Huckleberries Online

Wild Card/Thursday — 12.3.09

Posted by DFO

Dec. 3, 2009 5:20 p.m. • 45 comments

On the AP photo wire, I noticed that people are lining up in sleeping bags and blankets to be the first to get to see Sarah Palin in the Hastings at Norman, Okla. I can’t imagine the circus that will take place at the local Fred Meyer when the former vice presidential candidate comes to this bright-red neck of the woods, her original neck of the woods. We’ll be discussing her over the next week as the countdown begins for the arrival of Sarah Palin. Dunno if Phaedrus, Sis, and the rest of our Left Bank will survive intact. But it’ll be interesting to hear reports back from the front from those of you who take your copies to Sarah to sign. Now, I’ll replay the Wild Card and get outtahere …

45 comments on this post so far. Add yours!

marmitetoasty on December 03 at 10:50 a.m.
Maybe at the end of your next 25 years, you might get the candles to go in your lantern :)

x
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 11:18 a.m.
The President just gave a brief speech kicking off his jobs forum that he called in DC. He made it “perfectly clear” (several times, perfectly clear, as he likes that term) that jobs must come from the private sector. He is asking business to do what they can to create new jobs. But, with potential increases in health care costs, cap and trade, taxes and a lack of lending etc hanging over the heads of business, how can they respond to his call? If jobs are to be created, then an environment needs to be established to favor business. Currently, this isn’t happening.
Joker on December 03 at 11:25 a.m.
President Obama should dust off some of the “New Deal” ideas used during the Great Depression in 1930s, cause this sure feels like the Great Depression II - only this one might end up being worse.
Cindy_H on December 03 at 11:30 a.m.
Nothing like starting your day with a hair-raising crisis. I was trying to get 10-year-old Sam out the door to school when I heard him yell, “Mom! I had an accident with the scissors!’
Yikes! I ran upstairs and found him in my bedroom holding a pair of scissors. He’d given himself a “Moe” haircut, ala 3 Stooges.
“Sam, using my scissors without permission is NOT an accident,” I said.
“Yeah, but my hair is,” he replied.
Didn’t have time to even him out. He’s got a couple big Christmas programs next week, so perhaps a buzz cut is in order.
When I asked him why he felt the need to barber himself he just shrugged.
Sigh.
Phaedrus on December 03 at 12:05 p.m.
a lack of lending etc hanging over the heads of business,-Hmoffsuite

And that is the Presidents’ fault, how exactly? Or are you saying that the government, not the Private banks, should be responsible for capitalizing businesses?
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 12:11 p.m.
Phaedrus. In short, it is the uncertainty that causes business to not want to extend themselves and hire right now. It may be the Presidents fault, to a degree, since the stimulus he sold isn’t stimulating. Business needs clarity. In the absence of that, new jobs won’t be created.
JIMMYMAC on December 03 at 2:23 p.m.
On this day 4 years ago, Mrs. Mac and I exchanged vows and entered into holy matrimony. 1,460 blissful days later it feels like we are still newlyweds (well, maybe we are in some people’s books). She is at the spa right now as a small token of my appreciation for all that she is and does. She’s the greatest.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 3:04 p.m.
Congrats Jimmy.

Whats the story with this guy in your town?

http://www.ktvb.com/news/Idaho-man-dresses-as-Jesus-carries-cross-on-road-78452327.html

It strikes me that he’s symbolizing Easter, not Christmas. How dare he dilute all the fine pagan symbology connected with Christmas? ;-)
idawa on December 03 at 3:25 p.m.
seems that a majority of american still support a public option here …

http://www.reuters.com/article/newsOne/idUSTRE5B20OL20091203

yet the minority republicans and a handful of demos won’t allow it to a happen despite the will of the majority.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 3:32 p.m.
Very frustrating idawa. Its the only meaningful cost cutting measure out there and one that saves the government money. And now poeple are saying Dems are going to cave on it.

And no coincidence, the head of the blue dog coalition, a congressman I believe from Tennessee, has stated he won’t be running for re-election. Do they not get the connection? If blue dogs defeat meaningful reform, blue dogs are the first on the chopping block when their base fails to show next November.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 3:42 p.m.
idawa. There are two kinds of people. Those that PULL the wagon, and those that RIDE in the wagon. The latter typically include government workers, union members, teachers (nea), prisoners, and other groups. Look who is riding in the wagon and notice the rest of us are pulling it. When you get more people riding than pulling, you have a problem. We are there, hence, the public option. (more weight to put in the wagon, making it harder to pull). Then, you start to go backwards down the hill the government made steeper.
spokelooneh on December 03 at 3:46 p.m.
There are two kinds of people. The first group thinks everything is either/or, black/white, do, do not. The second group understands reality and logic.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 3:50 p.m.
I want to clarify on my last post. I am speaking of economic influences only. No put downs here at all, but it is the capitalists, entrepeneurs, innovators, risk takers that are the engine of our economy. Small businesses to a very large degree. That is where the jobs come from. My wagon thing is from an economic point of view solely.
Cabbage Boy on December 03 at 3:56 p.m.
Ha, nice Spooke. I always go with
There are 10 type of people,
Those who understand binary and those who don’t.
Cabbage Boy on December 03 at 3:57 p.m.
btw, you meant that in humor right spooke? Cuz, if not, it is even funnier.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 4:08 p.m.
Complete and utter self delusional, not to mention congratulatory, BS. The fact that you don’t see that we’re all in this together speaks volumes.

This is what your economy is based on:

http://wonkette.com/412484/here-are-30000-americans-ready-for-war

And while I agree that small business is a major source of our economy, the battle ground is between mega corporations like the banks, insurance, utilities, completely dependent upon consumers who need to extract as much money from their wallets as the government will allow. And how ironic that they turn to government to bail their assets out when they screw it up. The middle class is getting squeezed into two camps, be part of the machine, or join the poor.
idawa on December 03 at 4:16 p.m.
actually HMO, it was healthcare that caused my brother-in-law, the founder and CEO of a VC-backed tech company, to switch political allegiances from Republicans to Democrats. The current system of employer provided healthcare is KILLING small business, not helping. I know you want to avoid taxes at all cost, but having employers subsidize healthcare (the current system) is an indirect tax either way. He, and a lot of small business owners I know, want a public option. The current system is only a boon to large corporation that get economies of scale in insurance buying/or self insured or for small employers that are in a sector where providing benefits is not necessary to be competitive in the employee marketplace.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 4:17 p.m.
Sis. >> ” And how ironic that they turn to government to bail their assets out when they screw it up.”

Absolutely. But, the companies that couldn’t have made it should have failed. Free market, ya know. But, no. Your guys had to save union jobs, to pay them back for their votes. So, then you take over GM (for example) to save the unions. And jobs, of course. But it should have failed. This government bailout crap is being done by the democrats.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 4:25 p.m.
“I know you want to avoid taxes at all cost,”—and there’s a major fallacy in this Republican argument that lower taxes will improve the economy.

The US at 26.1% pays less tax than any other industrialized country except Japan at 25.8%. Sweden is at 50.2%, the UK at 35.8%, and Spain at 35.5%, for example. Each of these three countries had higher growth (average per capita growth 1995 – 2005) than we did. 2.5%, 2.4% and 3.1% resp. compared to our 2.1%. Also Japan’s was 1% growth. And while our nominal tax rate of 35% for corporations is among the highest, because of loopholes our real tax rate of 18% is among the lowest real corporate tax rates. Yet our economy fails to perform as well as other more taxed countries.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 4:30 p.m.
idawa >> “The current system of employer provided healthcare is KILLING small business, not helping”

I couldn’t agree more. But, wait til the new proposed plan comes out. Your brother in law finds the cost to be a problem now?. In the Obamacare plan, he won’t have a business to worry about and shop expenses. As proposed now, this health reform bill would be devastating to small business and a killer for any possible job growth.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 4:33 p.m.
“This government bailout crap is being done by the democrats.” —again false. I hear about banks being shut down weekly. Wasn’t it Bush’s Secretary Paulson who proposed the bailout? Why yes, yes it was. And the weak Republican congressional counter-proposal was to cut capital gains tax and de-regulate. Please sir may I have another.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 4:33 p.m.
Sis >> ” Yet our economy fails to perform as well as other more taxed countries”

That is due to the administration of the government. Ours is just plain sloppy. Even with Bush and Clinton. We waste more than these other countries spend.
Sisyphus on December 03 at 4:35 p.m.
“this health reform bill would be devastating to small business and a killer for any possible job growth.”—any facts to back this up? And gosh, the Republican plan of doing nothing is working so well for small business now.
Phaedrus on December 03 at 4:38 p.m.
No put downs here at all

No, I’m sure that government employees and teachers and union members aren’t offended by being categorized with prisoners. Or being described as free loaders riding on the backs of “real” workers. No, no offense at all.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 4:49 p.m.
Phaedrus. I meant it when I said I was speaking from an economic viewpoint only. If an entity is ‘creating’ revenue, it is a positive for the economy. Everything else is ‘expense’. Most often a very needed expense. But, overhead still the same. Some write checks, some cash them.
Cindy_H on December 03 at 5:06 p.m.
@JimmyMac: Congratulations to you and the Mrs!
Phaedrus on December 03 at 5:14 p.m.
I meant it when I said I was speaking from an economic viewpoint only.

Maybe we could get a preview button so people could read what they’ve written before they post it and then have to try to explain that they didn’t really mean what they just typed. Not in so many words, actually.

Hmoffsuite, I believe you meant it from an economic perspective, but I also believe most people in the categories you mentioned would be offended by the way in which you tried explaining your theory.
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 5:24 p.m.
No offense intended, whatsoever, Phaedrus. That is just how things work. Profit is the gasoline that runs the engine. It is not a dirty word and is necessary to enable our economy to expand and grow. That is how you get out of a recession. GDP, remember?
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 5:28 p.m.
Phaedrus. To be fair, I should say that many of those that I mentioned are also our artists, poets, academia and cultural leaders. They ‘qualify’ our society, not ‘quantify’ it. We need both. But, culture isn’t economics.
Phaedrus on December 03 at 5:33 p.m.
Fair enough. But no regret for grouping them with prisoners?
hmoffsuite on December 03 at 5:48 p.m.
Phaed. Nothing intended. Could have been military or any other segments of the population. For economic purposes, prisoners are probably the fastest growing sector, as a matter of fact. Those guys cost a lot of money to keep locked up, fed, medical, dental, etc.
florined on December 03 at 6:11 p.m.
Whilst others share opinions on profound things, I’ll share that I had an early dinner at Santorini’s (yes !!!) and on the way home, a giant, full, white moon was coming up from behind a mountain crest, softened by diaphanous clouds. Life can be very good.
meghannc on December 03 at 6:27 p.m.
Who’s watching Lake City High grad Carson York work the O-line tonight for the great college football program ever? I certainly am. Go Ducks!
Cindy_H on December 03 at 6:37 p.m.
I think Megann should post in English.
Just saying.
meghannc on December 03 at 7:02 p.m.
Cindy, he’s one of the guys who stops the guys who are trying to stop the guys who are trying to score a touchdown.
zelda on December 03 at 7:12 p.m.
Holiday buzz kill. Sad. I kind of liked the beagle in the window ad.

STERLING SAVINGS HINTS IT MAY MISS DEC. 15 DEADLINE

http://seattle.bizjournals.com/seattle/stories/2009/11/30/daily36.html?ana=yfcpc

Puget Sound Business Journal (Seattle) - by Kirsten Grind
Sterling Savings Bank on Thursday hinted at the possibility that it may miss a Dec. 15 deadline to raise $300 million in new capital, stating in a regulatory filing that it “expects the capital-raising process to be completed sometime during the first quarter of 2010.”

The bank, a subsidiary of Spokane-based Sterling Financial Corp. (NASDAQ: STSA) , has not received an extension but expects its state and federal regulators to allow it the “same kind of flexibility that other banks have gotten,” that have missed deadlines, said Dave Brukardt, a spokesman for the company.

“Our expectation is that we’ll get it completed in the first quarter,” said Brukardt.

People familiar with Sterling’s capital-raising process told the Puget Sound Business Journal last week that the bank is likely to miss the Dec. 15 deadline — only eight business days away — but Sterling executives have declined to confirm that.
In its regulatory release Thursday, the state’s second largest bank said it is making progress in its efforts to raise capital and has hired a financial adviser to explore all options, including private and public offerings and conversion of debt to common stock. People familiar with the bank’s capital raise also said Sterling is in serious talks with at least three potential investor groups, including at least one private equity firm. The bank declined again on Thursday to release further details on possible investors.

Sterling opted to release a progress report on its capital raise after receiving questions from a “variety of sources,” said Brukardt.

“We wanted to be as forthright as we could be,” he said.
Sterling, with $11.87 billion in assets and 178 branches in five states, including Washington, was hard hit by the downturn in the commercial real estate market and has faced a pileup of bad loans. In mid-October, the bank’s regulators slapped it with a cease-and-desist order, mandating that Sterling must raise at least another $300 million in capital to buffer against those bad loans.
spokelooneh on December 03 at 7:23 p.m.
Blast from the past:

Posted by DFO at 12:01 p.m. on November 7 Comments (0)

Kennedy fans will predict he wins, natch. No news there. My super seekrit source tells me that a poll conducted last week had Mikey running a distant third with a dead heat between Mary and Dan — Dang responding to comment by Jane Q. Citizen.

DFO: If your super seekrit source is the late, not-so-great Any Mouse, who’s been advising the Souza campaign, I’d hold the prediction at arm’s length. I still remember his call on the day of Clinton’s re-election, predicting that Bob Dole was going to win. I find it hard to believe that Mike will finish a distant third in a town that “leans” Republican but isn’t solidly Republican. Add to that strong bipartisan support, two opponents who should divide what’s left of the hard-line Repub vote and lots of bucks to get his message out, and you have a formidable candidate who isn’t going to finish a distant third.
Cindy_H on December 03 at 7:48 p.m.
Thanks, Meghann.
It’s all clear now. Perhaps you could give the sports dudes a few pointers.
Simple is good!
keithincda on December 03 at 7:53 p.m.
Hmmmmm.

“It’s one thing to be against further production; quite another to slight the folks who are flying them in the operational world,” one source said, adding that “the F-15 pictured was put into service roughly around the same period when Obama graduated from college. It’s vintage.”

http://thecable.foreignpolicy.com/posts/2009/12/02/exclusive_white_house_aides_insisted_f_22_be_removed_from_obama_speech_venue
spokelooneh on December 03 at 8:29 p.m.
Hmmmm, putting in the background an actual aircraft that has served in combat in thousands of missions (F-15) vs. one that has not served in combat (F-22) and which even John McCain wanted to cancel.

Not a difficult choice.
Escapee on December 04 at 2:11 a.m.
People who sleep in sleeping bags so they can get an early morning gander at Sarah Palin are the ones who deserve to have the zippers of their bags tangled up so they won’t open up. (a zipper malfunction?) Speaking of zippers, Sarah needs one installed just below her nose.
nic on December 04 at 8:04 a.m.
My 2yo daughter wandered into the livingroom yesterday afternoon, looked at my wife, and pulled her pant leg up.

“Mom… my knee… it’s BROWN!”

My wife chuckled and said, “yes, your whole body is brown.”

My daughter replied (pointing at the TV) “Look, a truck.” Then she ran down the hall back to her room.

Gotta love ADD.
wheels on December 04 at 8:35 a.m.
JIMMYMAC you never fail to amaze me..You are truly a Class Act.
Liz on December 04 at 9:32 a.m.
note to self: do not go grocery shopping at CDA Freddy’s on the tenth. Stock up before then.

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D.F. Oliveria is a columnist and blogger for The Spokesman-Review. Huckleberries Online was judged the best 2008 Idaho newspaper blog by the Idaho Press Club. And the best 2007 news blog in the Pacific Northwest by the Society for Professional Journalist. Print Huckleberries is a past winner of the Herb Caen Memorial Column contest by the National Association of Newspaper Columnists. The Readership Institute of Northwestern University cited this blog as a good example of online community journalism.