Le·gal In·sur·rec·tion

In the rush to find "shovel ready" projects at which to throw stimulus money, the feds funded a sidewalk project in Warren, Rhode Island, one town over from where I live.

I featured this project in my post in early July, Miles of Sidewalks, and Empty Stores:

Warren, Rhode Island, has new sidewalks from the center of town down Rte 103 to the Massachusetts border, almost two miles away. Thanks to the Stimulus Plan.

I have driven that road hundreds of times, and also have cycled the route many times.

I never noticed any particular problem with the sidewalks. I also almost never noticed anyone using the sidewalks, particularly once you leave the very center of town.

The road is a local main road, not exactly a walk in the park. But there are new sidewalks as far as the eye can see.

I'm sure that the people who built the sidewalks are happy, as are the concrete companies. The people who live on the road also must feel fortunate to be the beneficiary of federal largesse.

But now that the project is almost over, the jobs will disappear. No long term economic activity was stimulated.

Warren, Rhode Island, also has plenty of empty storefronts. The sidewalks will not change that, and neither will the Stimulus Plan.

I was overly optimistic about this project.  As reported by a local news station, the sidewalks were constructed improperly:

Voters laid their wrath on congress this past week, voting Democrats out of power.

One reason for the backlash, the more than 800-billion dollars in federal stimulus spending, that critics say has failed to spark the economy.

2-million dollars of the stimulus money wound up in Warren, RI. The money was meant for sidewalk renovations, but people in Warren are outraged over how the project turned out.

$2 million of your stimulus dollars spent on unnecessary sidewalks rushed into construction so that the Obama administration could pretend to be helping the economy.

Just think what they will do with $1 trillion for health care.

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The Ultimate Walking Around Money
So We're Buying A Sidewalk To Heaven
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Thanks to a reader from Rhode Island for sending photos of another multi-million dollar sidewalk project in our humble unit-of-measurement state.

You will recall my now-classic post about the miles of sidewalks leading from Warren, Rhode Island, to the Massachusetts state line, Miles of Sidewalks, and Empty Stores.

I have not observed this new project with my own eyes, because that would have required about a 25 minute drive, which no real Rhode Islander would do without a truly compelling reason.

But the reader describes the project as running on "Walnut Hill in Woonsocket, at various points on Diamond Hill Road between Bound Road and Social Street."  It is hard to tell the precise cost of the sidewalks, but it appears to be part of a $4.4 million stimulus grant (at page 4 in this link).



Welcome to Rhode Island.  Crushing deficits, pension obligations, and high taxes are killing the state.

So we're buying a sidewalk to heaven.



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It really is frustrating to hear Obama administration officials tout 3 million jobs saved or created.

How many of those jobs did several miles of sidewalks in Warren, Rhode Island, save or create?

Now that the project is over, the jobs are gone. But you still count them.

And you will count them a second time on the next sidewalk project. And a third time after that. Even when the person is unemployed, you will have saved or created multiple jobs for that person, with your fuzzy math.

Because there is a difference between making work and creating a job.

The Stimulus Plan made work, but it did not create or save jobs.

Everyone understands that. So stop talking nonsense which not even you believe. Just stop it before we collectively wash your mouths out with electoral soap on November 2.

I'll stop now, too. It's a blood pressure thing.

Oh, and the electoral soap thing. We'll do it anyway, even if you stop talking, because you've said too much already.

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Related Posts:
Miles of New Sidewalks, and Empty Stores
Cash For Clunkers Rear Ends Rhode Islanders
Is Anyone Counting "Jobs Destroyed or Averted"?

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I never paid much attention to gun laws.  Now that I've finished my NRA basic handgun course, I'll start on what will be a very, very long process to get a hand gun permit.

The laws are byzantine.  In New York State, where I live about half the year, I need a permit even to possess a handgun at home.  I cannot even shoot at a range using someone else's gun (unless as part of training under the supervision of an NRA certified trainer).  The home possession permit process will take at least six months, maybe longer.  As to a concealed carry permit, I've been told to forget about it in Tompkins County (Ithaca).

But of course, that leaves the other six months.  The Florida non-resident concealed carry permit, which is good in 32 states, is not good in NY or Rhode Island.  In Rhode Island (as far as I can tell with a quick check), I don't need a permit to keep a gun at home or to transport it to a shooting range, but any other use, including transporting it in the car more generally, would require a permit for which I would need to show good cause and need.

Getting from NY to RI requires that I also figure out Massachusetts law on the subject.

Being the law-abiding citizen that I am, I'll spend the time and money to figure out all the local and state laws, and comply with them all.  It will not be easy, and I can see how someone with good intentions still could run afoul of the law.  So maybe a year or so from now I'll have all the permits in place. 

Gun control advocates, of which I am one up to a point, can sleep soundly knowing that they have kept a gun out of my law-abiding hands.

The criminals have it much easier. They just buy guns on the street and shoot 'em up:

An Elmira man was wounded in a shooting early Saturday in Ithaca, police said.

Russell Blackman was shot at least three times with a small-caliber firearm, Ithaca police said.

Police said they responded to a report of gun shots around 1:40 a.m. at the 500 block of West Green Street, and found blood on the street and sidewalk. Police did not find Blackman, but they learned he had been taken in a private vehicle to Cayuga Medical Center.

The guy who was shot himself is a fugitive from justice, and apparently he's not talking about the shooter.  And I doubt he's real worried about the gun laws.

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Barack H. Obama, September 2010, as reported by The New York Times (h/t HotAir) on October 12, 2010 (emphasis mine):

During our hour together, Obama told me he had no regrets about the broad direction of his presidency. But he did identify what he called “tactical lessons.” He let himself look too much like “the same old tax-and-spend liberal Democrat.” He realized too late that “there’s no such thing as shovel-ready projects” when it comes to public works.

William A. Jacobson, November 24, 2008, as reported by Legal Insurrection Blog (emphasis mine):

Of all the concepts to help build the economy, Barack Obama has seized on the one type of project -- public infrastructure -- that has the worst history of cost overruns, corruption, construction incompetence, and economic harm. There is nothing to suggest that the legacy of the Obama infrastructure plan, estimated to cost hundreds of billions of dollars, will be any different.

William A. Jacobson, December 6, 2008, as reported by Legal Insurrection Blog (emphasis mine):

Obama is trying to fit a square peg in a round hole. Infrastructure projects are not a good way to provide short-term stimulus, much less long-term job creation. Obama's infrastructure plan is a road to nowhere.

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Related Posts:
Miles of Sidewalks, and Empty Stores
The Ultimate Walking Around Money
So We're Buying A Sidewalk To Heaven


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I ran a post yesterday regarding the decision by Dane County, Wisconsin, Sheriff Dave Mahoney to pull his deputies from guarding the doors to the Wisconsin State Capitol, More Police Insurrection In Madison.

In comments that received a lot of attention, Sheriff Mahoney used the term "palace guards" in explaining his decision:

"When asked to stand guard at the doors that duty was turned over to the Wisconsin State Patrol because our deputies would not stand and be palace guards," Mahoney said. "I refused to put deputy sheriffs in a position to be palace guards."

Sheriff Mahoney has e-mailed me.  Here is his e-mail in full (emphasis mine):

Mr. Jacobson,

I write only after having been directed to your website by John **** [name deleted by me]  from Virginia. I write only to correct an inaccuracy in the article, specifically that I pulled deputy sheriff's from guarding the WI Capitol. I did state that deputies would not guard locked doors as palace guards and we will disagree whether that was proper, but the deputies were assigned to continue walking the terrace and sidewalk surrounding the capitol, the same duty they have been assigned to for the past 19 days, 24 hours each day, and the duty they will continue until relieved or the request for assistance from WI Capitol Police ends. I would also like to point out that the incident involving Senator Glenn Grothman only occurred because not one law enforcement agency working at the capitol was made aware of his impromptu press conference during which a crowd gathered. I might point out as well, the senator was assisted at the conclusion of his press conference by non-other than Dane County Deputy Sheriff's.

I take the service to our citizens very seriously, that is every one of them, those that support and those who oppose the bill being introduced. The men and women of law enforcement have served our state well. During 19 days of protest and demonstrations not one individual has been hurt or injured and not one incident or confrontation has broke out, contrary to fabricated reports, because, law enforcement has done collectively what they are charged with doing-providing public safety!

I understand we will disagree politically, that's fine it's the American way, I also understand that as a blogger accuracy in content is not required but I ask that an attempt be made to try.

Dave Mahoney
Sheriff

Some thoughts about the e-mail. 

First, Sheriff Mahoney wanted to clarify that Sheriff's deputies had not been pulled completely from the Capitol grounds, only from "locked doors." Sheriff Mahoney's original statement, however, did not make the distinction that he only was pulling guards from locked doors and not more general security duty at the entrances.  I'm not sure why deputies would be needed at locked doors, unless it were to prevent protesters from opening the doors for uncontrolled access to the inside of the Capitol.  The question remains as to whether the removal of his deputies was in defiance of the request of the people who had legal control of the building.

Second, Sheriff Mahoney seems to recognize that the use of the term "palace guards" was controversial, but does not step back from it.  Instead, Sheriff Mahoney simply says "we will disagree whether that was proper," which I interpret as an indication Sheriff Mahoney is standing by the phrase.

Third, in response to the e-mail, I asked Sheriff Mahoney to identify the "fabricated reports" to which he was referring, but have not heard back from him. I will post his response if and when I receive it.

Does the e-mail change your view of what happened?

Update 3:40:  A few minutes after turning the post live, I received the following from Sheriff Mahoney in response to my question about "fabricated reports" (emphasis mine):

"I have watched several reports on FOX News reporting violence breaking out during the WI protests, I can tell you that it is not happening. I sit in executive level briefings everyday where additional reports are discussed to ensure they can be confirmed or disproven. So you understand I'm not trying to keep information form [sic] you, this morning as deputies reported to work at the capitol a dpeuty [sic] found 11 .22 caliber rounds outside the capitol and law enforcement has been finding additional rounds in various government buildings all day."

The reports of the bullets is just being reported at this drafting.
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My home state of Rhode Island has been asleep at the wheel when it comes to grabing proposed federal instrastructure stimulus dollars. Although it has been known for weeks if not months that Barack Obama was ready to throw hundreds of billions of dollars at historically inefficient and mob-influenced infrastructure projects, the State of Rhode Island only assigned someone to create a wish list just a few days ago.

The wish-list considers a project "shovel-ready" if it can be put out to bid in 180 days, which means no jobs will be created anytime soon even if funding is provided. At best, the shovel would go into the ground on these projects in about a year.

Some of the projects on the wish list could be called necessary "infrastructure" projects, such as some local bridge replacements or repairs, which would be done even without the stimulus handouts. Others are projects that no one locally wants to pay for. Here's a sample:

• bike path and park construction
• statewide highway crack filling
• bridge painting and cleaning
• highway landscaping
• sidewalk repair to comply with the Americans with Disabilities Act

These projects may be worthwhile, but they won't create any long-term jobs. Once the park is landscaped, or the bike path built, the jobs disappear. Contrast this with policies which lower the cost for businesses to operate (e.g., lowering taxes), allow businesses to grow, and create long-term jobs.

Last July I reported on the absurdity of federal Stimulus Plan money going to building miles of new sidewalks in Warren, Rhode Island, in areas where few people walked.

Last November, I reported on the fact that the unnecessary new sidewalks were built improperly.

Now I can report that fixing the unnecessary improperly built sidewalks has created a budget problem with various entities fighting over who should pay to fix the problem:

Seven months after the completion of a botched $1.99 million road re-paving job on Child Street, DOT officials still haven’t determined the best way to repair the busy stretch of road. There’s also no clear determination yet as to who will pay for the work.

On Monday, DOT’s deputy chief engineer, Frank Corrao, said he hopes DOT will put repairs to sections of the roadway, curbs and sidewalks on the construction schedule for 2011. He expects that will happen, he said, but can’t guarantee it.

Those improvements are sorely needed, say some town officials, legislators and business owners along the busy road. The sidewalks are six inches tall in some spots and less than an inch in others, especially around Cutler Street to Arlington Avenue.

I'm still waiting for a politician to stand on the sidewalk in Warren, Rhode Island, and deliver this speech:

There are many people in the world who really don't understand, or say they don't, what is the great issue between the free market world and the Stimulus world.  Let them come to Warren, Rhode Island.

There are some who say that Stimulus is the wave of the future.  Let them come to Warren, Rhode Island.

And there are some who say in Washington, D.C. and elsewhere we can create work with the Stimulus. Let them come to Warren, Rhode Island.

And there are even a few who say that it is true that Stimulus is an evil system, but it permits us to make economic progress. Lass' sie nach Warren, Rhode Island kommen. Let them come to Warren, Rhode Island.

Applause, Applause.

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Here are Legal Insurrection's Official predictions for 2011:

1. Obama will give an unscripted speech announcing he is resigning to take a year-long road trip to play golf in each of the 57 states.
2. Joe Biden, the second in line to the presidency, will become President upon Obama's resignation, and head the Democratic 2012 ticket with V.P. nominee Alvin Greene.
3. The Palin-Coulter ticket will emerge as the overwhelming favorite for 2012, winning the all important Gawker, Maddow, and Feministe endorsements, because sisterhood and breaking the glass ceiling counts for more than partisan politics. 
4. The House and Senate will repeal Obamacare, and newly installed President Biden will sign the Repeal Bill using crayons from the recently defunded office of Kathleen Sebelious.
5. Harry Reid will admit the war wasn't lost, and the surge didn't fail.
6. Sheldon Whitehouse will give a speech on the floor of the Senate thanking health care protesters for participating in our democratic process.
7. Chris Dodd will return to the Senate floor to blame Barney Frank for the mortgage bubble; Barney Frank will take to the floor of the House to blame Chris Dodd for the mortgage bubble; Jamie Gorelick will rat them both out for the reward money.
8. Alan Grayson will run television ads stating that what he meant to say was, "Republicans want you to be happy and live forever."
9. Media Matters, Think Progress, Frank Rich, Paul Krugman, The Gail Collins and MoDo will form a new media corporation named "You Didn't Think We Were Serious, Did You, LLC."
10. Stuxnet will worm its way up Mahmood Ahmadinejad's ... (oh, forget it).
11. Glenn Greenwald, Philip Weiss and Helen Thomas will chain themselves to the gates of the Palestinian consulate in New York, while singing "Am Yisrael Chai."
12. Jon Ralston will endow a Professorship in my honor at his alma mater.
13. The makers of the "Coexist" bumper sticker will change the wording to "No Surrender."
14. The Southern Poverty Law Center will rename its "HateWatch" blog the "WeHateYourPointOfView" blog, and will call off its search for the Klan in Rhode Island.
15. Congress will convene a Nancy Pelosi Eye Roll Commission.
16. Someone finally will fix the sidewalk in front of MY house.
17. Dale Peterson will replace Janet Napolitano as Secretary of Homeland Security, and will shoot anyone who comes near our junk.
18. California will boycott itself, and spare us the trouble.
19. Upper East and West Siders will start opening their own doors, just like the hicks Upstate.
20. The Constitution will be amended to add a Guns & Tobacco Mandate.
21. The Democratic Party will officially change it's name to the Democrat Party, and will switch from the strategy of crazy to the strategy of lazy.
22. Washington, D.C., lobbyists will decide it's not worth all the effort and that they would rather spend time with their families.
23. Sam Alito will show up at the State of the Union address wearing an "I'm with Stupid →" t-shirt.
24. I will take some time off from blogging because I'm soooo tired, woe unto me, and if you don't like it, you can leave and don't let the door hit you on the way out.
25. Finally, we will judge people by the content of their character, not the color of their skin.

Whoops, wrong list.  This actually is Legal Insurrection's Official Wish List for 2011.

(Please do not consider this a "Best Of" of "Favorites Of" 2010 List, because that would be très pretentious.)

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