OWNED!

In possibly the greatest legal smackdown in our generation, the Supreme Court of the United States rejected the Washington Supreme Court's 6-3 verdict aligning themselves with the WEA union. The article in the link forthcoming says it all way better than I ever could. Justices Bobbe Bridge, Tom Chambers, Faith Ireland, Charles Johnson, Barbara Madsen and Susan Owens can all go screw. Unions are not meant to be used as political leverage whenever you see fit. It is too bad that the positions are unimpeachable. I'd very much like to see Bobbe Bridge's scowling face the next time I pull up to a McDonald's drive-through window.

Green Gregs and Ham

In another example of "Do as I say, not as I do," the illustrious mayor of Seattle has encouraged his peons to get out of their cars and embrace public transportation while the mayor himself is chauffeured around town in a Toyota Highlander or his backup vehicle, a Ford Explorer.

For a guy who is so hell bent on getting those fat construction contracts given over to his cronies, he's not at all interested in actually using public transportation. He's not riding the bus, or the worthless Sounder train. He has someone to pick him up at home, cart him around for his 100 miles worth of routine mayoral business, and then back to his Westlake abode, so he can sleep and dream about another day of bilking his citizens out of billions of dollars.

There's not that much more to say. The evidence is there. The bus routes are there for the mayor to take, but he's stuck in his ivory tower issuing edicts to actually pay attention to their content.

What's (Not) Good For You

In their constant quest to control the lives of their constituents, California's state legislature is pushing for a "Clean Cars" bill that will transfer money from people who buy large "gas guzzling" vehicles that emit copious amounts of carbon dioxide, to consumers who purchase cars that have lower emission ratings.

Be afraid. Be very afraid, and put your hand over your wallet so it doesn't get picked by these goons who are being drawn in by the global warming swindle that is ever-present these days.

The specifics are these: in 2011, each new car purchased will be keyed to a chart. Those with the highest carbon dioxide emission ratings will incur a $2,500 fine to the purchaser, and that amount decreases as the emission rating does. For hybrid cars and low-emission vehicles, the buyers will be rewarded by a rebate of up to $2,500. IF there was ever a more brash way to socially engineer the public, I haven't seen it. You may thank Assemblyman Ira Ruskin of Redwood City, California for this deplorable piece of legislation when it comes to your state; and mark my words, the mania is sweeping the nation.

Never mind the "school moms" who are driving entire sports teams to the field, rather than each family going independently. Never mind used cars which are statistically much dirtier than the most foul SUV. I grant that the idea is decent; trying to clean up the environment, but this isn't the way.

My big problem is that this is trying to force one person's will on a population. I do not believe that this is the purpose of government, no matter how important-sounding the goal is. This is not a free market at work; this is government controlled. And remember how well government regulated cable television worked out?

Keep your eye on your bankbooks.

Critical Thinking in Short Supply

I think I now know why people like Greg Nickels and Ron Sims continue to be elected to positions of power: the smart people of Seattle are soundly outnumbered by complete and utter dumbasses. The Enlightened Ones just don't stand a chance when most of the citizenry is clearly bereft of a functioning brainstem. Case in point:

City officials want to spend $8 million on a feasibility study on the effects of not having the Alaskan Way Viaduct as a means of north-south motor vehicle transportation in Seattle. Never mind that it's a state issue, but the Seattle City Council is so completely wrapped up in this mania of "Cars are bad! Ride your bike! If you disagree you heate the earth!" that they would happily drown the region in perpetual gridlock just to try and force their will on the masses.

While listening to the Dori Monson show as I do nearly every weekday afternoon, I heard people calling in to rant on points that anyone who had been paying a modicum of attention would realize are faulty. One came to the startling conclusion that removing one of two north-south highways would not decrease the usership by half, even when the host clearly said that the Viaduct is a north-south highway. And then another went on to ask "What about Interstate 405? People can use that!" Well, that's all fine and good if you want to get to the Eastside, but if you want to stay in Seattle, it's the I-5 or nothing.

Critical thinking isn't that hard. You look at the facts, take them all in, and make a decision based on everything on the table. Runaway government can only survive when they have a bunch of willing simps who will overlook things randomly and do what those in charge tell them to. Don't fall for it.