Tuesday, November 25, 2014

MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY IS DISAPPOINTED THAT OFFICER WILSON WAS NOT INDICTED -- OR ARE THEY UNHAPPY BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO BIG PAYDAY? THE FERGUSON GRAND JURY DECISION: NO INDICTMENT...

One Citizen Speaking...


MICHAEL BROWN'S FAMILY IS DISAPPOINTED THAT OFFICER WILSON WAS NOT INDICTED -- OR ARE THEY UNHAPPY BECAUSE THERE WILL BE NO BIG PAYDAY?

Posted: 24 Nov 2014 10:27 PM PST

I find it deeply disturbing that the parents of a thug who lost his life challenging a police officer still believes that the officer did not face the consequences of his actions.

The police officer certainly has faced the consequences of his actions: seeing hardship befall him and his innocent family that was forced to abandon their home and seek shelter in a safe and secure setting; probably losing his job and any chances for a career in law enforcement. And, he committed no crime other than to uphold the law and perform his sworn duty when confronting a thug.

Brown’s parents want police officers to wear body cameras – do they not realize that the camera would have condemned their son as an out-of-control thug attacking a police officer? Or are they unmindful that a convenience store surveillance camera caught their son red-handed in a strong-arm robbery minutes before the police confrontation?

The parents of Michael Brown released a statement after the Grand Jury found insufficient evidence to charge Police Officer Darren William with the death Michael Brown …

We are profoundly disappointed that the killer of our child will not face the consequence of his actions.

While we understand that many others share our pain, we ask that you channel your frustration in ways that will make a positive change. We need to work together to fix the system that allowed this to happen.

Join with us in our campaign to ensure that every police officer working the streets in this country wears a body camera.

We respectfully ask that you please keep your protests peaceful. Answering violence with violence is not the appropriate reaction.

Let’s not just make noise, let’s make a difference.”

Lesley McSpadden and Michael Brown, Sr.
Parents of Michael Brown, Jr.

And, why I believe that is all about the money …

Surrounded by attorneys and advisors, one can hardly wait for the Michael Brown foundation to pop up – allowing the family to solicit public money and use it to fund their lifestyle – that is if other high-profile cases serve as the blueprint.

Michael Brown’s Mom Accused Of Beating Grandma Over Ferguson Shooting T-Shirts  

Michael Brown’s mom may face felony armed robbery charges. Lesley McSpadden is accused of enlisting a group of people to “beat” another group of people who were selling Mike Brown T-shirts in Ferguson. One T-shirt seller was allegedly beaten so badly that hospitalization was required, and another seller was allegedly beaten with a pipe.

Lesley McSpadden and a group of about 30 people allegedly drove up to a group of Mike Brown T-shirt vendors and “rushed” them. One of the Ferguson Michael Brown shooting beating victims was reportedly the teenager’s grandmother and McSpadden’s former mother-in-law, Pearlie Gordon.

Mike Brown’s mom said, “You can’t sell this s**t,” according to Ferguson witness statements in a police report. Pearlie Gordon allegedly refused to back down from the Lesley McSpadden group. “Unless McSpadden could produce she had a patent on her son’s name, Gordo was going to continue to sell her merchandise,” the police report also added.

Ferguson police officers also noted that $400 in cash and more than $1,500 in Michael Brown merchandise was allegedly stolen by Lesley McSpadden and her group. <Source>

What? Do they believe their thug son is some kind of a hero?

Michael Brown's mother collapsed in tears as the verdict was announced - as the victim's stepfather screamed 'Burn this b**** down'. Meanwhile, Wilson's attorneys issued a statement in which he thanked 'those who have stood by his side throughout the process'. <Source>

The family has scheduled a press conference … as if what they have to say about their thug son, the legal process, or anything else is important. Perhaps some reporter should ask the stepfather about his alleged comments above.

Bottom line …

The progressive socialist democrats are all about an alternative universe that supports free money and self-licking lollipops. Where up is down, black is white, and evil is good. Where people fight for a thug’s civil rights and demand that the civil rights of a police officer be ignored.

We are sure to see this “victim” meme continue to play out no matter what the forensic evidence and sworn testimony indicates.

Show me where stealing cell phones, groceries, cosmetics, and liquor is a civil rights protest? Show me where a thug is more important that a police officer keeping his city safe? No wonder why the activists do not want police officers dressed in tactical gear or using armored vehicles.

Time to call a spade a spade – rioters  and looters are criminals and should be prosecuted.

-- steve

THE FERGUSON GRAND JURY DECISION: NO INDICTMENT

Posted: 24 Nov 2014 06:25 PM PST

policelights

The Ferguson Grand Jury has reviewed the forensic evidence, heard testimony of witnesses, and deliberated over whether or not to indict Police Officer Darren Wilson for the death of Michael Brown. Their findings have resulted in NO INDICTMENT!

The announcement …

mhd

 <PENDING>

Activists and Agitators …

As with  the exploitation of Trayvon Martin’s death, no matter which way you slice it, activists and agitators ginned-up a local news story to national importance to pursue their own political agenda.

The facts seem relatively clear. Michael Brown, a 6’4” 292-pound black man, fresh from committing a video-taped strong-arm theft of cigars from a convenience store, decided to violently confront a white police officer who had asked Brown and his companion to cease walking down the middle of the street and get on the curb. Had Michael Brown, under the influence of drugs, simply obeyed that advice, there would be no story, no riots, no loss of life, and no destruction of private and public property. Unfortunately, Michael Brown engaged in a physical altercation with the police officer that lead to his death. A justifiable shooting based on the forensic evidence and testimony before the Ferguson Grand Jury.

Money as a motivator …

In cases of this type, we have seen big-money settlements by the police and other government entities – sometimes using taxpayer money to resolve nuisance lawsuits or eliminate a closer scrutiny of the matter. We know what drives the agitators and attorneys, but it was unexpected to see Michael Brown’s mother was accused of beating up Michael Brown’s grandmother over selling Michael Brown memorabilia on the street.

Michael Brown’s Mom Accused Of Beating Grandma Over Ferguson Shooting T-Shirts  

Michael Brown’s mom may face felony armed robbery charges. Lesley McSpadden is accused of enlisting a group of people to “beat” another group of people who were selling Mike Brown T-shirts in Ferguson. One T-shirt seller was allegedly beaten so badly that hospitalization was required, and another seller was allegedly beaten with a pipe.

Lesley McSpadden and a group of about 30 people allegedly drove up to a group of Mike Brown T-shirt vendors and “rushed” them. One of the Ferguson Michael Brown shooting beating victims was reportedly the teenager’s grandmother and McSpadden’s former mother-in-law, Pearlie Gordon.

Mike Brown’s mom said, “You can’t sell this s**t,” according to Ferguson witness statements in a police report. Pearlie Gordon allegedly refused to back down from the Lesley McSpadden group. “Unless McSpadden could produce she had a patent on her son’s name, Gordo was going to continue to sell her merchandise,” the police report also added.

Ferguson police officers also noted that $400 in cash and more than $1,500 in Michael Brown merchandise was allegedly stolen by Lesley McSpadden and her group. <Source>

Bottom line …

That communist and separatist activists and agitators – along with a complicit progressive mainstream media – sought to seek media attention and funding by exploiting the situation says more about the community and its tolerance for outside interlopers than it says about the two men involved.

We should respect the Ferguson Grand Jury who literally put their lives on hold and on the line to do their duty as citizens. I am not sure than anyone of us would welcome the amount of scrutiny or fall-out that might accompany any decision.

As for protests anywhere else in the Country other than Ferguson, Missouri, you are looking at socialist, communist, anarchist agitators pursuing their own political agenda using unfortunate incidents to fundraise and raise their media presence. Something that should be avoided and condemned by decent folk everywhere.

When considering media report, remember that there are agitators, protesters, and spectators in the crowd – and they may not be of the same mind and motivation.

-- steve

IS THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION STARTING TO DESTROY RECORDS BEFORE A GOP TAKEOVER OF CONGRESS?

Posted: 24 Nov 2014 09:39 PM PST

I am asking myself if a corrupt, lawless Administration might destroy critical documents prior to a GOP takeover of Congress and an enhanced ability to hold politicians and bureaucrats accountable for their past actions?

As we have seen, Hillary Clinton’s top aids have been accused of purging documents on Benghazi prior to a document turnover to the ARB (Accountability Review Board) that was so incompetent as to never interview Hillary Clinton herself about her actions relating to Benghazi, the video story, and the alleged cover-up.

Now we are seeing that the Department of Homeland Defense is preparing to destroy a large number of documents that should be preserved and vetted by the personnel at the National Archives. Considering that the DHS and other government agencies are under scrutiny for a multiplicity of scandals involving the White House, the timing of this effort is suspicious. Especially if the destruction will give rise to the “accidental” destruction of “other” records that were not supposed to be purged.

From NextGov.com …   

The Department of Homeland Security is poised to ditch all records from a controversial network monitoring system called Einstein that are at least three years old, but not for security reasons.

DHS reasons the files -- which include data about traffic to government websites, agency network intrusions and general vulnerabilities -- have no research significance.

But some security experts say, to the contrary, DHS would be deleting a treasure chest of historical threat data. And privacy experts, who wish the metadata wasn’t collected at all, say destroying it could eliminate evidence that the government-wide surveillance system does not perform as intended.

The National Archives and Records Administration has tentatively approved the disposal plan, pending a public comment period.  

<Source: DHS Set to Destroy Government-wide Network Surveillance Records - Nextgov.com>

Bottom line …

As we have seen in the past few years, the Obama Administration plays fast and loose with documents – especially those that were legally subpoenaed by Congressional oversight committees. It is prima facie evidence of wrongdoing that documents were not provided to Congress, but were provided to the Courts. Add President Obama’s false claim of “Presidential Privilege” and you see a pattern of document handling that is highly suspicious. Not that the prominent progressive socialist democrats have not been caught red-handed stealing classified documents and stuffing them in their underwear.

-- steve

SECDEF CHUCK HAGEL OUT -- OBAMA POWER PLAY?

Posted: 25 Nov 2014 12:09 AM PST

ch

My cynical self believes that Chuck Hagel's ouster was timed to coincide with Secretary of State's John Kerry failing to secure an Iranian nuclear deal -- thus proving either Kerry's incompetence or advancing Obama's plan to allow Iran to go nuclear to disadvantage Israel.

President Obama can accept incompetence, cluelessness, but cannot accept criticism ...

It appears that the Obamacons forced the 24th Secretary of Defense, Chuck Hagel, to resign … possibly over comments that were contradictory to the message put forth by President Obama and his cadre of progressive socialist democrats that ISIS was not the JV team and represented a far greater threat to America than what Obama was saying.

It also appears that the timing is suspect because Obama has a closing window of opportunity before the Senate’s leadership reverts to the Republicans and any Obama nominee might be used as a bargaining chip to roll-back the President’s domestic policies.

Now that a nuclear agreement with Iran is fast coming to an inflection point, it would not surprise me if President Obama was seeking a Secretary of Defense that could be controlled by the White House and used to disadvantage an Israeli attack on Iran should Iran blow-off enrichment curtailment discussions.

There was never any doubt that President Obama and his cadre of progressive socialist democrats in the inner circle wanted to consolidate command and control over the entire government from the White House where actions were dictated rather than discussed and deliberated by a wider group of participants.

The truth is that Hagel never quite cracked Obama's inner circle and bided his time providing advice to the President directly. It appears that much of his advisory role was subverted by General Martin Dempsey, the compliant head of the Military's Joint Chiefs of Staff. 

What may have happened …

It appears that the British and French came to the Department of Defense and refused to bomb ISIS in Syria because it made no sense. They wanted to bomb ISIS in Iraq to drive them out of Iraq into Syria. Instead the military genius of Valerie Jarrett and her cohorts demanded that ISIS be bombed everywhere because it sounded cool. When Chuck Hagel pressed the point with the White House he sowed the seeds of his own departure.

Also, Hagel was not big on releasing enemy combatants from Guantanamo and having them return to the battlefield killing Americans. A position that runs counter to Obama’s campaign promises.

Of course, the consequences will be that Barack Obama will probably announce, in January or February, that 10,000 to 20,000 ground troops will be introduced into Iraq for a short-term engagement against ISIL and then half will rotate out, leaving about 10,000 troops as should have been done two years ago. 

Bottom line …

Already the corrupt Obamacons are leaking that Chuck Hagel "wasn't quite up to the job." Which is  maybe overstating the obvious because Hagel appeared to be coping with the inter-service rivalries, the entrenched DOD bureaucracy, and the industrial-military complex with its lobbyists and paid-for politicians. This looks like a Valerie Jarrett and Susan Rice intervention in military matters ... especially in the face of an incoherent foreign policy on Syria.

What Hagel did not apparently do was to stay on Obama's message that he was a superb Commander-in-Chief and that he was taking appropriate actions. When all is considered, Chuck Hagel was blessed to leave the Administration before the rats leave the ship and the ship founders.

Obama reminds me of Nixon who praised Haldeman and Erlichman effusively and then fired them.

It is a shame when you cannot trust the President of the United States or his nominees to uphold, protect, and defend the Constitution of the United States or to keep America or Americans safe from aggression, both foreign and domestic.

-- steve

CAN DARREN WILSON TRUST THE PROGRESSIVE MAINSTREAM MEDIA FOR AN UNBIASED INTERVIEW?

Posted: 24 Nov 2014 06:54 PM PST

Update: ABC's George Stephanopoulos first-in-line for Darren Wilson interview!

ABC News anchor George Stephanopoulos is currently poised to land the first interview with Darren Wilson, the Missouri police officer whose fate will be decided following the announcement of a grand jury ruling on Monday night, industry sources told POLITICO. <Source>

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If progressive media reports are to be believed, Ferguson police officer Darren Wilson and his advisors may have been speaking with television personalities who are eager to conduct the first interview with the officer.

According to CNN, Officer Wilson has been conducting secret, off-the-record meetings with such anchors as “Matt Lauer of NBC, George Stephanopoulos of ABC, Scott Pelley of CBS, and Anderson Cooper and Don Lemon of CNN.” The CNN report also suggested that other anchors, perhaps at Fox, may have been involved.

My question, why would a straight-up police officer trust his first media interview with a progressive mainstream media anchor that has repeatedly supported those who promoted the idea of Michael Brown’s innocence and police malfeasance? Or anyone who gave substantial coverage to the race-baiter Al Sharpton?

Most of the major networks pay for these interviews by providing luxe accommodations and licensing photos and other material from the interview subject.

Bottom line …

It may very well be in Officer Wilson’s best interest to wait until any furor over the decision of the Ferguson Grand Jury plays out and that the subject matter of the interview does not play into a civil case or a federal civil rights prosecution for political purposes.

Other than that, I would hope that Wilson and his advisors are smart enough to select a straight-up anchor like Fox’s Bret Baier or Greta van Susteren rather than a progressive socialist democrat turned journalist like Stephanopoulos, a committed progressive ideologue like Scott Pelley, or a progressive glory hound like Matt Lauer or Anderson Cooper.

-- steve

WHO WILL HOLD THE POLITICIANS ACCOUNTABLE FOR POLITICAL WASTE, FRAUD, AND ABUSE?

Posted: 23 Nov 2014 09:43 PM PST

I was, once again, angry at our nation’s politicians – both parties, and at all levels: local, state, and federal – who speak about raising taxes and never about the government waste, fraud, and abuse that occurs when repairing and replacing our nation’s decaying infrastructure.

Look at how the story is being spun by the mainstream media, typified by these excerpts from the  televised news magazine 60 Minutes [my comments in blue italic] 

Falling apart: America's neglected infrastructure -- Steve Kroft reports on why our roads, bridges, airports and rail are outdated and need to be fixed

There are a lot of people in the United States right now who think the country is falling apart, and at least in one respect they're correct. Our roads and bridges are crumbling, our airports are out of date and the vast majority of our seaports are in danger of becoming obsolete. All the result of decades of neglect. None of this is really in dispute. Business leaders, labor unions, governors, mayors, congressmen and presidents have complained about a lack of funding for years, but aside from a one time cash infusion from the stimulus program, nothing much has changed. There is still no consensus on how to solve the problem or where to get the massive amounts of money needed to fix it, just another example of political paralysis in Washington.

[It’s not political paralysis that’s the problem, it’s political corruption.

Let’s be both accurate and honest about the politicians who have an inherent conflict of interest in the performance of their duties. If they hope to get re-elected they must support the special interests that support their candidacy. That means they must strike “deals with the devil” to allow useless projects in another political district to be funded in order to get their project funded. If they do not bring back money to their district and support their special interests, they will not be funded for the next election cycle. 

And, for the members of the House, where most of the funding bills originate, this is a two-year cycle of never-ending pandering and fund-raising. Against these powerful political forces, it is unlikely that any politician will put the interests of his nation, his district, and his constituents before his personal self interests.]

Tens of millions of American cross over bridges every day without giving it much thought, unless they hit a pothole. But the infrastructure problem goes much deeper than pavement. It goes to crumbling concrete and corroded steel and the fact that nearly 70,000 bridges in America -- one out of every nine -- is now considered to be structurally deficient. 

"You could go to any major city in America and see roads, and bridges, and infrastructure that need to be fixed today."

Ray LaHood: Our infrastructure is on life support right now. That's what we're on. 

Few people are more aware of the situation than Ray LaHood, who was secretary of transportation during the first Obama administration, and before that a seven-term Republican congressman from Illinois. He is currently co-chairman of Building America's Future, a bipartisan coalition of current and former elected officials that is urgently pushing for more spending on infrastructure.

[Like many retired,  fired, or termed-out politicians, Ray La Hood has found a home in one of those report-producing non-profit organizations that is comprised of retired or termed-out politicians. 

La Hood’s organization was founded by the former Governor of Pennsylvania Edward Rendell (prominently featured with La Hood in the 60 Minutes broadcast), former Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger of California (known for the largest tax increase in the nation’s history and corrupt special interest spending), and billionaire Michael Bloomberg who is the former Mayor of New York and a leading proponent of the “don’t do as I do, do as I say” nanny state. 

The goal of the organization is appears to be mustering the public’s support to strengthen political spines to increase taxes; ostensibly to create more of the so-called “shovel-ready infrastructure jobs” that President Obama had a hard time finding. ]

Pennsylvania is one of the worst states in country when it comes to the condition of its infrastructure, and Philadelphia isn't any better off than Pittsburgh. Nine million people a day travel over 900 bridges classified as structurally deficient, some of them on a heavily traveled section of I-95. Ed Rendell is a former Democratic governor of Pennsylvania. 

Steve Kroft: How critical is this stretch of I-95 to the country? 

Ed Rendell: It's a nation's number one highway. Twenty-two miles of it goes through the city of Philadelphia. There are 15 structurally deficient bridges in that 22-mile stretch. And to fix them would cost seven billion dollars -- to fix all the roads and the structurally deficient bridges in that 22-mile stretch. 

Rendell says no one knows where the money is going to come from and this stretch of I-95 has already had one brush with disaster. 

Steve Kroft: Why? How did it get this way? 

Ray LaHood: It's falling apart because we haven't made the investments. We haven't got the money. The last time we raised the gas tax, which is how we built the interstate system, was 1993.

[And where is the accounting for those gas taxes. Or is Pennsylvania like California where gas taxes are “borrowed” for funding other projects and there is a mythical interest-bearing IOU in the non-existent lockbox. You want to see the action taken by Ray La Hood’s foundation buddy Arnold Schwarzenegger? 

“To balance the state budget in 2010, Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger proposed, pushed for, and eventually signed a law that changed the tax structure for gas taxes with a so-called ‘fuel swap.’ The new tax structure eliminated the sales tax on fuel and raised the excise tax. The purpose of the change was to eliminate funds that were dedicated towards transportation from the gas tax so that the Governor could balance the state budget with fewer cuts elsewhere and no tax increases.” <Source>

The POS Schwarzenegger chose his political career and cronies over the Californians who depend on the critical road infrastructure. Kicking the can down the crumbling road as it were. And, as for that other POS, Jerry Brown, it is politically more expedient to build freeway sound walls to win local votes than it is to repair a crumbling road way.]

Steve Kroft: What has the resistance been? 

Ray LaHood: Politicians in Washington don't have the political courage to say, "This is what we have to do." That's what it takes.

Steve Kroft: They don't want to spend the money? They don't want to raise the taxes?

Ray LaHood: That's right. They don't want to spend the money. They don't want to raise the taxes. They don't really have a vision of America the way that other Congresses have had a vision of America

[This is not really true. The politicians have no problem raising taxes – especially if it is hidden from the public as use fees or is collected by an unaffiliated third-party like a utility company. 

They also have no problem stealing the taxpayer’s funds with purchase and lease-backs with special interests, collateralized by “future tax revenues.” 

These are the people who ultimately kick the can down the road using 20- 30-year bonds.

It is also that the current politician’s vision of America is far different from the vision of politicians of years past. Perhaps the best illustration we can think of comes from California. Edmund G. “Pat” Brown was a consummate old-time democrat power player with a vision. He is the one who gave California its expanded water delivery system, its great freeways, and a world-class educational system. His contributions were enduring and beneficial to the State of California. 

On the other hand, his son, Jerry Brown, also a democrat power player, but with a different vision – a socialist collectivist vision – one that sees the state government as the central authority to provide the people what they should have under his tutelage. Where we see significant amounts of money being pumped into the special interests, the unions, and illegal aliens rather than repairing or replacing our crumbling infrastructure. 

Brown presides over diamond lanes that restrict the flow of traffic rather than building more lanes – just another progressive socialist scheme to reduce citizen mobility to locate in centralized high rises and use public transportation. Like New York -- or Moscow. He presides over sanctuary cities that import poverty, illiteracy, disease, and crime. He presides over a union-dominated system that has bilked Californians to provide outrageous retirement and healthcare benefits to his new class of unionized public workers who must vote democrat to keep the shell game afloat.]

LaHood says public spending on infrastructure has fallen to its lowest level since 1947. And the U.S., which used to have the finest infrastructure in the world, is now ranked 16th according to the World Economic Forum, behind Iceland, Spain, Portugal and the United Arab Emirates. It's a fact that's not been lost the most powerful economic and political lobbies in the country who believe the inaction threatens the country's economic future. Big corporations like Caterpillar and GE say it's hurting their ability to compete abroad. And at a Senate hearing earlier this year Tom Donohue, president of the generally conservative U.S. Chamber of Commerce voiced strong business support for raising the gas tax for the first time in 20 years. 

[Tom Donohue: First, let's start by having some courage, and showing some leadership. For once, let's do what's right, not what's politically expedient. Second, let's educate the public and your fellow lawmakers.’

[Ask yourself why these powerful lobbies exist and appear to serve the special interests and not the people. 

Perhaps, we should point out it is these lobbyists that are insuring that infrastructure projects benefit the special interests and not the American people as a whole. Time and time again, we have seen inflated costs, slipping schedules, and mismanagement of projects headed by some of the largest companies that lobby governmental entitites. 

One need only look at some of the biggest public works failures to see the hands of the lobbyists behind the scenes. And, it should be noted that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce has supported cheap labor sources that drives good-paying jobs for legal American citizens toward low-paying jobs being filled with illegal alien labor. The U.S. Chamber of Commerce is not representative of small business, but is an uber-lobbying group for massive corporations that cannot or do not want to fund their own lobbying efforts.]

He was joined by Richard Trumka, president of the AFL-CIO, who said that every billion dollars spent on transportation infrastructure would create 35,000 well-paying jobs. 

[Richard Trumka: If business and labor can come before you united on this issue -- and we are united on this issue despite our sharp disagreements on a variety of other matters -- I think that should tell everybody something and tell it very loudly.] 

[“Despite our sharp disagreements on other matters?” As far as I am concerned, Richard Trumpka is a communist and a thug – providing disproportional support to the progressive socialist democrats in return for sweetheart contracts and control over the nation’s infrastructure. His vision of America is one of collectivism and not individualism. And, as my readers know, I regard the big unions as just another branch of organized crime working against all Americans, much like the Congress of the United States.]

But it was not heard during the midterm elections where there was virtually no public debate on infrastructure and that has barely changed in the weeks that have followed. We wanted to talk to Pennsylvania Congressman Bill Shuster, the chairman of the House Transportation Committee and made numerous requests over the last five months for an on-camera interview. All of them were declined. We did the same with Michigan Congressman Dave Camp, chairman of the House Ways and Means Committee, which has to come up with the money to fund transportation projects; we met with the same result. But we did talk with one of the committee members, Earl Blumenauer, a nine-term Oregon Democrat. He says the last time Congress passed a major six-year transportation bill was in 1997, since then there have been 21 short-term extensions. 

[You mean like finding the funds to help finance California’s crazy train to nowhere or other political-motivated projects that benefit the special interests? 
Perhaps the reason we have not heard debate about infrastructure in the run-up to the midterm elections is because the nation has been sold a bill of goods on the so-called stimulus package for the “shovel-ready jobs” to repair our crumbling infrastructure. And, the discovery of special interest projects that were little more than bridges to nowhere. 
A search for successful infrastructure projects and revelations of waste, fraud, and abuse in selection, location acquisition, engineering, and build-out is the last thing politicians want to expose.]

Source: Falling apart: America's neglected infrastructure - CBS News

Bottom line …

There are plenty of good-paying jobs on repairing, replacing, or building out infrastructure. Unfortunately, it requires political leadership and a demonstrable benefit for the public – not like the multi-billion dollar crazy train in California that is a boon to special interests and the unions, but a boondoggle to anyone expecting cost-effective transportation between two points of real interest.

We can no longer tolerate corrupt politicians, corrupt unions, and the corrupt special interests who are plundering our communal treasury as if it were a piggy bank to purchase political influence.

I say we reduce the size of government, increase transparency and accountability, and control waste, fraud, and abuse – oh wait! – isn’t that what every succeeding political generation tells us? It is time to take action. Forget the corrupt political parties and vote for the person – preferably not a professional politician who has grown rich sucking on the public teat – but a businessman who will serve for one or two terms and then return to his life. As for those who tell you that we need long terms to retain expertise, might I remind you that the only expertise they have is staying in office by plundering the public’s funds.

-- steve

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