HealthKare, Corruption, Greed, and States' Rights

National news:

ObamaKare 2.0 promises to be bigger/stronger/harder/more expensive than the first go-round. It is reported to contain all the most objectionable language of the House & Senate versions, plus "about 40 pages" of things the Republicans had wanted. You know that old saw about "beware of Greeks bearing gifts"? Well, this Trojan horse contains more than one reason to be afraid. And of course, since the White House has included all those nasty bits, they can offer to remove them, and then cry foul if the opposition doesn't bend. What a rotten piece of business this socialism is, eh? All we can do is stick to our guns. Our motto must be: "Don't give up; don't give in; and don't compromise."

So good ol' Rep. Charlie Rangel, that paragon of virtue on the Hill, has offered to step down from the chair of the tax-writing committee - temporarily. He doesn't "want his ethics controversy to jeopardize election prospects for fellow Democrats." What a guy! Of course, he assumes that the Dimocrits will retain a majority after said election, and would then return him to his former position. That's something that bothers me, right there: the Dims are making LOTS of assumptions about post-election politics. What aren't they telling us?

Rep. Patrick McHenry of North Carolina wants to replace U.S. Grant on the $50 bill with Ronald Reagan. While I admire the sentiment, there are greater issues right now.

Local news:

One of the local natural gas companies made a boo-boo. It seems that, from 2002 through 2007, they charged the military base 10 times the amount they owed. Then they had to pay it back, to the tune of some $5.7 million. They didn't like that, so they raised the rates on residential customers, to make up the difference. Yesterday, the local paper reported "The Regulatory Commission of Alaska has denied a request by Enstar Natural Gas to recoup a $5.7 million billing error." Gee, imagine that: you make a mistake, and you have to live with it. I mean, who do they think they are... the federal government?

Speaking of possible corruption in politics, a State representative was reprimanded yesterday for implying that he'd withhold State funding from the village of Craig if they didn't direct business to the Native corporation that he's part of. What part of "we're watching you" don't these people get?

Hey-Alaska-Are-You-Listening? Dept: According to a story in the L.A. Times:

Reporting from Salt Lake City - Long frustrated by Washington's control over much of their state, Utah legislators are proposing a novel way to deal with federal land -- seize it and develop it.

The Utah House of Representatives last week passed a bill allowing the state to use eminent domain to take land the federal government owns and has long protected from development.

The state wants to develop three hotly contested areas -- national forest land in the Wasatch Mountains north of Salt Lake City, land in a proposed wilderness area in the red rock southwestern corner of the state, and a stretch of desert outside of Arches National Park that the Obama administration has declared off-limits to oil and gas development.