$595,000 spent in Michigan on……..roadside sculptures

Stuff like this right here, is why the rest of America happens to think that the Detroit, Michigan area is being ran by complete idiots.  Please note: For you “out-of-town” folks; this is not happening in Detroit proper; but rather in the suburbs of Detroit.  Still this points to the obvious fact that these people simply do not understand, that we here in Michigan, as well as the rest of the Country — are in a fiscal mess. Furthermore, it points to the recklessness of Federal spending by the Obama Administration.

The story with photos via The Detroit Free Press:

Can someone please explain to be just how the hell this hideous looking thing is going to improve business and encourage tourism in the State of Michigan and in the cities these things are going to be in? You have GOT to be kidding me! A $595.000 boondoggle is what the hell they are! Click to make this ugly looking thing bigger, if you must….

At a cost of $150,000 each, two more pillars of artwork are being constructed along Woodward as a means of threading a link between the communities along the avenue and their histories.

Urban planners call the sculptures tributes. One is going up this week in Royal Oak and another in Highland Park, joining the two in Ferndale and Pontiac.

The tiny nonprofit group behind these sculptures recently received another federal grant for $595,000, allowing it to plan for even more tributes — at least three more — along Woodward in Detroit and its suburbs, although no decision has been made on locations.

According to Woodward Avenue Action Association’s Executive Director Heather Carmona, the mural-covered pillars, which illuminate at night, will boost economic development and more than pay for themselves.

What happens when someone suggests that these things might just actually be a waste of money?  Quote:

“I don’t think this is a waste of tax dollars,” Highland Park Mayor DeAndre Windom said. “Things like this are necessary to spark the revitalization of a city such as Highland Park. We have job retraining here, people being placed in jobs, other ways we’re using tax dollars for revitalization. But this is different. This will be up forever in Highland Park.”

BWAAAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAW!!!!!! *wipes eyes* An overgrown lighted totem pole is what is needed to revitalize a city. Yes, you just read that correctly. Never mind police, never mind fire, never mind city services, never mind maybe actually paving the roads; never mind actually requiring owners to fix up and keep up their property. Yes, what we need to “revitalize” (Whatever that means!) the city is a bunch of overgrown lighted totem poles.

Here is another million dollar question: Who is going to pay for the upkeep of the totem poles? Who is going to change the lights in those things, when they finally do burn out? Who is going to replace the glass in the things, when some kids come by with baseball bats and bust it up? Who is on the chain to pay for the electric bill for lighting that totem pole? You have two guesses and the first one does not count! You guessed it; the residents of those cities, in the form of higher taxes.  It is, in effect, a double robbery of the American people; first it is a waste of your federal dollars going to build a lighted totem pole, then it is the robbery of the citizens of the cities, where these hideous things will be located —- for upkeep.

In closing: This is what happens, when you elect Democrats to run a Country, a State and a City. Because quite frankly, they really do not give a damn where your hard earned tax dollars are spent or how they are spent at all. Furthermore, this is why the State of Michigan, and the city of Detroit and the surrounding suburbs are on the decline; because of complete and utter idiocy like this right here.

Sunday Links

Here’s some links for your pleasure on Sunday, with a little trademark snark and sarcasm:

 

A very good read: The World Order And Its Enemies

Someone needs to show this to President Obama; it is a very good read:

Diplomacy is a pillar of global security and peace. The Islamists act to topple it.

The Third World is a beneficiary of the system of diplomacy that has evolved through the centuries. It is a fundament of an orderly world and fanatics are now undermining it.

International relations are as problem-laden as are personal relationships. All associations produce conflict. To promise the key to a “perfect” marriage in total harmony exploits the gullible. Promises to unite mankind in a conflict-free order of love are soothing intellectual exercises. Their practical value, however, equals a biology that claims to convert kissed frogs into princes

via The World Order And Its Enemies | The Brussels Journal.

I highly recommend that you read the rest of that, it is a very good read.

 

A reminder as to why I am not a fan of David Frum

Click here to read. 

I have never quite understood why David Frum is taken as serious on American Politics. The man is from Canada. Plus, there is the issue of his ethnicity. Both of these, I feel, discredit him from political commentary. What I mean by that is this here: There is nothing more off-putting to me; than to listen to a Jewish Canadian sitting on his little “better-than-you” petard, and criticising “Christian America” for its shortcomings. I find that to be most annoying. Quite frankly, I feel that if this man finds America to be so detestable, why doesn’t he just move back to Canada, or more ideally back to Israel?

I will not get into his whole two-bit phony Conservatism. I believe anyone that has followed him for any length of time, knows all about his idiotic nonsense. The utter failure of FrumForum speaks loudly of the depth of this man’s Conservatism.  I do however, give him credit for realizing that Wilsonian policy is wrong. That, I feel, is commendable. However, the rest of Frum, which I have listed above, I find to be loathing.

The problem with people like Frum, Noonan and others is that they want the Republican Party to appeal to the left. My solution to that is simply this: stop trying. Stop trying to make liberals like you or in this case, us. The Democrats are sold on their idea that the Government is the only means to an end. Nothing the right will do or say will ever change that. So, why bother? It is an exercise in futility. Which is why I have basically decided to stop supporting the Libertarian and Constitutional Parties. Because they just cannot win, it is, again, an exercise in futility. I mean, why waste a vote? If I am going to support my principles, I may as well cast a vote with the Party that will actually win the election.

The problem with trying to make Conservatism appeal to liberals is this: no matter how much you try to package Conservative ideology to a liberal — if they are a solid liberal Democrat, they are not going to want to accept it at all.  Which is why I say, what is the point of trying to make Conservative thought appeal to people who simply reject it? It is a waste of time, so why bother?

In closing, David Frum might be a smart man and all. However, sometimes, I believe that one can be educated to the point of being an over-educated idiot. It is quite common in this day and age.

Yawn: Romney’s and Ryan release tax records, Media pounces and calls them evil rich white people

Stuff like this right here and why I and other people begin to want to tune the election out. Governor Romney, his wife and Paul Ryan release their tax records, to satisfy the liberal elite class; who are mostly rich also — and the Liberal media, who are also rich. What happens? They use the tax returns to prove how much of an evil rich white man that Governor Romney and Paul Ryan happen to be.

Here’s the release:

In advance of the posting of these new documents, I wanted to provide some top-line details.

Regarding the newly-filed 2011 Tax Return:

In 2011, the Romneys paid $1,935,708 in taxes on $13,696,951 in mostly investment income.

The Romneys’ effective tax rate for 2011 was 14.1%.

The Romneys donated $4,020,772 to charity in 2011, amounting to nearly 30% of their income.

The Romneys claimed a deduction for $2.25 million of those charitable contributions.

The Romneys’ generous charitable donations in 2011 would have significantly reduced their tax obligation for the year. The Romneys thus limited their deduction of charitable contributions to conform to the Governor’s statement in August, based upon the January estimate of income, that he paid at least 13% in income taxes in each of the last 10 years.

As with the 2010 tax return, the 2011 tax return will appear as four separate documents. It includes Governor and Mrs. Romney’s Form 1040 as well as three underlying Massachusetts trusts detailing the sources of their income. Those are The W. Mitt Romney Blind Trust, The Ann D. Romney Blind Trust, and The Romney Family Trust.

The investments within the trusts are managed on a blind basis by me, the trustee. I have sole responsibility for making, holding and disposing of the investments.

Regarding the PWC letter covering the Romneys’ tax filings over 20 years, from 1990 – 2009:

In each year during the entire 20-year period, the Romneys owed both state and federal income taxes.

Over the entire 20-year period, the average annual effective federal tax rate was 20.20%.

Over the entire 20-year period, the lowest annual effective federal personal tax rate was 13.66%.

Over the entire 20-year period, the Romneys gave to charity an average of 13.45% of their adjusted gross income.

Over the entire 20-year period, the total federal and state taxes owed plus the total charitable donations deducted represented 38.49% of total AGI.

via Note From Trustee Brad Malt.

You see, I believe that Mitt Romney earned his wealth; fair and square, just like the elite liberal class, and like the elite liberal media in this Country. So, what is it to anyone at all, how much money Mitt Romney and Paul Ryan have in their bank accounts or in anything else? It simply will be used to feed a narrative that Mitt Romney is a evil, out of touch, rich, white man, who does not care about the middle class or the poor. (or black people)

It is politics at its worst; and it is why I tend to ignore stories during the election season.

Here’s the roundup; some are smart people and some are Democrats: The Atlantic Online, CNN, ABCNEWS, Salon, Washington Wire, Michelle Malkin, The Daily Beast, Election 2012, Taking Note, Hot Air, his vorpal sword, Hit & Run, Forbes, Little Green Footballs, No More Mister Nice Blog, Capital New York, New York Magazine, Gawker, The New Republic, The Right Scoop, Union-News, Business Insider, GayPatriot, Outside the Beltway, The PJ Tatler, Politicker, Weasel Zippers, Mother Jones, The Raw Story, The New Civil Rights Movement, Guardian, Mashable!, Mediaite,First Read, Alan Colmes’ Liberaland, Weekly Standard, Towleroad News #gay, Daily Kos, US Politics,Jammie Wearing Fools, National Review, FT Alphaville, The Lonely Conservative and USA Today — Via Memeorandum

Silence

Seeing that I am still reeling a bit from my sleeping adventure yesterday and because there really is not anything that I feel the absolute need to write about. I shall be taking a break.

This is while my body tries to figure out when to sleep and when to stay awake.

In the meantime, I will posting links. But don’t expect novels, at least not on this iPod touch.