Happy Birthday America
Long before the Dos Equis guy,
George Washington was the most interesting man in the world,
What we look for in our leaders has changed quite a bit in 233 years…
Welcome to Hackachusetts
Firefighters on disability race to retire
Pension-upgrade rule disappears tomorrow
Nearly 30 Boston firefighters with pending disability claims filed for retirement yesterday, just two days before a new state law ends a controversial benefit that allows them to significantly enhance their pensions if they claim career-ending injuries occurred while filling in for a superior at a higher pay grade.
…Suspected disability retirement abuses and pension excesses have been a chronic problem at the Boston Fire Department, prompting an inquiry by the FBI.
A Globe review of city retirement and payroll records last year found that, over the prior six years, 102 Boston firefighters had substantially enhanced their tax-free disability pensions by claiming career-ending injuries while they were filling in for superiors at higher pay grades. Some firefighters have sought the enhanced benefit after filling in for a superior for just one day, leading critics to call it the “king-for-a-day’’ provision.
Of course, the UNION is screaming because their big scam has been shut down. Here’s Robert B. McCarthy, president of the Professional Firefighters of Massachusetts,
McCarthy argued that the new law unfairly punishes all injured firefighters, not just those who claim injury while filling in for superiors.
“I don’t think they intended to punish every firefighter who gets injured in the line of duty, and that’s what it does,’’ McCarthy said of the new law. “How am I going to tell my guys to fight a fire and risk their lives if they’re not going to be protected?’’
Protected from what, exactly? Protected from angry taxpayers who are tired of firefighters scamming the system? Protected from the FBI, who is investigating the outrageous behavior of the UNION? Is it part of their job description to game the system for higher pensions? Is that some sort of constitutional right for public employees? The troth must always be open? If you chose to be a firefighter, your job is to “risk their lives” by fighting fires. It is nowhere in the job description that gaming the system is part of the job.
The Mighty Hub Blog is asking the right questions,
It’s hard to believe they could be so brazen. They’re pulling off a scam right before our eyes. But decades-old habits die hard. … Can we also have some serious reforms of an obviously abused ‘disability’ system? Will any Dem legislative leader step forward this morning to demand change? Or is that asking too much from Dem lawmakers who obviously didn’t want reforms in the first place?
Those are rhetorical questions, of course. House speaker Robert A. DeLeo, as we predicted, is dislocating his shoulder patting himself and his fellow hacks on the back for doing the bare minimum,
My View: People spoke and Beacon Hill listened
In the midst of these difficult times, the Massachusetts House of Representatives and Senate have done what so many thought we could not do — bring true reform to Beacon Hill.
Oh, spare me. All they did was get rid of some real pig at the troth behavior that they created and exploited for decades.
In other Beacon Hill news, the pols raised taxes yesterday by $1 billion including a 25% increase to the sales tax. Nothing says economic development and growth like massive tax increases! Congratulations southern New Hampshire, an economic boom is on the way, courtesy of fed up Massachusetts taxpayers. The feedbags are on and they are not done yet bleeding us dry. Up next, a new and improved GAS TAX.
Patrick hints at hike in gas tax
Governor Deval Patrick signed a budget yesterday that imposes more than $1 billion in additional taxes on Massachusetts residents and visitors, most of it through the first increase in the state sales tax in 33 years, even as he declined to rule out a future boost in the state gas tax.
We were warned that if we voted for the repeal of the state income tax in November 2008, we would see higher gas taxes, sales taxes and less state aide to cities and towns. Well, we they voted to keep the income tax, and we got all those other taxes anyway.
Welcome to Taxachusetts, home of a runaway hackarama and a comatose public.
I come in praise of…Jamie Spears?
Michael Jackson’s problems started at home, with his father Joe. They are well documented. The Jackson family is first in line among those who used and abused him. It is hard to believe that his father, at least, ever had his best interests at heart. Exhibit A, his performance today, as reported by MTV,
Birds of a feather
Michael Jackson’s Family Still Considering Funeral Plans
Father Joe Jackson calls press conference to announce record label; says Michael will not be buried at Neverland.Reporters gathered outside the Jackson family compound in Encino, California, on Monday morning for a press conference from Michael Jackson’s father, Joseph, during which they expected to hear about plans for the singer’s funeral.
But instead, Joe Jackson deflected most of those questions and talked about a new record label he’s launching with a former member of the classic R&B group the Chi-Lites, even as he defended detractors who questioned his comments about the label on the red carpet the previous night at the BET Awards, which were a tribute to the singer.
That got me thinking about pop tart Britney Spears. Like MJ, she was young, world famous and filthy rich. She was clearly going off the rails and headed for real problems. Her father, who may never have been a father of the year candidate, stepped up, stepped in and most likely saved his daughter from an early grave.
April 2007: Britney Spears’s Father Says She Was ‘Out of Control’Britney Spears’s father has publicly criticized his daughter, saying she blames her family and her manager for problems that are her own fault.
October 2008: Britney Spears’ Dad Granted Permanent Control of Her Affairs
January 2009: Britney Spears’ Father Obtains Restraining Orders Against Adnan Ghalib, Sam Lutfi, Jon Eardley
Is he the world’s greatest dad? Hardly. He has one teenage daughter who got pregnant and he allowed Britney to adopt the slutty school girl image to sell records. It worked like a charm, at first, thanks to shots like this 2003 Rolling Stone cover,
However, when it stopped working and things got really dark Jamie Spears did what he had to in order to save his daughter and for that I give him all the credit in the world. That is a lot more than can be said for Joe Jackson, that’s for sure.
Steve Schippert from Threats Watch on Iran and Iraq
Threats Watch’s Managing Editor Steve Schippert joined me tonight to discuss what is happening in Iran and Iraq. At ThreatsWatch,
Steve focuses on the strategic and operational impact of policy decisions and events, particularly with regard to emerging threats, such as Iran and Syria or the democratization efforts in Lebanon. Steve also contributes significantly on the Arab-Israeli conflict, Pakistan, North African conflicts and the War on Terror’s progress.
A Marine, Steve served during Operations Desert Shield and Desert Storm. He also has a background in information technology and we discussed the role of social media in Iran. He provided great insight into what is going on between the security services and the protesters. We also talked about Iraq, the upcoming elections, the timetable for withdrawal and the escalating violence.
I had the pleasure of meeting Steve a while back at the Milblog Conference. Great guy, great analyst and a great guest. I hope to have him back on soon.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 8-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
The Weekly Standard’s Bill Kristol discusses the O-genda
Weekly Standard executive editor Bill Kristol returned to Pundit Review Radio tonight for an extended discussion about Gov. Sanford, Cap and Trade, Healthcare, Iran and Obama.
The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 8-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Someone You Should Know: First Lt. Walter Bryan Jackson
Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined us once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match.
Tonight he told us the incredible story of First Lt. Walter Bryan Jackson,
A second lieutenant at the time of his heroic action on Sept. 27, 2006, Lt. Jackson was cited for selfless courage under extreme enemy fire while serving as a company fire support officer with company A, Task Force 1st Battalion, 36th Infantry Regiment in Al Anbar Province, Iraq.
Lt. Jackson was engaged in combat operations with his unit against insurgents and while he attempted to recover a disabled vehicle, his unit came under heavy machine gun fire, which resulted in several Soldiers being wounded. As he applied first aid to a severely wounded comrade, he too was shot in the thigh.
Lt. Jackson’s citation in part reads: “Upon regaining consciousness after being shot, second lieutenant alternated between returning fire and administering first aid to the Soldier. Second Lt. Jackson was hit again with machine gun fire as he helped carry his wounded comrade to safety, but he never faltered in his aid. Although his own severe wounds required immediate evacuation and surgical care, 2nd Lt. Jackson refused medical assistance until his wounded comrade could be treated. Second Lt. Jackson’s selfless courage under extreme enemy fire was essential to saving another Soldier’s life and is in keeping with the finest traditions of military service.”
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 8-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Someone You Should Know: Army Sgt. John Hoxie
This is from June 21, apologies for the delayed posting. Bruce McQuain from Blackfive joined me once again for Someone You Should Know, our weekly tribute to the troops. Bruce spent 28 years in the U.S. Army and he is a veteran of the Vietnam war. He brings a perspective and understanding to these stories that we could never match. We staretd with the sad news that Army Sgt. Kevin Dupont had passed away. He put up an incredible fight and inspired many people.
Bruce went on to tell us about Army Sgt. John Hoxie, via Army News Service,
Through it all, Hoxie never got discouraged, and never stopped thinking of himself as a member of the Airborne Infantry. He kept in regular contact with his unit, and focused on the goal of recovering from his injuries and returning as soon as possible to regular duty.
“You’ve got two choices. You can either lay down and quit, or you can stand up and fight through your problems and overcome them,” he said.
In April, Hoxie was able to walk upright with the use of canes, and he expects to be able to walk without any support in a few weeks.
Throughout his struggle, Hoxie’s never-say-die attitude has been an inspiration for his fellow Paratroopers.
“He’s just a great Soldier,” Mace said.
The emotional highlight of Hoxie’s return to Fort Bragg came on May 19, when he was awarded the Bronze Star by his brigade commander in front of his unit.
As sweet as that moment was, Hoxie has his eyes set on another milestone - he wants to be able to run with his unit during next year's All American Week division run.
“That’s my goal for next year,” he said.
The Someone You Should Know radio collaboration began as an extension of Matt Burden’s series at Blackfive. Bruce does an incredible job with the series every week. The Pundit Review Radio Podcast RSS feed can be found here.
What is Pundit Review Radio?
Pundit Review Radio is where the old media meets the new. Each week we give voice to the work of the most influential leaders in the new media/citizen journalist revolution. Called “groundbreaking” by Talkers Magazine, this unique show brings the best of the blogs to your radio every Sunday evening from 8-10 pm EST on AM680 WRKO, Boston’s Talk Station.
Sanford & Sons
Let’s examine the layers of recklessness involved in the Sanford affair.
1.) Mark Sanford is not a private person and he does not have what you or I would define as a private life. He should understand this. Think of how many fellow politicians have proved this for him. Sen. Ensign, Sen. Vitter, Sen. Craig, Gov. Spitzer, Pres. Clinton and on and on it goes. All these guys have giant egos and each and every one of them thought they could get away with it. They were all wrong.
2.) Unfortunatey, in 2009 America, an affair isn’t exactly shocking, or even surprising. However, leaving your high profile job as governor for five days is. His disappearing act was reckless beyond belief because it virtually ensured that this would blow his family up.
3.) Using a government email account to communcate with your lover, well that isn’t just reckless, it’s incredibly stupid. Because he did this, his embarrassing emails are being published for everyone from his boys to his worst political enemies to read.
4.) I can’t get past the monumental selfishness involved in what Mark Sanford did. The man has four young sons. How can you ever look at those boys again and expect them to respect you as a father, as a man. They probably will, eventually. But not before a lot of pain and heartache.
5.) If you can’t stay faithful to your wife, which is the worse sin, cheating on her or asking her for a divorce because you found someone else? Most men seem to think they can have both, the affair and the marriage. It makes sense because the act of cheating itself is incredibly selfish one.
6.) The statement from Gov. Sanford’s wife Jenny is amazing in its honesty, faith and forgiveness.
I believe wholeheartedly in the sanctity, dignity and importance of the institution of marriage. I believe that has been consistently reflected in my actions. When I found out about my husband’s infidelity I worked immediately to first seek reconciliation through forgiveness, and then to work diligently to repair our marriage. We reached a point where I felt it was important to look my sons in the eyes and maintain my dignity, self-respect, and my basic sense of right and wrong. I therefore asked my husband to leave two weeks ago.
This trial separation was agreed to with the goal of ultimately strengthening our marriage. During this short separation it was agreed that Mark would not contact us. I kept this separation quiet out of respect of his public office and reputation, and in hopes of keeping our children from just this type of public exposure. Because of this separation, I did not know where he was in the past week.
7.) I really can’t take these liberal hypocrites saying that he should resign. These are the same people who said that Bill Clinton should not resign. Clinton, like Sanford, had more than a garden variety affair. Both men went further, with Sanford’s disappearence and Clinton with his months of obstructing justice and lying to the public about “that woman, Ms. Lewinsky”. Clinton should have been forced from office for his reckless conduct that went far beyond the affair itself. Ditto for Sanford.
8.) Yesterday was the bloodiest day yet in Iran, and the American media was more intested in the Sanford affair. That is a shame.
9.) Leave it to Sen. John Kerry to tell another botched joke. The man is a world class A-Hole.
It ain’t easy being “Green”
Salem News reporter Chris Cassidy has done it again, making my morning espresso that much more enjoyable. In recent weeks it has been his reporting on pension abuses by the Essex Regional Retirement Board. By the way, the Globe’s Sean Murphy joins the party with his own report on the shady dealings at the ERRB.
Today, Chris has a story that demonstrates the folly of much of the “Go Green” movement. It looks like the administrators at North Shore Community College need some lessons on what “being green” is all about. Maybe they should pay Al Gore to fly in on his private jet and give a talk about living the “Green” lifestyle?
Trees axed for parking at college’s ‘green’ building
DANVERS — North Shore Community College touts its proposed allied health building as a model of green technology, complete with solar panels, wind turbines and rainwater harvesting.
But last week, the college embarked on the construction of its $32 million Health Professions and Student Services Building by clearing an acre of mature, 60-foot trees that neighbors say was a habitat for deer and other wildlife….
College President Wayne Burton said they had to provide more parking to make up for the 300 to 400 spaces that will be lost temporarily during construction. To accommodate students by the time they return in September, crews had to start the parking lot construction right away. Burton said the college went ahead as soon as it consulted with the project’s general contractor rather than wait another year for a window of opportunity.
“We didn’t really get the green light to start the project until a month ago,” Burton said. “I wasn’t trying to withhold information. We just didn’t know the information.”
The green light? Rather unfortunate turn of phrase if you ask me. And the tree clearing was for…. a parking lot? Oh the irony. A “green” project that clears an acre of 60-year old trees to make room for internal combustion engines.
And what did we learn today at North Shore Community College? It ain’t easy being green.
