The idea that a President can get away with this kind of totalitarian bullshit--well, I certainly would not have believed that was possible. As the text of the article points out, even Bill Clinton didn't have the gall to operate like this.
When you have prominent Democrats going against a Democrat President to warn that his trade deal is bad for America, you know it has to be f-ing bad. Sadly, the populace isn't going to find out what's in it until it's law...which is exactly what Obama intends. Otherwise he can't help out his buddies in the big corporations.
* * *
Illinois has the second-highest property taxes in the United States. Color me surprised.
Having been a Democrat machine city since the Permian Era, Chicago has been managed (mismanaged and malmanaged) with wishful thinking and unicorn flatus for far too long, and eventually those cows come home to roost. (Intentionally mangled metaphor, there.) Part of the problem is that while the government is capable of raising (and willing to raise) taxes, there is not a lot of blood left in that particular stone. Cook County already has some of the highest taxes in the nation, and is well on the right side of the Laffer Curve as it is. Increasing taxes further is going to destroy economic output and result in less revenue rather than more.
In other words, Detroit. It can't be otherwise absent someone being elected who understands basic economics and has the guts to implement real austerity measures. That will not happen, because the instant anyone's ox is gored, the sitting government's goose is cooked. The machine requires that the status quo continue approximately forever, which it cannot. The result is businesses and people abandoning the city, finding places where they are not taxed into the craphouse. Eventually you have nothing but government workers with no other tax base, and once you are there it's Detroit or Camden all over again.
* * *
Going to BBQ some ribs tonight, but I have to find the recipe for the rub, first. That'll be good.
