May 17, 1943, the B-17 Memphis Belle completed twenty-five missions over Europe. They were the first US bomber to complete that number of missions. It was unusual enough that the Army made a documentary featuring Memphis Belle.
Here is a very interesting summary on Brad DeLong's blog.
Saturday, May 18, 2013
Town Manager Steps Down Early
Picked off of Town Dock this morning:
"Oriental’s Town Manager Bob Maxbauer is stepping down June 30, six
months earlier than previously scheduled. Mayor Bill Sage made the
announcement yesterday afternoon after a closed door session at the
Board’s budget meeting. Sage said Maxbauer planned to run for a seat on
the Town Board this November.
At the budget meeting, there were strong indications Maxbauer was also seeking future employment with the Town once his $56,000-a-year stint at Manager ends. Maxbauer spoke at length about a “dire need” for repairs at the Town’s water plant and presented himself as the licensed employee who could renovate the plant with the Town’s Public Works staff, as well as operate it. As such, he asked the Board to allocate $160,000 for Public Works salaries next fiscal year — instead of the $120,000 the Board has pencilled in."
"Maxbauer claimed it would cost the Town less for him to rebuild the water plant using public works employees than for the Town to hire an outside contractor. (Maxbauer made a similar pitch to the Board a year ago about the Town Hall project, which he oversaw and which ended up costing more than was allocated.) At the budget meeting, there was no mention of putting the water plant renovation job out for bid."
"More on the story coming…"
Very interesting.
"Saturday May 18, 2013
At the budget meeting, there were strong indications Maxbauer was also seeking future employment with the Town once his $56,000-a-year stint at Manager ends. Maxbauer spoke at length about a “dire need” for repairs at the Town’s water plant and presented himself as the licensed employee who could renovate the plant with the Town’s Public Works staff, as well as operate it. As such, he asked the Board to allocate $160,000 for Public Works salaries next fiscal year — instead of the $120,000 the Board has pencilled in."
"Maxbauer claimed it would cost the Town less for him to rebuild the water plant using public works employees than for the Town to hire an outside contractor. (Maxbauer made a similar pitch to the Board a year ago about the Town Hall project, which he oversaw and which ended up costing more than was allocated.) At the budget meeting, there was no mention of putting the water plant renovation job out for bid."
"More on the story coming…"
Very interesting.
Friday, May 17, 2013
Oriental NC Town Board Meeting May 17 2013
Strange goings on today at the Oriental Town Board budget meeting, or at least according to a usually reliable source. I'm up in Apex for the weekend, so I can't verify. But keep your eyes and ears open. Will explain when I get confirmation.
Thursday, May 16, 2013
Subleties Of Language
I suppose I have to make allowances for changes in meaning as time goes by. But I don't have to like it. Some usages are just lazy and imprecise language.
Some of my pet peeves:
1. Use of "less" in place of "fewer," as in "he had less choices;"
2. Use of "political" when what is really meant is "partisan;"
3. Use of "investment" to describe the purchase of stocks or bonds. This is one of those words that leads to bad policy. "Investment" is what companies do when they buy new equipment or otherwise improve their ability to make stuff or provide services. When people buy stocks or bonds on the market, their money doesn't increase the enterprise's capability one whit. What they are doing is "speculation."
4. Use of "it's" as the possessive. No! It's the contraction for "it is."
I have more such peeves.
Some of my pet peeves:
1. Use of "less" in place of "fewer," as in "he had less choices;"
2. Use of "political" when what is really meant is "partisan;"
3. Use of "investment" to describe the purchase of stocks or bonds. This is one of those words that leads to bad policy. "Investment" is what companies do when they buy new equipment or otherwise improve their ability to make stuff or provide services. When people buy stocks or bonds on the market, their money doesn't increase the enterprise's capability one whit. What they are doing is "speculation."
4. Use of "it's" as the possessive. No! It's the contraction for "it is."
I have more such peeves.
Wednesday, May 15, 2013
Robotics And Economics, Take Two
A couple of years ago, I posted my thoughts about Robotics and Economics. My concern at that time was that economists, as they have historically done, were discounting the possibility that future technology might replace many human jobs with machines.
The conventional answer to that concern is that, since the Luddites, human workers have resisted being replaced by machines, but other jobs have always arisen to replace those taken by machines. But it seemed to me possible that this might not continue to be true.
Not long after my post, even Paul Krugman began to think such thoughts.
Now Kevin Drum takes the argument a step further and explains why the digital revolution won't be a replay of the industrial revolution. This is serious stuff.
I strongly believe that in the short to medium run we can put many people back to work using economic stimulus to generate aggregate demand. But this may not be enough to rebuild the hollowed out loss of jobs in the middle and even upper part of the income scale. We could try to rebuild unions, change the tax structure to correct the recent redistribution of income from workers to the wealthy. But if we hope to have jobs and income for most people and general prosperity for all, now is the time (if it is not already too late) to think through the problem.
In another article, Kevin Drum offers more detail about the coming robot revolution. The article raises Lenin's old question: "who - whom." In other words, who will be in charge - humans or robots? That question has interested science fiction writers since Czech writer Karel Capek raised it in his drama, "Rossum's Universal Robots." Similar questions were raised in his novel, "War With The Newts." It is time to take a serious look at the problem.
Economist Karl Smith, writing in Forbes Magazine, takes a look at inequality in the robotic future.
A thought that comes to mind is that while we think about robots, we might seriously examine population control. "Zero Growth" is too modest a goal.
The conventional answer to that concern is that, since the Luddites, human workers have resisted being replaced by machines, but other jobs have always arisen to replace those taken by machines. But it seemed to me possible that this might not continue to be true.
Not long after my post, even Paul Krugman began to think such thoughts.
Now Kevin Drum takes the argument a step further and explains why the digital revolution won't be a replay of the industrial revolution. This is serious stuff.
I strongly believe that in the short to medium run we can put many people back to work using economic stimulus to generate aggregate demand. But this may not be enough to rebuild the hollowed out loss of jobs in the middle and even upper part of the income scale. We could try to rebuild unions, change the tax structure to correct the recent redistribution of income from workers to the wealthy. But if we hope to have jobs and income for most people and general prosperity for all, now is the time (if it is not already too late) to think through the problem.
In another article, Kevin Drum offers more detail about the coming robot revolution. The article raises Lenin's old question: "who - whom." In other words, who will be in charge - humans or robots? That question has interested science fiction writers since Czech writer Karel Capek raised it in his drama, "Rossum's Universal Robots." Similar questions were raised in his novel, "War With The Newts." It is time to take a serious look at the problem.
Economist Karl Smith, writing in Forbes Magazine, takes a look at inequality in the robotic future.
A thought that comes to mind is that while we think about robots, we might seriously examine population control. "Zero Growth" is too modest a goal.
Oriental Town Hall Records Problems
I have mentioned earlier that Oriental Town Hall has still not posted on their web site any minutes of Town Board meetings since last November. There are also problems with some of the minutes I have inspected relating to closed meetings.
And that's not all. The page on the Town's web site posting the Town's Charter and Amendments isn't complete. The site displays the 1991 Act Setting a Referendum on changes to the charter, but displays no information as to the result of the referendum. That leaves citizens in the dark as to the basis for our present Town government. Furthermore, there was an amendment to the Charter by Ordinance that changed the form of government to a Council-Manager system. That ordinance should also be displayed. It isn't.
This is not rocket science.
And that's not all. The page on the Town's web site posting the Town's Charter and Amendments isn't complete. The site displays the 1991 Act Setting a Referendum on changes to the charter, but displays no information as to the result of the referendum. That leaves citizens in the dark as to the basis for our present Town government. Furthermore, there was an amendment to the Charter by Ordinance that changed the form of government to a Council-Manager system. That ordinance should also be displayed. It isn't.
This is not rocket science.
Tuesday, May 14, 2013
They Said You Can't Fight City Hall: Yes, You Can
You might not necessarily win, even if you are right. But it is possible to fight City Hall.
It would be better to persuade City Hall to do the right thing in the first place. I didn't succeed at that. This is an example of the kind of thing I've been writing for the past year and a half.
I lost at the first level of Superior Court. The Judge dismissed my complaint. But I have the right to appeal and have filed my notice of appeal. I have also filed a new complaint about the Town's action closing South Avenue.
I don't know if this qualifies as "David v. Goliath," or a lesser struggle. I suspect it is the latter.
In any event, it isn't just my struggle. I have consulted with a couple of dozen very knowledgeable citizens at each step of the way.
It will be long and expensive to try to stop the Town's sale or barter of public rights of way and to protect public access to North Carolina's Public Trust Waters. Just yesterday I spent more than $220 ordering a verbatim transcript of the hearing on the Town's motions to dismiss.
Anyone wanting to contribute to the protection of streets leading to the water can contribute to: ONC Protect Streets, P.O. Box 236, Oriental, NC 28571.
We could easily be at it for another year or more.
It would be better to persuade City Hall to do the right thing in the first place. I didn't succeed at that. This is an example of the kind of thing I've been writing for the past year and a half.
I lost at the first level of Superior Court. The Judge dismissed my complaint. But I have the right to appeal and have filed my notice of appeal. I have also filed a new complaint about the Town's action closing South Avenue.
I don't know if this qualifies as "David v. Goliath," or a lesser struggle. I suspect it is the latter.
In any event, it isn't just my struggle. I have consulted with a couple of dozen very knowledgeable citizens at each step of the way.
It will be long and expensive to try to stop the Town's sale or barter of public rights of way and to protect public access to North Carolina's Public Trust Waters. Just yesterday I spent more than $220 ordering a verbatim transcript of the hearing on the Town's motions to dismiss.
Anyone wanting to contribute to the protection of streets leading to the water can contribute to: ONC Protect Streets, P.O. Box 236, Oriental, NC 28571.
We could easily be at it for another year or more.
Sunday, May 12, 2013
To The Fed: Go For Employment!
Economist Gavyn Davis has some good advice for the Fed: don't look at unemployment; look at employment! Maximize that.
From economist Mark Thoma's blog:
"Gavyn Davies argues the Fed is targeting the wrong thing (unemployment instead of employment):
From economist Mark Thoma's blog:
"Gavyn Davies argues the Fed is targeting the wrong thing (unemployment instead of employment):
...the Fed has a headache. Its forward guidance on unemployment is in danger of giving misleading signals about the need for tightening, and it probably needs to be changed. ...
The difficulty is that unemployment is declining towards the announced threshold in part because large numbers of people have left the labour force altogether as the recession has dragged on, and this probably means that the official unemployment rate is no longer acting as a consistent measuring rod for the amount of slack in the labour market.
The upshot is that the Fed will probably want to keep short rates at zero until unemployment has dropped a long way below 6.5 per cent...
[I]t is a distortion which the Fed cannot afford to ignore. Its mandate requires that it should aim for “maximum employment”, not “minimum unemployment on the official statistics”, which is what it risks doing under its current forward guidance. ...If the Fed is going to make a mistake -- ease too long or tighten too soon -- you can probably guess which mistake I think is worse."
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