government – Page 953 – Behind The Black

200 Economists Ask Lawmakers to Repeal Obamacare

January 19, 2011 4:45 pm Robert Zimmerman

I’m not the only one saying it: Two hundred economists ask lawmakers to repeal Obamacare. Key quote:

The letter from economists said the law is “fiscally dangerous at a moment when the United States is already facing a sea of red ink. It creates a massive new entitlement at a time when the budget is already buckling under the weight of existing entitlements. At a minimum, it will add $1 trillion to government spending over the next decade,” the letter stated. “Assertions that these costs are paid for are based on omitted costs, budgetary gimmicks, shifted premiums from other entitlements, and unsustainable spending cuts and revenue increases.

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GOP spending cuts would affect millions of people

January 19, 2011 11:03 am Robert Zimmerman

Here come the squeals! GOP spending cuts would affect millions of people.

Oh my! “Millions!” The world is going to end! Soon it will be gabillions, then squajillions, and finally megabajillionmillionbillions!

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Judge rules against California ammunition law

January 18, 2011 11:52 pm Robert Zimmerman

Good news for California gun-owners: A judge has ruled against the state’s new ammunition law. The law not only required purchasers of ammunition to provide their thumbprint, photo ID, birth date, and address, it also outlawed mail-order sales of pistol ammunition.

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What Congress Should Cut

January 18, 2011 9:33 pm Robert Zimmerman

What Congress should cut. And they find $3 trillion in only 14 paragraphs. Key quote:

None of this will be easy. Many will likely demagogue any reduction in the rate of growth of spending as a devastating “cut.” But the politics of spending has changed, and there is an expectation among fiscally conservative voters—Republicans, independents, tea partiers and even Democrats—that the government tighten its belt, just as American families have been forced to do. Some in the Republican establishment have already started complaining that this is too politically difficult. These naysayers misread today’s political climate. Should they succeed in blocking change, tea party voters will hold them just as accountable as big-spending Democrats.

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NASA’s safety panel warns of space policy confusion

January 18, 2011 2:09 pm Robert Zimmerman

NASA’s safety panel fears the consequences of the present confusion in space policy.

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Court rules that a cat summoned for jury duty must serve

January 18, 2011 11:20 am Robert Zimmerman

Our government in action: A Boston court has ruled that a cat summoned for jury duty must serve.

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Due to a leak from Wikileaks the head of the European GPS program has been fired

January 18, 2011 1:16 am Robert Zimmerman

Due to a leak from Wikileaks, the head of one of the companies building the European GPS system has been fired. Key quote:

The [Wikileaks] cable, which was published by the Norwegian daily Aftenposten last Thursday, quoted the [chief executive] as saying, “I think Galileo [the European GPS system] is a stupid idea that primarily serves French interests”, and, in particular, French military interests.

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Man faces charges for defying TSA agents

January 17, 2011 11:42 am Robert Zimmerman

Man faces charges for defying TSA agents. Key quote:

“ What’s really at root in this case is whether travel is a right that we have under the Constitution – an ability to move about the country without having to show papers – which has been one of the defining characteristics of American freedom, “ Hasbrouck said.

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NASA needs billions to get Lockheed Martin’s Orion into space

January 16, 2011 5:22 pm Robert Zimmerman

And NASA thinks it can compete with SpaceX or Orbital Sciences? The agency is asking for billions more to build the Orion capsule.

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More battles in space war

January 14, 2011 7:51 pm Robert Zimmerman

More battles in the space war over NASA:

Bill Nelson blasts NASA’s claim that it needs more time and money to build the program-formerly-called-Constellation.
The NASA inspector general has urged Congress to stop wasting money on the program-formerly-called-Constellation (which NASA is still required to build because of legal language inserted in the 2010 budget appropriations bill, passed in late 2009).
HEFT, Lies and Videotape. Paul Spudis lays into NASA over the entire crazy situation.

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New TSA Scanner Procedure Is Dumb in a New Way

January 13, 2011 2:38 pm Robert Zimmerman

The new TSA scanner procedure: Dumb in a new way. The quote below actually isn’t the point of the article (which notes other idiotic things about TSA procedures), but I found it telling nonetheless:

For the most part, it has been possible to avoid the scanners just by picking the right line to stand in, which I assume means that the government has determined that terrorists have poor line-picking skills.

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