9/11 Truthers Try To Force Their Way Onto The Ballot

[jimmy olsen]

Boooo!

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2014/06/26/911-truthers-nyc-ballot_n_5535344.html

9/11 Truthers Have Found Another Way To Remind You They Aren't Giving Up On This
The Huffington Post  | By Lydia O'Connor

Posted: 06/26/2014 8:33 pm EDT Updated: 06/27/2014 12:59 pm ED

The 9/11 conspiracy theories usually relegated to the backwaters of the blogosphere may appear on New York City's ballot in a referendum that would force the city to investigate the collapse of 7 World Trade Center.

A group calling itself the High-Rise Safety Initiative has gathered 53,000 signatures, nearly double the initial requisite for a referendum demanding the city Department of Buildings investigate the collapse of all buildings 20-stories or taller dating back to 9/11 except the Twin Towers, Crain's New York Business reported.

The only building that fits the description, Crain's noted, is 7 WTC, the 47-story structure whose rapid collapse seven hours after the Twin Towers' is cited by 9/11 "truthers" as evidence the U.S. was involved in or allowed the terror attacks.

The initiative's executive director, Ted Walter, distanced his group from the coalition of 9/11 "truthers" and insisted the referendum effort only aims to uncover why 7 WTC collapsed and to prevent future incidents.

"The 9/11 truth movement by and large supports what we're doing, because if we're successful it will lead to an investigation of Building 7's collapse," Walter told Crain's. "We're not directly affiliated with them."

But the reasons for the collapse of 7 WTC, which wasn't hit by planes and showed no exterior signs of damage, were determined in 2008, when the National Institute of Standards and Technology concluded that extraordinary fires caused a critical support column in the building to fail.

Walter said he remains unsatisfied with the investigation because of forensic evidence he believes was destroyed in the debris cleanup.

This is the second ballot attempt made by Walter's group, known in 2009 as the NYC Coalition for Accountability Now, when the referendum was first denied for the ballot.

[Norgy]

Well, this bodes well for democracy.

[Darth Wagtaros]

Well we know the gubbermint allowed Pearl Harbor and was responsible for the false flag operation at the BOston Marathon last year so this should be investigated.

[garbon]

Well, this bodes well for democracy.

???

[Norgy]

You think it's a good sign that conspiracy loons try to run for public office? Not that there aren't enough eejits and lunatics already holding office.

[The Brain]

Public office?

[garbon]

You think it's a good sign that conspiracy loons try to run for public office? Not that there aren't enough eejits and lunatics already holding office.

I think anyone should be allowed to run for office if they fit the minimum reqs. But that seems rather tangential to conspiracy loons trying to get a ballot initiative added that would push a city agency to revisit an investigation.

[Norgy]

Of course they should be allowed to run.
More and more conspiracy crap becoming part of the mainstream narrative is bad though.

[garbon]

Of course they should be allowed to run.
More and more conspiracy crap becoming part of the mainstream narrative is bad though.

I don't see any evidence of your assertion. This one ballot initiative doesn't seem like part of a larger trend to me.

[The Brain]

Is this like the strip malls? Norgy not quite getting the meaning of a text?

[Norgy]

 

[Siege]

Norgy doesn't speak english.

[garbon]

Well, this bodes well for democracy.

If that had you tripping, look at this!



http://www.forbes.com/sites/travisbrown/2014/07/17/six-californias-initiative/

Plan To Split California Into Six States Closer To Reality

Thanks to the signatures of more than 807,000 concerned Californians, an ambitious idea has moved that much closer to becoming a reality. The "Six Californias" Initiative, sponsored by Silicon Valley venture capitalist Tim Draper, seeks to create areas that are more governable, more productive, and more successful. As I wrote in this column back in February, the initiative would achieve the triumvirate goal of proportionately distributing California's debts based on population, ending all tax collections and spending by the existing State of California, and creating new, more representative governments with the ability to enact public policies that make the most sense for the new state.

What some cynically called a "publicity stunt" will now be a question on the November 2016 ballot, and California voters would do well to take a close look at the potential advantages created by "Six Californias." Based on analysis of nearly two decades' worth of IRS taxpayer data, as well as data from the United States Census Bureau, we find that four of the six proposed new states would gain both net adjusted gross income and population. In fact, and contrary to scare-tactic claims by liberal media outlets, the new state of Central California (which would encompass the bankrupt cities of Stockton and Bakersfield) would see a net gain in AGI ($1.36 billion) and population (49,021 taxpayers).

The appeal of the "Six States" Initiative also lies in its allowance for governments that are smaller, and thereby more efficient and closer to their constituents. The new, individual states would share a number of common characteristics – including socioeconomic backgrounds, legislative needs, and political affiliation – thereby giving elected officials greater knowledge of what their constituents want and need.

Draper, a registered independent who has built a career on smart risk-taking and startup investing, views California as a borderline "failed state" with "the worst-managed government in the country." Earlier this year, he raised an important point on the American Public Media program Marketplace, stating that California pays the most for education but ranks a dismal 46th in student test scores as measured by the U.S. Department of Education. This fact alone should alarm California taxpayers, whose top marginal state income tax rate is the highest in the nation, at 13.3 percent. Compare that to Texas, which levies no personal income tax on its residents, yet provides far superior educational outcomes. (By way of comparison: Texas students' test scores are 29th highest out of 50, compared to California's 46th. Plus, Texas employs 345 educators for every 10,000 of population, whereas California employs only 231 educators per 10,000 people.)

In making the case for the Six States, Draper also points to California's persistent prison problem. In that same Marketplace interview, Draper said, "We pay among the most for prisons, and we are among the highest recidivism rate." Again, the comparison to Texas is eye-opening: In that low-tax, business-friendly state, the prison system runs more effectively. The annual cost of holding a prisoner in Texas is $21,390 ($58.60 per day); the annual cost of holding a similar prisoner California is $47,421 ($129.00 per day). Additionally, poverty as a share of population is significantly smaller in Texas (16.5 percent) than in California (23.5 percent). California has the greatest number of citizens on welfare, while Texas has the fourth-lowest.

The comparison points are startling and plentiful (and my co-authors and I provide more than 50 of them in our new book An Inquiry into the Nature and Causes of the Wealth of States), but the key takeaway is this: Low-tax Texas thrives while high-tax California stifles growth at every turn. Why not take a fresh approach to the way the state functions; why not support a bold initiative that could jumpstart a state in decline?

To quote Draper, speaking to a group of tech insiders earlier this year: "We need to do something structural, something fresh. If we don't try, we're failing in our complacency."

[Valmy]

I love how we always get held up as the ideal state.  It can get very random like somebody will write 'things suck here in Rhode Island...but look at Texas everything is amazing there'

Because how we do things totally translates to conditions in Rhode Island?

Anyway the days of everybody recognizing that Texas is the best state are here!

Low-tax Texas thrives while high-tax California stifles growth at every turn.

See?  We thrive at literally every turn.  EVERYTHING THRIVES BIGGER IN TEXAS.

[garbon]

Well according to Mr. Draper who is trying to sell something to the people of California.