Posts Tagged ‘Detroit’
Monday, February 3rd, 2014
If you’re following the story of the decline and fall of Detroit, then this Kevin D. Williamson article over on NRO is a must.
Some nuggets:
Detroit has the highest child-mortality rate of any American city, exceeding that of many parts of what we used to call the Third World. The rate of death before the age of 18 in Detroit is nearly three times New York City’s, and its infant-mortality rate exceeds that of Botswana. The main cause of premature death among the children of Detroit is premature birth — the second is murder. While the city’s murder rate among adults is nothing to be proud of, more horrifying is the fact that between 30 and 40 children are murdered in Detroit in a typical year.
Detroit represents nothing less than progressivism in its final stage of decadence: Worried that unionized public-sector workers are looting your city? Detroit is already bankrupt, unable to provide basic services expected of it — half the streetlights don’t work, transit has been reduced, neighborhoods go unpatrolled. Worried that public-sector unions are ruining your schools? Detroit’s were ruined a generation or more ago, the results of which are everywhere to be seen in the city. Worried that Obamacare is going to ruin our health-care markets? General-practice physicians are hard to find in Detroit, and those willing to accept Medicaid — which covers a great swath of Detroit’s population — are rarer still. Worried about the permissive culture? Four out of five of Detroit’s children are born out of wedlock. Worried that government is making it difficult for businesses to thrive? Many people in Detroit have to travel miles to find a grocery store. This is the endgame of welfare economics: What good is Medicaid if there are no doctors? What good are food stamps where there is no food? What good are “free” schools if you’re so afraid to send your children there that you feel it prudent to arm them first?
Detroit is what Democrats do.
Read the whole thing.
Tags:Crime, Democrats, Detroit, Kevin D. Williamson, National Review, Welfare State
Posted in Crime, Democrats, Welfare State | 1 Comment »
Monday, December 9th, 2013
A LinKSwarm to start your Monday off, with a mix of old and new:
Obama’s popularity down among the Obama coalition:
Obama’s job approval rating among Hispanic Americans has plunged from 75 percent in December 2012 to 52 percent today — a drop of 23 percentage points, the sharpest decline among any voter group. Among Americans who make less than $24,000 a year, the president’s approval rating has fallen from 64 percent last December to 46 percent today. Among Americans 18 to 29 years of age, it has fallen from 61 percent to 46 percent. Among women, it has fallen from 57 percent to 43 percent.
Evidently free contraceptives don’t trump lost jobs and insurance. (Hat tip: Instapundit.)
First came the first wave of ObamaCare “cancellation shock” as policies were dropped left and right. Next comes the “Doc Shock,” as people lose physicians who won’t cut their rates for ObamaCare plans. (Hat tip: Instapundit and Ed Driscoll.)
Indeed, 7 out of 10 California doctors are boycotting California’s ObamaCare exchanges. When you’ve lost California…
So get ready to see a lot more signs like this. (Hat tip: Ace of Spades.)
“The GOP establishment is loath to admit it, but the government shutdown is turning out to be a brilliant political chess move on the part of Senators Ted Cruz and Mike Lee.”
Why the hell is Paul Ryan trying to undo the sequester cuts?
New York City starts confiscating rifles and shotguns.
On Twitter, #LiesObamaToldUs trended for three straight days. Well, it’s a target-rich environment…
Photojournalist robbed twice in one day in Detroit. Funny how 50 years of Democratic rule mean that government is unable to enforce its most central function: keeping the populace safe by enforcing the rule of law.
Why you don’t stop shooting until the threat is neutralized:
(Hat tip: Ace of Spades.)
Is Hollywood turning the Biblical story of Noah into another tree-hugging Dances With Smurfs?
Tags:Budget, California, Detroit, gun control, Guns, Hollywood, Media Watch, Mike Lee, New York City, Noah, Obama Scandals, ObamaCare, Paul Ryan, Ted Cruz, video
Posted in Budget, Guns, Media Watch, Obama Scandals, ObamaCare, Uncategorized, video | No Comments »
Tuesday, December 3rd, 2013
Some news from before Thanksgiving weekend, some after. Do not taunt Happy Fun Ball.
Detroit is eligible for chapter 9 bankruptcy. “Judge Steven Rhodes turned down objections from unions, pension funds and retirees, which, like other creditors, could lose under any plan to solve $18 billion in long-term liabilities.”
Missed this earlier: The ObamaCare cancellation-to-enrollment ratio is 50-to-1.
Selling ObamaCare door-to-door is not exactly going swimmingly.
Colorado’s ObamaCare enrollment numbers are worse than the worst case scenario. Then again, Democratic losses in 2010 (and 2014) are probably worse than the worst-case scenario as well.
How the MSM is trying to cover for Obama’s ObamaCare lies and their own complicity in them.
How’s that “jobless recovery” coming along? “The number of people on payrolls in the U.S. is still 1.5 million below the number in 2008, even after a 5 year-old rally that has boosted the value of stocks by $14 trillion. A 167% advance of the Standard & Poor’s 500 index during the past 57 months has been driven by reduced costs and record-low borrowing costs boosting corporate profit, analysts say. Employee compensation relative to net corporate profit is at its lowest level since 1966.” To put it in lefty terms: Obama is obviously God’s gift to the 1%.
Paul Krugman, idiot. Though to be fair, long-term the Euro probably is doomed…
Ultra-liberal DailyKos accuses ultra-liberal cartoonist Ted Rall of being a racist. Rall is a nasty piece of work, and no liberal deserves a free “get out of charges of racism simply for being a liberal free” card, but he happens to be right in this respect. This has nothing to do with racism and everything to do with liberals circling the wagons to protect Obama in the wake of ObamaCare’s massive failure.
Non-poor preppy liberal campaign consultant whose mother bought her a house garners over $62,000 of donations by claiming to be poor.
The problem with linking to this Charles Davis article on liberal media exploiting intern labor is how the entire piece reeks of Special Snowflake Syndrome. It would be a far more compelling story if Davis didn’t come across as such a self-righteous, self-important douche-bag.
“It always cracks me up when I hear lefties like Matthews bemoaning “incivility”, as if their side didn’t invent it, didn’t expand it, and didn’t propagate it at every opportunity. They think all the disgustingly vile rhetoric they’ve hurled continuously at every conservative starting with Goldwater and continuing on through Nixon, then Reagan, Gingrich, Bush, Palin, etc. has been flushed down the memory hole. I think what they mean by “incivility” is really “conservatives talking back”.
A question for my readers: Can anyone tell me whether HR992 is good or bad for the taxpayer? On the surface it looks like more underwriting of crony capitalism, but the technicalities lie outside my sphere of expertise.
Tags:Democrats, Detroit, Media, ObamaCare, Ted Rall
Posted in Democrats, Media Watch, ObamaCare | No Comments »
Monday, July 29th, 2013
The July grind is about to turn into the August grind. Enjoy the LinKSwarm while you can:
Mark Steyn on Detroit’s downfall.
America may not be Greece, but neither was Detroit.
Gun Owners are right to oppose all measures, because the goal of gun banners isn’t reducing crime, but the complete confiscation of all civilian firearms.
If Obama ever drew a crowd of 3 million people, the MSM would never stop proclaiming how awesome he is. But when the Pope does it? Meh.
When you shop at Costco, you’re buying ObamaCare.
Is it too much to ask that the director of the freaking 9/11 Museum not hate America?
I guess Anthony Weiner chose Carlos Danger as his sexing pseudonym because it sounds so much cooler than Prematuro Ejaculatoree.
Thanks to Slate, I now know that my twitter sexting pseudonym is “Pablo Kill”.
Maybe the MSM should stop doing fawning spreads on how elegant Huma Abedin is and start asking how she could earn $135,000 as a part-time government employee and still pull down $355,000 as a consultant.
That is, when she’s not playing footsie with Islamic radicals.
And now those Taiwanese animators on Anthony Weiner (possibly not safe for work):
Peaceful Treyvon protestors assault mother taking her 7-year old to the hospital.
A nifty neighborhood crime analysis tool for Austin. (Hat tip: Stuff From Hsoi.)
Given the chance to escape from unions, more than half of Wisconsin union members do just that.
Indonesia is banning bikinis for the Miss World contest. Well, Siberia isn’t having any of that foolishness.
Remembering World War II, Korean and Vietnam war vet and Congressional Medal of Honor winner Bud Day.
Tags:Anthony Weiner, Detroit, Guns, Huma Abedin, Jihad, LinkSwarm, Media Watch, Obituary, Pope, Russia, unions, Wisconsin
Posted in Democrats, Guns, Jihad, Media Watch, unions | 1 Comment »
Friday, July 19th, 2013
Detroit went bankrupt. One stranger was acquitted for shooting another stranger. Which do you think the media spent more time covering?
“Progressive politicians, wonks, and activists can only blame big corporations and other liberal bogeymen for so long. The truth is that corrupt machine politics in a one-party system devoted to the blue social model wrecked an entire city and thousands of lives beyond repair. The sooner blues come to terms with this reality, the greater chance other cities will have of avoiding Detroit’s fate.”
The IRS scandal now leads to the chief counsel, one of only two Obama appointees at the agency.
“The Democratic Party is a machine for inciting grievances in order to consolidate its power.”
The Wall Street Journal makes the case for dismantling ObamaCare piece by piece.
Republican Insiders are very, very upset that Jim DeMint is exposing them for the RINOs they are.
My precious snowflake is extremely gifted. He’s also 29 and unemployed because so many jobs are unworthy of his Promethean talents. Matt Walsh: SMACKDOWN.
“The Democratic Party is a machine for inciting grievances in order to consolidate its power.”
Charles Barkley on the Zimmerman trial: “Just looking at the evidence I agreed with the verdict.”
A few facts about Marissa Alexander that may not be apparent from a two panel picture comparison with George Zimmerman.
“Reason for termination: Disabled veteran.”
“Negative perceptions of young black men are rooted in hard data on who commits crimes.”
Near empty New York hospital losing $3 million a week. Naturally, unions are demanding it stay open. (Hat tip: Dwight.)
Charles Murray on American exceptionalism.
Marco Rubio was riding high. Then he became a shill for amnesty, and now his life is all sad trombones. I haven’t seen a serious national political aspirant fall so far since Gary Hart went boating.
Today’s serial Democratic Party groper who felt-up at least six women and who the state party forced their members to cover up for comes to you from California.
Tags:Blue State, California, Detroit, Gary Hart, George Zimmerman Trial, Heritage Foundation, IRS, Jim DeMint, LinkSwarm, Marco Rubio, Obama Scandals, ObamaCare, vets, Welfare State
Posted in Military, Obama Scandals, ObamaCare, unions, Waste and Fraud, Welfare State | No Comments »
Thursday, July 18th, 2013
Stockton, California can now breath a small sigh of relief. It’s no longer the largest American city to declare bankruptcy. Detroit has filed for Chapter 9 bankruptcy.
Bonus: The city has more than 100,000 creditors.
This is the endpoint of the cradle-to-grave welfare state. Certainly Detroit got there faster than most will, thanks to endemic corruption, horrific mismanagement, and an overwhelmingly unionized (and thus expensive and inflexible) manufacturing base workforce. But the problem of overspending, bloated government, overregulation, declining population and cronyism are endemic to blue states and members of the European Union. Greece’s future is Detroit (with possibly fewer race riots), California’s future is Greece, and deficit spending continues, eventually the United States’ future is that of California.
Tags:Budget, Crime, Democrats, Detroit
Posted in Budget, Crime, Democrats | No Comments »
Friday, July 12th, 2013
Last night was the night when we, as Americans, set aside our political differences and came together to watch Sharknado. But time hurries on! Time for another Friday LinkSwarm:
50+ years of Democratic rule turn Detroit into a failed city.
David Stockman says the recovery is bunk.
Ted Cruz would make a formidable Presidential candidate.
Thomas Sowell: The Left refuse to grapple with the issue of Evil. “Disarmament means making decent, law-abiding people more vulnerable to evil people.”
ObamaCare mandate delayed. “It has become a trope among defenders of the law that its flaws are the fault of Republicans because they don’t want to fix them. They must have seen their own peculiar version of Schoolhouse Rock!: The first step in making a law is jamming a massive bill down the opposition’s throat. The second is whining that the opposition won’t fix problems inherent in the bill jammed down their throats.”
The FEC is another IRS scandal waiting to happen.
Speaking of the IRS, they’ve been told to audit Americans, but to give out fraudulent refunds to illegal aliens.
A week after he’s deposed, the Obama Administration suddenly realizes that Morsi is an undemocratic asshat.
Vladamir Putin’s thugs put on a showtrial for a guy three years in the grave.
Big Jolly notes that Texans overwhelmingly support Attorney General Greg Abbott on Voter ID.
Salt is no longer bad for you. Now, when do we get an apology from Nurse Bloomberg?
Tags:2016 Election, David Stockman, Democrats, Detroit, Egypt, FEC, Guns, LinkSwarm, Mohammed Morsi, ObamaCare, Sharknado, Ted Cruz, Thomas Sowell
Posted in Democrats, Economics, Guns, ObamaCare | No Comments »
Friday, June 21st, 2013
And now the traditional Friday LinkSwarm on Friday!
“Detroit is expecting its creditors to take less than 10 cents on the dollar for having been foolish enough to lend money to the collection of misfits, miscreants, and criminals who govern that poor city….The problem is that the same political leadership that brought Detroit to this sorry pass remains in power…Detroit cannot be trusted with its own money, it cannot be trusted with its creditors’ money, and it certainly cannot be trusted with federal taxpayers’ money.”
“The federal government has been spying and lying. The only comfort is that, apparently, it’s been largely incompetent at both.”
Daily Kos founder joins the chorus of liberal concern trolls saying Republicans had darn well better embrace amnesty or be doomed. It’s like Microsoft telling Goggle what it’s investment strategy should be.
And no, Republicans are not doomed if they don’t vote for amnesty.
In the amnesty proposal, it takes three DUIs before they consider kicking an illegal alien out of the country.
Spengler: Egypt and Syria have already failed.
Father shoots thug attacking daughter. But the father is the one liberals want to disarm.
Gender studies professor and FBI most wanted sex offender Walter Lee Williams captured in Mexico. Not to be confused with awesome economics professor Walter E. WIlliams of George Mason University.
USS Enterprise (CVN-65), America’s first nuclear-powered aircraft carrier, takes its final voyage.
Out on my ass? I guarantee it! (Also, I think The Men’s Warehouse’s problems are less “unable to connect with Gen Y” and more “nobody wants to wear a suit unless they have to and fewer and fewer men have to.” Go casual or go extinct.)
Tags:amnesty, Border Controls, Detroit, DUI, Egypt, Illegal Aliens, IRS, Jihad, Kurt Schlichter, NSA, Syria, USS Enterprise
Posted in Border Control, Crime, Democrats, Foreign Policy, Jihad | No Comments »
Monday, June 17th, 2013
Time for another Texas vs. California roundup!
California’s mullet budget: conservative in the front, but with a long greasy, tangled mane of liberal spending and debt in the back.
“Public pension costs are increasing simply because liabilities are growing faster than assets….To meet the rate at which pension liabilities were growing in 1999, Calpers needed the Dow to reach 30,000 by now.”
“California still has a mammoth long-term pension gap. If it used the same pension accounting standards as private companies must, its total debts would be a terrifying $1 trillion.”
What does the future look like in California? Well, take a look at Detroit, another one-party liberal Democrat fiefdom, where decades of chronic overspending and mismanagement are leading to a bankruptcy filing which will screw bond-holders and pensioners alike.
Speaking of bankrupt cities that can’t pay their bills, Stockton is paying out $5.1 million in settlements for retirees who are losing their health benefits due to the bankruptcy.
Some inside baseball news on maneuverings in the Stockton and San Bernardino bankruptcies.
Due the huge looming deficits, California’s public employee unions have had to accept wage cuts. Ha, just kidding! They’re getting raises.
California’s highest court rules that privacy rights don’t apply to you if public employee unions want your money.
Despite high electric rates, California is shuttering one of its nuclear power plants.
Thanks to California’s implementation of ObamaCare, Aetna is exiting the individual insurance market there.
Rick Perry travels to Connecticut to woo gun manufacturers to relocate to Texas.
Why NBA All-Star Dwight Howard might join the Houston Rockets: Texas’ lack of a state income tax.
Tags:Budget, California, Democrats, Detroit, nuclear power, San Bernardino, Stockton, Texas, unions, waste, Welfare State
Posted in Budget, Democrats, Texas, unions, Waste and Fraud, Welfare State | No Comments »
Friday, May 10th, 2013
For a shocking change of pace, the Friday LinkSwarm will be on Friday:
“How can we ‘gun people’ honestly be expected to come to the table with anti-gunners when anti-gunners are willfully stupid about guns, and openly hate, despise and ridicule those of us who own them?” Read the whole thing.
Sheila Jackson Lee wants a National Gun Registry.
The lovely qualities of Jihadi Facebook pages: “The further I crawled down the extremist rabbit hole and the more caved-in skulls and headless corpses I saw.”
Union politics helped create the Baltimore Booty House.
“The Euro cannot be destroyed by any craft that we here possess. It was made in the fires of Frankfurt. Only there can it be unmade.” What does it say when Sauron wants the ring, er, Euro destroyed as well? Though once again: Austerity hasn’t failed in Europe, it hasn’t been tried.
“It was one thing to do amnesty during the white hot Reagan economy of the mid to late 80s. It’s quite another to do it in the midst of the Obama depression.”
Harry Reid unwilling to bargain in raising the debt ceiling? I say fine and dandy. Just cut government spending across the board until the budget is balanced.
“Detroit in worse shape than previously thought.” I don’t see how that statement can be true for any story that doesn’t include the word “cannibalism.”
London mayor Boris Johnson thinks it would be a good thing for democracy if the UK were to just walk away from the EU.
Travis County Democratic District Attorney Rosemary Lehmberg is out of the clink after serving half a 45 day sentence for DWI. A jury will evidently determine “whether her drunken driving was habitual or whether the recent arrest was the result of a one-time event.” Because lots of people without alcohol problems suddenly decide “Hey, I’m going to go cruising around town with an open bottle of vodka and a blood alcohol level of .239! That sounds like a great idea!” I might believe that…if Lehmberg was 21.
Ted Cruz 1, Obama 0:
Tags:amnesty, Boris Johnson, Budget, Crime, Detroit, Euro, Guns, Illegal Aliens, Obama, Rosemary Lehmberg, Sheila Jackson Lee, Ted Cruz, unions
Posted in Austin, Budget, Crime, Guns, Texas | No Comments »
