Friday, August 05, 2005

Details About The Rumor

updated. I'm sorry that I did not add a rumor disclaimer to this post. That was just wrong, it does not matter if I was tired, or forgot or anything else. scarletwoman stopped by to let me know this is a bogus story and why. It was like watching the Wheel of Fortune and kicking myself because the answer was so obvious. Much appreciated.

Fascinating


Sources close to the Chicago federal grand jury probe into perjury and obstruction charges against President Bush and others said indictments were handed down this week, but a spokesman for the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois refused to comment.

We are not talking about any aspect of this case and our office is not commenting on anything regarding the investigation at this time,” said Randall Sanborn from the office of U.S. federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald, the attorney conducting the grand jury probe into whether Bush and others in his administration violated federal law in a number of sensitive areas, including the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, involvement in 9/11 and the illegal nature of the wars in Iraq and Afghanistan.



It's a page ripper!

In recent weeks, there has been much controversy over Fitzgerald’s wide reaching probe which is extending far beyond the Bush administration to include what some have called “a wholesale cleansing” of a crime-laden White House and Congress.

Fitzgerald’s investigation is said to be also centered on members of the 9/11 Commission, members on both sides of the isle in the House and Senate and also select high-powered members of the media.

Needless to say, members close to the administration are ‘fighting mad” with Fitzgerald and reports on Capital Hill are that Senate intelligence Committee Chairman Pat Roberts is trying to derail Fitzgerald’s probe by calling him to testify before the Senate regarding his true motives behind the investigation.

Political observers are now wondering whether administration-friendly Republican legislators, some under investigation themselves, are conspiring like President Nixon did in Watergate with Special Prosecutor Archibald Cox, attempting to fire Fitzgerald in the same manner in order to cool the heat on further investigations into Bush administration crimes.

Last week, other sources close to the investigation said the recent bomb scare in the subway under the Dirksen Federal Building, coincidently near where Fitzgerald was holding his grand jury hearings, raised serious questions as to whether government operatives loyal to Bush were sending the zealous prosecutor a “warning message” that he was entering murky waters with the extent of his investigation.

The bomb scare was reported to local police late Monday afternoon, July 18, causing the subway to be evacuated for approximately 45 minutes while bomb sniffing dogs and swat team members searched for what was reported to be “a suspicious package” left on one of the subway cars.

Besides Fitzgerald’s probe into Bush administration lies relating to 9/11, the war in Iraq and the CIA-Valerie Plame leaks, he is also looking into a huge drug money laundering operation involving both the Clinton and Bush administrations with ties reaching all the way to Arkansas.
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Woah!

Rumors, big ones!

I can't pull it up, but I can copy from the linked thread!

TOMFLOCCO.COM

BUSH AND CHENEY INDICTED

A Chicago grand jury has indicted the President and Vice-President of the United States along with multiple high officials in the Bush administration

Chicago -- August 2, 2005 -- TomFlocco.com -- U.S. federal prosecutor Patrick Fitzgerald's Chicago grand jury has issued perjury and obstruction of justice indictments to the following members of the Bush Administration: President George W. Bush, Vice-President Richard Cheney, Bush Chief of Staff Andrew Card, Cheney Chief of Staff I. Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Attorney General Alberto Gonzalez, former Attorney General John Ashcroft, imprisoned New York Times reporter Judith Miller and former Senior Cheney advisor Mary Matalin.

There were no indications given as to whether the President and his top staff members would appear publicly before cameras at the grand jury proceedings, given the gravity of the charges.

Besides the Valerie Plame CIA leak case, the Fitzgerald probe is reportedly far-reaching and expanding much deeper into past White House criminal acts involving Bush-Clinton drug money laundering in Mena, Arkansas to White House involvement in 9.11; but also for sending America's young people to their deaths or to be maimed in Iraq and Afghanistan under false pretenses.

British Prime Minister Tony Blair was indicted for obstruction of justice and is reportedly consulting with members of Parliament and legal aides regarding how to avoid appearing in the U.S.A. for interrogation before Fitzgerald in Chicago.

The revelations emanated from sources close to the grand jury who spoke with federal whistleblower Thomas Heneghen in California who said White House Senior Advisor to the President Karl Rove was also indicted for perjury and was reportedly involved with Mary Matalin in a major Bush administration document shredding operation to cover-up evidence.

This is only a rumor, it has not been verified yet.
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Fall Fashion Favorite

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Closing Up The Shop

No, not me, the VA was in the process of shutting down some of their underused facilities a few weeks ago. The kicker is that the facilities were under used in 1999, well before the endless Bush Wars that keep the medical facilities well supplied with waiting lists of new veterans who need their services.

Conrad Burns was bragging on KOFI radio last week about the money Congress finally relented to patch the funding shortfall. He took the credit and did not mention that he voted against it once or twice before he voted for it. Burns also neglected to tell listeners and Peggy Ostrom Price did not seem to know that part of the story.

I don't know if the last cash infusion will be enough to allow the facilities to stay up and running. Who in the hell cares anyway? Nobody really expects us to keep our word to soldiers who can't hit the battlefield again. The mobsters in Washington don't care, they only want Rumpy to have all the atomic toys and newfangled landmines our money can buy.

Jesus Bocanegra cares, and I care, and I think the families of these people would care. Maybe you care, too?
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Two More Iraq War Suicides

The horror continues


FORT HOOD, Texas -- Two young Fort Hood soldiers who served in the Iraq war have killed themselves in separate incidents in Killeen since the weekend, post officials said Wednesday.

Sgt. Robert Decouteaux, 24, of Rosedale, N.Y., died Saturday from a self-inflicted gunshot wound. He had been airlifted from his home to a Temple hospital for emergency surgery, but he died while doctors tried to save his life.

And on Monday morning, Spc. Robert Hunt, 22, of Houston, was found dead in his apartment by Killeen police, who were alerted after members of his unit tried to contact him when he failed to report to work.

Carol Smith, a Killeen police spokeswoman, said Wednesday that Hunt's cause of death was listed as asphyxiation.

Decouteaux, a soldier for five years, was an M-1 tank mechanic assigned to the 4th Infantry Division.

Fort Hood spokesman Dan Hassett said Decouteaux served in Iraq from April 2003 to March 2004, and that he was scheduled to redeploy when the division returns to the war zone beginning this fall.

Hunt, a radio operator-maintainer, joined the Army as a teenager in 2001 and had been assigned to Fort Hood since August 2003.

He deployed to Iraq for a year-long tour in March 2004 as part of the 1st Cavalry Division.


This article was reprinted in full in what I believe to be fair use because these links disappear so quickly
.
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Where the Terrorists Are

They are ib their basement making bombs to kill Mexicans and others who are taking all those jobs to die for.

Jesus, those folks don't belong to you, so they?
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Thursday, August 04, 2005

More War Stories

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Montanan Down

Lance Cpl. Nicholas William B. Bloem, 20, of Belgrade, Mont., was the seventh Montanan and one of seven marines killed in an IED attack south of Haditha, Iraq yesterday.

Another deadly day today, five more soldiers were killed in Iraq bringing the number of American soldiers to die in Iraq to 1827.

Americans aren't the only ones who suffer and die over there. I found this story particulary revolting:

BAQUBA - Insurgents stormed the home of an Iraqi soldier near the town of Baquba, killing his wife, his 12 year-old daughter and his six-year-old son as they lay asleep on the floor, police and survivors said.

The soldier, Ibrahim Omar, was not in the home at the time of the attack. Two of his other daughters, including a three- year-old, were injured.


There's more, there is always more and the suffering doesn't end then the boys come home.

There is an eight month old baby who is an orphan because his/her father killed the mother then himself nine days after his return from Iraq. His unit, the 2nd Brigade Combat Team lost 68 soldiers during its tour in Iraq. Sherwood was at least the second Fort Carson-based soldier to commit suicide shortly after serving there
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Wildfire!

Interstate 90 is closed by Alberton and there are evacuation orders. At least 20 fires started pretty much simultaneously about 4:30 this afternoon, there is suspicion that they were set by someone.

It's hot and bone dry, the forecast is for hotter and drier days to come. There are about a hundred firefighters working the area and thereis concern about high winds, phone service is out in the area. Stage 2 fire restrictions go into effect at midnight.

Wildfire by Ellensberg, Washington, where my old friend Jess lives.

Governor Schweitzer has given the order for National Guard soldiers to begin fire training in conjunction with their monthly training.
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GSAVES Ressurects War

Confronted with 14 fresh marine deaths during the last throes of Mission Accomplished, President Bush rolled his eyes, took a deep breath and said we are at war. Do you understand that we are at war? I'm telling you again, we are at war.

We are in the Global Struggle Against Voilent Extremism, GSAVES, phase of this war, so people will continue to die because we are at war.
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Peace Rally On the Way

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Tuesday, August 02, 2005

Post Race Review

the enquirer spent the evening tracking the blogs, and they linked Governor Schweitzer, Give That Man a Call,!

The wingers venom was fun to notice, too. Does anybody know if the numbers were close enough for the baloon juice commenter to eat his hat?

One thing is for sure, those people sure despise independent minded men in uniform.
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No More e Voting Anywhere, Ever

Horsefeathers!

Time 10:48 p.m.

This just of the Cincy paper...

Report: Voting equipment
crashes in Clermont County
There is a report that voting equipment has crashed in Clermont County and that the remaining ballots will have to be counted by hand.

At 10:41 pm, Paul Hackett and Jean Schmidt were neck and neck in the vote count, with the Republican candidate slightly ahead. All results were in, except for Clermont County which was yet to report the tally from 91 precincts.


Time 10:49 p.m.

Early Voting Election Day Provisional Total Percentage
JEAN SCHMIDT 1158 16162 0 17320 58.09%
PAUL HACKETT 750 11689 0 12439 41.72%
Write In Votes 3 56 0 59 0.20%
Total Votes Cast 1911 27907 0 29818 100.00%

Clermont is back up.


Funny nobody saw this one comming or mentioned it earlier

here's news about the polling places being changed
CLEVELAND -- Fifteen polling places at Cleveland Municipal Schools were changed after the schools were “permanently or temporarily” closed this spring.


The new polling locations were posted at the old precincts, but the change made for some frustrated voters.

A Board of Elections spokeswoman says voter information postcards with new polling locations were mailed to affected voters last month.


I feel like quoting Billmon


A little refresher math on the Clermont County vote last year:

The ability of the Rovians to pull fresh GOP votes out of Hamilton and Clermont counties certainly challenged plausibility, and, in Clermont's case, almost defied mathematics.

Consider the fact that according to the Census Bureau, Clermont's population rose only 4.4% (about 7,800 souls) between 2000 and 2003, while reported GOP turnout increased by roughly 31% (about 14,600 votes) from 2000 to 2004. This in a county that only had about 122,000 registered voters last year, according to the Cincinatti Enquirer.

By now I think it should be obvious: The GOP machine's approach to voting in Ohio 2 is the same as its approach to the CAFTA vote on the floor of the House -- the count stays open until they get the result they want.


Well well well
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Dem Bloggers Party Down!

=================================
http://www.clermontelections.org/
Service Unavailable
=================================

The systems admin has been called in to help with the hand count...

Speculations

This hand count is a ploy to screw up the count..
don't they realize that Hackett will do a recount anyway...or, they are pulling off the stickers and will let you think Jean won...even if she does, then they should recount every district that he lost in...those are the ballots you WANT to see physically....

What a great party! Rox Populi is there, too!

It seems that Ohio's televisions have been infected with sudden heatwave warnings!
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It's Not The Heat

It's the humidity that blocked up the Diebolds!

It's Not The Heat, It's The Humidity!
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Ooh

Now it seems Clermont Co. BOE has taken their website offline. Maybe they need to give Jean time to look presentable.

Then we get this...

Clermont is still holding back almost half their precincts (in case some adjustments are needed).

Posted by: Roger Spark at August 2, 2005 09:45 PM
================================================

Well, I guess Roger was right.

Final counts:

Pike: Hackett 63%
Schmidt 37%

Scioto: Hackett 65%
Schmidt 35%

Adams: Hackett 52%
Schmidt 48%

Brown: Hackett 56%
Schmidt 44%

Hamilton: Hackett 49%
Schmidt 51%

Warren: Hackett 42%
Schmidt 58%

With 52.36% reporting (hasn't changed in a while)
Clermont: Hackett 44%
Schmidt 56%

The time there was 10:36 p.m., 51 minutes without a change from the world's fastest vote counting system. What could possibly be going wrong in Ohio?
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Governor Schweitzer, Give That Man a Call

Win or lose, Paul Hackett has run an admirable fight in a place the Republicans didn't think they needed to defend.

It just goes to show you that people do hunger for hardworking people with integrity to step up to the plate. We want it and we want it bad.

I disagree with the person who says to scream fraud, which at this point is something we can only guess. Something along the lines of burn me once...

A rational call for a recount should be sufficient for accounting purposes, and if the non politico-junkies get to meet Mr. Hacket in the interlude, that's even better.
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High Stakes

An Iraq War veteran would probably bring way too much visibility to the Downing Street Memos for the oligarchy.

It looks like we're all there, Maha, Billmon, rumor is that KOS is overloaded. Bush took this one with %70 of the vote, but this just in:

"Serious new election tampering allegations have emerged from an Ohio county, where witnesses allege that stickers were placed on presidential election ballots, RAW STORY has learned.
"Several volunteer workers in the Ohio recount in Clermont County, Ohio have prepared affidavits alleging serious tampering, violations of state and federal law, and possible fraud. They name the Republican chief of Clermont’s Board of Elections and the head of the Clermont Democratic Party Priscilla O’Donnell as complicit in these acts.
"These volunteers, observing the recount on behalf of the Greens, Libertarians and Democrats, assert that during the Dec. 14, 2004 hand recount they noticed stickers covering the Kerry/Edwards oval, whereas the Bush/Cheney oval seemed to be “colored in. "
See rest of article here: http://rawstory.com/news/2005/index.php?p=7


Takes me back to last November, when Josh piped in about the coverage the lawsuits weren't getting, but it does look like a recount might be in order.

I hope Bush is choking on his ice cold beer about this one.

SI Conservative is madder than a nest of wet hornets blaring about self restraint, but as Tresy said earlier, we don't see no self restraint comming from the conservatives!
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Is this true?

Clermont is still holding back almost half their precincts (in case some adjustments are needed).

But


The Republicans are scared.


It's within a hair,50-50 with almost all the ballots counted, but Diebold hasn't made their move yet.
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The Suspense Is Killing Me

Talk about a tight race!

Most recent results:

Total Pct Total Pct
DEM - REP TO CONGRESS
JAMES J. CONDIT, JR. (WRITE-IN) 3 0.00%
JAMES E. CONSTABLE, JR. (WRITE-IN) 0 0.00%
DEM - PAUL HACKETT 46265 48.95%
REP - JEAN SCHMIDT 48256 51.05%

I want Him to win, but if he doesn't, I hope that he takes a lesson from Brian Schweitzer and gets up to run again tomorrow.

Thanks, Governor Schweitzer!
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Run Hacket Run!

So close!

I'm watching Swing State Project, Political Forecast, My DD., good thing I was never into horseracing. Billmon is suspicious:

"PRC CNT - CLERMONT CO. -191- 0 0.00%"

I hate to say it, but this looks like the old Texas trick of holding out the machine counties until they know how many votes they need.




This is Ohio folks, what could possibly go wrong?
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Rove Treason Betrayal

If somebody should get WMD's into America, how much of that will be because of Rove's treason, Rove's betrayal?

Who has to die before Conrad, Max, and Denny decide to look at the evidence?

Similarly, How many dead American soldiers are we supposed to bear before they join the Downing Street Memo investigation? Remember, the Rove Treason Betrayal was to cover up the original crime of lying America into war.

Isn't it ironic that our brand spanking new ambassador to the United Nations may have had something to do with the forged Niger Uranium scam that Rove committed treason and betrayal over?
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granny Van Winkle

I must have dozed off, I can't believe that I missed the big memorial for the 1800th American Soldier to die in Iraq. Oh, the number is already at 1806?

That must have been some long nap. It was lovely to see you although I need to go see if my feet have grown hairy in my absence, bye now.
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Creepy Talibornagains Seeking Subordinate Population

Alice brings us the dictat of the freecongress foundation.

In terms of our long term prospects, because we will be seen as a purely defensive movement, not interested in imposing our views on anyone, only interested in being left alone, we will surely gain the sympathy of the public. The dominant culture will see its life-force being sapped, and it will grow terrified. It will do whatever it takes to destroy its assailant. This will lead to the perception that the dominant leftist culture is empty, hollow, desperate, and has lost its mandate to rule, because its only basis for authority is coercion, much like the communist East Bloc. Sympathy from the American people will increase as our opponents try to persecute us, which means our strength will increase at an accelerating rate due to more defections--and the enemy will collapse as a result.


Remaining Importance of Defensive Politics

We must stay involved in the political arena. We do not expect to make any gains through politics. But as our movement grows, the Left will become increasingly likely to try to use the powers of the state to squelch our movement, using whatever pretext they are able to invent. We will need to stay engaged in politics for purely defensive purposes. But all hope for long-term restoration must lie with the new movement. Our only involvement in the political process should be designed to more effectively accomplish secession from, and perhaps eventually, a widespread influence over, the wider culture.

[...]



Movement Must Serve as a Force of Social Intimidation in Its Intermediate Stage

We must create a countervailing force that is just as adept as the Left at intimidating people and institutions that are used as tools of left-wing activism but are not ideologically committed, such as Hollywood celebrities, multinational corporations, and university administrators. We must be feared, so that they will think twice before opening their mouths.

[...]

...An action-oriented elite is necessary to force people to confront ideas they would otherwise not be exposed to. ...


The bold is from the original
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Monday, August 01, 2005

This Is the Montana Spirit

I grew up in rural Montana so I know that you can work a lot of hours and still go hungry if you don't keep your pantry well stocked with real, not processed foods. The worse the economy is, the more food I want put away-I don't like to go hungry and wouldn't want the neighbors too, either so I keep my rodent proof containers full of beans, rice, lentils and pasta. If the family needs to move in again or if I get extended houseguests, we have plenty of food and it's no problem.

I found this one by accident

Okay we're all different, but this little family owned and run company highlights what Montanans believe about ourselves . Common sense, determination, honest, intelligent and hardworking. I met a man at a composting (I am a fun girl, I am!) a couple of years ago who preserves his food that way and he said that he had packed his own cereal grains in a similar fashion and they were still fresh more than a decade later! (This does not imply any type of guarantee from grannyinsanity or anyone else.)

If you want some good natural organic Montana wheat, consider pooling with some friends or neighbors to disburse the shipping costs because this stuff is a very good deal. This WWII vet reminds me of something solid that I would hate to lose:

I was out spraying one day in the mid 1970's and I got to thinking, "This doesn't make sense. Here I am, spraying my wheat with poison, and we are eating this stuff and feeding it to other people, too."

I thought some more about it after I went home, and decided to go organic.
I haven't used any spray or chemical fertilizers since.

With the help of two sons and a son-in-law, I built a modern facility on our farm to grind our home-grown organic hard red spring wheat into flour. We purchased a natural granite stone mill and designed bagging equipment and a process for preserving freshness and nutritional quality with natural nitrogen packaging.

[...]



I love it that people like Alvin Rustebakke can still do what they want and intend to start an environmental and agricultural series soon because it's important to have people like him doing what he does and I because I have already done a lot of work on it. Can I do that without being accused of hating my country?

If you didn't make that jump with me, I'll explain it. This morning Bill O'Reilly played a small clip of President Carter saying that (paraphrased) what was going on at Gitmo was disgraceful and has diminished our image in the world. Critisizing torture means that you hate America in falafel land.

I can never be okay with torture no matter who does it so I might have to start sharing agricultural stories with you, but if you want the fun stuff like pictures of a beet drill or something you will have to go see moos.
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Constitutional History and Jurisprudence

v at Left in the West has decided to do a series of posts on Constitutional history and jurisprudence. The first segment, Stare Decisis: Prescriptive or Explanatory, precedent.

I think it's a great idea for us to learn more about the niggly details of our history so I hope everyone reads it.
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Sunday, July 31, 2005

Troop Support Bush Style

Reneg on their money when flying humvees give them a freaking head injury that prevents them from completing their service.

Such was the case this weekend when we reported the stories of Aaron Birkholz of Lincoln and Adam McLain of Havre. The two men met while serving in the 143rd Military Police Detachment. They were called to active duty in 2002 and became friends while waiting for assignment in the war on Iraq.

They deployed to Baghdad with their unit in 2003, and by that September both had been injured.

Now Birkholz is back in Lincoln, a married father, able to bounce his son on a knee in spite of severe wounds suffered in an ambush attack in Iraq.

McLain is a University of Montana student, back in Havre this summer after an arduous recovery from head injuries suffered when he was accidentally struck by a Humvee while working at a base in Baghdad.

Each man joined the Guard to help lay a foundation for his future. Birkholz hoped service as an MP would open doors to a law enforcement career. McLain was attracted in part by financial rewards that would help underwrite his college costs.

Both men were proud to serve. And both said they have no regrets, even though injuries have forced them to change their dreams.

Their example reminds us in the most basic way of what gets sacrificed in war.

That is why it's puzzling to know that the military decided not to complete payment of a $5,000 bonus to McLain. Half the money had been paid when he joined the Guard. The rest was to come over time as he continued to serve.

Because his injury meant he could not fulfil his service, the military never paid the final installments
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Make them worry about pay cuts or just surprise them with short checks!


Untold numbers of servicemembers residing off base will see their next paycheck shrink by as much as $250 -- and many of them may not even know the blow is coming.

Disbursing shops at several 1st Marine Division and 1st Force Service Support Group battalions surveyed over the past week said they learned only recently about the elimination of "geographic rate protection" under the Basic Allowance for Housing.

The change, outlined in Marine Administrative Message 315/01 and slated to take effect Monday, shelves a DoD policy enacted nearly five years ago. The old policy allowed servicemembers to retain higher housing allowances even when they moved to cheaper neighborhoods, said Master Sgt. Ervin Ramos, staff noncommissioned officer-in-charge for the Consolidated Personnel Administration Center, Headquarters and Support Battalion, Marine Corps Base.

“It’s money that you don’t rate,” Ramos said. “Some Marines will have to prepare themselves for the pay cut.”

Ramos is among administrative Marines sounding the alarm. By early last week, he had already sat down with 40 Marines in his battalion affected by the change, he said.

But many others on base may not find out except via the MarAdmin, the grapevine or the sticker shock of a leaner paycheck.

One example of how drastic the slash in income will be: An E-7 with family members currently drawing San Diego BAH will now draw Camp Pendleton BAH — and stands to forfeit $422 per month.

Staff Sgt. Elliot T. Threat, a substance abuse control officer with Headquarters and Support Battalion, commutes 60 miles one way every day and stands to lose $600, he said.

He was previously stationed at Marine Corps Recruit Depot San Diego and received permanent-change-of station orders to Camp Pendleton — but continues to draw the MCRD rate.

Until Monday.

His current BAH rate matches his mortgage, he said.

“I’m worried because I’m just waiting on a response from headquarters. I’m not prepared,” he said.

Threat, originally from San Jacinto, said he doesn’t know whether he’ll have to sell his home. He’s still mulling his options.

Under the old system, an E-5 transferring to Camp Pendleton could retain his previous rate at Miramar based on proximity.


Then there is the snottiness of lying them into war and not equipping them properly, sneaking bodies back in the dead of night and not attending their funerals.

Of course they could run a smear campaign or they could exploit your memorial.

Remember kiddies, when the recruiters show up at your door all they want you to do is say good things, big happy puffy patriotic things about how much you like the war. However I must caution you not to go near it lest they mistake you for prey.
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Income Redistribution

That sucking noises in the background represents another rich dude flushing somebody else's dreams and life's work down the crapper.

The Lau family has run their family business, a restaurant that has been consistently been voted one of the best places tp dine in Santa Cruz on the 20,000 square foot lot for 36 years. The city plans to give them enough money to buy a real nice mobile home.

I love it when government decides who can and who cannot pursue their dreams, don't you?
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