Alternative News

The Anti-Default Pomposity of U.S. Officials

"White House Press Secretary Jay Carney dropped a doozie yesterday: 'We are the United States. We do not default. It is unthinkable for the greatest country on Earth to default for the first time in its history. And I believe that Republican leaders share that conviction, and the President believes that Republican leaders share that conviction.' A denial of truth, sprinkled with a dash of 'American Exceptionalism.' Hire this man! The truth is that default is not something new for the U.S. It has already been done in the past. Prior to 1971, foreign central banks, that were holding dollars, were able to turn them into the U.S. Treasury in exchange for gold." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Anti-Default Pomposity of U.S. Officials

The Nightmare Ahead: 19 US Cities Have More Public Workers per Resident than Detroit

"Detroit declared bankruptcy due in no small part to $3 billion in unfunded public employee pensions as a result of a massive city workforce that kept growing even as the city’s population shriveled, but a Washington Examiner analysis found that 19 major American cities have even bigger ratios of such workers to residents. Here's the report from WE showing the number of residents per municipal employee." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingThe Nightmare Ahead: 19 US Cities Have More Public Workers per Resident than Detroit

Which State Has the Most Self-Reliant People?

"Back in 2010, I put together a 'Moocher Index' as a rough measure of which states had the highest levels of welfare dependency after adjusting for poverty rates. It turned out that there were huge differences among states. Nearly 18 percent of non-poor Vermont residents were utilizing one or more welfare programs, putting them at the top of the Moocher Index. In Nevada, by contrast, less than 4 percent of non-poor residents had their snouts in the public trough. So I was very interested when I came across some state-by-state numbers from the Department of Agriculture showing food stamp participation compared to food stamp eligibility." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingWhich State Has the Most Self-Reliant People?

Small government promoter Rick Perry sends Texas $2.6 million bill for promotional travel

"Texas Gov. Rick Perry (R) likes to talk tough about his small government credentials, but the numbers he’s been racking up lately tell a different tale: according to The Houston Chronicle, the arch conservative’s out-of-state security detail has cost Texas taxpayers a whopping $2.6 million since he was reelected in 2010. All that money has gone to pay for Perry’s security details as he tours the country trying to poach jobs from other states, and from his ill-fated bid for the Republican nomination to the presidency, according to data released by the Texas Department of Public Safety (TXDPS)." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingSmall government promoter Rick Perry sends Texas $2.6 million bill for promotional travel

Democrat seeks to defund Obama’s expansive war powers

"Rep. Adam Schiff’s (D-CA) amendment would prohibit the use of funds pursuant to the Authorization for Use of Military Force (AUMF) effective on December 31, 2014. The Bush and Obama administrations have used the AUMF as a legal justification for vast electronic surveillance and targeted drone strikes against suspected terrorists. The AUMF has also been used to deploy troops to various countries — including Ethiopia, Djibouti, Georgia, Kenya, Somalia, and Yemen — and justify indefinite detentions at Guantanamo Bay." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingDemocrat seeks to defund Obama’s expansive war powers

Man facing criminal charges for swimming across river from Canada to U.S.

"Around 11:30 p.m. Monday night, a neighbor called police saying that she had lost sight of Morillo in the river. Morillo came ashore in the U.S. at Detroit’s Renaissance Park, turned around and started home. It was then that he saw the rescue boats and helicopter. 'As soon I saw the helicopters going by and the boats looking for me, I was like ‘Oh, this is really stupid,’' Morillo told the Star. The Canadian Coast Guard picked up Morillo on the Ontario side of the river. He was arrested and charged with public intoxication and swimming in a shipping channel, which carries fines from $5,000 to $25,000. The Canadian Harbor Authority is inspecting the incident." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingMan facing criminal charges for swimming across river from Canada to U.S.

Federal appeals court overturns Texas ordinance blocking undocumented tenants from renting

"The 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in New Orleans ruled that an ordinance adopted in Farmers Branch in 2008 requiring renters to show legal residence in the country before becoming tenants conflicted with federal immigration law. The Dallas Morning News reported that Farmers Branch officials are unsure whether to continue their fight to uphold the measure. The Dallas County suburb has spent $6 million over the past seven years on legal fees connected to the ordinance." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingFederal appeals court overturns Texas ordinance blocking undocumented tenants from renting

Cop Fired for Speaking Out Against Ticket and Arrest Quotas

"Hanners blew the whistle on the department's tactics and was eventually fired for refusing to comply and keep quiet. He says that each officer was required to make 100 contacts each month, which included tickets, arrests, field interviews, and warnings. This equates to 72,000 contacts a year in a 50,000 person town. His claims are backed up by audio recordings of his superiors he made. The Auburn police department declined requests to be interviewed for this story. The police chief singled out by Hanners retired this July, citing medical reasons." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCop Fired for Speaking Out Against Ticket and Arrest Quotas

“Why did you call the police? They don’t help you.”

"In May of last year, Los Angeles resident Veronica Cornejo called 911 to report that her mentally disturbed brother was agitated. Three Sheriff’s deputies were dispatched and, as is always the case when police intervene, things became immediately and immeasurably worse. The invaders barged into the home without invitation, dragged all five family members from the house, and threw them to the ground. Veronica — who suffers from a heart condition — tried to explain that she was the one who had called for help. Her father, Jorge, told the deputies that they should expect a lawsuit. That prompted one of them to punch the 53-year-old man repeatedly." Continue reading →

Continue Reading“Why did you call the police? They don’t help you.”

Reflecting On Traveling Around The World: The Reunion

"I have a career and businesses I can run from an Internet connection anywhere around the world. There was nothing holding me back from anything I wanted to experience. I do remember the feeling of actually quitting my job. The actual motion and fear of the unknown. The uncertainty of arriving at a destination that no longer knowing where things were or how to find them. It is that very thing that kept me tied to my job for so long. If it wasn’t for the fear of the unknown I would have left my job years earlier. I write this just to reflect on how my life has changed ever since I decided to live this new lifestyle." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingReflecting On Traveling Around The World: The Reunion