Category Archives: U.S.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Corporate Incompetence: East Idaho train company fails to report derailment of Propane carrying cars

“Upon us looking at it, we found that two rail cars had splits in their outer tank.”-Corey Child, Madison Fire Department Fire Chief

“Somebody really dropped the ball on this one.”-Randy Lewis, Rexburg Police Captain

On October 7, a train pulling cars full of gasoline and propane experienced some of the cars jumping the tracks.  Two of the tankers were full of propane, two other tankers had just been emptied of gasoline.  Authorities were never notified.

Local fire officials found out by word of mouth. When they investigated they found two tanker cars with splits.  HAZMAT crews were called in.

Federal Railroad Administration is now investigating.  The train is owned by Eastern Idaho Railroad.  Officials with the train company said they didn’t think it was a big deal.

 

Idaho, U.S.

United Police States of America: Idaho school official searches car after smelling tobacco smoke

A former student is suing after a Timberline High School principal illegally searched his car.  The reason for the search was that the principal smelled tobacco smoke on the student.

The search revealed brass knuckles, and a pipe that could have been used for marijuana.  The student pled guilty to having drug paraphernalia, and concealed weapon.

The student claims the search was illegal because he was 18 at the time, meaning he was of legal age to smoke tobacco, voiding the principal’s authority to search the car on the grounds of smelling tobacco smoke.

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

Occupy America! East Idaho elderly threaten politicians if their earned Social Security benefits are cut

“Seniors aren’t just numbers.  They’re not line items in a budget, and they’re certainly not pushovers.  Idaho seniors are watching Congress today, and so are 50 million other Americans.  We’ve got news for them: They will hold them accountable on election day for their actions.”– David Irwin, Idaho AARP

“Healthcare costs keep soaring, right along with everything else.  I pay my Medicare premiums like everybody else.  Without this coverage I’d be deeply in debt.” Also, “So Crapo and Simpson have my message and received it today.  There will be a lot more messages like mine in the future, and I hope they pay attention.”-Gene Wiggers, east Idaho AARP volunteer

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, U.S.

What Economic Recovery? East Idaho home sales suck, so sellers are turning vacant homes into temp rentals, boom for Home Tenders

“People don’t build a 5,000 square foot home to turn it into a rental, but we have a number of those in the community right now.”-Clint Collins, Idaho Falls Rentals

The home sales market is so bad in eastern Idaho that many sellers are turning to temporarily renting out their vacant houses.  To give you an idea of how bad; in October, 2010, Idaho Falls Rentals took on four houses for rent.  Then in July, 2011, eighteen homes, then in August another seventeen.  That’s just one east Idaho property management company!

The plus side for “Home Tender” renters is that they can get a big home for less than the usual rent, but the down side is they have to move out as soon as it sells.

 

Idaho, U.S.

United Police States of America: Man loses hearing because of Idaho police brutality

“…a skull fracture and so he had bleeding coming out of his ear and out of his nose…. And probably one of the worst things he had was hearing loss, because the fracture went very close to one of his ears.”-Richard Hearn, attorney & medical doctor

A man is suing the Pocatello Police Department, after suffering a skull fracture, affecting his hearing, after being tased on February 20, 2011.

According to his attorney, who’s also a medical doctor, he was pulled over by police, but panicked when the police grabbed him.  He ran and the police yelled they would tase him if he didn’t stop.  He complied but the cops tased him anyway.  He fell to the ground hitting his head on the sidewalk.  One of the cops hit him in the head as well.  He was life flighted to Eastern Idaho Regional Medical Center.

A local east Idaho TV station tried to get reaction from the Pocatello Police Department, but the only person authorized to talk about the case is on vacation.

 

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy America! Police begin shutting down protests, arrests across the U.S.

“…handful of gigantic banks that have simply hijacked the economy and the populations of the world for their own interest.”-F. William Engdahl, economic researcher

Police in New York City have been busy arresting protestors today, the day before major international protests are to take place.  OWS personnel are planning a major march on Times Square.

Also, police in Denver, Colorado, have been dispersing protestors, who were camped out in front of the state’s capitol building.  In San Diego, California, police are busy arresting protestors there, as well as police arresting protestors in Austin, Texas.

October 13, police in Washington DC arrested at least six protesters, some of them elderly.  Many of the protestors in the country’s capitol are disgruntled elderly people, not just disgruntled youth.  According to the local NBC TV station, they were “…arrested for unlawful conduct – demonstrating.”

Economic analyst F. William Engdahl, says one answer is to nationalize the too big to fail banks: “…nationalize major banks and draw a fence around the problematic institutions until they can be sorted out.”

Engdahl says nationalization is not socialism, it is a way of admitting that a capitalist system has failed, and needs to be fixed!

 

Business/Economics, International, U.S.

Occupy the World! Italian Protestors attack Goldman Sachs office, international protests to hit Idaho

Italian students stormed the central Milan office of one of the world’s leading investment banks, Goldman Sachs.  Police chased them off.

Protesters also threw eggs at the headquarters of UniCredit, Italy’s biggest bank.

The attack on the Goldman Sachs office comes a day before planned international protests.  October 15 will see coordinated international demonstrations against the finance industry.

People living in eastern Idaho get ready to take part: Occupy Idaho Falls and Pocatello (as well as smaller communities) are planning to take part.

Watch Occupy Pocatello’s march, from Wednesday October 13.

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: U.S. Navy to establish new base in South Korea, China the target

“There is a growing resentment in the two Koreas, and also in Okinawa and Guam. Everywhere people are saying, ‘We have had enough of the US military occupation, it is time to close down the bases and time to find different ways for achieving security.'”-Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

To remember the 2010 sinking of a South Korean ship, South Korea commemorated a new naval base.  It will be the United States who uses that new base.

Local Koreans are opposed to the base.  The base will be completed by 2015.  Analyst say it will increase tensions between the U.S. and China: “If this base is tied to the U.S. missile defense system, it might be part of the U.S. strategy to contain China. Beijing is concerned with the U.S. military getting closer to its territories.  This deal is going to foment a regional arms race, which pits Korea in between the U.S. and China.”- Christine Ahn, Korea Policy Institute

Who said Obama was a man of peace?

 

 

 

International, U.S.

World War 3: Obama increases U.S. troops in Africa, kill so called ‘Christian’ militia leader, it’s really about the oil

U.S. President Barack Obama is sending 100 troops to central Africa, officially to fight terrorism.

According to the Associated Press the U.S. troops will be stationed in the Central African Republic, Congo and the newly independent South Sudan.

Former U.S. President George Bush Jr established the U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM).  The creation of AFRICOM was greatly influenced by a January 2002 report from the African Oil Policy Initiative Group (whose purpose is to find new oil sources for the U.S. in Africa).  Now Obama, the man who said he’d reverse Bush’s policies, is expanding its operations.

Officially Obama says the troop increase is to take out the Lord’s Resistance Army, a “christian” militia group that’s been accused of just about every human rights violation you can think of.  The goal is to remove the group’s leader, Joseph Kony, “from the battlefield.”

I find it interesting that the civil wars in central Africa have been going on for decades, and now the United States wants to do something about it?

 

 

Business/Economics, Idaho, Technology, U.S.

United Police States of America: Idaho Republicans give away contract to Private Prison Tech company, who then double bills Idaho taxpayers

According to Idaho media reports, the executive director for the Idaho Republican Party, Jonathan Parker, is accused of helping AnalyzeSoft (a tech company that makes tracking devices for prisoners) get a big contract from Idaho Governor Butch Otter.

AnalyzeSoft is now barred from doing business with Idaho for at least one year, after it was discovered that they double billed for their services.  Idaho taxpayers were charged $2 million for an incomplete prisoner tracking system!

On top of that, five of AnalyzeSoft’s employees are barred from doing any work for the state, ever!

Under Idaho rules, contractors must bid for contracts with the state.  Not only did they double bill taxpayers, but apparently AnalyzeSoft was handed the contract without bidding.