The Chancellor of the City University of New York, Matt Goldstein, and the Chairman of the Board of Trustees, Benno Schmidt, have done a stellar job of improving standards at this once-great and now reviving university. In the 1930s CUNY challenged Harvard for national eminence. In the 1970s, left wing progressive educationists, in an effort to destroy the career prospects of minority and working class students, aimed to turn CUNY into a laughing stock by ending admissions requirements and introducing elementary school-level "remedial" classes. Schmidt and Goldstein, together with CUNY's stellar board of trustees, have raised standards, improved quality and made CUNY an attractive educational "buy" for many New Yorkers. In response to the improvement of standards, the introduction of a nationally competitive honors college and increasing SAT scores, a leftist bigot, hiding behind the Ku Klux Klan-like cowl, mask and robe of anonymity, wrote a conservative-baiting and anti-Semitic article in an obscure website called "the CUNY Graduate Center Advocate". The article is here. My response on their site is as follows:
This article is an embarrassment. I am concerned that CUNY has admitted students who are so ignorant of history that they confuse JP Morgan with his son, Jack Morgan. The author states that JP Morgan, the "robber baron", made his fortune selling World War I bonds, but, as any schoolchild knows, JP Morgan died in 1913 and World War I started in 1914. This article exemplies the ill-bred conservative-baiting that passes for academic work in education, social science, history and humanities departments around the country, where conservative-baiting and insulting those who disagree with sociopathic, left-wing ideology passes for academic work. For instance, the writer quotes Lenin, a mass killer whose Soviet Union ended up killing between 25 and 60 million human beings, a mass killer of the stature of Adolf Hitler. Quoting Lenin is morally equivalent to quoting Hitler, but apparently much of this goes on. Official Soviet reports admitted that fully 30 million Soviet citizens were in danger of death by starvation by 1921, and Lenin's forces murdered at least several hundred thousand peasants in the Bread War. With a record of murder equivalent to Hitler's, Lenin's appeal to this writer is understandable. It is much worse to work for JP Morgan Bank or Colgate Palmolive than to kill hundreds of thousands of people. The author goes on to make a number of ill-informed, conservative-baiting and anti-Semitic comments. Personally, I am offended by the bigoted equation of Jeff Wiesenfeld's Zionism with racism. This anti-Semitic remark is a disgrace, and this website is racist. The author's conservative baiting begins with his discussion of our excellent and honorable trustee, Peter Pantaleo. There are two sides to labor relations in this country (unlike in the former Soviet Union for which this author pines) and these are labor and management. If Mr. Pantaleo represents management interests, that makes him no more a criminal than Victor Gotbaum's representing labor's interests. I met Mr. Gotbaum, former head of DC 37, in 1988 when he occupied a teaching position at the CUNY Graduate Center to which he had been appointed despite a lack of qualifications. He did not have a Ph.D. and had studied international relations, not labor, at Columbia. Yet, he was given a position in a research capacity teaching doctoral students. Did the author or his or her professor argue against that appointment? If not, why is appointing a pro-management lawyer problematic? The author's incompetence follows through almost every paragraph. The author objects to William E. Macaulay's $30 million donation. Is the writer aware of how universities work in this country, or is he or she so dedicated to the Soviet model that he is completely ignorant of practical reality? Similarly, the insipid complaint about Philip Alfonso Berry's having worked for Colgate Palmolive. Better he should have worked for Gosplan or the KGB, or better yet managed a prison camp in the Gulag Archipelago and murdered 6,000 Jews. That would have been much more pleasing to this conservative-baiting bigot.
Saturday, October 18, 2008
Warren Buffett Predicts Inflation, Higher Stock Market
My broker forwarded an article that Warren Buffet wrote in the New York Times today. He is long on stocks and urges buyers to view the current market decline as a buying opportunity. I agree. Yesterday I bought GE, which is selling at less than 10 times earning because of its financial risk, and the S&P 500. Buffett's most interesting statement is toward the end of the Op Ed:
"Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long-term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value. Indeed, the policies that government will follow in its efforts to alleviate the current crisis will probably prove inflationary and therefore accelerate declines in the real value of cash accounts.
"Equities will almost certainly outperform cash over the next decade, probably by a substantial degree. Those investors who cling now to cash are betting they can efficiently time their move away from it later. In waiting for the comfort of good news, they are ignoring Wayne Gretzky's advice: "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been."
Given his prognosis of inflation, and the socially unacceptable characteristic of gold and other commodities, they may be at least as good as stocks over the next five years.
"Today people who hold cash equivalents feel comfortable. They shouldn't. They have opted for a terrible long-term asset, one that pays virtually nothing and is certain to depreciate in value. Indeed, the policies that government will follow in its efforts to alleviate the current crisis will probably prove inflationary and therefore accelerate declines in the real value of cash accounts.
"Equities will almost certainly outperform cash over the next decade, probably by a substantial degree. Those investors who cling now to cash are betting they can efficiently time their move away from it later. In waiting for the comfort of good news, they are ignoring Wayne Gretzky's advice: "I skate to where the puck is going to be, not to where it has been."
Given his prognosis of inflation, and the socially unacceptable characteristic of gold and other commodities, they may be at least as good as stocks over the next five years.
Dan Friedman Analyzes Polls
I just received the following message from Dan Friedman, based on an e-mail from the McCain campaign:
Sat Oct 18, 1:03 am ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead over Republican John McCain, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.
Obama leads McCain by 48 to 44 percent among likely voters in the four-day tracking poll, which has a margin of error of 2.9 points.
Pollster John Zogby said that while Obama's overall lead had remained relatively stable between 2 and 6 points in the 12 days since the poll started, the latest figures showed a bump for McCain following Wednesday's final presidential debate.
"Today was the first full sample post-debate and there's a clear indication that McCain is moving up," Zogby said.
He added that McCain's support among Republican voters appeared to be consolidating.
McCain was backed by 91 percent of Republicans in the poll, while Obama drew support from just 88 percent of Democrats. But Obama still enjoyed a 16-point advantage among independent voters, which many analysts expect to be a deciding factor in the November 4 election.
"If (McCain) maintains his edge with Republicans, he stays competitive. But he's going to have to increase his share of independents," Zogby said.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the bowels of the city, very near its rectum:
CBS News/NY Times
10/10 - 10/13
699 LV
--
53
39
Obama +14
Sat Oct 18, 1:03 am ET
WASHINGTON (Reuters) – Democrat Barack Obama holds a 4-point lead over Republican John McCain, according to a Reuters/C-SPAN/Zogby poll released on Saturday.
Obama leads McCain by 48 to 44 percent among likely voters in the four-day tracking poll, which has a margin of error of 2.9 points.
Pollster John Zogby said that while Obama's overall lead had remained relatively stable between 2 and 6 points in the 12 days since the poll started, the latest figures showed a bump for McCain following Wednesday's final presidential debate.
"Today was the first full sample post-debate and there's a clear indication that McCain is moving up," Zogby said.
He added that McCain's support among Republican voters appeared to be consolidating.
McCain was backed by 91 percent of Republicans in the poll, while Obama drew support from just 88 percent of Democrats. But Obama still enjoyed a 16-point advantage among independent voters, which many analysts expect to be a deciding factor in the November 4 election.
"If (McCain) maintains his edge with Republicans, he stays competitive. But he's going to have to increase his share of independents," Zogby said.
Meanwhile, somewhere in the bowels of the city, very near its rectum:
CBS News/NY Times
10/10 - 10/13
699 LV
--
53
39
Obama +14
Obama Citizenship: Steve Marquis Sues Washington State Re Enforcement of Election Law
Steve Marquis is not an attorney but he is a man of courage. He just contacted me regarding his pro se (without counsel) law suit against Washington State regarding the State's refusal to enforce its own laws and the Constitution regarding Barack Obama's candidacy.
Documents concerning his case are here. According to Marquis's summary of key points, "the government agencies that should be assuring the veracity of our electoral process have failed to do so in regards to an outstanding question of Mr. Obama’s Citizenship...The FEC has not responded to petitioners requests for an evaluation and certification of Mr. Obama’s claim to being a 'natural born citizen.'
"The WA State Secretary of States office has not responded to petitioners requests for an evaluation and certification of Mr. Obama’s claim to being a Native born Citizen. FOI requests to Hawaii Department of Health for a certified copy of his birth certificate or hospital birthing records have gone unheeded.
"Demands for access to or certified copies of those salient documents in a Federal court case were rejected in court arguments by Mr. Obama. Rather than diffuse the question by delivering the documents, he instead argued for dismissal based on “standing” or “right to know”. This stalling and obfuscation only adds weight to the speculation that he does not possess the documents that would prove status as a “natural born citizen” as the constitution demands of a presidential candidate.
"The Secretary of State is responsible for executing an election process that lends confidence to the veracity and fairness of the process and the ballot. While there are specific statutory responsibilities, this general responsibility is established by the constitution and is overarching.
"This involves verifying the status of voters through a proper verifiable registration process, certifying the candidates and the tally.
His office is responsible for the ballots themselves. Even though we have some federal candidates listed on the ballot, it is not a federal ballot, but a state ballot executed under the secretary of States prevue and sanction.
"The presidential office is unique in that we do not vote specifically for the president in a nation wide plebiscite, rather we vote to send state representatives called electors pledged for a particular presidential candidate. The WA State Secretary of State is clearly responsible for the state electors and by extension the name on the ballot they are pledged to represent.
"The electors, depending on a particular states constitution, may be “winner take all, proportionally represented or even uncommitted altogether - on the honor system. This underscores the point that we are voting for state electors in a state election so that these state representatives can project the state i.e. regional power to the electoral college.
"If we waited for “after the election” to challenge a candidate’s basic qualifications in court rather than ahead of time in an orderly manner through application which demands minimal documentation by the candidates or at least in the case of particular candidates that have been challenged by citizen complains, such an after the fact challenge would most certainly create a constitutional crisis an likely civil unrest. Which civil unrest would be due to wholesale loss of confidence in the veracity of the electoral process. In particular the FEC and the respective Offices of the States Secretaries of State would be impugned for their dereliction of their constitutional duties, which duties are commonly expected by the people to be carried out transparently.
Mr. Marquis's press release follows:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
"Contact: Steve Marquis
Telephone Number: 425-698-7084
Email Address: peoplesvoice@peoplespassions.org
Web site address: http://peoplespassions.org/peoplesvoice/peoplesvoice.html
"Averting a Crisis in Confidence; Citizen files Lawsuit Against Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed demanding verification of Barack Obama’s citizenship status.
"Seattle WA. 10/9/2008 — Steven Marquis, a resident of Fall City WA today filed suit in Washington State Superior Court against Secretary of State Sam Reed demanding verification of Barack Obama’s citizenship status.
"The complaint seeks specifically that the office of the Washington Secretary of State verify and certify that Mr. Obama is or is not a "natural born" citizen by producing original or certified verifiable official documents. The lawsuit argues that this certification should take place before the election to preclude a constitutional crisis and likely civil unrest should such certification, after the election, prove that Mr. Obama was not qualified for office.
"The Complaint argues that the Secretary of State has the authority and duty to not only certify the voters but also and most importantly the candidates and in so doing prevent the wholesale disenfranchisement of voters who would had had an opportunity to choose from qualified candidates had the certification preceded the election process.
"At this point, Mr. Obama has not allowed independent or official access to his birth records nor supporting hospital records. The Hawaii Health Department has violated Federal law by ignoring formal Freedom of Information requests for the same. Due to the facts and numerous other allegations that would challenge Mr. Obama’s fundamental qualifications for office, a Federal lawsuit was filed and is currently being heard in District Court, Pennsylvania.
"Mr. Obama failed to respond to the District Court’s request to produce or allow access to the official documents (should they exist) and instead filed a motion to dismiss arguing the Plaintiff had no “standing” or right to know. This non-response as of 9/24/2008 in Federal court casts doubt on the veracity of the electoral system and is the principal reason for this lawsuit. The late entry of this suit is due in principal part to Mr. Obama’s delay and subsequent non response to reasonable request for valid certificates. Multiple requests for early certification to the Office of the Secretary of State has been rejected.
"[clarification: The district court process itself demands a response from Mr. Obama. When a complaint is filed, the defendant has an opportunity to respond to the judge regarding the plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction. Obama did respond, but not with the requested documentation, not even minimally so. He responded with a motion for dismissal based on “standing” rather than the merits of the case]
"The Washington Secretary of State Office is specifically charged with certifying and guaranteeing the veracity of official documents and overseeing the elections to wit the people’s confidence in the fundamental aspect of democracy is maintained. To date, in this regard, Secretary of State Sam Reed has not carried out that fundamental duty.
"This lawsuit demands injunctive relief directing Sam Reed, Secretary of State, carry out the duty of his office in this regard answering the formal complaints for verification of Mr. Obama and any other candidate appearing on the ballots issues through his office for which formal complaints have been received.
"Interested Parties may contact Plaintive as follows:
Contact: Steve Marquis
Telephone Number: 425-698-7084
Email Address: peoplesvoice@peoplespassions.org
Web site address: http://peoplespassions.org/peoplesvoice/peoplesvoice
Documents concerning his case are here. According to Marquis's summary of key points, "the government agencies that should be assuring the veracity of our electoral process have failed to do so in regards to an outstanding question of Mr. Obama’s Citizenship...The FEC has not responded to petitioners requests for an evaluation and certification of Mr. Obama’s claim to being a 'natural born citizen.'
"The WA State Secretary of States office has not responded to petitioners requests for an evaluation and certification of Mr. Obama’s claim to being a Native born Citizen. FOI requests to Hawaii Department of Health for a certified copy of his birth certificate or hospital birthing records have gone unheeded.
"Demands for access to or certified copies of those salient documents in a Federal court case were rejected in court arguments by Mr. Obama. Rather than diffuse the question by delivering the documents, he instead argued for dismissal based on “standing” or “right to know”. This stalling and obfuscation only adds weight to the speculation that he does not possess the documents that would prove status as a “natural born citizen” as the constitution demands of a presidential candidate.
"The Secretary of State is responsible for executing an election process that lends confidence to the veracity and fairness of the process and the ballot. While there are specific statutory responsibilities, this general responsibility is established by the constitution and is overarching.
"This involves verifying the status of voters through a proper verifiable registration process, certifying the candidates and the tally.
His office is responsible for the ballots themselves. Even though we have some federal candidates listed on the ballot, it is not a federal ballot, but a state ballot executed under the secretary of States prevue and sanction.
"The presidential office is unique in that we do not vote specifically for the president in a nation wide plebiscite, rather we vote to send state representatives called electors pledged for a particular presidential candidate. The WA State Secretary of State is clearly responsible for the state electors and by extension the name on the ballot they are pledged to represent.
"The electors, depending on a particular states constitution, may be “winner take all, proportionally represented or even uncommitted altogether - on the honor system. This underscores the point that we are voting for state electors in a state election so that these state representatives can project the state i.e. regional power to the electoral college.
"If we waited for “after the election” to challenge a candidate’s basic qualifications in court rather than ahead of time in an orderly manner through application which demands minimal documentation by the candidates or at least in the case of particular candidates that have been challenged by citizen complains, such an after the fact challenge would most certainly create a constitutional crisis an likely civil unrest. Which civil unrest would be due to wholesale loss of confidence in the veracity of the electoral process. In particular the FEC and the respective Offices of the States Secretaries of State would be impugned for their dereliction of their constitutional duties, which duties are commonly expected by the people to be carried out transparently.
Mr. Marquis's press release follows:
"FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE:
"Contact: Steve Marquis
Telephone Number: 425-698-7084
Email Address: peoplesvoice@peoplespassions.org
Web site address: http://peoplespassions.org/peoplesvoice/peoplesvoice.html
"Averting a Crisis in Confidence; Citizen files Lawsuit Against Washington Secretary of State Sam Reed demanding verification of Barack Obama’s citizenship status.
"Seattle WA. 10/9/2008 — Steven Marquis, a resident of Fall City WA today filed suit in Washington State Superior Court against Secretary of State Sam Reed demanding verification of Barack Obama’s citizenship status.
"The complaint seeks specifically that the office of the Washington Secretary of State verify and certify that Mr. Obama is or is not a "natural born" citizen by producing original or certified verifiable official documents. The lawsuit argues that this certification should take place before the election to preclude a constitutional crisis and likely civil unrest should such certification, after the election, prove that Mr. Obama was not qualified for office.
"The Complaint argues that the Secretary of State has the authority and duty to not only certify the voters but also and most importantly the candidates and in so doing prevent the wholesale disenfranchisement of voters who would had had an opportunity to choose from qualified candidates had the certification preceded the election process.
"At this point, Mr. Obama has not allowed independent or official access to his birth records nor supporting hospital records. The Hawaii Health Department has violated Federal law by ignoring formal Freedom of Information requests for the same. Due to the facts and numerous other allegations that would challenge Mr. Obama’s fundamental qualifications for office, a Federal lawsuit was filed and is currently being heard in District Court, Pennsylvania.
"Mr. Obama failed to respond to the District Court’s request to produce or allow access to the official documents (should they exist) and instead filed a motion to dismiss arguing the Plaintiff had no “standing” or right to know. This non-response as of 9/24/2008 in Federal court casts doubt on the veracity of the electoral system and is the principal reason for this lawsuit. The late entry of this suit is due in principal part to Mr. Obama’s delay and subsequent non response to reasonable request for valid certificates. Multiple requests for early certification to the Office of the Secretary of State has been rejected.
"[clarification: The district court process itself demands a response from Mr. Obama. When a complaint is filed, the defendant has an opportunity to respond to the judge regarding the plaintiffs request for a preliminary injunction. Obama did respond, but not with the requested documentation, not even minimally so. He responded with a motion for dismissal based on “standing” rather than the merits of the case]
"The Washington Secretary of State Office is specifically charged with certifying and guaranteeing the veracity of official documents and overseeing the elections to wit the people’s confidence in the fundamental aspect of democracy is maintained. To date, in this regard, Secretary of State Sam Reed has not carried out that fundamental duty.
"This lawsuit demands injunctive relief directing Sam Reed, Secretary of State, carry out the duty of his office in this regard answering the formal complaints for verification of Mr. Obama and any other candidate appearing on the ballots issues through his office for which formal complaints have been received.
"Interested Parties may contact Plaintive as follows:
Contact: Steve Marquis
Telephone Number: 425-698-7084
Email Address: peoplesvoice@peoplespassions.org
Web site address: http://peoplespassions.org/peoplesvoice/peoplesvoice
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