Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: Idahoans exposed to radioactive Plutonium

The Idaho National Laboratory (INL) announced that on November 8, seventeen employees were exposed to plutonium.  At least six show signs of contamination.

It happened inside the decommissioned Zero Power Physics Reactor.  A container containing plutonium was opened by the workers.

The employees went through decontamination procedures, and are being checked at the INL’s Central Facilities Medical Center.

The INL is run by contractor Battelle Energy Alliance.

This is the second ‘event’ this year involving radioactive material from the INL.    In January, 2011, an employee was nearly exposed to a full years worth of radiation, after a miscalculation as to the amount of radiation the worker would be exposed to for a specific task.

Also, in September, 2011, a small container was found on an Idaho Falls street, it was labeled as containing radioactive Iodine 131.  The INL was called in to investigate. They claim the container was empty and not radioactive. They discovered it was used for medical purposes.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Government Incompetence: Confusing & conflicting plans to “save” United States Postal Service, thousands will still lose their jobs

On November 2 the U.S. Senate presented a plan to “save” the USPS.

That plan would pay back U.S.$7 billion of the funds Congress stole, I mean, that Congress forced the USPS to overpay in retirement funds.  However, the $7 billion is to be used to buy out employees (a nice way of laying people off, as many as 100,000 employees will lose their jobs in the buy out).  It would also require a two year study before ending Saturday deliveries. The draconian retirement fund payment schedule would be ended as well (it’s the main reason the USPS is in financial trouble).

Then on November 7, the U.S. Postmaster General announced that he will officially present plans to “save” the USPS on November 21!

His plan will include laying off thousands of workers, closing offices and sorting facilities, and ending Saturday deliveries.  He’ll make his official announcement at the November 21, National Press Club Speakers luncheon in Washington DC.

Local Idaho postal workers told me what ever plan is official announced that it’s basically a sham, what’s going down with the USPS is a “done deal”.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Sarkozy & Obama caught calling Israeli leaders ‘liars’

“I can’t stand him!”-Nicolas Sarkozy, President of France

“You’re fed up with him, but I have to deal with him every day!”-Barack Obama, President of the United States

Who are these two presidents talking about, why Israeli Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, of course.

On November 7, at the G20 meeting in Cannes, a microphone between Sarkozy and Obama was left on, and recorded how they really feel about Israeli leaders.

French media say Sarkozy went so far as to call Netanyahu a “liar”!

U.S.

Ron Paul says Barack Obama’s inaction is the result of his ignorance, inaction is intentional default mode of our government, office of President now closer to becoming a dictatorship

Ron Paul posted on his RonPaul.com site that President Barack Obama’s seeming inability to get anything done is a result of Obama’s ignorance for how our government works.

Paul says the founders of this country meant for it to be that way, they didn’t want any one person to wield too much power: “Getting something done is proving to be a monumental task. This may be news to the supposed constitutional scholar who is now our president, but if the political process seems inconvenient to the implementation of his agenda, that is not a flaw in the system.   It was designed that way.  The drafters of the Constitution intended the default action of government to be inaction.”

Paul also states that our Federal government was never meant to get big: “The vision of the founders was to set up a government that would remain small and unobtrusive via a system of checks and balances. That it has taken our government so long to get this big speaks well of the original design. The founders also knew the overwhelming nature of governments was to amass power and grow. The Constitution was to serve as the brakes on the freight train of government.”

Ron Paul says President Obama’s use of Executive Orders has gone past Constitutional rules, pushing the office of the President even closer to becoming a dictatorship:  “Executive Orders are meant to be a way for the president to direct executive agencies on the implementation of congressionally approved legislation… …Obama explicitly threatens to bypass Congress, thus aggregating the power to make and enforce laws in the executive. This clearly erodes the principles of separation of powers and checks and balances. It brings the modern presidency dangerously close to an elective dictatorship.”

The same can be said of the President’s increased use of the War Powers Act to go to war without Congress declaring war, but, Obama is not the first President to do so.  In fact, Ron Paul blames Obama’s predecessors as well: “Sadly, previous administrations have set precedents that the current administration is only building upon.”


International, Technology, U.S.

World War 3: Ron Paul says U.S. claims against Iran are overblown, sanctions are acts of war

“For them to be a threat to us and to anyone in the region, I think it’s blown out of proportion.”-Ron Paul, U.S. Congressman from Texas

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is scheduled to come out on November 8 with a new report on Iran.  Some sources say it will accuse Iran of making nuclear weapons.

One week ago, the U.S. House Foreign Affairs Committee asked to intensify sanctions against the Islamic Republic of Iran.  Ron Paul says that proves we are at war with Iran: “When you put on strong sanctions, those are acts of war.”

If you take some college courses on warfare you’ll discover that economic sanctions really are part of the war making arsenal (that’s why the Japanese say they were justified in attacking the U.S. Navy at Pearl Harbor in 1941).




 

Idaho, U.S.

It’s official; Idaho State University sucks! Carnegie ranks ISU second to worst in the West!

The Center for College Affordability and Productivity recently released the latest rankings of U.S. colleges and universities.

They include the 2011 rankings by Forbes/CCAP, using the Carnegie Classification (by geographic region).  Idaho State University ranked 111, out of 112!

Portland State, in Oregon, came in dead last.  Who’s number one in the West?  Stanford, in California.

By the way, Boise State didn’t do much better, coming in at 109 out of 112!

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? Idaho tax revenues for October fall short

The Idaho Division of Financial Management reported that October tax revenues were $1.6 million short of what was needed.

State officials were hoping for $210.6 million.  So far for the fiscal year 2012, overall tax revenues are $10.8 million below what’s hoped for!  Amazingly officials still think they’ll finish the 2012 fiscal year with a surplus!?

The biggest drop was seen in sales tax revenues, to the tune of $4.1 million!  So far Idaho sales tax revenues are short by $14 million!  Sales taxes are a good way to gauge how well your economy is doing, and it doesn’t look too good.

 

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Occupy America: November 5, Operation Bank Transfer Day a success, $4.5 billion pulled from U.S. banks!

“The 99% movement is all about finding ways for people to change the economy that is benefiting only the 1%. Bank Transfer Day is about the power of individuals to take their money out of institutions whose profits go almost entirely to Wall Street and keep that money in our community, where we can control it.”-Courtney Yax

The main stream media has their head in a hole.  Occupy Wall Street has some power!

On November 5, operation Bank Transfer Day took place.  So many people have moved money from banks into credit unions, that by November 5 U.S.$4.6 billion had been taken out of the big for profit banks!

ABC News did report that credit unions have gained 650,000 new members, just in the month of October!

“Regardless of how many people joined credit unions Saturday, there is a big new awareness of credit unions as not for profit financial cooperatives owned by their members. That is the credit union difference we’ve worked to let people know about all along.”- Mary Beth King, Credit Union Association of New Mexico

Credit unions in California gained around 90,000 new members, and $624 million in new accounts.

Here in Idaho (with only a fraction of the population of California), credit unions gained 3,400 new accounts!  Alan Cameron, Idaho Credit Union League president, says one credit union gained $1.2 million in new deposits!  Corporate bank Wells Fargo (which dominates Idaho banking, with 23% of the market), denies that Idahoans have fled the big banks.  Wells Fargo representative Amy McDevitt, says withdrawals were “…very minimal.”

The big banks tried to stop such acts: In New York City last month, dozens were arrested for trying to close their accounts, en masse, at a CitiBank branch.

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

Corporate & Government Incompetence: Fake parts found in U.S. military weapons! Blame China, Canada & Britain

“…just the tip of the iceberg.”-Carl Levin, U.S. Senator from Michigan

The Washington Post reporting that counterfeit parts have been found in weapons used by the U.S. military.

A Senate Armed Services Committee investigation found 1,800 cases of more than one million fake parts in U.S. weapon systems!

70% of the parts have been traced to Chinese factories.  20% came from Canada and United Kingdom.  Most of the parts are electronic: “We can’t tolerate the risk of a ballistic missile interceptor failing to hit its target, a helicopter pilot unable to fire his missiles or any other mission failure because of a counterfeit part.”-John McCain, U.S. Senator from Arizona

Here’s a solution: The U.S. military industrial complex should stop using supplies from outside the United States!!!

 

 

 

Business/Economics, International, Technology, U.S.

March 11 Tsunami debris, including waterborne radioactive contamination, will reach U.S. in 4 months, EPA to begin monitoring

November8, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), and the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), will begin monitoring for at least three million tons of tsunami debris, due to hit Hawaii by March 2012.

Debris has already reached 900 kilometers (559 miles) west of the Midway Islands.  Scientists are warning that the debris (not to mention debris contaminated with radiation) will affect ecosystems, and tourism.

Japan’s National Institute for Environmental Studies made the official estimate of three million tons of debris, and we all know how the Japanese government underestimates things!  The flotsam will hit the west coast of North America by the end of 2012.