How Do I Already Know That I'm Flying A Simulator Tomorrow?

With a TFR like this set for tomorrow due to Joe Biden's visit to Howell to try and promote his flailing and failing spendageddon bills, it's easy to tell:

That's a pretty big TFR during my scheduled flight training time.  It specifically prohibits flight training and practice approaches in the area, including both Pontiac and Flint.

Biden would likely be better off staying in DC to pressure his fellow Democrats in Congress, but he hasn't been doing too well with that, so a jaunt to Howell to visit the Operating Engineers Union for some ice cream may be just what the doctor ordered.

Shrink The Army Even More - What Could Possibly Go Wrong?

The Detroit Free Press: Budget plan would slash Army by 100,000 soldiers

The plan would have the army reduced to 420,000, which The US Army Chief of Staff and others indicate is too small to fight a sustained major war.

Not to worry though, the smart people figure such a war can't possibly happen:

Even at the reduced numbers, the U.S. military is more than a match for any potential foe, said Gordon Adams, a professor at American University and a budget official in the Clinton administration.

"Who else that we are going to fight in a ground war has 420,000 soldiers?" Adams said in an e-mail. "Silly, really. Of course, we can."

Hmm, how about Pakistan, North Korea, and China for three potential trouble spots with land armies greater than 420,000 for starters? Not to mention we wouldn't be able to commit all 420,00 to one engagement without losing coverage elsewhere, so nations with significantly less than 420,00 troops could still pose a major problem.

But not to worry, The Obama White House experts are now assuring us that:

The White House strategy assumes that the U.S. military will no longer be engaged in long-term operations that are troop intensive. Instead, it envisions smaller, nimbler forces that deploy for short periods.

Yeah, Obama's experts are all set to fight the last war and ignore the current long engagements - see for example Afghanistan, then again they already forgot all about it. There are no guarantees in international geo-politics that you'll only face short, victorious wars. In fact when you shape your strategy for only one option, the ones you don't plan for are the ones most likely to come to the dance.

Reports Of The United States' Death Due To Sequester Greatly Exaggerated

After forecasting doom, eminent destruction, dogs and cats living together, the Obama Administration is starting to backpeddle a bit on their prognostications of peril.

Fox News: White House retreats from doomsday spending cuts predictions, but keeps blame on Republicans

The White House is retreated from its doomsday predictions about the impact of the $85 billion in federal spending cuts as they enter a second week -- with Republican leaders appearing at least satisfied about delivering on their promise to limit government spending and hold down taxes.

Gene Sperling, the White House's top economic adviser, repeatedly said Sunday the cuts will not hurt as much on “Day One” as they will over the long haul.

“Nobody ever suggested that this … was going to have all its impact in the first few days,” he told “NBC’s “Meet the Press.” “It is a slow grind.”

His remarks are in contrast to weeks of President Obama and his Cabinet warning that the cuts will result in furloughs or pay cuts for middle-class wage-earners such as teachers, Capitol Hill janitors and air traffic controllers, which they said could cause 90-minutes delays at major U.S. airports.

Apparently not so much, and as usual, the Obama White House has some issues with the truth.

Obama, his team struggling with accuracy when explaining impact of sequester cuts:

President Obama and top administration officials are struggling with accuracy in explaining the impact of billions in federal budget cuts known as sequester that kicked in Saturday morning -- even getting called out by a Capitol Hill superintendent about furloughs for support staffers.

Carlos Elias, the Capitol Building superintendent, sent out a memo Friday reminding staffers that the current sequestration plan does not include “reductions in force or furloughs” and that “pay and benefit of each of our employees will not be impacted.”

Though not directly mentioning Obama by name, Elias also said in the memo that a “high-ranking official said employees that clean and maintain the U.S. Capitol will receive a cut in pay.”

Substituting doomsday rhetoric over accuracy has been the stock-in-trade of this administration.

Boehner Backs Off On Debt Ceiling Battle

Once again, our fearful Republican leadership could use a little backbone.

The Detroit Free Press: House GOP ready to raise debt limit for three months

House Republicans said Friday they intend to extend the nation's borrowing authority for three months, but will not agree to a long-term increase on the debt limit until both chambers of Congress approve a budget.

The Republican leadership can't handle the two pronged assault of the Democrats and Mainstream media beating on them.

Don't think this surrender doesn't encourage the Democrats...it does.

President Obama's spokesman, Jay Carney, said the White House is "encouraged" and repeated a call for an increase in the nation's borrowing authority without any restrictions.

This sure doesn't bode well for expecting Boehner to stand up to Obama and Reid on this or other issues, nor does it indicate that he has any ability to communicate effectively regarding both Republican and Conservative values and objectives.

9/11 Memorial Mega Cost Overuns

The Detroit Free Press: World Trade Center memorial is magnificent -- but at a steep price

It is 11 years since the terrorist attack that destroyed the Twin Towers, the memorial is yet to be complete and the annual budget threatens to take over all of the National Park Services funds and is heading for a billion dollar price tag when you take construction and operating costs into account.

the National Sept. 11 Memorial and Museum at the World Trade Center is an awesome spectacle that moved and inspired some 4.5 million visitors in its first year.

But all that eye-welling magnificence comes with a jaw-dropping price tag. The foundation that runs the memorial estimates that once the roughly $700 million project is complete, the memorial and museum will together cost $60 million a year to operate

The article helps put that cost in perspective:

By comparison, the National Park Service budgeted $8.4 million this year to operate and maintain Gettysburg National Military Park and $3.6 million for the monument that includes the USS Arizona Memorial at Pearl Harbor. Running Arlington National Cemetery, which has more than 14,000 graves and receives 4 million visitors a year, costs $45 million annually.

Security at the site is budgeted to cost 12 million per year - that's a lot of employees touching visitor's junk. In fact, such junk inspections are likely:

The foundation plans to spend at least a fifth of its operating budget, or around $12 million per year, on private security because of terrorism fears. Visitors to the memorial plaza pass through airport-like security, and armed guards patrol the grounds.

The fountains themselves cost $4-5 million per year to operate. 2 fountains - $4 to $5 million. Per year.

But fear not, the foundation in the face of such extravagant cost overruns is seeking government subsidies:

In addition, the foundation and several elected officials have proposed that the American public pick up one-third of the operating costs.

So far, Congress has balked. A bill proposed by Sen. Daniel Inouye, D-Hawaii, that would have had the National Park Service contribute $20 million per year ran into opposition from Sen. Tom Coburn, R-Okla., who noted that the federal government had already spent $300 million on the project.

Not that the government purse is endless, but you would have thought $300 million would have tided them over for awhile. Further subsidies would have to come from elsewhere than the National Parks Budget or our national parks will be reduced to this one memorial:

A National Park Service official, William Shaddox, testified at a hearing that $20 million is more than the agency can afford, and larger than the entire annual appropriation for nearly 99 percent of the parks in its system.

The New York Memorial isn't the only memorial facing cost overruns. The Flight 93 Memorial is also becoming quite a costly monument.

A year after the dedication of the Flight 93 National Memorial near Shanksville, Pa., the project remains short of its goal and is the only one of the three major tributes to the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks that isn't fully funded.

When the memorial was dedicated on Sept. 10, 2011, it was $10 million short of completion. A May fund-raiser in Washington and other donations, from schoolchildren to corporations, have raised $5 million, allowing construction to proceed on the second phase.

But another $5 million is needed to finish one of the signature elements: a 93-foot tower with 40 chimes representing the passengers and crew who died.

Yes the terrorist attack on 9/11 and those who died in them should not be forgotten. But, the delays, incompetence and cost overruns are getting ridiculous, and the victims and heroes of that day deserve better.

Obama's Under The Radar Gun Control Push Continues

As reported by Emily Miller of the Washington Post, Obama in his proposed budget is pushing for more gun control initiatives, some of them quite, shall we say, bizarre?

These measures include:

1. Removing the prohibition on future Fast and Furious type gun-walking operations. Gee, I wonder why he wants that given all that's been revealed about his administration transferring guns to Mexican drug gangs in order to push for more Gun Control?

2. Removing Funding for the Federal Flight Deck Officer program (the one that lets pilots have firearms in the cockpit fot he aircraft).

3. Requiring that military brass be mutilated before it is sold to prevent gun owners in the US from reloading it. This of course reduces its sale value and costs the government money.

4. Requiring M1 Garands and M1 Carbines be destroyed rather than transferred to the CMP.

5. Restoring funding for more pro-gun control junk science studies from the NIH and CDC.

In all, it is quite a little wish-list of irritating gun control measures that will please his leftist base.

It also confirms the belief and knowledge of every attention-paying gun owner that Obama is certainly no friend of the 2nd Amendment. This little list is just a taste of what we will face once he no longer has to worry about being re-elected should he win office again.