Wednesday, November 20, 2013

[“Conspiracies”] Yesterday’s post was right on the mark about The Dulles brothers overthrowing two democracies in order to protect American financial interests. One of the brothers, I forget which one, said democracies are the worst form of government to protect American interests because they have a free press.

[“Old Septic Tanks”] You will have to either poke a hole in the bottom and fill the tank with fill or clean them out to use as a cistern. For the cistern conversion you’ll need rain gutters diverted to the tank and a pressure tank, pump and electricity.  Either choice requires permits and inspections and money. It’s a losing situation however you look at it –unless your FKAA or the grinder pump company.

[Suckers] The worst charities in America that you are giving money to. These charities use deception, and in some cases outright lies, to persuade donors to give. Then they spend as much as 90 cents of every dollar raised to generate more donations. Regulators have proven powerless to stop the cycle of waste and deceit. Link

[Scam of the Day] We have a great news! It has been disclosed that Bigpinekey may be eligible for a new business loan option. We make finding the Right Business Loan Quick & Easy. You can now
Grow your business
Pay for advertising & marketing
Purchase inventory
Maintain working capital
Quick & easy, apply today !

To receive a price quote simply reply to this email with your contact information and please indicate if your business is currently accepting credit cards or not.

[Construction] I took a walk down West Indies on Ramrod Key yesterday and had a look at the sewer installation going on there.  Damn, that main sewer pipe is going deep!  At each pipe’s change of direction there is a large concrete colvert with an iron manhole cover being installed. There’s no doubt in my mind that the whole system will fill with salt water when there’s a flood.  I couldn’t help but wonder if the grinder pump was FKAA’s idea to keep the whole thing flowing toward lift stations that will be needed at each bridge to move the internal sludge across channels.  I realize digging and roadwork can be a tough job, but man, are they tearing up the place; and the concrete patchwork will make repairing the road a real pain for the one that has to do it.  In some places, the additional asphalt layer will need to be quite thick to compensate. 

[Food Prices Skyrocket] It’s not just Winn dixie, have you been to Walmart yet? They went bat shit crazy on meat prices as did Publix.

[Jesus’s Toenails] See Mom,  I told you that Jesus existed. Otherwise how could they be selling his petrified toenails on eBay? Yes, that’s them. I recognize them.

[The Monkees on Gas Price] The questions about gas prices fluctuating is not a new one. Mike Nesmith was talking about it way back in 1981. Video

[Fines] The Justice Department on Tuesday announced a $13 billion settlement with JPMorgan Chase over allegations that the bank misled investors over faulty mortgage bonds sold in the lead-up to the 2008 financial crisis —a record deal that has put a major dent in the reputation of the country’s biggest bank. 4 billion of that will go to homeowners who lost their homes to foreclosures. Link

Elect the FKAA board members and control your destiny — pump wise.

[Grinder Pumps Good] Mathews County, Va. who have had vacuum pumps for 20 years with no problems. As a home owner all you do is pay the sewer bill. The county is exactly like the Keys, flat and mostly 3 feet high.

Government subsidized flood insurance only encourages people to live in flood prone areas.

[Grinder Pumps] The following letter was sent to the BOCC and FKAA Board Tuesday morning. Only Heather Carruthers and George Neugent acknowledged receipt. Neugent defended grinders in a reply email. Keep in mind who even bothers to read constituent email come next election. That being said, Danny Kohlage has so far been more supportive than any to the plight of CRS LPS sewer victims. (continued below in Long Winded Tomes)

Authorities on watch for deadly dolphin virus. It’s always something.  Link

[Slow Pokes] On average, it takes children 90 seconds longer to run a mile than their counterparts did 30 years ago. Heart-related fitness has declined 5 percent per decade since 1975 for children ages 9 to 17. They say obesity is the cause. Today’s kids are about 15 percent less fit than their parents were, researchers concluded. Link

[Citizen of the Day Says] he enjoys the island culture and island living.

Gunplay in PG-13 films has tripled since 1985. Kids think it’s cool to blast away.

Vets complain of long wait to see the doctors at V.A. in Key West. Support the troops present & past! Link

[Free Talk] The public is invited to a talk by Todd Hitchins, NOAA Education Specialist on the Florida Keys Marine Sanctuary, 6:30 to 7:30 pm Wednesday, November 20th at the Key West Sail and Power Squadron Building at 5205 College Road, Stock Island.

[Cocaine] Florida Congressman Henry Radel got arrested for cocaine possession. He’s going to rehab with Toronto’s Mayor Ford. Oh, wait, Ford’s not going to rehab. Radel got ratted out by his dealer when he got busted.

[“Bobby Mongelli’s new pizzeria”]  It’s called Roostica and is next to the Dolphin Deli on Stock Island at 3rd and McDonald.  The pizza is old country style, genuine Italian and baked in wood-fired ovens (none of that usual local phony crap pizza with fake cheese, mystery meat and rubber mushrooms).  Everything on their menu, pizza, salads, lemoncello wings, lasagna and antipasti is excellent.  I drive from Big Pine often to eat at Bobby’s Roostica and Hogfish restaurant.

[“Post on conspiracy theorists, was a wee bit too naive”] What is with all those commas? I couldn’t, even concentrate, on the, subject, because you, kept putting, so many, commas where they, were not needed. I wonder, if you talk like that, too.

[Crook of the Day] “The security of your personal information is of the utmost importance to American Express, so we have sent the attached as a secure electronic file. Note: The attached file contains encrypted data.”

Yeah, sure, open the file and you’ll lose all your personal information and a cybercrook will take over your computer.

[“Christmas decorations already up”] I’m working on mine, but none will be lit till Thanksgiving night.  It just takes me a long time to get them all in position and operational! 

[“Mongelli’s new pizzeria”] Not really new, it has been there for for quite a few years. Not enough visible parking, although his father told me there is some in the back someplace? It’s too upscale for the area and on our first attempt we sat for 10 minutes without being acknowledged, so we assumed we were under-dressed and left. As witnessed by the failure of Zaza’s, upscale Italian food just doesn’t work, people equate pizza with cheap and pasta with cheap, however they will pay a bit more if the taste is excellent, like they do at Manga, Manga, but not all the time. Given the area and location, I would suggest downscaling and changing the name to something like Luigies Pizza, Pasta, Sandwiches. Reserve the parking space out front for delivery vehicles and pickups like what Outback does. Concentrate on high volume, low prices, good portions and great taste. Latter they would probably raise prices, but shouldn’t do so too much that they will lose the great volume of lunches that the area would produce.

Does anyone know where I can buy these hair sticks?  The lady who had the rock and jewelry store on Big Pine next to the health food co-op used to sell them.  Since she closed I haven’t found any.  I would like more. (Ed: These are the ones I use to keep my flowing trusses organized. Link)

[“Mail Peepers”] I received this reply to my complaint, but it’s from the local PO, so I take it with a grain of salt:

I apologize for the current problem you are having with ”opened” mail. Mail is processed on rapid moving equipment and items do get snagged from time to time. I can assure you no one here is opening your mail. If you feel that there is tampering occurring then I suggest you contact the Postal Inspectors at 877-876-2455. Again I apologize and I will be watching your mail as it arrives here to be routed to you and will inspect it personally.

Thank You, Kitty F. Wheeler, Supervisor, Customer Service, Big Pine Key, Florida 33043

[“Some Conspiracies are Real”] I would strongly suggest that “Family of Secrets” by Russ Baker (Bloomsbury Press) be read by anyone who actually thinks that the President is in charge. It is a very well researched, fact based book, mostly about the Bush clan, their friends and business partners.

To the person that wanted to know what decommissioning their septic tank meant: $90 permit from the Department of Health. Pump it out at between $350-400 to the septage hauler. Poke a hole in the bottom so it won’t hold water and fill with “granular material” (any old crap you can find including the stuff the garbage collector won’t take or $150 of delivered sand or gravel).

If FKAA had chosen Septic Tank Effluent Pumping (STEP) as the LPS system instead of grinders, you might have been able to keep your tank if it is still sound. DEP actually recommends allowing your septic tank to use the old drain field during a power outage. That sure beats a grinder pump station backing shit into your house or you uncapping the clean-out to let it flow into the yard and canal. Are you taking notes? If you are going to poke a hole in the septic tank, poke lots of holes and don’t fill it all the way so you can use it as a cess pit when the LPS system fails. Just kidding (maybe).

[“Gas Prices”]  Oil companies make about 3 cents on the dollar put into oil production, while the govt gets 70 – 80 cents taxed per dollar of gasoline sold.

Cheating students more likely to want government jobs, study finds. College students who cheated on a simple task were more likely to want government jobs, researchers from Harvard University and the University of Pennsylvania found in a study of hundreds of students.

Their results, recently released as a working paper by the National Bureau of Economic Research, suggest that one of the contributing forces behind government corruption could be who gets into government work in the first place. Link

[No sea change in real estate market] In the Florida Keys, a mere foot of sea-level rise will put $2.7 billion in property at risk, according to an estimate by the Southeast Florida Regional Climate Change Compact. But so far, the issue hasn’t impacted the real estate market, local agents, lenders and experts say. Link

Hillsborough County’s experience with sewer grinder pumps: They started using grinders in 1988 and had 80 grinders in the system by 2006, comprised of Piranha 09 and E/One pumps. No pump outs were done for the commercial connections. They were unable to keep up with residential pump outs during power outages, so customers removed the sewer clean-out caps by the house and let the sewage flow out on the ground rather than let it backup into the house. (Are you taking notes for your future use?)They found that the pumps did not last and were especially troublesome after 6-8 years. The E/one pumps had manufacturer defects that allowed water into the electrical section and failed under warranty. They preferred the Piranha pumps over the E/One. We need to dump the pumps! Hillsborough had less than 80 to pump out and could not keep up in a power outage but FKAA wants to install thousands. It is inappropriate and foolish to install grinders in such a wholesale fashion here- and probably anywhere.

[Lunch Fine] Leftover pot roast, potatoes, carrots, an orange and milk. Doesn’t sound too bad as lunches go. But according to a set of government lunch regulations for children in Canada, the meal was not balanced enough as it was missing a grain. The caregiver’s solution? Filling the grain void with Ritz Crackers and charging the mother $10 for it. Link

 Contact Us. Send us your comments and attach any stuff you want published to this email.  

[Welfare Oversight] I would like to pose a question to all our readers, left and right. Has anyone any knowledge about government or civil people employed to constantly check on welfare recipients? I was aware in the late 70’s in Washington,DC. where the first Monday of the month was called “mother’s day” by all the local businesses. Since at that time “unmarried mothers were paid a per child rate” which allowed them to repay local businesses for bills for groceries, car repair, etc.

Since I have seen “advertisements” for free money for groceries, etc by the government, I often wonder does anyone check for the continued eligibility for these programs? I do not mind giving needy or down-on-their-luck people a helping hand. I resent paying people to remain unmarried and have multiple children to live high on the hog due to government incompetence. I could not find any reference to qualifiers checking recipients need as opposed to their “being in the system”. In fact, it seems once in, you have trouble getting out.

If our new health care system was designed by capitalists, it would be cheap, competitive, easy to use and as full of features as our smart phones. If our smart phones were designed by socialists they would be called C.B. radios.

Now, only 8 out of 10 people will be ably to use Obamacare website, down from everyone being able to use it by the end of the month. Heads should roll instead of just “taking responsibility”.

George W. Bush says the Keystone XL pipeline is a “no-brainer”, which as you’ll recall, is his area of expertise.

[‘Why are gas prices so high”] Gas prices being near $4 a gallon instead of 89 cents all has to with Nixon taking us off the gold standard and creating fiat money.

This allowed governments to manipulate their currencies through the printing press (or computer system) thus pay off our debt to China with the newly created money and cause the massive shift of labor to countries with the lowest wages (China).

In China, Foxconn workers are getting $1.20 a hour, there are no environmental controls. Many of their food and products (like drywall, baby formula etc) imports were contaminated. Some of California’s air pollution is from China.

Our US economy is now lopsided, losing so many jobs to China we are expected to spend to continue the massive ponzi scheme, but little well-paying jobs to put the money in peoples’ hands. Instead slowly, each industry in the US is going under government welfare. Currently it’s the health insurance industry with Obamacare as they predict many will soon need subsidies.

You can’t make this up!

[“Both Medicare and Medicaid are socialist programs”] Did you know that the Veterans Administration is a socialist program? Try attempting to eliminate that socialist program and see how many GOPers scream bloody murder. Can we say “hypocrite”? Why, yes we can!

[Regressive Hypocrisy #9] Speaker Boehner claims he is “led by what the American People want”. But, he is against gun control background checks even though recent polls show the American people support it by 81%.

Talk about preschool economics, the thoughts and wisdom of the Obama supporters posted on the C.T. certainly brings home the truth about facts being non existent and ideology trumping all.

We saw what a few terms of Republican leadership brings. Look at California then tell me that Republican Governor Arnold  (the terminator) was a sound leader. Hes been a lifelong Republican.Im not buying what your selling. Republican leadership also buried us in the 2 most expensive and longest wars in Americas history. No thanks I will pass on another helping.

Okay, FTR, I’m confused. In your nascent hate of Obama you harped on his hints of redistribution of wealth, called him a socialist, etc. Now your hatred has shifted to whining about the growing disparity between the rich and poor during the Obama years.

Quite a few years ago you put to rest the issue of climate change. The scientists were full of it. Then you proved the ocean isn’t rising and used our bridges as proof. Now, you acknowledge climate change exists. I’m confused.

But wait there’s more… For years you spewed on and on about our debt and wasted government spending, aka, government subsidies for those perceived to be in need, but when it comes to flood insurance — it is a fundamental governmental duty to subsidize it — but not Women In Infant Care (WIC), unemployment insurance or food stamps (SNAP).

Yes we can have a smaller government with less handouts and a low minimum wage.  People making minimum wage usually do not qualify for government handouts, those are reserved for the deadbeats that refuse to work at all.  Raising the minimum wage is not the answer.  It only leads to increases to the cost of goods and services which negates the increase in minimum wage.  It does however increase the amount wage earners pay in taxes, which then gives the government more money to buy votes from deadbeats. Maybe that’s why liberals are all for increasing minimum wage.  If they really wanted to help people, they’d vote in politicians that reward companies for creating decent jobs instead of punishing them and forcing jobs offshore. But then, destroying the middle class is what Democrats are all about.

An apology. Yesterday I wrote that the employment/population ratio had increased. I also posted that it was at a near all-time high.   I was wrong, totally and absolutely, wrong. I misread the stats.

The absolute fact is that the employment/population ratio actually declined last month, from Septembers 58.6 to 58.3. It is now lower than it was a year ago, 58.7. And it is dramatically lower than it was in January of 2007 (63.3) when the Democrats took control of the legislative branch of our nation. I apologize for the error, the substantial decline in the employment/population ratio is more proof that our economy is waning under Democrat governance.

Part 2) Certainly many members of the CT community think that Democare, the ACA, is the greatest thing since chocolate ice cream or sliced bread.  Those folks may or may not be aware that every single day horrifying new f

For example, Henry Chao, the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services deputy chief information officer, in a House hearing yesterday testified that information-technology system supporting the Obamacare exchanges is unfinished. He actually testified that it is from 60 – 70% unfinished. That news, the testimony of one of the prime movers in Democare, that HealthCare.gov was launched with some massive parts unfinished, and they are still unfinished is absolutely incredible.

Another example: In New Hampshire and West Virginia there is no competition in their health care insurance exchanges, there is only one insurer in each state. Competition is dead in those states. The price of health care insurance in those states is headed through the roof. In New Hampshire alone, 22k health care policies have been canceled. In New Hampshire, 10 of the 26 hospitals in the state have been kicked out of the system. Remember the promise that you can keep your doc and your health care insurance, bull shit.

Another example: Obama’s assurances that we could keep our insurance and docs had yet another silver spike stuck into it by the revelation that in October, the Justice Department filed legal papers that clearly stated that a majority of group health care plans (usually employer based) will lose their “grandfather” status by the end of 2013, just when the employer mandate goes into effect.

The words of the Justice Department lawyers are unmistakable.

“It is projected that more group health plans will transition to the requirements under the regulations as time goes on … Defendants (the Obama administration)  have estimated that a majority of group health plans will have lost their grandfather status by the end 2013.” Link 

Another example: Today four web and IT experts who have examined the Democare IT structure testified in a congressional hearing that the system is not secure and is low hanging fruit for hackers. Each testified that they would not use the system because of the threat. Link

Another example: Mr. Obama, our “Who Me?” president, glibly assured us that he knew nothing about any problems with the system prior to the launch.  But, with typical lawyerese double talk, he conditioned his assurances by saying that he had not been “directly” told.  But that is an absolute lie.

The White House was warned in March  by McKinsey & Company, who had been retained by Obama’s Department of Health and Human Services, to assess the system. McKinsey reported that the effort to build the HealthCare.gov site was falling behind and was at risk of failure unless immediate steps were taken to correct the problems, according to documents released by House investigators.

The McKinsey report found that the effort was at risk because of issues including: “”lack of transparency and alignment on critical issues”,  ”significant dependency on external parties/contractors,” as well as ”insufficient time and scope of end-to-end testing,” and ”parallel stacking of all phases.”

Now we know that  all of McKensey’s predictions that have turned out to be accurate. Briefings on the report were held in the spring at the White House and at the headquarters of the Health and Human Services Department and for leaders at the Centers for Medicare and Medicaid. Link 

Team Obama had over 3 and a half years to do the job right.  We won WW2 in about 3 and a half years.

Nonetheless, even given the daily revelations of the massive incompetence of the Obama administration, and of the massive basic flaws in Democare, Obama still took the time yesterday to blame the Republicans for his and our nation’s healthcare woes. The man’s character is deeply flawed. Please never forget that the Republicans had not a single damned thing to do with ACA, aka Democare, aka Obamacare.

(Continued from above …) Attached is a petition and the download of signatures followed by the download of comments from 133 concerned citizens that registered their support at the online petition site Change.org Link.https://www.change.org/petitions/monroe-county-bocc-and-fkaa-revise-construction-to-eliminate-unwelcomed-grinder-pumps-on-private-property-substituting-short-gravity-systems-to-a-manhole-with-grinder-s-on-an-fkaa-meter-is-an-option

If we must give up our reliable septic or aerobic systems, we want to hook up to a central system that allows us to flush even when the power is out. That is to be expected in an advanced civilization paying high taxes and rates. FKAA does not and will not have the manpower to keep the vast number of grinder pits pumped down in an extended power outage. South Cudjoe was without power for 53 days in one power failure per the detailed records of a resident there with a logging standby whole house generator.

It is inequitable, an imposition, and a personal affront to force the granting of an easement across a home owner’s yard to site the grinder pump stations. This 10 foot strip must be kept clear for service and eventual replacement of the pump station. E/One estimates the lifespan of their station at 25 years, but when calculating the life cycle costs of gravity versus LPS, a 20 year term was used. Even that unfair comparison was biased to grinders by assuming that the pumps themselves would last 12 years. Even where there is no likelihood of sand entering the system and no salt air, experience has shown 6-8 years as optimistic before the pump itself must be replaced.

There is a very significant construction cost being transferred to LPS customers in the form of the electrical supply for the grinders. Because grinders were selected instead of using an effluent pump or unmacerated sewage pump, a very large 30 amp 240 volt circuit must be supplied. In older homes and even newer homes with “on-demand” water heaters, pools, or hot tubs, the homeowners may be faced with thousands of dollars in electrical service upgrades. A minimum electrical contract to add to an adequate service was estimated to be about $1,000, but that was before talk of increased electrical permit fees. The accumulated cost transfer to homeowners of sewer funding is millions of dollars. If FKAA provides the power, then there are no County fees and no additional cost to the homeowner.

There are serious concerns that the LPS (low pressure sewer) system as designed will not function long before causing major problems. None of the engineers involved have much experience with grinder pump based LPS, and there are many violations of DEP regulations and incorporated guidelines within the design. Part of the problem is the stubborn insistence on EnviroOne grinder pumps, which pump very small quantities at very low flow rates. The low flow rate is not adequate to scour the pipes of grease and solids accumulations. These pumps are also not rated as explosion-proof, and yet are even being used in neighborhood lift stations in clear violation of NEC and NFPA codes. An explosion could easily occur from an ignition of sewer gases or an inflammable substance finding its way into the system. Those codes are there to protect the public from such an occurrence. The warning that they are not explosion-proof is buried in the E/One installation instructions and nobody thought to confirm their suitability.

We ask that FKAA “Terminate for Convenience” (per General Conditions Article 10.4 of the collection system contracts) that portion of of the contracts that involve LPS. Rebid those portions as design build contracts using gravity connections only, except by special request. Areas of isolated homes can be served by a deep or wide manhole in the right of way powered by an FKAA supplied electrical service. Using one pump for several homes will greatly reduce costs. The current design is the most costly LPS system to install and the most difficult and costly to maintain. Replace E/One grinder pumps in currently contracted neighborhood lift stations with one that is rated not to explode and will pump fast enough to keep the lines clear.

We ask that the County provide whatever additional funding is required to accomplish a serviceable gravity based collection system for all. Collector manholes, aka mini lift stations, will accomplish that without excessively long and deep gravity pipes and will reduce up front costs while increasing reserve capacity and easing maintenance demands. Sarasota County did that for the N3 district and Marathon did that for their scattered customers in areas like Grassy Key, so we are tired of hearing that it cannot be done due to regulations or cost. Marathon was building them for about $9.000 each , rather than $100,000 like FKAA claims is needed. Note also that individual grinder pumps are not expected by the manufacturer to survive more than 3 months of inactivity before needing replacement. Permanent residents can keep collector pumps rotating, thus saving outrageous replacement expenses every fall when snowbirds arrive.

The citizens of this county are almost universally opposed to additional infrastructure acquisitions while the existing sewers are improperly and imprudently being constructed and existing necessary infrastructure is in disrepair. We beg your support and will offer ours when you next need it. The petitions are gaining momentum as the word is spread and snowbirds return.

Please provide the courtesy of an acknowledgment of receipt, at least. Thank you from the undersigned (and those who have voiced support but will not sign due to fear of employment reprisals or pending conflicts of interest).