another example of politics as usual

Here is what is wrong with modern American politics.
President Obama has called for a bi-partisan meeting on health care. He wants to get both sides together and work something out.
Seems reasonable enough.
But Republicans are accusing him of laying a trap, or of being insincere ... yada yada yada.
Here is paragraph from the AP story.

"half-day meeting will be more showmanship than substance.
The House's top two Republican leaders openly questioned Obama's sincerity and hinted they might skip the meeting if he uses the Democratic bills as the starting point for discussions."

I understand Republicans being a bit wary, but at the same time they are showing that they are not really interested in making any progress on the issue. They want what they want regardless of how it affects the nation.
They are more interested in obstructing the dems than they are in actually solving a problem.
Now I do want to point out, that dems did exactly the same thing to Bush. Pubs did it to Clinton, and Dems did it to elder-bush. It goes back a long way, but I do recall a time when the acrimony was not quiet so intense.
The gulf widens between the two ideologies and nothing gets solved.
And the cynicism of Americans rises.
Politics as usual.
This is the problem with politics. If either side were truly interested in the betterment of the nation, they would have had this meeting over a year ago.
Here is the entire AP story.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20100209/ap_on_bi_ge/us_health_care_overhaul Sphere: Related Content

This time of year

(Cop notes are posted)
This is my least favorite time of the year. Its cold, nuff said.
It was this time of year that I moved here. Actually tomorrow will mark the 7th anniversary of when I started working at the local newspaper. I came here from South Carolina. I used to think 35 degrees was a cold day.
There was some culture shock coming here. The first weekend I was here we had a big snow, something like 10 inches in two days. At that point I had not seen 10 inches of snow altogether in my whole life, so seeing it at once was quiet the shock. Even more shocking than the snow was the fact that live went on pretty much as normal.
I still remember that first day. Someone had quit the day before, and that meant I had no time at all to feel my way around and learn things at a normal pace.
Also my inlaw was here from California. Also that week I got my first glimpse of how mean he could be.
I wondered why I was here and really thought about hi-tailing it back to S.C. as quickly as possible.
I still wonder that at times.
But the place has grown on me some too.
I am a little more used to the cold weather, but that doesn't mean I like it.
But it is nice to have actual seasons. That was something we did not have in South Carolina. There we had summer and January as our two seasons.
I don't know what will happen now as far as the future goes. Just have to wait and see. Sphere: Related Content

Monday morning

Cop notes are posted. I have also updated winfield and cowley county sheriff notes.
more stuff is coming later in the morning. Sphere: Related Content

Super bowling

Here is a link to a thoughtful column about the super bowl and the ads that go along with it.
The ads have become as much a part of the culture as the game itself.
http://sports.yahoo.com/nfl/blog/shutdown_corner/post/Tebow-s-Focus-on-the-Family-ad-could-change-futu;_ylt=AqUaesmv7jtFHAZFTK_Ant45nYcB?urn=nfl,218119

Good game though. My two favorite teams were playing, so I was ok either way. Sphere: Related Content

My take on the Tea Party

The Tea Pary held its convention over the weekend. Sarah Palin was the keynote speaker Saturday night.
Im not ready to become a Tea Part-ier, but, I think it is a step in the right direction.
It seems a whole lot like the Republican Party, and is very conservative. They are against big government and all the usual things conservatives are into.
Palin was well-received, and there were chants for her to run for president. She could well be the Republican nominee next time.
The dems and liberals rip  her for having no experience and not being qualified. Of course, Obama had that same problem when he was running.
The only qualification for being president is that the person be 35, not a felon and a natural born citizen. So that's not exactly high standards.
 Palin said "America is ready for another revolution."
I think she is right.
I may not agree with the tea party all that much, but I like the idea of a group trying to start a new political base.
This group is basically republican by another name, but still it is a move in the right direction.
Palin also said the "movement is the future of American politics because it's a ground-up call to action to both major political parties to change how they do business."
I do agree with her on that point.
As ive said before, there are other ideologies and choices than just liberal or conservative. Sphere: Related Content

Friday morning

Good morning. Cop notes are posted. You may have also noticed the piece about the new drug dog the city has.
There will be some training for the officer who will be handling the dog, so it will be at least 10 weeks before the dog will be "on the street."
Chief Sean Wallace raised money to pay for the dog. He believes it will help with catching some of the drugs that pass through Arkansas City. Police believe a lot of drugs pass through the city.
Drug dealers are using state highways more than Interstates now.
Ill have more stuff later on today. Sphere: Related Content

AC's new drug dog

 The Arkansaas City police took delivery of their drug dog Thursday.

Chief Sean Wallace and future K-9 Handler Eric Mata traveled to Hill Country Dog Center in the San Antonio, TX. area to select a dog for the Arkansas City Police Department K-9 Program.  Lt. Kyle Moomau, Commander of the Kansas Highway Patrol K-9 Unit, accompanied Wallace and Mata.  Lt. Moomau tested several dogs and made recommendations to Chief Wallace. 

 

With the assistance of Lt. Moomau, Chief Wallace and MPO Mata chose “LEE” a two year old Belgium Malinois (see attached photos).  “LEE” comes patrol trained from Holland, but will have to go through the Kansas Highway Patrol’s ten week K-9 school with MPO Mata to learn tracking and drug detection skills. 

 

“LEE” will become a vital part of the Arkansas City Police Department’s efforts to irradcate drug trafficking in Arkansas City. A big thanks to the organizations, businesses, and individuals that helped male “LEE” a reality, Police Chief Sean Wallace said.

 

Sphere: Related Content

Politics

Ive talked about the "culture of the offended" before.
Here is another example. Someone says something fairly inocuous - or even true - and someone is offended. The media does stir this up to some extent, still, I think its an interesting comment on our culture.
Obama says people shouldnt blow money they are saving for education in Vegas. The Vegas tourism industry is up in arms. Apology offered... anyways, I thought it was interesting.
Here is the link
http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/us_obama_las_vegas

I know there are lots of conservative readers here. I still say i am neither - nor. That doesnt make me a moderate either. Im just an unafiliated cynic towards national politics.

Here is a link to another article that should tick you off. Conservatives yell about some poor guy bilking the system for a couple hundred bucks of welfare ... but there is no outrage when bailed out bank employees get millions in bonuses. What's wrong with this picture?
here is the link
http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2010/02/02/AR2010020203036.html?hpid=topnews Sphere: Related Content

Cowley hoops

The Cowley College women won and the men lost as they hosted Coffeyville Monday night. The full story is on the site, www.arkcityrevived.com. In the photo, Cowley point  guard Ariani Silva drives through traffic toward the goal. Sphere: Related Content

Another newspaper threat

A new bill in the Kansas Senate threatens the already precarious nature of newspapers around the state. The bill would allow governments - city, county and school boards - to post legal ads on their web site, instead of in their local newspaper.
Some other states are also toying with the idea. Iowa has a bill like that it is considering, and perhaps others.
Kansas tried this bill a few years ago, but it fell by the wayside after an aggressive defense from the Kansas Press Association.
Last week it was there again, with the ways and means committee hearing testimony.
The bill would give local government the option of putting legal ads on web sites, but would not require it.
Doug Anstaett, director of the KPA, said "When did open government become optional?"
The KPA is arguing that this is a matter of open government and keeping government accountable.
What it really is about is money.
Newspapers can still cover local government just as well, whether it has legal ads or not.
It is no secret that newspapers are in trouble nationwide. Losing legal ads would be the death knell for many papers.
Legal ads are nothing more than a government subsidy of newspapers.
Currently governments are required to post legal ads in newspapers, and often they are required to buy the ads three times. This amounts to thousands of dollars for most cities of any size. Legal ads keep a lot of weekly papers from going under.
Seems to me the KPA should not be so arrogant in arguing its position.
This is not a matter of open government, it is a matter of financing.
People's tax money is going to subsidize newspapers. Legal ads are a great cash cow for newspapers, and state government is in a position to let local government keep their cow.
Arkansas City paid the local newspaper $2400 in December for legal ads, according to city figures, just to give an idea.
It will be interesting to see what happens. Sphere: Related Content