Homeowner Forced to Live with Squatter

Oh I suppose I could quote chapter and verse regarding the laws involved in property ownership. It has to do with the rule of law. But now that we are living in an ex-constitutional era brought on by our redistributive President, this ownership thing is not so clear cut. Of course this is Detroit. What do you do with Detroit? Bulldoze it is one way of taking care of the squatters. But then, where would they go?

Mayor Dave Bing is apparently working on a radical plan that would bulldoze a quarter of the city — some of the most desolate areas — and return it to farmland, the way it was before the automobile. Any residents still there would be relocated to stronger neighborhoods.

But I digress- October 10, 2012 – Michigan woman returns after extended leave to find stranger living in her home.

Cutting to the chase, it is best not to leave your furnished home for very long. You see, someone could come in, put up new curtains, make a few other changes, change the locks and guess what? You are now sharing your home, and good luck in getting them out.

Be prepared, regulations and the lack of respect for private property means things are getting nuttier and nuttier.

 

 
From: Fox Video

H/T:Economic Policy Journal

Obama’s 39 Taxpayer-Backed Green Energy Failures

Thankfully, we at Bunkerville are well, and appear to have survived Sandy in good shape after a harrowing couple of days. My wishes are that my fellow bloggers fared as well, and prayers go out to all who now have to endure the result of Sandy’s wrath.

Hot Air has a good selection of the pertinent facts of the released documents:

In reference to the bankruptcy of taxpayer-supported Abound Solar last week, President Obama’s proclaimed that “these are decisions, by the way, that are made by the Department of Energy, they have nothing to do with politics,” but evidence abounds (heh, see what I did there?) to the contrary, which was picked up by the House Oversight and Government Reform Committee and released as part of their official investigation today.

Of course, our Commander-in-Chief has found his way to the “Situation Room” for a photo-op, and portray his cred as a fearless leader ready to take on Sandy, not so much anything else. With that, blogging must continue. We hear much about Solyndra, but that is just the tip of his crony capitalism. So lets lay out all that has gone wrong with this misadventure of going “Green”. Here we go:

The 2009 stimulus set aside $80 billion to subsidize politically preferred energy projects. Since that time, 1,900 investigations have been opened to look into stimulus waste, fraud, and abuse (although not all are linked to the green-energy funds), and nearly 600 convictions have been made. Of that $80 billion in clean energy loans, grants, and tax credits, at least 10 percent has gone to companies that have since either gone bankrupt or are circling the drain.

It is no secret that President Obama’s and green-energy supporters’ (from both parties) foray into venture capitalism has not gone well. But the extent of its failure has been largely ignored by the press. Sure, single instances garner attention as they happen, but they ignore past failures in order to make it seem like a rare case.

The truth is that the problem is widespread. The government’s picking winners and losers in the energy market has cost taxpayers billions of dollars, and the rate of failure, cronyism, and corruption at the companies receiving the subsidies is substantial. The fact that some companies are not under financial duress does not make the policy a success. It simply means that our taxpayer dollars subsidized companies that would’ve found the financial support in the private market.

The amount of money indicated does not reflect how much was actually received or spent but how much was offered. The amount also does not include other state, local, and federal tax credits and subsidies, which push the amount of money these companies have received from taxpayers even higher.

UPDATE: Add one more: Another DOE-Backed Solar Company Goes Bankrupt

Heritage: Satcon Technology Corp. announced the decision in a Wednesday news release. “This has been a difficult time for Satcon,” president and CEO Steve Rhoades said. “After careful consideration of available alternatives. Satcon received a $3 million DOE grant

The complete list of faltering or bankrupt green-energy companies:faltering or bankrupt green-energy companies:

1. Evergreen Solar ($25 million)*
2. SpectraWatt ($500,000)*
3. Solyndra ($535 million)*
4. Beacon Power ($43 million)*
5. Nevada Geothermal ($98.5 million)
6. SunPower ($1.2 billion)
7. First Solar ($1.46 billion)
8. Babcock and Brown ($178 million)
9. EnerDel’s subsidiary Ener1 ($118.5 million)*
10. Amonix ($5.9 million)
11. Fisker Automotive ($529 million)
12. Abound Solar ($400 million)*
13. A123 Systems ($279 million)*
14. Willard and Kelsey Solar Group ($700,981)*
15. Johnson Controls ($299 million)
16. Schneider Electric ($86 million)
17. Brightsource ($1.6 billion)
18. ECOtality ($126.2 million)
19. Raser Technologies ($33 million)*
20. Energy Conversion Devices ($13.3 million)*
21. Mountain Plaza, Inc. ($2 million)*
22. Olsen’s Crop Service and Olsen’s Mills Acquisition Company ($10 million)*
23. Range Fuels ($80 million)*
24. Thompson River Power ($6.5 million)*
25. Stirling Energy Systems ($7 million)*
26. Azure Dynamics ($5.4 million)*
27. GreenVolts ($500,000)
28. Vestas ($50 million)
29. LG Chem’s subsidiary Compact Power ($151 million)
30. Nordic Windpower ($16 million)*
31. Navistar ($39 million)
32. Satcon ($3 million)*
33. Konarka Technologies Inc. ($20 million)*
34. Mascoma Corp. ($100 million)

*Denotes companies that have filed for bankruptcy. Full story: Heritage

H/T: Wixom Web

Susan Rice said Obama was not ready for the 3:00 am Phone Call

Here we are in the WH situation room as participants watch the Benghazi workplace violence go down in real time resulting in the death of 4 Americans including the Ambassador Steven. Oops, did I make a mistake?

While looking around for the video of the infamous 3:00 am phone call  what should I find. DATE: March 5, 2008. The ultimate lackey, Susan Rice.  If you want to enjoy a real hoot, check out the full clip of Tucker’s interview. By the end of it one can conclude that neither was or is ready for the phone call. Maybe Hillary set up Susan Rice for her Sunday phone call to do 5 shows and lie like a rug as fair payback!

New York times

Mar 5, 2008

Senior Obama foreign policy advisor Susan Rice says Barack Obama isn’t ready to answer a 3 A.M. crisis phone call.

 

 
Full text of the Tucker Carlson interview. Sheer madness. Knowing now what we did not know then. Teaser: Hamas no, Muslim terrorists yes. Well maybe Hamas.

Supreme Court to hear arguments over government spying on Monday

Here is a story that is slipping up on us. As we prepare for Mother Nature to unleash herself upon us, we may miss out on this here in the East. As for Bunkerville, we are hunkering down, so communication may be iffy over the next couple of days.  Lets hope bloggers unaffected keeps us in the know how the hearing goes. Here we go, though I guess we know the outcome don’t we?

(Reuters) – A debate over how freely the U.S. government can eavesdrop on international communications reaches a climax on Monday in the country’s highest court.

At issue is a law passed by Congress in 2008 allowing the government to monitor the overseas communications of individuals without obtaining a warrant for each target.

The government has said it needs flexible surveillance power to help prevent strikes by foreign militants such as the attacks of September 11, 2001.

But a group of attorneys, journalists and human rights organizations has challenged the law, saying thousands or even millions of innocent Americans are likely being monitored merely because they are communicating with people overseas.

In oral arguments on Monday, the U.S. Supreme Court will consider whether the challengers have the right to bring a suit against the law.

The government argues that, because the surveillance is secret, the challengers cannot prove they have been harmed by the law and therefore do not have standing to challenge it.

Full story over at Yahoo News

Best Politcal ad ever? Obama reaches new low

As if the campaign of Obama could not take a lower road, it does. We have his “Romney is a B..S.er.” in Rolling Stone, now this. It is not enough to insult women’s intelligence – one trick ponies that only care about their free birth control, lets sexualize it more. Mammograms,  babies, now one can talk about Obama’s sexual prowess by innuendo. Undecided voters? Wake up. King Shamus has a great review of what is going on with this. Slide over for his full rant. Warning this is a crude one.

Mitt Romney wants to talk about creating jobs, cutting the deficit and reigning in runaway entitlements. Barack Obama wants to turn the polling booth into a Democrat Party boudoir. Which one sounds reasonable and which one sounds repellent and intrusive?

Let’s get beyond the creepiness of the clip. It was made by card-carrying members of the Left’s great religious movement. One of the most important tenets of the faith is the hyper-sexualization of their Great Super Cocksman. From Candy Crowley to Bill Maher, many progressives are dying to make babies with Barack Obama. Lena Dunham is just the latest liberal to profess her love for the cutest widdle political puppy dog.

E.PA. turns on the cities – storm water tax coming our way

I am amazed that there has been little attention given to the massive over reach of the EPA into our lives by the GOP campaign.References to energy but few concrete examples that folks can wrap their mind around. Gas prices through the roof, and yet no outrage. We hear that there are massive regs coming down right after the election, but here is a story going down as we wait the outcome of our election. This has to be the most sinister part of Obama’s agenda. While we all know that most cities are on their last legs, this will cut the last vestige of hope of any recovery. Unfortunately, one has to pay for the full story at the WSJ, but enough is here to get the gist. I would be interested in which cities are on their agenda.

The Wall Street Journal reports:

Behold the Obama Administration’s new public works plan. Sue cities for polluting waterways and then as part of a settlement require them to spend, er, “invest” billions in extraneous sewer improvements. The White House doesn’t even need legislation to pour this money down the drain. The Justice Department and Environmental Protection Agency have taken enforcement actions against 25 cities over the last four years for allegedly violating the Clean Water Act, and there are another 772 on their list. In addition to imposing millions of dollars in penalties, the feds have forced these cities into consent decrees that will cost their local taxpayers $21 billion. The decrees spell out in detail what capital upgrades they must undertake—everything down to the size of their pipes. The EPA says this extraordinary intrusion on local sovereignty is justified because cities are discharging waste into waterways during heavy rains. Many older wastewater systems include a safety valve that releases untreated stormwater and sewage into lakes and rivers when underground tunnels are flooded. This is to prevent waste from backing up in basements. The EPA has ordered cities to limit such wet weather overflows to four per year, regardless of how much rain they receive or how little muck they discharge. Many cities have already taken concrete steps to reduce such overflows by developing “green infrastructure” (i.e., permeable pavements, rain gardens, catch-basins) that soaks up and diverts stormwater. Such solutions are easier and less expensive to implement than reconstructing their underground systems as the EPA wants them to do.

H/T: News Alert

Michelle Obama’s Afghan ‘Woman of Courage’ jailed 100 women for adultery

Michelle and Barack Obama are out there now trying to claim the “women’s vote”- whatever that is. Apparently they are down to the last segment of society they can scrounge around for votes. First we had to get the black vote to turnout, then is was the “Latino” vote, then Gay, and on an on. Now they are down to their last gasp at division. Apparently women are one issue voters in their mind. Accordingly, to demonstrate not only to what steps they have gone, we have this story, but what dismal intelligence they have. Did they really think that no one would take a look at Maria Bashir? But of course, it was not our media but the British.

Bonus information: Gloria Allred is attempting to unseal records to embarrass Romney. No doubt this is to upset the “women’s vote”. An emergency hearing today. That desperate to get to the bottom of it. The Judge? She was appointed in February by Governor Patrick Deval, from the great State of  massachusetts. Guess we will know how this will turn out. Gloria Allred heads to court to unleash October surprise

Pamela Geller over at Atlas Shrugs brings us this news.

Defender or jailer? Maria Bashir, pictured with with First Lady Michelle Obama U.S. Secretary of State Hillary Clinton, has jailed more than 100 women for adultery in Afghanistan.

Afghan ‘Woman of Courage’ hailed by Michelle Obama for defending women’s rights has actually JAILED 100 wives for ‘adultery’ The Daily Mail (hat tip Jack the mack)

More than 50% of women jailed for adultery in Afghanistan come from province prosecuted by Ms Bashir which holds just 20% of the population

Last year she was hailed as one of the most influential people in the world – a defender of women’s rights as Afghanistan’s only female head prosecutor.

Ms Bashir has been lauded by both Michelle Obama and Hilary Clinton – and she was one of ten women to receive a ‘Women of Courage’ Award in Washington last year.

But Maria Bashir’s reputation is now in doubt after the Times revealed that Ms Bashir is also the most prolific prosecutor of women for Afghanistan’s so-called ‘moral’ crimes, such as adultery.

While Ms Bashir campaigns against abuse husbands, more than half of the 172 women jailed in Afghanistan for sex outside of marriage (known as ‘zina’) have come from her province.

Read it all.

Benghazi Guards Never Taught How to Shoot Guns

I must say I was disappointed that Benghazi did not make it to the debate last night. At least no damage was done to Romney’s electability. That said, I don’t think Romney made any headlines regarding his foreign policy debate. Libya was there for the taking, and we are sure to have an October surprise yet. Perhaps we can get this fine fellow from the “Special Protection Unit” to come and testify. Breitbart, we miss you. Here we go:

Breitbart:

The bottom line — Obama left the lives of four Americans in the hands of guards who hadn’t been trained to shoot their guns.

One of the members of the “Special Protection Unit” guarding the Benghazi consulate states that the unit had never been given shooting lessons.

A 33-year-old individual referred to only has “Ali” was part of the February 17 Brigade’s four-man team guarding the Benghazi consulate on Sept 11. He says he and his team members had received “light” and “theoretical” training inside the consulate from time to time, but never experience shooting firearms.

He says they occasionally received “practical lessons,” but these lessons were never accompanied by the “practical training” that might have left them better prepared them to do what they were asked to do.

Ali and his fellow guards paint of a picture of being abandoned at their posts. They say that after the consulate was attacked in June 2012, they requested more weapons and body protection. Yet they say they never even received handguns “or the weapons [they] requested.”

They weren’t even provided helmets. Full Story at Breitbart

Obama: ‘I Authorized’Libyan War – ‘Writ of International Community Must Be Enforced’

Tonight will no doubt be a pivotal moment for Romney regarding foreign affairs. One can hope he doesn’t get lost in the weeds of words spoken in the Rose Garden, but rather the much bigger issue of our unconstitutional president. Not only did he supersede his right to engage in deposing a head of state, he claims his authority from the United Nations. This is but one example of his unwillingness to abide by our constitution. I can only hope that Romney focuses on the broader issue of his governance by decree.

FLASHBack

“Today I authorized the Armed Forces of the United States to begin a limited military action in Libya in support of an international effort to protect Libyan civilians,” said Obama from Brasilia.

“In this effort, the United States is acting with a broad coalition that is committed to enforcing United Nations Security Council Resolution 1973, which calls for the protection of the Libyan people,” said Obama. “That coalition met in Paris today to send a unified message, and it brings together many of our European and Arab partners.

“So we must be clear: Actions have consequences, and the writ of the international community must be enforced,” said Obama. “That is the cause of this coalition.”

CNS has a good post and flushes out our founders debate regarding the President’s right to begin a military action

FLASHBACK—Obama: ‘I Authorized’ Intervention in Libyan Civil War Because ‘Writ of International Community Must Enforced’

While in Brazil in March 2011, President Barack Obama gave a 492-word speech—in which he used the personal pronoun “I” nine times—to announce he had personally decided to order U.S. military intervention in Libya’s civil war in order to protect Libyans and enforce what he called “the writ” of the international community.

The U.S. Congress did not authorize Obama to use the U.S. military to intervene in Libya as would have been in keeping with Article 1, Section 8 of the U.S. Constitution as understood by James Madison, George Mason, George Washington–and long-time Library of Congress constitutional scholar Louis Fisher.

Article 1, Section 8, Clause 11 of the U.S. Constitutions says: “Congress shall have the power … To declare War, grant Letters of Marque and Reprisal, and make Rules concerning Captures on Land and Water.”

The Constitution,” Washington wrote, “vests the power of declaring war with Congress; therefore no offensive expedition of importance can be undertaken until after they shall have deliberated upon the subject, and authorized such a measure.” Full story: CNS

Author of ‘Presidential War Powers’, Louis Fisher, discusses the impact of President Obama’s actions in Libya. 

 

Iran to cut deal with Obama over nukes? October surprise?

While World Net Daily does not have a stellar record in news reporting, this story is worth a look. It makes sense. Iran enjoys yanking our chain and meddling in our elections. I am sure they would prefer to have Obama get four more years than the unknown Romney who might just back up Israel and cause them some nastiness. Obama could present himself as a hero– avoiding a war.Our peacenik-in-chief’s foreign policies come through just in the nick of time. A Carter redo? Of course Iran has reneged on all previous negotiations, but how many voters know or care. So here it is, think of it as you may.

Iranian and U.S. negotiators have reached an agreement that calls for Iran to halt part of its nuclear program in exchange for the lifting of many of the U.S. sanctions against the Islamic regime, according to a highly placed source.

Iran’s supreme leader, Ayatollah Ali Khamenei, expects a letter from President Obama in a few days guaranteeing the details of the agreement, arrived at recently during secret negotiations in Doha, Qatar.

The agreement calls for Iran to announce a temporary halt to partial uranium enrichment after which the U.S. will remove many of its sanctions, including those on the Iranian central bank, no later than by the Iranian New Year in March. Iran is in the throes of massive inflation and citizen unrest because of the sanctions.

French intelligence verified today that Yukiya Amano, the current director general of the International Atomic Energy Agency, has been given the go-ahead by the U.S. to be ready to travel to Iran and announce the agreement, according to Hamid Reza Zakeri, a former intelligence officer in the regime who has defected to Europe. Full story at World Net Daily