Couldn’t Help But Notice (102307)

From Newt Gingrich, who should know (link added by me):

By my count, in one ugly statement, Congressman Stark manages to level at least four vicious attacks: He accuses Republicans of indifference to children’s healthcare needs; he demeans the sacrifice of our troops in Iraq; he grotesquely accuses the President of being amused by the deaths of our troops in Iraq; and he attacks the honor of the House of Representatives by uttering the words in the first place.

….. It’s clear that no expressions of regret will be forthcoming from Congressman Stark. He obviously stands by his comments. But what about his Democratic colleagues? Do they agree that the sacrifice of our troops in Iraq is meaningless? Do they agree that the President is “amused” by it?

One way we can know for sure is if the House votes immediately to censure Congressman Stark.

The Constitution gives the House the right to censure a member for misconduct or inappropriate words or behavior.

According to the Congressional Research Service, the majority of the 22 censures of members in House history “concerned issues of decorum, that is, the use of un-parliamentary or insulting language on the floor of the House or acts of violence towards other members.”

In other words, precisely what Congressman Stark did last week.

Congressman Pete Stark has dishonored the entire House with his despicable remarks.

By voting for or against censure, House members can go on the record. Do they agree or disagree that America is sending its young people to Iraq to fight and die for the President’s “amusement”? Do they agree or disagree that this is language worthy of a member of the House of Representatives?

Americans deserve to know the answer.

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We’re number 17 on this list (underlying article here; HT Greg Mankiw) of 2006 government spending tax revenues as a percentage of GDP. The New York Times is surely trying to make it appear as if our public sector doesn’t get enough money. Puh-leeze.

There are also a few notable omissions, at least including Belgium, Australia and New Zealand. I believe the Aussies and Kiwis spend less than we do, but I haven’t been able to find info that shows that. Update: Just found (PDF of Table A can be found at this link) — Australia is 30.9% (as of 2005), New Zealand 36.5%, and Belgium 44.8%.
I also question the data, which claim that spending by all governments (Fed, State, and Local) is 28.2% of GDP, when this graph from 2004 has it at that level, given that federal and state tax collections have exploded since then. Other info available in the Organization for Economic Cooperation and Development’s “OECD in Figures 2006-2007″ publication, such as this page, also differs significantly.
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I wonder why this is needed:

Walk on the wired side: jacket that lets parents keep track of children
· GPS technology provides updates every 10 seconds
· Firm says garment gives young more independence

Actually, I understand it, but don’t agree with it, and I understand that the parents are in control with this unit. But with so many cameras everywhere in the UK already — so many that they’re driving Ewan McGregor crazy — you almost wonder if children could escape notice even if they wanted to.

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Ho Hum Hiring Headline:

T. Rowe Price Group Inc. said yesterday that it will add 1,400 jobs at its Baltimore County campus in the next two years, and county leaders called the planned expansion one of the most significant by a private employer in the region in years.

The Baltimore-based investment firm plans to spend $185 million to construct two large office buildings and two parking garages on its sprawling Owings Mills campus – a project that would enable the company to become the county’s largest private employer.

It would also signify the region’s emergence as a player in the financial services industry, a local economist said.

….. The expansion would bring to 4,000 the number of workers at the Owings Mills park, which employs slightly more than half of the company’s work force worldwide.

Worth asking, and we’ll never know — Would T. Rowe have expanded in Maryland if the Wal-Mart Law had survived? If the 10,000-employee threshold originally envisioned had gone into effect, what would have prevented the state’s politicians from dropping it lower, perhaps much lower?

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