Minnesota Challenged Ballots
A great overview — with pictures of the ballots! — of the challenge facing election judges in Minnesota involved in the Al Franken/Norm Coleman recount.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 25 November 2008 at 9:53 AM

Do you think the government will continue to announce additional massive bailout programs every time they announce bad economic news to keep propping up the stock market?

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 25 November 2008 at 9:40 AM

A: I can't believe those three GMs showed up in Washington looking for a handout.

A: And they showed up in those jets. How much do those things cost? Twenty billion? Couldn't they just sell those?

B: I don't think they cost that much.

A: Then couldn't they just cut the big shots' salaries? The head of SLU...

B: WashU.

A: Right, the head of WashU is taking a 5% pay cut. Couldn't those car guys do the same thing rather than asking for a handout?

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 24 November 2008 at 7:40 PM

I spent the afternoon cataloging all the books I own.  But since then I’ve found a box with more books.

Time to start listing a some things on amazon.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 22 November 2008 at 11:11 PM

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 22 November 2008 at 10:51 PM

Jim: Gandolf was in Schindler's List?

David: No.

Jim: Liam Wilson?

David: ...

Jim: Liam Nelson?

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 19 November 2008 at 8:46 PM

On the other hand, Garrett, a wiry chain-smoker who ran for re-election with the slogan of “More ‘Dick’ in 2006,” maintains that anybody who thinks it’s a fine plan to pay somebody $200 to move their 25-year-old home, all their belongings, and a passel of pets with a farm tractor can’t exactly complain when things go wrong.
Lexington News - Kentucky News | Lexington Herald-Leader

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 19 November 2008 at 8:42 PM

When the Tutes finish a song, they throw back their heads in convulsive glee no matter how expertly or poorly you played. Like watching Kristen Wiig’s “Target Lady” on Saturday Night Live, you’re filled with a vague dread despite being in the presence of happiness.
Sleater-Kinney’s guitarist tries out Wii Music. - By Carrie Brownstein - Slate Magazine

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 19 November 2008 at 8:17 PM

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 4 November 2008 at 11:43 AM

Election Night (Popcorn Included) - NYTimes.com
What to watch for on Tuesday night.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 4 November 2008 at 8:29 AM

This is the final article in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Here’s a quick summary of my take on all ten ballot measures:

Propostion A: Yes
Propostion B: Yes
Propostion C: Yes 
Constitutional Amendment 1: No
Constitutional Amendment 4: Yes
St. Louis County Proposition C: No
St. Louis County Proposition 1: Yes
St. Louis County Proposition I: Yes
St. Louis County Proposition M: Yes
St. Louis County Proposition H: Yes

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:45 PM

This is the tenth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Prop H authorizes a 1.85% sales tax on large out-of-state purchases made by businesses.  I’m not inclined to give a free pass to business, and the list of improvements that the county is hoping to make with this tax — including better communication between the police and fire departments — are all things that I support.  But I wonder if now is the appropriate time to levy an additional tax on local businesses.  However, given that this is correcting a discrepancy (businesses that buy in-state must pay sales tax), I’m inclined to support it.  There’s no reason for our tax policy to encourage you to buy out-of-state when all other things are equal.  So, a reluctant YES on H.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:39 PM

This is the ninth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Proposition M authorizes a half-cent sales tax to fund MetroLink operations and expansion.  I am in infrequent MetroLink user, and this is an inopportune time for Metro to come requesting more money given the poor economy and the bungling of the last MetroLink expansion.  However, Metro is reporting sever financial shortages and will have to cut back on service if this initiative does not pass.  Too many people rely on Metro to get to their jobs and around the city and the cutbacks will obviously hit them the hardest.  During bad times, a scale-back in service will make things much worse for some people who are already experiencing very trying times.  For that reason, I’ll be voting YES on M.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:39 PM

This is the eighth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Prop I will authorize the county to issues bonds for improvements to county buildings.  It would also fund improvement to the county crime lab, and other facilities.  The main change will be a new family courts building in Clayton.  As the new bonds will be issued as others expire, there should be no new taxes required to pay down the bonds.  YES on I.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:38 PM

This is the seventh in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Prop 1, if passed, will create a 0.25% sales tax to fund children’s issue in St. Louis County.  Runaway children’s shelters, suicide prevention programs, alcohol and drug prevention programs, and many other issues could be funded by this program.  The money raised by the tax stays in St. Louis county.  I’m voting YES on prop 1.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:37 PM

This is the sixth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Not to be confused with the state-wide proposition C (the renewable energy proposition for which I recommend voting yes), this proposition asks the voters whether a commission should be established to revise the St. Louis county charter.  The county charter is the governing document of the county — much like the constitution is at the state and national levels — and it mandates that every ten years the voters should be asked whether a commission should be established to revise the charter.  There is no compelling need to revise the charter at this time and, as the P-D points out, it would be a waste of money to establish a commission to do so at this time.  I’ll be voting NO on St. Louis County Proposition C.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:36 PM

This is the fifth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Amendment 4 will correct some issues surrounding a $200m bond issue for clean water that the voters approved in 1998.  This is essentially a housekeeping measure, and I’ll be voting YES on amendment 4.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:36 PM

This is the fourth in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Constitutional Amendment 1 proposes making English the language of all government meetings in Missouri.  I don’t care to spend much time on this, but my take it that this amendment is at best pointless and at worst xenophobic.  I’ll be voting NO on amendment 1.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:35 PM

This is the third in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Prop C will mandate that 2% of electricty sold in MO in 2011 be generated from renewable sources and will ratchet up to 15% by 2021.  A study on the costs of the measure show peak cost at 68 cents per hoursehold per month, with the average cost of the first ten years of the plan at 31 cents per hoursehold per month.  According to the Post-Dispatch, there is no organized oppostiion to the measure and it has been endorsed by the Kansas City power provider KCP&L.  Nuclear power, which St. Louis-based AmerenUE has recently proposed building a new reactor to generate, would not count as a source of renewable power.  I’m voting YES on Propostion C.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:35 PM

This is the second in a series of articles on Missouri ballot measures.

Proposition B is designed to help increase the number of in-home caregivers for the elderly and create a single, state-wide baraining unit for those caregivers.  Most elderly would prefer to remain in their homes and in-home care is half the price of nursing homes or other facilities, so this is mostly a win/win proposal.  The state gains through redutions in Medicaid expenses and the elderly and disabled gain because they’ll be allowed to stay in their own homes.  So, YES on propostion B.

Comments: 0 Posted by david on 3 November 2008 at 2:34 PM