Eureka Iron Works

Mama Kilpatrick's "Child Prostitution and Tax Cheat Program"

In case anyone noticed, the House has now voted to "de-fund" ACORN due to the blatant abuse of propriety and for being dirtbags.  Well, actually ACORN was always full of dirtbags, it's just that someone was finally able to bring some visibility to their transgressions.  
 
And in case anyone cares, it should be no surprise that our Esteemed Congresswoman Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick has voted to retain funding for ACORN.  Here's the vote:  House Roll Call Vote 718
 
What the f**k is she thinking?  I mean, even Conyers voted to de-fund them.  
 
Let her explain that one to the girls at church on Sunday.

May, Month of Woe

Been a bit busy in May:

• Went to Las Vegas
• Basement flooded at home
• Broke a Crown
• There was fire in the building next to my wife's business
• Wife was hospitalized before we came back from Vegas
• Finally got back 7 days later
• Still have a job, but GM bankruptcy looms over our contracts.
• Been cleaning the basement.  Wife is recuperating.  
• Got a ticket in Detroit
• Obama still President, nationalizing everything in sight
• Republicans acting like wussies

Wah Wah to me.

Tea Party in Lansing / April 15

I went to the Tax Day Tea Party in Lansing on April 15.  It was a beautiful day, and a nice time at the party.  The crowd numbered about 4,000 by my estimate, and was super nice and well behaved.  I met folks from all over the state, saw Joe the Plumber, and basically commiserated about our excessive government with like minded folks who are also upset at the direction our country has taken.

There is coverage all over the internet, but this excerpt from Hot Air summarizes my feelings on the matter pretty well:  York: Look for Tea Party meaning in the small towns

"Just as the raiders protested tax policies imposed on them from a distant and mostly unresponsive British government, the American people have finally tired of power moving away from localities and states and to a federal government much more interested in pork patronage than in the actual priorities of each community.

That impulse does not belong solely to the Democratic Party. Republicans have fed at the pork trough, which creates more federal power over the money of the American people and less control over the governance by the citizenry. The founders never envisioned having the entire nation run by 535 people in the District of Columbia, with the states subservient to the mandates of Congress and the President. They imagined a nation that mostly governed itself, with a federal government that had the authority to enforce the Constitution and to defend itself."

Translation:  it's a lot easier to prevent Mayor DeSana from spending $1.5 million on a useless marina than it is to keep Momma Kilpatrick from giving $1.5 million to those thugs from ACORN.

I'm sure there will be more Tea Parties.  And I think this kind of grass roots activism will make a difference in 2010.  

Some Pics:

    

Carbon Taxes and Wyandotte

One pillar of Obama's plan is energy, more specifically alternative energy.  One key element of his plan is to make traditional forms of energy, like coal, really expensive so folks will use other sources.  

Carbon Taxes To Hit Big Coal Electric States Hardest

While Wyandotte is putting up some windmills, they will only account for 5% or so of our total energy needs.  And because of cap-and-trade, the cost of the other 95% of our energy will go up up up.

Just sayin'.

Senator Dumbass

Well, I got an email from Senator Stabenow today on the AIG issue:

"This morning, Senator Stabenow went to the Senate floor to speak about the outrageous bonuses being lavished on employees at AIG. She spoke about the outrageous double standard between Wall Street and America's automakers, who have submitted their management plans to the auto task force and are renegotiating contracts with their workers, who have already taken cuts. Our families are struggling, and those who got us into this mess should not be rewarded for their failure."

Oh, the irony.  Here's a woman who is loudly decrying the actions made by AIG which were either condoned or tolerated based on legislation she herself approved.  If she was so concerned by appearances, she could have inserted appropriate language into the legislation.  

And we can see where this is going:  anyone who gets federal funds is now liable to the whims of the mob and high dugeon of political correctness.  Cashews instead of peanuts at your meeting?  Off with their heads.  Brand name instead of Generic copy paper?  Execution.  (no wait...Brand name paper union made.  Sorry about the execution thing...our mistake!)

It takes me back to Casablanca:  I'm shocked, SHOCKED to see that there is gambling here.

Dumbasses.  

Wednesday Miscellanea

Random ranting in no particular order:

- Wasn't that statement redundant?

- For the last 8 years, Democrats insisted that dissent and debate was patriotic.  Disagreement with Obama is now treason, and Rush Limbaugh is being castigated through a transparent attempt by the White House and the Democrats to control the media.  Nixon is laughing about that one.  

- The School Board meeting last night was well attended and seemed to do a good job explaining the potential closing of McKinley School.  Seems like a good savings plan to me.  Heating, maintaining and staffing an extra facility does not make sense.  I feel for the kids a little, but due to moving and other factors, I went to a different school in 5th, 6th, 7th and 8th grades.  Seemed to turn out ok!

- Hopefully winter will end soon and walks by the river will be pleasant again.

- Good Eats has Good Fish (and shrimp) on Fridays.

- I saw that Oak Street is getting paved this year.  Super.  

- The City Council appears to be behaving recently.  Perhaps the upcoming election is the reason.  

- Taxes suck.  Higher taxes in the future really sucks.  Obama blows.

Later. 

Will the Wyandotte Anti-War Wackos be out THIS Saturday?

From JAN 22:

Bush is gone.  Obama is President.  

But we are still at war in Iraq and Afghanistan.  The troops have not come home.  Israel is bombing terrorists and little children might be getting hurt.  

So, will the Wyandotte Anti-War Wackos be out at Oak and Fort Street on Saturday?  Too cold?  No stomach for it anymore?  

Bush is gone.  Cheney is gone.  You can repaint that sign now to say "Obama-Hitler" instead. 

One wonders what will happen to the revolution now.  

I'll make sure to drive by there at noon and report back.  

FEB 7 UPDATE:

On a decent, semi-sunny and 48 degree Saturday I did in fact drive down Fort Street to Oak and observed the Wackos.  All 3 of them.  Still protesting the war, one with a "Stop the Bush War" sign.  It seems that the masses of protesters decided that electing Obama was enough, and stayed away today.  I guess they have faith that their idol and savior will exit Iraq and Afghanistan even though he has said he wants to INCREASE the number of troops in Afghanistan.  Put that in your pipe and smoke it, kids.  It's gonna be a long 4 years.  Perhaps it's time to present another petition before the Wyandotte City Council.  

Kwame Mommy Heads to St. Maarten

Now that we're part of the Most Ethical Congress evah, with a surplus of hopenchange in the White House, can we expect our elected officials to act any better?

I would say not.

It appears that Carolyn Cheeks-Kilpatrick, after voting hundreds of billions of tax dollars to support the financial industry through the TARP legislation, took a trip to St. Maarten in the Caribbean that was partially paid for by Citibank who she had just voted to bail out.  'Shameful': Big shots on Wall Street, in Congress still don't get it

"New York's Charles Rangel and five other Democratic members of the House enjoyed a trip to the Caribbean sponsored in part by Citigroup (see above) in November - after Congress had approved the $700 bailout for financial firms (including Citigroup)

The members no doubt will object to the terms "junket," but that shoe fits.  The National Legal and Policy Center, a watchdog group, has asked Neil Barofsky, the special inspector general for the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) to investigate the Nov. 6-9 excursion to the island of St. Maarten.

It was called the Caribbean Multi-Cultural Business Conference, but "the primary purpose ... for most participants appeared to be to take a vacation," said the NLPC. And not only was the timing lousy, but "corporate sponsorship of such an event was banned by House rules adopted on March 1, 2007, in response to the (lobbyist Jack) Abramoff scandal," the group pointed out.

Joining Rangel on that trip were Donald Payne of New Jersey, Sheila Jackson-Lee of Texas, Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick of Michigan, Bennie Thompson of Mississippi and Donna Christenson, delegate from the U.S. Virgin Islands."

Perhaps she was helping Kwame look for a job, or shopping for real estate deals with Rangel. 

You Dimocrats elected her...you should tell her off.  

Wyandotte's Edifice Complex

Another year has passed and the City is engaged in yet another dubious building deal.  This time, our Mayor, Council and DDA are continuing to pursue the rehabilitation of the money pit known as the old Masonic Temple.  Latest story here:

WYANDOTTE: Progress moves slowly on arts center

Now, us taxpayers are going to on the hook for over $1 million for this useless boondoggle.  You can read the article and the history of this transaction in past posts.  

At the end of the day, what can they do at the Masonic Temple that couldn't be done in the basement of City Hall?  Even if you spent $100,000 fixing up City Hall, you'd still have the space you needed and would saved over $1 million on the deal.  Lord knows we have other issues in the City, such as underfunded pensions, dilapidated infrastructure, etc we could spend that million bucks on. 

Now, some folks might say "you can't do that at City Hall because of the mold problems, asbestos, etc."  Then why in the hell are we consolidating City Government into a building that might be unusable and unsafe?  Move those folks to the BankOne building and be done with City Hall.  The bulldozer can take it down with the Fogel Furnture building in the spring.  

It defies logic.  Not that I'm surprised.  

Freep and Detroit News Going Down..No One Cares

Not I.  The quality of their reporting has gone down substantially in the last 10 years, as has the differentiation and vigor of their editorial policies.  Other than substantial local stories like the Kwame Extravaganza, the paper is mostly marked-up wire stories.  

WSJ: Detroit Papers Set to Curtail Print

I canceled weekday delivery 4 years ago, and the Sunday Only subscription I have right now is not going to be renewed. 

Much better news is available from specialized and on-line media sources, and it's leaps and bounds above the drivel dispensed by the Detroit newspapers.  

I've noticed that I don't miss the daily paper any more.  Not exactly the "news" they want to hear.