Thursday, June 21, 2012

Liberal Talking Points, and Other Amusements

Privatization can save money, but not how progressives do it...

Last week, the Marxist Merganser quacked:
If you were up on what Landesinspekteur Bloomberg is really up to you'd be debating Matt Taibbi's article on his thought's about privatizing the city's parking meters and how well that worked in Chicago.
This is a prime example of the intellectual flabbiness of the left. Ordinarily smart people like Ducky read something, partially digest it, and run off screaming whatever half-baked propaganda lesson they think they got from it. 

I went to Tabbi the Hissing Cat’s article expecting an anti-libertarian, anti-privatization diatribe. Instead, I read a thoughtful piece on how short-sighted and desperate progressive governments can be.
A New York parking meter deal, like the Chicago deal, would be a perfect example of the deeply cynical short-term thinking of many American politicians these days. These deals involve a sitting executive selling off a valuable piece of city property at a steep discount to private financial interests (often, to friends or campaign contributors), in order to solve a current cash flow problem that, surprise, surprise, will still be there the year after you finish spending the proceeds of your sale.
In Chicago’s case, Mayor Richard Daley sold 75 years of meter revenue – worth an estimated $5 billion – for $1.2 billion. So he gets 20 cents on the dollar for the city’s parking meters in 2008, and then in 2009 the city still has a budget problem that’s now worse, because there’s no parking meter revenue anymore, ever.
[...] In some Chicago neighborhoods, the meter rates went from .25 cents an hour to $1 an hour in the first year of the deal, and then to $1.20 after that. (Taibbi – Rolling Stone)
When cornered, the rats will eat their own children. We should learn a few lessons from that. First, do not put progressives in charge of anything larger than their own lives or their own voluntary collectives. The larger lesson we should learn is to never take at face value anything a lefty says.

The Progressive State is Eating Itself

See, the economic object of something like a parking meter, a gas tax, or a fishing license, is to collect money for an activity from the groups of people that do those activities, like parking, driving on our roads or fishing in government lakes and streams. It makes sense. But the progressive government model has eaten the seed corn, the inheritance is gone, and they’ve got to hock the family china and silver, as well as sell off some of the family businesses, just to maintain their outrageously generous lifestyle.

Privatization makes sense for, say, trash collection, reducing the payroll and getting the city out of the business of maintaining a fleet of trucks. The same could apply to outsourcing parking meter operations to increase efficiency and save taxpayers money. But that’s not why they did it in Chicago, and it’s not why New York is doing it. 

They’re doing it because they are junkies who need cash. Now.  Taibbi is right. They are foolishly forgoing a future revenue stream for cash today, and they are getting pennies on the dollar. This is a sign of desperation; the drunk selling the family car so he can buy more hooch. This is where pie-in-the-sky progressivism ends up. They always end up running out of other people’s money.

42 comments:

MathewK said...

You're exactly right. Only thing is the bastard politician selling off the farm to pay for a quick cash grab doesn't care about what happens when the money runs out, by then, he's long gone it's the new guys fault.

Information You Deserve said...

The Progressive critics of the Bush administration, who are always there to Blame Bush for every failure of Obama's seem to be missing in action, and very silent these days. And they seem to be totally ignoring the Executive Privilege order issued in the “Fast and Furious” scandal at the Justice Department.
You never ever mentioned the murder of Brian Terry, a Border Patrol agent gunned down by Mexican criminals.
What is President Obama hiding?
Obama has been caught lying again and again. And what truly surprises me is the fact the American people aren't up in arms over all this as they were over WaterGate!
This might be the mother of all Bull Crap!
By invoking executive privilege ,Obama is just about acknowledging that his attorney general was full crap all along.
Are we talking about about Obamas dismal record?...no.

Are we talking about Obamas dismal economy?...no.

Are we talking about Obamas dismal foreign policy?...no.

Are we talking about RACE? ... no

We're talking about a subject that Obama has kept on the shelf and brought to the fore at a time and place of his choosing and will continue through the election..

And please correct me if I'm wrong, but 2 US agents have been murdered with Holder's weapons, didn't they!!.
Nobody died in Watergate.

Woodward & Bernstein, where are you now?
It is just very sad for the country to have such a man in our White House!

Ducky's here said...

See, where you fall down and go boom Silver (and you spend a lot of time on your ass) is assuming that the likes of Bloomberg and Daley are progressive.

Ducky's here said...

Taibbi responds to critics

Information You Deserve said...

"The problem with Socialism is that one eventually runs out of other people’s money"

Margaret Thatcher.

Anonymous said...

It's the old game of kick the can and pass the problem pff to the future.

I read a whike back that Rahm Enmanuel, Chicago Mayor and Onama's left-hand man, thinks he will be ready to make a run for the White House in 2016. Oh joy!

Anonymous said...

Look how much Obama has strayed from American traditions, laws and mores. How much more will he do if given a second term. In my opinion he will create chaos, declare martial law, suspend elections and end presidential term limits. I think he has called his appointees " CZARS" to get us used to hearing the term and in the end become THE czar ! As he likes to say " WE CAN'T WAIT"

By ourselves we can do nothing, together we can do what is necessary to turn the country back to American principles. If nothing else we have to work with organizations with money and moral support and vocal support to see that this president is not re-elected. . Otherwise prepare yourself to answer the question; " WHAT DID YOU DO WHILE THE COUNTRY WAS BEING STOLEN”

Thersites said...

Don't worry duckmeister. Soon "progressive politicans" will be auctioning off and renting out pieces of the "general intellect" just like you did the "public airwaves".

They didn't build the internet for it to remain a wild wild west, did they?

Thersites said...

Comining to an Apple App Store near you...

Mechanical Engineer 3.0 and the Electrical Engineer 2.5 Beta.

Silverfiddle said...

See, where you fall down and go boom Silver (and you spend a lot of time on your ass) is assuming that the likes of Bloomberg and Daley are progressive.

You're delusional.

They fit the very definition, Ducky. There is nothing conservative or libertarian about these petty, dictatorial potentates.

I heartily agree with Matt Taibbi's article. I totally disagree with and completely repudiate your distorted skew of it.

You're busted and hoist of your own lefty petard.

Bunkerville said...

Meter revenue is small change compared to the sale of many of our highways- some to foreign entities in return for the same idiotic progressive logic. Rendell tried to do it in PA but the gopers didn't take the offer.

skudrunner said...

The contempt against Holder by the GOP is a hate attack because Holder is for upholding the law. He believes everyone has the right to vote, even the dead, never waste a good crisis, killing a DEA agent is a small price to pay for eliminating all of those law abiding citizens from owning guns.

This contempt will take away from the job Holder is charged to do and that is sue states for cleaning up their voters list and sue states for enforcing immigration laws.

The GOP just does not want him to do his job and that is all there is to this republican lead contempt charge.

Jersey McJones said...

Silver, there's nothing progressive, or liberal, or socialist about what Daley did. It's a sleazy, sleazy, sleazy argument. It's like saying, "Well, that guy who raped that little kid is a Christian! See how Christians rape children!!!"

For Christ's sake man, argue honestly.

Very disappointing.

JMJ

Silverfiddle said...

Daley and the entire Democrat Political Machine constitute a corrupt Crony organization presiding over a progressive governing model.

The progressive model is collapsing under the weight of its enormous debt.

You disappointment is misplaced.

Jersey McJones said...

Bullshit.

There's NOTHING progressive about any of that.

Just because someone says they are "progressive" or "liberal" or a "Democrat" does NOT mean everything they do fits those labels!

God, man. What is with you? Do you really believe labels mean that much?

It's like when we talk about the history of abortion, and you whip out the Didache, as if every Christian since the beginning of the Church completely and totally adhered to that document! It's a FUCKING DOCUMENT.

How is selling off fee collection "progressive?" It's CONSERVATIVE. It's what CONSERVATIVES DO. All the time! And it most often has lousy results.

JMJ

Silverfiddle said...

A simple test:

Who do the mayors of those cities and their constituents voter for?

Democrats or Republicans?

Case closed.

Jersey McJones said...

Silver, why can't you separate reality from labels?

JMJ

Z said...

SF: Talk about liberal talking points; I SO wish you could have seen Carney's press briefing this morning.
I've never seen a WH so witheringly dismissive to the Right and the way Carney treated Ed Henry of FOX was astonishing "We know that YOUR network WOULD want to know that..".
He even said they had turned in all the pertinent paperwork! You just wouldn't have believed it. I'm convinced that the talking points are going to be said, lies or not, knowing that nobody's going to correct them.
Pravda...welcome to the States.

Silverfiddle said...

The reality is that these people consistently vote liberal, and they are now selling off the good china because they are cash starved.

Silverfiddle said...

Z: This is a prelude the narrative the left will bombard us with all year. It's all the GOP's fault, those wathcally wepubwicans are purposely damaging the economy and blaming Obama, they are playing politics, bla bla bla...

Obummer and the Pelosicrats cannot run on their record, so they do the fear and smear dance...

skudrunner said...

Keeping the economy down is something BHO needs no help with and can take all the credit.

The leftists had four years of democrat control prior to 2010 and they still blame the GOP for all the country's faults. Dodd, Frank, and the brilliant Waters fought for sub prime loans and when they failed, it was the republicans fault.

Now Polosi wants to blame the republicans because they believe on the living should vote and how dare they purge the voting records.

We need to accept the Chicago way, vote early, vote often

FreeThinke said...

You described and analyzed it very well in today's article, SilverFiddle. The so-called Progressive or Liberal modus operandi is destructive of everything it comes to dominate –– even itself.

It's like trying to operate a farm by eating up whatever might be left of last year's crop, then slaughtering the dairy cows one-by-one and butchering them for their meat, then chopping off the heads of the egg-laying hens one-by-one to stew or roast them, then the old red rooster, and finally eating up all the products of home canning from past years jar by jar -- all the while failing to plant and tend any new crops, purchase any new livestock, replace the laying hens, or buy so much as a sack of meal to make porridge with.

Winter comes, there's no food, no energy with which to chop wood or fetch water from the well down the hill, so EVERYBODY on the FARM either GETS KILLED and EATEN, gets SICK and DIES or slowly-but-surely STARVES to DEATH.

Bye bye, FARM!

Bye bye, LIFE!

Talk about STOOPID!

LIBERALISM is a form of CANNIBALISM.

~ FreeThinke

Progressives Are Erupting said...

Jersey McJones, LIBERALISM and/or especially PROGRESSIVISM is j a form of STUPIDITY,just think oft the people who hang around on the Blog you hang out at.. they are all a bunch of Obama lackeys. .
Progressiveness is a step to the path of Marxism/Communism. They are all LEFTIST. They are all peas in a pod. .Take your head out of the sand and see where we are, and have been since before Bush left office? We are literally in the Crap House! And you progressive idiots think we are in Utopia!

Progressives Are Erupting said...

My God, some of you Progressive people spew out more propaganda than Goebbels.

Liberalmann said...

My Conservative Thoughts said...

"Look how much Obama has strayed from American traditions, laws and mores."

__________

Yeah, please, tell me what those are you Fox parrot.

Anyway...
Privatize prisions and guess when will be illegal? Everything! Privatize education and guess how much students will learn about Climate Change at a school funded by an Exxon/Mobil owned corporation.

You wanna be a nation of serfs? Privatize!

Fredd said...

Ducky:

If Bloomberg and Daley are not progressives, what are they?

Conservatives? Moderates? Independents?

Nonsense. Both are ideologues, both are authoritarian gun grabbing nanny state socialists who are tax and spend liberals. Or as Silver accurately stated, progressives. I prefer the term 'pinko' to describe both of those guys, but hey that's just me.

Anonymous said...

Gee, Freethink, you really laid it all out neatly. Your words are too hyper, you sound almost hysterical, but your understanding is just about perfect.

Tone it down a little, and could be a really good writer.

Deirdre

Finntann said...

Funny how the only defense progressives seem capable of mustering on this subject is to throw their brethren under the bus!

Rather than attempt to defend their actions, they disown them. Must mean you're correct in your assessment SF!

That said, as bad an idea selling parking revenue may be, it is well within the rights of city government to do so. That's not to say it isn't stupid.

Cheers!

98ZJUSMC said...

assuming that the likes of Bloomberg and Daley are progressive.

From the same person who calls Obinga, center-right and not a Socialist.

mmm - hmmm...

98ZJUSMC said...

It's like saying, "Well, that guy who raped that little kid is a Christian! See how Christians rape children!!!"

Huh?

Hellllooooo,......

Anybody home?

98ZJUSMC said...

LIBERALISM is a form of CANNIBALISM

The only arguement being: "Where do you want to start, fingers or toes?"

98ZJUSMC said...

Privatize education and guess how much students will learn about Climate Change

Actual proven science, repeatable by anyone and bereft of political brow-beating, for a refreshing change. Hockey sticks will stay on the ice where they belong and photosynthesis will be discussed as actual science, instead of teachers looking for photoshopped images of deniers in compromising positions.

Oh, did I mention grades would improve markedly and child molesters could actually be fired?

Yeah, that too.

Always On Watch said...

the Marxist Merganser quacked

LOL!

Had a lesson here in this household about ObamaCare regs that took effect on January 1 of this year. My God! The hoops that we had to jump through just to get Mr. AOW's cataract surgery done!

I know for a fact that these hoops didn't exist in 2008 as I had cataract surgery that year at the very same surgical center with the very same surgeon. Besides, the RN at the surgeon's office stated point blank, "All this mess is due to the new federal regulations that went into effect on January 1." Lest anyone thing that the RN is a racist, he is an African American.

A week of misery just to get this surgery scheduled!

Silverfiddle said...

Anon/Deidre: I'm blocking anonymous comment soon, so you may want to get a google account. Just a heads up to my faithful fellow Blogistanis...

FreeThinke said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
FreeThinke said...

Bloomberg and Daley are not "progressive," they OPPRESSIVE, but then the two words are in fact synonymous, so there's no basis for argument in Canardo, the Marxist Merganser's vain attempt to make a point.

~ FreeThinke

FreeThinke said...

To Whom it May Concern:

It's a far far better thing to spend inordinate amounts of time ON one's ass than it is to spend one's entire life BEING an ass.

Remember that, and be sure to have it chiselled on your tombstone.

I'll be glad to help pay for the granite.

~ FreeThinke

FreeThinke said...

Thank you, Deirdre. Constructive criticism is always welcome, and yours is probably not without considerable merit, but as one of the stupid pop songs loudly intones, "I gotta be me!"

I'm an old dog -- and a Paleo-Conservative one at that, though I shrink from the term -- ergo, it's all-but-impossible to change my style at this late date. Besides it serves pretty well to keep me connected to the glorious days of my admittedly feckless youth.

You seem like a nice girl -- smart too. You wouldn't want to see an old man dry up and die before his time for lack of a vital connection to his past now, would you?

Anyway, I hope you do get a legitimate ID, and stay with us. I have a blog too, and have no intention of restricting access in any way -- at least not yet. We'll have to se how things develop.

Onward and upward, baby!

~ FreeThinke

TeaBagger said...

Thank you Silverfiddle, I'm glad I found you. I admire people like you who are willing to speak out about this.disaster we have sitting in Our Oval Office right now, and the imbecile who put him there..

KP said...

Thank goodness there is a movement to block anonymous posts. In fact, I am in favor of going one step further and requiring a real picture and e-mail address.

You might be surprised to see traffic increase. I know it sounds counterintuitive, but speaking to one another as if we were across a table with eye to eye contact is a healthy alternative.

In my experience, there are many reasonable readers that prefer that and want to engage without being flamed.

That is the way it has been in my business life and that is the way political discussion is moving.

Silverfiddle said...

"speaking to one another as if we were across a table with eye to eye contact is a healthy alternative."

I sincerely try to do that. I write as if the person and I were face to face. Would I say this then? If not, I don't type it.

Of course it's difficult. Blustery Jersey and Damnable Ducky say such outrageous things that I often respond it kind, fighting fire with fire, so to speak.

You on the other hand, are a soothing balm and you bring calm to the threads you visit. You should be proud of that.

KP said...

You know I respect your efforts here, SF, because I have told you so.

Jersey and Ducky deliver a great puch and they are willing to take two for one here. Sometimes I wonder if they are holding a roll of quaters. What I am saying is that I like the consistency names encourage. In sport, governing bodies develop blood passports. On blogs a name does helps do that.