Monday, June 2, 2008

Elder Statesman

Hey, want one more tribute to the late, great Will Elder? Filboid Studge has one of the best I've seen. Also, one of the best names...with special meaning to those familiar with the works of author H. H. Munro.

• Posted at 6:50 PM · LINK

The All-Important newsfromme Ballot Recommendations

We have an election tomorrow in California and about the only things anyone cares about on the ballot are Propositions 98 and 99. In case you live in my state and in case you're confused, I'll make it real simple for you. We kinda/sorta need a law in this state that will restrict the government's power to seize your land under the auspices of "eminent domain" and give it to some private developer who wants to build a mall (or something else) in your area. This is necessary because of a 2005 decision of the U.S. Supreme Court that made it easier for governments to do that. This was, by the way, a rare time I thought the Scalia side of the court — which opposed the expansion of Uncle Sam's powers to seize your property — was in the right.

If Proposition 98 was just about that, it would arguably be a good law. (The argument against it would be that it goes too far and would inhibit some justifiable uses of eminent domain) Alas, various landlords' associations saw an opportunity to piggyback some other items from their wishlist onto this just cause. They added a couple things but the biggie is that the law would strip local governments of their ability to enact and maintain rent controls. There's a case to be made against rent controls but they oughta be decided at the local levels and not abolished on a statewide basis.

Proposition 99 was written to trump 98. It's a better law to control eminent domain and it doesn't address the matter of rent control. It should pass. 98 should not.

• Posted at 5:41 PM · LINK

Monday Morning Quarterbacking

All the pundits are suggesting that Hillary Clinton's quest for the nomination will probably end tomorrow or thereabouts. Given their track record on such predictions, I'm not assuming that's so. Some of these people could project that tomorrow will almost certainly be Tuesday and I'd think, "Well, maybe it will or maybe it won't."

It also strikes me that a lot of folks have trouble distinguishing between Senator Clinton's right to stay in the race and the advisability of her doing so...and within the category of "advisability," you also have it being the right thing for her and the right thing for the party. These are separate issues which may or may not overlap. Whether it's been right for her needs is hard for anyone to say because no one seems to know just where she thinks (or thought) she was headed with all this. The veep slot? Another role in an Obama administration? A positioning for some other job? Or maybe a route to the nomination that was not discernible to onlookers?

Beats the heck outta me. It's kind of a shame that the Hillary/Barack battle commanded so much attention the last few weeks because John McCain said some really odd, apparently inaccurate things about troop strength in Iraq and it didn't get much attention.

Anyway, the election barrels onward. McCain and Clinton (both Clintons) have disappointed me a lot in the last few weeks, lowering my previously-held opinions of them. Looks like it's going to be Obama's turn next...

• Posted at 11:23 AM · LINK

Today's Video Link

Every time Jay Thomas in on David Letterman's show, Dave makes him tell this story. With good reason.

• Posted at 12:11 AM · LINK

June 3, 2008 • Current • June 1, 2008