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.
Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Tokyo officials admit Radioactive beef was sold in markets, can’t find source of contamination!

A couple of days ago Tokyo officials reported that cows from Fukushima Prefecture tested positive for high levels of cesium contamination.  Originally officials said none of the beef was sold in Tokyo markets.  Now they admit radioactive beef was sold.

Beef from a total of 11 cows, from a Minami Soma city farm, were tested.  But it turns out that beef from six cows, from the same farm, were not tested, and were sold in Tokyo and Tochigi markets.

Some of the contaminated beef tested for as much as 3,200 becquerels per kilogram of cesium.  The national safe limit is 500.

Officials from the Fukushima Prefecture have inspected the Minami Soma farm.  They discovered that the cows had been kept indoors, along with their feed.  A skin test on the cows, prior to shipment for slaughter, showed no radiation contamination.   Water for the cows came from a well, testing is being done on the water, as well as the feed.

Officials in Tokyo are now back tracking the shipping route used to deliver the beef.  There are concerns that somewhere along the route the beef became contaminated.  It’s also possible that the beef became contaminated during the butchering process.  This could mean that extremely high levels of cesium are being emitted, probably from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant.

International

Pacific Ring of Fire: Japan hit by another 7+ earthquake

July 10, a 7.3 quake hit the same area that experienced a 9.0 quake on March 11.

Two meter high (6.4 feet) waves were seen on the coasts of Miyagi and Iwate Prefectures.

Officials with Japan’s Meteorological Agency say this latest aftershock resulted from the Pacific Plate shifting horizontally.  They believe more aftershocks in the 7 range could occur, into next year.

International

UN caused Cholera epidemic continues to kill in Haiti & Dominican Republic

A United Nations caused cholera epidemic, is still killing people in Haiti and Dominican Republic.

Last week nine people, in the Dominican Republic, died, bringing the total to 71.  The first Dominican Republic case was discovered in November 2010.

But that’s nothing compared to what’s happening in Haiti.

Neighboring Haiti was swept with cholera, starting in October 2010.  As of March 2011 nearly 5,000 people have died, and more than 200,000 are infected.

Health officials working in Haiti say the United Nations grossly underestimated the seriousness of the epidemic: “It is going to be larger than predicted in terms of sheer numbers and will last far longer than the initial projections.”-Dr Sanjay Basu

In fact, Doctor Basu predicts that if conditions don’t improve soon, more than 11,000 Hatians will die by the end of 2011.

Investigations by the UN revealed that UN Peacekeeping troops from Nepal spread the disease due to the unsanitary way they kept their camp ground.

Business/Economics, International

Another reason the housing market bubble in China could burst: New Income Tax Laws

Recently the Chinese government changed income tax laws, to help low income workers keep more of their money.  The new law increased the number of workers who don’t have to file income tax.

The Chinese real estate industry is now warning that could reduce property sales.

In China you must have official papers declaring you a permanent resident of the area you want to buy property in.  If you don’t have such paperwork, you can use your income tax filing to show that you work in that area.  The problem with the new tax law is that it will reduce the number of migrant workers who would’ve had those tax records to use to buy a home with.

A Beijing realtor says the new tax law will reduce the number of qualified migrants, in his area, by more than 90%.

This comes after the Chinese government ordered banks to tighten mortgage lending by either increasing down payments, or increasing mortgage interest rates.

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Japanese beef contaminated with Cesium!

Tokyo officials say they found beef, shipped in from Fukushima Prefecture, is contaminated with high levels of cesium.

On 08 July 2011 the beef tested positive for 2,300 becquerels per kilogram of cesium, the national safe limit is 500 becquerels per kilogram.

The beef came from cows raised in Minami Souma, in Fukushima Prefecture.

Japan’s Health Ministry says this is the first time such high levels of radiation showed up in beef.  They are now requesting the six prefectures around the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, to increase testing their cows for radiation.

Idaho

E.coli hits Idaho recreation area

Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality issued a no swimming warning for Sandy Point Beach, at Lucky Peak State Park.  The reason is high levels of e.coli bacteria.

Officials say that other beach areas at the park are OK for swimming.

As of now they don’t know where the e.coli is coming from, but the potentially deadly bacteria normally originates in human/animal feces.

 

Idaho, U.S.

Idaho cuts Medicaid again, limits choice of providers, gets sued

Idaho’s slash and burning of Medicaid continues.  The latest cuts are taking away $34 million in state funding.

Idaho began their destruction of Medicaid services last year.  By October of 2010 a total of $105 million in state and federal cuts hit Idaho’s Medicaid program.

Some Idaho dentists say they are providing free services, out of sympathy for patients who’re being denied needed services, because of Idaho’s cuts.  Idaho lawmakers claim the cuts to the Medicaid dental program do not affect “necessary” dental services, but, dentists point out that many of the treatments being hit by funding cuts actually prevent more serious conditions, and would be more cost effective.

On top of that Idaho is now limiting providers, in some cases only one provider is allowed.  This has resulted in a lawsuit, brought by two disabled men and their families.  It could turn into a class action suit.

The new Idaho rules actually violate federal laws which protect a patient’s right to choose which provider they want.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

Quotes from the front line of unemployment

In June, the average amount of time a person is unemployed reached a record 39.9 weeks.

“We have had many, many months to stimulate this economy and still not seeing businesses hire, it’s a real concern.”-Frank Davis, LEK Securities

“I send out 50 to 60 resumes a week. Nobody ever gets back to you.”-Rob Attanasio, unemployed more than one year

“I feel washed out from the statistics, in terms of not being heard, in terms of the energy that it has taken for me to keep trying to find work. I don’t feel like I’m even on the radar screen in Washington.”-N. David Cooper, unemployed more than one year

“I’ve had nightmares about my family living on the street.”-Said Nasser, unemployed more than one year

“What we’re seeing here is a sort of settling into the reality of where things are, maybe not holding out as much hope as they once held out that there’s going to be a big recovery, and all of it is going to come back. Instead, people are looking around and saying, ‘Maybe this is going to be what it’s going to be.'”-Rusty Rueff, Glassdoor.com

“Your hope soars when you snag a job interview; then it’s dashed when there’s no job offer. Repeat this over and over again and you start to feel like it’s better not to get your hopes up.”-Fran Hopkins, unemployed more than one year

“It’s very hard when you’re over 60. Nobody wants us. We’ve just been leaving resumes, that’s it. You get no reply.”-Mary Kadin, unemployed since April 2011

 

Business/Economics, Opinion, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Mainstream Media Experts get it wrong, again. Job creation predictions way off

“Today, companies are producing more goods and services than ever before. The economy is able to do that with 7 million fewer workers. If we can do so much with so much less, where is the incentive to hire?”-Bernard Baumohl,  The Economic Outlook Group

For the past few days the stock markets have been going up (mainly those reported by the Dow Jones).  Some mainstream U.S. media outlets were saying it’s because of good jobs data.  It turns out their claims of good jobs data was based solely on “expert” economists, who were just plain guessing (like always).

Today, July 8, the U.S. Department of Labor released the official job hiring numbers for June, and boy are the “expert” economists way off.  The mainstream media had been reporting that “expert” economists predicted 120,000 people would be hired in June.  The actual number of people hired…18,000.   That’s a big difference.  It’s also clear proof that the U.S. economy is not recovering.

The job creation number is a “net” number, meaning it’s what’s left over after you subtract the number of people who lost jobs.  Another way to say it is that corporate america fired way more people than they hired.  And this has been going on for years now.

“We are backsliding. The chances are that we go into another recession or we muddle along at technical growth, but actually making no improvements as far as Main Street goes. The chance of one of those things happening is extremely high.”-Heidi Shierholz, Economic Policy Institute

How bad is the unemployment situation?  Officially 7 million people lost their jobs as a direct result of the credit crisis, which started in 2007/2008.  Today, officially there is still 6.3 million people with no jobs!   And by “officially” I mean those people who’re still counted by state and federal unemployment agencies, there are potentially millions who’re no longer counted.

If you notice I used two quotes from economist who seem to know what’s really going on.  I see many reports and comments from such economists, yet the mainstream U.S. media always goes with the “experts” who always get it wrong.

Why would the mainstream U.S. media continue to report faulty data?  Could it be because the mainstream U.S. media is not only traded on the stock markets, but is actually invested in the stock markets, so basically they’re scamming potential investors to give up their money to the biggest casino in the world, The Stock Market?

There are also those who believe the mainstream U.S. media is doing the bidding of the Federal government, in trying to make things look better than they really are, to try and prevent mass civil disobedience (like what’s happening in some European countries).

In any event, it is clear that you can’t rely on the mainstream U.S. media for “facts” about our economy.  And you can not use the stock market as a gauge for the performance of our economy.

The fact that 6.3 million people are still officially out of work, shows that after three years of promises about improving our economy, and claims that the recession is over, absolutely nothing has improved and many “Main Streeters” think we’re heading into a Depression.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

New York takes over Germany, the real reason the stock market is going up

U.S. media reported that the continued increase in the New York Stock Exchange (reported by the Dow Jones) is because of good economic data, like better than expected job numbers.

Monthly unemployment numbers are still over 400,000, and many economists have repeatedly stated that it needs to drop below 400,000, for several months in a row, to be considered a “good” sign.

Could the real reason be that the NYSE (aka NYSE Euronext) was just approved, by shareholders, to take over one of Germany’s stock markets: Deutsche Boerse AG.

The take over still needs approval of Deutsche Boerse shareholders.

This seems to be a more likely reason for the upswing in the NYSE trades, because Germany is the only economic powerhouse left in the European Union, thanks to its many trade deals with China.

According to the NYSE website, “…NYSE Euronext’s equities markets include the New York Stock Exchange, NYSE Euronext, NYSE Amex, NYSE Alternext and NYSE Arca.  NYSE Euronext also operates NYSE Liffe, a European derivatives business.”

The Dow Jones is a stock market index, which includes the NYSE Euronext trades in its daily reporting.