Austrian government in shock as far-right triumphs

Austria's government was licking its wounds Monday after a historic debacle that saw the opposition anti-immigrant far-right triumph in a presidential ballot two years before the next scheduled general election.According to preliminary results, Norbert Hofer of the Freedom Party (FPOe) came a clear first with 36 percent of the vote, while candidates from the two governing parties failed to even make it into a runoff on May 22.Read more at France 24 Read More......

Another Black Swan? Turkey Holds Snap Elections Amid NATO-Backed Civil War

There’s a potential black swan event taking place in Turkey on Sunday and no one seems to care. That is, the media isn’t devoting nearly enough coverage to Turkish elections considering the impact the outcome will invariably have on the situation in Syria, on the fate of the lira, and on the Pentagon’s strategy with regard to embedding spec ops with the YPG.


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No, the Message of the Last Election Was Not to “Get Stuff Done”

In the days since Election Day, and during the coming weeks and months, the message from the White House has been and will be put forth endlessly as accepted wisdom, the lie repeated often enough until it becomes truth: that Americans voted for Congress and the White House to “work together.” That what they want is government action to solve their problems.  This assertion, which is not just wrong but disprovable, serves the White House purpose of quieting conservatives who are willing to muck up business as usual in order to scuttle or at least make a vigorous point about President Obama’s unconstitutional effort to legislate immigration law from the West Wing, among other unlawful acts. But it’s nonsense.

Read more at White House Dossier Read More......

Cast aside: Thousands of votes from our military troops uncounted or missing

According to the Naval Enlisted Reserve Association, scores of military absentee ballots cast in the 2012 Election will not be counted. U.S. Military personnel and their families are outraged: “Where the hell is this country’s moral compass?!” stated the mother of a 25 year old Marine who served in Afghanistan.
 
The military mail service is notoriously slow, and lawmakers have said that it could be almost two months after the election before ballots even arrive to be processed.

“We write to express concerns over another serious failure by the Department of Defense to safeguard the voting rights of our overseas military service members, which we believe could result in the imminent disenfranchisement of thousands,” stated a letter sent to Defense Department Secretary Leon Panetta by Sens. John Cornyn, R-Texas, Kelly Ayotte, R-N.H., John McCain, R-Ariz., Rob Portman, R-Ohio, and Marco Rubio, R-Fla.

Read more at the Examiner Read More......

Stephano: What really went down in Wisconsin

FOX/Opinion by Jennifer Stephano - What happened in Wisconsin Tuesday night was not about an election or a politician. It wasn’t about collective bargaining or budget deficits. It was about something far more important and far more intangible. It was about who and what we are as Americans. ✧ The people of Wisconsin had a choice. Would they, and in turn the rest of America, whose eyes were riveted on this small northern state, be a people with their hand constantly extended to the public trough shouting “give me, give me, give me”? Or, as the Tea Party has tried to exemplify, would we become the people pushing the plough, demanding, “give me liberty,” whatever the cost. It was about Barack Obama’s view of America versus the Tea Party’s. And once again, the Tea Party emerged victorious. Read more at Fox News...

Jennifer Stefano is the Pennsylvania state director for Americans for Prosperity. Read More......

Unions angry with Dems over lack of help in Wisconsin recall

Top union officials are lashing out at Washington Democrats, claiming they haven't done enough to help them unseat Gov. Scott Walker (R) in Wisconsin's recall election. ✧ President Obama has been silent on the race since his campaign released a statement endorsing Milwaukee Mayor Tom Barrett (D) immediately after his primary victory two weeks ago. The Obama campaign is helping Barrett with get out the vote operations, but the president has not publicly mentioned the race. ✧ The Democratic National Committee has been similarly tight-fisted. The DNC sent out a fundraising email for Barrett and DNC Chairwoman Debbie Wasserman Schultz (D-Fla.) will be in Wisconsin for a fundraiser next week, but the national party has refused entreaties to give the state party money. ✧ The election is on June 5, ten days away. Read more at THE HILL... Read More......

Strassel: The President Has a List

Try this thought experiment: You decide to donate money to Mitt Romney. You want change in the Oval Office, so you engage in your democratic right to send a check.

Several days later, President Barack Obama, the most powerful man on the planet, singles you out by name. His campaign brands you a Romney donor, shames you for "betting against America," and accuses you of having a "less-than-reputable" record. The message from the man who controls the Justice Department (which can indict you), the SEC (which can fine you), and the IRS (which can audit you), is clear: You made a mistake donating that money.

Read more at Wall Street Journal Read More......

Fox: Wisconsin GOP Holds Off Democrats in Recall Elections

Madison – Republicans held onto control of the Wisconsin Senate on Tuesday, beating back four Democratic challengers in a recall election despite an intense political backlash against GOP support for Gov. Scott Walker's effort to curb public employees' union rights. ✧ Fueled by millions of dollars from national labor groups, the attempt to remove GOP incumbents served as both a referendum on Walker's conservative revolution and could provide a new gauge of the public mood less than a year after Republicans made sweeping gains in this state and many others. ✧ Two Democratic incumbents face recalls next week, but even if Democrats win those they will still be in the minority. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Detweiler on voter turnout in Corvallis regarding measure 02-74

LETTER TO THE EDITOR submitted to the Corvallis Gazette-Times today, June 4, 2011 by John H. Detweiler

On May 17, 2011, Corvallis voted on measure 02-74 - a levy to fund various programs that does not solve our financial problems. The numbers describing voter participation on the Benton County web site are at the county level and do not describe participation at the city level. They need to be massaged to get participation numbers at the city level.

The voter had three choices: Yes, No, or Abstain. Many people abstained and the levy passed by a wide margin -- by an almost 2 to 1 ratio. However, only 48% of the 27,678 voters bothered to vote. The rest abstained. In other words, the levy was passed by only 31% of the total voters in Corvallis -- an abysmal performance by the Corvallis voter.

At the sub-precinct level, the performance is both better and worse. Some sub-precincts voted in greater numbers and other sub-precincts voted in lower numbers. In the sub-precincts with the best turnout only 32% of the voters abstained. In the sub-precinct with the worst turnout 95% of the voters abstained. The definition of sub-precincts and details on performance of all Corvallis sub-precincts can be found at www.peak.org/~detweij

My conclusion is that not enough people care about local government to bother to send in their ballot -- which is sad. As always, we get the government we deserve and not necessarily the government we need.

John H. Detweiler
www.peak.org/~detweij

Read More......

Ballots due today!

Ballots must be turned in to the Elections office or drop sites by 8:00PM tonight!

See full election results at the Benton County website. Read More......

Detweiler offers more on the Corvallis levy (02-74)

Research and letter by John H. Detweiler - submitted to the Corvallis Gazette-Times 3/21/2011 (Published by the GT on 3/25/2011 as Letter: Passing city’s levy won’t solve Corvallis’ real fiscal problems.

The levy that will appear on the May ballot will not solve our budget problems. Local households and local business cannot support our local government. Therefore we must reduce costs. Personnel costs, amounting to 55% of current costs, are good place to start.

The mean total compensation (salary and benefits) per full time equivalent for the FY 10-11 budget year is $100,000. In five years, the mean total compensation has gone from $80,000 to $100,000. The total salary and benefits increases over this period are: 5.29% and 7.44% per year respectively.

In 2008, the ratios of Corvallis employee salary to Corvallis citizen salary and Salem government worker salary were 1.57 and 1.31 respectively -- higher than I had thought they would be. The notion in setting pay rates is to pay sufficient compensation to attract and retain qualified competent employees. The total package does not have to be excessive.

Negotiations need to be conducted with our unions to constrain and reduce total compensation. And, if we have to take a strike, so be it. If reasonable contracts cannot be worked out, we can contract with private business to perform the commercially oriented functions and lay off employees - foregoing their services -- we can't afford. Details and the sources of these numbers can be found at www.peak.org/~detweij.

This levy, and the ones that will be required in the future if we don't get our costs under control, will not solve our budget problems. Join thinking citizens in voting against this levy.

John H. Detweiler
Corvallis
www.peak.org/~detweij

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Re: Corvallis Levy

Research and letter by John H. Detweiler (submitted to the Corvallis Gazette-Times 3/13/2011)

The levy that will appear on the May ballot funds the lower priority items but not the highest priority items. If the levy passes, we will fund: the Osborn Aquatic Center - the service with the lowest priority, the Senior Center - part of the Parks and Recreation Department which has a priority just above the Aquatic Center, some social services, and marginal cuts in library services - which have a priority just above Park and Recreation.

On page III-13 of the Financial Plans, given to the Budget Commission, shows that the ending budget fund balance is a negative $3.1M. On the reduction possibilities-matrix, also given to the Budget Commission, there are three groups of services -- A-Levy services, B-Remaining Order of Magnitude Packages, and C-Alternate Order of Magnitude Packages -- listed in the order, by group, which they would be cut.

The property tax fund amounts for group A, group B, and group C are $1.8M, $1.0M, and $1.6M respectively. The first two groups (A&B) will be cut for total of $2.8M and $0.3M cut from the third group (C).

If the levy passes, the cuts contained in group A will be restored but the cuts contained in groups B and C will not be restored. Groups B and C include cuts to the fire and police departments - the services with the highest priority.

My analysis of priorities is based on the 2010 Citizens Attitude Study and the survey conducted by Davis, Hibbitts & Midghall and can be found at www.peak.org/~detweij.

John H. Detweiler
Corvallis
www.peak.org/~detweij

Read More......

Reince Priebus Wins Race for RNC Chief

WASHINGTON --Reince Priebus was elected chairman of the Republican National Committee on Friday after Michael Steele dropped his bid to stay atop the party for another two years. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

GOP, Poised for Gains, Plan $100B in Cuts

Republican leaders, ever more confident of their chances of winning control of the House, begin devising an agenda topped by a push for more than $100 billion in spending cuts. Read more at Fox News... Read More......

Rep. Barney Frank: Congress should not bypass the election results

POLITICO/Live Pulse, 1/20/2010 - Rep. Barney Frank (D-Mass.) released a statement Tuesday night warning that it would be wrong "to pass a health care bill as if the Massachusetts election had not happened." ∴ The statement seems to advocate against ramming reform through Congress before Republican Scott Brown is seated and acknowledges that the House-Senate-White House negotiations are likely over. ∴ The liberal congressman said he was "disappointed" in Tuesday's election results—and that with Brown's victory, "a reasonable compromise" between the House and Senate bills is no longer possible and support from GOP senators is now required to move the legislation. Read more at Politico... Read More......

MPs 'snub' Ahmadinejad poll party

BBC NEWS|Middle East| 6/25/2009 - More than 100 MPs appear to have snubbed an invitation to celebrate Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad's election win, local press reports say. ∴ All 290 MPs were invited to the victory party on Wednesday night but 105 did not turn up, the reports say. ∴ A BBC correspondent says the move is a sign of the deep split at the top of Iran after disputed presidential polls. Read more at the BBC... Read More......