Monthly Archives: January 2008

Uncategorized

Lunch Counter Discussion Grand Opening

I am pleased to announce that The Lunch Counter now has a discussion forum area made for current technology. It’s called Lunch Counter Discussion. It has RSS capabilities built-in to monitor a topic or the whole forum. The bbPress software is far superior in so many ways, not the least of which is effective spam protection, to the old technology forum software it replaces.

The Lunch Counter Discussion is open for bidness. Although, the forum is not a business and there are no ads. This is the place for you to opine and carry on a discussion on a topic of your choosing and where others can respond. It could be fun or boring. That’s up to you. But it is a great platform (no pun intended) to run on. Same rules on net etiquette apply there as here.

And rest assured, if you want to be anonymous, you will be.

link: Lunch Counter Discussion

UPDATE: 1/27/09  It turned out to be boring so the forum is closed unless and until there are enough people willing to have a civil debate on issues of the day.

Pensacola, Uncategorized

Cleaning Up Bayou Texar

4 Comments

Referring to this post from last November, I made a point that a local conservation group, the Emerald Coastkeepers, seemed more interested in suing companies with deep pockets and not interested in trying to find out where the sewage comes from that has repeatedly caused the Health Department to close Bayou Texar from human contact. Turns out, they are interested in the sewage problem in the bayou.

Larry B. Johnson, the volunteer in charge of Bayou Texar for the Emerald Coastkeepers is on their board of directors. Larry and I are on the same page on the subject of sewage in the bayou and I have agreed to volunteer to find an end of the sewage problem that has plagued the bayou for so many years. So that’s where I got involved, and now have something to report.

There was a study published by the University of West Florida in September 2006 that was, at that time, the most comprehensive analysis of water quality in Bayou Texar ever done. The Health Department has it for your review on their website. You might need a lawyer and a chemist standing by to assist you in deciphering it. It is very detailed.

After looking at the survey and knowing how many years Bayou Texar has had a sewage problem, I set out to find some answers to these questions. If you have any questions to add, please let me know.

  • Does the Health Dept know which systems are in failing condition?
  • Where are they? Names and addresses.
  • Are any of the properties with failing septic systems within 50 feet of an ECUA sewer?
  • If yes, has the Health Dept taken steps to force the property owners to comply?
  • Has the Health Dept notified the property owners to repair their systems and if so, have the property owners complied?
  • Who is responsible for this problem continuing, the Health Dept or the property owners, or both?
  • Are there any outstanding orders for the ECUA to do any sewer hookups, and if so, how many?
  • Of those hook-up orders, how many of them are on the offending septic systems in the bayou?

With the cooperation of the Health Department and the ECUA, I can report that there are no septic systems facing Bayou Texar. All of the properties on the bayou are on city sewer. I don’t know how long that has been the case, but it is the case now.

Enforcement of codes as relates to sewage falls under the purview of the Health Department. And, according to Philip Davies there, the methods of enforcement they use are definitive and seem to work well. Most often it is handled with a little education to the property owner, and gets into a legal issue if necessary, but in either case, their actions are effective in correcting a problem.

Davies also said that there is a new study currently underway by UWF that is focused on determining the sources of the fecal contamination in the bayou, which necessarily includes Carpenter’s Creek. Carpenter’s Creek, which feeds into the bayou, extends from the bayou on up to beyond Olive Rd and Old Palafox. One quickly realizes how difficult a project this is when you appreciate the size of the area to examine.

There are currently no pending work orders for the ECUA to hookup residents to the sewer system in the Carpenter’s Creek area and no pending actions by the Health Department to residents in the Carpenter’s Creek area.

I questioned whether the dog park on the bayou was the culprit and the answer is no, it is not. Despite the fact that the testing site the Health Department uses for the bayou is right at the dog park, the fecal contamination is not coming from it. They use that site, as opposed to other locations on the bayou, because that is the part of the bayou that has the most public activity.

That is all I have to report at this time. Will report back with a progress report on the current survey that UWF is doing and when they think it will be finished.

UPDATE 01/08/08: Dr. Richard (Dick) Snyder, the biologist responsible for the current study, was prompt to reply to questions I had regarding the study. Thank you Dick for your quick reply. These were the questions . . .

When do you anticipate completing the report? Will the report, or the work being undertaken to produce a report, actually determine the sources or pathology of the fecal contamination as relates to specific properties along the waterway, including rainwater runoff sources? After determining what is happening to the bayou and why things are happening to the bayou, will making recommendations for remediation of the waterway be part of your report or subsequent reports? Is the subject study a UWF financed project or a federal, state, county or city grant-financed project? Basically, who is paying for it?

This is Dr. Snyder’s reply, which addresses every question, in his own words.

The study will be done over two years to incorporate annual variation in water levels. We will try to identify contaminated ground water as opposed to runoff, with the idea that the groundwater will more likely be septic or sewer malfunction. The data will be given to the DOH and ECUA for them to address any identified problems. Financing is from a fine levied against the Target Corp. for contaminating Carpenter’s Creek, through the West Florida Planning Council and with input from the Bayou Texar Foundation, who is providing some additional funding.

So from the standpoint of what happens next as far as sewage in the bayou is concerned, we wait for the report in late 2009 or early 2010. I suppose we can rest easy in the fact that there are no septic systems in use on the bayou itself. The problem appears to be upstream. Meanwhile, residents around Carpenter’s Creek should know to keep an eye out for septic system failures or sewage system failures and report them to the Health Department (595-6722) or the ECUA (969-3303).

2008 Election, Immigration, Media, Politics

Was ABC’s New Hampshire Debate A Debate?

It was good to see the ‘new’ format with the presidential wannabes actually debating. No staged questioners, just the media questioning the candidates, and the candidates questioning each other. It was informative, that is, until the democrats had their turn.

Discussing illegal immigration, a major concern of people of both parties, apparently isn’t a concern to ABC News where democrats are concerned. Why is it that ABC left the country wondering where the Democrat candidates stand on the subject of immigration? I felt short-changed by ABC.

After the republicans had their turn, there was a little gaggle that lasted about 12 minutes. And it was informative and, I thought, useful. After the democrats had their turn, the gaggle was about 45 minutes. Wazupwidat? Matter of fact, during and after the debate, it was hard to discern any difference in policies between the dems on the panel. It seemed more like a pep rally of people running against Bush, who isn’t running, than something designed to inform potential voters. And we still don’t know their intentions on immigration, drivers licenses, sanctuary cities, the border, amnesty, health care, education concerning illegals, et al..

For some reason, ABC did get opinions from both parties on the war on terror. That was good. We can see the differences there. One wants to get out after winning, the other wants to get out before winning. However, there was not one question about what they would do with or about the Patriot Act, or even waterboarding. Last night John Edwards said that ‘we should use every tool available’ to fight the war on terror. That would have to include the Patriot Act. FLASH: Edwards has said that the patriot act should be scrapped. Edwards has said that the war on terror is just a Bush created bumper sticker. But those contradictions from Edwards and the others went unchallenged. Not very helpful in informing the voting public.

On the subject of illegal immigration for democrats, they were mute. It seems like ABC just came up with an alternative to planting questioners, which is, not asking the same questions of both parties and, letting them contradict themselves without question.

2008 Election, Fairness Doctrine, Media, Pensacola, Politics, Whiners

Air America: Homophobic Huckabee?

Post Iowa caucus analysis by Air America’s Senior Political Correspondent David Bender and Mike Papantonio, co-host of Ring of Fire, an Air America radio program, on Huckabee’s performance in Iowa and beyond. In their opinion, his plus is he is against big business (like BIG LAW?) and carries a ‘populist’ message. Their vehement dislike for successful (BIG) business is obvious. Oh, but the downside is he’s a homophobe, that that’s what we’ll get if he becomes President.

Coming from two educated people, well, a reporter and a lawyer. The offending bit of liberal smearness begins around 9 minutes into the 12 minute video. Calling someone you fear or oppose something like a homophobe does illustrate perfectly the far left’s moral and intellectual base. That is why I hope Air America stays on the air. You need to hear them, if only for a couple minutes. The network does have my sympathy. They’re finding out how hard it is to find a sponsor willing to tolerate that kind of stuff, and, a public that wants to hear it. You can count on these guys to bring it to you. Investors welcome, but be forewarned, they already want the Fairness Doctrine revived.

related link: goLeftTV

2008 Election, Pensacola, Politics, Uncategorized

Pundit Predicts State of the Union, And Hillary’s Presidency

Well, a pundit as far as the ‘letters to the editor‘ go. In the Pensacola News Journal today, a regular LTE writer, Noah H. Belew, gives his prequel to the President’s upcoming State of the Union message in his letter Made 2007 worse.’ For starters . . .

The president will not tell the truth when he gives the State of the Union to Congress later this month. He’s never been honest with Congress and the American people. The majority of Americans don’t feel as safe today as they were before Bush invaded Iraq.

I replied to him there, noting that his frustration is typical, if not symptomatic of the political psyche of the left, then responded thusly.

“The majority of Americans don’t feel as safe today as they were before Bush invaded Iraq.”

The reason for this feeling is that war has been declared on us, 3000 of us were killed in this country by the enemy, al Qaeda. But, the majority of Americans also feel alive today because of Bush and our courageous military personnel.

“Any one of the presidential candidates would be better than George W. Bush. We know our nation will continue to slide downward during 2008.”

Bush isn’t running this time. What we’re left with is cut and run candidates in the democrat party, and one cut and run republican candidate. Four years of continuous job growth, unemployment is still at virtual ‘full employment’ levels, and a still growing economy, the federal budget deficit is at 1.2%, well below a 40 year average, even after Katrina and other natural disasters we’ve suffered, including the cost of fighting this war, and the poor are getting richer, makes me wonder what playground Mr. Belew is playing in on his ‘downward’ slide. It must be the same one John Edwards is playing in. Taking all this into account, what will Democrats in Congress do to “fix” that?

“I predict that after Hillary Clinton is elected Madam President, and Democrats are an elected majority in Congress, they will: . . .”

Half the country doesn’t like Sen. Clinton, the other half can’t stand her. Somehow I just can’t see here being elected. Last I checked, Democrats have been in the majority for the last 12 months. Noticed any improvement? They’ve got ‘creating investigations’ down pat.

“• Increase the personnel in our armed forces 35 percent. A draft is unpopular, but it may be necessary to achieve it.”

If Hillary is Commander in Chief, there would have to be a draft just to keep the military at its current size, let alone increase it by 35%. Patriots, who would place themselves in harms way would not volunteer to be led by someone who is guided by polls and focus groups. Our sons, daughters, brothers, sisters, mothers and fathers know what is worth fighting for, and keeping Hillary in office isn’t one of them.

2008 Election, Politics, Race Relations

History Was Made In Iowa, And Ignored

Last night Sen. Barack Obama (D-IL) won the Iowa caucuses for the democrats, the first leg of the presidential nominating process for for the Democrat party. I’m finding it curious that we are not bombarded with headlines and news buzz on the networks about first black this and first black that. This is historic, and according to Iowa democrats and independents, Obama’s message of change was more appealing and perhaps, more believable than the others in his party. Which, on second thought, is precisely why we are not hearing much about it. Hillary is who the media wants.

Barack Obama has already surpassed anything that two other black presidential hopefuls have tried before. He won a contest that Rev. Al Sharpton and Rev. Jesse Jackson could not. But that’s only the half, or third the big story that isn’t being told. He beat Sen. Hillary Clinton, the presumptive candidate and wife of the ‘first black president’ Bill Clinton, by a pretty wide margin. And this, in a state with a black population of 2 percent. Seems to me that in this field of candidates, Iowa is more ready for a black man than a white woman to lead the country.
Sen. Clinton started out as the presumptive candidate for the democrat party. Looks like that presumption was a bit presumptuous on the part of the media and her handlers. And lastly, history was made in the fact that this is the first election that a Clinton has lost since 1988. After her loss last night, Hillary gave her victory speech of sorts. It was full of ‘we’ this and ‘we’ that. Just too funny.

On the republican side, no earth-shakers there. Gov. Mike Huckabee was on home turf in a values sense. And voters in Iowa don’t like what they perceive to be negative campaigning. They also resent to some degree the flood of campaign adds that a wealthy campaign can produce. This seemed to hurt second place finisher Gov. Mitt Romney in Iowa. And to put it another way, Huckabee’s lack of money may have helped him. What?

Politics, Race Relations

Today In GOP History, Ending Slavery

9 Comments

Ending slavery has an anniversary. Thanks to Michael Zak for the following. On New Year’s Day in 1863, the Republican Party’s Emancipation Proclamation came into effect. Emancipation Proclamation While Republicans rejoiced, Democrat politicians and newspapers denounced President Abraham Lincoln (R-IL) for freeing slaves. Demonstrating their depravity, New York’s Gov. Horatio Seymour, who would be the 1868 Democrat presidential nominee, denounced the Emancipation Proclamation as “a proposal for the butchery of women and children.” The Louisville Daily Democrat called it “an outrage of all constitutional law, all human justice, all Christian feeling.”Acting on authority granted by the Republican-majority 37th Congress to seize rebel “property,” President Lincoln had issued the proclamation two months before, to the dismay of the Democrats. Effective at yearend, all slaves in Confederate-controlled territory would be “forever free.”

Ill-informed critics of President Lincoln fault him for not freeing slaves in areas under U.S. control, but the federal government lacked the necessary authority. Within three years, the Republican-majority 38th Congress followed up the Emancipation Proclamation with the 13th Amendment, banning slavery throughout the nation.

related link: Grand Old Partisan