Usa Thread

[Bangkoktraveler]

Source?

 

 

Haven't you learned how to google?

 

Info from your NEW favorite website dated February 2, 2010 My link

 

"The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with fourteen inch barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts."

[dean]

When it comes to companies involved in the health care business, its all about how much money they can get out of the insurance companies and, ultimately, the government. I think that my thai step daughter has gotten at least 6 bills for her 2.5 hour stay in an emergency room, during which she got an injection of morphine, a saline drip, some technical exam which proved she was not pregnant and two visits of 5 minutes a piece by a Doctor. All of this cost a measly $10,000. As of now, the hospital has a financial branch that, in coordination with the patient, looks for government money to pay the bill. Failing that, at some point, they will turn her over to collections. If they can get the amount down to a reasonable amount, under $5,000, I will help her to pay it off. If not, I will advise her to see a bankruptcy attorney and see what her options are. She really has no assets, so there is nothing that they could take. I know that, if I were in her situation, I'd be extremely pissed, as it appears that at least $4-5,000 is either padding or things that they did to cover their ass in case of a lawsuit.

[dean]

Concerning Steve's remark that healthcare could have waited until Obama's second term, I don't think that there ever would be a good time to push for it. During good times, when more people have jobs that offer health insurance (and more money, overall), healthcare legislation would be a hard sell. However, in 2009, during the depths of the recession, with unemployment high and money very tight, and having majorities in both houses of Congress, I think that the time was perfect politically to get health care legislation done. I seriously doubt if Obama thought it would take a year to do it. I don't think Republicans would have supported a bipartisan plan to stimulate the economy. Their plan would be to continue extremely low tax rates and fast track things like the Keystone pipeline (which I would have done) and basically, get government off the backs of small business owners (big business has lawyers and lobbyists to do that for them). I don't know how much the two sides (Obama and the Republicans) would have been able to compromise (particularly with Eric Cantor "representing" the Tea Party) but working on creating jobs and passing a health care law in a 2 year period should not be mutually exclusive.

[Flashermac]

Woman Arrested In Bible Thumping Of Baptist Pastor

 

 

JULY 5--A 64-year-old woman is facing an assault charge after allegedly striking a pastor in the head with a Bible during a dispute inside a Baptist church in Tennessee.

 

Cops busted Ina Garrett for the alleged Bible thumping of Rev. Leon Taylor, who heads the Mt. Zion Baptist Church in Selmer (pop. 4396), a city 100 miles east of Memphis.

 

Garrett was scheduled to appear today in General Sessions Court in connection with the misdemeanor criminal count.

 

According to a court complaint, McNairy County Sheriff’s Department deputies were summoned to the church in late-May to deal with a “lady that was unwanted.†Taylor told investigators that Garrett had been voted out of the church.

 

During the church confrontation, “Ms. Garrett took her Bible and threw it at Mr. Taylor hitting him in the face.†Taylor then took a swing at Garrett, but did not make contact.

 

After a brief detour to a local hospital, Garrett was transported by a sheriff’s deputy to the county jail, where she was charged with “assault on the preacher Mr. Taylor.†In a TV interview, Garrett copped to striking Taylor in the head. “He’s got the demon in him,†she explained.

 

Bible bashers.

[Steve]

Dean, maybe you are right. The real battle is the public perception which until now has been controlled by the healthcare industry and pols from both parties who are bought off. Put together a bipartisan panel to look at it which I'm 100% certain would expose the mess, then use that as the mandate to craft a healthcare plan.

[unit731]

Haven't you learned how to google?

 

Info from your NEW favorite website dated February 2, 2010 My link

 

"The Internal Revenue Service (IRS) intends to purchase sixty Remington Model 870 Police RAMAC #24587 12 gauge pump-action shotguns for the Criminal Investigation Division. The Remington parkerized shotguns, with fourteen inch barrel, modified choke, Wilson Combat Ghost Ring rear sight and XS4 Contour Bead front sight, Knoxx Reduced Recoil Adjustable Stock, and Speedfeed ribbed black forend, are designated as the only shotguns authorized for IRS duty based on compatibility with IRS existing shotgun inventory, certified armorer and combat training and protocol, maintenance, and parts."

 

 

OK.

The IRS does have a dedicated enforcement department.

Just as does the US Postal Service. They are called Postal Inspectors. And they all have guns.

So does the DEA agents.

And FBI.

And the Secret Service.

 

I don't think post was inferring, or implying, or otherwise stating that every GS-5 IRS employee would be carring one of the 60 stated shot guns. Nor the IRS employees doing rountine business or residential visits would be carrying any firearem big or small.

[Bangkoktraveler]

OK.

The IRS does have a dedicated enforcement department.

Just as does the US Postal Service. They are called Postal Inspectors. And they all have guns.

So does the DEA agents.

And FBI.

And the Secret Service.

 

I don't think post was inferring, or implying, or otherwise stating that every GS-5 IRS employee would be carring one of the 60 stated shot guns. Nor the IRS employees doing rountine business or residential visits would be carrying any firearem big or small.

 

 

If you see a guy show up with an overcoat and you notice he has a sawed off shotgun,

what would you do?

 

Sure the agent whips out his badge but they are trained so

you can not hold it to see if it is real.

 

I was at a restaurant one day when an IRS agent and a city detective

came in and whipped out their badges. I was at the end of the counter

and all I could say is "I have some just like those!"

 

Besides, do US Postal workers walk around with sawed off shotguns?

 

[Steve]

The government, and by that term, I'm including state and local, can pretty much do what ever they want. There is NO expectation of privacy any longer. The courts are increasingly backing them up on any thing they do. The government doesn't even try to hide it anymore. They've won. EVERY national crisis is seen as an opportunity to make their rule more overt. 911 usshered in unprecedented very public limitations and violations on citizens. These includes treatment at airports, murder, without trial if you are overseas in the company of 'suspected' terrorists. While I shed no tears for these guys killed, its a very, very scary precedence. The government has always extrapolated a law and expanded it to areas that it was not intended for (RICO statutes expanded to even Wall Street for example).

 

Its over. They've won and we as a collective have let them. They're laughing at us on here divided over party politics and such when in reality they're all one and the same.

[kamui]

Let us welcome the USA to the 21st Century.

 

Finally the USA introduces a technology, developed since the 1960s, which is standard in Mid-Western Europe and is a backbone of transportation in the leading Asian countries (China, Japan, Taiwan, Korea...)

 

California gives OK to high-speed rail

 

By: Burgess Everett

 

July 6, 2012 07:27 PM EDT

 

The California state Senate passed a budget measure Friday afternoon that sealed the deal: High-speed rail is coming to the Golden State.

 

The bill passed with only Democratic support in the upper chamber, 21-16, and authorizes the state to provide $2.7 billion in funds that the Department of Transportation will match with $3.3 billion, a total of $6 billion that will go to funding the initial, 130-mile high-speed segment in the Central Valley region.

 

The federal money was contingent on the state’s go-ahead; now there is enough money for contracts to go out and ground to be broken. Some of that money came from states like Wisconsin and Florida, whose Republican governors rejected the federal fast train money. The project, decades in the making, could begin construction as soon as this winter.

 

The legislation also contains nearly $2 billion for local projects in the state’s heavily populated Bay Area and Southern California. The General Assembly passed the measure Thursday, 51-27, but the Senate showdown was always the main event. In the days preceding the vote, Capitol Hill Democrats — reportedly including Minority Leader Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) — aided state supporters in shoring up the necessary 21 votes for the bill, which was the subject of intense media speculation all week as leaders delayed the vote until moments before a month-long recess began.

 

Before the vote, state Senate President Darrell Steinberg (D) took to the floor to offer a last request for support.

“How many chances to do we have to inject a colossal stimulus into today’s economy?†Steinberg said, imploring his colleagues to vote yes. “This project has now transformed from high-speed rail only to an $8 billion infrastructure infusion.â€

 

And Republicans, who all opposed the measure, tried to use procedural votes and tactics to scrap the vote. Then they criticized the state for deficit spending during difficult financial times.

“I think this is a colossal fiscal train wreck for California,†said Sen. Tony Strickland. “This was sold to the people of California at a very low cost compared to where it is today.â€

 

.....

 

Politico

 

PS: just imagine how the USA would look like today, if they would have used the money wasted in two wars for infrastructure projects and education...

 

 

PS: In Europe traveling to major cities in a 500 km range is very pleasant nowadays due to the ever developing high speed rail network. Trips which would take 5-6 hours by car can be done within 3 1/2 hours by train now.

 

PS: I would love to take the new train high speed train recently introduced in Italy. It has been dubbed the "Ferrari of the Railyard"

The Italo trains provide their 450 passengers with free Wi-Fi, satellite television, a 39-seat cinema carriage, leather seats manufactured by the luxury furniture maker Poltrona Frau, and assistance and welcome points in the main stations designed by the team of the Italian architect Stefano Boeri.

NYT

[unit731]

The law of unintended consequences.

 

General Eisenhower viewed the German Autobahn during WWII.

He liked it.

As president we got the passage of the Interstate Highway Act.

This act was passed under the guise of national defense.

Nice idea.

But.

No provisions were made for the railroads.

All but a few of railroads died.

Passenger rail died completely.

All of the major cities and many towns and hamlets had railroad stations.

City after city, town after town . . . let these beautiful archtecual buildings crumble or be torn down.

Amtrak passenger has to be subsidized by the Federal government. And the yahoos who hate government want to do away with that.