OKAY a reason for no new posts. Had visiting relatives and away in DC so here goes with DC scuttlebutt. Obtained largely through open MSM. Will be trying to do this at least once a month.
First, hold placed on replenishment of PDRF (President's Disaster Relief Fund) in the Senate. Hey it is still over two weeks until Hurricane Season opens. Also NFIP extension is still a no-show and current expiration is end of May. Congress wants some substantive changes but looks like some amendments may get through. Including a very very significant one that would knock out flood insurance for vacation and other second homes. Note however that second home determinations are complicated just ask IRS which has even let rentals of homes in the Hampton's escape from income taxes. Hey Wall Street is the underground economy just ask IRS. I worked on a taxation of derivative task force in spring 1974 before going to HUD and lawyering FDAA and FIA and OIG for 5 years. IRS still does not correctly come close to taxing derivatives or hedge funds. Believe me. Beyond their ken since they hire lawyers and accountants like the SEC but really need finance types.
Second: The oil spill! While it occurred on April 20th and so far still spilling with no downturn in amounts due to human efforts. What do we know? We know that the Norwegian Government has announced that the technology employed was inherently dangerous and never would have been authorized by that government. Also again the witch (which?) hunters have determined that federal government reorganization is the ticket for preventing future oil spills, specifically the Minerals Management Service (MMS)in the Department of the Interior. Also NOAA has been censored by the White House from providing accurate information on the spill. What does all this mean. Nothing good before the 4th of July and by that time all in the world will know that the US gummit with its resources was like the aging fire battalion chief at a 4-box alarm fire and going catatonic with frustration and rage at events. You can believe that the electorate on the gulf coast will be in the mood for revenge when voting this fall when they realize faced with choice of evacuation/migration or starvation and further economic decline. Events that bring large-scale decontamination can be no-notice like this one but still the bankruptcy of federal environmental and ecological policy will be stunning as revealed by this event.
Haiti! Well the US has largely pulled out pretending that the Haitian government is operational. It is not and never was but it does provide cover for the pretensions of the US but not for long. By labor day the ripoffs by the government will have been documented. Tents donated are now seized by government and sold to the people. NO absolutely NO disease surveillance and US efforts through CDC are preventing outsiders and NGO's from conducting such surveillance. Watch disease and death of the two million Haitians now in camps (tent cities) is painful now and will be worse by July 4th.
Note that DHS budget for next year is being totally rearranged by Congressional appropriations committee and the proposed 10% cut in Coasties budget is primary driver for showing that Obama Adminstration just does not get Homeland Security. Expecting departure to Court of Appeals of Janet N. after fall elections. Hey Chertoff was on US Court of Appeals for District of Columbia so should be fair exchange. DHS should NOT, repeat should not, be run by a lawyer unless very very broad gage with extensive administrative experience.
Okay all for now and some technical posts later before going this weekend to my 50th High School reunion. SFS 60!
