Court Rules Against Gouging by Cell Phone Carriers

A judge has ruled that Ford Motor Company can no longer penalize you for trading in your Ford and buying a Chevy instead. And Safeway can’t make you pay a fine if you go across the street and shop at Albertsons.

Of course those two things never happened. But this is what cell phone companies have been doing for years. And a California judge has finally ruled against this legalized extortion. Sprint Nextel has to refund $18 million to its ex-customers who paid early termination fees. Sprint was also ordered NOT to try collecting $55 million worth of fines from their other ex-customers who refused to bend over and pay the termination fee.

A small step for common sense. Finally. The ruling came from Alameda County Superior Court Judge Bonnie Sabraw. Now that the first domino has fallen, other states will hopefully issue similar decisions.

These early termination fees are just a small part of what Bob Sullivan calls Gotcha Capitalism. Hidden fees and surcharges, booby traps hidden in the fine print on page 87 of a contract — what kind of cesspool have we sunk into? Capitalism used to be about merchants competing with each other to see who could sell the best product at the best price. Now it’s all about who can be the sleaziest douchebag of them all.

If these slippery practices are “capitalism,” then it’s also capitalism when a mechanic doesn’t do any work on your car, but tells you “OK, I rebuilt the carburetor, put in a new U-Joint and replaced all the fluids. That’ll be $1200.”

Sprint and other carriers are trying to get the FCC to come up with a federal mandate. An FCC ruling would override all state laws and invalidate all state court decisions. How convenient.

That’s funny, “States’ Rights!” used to be the conservatives’ favorite slogan. What happened?

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Why Haven’t We Blockaded Iran Yet?

It’s because of You. Us. The Netroots.

On May 22nd a House resolution was introduced which would authorize a naval blockade of Iran. With no publicity from that Bush-hating liberal media, H. Con. Res. 362 was sailing through the House. The “leadership” bragged that the bill would “pass like a hot knife through butter” before the end of June.

The bill steamrolled its way through the House; at one point it had more than 200 cosponsors. It seemed like a done deal. But then those damn Intertubes kicked in. After tens of thousands of e-mails, online petitions and phone calls, co-sponsors started dropping like flies.

Barney Frank (D-MA) — who later apologized for “not having read the bill more carefully” — Robert Wexler (D-FL) and Mike Thompson (D-CA) were among the first to change their minds.

On June 24th the Seattle Post-Intelligencer took notice; or maybe they didn’t want to get left in the dust by thousands of bloggers and netsurfers. In an editorial, they asked “are supporters of Res. 362 asleep at the wheel, or are they just anxious to drag us into another illegal war?”

As of this date, H. Con. Res. 362 is still stuck in committee.

Aside from being ignored by the “media,” this bill seemed unstoppable for another reason: It was being pushed by the American Israel Public Affairs Committee (AIPAC). They’re one of America’s most powerful lobbying groups. They pretty much get what they want.

Activist groups who thwarted this bill (for now) include: Peace Action, United for Peace and Justice, the National Iranian-American Council, the Friends Committee on National Legislation, and Just Foreign Policy.

Another major player — and not mentioned in the article — is the Libertarian Downsize DC.

And speaking of oblivious legislators who vote for a bill without even knowing what’s in it — one of Downsize DC’s long-running campaigns is the Read The Bills Act. As the name implies, this bill would require all lawmakers to read an entire bill — and sign a statement verifying that they’ve read it and understand it — before they’re allowed to vote yes or no on it. What a concept.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Energy Crisis: America at a Crossroads

This isn’t our first energy crisis. The first one was during the winter of 1973-74, and there’ve been a few since then. But this one seems more permanent than the others.

Along with skyrocketing gas prices, we’ve got record high food prices, a housing crisis and a credit crisis. Everything seems to be coming to a head.

Past energy crises seemed to be part of a cycle. Everyone just waited for gas prices to go back down so they could rush out and buy an even bigger SUV; and everything would be “normal” again. I don’t see that happening this time.

Whatever is causing this fuel crisis — oil companies creating a fake “shortage,” treehuggers wrecking the economy by preventing drilling in wildlife sanctuaries — it’s here to stay. Even if we start a massive drilling frenzy yesterday, it’ll take at least five years (probably a lot longer) for this to affect the oil supply. Maybe we could spend that time expanding the solar/wind/ocean sources we’re already using. And just to be non-partisan, I think the Democrats’ plan for releasing oil from the Strategic Petroleum Reserve is every bit as shortsighted and boneheaded as the mass drilling spasm that Republicans want. We need to go through that unbearable excruciating withdrawal process NOW, and not keep begging the pusher for just one more fix.

We’re in for a rough several years no matter what we do, so we might as well seek a real solution instead of another band-aid. It’s time to start making some permanent changes that we should’ve made 35 years ago.

As much as gas prices suck, there are already a few silver linings. People are doing less driving and they’re starting to own fewer cars per family. Traffic deaths have decreased in the past few weeks because of our reduced driving. Mass transit, bike-riding and carpooling are up; driving by yourself to work is down. If these changes become permanent, urban sprawl will decrease (this won’t happen overnight) since it’s no longer lucrative to live out in the sticks and commute to your job 80 miles away.

People are doing more of their shopping locally. They’re actually patronizing their own rinky dink downtown mom-and-pop stores instead of driving twenty miles to the mall. A lot of tourist industries are doing fine. They’re getting more visitors from neighboring towns and fewer people who’ve driven or flown across the country; it all evens out. Last week’s annual Lavender Festival (it’s not what you think) in Sequim, WA had a record number of visitors. Local officials think it was at least partially because of high gas prices.

There have been all kinds of small but positive changes like this. Among other things: There have actually been reports of police officers getting out of their squad cars and — better sit down for this — walking their beat instead of driving.

Maybe, just maybe, these changes could become permanent. And maybe the banking/credit collapse will cause people to spend their money more carefully — differentiate between needs and “wants” and spend accordingly. (Go ahead, ask me what I’ve been smoking.)

Everyone laughs at Al Gore’s 10-year plan for getting off the oil grid. It probably isn’t attainable in ten years but it’s something we need to strive for. Since we’re already using solar energy, windmills and kinetic power from the oceans — not to mention methane and recycled waste — how far-fetched is it to just expand what we’re already doing?

T. Boone Pickens, the infamous corporate raider from the 1980s (and probably the inspiration for Gordon Gekko), is setting up the country’s largest wind farm in Texas. Has he turned into some sort of pot-smoking nature boy in his old age, or has he recognized another lucrative investment? I suspect the latter.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Why Have Oil Prices Dropped? Ask John McCain

OK, enough snide comments about John McCain being a senile old man with a quick temper and a shady past. His grasp of cause and effect is just uncanny. While everyone else is coming up with wacky theories about why oil prices are decreasing, McCain hit the nail on the head.

President Bush has single-handedly caused the decline in oil prices. And how did he do it? By lifting the presidential ban on offshore drilling. You go Dumbya!

As you know, it’s completely meaningless for Bush to lift the White House ban on offshore drilling. In order for any offshore oil exploration to begin, Congress has to lift their ban on offshore drilling. And that ain’t happening. Democrats control the agenda in Congress, and they aren’t about to let that volatile issue come to a vote.

So it means absolutely nada — zilch! — for Bush to lift the White House ban on offshore drilling. (It was Bush Senior who put that ban in place eighteen years ago.)

McCain said the “psychology” of lifting the White House ban has affected the world market.

Isn’t this great? Do you realize what this means??? Just think of the incredible implications of McCain’s revelation. We don’t need to drill for oil any more!. All we have to do is say we’re going to, and — Presto! Lower prices!

OK, I’m going to solve this ridiculous energy crisis right here and now. I’m going to hire an army of bulldozers and we’re gonna go plowing into that F#$%!# Alaska National Wildlife Refuge with a vengeance. Rip those Goddamn polar bears and bald eagles out of the way and start drilling!

Let’s see, has the price of oil started plummeting yet…

cross-posted at Bring It On!

When a Squealer Gets Squealed On

This story doesn’t have a point to it. It’s just one of those neighborhood incidents involving class warfare, neighborhood gentrification and clashing values. Here’s the full story.

In Seattle’s Eastlake neighborhood, a homeless person built himself a treehouse in a local park. The locals all knew him as the Squirrelman. He didn’t bother anybody and most of the residents didn’t mind him being there. Except one.

Last March some asshole made an anonymous complaint to the city government about the Squirrelman. The city got right on it and evicted the Squirrelman from the park. They also destroyed the treehouse.

The Squirrelman (his real name is Dave Csaky) is now living in a donated RV on a farm in nearby Skagit County. If you ever read Another Roadside Attraction by Tom Robbins — yes, Skagit County really exists.

Last week, in a local letter to the editor, a defense attorney named James Roe outed the Squirrelman’s outer. Or as the author — Danny Westneat — said, “he snitched on the snitcher.”

Roe referred to the Squirrelman’s outer as “an embarrassment to native Seattle citizens everywhere. To turn in a guy to the city who is only trying to get by, scrapping out a living, just so you can kick him out — morally I find that reprehensible…This is what Seattle has come to. In another era, Seattle had room for people like The Squirrelman. What happened to tolerance? There’s no place for it now, among all the nouveau riche.”

The cowardly snitch turned out to be a couple: Betsy and Dale Sherrow, owners of the nearby Seattle Caviar Co.

Dale Sherrow was away on business when Danny Westneat called them. Betsy Sherrow called their outer “an outrageous jerk.” She said: “We aren’t snitches. We are responsible citizens who felt that if we stayed silent, we would be promoting something that’s wrong…We do cater to higher-end customers, but it’s a small business — we’re not exactly over here eating bonbons and having a maid clean our toenails.”

Well, that’s good to know.

Danny Westneat admits that there can be a thin line between a snitch and a whistleblower; one person’s snitch is another person’s whistleblower.

Sort of like the terrorists and freedom fighters in Central America during our 1980s proxy invasion.

“Oh my God, did you read about this? A bunch of anti-government guerrillas came sweeping into a village and massacred all the women and children and tortured all the husbands!”

“What country was that?”

“Nicaragua.”

“Hail the Freedom Fighters!”

“Oh, wait a minute, no it was El Salvador.”

“What??? Those bloodthirsty F#$%&!$# terrorists!”

cross-posted at Bring It On!

America’s Landlord (It’s Not Who You Think)

According to one theory, oil is the international currency. Might as well be.

Now, putting aside all feelgood rhetoric and wishful thinking, let’s ask the unspeakable question — how much is America worth? According to this calculation, the United States of America is worth 400 billion barrels of oil.

And it just so happens that the combined oil reserves of Saudi Arabia and Iran are approximately — 400 billion barrels of oil. SOLD!

“For Sale: One used country. Fixer upper. Needs a lot — a LOT — of repair work after years of abuse and neglect. No guarantees. As Is.”

And you were worried about China being our landlord??? You wish!

The author of this article, Scott Burns, says: “When we asked ‘How much is that in dollars,’ we usually liked the answer. But it may be time to ask another question: ‘How much is that in barrels of oil?’ Trust me, others are doing exactly that. That’s when the world starts to look very different. It also looks more than a little scary to the U.S.”

How do you say “Project For A New American Century” in Arabic?

cross-posted at Bring It On!

The Privatization of Your Fire Department

As you know, it’s been a record year for fires throughout the Western states, especially California. And the fire season has barely begun.

The need for fire safety is on a collision course with the exploding population in fire-prone areas. More and more self-absorbed yuppies are moving to their own private paradise in the woods — right smack in the middle of a potential firestorm. Something's gotta give.

Oh, here's an MSNBC.com article about some changes that will be made because of all these fires. It's about time. More funding for local fire departments would be a good start. And the public needs to be made much more aware of the potential for fire and how to avoid it. In rural areas, newcomers need to be reminded that "you are no longer in downtown San Francisco or L.A. Things are different here. You need to adapt."

And every homeowner is going to have to make a few personal sacrifices so that his/her neighbor won't get killed in a fire. No more of those flammable shake roofs; talk about a no-brainer. And everyone should be required to maintain a firebreak between their house and the nearest vegetation.

These changes are long overdue, but better late than never. Anyway, this article says...WTF?!?!? Private fire protection services for wealthy property owners.

Great. Just fuckin' great. It figures. The Gilded Age lives on and on and on... Hey, if some deadbeat can’t pay for his own fire protection, why should he be coddled by a big slobbering Nanny State? Burn, Hippie! Watch your family DIIIEEE!!!

Socialized fire protection?? Bootstraps buddy.

Janet Upton of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection said: “Life has to come first, then property. We know the number of private contractors is on the rise. If they communicate with us, they could be an asset. If not, they’re a big liability.”

One private contractor in Montana, Wildfire Defense Systems Inc., deals exclusively with homes that have a replacement value of $1 million or more. And at least one major insurance company — which has donated millions of dollars in the past to local fire departments — is now underwriting three of these private fire protection contractors.

A spokesman for another insurance company said: “Very wealthy people like to live in places that are naturally perilous. With the fires right now, we’re getting a lot of calls about fire protection.”

Lori Moore-Merrell, a researcher for the International Association of Fire Fighters, said: “In a fire, if there are houses, there is higher risk. We don’t know much about the contractors’ level of training. And fire protection should be available to all citizens regardless of how much money they have.”

Lori, Lori, Lori — that’s sooo twentieth century. Commie! Get used to it! You now live in the Ownership Society.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Nigeria Has Weapons of Mass Destruction!

Iraq and Iran are sooo yesterday. The next battleground over Cheap Oil will be Nigeria. How soon is anybody’s guess.

This article by Scott Thill describes a new book — "Curse of the Black Gold: Fifty Years of Oil in the Niger Delta." The article includes a short video and an interview with one of the authors — Michael Watts.

Scott Thill describes Nigeria as: “Where all the major oil companies have done business, dirty and otherwise, for the last five decades, degrading the environment and depressing the general population along the way.”

As with so many Third World countries, oil exploration has created incredible wealth and splendor for a few, at the expense of the general population. Numerous oil spills (almost one per day) have wrecked the environment and devastated local economies.

(But rest assured now: if the oil industry is allowed to drill for oil off the coast of the United States, there’s all sorts of fancy new technology that will prevent oil spills and minimize damage to the environment. Trust us.)

The situation in Nigeria will be getting a lot worse. As the author says: “Increasing demand, ass-backward environmental policy and diminishing resources send nations and multinationals scattering for control of what's left of Earth's black gold.” And the indigenous population is getting more pissed off by the day. Insurgents have been attacking oil drilling facilities, sometimes taking employees hostage. And these attacks have been increasing.

Since 2006 the Bush Administration has been planning the United States African Command (AFRICOM). This is a Defense Department program for coordinating military operations across Africa. So far, not one African country has permitted the U.S. to use its territory for these operations. For now, the AFRICOM master plan is relegated to a base in Germany.

But as the author warns: “The United States won’t be outside Africa for long, as climate crisis and peak oil take further hold. And when it comes calling, it will most likely call on Nigeria first.”

cross-posted at Bring It On!

A Home For Spineless Democrats

So much for all those jokes that “leading Congress is like herding cats.”

Just look at this cute little collection of Democrats. See how docile and obedient they are.

Washington — Assisted Suicide Law

Washington will soon become (if there’s a God) the second state to have an assisted suicide law. Oregon’s Death With Dignity Act has been in effect since 1997.

The initiative has already gotten more than enough signatures. Assuming enough of these signatures will be valid, the assisted suicide law will be on the Washington ballot this November. It’ll be known as Initiative 1000.

Under this law, if a person is terminally ill (two doctors would have to agree on the diagnosis) and wishes to end his/her suffering, a doctor can prescribe lethal drugs with which the patient can end his/her life.

And the battle is heating up. The State of Washington requires that people be identified when they contribute money to a political campaign. Who could possibly have a problem with that? I’m not in favor of campaign finance regulation (I used to be, but then Freakonomics changed my mind). But if a person or group has the right to make a huge campaign contribution, the public has the right to know about it. The best way to make an informed decision is to follow the money and see who’s financing whom.

But Washington’s election law seems to be a huge problem for Neurotic Busybodies With Too Much Time On Their Hands Human Life of Washington. The name sort of gives them away. Yes, even the liberal Pacific Northwest has a few of these wacky cult groups who think your life is sacred when: A) you haven’t been born yet; and B) you’re terminally ill, wracked with unbearable pain and would like to put an end to your misery.

Here’s the website for Human Life of Washington. Maybe these fetus-worshipping snakehandlers are actually concerned about war, poverty and disease; but if they are they don’t mention anything about it on their website. Mostly they just talk about saving fetuses and fighting the assisted suicide initiative.

Several wealthy opponents of this initiative have donated large amounts of money to Human Life of Washington. Actually, nobody knows yet how many donors there’ve been, who they are or how much they donated. Human Life is trying to make it their little secret. A federal judge has ruled against them; they must disclose this information in compliance with Washington law.

Human Life is claiming that they will suffer “irreparable injury” if they’re forced to disclose their contributors. WTF??? This makes it even more intriguing. Who ARE these mysterious donors? Who WAS that masked Biblethumper?

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Detroit Automakers: Another Nail in the Coffin

Talk about being careful what you wish for. Detroit has spent countless millions of dollars lobbying against higher gas mileage standards. And it worked. Those congressional prostitutes always bend over when a lobbyist whips out his wallet.

The Detroit automakers got their wish. And now more and more Americans are buying foreign cars that get better mileage. While Detroit kept wailing “weee caaan’t dooo iiiitt,” Japan, Korea, Sweden and Germany (among others) went and did it.

And now, Americans are not only buying fewer cars from Detroit — they’re buying fewer cars Period.

For decades it’s seemed like there was at least one car for every man, woman and child in America. Say goodbye. With gas prices going up and up every day, more American families are switching to what European families have always done: one car per family.

This sucks for Detroit autoworkers, but these changes are inevitable and long overdue. Funny, the linked article expresses sympathy for investors but doesn’t mention anything about unemployed autoworkers. Ooookay. I’ve never heard of people losing their homes or going on welfare because they made a bad investment decision, but what do I know.

Gas-guzzling vehicles, several cars per family, driving by yourself to work (on your 80-mile commute) — it’s time for all of these American icons to go the way of the stage coach. Gas prices will never ever come down no matter how much drilling we do and how many new refineries get built. The oil companies have seen how much they can get; why the F#!$%# would they ever lower the price?

The first energy crisis was thirty-five years ago. It’s long past time to make the changes we should’ve made then.

The author (Anthony Mirhaydari) ends his article with some solid investment advice: “Try adding some light rail to your portfolio.”

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Republicans: Do Not Vote For That Wimpy Liberal McCain

All right-thinking Americans must realize the awful painful truth: The Republican Party has sold us down the river. John Pinko McCain? Puhlease!

It’s bad enough we’ve had to listen to a bunch of navel-gazing moonbats whining about “global warming.” Now on top of that we have Tree-Coddling McCain agreeing with them.

He’s also in favor of stem cell research. No! Each and every one of those little stem cells is God’s own creation, and Atheist McCain wants to use them for [gasp] scientific research?!?! Lord have mercy! Nobody benefits from stem cell research except those lowlifes who have already been born; and they don’t count. It says so in the Bible.

And as we all know, there’s a campaign finance reform bill with McCain’s name stamped on it. (There’s also a cosponsor of the bill; some Jew I think.) Campaign finance reform??? What kind of communist filth is that? Hey, if a billionaire wants to purchase an election, that’s his God-given right as an American.

Last but not least, McCain is soft on immigration. We have millions of icky dark-skinned foreigners ruining this great nation, and what’s that spineless McCain going to do about it? Nothing!

What a disgrace to his country! We have names for people like that, and I’m gonna come right out and call him that. John McCain is a [sputtering] [choking] …John McCain is a…he’s a F#$%&!# Democrat!!!

Some conservatives are staying optimistic that McCain won’t wussify the Republican Party Platform too drastically. My fellow Biblewipe, Ken Blackwell of the Family Research Council, said: “I don't think you are going to see any radical departures or inflammatory demands for change in one direction or another.”

Let’s hope to God he’s right.

If not, then Myron Ebell, my fellow tree-hater from the Competitive Enterprise Institute, has some good advice: “If McCain pushes on each one of these issues — campaign finance, immigration, or global warming and energy issues — he’s likely to keep a lot of people at home on Election Day.”

Bravo! Hear that, Conservatives? John Flagburning McCain is NOT one of us! Let’s all boycott this farce and stay home on election day.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

An Obama Supreme Court Would Ruin America

When the Supreme Court ruled that child rapists cannot be executed, John McCain issued a somber warning to all Americans. Criminal-coddling decisions like this will become much more common if Barack Obama gets elected.

This anti-war leftist doesn’t even wear an American flag lapel pin for God’s sake. One can only shudder to think of the limpwristed socialist judges that President Obama would nominate to the Supreme Court.

Criminals going free, homosexuals running rampant, Islamofascism being taught in our public school system — God help us!

Our Great Leader has also given us something to think about. When his own hand-picked Supreme Court ruled in favor of those bloodthirsty terrorists in Guantanamo Bay, Bush had a terrifying message: Some of those crazed jihadists might end up moving into YOUR neighborhood.

We Americans can run but we can’t hide. We won’t be safe anywhere. PTA meetings, the yacht club, church services — these terrorists will be EVERYWHERE! They’re gonna hunt us down like animals and there’s nothing we can do about it and it’s all because of those Goddamn French-loving commies on the Supreme Court!

America cannot keep veering to the left. We have to make sure that no more terrorist-coddling judges ever get onto the Supreme Court.

Unfortunately our Great Leader can’t stay in office after next January. But if we all vote for his Significant Other this November, our Great Crusade will continue for at least a hundred years.

cross-posted at Bring It On!

Oil Company Leases: “Use It Or Lose It”

That’s the name of a bill that the House voted on last week. The official name is the Responsible Federal Oil and Gas Lease Act — H.R. 6251.

Either the “media” has been awfully quiet about this bill, or I’ve just looked in all the wrong places; and I read several news sites regularly. The only mention I ever saw was in our small-town paper. Once a week they list the major bills wending their way through Congress.

Last week they listed the “Use It Or Lose It” law — it got a majority of votes in the House. The rest of the “media” was dead silent about it, so I did a Google News search. Yes, it did get a majority of votes.

Unfortunately, it was a piece of emergency legislation so it needed a two thirds vote to become law. Without a two thirds vote, it was doomed in any case, since the Oil King was planning to veto it.

Basically this law, as the name indicates, would have told the oil companies to fuckin’ USE the leases they already have before they start tearing up oceans and wildlife sanctuaries. Who could possibly be against this???

You’d think the people who are screaming the loudest about drilling in wildlife refuges — NOW! — would be the most infuriated that the oil companies are not using the leases they already have. HELLLOOO!!!!

As we speak, the oil companies have leases on seventy million acres of federal lands, which they are NOT using. Again, that number is seventy million acres. This is land where the oil companies could have already been drilling!

Apparently there are a lot of people with a very limited intellect who think this is just fine. Oh, the oil companies are just sitting on seventy million acres that they’re already leasing? Huh. OK. But meanwhile, the only solution to the energy crisis is to Drill! Everywhere! Now! We don’t need no steenking endangered species! Get that oil! NOW!

This law would have required the oil companies to either use this land that they’ve already leased — what the fuck did these assholes lease it for if they weren’t planning to drill on it?!?!? — or give up the leases. And they wouldn’t be allowed to seek any new leases (i.e. offshore drilling, ANWR) until they’ve exhausted the leases they already have.

DUUUHHH!!! Talk about a No-Fuckin'-Brainer!

Let’s see, I have several dogs that I just can’t seem to take care of. They’re starving because I keep forgetting to feed them, some of them are sick because I can't be bothered to take them to the vet, and they shit all over the house because I can’t remember to let them out. And I don't have time to clean up after them. I know — I’ll go out and buy a few more dogs.

Congressman Mike Thompson (D-Calif.) is one of the co-sponsors of the “Use It Or Lose It” bill. He said:

“When we sit atop only 2 percent of the world’s oil supply, but consume a quarter of the world’s supply, it’s clear we can’t drill our way out of the fuel crisis. However, we can encourage drilling on the land we’ve already leased to oil companies, much of which they aren’t currently using. There is no reason to expand drilling to new areas – areas that could suffer devastating environmental consequences – when oil companies aren’t using the land they have.”

Bingo!

Congress might vote again on “Use It Or Lose It” when they return from their July 4th recess. Good luck.

cross-posted at Bring It On!