June 27, 2005

Easley as Boomhauer

Posted by Joseph Coletti at 4:32 PM

From Best of the Web Today under "That Boy Ain't Right, I Tell You What"

[In the New York Times Magazine this week, Matt] Bai interviews Gov. Mike Easley of North Carolina, who is "is so obsessed with the show that he instructs his pollster to separate the state's voters into those who watch 'King of the Hill' and those who don't so he can find out whether his arguments on social and economic issues are making sense to the sitcom's fans." Easley has a whole theory of main character Hank Hill's political philosophy:

Easley told me that Hank would never support a budget like the one North Carolina's Senate recently passed, which would drop some 65,000 mostly elderly citizens from the Medicaid rolls; Hank, after all, has pitched in to support his own father, a brutish war veteran, and he would never condone a community's walking away from its ailing parents. Similarly, Hank may be a lover of the environment--he was furious when kids trashed the local campground--but he resents self-righteous environmentalists like the ones who forced Arlen to install those annoying low-flow toilets. Voters like Hank, if they had heard about it on the evening news, would have supported Easley's ''Clean Smokestacks'' law, which forced North Carolina's coal-powered electric plants to burn cleaner, but only because industry was a partner in the final bill, rather than its target.

The article says that Easley can do all the voices, including Boomhauer.

Linkable Entry

Protection from Eminent Domain

Posted by Joseph Coletti at 1:20 PM

David Lawrence of the Institute of Government at UNC-Chapel Hill has been cited saying:

The ruling will not affect North Carolina, said David Lawrence, a professor at the School of Government of the University of North Carolina who specializes in local-government issues.

North Carolina law lays out nine conditions under which cities and counties can condemn private land, including those to create or expand roads, parks, sewer lines and government buildings.

Private development is not on that list, he said.

The Supreme Court ruling will have no effect unless the North Carolina legislature adds to the list, Lawrence said. [emphasis added]

On the other hand, are articles that make the following point

At least eight states _ Arkansas, Florida, Illinois, Kentucky, Maine, Montana, South Carolina and Washington _ already forbid the use of eminent domain for economic development unless it is to eliminate blight. Other states either expressly allow private property to be taken for private economic purposes or have not spoken clearly to the question.

North Carolina is in the second category.

Linkable Entry

When is 5-4 not "bitterly divided" ?

Posted by Hal Young at 11:00 AM

Answer: When it rules against the conservative side.

CNN calls today's decision against courthouse displays of the Ten Commandments "narrowly drawn".

The usual blocs are involved, with Justice O'Connor the deciding vote this time.

Linkable Entry

End of an Amazing Life

Posted by Paul Chesser at 09:23 AM

Paul Winchell, ventriloquist, acupuncturist, inventor of artificial heart.

Linkable Entry

more on Kelo

Posted by George Leef at 09:09 AM

Jeff Jacoby puts a human face on the distressing Kelo decision here.

The Stevens wing of the Court is usually called "liberal," but this decision makes it quite clear that they aren't liberals at all. They're statists, enamored of government power and content to burn up parts of the Constitution in order to protect its expansion.

Linkable Entry

'They Call It the Dumbo Case'

Posted by Paul Chesser at 08:50 AM

The Number 1 global trade commodity is illegal drugs -- no surprise.

Can you guess what's Number 2?

Linkable Entry

<< Last Entry