The Locust Years of Increased Government Employment

"From time to time my right hon. Friend lets fall phrases or facts which show that he realises, more than anyone else on that bench it seems to me, the danger in which we stand. One such phrase came from his lips the other night. He spoke of "the years that the locust hath eaten". Let us see which are these "years that the locust hath eaten" even if we do not pry too closely in search of the locusts who have eaten these precious years."
Winston Churchill, Speaking in the House of Commons, 12 November 1936.


He called them the "locust years," and Winston Churchill was speaking about the damage done to Britain's defense by neglect and mismanagement while Adolph Hitler steadily built Germany's war machine.

Locust years: A period of adversity, especially economic hardship, is known as locust years.
[...]
"the years that the locust hath eaten," ...describe the period during which ineffective British authorities allowed the armament gap to develop (those authorities were the "locusts" who "ate," or wasted, those precious years).
--Locust Years: Origin and Meaning of the Expression

America is undergoing a similar time when leaders are allowing the locusts to eat. Though the phrase cold be used to illustrate several misguided policies, one that fits is the increased unionization of the government workforce.

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Originally at DBKP as Need a Job? The Government is Hiring–and How!


From For feds, more get 6-figure salaries:

The number of federal workers earning six-figure salaries has exploded during the recession, according to a USA TODAY analysis of federal salary data.

Federal employees making salaries of $100,000 or more jumped from 14% to 19% of civil servants during the recession's first 18 months — and that's before overtime pay and bonuses are counted.

Federal workers are enjoying an extraordinary boom time — in pay and hiring — during a recession that has cost 7.3 million jobs in the private sector.

It's suspected that most of Barack Obama's "saved or created jobs" were of the "saved" variety in one particular zip code located on the Potomac. The USA Today article goes on to state, "The growth in six-figure salaries has pushed the average federal worker's pay to $71,206, compared with $40,331 in the private sector."


Mark Steyn, in Unsustainable had a few thoughts:

Speaking of roads, I see that, according to USA Today, when the economic downturn began, the U.S. Department of Transportation had just one employee making over $170,000. A year and a half later, it has 1,690.

Happy days are here again!

Did you get your pay raise this year? What’s that, you don’t work for the government? Yes, you do, one way or another. Good luck relying on Obama, Pelosi, Frank, and the other Emirs of Kleptocristan “taking action” to “resolve” that. In the last month, the cost of insuring Greece’s sovereign debt against default has doubled. Spain and Portugal are headed the same way. When you binge-spend at the Greek level in a democratic state, there aren’t many easy roads back. The government has introduced an austerity package to rein in spending. In response, Greek tax collectors have walked off the job.

In other words, after a little over a year of Barack Obama, 1690 Transportation Department employees' lives got much better, while the millions of taxpayers'--who made that great leap forward in bureaucratic living standard possible--lives got worse.

"What's that, dear? There's no money in the family budget for Suzy's braces? Well, you know, that's just the price we pay for another 1689 bumps in $170,000 salaries. Government people have to eat too, you know."

In case anyone thinks that those lavish increases in salary were achieved by some sort of slashing of the number of government workers on the payroll, think again. The number of government workers is going up, while the number of regular private sector jobs--you know, the kind that most people are familiar with--is going down.

This graph illustrates one problem.



While the number of government drones goes up, the jobs that allows the rest of us folks to pay for their lifestyles goes down. It's on the order of the Social Security problem without the tiresome years spent waiting for the consequences.

For most companies, if hard times hit, they sensibly make do with less people. In ObamaWorld, hard times mean "Get me more people and be quick about it!"

And not just anybody: Obama wants partners in his vision of a private sector laboring for public employees--and bigger government--goals.

Last month the Labor Department reported that private-sector unions lost 834,000 members last year and now represent only 7.2 percent of private-sector employees. That's down from the all-time peak of 36 percent in 1953 and '54.

But union membership is still growing in the public sector. Last year 37.4 percent of public-sector employees were union members. That percentage was down near zero in the 1950s. For the first time in history, a majority of union members are government employees.

And the difference between public union members and their counterparts in private unions?

Public-sector unionism is a very different animal from private-sector unionism. It is not adversarial but collusive. Public-sector unions strive to elect their management, which in turn can extract money from taxpayers to increase wages and benefits -- and can promise pensions that future taxpayers will have to fund.

And those increased costs which future taxpayers will have to fund come on top of all of the other obligations to future taxpayers; i.e., the children and grandchildren of today's wastrels in charge.

Not content to spend all of this generation's money, it's turned with a vengence on spending the money of generations yet unborn.

When the grandchildren of today's political leaders find that they can't go to college or buy a home and that their pockets are filled with nothing but I.O.U.s from the Obama administration, they will not be happy campers.

In fact, they may just wonder, "Who allowed all of these locusts to eat for all of those many, many years?"

by Mondo Frazier
images: aljazeera

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Global Warming Buries Eastern USA

Yes, we know what the warmists will say: it's "weather" and not "climate".

That's exactly what we were saying--without asking for any money--over the last 15 years when they were trying to stifle freedom and impose huge, crippling taxes to suit their cult.



Green enough, for ya?




Chairs fit for a snow couple.




Al Gore: you're extended an invitation--to shovel.



One sent to us from several miles away by the soon-to-be hard-shoveling duo of Scott and Vicki.






by Mondo Frazier
images: DBKP
Original article at DBKP: Snowstorm Pictures: Praying at the Church of AGW

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Nashville Convention Not THE Tea Party Convention

NASHVILLE IS HOSTING "A" TEA PARTY CONVENTION,
NOT "THE" TEA PARTY CONVENTION

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WHY DBKP ISN'T IN NASHVILLE

The group, Tea Party Nation held a convention this weekend in Nashville and I'm not there.

How can this be? I'm conservative, in the "new media" and a supporter of the Tea Party movement. How did it come to pass that I'm at home while a mediafest seems to have broken out in the Volunteer State?

I guess I can mark it down to "poor communications." When I first learned, in December, that "The Tea Party" was having a national convention, I was initially excited: a get-together of people who believed in limited government gathered in one place within an eight-hour drive. What luck!

I emailed Sherry Phillips, at the Tea Party Nation website and waited.

And waited. Not hearing anything, I emailed a second time. Nothing.

After a third email request about media arrangements, I received a reply on December 29 from Ms. Phillips.

Hi - Could you please tell me which organization you are with again?

For general information regarding the press:

We thank you for your interest in being present for the First National Tea Party Convention to be held at the Opryland Hotel in Nashville, TN February 4 -6, 2010. Press will be allowed in a designated section of the lobby of the convention only and will not be allowed inside the convention. There will be no media allowed for the banquet with Sarah Palin. (Bold type in the original.)

I was disappointed: it was hard to see how a convention could be effectively covered from outside the convention. In the meantime, there were rumbles from people who had helped start Tea Party Nation complaining that Sherry Phillips and husband, Judson, had usurped the group.

There were stories of sponsors unhappy and bailing, as well as speakers withdrawing. Most of the tea party groups in Tennessee declined to support the Nashville effort, at one point threatening to protest outside the Opryland Hotel.

There were also complaints about the price of admission, $549, and about the Judson's pocketing of any proceeds from the event.

Some leading Tea Party activists also declined to attend. Philip Glass, the director of the National Precinct Alliance, said in a statement his group was "concerned" by the potential "exploitation of the grass-roots movement."

The walk-up to the convention did feel somewhat corporate. This tea party revolution brought to you by Lipton (joke). But one convention sponsor is a Madison Avenue based website called Tea Party Emporium. At the emporium one can purchase an $89.99 sterling silver and quartz crystal tea bag lapel-pin to "flaunt your patriotism in fashion!"

It was not Glass' sort of Tea Party. "The majority of the people in this movement cannot even afford those tickets," Glass told me, adding that he still wished the organizers well. Glass' group aims to fill local political posts with "constitutional conservatives."

The press picture remained muddled right through this week. First, only conservative press was invited, then others. Apparently, within the last week, the media doors were thrown open--though not everyone got the memo.

The Christian Science Monitor noted that there were 200 media people present--opposed to the figure of "600" convention attendees.

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Original story at DBKP: Nashville Convention is Not THE Tea Party Convention



"Convention spokesman" Mark Skoda said that his group "worked with media that are friendly."

“We desire transparency at this convention and have worked with media that are friendly to the Tea Party movement as well as those that have not been seen to be supportive of our efforts.”

Skoda said of the 120 media organizations that asked to cover the convention, the group credentialed 111 members of the press.

Obviously, I was in that select group of nine who did not get credentialed, though I had to be among the first to inquire. The Tennessean also wasn't credentialed, apparently because it wrote about the controversies between the Judson's and other locals who were forced out of the Tea Party Nation--among other reporting.

So, here I sit, waiting out the snow, eight hours from Nashville.



Which gives me time to point out a few things:

1- This is not "the" Tea Party convention. It is "a" tea party convention. One would hope that a non-profit organization holds a convention in the next year and has someone who doesn't make last-minute changes in their media policies. Some of us are on a strict budget.

2- The talk about this convention's controversies meaning that there is dissension in the Tea Party movement is just that: talk; and mostly, it's just talk from those who cover the Tea Party movement the least and with the most animus. You know, a lot of the press organizations that ended up in Nashville this weekend.

3- Though others disagree, I don't think speaking at the Nashville event will hurt Sarah Palin. She is a symbol of popular unrest with the political elites. One appearance at a controversial event likely won't hurt her.

This convention may have been well-meaning, but it obviously was an attempt by a few people to ride the Tea Party 'brand' to the bank.

That a number of powerhouse speakers attended, as well as a who's-who of the New Media is promising. It means that whenever the next Tea Party convention is undertaken, it could really be something to behold.

And hopefully, more than "600" people--who had to shell out $549 to get into an event that they helped start--will be able to attend and show their support.


by Mondo Frazier
image: Mobility for Independence

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AP Reports More Unexpected Bad Economic News

Unexpectedly: adv, Coming without warning; unforeseen.

THE AP is CONTINUALLY STARTLED BY JOBLESS CLAIMS

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IS IT THE ONION OR THE AP?

Getting hit by a car while crossing the street? That's unexpected.

You discover your mom is having an affair with the milkman? That's unexpected.

Space aliens steal your chain saw? That's unexpected.

The Associated Press reports rising jobless figures month after month after month?

Totally, fully, absolutely, positively EXPECTED.

The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week, evidence that layoffs are continuing and jobs remain scarce.

The rise is the fourth in the past five weeks. Most economists hoped that claims would resume a downward trend that was evident in the fall and early winter.
--First-time jobless claims rise unexpectedly

For the last six months or so, every dismal story about rising unemployment or jobless figures from the government has been chronicled in an Associated Press release that begins something like, "The number of newly laid-off workers filing initial claims for jobless benefits rose unexpectedly last week..."

The continuing bad jobless figures might be "unexpected" to the AP, but to millions of their remaining readers, after months and months of the same-old same-old, they are totally to be expected.

It's gotten so bad that the word "unexpectedly"--when used by the Associated Press to describe something bad concerning the Obama administration--is something of an Internet punchline (Guess what rose “unexpectedly”?).

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AP JOKE TIME!

JOKES YOU CAN USE NEXT TIME YOU SEE AN AP STORY ABOUT "UNEXPECTED" JOBLESS FIGURES

"Knock knock."

"Who's there?"

"Dude, I totally expected you to say that."
---

A cowboy, an astronaut and a fisherman go into a bar. Bartender asks them, "What'll you have?"

They unexpectedly order different drinks.
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What's the difference between Pravda and the AP?

One's a government mouthpiece that transparently manipulates stories and news in an attempt to deceive the unwitting and the other's a Russian newspaper.


Increasingly, the AP is becoming like a poor man's Onion.

What would be truly unexpected would be for the AP to do a story without using the word "unexpected" to describe more bad unemployment news.

They're becoming like that guy in your office who keeps humming the same song over and over and over and over....

You know who you are.


by Mondo Frazier
image: Wrens Nest Online
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Why is S663 Thank You WWII Merchant Mariners Bill Bottle Up by Sen Akaka?

Over 243,000 men served in the U.S. Merchant Marine during World War II. The Merchant Mariners suffered the highest casualty rate of any branch of the U.S. Armed Services during the war. Of those 243,000 men who served, 21,521 are officially listed as died, missing in action or wounded: a casualty rate of almost 4%.

The Merchant Mariners ferried men, supplies and war materials across an Atlantic filled with German U-boats and across a Pacific that was controlled and patrolled by the Japanese Navy. At times, the Mariners were caught in the fighting and took up arms in battle against the Japanese.

After the war was over, these men, like other veterans that had served their country, returned home. However, unlike other veterans, they received no GI Bill benefits--or any other recognition. Mariners were denied the following benefits which other services received:

* 52 weeks unemployment benefit at $20 per week
* Free college education, which led to higher earning capacity during their lifetime
* Low-interest, low-down-payment home loans
* Disability benefits for life (mariners who were totally disabled received a maximum of $7,500)
* Veteran Affairs medical benefits for life
* Job preferences for veterans
* Priority for small business loans
* Shopping savings at PX (post exchange)
* Mustering out pay
* Priority for purchase of surplus government equipment
* World War II mariners, many of whom were high school dropouts, never recovered economically from the sacrifices they made for their country.

In July 2007, the House of Representatives considered a bill to help correct this oversight. It would pay surviving members of the U.S. Merchant Mariners a $1000/month benefit. The bill passed by a voice vote without a single dissent.

What a nice recognition from a nation that they had served. Finally, these men would be recognized.

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SENATOR Daniel Akaka(D-HI) BOTTLES UP BILL

But the recognition and the belated $1000/month benefit to the few surviving Mariners, most now in their 80s and 90s (average age: 84) was not to be. How could such a common-sense bill not pass?

H.R. 23 Passed House by voice vote on May 12, 2009. The Senate Bill S.663 has 60 co-sponsors.

The reason this bill has not passed is because Senator Daniel Akaka, chairman of the Senate Veterans Affairs Committee has refused to allow this bill to come to a vote. If he allows it to be brought to a vote, it will pass easily.

The question remains: why is Senator Akaka blocking this bill?

Other senators who are on this committee: Jay Rockefeller (D-WV), Patty Murray (D-WA), Sherrod Brown (D-OH), Jim Webb (D-VA), John Tester (MT), Mark Begich (D-AK), Roland Burris (D-IL), Arlen Specter (D-PA), Bernie Sanders (I-VT), Richard Burr (R-NC), Lindsey Graham (R-SC), Johnny Isakson (R-GA), Roger Wicker (R-MS) and Mike Johanns (R-NE).

Both Senators Akaka and Rockefeller's offices have declined to comment, despite repeated attempts to elicit a statement. We were told that "someone would call us back."

We're still waiting.

As are the dwindling number of surviving Merchant Mariners. Our wait hasn't been as long as those veterans have been: WWII has been over for 55 years.

What is Senator Akaka waiting for? Are there any other members of the committee who are concerned that every day they stall, more of these men are passing away?r

Sadly, we do not know.

Do readers think Akaka is doing his best to ensure that the Merchant Mariners remain the Forgotten Branch of the Service?

Senator Akaka's official website contains no mention on the front page of S.663. Lots of other stories, but no S.663, even though this bill has been stalled in his committee since last March.

Why won't Senator Akaka act?

Questions, questions, questions.

Questions only the Senator can answer.



The following are a few comments from relatives of Mariners who served in WWII.

From House OKs bill to pay WWII Merchant Marines $1,000 a month:

My wife's step father is 78 years old. He served in the Merchant Marines during WWII from the time he was age 15 to the end of WWII. He went into the Marines and served in the Korean War.

I work as an Actuary for an insuarnce Company. Because of the high average age of current surviving Merchant Marines from the WWII era the benefits should be significantly higher for the shorter future life expectation and the delayed payment of the benefits.

President Roosevelt had intended to do something to thank the Merchant Marines for the part they played in WWII and he died before it happened.

Why has it taken our government more than 50 years top say thank you? Why is this Bill to give benefits to the WWII Mercahnt Marines stuck in the Senate? Lets hope this effort does not die before the final WWII Merchant Marine survivor dies!!!

Had these WWII Merchant Marines received the benefits that other armed servicemen received: THE GI BILL for WWII Veterans included mortgage benefits, education benefits, and medical benefits to name a few. Senate, please get this resolved before Christmas Recess.

My father served as a Merchant Marine during WWII and since has found out that causually rate was extremely high. When he got out jobs were for "Veterans Only", Houses were built for Veterans Only, thus he was discriminated clearly. They had NO GI benefits yet put their lives on the line making sure supplies were received in Europe and around the world. A thousand dollars a month is a token... but a well desired one.

Ed Grant wrote:
My Dad,now 87 years old, served in the Merchant Marines in the European and Pacific theatres of World War II. He contributed as much any other combatant in his service to our nation during that horrible period of history. It is absolutely imparative that this bill be passed into law for the few surviving MM Vets remaining. My Dad, to this day, has nightmares about the horrors of war he witnessed. It is time for the nation to show these valiant sailers that their sacrifices were and are appreciated.

Sad.

We talked to one caller who did manage to get through to the senator's office; he said that "the senator says there's no money to fund the bill."

But there's money for the senator's other pet projects, such as the Native Hawaiian Federal Recognition Act.

If readers think this borders on outrage--when the government budgets over 3.5 TRILLION dollars for turtle tunnels and wine trains--and want to do something, they might contact Senator Akaka's office (202) 224-6361.

Or they might contact other members of the Senate Armed Forces committee, such as Senator Rockefeller (202) 224-6472.

Click to sign the
Petition for 'Belated Thank You to the Merchant Mariners of World War II.

Since first learning of this sorry situation, this writer has attempted to contact Senator Akaka's office to get a statement. But, this will not be the first article on this subject. Though time is running out for the Mariners who served in WWII, we will keep trying to get through and find out what has held up S.663.

Readers might call on Senator Akaka to bring S.663 to a vote in committee. Allow the full Senate to vote on this bill.

Or, at the very least, Senator Akaka should explain to Americans why he's holding this bill up. Maybe he has a good reason.

The mariners who braved bombs, torpedoes and bullets in World War II deserve, at the very least, the senator's explanation.



by Mondo Frazier
images: Covertress
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John Edwards Affair: DBKP Looking for Scandal Tipsters Again

THE JOHN EDWARDS LOVE CHILD SCANDAL

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COME IN CONTACT WITH THESE PEOPLE ANYTIME 2005-2010?
JOHN EDWARDS, ELIZABETH EDWARDS, ANDREW YOUNG, RIELLE HUNTER, FRED BARON
Tell us about it!

John Edwards, he of the "Two Americas" campaign, has already offered up two confessions: one on August 8, 2008, when he confessed to an affair with Rielle Hunter; and, another on January 10, 2008, in which he confessed paternity of Frances Quinn Hunter--in direct contradiction to his earlier confession.

Are there still further confessions for Edwards to make?

Such as, how was Hunter's living expenses--and they weren't cheap, what with being flown by private jets across (and out of) the country--paid and what money was used to pay them?

DBKP is adding to its extensive timeline of the Edwards' scandal and is inviting readers who came in contact with John Edwards, or any of the others involved in the Scandal, to share their personal accounts of all contacts they may have had; e.g., at book signings, town halls, campaign events, in hotels, at the grocery store, etc.

Readers' accounts may be left in the comments section of this article or, if its preferred, sent by email to mondoreb@gmail.com.

While the information unveiled in two recent books--John Heilemann and Mark Halperin's Game Change and Andrew Young's The Politician--have shed some light on a few of the details, we have reason to believe that some of those details still are fuzzy.




That's why we're asking for a little help from our readers. There's still a grand jury out there and there's still a bit of history to be written in the Scandal. We're looking for help.

On many occasions throughout the Scandal, our readers have steered us in the right direction with a mix of tips, background information and investigative work.

It was a tip by one of our readers which informed us that Rielle Hunter was staying in a house owned by ex-NBA player, Eric Montross. The tip was checked out and proved valuable.

Another reader tipped us in May 2008 to the fact that Hunter was no longer in North Carolina and had been moved to California. Several readers made valuable contributions as members of our "crack research department."

We are deeply thankful for our readers' tips--and now appeal to readers to share any other contacts during the last five years with any of the principles in the Scandal.

Of course, we'll keep all information as confidential as is desired by the tipster. Just indicate to us whether you want credit or not. Our default position is that we never reveal anything about our tipsters.

Thanks in advance and let's see what we turn up!


by Mondo Frazier
image: DBKP file
Have a tip? Post a comment on our original article at DBKP: John Edwards Scandal: DBKP Once More Looking for Tipsters
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