Do the Finns, the Greeks, or Both Deserve our Empathy

             I’m not certain which country deserves our empathy the most, Greece or Finland.

            The poor citizens of Greece are now playing out in real life what is the future for the citizens of the U.S. They were promised and bribed by several generations of politicians that the government would take care of their every need and whim; and all of this with only slightly higher taxes and fees. Seems that the Socialist Governments had discovered that they could borrow the money to bribe the voters and let some future suckers worry about paying off the debt. Unfortunately, those ‘future suckers’ are sitting in their Parliament today and having to bow and curtsey to the ‘Euro Central Bank’ and dance to the whim of the IMF.

            And the poor, suddenly poorer and more taxed citizens are taking to the streets demanding a return to yesteryear when some one else had to worry about solvency and all that kind of stuff. Doctors, lawyers, bus drivers and train engineers are all taking to the streets and destroying public and private property in a display of citizen ire at the rude awakening of the fact that there really wasn’t a ‘Golden Goose’ at all.

            Just doesn’t seem fair to expect the citizenry to have to finally ‘pay the Piper’ for all the past parties and dances.

            Then we have the Finns, who held the Russians at bay for four years during WW II to retain their independence from Communism. Apparently they have this deep-seated and well-demonstrated national ethic to remain independent and solvent. Seems that they have just elected a large minority of their own ‘TEA Partiers’ to Parliament. Not of sufficient size to be THE government, but of such a size as to be courted and listened to. They want to have Finland cease to support the bailout of those Euro zone spendthrifts, especially Portugal, since the Greek and Irish horses are already out of the barn, so to speak.

            Can you imagine that they should expect other countries to be financially prudent? Send them over here and we’ll teach them a thing or two. After all Nan Pelosi has more free time now and she could probably be enlisted to instruct others in fiscal prudentcy.

            It also seems that the Finns have been observing what happens to Italy, The Netherlands, France, and others when you just allow foreigners with no similar religion, political experience, or cultural similarities to invade your populace indiscriminately. The Finns now want to prevent wholesale immigration into their country. Where’s Al Sharpton or Jesse Jackson when they are really needed? What Shirley? You think that they are off stirring the “Racist pot” to obtain further personal recognition and enrichment? Shirley, consider this a warning, but one more outburst like that and you will have to undergo “Sensitivity Training”.

            An observation or two:                                                                                                    

1. The Greeks are where we appear to be headed on DemObama train.
2. The Finns appear to be headed where we need to be going; but fellow citizens, it is just so painful to have to pay our own bills. Especially when we can pass them off to our Grandchildren.

Here Goosie, Here Goosie! Come on Goosie, we need some eggs!

Higher Tax Brackets, A Proposal

            Just as the borders must be sealed before any consideration be given to the current millions of illegal aliens that have invaded our borders, so must Government Spending be secured prior to giving more money to  the government via higher taxes.

But once the spending limitations are in place, if the duplication and unnecessary program elimination still leave the government budget under water then this is my proposal.

            Whatever the highest tax bracket deemed appropriate by our elected officials, let this be the caveat:

All elected, appointed, and non career political government employees total income be taxed at that highest bracket.

            Thus whatever deemed to be the necessary highest bracket, all Senators, Congressmen, Department heads, President and his staff, judges, etc will pay that same “high but fair tax”.

“If it’s good enough for the goose, then it’s good enough for the gander.”

Barney, Stay in Mayberry, We’ve Got Dustin McDaniel!

             Have you been wondering where our AG Dustin McDaniel has been for the last few years? You know like when the Lou Hardin episode first broke of forgery and embezzlement by a state employee at a state institution. Or where was Dustin, if I may be so familiar, when some state employees were scamming the state retirement system by “retiring” and “still working” simultaneously. Or where was he when 28 other states were winning a suit against the Feds over “Obamacare”. Or while state employees were driving state vehicles on personal business; ops, but he did turn his in and reimburse the state at the rate of 14 cents per mile for his private use. Or where is he on the state university (UCA) secret scholarship “slush fund” available only to those who are a friend of a “High Mogul” or “Muckity Muck” in the Executive Office.

Well we now know that he’s been busy protecting us from the most vile and malicious of criminal enterprises! He and the Governor Beebe have combined with the Legislature to protect us by expulsion from our state’s boundaries of that most devastating and degrading of all societal undermining activities, the selling of automatic cigarette rolling machines!

After Christmas no one will be legally allowed to sell these vile and repugnant criminal devices. Now some of you may not have even known that they existed; or that you could save a small fortune in state taxes and tobacco cost while depriving the large tobacco companies of more revenue by use of such machines. In fact a few of you might even opine that this is a victimless crime. But your AG, ever vigilant to such vile crimes against humanity, along with your Governor and Legislature have now sent these machines packing; but have no fear, we are going to replace them with perfectly legal gambling machine set up at convenient locations around the state.

Hey Beebe, let Villines Build Your Prisons

           On March 24^th the Dem Gaz reported that Pulaski County Judge Buddy Villines told the Quorum Court “it’s time to add more beds to the jail”. It was further stated, “The 2008 estimate of about $4 million to expand the jail by 240 beds has grown to $5.3 million, Villines said.” This is a cost of about $22,084.00 per bed.

            On March 9^th the Dem Gaz reported that the Arkansas Department of Corrections requested $184 million to build space for up to 2,000 more inmates. (Apparently Governor Beebe turned down this request). This is a cost of  about $92,000.00 per bed.

            If these figures are accurate and both build facilities adequate to house felons, Governor Beebe should ask Judge Villines to construct the beds for the State Department of Corrections.

            A savings of almost $70,000 per bed totals $140 million for the State and delivers the needed additional beds.

            With that kind of money, the Governor could afford a chauffer to drive him around and free more State Police to look after the citizens since the Gov is planning to release some 3,000 to 9,000 ‘non-violent’ criminals onto our highways and byways. Heck, the state could even purchase more cars for employees to drive around.

            Governor Beebe, give Judge Villines a call ASAP!

Get Out of Jail Free Card

             Arkansas has passed Governor Beebe’s “Commit the Crime, Pay No Time” bill. This is designed to address the growing prison population over the next ten years. It is hoped to save the state upwards of $800 million over ten years. Unfortunately it isn’t designed to provide any additional protection for the citizens from the additional 6,888 ‘non-violent’ criminals that the bill hopes to turn back onto the highways and byways of the state, not to mention the influx of additional ‘non-violent’ criminals from other states when they learn that in Arkansas, commit the crime and you don’t go to prison.

            Per the Arkansas Democrat Gazette, here are the reported ‘fuzzy’ stats per the Pew Center of Washington, D.C. (There is no proof that the first name is ‘Pepe’, and the second ‘Le’ for the Pew Center). By the way, if the numbers change, don’t worry, we’re not supposed to understand this stuff, only politicians can comprehend them.

1.      Current prison population is 16,018 with 1,617 of those housed in county jails, as of 3/8/2011 Ark Dem Gaz reporting.

2.      Arkansas has 428 new prison ‘beds’ available but no staff to allow them to be used.

3.      Arkansas has another 294 beds coming online in January 2012, also lacking staff to allow them to be used. A total of 722 prison beds lacking staff.

4.      Governor Beebe declined to approve any funding for staff to employ these empty beds.

5.      The Pew Center of Washington D.C. estimates that unaddressed the prison population will increase 43% over the next 10 years. That computes, using par #1 figures, to 6,888 more inmates totaling 22,906. However the Ark. Dem. Gaz reported 3/21/2011 that the growth target would only be 21,767 inmates versus the earlier 22,906 computation, despite using the same 43% growth figure.

6.      Le Pew Center estimated that would cost the state an additional $1.1 Billion over the next 10 years.

7.      Adopting the Le Pew Center reform recommendations of not incarcerating “non-violent” criminals would save $875 Million over that same time span. (Somehow we will be able to incarcerate an additional 2,547 inmates but not need to spend money on more beds. I know, it doesn’t make any sense, but see par # 9).

8.      The state will handle these additional 6,888 “non-violent” criminals by drug courts, treatment and monitoring. In fact $9 million was appropriated for the first year to set up these new government entities and add parole officers.

9.      But then on 3/21/2011 it was stated that the prison growth won’t stop, just slow down to 18,565 in ten years, only 2,547 more inmates; a savings of either 4,341 or 3,202 beds depending on which reported figure one cares to use. (How do we house these additional 2,547 inmates since The Guv has denied Corrections request for funds to build new prison beds?)

10.  To complicate all even more, Dept of Corrections Director Ray Hobbs said “will open up about 9,000 prison beds in the next ten years.” So how many ‘non-violent criminals’ will The Beebe flood onto our streets? Well it appears to be somewhere between 3,202 and 9,000. A large number in any case.

11.  Arkansas, per Le Pew Center, has caused this problem by: ”long sentences for non-violent offender” (criminal), too little use of probation (we’ll return to that in a moment), and (too little use of) alternative punishments (sorry not a clue what this means), “and delay in transfers to parole status. The states prison population doubled in the past 20 years.”

12.  “On Friday (3/18/2011) 16,079 people were in the Arkansas prison system, including 1,528 being held in county jails because there is not enough space in state-owned prisons.” See par #3, 722 beds available if staffed.

13.  “An additional 54,073 people were on parole or probation.”

a.      “Per a 2006 Dept of Corrections Study, 40 % of offenders released on parole return to prison within three years.”

b.      “Nearly a third of these for new crimes.” Computation 40% of 54,073 times 33% equates to 7,138 new crimes by paroles.

c.       Oh, by the way over the last 10 years the average return rate isn’t 40%, it’s been 47.5 %.

14.  Community Correction Department Director David Eberhard states that “department has 362 probation and parole officers handling an average of 110 cases each”. (Sorry to interject this but 54,073 paroles/probationers divided among 362 officers equates to a case load of 150 per officer. Perhaps the missing 40 cases per officer, about 37%, has some bearing on the 40% recidivism rate.)

15.  Not to fear, the department will hire an additional 49 officers to drop the case load “to about 85 cases per officer.” (Again apologies but 54,073 divided by 362 plus 49 more, totaling 411 parole officers computes to a caseload of 132 per officer. I’m certain that I’m missing something, or the department head has a math problem.)

16.  To further protect you, the innocent citizen, the bill requires that the Parole Board “assess a person’s likelihood of committing more crimes and the reason he committed a crime in the first place.”  (Pardon me, but what criteria have they been using up to now, if not assessing the criminal’s likelihood to commit more crimes?)

17.   This new law requires the Parole Board to submit a monthly report to the ‘High Moguls’ to include how many were denied parole, the reason for denial, and “assessment of how much of a chance there is that the person would break the law again.” (Folks, you just can’t make this stuff up. What’s the likelihood of breaking the law again? How about 47%, the last 10 years recidivism average as a starter.) Notice that we aren’t asking how many they actually paroled, just pressing them on the number of poor suckers they denied the opportunity to get back out on the streets and renew their professional career.

18.  This should bring comfort to you. “Creates a pilot program to provide immediate penalties for probationers at high risk of re-offending (47%?) who violate their parole.” (Does that infer that the current practice is ‘non-immediate’ penalties? Like we’ll do something about you breaking your parole when we get around to it? Meanwhile please promise to not do it again?)

19.  The bill also addressed specific penalties for specific crime types. For example it decreased the penalty for “theft of live stock” (cattle rustlin' and horse thievin'), and “theft during a state of emergency” (looting). Sad, but gone are the days of frontier justice; where are Judge Parker and ‘Rooster Cogburn’?

20.  It is great relief to learn that many of our ‘High Moguls’ will be Keeping Tabs on all of this. The Beebe states, “There’s certainly going to be gubernatorial administration oversight.” (Read that as his assistant’s part time clerk will keep tabs). State Senator David Sanders also states, “There will be oversight, I’m certainly going to be watching it.” (I certainly feel better knowing that). Corrections Department spokesperson Dina Tyler assures us that they won’t “fling the doors (prison’s I assume) open. This is going to affect crimes that haven’t taken place yet.” (Now I’m really feeling warm and comfy).

21.  To ensure that crime statistics don’t soar as a result of these changes, the bill offers a bribe to all of the state’s cities, counties, and judicial districts.

a.       “The bill creates a grant program for additional money from the state for finding ways to reduce the number of people who return to prison without the crime rate increasing.”

b.      “If you can reduce your burden on the Department of Corrections without increasing your felony conviction rate, then you’ll get the funding the next year.”

c.       “You won’t be funded the next year if you have one more felony conviction than you had at your base line.” This per Williams, the House member from Little Rock. (Base line = 2009, reset every 3 years).

d.      “None of the money will go to prosecutors.” (Oh heck.)

e.       It is hoped that the judicial districts will use the money to set up programs to address recidivism and drug abuse.

22.  Of course you can address the rate of crimes reported and persons sent to prison in other ways:

a.       Institute a western frontier “Dead or Alive” policy, but of course the ACLU will haul you into court on a daily basis.

b.      Instruct law enforcement to transport all arrested persons across the county line and call the other county's sheriff to come and get the ‘perp’ that you were so kind and gracious to arrest on his jurisdictional soil for him.

c.       Wait, what about plea bargains? Take a rape down to "he said, she said"; armed robbery to "failure to pay for a loan"; carjacking to "joyriding". I see a real opportunity here to keep our numbers down to ensure that our bribe, er, grant keeps flowing

d.      State Representative Linda Collins-Smith, Pocahontas, said “the performance-based funding seems to the people that you’re rewarding the communities for not arresting criminals”. She’s pretty darned perceptive.

Very little, nothing in fact, was reported as to additional safe keeping plans, if any, for the state’s populace. We all want our governments to become as efficient and cost effective as possible, but turning up to 9,000 criminals loose on our streets may not be the way most of us would desire to achieve this laudable goal. More car thefts, breaking and entering, shoplifting, and other petty crimes pushes the costs not paid for incarceration onto the backs of the poor citizen victim.

            The state of Arkansas spends somewhere between $30 million and $50 million for vehicles per         year. Close scrutiny of their uses, need, and justification might produce a significant savings that could be used for either more prison beds or more police to protect us from the anticipated growing herd of criminals to be thrown onto our streets.
  (Italics are quotes from the Arkansas Democrat Gazette. Bold type and parentheses are all the blogger's peculiar work.)                                                                                                                       

If It’s in Print on April Fools Day, Can we Believe It?

Turns out that it was not Pelosi

            The Bronx zoo has been searching for a missing snake for over a week. Today, Jim Breheny, zoo director, reported, “As you can imagine, we are delighted to report that the snake has been found alive and well”. Turns out that the missing snake wasn’t Nancy Pelosi, as some had assumed since her disappearance from the daily headlines. The zoo director went on to explain that it was an Egyptian cobra; not a domestic snake at all.

It’s Open when it’s Closed and IF it’s Closed It’s Still Open

            Josh Earnest, (no I didn’t make up the name), a White House spokesman addressed criticism that President Obama accepted an open-government award at a meeting closed to the media. The explanation: “The number of pressing items on the President’s agenda.”

            Of course the greater confusion is why a group of journalists would think that this president should be praised on “his commitment to government transparency.” One example is the Obamacare bill scenario, but then again what do I know.

What Am I missing in this Picture?

            Over 6,000 N. African illegal immigrants overwhelmed an Italian island with a total population of 5,000. Seems that the small island “ran out of shelters for these ‘visitors’ forcing many of the Tunisians and others to sleep in the open air on docksides and in fields”.

            “Advocacy group Amnesty International has added its voice to local concern, saying that migrants (Illegal aliens) had been left to fend for themselves in appalling conditions.”

            “There was concern about minors among migrants, (illegal aliens), which Save the Children representative on the island estimated to number about 350. Under international conventions, the minors cannot be deported and should be put into temporary foster homes while asylum paperwork is processed”.

Migrants, (illegal aliens), have protested their treatment and the conditions they’ve been forced to endure as they wait relocation. … dozens marched through the streets on Thursday demanding that they be taken of the island.”

            6,000 N. Africans invade an Italian island and are unhappy about their living conditions and demand better treatment? You can’t deport their kids? You have to give them asylum? These are they very people blowing themselves up over one thing or another that they don’t like about the West? The world has gone crazy!

Corruption is Alive and Well in Washington D.C.

            The Inspector General of the Federal Housing Finance Agency has just whined a report that points out while you and I as taxpayers were picking up $153 Billion in “losses” from Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac the top six executives at the two companies have received $35.4 million in compensation over the past 2 years. One can only wonder what their compensation would have been if they had been profitable.

Gamblers Not Losing Enough in Arkansas to Support Student Scholarships

            And if things weren’t bad enough, the Arkansas Lottery isn’t going to be able to fund the next round of new scholarships at the same generous amounts of $5,000 and $2,500 annually due to lack of gamblers losing sufficient monies. To help offset this lack of self-destruction by the gaming public, the Lottery commission has purchased lottery vending machines which they hope to drop around the state to make it even more convenient for the citizens to lose additional funds.

            To show appropriate concern for their patrons, the Lottery commission will set aside up to $300,000 to fund gambling-addiction prevention programs.

            Let me get this straight. We are dropping lottery vending machines around the state to help raise an additional $5 million a year while at the same time we’re funding gambling-addiction programs to help the very citizen we are hoping to entice to gamble more via vending machines, to stop gambling. It was probably one of those discussions where you had to be present to understand; and of course they were all politicians who voted for it.