The Hammond Report

I read with pleasure today that the Higgins Roundabout project in Missoula may be delayed.  This is another fad traffic project that will not work. (see Broadway Road Diet)  It is being pushed through by the very vocal and well organized bicycle special interests and those who want to see much less or eliminate automobile traffic downtown.

Despite evidence that it will not work, these projects continue to be forced through and once they are finished, will never be reversed.  (again, Broadway Road Diet).

Because of the MDT schedules and some other snags, the project could be pushed to this fall instead of summer.  Why is this a concern, you may ask?  Increased traffic and foul weather.

And that's bad timing. Schools are in session and students from Paxson Elementary and the University of Montana are out and about. Plus, building in the fall means people might be driving the roundabout for the first time in snow.

Ward 3 Councilman Bob Jaffe announced the likely delay in his regular Wednesday e-mail report from Missoula City Council committee meetings.

«I can't tell you how frustrating this is,» Jaffe wrote in part. «At this point it is likely that construction cannot start before October and will take up to two months to complete. There is great concern about the potential for opening up our first high traffic round-a-bout for the first time in foul weather.»

If roundabouts are the greatest intersection traffic management tool device, as we are lead to beleive, why in the world would it matter when the project is complete?  It's supposed to move more traffic and is safe and effiecient in foul weather, right?  The construction should move forward and it's supporters should encourage the completion in Fall in order to prove the roundabouts true worth.

Instead, whether they know it or not, they are exposing their own doubts about the value of roundabouts in Missoula, MT.

Andy's random thoughts and comments for 6/28/08

• The Supreme Court finally made a good decision this session, protecting the 2nd Amendment.  I'm concerned it was a 5-4 decision, however.
• What the heck is behind Bush lifting sanctions against North Korea??!!
• I wonder what Hillary promised Obama to get him to help her pay off her campaign debt?
• Are the people in San Fransisco still in Junior High?  They are pushing an initiative that will name a sewage treatment plant after President Bush.
• The Democrats have completely messed up the economy since they took over congress.  The Dow dropped over 300 points today and oil prices continue to rise.

Andy's random thoughts and comments for 6/25/08...

• Welcome to the UM College Republicans to the Dextra Feed!
• Welcome back, Scoop Montana!
• Congrats to Craig and his 7th year of blogging!
• I wonder if MTV will accept and run John McCain ads.
• Just because the oil companies have leases on 68 million acres, doesn't mean there is oil in the ground or it's profitable to extract right now.
• Pelosi and the Dems are still trying to silence Talk Radio with the Fairness Doctrine.  Next they will want to follow James Hansen's lead and try to prosecute all the Right Wing radio personalities.

There was a poll in England that showed the marjority of Brits don't think global warming is caused by humans.

The majority of the British public is still not convinced that climate change is caused by humans - and many others believe scientists are exaggerating the problem, according to an exclusive poll for The Observer.

Of course there was shock waves throughout the British Global Warming Propaganda Machine.

The results have shocked campaigners who hoped that doubts would have been silenced by a report last year by more than 2,500 scientists for the UN Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC), which found a 90 per cent chance that humans were the main cause of climate change and warned that drastic action was needed to cut greenhouse gas emissions.

Despite and proof at all that humans cause global warming, British officials still insist it is.

In response to the poll's findings, the Department for the Environment issued a statement: 'The IPCC... concluded the scientific evidence for climate change is clear and it is down to human activities. It is already affecting people's lives - and the impact will be much greater if we don't act now.'

Towards the end of the article we find out that the uneducated and lower class are least worried. They are just not smart enough to understand the gravity of the situation.

Those most worried were more likely to have a degree, be in social classes A or B, have a higher income, said Phil Downing, Ipsos MORI's head of environmental research.

I think they are smarter then given credit for.

It's always impressive when a Presidential candidate can pick up endorsements from Socialist dictators.  His base ought to love this since both Cuba and North Korea are prime examples of how well Socialism works.

First from Kim Jong-Il

The Chosun Sinbo, the mouthpiece of North Korea's Japanese front organization Chongryon and often for the North Korean regime itself, has announced its preference for Obama over McCain, whom it calls «a variant of Bush» and «nothing better than a scarecrow of neoconservatives,» which is a bit odd considering that the Bush Administration's giveaway diplomacy is better for Kim Jong Il than even Clinton's awful performance.

Call me crazy, but who does this sound like?

Then there is the good old Fidel Castro.

on Monday he gave Senator Barack Obama an endorsement of sorts, calling him «the most progressive candidate to the U.S. presidency»

Fortunately for Obama, Castro did have criticisms.

also berating him for his plan to continue the trade embargo against Cuba. «Were I to defend him, I would do his adversaries an enormous favor,» Mr. Castro said. «I have therefore no reservations about criticizing him.»

Despite the caveat, I'm calling it an endorsement.

So that's two endorsements from two well known Socialist leaders. Birds of a feather...

(H/T: LGF)

Talk about presumptuous and arrogant...

(H/T LGF)

Andy's random thoughts and comments...

• I don't think it's a big deal that Obama is not accepting public money for his campaign.  If he can raise enough on his own, good for him. Dammit!
• Congratulations to President Bush for winning two very important votes on the war on terror.  Both the surveillance bill and war funding bill passed with bipartisan support.
• Looks like there may be a war against Iran soon.
• I don't understand why some people think Oil Companies should be responsible for developing alternative sources of energy.  They're oil companies.
• I think I'm going to quit watching the news for a while.  It's too depressing.
• I'm going to enjoy this beautiful weekend starting this afternoon!

Fearing ties to the Muslim faith, Obama staffers barred two Muslim women with headscarves from appearing in photos or TV pictures with the candidate of unity.

Two Muslim women at Barack Obama's rally in Detroit Monday were barred from sitting behind the podium by campaign volunteers seeking to prevent the women's headscarves from appearing in photographs or on television with the candidate.

When the campaign was called on it, they apologized, at least, and claimed this is not their policy.

«This is of course not the policy of the campaign. It is offensive and counter to Obama's commitment to bring Americans together and simply not the kind of campaign we run,» said Obama spokesman Bill Burton. «We sincerely apologize for the behavior of these volunteers.»

We should expect to see more Muslim supporters with Obama despite their fears of the current «political climate» mentioned as the excuse by an Obama volunteer.

The men said the volunteer, a twenty-something African American woman in a green shirt, asked if their friends looked and were dressed like the young men, who were all light-skinned and wearing suits. Miller said yes, but mentioned that one of their friends was wearing a headscarf with her suit.

The volunteer «explained to me that because of the political climate and what's going on in the world and what's going on with Muslim Americans it's not good for her to be seen on TV or associated with Obama,» said Koussan, who is a law student at Wayne State University.

Both Koussan and Miller said they specifically recalled the volunteer citing the «political climate» in telling them they couldn't sit behind Obama.

«I was like, 'You've got to be kidding me. Are you serious?'» Koussan recalled.

Time for a Change? This guy is in over his head.

Obama advisor and leading candidate for National Security Advisor, Richard Danzig, thinks US strategy in the war on terrorism should follow the story of Winnie the Pooh. No, really.

Mr Danzig told the Centre for New American Security: «Winnie the Pooh seems to me to be a fundamental text on national security.»

Mr Danzig spelt out the need to change by reading a paragraph from chapter one of the children's classic, which says: «Here is Edward Bear, coming downstairs now, bump, bump, bump on the back of his head behind Christopher Robin. It is, as far as he knows, the only way of coming down stairs. But sometimes he thinks there really is another way if only he could stop bumping a minute and think about it.»

I don't even know what to say. The terrorists must be laughing their arses off.

According to the Tennessee Center for Policy Research, Al Gore's personal home energy usage has increased 10% in a year.

In February 2007, An Inconvenient Truth, a film based on a climate change speech developed by Gore, won an Academy Award for best documentary feature. The next day, the Tennessee Center for Policy Research uncovered that Gore's Nashville home guzzled 20 times more electricity than the average American household.

After the Tennessee Center for Policy Research exposed Gore's massive home energy use, the former Vice President scurried to make his home more energy-efficient. Despite adding solar panels, installing a geothermal system, replacing existing light bulbs with more efficient models, and overhauling the home's windows and ductwork, Gore now consumes more electricity than before the «green» overhaul.

Since taking steps to make his home more environmentally-friendly last June, Gore devours an average of 17,768 kWh per month –1,638 kWh more energy per month than before the renovations – at a cost of $16,533. By comparison, the average American household consumes 11,040 kWh in an entire year, according to the Energy Information Administration.

I wonder if he's increased his payments to carbon offsets by 10%?  ...to a company of which, of course, he owns.

What a racket!

In the wake of becoming the most well-known global warming alarmist, Gore won an Oscar, a Grammy and the Nobel Peace Prize. In addition, Gore saw his personal wealth increase by an estimated $100 million thanks largely to speaking fees and investments related to global warming hysteria.

«Actions speak louder than words, and Gore's actions prove that he views climate change not as a serious problem, but as a money-making opportunity,» Johnson said. «Gore is exploiting the public's concern about the environment to line his pockets and enhance his profile.»