Home > Thinking Right > Archives > 2008 > August > 29 > Entry
DEL.ICIO.USFaux fees, drought dent, the Internet
The Atlanta Journal-Constitution
Thinking Right’s weekend free-for-all. Pick a topic:
Yes! Greater transparency. Cobb Superior Court Judge J. Stephen Schuster, declaring “democracy is not a bad thing,” pushes Cobb EMC to give members a genuine opportunity to control the governing board. And he pushes the board and its subsidiaries to disclose profits and losses and the names of stockholders in a management subsidiary. Super ruling.
Builders who need therapy because of a downturn in the housing market may be too fragile to be in the business. They may be a better fit as toll booth operators. It’s not this generation’s job to translate every unpleasantness into a call to the couch.
Representatives of the Georgia Budget and Policy Institute in Atlanta are the go-to guys when reporters need somebody to argue against tax cuts, spending caps and other taxpayer-friendly checks on state spending. As a recent report calling for more subsidized child care makes clear, the organization doesn’t want to cut taxes or cap spending because it wants more of your money spent on new or expanded social programs.
Cuts in state spending are certainly possible. The state’s in the golf course business, for example, subsidizing them to the tune of $1 million a year. Golf courses should be financed entirely by user fees. Those are legit. It’s not a user fee, of course, when $10 is added to the price of auto license tags for trauma centers, as proposed. That “fee” is a tax. There’s no real connection between the “fee” and users.
U.S. Sen. Robert P. Casey Jr. (D-Penn.) was identified in CNN labeling as “opposed to abortion rights, as was his father,” former Gov. Bob Casey. To translate from the negative: He is pro-life. His father was denied a speaking role at the 1992 Democratic convention because of his views on abortion.
An Italian priest and theologian is organizing a beauty pageant for nuns, allegedly to counter the view that they’re not pretty. Too bad. In Vietnam, I saw Montagnard women who had never seen themselves in a mirror. There was a physical and spiritual beauty in their lack of awareness. Don’t make nuns mirror-gazers.
Jason Cecil, president of Georgia’s Young Democrats, estimates that 60 percent to 70 percent of his friends would never consider dating a conservative. “I don’t see myself dating a Republican.” Oh, date ‘em. They’re not all conservative. And some days, not even most of them.
Do not say that. Don’t. Rain here from Hurricane Fay “would put a pretty significant dent in the drought,” said meteorologist Stephen Komarik. The drought can never be considered mitigated until everybody has the low-flush toilet and installs synthetic grass on the front lawn or moves into a high-rise. We’re not there yet. Don’t be suggesting that rain is drought-affecting good news.
Saving Grady Memorial Hospital from bankruptcy may not have been the smarter course. Bankruptcy would have signaled the need for a quick and major transformation in the way it does business. As it is, execs will be battling “cultural and behavioral barriers” for years to come. The “cultural and behavioral barriers” have always won.
Southerners are given to understatement. An example is this headline: “Ga. politicians: Biden not likely to swing state” to Obama. Not likely, as in, “not a chance.” If you take the most liberal member of the U.S. Senate and pair him with the third most liberal, the ticket’s chances in Georgia are “not likely” improved. Sam Nunn’s just pulling our leg when he says Biden could help Obama carry Georgia.
Ah, the Internet. I waited excitedly to see who would post the 100,000th comment on the Thinking Right blog on ajc.com. It was spam, promptly unpublished.
You’re kidding, right? The nonprofit Atlanta Police Foundation is not paying 26 percent of its revenues, or $211,000, to its executive director. Don’t bother calling me for donations.
Voucherize Clayton County.
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By Just Nasty and Mean
August 29, 2008 8:51 AM | Link to this
G’Mornin Jim, et al,
I simply cannot let a chance to take a shot at Grady pass.
Grady, like every other Fulton county venture, is an unmitigated disaster of magnanimous proportions.
Grady is a cluster of nepotism, cronyism, inbred inefficiency, laughable management, financial waste beyond imagination, and a bureaucratic morass that could only be dislodged by a massive dose of X-LAX.
I have said before, this can only be repaired by closing Grady down, firing employees (including doctors and management) and starting over from scratch.
The new CEO is going to find resistance to change stronger than the Wall of China. He’s going to find fixations on doing things the “Grady way”. He’s going to be blocked by bureaucratic so obstinate it would make the Berlin Wall look pathetic.
He’ll be fired, long gone and million$ upon million$ lost down this black hole before this cesspool of government waste will ever budge.
Just Flush Grady down the sewer —and start all over. It’s the only way to make it work.
By Fabb4eyes
August 29, 2008 8:55 AM | Link to this
Wooten today remembers some nuns in Vietnam who had never seen themselves in a mirror and thus had an unselfish inner beauty. Were those nuns, or vampires? They dress the same. Wooten was obviously in one of those GI friendly Saigon theme bars and probably drunk, so I understand his confusion.
Conservatives have obviously never looked themselves in the mirror either, to confront the monsters they’ve become.
Obama 08: American Stakes.
McCain 08: Mumpkin Pumpkin, make me a bat!
Does anyone believe one word Wooten writes anymore? Hasn’t he spent all of his credibility? Every one of his articles since 911 has been based on lies. Conservatism is a lie. Example: The recent revised GDP numbers are lies. Who believes them? The government makes two estimates. If we cant trust the first one, then how can we believe the revised one? Fear the power that can delete energy and food from the inflation index, and nobody questions it, or the terrorists win.
Is that a rocket tube in your pocket, Wooten, or were you enriched to see those vampires? Get lost. You are not believable anymore, and neither is that potatoe head McCain. Did Osama’s driver drive the getaway car after 911, Wooten? did Saddam Hussein put anthrax in those poor nun’s douchebags? Lets go to war!! Lets pour trillions into a hole in the sand in Iraq. Cheney et al got rich so what do we care? It’s evil. It’s as evil as 911. Someone burned the Reichstag! Darn, well, lets kill all the jews! Why? They obviously used WMDs to enrich panzer tanks and surround Berlin to kill us all! I dont know…..ZEIG HEIL!! ZEIG HEIL!!!
ZEIG HEIL!!!!
because Wooten said so? Get lost Wooten. you’ve told your last lie. You cant get away with it. There’s change coming to Farber College! Pack your bags!!! You’re history!!
WOOTEN!!!!!!
lol jk
By TW
August 29, 2008 8:56 AM | Link to this
So, I guess because it didn’t rain last night, Jesus will be voting for Obama. Unless, the Republican prayer group that prayed for rain is just full of crap?
Or both?
Yes, both.
By Ragnar Danneskjöld
August 29, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
Good morning all. I offer no opinion on the Cobb EMC ruling, as I lack predicate knowledge – is the entity a protected monopoly? If so, a ruling to liberalize governance is appropriate. If not, it is an abuse of the governance rights of a private entity.
So long as the builders pay their own therapy bills I care not. What inflames me is when similarly distressed automobile companies expect taxpayers to fund their relief.
Thanks for the warning on “Georgia Budget and Policy Institute.” Always nice to know how the prism is cut when trying to analyze the reflections.
Agree with your analysis of the doublespeak distinction between “user fee” and “tax.” Well done, and efficiently.
The Casey note reminds me of an amusing essay today on the ideological tension between democrats and southerners: http://www.humanevents.com/article.php?id=28198
Jason Cecil may be right. I knew many conservatives who exclusively dated democrat girls although they would not marry one. Of course your correspondent was not one of those types of conservatives.
Re the drought, to save water we installed those strange curly light bulbs throughout the house. Must have worked, our consumption of water is down 10%.
Sam Nunn’s quote was clipped: Mr. Biden will help Obama carry Georgia firmly into the red column.
The bad news, most of devastator’s posts are spam too. Why she burdens us with it is beyond my comprehension, but that is also true of most leftist logic.
Sounds like I need to start up a nonprofit foundation - pays better than real work. Viz Obama.
Whether to voucherize Clayton County? Depends on whether your focus is on the students, or on the employees.
Interesting argument on the “new” axis of evil: Russia, Iran, and Venezuela, http://online.wsj.com/article/SB121997069397081905.html?mod=djemEditorialPage
By Tom Ga Hunter
August 29, 2008 9:04 AM | Link to this
Just Nasty and Mean —man you hit the nail on the head. Well put, how about running against Johnny Bail Out The Banks in 2 years let’s take back our Party.. you are the MAN.
By lacuda
August 29, 2008 9:06 AM | Link to this
CONGRATULATIONS PRESIDENT BARACK OBAMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
NOVEMBER HERE WE COME,ITS GONNA BE A LANDSLIDE………………..
Did u all see the article on Mccain’s 1st wife,she is crippled and waz abandoned by you know who……hero???
By Manny
August 29, 2008 9:07 AM | Link to this
Man, that Obama speech was fantastic! I was going to vote for Obama anyway, but now, after years and years of being a Republican-leaning Independent, I may join the Democratic Party.
I see this party as the most exclusive party.
By Captain Spalding
August 29, 2008 9:15 AM | Link to this
100,000 comments, huh? Bet ol’ political forehand has more than 60,000 of those.
By Get Real
August 29, 2008 9:17 AM | Link to this
Wooten you are a hoot! I guess Obama’s performance last night was so good, it left you speechless. As it did the McCain campaign. It was refreshing to see the Republicans crap thrown right back in their faces. “Own your failures!” Even Pat Buchanan could find nothing wrong with speech, and it left the hacks on Faux News with nothing to criticize except the stage and the large crowds.
When you have no record to run on, you’re only left with speaking negatively about your opponent, as Wooten does ad nauseum. Watch the bump Obama gets next week, as the Republicans fight for news time with Gustavo!
ENOUGH!!!!
By Fabb4eyes
August 29, 2008 9:31 AM | Link to this
dating tips: Top ten restroom stalls to troll for conservatives in:
The Varsity third from left as you walk in.
The Ted. All of them.
Minnesota Airport: Even a blind man making his way along with a cane could get laid……..
bwa
morons.
By Chris
August 29, 2008 9:38 AM | Link to this
For those interested, here is a link of interest:
[http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Miller17CU94//AnopenlettertoNancy Pelosi]
This is to the risk of the resurgence of the Fairness Doctrine which will also apply to the Internet. The only reason that most of the AJC supports this. The silence on this is deafening!
By Redneck Convert
August 29, 2008 9:39 AM | Link to this
Well, that Obama fellow missed his chance for a Southren moment when he didn’t go to the Redneck Games down in East Dublin last month. He might’ve placed in the cigarette flip, although the official butt is the Bronco full flavor, and Obama like goes for Kools or Newports.
What he could do is enter a bass tournament down on Lake Sinclair. But he probly fishes like he bowls and would hold the pole at the wrong end.
It’s just as well he stay out of the South anyways and leave it to us good Southreners, because we’re all going to vote for old man McCain anyhow.
All y’all Obama supporters remember to go to the polls on Nov. 5.
Have a good day everybody and drink a lot of beer this long weekend. I got the stores stocked for you.
By KnowItAll
August 29, 2008 9:43 AM | Link to this
Anybody with a brain knows what Obla-Bla-ma’s speech was all about last night.
It is the celebrity worship, American Idol, Brittney Spears/Paris Hilton crowd that simply LOVES to watch somebody be elevated to —THE WINNER—in this case~~the Messiah.
The whole “Production” was right out of a Rolling Stones concert, backed up by a greek gods set of “Obamapolis”.
Please. This facade and plastic distractions are only intended to hide the real truth. Obama is an empty suitand all this other hype is an attempt to put lipstick on a pig.
Forget all the idol worship. The content of his character (Wright, Ayers, Pfliger, Frank, his mother), and his naive positions on critical aspects of running this country are what’s important. Don’t get caught up and follow all the other sheep getting led to the slaughter.
Obla-bla-ma is as shallow, lightweight and as clear as a mudpuddle—and an embarrassment to be considered president and leader of the free world.
By Fabb4eyes
August 29, 2008 9:45 AM | Link to this
No, captain spudslick, Political Foreskin inspired 60K of the 100K comments.
That’s because I own blogging. There’s no one that can touch me. No one. Now here’s a cookie for worshipping my every umlaut.
MORON moron MORON moron (moron) moron (moron)
moron.
By ron
August 29, 2008 9:55 AM | Link to this
Morning Glory,I’m watching jobs disappear due to the housing down turn.No therapy noticed yet.
Cuts in state spending are always possible.A good start is to put surplus equipment out for bids.Stops people from buying perfectly good cars for nothing.
A nun beauty pageant.No interest here.
Rain will make a dent in a drought.That’s true.
I’ve stopped giving money to everything.They’re all the same.Self perpetuation is the name of the game.
Voucherize Clayton County?There’s a better word.
Redneck,Wooten wants to take subsidies away from golf courses.Get on that.
I am disappointed.No mention of the hero that couldn’t escape the cops because his pants kept falling down.
By Ragnar Danneskjöld
August 29, 2008 10:05 AM | Link to this
Dear PoFo @ 9:45, to steal a funny line I read this week, why doesn’t an umlaut have one?
By Commander Guy
August 29, 2008 10:10 AM | Link to this
KnowItAll
Obama demonstrated perfectly how to deliver a full strength beatdown, and he left the sad old wretch McCranky twitching underneath an overturned trash can in a dark alley, wondering just who the hell kicked his nuts up into his throat, wondering about that sticky wetness seeping out from his side cause he didn’t even feel the knife slide in between his ribs, so busy was he trying to retain posession of his last few teeth. During that speech last night, Johnny Rictus wished for the less savage abuse of his Hanoi tomrentors. Broken arms hurt less than decimated pride.
Mr Cindy is down for the count. The only question is whether his peeps can patch together his broken body and soul to trot him out in front of several dozen supporters today to announce his veep choice today. I can’t wait to see Lieberman gamely carry on with his acceptance while the failed flyboy coughs up blood into his hankie.
Ya think the Senator from Keating is looking forward to the debates now? Sweet jesus, I wish I had the contract to supply Depends to the McSame campaign…they’ll have to change him and wet wipe his brown-stained tuckus every time he even thinks about standing on stage with Obama.
I can smell the flop sweat from here. Your man is done, stick a fork in his tired old carcass.
bwa ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha ha
By Tom
August 29, 2008 10:12 AM | Link to this
It’s good to see Wootie recycling the tired myth that Pennsylvania Gov. Bob Casey “was denied a speaking role at the 1992 Democratic convention because of his views on abortion.” Casey wasn’t allowed to speak because he refused to endorse the Clinton-Gore Democratic ticket.
At the 1992 Democratic national convention, at least 8 speakers to the convention were anti-abortion, including Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley, Senators John Breaux and Howell Heflin and 5 Democratic governors.
As usual, Jim Wooten’s Nonsensical Conservatism is staunch and courageous in its refusal to let the actual facts interfere with its ideological palaver.
By Dusty
August 29, 2008 10:14 AM | Link to this
First of all
Fabb4eyes aka PoFo.. Go back to bed. It is too early to start the hero worship.
As to Grady, the work done there is magnificent and tremendous. The management is lousy. The new CEO seems to be backing off already. As usual, it may be a mountain too big for him to climb.
Nuns are beautiful? Depends. Sister Marcelini who taught piano lessons at the Convent, was an ancient shriveled princess who liked to make doll clothes as gifts for her students. Yes, she was beautiful in more ways than one.
Accreditation lost in Clayton County? Throw out Thompson and the whole kit and kabootle. Put our @@ in charge. She’ll straighten ‘em out!
State supported golf courses with my taxes? If you have the time and the money to play golf, pay for it yourself. (I don’t want to play or pay as you can tell.)
For goodness sake, don’t mention FAY. She ruined our vacation. As we left the island that was without power, we had a glorious 250 mile ride home in driving rain. OKKKK…so Lake Lanier is up two feet. Good. Only eight more feet needed.
Young Democrats are only interested in a date’s POLITICS? Times certainly have changed.
Thanks, Jim Wooten, for giving us informative topics to keep our brains and fingers working. 100,000 comments!! Nothing like a good conservative to keep things going.
By Chicago
August 29, 2008 10:19 AM | Link to this
Own your failures Republicans. The failures of Iraq, the economy, healthcare, the housing crisis, Katrina, own up to all of it! McCain doesn’t even know who to pick for his VP now. Who is Gov. Palin from Alaska? He can’t pick Leiberman or Ridge, so whats an old hoot to do? I think the lack of Republican response on this blog today pretty much sums it all up!
By Fabb4eyes
August 29, 2008 10:28 AM | Link to this
Dusty, {I’ll go back} TO BED (only) [if] you go with me.
By Uh oh
August 29, 2008 10:29 AM | Link to this
With his emphasis on ‘ready to lead,’ McCain leaves himself no options at VP.
Pretty dumb play.
By Ragnar Danneskjöld
August 29, 2008 10:32 AM | Link to this
Sounds like McCain is going with the anti-earmark governor of Alaska? Interesting calculation, she should be ok to conservatives.
By getaliife "whiners"
August 29, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
Jim,
Dusty’s posts are spam but go ahead and post it anyway.
Anyhoo, he will pick Portman, a bushie for the base.
By Maniac is accurate
August 29, 2008 10:36 AM | Link to this
And not only that, jbmbfkraggerdankvold, she’s hot.
By Ragnar Danneskjöld
August 29, 2008 10:38 AM | Link to this
Dear Chicago @ 10:19, a gracious loser would say “checkmate” before we claim it. We’re waiting.
All of the talk this weekend will be about the female Republican nominee. Contrasting her experience with that of Obama? She probably wins that one.
By findog
August 29, 2008 10:40 AM | Link to this
All utilities should be regulated monopolies; MCI and the 1984 split of Ma Bell is a perfect example of where it leads us astray and the fallacy of the market in this case of providing cheaper and more efficient services is never realized.
DR: Conservation, while poo-poo’d by VP Cheney, cannot only be a virtue but has shown to be a strategy in our water consumption. That spiral light fixture saves water in that we don’t have to drain as much from Lanier for power generation needed for your standard incandescent light bulbs.
I believe that the therapy thing was they should talk among themselves. You really need to read more than the headline to have an informed opinion. I was at a Council for Quality Growth tribute to Wayne Shackelford a couple of months ago. The headliner was a banker and he was giving the low-key pep rally to the same people referred to in the therapy article. There is nothing wrong with talking about how one feels about external forces on one’s psyche, it is how most of our veterans are treated so they can return to society…
Wasn’t Bill Bennet’s, Reagan education secretary, real claim to fame that he dated Janis Joplin while in college.
Oh, the Great and Powerful Zell strikes again. Was not our last good old boy blue-dog Governor the one who started the charade of tax cuts refunded by user fees? Instead of funding anything I think each specific lottery game should be tied to the sector of our government they are intended to fund. Then we would only fund what the people want. If you want education funding you’ll play the lucky-14 ticket that supports pre-k to 12th grade education. You want transportation then play the road rash scratch off game. Of course it will be hard to get intelligent design funding because those people see the lottery as the devil’s doing…
Finally, I must admonish Jim for not pointing out McCain’s well done add that only an extremely honorable man would have the class to release.
By ron
August 29, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
McCain’s VP choice is pretty transparent.
By Ray
August 29, 2008 10:53 AM | Link to this
Wondered when the chariot races were going to start last night. Just what we need to snare the voters who couldn’t tell you where Iraq is on the map. Fluff gets them every time. Probably watch the Today Show and Regis followed by the View. Harry Truman, where are you? We could sure use you now.
By dirty harry
August 29, 2008 11:03 AM | Link to this
By Ray
August 29, 2008 10:53
Kinda like McCain stating that Iraq and Pakistan share a border!
Har Har Har!
By Hillbilly Deluxe
August 29, 2008 11:11 AM | Link to this
Transparency at EMC’s is long overdue.
A few days of rain doesn’t end a long term drought. It takes time.
By findog
August 29, 2008 11:14 AM | Link to this
Seams that McCain’s choice is as desperate as the DNC’s 1984 pick.
By Helen Crane
August 29, 2008 11:21 AM | Link to this
“I don’t see myself dating a Republican.” Oh, date ‘em. They’re not all conservative. And some days, not even most of them.
Good writing- and oh so true.
Wooten: you should do a series on privatization. Give us some facts- does it save money?
By Commander Guy
August 29, 2008 11:48 AM | Link to this
Sarah Palin???
Lesseee, McCindy and his legion of GOP zombies carps on and on about ‘lack of experience’ and then he names as his veep choice a first-term governor whose prior political experience is as the mayor of a town of 5000???
Mavericky. Very mavericky.