Ben's Bankruptcy sweepstakes!

[Ben Kenobi]

If you go back further than 2004

I bet if you go back to the stone Age you'll find Nancy Pelosi's first term.

main reason those worthless red areas are now declaring bankruptcy is because their Republican mayors and Republican city council members

Pat Morris is the Mayor of San Bernardino. He claims to be of the Democrat Party. Now perhaps he's a liar, but that's strike one. He's been mayor since 2006.

Ann Johnson was the Mayor of Stockton, California.

Her bio is here. http://www.smartvoter.org/2008/11/04...ton_a/bio.html

In 1965, she claims to have served with the Peace Corps, making her a reactionary.

You can see her endorsements here:

Teamsters Local #439
Operating Engineers Local #3
Teamsters Local #601
Stockton City Employees Association
Stockton City Management B & C
International Longshoremen's Local #54
Plumbers Local #442
San Joaquin/Calaveras Counties Central Labor Council
Campaign for Common Ground
Central Valley Stonewall Democratic Club
San Joaquin and Calaveras Counties Central Labor Council
The Sierra Club
Planned Parenthood Monte Mar

So again, she's a reactionary.

You claim that the 'republicans are responsible', yet the cities going bankrupt are run by Democrats. You rail against the 'central valley', but cite antiquated evidence. The evidence - today, is that these areas are stauch Obama supporters. Yes, while it is true that parts of the central valley are conservative, Stockton and San Jaoquin county are not. Neither is San Bernardino.

Maybe in the stone age it was as you have said, but as you tell me - it's time to come to reality and today. Democrat mayors = bankruptcy. Democrats = bankruptcy on the cities they manage. Democrats are running CA into the ground. You're right that the coastal areas are wealthier and better off, this is why it's taking longer for them to go bankrupt.

[giblets]

I didn't know the Peace Corps had a political loyalty test to determine who could get in...

[Ben Kenobi]

Where as in the undesirable red inland areas no one wanted to build anything there because those places are that crappy, they're no where near the major job centers and few people want to drive 3-4 hours each way to work

If that were so why isn't Bakersfield going bankrupt? Why isn't Redding going bankrupt? Both areas are in the '****ty parts of California where no one apparently wants to live', and yet, they don't appear on this list. They are staunch republican strongholds in CA and inland. Yet, they seem to be chugging along. Could it be that your prejudice is unfounded? That republicans actually might know how to run a city budget even in California?

Another fact - most states are actually improving their balance sheets from 2004 onwards. California is the major exception - their creditworthiness as a state is deteriorating. Even Illinois isn't as bad as California.

If the US wanted to right the fiscal ship, it would be as simple as cutting off CA and dropping it into the sea. Then redistributing the house seats.

[Ben Kenobi]

I didn't know the Peace Corps had a political loyalty test to determine who could get in...

Well, you must admit that it's very likely that someone who has been in the Peace Corps would be a staunch reactionary. She probably owns some guns too.

[PLATO]

The great Earthquake of 2015 will purge the blue areas and then all the red areas will have nicely developed, affordable beachfront housing.

[Ben Kenobi]

The great Earthquake of 2015 will purge the blue areas and then all the red areas will have nicely developed, affordable beachfront housing.

Shh.

[Imran Siddiqui]

Interestingly enough, Ben doesn't know the current mayor of Stockton, California is Anthony Silva - who won in the election last year. An interesting blurb on Silva's win:

http://www.recordnet.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20121107/A_NEWS/211070341

Silva was his own largest contributor, loaning his campaign $17,000. Fire and police unions, who have battled the city over pay cuts, were Silva's next most active financial supporters, drawing criticism from Johnston for being owned by the unions.

So Johnston criticized Silva for being owned by the unions - yep, sounds like a Democrat there.

[Al B. Sure!]

I didn't know the Peace Corps had a political loyalty test to determine who could get in...

Wasn't the Peace Corps once notorious for being a front for CIA activity? They had to ban people associated with military intel from serving in the Peace Corps and vice-versa because of that stigma.

[Supr49er]

If San Berdoo legalized and taxed meth, they might be the richest city in the US.

[DaShi]

Ben going bankrupt would be so awesome! He wouldn't be able to afford internet.

[Ben Kenobi]

Interestingly enough, Ben doesn't know the current mayor of Stockton, California is Anthony Silva

I specifically said that the mayor of Stockton was the lady in question. Silva came in after the bankruptcy, not before.

[Ben Kenobi]

Ben going bankrupt would be so awesome! He wouldn't be able to afford internet.

2012 called again. It sucked.

Not exactly an unusual occurrance for me. Perhaps you missed the fact that the only year since 2000, that I've not moved was 2007. Stretch there from October of 2006 to March of 2008 was the longest stretch that I've actually had home internet access since 2000. So that's what? 18 months in a stretch?

As of September 1st will make a year without some service interruption of some sort.

Internet's important for me, but I've done without before. Don't like it, makes me hard to contact (since I don't own a phone), but it's doable.

Bankruptcy is another matter though. I don't think I've been more than a couple hundred in debt to a credit card company? Pretty hard to go bankrupt when you don't owe anybody any money. Worst spot I've been in was last March. Landlord who was a Raiders fan sold the house in a short sale and didn't bother informing me. Then he flew the coop in the middle of the month and didn't pay me what he owed me for first and last rent plus prorating for the rest of the month. Even then wasn't bankrupt (as I have a few assets), but that's the first and the last time that I've had absolutely nothing on hand. I intend for that to be the last time.

[regexcellent]

Oerdin, for ****s sake, the reason those central California counties are going bankrupt is because they're filled with poor meth addicts getting dicked over by ****ing absurd taxes and crushing business regulations levied by *******s from LA and the bay area. Software companies and movie studios are inherently more resistant to environmental laws and work laws and so forth than farms and industry.

[notyoueither]

Don't let facts bother Ben.

Oerdin and ben arguing facts? Hoo boy!

[SlowwHand]

Oerdin can't be bothered to check for facts because he's face down in a lemon meringue pie.