CA finally kicks TX ass...

Weatherizing homes was part of the 2009 stimulus bill. Now, weatherizing homes was a great idea: it would employ unskilled labor, save energy, and promote greenness. I am sure our bureaucrats and executive branch made sure to push this program through with maximum speed...and here we can finally see the superiority of CA bureaucrats vs. TX bureaucrats:

TX:

33,908 units to be weatherized.

Units weatherized as of Dec 2009: 0

(as in ZERO.)

CA:

43,400 units to be weatherized.

Units weatherized as of Dec 2009: 12

(as in 0.03%)

WOOOOOHOOOOOO - WE BEAT TEXAS!

This is why Keynesism is ineffective. The paperwork and bureaucracy simply push out the spending years out from when it was needed. Sure, maybe in this particular extremely deep recession where housing is still stuck, the spending will still be somewhat useful.

(Oh, and they were so slow because they have to canvas the nation for average wages before they can spend any money. We wouldn't want someone without a job to earn less than the average wage, right? Its not as if the market sets the average wage by definition.) Why not waive that law in this case? I guess that's just impossible.

Damned Europeans

Just when we need to boost some exports (and I need to keep my Taiwan-Europe sales up) they decide to have some sort of government debt crisis in Greece...didn't they get those royalty checks from Mama Mia yet?

You know what, Europe, two can play at that game! Hey California! Get your ass over here. Now, show your fat, indebted ass to these gentlemen from the bond market. That's it. Now turn around, nice and slow - make those bond market guys feel it. Oh yeah!