,’’ with no defined purpose, could get $34 million.
Yup, everyone is gonna win, win, win!
The legislation also devotes millions of dollars a year to prop up the flailing horse racing industry, and millions more to aiding local taxpayers, treating newly created gambling addicts, and paying down the state’s debt.
Even the state’s museums and theaters, who expect casinos to take a bite out of business, will get up to $6 million a year in restitution.
But that money is not assured....
Bets never are.
Industry analysts say the proliferation of casinos around the country and the bad economy have changed the casino market in recent years. Now, they can no longer expect to profit from new gamblers; they must compete for people who already gamble elsewhere....
So it's a dying industry that will be saving us?
Lawmakers have also given tremendous power to a newly created state gambling commission that will have virtually unchecked authority in selecting developers and deciding regulations, including how much slots are required to pay winners.
The chairman of the five-member board, whom Patrick will appoint, will earn more than the governor, $150,000 a year, and be expected to serve full time.
The other four members - appointed by Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Treasurer Steven Grossman - will earn $112,500.
It's already costing you, Massachusetts taxpayers, and not one card has been dealt yet, not one die rolled, not one arm pulled.
Lawmakers, acknowledging the potential for corruption that has bedeviled other states, have emphasized the board’s independence from lawmakers....
But not lobbyists.
--more--"
"Patrick signs casinos into approval in Mass.; Legalization ends long-held tie to Puritan culture" November 23, 2011|By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
With a stroke of a pen yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick brought a sea change to Massachusetts: the legalization of a gambling industry.
In what is perhaps his most significant bill signing since his election five years ago, the governor broke one of the state’s last strands to its Puritan culture. Not since most Blue Laws were wiped off the books three decades ago has a governor and a Legislature approved such a dramatic departure from its original moral groundings.
Patrick, whose support for casinos and a slot parlor was critical, was keenly aware - and defensive - of what he was doing. Promoting the legislation as a job-creating initiative, he emphasized that the approval of casino gambling met his moral benchmarks.
“I never have had a moral objection to gambling,’’ the governor told reporters at the State House event, returning to that theme several times in his answers to reporters’ questions. “I respect those who have a moral objection, but I am not one of them.’’
Still, he was clearly aware that he was causing a stir among many of those who had rallied to his early campaign rhetoric, when he called for a “politics of conviction’’ and vowed to break the Beacon Hill culture and the special interests that dominate it.
It was that bloc of voters - liberal activists, reformers, social service advocates, and independents - who helped launch his insurgent, long-shot candidacy in 2006 and who helped him battle back from the political graveyard in last year’s reelection campaign.
His decision to back the legalization of casinos and a slots parlor cut sharply across the grain of that coalition.
“It is a sad story,’’’ said Susan Tucker, a former state senator and Andover Democrat who was an early and enthusiastic Patrick supporter. “The first I heard that he was considering casinos was on my car radio. I nearly drove off the road.’’
“This seems so much in conflict with everything he stood for when he first ran,’’ said Tucker, who has been a leader in efforts to stop the casino legislation.
But Patrick, with a background in corporate America, had always projected a more complex philosophy than the traditional Massachusetts liberal.
If those political supporters had listened more carefully in 2006, during his first run for public office, they would have picked up on a message he was sending them. “You should stop trying to put me in a box,’’ he kept saying during the campaign when he was criticized for his corporate background as general counsel for Texaco and Coca-Cola.
Or if they had looked.
Related: The Boston Globe Censors Patrick's Past
He was also part of the whole mortgage fraud and mess?
Within nine of months of being sworn in, Patrick announced a plan to legalize three casinos. It hit much of his political base in the gut. With some skill and luck, Patrick was able to avoid some of that backlash in last year’s election, held just months after gambling legislation bogged down over sharp differences between him and the Legislature.
The political consequences for Patrick are now minimal, according to analysts. His decision to announce he would not seek another term has freed him from the pressures of electoral politics.
But just as importantly, the anticasino opposition, while outspoken, has accepted defeat. It was steamrolled by a gambling industry that spent millions of dollars in lobbying Beacon Hill. It also never effectively countered labor unions’ arguments that the construction and operations of the casinos would create thousands of much-needed jobs.
“I don’t think there is a rebellion; I think there is a resignation,’’ said Jeffrey M. Berry, a Tufts University political science professor who closely monitors Massachusetts politics. He said Patrick has helped to ease their concerns by focusing on areas they strongly support, including social services and health care.
That mood was evident this week when Michael S. Dukakis, the former governor and a steadfast opponent of legalized gambling, was asked about Patrick’s role in creating a casino industry in Massachusetts. He displayed an understanding that only a former governor could have.
“You don’t expect to agree with everything the guy does,’’ said Dukakis.
“We are disappointed, but I did things my supporters weren’t happy about,’’ Dukakis said. “On the whole, he has been a good governor… . I am a big fan of what the governor has done on the economic scene. He should be proud of it.’’
--more--"
Related: Massachusetts' Casino Coup
Yeah, it's all for your own good:
"Casino bill has $50m for health overhaul; Aims to help set up pay system" November 19, 2011|By Liz Kowalczyk, Globe Staff
Passage of the casino bill this week boosted efforts to overhaul how hospitals and doctors are paid, allocating $50 million of anticipated gambling license fees to help health providers prepare for a new way of treating patients.
Legislative leaders who spoke yesterday at a health care conference in Boston said that they are still working out details but that the money may be used to buy new computers and software to enable providers to better coordinate patients’ care and track costs so they can stick to a budget....
Legislators are drafting a bill that would shift health providers in Massachusetts to a system of global payments, in which providers would be given a monthly per-patient budget for all care, rather than billing for each service. Critics say the current fee-for-service system creates incentives to provide excessive care and lacks coordination....
Related:
The Massachusetts Model: Trailblazing Blueprint
The Massachusetts Model: Doctors' Diet
Yeah, you will be on one, too, readers, so don't get sick.
There is general agreement among government officials and the industry that the state should move to a system of global payments.
I despise anything with that word attached to it, and trust it even less.
But the parties disagree about whether the government should step in to bring down costs, particularly the higher fees that insurers and government payers pay some influential hospitals and doctors groups with market power because of their reputations or geographical dominance. Critics say they earn more money than competitors with less clout without necessarily providing better care....
--more--"
Related: Despite quarterly loss, Partners posts profit
The Massachusetts Model: Tax-Exempt Memory Hole
Memory Hole: Why the Nation Doesn't Need Massachusetts Health Care
The great $ecret as to why those problems the Globe alluded to exist.
Also see: Kraft Picks a Wynner
I picked a loser because I chose the Globe.
"Patrick vows speed as casino era begins; Says he’ll soon name panel leader; foes consider ballot initiative" November 23, 2011|By Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
Massachusetts joined a growing number of states turning to gambling for jobs and revenue yesterday, embracing Las Vegas-style casinos and concluding an emotional four-year legislative battle over the state’s moral and economic future.
At a State House ceremony, Governor Deval Patrick officially ushered in the casino era, signing a law authorizing a slots parlor and three full-scale gambling establishments in designated regions across the state.
Vowing to move swiftly toward making casinos a reality, he said he would shortly appoint the chairman of a new and powerful gambling commission that will make nearly every key decision about the state’s newest industry, including where gambling establishments will go and how they will be regulated. “Now, the work will turn to getting it right in the implementation,’’ Patrick said.
Depending on how long the commission takes to set up regulations and choose developers, the first slots parlor could be up and running in a year, while the first of three casinos could open in five years.
In other words, no immediate relief in sight at all.
Patrick’s signature ends a fight that reaches back generations, as political leaders had steadfastly resisted increasingly strong overtures from the gambling industry.
That's why Sal DiMasi was outed and dethroned. He was a one-man roadblock.
It also represents a profound cultural shift in a state founded on strict religious principles that have persisted in some laws and public attitudes.
Oh, is that why I am so vehemently opposed?
Since Patrick embraced casinos four years ago, the gambling debate has consumed Beacon Hill, generating millions of dollars in lobbying expenditures, thousands of dollars in campaign contributions, and untold hours of closed-door negotiations.
Patrick and fellow Democrats in the Legislature are hoping that gambling, while not as strong an industry as it was a decade ago, can reclaim enough business from neighboring states that already have casinos to employ thousands of people and enough revenue to fortify a smorgasbord of state services....
Opponents argue that gambling’s benefits will be erased by the costs of regulation, police, and social services needed to combat addiction, crime, and corruption. They also argue that the state’s reputation as a center of history and education will be forever altered....
Now let it ride, will ya?
On another front, casino opponents say they are likely to begin a drive to repeal the law by statewide ballot initiative, which could give some developers and financiers pause as they consider committing about $600 million in start-up costs.
I'll sign!!
Local opponents have begun efforts, as well, preparing for a requirement under the law that gives residents the right to vote for or against a casino in their community.
But for now, organized labor and others who see the potential for jobs are celebrating....
Lawmakers say they expect to collect at least $280 million in one-time licensing fees and about $300 million a year in taxes from casinos. The money has been carved up in the law to meet a variety of state needs and desires, which has helped broaden the political coalition favoring casinos.
Efforts to remake the state health care system, for example, will get about $50 million to $60 million from the licensing fees. Community colleges could get $44 million. A “manufacturing fund,’’ with no defined purpose, could get $34 million.
Yup, everyone is gonna win, win, win!
The legislation also devotes millions of dollars a year to prop up the flailing horse racing industry, and millions more to aiding local taxpayers, treating newly created gambling addicts, and paying down the state’s debt.
Even the state’s museums and theaters, who expect casinos to take a bite out of business, will get up to $6 million a year in restitution.
But that money is not assured....
Bets never are.
Industry analysts say the proliferation of casinos around the country and the bad economy have changed the casino market in recent years. Now, they can no longer expect to profit from new gamblers; they must compete for people who already gamble elsewhere....
So it's a dying industry that will be saving us?
Lawmakers have also given tremendous power to a newly created state gambling commission that will have virtually unchecked authority in selecting developers and deciding regulations, including how much slots are required to pay winners.
The chairman of the five-member board, whom Patrick will appoint, will earn more than the governor, $150,000 a year, and be expected to serve full time.
The other four members - appointed by Patrick, Attorney General Martha Coakley, and Treasurer Steven Grossman - will earn $112,500.
It's already costing you, Massachusetts taxpayers, and not one card has been dealt yet, not one die rolled, not one arm pulled.
Lawmakers, acknowledging the potential for corruption that has bedeviled other states, have emphasized the board’s independence from lawmakers....
But not lobbyists.
--more--"
"Patrick signs casinos into approval in Mass.; Legalization ends long-held tie to Puritan culture" November 23, 2011|By Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
With a stroke of a pen yesterday, Governor Deval Patrick brought a sea change to Massachusetts: the legalization of a gambling industry.
In what is perhaps his most significant bill signing since his election five years ago, the governor broke one of the state’s last strands to its Puritan culture. Not since most Blue Laws were wiped off the books three decades ago has a governor and a Legislature approved such a dramatic departure from its original moral groundings.
Patrick, whose support for casinos and a slot parlor was critical, was keenly aware - and defensive - of what he was doing. Promoting the legislation as a job-creating initiative, he emphasized that the approval of casino gambling met his moral benchmarks.
“I never have had a moral objection to gambling,’’ the governor told reporters at the State House event, returning to that theme several times in his answers to reporters’ questions. “I respect those who have a moral objection, but I am not one of them.’’
Still, he was clearly aware that he was causing a stir among many of those who had rallied to his early campaign rhetoric, when he called for a “politics of conviction’’ and vowed to break the Beacon Hill culture and the special interests that dominate it.
It was that bloc of voters - liberal activists, reformers, social service advocates, and independents - who helped launch his insurgent, long-shot candidacy in 2006 and who helped him battle back from the political graveyard in last year’s reelection campaign.
His decision to back the legalization of casinos and a slots parlor cut sharply across the grain of that coalition.
“It is a sad story,’’’ said Susan Tucker, a former state senator and Andover Democrat who was an early and enthusiastic Patrick supporter. “The first I heard that he was considering casinos was on my car radio. I nearly drove off the road.’’
“This seems so much in conflict with everything he stood for when he first ran,’’ said Tucker, who has been a leader in efforts to stop the casino legislation.
But Patrick, with a background in corporate America, had always projected a more complex philosophy than the traditional Massachusetts liberal.
If those political supporters had listened more carefully in 2006, during his first run for public office, they would have picked up on a message he was sending them. “You should stop trying to put me in a box,’’ he kept saying during the campaign when he was criticized for his corporate background as general counsel for Texaco and Coca-Cola.
Or if they had looked.
Related: The Boston Globe Censors Patrick's Past
He was also part of the whole mortgage fraud and mess?
Within nine of months of being sworn in, Patrick announced a plan to legalize three casinos. It hit much of his political base in the gut. With some skill and luck, Patrick was able to avoid some of that backlash in last year’s election, held just months after gambling legislation bogged down over sharp differences between him and the Legislature.
The political consequences for Patrick are now minimal, according to analysts. His decision to announce he would not seek another term has freed him from the pressures of electoral politics.
But just as importantly, the anticasino opposition, while outspoken, has accepted defeat. It was steamrolled by a gambling industry that spent millions of dollars in lobbying Beacon Hill. It also never effectively countered labor unions’ arguments that the construction and operations of the casinos would create thousands of much-needed jobs.
“I don’t think there is a rebellion; I think there is a resignation,’’ said Jeffrey M. Berry, a Tufts University political science professor who closely monitors Massachusetts politics. He said Patrick has helped to ease their concerns by focusing on areas they strongly support, including social services and health care.
That mood was evident this week when Michael S. Dukakis, the former governor and a steadfast opponent of legalized gambling, was asked about Patrick’s role in creating a casino industry in Massachusetts. He displayed an understanding that only a former governor could have.
“You don’t expect to agree with everything the guy does,’’ said Dukakis.
“We are disappointed, but I did things my supporters weren’t happy about,’’ Dukakis said. “On the whole, he has been a good governor… . I am a big fan of what the governor has done on the economic scene. He should be proud of it.’’
--more--"
Related: Massachusetts' Casino Coup
Yeah, it's all for your own good:
"Casino bill has $50m for health overhaul; Aims to help set up pay system" November 19, 2011|By Liz Kowalczyk, Globe Staff
Passage of the casino bill this week boosted efforts to overhaul how hospitals and doctors are paid, allocating $50 million of anticipated gambling license fees to help health providers prepare for a new way of treating patients.
Legislative leaders who spoke yesterday at a health care conference in Boston said that they are still working out details but that the money may be used to buy new computers and software to enable providers to better coordinate patients’ care and track costs so they can stick to a budget....
Legislators are drafting a bill that would shift health providers in Massachusetts to a system of global payments, in which providers would be given a monthly per-patient budget for all care, rather than billing for each service. Critics say the current fee-for-service system creates incentives to provide excessive care and lacks coordination....
Related:
The Massachusetts Model: Trailblazing Blueprint
The Massachusetts Model: Doctors' Diet
Yeah, you will be on one, too, readers, so don't get sick.
There is general agreement among government officials and the industry that the state should move to a system of global payments.
I despise anything with that word attached to it, and trust it even less.
But the parties disagree about whether the government should step in to bring down costs, particularly the higher fees that insurers and government payers pay some influential hospitals and doctors groups with market power because of their reputations or geographical dominance. Critics say they earn more money than competitors with less clout without necessarily providing better care....
--more--"
Related: Despite quarterly loss, Partners posts profit
The Massachusetts Model: Tax-Exempt Memory Hole
Memory Hole: Why the Nation Doesn't Need Massachusetts Health Care
The great $ecret as to why those problems the Globe alluded to exist.
Also see: Kraft Picks a Wynner
I picked a loser because I chose the Globe.
Kraft Picks a Wynner
I didn't; I bought a Boston Sunday Globe.
"Kraft, resort executive in casino talks; Plan involves Las Vegas figure Wynn Land would be leased for $1b facility" December 02, 2011|By Noah Bierman and Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Robert Kraft, one of the state’s most powerful businessmen, is in negotiations with one of Las Vegas’ biggest players, Steve Wynn, to propose a $1 billion casino near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, according to two people within the industry who are familiar with the talks.
The destination resort casino would be located on 200 acres across from the stadium and the Patriot Place mall. The gambling facility would be part of a larger complex that would also include a hotel, retail, restaurants, and large entertainment facilities.
While the deal has not been completed, the Krafts and Wynn, in secret negotiations for weeks, had hoped to reveal their plans with a major announcement in the next few days. Wynn is expected to be Kraft’s special guest at the game between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette this Sunday.
Related: Patriots spike Colts
Got a bit of a scare at the end there, didn't ya? I noticed the Patriots didn't cover the spread.
Last night, in response to the Globe, The Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots and the land under negotiation, confirmed the talks....
The proposal still faces a number of hurdles....
The Kraft family has been developing the area around the stadium for years, including Patriot Place, a 1.3 million-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to the stadium. The group is also pursuing a permanent commuter rail link and a pedestrian bridge to connect their properties now bisected by Route 1.
Taxpayers to pay for that footpath?
See: Patriots' Kraft Passes Checks to Patrick
All so you can get to the casino!
The state has designated the property across from the stadium as a growth district, one of a few sites that can accommodate a significant development.
But Kevin Paicos, Foxborough’s town manager, told the Globe in October that he could not find one local resident who favors a casino.
I'll bet the Globe will.
Related: Kraft Casino Not a Fan Favorite in Foxborough
Which is just all so perplexing because of the jobs and riches it will bring. I mean, the way the agenda-pushing coverage is slanted the Globe makes it seem like everybody's a winner if these leeches come to the state. I can't imagine why people would be against jobs.
However, the chairman of the Foxborough Board of Selectmen, Larry Harrington, said in an e-mail last night that the town should keep an open mind....
Meaning the rich and powerful elite who benefit to the billions are going to jam this.... well, you decide which orifice and direction you would like to get it.
--more--"
"Mogul has golden touch, and very deep pockets" December 03, 2011|By Casey Ross, Globe Staff
In the late 1980s, Steve Wynn became known as the savior of Las Vegas, a brash personality and bold thinker who reinvigorated a stale casino industry by building a shimmering temple of entertainment that set a new standard of opulence for the business.
These casinos are not being built for you, average Massachusetts citizen. They are monuments to increasing wealth inequality.
The resort he built then, The Mirage, and others over three decades, feature man-made mountains, artificial lakes, museums with priceless art, geyser fountains, a Ferrari and Maserati dealership, and just about every luxury clothing brand imaginable. In Macau, off the China mainland, he owns two casinos that raked in about $2.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, and is now preparing to build a third one there.
“Nobody can compete with his level of glamour,’’ said William Thompson, a University of Nevada Las Vegas professor who has followed Wynn’s career. “He comes into a community and builds something where people will say, ‘Wow, look at that.’ His mission is to add value, and then of course to make a billion on the side.’’
The savior of Massachusetts.
Now Wynn is preparing to audition his vision in Massachusetts, as he negotiates a deal with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to build a casino opposite Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Though details are few, gambling industry specialists said to expect nothing different for Massachusetts. It may not be 50 stories, like the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, or feature a smoke-billowing mechanical dragon, such as at Wynn Macau, but it will be big, luxurious, and bold.
“Steve Wynn by reputation has trouble not spending money,’’ said William Eadington, an economics professor and director of the University of Nevada Reno’s gambling research center. He said Wynn is known as the “Walt Disney of the gaming industry’’ for building spectacular imaginary worlds that offer a buffet of entertainment options.
He does everything on a grand scale, with architectural details and other flourishes that are so over the top, they would likely not fly in any industry other than casinos. “He’s been very creative, almost to the point of being an artiste,’’ said Eadington.
Wynn could not be reached for comment yesterday and a spokesman for his company declined to discuss plans for Massachusetts. However, Wynn is scheduled to watch the Patriots home game tomorrow with Kraft, and then meet with local media on Monday.
Then there are going to be more promotions, 'er, stories in my printed Globe if I decide to gamble on them this week.
The spokesman, Michael Weaver, said Kraft and Wynn have been friends for some time, and that Wynn is looking forward to getting local feedback about a casino.
“It’s an informal opportunity for him to meet the community and some of the officials and hear about their interest in the sort of … five-star resort experience that people are accustomed to with Wynn,’’ Weaver said.
Wynn is known for his big personality and a mouth to match. He has a penchant for veering off on tangents about American politics. During a recent conference call to discuss his company’s earnings, Wynn went on a diatribe about President Obama’s economic policies.
“I’m saying it bluntly, that this administration is the greatest wet blanket to business, and progress and job creation in my lifetime,’’ Wynn said.
The son of a compulsive gambler, Wynn, now 69, grew up in upstate New York and studied English literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He bypassed Yale Law School to go into the family business in 1963, running a bingo parlor in Maryland previously owned by his father. He landed in Las Vegas in 1967, eventually buying a narrow strip of land from Howard Hughes that he ultimately sold, at double the price, to Caesars Palace.
His big moment was in 1989 with the development of The Mirage, the first new casino in Las Vegas in 15 years. The Mirage immediately challenged Caesars for the top gambling venue in the city, offering a volcano, a soaring atrium and the white tiger act of Siegfried & Roy.
Didn't one of the tiger flip out and attack one of them?
The feeling here is captivity and imprisonment is never a good thing if you are a sentient being.
It cost $630 million to build, a staggering sum at the time, and many industry analysts predicted it would be a white elephant. Instead, it proved so successful that it set the standard for the next wave of outrageous casinos.
“The Mirage was a big step forward in terms of being a luxury casino,’’ said Thompson, the UNLV professor. “Wynn is really the person that brought us out of the doldrums of the ’80s.’’
Wynn followed the Mirage with Treasure Island and the Bellagio. In the late ’90s, the company began to struggle, due to budget overruns with construction of the Bellagio and the ill-advised Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss. Wynn then survived a bruising battle with MGM Grand, which bought his company, then known as Mirage Resorts, for $21 a share.
He went on to build Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. He also operates two casinos in Macau, the world’s largest gambling market, and is promising that his third one there will be a “breakaway’’ facility unlike anything else in the world.
His big spending habits extend to his pursuit of modern paintings and other fine arts, with Wynn paying spectacular prices for Picassos and other recognized masters that he then sprinkles around his resorts.
It's not like I'm dissing the arts; however, God forbid the $ be used for health care or some other ungodly purpose. I'm so sick of seeing so much "spare" money floating into corporate profit cans while Americans suffer.
While he often backs up big talk with successful developments, Wynn’s outspoken manner sometimes works against him when he has to compete against others for a government-issued license, such as in the process to be used in Massachusetts.
“Steve Wynn has never been very successful in a bidding environment, partly because his ego is so large, it gets in the way,’’ Eadington said. “He’s impatient with bureaucracy, with people who tell him what to do. Everybody always waits for him to implode.’’
In Pennsylvania, one of the most recent states to legalize casinos, Wynn turned heads with comments he made about the different ethnic groups he hoped to court for an ultimately abandoned effort to open a casino there. He noted that his casino site was a short drive from “my old friends, Italians and Jews, and every conceivable stripe of ethnic group that love to shoot crap and gamble.’’
I guess it's okay to be racist or supremacist; it just depends on who you are.
Despite any setbacks, Wynn’s casinos are among the most successful in the world. His business ended 2010 with $1.25 billion in cash, and his resorts are recognized worldwide for their stunning luxury amenities.
So Wynn yourself a slice of the good life -- for a night, anyway.
Gambling specialists in Massachusetts said his entry into the casino bidding battle instantly changes the landscape in Greater Boston, where many put Suffolk Downs as the favorite to get a license....
That should tick off Speaker DeLeo.
--more--"
"Should gleaming palace for gambling go here?" December 03, 2011|By Noah Bierman and Casey Ross, Globe Staff
The emergence of a likely partnership between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Las Vegas gambling mogul Steve Wynn has shaken up the competition for a coveted casino license, reshaping expectations of which developers are best positioned to cash in on the state’s newest industry.
Do you know who is cashing out, sucker citizens?
There remain many unanswered questions, including whether a business relationship between Kraft and a casino operator could run afoul of NFL rules and whether the already congested area around Gillette Stadium can accommodate another high-traffic business. But if Kraft, who would lease property to Wynn, can clear those hurdles, the partnership is expected to be formidable.
“I’d hate to be the competitor who’s going against’’ Wynn, said William N. Thompson, a gambling specialist and professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Thompson said that for the past 15 years, Wynn has run a more glamorous operation than Caesar’s - the gambling company teaming up with Suffolk Downs on a bid to build a casino in East Boston.
A proposal for a $1 billion Foxborough casino would compete head-to-head against the similar-scale proposal at Suffolk Downs for one of three resort casino licenses authorized by the new state gambling law. Many industry analysts and political observers had deemed Suffolk the front-runner for a license designated for the Boston region....
Kraft has forged a strong relationship with Patrick, helping to arrange the governor’s mission to Israel this year, advising him often, and seeking his help in gaining public money to build a pedestrian bridge linking the property he owns on Route 1 with the Patriot Place mall and Gillette.
Why was that public money part omitted from the article above?
Also see: Governor on the Go
Kraft’s biggest obstacle may be the National Football League, which has taken a fairly strong stance against allowing its owners to have financial relationships with gambling facilities.
Yeah, looks kind of bad even though point spreads are the order of the day on all the damn football shows.
Members of the Rooney family, longtime owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers, were forced by the league in recent years to divest from the team because the family has also owned race tracks in Yonkers, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., for many years.
“For the most part, the NFL just wanted to get as far away from gambling interests as they could,’’ Patrick Rooney Jr., president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club, said yesterday.
Rooney said his wing of the family went from owning 16 percent of the team to holding just 2 percent, with no control, because of their association with gambling.
Kraft’s relationship could be allowed, however, because while he would own the land, he would lease it to Wynn, who would own and run the casino....
The Massachusetts casino law could present one additional snag. Language in the law suggests that anyone with a financial interest in a casino could be required to be a party on the gambling license. A Patrick administration official said yesterday that it would be up to the gambling commission to interpret that clause, and it may or may not apply to the property owner.
The Kraft Group confirmed yesterday that it would lease the land to Wynn, but it does not consider that to be a financial interest in a casino.
All meaning they will get around whatever some way.
--more--"
"Kraft’s retail plaza would reap benefit" December 03, 2011|By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff
If you want to know why Robert Kraft would welcome a casino complex in Foxborough, take a look at his shopping plaza, Patriot Place. The much-hyped retail and restaurant space adjacent to Gillette Stadium has not lived up to expectations.
A casino across the street on Route 1 would guarantee a flood of new visitors and help kick-start Kraft’s vision to make the property an entertainment destination, according to retail analysts.
Casinos and stores make a powerful combination - most evident, of course, in Las Vegas. And that’s where Kraft is seeking a potential partner, Steve Wynn, to build a $1 billion casino on 200 acres across from Patriot Place.
“It would be a boon to that shopping center and bring a constant flow of traffic, rather than just predominately weekend traffic,’’ said Robert F. Sheehan, a vice president at Key Point Partners, a Burlington commercial real estate services firm. “You see retail space up and down the Strip in Vegas and inside the casinos on different levels because they’ve found viable shoppers with cash to spend.’’
********************
Building a casino across the street - and the potential for a pedestrian bridge that would directly connect the two properties divided by Route 1 - would bring more shoppers to existing stores and entice new retailers to move into the property.
Nothing about the foot-bridge being funded by taxpayers again.
And revenues from leasing the property to Wynn would allow the Krafts to invest in more attractions for the complex....
--more--"
And the forgotten people of Foxborough?
"Town’s OK of casino may be a long shot; Many Foxborough residents express doubts over $1b project" December 03, 2011|By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH - From the Central Street consignment shop, Judy Hartwell takes in the gentle sweep of a quintessential New England town green, church steeple in the distance.
But with her mind’s eye, she sees a colossal new casino rising beside Gillette Stadium and lines of cars and charter buses inching their way toward it.
Like many locals, Hartwell fervently hopes the vision is just a mirage.
“It would totally change the character of the town,’’ she said, “and it’s not what we bought into.’’
As residents here learned that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was in talks with a Las Vegas mogul to bring a $1 billion casino to Foxborough, reaction among many residents was decidedly negative.
The town manager couldn't find a one, but....
Many grumbled that the casino would intensify already daunting traffic that nearly traps people in their driveways on autumn Sundays. They worried it would bring a messy sprawl of cheap hotels and low-end restaurants, and spur an increase in crime.
Most of all, they feared a casino would turn their town, already strained by the Patriots’ presence, into an overrun spectacle, an altogether different place from the quaint bedroom community they call home.
Nothing wrong with those; I live in one myself.
“We’ve had enough,’’ resident Rachael Keefe said from her counter at the consignment shop, The New Trading Post. “Foxborough’s a little town, and we already do our share. Let’s keep the gambling where it is.’’
Across the shop, filled with customers looking for inexpensive clothes, people nodded their agreement....
The law requires that casinos win the approval of local voters, and many residents say the 17,000-strong town, at least for the moment, isn’t favorably inclined.
“I think they’re going to have a tough row to hoe,’’ said Kevin Weinfeld, chairman of the planning board. “People are concerned that it just won’t be the same town anymore.’’
Traffic before and after home Patriot games forces many residents to rearrange their weekend schedules, and peak hours at the mall can cause delays. But residents fear the casino would bring far worse headaches.
“This is a different kettle of fish,’’ Weinfeld said.
In 2004, residents resoundingly defeated a plan to develop a harness racing track near the stadium, and Weinfeld said doubts about building a gambling facility there remain.
But plenty of residents say they would welcome a casino.
I told you the Globe would find them. I won the bet, 'eh?
Rob Ryan, who moved to town from Boston 30 years ago after falling in love with its small-town feel, said he would welcome the influx of tax revenue and new jobs.
“It would bring a lot of service-industry jobs to this town,’’ said Ryan, 57....
You know, the "GOOD" jobs.
Ryan predicted that general good will toward the Kraft family would ease local concerns about the casino’s ill effects....
Across the street, 21-year-old Shane Rodman said he was hopeful about the prospect of jobs that a casino would bring.
“More power to them,’’ he said. “The opportunity to bring in more jobs is very important.’’
Yes, it makes one wonder why anyone would be against gambling. Why would anyone be against building an economy on the impulsive largesse of the wealthy throwing money away or the robbing of people who can't afford to gamble?
Even those who leaned against the idea acknowledged that many people in town are unemployed or working only sporadically, and that the casino could help them get back on their feet.
After I have been told for months and months how great Massachusetts economy is weathering the recession relative to others.
The project would employ more than 10,000 construction workers and create some 8,000 permanent jobs.
As if.
The chairman of the board of selectmen, Larry Harrington, said he would be looking for a facility that was “first class in every way’’ and would create a “significant number of jobs.’’ He called for the developer to give residents and family members preference for employment.
He said he would look for the project to contribute “substantial revenue’’ to the public schools and allow the town to pay off debt and reduce property taxes.
Like I said, the savior of Massachusetts.
But many residents said those benefits would carry too high a price. Paula Kaiser said cars pour into her neighborhood during Gillette Stadium events, and that the snarl extends throughout the town.
“We’re stuck at our house for hours,’’ said Kaiser, 39.
Down the street, Nancy Bergquist offered a more sweeping rebuke.
“I just don’t think it’s right,’’ she said. “I don’t think a casino’s going to help the town. Not this town.’’
I get the feeling the money doesn't care.
--more--"
"Foxborough residents protest a casino" by Brian MacQuarrie Globe Staff / December 4, 2011
America, we have an epidemic on our hands. Every time you turn around there is another damn protest!
FOXBOROUGH - The anticasino drumbeat escalated yesterday in Foxborough and neighboring communities, as organizers staged a protest on the town common, promoted two new websites to marshal their forces, and collected signatures to oppose a Las Vegas-style resort being considered for the town.
A petitioning of grievances, 'eh? Good luck.
“We will fight against this with every fiber of our being,’’ said Stephanie Crimmins, 40, a Foxborough mother of two [and] a corporate executive for Panera Bread, who addressed the morning rally of about 200 protesters on the common. “This will fundamentally impact the town for generations to come.’’
The crowd, holding signs with slogans such as “No Fox-Vegas’’ and “Foxboro Says No Dice,’’ applauded Crimmins and waved at motorists who honked their horns in support....
Foxborough Selectwoman Lorraine Brue, who attended the rally, said she has received a wave of negative reaction to such a project.
“The feedback I’ve been getting from the community . . . has been vehemently opposed to this,’’ Brue said.
Brue said she wants public discussion to begin soon, perhaps in a meeting held at the high school before the end of the month. A zoning change to allow a casino would require two-thirds approval in a Town Meeting vote, Foxborough officials said.
“As a citizen, I’m opposed to this,’’ Brue said. “I’m concerned about the impact on property values, the impact on public safety, the traffic impact, the wear and tear on the roads.’’
John Davey, a 45-year-old lawyer with five children, said a historically good relationship between the town and Kraft would venture into unwanted territory with a casino....
I was told Kraft will draw on good will.
John Murtagh, a Planning Board member from adjoining Walpole, was at the rally and said his town’s five-member panel is unanimously opposed to a casino on Route 1....
Murtagh said he feels “deceived’’ by Kraft.
“We had no idea this was coming. We love the Patriots and Tom Brady, but if we are going to have this seven days a week . . . ’’ Murtagh said, stopping in mid-sentence. “As it is, I can’t get out of my house and go to church on Sunday if there’s a game.’’
Although the crowd on the common appeared overwhelmingly opposed to a casino, a few proponents gave a thumbs-up at a coffee shop in the Foxborough Plaza....
Globe went looking again.
--more--"
Once again I am a loser when I open my Boston Globe.
"Kraft, resort executive in casino talks; Plan involves Las Vegas figure Wynn Land would be leased for $1b facility" December 02, 2011|By Noah Bierman and Frank Phillips, Globe Staff
Robert Kraft, one of the state’s most powerful businessmen, is in negotiations with one of Las Vegas’ biggest players, Steve Wynn, to propose a $1 billion casino near Gillette Stadium in Foxborough, according to two people within the industry who are familiar with the talks.
The destination resort casino would be located on 200 acres across from the stadium and the Patriot Place mall. The gambling facility would be part of a larger complex that would also include a hotel, retail, restaurants, and large entertainment facilities.
While the deal has not been completed, the Krafts and Wynn, in secret negotiations for weeks, had hoped to reveal their plans with a major announcement in the next few days. Wynn is expected to be Kraft’s special guest at the game between the Patriots and the Indianapolis Colts at Gillette this Sunday.
Related: Patriots spike Colts
Got a bit of a scare at the end there, didn't ya? I noticed the Patriots didn't cover the spread.
Last night, in response to the Globe, The Kraft Group, which owns the New England Patriots and the land under negotiation, confirmed the talks....
The proposal still faces a number of hurdles....
The Kraft family has been developing the area around the stadium for years, including Patriot Place, a 1.3 million-square-foot shopping and entertainment complex adjacent to the stadium. The group is also pursuing a permanent commuter rail link and a pedestrian bridge to connect their properties now bisected by Route 1.
Taxpayers to pay for that footpath?
See: Patriots' Kraft Passes Checks to Patrick
All so you can get to the casino!
The state has designated the property across from the stadium as a growth district, one of a few sites that can accommodate a significant development.
But Kevin Paicos, Foxborough’s town manager, told the Globe in October that he could not find one local resident who favors a casino.
I'll bet the Globe will.
Related: Kraft Casino Not a Fan Favorite in Foxborough
Which is just all so perplexing because of the jobs and riches it will bring. I mean, the way the agenda-pushing coverage is slanted the Globe makes it seem like everybody's a winner if these leeches come to the state. I can't imagine why people would be against jobs.
However, the chairman of the Foxborough Board of Selectmen, Larry Harrington, said in an e-mail last night that the town should keep an open mind....
Meaning the rich and powerful elite who benefit to the billions are going to jam this.... well, you decide which orifice and direction you would like to get it.
--more--"
"Mogul has golden touch, and very deep pockets" December 03, 2011|By Casey Ross, Globe Staff
In the late 1980s, Steve Wynn became known as the savior of Las Vegas, a brash personality and bold thinker who reinvigorated a stale casino industry by building a shimmering temple of entertainment that set a new standard of opulence for the business.
These casinos are not being built for you, average Massachusetts citizen. They are monuments to increasing wealth inequality.
The resort he built then, The Mirage, and others over three decades, feature man-made mountains, artificial lakes, museums with priceless art, geyser fountains, a Ferrari and Maserati dealership, and just about every luxury clothing brand imaginable. In Macau, off the China mainland, he owns two casinos that raked in about $2.8 billion in the first nine months of the year, and is now preparing to build a third one there.
“Nobody can compete with his level of glamour,’’ said William Thompson, a University of Nevada Las Vegas professor who has followed Wynn’s career. “He comes into a community and builds something where people will say, ‘Wow, look at that.’ His mission is to add value, and then of course to make a billion on the side.’’
The savior of Massachusetts.
Now Wynn is preparing to audition his vision in Massachusetts, as he negotiates a deal with New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft to build a casino opposite Gillette Stadium in Foxborough.
Though details are few, gambling industry specialists said to expect nothing different for Massachusetts. It may not be 50 stories, like the Encore at Wynn Las Vegas, or feature a smoke-billowing mechanical dragon, such as at Wynn Macau, but it will be big, luxurious, and bold.
“Steve Wynn by reputation has trouble not spending money,’’ said William Eadington, an economics professor and director of the University of Nevada Reno’s gambling research center. He said Wynn is known as the “Walt Disney of the gaming industry’’ for building spectacular imaginary worlds that offer a buffet of entertainment options.
He does everything on a grand scale, with architectural details and other flourishes that are so over the top, they would likely not fly in any industry other than casinos. “He’s been very creative, almost to the point of being an artiste,’’ said Eadington.
Wynn could not be reached for comment yesterday and a spokesman for his company declined to discuss plans for Massachusetts. However, Wynn is scheduled to watch the Patriots home game tomorrow with Kraft, and then meet with local media on Monday.
Then there are going to be more promotions, 'er, stories in my printed Globe if I decide to gamble on them this week.
The spokesman, Michael Weaver, said Kraft and Wynn have been friends for some time, and that Wynn is looking forward to getting local feedback about a casino.
“It’s an informal opportunity for him to meet the community and some of the officials and hear about their interest in the sort of … five-star resort experience that people are accustomed to with Wynn,’’ Weaver said.
Wynn is known for his big personality and a mouth to match. He has a penchant for veering off on tangents about American politics. During a recent conference call to discuss his company’s earnings, Wynn went on a diatribe about President Obama’s economic policies.
“I’m saying it bluntly, that this administration is the greatest wet blanket to business, and progress and job creation in my lifetime,’’ Wynn said.
The son of a compulsive gambler, Wynn, now 69, grew up in upstate New York and studied English literature at the University of Pennsylvania. He bypassed Yale Law School to go into the family business in 1963, running a bingo parlor in Maryland previously owned by his father. He landed in Las Vegas in 1967, eventually buying a narrow strip of land from Howard Hughes that he ultimately sold, at double the price, to Caesars Palace.
His big moment was in 1989 with the development of The Mirage, the first new casino in Las Vegas in 15 years. The Mirage immediately challenged Caesars for the top gambling venue in the city, offering a volcano, a soaring atrium and the white tiger act of Siegfried & Roy.
Didn't one of the tiger flip out and attack one of them?
The feeling here is captivity and imprisonment is never a good thing if you are a sentient being.
It cost $630 million to build, a staggering sum at the time, and many industry analysts predicted it would be a white elephant. Instead, it proved so successful that it set the standard for the next wave of outrageous casinos.
“The Mirage was a big step forward in terms of being a luxury casino,’’ said Thompson, the UNLV professor. “Wynn is really the person that brought us out of the doldrums of the ’80s.’’
Wynn followed the Mirage with Treasure Island and the Bellagio. In the late ’90s, the company began to struggle, due to budget overruns with construction of the Bellagio and the ill-advised Beau Rivage in Biloxi, Miss. Wynn then survived a bruising battle with MGM Grand, which bought his company, then known as Mirage Resorts, for $21 a share.
He went on to build Wynn Las Vegas and Encore at Wynn Las Vegas. He also operates two casinos in Macau, the world’s largest gambling market, and is promising that his third one there will be a “breakaway’’ facility unlike anything else in the world.
His big spending habits extend to his pursuit of modern paintings and other fine arts, with Wynn paying spectacular prices for Picassos and other recognized masters that he then sprinkles around his resorts.
It's not like I'm dissing the arts; however, God forbid the $ be used for health care or some other ungodly purpose. I'm so sick of seeing so much "spare" money floating into corporate profit cans while Americans suffer.
While he often backs up big talk with successful developments, Wynn’s outspoken manner sometimes works against him when he has to compete against others for a government-issued license, such as in the process to be used in Massachusetts.
“Steve Wynn has never been very successful in a bidding environment, partly because his ego is so large, it gets in the way,’’ Eadington said. “He’s impatient with bureaucracy, with people who tell him what to do. Everybody always waits for him to implode.’’
In Pennsylvania, one of the most recent states to legalize casinos, Wynn turned heads with comments he made about the different ethnic groups he hoped to court for an ultimately abandoned effort to open a casino there. He noted that his casino site was a short drive from “my old friends, Italians and Jews, and every conceivable stripe of ethnic group that love to shoot crap and gamble.’’
I guess it's okay to be racist or supremacist; it just depends on who you are.
Despite any setbacks, Wynn’s casinos are among the most successful in the world. His business ended 2010 with $1.25 billion in cash, and his resorts are recognized worldwide for their stunning luxury amenities.
So Wynn yourself a slice of the good life -- for a night, anyway.
Gambling specialists in Massachusetts said his entry into the casino bidding battle instantly changes the landscape in Greater Boston, where many put Suffolk Downs as the favorite to get a license....
That should tick off Speaker DeLeo.
--more--"
"Should gleaming palace for gambling go here?" December 03, 2011|By Noah Bierman and Casey Ross, Globe Staff
The emergence of a likely partnership between New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft and Las Vegas gambling mogul Steve Wynn has shaken up the competition for a coveted casino license, reshaping expectations of which developers are best positioned to cash in on the state’s newest industry.
Do you know who is cashing out, sucker citizens?
There remain many unanswered questions, including whether a business relationship between Kraft and a casino operator could run afoul of NFL rules and whether the already congested area around Gillette Stadium can accommodate another high-traffic business. But if Kraft, who would lease property to Wynn, can clear those hurdles, the partnership is expected to be formidable.
“I’d hate to be the competitor who’s going against’’ Wynn, said William N. Thompson, a gambling specialist and professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas.
Thompson said that for the past 15 years, Wynn has run a more glamorous operation than Caesar’s - the gambling company teaming up with Suffolk Downs on a bid to build a casino in East Boston.
A proposal for a $1 billion Foxborough casino would compete head-to-head against the similar-scale proposal at Suffolk Downs for one of three resort casino licenses authorized by the new state gambling law. Many industry analysts and political observers had deemed Suffolk the front-runner for a license designated for the Boston region....
Kraft has forged a strong relationship with Patrick, helping to arrange the governor’s mission to Israel this year, advising him often, and seeking his help in gaining public money to build a pedestrian bridge linking the property he owns on Route 1 with the Patriot Place mall and Gillette.
Why was that public money part omitted from the article above?
Also see: Governor on the Go
Kraft’s biggest obstacle may be the National Football League, which has taken a fairly strong stance against allowing its owners to have financial relationships with gambling facilities.
Yeah, looks kind of bad even though point spreads are the order of the day on all the damn football shows.
Members of the Rooney family, longtime owners of the Pittsburgh Steelers, were forced by the league in recent years to divest from the team because the family has also owned race tracks in Yonkers, N.Y., and Palm Beach, Fla., for many years.
“For the most part, the NFL just wanted to get as far away from gambling interests as they could,’’ Patrick Rooney Jr., president of the Palm Beach Kennel Club, said yesterday.
Rooney said his wing of the family went from owning 16 percent of the team to holding just 2 percent, with no control, because of their association with gambling.
Kraft’s relationship could be allowed, however, because while he would own the land, he would lease it to Wynn, who would own and run the casino....
The Massachusetts casino law could present one additional snag. Language in the law suggests that anyone with a financial interest in a casino could be required to be a party on the gambling license. A Patrick administration official said yesterday that it would be up to the gambling commission to interpret that clause, and it may or may not apply to the property owner.
The Kraft Group confirmed yesterday that it would lease the land to Wynn, but it does not consider that to be a financial interest in a casino.
All meaning they will get around whatever some way.
--more--"
"Kraft’s retail plaza would reap benefit" December 03, 2011|By Jenn Abelson, Globe Staff
If you want to know why Robert Kraft would welcome a casino complex in Foxborough, take a look at his shopping plaza, Patriot Place. The much-hyped retail and restaurant space adjacent to Gillette Stadium has not lived up to expectations.
A casino across the street on Route 1 would guarantee a flood of new visitors and help kick-start Kraft’s vision to make the property an entertainment destination, according to retail analysts.
Casinos and stores make a powerful combination - most evident, of course, in Las Vegas. And that’s where Kraft is seeking a potential partner, Steve Wynn, to build a $1 billion casino on 200 acres across from Patriot Place.
“It would be a boon to that shopping center and bring a constant flow of traffic, rather than just predominately weekend traffic,’’ said Robert F. Sheehan, a vice president at Key Point Partners, a Burlington commercial real estate services firm. “You see retail space up and down the Strip in Vegas and inside the casinos on different levels because they’ve found viable shoppers with cash to spend.’’
********************
Building a casino across the street - and the potential for a pedestrian bridge that would directly connect the two properties divided by Route 1 - would bring more shoppers to existing stores and entice new retailers to move into the property.
Nothing about the foot-bridge being funded by taxpayers again.
And revenues from leasing the property to Wynn would allow the Krafts to invest in more attractions for the complex....
--more--"
And the forgotten people of Foxborough?
"Town’s OK of casino may be a long shot; Many Foxborough residents express doubts over $1b project" December 03, 2011|By Peter Schworm, Globe Staff
FOXBOROUGH - From the Central Street consignment shop, Judy Hartwell takes in the gentle sweep of a quintessential New England town green, church steeple in the distance.
But with her mind’s eye, she sees a colossal new casino rising beside Gillette Stadium and lines of cars and charter buses inching their way toward it.
Like many locals, Hartwell fervently hopes the vision is just a mirage.
“It would totally change the character of the town,’’ she said, “and it’s not what we bought into.’’
As residents here learned that New England Patriots owner Robert Kraft was in talks with a Las Vegas mogul to bring a $1 billion casino to Foxborough, reaction among many residents was decidedly negative.
The town manager couldn't find a one, but....
Many grumbled that the casino would intensify already daunting traffic that nearly traps people in their driveways on autumn Sundays. They worried it would bring a messy sprawl of cheap hotels and low-end restaurants, and spur an increase in crime.
Most of all, they feared a casino would turn their town, already strained by the Patriots’ presence, into an overrun spectacle, an altogether different place from the quaint bedroom community they call home.
Nothing wrong with those; I live in one myself.
“We’ve had enough,’’ resident Rachael Keefe said from her counter at the consignment shop, The New Trading Post. “Foxborough’s a little town, and we already do our share. Let’s keep the gambling where it is.’’
Across the shop, filled with customers looking for inexpensive clothes, people nodded their agreement....
The law requires that casinos win the approval of local voters, and many residents say the 17,000-strong town, at least for the moment, isn’t favorably inclined.
“I think they’re going to have a tough row to hoe,’’ said Kevin Weinfeld, chairman of the planning board. “People are concerned that it just won’t be the same town anymore.’’
Traffic before and after home Patriot games forces many residents to rearrange their weekend schedules, and peak hours at the mall can cause delays. But residents fear the casino would bring far worse headaches.
“This is a different kettle of fish,’’ Weinfeld said.
In 2004, residents resoundingly defeated a plan to develop a harness racing track near the stadium, and Weinfeld said doubts about building a gambling facility there remain.
But plenty of residents say they would welcome a casino.
I told you the Globe would find them. I won the bet, 'eh?
Rob Ryan, who moved to town from Boston 30 years ago after falling in love with its small-town feel, said he would welcome the influx of tax revenue and new jobs.
“It would bring a lot of service-industry jobs to this town,’’ said Ryan, 57....
You know, the "GOOD" jobs.
Ryan predicted that general good will toward the Kraft family would ease local concerns about the casino’s ill effects....
Across the street, 21-year-old Shane Rodman said he was hopeful about the prospect of jobs that a casino would bring.
“More power to them,’’ he said. “The opportunity to bring in more jobs is very important.’’
Yes, it makes one wonder why anyone would be against gambling. Why would anyone be against building an economy on the impulsive largesse of the wealthy throwing money away or the robbing of people who can't afford to gamble?
Even those who leaned against the idea acknowledged that many people in town are unemployed or working only sporadically, and that the casino could help them get back on their feet.
After I have been told for months and months how great Massachusetts economy is weathering the recession relative to others.
The project would employ more than 10,000 construction workers and create some 8,000 permanent jobs.
As if.
The chairman of the board of selectmen, Larry Harrington, said he would be looking for a facility that was “first class in every way’’ and would create a “significant number of jobs.’’ He called for the developer to give residents and family members preference for employment.
He said he would look for the project to contribute “substantial revenue’’ to the public schools and allow the town to pay off debt and reduce property taxes.
Like I said, the savior of Massachusetts.
But many residents said those benefits would carry too high a price. Paula Kaiser said cars pour into her neighborhood during Gillette Stadium events, and that the snarl extends throughout the town.
“We’re stuck at our house for hours,’’ said Kaiser, 39.
Down the street, Nancy Bergquist offered a more sweeping rebuke.
“I just don’t think it’s right,’’ she said. “I don’t think a casino’s going to help the town. Not this town.’’
I get the feeling the money doesn't care.
--more--"
"Foxborough residents protest a casino" by Brian MacQuarrie Globe Staff / December 4, 2011
America, we have an epidemic on our hands. Every time you turn around there is another damn protest!
FOXBOROUGH - The anticasino drumbeat escalated yesterday in Foxborough and neighboring communities, as organizers staged a protest on the town common, promoted two new websites to marshal their forces, and collected signatures to oppose a Las Vegas-style resort being considered for the town.
A petitioning of grievances, 'eh? Good luck.
“We will fight against this with every fiber of our being,’’ said Stephanie Crimmins, 40, a Foxborough mother of two [and] a corporate executive for Panera Bread, who addressed the morning rally of about 200 protesters on the common. “This will fundamentally impact the town for generations to come.’’
The crowd, holding signs with slogans such as “No Fox-Vegas’’ and “Foxboro Says No Dice,’’ applauded Crimmins and waved at motorists who honked their horns in support....
Foxborough Selectwoman Lorraine Brue, who attended the rally, said she has received a wave of negative reaction to such a project.
“The feedback I’ve been getting from the community . . . has been vehemently opposed to this,’’ Brue said.
Brue said she wants public discussion to begin soon, perhaps in a meeting held at the high school before the end of the month. A zoning change to allow a casino would require two-thirds approval in a Town Meeting vote, Foxborough officials said.
“As a citizen, I’m opposed to this,’’ Brue said. “I’m concerned about the impact on property values, the impact on public safety, the traffic impact, the wear and tear on the roads.’’
John Davey, a 45-year-old lawyer with five children, said a historically good relationship between the town and Kraft would venture into unwanted territory with a casino....
I was told Kraft will draw on good will.
John Murtagh, a Planning Board member from adjoining Walpole, was at the rally and said his town’s five-member panel is unanimously opposed to a casino on Route 1....
Murtagh said he feels “deceived’’ by Kraft.
“We had no idea this was coming. We love the Patriots and Tom Brady, but if we are going to have this seven days a week . . . ’’ Murtagh said, stopping in mid-sentence. “As it is, I can’t get out of my house and go to church on Sunday if there’s a game.’’
Although the crowd on the common appeared overwhelmingly opposed to a casino, a few proponents gave a thumbs-up at a coffee shop in the Foxborough Plaza....
Globe went looking again.
--more--"
Once again I am a loser when I open my Boston Globe.
Cain Quits
And I may be ready to as well, at least where the Boston Globe is concerned:
"Cain suspends campaign after reports on his conduct" by Matt Viser and Michael J. Bailey Globe Staff / December 4, 2011
Herman Cain, following a populist and unconventional presidential campaign, this afternoon announced that he was suspending his candidacy, saying allegations of sexual harassment and a 13-year affair had hampered his ability to get his message out.
For more from BostonGlobe.com, sign up or log in below
Not anymore.
--NOMORE--"
I have a list of notations of I don't know how many days of Cain items, but who cares?
"TV ads for N.H. primary down from ’08" by Alex Katz Globe Correspondent / December 4, 2011
A little more than a month before voters cast their ballots in the first-in-the-nation primary, New Hampshire’s airwaves are dramatically less inundated with campaign spots as Republican presidential candidates have scaled back their television ad expenditures here by nearly 77 percent. According to a Globe analysis of public files from WMUR-TV, GOP candidates have spent just $923,385 on television advertising, compared with more than $3.9 million at this point during the 2008 cycle.
For more from BostonGlobe.com, sign up or log in below
It's okay; the only quote from that piece was going to be "Ron Paul -- who was the first major candidate to take to the airwaves here."
Other than that the Globe ignores the guy.
--NOMORE--"
Not exactly sure where I am going from here, readers.
I'm certainly sick of the hoops (which I will be shooting later this morning, dear readers) the pos Globe is making me go through, and have quite frankly had it with the distorting, divisive, distracting, diverting, omissions and obfuscations as well as the never-ending agenda-pushing and war-promoting lies. It is PHYSICALLY PAINFUL to read the Globe these days readers. There is an indescribable feeling of hurt in my chest as I flip through the stories.
Most of it stems from the sense of failure. The inability to blog when I'm needed the most; the sense that everything I have tried to prevent is here on the doorstep with none of the goals attained when I began five long years ago. A case-in-point is after weeks and months of reading military action has been all but ruled out in Syria -- and yet the UN called for it yesterday. Meanwhile, Israel says it may attack Iran and not tell anyone. Another would be the failure of war criminals and Wall Street looters to be held accountable by government. Not only has it become obvious that AmeriKa's government officials are not listening to the people of this country, it has become obvious that they actually work for the those same interests (in $o many way$, taxpayer$ -- if you know what I mean.
And that is only one of the important issues I am failing to bring you -- because I AM ALSO FAILING YOU, dear readers. After the part-time slave service and the two-or-so hours it takes to slog through a printed Globe I am exhausted. The fact is the blog is a full-time job now because events are moving so fast. The globe-kickers have kicked the program into high gear, and woe to those who stand in the way of megalomanic psychopaths.
I'll try and do what I can for you later tonight, beloved readers and followers. The truth is you are the only ones keeping me going.
"Cain suspends campaign after reports on his conduct" by Matt Viser and Michael J. Bailey Globe Staff / December 4, 2011
Herman Cain, following a populist and unconventional presidential campaign, this afternoon announced that he was suspending his candidacy, saying allegations of sexual harassment and a 13-year affair had hampered his ability to get his message out.
For more from BostonGlobe.com, sign up or log in below
To continue, please sign up or log in to BostonGlobe.com
Access the full articles and quality reporting of The Boston Globe at BostonGlobe.com
Sign up
Unlimited Access to BostonGlobe.com for 4 weeks for only 99¢.
Are you a Boston Globe home delivery subscriber?
Get FREE access as part of your print subscription.
Not anymore.
--NOMORE--"
I have a list of notations of I don't know how many days of Cain items, but who cares?
"TV ads for N.H. primary down from ’08" by Alex Katz Globe Correspondent / December 4, 2011
A little more than a month before voters cast their ballots in the first-in-the-nation primary, New Hampshire’s airwaves are dramatically less inundated with campaign spots as Republican presidential candidates have scaled back their television ad expenditures here by nearly 77 percent. According to a Globe analysis of public files from WMUR-TV, GOP candidates have spent just $923,385 on television advertising, compared with more than $3.9 million at this point during the 2008 cycle.
For more from BostonGlobe.com, sign up or log in below
To continue, please sign up or log in to BostonGlobe.com
Access the full articles and quality reporting of The Boston Globe at BostonGlobe.com
Sign up
Unlimited Access to BostonGlobe.com for 4 weeks for only 99¢.
Are you a Boston Globe home delivery subscriber?
Get FREE access as part of your print subscription.
It's okay; the only quote from that piece was going to be "Ron Paul -- who was the first major candidate to take to the airwaves here."
Other than that the Globe ignores the guy.
--NOMORE--"
Not exactly sure where I am going from here, readers.
I'm certainly sick of the hoops (which I will be shooting later this morning, dear readers) the pos Globe is making me go through, and have quite frankly had it with the distorting, divisive, distracting, diverting, omissions and obfuscations as well as the never-ending agenda-pushing and war-promoting lies. It is PHYSICALLY PAINFUL to read the Globe these days readers. There is an indescribable feeling of hurt in my chest as I flip through the stories.
Most of it stems from the sense of failure. The inability to blog when I'm needed the most; the sense that everything I have tried to prevent is here on the doorstep with none of the goals attained when I began five long years ago. A case-in-point is after weeks and months of reading military action has been all but ruled out in Syria -- and yet the UN called for it yesterday. Meanwhile, Israel says it may attack Iran and not tell anyone. Another would be the failure of war criminals and Wall Street looters to be held accountable by government. Not only has it become obvious that AmeriKa's government officials are not listening to the people of this country, it has become obvious that they actually work for the those same interests (in $o many way$, taxpayer$ -- if you know what I mean.
And that is only one of the important issues I am failing to bring you -- because I AM ALSO FAILING YOU, dear readers. After the part-time slave service and the two-or-so hours it takes to slog through a printed Globe I am exhausted. The fact is the blog is a full-time job now because events are moving so fast. The globe-kickers have kicked the program into high gear, and woe to those who stand in the way of megalomanic psychopaths.
I'll try and do what I can for you later tonight, beloved readers and followers. The truth is you are the only ones keeping me going.
Friday, December 2, 2011
Occupy Protests Over
It's a fascist nation now.
"Occupy activists don’t fold tents in LA, Philadelphia; Many disregard eviction deadlines" November 28, 2011|By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - With the clock winding down on a midnight deadline to abandon their weeks-old Occupy Los Angeles protest, hundreds of demonstrators stayed put yesterday and made plans instead to hold an “eviction block party.’’
Although city officials told protesters they had to leave and take their nearly 500 tents with them by 12:01 a.m. today, just a handful were seen packing up yesterday.
Instead, some passed out fliers containing the city seal and the words: “By order of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, this notice terminates your tenancy and requires you to attend the Occupy L.A. Eviction Block Party,’’ which the fliers said was also scheduled for midnight....
Meanwhile, local clergy and labor leaders implored both sides to ensure that the 2-month-old demonstration remain peaceful....
“We are grateful to the Occupy movement for refocusing the country to the issue of income inequality,’’ Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary and treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said in a statement.
“We call for nonviolence in all acts of civil disobedience by Occupy LA and in professional procedures by the LAPD. We are committed to a long-term movement from the 99 percent to hold Wall Street and the banks accountable for devastating our economy,’’ Durazo added.
Villaraigosa has expressed admiration that, at least so far, the Occupy Los Angeles movement has remained peaceful, unlike those in some other cities around the country. But while the mayor, a former labor organizer, has said he sympathizes with the movement, he added it is time to close the encampment of tents that dot the lawn in front of City Hall for the sake of public health and safety.
The movement is at a crossroads, Villaraigosa said, and must “move from holding a particular patch of park to spreading the message of economic justice.’’
Although most protesters showed no signs of moving, a few seemed to support the mayor’s sentiments.
“I’m going,’’ said Luke Hagerman, who sat looking sad and resigned in the tent he’s lived in for a month. “I wish we could have got more done.’’
*************************
In Philadelphia yesterday, nearly 50 members of that city’s Occupy movement sat with their arms linked as a 5 p.m. deadline to leave the site of their protest set by the city passed without immediate action.
Mayor Michael Nutter set the deadline for the Philadelphia demonstrators to remove their belongings. Some had done so by the deadline and others were in the process of tearing down their tents. Others vowed to remain, saying the importance of their message outweighed long-set plans to renovate Dilworth Plaza in the heart of the city.
Police were monitoring the Philadelphia sit-in, describing it as a peaceful demonstration....
--more--"
"Occupy protesters defy orders to leave; Deadlines pass in Philadelphia and Los Angeles" November 29, 2011|By Christina Hoag, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Wall Street protesters in Los Angeles and Philadelphia defied orders to leave their months-old encampments, making it through the deadlines without the acrimony that marked earlier forced evictions in other cities.
Protesters chanted “We won, we won’’ as Los Angeles police clad in riot gear left yesterday, though there were four arrests. Occupy LA supporters asked a federal judge to bar the city from tearing down their encampment.
In Philadelphia, the camp was mostly quiet amid a heavy police presence, and during the morning, a handful of people marching down one of the city’s main business corridors banging drums.
When the camps would be cleared after officials in both cities ordered their removal was unclear....
Police and protesters have clashed in recent weeks, most notably in Oakland, as officers sometimes used pepper spray and tear gas to close camps that officials say have grown more dangerous for public health and safety.
Some of those encampments had been in use almost since the movement against economic disparity and perceived corporate greed began with Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan two months ago.
That is a VERY TELLING PHRASE!! It means the corporate AmeriKan media do not see things that way!!
In Maine, Occupy Augusta encampment in Capitol Park took down its tents after being told to get a permit or move their shelters. Nine people were arrested when a demonstration spilled onto the grounds of the Maine governor’s mansion.
Also see: Occupy protest ends up at Maine governor's mansion; 8 arrested
In San Francisco, protesters shouted and chanted as they disrupted a University of California board meeting, forcing officials to move to another room.
The meeting comes after video footage captured a UC Davis police officer pepper-spraying peaceful protesters drew outrage, not just at the school but around the world, and set off a debate about the appropriate use of force.
Also see: Globe Grinds Pepper Spray Protest Story
In Los Angeles, about half of the 485 tents had been taken down as of Sunday night, leaving patches of the 1.7-acre park around City Hall barren of grass and strewn with garbage.
Police turned back after hundreds of Occupy LA supporters showed up at the camp Sunday night as the midnight deadline for evacuation neared. As the night drew on, many demonstrators left.
Protester Julie Levine said she was surprised that police did not move in as the numbers dwindled. “We were fearful,’’ she said. “But we held our numbers and police were on their best behavior.’’
--more--"
"Police break up camps in LA, Philadelphia; Phoenix officers pepper-spray protest at resort" December 01, 2011|By Jennifer Medina, New York Times
LOS ANGELES - The police broke up large Occupy encampments in Los Angeles and Philadelphia early yesterday, arresting hundreds of protesters who had been camped out for the past two months and who had remained in public squares beyond city-mandated deadlines this week.
Around 12:30 a.m. in Los Angeles, scores of police officers raided the Occupy camp that had been set up in a park outside City Hall, leading most of the protesters to scramble from their tents and gather in large groups in the surrounding streets.
By the time the raid ended several hours later, the police had arrested about 300 people. Most were cited for failure to disperse.
After much of the park had been cleared of what had grown into a colorful - if sometimes squalid - camp of several hundred tents, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa told reporters that he was proud of the way the police had performed, in particular, by employing force only as a last resort....
But while the police and city officials said the raid had been conducted as peacefully as possible, some protesters said they had watched officers throw demonstrators to the ground and beat back people with batons.
Yesterday in Philadelphia, once officers arrived in force yesterday, the protesters took to the streets. The police trailed them for hours, seeking to avoid confrontations, but eventually called in mounted units to help cordon off demonstrators....
I'm sorry I'm so unenthusiastic about reading and posting the Globe these days, readers; however, I'm so sick of reading apologetic slop from the mouthpiece media.
In Phoenix, police clad in riot gear twice used pepper spray yesterday morning to disperse protesters gathered outside an upscale resort. The Occupy Phoenix protesters moved from the downtown park where they have been camping for weeks to the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, where an annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council brought together lawmakers and corporate executives.
So you SEE WHO the POLICE are WORKING FOR, right?
As of midday, seven protesters had been arrested outside the hotel on charges ranging from criminal trespass to aggravated assault on an officer. Sergeant Trent Crump, a police spokesman, said a small group of “anarchists’’ dressed in black had charged police lines, prompting the use of pepper spray.
"Anarchists" is mediaspeak for AGENT PROVOCATEURS!!
“The pepper spray is very effective in dispersing those who are being aggressive, and that is what happened here,’’ Crump said.
Then maybe some police thugs wouldn't mind it being sprayed in their face.
But protesters, many holding signs decrying the influence of money in politics, said it was the police who overreacted.
“I think it’s very unfortunate when the police think they have to support the 1 percent when they are part of the 99 percent,’’ said Joyce Smith, a retired teacher who has been active in the Occupy movement.
That's why my attitude now id f*** the cops, f*** their collective bargaining rights, and f*** their pensions. I love budget cuts when it comes to cops. That means less of them out there.
It's no longer protect and serve; it's beat and oppress now.
--more--"
Related: Wall Street Protests Winding Down
Also see: Occupy Harvard looks ahead
City will make its case on protest
Occupy protesters can stay - for now
I'm sorry I didn't have the time or will to read those pos, readers, and I think it's over for me for tonight. Long weekend of work ahead.
"Occupy activists don’t fold tents in LA, Philadelphia; Many disregard eviction deadlines" November 28, 2011|By Andrew Dalton, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - With the clock winding down on a midnight deadline to abandon their weeks-old Occupy Los Angeles protest, hundreds of demonstrators stayed put yesterday and made plans instead to hold an “eviction block party.’’
Although city officials told protesters they had to leave and take their nearly 500 tents with them by 12:01 a.m. today, just a handful were seen packing up yesterday.
Instead, some passed out fliers containing the city seal and the words: “By order of Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa, this notice terminates your tenancy and requires you to attend the Occupy L.A. Eviction Block Party,’’ which the fliers said was also scheduled for midnight....
Meanwhile, local clergy and labor leaders implored both sides to ensure that the 2-month-old demonstration remain peaceful....
“We are grateful to the Occupy movement for refocusing the country to the issue of income inequality,’’ Maria Elena Durazo, executive secretary and treasurer of the Los Angeles County Federation of Labor, said in a statement.
“We call for nonviolence in all acts of civil disobedience by Occupy LA and in professional procedures by the LAPD. We are committed to a long-term movement from the 99 percent to hold Wall Street and the banks accountable for devastating our economy,’’ Durazo added.
Villaraigosa has expressed admiration that, at least so far, the Occupy Los Angeles movement has remained peaceful, unlike those in some other cities around the country. But while the mayor, a former labor organizer, has said he sympathizes with the movement, he added it is time to close the encampment of tents that dot the lawn in front of City Hall for the sake of public health and safety.
The movement is at a crossroads, Villaraigosa said, and must “move from holding a particular patch of park to spreading the message of economic justice.’’
Although most protesters showed no signs of moving, a few seemed to support the mayor’s sentiments.
“I’m going,’’ said Luke Hagerman, who sat looking sad and resigned in the tent he’s lived in for a month. “I wish we could have got more done.’’
*************************
In Philadelphia yesterday, nearly 50 members of that city’s Occupy movement sat with their arms linked as a 5 p.m. deadline to leave the site of their protest set by the city passed without immediate action.
Mayor Michael Nutter set the deadline for the Philadelphia demonstrators to remove their belongings. Some had done so by the deadline and others were in the process of tearing down their tents. Others vowed to remain, saying the importance of their message outweighed long-set plans to renovate Dilworth Plaza in the heart of the city.
Police were monitoring the Philadelphia sit-in, describing it as a peaceful demonstration....
--more--"
"Occupy protesters defy orders to leave; Deadlines pass in Philadelphia and Los Angeles" November 29, 2011|By Christina Hoag, Associated Press
LOS ANGELES - Wall Street protesters in Los Angeles and Philadelphia defied orders to leave their months-old encampments, making it through the deadlines without the acrimony that marked earlier forced evictions in other cities.
Protesters chanted “We won, we won’’ as Los Angeles police clad in riot gear left yesterday, though there were four arrests. Occupy LA supporters asked a federal judge to bar the city from tearing down their encampment.
In Philadelphia, the camp was mostly quiet amid a heavy police presence, and during the morning, a handful of people marching down one of the city’s main business corridors banging drums.
When the camps would be cleared after officials in both cities ordered their removal was unclear....
Police and protesters have clashed in recent weeks, most notably in Oakland, as officers sometimes used pepper spray and tear gas to close camps that officials say have grown more dangerous for public health and safety.
Some of those encampments had been in use almost since the movement against economic disparity and perceived corporate greed began with Occupy Wall Street in Manhattan two months ago.
That is a VERY TELLING PHRASE!! It means the corporate AmeriKan media do not see things that way!!
In Maine, Occupy Augusta encampment in Capitol Park took down its tents after being told to get a permit or move their shelters. Nine people were arrested when a demonstration spilled onto the grounds of the Maine governor’s mansion.
Also see: Occupy protest ends up at Maine governor's mansion; 8 arrested
In San Francisco, protesters shouted and chanted as they disrupted a University of California board meeting, forcing officials to move to another room.
The meeting comes after video footage captured a UC Davis police officer pepper-spraying peaceful protesters drew outrage, not just at the school but around the world, and set off a debate about the appropriate use of force.
Also see: Globe Grinds Pepper Spray Protest Story
In Los Angeles, about half of the 485 tents had been taken down as of Sunday night, leaving patches of the 1.7-acre park around City Hall barren of grass and strewn with garbage.
Police turned back after hundreds of Occupy LA supporters showed up at the camp Sunday night as the midnight deadline for evacuation neared. As the night drew on, many demonstrators left.
Protester Julie Levine said she was surprised that police did not move in as the numbers dwindled. “We were fearful,’’ she said. “But we held our numbers and police were on their best behavior.’’
--more--"
"Police break up camps in LA, Philadelphia; Phoenix officers pepper-spray protest at resort" December 01, 2011|By Jennifer Medina, New York Times
LOS ANGELES - The police broke up large Occupy encampments in Los Angeles and Philadelphia early yesterday, arresting hundreds of protesters who had been camped out for the past two months and who had remained in public squares beyond city-mandated deadlines this week.
Around 12:30 a.m. in Los Angeles, scores of police officers raided the Occupy camp that had been set up in a park outside City Hall, leading most of the protesters to scramble from their tents and gather in large groups in the surrounding streets.
By the time the raid ended several hours later, the police had arrested about 300 people. Most were cited for failure to disperse.
After much of the park had been cleared of what had grown into a colorful - if sometimes squalid - camp of several hundred tents, Mayor Antonio R. Villaraigosa told reporters that he was proud of the way the police had performed, in particular, by employing force only as a last resort....
But while the police and city officials said the raid had been conducted as peacefully as possible, some protesters said they had watched officers throw demonstrators to the ground and beat back people with batons.
Yesterday in Philadelphia, once officers arrived in force yesterday, the protesters took to the streets. The police trailed them for hours, seeking to avoid confrontations, but eventually called in mounted units to help cordon off demonstrators....
I'm sorry I'm so unenthusiastic about reading and posting the Globe these days, readers; however, I'm so sick of reading apologetic slop from the mouthpiece media.
In Phoenix, police clad in riot gear twice used pepper spray yesterday morning to disperse protesters gathered outside an upscale resort. The Occupy Phoenix protesters moved from the downtown park where they have been camping for weeks to the Westin Kierland Resort and Spa, where an annual meeting of the American Legislative Exchange Council brought together lawmakers and corporate executives.
So you SEE WHO the POLICE are WORKING FOR, right?
As of midday, seven protesters had been arrested outside the hotel on charges ranging from criminal trespass to aggravated assault on an officer. Sergeant Trent Crump, a police spokesman, said a small group of “anarchists’’ dressed in black had charged police lines, prompting the use of pepper spray.
"Anarchists" is mediaspeak for AGENT PROVOCATEURS!!
“The pepper spray is very effective in dispersing those who are being aggressive, and that is what happened here,’’ Crump said.
Then maybe some police thugs wouldn't mind it being sprayed in their face.
But protesters, many holding signs decrying the influence of money in politics, said it was the police who overreacted.
“I think it’s very unfortunate when the police think they have to support the 1 percent when they are part of the 99 percent,’’ said Joyce Smith, a retired teacher who has been active in the Occupy movement.
That's why my attitude now id f*** the cops, f*** their collective bargaining rights, and f*** their pensions. I love budget cuts when it comes to cops. That means less of them out there.
It's no longer protect and serve; it's beat and oppress now.
--more--"
Related: Wall Street Protests Winding Down
Also see: Occupy Harvard looks ahead
City will make its case on protest
Occupy protesters can stay - for now
I'm sorry I didn't have the time or will to read those pos, readers, and I think it's over for me for tonight. Long weekend of work ahead.
Frank is Finished
I feel like I'm getting pretty close to it myself.
What Frank represents to me is your typical Democrat; they quit when faced with a tough fight. Say what you want about Repuglicans; at least they filibuster and fight.
"Frank will not run again; Redrawn district drives one-of-a-kind from seat" November 29, 2011|By Frank Phillips and Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
Facing a new electoral hurdle in a dramatically redrawn district, US Representative Barney Frank, a stalwart of Massachusetts politics for more than 40 years and one of the nation’s leading liberal voices, announced yesterday that he will leave Congress when his term expires.
Frank said the Massachusetts Legislature’s decision to carve up his congressional district and, in particular, to separate him from New Bedford, would have forced him to wage a reelection campaign in unfamiliar territory.
“I think I would have won but … it would have been a tough campaign,’’ said Frank, a Democrat first elected to Congress in 1980.
“I could not put the requisite effort into that,’’ Frank said, citing the demands of his current duties, the needs to raise funds and to introduce himself to new communities.
His decision to retire from public life is a milestone in Massachusetts and national politics. Frank, one of the first openly gay members of Congress, has for years been lionized by liberals across the country. Likewise, with his sharp tongue and rapier wit, Frank provoked antipathy from his most frequent targets, Republicans and social conservatives.
The announcement, delivered at a press conference in Newton’s City Hall, stunned the political world because Frank had told confidants, even in recent weeks, that he would fulfill a pledge he made in February to seek reelection, despite personal reservations.
But, according to close associates, the 71-year-old Newton Democrat decided on Thanksgiving Day that he did not have the energy or will to mount a difficult campaign in a redrawn district....
Frank was able to weather an early scandal, involving a male prostitute who ran an escort service out of his home, to win reelection easily and become a leading voice on financial regulation and a standard-bearer for the Democratic Party....
The lid was put on that awful quick, and I didn't think much of it at the time; however, looking back on it now that was part of the perverted sex rings that service the powerful.
Frank’s lowest point in his public career came in the 1980s, when he hired Steve Gobie, a male prostitute, out of his personal funds to work as a housekeeper and driver. He kicked him out of his Washington home after he found Gobie was running an escort service there.
So if you were looking for a gay date in D.C. you called Gobie at Barney's. How could he not know what was going on in his own home?
The House Ethics Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing, but the full House reprimanded Frank for his office’s help in fixing 33 traffic tickets for Gobie and providing some misstatements.
That last phrase means Barney lied, and putting the sex stuff aside, wouldn't he have questioned why he needed to fix so many tickets? Why was he fixing them in the first place?
Although he has increasingly earned a reputation in recent years for being cranky, short-tempered, and irascible, Frank was particularly relaxed and reflective as he met yesterday with reporters, many of whom he has upbraided over the years.
He gave lengthy and detailed answers defending his role in the financial crisis, said he regretted not supporting the initial 1991 Iraq invasion, and said he would leave it to others to define his legacy....
He regrets not supporting the first war built on lies?
I was going to say good bye-bye, but now it is good riddance.
--more--"
As for defining his legacy:
Bankers' Best Friend
Barney Frank is Bush's Best Friend
Banks Bought Off Both Parties
Barney Frank Benefited From Bailout Bill
Frank Fiddled With Bailout Funds (And Other Frauds)
Slow Saturday Special: Protecting Politicians
Barney Frank Benefited From State Debts
Municipal Bond Milking
Frankly Speaking
Sunday Globe Censorship: Barney Frank Tells Gays to Go F*** Themselves
Boston Globe Censored Briefs: Barney Frank Exhales Fart Mist
Not the way the approving, agenda-pushing Globe sees it:
"For 31 years, a liberal voice impossible to ignore" November 29, 2011|By Michael Kranish and Tracy Jan, Globe Staff
Love him or hate him, Barney Frank has for his 31 years in Washington been impossible to ignore.
His impact on debate and policy has been among the most significant of any recent House member outside the speaker’s office. In his powerful position as House Financial Services Committee chairman, Frank was a crucial backer of the bank bailout of 2008, and, with former senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, engineered the overhaul of Wall Street regulations, a measure designed to reduce the likelihood of another meltdown....
Actually, that measure and the administration's regulations have meant the bill meant nothing.
Related: Senate Sends Along Financial Fraud Bill
Heck of a way to cap a career.
And consider where we are now. I'm told if Europe melts down it's going to be another bailout situation. In fact, the Fed is sending dollars to Europe as I type.
Yeah, that bill really was a fine piece of work.
Between the upbringing in Jersey and the ivory towers of Cambridge, Frank developed a smarter-than-thou attitude and a liberal outlook that led to a life in politics....
So that's why he always rubbed me the wrong way.
Frank hired a male prostitute and used personal funds to pay him as an aide. When it was reported in 1989 that the man had run a prostitution ring from Frank’s Washington home years earlier, the lawmaker’s actions came under investigation.
Frank had denied he knew the man was running a prostitution ring. The House eventually voted 408-18 to reprimand Frank for using his congressional office to fix 33 of the man’s parking tickets. Frank was reelected in 1990 with 66 percent of the vote.
He had survived being written off by some as politically dead and rejected the advice of an editorial by the Globe calling for his resignation....
Although hailed by supporters and pilloried by foes for his liberal stances, Frank was known for his ability to work with Republicans on certain issues.
So all that political bather is nothing but bulls***?
In fact, Frank found an unlikely ally in Senator Scott Brown, the Massachusetts Republican who convinced him to add a provision in the Dodd-Frank bill that would exempt some insurance and mutual fund companies from certain regulations. Brown then cast a critical vote needed to break the GOP filibuster against the bill.
Campaign check to follow.
The Dodd-Frank law was in response to the credit meltdown of 2008, a financial calamity caused largely by problems in the housing market that were greatly amplified by the financial industry’s buying and selling of bundles of loans.
Look at how sanitized that version of the mortgage-backed securities fraud is.
They bundled crap, told people it was AAA, and then bet on the same securities to fail while selling them to local governments and pension plans.
And then you wonder why the politicians are attacking public employee unions and collective bargaining?
For years, Frank had worked enthusiastically to help lower-income people get home mortgages with the help of the quasi-government agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What happened there is Fannie and Freddie bought up the bad securities and then was used as a dumpster for the bad paper during the bailout. That's why they are in such bad shape, not because they backed mortgages for low-income people.
As early as 2003, Frank and other members of the Financial Services Committee had received reports from the director of the federal office responsible for overseeing Fannie and Freddie questioning their solvency, given their expanding portfolios and increasing reliance on risky investments.
But Frank continued to defend the lenders. He did not take action to rein them in until he became chair of the committee in January 2007. By the time he passed a bill out of committee requiring tighter restrictions on Fannie and Freddie, it was too late - the lenders had gobbled up risky mortgages and were headed for failure amid the foreclosure crisis....
That's because BARNEY WAS MAKING MONEY off his INVESTMENTS!
And if lenders failed why are they still clearing billions per quarter in profits?
--more--"
Yeah, Globe seemed to ignore that.
"Frank says new voting map edged him out; Feels districts favor other congressmen" by Matt Viser and Christopher Rowland Globe Staff / November 30, 2011
WASHINGTON — US Representative Barney Frank yesterday accused Beacon Hill lawmakers of drawing the new congressional map in a way that shortchanged him in favor of fellow congressmen Edward J. Markey and Stephen F. Lynch. Had they done otherwise, said Frank, he might have run again.
Like I said, faced with a fight they quit.
“Markey and Lynch were protected, and the rest of us got what they didn’t want,” he said. Losing the chance to pick up some choice suburban towns for his district, Frank said, retirement became a more attractive option.
During a 45-minute interview with Globe reporters in his Capitol Hill office, Frank asserted that Markey, with a suburban district that now extends west to Framingham and Ashland, and Lynch, from South Boston to the South Shore then west to Dedham, were given good districts.
The map was drawn up by Democrats in this overwhelmingly Democrat state, so WTF? Who did you piss off back here, Barn?
Several others — including himself; William R. Keating of Quincy; John Tierney of Salem; and Niki Tsongas of Lowell — got a bad deal, Frank said, even though those districts are still considered by many as safe Democratic seats....
And he's complaining the race is too tough.
Frank has received a number of calls from well-wishers, including former Treasury secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, Vice President Joe Biden, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s widow, Vicki Kennedy.
But he's looking out for you, average American.
He has also been contacted by several agents who want to help him write a book, secure a media contract, and line up lucrative speaking engagements. Frank said he has no interest in hosting a daily news program, but he could do weekly spots and join the speaking and lecture circuit.
Going to turn his public service celebrity in ca$h.
“I’ll be honest: I will make a lot of money,” Frank said. “I will talk less than I used to and get paid much more for it.”
Barney is closer to the elite than you, average American.
Frank said he will continue defending his biggest legislative accomplishment, the Dodd-Frank financial regulation overhaul of 2010....
How do you defend failure? Wall Street is back to the same old s***.
--more-"
Also see: For Frank's constituents, a jolt
What Frank represents to me is your typical Democrat; they quit when faced with a tough fight. Say what you want about Repuglicans; at least they filibuster and fight.
"Frank will not run again; Redrawn district drives one-of-a-kind from seat" November 29, 2011|By Frank Phillips and Noah Bierman, Globe Staff
Facing a new electoral hurdle in a dramatically redrawn district, US Representative Barney Frank, a stalwart of Massachusetts politics for more than 40 years and one of the nation’s leading liberal voices, announced yesterday that he will leave Congress when his term expires.
Frank said the Massachusetts Legislature’s decision to carve up his congressional district and, in particular, to separate him from New Bedford, would have forced him to wage a reelection campaign in unfamiliar territory.
“I think I would have won but … it would have been a tough campaign,’’ said Frank, a Democrat first elected to Congress in 1980.
“I could not put the requisite effort into that,’’ Frank said, citing the demands of his current duties, the needs to raise funds and to introduce himself to new communities.
His decision to retire from public life is a milestone in Massachusetts and national politics. Frank, one of the first openly gay members of Congress, has for years been lionized by liberals across the country. Likewise, with his sharp tongue and rapier wit, Frank provoked antipathy from his most frequent targets, Republicans and social conservatives.
The announcement, delivered at a press conference in Newton’s City Hall, stunned the political world because Frank had told confidants, even in recent weeks, that he would fulfill a pledge he made in February to seek reelection, despite personal reservations.
But, according to close associates, the 71-year-old Newton Democrat decided on Thanksgiving Day that he did not have the energy or will to mount a difficult campaign in a redrawn district....
Frank was able to weather an early scandal, involving a male prostitute who ran an escort service out of his home, to win reelection easily and become a leading voice on financial regulation and a standard-bearer for the Democratic Party....
The lid was put on that awful quick, and I didn't think much of it at the time; however, looking back on it now that was part of the perverted sex rings that service the powerful.
Frank’s lowest point in his public career came in the 1980s, when he hired Steve Gobie, a male prostitute, out of his personal funds to work as a housekeeper and driver. He kicked him out of his Washington home after he found Gobie was running an escort service there.
So if you were looking for a gay date in D.C. you called Gobie at Barney's. How could he not know what was going on in his own home?
The House Ethics Committee found no evidence of wrongdoing, but the full House reprimanded Frank for his office’s help in fixing 33 traffic tickets for Gobie and providing some misstatements.
That last phrase means Barney lied, and putting the sex stuff aside, wouldn't he have questioned why he needed to fix so many tickets? Why was he fixing them in the first place?
Although he has increasingly earned a reputation in recent years for being cranky, short-tempered, and irascible, Frank was particularly relaxed and reflective as he met yesterday with reporters, many of whom he has upbraided over the years.
He gave lengthy and detailed answers defending his role in the financial crisis, said he regretted not supporting the initial 1991 Iraq invasion, and said he would leave it to others to define his legacy....
He regrets not supporting the first war built on lies?
I was going to say good bye-bye, but now it is good riddance.
--more--"
As for defining his legacy:
Bankers' Best Friend
Barney Frank is Bush's Best Friend
Banks Bought Off Both Parties
Barney Frank Benefited From Bailout Bill
Frank Fiddled With Bailout Funds (And Other Frauds)
Slow Saturday Special: Protecting Politicians
Barney Frank Benefited From State Debts
Municipal Bond Milking
Frankly Speaking
Sunday Globe Censorship: Barney Frank Tells Gays to Go F*** Themselves
Boston Globe Censored Briefs: Barney Frank Exhales Fart Mist
Not the way the approving, agenda-pushing Globe sees it:
"For 31 years, a liberal voice impossible to ignore" November 29, 2011|By Michael Kranish and Tracy Jan, Globe Staff
Love him or hate him, Barney Frank has for his 31 years in Washington been impossible to ignore.
His impact on debate and policy has been among the most significant of any recent House member outside the speaker’s office. In his powerful position as House Financial Services Committee chairman, Frank was a crucial backer of the bank bailout of 2008, and, with former senator Christopher Dodd of Connecticut, engineered the overhaul of Wall Street regulations, a measure designed to reduce the likelihood of another meltdown....
Actually, that measure and the administration's regulations have meant the bill meant nothing.
Related: Senate Sends Along Financial Fraud Bill
Heck of a way to cap a career.
And consider where we are now. I'm told if Europe melts down it's going to be another bailout situation. In fact, the Fed is sending dollars to Europe as I type.
Yeah, that bill really was a fine piece of work.
Between the upbringing in Jersey and the ivory towers of Cambridge, Frank developed a smarter-than-thou attitude and a liberal outlook that led to a life in politics....
So that's why he always rubbed me the wrong way.
Frank hired a male prostitute and used personal funds to pay him as an aide. When it was reported in 1989 that the man had run a prostitution ring from Frank’s Washington home years earlier, the lawmaker’s actions came under investigation.
Frank had denied he knew the man was running a prostitution ring. The House eventually voted 408-18 to reprimand Frank for using his congressional office to fix 33 of the man’s parking tickets. Frank was reelected in 1990 with 66 percent of the vote.
He had survived being written off by some as politically dead and rejected the advice of an editorial by the Globe calling for his resignation....
Although hailed by supporters and pilloried by foes for his liberal stances, Frank was known for his ability to work with Republicans on certain issues.
So all that political bather is nothing but bulls***?
In fact, Frank found an unlikely ally in Senator Scott Brown, the Massachusetts Republican who convinced him to add a provision in the Dodd-Frank bill that would exempt some insurance and mutual fund companies from certain regulations. Brown then cast a critical vote needed to break the GOP filibuster against the bill.
Campaign check to follow.
The Dodd-Frank law was in response to the credit meltdown of 2008, a financial calamity caused largely by problems in the housing market that were greatly amplified by the financial industry’s buying and selling of bundles of loans.
Look at how sanitized that version of the mortgage-backed securities fraud is.
They bundled crap, told people it was AAA, and then bet on the same securities to fail while selling them to local governments and pension plans.
And then you wonder why the politicians are attacking public employee unions and collective bargaining?
For years, Frank had worked enthusiastically to help lower-income people get home mortgages with the help of the quasi-government agencies, Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac.
What happened there is Fannie and Freddie bought up the bad securities and then was used as a dumpster for the bad paper during the bailout. That's why they are in such bad shape, not because they backed mortgages for low-income people.
As early as 2003, Frank and other members of the Financial Services Committee had received reports from the director of the federal office responsible for overseeing Fannie and Freddie questioning their solvency, given their expanding portfolios and increasing reliance on risky investments.
But Frank continued to defend the lenders. He did not take action to rein them in until he became chair of the committee in January 2007. By the time he passed a bill out of committee requiring tighter restrictions on Fannie and Freddie, it was too late - the lenders had gobbled up risky mortgages and were headed for failure amid the foreclosure crisis....
That's because BARNEY WAS MAKING MONEY off his INVESTMENTS!
And if lenders failed why are they still clearing billions per quarter in profits?
--more--"
Yeah, Globe seemed to ignore that.
"Frank says new voting map edged him out; Feels districts favor other congressmen" by Matt Viser and Christopher Rowland Globe Staff / November 30, 2011
WASHINGTON — US Representative Barney Frank yesterday accused Beacon Hill lawmakers of drawing the new congressional map in a way that shortchanged him in favor of fellow congressmen Edward J. Markey and Stephen F. Lynch. Had they done otherwise, said Frank, he might have run again.
Like I said, faced with a fight they quit.
“Markey and Lynch were protected, and the rest of us got what they didn’t want,” he said. Losing the chance to pick up some choice suburban towns for his district, Frank said, retirement became a more attractive option.
During a 45-minute interview with Globe reporters in his Capitol Hill office, Frank asserted that Markey, with a suburban district that now extends west to Framingham and Ashland, and Lynch, from South Boston to the South Shore then west to Dedham, were given good districts.
The map was drawn up by Democrats in this overwhelmingly Democrat state, so WTF? Who did you piss off back here, Barn?
Several others — including himself; William R. Keating of Quincy; John Tierney of Salem; and Niki Tsongas of Lowell — got a bad deal, Frank said, even though those districts are still considered by many as safe Democratic seats....
And he's complaining the race is too tough.
Frank has received a number of calls from well-wishers, including former Treasury secretary Henry Paulson, Federal Reserve chairman Ben Bernanke, Vice President Joe Biden, and Senator Edward M. Kennedy’s widow, Vicki Kennedy.
But he's looking out for you, average American.
He has also been contacted by several agents who want to help him write a book, secure a media contract, and line up lucrative speaking engagements. Frank said he has no interest in hosting a daily news program, but he could do weekly spots and join the speaking and lecture circuit.
Going to turn his public service celebrity in ca$h.
“I’ll be honest: I will make a lot of money,” Frank said. “I will talk less than I used to and get paid much more for it.”
Barney is closer to the elite than you, average American.
Frank said he will continue defending his biggest legislative accomplishment, the Dodd-Frank financial regulation overhaul of 2010....
How do you defend failure? Wall Street is back to the same old s***.
--more-"
Also see: For Frank's constituents, a jolt
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