Thomas Sowell on the “mascots of the self-congratulatory elites.“
Redford is G-G-Gone ! ! !
Alberta’s premiere CINO has resigned!
Update: Interesting, insightful comments from Gord Tulk and Frances are well worth a read.
First They Came For The Big Mac
White House pastry chef resigns: “I don’t want to demonize cream, butter, sugar and eggs,”
Renegade Regulator
On November 28th, James Moore, Minister of Industry, issued a Parliamentary Determination that the Federal Government considers any portion of Provincial law which contains CSA developed text as illegitimate and unenforceable as Provincial law.
Specifically, the Minister stated that CSA developed materials are merely “voluntary standards” whose character as independent of the law is unchanged by inclusion within the law. Or more simply, CSA standards are not enforceable as laws.
By stripping the CEC of its legal legitimacy, the Minister has invalidated all of Canada’s electrical laws with a single Parliamentary determination.
In response, on December 4th RestoreCSA sent letters to the Provincial Authorities to inquire if they will “accept and comply” with the Minister’s determination by “discontinuing enforcement of Provincial electrical law.”
A majority of Provinces have now responded. All of these Provincial Governments are in open defiance of Minister Moore and have clearly stated that they intend to continue defying the Industry Minister.
But, that’s not where the story ends.
Are We Still A Member Of This Thing?
Former New York mayor Michael Bloomberg was appointed Friday to be the U.N. special envoy for cities and climate change, a position that will give the billionaire businessman and philanthropist an international stage to press for action to combat global warming. […]
U.N. deputy spokesman Farhan Haq said Bloomberg will assist the U.N. chief in his consultations with mayors and other key parties “to raise political will and mobilize action among cities as part of his longer-term strategy to advance efforts on climate change.”
h/t peterj
Just like Canada, Part 2
First call to the doctor, second call to a politician.
Your third call should be to the media.
After being contacted by CNNMoney Friday, an Independence executive reached out to Patterson and confirmed that she has had coverage since Jan. 1 and her primary care doctor designation is in order.
After CNNMoney reached out to the insurer Friday to check their status, the couple received a call from a Cigna supervisor, who gave them their ID number and emailed them a letter confirming coverage
The spokeswoman said a customer service representative would look into Watts’ case.
When health-care is political, deal with it as politicians deal with things.
On a related note, I wonder if this company is on the exchange.
Via, Instapundit
Renegade Regulator
“Forty-eight lobbyists, all working for the CSA, and all hitting the Federal Government for money and influence”…
The CSA is constantly lobbying government for more of your money. In the last twelve months, the CSA arranged twenty-eight meetings with government officials to request funding. And that’s just the Federal Government, the CSA is also active provincially and municipally.
Among the highlights, the CSA asked the Federal Government for “funding from Health Canada for the Product Safety Project Committee.” But this committee is run by volunteers, they are unpaid. So the CSA wants money to pay for unpaid volunteers. They also asked for funding to “update” the NGV codes (B108 and B109 specifically). But CSA sells these codes for $190 each, so why is government expected to pay CSA’s product development costs? Then the CSA asked for “funding […] for development of storm water training modules.” Again, the government is expected to pay CSA to develop a training program that CSA would then sell commercially.
The CSA has registered forty-three lobbyists with the Federal Government. Beyond this, the CSA has contracted Global Public Affairs to lobby government on their behalf. Global Public Affairs has subsequently registered five additional lobbyists on behalf of the CSA.
Congratulations America
Now you’re just like Canada and Britain. You have to go to the news and through political channels in order to get the health-care you voluntarily gave up.
AccessHealth CT CEO Kevin Counihan said his intervention appears to be the reason the problem was solved. “We’ve interceded, and we’ve resolved [K.C.’s] issue with Anthem, and she’s all set now,” Counihan said. “I almost feel squirrely saying that because this is not about self-aggrandizement, but clearly, I think we put a little juice under Anthem’s toes.”
The 90’s never happened
.@Premier_Redford on who's resume does this look good?! #buildingalberta pic.twitter.com/YAQVGC82xA
— Clint Upham (@clintupham) January 9, 2014
O, Sweet Saint Of San Andreas
It took years in Ventura County to make even the simplest modifications to the campground we ran. For example, it took 7 separate permits from the County (each requiring a substantial payment) just to remove a wooden deck that the County inspector had condemned. In order to allow us to temporarily park a small concession trailer in the parking lot, we had to (among other steps) take a soil sample of the dirt under the asphalt of the parking lot. It took 3 years to permit a simple 500 gallon fuel tank with CARB and the County equivalent. The entire campground desperately needed a major renovation but the smallest change would have triggered millions of dollars of new facility requirements from the County that we simply could not afford.
David Cameron’s Britain
Where the foxes caper unmolested, the government packs your school lunch and ye all surf at her Majesty’s pleasure;
But the [porn filters] have led to internet users being denied access to a wide range of organisations including child protection charities, women’s charities and gay rights groups. Among institutions that have found themselves subject to the blocks are the British Library and the National Library of Scotland.
The opt-in filters also deny access to the Parliament and Government websites and the sites of politicians, including Claire Perry, the MP who has campaigned prominently for the introduction of filters.
h/t AK
The ‘C’ Word
The Green Police
In 2008 Logan City, Utah decided to install a micro-hydro project in its culinary water system. The city’s assistant engineer recognized the opportunity to generate clean, low-cost electricity for the city by installing a turbine in the city’s culinary water pipeline.
Logan City’s project would power 185 homes, and would not require any new construction. At the same time, it would also help reduce excess water pressure in the system. Because the project was so small, and would not affect anything outside of an existing pipeline, city officials thought the permitting process would be a breeze. […]
As project managers in Logan City learned firsthand, a complex regulatory nexus surrounds all hydropower projects, no matter how small. As far as regulatory requirements are concerned, it didn’t matter that the project would have little to no environmental impacts.
The city still had to go through an intensive permitting process overseen by the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission (FERC). Logan City’s project began in 2008. By 2012 the city’s project had finally been completed after four years of delays and almost 3 million dollars of total costs.
h/t Larry
O, Sweet Saint Of San Andreas
Renegade Regulator
….we note that the CSA’s Model publication pointedly adds that “All rights [are] reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced in any form whatsoever without the prior permission of the publisher.” That’s a gutsy line, given that CSA doesn’t own what they’re trying to restrict.
David Cameron’s Britain
Where the foxes caper unmolested, the government packs your school lunch, and the nannystate has acquired her obstetrician license;
A pregnant woman has had her baby forcibly removed by caesarean section by social workers.
Essex social services obtained a High Court order against the woman that allowed her to be forcibly sedated and her child to be taken from her womb.
The council said it was acting in the best interests of the woman, an Italian who was in Britain on a work trip, because she had suffered a mental breakdown.
h/t mid island mike
MADD With Power
The NDP is proposing a bill that would allow cops to test drivers’ alcohol levels without having any reasonable grounds.
Great Moments In Socialism
h/t Dave S
O, Sweet Saint Of San Andreas
How’s That Hopey Changey Thing Working Out For Ya?
The Affordable Care Act contains provisions for “death panels,” which decide which critically-ill patients receive care and which won’t, according to Mark Halperin, senior political analyst for Time magazine.
“It’s built into the plan. It’s not like a guess or like a judgement. That’s going to be part of how costs are controlled,”