EFFin’ Unsound

post by tensor

Jim Miller becomes the last (u)SP poster to call Senator Murray a liberal:

The most liberal senator, by that measure, was Patty Murray.

So, which incredibly well-known and recent local publication so declared this?

…based on National Journal’s 2008 vote ratings.

(Jim doesn’t get out much, does he?)

Let the voters know that someone they could not possibly care less about declared awhile back you were the farthest-left senator in the last Congress.

Fixed that for you, Jim. You’re welcome.

No, she hasn’t won another “no rocket scientist award”. (I think the magazine no longer runs that contest.)

Jim only talks about that “award” every chance he gets, even in cases where her connection to the subject exists only in his mind, but he really knows nothing about it. (uSP’s posting requirements in a nutshell, really.)

Of course, flogging something constantly doesn’t mean Jim actually knows that thing’s name:

The Washingtonian award is the “no rocket scientist” award. I have sometimes relied on my faulty memory and said that she won the “not a rocket scientist” award.

Lest you think Jim clings to this topic because he discovered it, we should note he was not even the first poster over there to begin this pointless flogging. That award goes to their then-future expert on all things elections, their founder.

(Yes, that was in 2004, and yes, she has been easily re-elected since. At least that post got the “award”’s name right. That’s the best comment yet on Jim’s learning abilities, although he might yet top even himself. Can anything be worse than being the slowest poster over there?)

– posted by thehim

I’d imagine most of our readership also reads HA, but if not, check out Goldy’s post on the utterly insane individual who managed to finish second in the top-two primary for a 25th LD House seat.

Post by Carl Ballard

So the other night I was trying to explain to someone at Drinking Liberally what it Effin’ Unsound is, and after giving the standard spiel (”It’s a local metacommentary blog looking at the right wing and mainstream media, with dick jokes”) I tried to list some blogs we make fun of here, and the person I was explaining it to didn’t know any of them. No Sound Politics, no Federal Way Conservative. A nice world to live in, for sure. But when I mentioned the Discovery Institute has a blog, oh, she ranted about them. But then I realized I hadn’t made fun of them in a while. Fortunately, Bruce Chapman is still a crazy asshole, so yay, something to make fun of.

There are still cars zipping around America’s bluer neighborhoods with bumper strips from way back in 2003: “No War for Oil.”

The fact that we’re still in that war would cause a normal person more concern than a bumper sticker’s hypothetical existence.

That was the Iraq war, of course. There is no need to belabor the memories of the marches, the snide TV and radio commentaries, the alternative media fits about the supposed conspiracy. The idea that George W. Bush and his evil buddy, Dick Cheney, were sending American boys to die for oil was simply taken as a proven truth.

Dick Cheney’s policy role, I guess was simply Bush’s pal. He didn’t take the lead in selling the war or take part in a task force that was looking at how to get the oil form Iraq (among other things). They were just buddies. Why are you picking on someone’s buddy? Jeez?

Only now, seven years later, as US combat troops leave Iraq, is oil production in Iraq finally back to its pre-war levels of production of 2.5 million barrels a day and easing upwards. Electricity production is doing better, but not great.

And I guess no oil company has turned a profit in that time.

And the US oil companies that benefitted [sic]? Well, Exxon is there, but the biggest players are the Chinese. Does anyone remember the Chinese sending any troops to Iraq? Or the Russians?

Look, if you ignore the oil companies that are in Iraq, then you’re left with the fact that no oil companies are in Iraq. QED.

Hundreds of billions of American taxpayer dollars have been spent on the Iraq war. By no conceivable accounting will anyone in the U.S. get that much back in Iraqi oil revenue–ever.

Except the oil companies mentioned above. I know it’s shocking that big oil and the American people sometimes have different interests, but there you go.

The Iraqis, meanwhile, do have oil as their big economic hope. The country’s reserves are nearly those of Saudi Arabia and already supply 90 percent of government revenue. The big danger, simultaneously, is that oil will corrupt a country already steeped in traditions of corruption.

Sure most of this post is about how we’ve stifled Iraq’s oil production for a decade, but to conclude, Iraq’s oil is their best hope.

But it is long past time for those “No War for Oil” bumper strips to come off, don’t you think?

Maybe when the war is actually over.

– posted by thehim

If you haven’t been following the latest conversation between the General and Prince Shannon of the ‘Right Wing Extreme Militia’, you should check it out.

Here’s the video the General put together after their first phone conversation:

- posted by demo kid

Brilliant. Offered without any other comment (since it really doesn’t need it!).

(non-re)post by tensor

The Washington Policy Center suffers from desperation by proxy:

Charles Krauthammer will speak at this year’s Washington Policy Center dinner, October 6 in Bellevue.

But, Charles Krauthammer Day is in April! Perhaps that’s why you (still) can’t get anyone to go see him in October?

The WPC does excellent research on public policy issues, promoting market-oriented approaches.

We recently learned just how much (u)SP love them free-market approaches to parking problems downtown.

Anyway, we can understand why the downmarket Solons at both WPC and (u)SP would admire Mr. K’s incredible genius: he argued repeatedly and forcefully for the G.W. Bush Dick Cheney Administration to invade Iraq. He’s offered shifting rationalizations for our Dick-ish imperial failure there ever since. He bitterly and illogically opposes equal rights for homosexuals. He belittles liberals in words that are big, and therefore must be impressively true. On every day, in every way, his knowledge and genius outstrips their own, even as they continue to assure us of their own essential excellence in all things knowing.

There could be a problem at the WPC Dinner, though, even if attendance does eventually happen to occur. The invasion Mr. K. championed has resulted in needless suffering of thousands of Iraqi children. Many American conservatives consider themselves to be pro-life, totally committed to the defense of children. Mr. K’s role in the impoverishment and deaths of so many little ones will surely arouse our conservative friends to rage, and they may well appear at the dinner, bearing large images depicting the carnage amongst children which Dr. K.’s advocacy hath wrought. Eating political-dinner fare is never easy; doing so in the presence of large photographs of children’s corpses would seem even more difficult. Although we have absolute confidence that our friends at (u)SP can gleefully stuff their own faces even especially in the company of actual malnourished children, not everyone would choose dinner under such circumstances. Perhaps (u)SP will re-post again, repeatedly warning of the imminent sellout which has not happened? Only time will tell.

post by tensor

Fresh from his failed attempt to tell us about heat and entropy, Jonathan Gardner tells us not to worry about resource depletion. Will this effort succeed any better? Sadly…

Thanks to the power of free markets, we are all but guaranteed an inexhaustible supply of resources.

How do “free markets” guarantee resources? Read on:

The way it works is this. If there is a shortage of a useful commodity, then the price will rise according to the shortage. As the price rises, people stockpile and protect the supply in hopes of future profits.

Yes, price gouging is a problem in unfettered markets. But how does any market guarantee anyt–

This alone will ensure that we’ll always have the commodity available in one form or another to those who truly need it.

“Look, Gramps, the price is $100 per pill for your heart medication. I’ve got a pharmacy to run here. Go cry me a river.”

Eventually, innovation will come to bear on the problem, and we’ll find ways to either more efficiently use the limited resource or find something else that solves the same problem.

Another pharmaceutical company will market similar medication for only $99/pill, thus allowing Grandpa to move up to a better brand of cat food — once per week, anyway. Feel that free-markety magick a-workin’! But Jonathan’s just getting warmed up (not from greenhouse gasses, of course):

Let’s suppose that we really are running out of oil. Forget, for a moment, whether or not the earth is creating oil…

Phase One: Recall that the mass of earth is finite, so if we consume anything in it at a finite rate, we will eventually depl–
Phase Two: CRIMESTOP!!
Phase Three: (Market-Ensured) Profit!!

One thing that will happen immediately is the real price of oil will increase.

If we may run out of oil someday, why would the price increase “immediately”? Because FREE MARKETS THAT’S WHY!

This will cause people all over the world to use less of it.

Or, possibly, to pay more for the same amount, passing that cost along as best they can. In that case, there is no conservation of oil, just liquidity drained from the global economy. But this is not a problem because FREE MARKETS THAT’S WHY, LIBS!

If some government wants to subsidize the oil in their country, that is fine, the country will simply have to find a place to fig up the cash to do so—likely from the same people who buy the oil.

Or, some government could accuse a tin-pot, formerly-friendly dictator (who just so happens to be sitting atop huge proven reserves of oil) of having unstoppable robot drones and secret weapons of mass destruction, and use those ludicrously-false accusations as a flimsy excuse to invade and secure the oil, paying for this naked theft with the money and blood of the citizens of both countries. Why, this wondrous free market stuff just keeps getting better and better! How could it possibly get any more awes–

The commodities market will react by stockpiling reserves.

Thus reducing the flow of a vital resource, at the very moment it is most needed! TOTES AWESOME!! WE LOVES YOU FREE MARKET!!!

If we know for certain that oil is going to run out, then whoever has oil when it runs out will be a very, very rich man.

This is why we must drill, drill, drill baby drill, right now, off-shore, and in the ANWR, and pump that oil out now, so we won’t have any when the rest of the world runs out!! Otherwise, when we have oil and no one else does, we would all be very rich accused falsely of having robot drones and secret weapons of mass destruction…

But, again, back to how free markets assure us of having none all of the resources we could ever want:

This will further deplete the amount of oil available for consumption today, but will make oil available in the future. This will further drive the price up.

Because higher prices for oil = better economy. And a pony.

With the price of oil shooting through the roof, people who rely on oil will begin investing their time and resources into finding real alternatives.

Assuming they have any resources left after paying the (now, hugely increased) cost of oil.

Whoever discovers a way to replace oil will make a handsome profit from it. And with the innovation, we won’t need oil anymore.

Thus crushing the commodity marketers, who had so heroically assured our supply of oil in those days of scarce resources. Screw you, WITH THE POWER OF THE FREE MARKET!

Unfortunately for alarmists, the earth has enough and to spare.

There exists a hard-and-fast, scientifically-verified reason for thi–

This is because it is a creation of a loving God and not a random event.

“And the LORD spoke unto Moses, saying, thou shalt keep holy the sabbath free markets…”

All the resources of the earth are there for us to use wisely for our benefit.

Or, we could ignore coming shortages, letting the prices and availability carom wildly, disrupting our ability to cope in a time of crisis. But that’s what Almighty God Free Markets so decreed! SUCK ON THAT, ATHEIST LIBS!!1!

And there is plenty for everyone, as long as we are willing to live according to the laws of Nature and not of man.

Jonathan goes to the zoo to see the gorillas speculate on derivatives whilst they secure funds for their arbitrage from secret, offshore bank accounts.

There is enough land, water, food, and minerals for everything we need.

Phase One — oh, just forget it. (”Fig up”??!?)

Post by Carl

I wrote up most of a piece on this Joni Balter column (that Erica C. Barnett already wrote about) and then Firefox crashed. Normally when that happens, it saves it, but for whatever reason it didn’t this time. So enjoy this piece, somewhat more stale and somewhat more disjointed than I would have liked it to be.

Over the years, Seattle has acquired a variety of nicknames. Queen City. Rain City. Jet City. And if Mayor Mike McGinn gets his way, Seattle also will be known as the Motor-less City.

It’s funny because it’s true: improving bike and pedestrian access will make it impossible to drive.

Or something like that.

This was a whole paragraph. From someone who is paid to write. And it isn’t even a transition to the next paragraph.

The bicycle lobby helped elect the mayor and now it wants significant bike striping all over town in return.

This is the only lobby that’s true for.

The question of whether this group of citizens can impose their will on the rest of the place will be answered in the next year or so.

Impose their will on the rest of us means have a vote.

The City Council is pondering creation of a transportation taxing district. After a fair amount of Seattle process, the city would ask that reliable and generous Seattle ATM, the taxpayers, to pay higher property or sales taxes or increased vehicle licensing fees to produce millions of dollars a year for bicycle and pedestrian improvements.

That reliable ATM that rejected paying for stadiums and the latte tax. I love how she’s coming to the taxpayer’s defense by saying they shouldn’t be allowed to vote on spending money to make it easier to bike and walk around the city.

The council can create the taxing district with a simple council vote — and its creation enables the collecting of new taxes. Then, as soon as next summer or fall, bike and pedestrian groups would be expected to help sell the plan to voters, who must approve most of the taxes.

So, the voters get to decide. Seems fair, if a bit too Western-lets-vote-on-everything for my tastes.

At the depth of a stubborn recession, with pressing civic needs ranging from education to public safety, is this really the top priority? Or do these powerful interest groups merely have the city’s ear?

I love how a column about special interests in the Mayor’s office includes how bike groups are awful but doesn’t mention Vulcan. Because a somewhat different pattern of paint on a few city streets and more sidewalks are the scariest influence imaginable at City Hall.

As an avid runner, and occasional biker, I bear no deep-seated opposition to more recreational or commuter space for each and every group. At least theoretically. As a taxpayer, I say hold your spandex bike tights on a minute.

Do you believe she’s ever ran or biked to work? Me either.

In 2011 Seattle’s Families and Education Levy that supports public-school students comes up for renewal. McGinn flirts with the idea of more public investment in light rail in several locations. And this fall, the big thinkers at King County propose a sales tax increase for public safety. The Legislature patched its leaky budget with a slew of taxes on candy, bottled water, beer and soda pop.

Well the Families and Education Levy is tax money that we’re already paying. Those other things we’ll have to figure out or not over elections a year apart. And no mention that the sales tax will go down or the B&O tax will shrink if 1098 passes.

Have a headache?

No

You will.

No, I won’t.

Seattle and King County are oh so adept at sending spending requests to the ballot but pathetic at deciding which money measures to move forward and which to put on hold until the ravaged economy improves.

The taxpayers still want things, so they generally support those tax increases.

If you pose the question to voters, do you prefer a sidewalk in a neighborhood or a police officer downtown, says one wise business leader, the choice just might be public safety.

That’s why people often say they’d rather have higher taxes than chose between either.

But that’s not how it works. Each item is put forward as the absolute most important thing for that moment. And why not? The generous voters of Seattle usually say yes

But they do say no to ending sentences with a period. Don’t you have a copy editor?

Keep in mind, the bike and pedestrian lobbies, whose efforts began before the arrival of McGinn, are already getting improvements that infuriate some motorists — oops, motorists, swear word, I know. Nickerson Street east-west between the Ballard and Fremont bridges is on a “road diet” that provides increased safety, more bicycle lanes and fewer car lanes.

Were you drunk when you wrote this? Who the fuck advised you to write in the style of angry drunk?

Safety advocates also fought to change the configuration on Northeast 125th Street — again more bike space, fewer car lanes and enhanced safety.

Are you sure it isn’t safety that you think is a swear word? Anyway, I’m sure the rest of this article will mention if those road diets were effective or not.

Increasingly, cars are being shoved aside, as evidenced by efforts to jack up commercial parking rates, the constant plea for more light rail and significant transfer of asphalt to bike lanes.

Seriously, looking out my apartment right now (toward the end of rush hour), there’s only a half full parking lot, street parking taken mostly up, and 4 lanes (2 each way) that are pretty full. Obviously, no cars anywhere in Seattle. Damn you McGinn for taking all the cars away!

Had Seattle elected leaders with a better business sense or a more rational view of the affordability or lack of it of living in the city, things might be different. But every new bike lane can make a road less appealing to a car or a truck. Bicycles prevail, freight mobility takes a sorry hike.

Making sure people have an alternative to driving is cheaper for them, and gets cars off the road so freight doesn’t have to compete with as many single occupancy vehicles. I guess a dollar spent on taxes is awful, but a dollar spent on maintaining your car is free.

This is all more complicated than it sounds. A tax package might also include money for general road maintenance, transit, money to rebuild the sea wall and a host of other, perhaps worthy endeavors.

Seattle voters aren’t going to support more roads. I’m sorry.

The issue is not the worthiness of any project but the ability to pay for it all. Seattle voters have to decide what kind of city they want: one with affordable taxes and reasonable accommodation for business and jobs, or a bike and pedestrian haven backed by plenty of public spending. And that means generous and frequent donations from Seattleites who may not spend umpteen hours a week on two wheels.

Because bikes cost the city a lot more than roads. Der. Also, people who ride bikes don’t pay taxes, so they don’t support your driving.

– posted by thehim

Lou Guzzo actually wrote a post this week with the title “Governments Have No Right to Make Moral Decisions for People”. That would be the same Lou Guzzo who has advocated for the abolition of gambling, alcohol, boxing, pornography, billboards, rock concerts, and the entire state of Nevada.

Post by Carl Ballard

I’m sure it’s just a coincidence that all of the Blethen dailys in the state have had editorials recently bashing unions. Because otherwise, it’s just sock puppetry.