Does this seem odd to you?

Governor Otter took his Capitol for a day to Midvale, and ended up fielding angry complaints about gas taxes, but even more so about sheep grazing.

The meeting was dominated by questions about the decline of natural resource industries in a region including Washington County and its rural neighbors. Most of the meeting focused on a dispute that threatens to remove sheep grazing from the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area because they are believed to risk the health of wild bighorn sheep.

The Forest Service, in an effort to keep bighorn sheep free from disease, seems to be gearing up to remove domestic sheep from grazing allotments in the Hells Canyon National Recreation Area. The sheep ranchers and their supporters in the area are angry about this.

Sheep rancher Ron Shirts of Weiser, said

"I'm damn mad," Shirts said. "I'm getting my head cut off right now."

And

"We draw a line in the sand and we tell the federal government and these environmental agencies we're not taking it any more," Shirts urged, winning hearty applause.

Obviously this guy doesn't like the "federal government." Here's what I don't get. Mr. Shirts wants the federal government to leave him alone. But, he wants to graze his sheep on federal land. Clearly he thinks he's entitled to use that federal land, since he's been doing it for years. He hates government when he doesn't get his way, but he loves to take advantage of what it offers, to the point where he thinks he's entitled to the benefit. He wants to have his cake and eat it too.

Man down

I walked into the restroom at work yesterday, and noticed our support services guy, just standing with his back to the sinks, looking at the stalls. I looked over, and there, lying on the floor in one of the stalls, was one of my co-workers.

He was lying on his back and side, looking up, feet near the toilet, head up by the door. Since the support services guy was just standing there, and the guy on the floor was smiling, and talking into his cell phone, it seemed at first glance that nothing was amiss. This was not a sight I was expecting to see, so my first thought was a bit illogical. I thought he was fixing the bottom of the stall door, tightening a screw, or something.

So, being a smarty, I blurted "Are you all right?" Floor guy replied, "I've been better." As I looked a bit closer, I noticed he was lying on a towel, and had a big ice pack pressed against his back.

I looked over at Mr. Support Services, and he said "he had a back spasm and can't get up."

Turns out that floor guy unloaded a pickup full of bricks, or something the night before. He went into the stall to take care of business, but when he bent over to take care of the paperwork, his back seized up and he fell on the floor.

So the poor guy was lying there, suffering the indignity of circumstances. He probably had to wave his hand under to door, a la Larry Craig, when someone entered the bathroom, to get help. And help had to help him, er, finish the operation. The guy laid on the floor with the ice for 10-15 minutes. How they got the stall door open is unknown. Floor guy had trouble even moving his legs for a little while, though eventually he got up and was able to drive home.

And, worst of all, some other guy came into the bathroom while the guy was lying there, and went into the stall next to him to use the facility as the poor guy laid there.

The $68,000,000 question

As much fun as it is to watch Gov Otter and the conservative House members scrap over road funding, it's good to bear in mind what hapened last year. You'll recall that the legislature offered to come up with $68 mil for roads, and Otter turned it down, saying it wasn't enough.

Several legislators have referred to that this year. They seem to have the attitude of "Well, since you wouldn't take the $68 mil, fine, buzz off."

And so Otter is vetoing right and left to force them to come with funding. A friend pointed out that Otter may well be trying to force them to cough up more than the $68 mil. If after all these gyrations he still gets less than offered last year, he's going to look kind of foolish.

h/t RJ

Time to play ball

As much fun as it is to watch the Governor scrap with the wingers in the legislature, it's getting a bit ridiculous. I heard Otter vetoing legislation on KBSX today. He muttered "This one's the Human Rights Commission." Then, Wham! went the veto stamp. The stamp is amusingly large, and uses red ink. I used to have a similar stamp, but it read "Bulls**t." Wish I still had it.

Anyway, I wish the Democrats would unalign themselves with the wingers, and go along with the Gov. Their "potholes over people" always was trite, and ultimately pointless. Yes education is wonderful, all hail the holy grail, but c'mon. This is politics; it's time to get practical.

We do need money for roads. Republicans hate to invest in infrastructure, and this is a rare chance to do so. So, Democrats, peel off from the obstructionism and join with the Governor's effort to improve our transportation system. Maybe you can cut some deal with him for your support; seems like the time is ripe for it.

Let the Republicans obstruct the Governor by themselves. Oh, and there's the little matter of $30,000 per day. (As someone said, a teacher a day.) It's time to play ball.

Update: As usual, I'm late. Betsy Russell reports that 11 Dems did vote on Tuesday for a 6 cent gas tax hike. Glad to see it.

Short-sighted thinking

The Statesman's Bill Rogers Roberts has a nicely written piece about foolish decision making by business leaders and Department of Labor Director Roger Madsen. A few years ago, businesses thought they found a way to reduce the unemployment tax they pay. Actually, they did find a way; they convinced the legislature to lower the tax rate.

First, in 2002, the tax rate was frozen, even though more workers were entering the market. Two years later it was clear that the unemployment fund was underfunded, as compared to how it should've been funded without the freeze. It would have been a big hit on employers to fully fund it, so all players decided to just fund about half of what was needed, and call it good.

And now they've got a big problem.

Now the law and the recession are clobbering Idaho businesses, which saw unemployment-tax rates climb by 70 percent in 2009 to pay checks to the growing number of unemployed workers. Businesses could see another 100 percent increase in 2010 at a time when many already are struggling, labor officials say.

The article has this revealing quote from Madsen:

I will admit I wanted consensus more than I wanted to impose my opinion (on the committee)," Madsen said. "I just didn't push it hard enough, I guess.

This tells me one of two things happened. Either Madsen knew better but caved in politically, or he didn't know, and is now trying to make us think he did.

And, predictably, Wayne Hoffman uses this problem to offer up the thoroughly discredited idea that trickle down economics is the best way to wealth for everyone. If George Bush's administration taught us anything, it was that the rich can get richer and richer and richer, and the middle class and the poor don't benefit from it.

I would have liked to see Rogers Roberts name the key players in the business community who pushed this stupid idea.

Danger Will Robinson

I clicked over to Adam's site to see what whackyness the tea bag party inspired in Adam, and got this warning from my virus blocker;



So, be warned. He had this problem a while back as well.

Update: Adam says in the comments that he has the problem fixed already.

Later update; it was rightly pointed out to me that I'm an idiot and confused Will Rogers with Will Robinson.

The mind of a wingnut

Tara and MG have been documenting the craziness and hatred found associated with Zeb Bell and his radio broadcast, and they're beginning to have an effect on the Zebster. After complaining about bloggers, Zeb's now started his own blog. In his apparent first post (others were written by a contributor), ol' Zebby decries hate speech:

This blog is intended to counter the umpteen blogs out there that berate Zeb Bell and spew their own HATE SPEECH.

This is clearly aimed at MTG, because at the end of the post, Zebby writes

Now to address the name of this blog Zeb's Rebs. Here is the definition of a rebel; "One who rebels or is in rebellion". In no way does that denote ANY racist belief.

MG took Zebby to task for naming his blog Zeb's Rebs, alluding to a link between between confederate rebels and racism.

I'm coming to this pretty late, and MG's post has a long comment thread discussing the Zeb's blog and one of his contributors, the Iron Yak. Ms. Yak describes herself thus: "I am a typical American Housewife" who has a "multifaceted-brain ." Well, I find this interesting. Ms. Yak views herself as typical. Mainstream, even, I'd guess

MG's thread discusses a blatantly racist cartoon Ms. Yak drew depicting Michelle Obama a Monkey, which Ms. Yak later took down. Not sure why she took it down, but it's flat out unambiguously racist. MG links to it, and here's the link as well.

Ms. Yak has another racist cartoon still posted, shown below. That multi-faceted brain of hers implies that Michelle is a member of a black KKK, which is just weird. Not a typical thought of an American Housewife. Typical of a racist, perhaps.



Zebby and Ms. Yak are a couple of deludinoids, among other things. They think they're typical fine Americans. I guess if they had to admit the truth, they'd find themselves unacceptable, so rather than change their views, they label them normal. Having a popular African-American president elected by a wide margin has got to be deeply upsetting to Zebby and Ms. Yak, as it shown them how out of touch the are with typical, mainstream American values. And to them, I say, turn right and stomp on the throttle, and follow that red Corvette off the cliff.

Stand By Me

I usually leave the video links up to other bloggers, but this one is particularly nice, so here it is.


Stand By Me from David Johnson on Vimeo.

h/t Andrew Sullivan.

I was hoping for a change

President Obama went to Iraq, and the soldiers seemed thrilled. Vice President Biden also visited troops, though I just saw a picture, and don't know where. Good on 'em.

But again, why do they always have to line up soldiers (or whatever troops are available) behind them as a nice prop for the cameras. It's dehumanizing, and I wish that tradition would go away. Truly a bipartisan bad idea.

Cable TV

Melinda Smyser

The Statesman has an article about Sen. Melinda Smyser, who was appointed by Gov Otter to replace Brad Little when Little was appointed as Lt. Governor. This statement kind of jumped out at me:

A long-time activist in Republican and Canyon County politics, Smyser subscribes to a simple political philosophy: Keep government out of our lives.

(Emphasis mine) Also:

Smyser, a member of the Health and Welfare, the Commerce and the Agricultural Affairs committees, said she has been astounded by some of the bureaucracy in state agencies and the Legislature.

"We've got a lot of government going on. That's what I've found out," Smyser said.

First off, Ms. Smyser, if you want government out of your life, why are you in government? Wouldn't it have been more consistent with your philosophy to decline the appointment to the legislature? Right now, isn't your life kind of all about government?

Do you ride a horse from Parma, or where ever you are staying in session, to the legislature, or do you use the government-built roads to drive around? How about those government traffic signals? Do you rely on them to hold traffic for you, or should you get those out of your life as well? Are you happy that other drivers must be licensed and meet minimum standards of competency, or would you prefer to just have a free-for-all?

I note that you live out in the countryside. Do you have your own firetruck and water supply? Or are you relying on those government firefighters should tragedy strike?

Ms. Smyser's legislative info is below. That's a screen shot from the legislative web site. (Click to enlarge).



Did you note her employment? Safe and Drug Free School Program Coordinator. If that job pays her a salary, then since schools are government, perhaps she ought to give up the job and get government out of her life. Even if it doesn't pay and she does it for free, seems like she's still awfully involved in government. Have a look at this resource page of the Idaho Dept. of Education about Safe and Drug Free Schools. Man, government abounds. I'm a bit astounded by that bureaucracy.

Oh, and one more thing. Ms. Smyser's husband makes his living lobbying government. I'm surprised she hasn't gotten him out of her life.