The Barber Shoppe Gazette

Thursday, October 26, 2006

U.S. Postal Service To Stage Nationwide Picket

GOVERNMENT / U.S. POSTAL SERVICE TO STAGE NATIONWIDE PICKET

News With Views

Smiley Flag Waver A spokesman for the US Postal Service, says the Internet, higher fuel costs, 1.5 million new addresses a year, increasing employee costs, and a host of other reasons have created challenges that threaten the ability to provide high-quality, universal postal service at affordable rates.

"Because the Postal Service continues to see a steady decline in first-class mail volume, postage prices will continue to increase and mailing industry jobs will be eliminated, unless the Postal Service can take the necessary steps to reduce its operating costs."

U.S. POSTAL WORKERS TO STAGE NATIONWIDE PICKETING TODAY

Postal Workers Warn: Corporations To Benefit At Expense Of Citizens In New Post Office Plan

Posted 1:00 AM Eastern
~ By NWVs Investigative Reporter Jim Kouri
October 26, 2006
NewsWithViews.com

In the tradition of Chicken Little's "the sky is falling, the sky is falling," United States Postal Service officials claim that they fear the future America's mail processing and delivery is in danger.

Senior postal service executives are in the midst of not only consolidating mail processing centers but they've cut postal jobs by nearly 100,000.

With the alternatives of e-mail, fax machines, and private delivery services, postal officials claim they are seeing a marked decrease in the number of items being sent through the current mail system.

In addition, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) in their report to congress said: "The [Postal] Service's strategy for realigning has not been clear because the [it] has outlined several seemingly different strategies over the past 3 years. None of these strategies include criteria and processes for eliminating excess capacity, which may prolong inefficiencies. Also, the strategy lacks sufficient transparency and accountability, excludes stakeholder input, and lacks performance measures for results."

The report points out that the Postal Service's plan to consolidate "facilities" and eliminate "duplicity" (jobs) must be implemented in order for the agency to survive.

Victor Dubina, a spokesman for the US Postal Service, says the Internet, higher fuel costs, 1.5 million new addresses a year, increasing employee costs, and a host of other reasons have created challenges that threaten the ability to provide high-quality, universal postal service at affordable rates, according to the Register Herald

"The business environment has changed and continues to change," Dubina said. "Postal employees and management see it, mailing associations see it, members of Congress see it, and it scares the hell out of all of us."

Dubina said when gasoline prices go up a single cent, it has an $8 million financial impact in increased costs to the Postal Service.

In an interview with The Register-Herald, Dubina said, "The impact from increased gasoline costs were $1 billion in 2002," Dubina explained. "That was during a period when we didn't raise rates."

Dubina says the US Postal Service is finding it harder and harder each year to just break even.

"Reform legislation is needed to minimize the risk of a significant taxpayer bailout or dramatic postal rate increases," he said.

The GAO study of the Postal Service concluded that "legislative reform must be done and it must include clarifying the service's mission and role so that it remains focused on universal postal service and compete appropriately. It also called for more flexibility to operate in a businesslike manner."

Currently, the US Postal Service is part of a $9 billion mailing industry that supports more than 9 million jobs. It maintains 37,000 post offices and 450 mail processing facilities that collectively employ more than 704,000 individuals in every state in the country.

The current government plan calls for consolidating some of the Postal Service's 450 mail processing plants, and doing it without laying off one postal employee.

"Postmaster General Jack Potter has said he is committed to cutting costs without reducing service or laying off workers," Dubina said.

But in the next breath Dubina says that nearly 100,000 jobs have been eliminated, according to the Register-Herald.

Postal workers union leaders say the US Postal Service has a major consolidation plan, and the union has selected October 26 for a nationwide day of picketing. In what they're calling a national day of informational picketing, the union plans to reveal how this consolidation plan will benefit big corporations, who utilize the bulk-mail system, at the expense individual citizens who use first-class mail.

"Tomorrow (Thursday) will be a nationwide day of picketing to protest ill-advised postal consolidations," Dennis Hotchkiss, Oregon's State President of the Postal Worker, told NewsWithViews.com.

Hotchkiss said the coordinated informational picketing is intended to highlight the potentially damaging effects of the consolidation plan and to expose how the postal service panders to major mailers.

"The Oct. 26 date was selected to give local unions the opportunity to seek support from elected officials and candidates prior to Election Day, Nov. 7," he told NewsWithViews.com.

The nationwide day of picketing will present an opportunity for union activists to encourage their coworkers to vote, Hotchkiss said.

The coordinated informational picketing is intended to spotlight the potentially damaging effects of the USPS consolidation plan, and to expose how Postal Service policy panders to major mailers, according to an American Postal Workers Union press release.

"I urge locals and state organizations to participate in the nationwide day of picketing," said APWU President William Burrus, "and I urge them to take our message to the public: This plan will delay mail to local communities, and it is being forced on the American people without their input."

"We intend to change that," Burrus said. "We will engage the public in a dialogue about their expectations and experience with the postal service. These informational pickets are an opportunity to express our concerns."

The union president also urged locals to inform elected officials about the USPS consolidation plan and the negative effect it will have on service to their constituents. In a Sept. 12 letter to every member of Congress, Burrus wrote, "The Postal Service has failed to consider the concerns of the American people, denied them the information necessary to determine if the revised network will meet their needs, and excluded them from having real input in the decision-making process."

To be sure, there has been practically no media coverage of the Postal Service's intentions to reorganize in a way that will slowdown the delivery of mail for private citizens while benefiting businesses using bulk-rates. According to the consolidation plan, bulk-mail will receive top priority.

There are many who believe the postal service is being overly secretive about their plans. For example, 19 members of Congress said in a letter, "Although GAO recommended that USPS improve its efforts to keep [citizens] informed, our communities affected by current plans to consolidate mail processing plants have told us that they have not been adequately informed about the Postal Service's plans, the extent to which the Postal Service proposed to analyze plant performance and make realignment decisions, or the potential impacts on these communities."

Meanwhile, there is added suspicion that the top officials at the USPS view the consolidation and cutbacks as a first step in privatizing the postal system. Dennis Hotchkiss told NewswithView.com that the new Chairman of the Postal Service's Board of Governors, James C. Miller, is a strong supporter of privatization.

A postal patron who wished to stay anonymous said "will the USPS be sold to a foreign company and when?"

Miller also shares many of the Bush White Houses traits in that he has a propensity to work and act in secret. A check of the USPS's press releases reveals practically no mention of consolidation plans; and there's even less information found on news search engines.

Hotchkiss and other state presidents of the postal workers union hope that the October 26 action by the nations mail carriers and postal workers will open the eyes of Americans and remove the veil of secrecy surrounding the US Postal Service.

Related Information:

1. Postal service must change, official says
2. USPS: Strategy for realigning its mail processing
3. APWU: Day of picketing to expose ill-advised plans
4. USPS Proposes new mailing standards

E-Mails are used strictly for NWVs alerts, and are not for or re-sale.

E-Mail Dennis Hotchkiss

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Housing: The Worst Is Yet To Come

ECONOMY / HOUSING: THE WORST IS YET TO COME

Making Money Alert

Smiley Flag Waver After record sales of both new and existing homes for five consecutive years, we now are seeing the housing market rapidly loosing steam.

The median price of a single-family home fell last month to $219,800, down 2.5% from the price during September 2005.

Sales of previously owned homes fell by nearly 2% during September. That sales rate is the slowest since January 2004.

Can't you just hear the air popping out of the bubble?

HOUSING, THE WORST IS YET TO COME

~ By: Doug Fabian
Editor, Successful Investing
President, Fabian Investment Resources

We had another report today on the housing market's woes. This time the data addressed existing home sales.

The National Association of Realtors reported that sales of existing homes fell during September to mark the sixth straight month of declines. In addition, the median sales price of a home dropped on an annual basis by the largest amount on record.

The industry group also reported that sales of previously owned homes fell by nearly 2% during September to a seasonally adjusted sales pace of 6.18 million units. That sales rate is the slowest since January 2004.
Can't you just hear the air popping out of the bubble?

Want more evidence of a housing slowdown? How about the median price of a single-family home falling last month to $219,800, down 2.5% from the price during September 2005? That dip just happens to be the biggest year-over-year price decline in record going back nearly four decades.

After record sales of both new and existing homes for five consecutive years, we now are seeing the housing market rapidly loosing steam. Of course, that hasn't stopped industry bulls from saying we've now hit bottom.

"The worst is behind us as far as a market correction … this is likely the trough for sales," said David Lereah, the National Association of Realtors' chief economist told the Associated Press. "When consumers recognize that home sales are stabilizing, we'll see the buyers who've been on the sidelines get back into the market."

Sure, eventually buyers will come back into the market, but not before home values give back a lot more than they already have. In my opinion, there is more pain ahead for housing. Despite what some people out there are saying, I think the worst is yet to come.

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Wednesday, October 25, 2006

Republicans Making a Comeback - Surge Ahead

POLITICS / ELECTION 2006: REPUBLICANS MAKING A COMEBACK - SURGING AHEAD

NewsMax Mast Head

Smiley Flag Waver Zogby reports that the generic Democratic edge is down to four points, having been as high as nine two weeks ago.

The Republican base seems to be coming back home. This trend, only vaguely and dimly emerging from a variety of polls, suggests that a trend may be afoot that would deny the Democrats control of the House and the Senate.

Control of Congress has gone from "lean Democrat" to a "toss-up." And that's progress for the Republicans.

Election Now a Toss-Up

~ Dick Morris and Eileen McGann
Tuesday, Oct. 24, 2006

The latest polls show something very strange and quite encouraging is happening: The Republican base seems to be coming back home. This trend, only vaguely and dimly emerging from a variety of polls, suggests that a trend may be afoot that would deny the Democrats control of the House and the Senate.
With two weeks to go, anything can happen, but it is beginning to look possible that the Democratic surge in the midterm elections may fall short of control in either House.
Here's the evidence:
Pollsters Scott Rasmussen and John Zogby both show Republican Bob Corker gaining on Democratic Rep. Harold Ford Jr. in Tennessee, a must-win Senate seat for the Democrats. Zogby has Corker ahead by seven, while Rasmussen still shows a Ford edge of two points.

Zogby reports a "turnaround" in New Jersey's Senate race with the GOP candidate Tom Kean taking the lead, a conclusion shared by some other public polls.

Even though Sen. Jim Talent in Missouri is still under the magic 50 percent threshold for an incumbent, Rasmussen has him one point ahead and Zogby puts him three up. But unless he crests 50 percent, he'll probably still lose.

Even though he is a lost cause, both Rasmussen and Zogby show Montana's Republican Sen. Conrad Burns cutting the gap and moving up.
In Virginia, Republican embattled incumbent Sen. George Allen has now moved over the 50 percent threshold in his internal polls. (He'd been at 48 percent.)
Nationally, Zogby reports that the generic Democratic edge is down to four points, having been as high as nine two weeks ago.
None of these data indicates that the Republicans are out of trouble yet, but Democrats must win one of these three races: Ford in Tennessee, Menendez in New Jersey or Webb in Virginia. If not, they'll fall at least one seat short of controlling the Senate even if they succeed in knocking off all five vulnerable GOP incumbents in Montana, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island and Missouri.
Why are Republican fortunes brightening?
The GOP base, alienated by the Foley scandal and the generally dismal record of this Congress, may have fast forwarded to the prospect of a Democratic victory and recoiled. They may have pondered the impact of a repeal of the Patriot Act, a ban on NSA wiretapping and a requirement of having an attorney present in terrorist questioning - and decided not to punish the country for the sins of the Republican leaders.
Bush's success in dealing with North Korea and his willingness to reassess tactics in Iraq could also play a part in the slight shift now underway.
Then, too, some in the Democratic Party must be finally realizing what a disastrous decision it was to put Howard Dean in as party chairman. The Democratic National Committee is broke and borrowing, while the GOP can afford to fund fully its key races.
Right now, we would have to say that control of Congress has gone from "lean Democrat" to a "toss-up." And that's progress for the Republicans.

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Tuesday, October 24, 2006

CRINO's: [C]hristian [R]epublicans [I]n [N]ame [O]nly

POLITICS & RELIGION / CINO'S + RINO'S = CRINO'S: [C]HRISTIAN [R]EPUBLICANS [I]N [N]AME [O]NLY

Chuck Baldwin Live

Smiley Flag Waver Many of our pastors and Christian leaders today are far more interested in not offending the powers that be than they are in speaking the uncompromising message of truth. This is especially true if the political power has an "R" behind his name. It doesn't seem to matter to a tinker's dam whether that man promotes policies that expand abortion-on-demand, that further legitimize aberrant sexual lifestyles, that leave our borders open to terrorists, that eviscerate constitutional freedoms, or that explode the size and scope of the federal government. Because he is a Republican, he is "good" and must not be opposed.

Dear Brother Pastor: Dare To Be A Micaiah

~ By Chuck Baldwin
October 24, 2006

Today's column is a heart-felt appeal to my pastor-brethren. If there was ever a time when God's men in America needed to stand independently and courageously for that which is right, it is now. And if we, the pastors and preachers of America, will not stand for what is right, how can anyone else be expected to stand? Specifically, are we God's men, or have we become the lackeys for powerful politicians? I fear that in far too many instances, it is the latter.

Throughout history, God's true champions were stalwart, independent men. Men who could not be bought or bribed. Men who chose the life of unpopularity or even prison rather than kowtowing to kings or potentates. Men such as the Old Testament prophet Micaiah.

We all remember the story of Micaiah, don't we? Micaiah was the prophet who warned Ahab and Jehoshaphat regarding their imminent battle at Ramoth-gilead recorded for us in II Chronicles chapter 18.

What fascinates me about the story of Micaiah is that all the rest of the prophets, some 400 of them, said only what the king wanted to hear. Not one of them was willing to speak the truth. Not one of them was willing to defy the king's wishes. Not one of them was willing to put their allegiance to God above their friendship with the king. Then Micaiah entered the story.

Micaiah stood boldly before the king of Judah and the king of Israel and courageously told the truth. He did not try to curry favor with the king. He did not try to ingratiate himself with the king. He courageously spoke truth to power. And, as one might expect, he was not rewarded for it-at least not in this life. In spite of this, Micaiah stood as a true champion of God. A man among men. God's man.

Where are the Micaiahs today? Especially among our national Christian leaders, where is Micaiah?

It seems that many of our pastors and Christian leaders today are far more interested in not offending the powers that be than they are in speaking the uncompromising message of truth. This is especially true if the political power has an "R" behind his name. It doesn't seem to matter to a tinker's dam whether that man promotes policies that expand abortion-on-demand, that further legitimize aberrant sexual lifestyles, that leave our borders open to terrorists, that eviscerate constitutional freedoms, or that explode the size and scope of the federal government. Because he is a Republican, he is "good" and must not be opposed.

In such a case, have we preachers not become glorified politicians? Have we not become the servants of men?

In the story of Micaiah, it was both the "good" king Jehoshophat and the "evil" king Ahab that had made the decision to disobey God and imperil the lives of their countrymen. Both the "good" king and the "evil" king needed to hear the truth. And while they heard it not from the rest of Israel's prophets, they heard the truth from Micaiah. Both men heard the truth from Micaiah.

Whether a president, senator, or congressman is a "good" Republican or an "evil" Democrat, they need to hear a consistent message of truth from God's preachers. Our political leaders (of both parties) need to be held accountable for their misdeeds, their erroneous policies, and their unconstitutional decisions. If today's pastors would be as concerned about speaking the truth as they are about who is being elected and about not offending Republicans, our country would be much better off. Much better.

I dare say that if Al Gore or John Kerry had been elected President, they would not have been allowed to do half of what George W. Bush has gotten away with, because pastors and Christian leaders of every stripe would have shouted their disapproval from the housetops. But because Mr. Bush has an "R" behind his name, those same pastors and Christian leaders sit fat and happy-and silent. The result: George W. Bush has inflicted more lasting harm on America than Bill Clinton ever thought about inflicting. That's not an affront to George W. Bush, nor is it praise for Bill Clinton. It's an indictment upon America's pulpits.

There is another element to this discussion, one that almost everyone seems to have forgotten. When the Jewish leaders brought accusation against Jesus to Pilate, do you remember what their charge was? It was, "If you don't crucify Jesus, you are not a friend to Caesar, because Jesus is not a friend to Caesar." The fear that Pilate might be regarded as unfriendly to Caesar and that Jesus was already regarded as not being a friend to Caesar caused Pilate to consent to Jesus' death.

Forget that Caesar had enslaved the Jewish people. Forget that he was their oppressor. Forget that they labored under the heavy hand of Caesar's tyranny and taxation. They, the Jewish leaders, had formed a friendly alliance with Caesar, an alliance from which they personally greatly benefited. Therefore, they would let no one, not even their Messiah and Savior, jeopardize their friendship with Caesar.

It grieves me deeply to report that, in my estimation, this desire to be Caesar's friend has eclipsed the willingness of many of today's pastors and preachers to speak the truth. More than that, they even seem willing to join those forces that seek to silence anyone who dares challenge Caesar. Once again, especially if Caesar has an "R" behind his name.

We preachers must remain independent from the fetters of the desire for popularity or political approval. We must not give in to the temptation to become glorified politicians. As preachers, we have but one task: preach the truth, stand for the truth, and defend the truth. Whether the truth hurts Democrats or Republicans should not concern us. Whether we are considered "friends" to presidents should not matter. Who knows how Israel's history might have been changed for the better if those 400 prophets had followed Micaiah's example and not groveled before Ahab. Who knows how Germany's history might have been changed for the better if that nation's 14,000 pastors had followed the example of Dietrich Bonhoeffer and not groveled before Hitler.

By the same token, America's future will be largely determined by which example today's pastors and preachers decide to follow. Dear brother pastor: dare to be a Micaiah.

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Democrat Smokescreen Avoids Real Issues

POLITICS / A DEMOCRAT-CONTROLLED CONGRESS MEANS EVEN BIGGER TROUBLE LIES AHEAD FOR AMERICAN PEOPLE

Democrat Smokescreen Avoids Addressing The Real Issues Facing The American People . . .

David Limbaugh

Smiley Flag Waver Democrats have a potentially masterful plan for removing Republicans from majority control, but what is their plan for action if they win?

The agenda-less party has become infected with a paralyzing negativity.

Democrats and the mainstream media are engaged in an elaborate scam. They have undisguised contempt for traditional values voters. On immigration, no matter how poorly Republicans have performed, the Democrats' approach would be significantly worse. They would open the borders wider, discourage assimilation further and promote amnesty harder. On the economy, they would increase domestic spending even more. They would raise their taxes at the inevitable expense of choking the life out of our robust growth and increasing the deficit and national debt. The middle class and poor would be hurt. They would compromise the security of every American in the war on terror.

"I hope this election is going to mark the demise of values voters ... that they don't determine the election the way they were seen to have the last time around." ~~ Newsweek's liberal Jonathan Alter

Christian conservatives are blind to the left's contempt for them or self-destructive enough to contribute to the ascension of the party that boos the Boy Scouts and filibusters Constitution-honoring judges.

New Column: Without Conservative Help, Democrats Shouldn't Bet The Farm

~ By David Limbaugh
October 23, 2006

The real question facing voters in November is whether Democrats will be able to do to the entire legislative branch what they've done to their party. The agenda-less party has become infected with a paralyzing negativity born of its singular hatred for President Bush. Will that mindset be permitted to seize control of our legislative branch? Will disgruntled conservatives collude to make this happen?

How many times have you heard Democrats decrying the Bush administration for having no plan to win the peace in Iraq? We might have executed the initial phase of the war masterfully by removing Saddam, they now grudgingly concede, but we didn't anticipate and plan for the problems that would arise after his removal.

Putting aside a debate over that assertion, let's apply the same standard to their agenda for America today. Shouldn't we ask: "Democrats have a potentially masterful plan for removing Republicans from majority control, but what is their plan for action if they win?

Let's just look at the most important issues: the war on terror, including Iraq, the economy, social issues and immigration. In each category, they either have no plan or are unwilling to publicize it for fear that Rovian Republicans will pick it apart and expose its flaws.

On immigration, no matter how poorly Republicans have performed, the Democrats' approach would be significantly worse. They would open the borders wider, discourage assimilation further and promote amnesty harder.

On the economy, they would increase domestic spending even more. And in their compulsion to punish the "rich," they would raise their taxes at the inevitable expense of choking the life out of our robust growth and increasing the deficit and national debt. Though the middle class and poor would be hurt, the rich would feel it, too -- and that would be almost as gratifying as hating President Bush.

On social issues, Democrats and the mainstream media are engaged in an elaborate scam. I've been saying for years that they have undisguised contempt for traditional values voters. They are proving it daily through their concerted drive to suppress the values voter turnout.

Their inconsistent pretense to represent this very block of voters was revealed as the fraud it is by recent comments of Newsweek's liberal Jonathan Alter, who said, "I hope this election is going to mark the demise of values voters ... that they don't determine the election the way they were seen to have the last time around."

It is inconceivable that Christian conservatives are blind to the left's contempt for them or self-destructive enough to contribute to the ascension of the party that boos the Boy Scouts and filibusters Constitution-honoring judges.

On national security generally, Democrats would ratchet up even further their opposition to almost every tool we use to prosecute the war.

On Iraq, if you concede that conditions there are discouraging, you still -- as a responsible voter -- must ask yourself what Democrats would do differently -- unless you are just too angry to care. Democrats are irreversibly committed to the myth that Iraq is not part of the war on terror -- never mind that all global jihadists themselves radically disagree.

This commitment requires Democrats to deny the consequences our precipitous withdrawal would necessarily have on the war on terror -- and thus on America's security. The April 2006 NIE report concludes that our withdrawal from Iraq would embolden terrorists and make us more vulnerable at home. Other experts who Democrats are fond of citing, like James Baker, also warn that it would create worse civil and ethnic strife and cause Iraq to become more of a hotbed for terrorist mischief. But, hey, reversing Bush's policy and discrediting him must take priority over the national interest.

Not only would the Democrats' Bush-hating and policy-bankruptcy be demonstrated in their approach to the issues; it would also play out in their endless investigations against the president and possible efforts to impeach him upon taking control.

Don't discount the possibility that all this hype about conservatives staying home is a carefully orchestrated ruse to suppress their turnout. Even if it isn't, the liberals' arrogance and premature boasting will surely motivate to the polls all but those rare, implacable conservatives, because even disgruntled conservatives know we can't afford to teach big-spending Republicans a lesson in the middle of a war.

Consider also that Republicans are better organized and funded and possess more intensity, that many polls have oversampled Democrats and that as the election approaches, voters will more seriously compare the parties' respective fitness to protect America. Democrats better not bet their farms just yet.