Let the Healing Begin.....

Porcupine has been listening to the callers to the Howie Carr radio show vent their frustrations about the incredibly stupid publicity stunt orchestrated by the Cartoon Network to promte its show Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Porcupine admits to watching Adult Swim from time to time, and generally enjoys its saucy point of view. However, today proved that its executives and decision makers are not yet out of their teens. Possibly, not yet out of their diapers.

The Network hired a young Boston artist to place electronic boards, bedecked with lights and wires, under bridges, near major hospitals, etc. Pandemonium ensued as both interstate highways and major Boston arteries were shut down, along with the Charles River itself. It turns out that these aggregations of wires, placed artfully under train tracks, glow at night. Unfortunately, they were found during the day, when their charm was not so readily apparent. Now, any enterprising terrorist could be churning these 'harmless' devices out, with real bombs in them, designed to explode upon impact as they are taken down. How very clever and helpful, Cartoon Network.

Mr. Carr's callers described their various situations. One lady had taken a personal day off from work in order to have a doctor appointment - she spent the day trapped in traffic, and must reschedule and take another day. Another lady described how her husband, a delivery man, was in trouble at his job for being unable to deliver time-sensitive packages; indeed, both FedEx and UPS will have to pay a pretty penny for late arrival fees. Another caller pointed out that since the areas closed were adjacent to major hospitals, it was an exceedingly bad day to have a heart attack. While the various emergency agencies may receive reimbursement for police and bomb squads from the Cartoon Network and Turner Broadcasting, nobody is likely to reimburse the lady who lost a day's pay.

As Governor Patrick said, "It appears to be a hoax, but it isn't funny".

Porcupine has a few suggestions for the Cartoon Network to begin to make amends.

First, there should be an apology from Frylock the French Fries, the most articulate member of the cast of Aqua Teen Hunger Force. Some sort of 'Something You Should Know' moment.

Next, in the spirit of helping Boston, young Stewie Griffin should be dispatched from Quahog to act as a spokesman for Mayor Mumbles Menino. Just imagine Menino's office replete with Stewie-isms like "Nothing says "Obey Me" like a bloody head on a fence post!"
And finally, Mr. Turner? Cartoon Network? As young Stewie would say, Send money. Lots of money. Right now.

NOBODY Expects the Cape Cod Commission!

NOBODY expects the Spanish Inquisition! Our chief weapon is surprise...surprise and fear...fear and surprise.... Our two weapons are fear and surprise...and ruthless efficiency.... Our THREE weapons are fear, surprise, and ruthless efficiency...and an almost fanatical devotion to the Pope.... Our FOUR...no... AMONGST our weapons.... Amongst our weaponry...are such elements as fear, surprise.... I'll come in again.
Monty Python's Michael Palin as Cardinal Ximinez of Spain

A groups of citizens have a simple question for the people of Cape Cod - What has the $50 MILLION DOLLARS of taxpayer money that the Cape Cod Commission has spent accomplished for you and jobs in our economy?

What is the primary mission of the Cape Cod Commission, as created in 1989 and revised in 1990? First, the preservation of Cape Cod with attention to the containment of sprawl and overbuilding, and then the economic development of Cape Cod.

For the first, the Cape Cod Commission itself is one of the worst causes of sprawl. By naming a threshhold of 10,000 sq. ft. for its review, it has guaranteed the proliferation of 9,999 sq. ft. buildings; sometimes, built adjacent to one another with similar purposes merely to avoid the extra year and thousands of dollars that a Commission review entails. If you think that they have done what they can to contain buildout in a frenetic real estate market, contrast the results of the munificently paid, appointed Cape Cod Commission with the unpaid, elected Old King's Highway Regional District Commission. Drive down Route 28 - Cape Cod Commission territory - and Route 6A - Old King's Highway territory - and judge the visuals of preservation and sprawl for yourself.

As far as economic development goes, it has done a wonderful job of spurring economic development - in Plymouth County. Any business seeking to locate on Cape Cod must consider that in addition to state and local regulation, there is an additional level of permitting bureaucracy to navigagte. In Cranson, a clean, light industry will have the city build a road and install traffic signals to entice them there. In Chatham, the same clean, light industry can count on months of review by unprepared planning wonks, who demand that they pay for neglected traffic infrastructure as a form of tribute. Where would you choose to locate your business?

This citizen group, calling itself 'DeCommission the Commission' will hold an open meeting on Thursday, January 25, at 5:00 pm at the Cape Cod Co-Operative Bank Headquarters Conference room in Independence Park at the corner of Independence Drive and Attucks Lane in Hyannis. This is across from the Home Depot that the Commission fought for several years, making sure that it did not sell paint, although the store premises it was moving into had, in order to protect the water being contaminated by the County Fire Academy. Of course, the Home Depot is a business, and is therefore evil, like a Wal Mart or Lowe's which they have done a fine job of protecting us from in favor of tiny strip malls with little economic viability. Now that Gov. Patrick is considering exporting its expertise across the state, it may be time to consider ending it entirely - NOBODY expects the End of the Cape Cod Commission!

A Fruitful Discussion

Many of you know that Porcupine figures as a Reality Check on the liberal/progressive 'Reality Based Politics' blog called Blue Mass Group. He is proud to figure upon their 'Differently Winged' blogroll, and is happy to retun the favour on his own blog.

Once discussion was begun by a liberal blogger caled GoldsteinGoneWild (henceforth GGW)who asked - Can Someone Explain Basic budget 101 to Me? A link to the BMG thread is HERE, but Porcupine is posting part of the discussion here - which will no doubt be added to by others. In fact, one person has already begun the manic cry to just raise taxes, but GGW is made of sterner stuff and wishes to understand.

After referencing different newspaper articles about the budget, GGW asked -

Mitt is both claiming that we have a $1 billion surplus and that we needed $400 million in emergency cuts. Isn't that contradictory? Deval is claiming $1 billion shortfall, hence need for department heads to propose 5% to 10% cuts. Tax revenues are supposed to 3 to 4% higher in 2007 than in 2006. Our population isn't rising -- not like there's more people to serve. And inflation in our area is 2%. How do we have a shortfall? If I understand the gist is that we've been lucky enough to have tax revenue grow at 7 to 8% in the last few years, so instead of socking money away, we simply spent all of it. Yes? No?

Porcupine repsonded -

Apples, Meet Oranges. There are two sets of figures used all the time, sometimes interchangeably and sometimes in the same sentance.

Actual and Projected.

We projected a surplus, and we had an $872 million shortfall in Actual revenue, which generated the cuts. Deval promptly took money out of the Rainy Day fund to restore those cuts, but the shortfall for the next fiscal year hasn't gone anywhere - we just took money out of the Christmas Club to pay the utility bill. Christmas is still coming.

One thing to keep in mind is that if there are fewer people, there are fewer people to pay taxes as well. A couple of years ago, Eric Kriss [Mitt Romney's Chief of Administration and Finance] got into a WORLD of trouble by talking to the Boston Chamber of Commerce about the ratio of what he was naive enough to call 'Givers' and 'Takers' in the State. His point was that as we enacted ever more mandated benefits and social service programs, people in need of those programs would likely be drawn here, while at the same time, those who pay taxes and own busineses would find themselves increasingly regulated and might consider moving to a state (or country) with less regulation and taxes. You would have thought he was advocting wholesale euthenasia, but when you think about it it's logical. So - who exactly ARE our Mass. residents? Do they use state services, or pay for them?

The increase in revenue may not meet the increase in demand. If you have a 4% greater payment, but a 5% greater rise in entitlement programs - you have a 1% shortfall. I've noticed that projections tend to be in actual dollars, while demand is usually a percentage of past years (the phenomenon where level funding is called a 'cut' because you didn't get your expected 3% growth in program funding). Deval is finding out that the overall size of government actually HAS been shrunk in the last 16 years - with unfilled positions and people doing one and a half or two jobs for the price of one, mainly - and there's not a lot of fat left.

GGW questioned -

I find it interesting that you, a Republican (BMG's only?), says "there's not a lot of fat left." I don't have a good 16 year perspective: What fat was cut? And what's left?

I agree with the phenomenon you cite -- where 4% increase is called a "cut," even if inflation is just 2% or 3%, because someone made an agreement to increase salaries and benefits by 6% -- is pervasive. I'm not surprised that agencies say that, but I am surprised that reporters buy it so frequently.

Porcupine expanded -

Pears, Meet Apricots. Fat and Waste are not the same thing either.

Fat is inefficiency - a prime example is when Gov. Bill Weld took over; he discovered that there was a fleet of WELL paid couriers, toll taker level salaries, driving around the state delivering lottery tickets and colllecting receipts. He turned the whole shebang over to UPS, with insurance in case of lost tickets, etc., and got rid of the drivers, their health insurance, their comp, their benefits, their cars and their gas. THAT was cutting fat.

Waste is programs and earmarks that are a bad, but politically popular, use of taxpayer funds. The infamous Braintree Gazebo or the $500,000 to the City of boston to 'dialog' about race is an example of waste.

Admittedly, waste is more in the eye of the beholder than fat, but the old lottery drivers probably didn't think so. Fat is vastly reduced. Waste is rampant. THAT is Deval's biggest challange.

And so it is. Undoubtedly, this discussion will continue as the newly minted Democrat Governor finds his feet in the Corner Office. In the meantime, Porcupine will be burying his gold bars in the side yard.

Weather As An Inconvenient Football

When my expectations are exactly fulfilled, I feel that something uncanny has happened.Mason Cooley (b. 1927), (1994).

Porcupine has spent much of the last two days watching the various football playoff games. The Colts over the Ravens was especially gratifying, as Peyton Manning, who Porcupine despises, was not allowed any glory in that game, while the Patriot's Adam Vinitieri won the game with five field goals. The Saints finished a fairy-tale season in their Super Dome victory over the Eagles. The Bears were able to nose past the Seahawks, making the first round draft pick which the Patriots got in return for Deion Branch a little more valuable. Likewise, the Patriots were able to prevail today over what is a superior Chargers team with cunning and perseverance.

However, in between games and analysis, Porcupine was treated to a series of weather related newscasts and warnings, showing cars in Oklahoma strewn about upon ice coated roads like child's toys, and deepening snow throughout the Midwest. However, when he strode into his own snowless front yard this morning to get his paper, even the gray looking day was reasonably warm. It was while listening to Shannon Sharpe say something exceptionally foolish even for him that the thought struck him.

Everybody is getting the winter they are expecting.

With the release of 'An Inconvenient Truth', the debate about global warming has gotten even more intense. Here in the northeast, where the lightest words of Al Gore are received truth, we are having a snowless and warm winter. In the Midwest, where global warming faces a much more skeptical audience, repeated blizzards will impact any credibility the film might have.

One point the movie makes is that snows and storms which are unexpected are a part of global warming just as much as unseasonable warmth, but it is a much harder case to make to a man under an avalanche.

So, as even the weather conspires to deepen our national divide, Porcupine will return to football. At least until February.

Cyborg Name Decoder

Courtesy of Porcupine's good friend, Mr. Ogre, you can now get a robotic entity which reflects your name and personality. Here is mine:

Get Your Cyborg Name

Obtain your own. Porcupine is particularly pleased with the 'infiltration' portion of the program, and the recognition of his nocturnal habits! He also has his own definition of 'Ultimate Peacekeeping'....

And They're Off!

Money is the Mother's Milk of Politics
Jesse Unruh, D-CA, 1968


$6.5 million dollars in eight hours. That's what the Romney Exporatory Committee took in for its first day.

Will they do this once a week?

First Lady Anne Romney, at the opening gun, said "This is going to help us decide if this is a viable thing to do or not." Her qualms should be well settled.

Last June, the Boston Globe wrote, "Since July 2004, Romney has set up affiliates of his political action committee, the Commonwealth PAC, in five states. By having donors spread their contributions across the various affiliates, Romney has been able to effectively evade the $5,000-per-donor annual contribution limit that applies only to federal committees, which most presidential aspirants set up to build initial support for their candidacies. The multistate system is helping Romney raise money quickly from relatively few contributors, and foster valuable political relationships around the country. It also is a strategy several potential opponents for the Republican nomination cannot use: Federal office-holders, under new campaign finance rules, are barred from operating such state affiliates. That means possible 2008 competitors such as Senators John McCain of Arizona and George Allen of Virginia have to rely solely on their federal PACs and thus cannot accept more than $5,000 from any contributor each year."

Now, the Commonwealth PAC is an old checkbook, in drawer for a rainy day, while the Exploratory Committee garners wealth before it morphs into the Campaign Committee. Romney has his captains - Bush had Rangers - and calls them Founders and Patriots. Porcupine thinks Romney missed the boat in not having Olympic-themed donor grades - Gold, Silver, Bronze - as he was looking forward to proud status as a Zinc Donor.

Prominent blogger Hugh Hewitt describes being hit up (HERE) from the east and west coasts by two old friends - a remarkable scope for a fundraising network.



All in all, a very auspicious beginning - nothing like cash to show ComMITTment!

On a Scale of One to Ten...

Porcupine urges you to take this simple quiz, to discover your attitude towards government.

How Conservative or Liberal Are You?

Porcupine's own scores are:

***Your Political Profile:***
Overall: 70% Conservative, 30% Liberal
Social Issues: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Personal Responsibility: 75% Conservative, 25% Liberal
Fiscal Issues: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal
Ethics: 0% Conservative, 100% Liberal
Defense and Crime: 100% Conservative, 0% Liberal

Please, post your scores in the Comments!

Obstruction of Justice

Our Constitution works; Our Great Republic is a government of laws, not of men. Here, the people rule.
Pres. Gerald R. Ford, 1973, Speech announcing the Pardon of Richard Nixon.

Former Speaker Thomas Finneran has cut a deal and is now a convicted felon. His fine is a mere $25,000, and he will serve no jail time but will instead serve an unsupervised probation, and must not run for public office for five years (presumambly, the Boston City Council is now safe). Porcupine admits that he hopes the deal with WRKO Radio proves fruitful, as Finnenran is a worthy successor to David Brudnoy, felon or not. He might need the money if being a convicted felon is a bar to serving as a Registered Lobbyist in Massachusetts! Still, after his protestations of innocence, his conviction for Obstruction of Justice rather than the Perjury which he was charged with (see HERE and HERE) is a minor victory. He managed to plead after Mitt Romney had left office, and his pension seems safe, unlike that of a brother legislator.

The other bookend of the State House from the '90's, former Senate President William Bulger, is also facing perjury charges. Porcupine has written about the Bulger Brothers before (HERE) , but this is a major development. James Bulger, former Clerk Magistrate, actually lost his state pension upon his perjury conviction, and if Billy is convicted, his milion dollar annual bonanza can be re-taken by the Commonwealth as well. Indeed, after his victory in his court case to enhance his munificant pension, it would be he height of irony if he were to lose his pension rights, while the Bulger court precedent continues to wreak havoc throughout the fiscal stability of the state Pension System.

Porcupine wrote almost two years ago, "I have a quick memo for the Democrat Party in general on this issue. You can mis-speak, obfuscate, omit and outright lie to your family, friends, supporters, Party and even the media – but when you enter the courtroom and put your hand on the Book, all that goes by the board. After the misadventures of your President Clinton on this issue, you would think that would be graven in stone for them by now – but it isn’t. Already, former colleagues of the Speakah are springing to his defense, asserting that he didn’t mean to say anything wrong, and because his intentions were not evil, no crime was committed. Tell that to Martha Stewart! This follows the reasoning that because Clinton lied about sex, it didn’t really count. Yes, it does. And it is called perjury. None of us gets to decide what truths are comfortable for us to tell – judges do that. Lying or misremembering when instructed to answer is, in fact, the proverbial Federal case. It isn’t the crime, it’s the cover-up. It isn’t the lie, it’s the Oath."

Some of our Democrat legislators are also having trouble grappling with this. A vote was taken on the same sex marriage petition (SSM), based on a Supreme Judicial Court ruling and a threat of disbarment for lawyer-legislators. Truculantly, they voted as the Constitution requires they do on that particular petition - but with their next vote they collectively abrogate their Oath by refusing to vote upon the equally valid health care petition (HCA), which was also covered by the SJC ruling! Porcupine realizes that legislators more accustomed to being driven like cattle into shambles than exercising independent judgement might have difficulty in decoding the mixed messages from the Leaderhip Lords and Masters. But Porcupine would have expected their understanding of the issue of being faithful to a freely sworn OATH to last longer than ten minutes!

The Federal Court case may be withdrawn, and in Porcupine's mind this would be a huge mistake. The Health Care Amendment people took a lot of heat for submitting an amicus brief for the Same Sex Marriage amendment case, which argued that the illegal procedural vote of the Legislataure costituted a First and Fourteenth Amendment violation of the Rights of the Massachusetts electorate. Now, the SSM people should aid their HCA brethern, both as a matter of principle and as an investment in getting a vote in this forthcoming legislative Session. A link to the Roll of Shame - the Legislators who took the ilegal vote - is HERE. On Cape, the only legislators to do so are Reps. Atsalis and Turkington.

It cannot be said often enough - an oath, be it in a Courtroom or in a Chamber, is a sacred thing. Our political establishment must come to terms with the idea that their personal moral and spiritual convictions are not the same as the process and safeguards of the Rule of Law, which treats all equally. Obedience to the Law is Liberty.

Valedictory

Porcupine was able to attend the 'Lone Walk' of Governor Mitt Romney as he left the Massachusetts State House as Governor for the final time this evening. The tradition of a departing Governor making a "lone walk" down the 31 State House steps is more than 200 years old. Historical accounts indicate that Governor Increase Sumner was the first to take the "lone walk" in 1799. More recent stories say that in 1884 Governor Benjamin Butler walked the steps alone because he was so unpopular when he left office that no one would walk with him.Here, Governor and Anne Romney emerge from the open door of the State House, down the wide granite steps. This door and these steps are only used in three instances - for the current President of the United States, a visiting head of state and a departing Governor.
About halfway down the staircase, Gov. Romney stopped, and turned to wave at the reporters and staffers who were applauding on the balcony of the State House.

Romney joined others in not walking entirely alone. Governor, later President, Calvin Coolidge was followed at several paces by his friends, and Governor James Michael Curley's wife accompanied him on his walk in 1937. Governor Michael Dukakis was also joined by his wife in 1979. Porcupine was also there when Governor William Weld's well-wishers lined the steps and crowded the gates. Porcupine was also able to attend the unusual 'Lone Walk' of Governor, later Ambasador, Paul Cellucci. Because the State House was undergoing renovations, the front staircase was not available. Gov. Cellucci performed the traditional exchange of the symbols of office with Jane Swift at the top of the interior marble Grand Staircase, and walked down that alone. Later, Governor Swift's family, departing staff and some legislators walked with her, and well-wishers lined the steps and crowded the gates in January 2003, Porcupine among them.

And now, ending a sixteen year GOP run, Mitt Romney. At a recent luncheon (Porcupine mentally noted at the time that this would probably be the last time in many years when the Governor would be adressing such a small crowd, and for no contribution to boot!), Governor Romney talked about what he wanted to have remembered about his tenure. First, he spoke about how proud he was of the John and Abigail Adams scholarships, and about how the test scores of young students have rebounded. For instance, in a nationwide analysis of fourth and eighth grade students, Massachusetts is number one - in English and in Math - in both fourth and eighth grade. No other state in the nation has ever acomplished this. "I go to a state like Alabama", he said, "and they talk about how they are number 30, but will work their way up to 25. I'm sitting there, thinking - Our kids are Number 1! But you will never read that in the Boston Globe - instead, you will read about how our schools are in disarray." Secondly, his health care bill. Romney recalled the time line. He announced he was filing legislation in October, filed it the following March. The subsequent March, the Democrats filed another bill which was 95% the same - and they are trying to take credit for it. But it was his idea, and his priority. Lastly, the streamlining of government agencies. More than just the firing of Billy Bulger and the elimination of the snake-pit MDC, but a constant monitoring of how agencies were producing - with much help from Lt. Gov. Kerry Healey.

Mitt and Anne Romney then stopped at the head of the staircase leading down to the street, just above the huge wrought-iron gates. A band played an anthem (which began as 'Hail to the Chief (!) but which quickly morphed into the Washington Post March) as a nineteen gun salute was fired across the street on the Boston Common. They stood together, holding hands and smiling as they paused halfway down the staircase on their way to their great adventure.

The Second Face of Janus - 2007

Below are Porcupine's Predictions for the year 2007.

As the Roman God looks into the future, here are some predictions for 2007. First, these are predictions from last year that Porcupine still believes will come to pass.

Cape Cod will be hit by a Category 2 hurricane.

At least one town will vote to leave the Cape Cod Commission.

Justice John Paul Stevens will die this year, giving Bush his third choice for the Court.

And now for the new, in no particular order.

The Massachusetts Constitutional Convention will vote to send the Definition of Marriage petition to the ballot in this Session, and will spend the forthcoming Session trying to find a way so it will move no further.

Fidel Casto will die, and Congress will seize the opportunity to normalize relations with Cuba.

Gov. Deval Patrick will decide that the most effective way to study the issue of auto insurance is to hold a series of populist statewide hearings, which will allow people to tell their stories and inform the State of their troubles, in consequence of which nothing will be done or accomplished.

The House will hold a coup, and Speaker Sal DiMasi will not finish out the Session in his current position. Senate President Traviglini will choose to avail himself of opportunities in the dreaded private sector, and Sen. Therese Murray will become the first woman President of the Masachusetts Senate.

Although Sen. John Kerry will not run, former Governor Mitt Romney will run for President, and will be in the top tier as we head to 2008 and the nominations.

Gov. Deval Patrick will advocate both alloing casino gambling in Massachusetts and eliminating the bond cap in order to finance his varied campaign promises. The first will not come to pass in 2007, but the second will.

Scandals will erupt in mainstream media; collusion and price fixing in legal ads and notices will be exposed. Further consolidation among newspapers and television outlets will result in even more rigidly enforced corporate points of view, and factual, accurate local news coverage will be threatened by agenda-driven reporting.

See you New Year's Eve, 2007, to see how accurate these are!

Thoughts on Two Videos

If I were asked to chose between execution and life in prison I would, of course, chose the latter. It’s better to live somehow than not at all.
Anton Pavlovich Chekhov (1860–1904)

Years ago, after some personal deliberation, Porcupine chose to view the video of Daniel Pearl being behaded by Taliban members as a warning to both reporters and Jews that Afghanistan was no place for them.

It seemed in advance like a 'snuff' film, but Porcupine was glad that he did watch it. Mr. Pearl died in a state of panic, hoping against hope as he parroted anti-Semitic rants that his captors might decide to trade him or keep him. It was not to be, and as they displayed his head triumphantly, Porcupine realized the actuality of the new enemy that we had to confront. Mr. Pearl and his family has remained in his prayers.

It took only hours, not days, to view the videos of Saddam Hussein's execution. It is the same gallows where Hussein had his own enemies hanged. Disbelief is manifest in his face as the rope is placed around his neck, after a cloth is placed there to prevent rope burn (A courtesy he extended, I wonder?). Unlike Mr. Pearl, there are no tears, there is no terror. As the hangman prepares to pull the lever to open the trap-door, Saddam chants the Muslim profession of faith. “God is Great and Mohammed is his prophet. Palestine is Arab.”

His last words are: “I bear witness that Mohammed . . . ”. It is the beginning of the second verse of the invocation, but before Hussein can complete it the executioner sends him hurtling to his death.

He died instantly, as his neck snapped. His eyes remain open, and he seems surprised, unlike Mr. Pearl whose head was slowly sliced from his body before being held aloft for the videocameras. Porcupine has heard criticism of his executioners suggesting that he proceed to Hell, or that the spectators were too enthusiastic at the death. The dictator was condemned by the Iraqui courts, executed by Iraqui guards, and died for killing Iraquis. Our standards of appropriateness are not really at issue here, but Porcupine would suggest that compared to Mr. Pearl his end was peaceful, and well deserved.

Many Iraquis feared that he would be acquitted or would escape. Many Sunnis were still 'fighting the good fight' in his name. Now, as they likely vanish into Turkey, perhaps the year-old government of Iraq can put the Hussein era behind them and begin to take over the reins of their own destiny, allowing our own troops to being to leave in an orderly fashion.

Hussein and his work is buried now, along with his horrific sons Uday and Qu'say. Mr. Pearl remains among the missing.


The video is below for any who wish to see it.