Random Nuclear Strikes

Oh wait, it still is sucking there. But those who write the budgets are just going to make their pleebs pay for it

When Gov. Ted Kulongoski introduced his $16 billion budget for 2009-2011 on Monday, he noted these are tough economic times will require sacrifice and hard choices.

“The budget…has gotten if not small – certainly smaller than any of us would like,” Kulongoski said.

“This – without doubt – is going to cause real hardship for many Oregonians.”

The House Republicans have since combed through Kulongoski’s budget and found that it proposes to add 1,451 new state employees to the 49,518 full-time-equivalent positions budgeted for in the current biennium.

“Businesses are shedding thousands of jobs a month but state government isn’t feeling the same pain,” says Nick Smith, a spokesman for the House Republicans.

Smith noted that even in these straightened times, the Public Employee Benefit Board provides concierge services for harried state workers.

“State employees have access to a concierge service that can help them find dog obedience classes or what’s playing at the local theater,” Smith says. “What kind of message does that send to Oregonians who don’t have access to such services and don’t have any jobs at all.”

Who keeps electing these people. No wonder the .gov there likes their pseudo-legal marijuana. It keeps the voters stupid.

If you hit that link, make sure you follow the one on the cybersquatting.

Seattle Time Editorialist, James Vesely, had a very good idea published over the weekend:

Licensing Bicycles.

And it is an idea I will stand behind if any member of any of the city or county councils grows a pair and brings it up.

We have to license vehicles, motorcycles, trailers and even truck campers, all to pay for the roads.

We have to license boats and other personal watercraft to pay for maintenance of the rivers, lakes and saltwater waterways.

We have to license ATV’s, dirt bikes and other off-road vehicles to pay for maintenance of the ORV parks.

We license pets. Even cats who never go outside of the house except for a ride to the vet every now and then.

We even make people who want to exercise their Constitutional rights buy a license so that they can provide for their own self-defense outside of their homes.

Along with these licenses you are also given a list of extra rules to follow or run the risk of being monetarily penalized or jailed.

But who is paying for items, like bike paths and ramp parks, set aside especially for bicycles? Property tax payers.

And who is paying for the special lanes along the curbs set aside for only bicycles? Car tab payers.

They even made Washingtonians pay for a bike lane across the I-90 floating bridge.

Why aren’t the bikers paying for these special areas?

If you want to stop the overly aggressive cyclists who jump from the sidewalk to the street and then back to the sidewalk? Put a tag on their ride you can attach a fine to.

In all other circumstances I would be totally against a new licensing scheme, but cyclists have gotten far too self-righteous for their worth. They’ve also gotten for too much for free for far too long and gathered up a boatload of political clout that is undeserved.

You want to ride your bike naked through Ballard every year? Pay up.

The Critical Massers would have to pay up to get their chance to run over pedestrians or kick the mirrors off car doors.

$10 for a kid’s bike (15 and under) $25 for adults.

Hell, it’d probably give those who only ride occasionally a reason to get out and ride more.

Hit the link above and click on the comments link if you want to see some snippy pedal pushers.