What Do Gays Really Want From The Church?

After a federal judge in Idaho recently ruled that the state’s ban on gay marriage was unconstitutional, ordained ministers Donald and Evelyn Knapp who own the Hitching Post wedding chapel in the city of Coeur d‘Alene, were asked by a gay couple to perform their wedding ceremony. According to Fox News , the ministers declined to perform the wedding due to their opposition to same-sex marriage. However, because the Hitching Post wedding chapel is registered as a for-profit business rather than a church or place of worship (although the wedding chapel is registered with the state as a “religious corporation” limited to performing “one-man-one-woman marriages as defined by the Holy Bible”), they must comply with a local nondiscrimination ordinance that was passed last year. The question that is most puzzling to me is why did the gay couple choose to do business with that particular wedding chapel? Were there not any other places that they could have gone (such as the Justice of the Peace) to have their wedding performed? Why did the gay couple in Colorado approach the Christian Bakery? Were there no other bakeries in their city or town? It appears that the gay community is targeting Christians and the Christian church. If that is indeed the case, what do they want from the church?

via What Do Gays Really Want From The Church?.

US Spends the MOST on Education than any other country, Yet Ranks in the Twenties in Performance

This is one ranks in the top ten of my favorite: If you don’t support higher taxes for schools, you hate children.

The US spends more than any other country on education, an average of $91,700 per student between the ages of six and fifteen. That’s not only more than other countries spend but it is also more than better achieving countries spend.

The United States spent more than $11,000 per elementary student in 2010 and more than $12,000 per high school student. When researchers factored in the cost for programs after high school education such as college or vocational training, the United States spent $15,171 on each young person in the system — more than any other nation covered in the report.

That sum inched past some developed countries and far surpassed others. Switzerland’s total spending per student was $14,922 while Mexico averaged $2,993 in 2010. The average OECD nation spent $9,313 per young person.

As a share of its economy, the United States spent more than the average country in the survey. In 2010, the United States spent 7.3 percent of its gross domestic product on education, compared with the 6.3 percent average of other OECD countries. Denmark topped the list on that measure with 8 percent of its gross domestic product going toward education.

And teachers pay compared to other countries?

The average first-year high school teacher in the United States earns about $38,000. OECD nations pay their comparable educators just more than $31,000.

That trails Luxembourg, which pays its first year teachers more than $72,000 a year, but far exceeds the $10,000 paid to first-year high school teachers in Slovakia. Among all educators, U.S. payrolls are competitive. The average high school teacher in the United States earns about $53,000, well above the average of $45,500 among all OECD nations.

California Continues to Lead the Nation with the Highest Poverty Rate

For all of the hype over “Red State vs Blue State” one would believe that California has a low “welfare” population and state debt. The previous post points out how California is possibly approaching $1 TRILLION in state debt alone, and yet the US Census Bureau has bestowed another title unto California other than the winner of the Massive Debt plaque; the State of California also leads the nation with the highest poverty rate amongst all states and Washington DC.

California continues to have – by far – the nation’s highest level of poverty under an alternative method devised by the Census Bureau that takes into account both broader measures of income and the cost of living.

Nearly a quarter of the state’s 38 million residents (8.9 million) live in poverty, a new Census Bureau report says, a level virtually unchanged since the agency first began reporting on the method’s effects.

Yes Democrats – be proud of your heavy tax burden state, almost $1 Trillion in debt and highest poverty rate in the nation. SMH*

California’s $800 BILLION Wall of State Debt

I am often amused, listening to staunch Democrat supporters who regurgitate the whole “Red State vs Blue State” diatribe without an ounce of even comprehending how ignorant that statement sounds, let alone comprehend that it is typically their cities/states racking up the most debt.

Let’s take California for example: US Census Bureau released their stats indicating that California has the HIGHEST poverty rate of all states, and while some state that it is because they have the highest population, all one has to point out is that Texas has the second highest population yet they are not the state listed with the second highest poverty rate in the nation.

Then we take a peek at California’s real state debt and one notices that on a generous note, the state is only running a $423 BILLION state debt and counting; only “more than likely” platform, the state is running close to $848 BILLION in state debt.

California State Debt Clock

Philadelphia Leads the Nation with the Highest Poverty Rate

**Take Special note, that with each of the top ten cities in the nation with the highest poverty rates, each city has a Democrat Mayor and city council through 2013.**

Philadelphia’s deep-poverty rate is 12.2 percent, or nearly 185,000 people, including about 60,000 children. That’s almost twice the U.S. deep-poverty rate of 6.3 percent.

Camden’s deep-poverty rate of 20 percent is more than three times the national mark, but its population is a fraction of Philadelphia’s.

The numbers come from an examination by The Inquirer of the U.S. Census 2013 American Community Survey, released last week.

Ferguson Rioter’s Demands – Sh!t You Just Can’t Makeup

I often wonder, given the magnitude of laziness and ignorance within our society, how we have yet to imploded like Rome did. So, when the Ferguson Rioters, I refuse to address them as protesters because well they aren’t, came out with their list of demands know as the “Proposed Rules of Engagement” (see below) the hilarity ensued. Pay careful not to #s 7, 8, 15 <- that one, right there, is an assault on a police officer no matter what the hell you throw at him/her and you’ll be dealt with accordingly.

Protest leaders from Ferguson have created a 19 point set of ground rules they expect police to follow. These rules are for when they re-start the riots after the Grand Jury makes a decision about charging officer Wilson in the death of Michael Brown.

So, in response to the Ferguson Rioters, the Missouri PD responded:
1. The first priority will be for protestors to remember “don’t break the law”

2. Protest leaders will communicate to all protesters the need for non-violence. Leaders will accept responsibility for any acts of violence any protesters engage in.

3. Protesters shall give police a 48 hour notice if they plan to have looting as part of protest operations.

4. Protesters shall give the public advanced information as to the locations of riots and looting so average citizens can be safe and avoid potential violence.

5. Every attempt should be made by protest leadership to communicate with known trouble makers they are not part of the peaceful protest movement and not welcome to come.

6. Clear standards of professionalism and sound community friendly protesting will be maintained and adhered to at all times by protestors.

7. Police will wear whatever attire they need to feel safe.

8. If peaceful protests turn violent the protesters shall expect tear gas and rubber bullets to be used, so keep it peaceful… the decision to use this equipment will be made based on your actions, thus you are making the decision to be gassed

9. Protestors acknowledge that even so called “minor attacks on police” (i.e. throwing water bottles at police) are still physical attacks. Expect all attacks on police to be addressed, please see point #8 above.