HorsesAss.Org

From Chicago Tribune:

Promising to continue to make the investigation of mortgage fraud a priority, federal authorities in Chicago announced charges in five schemes on Tuesday that involved properties ranging from dilapidated houses on the South Side to pricey condominiums in a River North high-rise.

The cases included charges against 37 people and four companies, and some $48 million in mortgages that allegedly were fraudulently obtained.

I’m reminded of a case from my home town back in Kansas that finally saw some measure of justice late last year. From Kansas City Business Journal in Dec. of 2008:

Kansas City builder F. Jeffrey Miller and two business associates were convicted on federal charges of conspiracy, bank fraud and money laundering in a $5 million mortgage fraud scheme, acting U.S. Attorney Marietta Parker said Friday.

In May 2006 , the U.S. Department of Justice charged Miller, 47, of Stanley, with organizing a $25 million scheme to boost his business through conspiracy, bank fraud and money laundering.

One of the last times I visited my childhood home, before my folks moved further south in search of better fishing, I saw that Miller had built a huge mansion across the street, where there used to be a field and a pond. My guess is his current quarters are considerably smaller, say on the order of 80 square feet.

Obviously, it’s not true that all real estate agents, title companies and builders are crooks. Our real estate agent and loan broker have both been stand up folks here in Washington state. They’re quality folks who live in the community and don’t rip people off. The guy who built our house here did a pretty good job overall. And while some folks may lean Republican, the sensible ones are a little more sanguine about their ideology and are willing to grant that maybe sometimes rules have to be enforced for the greater good.

The criminality in the industry has affected the entire economy, and while it’s fashionable in some right wing quarters to throw hissy fits about a Democratic administration, the bitter truth is that this economic calamity was caused by a lack of sensible regulation and the unbridled greed of people who are no better than street criminals. Frankly they have done an amount of harm greater than all the street criminals ever could, at least in dollar amounts.

What remains to be seen is how many more of these white collar lawbreakers are brought to justice, and if the building and banking industries will ever come to their senses and realize that tolerating criminality works against the long term interests of legitimate business people.

The podcast makes a brief return from its summer vacation for a special interview with Darcy Burner. Goldy and Darcy discuss her new position as the Executive Director of ProgressiveCongress.org. The conversation turns to health insurance reform, and Darcy explains why the House will pass a plan with a “robust” public option, and why the public option will not go away during the reconciliation process. The final topic of discussion is the energy bill and the cap and trade provisions now before the House.

The show is 25:09, and is available here as an MP3

[audio:http://www.podcastingliberally.com/podcasts/podcasting_liberally_jun_23_2009.mp3]

[Recorded live at the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally. Special thanks to Confab creators Gavin and Richard for hosting the Podcasting Liberally site.]

Oops…

A second tunnel-boring machine for the Brightwater sewage-treatment plant has broken down, causing the layoff of 67 workers, King County officials said Tuesday.

King County wastewater officials said the westbound machine, nicknamed Rainier, has a problem with a part known as the cutterhead rim.

It’s not as badly damaged as the eastbound boring machine, known as Helene, which broke down last month and caused the layoff of 60 people. Nonetheless, repairs to Rainier, also known as BT-3, are expected to take months, according to Brightwater Project Manager Gunars Sreibers.

But don’t you worry about Seattle taxpayers being forced to pick up cost overruns on the Viaduct replacement, because thanks to “new technological advances” such mishaps could never happen when the state attempts to dig the largest diameter deep bore tunnel ever. I know that is so because the Discovery Institute says it is so, and there is no greater or more reliable source on issues of science and technology than those progressive folks at Discovery.

A lot of people cheat on their partners. A recent University of Washington study found a lifetime infidelity rate of 28 percent for men, 15 percent for women. If anything, I’m surprised the rate is so low.

So while I personally believe that fidelity is an integral part of a committed relationship, have never been unfaithful myself, and would have been inconsolably heartbroken to have been the victim of such, it’s not really any of my business what goes on within (or without) someone else’s marriage.  Unless, they make it my business, by being an arrogant, holier than thou, family-values hypocrite.

You know, like Gov. Mark Sanford (R-SC).  Or US Sen. John Ensign (R-NV). Or US Sen. David Vitter (R-LA). Or any number of other  pro-family, conservative politicians who have recently fallen victim to scandals of a sexual nature.

That Rep. Barney Frank (D-MA) is “packing fudge,” as one of my vile trolls puts it, is not a scandal, because he is openly gay, but would have been had Rep. Frank earned a reputation as a hateful, anti-gay bigot like the recently disgraced and deceased Spokane Mayor Jim West. Even former New York Gov. Eliot Spitzer, a Democrat who never ran on a family values platform, ultimately fell victim more to his own hypocrisy than his sexual proclivities, when the former state Attorney General who had aggressively prosecuted prostitution rings, got caught frequenting one himself.

It’s the hypocrisy, stupid.

And that is what has always been so infuriating and offensive about righteously indignant Republicans attempting to brand themselves as the family values party—not their human frailty; we all suffer from that—but rather the sheer arrogance of their claim to be morally superior over others.

The scorn and ridicule now being heaped upon Sanford and Ensign is well deserved, for those who choose to wield their Christian faith as a political sword would do well to read their own Bible: “Judge not, that ye be not judged.”

Amen.

With the demise of the Singing Senators quartet [Sen. John Ashcroft (R-MO, defeated), Sen. Larry Craig (R-ID, “stalled”), Sen. James Jeffords (R I-VT, wised-up), Sen. Trent Lott (R-MS, money!)], I would like to propose a new group: The “Singing” Republicans.

The new quartet would be composed of former and soon-to-be former Republican office holders who have had some stuff to sing about:

Sen. David Vitter (R–LA)
Rep. Mark Foley (R–FL 16)
Sen. John Ensign (R–NV)
Gov. Mark Sanford (R–SC)

[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sxKg0jZ45H4[/youtube]

It’s freaking awesome to have a job where you can boink an employee’s spouse or just disappear for five days without notice to break up with your paramour. Plus you can be 100% completely wrong about big issues like wars and impeachments and still keep your job!

Speaking of bullshit polls, HA readers have spoken, and Rep. Sharon Tomiko Santos was the clear choice for the incumbent Seattle Democratic state representative who most deserves a serious challenge. (You know… not counting Speaker Frank Chopp.)

Sharon Tomiko Santos (37th)	51	42%
Mary Lou Dickerson (36th)	40	33%
Phyllis Gutierrez Kenney (46th)	30	25%

Huh. Of course, Santos is my representative, which makes this kinda awkward. Personally, I get along with her just fine, and have always found her accessible. Plus, I have a couple of fond memories of her verbally beating the crap out of Cheryl Chow (in the hallway outside a school closure town hall), and Terry Bergeson (to her face at a 37th LD endorsement meeting). When she’s on, she’ on.

But at least as of lately, Santos hasn’t been on nearly often enough, her voice virtually silent during recent legislative sessions. Her lack of production aside, Santos has also earned her reputation as being less progressive than her district, serving as an advocate for payday lenders, and an opponent of environmental causes. And while she talks a very good talk on tax restructuring, she doesn’t seem to have the will or the way toward getting there.

But perhaps what most qualifies Santos for a serious intra-party challenge is her role in the House leadership, where she serves under Chopp as Majority Whip. No, challenging the Speaker himself isn’t all that viable, but challenging one of his lieutenants is, and even a close race, if not a win itself, would send a very loud message to Chopp and the rest of the leadership that we’re mad as hell and we’re not going to take it anymore.

So, sorry Sharon, nothing personal, but I can’t argue with my readers’ choice.

I know, this stuff can happen anywhere. And it could be “kids” out on summer break, although the article suggests that those responsible might find themselves at least chatting with some FBI agents.

Still, this is just unacceptable.

The first incident was reported to deputies just before 8:30 am. Saturday in the 4300 block of Northeast 39th Street, when a large swastika was found scrawled on a garage door in silver spray-paint.

Within several hours deputies had four more reports.

A racial slur was discovered spray-painted on a van parked in the driveway a block away, and a swastika had been painted on the tailgate of a pickup nearby, Schanaker said.

Then, three vehicles were found vandalized in the 3900 block of Northeast 39th Street. A racial slur was written on a Chevrolet Malibu, a Cadillac and a Chevrolet Suburban. A slur against homosexuals was also written, Schanaker said.

At Scott’s house, someone painted a racist message on the driveway, and on a garbage can wrote: “(Derogatory term) get out of our hood.”

And even if it is “kids,” they learned it somewhere. That’s a pretty cold thing to do.

The latest KING5/SurveyUSA poll in the King County Executive race came out last night, and while I know the media will focus on the top line figure, Creationist Susan Hutchison’s 41%, I think the real news, if the trend holds up, and if the whole survey isn’t bullshit, is the first indication that Councilman Dow Constantine may be breaking away from the rest of the Democratic pack.

Hutchison	41
Constantine	12
Phillips	7
Hunter	6
Jarrett	4
Goodspaceguy	3
Lippman	2
Lobdell	2
Undecided	23

The previous KING5 poll had Phillips at 9%, Constantine at 8%, and Hunter and Jarrett both at 5%, so the only move amongst the Democratic field that doesn’t appear to be mere statistical noise is that of Constantine. We’ll see.

As for Hutchison, whose numbers climbed from 34% to 41%, I still don’t buy it. I know the race is technically nonpartisan, but what we’re really seeing is a four-way Democratic runoff with Hutchison running unopposed as the lone Republican. And once her Democratic opponent and various constituent groups start spending money educating voters about where she stands on the issues, expect her current numbers with Democrats (31%) and liberals (24%) to drop well into the single digits.

Brian Baird is up to his usual Brian Bairdness: From Brad Shannon at The Olympian:

H.R. 2454, also known as the American Clean Energy and Security Act, is a sweeping measure that puts a cap on carbon-fuel emissions, something the state Legislature couldn’t muster this year. H.R. 2454 sets goals for reducing emissions by 2020 and 2050, setting up a framework for a cap-and-trade system of pollution credits.

—snip—

But Baird, a Democrat from the 3rd Congressional District that takes in southwest Washington and quite a bit of logging country, said yesterday he doesn’t yet support it because of biomass-energy jobs he thinks it will thwart, as written. Baird also said he’d rather see a tax on carbon containing fuels than a cap-and-trade system, which lets companies sell off pollution credits if they meet standards and have capacity.

Baird made these comments during his stop in Olympia to check out a local economic-stimulus project:

“People dispute this, but when you read the language carefully it does what I’m going to say … It effectively prohibits use of dead and diseased trees from most federal land to be used for either renewable fuel or renewable energy standards. We have millions of acres of tinder dry, bug-infested forests in the Northwest, a 75-year backlog of forest health efforts,” Baird said.

“…Last year in our state, more CO2 went into the air from forest fires than from cars and power plants combined. If we don’t take that wood out, forest health will be impaired and forest fires will be more severe. As we speak stimulus money is being used to pay jobs in the woods to thin and remove dead trees. Do you know what they are doing with that wood? … Piling it up and burning it. Honest. Now if you’re seriously concerned about greenhouse gases you might want to turn it into wood pallets or methanol or some other thing.”

Wow, it’s interesting that Baird would bring up power plants. Why, there’s gigantic coal operation right here in WA-03! Well, there is when they aren’t laying people off after getting massive tax breaks.

Again from Shannon’s post at The Olympian:

Baird has recently won re-election with ease, and neither Doglio nor Bob Guenther, president of the Lewis-Thurston- Mason Central Labor Council, thinks Baird is in any danger by supporting the bill. On the contrary, Doglio said, “I think voting against it he could lose some of his base.”

Guenther is a member of the Gifford-Pinchot partnership that has brought business, environmental and labor interests together in a search for common ground in the national forest along the southern Cascades. Members of the group are examining H.R. 2454 to see what effect it could have on their stewardship efforts, which are designed to create jobs and create energy out of wood waste.

Look, way, way back in the day I used to run into Guenther, and he’s a good guy, so don’t get me wrong. I have nothing against him.

But it’s kind of odd nobody even mentioned the TransAlta coal operations in the context of this legislation, when it’s in Baird’s district and Guenther is a long-time labor leader in Centralia. Forest fires happen, and that’s an issue, but it’s not the same issue. The planet really doesn’t care about district politics in WA-03.

It’s Tuesday, so tell your friends, family, and constituents that you will be hard to reach for awhile, and hike the Montlake trail to the Seattle chapter of Drinking Liberally for an evening of politics under the influence. The festivities take place at the Montlake Ale House, 2307 24th Avenue E. beginning at 8:00 pm. Or stop by early for some dinner. And turn off your cell phone.


[youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gBKGYGNwcLI[/youtube]

Not in Seattle? The Drinking Liberally web site has dates and times for 333 other chapters of Drinking Liberally for you to get lost at.

Update: An old friend returns to Drinking Liberally…

Well, the Little Si Trail actually, but I’ll be out of contact with the office for a little while.

I understand that the political hoopla over yesterday’s scathing King County performance audit report is inevitable, with executive candidates falling all over themselves calling for government reform, but honestly, I’m not really sure what to make of it.

I don’t doubt that there are problems in county government, that there are some bad managers and messed up or missing procedures that need to be replaced or fixed. That’s true of all large bureaucracies, public and private sector, and that’s why we do performance audits in the first place.

But quite frankly, I’ve lost faith in State Auditor Brian Sonntag’s office to conduct and report performance audits fairly, honestly, and most of all, efficaciously.

As I’ve explained before, a performance audit is not a financial audit, does not come close to adhering to the same sort of strict, unwavering standards, and is neither objective nor irrefutable, even when done well. The primary goal of a financial audit is to keep the books honest and accurate by providing an outside, independent verification of an organization’s financial records, and as such, it is mostly an objective exercise in math. The primary goal of a performance audit is to uncover inefficiencies in procedures and/or execution, and to make recommendations on how to improve an organization’s operations. Performance audits are, by their nature, more subjective and less definitive.

Indeed, for a performance audit to be maximally effective it requires the active cooperation and participation of those being audited; when conducted well, a performance audit is meant to be a collaborative process. Unfortunately, by repeatedly using performance audits as a punitive political weapon—an opportunity to very publicly attack and humiliate state and local government officials—Sonntag has transformed his audits into an adversarial process that puts targeted agencies on the defensive, and thus works against the stated goal of increasing government efficiency.

Oh, Sonntag’s office proudly trumpets the millions of dollars the auditors claim that taxpayers might save if their recommendations were implemented, but how much taxpayers have saved, well, we have no idea. No idea which recommendations officials grudgingly implement after Sonntag’s orchestrated media thrashing, and no idea how effective these recommendations actually are.

I’m not refuting all or even some of the findings in the KC performance audit report; auditors appear to have uncovered some egregious and/or stupid practices. But I put the emphasis on “appear” because honestly, I don’t know that the report can be taken at face value, especially coming from an Auditor with a history of targeting his resources at agencies and programs he dislikes, and who has already compromised his impartiality by endorsing Susan Hutchison, the only Republican in the executive race, and the candidate with the least experience at running anything… other than her mouth.

Like I said, I understand all the hoopla and headlines. Journalists are famously skeptical of government agencies and officials. As they should be. It’s their job, and they wouldn’t be doing it properly if they didn’t jump all over a report like this.

But what really bugs the hell out of me about the coverage of this and previous Sonntag orchestrated hatchet jobs, is the complete and utter unquestioning credulity in which our media approaches the least audited agency in the state… the Auditor’s office itself.

It’s just a blip, things will be like before any day now.

Last month, Oregon’s jobless rate was 12.4 percent, second highest in the nation. Washington saw its rate climb to 9.4 percent, which mirrors the U.S. average. Employment trends in the metro area mirror statewide trends in Oregon and Washington.

In the 12 months through May, construction employment in the Portland-Vancouver metro region has declined by 10,800 jobs, the professional and business services sector is down 11,900 and manufacturing has given up 11,700 jobs, according to the Oregon employment agency. Manufacturing has been particularly hard hit, with losses in primary metal, down 300 jobs, and machinery manufacturing, off 200.

What we should do is lower interest rates about five points, that’ll work.

Huh? Why can’t we have negative interest rates, you some kind of fancy pants professor or something? If we paid people to borrow money to buy things they can’t afford, what could possibly go wrong? We’ll just recast the terms. Er, um, I’ll get back to you on the exact terminology, I don’t want to appear derivative.

Don’t you understand that neo-liberalism requires a steadfast, hands-off government approach that involves The Greenspanian suppression of interest rates at artificially low levels? What could be more hands off than Fed-created negative interest rates?

We also need a steadfast, hands-off attack on unionization, the root of all evil, and a steadfast, hands-off set of trade deals that steadfastly prevents any other governments from being nice to communists unions. And if anyone wants to see a doctor, that little issue must steadfastly be obfuscated (in a hands-off sort of way) in order to keep people healthy because WE’RE NUMBER ONE! WE’RE NUMBER ONE! USA! USA! JON AND KATE! JON AND KATE!

Here’s a sobering graph:

“Unemployment won’t peak until this time next year, and then it will remain very high through next year,” Mark Zandi, chief economist for Moody’s Economy.com, told the Post. “It won’t get back to full employment until 2013 or 2014. This really speaks to the severity of the job losses that have been absorbed by the economy. They were massive.”

So we’ve hollowed out our manufacturing sector even more, our financial sector is a basket case and the cost of higher education is skyrocketing. But if people would just buy more houses and cheap plastic crap to put in their houses it would all be over!

Jobs continue to be the biggest single concern for regular folks, but not for the jet-setting Wall Street thieves who ruined the economy in the first place. In their world nothing has really changed all that much. Forty years of dogma is hard to shake. Trust the invisible hand, my friends, even if it’s reaching into your pocket.

Part 1

Sen. Chris Dodd’s (D-Conn.) decision to support full marriage equality means that embattled statewide politicians can finally run toward marriage equality rather than away from it.

With his op-ed in the Meriden (Conn.) Record-Journal on Sunday, Dodd became the second U.S. Senator to change his mind in recent weeks, joining Sen. Tom Harkin (D-Iowa) who announced in May.

Nor should it be ignored that Rhode Island’s former Republican-turned independent Senator Lincoln Chafee also cast his vote for marriage equality with an op-ed in Bay Windows last week. Chafee was voted out of office in 2006–after a 16-point victory in his 2000 election–because Rhode Island voters couldn’t stomach the notion of having anyone associated with the Republican Party representing them in Washington. Now Chafee is positioning himself for a gubernatorial run.

It starts with a few states.

Part 2

Chris Dodd, with a strict emission standards and carbon tax proposal that won over the likes of Al Gore, had arguably the best energy plan out of the entire 2008 Democratic presidential field.

He was an early and forceful voice on FISA and has since discussed the idea of Bush administration torture trials. Plus he had the balls to endorse Ned Lamont over his long time colleague and King Rat Sen. Joe Lieberman (I-Conn.) in 2006.

Now Dodd stands up for marriage equality in the middle of a re-election race that the Republicans are salivating all over.

He deserves more love from the left. If you know someone in Connecticut, where Dodd’s polling has been dismal all year, I suggest you call them.