Judge Timothy McGinty should be tarred, feathered and run out of the country on a rail. He just gave Carol Fisher, 53, sixty days for putting up anti-Bush posters. She faced a maximum three-year term on a felonious assault conviction. The police lied about what happened, which is not unusual. She had refused to accept a plea bargain, insisting she had done nothing wrong. You can expect more of this as the corporatist-fascist new world order rolls forward. As far as the judge is concerned we believe he is politically corrupt. In the last 50 years things like this have not happened in America, only in the Soviet Union, the former East Germany and Nazi Germany. In open court, after the judge had her checked to see if she was insane, proclaimed Fisher to be delusional for her activism and anti-Bush statements. Fisher was charged with two felonies even though she said she would take down her anti-Bush signs. The question now is do we have to fear our police? Will they become fascist goons like their counterparts in Washington?
The Bush administration has 19420 grievances regarding the unauthorized exposure of medical records. Government has closed 73% of the cases, or 14,000, ruling no violation or allowing health suppliers to fix the problem. Obviously, the law to our government is meaningless. The Health Insurance Portability and Accountability Act isn’t working just as our border isn’t being protected. Government says 5,000 cases remain open and 309 have been referred to the Justice Department. Thus far two cases have resulted in criminal charges.
Our Pentagon has decided to omit from new detainee policies a key tenet of the Geneva Convention that explicitly bans humiliating and degrading treatment. A step that marks a further, potentially permanent, shift away from strict adherence to international human rights standards and a return to barbarity. Supposedly the State Department opposes the military’s decision. The Pentagon plans a new Army Field Manuel on interrogation as a continuation of abuse and torture. Our President has told us that, “Article 3 of the Geneva Convention does not apply to either Al Qaeda or Taliban detainees, because among other reasons, the relevant conflicts are international in nature and common Article 3 applies only to “armed conflict not of an international character.”
Twenty percent of California voters now approve of the job George Bush is doing, while 65% of voters disapprove. The Field Poll says, “All previous presidents who have dipped this low either reigned from office shortly thereafter or were voted out of office.” George may be with us for 2 ½ more years. In modern times the only one lower was Richard Nixon with 24% in August 1974, just before he resigned from office. Sixty-two percent of voters in California believe the nation is on the wrong track. Not only is Iraq a major issue, but so is illegal immigration. Only 23% approve of what Congress is doing. Gasoline prices are number three on California’s complaint list - a year go 71% of Republicans approved of George’s performance. Now it is 59% with 33% disapproval.
In the Bay area 16% approve of Bush’s job performance, while 77% do not. In LA County 25% approve. Bush’s ratings in Ohio were 35%, the lowest for any president since the poll began in 1981.
The Universal Service Act of 2006 – HR 4752IH, is scheduled for debate this week. This new draft bill for Americans from 18-42 years old has to be stopped. Go after Congress immediately.
In a CNN Lou Dobbs Poll on Monday evening listeners were asked, “Which of these national issues do you believe is most important.” The result was: gay marriage 1%; Public education 2%; healthcare 7%; the war in Iraq 24%; illegal immigration 33% and border security 34%. The latter two gleaned a total of 77%. We hope Congress is listening. If they are not they won’t be returning to Washington.
The May ISM report on non-manufacturing was 60.1 versus 63 in April and the prices paid were higher.
Ben Bernanke sounded like a witchdoctor today, Monday, telling us there would be slower economic growth. We are told we are in a period of transition. Growth will moderate. We must keep energy from boosting core prices. The only way that can happen is if profits are cut or productivity is increased. Business investment has increased, but that always comes at the end of a bull run or bear rally. George Bush may be the kiss of death for politicians, but Ben is the kiss of death for the economy.
Las Vegas has a record 20,515 unsold homes and condos on the market up from 10,555 last May and 4,553 in May 2004. Builders are still building with 500 sub-divisions with active sales offices. 2005’s speculators on a net basis are now losers.
A poll has found the average rent for all types of units countrywide was $1,147, compared with $1,046 a year earlier. During the last nine months of 2005 rents rose 9.7%. Today’s average unit of $1,261 is an increase of 3.1% in the first quarter.
The administration is using the state secrets privilege to hide some of its most grievous criminal acts. That is eavesdropping and in its efforts to stop lawsuits such as the recent dismissal of a lawsuit filed by a German man who was abducted by agents of the US government and held in Afghanistan for five months. This is a stacked deck against the system of jurisprudence being used by a cabal of criminals. They have blocked Sibel Edmonds lawsuit to shut her up, and a suit by Jeffery Sterling, a Farsi-speaking, African American officer at the CIA. The list goes on and on as our corrupt, corporatist fascist government marches on.
Ninety percent of wealthy portfolio holders expect an 8% return on their stocks and bonds this year, but only 48% expect real estate to appreciate, down from 72% last year. Thirty-three percent believe real estate will fall, up from 14% last year. Eighty-three percent said their biggest concern is the economic future of the next generation. That is up 2% from last year.