Facts Are Stubborn Things - II

For some years, the New York Police Department has used a computer system called CompStat to record and analyze violent crimes so as to determine where in the City crime is increasing. Resources are then focused in those areas to prevent more crimes from happening. Seems like a good idea; few have alleged it to be ineffective.

Among the results of CompStat's use is an array of stats that are inarguable: they are historical records of what happened in NYC for whatever period is being reported. Here are some reported facts for 2009:

1. Blacks committed 66% of all violent crimes reported; non-Hispanic whites committed less than 5% of all the reported violent crimes;

2. Blacks committed 80% of all reported shootings; non-
Hispanic whites committed 1.4% of all shootings;

3. Blacks committed 71% of all reported robberies; non-
Hispanic whites committed less than 5% of all reported
robberies;

4. Blacks and Hispanics combined committed 98% of all
reported assaults involving guns;

5. The vast majority of victims were racial minorities.

There are groups in New York which have filed suit against the NYPD for racial discrimination alleging the above facts demonstrate discrimination as they are unrepresentative of the statistical description of the City which is 23% black and 35% white.

It is at best difficult to take such groups and their members seriously. It is even more difficult to understand why minorities, the bulk of these crime's victims, are equally supportive of notions of discrimination based on these facts. But they do to the detriment of all.

Niles Township Community High School District

Ever hear of Niles Township Community High School District? Neither had I. It's somewhere in Illinois, a suburb of Chicago. It is, however, the best place in America to be a teacher or school administrator.

The top dog in Niles Township is a man named Neil Codell. His annual salary is: $885,327. That's NOT a typo. His salary is almost a million a year to manage a high school district. Yup; poor, under-paid teachers and all that.

Oh yes. When Mr. Codell retires, his 1st year's retirement pay will be $601,798; it is never less. And that's not a typo either. His pension is valued at over $26 million payable to him in retirement.

How can that be you ask? Keep voting for liberals who are funded by teacher's and government worker's unions and there will be more and more of that. And less and less for you.

E Pluribus Unum

A multicultural nation is a contradiction of terms; a logically repugnant notion. There are no multicultural nations, only diverse ones, like the United States. Some - academics, democrats, race hustlers - preach the gospel of multiculturalism despite the balkanizing effect on America and Americans. The promotion of ancestral roots values over American values is both divisive and destructive. It is not for nothing that E Pluribus Unum is the motto of the Great Seal of the United States, carried on high in the American Eagle's beak. The Founders, those dead, white, Christian men, knew precisely what they were about.

It is obvious we are diverse; more so than any other country I can think of. It is more than unfortunate many cannot see the dangerous difference between diversity and multiculturalism.

"Sarah Palin Is Dumb." Really?

That Sarah Palin is dumb is accepted wisdom on the left. Some on the right preached that same Gospel though, after the recent primary, perhaps no more. Consider.

Last July, Mrs. Palin resigned as Alaska's governor which pundits alleged marked the end of her political career. Since then, personally she has earned millions with her book, appearances and television contract thus insulating her from having to worry about the mortgage. Next, she made several endorsements of primary candidiates, most of whom won, and each of whom is in an important presidential primary and electoral state. (E.g., Terry Branstad in Iowa; Nikki Haley in South Carolina; Rand Paul in Kentucky; Rick Perry in Texas.) She demonstrated real loyalty by endorsing McCain in Arizona and double smarts by endorsing Carly Fiorina in California which will get her a filthy rich Senator supporter or a filthy rich supporter in future Palin campaigns. In all, the last 11 months have been pretty good for her. She's made millions, improved her political heft, remains a popular feminine icon and has been a consistent winner in politics and business.

Maybe Sarah Palin is dumb. Maybe not.

Whites Only

There's a columnist named Reuben Navarette whose main claim to fame is that he's Mexican. He recently posted a column that asked which party should Mexicans support using as his criterion which party had done more for Mexicans. By the way, he always says "Latinos" but he always means Mexicans.

Interesting idea that. Maybe white people in America should decide to vote for the party which does the most for white people. When I say white people, I specifically mean non-Latinos, non-Mexicans and non-illegal immigrants. Let's say white people decided to all vote for the Libertarian candidate and all the Mexicans voted for the Mexican party.

Who would win? We would.

Navarette ought to re-think his notion unless, of course, it's racist for white people to do exactly the same as he urges Mexicans do. Which I'm sure he does. I told you his main claim to fame is that he's a Mexican. I never said he was bright. Or fair.

Illegal Immigrants - VII

Somebody named John Morton works for the immigration bureau in Washington; I think ICE but it doesn't matter. The Latino Caucus and other traitorous types who promote (mostly) Mexican interests over American interests has persuaded Morton to beautify detention centers where Mexican criminals are held prior to deportation back to Mexico, that sinkhole slum to the South. Morton has decided to add art and cooking classes to the curriculum of deportees, to provide green-space, computer classes, 24-hour internet access, new matresses and all the comforts of an American, but not a Mexican, home.

Why?

God only knows why any sane person would promote such stuff. It makes no sense at all and why should we pay for those amenities for criminal deportees?

Again I ask: Why? It must be that Morton is insane.

Taliban = Sons of Bitches

I just read a wire story about the Taliban hanging a 7-year old boy because he was "spy".

Do you have children?

Can you imagine the intentional hanging of a 7-year old child? A friend of your son or daughter perhaps; a grandchild?

The Taliban are filthy, rotten sons of bitches.

Facts Are Stubborn Things

Our headline is a favorite quotation, used often in blog posts. Here are a few more for your digestion.

California's population grew by 4 million from 2000 to 2008.

California had 500,000 fewer white people in 2008 than in 2000.

California's Hispanic population grew from 32% to 37% from 2000 to 2008.

California's white population declined from 47% to 40% from 2000 to 2008.

In the Dallas Texas public school system, <5% of the students are white.

In the Houston public school system, 8% of the students are white.

What do these stats mean?

Illegal Immigrants - VI

Jorge Dominguez is an illegal alien, living in Wisconsin. Since 2008, he has been in and out of the Racine County jail for battery, cocaine possession and more. The other day, while driving drunk, he slammed his car into the Glogovsky family car, injuring the three occupants. Mrs. Glogovsky later died at the hospital; her husband and 13-year old son survived.

While in prior custody, not one government authority notified ICE about Dominguez's illegal status so that he could have been taken into federal custody for deportation.

I Love Baseball

As Armando Galarraga and James Joyce recently demonstrated, there's no game like baseball for building character. It's a tough game to play at the professional level. Hitting a baseball is probably the toughest thing to do in professional sports. The greatest hitters have rarely averaged more than one hit out of three tries over a career. And the greatest,Ty Cobb, had the highest lifetime average of 36.7 hits for every 100 times at bat. A .300 hitter earns millions and accolades forever. That's three hits out of ten tries. Imagine returning 3 serves out of 10 at Wimbledon. Or completing 3 passes out of 10 in even a high school football game? So, while it's slow and is without a timeclock or a shotclock, baseball requires an enormous amount of many skills.

Most of you are aware of the recent "perfect-game" lost by Galarraga due to Joyce's missed call on the game's putative final out. And most are aware of the two men's acceptance of responsibility and demonstration of true graciousness. Further, the baseball Commissioner did not yield to the demands of some for "fairness", i.e., overturning the bad call to allow Galarraga to be credited with his perfect game.

All involved were a credit to the game they, I and tens of millions of people love.

It does not get more perfect than that.

Zev Yaraslovsky

The uniquely named politician is one of 5 supervisors of Los Angels County. Prior to that, he was a Los Angeles City Councilman and, before that, he was a teenager. The man has lived on tax dollars his entire life. Short, fat and rumpled, he is a caricature of the local politico. Zev is well-known though for championing the low-flush toilet, an achievement of sorts.

Recently, he has been featured in a political commercial promoting more funding for UCLA which just happens to be in Zev's old councilmanic district and is in his present supervisorial area. The commercial's punch line is something like this: If we fail to fund UCLA and produce all those smart graduates, wait until you see what mediocrity looks like.

Now that Zev knows something about.

The Dismal Art

Were economics truly a science, the world would not be in its present economic straits and your mortgage would not be underwater. There would be more principles on which people could rely; e.g., if your temperature is 98.6 you are a) alive and b) you do not have a fever. Greece would still be a nice place for holiday and California yet the Golden State. Thus, when I tell you that the present is but a taste of that which is to come, I have no offer of proof on which you may rely or take rational notice. Neither does Roubini. In fact, financial wizards are usually created out of one well-timed, fortunate prediction. No seer does it twice. Cf. Alan Greenspan.

Nevertheless, some principles are in focus. First, credit, as Americans have known it for the last 40 years, is dead, finished. People are far more cautious and credit-based businesses are slowly winding down. There will continue to be credit cards as they are very useful in purchasing. The change in the credit world will be that fewer people will have more controlled access to far less credit. Gone is having $250,000 in credit availability supported on a gross income of $100,000. Figure on $10,000 to $15,000 if you have a sterling record and a >720 FICO. Imagine the effect that has on retail purchases or deluxe vacations.

Second, renting will lose the stigma of being for losers as so many more Americans will rent rather than buy. They will have to rent as jobs will grow more scarce even as salaries and wages fall relatively lower. Mortgage credit will be available only through limited federal support and to the "rich" who, Biblically, are always with us. What will make this a bit more palatable is that asset deflation and federal subsidies of food, clothing and utilities will increase the purchasing power of money for the working class.

And this means what?

The "go-go" days are over. Growth should be slower but steady. The billionaire's ranks are unlikely to grow rapidly but the typical American should do better if (s)he simply realizes getting rich quick is less likely. Get rich slowly is the new paradigm.

That's my prediction for which I may or may not become famous.

Lt. Charles Sweeney - KIA

On this Memorial Day, I was remembering my cousin Charley; son of my Dad's brother, Charles. Charley was a pilot in WW-II. He was killed early in the South Pacific campaign. The cemeteries are filled with millions like him; decent young men who gave up their lives for what they believed was their duty and their country.

And then you have the Clintons of this nation, those who "loathe the military"; and the Obamas for whom service was never even considered and the Kagans who refuse to allow the military to come onto their workplace.

I've chosen my side, my Americans.

And you?

Barack Obama: CEO?

Americans from loudmouth James Carville, the Clinton hatchet-man, to the man-in-the-street now see a major presidential problem on display. Barack Obama has no clue about how to go about managing the Gulf oil spill. Not a bloody clue and it's obvious to all. Sans teleprompter, he is naked before us, wholly without executive experience and incompetent thereby.

An executive would have organized an ad hoc team of experts with spill clean-up experience, local Louisiana officials who live with the spill minute-by-minute, Coast Guard, Army Corps of Engineer and other federal resources, all under the helm of one senior person who has Presidential authority to get stuff done. Instead, we are treated to the emptiest of sound bite rhetoric: "Just plug the damn hole!" Why didn't someone else think of that? Surely Obama is The One.

One almost wants this farce to continue so that voters see what it means to employ a community organizer to lead 300 million Americans, to manage a $13 trillion economy and to deal with world leaders who do have the experience of running something other than their mouth.

Barack Obama is a fraud; a feckless, bewildered fraud: he simply does not know what to do or how to organize the resources available to do the job before him.

We told you so.

Pipsqueak in the Gulf

The current alleged disaster in the Gulf of Mexico is a pipsqueak considering the effects of natural events. The Gulf is immense in cubic size and is easily handling the several thousand barrels entering into it each day. As hydrocarbons float to the surface, bacteria begin their feast and growth in the trillions thus providing nourishment up the animal foodchain. BP laps up the surface oil in ships and trundles it off directly to the refinery. Hurricanes kill far more birds and fish, destroy more buildings, ravage more land and kill more people.

Nevertheless, politicians boringly sound off about oil companies and look for more ways to tax or fine them. That's simply another way to tax you, the consumer. The environmental crowd screams about egrets or dolphins but yet those and other birds and fish are never threatened with extinction by an occasional oil spill. Like politicians, Greenies just want to make your driving more expensive so you walk or bicycle to work and play. Pay no attention.

Drill, Baby. Drill.

Dear President Calderon:

Drop Dead.

Cordially,

Jim Sweeney

Europe: A Geographic Construct

The notion of Europe as a union of nations is over. It was never a good idea as the people of no country thought of themselves other than as Italian, French or German. (Dare I say Greek?) It was a bad idea, nurtured from false premises by bureaucrats and power-mongers, backed by the usual academics and liberals, those who also love the United Nations above their own country. Nations, like Finland or Spain, are not states like Utah or Florida. There is no national unity between the former as in the latter. And a currency does not unite them. The reverse is true: a currency is reflective, not creative. The continent of Europe is returning to its true self: a host of different nations. Vive la Difference!

LEGAL MALPRACTICE

As a lawyer, clients often are irked when I don't give my view on an issue until after I've read the file or documents of a case and had time to consider what I've read. Imagine a judge asking if your lawyer has read the contract at issue and your lawyer says: "No." That is the position our nation's top lawyer is in. Attorney General Eric Holder admitted before Congress that he had not read Arizona's controversial legislation about local police authority to enforce illegal immigration law.

Nevertheless, Holder has been outspoken in opposition to the law he has not bothered to read. That is reminiscent of Speaker Nancy Pelosi's remark that Congress needed to pass the healthcare bill in order to find out what's in it.

It is incredible that no storm of protest has arisen from the liberal media as to Holder's malpractice. Imagine the flogging Ed Meese, John Ashcroft or Clarence Thomas would have been subjected to had any been guilty of such conduct.

But we all know why that hasn't happened: Holder is a liberal democrat, a close friend of Obama and he's black. Only conservative blacks are held to any account. [Cf: Jackson or Sharpton) Holder can and does get away with legal malpractice despite admission of guilt.

Shameful.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - V

Once again, facts are stubborn things.  My home state of California is broke, insolvent, basically bankrupt.  None disagrees with that description.  As to the question of why, there are many opinions.  One view is that decades old Proposition 13 has failed to produce sufficient property tax revenues for the political class to rain down more goodies on  impoverished Californians.  In truth, California has suffered its financial death from some major blunders and an endless parade of earmarked, targeted goodies for some favored group.

One favored group - illegal immigrants - is rarely mentioned in the major media as a cause of California's fiscal woes.  Facts, however the chattering class tries to ignore them, keep getting in the way.

Consider.

There are 19,000 (!) illegal immigrants in California's State prisons.  They cost the State $860,000,000 a year even after accounting for federal support.  And this does not count illegal immigrants in county jails.  Think of the total as nearly $1,000,000,000.

A billion is still a lot of money where most Americans come from.  And if Arnold could cut a billion here, a billion there, pretty soon we'd be in better financial shape.  But he won't cut this billion.  The Terminator is afraid.  Afraid of his "legend", his wife, her family and the media: afraid of being called a racist, anti-immigrant or bigot.

A real governor would execute the killers in this bunch of criminal illegal immigrants  and return the rest to their home country; i.e., kick the Mexicans over the line at San Diego and dump the rest on the doorsteps of their respective country's consulates.  Alternatively, a governor could sub-contract their care to Arizona's Sheriff Joe rather than spend 45,000 California dollars on each and very criminal illegal immigrant.

And Voila!  Two birds with one stone!

OVER THERE, OVER THERE

Like the World War I song, "Over There", we Yanks are over there where we are really not wanted.  In fact, jihad against America is alive and well because we are on land Muslims deem sacred.  So the jihadis are bringing the war to our sacred soil.  What to do?  Leave, that's what.  Been there too long with no end in sight.  Sure, easy to say but where do you leave first?  Let me count the places and ways.

First place to leave:  Afghanistan.  There is no point to a fighting a civil war in that remote and god-forsaken place.  It is valueless to America and Americans.

Second:  Iraq but only after taking enough oil to repay what we've spent plus money for the families of our dead.  Then we do what we should have done with Saddam.  Make a deal for cheap oil in return for our protection against Iran or others.  Let them have their tyrants, who really cares?  George Bush?  You?  I don't

Third:  Out of Korea in a trice.  We've been there since June, 1950; 60 years.  Is Washington serious?

Japan:  Out of Japan instantly; been there since August, 1945; 65 years.  Is Washington serious?

Europe:  What are we doing defending Italy et al?  Great place to visit but let the Mafia defend Italy.  We've been in Europe since 1945; 65 years   Is Washington serious?

And then all the Muslims can return to their sacred soil and get off of ours.

On Being a Lone Wolf

Promptly upon the failed Times Square bombing attempt, our elite "leaders", such as New York's Mayor Bloomberg, instantly identify the perp as someone who didn't like the health care bill.  Other "leaders" followed suit in the vicious vein of Bill Clinton's smearing of conservatives as responsible for the Oklahoma City bombing.  Major media, CNN, AP, Washington Post e.g., wrote empathetically of Shahzad's difficulies in making his mortgage payments.

The facts, though, are simple and observable, even from some distance.  Shahzan is of the same stripe as other terrorist types: militant Islamists who dislike the United States, say so and then act accordingly.  They are of a type: young, male and Islamic.  Just as the allegedly reverend Jesse Jackson once opined that being followed by young, black males would scare him, so too should we be concerned about Isamic males who express dislike of America.  Being Islamic, however, provides them with an immunity from our "leaders" who are petrifed of accusations of racism or worse from any source.  Even when such Islamists act, their brothers are excused when "leaders", such as Bloomberg, ignorantly mischaracterize them by political whitewashing and where the media apologists follow suit en masse.

Now, when people such as Attorney General Holder, flatly state that evidence shows Shahzad as part of the Pakistani Taliban, our "leaders" neither apologize and nor stop making similarly uninformed statements.

One wonders what happens to formerly sensible people upon election to public office.

Legal Immigrants - I

Liberals frequently cite international law when they seek to have SCOTUS veer from precedence.  Similarly, liberals have plumped for Europeanization of the United States.  [How is Europe doing, btw?]  On the question of legal immigration, liberals are nowhere to be found citing other country's rules or international law.  Japan, e.g., permits no legal immigration; China returns illegals to North Korea and the Europeans allow few other than from present or former colonies.  There is substantial illegal immigration into the major European countries, not so much, say, into Norway, Finland, Latvia, Poland or Italy.  Let's look at some undeniable facts about legal immigraton into the United States:

1.  In 2009, the United States issued over 1.1 million green cards, more residency permits than all the other countries of the world combined.

2.  From 2000 through 2009, the United States issued over 10 million green cards.

3.  In 2008, the United States issued 920,000 temporary work permits in addition to the green cards issued that year.

4.  More than one of every eight persons you see in America is a non-citizen immigrant.

5. 92% of the green card holders are people without special skills, a college education or financial resources.

Add to these numbers, the illegal immigrants and you begin to see one major reason for the unraveling of the American economy: too many immigrants displacing citizens from employment.  The best jobs bill for Obama to pass would be a moratorium on legal immigration and, when re-opening the Golden Door, to admit far fewer people, especially those without skills, education or money.

The statistics cited are from data released by the Department of Homeland Security.  If you have any doubts, you could look it up.

The Other Bubble

With the recent Times Square bombing attempt being resolved by the capture of a guy named Faisal something,  politicos in Manhattan must be chagrined.  First, a runt named Bloomberg allowed that the perp was probably a right-wing nut job who disliked Obamacare.  This was followed by some New York Congressman with similar instant accusations against conservative stereotypes.  It's a familiar theme.  Connect conservatives to any heinous act whether there's a scintilla of fact about the accusation or not.  Who cares?  The media won't hold them to account: in fact, media will enable and encourage that type of talk.  Recall Clinton's blaming Rush Limbaugh for the Oklahoma City bombing?  It turned out that guy had Al Gore's books in is cabin.

These folks live in their own world; a bubble within which like-minded folks stereotype conservatives - conduct prohibited to others such as police officers - much as Obama did at that San Francisco dinner party when he referred to Pennsylvania conservatives as consoling themselves with rifles and bibles.  It's okay to stereotype conservative white males but nobody else.  Try to make a comment about Obama eating watermelon, Bloomberg charging usurious interest or that people named Faisal should be suspect at airport security and Voila!  You're a racist; a Nazi or worse.

Talk about double standards or, perhaps, no standards at all.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - IV

In Los Angeles, Roger Cardinal Mahoney, the Prelate for Pedophile Priests, is out front on his love of and support for other illegal activities.  This, of course, is his promotion of illegal immigrants as being of great benefit to the United States and Americans in general.  This Protector of Sodomite Priests calls Arizonans and others who support Arizona's new law for controlling its illegal population Nazis and worse.  Thus, I find no problem in calling him what he is: a slimeball protector of pedophiles.  One wonders why any decent, moral person would protect pedophiles?  And not just one errant priest but dozens to hundreds of those scum.  You are permitted one, and only one, guess.

Mahony has a lackey pr type, Tod Tamberg, who has been lauding Mahony's bona fides as to Mexican immigrants by talking up Mahony's association with the late Cesar Chavez as being part of Mahony's long-term favoritism toward illgals.

Only one problem with that: Chavez fought against illegals as they were contrary to the interests of Chavez's union workers as they undercut them on wages. 

More lies from the pedophile Prelate.

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - III

A close friend of 40 years is yet a British subject despite living in the U.S. since around 1970.  He carries his "green card" with him at all times.  It is how he proves he has a legal right to be here.  It is also a federal law, on the books since 1952.  Over the years, he has had to produce it to various authorities.  Is there one rule for English-speaking aliens  and another for Spanish-speaking aliens?

If so, why?

ILLEGAL IMMIGRANTS - II

Those of us who believe in amnesty for illegals, open borders or no borders at all are quick to decry those who disagree with us as racists, bigots, apartheidists, Nazis or worse.   Those of us who believe in controlled immigration don't seem to have the derisory language skills of our opposition.  Nonetheless, it is heated rhetoric from all sides, none of which is likely to persuade opponents to change or substantially ameliorate his or her position.  Who, then, is the audience?  Is there a large pool of undecideds to try to bring to one side or the other?  I don't think so.  Almost everyone as a point of view, few of which are nuanced.

If there is no mass of undecideds, to whom do we speak and why?  Why not just vote on it and be done with it?

The Illegals - I

Facts, said John Adams, are stubborn things.  Indeed.

It is a fact that the Democrat party wants the mostly Mexican illegals to stay as it believes they will become Democrat voters.

It is a fact that the Democrats are right; the Mexicans will vote heavily for Democrats.

It is a fact that some Republican strategists, Karl Rove for one, think the illegals can be made into Republicans.  (Mr. Rove was and remains wrong on that count.)

It is a fact that people of both parties want illegals for their relativey cheap labor.

It is a fact that neither the Bush nor the Obama administrations took serious steps to close the border or otherwise impose existing law upon illegals.  No earlier administration did either. 

It is, therefore, a fact that people who believe illegals are adverse to American interests are clearly correct in their distrust of the federal goverment taking action against the perceived adverse consequences which arise from the illegal population.

It is a fact that none of the people in any prior administation is dumb.  Far from it is the fact.

Thus, the question arises: Why did these smart people purposefully do little or nothing?  And the answer to that Dear Reader is that administrations prefer to have a crisis atmosphere with respect to the illegals.  Then, and only then, when in the crisis mode, can "comprehensive immigration reform" be enacted.  And what is meant by "comprehensive immigration reform"?

Amnesty, Brother.  Amnesty.

And, sadly, that's a fact too.

The New Trillion Dollar Bill

Have you seen it?  Forget the old-fashioned benjamins; the new trillion dollar bill is all the rage these days.  Whose picture is on it?  The black Irishman from Chicago: Barry O'bama to be sure.