Sol Trujillo joins the pudding club

Pic from Bloomberg interview on 11th January 2011

Sol is obviously living off the fat of the land since leaving Telstra and is beginning to look as padded as the popular cartoon image of the merchant banker he's become:
Garcia Trujillo Holdings LLC....After being CEO of three $45 billion market cap companies on three different continents, Sol Trujillo who serves on the board of directors of Target (NYSE:TGT) and WPP Group (NASDAQ: WPP) says that companies have a “domestic emerging market” with just as great a potential as other international markets. Trujillo joined forces with Charles P. Garcia, a member of the Board of Directors of Winn-Dixie Stores (NASDAQ:WINN) as well as Nina Vaca, Gary Trujillo who sits on Blue Cross Blue Shield of Arizona and Well Fargo Bank Desert Region, Alejandro Silva, who sits on the Board of Directors of Walgreen’s (NYSE: WAG), and other Hispanic business leaders in this new venture.

The only 'welfare' narrative mainstream media will entertain

Welfare cheats rack up $9 million debt screams The Australian online ‘Top Story’ headline last Sunday above an article concerning a Centrelink review of 500 cash transfer recipients and, that cry was echoed throughout the mainstream media. With at least one publication, The Daily Telegraph, attempting to link this debt to money laundering on behalf of organised crime in its Cheats and criminals hit jackpot article.

It is obvious that this mini-frenzy over ‘high-flying’ gamblers was triggered by a recent media release, as the wording across diverse media outlets is almost identical in many instances. None of the online articles mentioned the very real possibility that some of these Centrelink review decisions might go before the Administrative Decisions Tribunal of Australia.

One has to wonder if this media release came from a Gillard Government minister ploughing the ground ahead of the May 2011 budget’s implementation of more ‘welfare reform’.

In comparison the Commonwealth Ombudsman’s March 2011 report Centrelink: The Right Of Review – Having Choices, Making Choices, highlighting problems with Centrelink review processes, created barely a ripple. As did those instances where both Centrelink and the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions erred by pursuing Centrelink clients who had not committed fraud and, other instances where Centrelink sought to have its own previous decisions overturned in order to unsuccessfully pursue the mirage of financial gain inferred by a client’s gambling losses.

The vast majority of those receiving pensions, allowances, benefits, family payments or disaster relief are neither cheats, criminals or out-of-control gamblers and I suspect that many who live on the NSW North Coast are becoming rather tired of the media's almost unrelenting focus on a negative view of welfare recipients.

Centrelink: Right to review–having choices, making choices—0411 (195.46KB) PDF download

Climate change 'scepticism' as a cultural issue

Excerpts from The culture and discourse of climate scepticism by Andrew J. Hoffman* (2011) which looks at the American experience:

The scientific community has concluded that human activity is a major cause of GHG emissions and that these emissions influence global warming (this author subscribes to this view, most notably stated by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change [IPCC] and the National Academies of Sciences). However, there is clearly more than science at play in shaping the public and political debate on climate change. It is striking that one of the strongest predictors of an American’s beliefs regarding climate change is his or her political party affiliation. According to a 2009 Pew survey, 75 percent of Democrats believe there is solid evidence of global warming compared to 35 percent of Republicans and 53 percent of Independents (Pew Research Center, 2009b). This variance can only be explained by the presence of a deeper ideological and cultural influence on both the definition of the problem and consideration of solutions…………………..

I recently began a study onthe climate skeptic movement and climate skepticism more broadly to better understand the cultural and ideological issues at play by systematically analyzing the frames used to mobilize the counter-movement. As part of this study, several cultural themes have emerged as dominant among the skeptic movement (Hulme, 2009).

For skeptics, climate change is inextricably tied to a belief that climate science and climate policy is a covert way for liberal environmentalists and the government to interfere in the market and diminish citizens’ personal freedom. In the words of a conference speaker at a 2010 climate skeptic conference, skeptics believe ‘the issue isn’t the issue’ and ‘the environmental agenda seeks to use the state to create scarcity as a means to exert their will, and the state’s authority, over your lives’. Many skeptic conference presenters invoked the idea that ‘climate change is just another attempt to diminish our freedom’ and climate policies will decrease personal liberty. One went so far as to suggest that a binding international agreement on climate change would end with individuals being required to carry ‘carbon ration cards’ on their person.

A second prominent theme among the skeptic movement is a strong faith in the free market. Members of the skeptic movement consistently argued that climate legislation will hinder economic progress and that renewable energy is not feasible without large government subsidies. Another skeptic suggested that ‘doing nothing about climate change is doing something [because] it enables people to keep their money and invest it in the future’.

Finally, one of the most intriguing themes that has emerged from the study is a strong distrust of the scientific peer review process. Skeptics argue that public funding of science in the post-Second World War era through organizations like the National Science Foundation (NSF) corrupted the scientific process. In their view, ‘peer review’ turned into ‘pal review’, and establishment scientist editors only published work by their friends and those whose scientific research findings agreed with their own. This frame was particularly salient at the skeptic conference in the wake of the 4 Strategic Organization 9(1) 2009 ‘Climategate’ controversy, in which thousands of emails were leaked from the University of East Anglia’s Climate Research Unit. Skeptics argue that these emails support their claims that dissenting scientific papers have been suppressed, although multiple investigations have cleared the scientists………..

Some may argue that the climate skeptic movement is small and thus irrelevant to the debate on what to do about climate change, but as social scientists, we cannot endorse such flippant dismissal. If, as we suspect, skeptics invoke climate frames that resemble abortion politics, this has serious policy implications. As long as members of the skeptic movement are included in the policy debate and sway the opinions of some lawmakers, their discourse is critically relevant.

* Andrew J. Hoffman is the Holcim (US) Professor of Sustainable Enterprise at the University of Michigan; a position that holds joint appointments at the Stephen M. Ross School of Business and the School of Natural Resources and Environment. Within this role, Andy also serves as associate director of the Frederick A. and Barbara M. Erb Institute for Global Sustainable Enterprise. His research uses a sociological perspective to understand the cultural and institutional aspects of environmental issues for organizations. He has published eight books and over 90 articles and book chapters on these issues.

Stick 'em up! Your money or your health

Faarrck! When will this daylight robbery end?

“Our draft decision indicates that average regulated electricity prices will increase by around 18.1% for Country Energy customers, 17.9% for EnergyAustralia customers and 16.4% for Integral Energy customers (Table 1.1). These increases come on top of rises of around 7% to 13% in 2010.”

Maud Up The Street tells me that her winter electricity bill will rise by over $32 before she even turns her heater on during very cold evenings. Maud wonders how her old bones are going to manage and predicts an increase in aches and pains because she won‘t be able to keep her home warm enough.

IPART Draft Report and Draft Determination covering average price increases in standard supply areas.

American G.O.P. have lost their minds or lost their nerve?

 

According to Jonathon Chait at The New York Times there is a small problem concerning exactly which political hopeful will contest the presidential election against sitting President Barack Obama on 6 November 2012:

The hidden hand of the G.O.P. establishment is once again at work. Dissatisfied with a presidential field consisting of boring retreads (Mitt Romney, Mike Huckabee) and Tea Party-endorsed outsiders (Michele Bachmann, Sarah Palin), various elites have been trying to coalesce around a candidate of their own.

Now here is where the story gets strange. The candidates they are recruiting make Michael Dukakis look like John F. Kennedy. They are qualified enough to serve as president, but wildly unqualified to run for president. One way to put this is that most powerful people in the G.O.P. have suddenly gone idealistic. Another way to put it is that they’ve lost their minds.

God help us - it's the Shooter's Party at work

In The Daily Examiner letters column on 7 March 2011:

Shooting pains

The Manning River Times reports the Shooters and Fishers Party have wasted no time in taking advantage of the balance of power in the state's upper house, now held by elephant shooter, Robert Borsak and Previous MLA, Robert Brown.

According to the article, Warwick Murray, a local shooters' representative, is reported as saying: "We're keen to see shooting made a larger sport in schools", and also pushing for hunting to be allowed in national parks.

It is clear that the obnoxious Shooters Party Bill, which was rejected by the previous Labor Government, that would have allowed the shooting of a range of native animal and birds, as well as feral species, in national Parks using guns, bows and arrows, and packs of dogs, is still squarely on their agenda.

God help us if the Coalition Party is prepared to do deals if it needs their help to introduce its legislation.

JOHN EDWARDS

South Grafton

Dubbo's Mutton lambs it up about radio law

Former Lower Clarence resident, Richard Mutton, who now hails from down town Dubbo, has thrown his two cents worth into the discussion about radio station 2DU retrenching its announcers Angela Clutterbuck and Ash Keenan and cutting back its "live and local" weekend broadcasts.

Mutton has a bit of form (colloquially known as self interest) when it comes to commercial radio.

Mutton previously had a stint with UNE Radio in Armidale in his student days, where his call sign was "Swinging D*ck", and then moved on to commercial radio at 2GF in Grafton where he double-dipped while on the Education Department's payroll.

While he was live-to-air in Armidale, the same cannot be said about most of Mutton's late-night graveyard sessions on 2GF. Mutton pre-recorded most of his programs for 2GF and then sat at home and listened to himself.

Enough said!

Dubbo's Daily Liberal carries a report detailing Mutton's latest 'effort'. The hypocrisy of the bloke knows no bounds.

While I feel for Clutterbuck and Keenan, having Mutton batting for them isn't a good look.

There are some things a politician should not say on Facebook or in the media

Think a lot but say little. Anon

Nationals MP for Clarence, Steve Cansdell, shows his ignorance of the law as he unfairly abuses a Local Court magistrate on Facebook for the benefit of his 608 friends and assorted readers:

Snapshot 14 April 2011

Steve Cansdell ‎2010 Yamba Riots, police van burnt, cops rocked by drunken mob. All charges dropped & these Grubs walk free. Pissweak Magistrate 18 hours ago via Selective Tweets

Yamba solicitor Bob Thompson took Steve Cansdell to task for similar comments elsewhere. Thompson rightly drew attention to the fact that this NSW Nationals MP was publicly commenting before all matters concerning the 2010 Yamba riot were concluded before the courts and that Cansdell was prejudging the nine juveniles caught up in the original incident:

Excerpt from Thompson's letter to the editor
The Daily Examiner 14 April 2011
Click on image to enlarge

Major stuff up by NSW Police a candidate for Ripley's Believe It Or Not

Update:

In The Daily Examiner on 15 April, Steve Candell states that he wishes he had moderated his language when he made a Facebook comment about the result of the Yamba riot trial, but he stands by the sentiment. I suspect that what Mr. Cansdell actually regrets is the negative publicity his intemperate comments have generated and this Daily Examiner editorial of the same day:

Saffin continues to demonstrate her commitment to the Page electorate

On the NSW North Coast it would be hard to find an elected representative in any of the three tiers of government who is as committed to her electorate as the obviously hardworking Labor Federal Member for Page Janelle Saffin MP.

The Punch 7 April 2011:

There were 14,234 cases diagnosed in 2007 (the latest national data). One death for every three cases diagnosed. Bowel cancer has not, as yet, captured the public’s imagination. It does not have a legion of popular ambassadors at its front. There are no supermodels, pop stars or sportspeople selling the bowel cancer story. We are told by journalists: “It’s not a story for breakfast”. There is no ribbon for bowel cancer; there is no agreed colour to unite the cause. And, most importantly, there is no national screening program.

Currently, one in five bowel cancers is diagnosed at stage four, the most advanced stage, when the cancer is often terminal. This is particularly tragic given bowel cancer is easy to treat when detected early. It is a double blow to those dying of the disease to learn there is a simple $30 test that can pick up the cancer early.

Excerpt from Ms. Saffin’s 8 April same day email response to one resident in her electorate who expressed concern that the National Bowel Screening Program winds up at the end of this financial year and, asked for her representation on his behalf at ministerial level:

Please be assured I shall do so personally for you and that I have made representations already. I am aware of the programme and its worth to many of us.

Regards Janelle

Anti-whaling warrior the Bob Barker in the Clarence for maintenance

The Sea Shepherd Conservation Society’s MY Bob Barker quietly slipped into the Clarence River last Saturday so that it can be repainted at the at the Harwood Slipway over the next two weeks.

The Society states:

Our “black ships” have served their purpose. Since 2002, our ships have been painted black with the objective of driving the Japanese whaling fleet from the waters of the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

The color black served four purposes for the Sea Shepherd fleet. First, it’s an intimidating color, and up against the superior number of ships in the whaling fleet, I felt we should be as intimidating as possible. The black ships, coupled with our own Jolly Roger, lent an air of intimidation. Secondly, the color black absorbs heat and this helped conserve energy in an environment with 24-hour sunlight, but a close to zero degrees climate.

Added to intimidation and keeping warm, we had a third factor…the black ships have long been a part of Japanese culture signifying change. In Japan, the term “black ships” has a specific meaning. First, with the black fleet of the Portuguese that brought Catholicism and Western trade to Japan, and then with the black fleet led by American Admiral Matthew Perry, that brought Japan out of centuries of isolationism in 1854. Our objective was to stop Japan from whaling, and we succeeded. We drove the Japanese whalers from the Antarctic waters…hopefully for good. If they return, we will return, but the prospect is very good that they will not.

Our fourth factor was to symbolize mourning for the death of so many whales due to Japanese harpoons in the Southern Ocean Whale Sanctuary.

Meanwhile we have other challenges to deal with including shark finning, tuna poaching, and the slaughter of seals, sea turtles, and small cetaceans. And with campaigns before us in the Mediterranean, Palau, Galapagos, and across the Indian Ocean, Equatorial Africa, and the South Pacific, the color black is not the most comfortable. We now need to reflect heat instead of absorbing it. The Gojira will be painted metallic silver,…….

Photograph from The Daily Examiner