George Rebane
Science meddled, not settled. The big buzz on the climate change is the hacking of Britain’s Climate Research Unit (CRU). If confirmed, it turns out that the much celebrated scientists behind the famous ‘hockey stick’ temperature curve committed fraud – they more than fiddled with the data, they substituted more politically favorable data to support the UN and Team Gore agendas. For details, see Anthony Watts and my friend Russ Steele (NC Media Watch) who report regularly on the progress of the AGW fiasco (links on right sidebar).
Why scientists sometimes do bad science is not hard to understand. And the herd instinct applies here in spades. In a recent email I explained it as follows –
There is a certain class of scientists who can only work in foundation/state-funded institutions – i.e. they cannot get a private sector job that maintains their quality of life. It is these scientists who are most prone to sell their souls and their science in chasing the available funding. I witnessed the process for over twenty-five years as a defense contractor. The political money has been allocated worldwide to this ‘perfect storm’ ushering in the new global era. Follow the money, the funded conclusions are guaranteed to be compliant. ... This CRU hack is a significant break, if it can be kept politically from being buried.
The Senate’s version of ObamaCare comes up for a “procedural vote” tonight. Majority Leader Harry Reid is working hallways and offices twisting arms and drumming up the needed 60 votes to bring the bill to the Senate floor for debate. The ruse is that it’s only debate on the bill that will happen next, but that’s for consumption by the unwashed. In this Senate, what reaches the floor now will be the version that will be voted on. The Republicans, with their minority, have no hope of modifying the bill or attaching any of their amendments.
So this is just another little peek at how our laws are made. Were Dante to expand the three canticles – Inferno, Purgatorio, Paradisio - of his Divine Comedy with a fourth entitled Politico, in it he would inscribe upon the Capitol’s portal ‘Abandon All Principles Ye Who Enter Here’. And oh my how they continue to puff and posture their self-bestowed honor and esteem.
The Union, our local newspaper, has been reporting the travails of the Nevada County Library as the county is going through planning next year’s budget. (here, here, and here) In these difficult times cuts have to be made. And predictably, every owner of an ox about to be gored is out there howling about the irreparable damage to the community that would result. County CEO Rick Haffey is definitely in the hot seat these days.
The big issue seems to be contracting out the operation of its flagship Madelyn Helling Library to a private concern that operates such libraries for less. The established interests claim that this would destroy the library as we know it. They offer no alternative allocation schemes to Haffey, who is charged with maintaining the broad range of county services. In fact, it’s not even clear what functions a brick and mortar library would serve in the age of an expanding Internet, and the proliferation of ebooks and mobile online devices that used to be called cell phones. If it is primarily to shelter and stimulate the aged and indigent, then, perhaps that can be done without so much intervention of public sector unions and Calpers. Other compelling reasons for maintaining business as usual should be related to less compelling reasons for keeping other county services. At the county level it is a zero sum game.
Interesting that critics of library privatization, facing a $400K library budget shortfall, dread that new private managers might actually make a profit. That would be quite the turn-around. I don't envy Haffey & Co. on this one.
Posted by: Bob Hobert | 22 November 2009 at 07:17 AM