Friday, February 28, 2014
Moar War
Things going nuts in Crimea, apparently. Mixed reports about who is behind it. John McCain will be on special 4 hour editions of every Sunday show.
Philly DNC 2016
I have no idea if it's a good idea for the city or what resources ($) the city would have to cough up to make it happen, but it is a good city for this kind of thing. The arena is accessible and not far, but it isn't centrally located either, so security wouldn't have to shut down the city (though, given the way these things work, it probably would anyway). There are enough hotels and plenty of bars and restaurants.
Thursday, February 27, 2014
Nothing To Cheer
But for the deficit fetishists, the 2013 deficit is $139 billion lower than Simpson-Bowles promised to deliver.
That's actually bad news, and of course it won't even be seen as good news by people who claimed it was the most important thing ever. Because nobody cares about the deficit.
That's actually bad news, and of course it won't even be seen as good news by people who claimed it was the most important thing ever. Because nobody cares about the deficit.
Handshake
The San Francisco "tech buses" are the wrong target for the most part, but they should be paying an impact fee for using MUNI bus stops obviously, and shame on the authority for letting them off the hook.
The Rumors
Sort of a weird article about a rumored new Center City supermarket without any details. All for more supermarkets, but the suggested locations aren't really in places that are lacking. The west side of Broad St. could probably use another major supermarket, but east of Broad there really are plenty. Again, I'd welcome more - a nearby supermarket is a major neighborhood amenity - but it isn't really a problem locally.
Because They Can
I'm of the opinion that most of this stuff is just a colossal waste of time and money, a way for agencies to justify their budgets and people to justify their jobs. Of course it's a colossal waste of time and money which is also a colossal violation of privacy rights that is open to extreme abuse.
Not So Leaky Bucket
Piketty says that wealth distributions skewed to the top decile reduces economic growth, and now the IMF reports the same is true of skewed income distributions.
Good news! Giving free money to poor people is good for the economy! Legislation establishing confiscatory estate taxes and setting up a government jobs program fixing infrastructure must be in the works!
Good news! Giving free money to poor people is good for the economy! Legislation establishing confiscatory estate taxes and setting up a government jobs program fixing infrastructure must be in the works!
Wednesday, February 26, 2014
And Texas
Stayed, but it seems same sex marriage bans will eventually be toppled everywhere.
I used to write about gay rights issues way back in the early anonymous days of this blog, so much so that quite a few people thought I was gay. I didn't claim any deep insight or anything - I'm probably quite a bit more enlightened and understanding now - but it was important to me for various reasons.
I claim no credit for the activism and legal strategies which have gotten us to this better point, but I do hope in some small way I contributed to making support for gay rights a non-negotiable part of the liberal agenda. Whether due to pure political calculation (they won't vote for us if we support that!) or just lack of interest in the issue, in 2003 it wasn't the case that explicit support for gay rights was a given for all self-described liberals. Some straight people needed to get a clue.
I used to write about gay rights issues way back in the early anonymous days of this blog, so much so that quite a few people thought I was gay. I didn't claim any deep insight or anything - I'm probably quite a bit more enlightened and understanding now - but it was important to me for various reasons.
I claim no credit for the activism and legal strategies which have gotten us to this better point, but I do hope in some small way I contributed to making support for gay rights a non-negotiable part of the liberal agenda. Whether due to pure political calculation (they won't vote for us if we support that!) or just lack of interest in the issue, in 2003 it wasn't the case that explicit support for gay rights was a given for all self-described liberals. Some straight people needed to get a clue.
Let's Put The Fun In Adjusted Gross Income
On the NPR I heard Dave Camp, the dude with the latest Republican plan to cut taxes for rich people, say this:
um, ok.
[the tax code] is now 10 times the size of the Bible, with none of the good news.
um, ok.
Rich Guy Complains About Gentrification
I usually roll my eyes at most discussions of the evils of gentrification, especially when the people doing the discussing are relatively new residents of the neighborhood in question. I'm not for any kind of deliberate "slum clearing" policies, and very fast gentrification does, at times, lead to the kind of displacement people worry about. But it's very often a greatly overstated problem, concern for "the poor" by people who generally aren't too concerned with the poor.
But Spike Lee does have at least one very good point here, to the extent that it's true (and I have no doubt that these kinds of complaints are frequently true). Public services shouldn't improve when the neighborhood gets richer, but somehow they do.
But Spike Lee does have at least one very good point here, to the extent that it's true (and I have no doubt that these kinds of complaints are frequently true). Public services shouldn't improve when the neighborhood gets richer, but somehow they do.
Everybody Hates Tom
I'm actually not sure why our governor is so unpopular. I mean, Dems and people in Philadelphia have clear reasons to dislike him, but I'm not sure why Republicans/"Independents" aren't fans either.
Capacity
I don't know anything about what constraints they faced in building this thing, but given how much it cost the platform capacity seems to be pretty low.
How Much Parking????
Hopefully I'm wrong, but as always that will be the biggest concern preventing the development of a long empty lot even though it's a block from a subway stop.
Existing residents, most of whom don't have off street parking, think new residents should be forced to pay for parking whether they want it or not, so that they can continue to enjoy their essentially free parking.
Existing residents, most of whom don't have off street parking, think new residents should be forced to pay for parking whether they want it or not, so that they can continue to enjoy their essentially free parking.
Rich People Justice
And on and on.
Swiss banking giant Credit Suisse helped wealthy Americans hide billions of dollars from U.S. tax collectors for several years and federal prosecutors have done little to hold violators accountable, according to a U.S. Senate subcommittee report due out Wednesday.
Tuesday, February 25, 2014
Peak Car
I'm on the record as being pessimistic about the technology of driverless cars, especially without substantial public infrastructure expenditures. More than that, I'm also pessimistic about it being an urbanist's dream technology. Can't reduce the number of cars necessary for commuting as long as we still have the peak commute time issue.
Bitcoinery
The only real value of the system is as a medium of exchange for criminals. So, you know, one shouldn't be too surprised if criminals attempt criminal activity.
Otherwise, it's just something for inflation-phobic hoarders. Goldbuggery without the gold. Weird people.
Otherwise, it's just something for inflation-phobic hoarders. Goldbuggery without the gold. Weird people.
Give The People What They Want
Shockingly, Republicans are smart enough to understand that people like Social Security.
It's one thing to vote for a "grand bargain" because you think it's on balance a decent compromise, it's quite another to put yourself on record as supporting cutting an extremely popular program when there isn't even anything to vote on.
The great mystery to me is why Dem candidates aren't smart enough to promise to give more stuff to the elderly. The elderly vote. Hell, I'd be happy for candidates to just lie about it, if only to prove that they have half a clue about what might appeal to voters.
It's one thing to vote for a "grand bargain" because you think it's on balance a decent compromise, it's quite another to put yourself on record as supporting cutting an extremely popular program when there isn't even anything to vote on.
The great mystery to me is why Dem candidates aren't smart enough to promise to give more stuff to the elderly. The elderly vote. Hell, I'd be happy for candidates to just lie about it, if only to prove that they have half a clue about what might appeal to voters.
Grifters Gonna Grift
These people don't experience the cognitive dissonance that most of us would because they are deserving and other moochers and takers aren't. Also, too, the other moochers are getting rich off of the secret welfare system.
Bullshit
One of the zombie notions out there which the press plays along with is that "complexity" in our tax system is largely due to the existence of tax brackets.
Nobody will spend one second less thinking about their taxes if there are fewer tax brackets. Getting rid of tax brackets does not make the system "dramatically simpler."
But the tax system would be dramatically simpler, with seven existing brackets collapsed into just two, set at 10 percent and 25 percent.
In addition, the plan would impose a 10 percent surtax on certain types of earned income over roughly $450,000 a year. The surtax would hit many salaried professionals, such as attorneys and accountants, while dodging farmers and manufacturers — as well as the super-rich, whose income often is derived primarily from interest and investments.
Nobody will spend one second less thinking about their taxes if there are fewer tax brackets. Getting rid of tax brackets does not make the system "dramatically simpler."
If Only There Were Some Shovel Ready Projects
Bridge closings are probably going to accelerate around here. It's a mess.
Monday, February 24, 2014
The Grift Is The Point
One of my least favorite local commentators (can't find original column due to linkrot) was on the NPR talking about how charter schools are super awesome in theory but we've messed them up in practice, in part because of lax oversight
I just don't get how people fail to see that the grift is the point. Not that every local charter school is run by grifters, but the state set the framework up precisely to enable grifters. It's the point.
I just don't get how people fail to see that the grift is the point. Not that every local charter school is run by grifters, but the state set the framework up precisely to enable grifters. It's the point.
Wrong Kind Of Brit
I'm not sure I can adequately explain it, but Piers Morgan isn't the right kind of Brit to dazzle Americans. He's just sort of gross and arrogrant and smarmy, not erudite and charming. Rather than the "Brit bonus" he got the opposite. This was not the Brit we were expecting.
Foxy
I'm not sure how much it changes the world, but one victory over the past few years has been that "mainstream" journalists no longer pretend, quite as much as they did before, that this absurd news network is "fair and balanced." For a long time the line was that, yes, they had their prime time lineup of opinion, but the news was "unbiased" or whatever. That was always absurd, but they clung to it for whatever reasons.
It isn't that I have any problem with ideological news outlets, I just had a problem with the supposedly non-ideological outlets pretending that they weren't.
It isn't that I have any problem with ideological news outlets, I just had a problem with the supposedly non-ideological outlets pretending that they weren't.
HAMP'd
Those who actually managed to get 5 year loan modifications are about to see their mortgage interest rates increase again.
Nobody could have predicted...
“HAMP was designed for a two-year crisis,” Mr. Dorpalen said, “and we had a five-year crisis.”
Nobody could have predicted...
Never Used It But
Whenever I read about Windows 8.x I just shake my head.
Apparently they're discontinuing the "randomly delete important files" feature too.
Just one year after the Windows 8 launch, Microsoft issued a free update to address some of the gripes. The system now lets people run more than two apps side by side, for instance, and its Internet Explorer browser lets people open more than 10 tabs without automatically closing older ones.
Apparently they're discontinuing the "randomly delete important files" feature too.
CoT: Those Meddling People
Translation. And exegesis.
Avedon:
Avedon:
I was just kinda fascinated by how overt it's gotten. Any minute now I expect them to come right out and say "Well, democracy is a bad idea."
Sunday, February 23, 2014
Sunday Bobbleheads
George Bush, John McCain, Susan Rice, Bobby Jindal, Martin O'Malley.
Hopefully your alarm broke.
Hopefully your alarm broke.
Saturday, February 22, 2014
Still There
I failed in my quest to celebrate National Margarita Day (an ancient tradition obviously) as the bar was too full, but it was nice to see that the outside is still there. I have been somewhat of a shut in lately, mostly due to weather, so a nice day was very welcome.
Fear Of A Dem President
"Fiscal hawks" and inflation-phobes always appear when there's a president with a D after his name. I'm pretty sure the expectation of a Dem president was what was drove Fed inflation fears in 2008.
Friday, February 21, 2014
We Don't Use That Term Here
Dean makes a good point, that it's astonishing that so many people identify as "working class" given that it isn't actually a term people regularly use in this country.
Normal Will Return
The other thing our rulers did - even the good ones! - was assume that after a brief period of pain, everything would pretty much get back to normal. So we had pivot to the deficit, Recovery Summers, endless rounds of Green Shoots, etc. They're still doing that, basically, though I don't know how that imagined "normal" will return for people deeply in debt after years of underemployment, even if the job market and wages improve.
The People Who Rule Us
You can look elsewhere for people spending time parsing the just released 2008 Fed minutes, but, really, all we need to know is that the people in charge failed to see the crisis coming and their response to it was to give free money to the people who created it.
Lots Of People And Lots Of Cars
When they're essentially sharing the same spaces, then you need to think about how to deal with that.
One of the great amusing mysteries to me since I've lived here is how the powers that be are always wondering why Broad St. - the main central vehicle artery through the city - isn't some beautiful grand boulevard filled with people. The answer is rather simple. It's the main central vehicle artery through the city. It's never going to be that appealing to pedestrians as long as maximizing vehicle flow is high on the priority list.
The busiest intersections in Center City should probably have "Barnes Dance" pedestrian signals, basically stop all traffic at the intersection and let pedestrians cross every which way for a period, and then give the streets back the cars. The crush of people crossing the street with the light isn't compatible with the number of drivers trying to make turns.
One of the great amusing mysteries to me since I've lived here is how the powers that be are always wondering why Broad St. - the main central vehicle artery through the city - isn't some beautiful grand boulevard filled with people. The answer is rather simple. It's the main central vehicle artery through the city. It's never going to be that appealing to pedestrians as long as maximizing vehicle flow is high on the priority list.
The busiest intersections in Center City should probably have "Barnes Dance" pedestrian signals, basically stop all traffic at the intersection and let pedestrians cross every which way for a period, and then give the streets back the cars. The crush of people crossing the street with the light isn't compatible with the number of drivers trying to make turns.
Transparency
Back in the last millenium, David Brin wrote a book about a world with cameras everywhere and intrusive government and nosy corporations. We talked last night.
Thursday, February 20, 2014
What Do You Mean, 67?
The House of Cards writers are apparently unaware that the Social Security retirement age is already set to increase to 67. Quite often I wonder if many of our pundits are aware of that too. I'm too lazy too hunt down an example right now, but quite often people who suggest increasing the retirement age to, you know, SAVE SOCIAL SECURITY, talk about it as if that increase wasn't already in law. They might not come right out and say it, but it's implied.
Shouting And Screaming Is Part Of My Job
With chained-CPI dead (for now), it's worth addressing the eleventy-seven dimensional chess take of some Obama supporters, which is that it was never going to happen so shut up stupid firebaggers blah blah blah.
And, yeah, maybe that's even true. But we all have a role to play in this little dance, and my role, when horrible things are proposed, is to scream and shout about how horrible they are to a) minutely decrease probability of it happening and b) helping to make sure if there is some "grand bargain" involved it isn't complete shit.
I'm not totally unfamiliar with various people in the White House. As Brian Beutler writes
Why would they support it on the merits? Either they're just totally bad people, angling for Very Serious People seats in the Village, or they're wedded to the notion that somehow it makes sense for Dems to cut Social Security in a slightly less horrible way than Republicans instead of, you know, making the case that an extremely popular program just doesn't need to be cut and maximizing the political backlash against the bad guys who would try. In any case, there were genuine supporters of a horrible idea, people who would have supported doing it without a bargain.
And, yeah, maybe that's even true. But we all have a role to play in this little dance, and my role, when horrible things are proposed, is to scream and shout about how horrible they are to a) minutely decrease probability of it happening and b) helping to make sure if there is some "grand bargain" involved it isn't complete shit.
I'm not totally unfamiliar with various people in the White House. As Brian Beutler writes
One of the White House’s most poorly kept secrets is that many of Obama’s economic advisers support Chained CPI on the merits, or believe it to be the least-bad benefit cut Obama could offer Republicans
Why would they support it on the merits? Either they're just totally bad people, angling for Very Serious People seats in the Village, or they're wedded to the notion that somehow it makes sense for Dems to cut Social Security in a slightly less horrible way than Republicans instead of, you know, making the case that an extremely popular program just doesn't need to be cut and maximizing the political backlash against the bad guys who would try. In any case, there were genuine supporters of a horrible idea, people who would have supported doing it without a bargain.
Progress
In that standing still is better than going backwards.
WASHINGTON (AP) -- The White House says President Barack Obama's upcoming budget proposal will not include his past offer to accept lowered cost-of-living increases in Social Security and other benefit programs.
Until 3 AM On Weekends
7 day 24 hour subway service has genuine obstacles (maintenance issues), but the only barrier to running later service a couple of nights per week is financial.
Message: I Care About Poverty
Apparently Mike Lee cares about the poor so much he wants them to suffer as much as possible.
It's not a war on poverty. It's a war on the poor.
The cause Lee believes will help build bridges among Republicans? Combating poverty.
...
But arguably none have been as committed to the cause in recent months as Lee, who declared a “war on poverty” last November.
...
Smith is even more scathing of another proposal contained in Lee’s bill: capping means-tested welfare spending at 2007 levels, a move the senator says will save $2.5tn. The reduction would be adjusted for inflation, phased in over three years, and only come into force when unemployment is below 6%.
But it still constitutes a dramatic reduction on government money spent on the poor – distorting a budget that ordinarily rises and falls depending on the performance of the economy. “It doesn’t make sense,” Smith said. “It can only hurt the most vulnerable people.”
It's not a war on poverty. It's a war on the poor.
Wednesday, February 19, 2014
If Only Everyone Would Agree With Me About Everything We Could End Politics Forever
There are the grifters, too, of course but at least for the Friedman-esque "centrist" third party true believers, they just can't stand that they only get 99.99% of what they want.
This Won't End Well
Just can't see how anyone thought this was a good idea.
Rents collected on the collateral for the first U.S. rental-home securities declined by 7.6 percent from October to January, according to Morningstar Inc.
Even In The Urban Hellhole
Not that I support it, but I get that in places where few people walk, sidewalk clearing isn't a priority, but here in the urban hellhole, everybody walks. I don't mean that nobody drives, or takes the bus, but for the most part people aren't being dumped doorfront out of their vehicles. Even people who drive everywhere end up walking for a bit.
People and businesses are responsible for clearing their sidewalks. Even if 80% of people are "good neighbors," that leaves quite a few stretches of icy sidewalk. In theory there's a fine for noncompliance, but it's rarely levied. And with plenty of abandoned buildings and vacant lots, that fine isn't too likely to reach the owner.
Usually I'm a good neighbor, though the shortage of ice melting chemicals has made that a bit harder. Without salt, a melt and freeze means a solid sheet that's difficult to shovel.
People and businesses are responsible for clearing their sidewalks. Even if 80% of people are "good neighbors," that leaves quite a few stretches of icy sidewalk. In theory there's a fine for noncompliance, but it's rarely levied. And with plenty of abandoned buildings and vacant lots, that fine isn't too likely to reach the owner.
Usually I'm a good neighbor, though the shortage of ice melting chemicals has made that a bit harder. Without salt, a melt and freeze means a solid sheet that's difficult to shovel.
Light Snow
I think most of the commenters here miss point of the sneckdown. It isn't to "prove" that all of these places don't need to be roads, it's merely a way of illustrating potentially unused road spaces. A hint, not a proof.
Having said that, I do think the concept only works well for relatively light snow, the amount of snow that most drivers wouldn't think twice about driving over. Big piles of snow are of course going to be seen as an obstacle, something to avoid, while an undriven area with just a bit more than a dusting can genuinely tell us places that drivers might not be using at all.
Having said that, I do think the concept only works well for relatively light snow, the amount of snow that most drivers wouldn't think twice about driving over. Big piles of snow are of course going to be seen as an obstacle, something to avoid, while an undriven area with just a bit more than a dusting can genuinely tell us places that drivers might not be using at all.
We Tried To Warn Them
But, no...
They can steal your homes, basically.
Shoddy paperwork, erroneous fees and wrongful evictions — the same abuses that dogged the nation’s largest banks and led to a $26 billion settlement with federal authorities in 2012 — are now cropping up among the specialty firms that collect mortgage payments, according to dozens of foreclosure lawsuits and interviews with borrowers, federal and state regulators and housing lawyers.
These companies are known as servicers, but they do far more than transfer payments from borrowers to lenders. They have great power in deciding whether homeowners can win a mortgage modification or must hand over their home in a foreclosure.
They can steal your homes, basically.
Tuesday, February 18, 2014
Ya Think
Just heard a report on NPR in which some supergeniuses have figured out that the combination of flat wages for college graduates and ever increasing student debt might have a wee impact on the number of first time home buyers.
Not really picking on NPR. There wasn't really anything wrong with it. Just, you know, nobody could have predicted...
Not really picking on NPR. There wasn't really anything wrong with it. Just, you know, nobody could have predicted...
OBEY
Obviously it isn't true of all parents, but for some it seems that obedience - and physical enforcement of that obedience - is an end in itself.
Six Times Nine
Shoveled the sidewalk, changed the cat litter box. So far a banner day. #crankyjohncolepost
Going Backwards
I really don't understand the bits of our society in which rape is ok and consensual sex is not.
Don't Know How They Do It
It isn't too weird to eat at 9pm in Barcelona, but in Madrid even showing up at 10 is like showing up for the early bird special. I'm used to staying up late as I don't have kids, I don't have a commute, and within some boundaries can set my own hours. If I sleep in one day I don't get fired. But I've spent quite a bit of time in Spain and I really never have figured out how people with "normal" lives (kids, jobs, not tourists) get enough sleep (and, no, nobody really takes a midday nap).
Monday, February 17, 2014
Self-Regulation
It's all the rage.
So why did government policy change? I've tried asking the environment department: they're as much use as a paper sandbag. But I've found a clue. The farm regulation task force demanded a specific change: all soil protection rules attached to farm subsidies should become voluntary. They should be downgraded from a legal condition to an "advisory feature". Even if farmers do nothing to protect their soil, they should still be eligible for public money.
You might have entertained the naive belief that in handing out billions to wealthy landowners we would get something in return. Something other than endless whining from the National Farmers' Union. But so successfully has policy been captured in this country that Defra – which used to stand for the Department for Environment, Food and Rural Affairs – now means Doing Everything Farmers' Representatives Ask. We pay £3.6bn a year for the privilege of having our wildlife exterminated, our hills grazed bare, our rivers polluted and our sitting rooms flooded.
The Wage Is Too Damn Low
This isn't in response to anything in particular, but I continue to be amazed at how oblivious many olds (defined as anyone who is older than me, of course) are to the fact that The Kids Today have it really freaking hard. You know, the "I worked my way through college why can't you" crowd.
Public higher education used to be cheap. It isn't anymore. This means people who supposedly do the right thing and get that education are 20 grand in debt (or more, of course) at age 22, at which point they can go work for free for awhile to get "exposure" to hopefully land a job paying $38K ($13,500 in 1980 money) and somehow pay off their student debt, save for a downpayment, get hitched and have kids, and buy a house.
The math doesn't add up. I increasingly do think nominal illusion is part of it, as, say, $50,000 sounds like A LOT OF MONEY for a starting job for the older generation, but in 2014 it isn't that much money.
Public higher education used to be cheap. It isn't anymore. This means people who supposedly do the right thing and get that education are 20 grand in debt (or more, of course) at age 22, at which point they can go work for free for awhile to get "exposure" to hopefully land a job paying $38K ($13,500 in 1980 money) and somehow pay off their student debt, save for a downpayment, get hitched and have kids, and buy a house.
The math doesn't add up. I increasingly do think nominal illusion is part of it, as, say, $50,000 sounds like A LOT OF MONEY for a starting job for the older generation, but in 2014 it isn't that much money.
A Week In The Life Of The Fix
I wonder if he's even aware.
Named politicians:
Boehner, McConnell, Cruz, Boehner, Rubio, Boehner, Paul, McConnell.
Named politicians:
Boehner, McConnell, Cruz, Boehner, Rubio, Boehner, Paul, McConnell.
Sunday, February 16, 2014
Life Among The Econ
I made this point on the twitters, but in case I don't get inspired to write the longer post (I'm lazy, it's a holiday tomorrow, etc.) I'll do the shorter version here, too. Everybody thinks they understand "economics" and therefore they think they understand what academic economists do all day because the language of Econ 101 (freshman undergraduate economics) dominates our discourse about current events. But people really have no idea what academic economists do (for better or for worse) to get published in academic journals. Here's a relatively simple and fairly typical snippet:
Whatever the merits, it isn't jargon free or accessible to outsiders.
Whatever the merits, it isn't jargon free or accessible to outsiders.
Where Does That Highway Go
Aside from "lifestyles of the not quite rich enough," the journalism genre of "ZOMG THERE ARE DRUGS IN DEM DER SUBURBS"* is probably by least favorite.
Also, too, there are drugs in dem der Wall Street.
*Yes, Staten Island technically part of NYC, but it's the burbs.
Also, too, there are drugs in dem der Wall Street.
*Yes, Staten Island technically part of NYC, but it's the burbs.
Citizens Of The World
I'm oddly more sanguine about the dismantling of campaign finance laws than some, but, yes, Citizens United does make it easy for rich foreigners to influence our elections, too.
The View From Above
There's a lot that's smart in this. I'd add a few things but it's Sunday and I have a dinner party to prepare for and, also, too, lazy, so just go read.
In Which Our Ross Has An Epiphany
A no Douthat linking policy here, but shorter Ross:
I have recently realized that when rich parents like me tell our rich childless friends how much suffering our children cause us, it might just work against my general desire for everybody to be just like me and have children.
Saturday, February 15, 2014
Do Not Vote For Horrible People
Horrible person Matt Miller is running for Congress in the seat the Waxman is leaving (CA-33). If you live there do not for him for obvious reasons.
Area Drivers Shocked By Icy Conditions After Ice Storm
The commenters to this article seem to have somewhat unreasonable expectations.
Friday, February 14, 2014
Afternoon Thread
While we're all home bound because of the weather, here's a long article by Matt Taibi. If you didn't think we were fucked before, you will after reading this. The entire world seems to be a wholly owned subsidiary of the too big to fail banks.
The Obvious Problem
Actual local governance isn't exactly problem free here in the urban hellhole, but what most people fail to understand is that the state runs the school district (12 years and counting) and the suburbs run the transit authority.
What makes things worse is that SEPTA's board is dominated by suburban representatives, who hold all but two seats, even though about 80 percent of riders are city residents. Regional rail, which is geared toward the suburbs, receives more than twice the public subsidy that SEPTA's City Transit Division does - $3.76 per passenger, vs. $1.78. It's a gross inequity.
The Poors We Will Always Have With Us
We haven't had enough "it's too gosh darn hard to live in New York City On just $250,000 per year" articles lately. It's a shame. I hoped that maybe if we had a few more of them a couple of people reading - or even writing them !! - might make the obvious leap to the conclusion that... oh, yah, might be kinda hard on $50,000 per year too.
Life is harder than it should be for various reasons, even for people who make $250K annually, but life is (generally) harder for people who make much much less than that.
Life is harder than it should be for various reasons, even for people who make $250K annually, but life is (generally) harder for people who make much much less than that.
Thursday, February 13, 2014
Parking Wars
Even when I was a suburban teen driver I didn't understand the obsession with finding that parking spot that was THIRTY FEET CLOSER to the store. I mean, jeebus, who cares. And, yes, of course there are people with visible and invisible disabilities for whom that 30 feet matters, but simply having children really doesn't qualify you for that.
The suburban supermarket parking lot is obviously a different beast, but the need to have free parking 15 feet away is standard here in the urban hellhole, too. There are a couple of parking districts where it is genuinely a pain in the ass to find parking, especially at certain times, but most of the urban hellhole just isn't that crowded. Decades of population decline will do that. I'm a weirdo so when I walk around I take notice, and there are always spaces around in most areas. Yes, again, there are a couple of parking districts where at certain times there are too many visitors competing with residents for parking, but that isn't true for most residential neighborhoods. It just isn't that hard to find a place to park in most areas.
The suburban supermarket parking lot is obviously a different beast, but the need to have free parking 15 feet away is standard here in the urban hellhole, too. There are a couple of parking districts where it is genuinely a pain in the ass to find parking, especially at certain times, but most of the urban hellhole just isn't that crowded. Decades of population decline will do that. I'm a weirdo so when I walk around I take notice, and there are always spaces around in most areas. Yes, again, there are a couple of parking districts where at certain times there are too many visitors competing with residents for parking, but that isn't true for most residential neighborhoods. It just isn't that hard to find a place to park in most areas.
Grifter Fail
The Can Kicks Back kids will learn that there's a price to be paid for signing up with a dead end "centrist"* organization. The wingnut welfare career ladder ends there.
*It's only "centrist" because The Villagers pretend that cutting the deficit by cutting taxes for rich people** and starving your granny is unambiguously good policy and only "partisans" disagree with it.
**No this makes no sense, but that's because it's all about cutting taxes for rich people.
*It's only "centrist" because The Villagers pretend that cutting the deficit by cutting taxes for rich people** and starving your granny is unambiguously good policy and only "partisans" disagree with it.
**No this makes no sense, but that's because it's all about cutting taxes for rich people.
Thursday Is New Jobless Day
339K lucky duckies.
It isn't a horrible number, but we've just never had the recovery we should have had. Obviously Republicans are largely to blame, but so is grand bargaineering.
It isn't a horrible number, but we've just never had the recovery we should have had. Obviously Republicans are largely to blame, but so is grand bargaineering.
Heckuva Job, Cammie
I'm sure once you write a big check to your buddies the problems will be solved.
Intercept
Glenzilla's new home has quite the masthead.
Editors: Glenn Greenwald, Jeremy Scahill, Laura Poitras
Senior Editor: Liliana Segura
Senior Writers: Peter Maass, Dan Froomkin
Reporters: Ryan Gallagher, Ryan Devereaux, Murtaza Hussain
Senior Policy Analyst: Marcy Wheeler
Wednesday, February 12, 2014
Weathering the Storm
I heard you needed a new thread
But seriously, don't go out there unless you have to.
New York City schools open tomorrow. Damn you DiBlasio!
But seriously, don't go out there unless you have to.
New York City schools open tomorrow. Damn you DiBlasio!
Abandon All Hope
I was curious but didn't really manage to see much about the logistics of how they dealt with all of the abandoned cars in Atlanta. It's North Carolina's turn.
The Crazy Ones
Yes the "crazy ones" are the ones who think the bullshit justifications for horrible policies aren't actually bullshit, though the non-crazy ones still support all of those policies.
Imagine the staffers for the crazy ones... they must be totally bonkers.
Imagine the staffers for the crazy ones... they must be totally bonkers.
Shortages
No there isn't a shortage of pilots. Until airlines start actually offering higher wages they can't get away with pretending there is one.
The only time an industry can legitimately claim there's a shortage is if the labor supply is perfectly inelastic, that higher wages don't attract people back into the work force. Sure that can happen temporarily, especially in specific locations, but it's rarely true.
I've read too many "gosh, it's just too darn hard to find people to work for $13/hour there's a shortage!!!" articles in the past few years. It's always bullshit.
The only time an industry can legitimately claim there's a shortage is if the labor supply is perfectly inelastic, that higher wages don't attract people back into the work force. Sure that can happen temporarily, especially in specific locations, but it's rarely true.
I've read too many "gosh, it's just too darn hard to find people to work for $13/hour there's a shortage!!!" articles in the past few years. It's always bullshit.
Covering Up Rape For Jesus
Because morality.
GREENVILLE, S.C. — For decades, students at Bob Jones University who sought counseling for sexual abuse were told not to report it because turning in an abuser from a fundamentalist Christian community would damage Jesus Christ. Administrators called victims liars and sinners.
And More Snow
Probably not quite as much here in the urban hellhole, but maybe 12" elsewhere in the area. That wouldn't be such a big deal except there are still people without power (not too many, but a couple of thousand) from the last ice storm. No ice-melting chemicals exist in shops, and I'm guessing the municipalities are running out of them too.
Tuesday, February 11, 2014
Horrible People
There are two kinds of people in the world, those who are assholes and those who aren't. Okay, that's not really true. None of us are perfect and we all have a bit of asshole in us, but I continue to be surprised by just how horrible some people can be. Sure, we all have our moments, but it's the people who are assholes on a sustained continuous basis that I can't quite comprehend. You know, the people who spend decades scamming the elderly out of their Social Security checks, or send teenagers to jail for kickbacks.
We've all been jerks in our lives, but I don't know how people can make it their whole life.
We've all been jerks in our lives, but I don't know how people can make it their whole life.
Tuesday Crass Commercialism
My friend wrote a novel. The paperback is coming out soon, as is the e-book only prequel novella The Time Tutor. Pre-order it now! All the kids are.
Heckuva Job, Cammie
Horrible flooding going on in the UK. Not confident that the geniuses in charge will be able to mobilize the state they're busy smashing and looting.
Actually Disappointed
Backing off from earlier plan to agree to pass debt ceiling bill in exchange for spending more money, Boehner is now going to pass a "clean" bill.
Sunk Costs
Even after you explain "sunk cost fallacy" to people, they often get it precisely backwards.
Hard to imagine a project like that actually being stopped. Instead it will likely eat all the moneys for the next dozen years.
Hard to imagine a project like that actually being stopped. Instead it will likely eat all the moneys for the next dozen years.
Pen
DDay. There are unfilled vacancies on the Postal Service's Board of Governors:
There are five vacancies on the nine-member board. (Obama) has not successfully placed a single appointee on it during his entire tenure in office. The four existing members were all appointed by George W. Bush.
Currently, the board consists of chairman Mickey Barnett, a former Republican state senator from New Mexico and onetime aide to Senator Pete Domenici; vice chair James Bilbray, an-ex Democratic congressman from Nevada; Louis Giuliano, former CEO of ITT Corporation and a senior advisor to the Carlyle Group; and Ellen Williams, a lobbyist and former chairwoman of the Republican Party of Kentucky. So the decision-making entity for the Postal Service remains in partisan Republican hands, five years into the Obama presidency. It’s not surprising, then, that they’ve used a relatively artificial retirement funding crisis to shrink the agency and privatize services.The Board's authority is broad, and substantial elements of a postal banking system could be established under its authority.
Monday, February 10, 2014
Self-Insurance
I'm actually a bit puzzled about why large firms do this, especially if they're contracting with an existing insurer (different if they did the whole thing in house). Those existing insurers don't exactly have the incentives they normally have to cut costs - either by denying claims or negotiating with providers - because they aren't actually paying the bills. They just pass them along.
The Fee Fees Of Macho Men
It isn't a new observation to say that our most homosocial (male) institutions are also our most homophobic, but I've long been struck by how such institutions are filled with people with the most fragile emotions. They are not stoics; they are drama queens.
This contradiction is masked because we see physical aggression particularly as a very male thing, but what leads to this aggression are delicate emotions and fragile egos. Also, too, entitlement.
There's a false archetype of supposed manly men being above emotion, but in truth they're the most emotional of all.
This contradiction is masked because we see physical aggression particularly as a very male thing, but what leads to this aggression are delicate emotions and fragile egos. Also, too, entitlement.
There's a false archetype of supposed manly men being above emotion, but in truth they're the most emotional of all.
Deficit Hawks Hate Tax Cuts For Middle Class People
We all know deficit hawkery is bullshit, in part because deficit hawks are always advocating for tax cuts for rich people. But, similarly, they hate tax cuts for poor and middle class people. The problem with tax cuts for poor and middle class people as stimulus is that Republicans wouldn't go for it, the deficit hawks would poo poo it, and your friendly neighborhood totebaggers would see it as exploding the deficit or some such nonsense.
Anyway, I guess my point is that, yes, of course I'd cut taxes at the lower end of the income scale if I could. But I think it's about as likely to actually get through Congress as infrastructure spending, so why not spend time advocating for that.
Anyway, I guess my point is that, yes, of course I'd cut taxes at the lower end of the income scale if I could. But I think it's about as likely to actually get through Congress as infrastructure spending, so why not spend time advocating for that.
That Would Be Kind Of Awesome
Apparently rumors went around the world that Obama is having an affair with Beyoncé and that the WaPo was set to report it (they deny).
And, no, of course I don't wish any marital or familial strife on the Obamas, but I'm mildly curious about just how that would play out in 2014.
And, no, of course I don't wish any marital or familial strife on the Obamas, but I'm mildly curious about just how that would play out in 2014.
One Of America's Worst People Leaves NYT
Last seen going after a cancer patient for clogging up the twitters with all her bummer cancer stories, Bill Keller is apparently leaving the NYT.
A legacy of horrible. Cut entitlements? Check. The internet makes us stupid? Check. Delaying important stories? Check. Support horrible wars because it sent a thrill up your leg? Check. Learn absolutely nothing from that? Check. Firing someone for once being associated with a liberal cause? Check.
A legacy of horrible. Cut entitlements? Check. The internet makes us stupid? Check. Delaying important stories? Check. Support horrible wars because it sent a thrill up your leg? Check. Learn absolutely nothing from that? Check. Firing someone for once being associated with a liberal cause? Check.
Granted Anonymity Due To Fears Of Revealing Selves To Be Horrible Bigots
Very brave and macho.
But while initial reaction from players has been almost universally welcoming, the executives who will actual making decisions on drafting Sam have been disappointingly retrograde. Sports Illustrated has two separate articles speaking with 12 different NFL GMs, coaches, and scouts, and to a man, they say that being gay will either hurt Sam's draft stock, or cause him to not be drafted at all.
Also to a man, they refuse to put their names behind their comments.
CoT: Patriotism Through Work
Translation. And exegesis.
DDay and Digby discuss a post office bank. No Congressional action needed. Just a pen.
DDay and Digby discuss a post office bank. No Congressional action needed. Just a pen.
Sunday, February 09, 2014
Mirrors
Yeah, yeah, we get it, conservatives, poor people don't suffer enough.
No link. There are too many examples.
No link. There are too many examples.
Who Used All The Distressed Baby Budget
CEOs is weird.
He reversed because you assholes said mean things about him on the internet.
The policy change would have switched 401(k) matching contributions to an annual lump sum, rather than being distributed throughout the year with every paycheck. The switch would have punished employees who quit or were fired mid-year. It would also have cost employees who stayed, since they would not see the benefits of compounding in their retirement accounts.
Armstrong tried to explain the changes Thursday but instead stirred up more bad publicity when he blamed the new federal health-care law and medical expenses associated with two “distressed babies.”
He reversed because you assholes said mean things about him on the internet.
Saturday, February 08, 2014
Follow The Money
I'm not against smart integration of new technologies in classrooms, but the "buy everybody in Los Angeles an ipad" thing was obviously just a big grift.
Parking Wars
For no particular reason I was reminded of when a local ward leader managed to stop the re-introduction of a trolley line for one year due to the loss of one half of a block of illegal parking spaces.
Parking makes people crazy.
Parking makes people crazy.
Morning Thread
Via Digby
(bold added)
Who knew Atrios was so popular?
And, Awwwww!
The Houston Zoo welcomed a new baby boy elephant into the fold early Friday morning, according to zoo director Rick Barongi.
The 385-pound Asian elephant newborn, named Duncan, was born at just after 2 a.m. and is currently resting with his mother Shanti, who carried Duncan for nearly 23 months.
(bold added)
Who knew Atrios was so popular?
And, Awwwww!
Friday, February 07, 2014
Happy Hour
This might be interesting, or a nothing burger.
In a span of four days last week, two current executives and one recently retired top ranking executive of major financial firms were found dead. Both media and police have been quick to label the deaths as likely suicides. Missing from the reports is the salient fact that all three of the financial firms the executives worked for are under investigation for potentially serious financial fraud.
A Giant Waste Of Money
Really isn't the most important thing, but I do think it's important to keep pointing out that the surveillance state is largely a self-justifying money sucking machine.
Not that I want them to be able to sweep up everything, but if you are basing your intelligence program around sweeping up everything, and you aren't, there really isn't much point to doing it.
The National Security Agency is collecting less than 30 percent of all Americans’ call records because of an inability to keep pace with the explosion in cellphone use, according to current and former U.S. officials.
The disclosure contradicts popular perceptions that the government is sweeping up virtually all domestic phone data. It is also likely to raise questions about the efficacy of a program that is premised on its breadth and depth, on collecting as close to a complete universe of data as possible in order to make sure that clues aren’t missed in counterterrorism investigations.
Not that I want them to be able to sweep up everything, but if you are basing your intelligence program around sweeping up everything, and you aren't, there really isn't much point to doing it.
You Had To Get It Right Once
I'm not a tremendous fan of devoting massive amounts of public resources to "special events" which are directed at one time tourists instead of devoting massive amounts of resources to serving your regular customers, but, still, even an incompetent transit agency should recognize that Teh Superbowl is probably the time to get it right because of all the attention. It's also the moment when, presumably, you can mobilize more resources than are normally available to you just by claiming you'll need them. And, actually (see below), the resources were mobilized! Then they just sat there.
It's probably important to figure out why.
It's probably important to figure out why.
For Some Reason
Malevolence or incompetence? It's just Jersey, who knows.
While tens of thousands of Super Bowl attendees waited for hours to cram into trains after the game Sunday, at least 100 New Jersey Transit buses were on standby about 6 miles away but were never deployed.
Thursday, February 06, 2014
Pissing Off Liberals
The unifying theory of conservative tribal politics is that if they think someone or something pisses off liberals, they're for them/it. All Christie really has to do to win the 2016 nomination, aside from staying out of jail, is to beat a hippie to death on youtube.
Off Peak
Many places don't have much mass transit, but even the ones that do often focus on commuters. That's not nuts, of course, but the focus also tends to be on car-substitution, where transit's value is essentially measured by how many cars it pulls off congested highways at peak time.
The rise in off peak travel suggests that (in some places) more people are using transit to get around generally. It isn't just "well, I could drive to work or I could drive to the park-n-ride lot and commute in by train."
Yes, yes, again, many places don't have mass transit options. I know this!
The rise in off peak travel suggests that (in some places) more people are using transit to get around generally. It isn't just "well, I could drive to work or I could drive to the park-n-ride lot and commute in by train."
Yes, yes, again, many places don't have mass transit options. I know this!
It's Your (If You Live In Texas) Money
Well, actually, I'm sure lots of federal money can be obtained for this, too. Homeland Security baby!
It isn't pointed out frequently enough that while Big City Dems are always criticized for their "patronage machines" because occasionally some blah people get a bit of that money, conservatives are pretty damn good at setting up their own constituencies of people who live for government money.
It isn't pointed out frequently enough that while Big City Dems are always criticized for their "patronage machines" because occasionally some blah people get a bit of that money, conservatives are pretty damn good at setting up their own constituencies of people who live for government money.
Wednesday, February 05, 2014
No More Leno
Leno's an asshole because too much of his comedy involves punching down. Ratings demonstrate lots of people like that, but I didn't. Glad he's outta there.
Suck On This, Librulz!!!
Uh, actually, I'm ok with that.
A new break in the GOP's debt-ceiling strategy emerged at a private lunch on Wednesday, where House Speaker John A. Boehner (R-Ohio) encouraged his allies to consider linking a restoration of recently cut military benefits with a one-year extension of the federal government's borrowing authority.
Really Dumb Ideas
There are ways to implement a vehicle miles traveled tax that don't have scary privacy issues, but no one seems to consider the cost of enforcement, especially if the tax is at the federal level. At least states could use sticks like revoking licenses for people who don't pay, but it's not clear how the feds could do that given that states issue licenses.
It isn't that it can't be enforced, it's just that you're going from a tax levied on a relatively small number of retail businesses (gas stations) to a tax levied on every automobile owner. Enforcement would be complex and costly. Unless, of course, you require everyone to have an autopay credit card set up to your GPS surveillance device, but... not everyone has or can get a credit card.
It isn't that it can't be enforced, it's just that you're going from a tax levied on a relatively small number of retail businesses (gas stations) to a tax levied on every automobile owner. Enforcement would be complex and costly. Unless, of course, you require everyone to have an autopay credit card set up to your GPS surveillance device, but... not everyone has or can get a credit card.
Heat Island
Fortunate that things tend to be a bit warmer in the urban hellhole. Ice storm hell mostly averted here, though things are a mess in the burbs (downed trees, no power).
I Do Miss Mittens
But it's fascinating (choose your own word) how Republican "losers" never stop getting attention while Dem losers are just expected to go away.
But It Is Important!
A lot of people are involved in the production of a car commercial. Either it occurred to no one on the entire project that all the engineers were dudes, or it did occur to them and that's exactly how they wanted it.
The point is replicate that basic scenario a million times across every aspect of society, including, you know, engineer hiring processes, and you have a problem.
The point is replicate that basic scenario a million times across every aspect of society, including, you know, engineer hiring processes, and you have a problem.
UnAmerican
The idea of an American aristocracy was anathema to the Founders.
James Madison, the Constitution's main author, described inequality as an evil, saying government should prevent "an immoderate, and especially unmerited, accumulation of riches." He favored "the silent operation of laws which, without violating the rights of property, reduce extreme wealth towards a state of mediocrity, and raise extreme indigents towards a state of comfort."
Tuesday, February 04, 2014
Signs Of Life
Until today I worried "the Internet" was the only place where people thought Little Tommy Friedman, age 8, was an idiot.
Sneckdown
A useful way to see which parts of the streets aren't really used by cars, and which could potentially be reclaimed for pedestrian spaces or parklets.
"The Invisible Primary"
That's the "rich people and prominent media figures like Mark Halperin" primary.
Not going to claim it isn't real, just that it tells us who people like Mark Halperin think actually do, and should, run the place.
Not going to claim it isn't real, just that it tells us who people like Mark Halperin think actually do, and should, run the place.
How Much Money Will We Spend
My take on self-driving cars (and what do I know) is that the only way to make them really "work" will be the installation of significant public infrastructure.
People In Other Countries Are Poor!!!
I really hate that genre, because it's always written about as if it's some sort of alien phenomenon.
People here can't afford to buy shoes for their kids either.
People here can't afford to buy shoes for their kids either.
Life Is Hard
I don't have any deep knowledge or deep insight into the life and death of Philip Seymour Hoffman, but such tragic events provide a reminder that lots of people live with great burdens. That people of relative affluence carry such burdens hopefully will remind more of us that many members of the "underclass" deal with such burdens, too, whether it's personal mental illness or drug addiction, or the disability of a loved one.
Losing your shit when you've got a big bank account is hard enough, losing your shit when you don't is, obviously, much worse.
I hope this isn't misinterpreted. I think someone with all the perceived success in the world can have understandable mental illness and drug addiction issues. I just mean that they aren't the only ones, and expecting those without similar means to deal anywhere near as well without help is unrealistic.
Losing your shit when you've got a big bank account is hard enough, losing your shit when you don't is, obviously, much worse.
I hope this isn't misinterpreted. I think someone with all the perceived success in the world can have understandable mental illness and drug addiction issues. I just mean that they aren't the only ones, and expecting those without similar means to deal anywhere near as well without help is unrealistic.
Technocratic Elite
Incompetent. Hates representative government. Deeply corrupt.
- His agency somehow missed one of the epochal events of the twentieth century: the collapse of the Soviet Union. But the information was available in advance for anyone willing to listen, and it didn't require believing President Gorbachev. In 1985, I attended an unclassified symposium on the Soviet Union that was held in Annapolis, Maryland. One of the experts was Murray Feshbach, then a demographer for the US Census Bureau. Rather than interpreting the state of Soviet power from satellite photographs of missile fields or shipyards, he looked at available data about life expectancy at birth, fertility rates, infant mortality, nutrition, and so on, and the implication was – for me at least – that the USSR was a walking corpse, that it could not sustain itself as a superpower for much longer. That's it – no hocus pocus with moles in the Kremlin, no SDI, no death rays, no training of insurgent armies. Just hard, objective data laid out by an unbiased researcher. Gates's criticism of Biden for being wrong about everything in foreign policy is ironic considering his own demonstrable complicity in deliberately exaggerated Soviet threat assessments.
- Gates also allowed that America is after all an "indispensable nation." That phrase is revealing. Certain types of operatives in Washington, particularly in the national security field, are careful to project an apolitical, non-ideological persona. Their preferred pose is that of the politically neutral technocrat offering well-considered advice based on profound expertise. That is nonsense. They are deeply dyed in the hue of the official ideology of the governing class, an ideology that is neither specifically Democrat nor Republican. When Gates endorsed the notion of America as an indispensable nation, he was expressing the ideology of American Exceptionalism: the right and duty of the United States to meddle in every region of the world, to use coercive diplomacy, boots on the ground, and moral relativism when it comes to adherence to international law. A simple examination of Gates's past should have revealed the deeply political nature of his activities, not to mention sordid affairs like Iran-Contra.
- Bush nominated Gates for another try to become CIA director. But this sparked a revolt among CIA career staff, and several current or former agency employees testified or submitted affidavits about Gates's past intelligence distortions. One agency alumnus, Harold P. Ford, testified that Gates's behavior went "beyond professional bounds." One would have thought Congress would still be resistant to his confirmation, given that the Iran-Contra special prosecutor hadn't yet wrapped up the case. But the Senate Intelligence Committee chairman, David L. Boren of Oklahoma (like Bush, a Yale alumnus and a fellow Skull and Bones initiate) brushed aside all the inconvenient evidence. Boren's chief of staff was George J. Tenet, who would be CIA director under another Bush presidency. The fix was in, and Bush, who went on to pardon all the convicted conspirators of Iran-Contra on his way out the Oval Office door, was not about to be denied the confirmation of someone who had rendered such invaluable past service. Or someone who knew so much. In between the two Bush presidencies, Gates became – quelle surprise! – dean of the newly-minted George Bush School of Government and Public Service at Texas A&M University. Later he was president of that university. This is not the place to exhaustively examine the subject, but Gates's tenure at Texas A&M is another example of the corrosive effect of the revolving door between political operatives in government and the American university system.
Monday, February 03, 2014
The Things That Set Them Off
I really thought the Dylan ad suggesting that other countries do some things better (beer, watches, smartphones) was going to be the thing which set them off. I was wrong.
Monday Crass Commercialism
Weight limits for bags on planes are nothing new, but before the golden area of Fees For Everything, if you were over a pound or two they'd usually let it slide instead of forcing you to pay a million bucks or decant your suitcase and shove a few more things into your carry on.
So a portable bag scale is a useful thing if you travel regularly.
So a portable bag scale is a useful thing if you travel regularly.
Knowns, Unknowns, And Priorities
I'll admit to being a bit surprised about the quantity of Woody Allen defenders out there. People have their right to their opinions (on both sides) about something which is ultimately unknowable to outsiders, but we all pick our battles.
We're simultaneously a country of people who think child molesters are the worst people in the world, and a country of people who, to a surprising degree, dismiss and minimize accusations of molestation, at least when leveled against the right people.
Again, people can have their opinions. I'm just surprised by the quantity of people who are bothering with joining Team Allen, whatever the truth.
We're simultaneously a country of people who think child molesters are the worst people in the world, and a country of people who, to a surprising degree, dismiss and minimize accusations of molestation, at least when leveled against the right people.
Again, people can have their opinions. I'm just surprised by the quantity of people who are bothering with joining Team Allen, whatever the truth.
Learn Damnit
It reminds me a bit of the housing bubble, when I knew there was a housing bubble not because I was a supergenius, but because I knew there was no possible way that many people had high enough incomes to pay for those mortgages in places like Southern California. If people aren't making any money, and what money they make is being skimmed off by various malevolent businesses, they don't have any money to buy stuff. It isn't complicated.
Make It Work
Just adding to this, that it's one thing to gouge the relatively wealth people who presumably are most of the ticketholders, it's another thing to gouge them and then have it be a colossal fail.
Helicopters
Aside from more helicopters than usual yesterday (and "usual" is too many), didn't really notice any Superb Owl effects these last two weeks.
Yah They Screwed It All Up
So people were stranded at the Superbowl because too many people wanted to take the train home and they were way above capacity. From what I can glean from various sources (I think true, some inconsistencies in reports):
- Expected rail travelers were about 40% of actual rail travelers.
- There were just 13,000 very expensive parking spaces.
- No dropoffs (or pickups) were allowed. You could not take a (dropoff) cab, limo, or be dropped off by a friend.
- The special charter coach buses which seemed to have been the expected favored travel mode of choice cost about 50 bucks, roughly 5 times the rail fare.
- Even after seeing the massively inflated inbound rail traffic, NJT didn't jump to schedule any buses in order to deal with the obvious "all at once" problem of fans leaving the game
- Not until 3+ hours later did extra buses finally arrive. Remember this is a Sunday, so Sunday transit schedules would have meant that there were certainly available buses and potentially available bus drivers as Sunday schedules have many fewer scheduled trips.
- Just who was making these decisions? I'm guessing lots of people who have never been on a rail platform.
- Was NJT "discouraged" from providing buses, either at all or just in case for overflow, so as not to compete with the $50 round trip (!) coach buses (this is a 9 mile trip from Midtown). This is roughly equivalent to what a cab fare would be (in ideal traffic circumstances), except you can split a cab fare between 4 people
- Who made the money from the coach buses?
- Why was rail traffic so underestimated and, similarly, why was coach bus demand so overestimated? *update: buses sold out, bus demand wasn't overestimated, they just didn't have enough buses*
Sunday, February 02, 2014
Drought
We regularly seem to come right up to the age of a major regional water emergency only to be rescued at the last minute. Wonder about this time...
Nobody Goes There, It's Too Crowded
How PA decisions are made.
"Surrounding area."
I don't really care about the casino projects. From a certain perspective, the one I'd probably find most aesthetically hideous might be the best one (just stick it by the highway offramps by the stadiums so McCall's friends can drive there, which they won't, because there are other casinos in the "surrounding area" they can go to). But, basically, almost all public policy is directed towards the imagined desires of people who don't actually live in the city. How can we get people to come to the city???
1.5 million people live here.
"I live in the Poconos, a pretty rural area, but I have a lot of friends in the surrounding area," McCall said during questioning of the Market8 panel. "One of the things they always say is they don't want to drive into the city because they worry about parking. They worry about city traffic."
"How do you get that person to come into Center City," he asked, "when really, they don't want to come into Center City?"
"Surrounding area."
I don't really care about the casino projects. From a certain perspective, the one I'd probably find most aesthetically hideous might be the best one (just stick it by the highway offramps by the stadiums so McCall's friends can drive there, which they won't, because there are other casinos in the "surrounding area" they can go to). But, basically, almost all public policy is directed towards the imagined desires of people who don't actually live in the city. How can we get people to come to the city???
1.5 million people live here.
Saturday, February 01, 2014
The Big Grift
And on and on.
Former Mississippi Gov. Haley Barbour is a partner in a lobbying firm that works for AshBritt, the giant Florida debris-removal company. He’s also a big backer of Gov. Chris Christie.
After Hurricane Sandy, Barbour played matchmaker. Christie quickly hired AshBritt to help clear New Jersey’s storm-ravaged coastline.
Thaw
Superbowl organizers got a bit lucky and it won't be too cold tomorrow. Still I wonder how many people will still be in their seats in the 4th quarter.
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