Tag Archives: u.s.

Business/Economics, U.S.

Government Incompetence: U.S. taxpayers lose $1.3 billion to Chrysler

So what about all the noise about Chrysler supposedly paying off its bailout loan?  In the end the U.S. taxpayers lost $1.3 billion.

The pay off was in the form of stock buy back.  The United States government sold its remaining shares of Chrysler stock to Fiat.  The result was a net loss for U.S. taxpayers.  The U.S. Department of Treasury called it a “major accomplishment”!

Maybe if the federal government wasn’t so busy bailing out banks and corporations (along with its increasing war budget) it wouldn’t be in so much financial trouble right now.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: Cesium contaminated cows hits 1400, Mother Earth helps spread the radiation!

Japanese officials now say at least 1,400 contaminated cows made it to consumer markets.  More and more rice hay is being found contaminated.

Rain and wind are helping to spread radiation, from the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, all over Japan.

The Japanese government is considering a beef buy back program, to help the stricken cattle industry.  No one in government ever considered the effects of radiation on cows, and now the Japanese cattle industry is crashing.

It’s now clear that no one in government was concerned about the effects that rain and wind would have, on spreading radiation across Japan.

Idaho, U.S.

What Global Warming? E Coli contamination in Idaho blamed on cooler than normal weather

An outbreak of e.coli in the water at Sandy Point Beach, at the Lucky Peak State Park in Idaho, could be caused by colder than normal weather.

Officials with Parks and Recreation think cold weather delayed the circulation of water through the swimming area.

Because winter like conditions lasted well into spring, the Army Corps of Engineers were not able to create the usual lagoon current, that normally flushes out the swimming area.  The result is that officials suspect geese droppings built up in the water, resulting in high levels of e.coli.

The swimming area is now being flushed.

Idaho, U.S.

Government Incompetence: Idaho officials fail to post adequate warning signs for E Coli, people swimming in contaminated water

At the beginning of July, Idaho’s Department of Environmental Quality issued a no swimming warning for Sandy Point Beach, at Lucky Peak State Park, because of e.coli.

Officials claim warning signs are posted, but people who’re swimming in the contaminated water say “what signs?”:   “We stopped and we were looking, we were looking for any kind of anything.”-Loretta Vincent of Boise

“We were swimming and had been swimming for quite some time before they finally came and told us.”-Claudia Craw of Meridian

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

No Economic Recovery for U.S.: Apple profits way up, it’s all about China, baby!

Apple Incorporated posted a huge 124% year to year profit, for the second quarter of 2011.  But most of those sales weren’t made in the United States.

Chinese consumers are going nuts for Apple products.  In fact, Apple’s 2011 sales in China are, so far, six times what they were in 2010.

Two reasons for Apple’s exploding sales in China: One is that scalpers were buying up everything in the stores, creating a shortage (and of course selling Apple products for much more).  The second reason is that Apple Inc is investing big time into China: “In the long run, Apple can likely increase its market share since it is gaining sales momentum by investing more resources into China, which it had not been doing previously.”-Kitty Fok, IDC Asia-Pacific.

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: High Levels of Radiation all over Japan!

On 20 July 2011, Japan’s Science Ministry released a radiation map of Japan.  It showed that radiation levels 150 kilometers (93 miles) from Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, are just as high as areas just 50 kilometers (31 miles) from the damaged plant.

This means Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is putting out enough radiation to cover the northern half of the main island Honshu.  It explains the extensive contamination to cattle feed and cows, among other things.

The radiation map is based on airborne radiation samples taken from 22-23 June 2011.

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: 1200 Cesium contaminated cows made it to market, Professor blames government, contaminated hay all over Japan!

21 July 2011, Japan’s Health Ministry has discovered that at least 1,200 cesium contaminated cows actually made it to the consumer market.  The national government has ordered a stop to all cattle shipments, and says efforts to protect the people from contaminated food must now focus on cows.

On 20 July 2011, test results showed that rice straw in ten prefectures, used for cattle feed, was found to be contaminated with cesium.  This proves the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is spreading radiation all over Japan.

A Japanese university professor is blaming the Japanese government for the contaminated beef, because cattle farmers were never told how to protect their cows, and their feed, from radiation contamination.

 

Fukushima

Government Incompetence: The number of Cesium contaminated cows, that made it to market, hits 578, Cesium more widspread than first thought!

Add Niigata and Miyagi Prefectures to the growing list of cattle, and hay farms, hit with high levels of cesium.  Local officials now believe at least 578 contaminated cows made it to the consumer markets.

In Fukushima Prefecture, officials now say the level of cesium found on cattle feed is 520 times the national limit of 500 becquerels per kilogram of cesium. At least seven Fukushima farms are known to have contaminated cows.

Now cattle on farms in Niigata Prefecture have been found to be internally contaminated as well.  The feed for the cows came from Miyagi Prefecture.

The high amounts of cesium contamination proves that the disaster at the Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant is worse than officially stated, and continuing.

The amazing thing is that cattle farmers have not been ordered to stop shipping their cows to market, at this point it is just a request to voluntarily stop shipping their cows.  Fukushima officials expect the number of contaminated cows, reaching consumer markets, to go up.

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

What Economic Recovery? U.S. corporations put the brakes on investing into China, no money to invest

“Under such circumstances, both private U.S. companies and governments in different levels are not capable of investing significantly in China. Somehow they are looking for the investment from China to help them boost their own economies and low-employment rate.”-Zhang Qizuo, economist Chengdu University

The Chinese Ministry of Commerce says investments coming from the United States are way down, compared to last year.  It’s a sign of how bad the U.S. economy is, and the growing discontentment with U.S. citizens in seeing U.S. jobs go to China.

“Large-scale U.S. companies are also under domestic pressure in ‘giving jobs to Chinese’, therefore, they have to consider the feelings of approximately 14 million Americans and deliberately delay or even cut some investment plans in China.”-Zhang Shiqing, economist Nankai University

Overall U.S. investments in China dropped from January of last year, to June of this year, by a big 22.32%.  That’s a big drop, but in dollar amounts, the U.S. still invested $1.68 billion.

European countries, and other Asian countries, are still on the plus side of investing into China.

Another factor in the drop in U.S. investments is inflation in China, which includes the cost of labor.  Labor cost are going up in China, and in the U.S. labor costs are going down, no thanks to Union busting and high unemployment.

I can’t think that this is helping cut unemployment in the United States, after all there has been no change in the overall unemployment situation, even though there’s been a 22.32% drop in investments into China.  Despite what Chinese economist think, I think the real reason is that U.S. corporations, and government, have put the brakes on investing into China, is because they’re out of money to invest.

Fukushima

Corporate Incompetence: Kansai Electric shuts down nuclear reactor after water cooling system fails, only 18 reactors now working in Japan!

While attention has been focused on the damaged Fukushima Daiichi nuclear plant, there is another nuclear plant in trouble. The Ohi plant in Fukui Prefecture.

Kansai Electric Power Company runs the Ohi plant, and Reactor 1 has been on emergency cooling, and now it has failed.

KEPCo says they were able to shut down the reactor.  They are trying to find out why the emergency cooling system failed.  The local prefectural government says that even if KEPCo finds out the cause, they will not allow them to re-start the reactor.

Japan has 54 reactors, now they are down to only 18 operating reactors.  Japan is heavily dependent upon nuclear generated electricity.