Sudden Stop

John Edwards--unparalleled sacrifice

John Edwards vows to end poverty as we know it .  One poor, blonde babe at a time.

Question their wisdom to do it, not their right

Newton gold plated its school.  Dumb choice, but it's the town of Newton's choice and it will bear the cost of its largess.

Wellesley wants the same, but Comrad Treasurer Cahill resists: 

Just because you have the money doesn't mean you should be allowed to do it. One community should not be able to provide better opportunities for kids versus another community just because they have the money."

Dodd, he's special

Countrywide knows he's special.

Maybe Bank of American too, as Dodd's legislation, designed to bail the bank out of its subprime issues, might have been ghost written by BofA lobbyists.

Where's Marzilli?

Where's Marzilli?

Rumors are that he'll use a bi-polar defense,

Sources told the Herald that Marzilli is being treated for hypomania, which is caused by bipolar disorder. Hypomania can cause loss of sleep, racing thoughts and inability to control behavior, according to psychiatrists.

He's still an acting Senator, still being paid, presumably still making legislative decisions, despite his condition.

Give us a raise, or else, we'll ask you to give us a raise

This story brought to you by Bootleggers and Baptists.  The Baptists lamenting the plight of the lowly paid workers, the Bootleggers being the Unions, seeking to add more dues paying members to their roles.

<blockquote>There are 185,000 human service workers in Massachusetts. A University of Massachusetts Donahue Institute study found that human service workers earn less than if they had taken comparable jobs elsewhere in the health care industry. The median pay is about $9,000 less than if they'd taken a job elsewhere. Those who work for state facilities earn nearly $15,000 less.</blockquote>

Maybe the reason they're paid so little is because they're stupid?  If you're earning $15K less than you can get elsewhere, why don't apply elsewhere.

Since people aren't stupid when it comes to money, it must be something else.  The article excerpted above continues, "...Salyers is worried that the high turnover in the human services industry will hurt her son."  And that's the answer, the same people earning low income in 1987 AREN'T the same people making low income today.  Human Service is a low paying job, with easy entry and requiring little training.  The human service workers come and go, working part-time and leaving the job to apply to fetch that additional $15,000.  They, in turn, are replaced by low earners who too, obtain new skills, and earn more money.

Patrick's Gaps in Learning

First gap, submitting 50 recommendations to "dramatically change the way education is delivered" mindless that if the Governor submits, say 5 grand ideas, one may pass but by submitting 50 grand ideas, none will succeed.

Free community college for everyone.  If you build it for free, they will come.  They'll come regardless that college just isn't for everyone. 

Centralized planning: a proposal to implement a state wide teachers' contract, thereby continuing the shift of control away from the local school system.  It's a shift that local school committee will surely oppose, if for no other reason than fear of the unknown.

If it's not broke, don't centralize it.  If the Governor hasn't notice, Massachusetts sits well atop the heap in education.  This, because of the wealth in the state and despite the State's interference efforts at change.

The shell game

1:  Shocked, we're shocked the Haliburton isn't paying Social Security tax on wages paid to contractors in Iraq, even though the law we passed is clear that said tax treatment is legal.

2: We must fix that!

Guys, those are cost plus contracts. 

So, if by 'fixing it' you mean that the Government must pay more to Haliburton because Haliburton pays more to the Government, then yeah, it's fixed.

Obama 2nd amendment special. While supplies last

Gunbroker.com

Why not vote YES

State House News Service's weekly roundup

House Speaker Salvatore DiMasi and Senate President Therese Murray joined Gov. Deval Patrick in public opposition to the proposed income tax repeal that'll most likely be on the ballot in November. Working for the repeal is a good job if you like underdogs. Big Labor is against it, Murray tried Thursday to recruit Big Business to fight it, and if Paul Guzzi and Bob Haynes get on the same side and it's not yours, well, you've gone and got yourself triangulated. While the governor had announced last week that he would campaign against the proposal, DiMasi warned this week that he might stand in the way even if voters did approve it...

It's clear that if the vote to repeal the income tax passes, the Legislature and Governor will take the steps to reverse the vote. 

No harm in voting YES and what better reason to vote YES than to compel your representatives to explain why the income tax is necessary.

You bring a knife to the fight, we'll regulate knives

Obama on Gun control when running for State Senator: 

• 35. Do you support state legislation to:
  a. ban the manufacture, sale and possession of handguns? Yes.
  b. ban assault weapons? Yes.
  c. mandatory waiting periods and background checks? Yes.

Obama on the the campaign:  Barack Obama vowed that he will not be passive in the face of political attacks: "If they bring a knife to the fight, we bring a gun."