Steven J. DuBord
House Jet Purchase Opposed
“Bipartisan opposition is emerging in the Senate to a plan by House lawmakers to spend $550 million for additional passenger jets for senior government officials,” the Wall Street Journal reported on August 10. The move to upgrade the government’s fleet of jets was included in a defense-spending bill, but the Pentagon has said it doesn’t need half of the new craft.
Regulations Trap Airline Passengers
The 47 passengers aboard Continental Express Flight 2816 flying from Houston to Minneapolis expected their flight to last about two-and-one-half hours. But severe weather and an equally severe enforcement of federal regulations caused their flight to take about 12 hours, including a six-hour stretch trapped in the plane as it sat 50 yards from the terminal.
U.S. Postal Service May Close Offices
According to an August 3 AP story, the U.S. Postal Service is considering closing offices and consolidating services throughout the nation.
Bureau Says It Will Improve Census Accuracy
USA Today reported on July 27 that the U.S. Census Bureau is taking steps to ensure the accuracy of the next census in 2010. The need was highlighted when a review of the last census in 2000 showed that the count was too high for the first time in history.
Supreme Court Rules for Firefighters
The Supreme Court ruled on June 29 that New Haven, Connecticut, discriminated against white and Hispanic firefighters by disregarding test results that would have resulted in their promotion.
Obama's Walpin Firing Tip of the Iceberg
As previously reported by The New American on June 12, President Barack Obama has fired Gerald Walpin, the inspector general who found out that Americorps funds were being misused at Sacramento Mayor Kevin Johnson’s St. HOPE Academy. Administration officials tried to strong arm Walpin into leaving quietly, but he would not acquiesce. Obama then claimed that he had lost confidence in Walpin and dismissed him, not even caring that it gave the appearance of punishing Walpin for catching a big Obama supporter in wrongdoing.
May Deficit Was Nearly $190 Billion
The Treasury Department reported on June 10 that the federal budget deficit for May was just shy of $190 billion, and the total deficit eight months into the fiscal year is approaching $1 trillion. "Ten Thousand Commandments" of Federal Regulation
On May 28, the Competitive Enterprise Institute released the 2009 edition of their report on the impact of federal regulation. Entitled Ten Thousand Commandments: An Annual Snapshot of the Federal Regulatory State, the 51-page PDF delves into the morass of regulation oozing out of Washington. The Executive Summary of the report is posted at the institute’s website and gives a quick overview of the report’s findings. “Mexico as the ‘Pier,’ Arizona as the ‘Docks’”
“Mexico as the ‘pier,’ Arizona as the ‘docks’ ” — meaning that Mexico serves as the initial port of entry while Arizona supplies the warehousing and transportation facilities — is the vision of John Munger, chairman of the newly formed political action committee ImagineArizona.
Congress Votes to Raise Debt Limit
The Senate voted on December 24 to allow the federal government to borrow an additional $290 billion, thereby increasing the total federal debt from $12.1 trillion to about $12.4 trillion. The House had already approved the measure during the previous week.
