Wednesday Open Thread
Welcome to your Wednesday open thread. So, aren’t you glad you don’t live in Chicago about now? Aren’t you glad you’re not trying to travel anywhere? It’s a bit crazy out there? What’s on your mind besides the weather?
Stupidest.Health Care Reform.Protest.Ever
You know what the problem with the right to bear arms is? It’s not a requirement. Luckily, a few South Dakota lawmakers are hoping to change that with a law that would require anyone over 21 to buy a gun.
House Bill No. 1237, introduced today by Republican State Rep. Hal Wick of Sioux Falls, asks that
each citizen residing in the state of South Dakota who has attained the age of twenty-one years shall purchase or otherwise acquire a firearm suitable to their temperament, physical capacity, and personal preference sufficient to provide for their ordinary self-defense.
Yes, it’s supposed to be some kind of anti-mandate protest bill or something. Very logical an appropriate, of course. Stay classy, South Dakota Republicans!
Didn’t Helen Thomas get in trouble for saying something similar to this?
This week, Huckabee’s in Israel with right-wing actor Jon Voight — Republicans hate Hollywood, except when they don’t — announcing his opposition to the Middle East peace process.
Potential 2012 U.S. presidential candidate Mike Huckabee said Tuesday that if Palestinians want an independent state, they should seek it from Arabs — not Israel.
The evangelical minister and Fox News host said Jews should be allowed to settle anywhere throughout the biblical Land of Israel — an area that includes the West Bank and east Jerusalem.
He called the demand on Israel to give up land for peace an “unrealistic, unworkable and unreachable goal.”
It’s worth appreciating just how far from the mainstream Huckabee’s line really is. As Jon Chait noted, “Note that not even the Likud government opposes a Palestinian state in principle. If Huckabee sets the pace for defining what constitutes ‘pro-Israel’ in the 2012 GOP primary, we could be in for a race to the bottom.”
Remember how Huckabee’s supposed to be the good guy in the Republican race? Yeah, I don’t either.
Tags: Open Thread
There is nothing wrong with Israel that could not be fixed by exiling everyone with an American accent. Our religious craziness is a disease that is infecting the world.
Here’s something to chew on:
http://delawareway.blogspot.com/2011/02/ncc-comp-plan-blueprint-for-legislation.html
“The Comprehensive Plan is a pretty important document. It is characterized as “both a wish list for managing county growth and development and a blueprint for legislation relating to zoning, community design, and redevelopment” in this article by (DFMNews) Jim Hilgen ~ Amid leadership transition and budget struggles, NCCo begins updating comprehensive plan
Perhaps the reason the county isn’t giving up an analysis of the current plan in writing is because county officials are free to go around making outrageous (and unsubstantiated) statements about it. For instance, “Clark says the last comprehensive plan led to greater availability of affordable housing for county residents, and placed a new emphasis on redevelopment that helps preserve open space.” Or “One success story from the county’s 2007 Comprehensive Plan is the creation of legislation that changes the way development is carried out countywide. County Land Use Manager David Culver says revising legislation that covers the “village and hamlet” development model encourages the emergence of “usable, walkable communities, building those places that we all found special in Delaware” that county code did not allow.”
Hilgen’s coverage of the Comp Plan is especially interesting because he omitted any mention of the fact that the county was refusing to turn over this annual analysis. While interviewing the Vice President of the Civic League, Bill Dunn, the reporter was told about the details but all he wrote for publication was that Dunn “believes the update process is not transparent enough”. And “[i]n response, County Executive Clark says it is important to take the time to listen to the civic groups, “Many of those people have been around for a long time, [and] there’s some historical knowledge there.” But he points out that the civic groups and their agendas are not always in sync with the public view, and other points of view deserve to be heard.”
Oh my gosh, what is this mysterious CIVIC LEAGUE AGENDA not in sync with the public view that Paul Clark keeps referring to? I hear that he has said as much to other media representatives recently.
And if Paul Clark is so worried about participation in this process, why isn’t there any information up about it on their television station? “Clark notes that public participation in comprehensive plan discussions is often low. “There’s a whole generation of people coming out, looking for jobs, looking for housing, that we’re not even getting input from.” In an effort to raise awareness and interest, he will be taking the discussion of the Comprehensive Plan to conservation groups, church groups, and other venues for county residents.
So, Clark is trotting around to speak with church groups but avoiding Civic Associations and their supposedly out-of-sync agenda? Can someone let me know where he will be appearing next, I’d love to witness this.
And a little more from the article ~
Since taking office, Clark has drawn fire from critics about the potential for conflicts of interest that could arise from his wife’s work as a land use attorney. Clark says his wife, Pam Scott, is in the process of shifting her workload of clients who may create the impression of a conflict. Beyond that he says the county’s zoning and planning process is so multilayered and transparent that it would be impossible for either political party to exert undue influence in order to gain an advantage. To address concerns about zoning improprieties, the county executive has repeatedly maintained that he has erected a firewall.
We’re still waiting for that and the 2007 Comp Plan assessment, thanks.”
Uh-oh:
Looks like the evidence for Powell as the shooter is based on the testimony of one of the accomplices (who wasn’t tested). Powell has de-friended his two companions on Facebook.
I guess all three guys in the car are still going down, but if they can’t finger the shooter, the capital case is botched, right?
Crap. Wasn’t Spicer’s partner in the car with him? Did he not see the shooter?
Awesome. The RWNJ guide to Egypt.