New Year's Eve

Happy Arbitrary Annual Orbital Marker!

Here's hoping our next collective trip around the sun is a bit less trying and a lot more fun that the one just passing.

Peace!

Chicago Economics

I have to admit to a twinge of anxiety when I remember that Obama's go to guy in economics teaches at the University of Chicago (even though he apparently isn't a spawn of Milton Friedman) because stuff like this shows up from UC Professor John Cochrane: “We should have a recession...people who spend their lives pounding nails in Nevada need something else to do.”

Then there's the newest NYT econ blogger, Casey Mulligan, also at Chicago, who maintains that the employment rate is down not because of a recession but because some people are facing “ financial incentives” not to work. It doesn't appear that Prof. Mulligan is referring to unemployed Nevada nail pounders or folks on the dole but suggests “as people adjust to the reality of depleted retirement accounts and vanished home equity, many of them will decide to make up for some of the shortfall by working more and retiring later.” You people with AARP memberships – its up to you to turn the employment situation around. Lazy slugs.

Mulligan promises more on this later. Can't wait, I need more humor in my life.

To complete the trifecta, Steve Levitt believes people are no longer buying SUVs because they're “uncool.” Unlike pickup trucks which apparently are still cool although not fuel efficient.

As Brad DeLong puts it: “...Chicago has nothing coherent or useful or constructive to say about our current situation.”

Just what the world needs....

Now there's hope for the eyelash challenged among us, thanks to Allergan Inc.

Merry Christmas to all...

Happy Festivus!

It's Festivus...time to celebrate and engage in one of the many traditions of the holiday: the Airing of Grievances (aka blogging).

So in the spirit of the season...

-- People in the checkout line who appear to be shocked when the clerk asks them to actually pay for their purchases. This is usually followed by the agonizing decision of what credit card to use or hunting for exact change.
-- Flinging of cigarette butts out the window. Keep them to yourself.
-- SUV sized baby strollers maneuvered down the narrowest aisles.
-- Talking to your three year old as if the kid was capable of higher order logic. The torrent of words goes on until either the child or the parent is screaming.
-- Using "time out" as punishment ("if you don't behave you're gonna get a time out").
-- Asserting that government should be run more like a business (no doubt like Lehman Brothers, Madoff Investments, AIG, GM, Chrysler, etc.).
-- Any attempt at serious political discussion making mention of Sarah Palin, the War on Christmas, socialism or Rick Warren.

Holding out no more?

A couple of stories on the Globe's website point to the seriousness of the financial situation. Sal DiMasi is actually talking about maybe, just maybe, allowing towns to tax telecommunications facilities and meals. This may not seem like a seismic event but the legislature is very protective of its ability to raise funds and historically reluctant to share that with municipalities. Even if the legislature moves forward with both, there are a lot of towns that won't benefit. It's also likely that they'll make these local options, forcing Selectboards to call town meetings and fight it out.

DiMasi is also considering allowing town's to join the Group Insurance Commmission without having to negotiate with unions. Very few cities and towns have jumped into the GIC and being forced to deal with multiple bargaining units is certainly part of the problem – Claire Higgens in little NoHo has some fourteen to deal with. There are other hooks that make the GIC a non-starter. For a lot of towns, employees (and retirees) pay a greater share of the premiums than the GIC mandates, so joining might actually increase costs. Once a town is in the plan its experience rating gets mixed in with the larger group, so leaving after the five year minimum stay becomes real difficult, if not impossible. Many towns side step the requirement of offering an indemnity plan by using a PPO but the GIC doesn't – it offers a (more expensive) indemnity plan.

Bottom line: Mayor Higgens has it right, give municipalities the same authority over plan design that the Commonwealth reserves for itself. Those of us who've been trying to control costs through organizations like the Hampshire Insurance Trust need to be recognized as well. So when you offer incentives to join the GIC, extend them to other non-profit insurance collaboratives with proven track records.

In search of revenues Tommy Menino is looking for ways to get Boston's tax exempt non-profits to start making payments to the city. This is good news, since Boston is the big dog in such matters (and often carved out as an exception) so if the mayor can make some headway against the behemoths in the Hub, that holds out some hope for the rest of us who live in towns with a significant number of tax exempts. There are lots of arguments, many of them very good, concerning the positive financial impacts a variety to tax exempt organizations have on towns but there are costs as well. Contrary to the op-ed piece in last Friday's Bulletin, you can measure the impacts a facility like Amherst College has on a community. Larry Schaffer's pointed out that New Hampshire (where folks live free or die but do pay property taxes) manages to extract some revenue from colleges. My own modest proposal is to tariff non-profits for the costs of public safety and infrastructure maintenance.

The major tax exempts are well organized and have plenty of lobbying clout, so none of Menino's (or anyone else's) efforts will come easy.

In time for holiday giving!

Mudflats pointed this out. Amazon is selling the Sarah Palin biography (at a 45% discount) paired with a novel called “Terror Occulta.” The novel is descibed as:

In a classic tale of good and evil, in Terror Occulta, author Victor F. Paletta goes to an eerie and wicked place that is wholly unusual and utterly fascinating. His is a distant future where life on earth has taken a turn for the worst. An enemy that once hid from a more technologically advanced people turns the tide, and is now on a relentless hunt for humans. Corporal 1412 is thrown into a world of sadistic inhuman predators, but not without a few savage weapons of his own. Ironically, his love for another is his most formidable weapon, but will it be enough to foil the fray of monsters, robots, and cyborgs that want blood? In a rush of action, Corporal 1412 will be put to the test until he can do no more and fate will step in to decide if he is, indeed, man enough to fight an evil that threatens to exterminate his people. Desperate and unyielding, this gruesome epic is harrowing, shocking, and all too realistic.

Bailout!

Listening to the Hudson River Sampler last Saturday we were treated to the original version of Tom Paxton's “I'm Changing My Name to Chrysler” – his take on the 1979 bailout of that company. This is one of Paxton's “short shelf life” songs that manages to resonate today. Nonetheless, Paxton's updated the tune to “Changing My Name to Fannie Mae.” Give a listen while your watching the overpaid execs of the Big Three roll out the business plans they should have brought in the first place.

Rumor has it they've car pooled to DC – in a Prius.

Sic transit gloria...

The Rev. George M. Docherty, who started the effort to get “under God” inserted in the Pledge of Allegance passed away recently. His obit states that, being from Scotland, he had never heard the Pledge until his kid recited it. Docherty thought that God merited mention and so preached, once with Eisenhower present. Legislation adding it was introduced by a one term repub congressman from Michigan. The repub senator from Michigan, who introduced the bill in that chamber lost his re-election bid that year but a blow against godless communisim was struck.

Sunday Papers

Two "must reads" in the Sunday papers:

Joseph Stiglitz in the WaPo: "More Pain to Come Even if He's Perfect" outlines what we're up against in the economy.

Frank Rich in the Times: "It Still Felt Good the Morning After." Some of the best political writing out there comes from the keyboard of a theater critic!

From the Bad Reporter*

*That would be Don Asmussen

The Stick

The stick, that all purpose free for the finding plaything, is now in the National Toy Hall of Fame in Rochester.

George Carlin would applaud.

Hark, the Herald

The headline writers for the Boston Herald had real fun with this one:

"Officials Hurry to Hash Out New Marijuana Law."

What does a "community organizer" do?

Gets elected President, decisively, in the face of some long odds and a major slime machine.

Lots of Pringles

An interesting factiod from George Will:

The Center for Responsive Politics calculates that, by Election Day, $2.4 billion will have been spent on presidential campaigns in the two-year election cycle that began in January 2007, and an additional $2.9 billion will have been spent on 435 House and 35 Senate contests. This $5.3 billion is a billion less than Americans will spend this year on potato chips.

Cheaper gas

Massachusettsgasprices.com offers this perspective of the last month (click chart to enlarge):



And this for the last year:


These are gas prices in the Springfield area, not statewide.

Wasserman has it

INTERCESSORS GO TO RED ALERT!

Danger Will Robinson Danger! The CC News Portal brings us the latest:

Just a few minutes ago Eleanor Roehl, a powerful Eskimo intercessor and prophet, called me to say she senses an imminent attack against our nation. Then Karen Fink came into my office to share the following revelation she had this past Friday with increasing weight on her heart ever since:

She received the scripture Gen. 50:3,"A period of NATIONAL MOURNING". She then saw Sarah Palin standing alone and she was mantled with the American flag. The flag was upside down because things are inverted (upside down) right now. I knew she was stepping into an office that she was mantled for."

"When fascism comes to this country it will be wrapped in the flag, carrying a cross." --Ron Paul

Brooks continues in his departure from reality.

David Brooks, who's main function at the NYT is to provide comic relief, writes of McCain: "...He never escaped the straitjacket of a party that is ailing and a conservatism that is behind the times."

Oh, please. McCain is one of the more cynical, opportunistic, politicos we've seen in decades. He is responsible for his own behavior, including his campaign. He hired the very crew that slimed him in 2000 and is using the same tactics on Obama now. His choice of Sarah Palin displays his complete disdain for the government he seeks to run. Forget this honor crap, he wants to win.

McCain's running on what he believes in: we owe it to him to elect him president.

Barack, that devil.

The latest in wingnuttery comes from Fox with a screed involving none other than Saul Alinsky and Satan written by one James Pinkerton, described as a contributing columnist and writer for “The American Conservative” and a Faux News political contributor (which is just about everybody on staff).

It seems that Pinkerton discovered that Saul Alinsky, the legendary community orgainizer and activist, mentions Satan in the dedication to the first edition of “Rules for Radicals,” one of his two books. Here's the connection – Barack Obama is an “on the record fan” of Alinsky! So is Hillary Clinton, who actually managed to interview Alinsky as a student. (Alinsky died in 1972, when Obama was 11 years old, so he had to settle for just reading the book.)

Like Alinsky, Clinton and Obama have both lived in Chicago, the city of broad shoulders, hog butcher to the world. But since Obama admits to Alinsky's influence it follows that he too must be in league with Satan. No wonder McSame/Palin are behind in the polls.

Let see – I was at Rochester Tech in 1966 and Alinsky was working with a local (black) church taking on Eastman Kodak over discrimination issues. At the time Rochester was pretty much a Kodak factory town (Xerox notwithstanding) with somewhere close to 20% of the workforce tied to what was known as the “Yellow Factory” (a nickname based on Kodak's trademark color for its packaging).

Long story short, the churchgoers with Alinsky's help won the battle and the Yellow Factory began to open up.

I have a copy of “Rules for Radicals” on the bookshelf. It might even be a first edition, given when I bought it. It's been a long time since I opened that book but now may be an appropriate time. Is that a whiff of brimstone coming from the study?

Rail Trail Repair Update

According to the sign tacked to the bridge, DCR and Mass Highways will offer an update on repairs to the rail trail Wednesday, 10/29 beginning at 6:30 PM at Hopkins Academy (high school) in Hadley.

Dogs and cats, lions and lambs??

Colin Powell, Christopher Buckley, Julie Nixon Eisenhower, Goldwater's grandkids, Scott McClellan and now Governor Weld...maybe there is something to this "end times" stuff after all?

Fashionista

I wonder if Sarah got this as part of the $150K shopping spree?

Dedicated followers of fashion may wish to tune into Princess Sparkle Pony, who's attention has turned from Condi's hair to more substantive matters.

Turning around the mortgage mess

Joe Nocera writes about an excellent approach to dealing with the mortgage crisis on the homeowner/lender level, without a major infusion of public funds.

Can't make this stuff up....

So it turns out that Joe the Plumber doesn't have a plumbers license, which he needs in the Ohio county he works in and so does the guy he works for but he doesn't seem to have a license either. Nor does Joe own the business -- he would like to buy the business, some day. Nor does Joe make $250,000 -- that's sorta what he wants to buy the business for. Then there's that lien on his property 'cause he owes back taxes.

He is, however, a Republican.

Then there is that video of McSame at an ACORN emigration rights rally a couple of years ago.

Iron Logic on Question 1

Reading the "Forums" on the MassLive website is sorta like watching a B grade movie -- its bad but somehow you feel you have to look. From the Belchertown forum comes the iron logic of one Towny04 as he/she contemplates Question 1:

If you take Btown 2000 population of 25-64 olds this equals 7,370 less 6.1% unemployment leaves 6,920 working adults. 6,920 X 3,700 the estimated tax saving from no state tax equals $25,604,000. Per the state web site Btown received $14,018,762 in state aid in FY2008. Based on this local taxes would have to increase by $2,000 to make up for the loss of state aid. This leaves a net savings of $1,700.

The reason we will pay less in taxes is because you will not have the state taking a portion of our taxes before they return them to our town. As for state services I do not see anything that we should not be able to do as well or better at the local level.

Damn, why hasn't anyone else noticed!?!

Budget cuts.

Detailed info on the cuts is here but we'll have to see how things play out at the agency level before we can gauge the impact.

Cities and towns have dodged the bullet for the time being and FY '10 will be a very lean year.

Question One

Budget Blues

Lt. Governor Tim Murray conducted conference calls yesterday with town administrators and managers, following the meeting he and the Gov had with mayors last week. The Patrick administration makes it a point to do outreach to cities and towns. While I grouse about their fondness for mayors, they've been better at keeping in touch with us little guys. This kind of contact was unthinkable during the Mitt reign and for that matter going all the way back to Dukakis.

The news is not good and we didn't get a lot of detail, save that planning for a potential shortfall in the administration began last spring. The hope is to hold harmless local aid, Chapter 70 (education), public safety and social safety net programs. That doesn't leave a hell of a lot to reduce, given the state's spending patterns. Murray was careful to note their intent but left the door open to reductions in all spending. State grants will take a hit and its possible that we'll see reductions in Ch. 90 (highways) as well. The Lt. Gov didn't rule out canceling contracts already written. There will be layoffs and an "early retirement" package is not in the cards.

The administration is modeling past shortfalls and responses to get a better handle on how to respond to this one and the ever-capable Leslie Kirwan is tasked with coming up with an annualized projection of the revenue deficit. The intent is to fix this once but the prospect of repeated adjustments over the course of the fiscal year remain. Of course, this clouds the FY '10 budget process which will be underway in a matter of weeks.

This afternoons press conference will present what the administration sees as the size of the problem and outline the response. Municipal officials are promised an email by 5:00 PM with additional details.

That Wonderful Ron Regan and Social Security

Does McSame remember how that wonderful Ron Regan solved the "crisis" of social security in 1983? He reached across the aisle to Tip O'Neil and accepted the recommendations of the Greenspan Commission: raise taxes.

Of course Tom Brokaw conflated Medicare and Social Security and Dean Baker calls him on the social security is broke bit. At least NBC didn't feature the unbiased team of Peggy Noonan and Jane Swift to critique the debate, as they did for Palin.

Here We Go Again.

Remember those Judith Miller stories in the New York Times about Iraq's WMD's and the like set up great talking points for Cheney and others. The could, and did, quote those pieces (which they helped create) to press for war.

Oh my goodness, the Times is at it again. This time with Obama's "connections" with 60's Weather Underground William Ayers. Palin, who seems to be the McCain campaign these days, is more than happy to quote "reports" (in the Paper of Record) that call Obama's character into question.

Heckuvajob Hankie

"I asked Hank Paulson -- who, by the way, in my judgment, is doing a fabulous job; he's got a lot of credibility and he's working, and his team are working hard...."

So says soon to be not soon enough non-president Bush quoted in today's WaPo.

Yep, they're workin' hard, them ol' boys. Workin' hard.

Another McSameism...

So says Paul Krugman:

OK, a correspondent directs me to John McCain’s article, Better Health Care at Lower Cost for Every American, in the Sept./Oct. issue of Contingencies, the magazine of the American Academy of Actuaries. You might want to be seated before reading this.

Here’s what McCain has to say about the wonders of market-based health reform:

Opening up the health insurance market to more vigorous nationwide competition, as we have done over the last decade in banking, would provide more choices of innovative products less burdened by the worst excesses of state-based regulation.

So McCain, who now poses as the scourge of Wall Street, was praising financial deregulation like 10 seconds ago — and promising that if we marketize health care, it will perform as well as the financial industry!

The State We're In

Siting here watching "The State We're In" with Brian Lees as a guest. Early on Lees has some nice things to say about John Olver but then descends into the Leesian babble, including his comments about Sarah, that makes me wonder how a guy with as much experience can continue to come off as a genuine doofus.

Lees remarked that during his time as minority leader the number of repubs in the Massachusetts legislature went down. Enough said.

Voting

With the primary Tuesday and the general election just a few weeks away, Rick Shenkman and Bryan Caplan give us pause when considering the educated, rational voter we all hope we are.

Northen Exposure

Listening to the rain and surfing the internets brings me to the Mudflats and a introduction to some Alaskan politics.
And you thought Amherst is interesting?

Olver gets ripped off

Tom Johnson, the chair of the NJ Repub delegation, just made the remark that what people want is a "work horse not a show horse" in promoting McSame's candidacy. Seem's they've cribbed from John Olver's past campaigns.

Cognitive Dissonance

538 experiences dissonance.

"I think some of you are underestimating the percentage of voters for whom Sarah Palin lacks the standing to make this critique of Barack Obama. To many voters, she is either entirely unknown, or is known as an US Weekly caricature of a woman who eats mooseburgers and has a pregnant daughter. To change someone's opinion, you have to do one of two things. Either, you have to be a trusted voice of authority, or you have to persuade them. Palin is not a trusted voice of authority -- she's much too new. But neither was this a persuasive speech. It was staccato, insistent, a little corny. It preached to the proverbial choir. It was also, as one of my commentors astutely noted, a speech written by a man and for a man, but delivered by a woman, which produces a certain amount of cognitive dissonance."

At least she didn't froth at the mouth like Rudy. The lighting and his facial expressions made him look like he could have a starring role in Nosferatu.

McSame opposes Palin -- the confusion continues

According to the LA Times:

"For much of his long career in Washington, John McCain has been throwing darts at the special spending system known as earmarking, through which powerful members of Congress can deliver federal cash for pet projects back home with little or no public scrutiny. He's even gone so far as to publish "pork lists" detailing these financial favors.

Three times in recent years, McCain's catalogs of "objectionable" spending have included earmarks for this small Alaska town, requested by its mayor at the time -- Sarah Palin.

Now, McCain, the likely Republican presidential nominee, has chosen Palin as his running mate, touting her as a reformer just like him...."

Now wait for it: A McSame spokesperson says Palin was "disgusted" that small towns like hers were dependent on earmarks. That will come as a major surprise to mayors and town managers across Massachusetts. Nor does it explain why she hired a lobbyist to pick up more funds.

Brad Delong is confused...

Grasping Reality with Both Hands:

John McCain wants to nominate his friend Joe Lieberman for vice president, is told that he cannot, and so he backs down and instead nominates somebody who takes their children to a church where they teach that suicide bombers in Tel Aviv are righteously executing God's vengeance on Israel for rejecting Jesus Christ.

Do I have it right?

I must say I am confused.

Its a movement

Dylan endorses Obama. He's also painted his masterpiece(s).

Rip and Read News

Turkey's activist supreme court causes problems: “Turkish Leaders Face Tense Summer” (the Beeb)

“MSW” finds a new use: “Blue Fire Ethanol Bets on Household Trash” (CNET)

Policy differences: “A radical new strategy: kill fewer Muslims” (Economist)

Boundless pessimism: “Little Mideast press optimism for Israel-Syria talks” (BBC Monitor)

Not just the MCAST: “Chinese students implore Confucius for exam luck” (Reuters)

D'oh: “Did Iranian agents dupe Pentagon officials?” (McClatchy)

Thanks, Hillary: “Obama's Clinton problem surfaces — in GOP ads” (McClatchy)

From the Arts and Culture Desk:
“Ozzy Osbourne wins damages over "freak show" slur” (Reuters)

So it goes

I guess I didn't want to believe what I was hearing on the radio the other day. Not Rushbo but NPR played the musings of a New York woman, ironically named Christian, fuming that an "inadequate black man" had "stolen" the nomination only because Clinton is a "white woman."

Ugly and ignorant, in more ways than one.

There's a couple of cliches that apply to the political contests. The first is the old saw that there are only two ways to run for office: scared and unopposed. Hillary and her staff ignored that, big time. Nemesis follows hubris. (See also Giuliani, Rudy.)

The second is attributable to Mario Cuomo: you campaign in poetry, you govern in prose. Listening to all three speeches last night (McSame, Clinton, Obama) it's pretty clear who the poet is.

Just Sayin'

A note to Doug Rubin...the following was attributed to Mayor Daley:
Don't write it if you can say it and don't say it if you can point.

Ol' Straight Talk

Senator McCain says it was inappropriate to use a photo of General Petraeus in his fundraising literature. So why did he do it?

Yep, the straight talk continues. (Click to enlarge)

When Bloggers Strike

Chelan Brown, running against Ben Swan for a state rep seat in Springifeld has a blogger problem. Seems that participants in the Republican's forum discovered that her web site (now down) was essentially a compilation of positions and policy statements taken from other candidates running for office in places like Washington state and Connecticut. Urban Compass has the story. Ms. Brown now claims that the site was hacked, which raises other questions, not the least of which is why would someone take the time and effort on such an elaborate hack? Who in her campaign was monitoring the site and didn't notice the difference? Is campaign rhetoric now so generic that you can cut and paste together policy statements and no one notices until you happen to attach a unrelated graphic?

She also has an address problem that rivals the Awad/Hubley flap here in Amherst. Just where she lives is being challenged by another candidate in the Democratic primary.

Ms. Brown is not stranger to Springfield politics, having run for mayor at age 19 and now operates an advocacy organization. Rep. Swan appears to be above the fray. With the opposition self destructing you can sit back and enjoy the show. I don't think either challenger can topple Swan and see this more of a "getting your name out" operation for when he retires and the seat is open.

Ripped from Headlines

In my (very) old college student radio days we used to do “rip and read” news, tear stories literally from the AP teletype and assemble a newscast, sort of.

Maybe the Revolution will be postponed: “RIM gains U.S. market share, Apple/Motorola lose.” (Reuters)

Watch that 401(k): “Oil bubble could prove threat to pension funds.” (Reuters)

Here comes the sun: “How Abu Dhabi Differs From Exxon” (WaPo)

Fox gets to me too: "Fox News worker sues over bedbugs" (Reuters)

From the Arts and Culture Desk: “Women wrestling sweeps Bolivia” (BBC)

Brimfield and the Presidential Election.

For the last several years I've been visiting the Brimfield flea market, or more properly the Brimfield Antique Show. While I occasionally buy something my purpose is usually photographic -- having been tipped off awhile ago by Stan Kaufman about the prospects for interesting images among the displays. What struck me this year was the extent of political discussion I heard as I wandered around this Saturday (5/17) looking for images to make.

The vendors pretty much know each other and if they don't at first they do get acquainted over the week they spend together on the ground. These are your basic entrepreneurs – engaged in a market and trying to turn a profit from a part or full time business. Trying to match supply and demand with varying degrees of formality. The bottom line is they're there to make a sale. This is market economics at its most basic and one would think that these folks would vote repub.

Suffice it to say they're not happy with Commandate El Busho and more given to wondering how the next prez, whoever that is, will get us out of the mess we're in. The suck up to the Saudis routine didn't go over real well either. No one overheard in a political discussion seemed happy.

While Ebay's cut into the business, Brimfield remains a northeast regional, if not a national, event. So if the entrepreneurial folks assembled here are any indication, McCain will have a difficult time shrugging off Bush and while Obama's not a given, people are willing to listen.

Two more markets are scheduled for this year and it will be interesting to hear what follks are talking about as the summer progresses.

Speaking of photographs

Sic transit gloria Flip Schulke.

Heron returns

Same bird as last year?

Rail Trail Egret

This egret was hanging out in the ponds along the rail trail last year but didn't seem to attract the notice that the blue heron did. A heron is back this year, no sign of an egret so far.

Getting the lead out

Thanks to Brad DeLong for posting the following:

Felix Salmon

How Unleaded Gasoline Slashed the Violent Crime Rate

The paper, from the NBER, is 70 pages long, but the conclusion, from Jessica Wolpaw Reyes, is simple, and stunning:

The main result of the paper is that changes in childhood lead exposure are responsible for a 56% drop in violent crime in the 1990s.

What are those "changes in childhood lead exposure"? Primarily the move to unleaded gasoline, which happened in the US between 1975 and 1985.

Suit suit

In the why should we care department the New York Times reports that TYR Sport has filed suit against Warnaco Swimwear the maker of Speedo and LZR Racer swim suits for competitive swimmer types.

Whats at issue here? Why should we care? Perhaps those who are devotes of Mr. Market can explain why taxpayers dollars should be spent resolving who gets to put clothes on the very few people who swim competitively.

Sheep shot

These critters were on Moody Bridge Road in Hadley one misty morning. The image appears in 2008 Massachusetts Agricultural Calendar and will be used on the cover of a report from the American Farmland Trust.

He's a Rebel

Oh, that Johnny McCain...always a maverick. Now he's gone and recognized global warming. I wonder what the majority of the Belchertown Selectboard's gonna do now.

Oil

Oil today was reported "steady" at above $126.00 a barrel. Driving north on the Merritt Parkway this evening we noticed that gas prices on that stretch of road ranged from $3.89 to $4.05.

Meanwhile, in the face of the McCain/Clinton gas tax non-starter, Repub Rep Jeff Perry believes that one economically unsound idea deserves another -- so he's proposing dropping the state gas tax for the summer. I suppose it was only a matter of time.

Breakdown?

A visit this morning to the Predictify.com website (via Freakonomics) reveals that some 77.4% of participants in that prediction market believe the current recession will be worse than the 2001 episode. That, coupled with just having read Kevin Phillip's "Number's Racket: Why the economy is worse than we know" in this month's Harper's has me searching for the aspirin.

Think those town budgets are balanced?

MAC's Art Exhibition

The good folks at the Monson Arts Council (MAC) are hosting their annual art exhibition and sale, starting tomorrow (April 12) and running through April 27th. It's always interesting to visit the House of Art (200 Main Street) and this year's theme is "The Dance of Texture, Light and Color."
Hours are Fridays 4:00 - 8:00 PM, Saturdays 10:00 AM to 5:00 PM and Sundays Noon to 4:00 PM. The MAC always manages to attract a substantial number of visitors from well outside the area.

(The fact that I have three images in the show did influence this posting somewhat.)

Know when to fold 'em?

Pelham officials, faced with financial problems, raised the prospect of merging with or outsourcing services to another town. (Sorry, I can't link to the Gazettenet story, maybe it will appear in today's Bulletin.) Pelham's looking at yet another override vote -- this time to replace aging equipment.

This isn't the first time Pelham's been in this fix. In 1854, faced with a declining population and high poverty rates, the town asked the legislature to give up its charter -- opening up the prospect of a merger with Amherst or Belchertown. Taking over Pelham didn't appear to be an appealing prospect for the surrounding towns so the legislature refused. Apparently Pelham kept up the petition until 1870. Who said history doesn't repeat itself but it does rhyme?

Sustainability is a real issue that we'll hear more and more of. Small may be beautiful but it can be expensive and inefficient.

If he were president....

If Al Gore were president could he have made this happen?

April 1st

The countdown begins to the Amherst town elections. It will be interesting to see who tops the list at the end of the day on (unfortunately) April Fool's day. By any measure, this is a memorable campaign season for Amherst and a strong turnout will be welcomed (and unusual).

It's tough to judge who might be ahead by lawn signs and standouts, phone calls or leaflets stuffed in the door. But as the old saying goes, there's only two ways to run for office: scared or unopposed. Clearly there's opposition, this year more than last, which is reflective of the opinion folks have of the Selectboard. Running in a contested election takes a great deal of time, effort, and some money so the fact that so many people are willing to step forward and try can be taken as a signal of discontent. One open seat and one vulnerable incumbent makes for an interesting opportunity for change.

Hanging at the State House

Stan Rosenberg invited the Pioneer Valley Photo Artists to exhibit images at his office in the State House and I'm among those taking him up on the offer. The photos (40 in all) will be on display from April 1 through June 6th and can be seen during normal statehouse business hours (no weekends or holidays). Stan has long been involved in promoting the arts and is one of the founders of the Arts Extension Service.

The photo in the header is a slice of my contribution to the exhibit.

Error of our ways?

There's been some grumbling of late that the folks who got it wrong in the first place continued to get space in the media on topics like Iraq and the housing bubble. The question is why and Alex Tabarrok over at Marginal Revolution has the answer:

The answer is media incentives. It wasn't just the experts who were wrong, the majority of the American people got Iraq and housing wrong. The war was popular in the beginning and people continued to buy houses even as prices rose ever higher. So what does the American public want to hear now?

The public wants to hear why they weren't idiots. And who better to explain to the public why they weren't idiots than experts who also got it wrong?

TATA for Now

No, I'm not going anywhere – just engaging in a bad pun for the purpose of restarting this blog.

TATA Motors of India, in what has to be world class irony, is buying to esteemed British brands from Ford Motors: Land Rover and Jaguar. Back in my dreamy misspent youth in western New York state (the hinterlands some 400+ miles away from The City) I used to dream about traveling across deepest, darkest Africa or some other god forbidden place in my Land Rover. Not luxury but the opposite. A bone jarring ride on terrain that required a vehicle as tough as the men on board. Luxury be damned, it was reliability and ease of repair we adventurers required.

Of course, that was I time when I would have purchased my big game rifle, a Weatherby .457 magnum, from that premier outfitter, Abercrombie and Fitch, located in Manhattan.

So now, Land Rover is reduced to selling SUVs to folks who have to negotiate the difficult terrain of southern Connecticut, in rain or snow. It is in competition with the Toyota Land Cruiser which seems to have pre-empted the Rover from its natural habitat if not the 'burbs.