Our Federal Government has been "shut down" for three or four days due to the massive storm. Has anyone noticed any difference as compared to when it's "open"? :) Don't get me wrong: even Libertarians believe there is a legitimate need for a central government...for national defense, a money system, a court system, laws governing interstate commerce, and a few other things of that sort. But here's what we don't need: $50 million of federal money spent on an indoor rainforest project in Iowa; $26 million for the Harrisburg, PA Courthouse (a courthouse, OK, but $26 million!); $1.4 billion (in 2001) in erroneous payments in the Food Stamp Program; $13.3 billion (in 2002) in improperly paid Medicare claims; 342 different economic development programs at the Federal level, a great many of which overlap; and on & on. [Facts courtesy of the GAO.]
...........................................................................................................
I'm getting very weary of reading and hearing about "Climate-Gate" and the whole Global Warming argument. The so-called "Conservatives" believe that the warming is due to natural causes (such as solar sunspot cycles), while the so-called "Liberals" or "Progressives" believe that it is caused by human activity which produces Greenhouse Gases (such as carbon dioxide, chlorofluorocarbons, chlorofluorohydrocarbons, etc.).
I don't hold a PhD in anything, but do have an environmental education at the Master's Degree level. I also worked for the Sacramento County Environmental Management Department for seven years and as an environmental consultant for a total of five years, part of which I researched and wrote Environmental Impact Statements. Hello!---the probability is very high that Global Warming is caused by BOTH natural events and gases generated by human activity. Currently we are in a natural interglacial warming period, and industrial-produced gases such as carbon dioxide (billions of tons generated by human activity annually) do trap heat in our atmosphere. The percentage of warming caused by each source is unknown.
........................................................................................................
Uncle TOM (Tired Old Media) often castigates those of us who are pro-Constitutional government and thus pro-limited government as being anti this or that. What's good for the goose is good for the gander, as the saying goes; therefore, let me state plainly that those who are for Big Government are anti-Constitutional government and anti-limited government. Both of the above arguments are simply attempts at misdirection and misinformation... and should be ignored by anyone with common sense.
.........................................................................................................
