Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Iraq caves to U.S. pressure, might allow U.S. troops to stay beyond current withdraw date

June 30, Japan:  In an exclusive interview, NHK discovered that the Iraqi government might let U.S. troops stay.  For months U.S. officials have been pushing Iraq to ‘request’ that U.S. troops be kept past the current withdraw date.

Under the terms of the last agreement, the only way that U.S. forces would stay, is if the Iraqi government requested them to stay.  Officially Iraqi officials have stated that they want the U.S. out.

Iraqi government spokesperson, Ali al-Dabbagh, told NHK that some Iraqi officials now believe their troops need more U.S. training.  This is exactly the reasoning U.S. officials have been telling Iraqi officials to use.

The Iraqi Parliament is set to vote on the issue, it’ll take a majority of support for the request to become official.

Several militia groups, some very powerful, stated they will go on the war path if U.S. troops do not leave by the end of 2011.  Already attacks against U.S. troops have increased since Defense Secretary Robert Gates began pressuring the Iraqi government to let U.S. troops stay.  June, 2011, has become the deadliest month for U.S. forces since 2009.  Some economist say the U.S. wars in Iraq and Afghanistan have cost the U.S. economy $3 trillion.

International, U.S.

Pakistan orders U.S. out, tired of drone attacks and claims the U.S. is not helping to pay for War on Terror

“We have told them (US officials) to leave the air base.”-Chaudhary Ahmed Mukhtar, Pakistan Defense Minister

June 29, Mukhtar orders the CIA to vacate the once secret Shamsi air base.  That’s where the Central Intelligence Agency has been launching drone attacks against supposed terrorists in Pakistan.  The reality is that many hundreds of civilians have been killed instead.

Another reason the Pakistan government wants the U.S. to get out; they claim the United States has not been forthcoming with promised payments from a War on Terror coalition fund.  Pakistani officials are now re-thinking their relationship with the U.S., in regards to the War on Terror.

In 2009, The times of London revealed that the CIA was using Shamis air base to launch drone attacks.  The Times used Google Earth to spot drones parked on the runway.

 

Technology, U.S.

What Global Warming? Late melting snowpacks shut down Oregon wind power

Bonneville Power Administration has been shutting down their Oregon wind power farms, because of the late melting snowpacks in the local mountains.

Rivers that power hydroelectric dams have been full thanks to a wet winter and spring.  Now the late melting of snow in the mountains is keeping the rivers fuller than normal, keeping the hydroelectric dams generating plenty of electricity, reducing the need for wind power.

 

Idaho, U.S.

What Global Warming? Idaho has record snowpack levels, and it’s summer! Guarantees more flooding

According to surveyors from the Natural Resources Conservation Service, June 1 had Idaho breaking record snowpack levels.   Normally most of Idaho’s mountain snowpack melts off by the end of May.  This year’s cold wet spring has delayed that, and actually added to some the mountain snowpacks.

In eastern Idaho, Two Ocean Plateau’s snowpack is at 113% of peak average, as of June 28.  What global warming?

The concern now is that temperatures are finally warming up to what is normal for the time of the year, which means all that snow is gonna melt and just continue the flooding that’s already taking place.

The same is true of snowpacks in the Rockies, and other western U.S. mountain ranges.  This is why officials have warned the flooding from the Missouri River could last through the month of August.

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? U.S. Postal Service slashes retirement for employees, on the verge of insolvency, Congress wants to slash & burn the USPS

The USPS is in real bad shape, much worse than its counterpart Canada Post.

The USPS stopped about $800 million in contributions to its employee retirement plan.  This is an effort to prevent becoming insolvent, over a $5.5 billion employee health plan payment.

Also, USPS Inspector General David Williams, claims they were overcharged $75 billion for the Federal Employees Retirement System plan, and they want Congress to give it back.

On top of that, a bill has been introduced in Congress that would cut billions of dollars from the postal service, by reducing employees (even more than they have) and reducing hours by going to a five day work week (instead of the current six).  The bill is called the Postal Reform Act.  It was introduced by Kalifornian (sic) Darrel Issa.

The USPS lost $8.5 billion in 2010.  The United States Postal Service does not make money off taxpayers, they are solely funded by the postage they charge.  The problem is that Congress controls the postage they are allowed to charge, and so far Congress has refused to allow postal rates to reflect the actual operating cost of the USPS.

International, U.S.

Canada Sucks! USPS resumes shipping to Canada, Canadian government forces postal workers back to work with new law

The United States Postal Service announced it will resume shipping to Canada, on June 28.  The announcement followed the creation of a new law in Canada, which forces striking workers back to their jobs.

The USPS warns that there will be delays in getting mail to Canada, because a huge backlog of mail has built up.

The USPS stopped shipping to Canada after Canada Post locked out its union workers.  The Canadian government just passed a new law which makes it a criminal offense to strike.  Canada’s postal workers (called “posties”) now have the choices of going back to work, quitting or pay huge fines.

Members of Canada’s New Democratic Party admit it’s all about destroying workers rights: “…an indication of what’s to come for other public service workers who are unionized. … It’s also a signal from the Conservatives to all employers—in a union setting or otherwise—that it’s an open bar. They can start going after the acquired rights of their workers.”-Thomas Mulcair, Deputy NDP leader

The new law targets posties only, and is in effect until the end of a new four year contract that will be mandated by the Canadian government.  Any postal worker who does not comply can face a $1,000 per day fine, and union officials could be hit with $50,000 per day fines.

The new contract will greatly reduce wages and benefits for Canada’s posties.

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for the U.S.: Toyota launches new car in India

Toyota announced the premier of a new car, not in the United States, but India!

The new car is a small low priced car called the Etios Liva.  It’s smaller than most Toyota sedans.  The price is about U.S.$9,000.

Toyota also announced that India was becoming its fastest growing car market.  The number of Toyotas sold in India, last year, was double the number sold five years ago.

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for the U.S.: Nissan says U.S. no longer target car market, the money is in South America, China, India & Russia

Nissan/Renault announced they plan to expand their global market share by 8% (an increase of about 10 million cars by 2017).  How are they going to do that? Definitely not by selling more cars in the United States.

Nissan/Renault says it will expand sales in China, India and Brazil.  They will boost production in China and India, and build a new factory in Brazil, that will produce 200,000 cars per year.

They will also buy more than 50% stake in Russian car maker Avtovaz.

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Home values drop, yet Property Taxes go up?

According to a Fortune article, some counties across the United States are trying to save their budgets by jacking up property taxes.  As a resident of Bannock County, Idaho, I can vouch for that!  Recently Bannock County announced they were jacking up farmland property taxes by at least 90%!!!

The National Association of Counties found that 15% of U.S. counties admitted to arbitrarily raising property taxes, for this year alone.

Real estate analysts say it’s the wrong thing to do, not just ethically, but economically: “Given the situation we’ve been in for the past few years, increasing property taxes is not likely to aid in the short-term recovery of the housing market.” McKay Price, real estate finance analyst Lehigh University

The fear by analysts is that by increasing property taxes homes sales will drop even more. The National Association of Counties says the trend of counties raising property taxes, as property values fall, is increasing.

 

Business/Economics, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? California Dreamin’ turned into Hotel California nightmare, yet people are escaping

It’s now official, for the first time since 1850 the number of people moving to California has declined!  People are actually leaving!  That’s according to the U.S. Census Bureau.

California is still the most populated state: 37 million.

According to the Public Policy Institute of California, 1.5 million middle class people left California in the past ten years.  Where are the people leaving to?  Anywhere that the taxes and cost of living are lower than in California!  (mostly Texas, Colorado, Nevada and Arizona)

Immigrants now make up the majority of people moving to California.  But that is on the decline as well.  Why?  Most migrants from south of the border are saying they can’t find any work!  Those that have work say the cost of living in California is not worth it!

The problem now, is that California is becoming a state of extreme wealth and extreme poverty.  According to the American Human Development Project, the exodus of middle class Californians is creating a state of two classes; rich and poor.

From 2009 to 2010, California’s GDP was in stagnation mode; at 1.8%, lower than many other states.  By the way, when the media calls 1.8% “growth” it shows their economic ignorance.  Anything from 2.9% to 0% is not growth, it’s stagnation.

I luckily escaped California in 1997.  I’m now in Idaho, things are getting bad here as well (economically) but I’ve run out of escape money.