I just received notice from the Town's attorneys putting a hearing on the calendar for their motion to dismiss.
The hearing will be July 8 at 2:00 PM or as soon thereafter as possible. It will be held in the Pamlico County Court House. More detail later.
Tuesday, June 25, 2013
Monday, June 24, 2013
The Sequester - Destructive And Dumb
Have I mentioned before how destructive and stupid the sequester is?
We are seeing the total failure of government. People are being hurt. The economy is being hurt.
I say again: We don't have a deficit problem - we have a jobs problem! The federal government should spend more money, not less, until employment returns.
Do you want to know just exactly what and who is being harmed by the sequester? Check out Jared Bernstein's blog here.
We are seeing the total failure of government. People are being hurt. The economy is being hurt.
I say again: We don't have a deficit problem - we have a jobs problem! The federal government should spend more money, not less, until employment returns.
Do you want to know just exactly what and who is being harmed by the sequester? Check out Jared Bernstein's blog here.
On Weather
Mark Twain once observed that everybody talks about the weather, but no one ever does anything about it.
About three o'clock this morning, the rain began to fall. It came in waves.
When I got up at 6:00, I checked the weather forecast on Town Dock, as I usually do. I found the probability of precipitation to be 7%. It is now twenty minutes after 8:00, and the rain is still pouring down. It is thundering as well.
Something seems to be amiss.
When I was ten years old, people explained any unusual or unwanted weather as being "because of those atomic bomb tests."
Today we know better.
About three o'clock this morning, the rain began to fall. It came in waves.
When I got up at 6:00, I checked the weather forecast on Town Dock, as I usually do. I found the probability of precipitation to be 7%. It is now twenty minutes after 8:00, and the rain is still pouring down. It is thundering as well.
Something seems to be amiss.
When I was ten years old, people explained any unusual or unwanted weather as being "because of those atomic bomb tests."
Today we know better.
Thursday, June 20, 2013
New Web Site About Suit Against Town Of Oriental
Readers may have noticed I haven't said much lately about the suit I filed against the Town of Oriental.
Mostly, I want the complaint to be processed in the courts. That's the only institution that can undo the Town's actions.
In the meantime, there has been a lot of information and misinformation about what I am doing and why I am doing it.
Here is a web site, ncpublictrust.org, that explains what is at stake. Take a look. If you have any questions, you can comment on this blog or send an e-mail to info@ncpublictrust.org.
The site will be updated as new information becomes available.
Mostly, I want the complaint to be processed in the courts. That's the only institution that can undo the Town's actions.
In the meantime, there has been a lot of information and misinformation about what I am doing and why I am doing it.
Here is a web site, ncpublictrust.org, that explains what is at stake. Take a look. If you have any questions, you can comment on this blog or send an e-mail to info@ncpublictrust.org.
The site will be updated as new information becomes available.
Wednesday, June 19, 2013
Oriental Town Budget
Last Monday, the Town Board held a public hearing on the budget for 2013-2014. Not many members of the public attended the 5:30 meeting, and there were few public comments. It took only a few minutes for the Town Board to approve the budget ordinance for the coming year.
Earlier this Spring, as reported in Town Dock, the Board considered a proposal to raise taxes to cover expenses resulting from my suit against the Town. Town Dock explained: "There will not be an increase in property taxes, even though, this spring, Commissioners had bounced that idea around for a week or two. Town Manager Bob Maxbauer claimed a tax hike was necessary to pay the town’s attorneys to fight lawsuits over the South Avenue and Avenue A rights of way. (Resident Dave Cox has sued the Town, saying towns can’t exchange or sell rights of way, as Oriental did in the Chris Fulcher land swap.
"Maxbauer wanted the Board to raise taxes 3 cents for every $100 valuation which would have brought in $63,000 – even though the Town’s attorney has estimated the cost of the lawsuit and appeal could run between $20,000 and $50,000. Commissioner Sherrill Styron said at one budget meeting that he wanted at least a penny tax to “make David Cox look bad” but in the end, the Board declined, in this election year, to raise the property tax at all."
I assume that Sherrill Styron's remark about raising taxes to make me look bad was offered in jest.
Earlier this Spring, as reported in Town Dock, the Board considered a proposal to raise taxes to cover expenses resulting from my suit against the Town. Town Dock explained: "There will not be an increase in property taxes, even though, this spring, Commissioners had bounced that idea around for a week or two. Town Manager Bob Maxbauer claimed a tax hike was necessary to pay the town’s attorneys to fight lawsuits over the South Avenue and Avenue A rights of way. (Resident Dave Cox has sued the Town, saying towns can’t exchange or sell rights of way, as Oriental did in the Chris Fulcher land swap.
"Maxbauer wanted the Board to raise taxes 3 cents for every $100 valuation which would have brought in $63,000 – even though the Town’s attorney has estimated the cost of the lawsuit and appeal could run between $20,000 and $50,000. Commissioner Sherrill Styron said at one budget meeting that he wanted at least a penny tax to “make David Cox look bad” but in the end, the Board declined, in this election year, to raise the property tax at all."
I assume that Sherrill Styron's remark about raising taxes to make me look bad was offered in jest.
Tuesday, June 18, 2013
SCOTUS Gets It Right
Last week's decision by the Supreme Court disallowing patents for naturally occurring genes represents the final triumph of common sense.
So how come the patent office has been granting such patents for 30 years?
One thing the case shows is that foolish government actions can be overurned in our court system, but only if someone complains.
Long live complainants (otherwise known as plaintiffs).
So how come the patent office has been granting such patents for 30 years?
One thing the case shows is that foolish government actions can be overurned in our court system, but only if someone complains.
Long live complainants (otherwise known as plaintiffs).
Monday, June 17, 2013
Tell Me Again About Our Great Recovery
Those who think the economy is taking off should take a look at the following graph from the Federal Reserve:
I think this graph tells us a lot more about the economy than "unemployment" figures. The problem with unemployment figures is the way they are calculated. If you keep looking for work and run out of unemployment benefits, by definition you no longer count as part of the work force. Therefore you are not unemployed.
The employment to population ratio shows how many are employed, an easier and more stable figure. Not much improvement lately.
It didn't have to be this way. We needed to focus on putting people back to work. We have a jobs problem, not a deficit problem.
I think this graph tells us a lot more about the economy than "unemployment" figures. The problem with unemployment figures is the way they are calculated. If you keep looking for work and run out of unemployment benefits, by definition you no longer count as part of the work force. Therefore you are not unemployed.
The employment to population ratio shows how many are employed, an easier and more stable figure. Not much improvement lately.
It didn't have to be this way. We needed to focus on putting people back to work. We have a jobs problem, not a deficit problem.
Sunday, June 16, 2013
Have We Been Derped?
Actually, I'm still a bit unsure as to whether Derp is just a noun, or whether it can be a verb as well.
What is a derp? Economist Noah Smith in his blog Noahpinion gives a complete and somewhat humorous explanation here.
It turns out it is connected with epistemology and also with Bayesian analysis. And posteriors.
It explains why some people aren't interested in evidence.
Paul Krugman has a discussion of derpiness here. Even conservative economists use the term.
As for epistemology, epistemic closure (meaning closed minds) can have real world consequences. Here, for example.
This problem has been around for a long time in human affairs. Ecclesiastes had something to say about it:
"...wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness...." Ecclesiastes 2:13-14.
What is a derp? Economist Noah Smith in his blog Noahpinion gives a complete and somewhat humorous explanation here.
It turns out it is connected with epistemology and also with Bayesian analysis. And posteriors.
It explains why some people aren't interested in evidence.
Paul Krugman has a discussion of derpiness here. Even conservative economists use the term.
As for epistemology, epistemic closure (meaning closed minds) can have real world consequences. Here, for example.
This problem has been around for a long time in human affairs. Ecclesiastes had something to say about it:
"...wisdom is better than folly, just as light is better than darkness. The wise have eyes in their heads, while the fool walks in the darkness...." Ecclesiastes 2:13-14.
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