All posts by Hutchins AAron

Born in Deutschland 1965, hometown was Bütthart, parents were not U.S. government employees. However, when father was tricked into joining the U.S. Air Force Civil Service, in 1969, with the promise that we could remain in Germany, we were promptly shipped off to Iran. Due to one of my Iranian educators being disappeared, along with her husband, by the U.S. ally Shah of Iran's Israeli & U.S. created Savak (for the then official terrorist act of promoting the idea that women can vote), and due to my U.S. citizen mother being placed on Savak's Terrorist Arrest List (for supporting the idea that women should vote, at that time the U.S. ally Shah of Iran did not allow women to vote, now they can) we left Iran for the United States in 1973, literally in the middle of the night. At the U.S. Embassy airbase the CIA operated Gooney Bird (C-47) was so packed with other U.S. citizens fleeing our ally Iran (because the Shah gave the OK to arrest any U.S. citizen for such terrorist acts as promoting the concept of voting) that we were turned away by the Loadmaster and had to take a chance on a civilian flight out of Tehran's airport. My father told me he and my mother had three culture shocks; first when they arrived in Germany as civilians, then after being shipped off to Iran as U.S. government employees, then again returning to the United States as unemployed civilians (because so much had changed in the U.S. while they were gone, their only news source was the U.S. Armed Forces Radio & Television Service which heavily censored information about the home front). Since I graduated high school in 1982 I've worked for U.S. government contractors and state & local government agencies (in California), convenience store manager in California, retail/property management in Georgia, California and Idaho. Spent the 1990s in the TV news business producing number one rated local news programs in California, Arizona and Idaho. 14+ years with California and Idaho Army National Guard and the U.S. Air Force. Obtained a BA degree in International Studies from Idaho State University at the age of 42. Unemployed since 2015, so don't tell me the economy has recovered.
International, Technology

Drug resistant TB affecting thousands of Europeans

“TB is an old disease that never went away, and now it is evolving with a vengeance.”-Zsuzsanna Jakab, UNWHO

The United Nations World Health Organization is warning European countries  to be alert against the extensively-resistant tuberculosis (XDR-TB), and multi-drug resistant tuberculosis (MDR-TB).

Estimates show 15 of the 27 countries with the highest burden of MDR-TB are in the European region.  More than 80,000 MDR-TB patients are diagnosed in the region annually.  London, U.K., has been the hardest hit capital city with 3,500 new cases diagnosed each year.

About half of the newly diagnosed MDR-TB patients are expected to die!

 

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Spanish teachers and students protesting in the thousands

“Since the democratic transition in Spain, we have not seen such a hard attack on social services and essential public services. This is an attack by Madrid’s regional government against employment and public education.”-Cayo Lara

Spain’s attempts to pay down its debt has seen huge cuts to education spending, at least 13,000 temporary teachers will lose their jobs.

The public school system in Spain has never had a good track record: One of Europe’s highest dropout rates with nearly 30% of students under the age of 16.

More education strikes are planned for September 20 & 21.

Business/Economics, International

What Economic Recovery? Italians fighting with police, going down the debt tubes with Greece

September 15, scores of protesters hurled smoke bombs and other objects, even a cow’s lung, at the police.

The riots took place outside the Italian Parliament.  Italian politicians are trying to come up with a new debt reduction plan.  The plan will be similar to the Greek plan, meaning Italian taxpayers, and the unemployed are going to suffer.

The Italian government is trillions in debt. The latest debt reduction plan hopes to have the debt paid off by 2013.  It can only be done with drastic tax increases and cuts to taxpayer funded government services (which will mean more people getting laid off).

International, U.S.

World War 3: Venezuela, and 9 other countries, join Syria, take stand against the ‘west’

“We came to Syria to express our support and solidarity with the Syrian people, and to express our resentment of the media war against Syria.”– Temir Porras, Deputy Foreign Minister of Venezuela

The South American country, who is a major oil supplier to the east coast of the U.S., said they support the current government of Syria.  It’s not just Venezuela, but nine other South American and Caribbean countries who’re expressing support for Syria.

The organization is called ALBA, or Alianza Bolivariana para los Pueblos de Nuestra América.  It’s members are Antigua and Barbuda, Bolivia, Cuba, Dominica, Ecuador, Nicaragua, Saint Vincent and the Grenadines, and Venezuela.

International

World War 3: Israel warns of war (again) if Palestine is recognized as a member of the UN

“The moment has not yet come to give details of what will happen. What I can say with the greatest confidence is that from the moment they pass a unilateral decision there will be harsh and grave consequences.”-Avigdor Lieberman,  Foreign Minister of Israel

For the second time, Israel has officially hinted at major confrontations if Palestine is recognized by the United Nations.

Back in August, Israeli officials threatened war with Syria, if Palestine became a UN member.  Now they are directly threatening the Palestinians.

Business/Economics, International

No Economic Recovery with Government Incompetence: Greek tax collectors join anti-government protests

“The participation rate in the strike is over 90%. The workers are striking to protest the looting of their income.”-Yiannis Grivas, head of the tax collectors’ union

You know things are bad when the government’s own tax collectors join the protestors.  Not just tax collectors, but Customs officers joined the latest protests of the Greek government’s debt repayment plan.

The plan places the burden on the taxpayers of Greece, many are unemployed.  The government’s plan will add to the unemployment by cutting government jobs, and cutting government pay: “We are talking about cuts to our income of 60% over the past one and a half years, 30% last year and 30% this year with the new wage structure. Of course we are obliged to protest.”-Yiannis Grivas, head of the tax collectors’ union

If you think about it, the Greek plan isn’t about building a good economy, but totally about paying down government debt by raising taxes on those few who still have jobs, and cutting services for everyone!

“The biggest single concern is that we may face a outright tax revolt. Those who have been paying taxes are now being asked to pay again, and there is a fear they won’t be able to pay any more.”-Unnamed Greek official

Business/Economics, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Eldery woman loses home after selling everything to pay it off, a 101 year old woman gets foreclosed on, despite getting a reverse mortgage

“I had one year left on my mortgage, and it would have been paid off, I wanted to live here for as long as possible.”-Linda Hatchel

Linda Hatchel spent decades, and tens of thousands of dollars renovating her Chicago home.

What makes it all the more terrible is that more than twenty years ago she paid about one dollar for the home.  It was a demolition sale.  She took out loans to renovate the house, but her cancer treatment, and the loss of her job left her unable to make the final payment (she had one payment left), now she’s about to become homeless.

In Texas, 101 year old Texana Hollis was evicted from her home this week. In 2003, her son asked her to sign it over to a reverse mortgage company for $32,000 to help with home repairs.  Despite claims that reverse mortgages can keep you in your home, the bank kicked her to the curb.

 

 

U.S.

Government Incompetence: California politicians hire their own ‘news agency’, with taxpayer money

The Los Angeles Times reports that the Central Basin Municipal Water District, a taxpayer funded operation, with elected officials at the helm, essentially created their own ‘news agency’ to make them look good.

Coghlan Consulting Group is being paid $11,000 per month to write ‘news’ stories that make the elected officials look good, in the hopes of getting re-elected: “This is a serious breach of the public trust. If it was known and approved by the board, it could be interpreted as the use of $200,000 of taxpayer funds as a self-promotion to help them stay in office.”-Terry Francke, Californians Aware

The idea of a ‘news agency’ for the water district came from the consulting firm: “All of us know that getting positive news coverage about the agency is a very difficult challenge. The solution? How about our own news outlet.”-Ed Coghlan, Coghlan Consulting Group

The Central Basin Municipal Water District is already being investigated by Los Angeles County prosecutors for possible fraudulent travel expenses.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Not everyone in China is doing well economically, restaurants forced to use ‘gutter’ oil for cooking, blame inflation

At least 32 people are on trial in China, for collecting used cooking oil from street gutters, then selling it back to restaurants.

A company that was supposed to be creating biodiesel from used oil, instead found it cheaper to simply strain the used cooking oil and sell it back to restaurants.

Also, according to local police, the company was using a “white substance” to remove the nasty smell from the used cooking oil.  Some local media speculate that it causes cancer.

China’s fast booming economy is causing rapid inflation, many individuals, and mom & pop businesses can’t keep up.  Buying recycled cooking oil is a cheap alternative.  One report said the price of new cooking oil in China is about 10,000 yuan, or $1,560 a ton, while ‘gutter’ oil sells for around 8,000 yuan to 9,000 yuan.

This is not the first scandal relating to food safety in China.  Scandals have included melamine tainted infant formula, and pork tainted with the chemical clenbuterol.   Melamine gives false increased protein levels in dairy products.  Clenbuterol helps make meat leaner.  The Chinese government says both can be harmful to humans.

Here in the United States the FDA has approved the use of clenbuterol in animals, but not in humans.  However, the FDA is out on melamine.  Their latest studies showed that melamine was dangerous only when combined with other chemicals.  One study showed cats had kidney failure after eating 32 parts per million of cyanuric acid and 32 parts per million of melamine.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? China says you created the economic problem, you fix it!

“Countries must first put their own houses in order. Developed countries must draw up responsible fiscal and monetary policies.”-Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of China

Despite China becoming the biggest foreign investor in the United States, they say future investments depends on how the U.S. handles economic recovery.  The same goes for Europe: “European countries are facing sovereign debt problems and we’ve expressed our willingness to give a helping hand many times. We will continue to expand our investment there…Europe and the U.S. must adopt responsible and effective fiscal and monetary policies in a bid to reduce debt pressures.”-Wen Jiabao, Prime Minister of China

Analysts from Citigroup agreed: “What he is basically saying is China wants to help, they want to invest, but we can’t help you take the proper measures to control the debt crisis, you’ve got to do that on your own.”-William Rhodes

Another analysts says the EU and U.S. must stop paying for debt with debt: “Politicians have been paying their budget deficits by selling bonds, in other words mortgaging, or charging the future. Sooner or later that catches up with you, and 2011 is the year that the debt finally catches up with several European countries like Greece and Italy. So they have got to put their houses in order. They have to spend what they have, but not spend more than they have.”-Francis Lun, Lyncean Holdings