Comments on: Steinberg seeks a one-two punch on furloughs

By: Peter

Peter — Tue, 20 Oct 2009 18:50:05 +0000

Hey Josh, do you find Eric Hogue’s 10/15/8:58 pm reply authoritative? Note that Mr. Hogue “attended Mount Vernon Nazarene University in Ohio and Olivet University in Illinois. His course of study included communication, journalism, news reporting, religion education, as well as political, biblical and cultural studies” (from http://www.erichogueforassembly.com/about/). His CV doesn’t mention that he graduated. He’s as much of an expert on statistics as Al Gore (BA, journalism, Vanderbilt) is on climatology.

By: Eric

Eric — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 03:58:14 +0000

Josh,

Research is about a null hypothesis; not a pre-determined bias that controls the instrument, the sample and the data that concludes. In simple terms; start with a bias, major internal validity threats, and a conclusion that is not significant. http://www.hoguenews.com for more details, listen to the audio folks.

By: Polidentius

Polidentius — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 01:35:40 +0000

No study can be purely objective, but this one has little credibility and did not deserve news media portrayal as an objective, neutral study. There was no way this report, produced by an affiliate of the UC Miguel Contreras Labor Program, was prepared with any possibility that its conclusions would not condemn furloughs. The Labor Program’s executive committee members include Angie Wei (Legislative Director, California Labor Federation, AFL-CIO), Jay Hansen (Legislative and Political Director, State Building & Construction Trades Council), and Paul Kumar (Director of Government and Community Affairs, Service Employees International Union – SEIU, United Health Care Workers West). Conflict of interest right there! It’s a shame that taxpayers and not unions are paying for such studies that also taint the UC reputation, but UC is a government university and thus subject to infiltration and manipulation by special interests and politicians.

By: Josh Richman

Josh Richman — Fri, 16 Oct 2009 00:10:35 +0000

Eric — That’s quite a screed on your Web site against the UC Labor Center. But what I don’t see is any specific arguments against this report’s data and/or methodology to back up your claim that it’s “bogus” or “propaganda” — do you have any?

By: Eric Hogue

Eric Hogue — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 23:09:57 +0000

Twoddle…and other readers…

This UC Labor Institute is propaganda. Here are the specifics…read “Union Propaganda Machine Fueled by Tax Dollars” at http://www.hoguenews.com, and you can hear the audio as well. Hogue.

By: Elwood

Elwood — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:56:21 +0000

A Hollywood breast groper in the governor’s mansion?

Omigod!

That explains everything.

Thanks for the valuable insight.

By: Peter

Peter — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 20:39:28 +0000

Maybe Eric Hogue can provide Republicans in the Legislature with specific proposals to make government more efficient, because the only thing those phony blowhards could find to substantiate this cheap mantra of theirs is eliminating the Trash Board (CIWMB). The total savings from their own “efficiency” mantra therefore amounts to 0.1% of the General Fund budget deficit, but the Trash Board isn’t even supported by the General Fund. Duh!

By: christina

christina — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:19:09 +0000

I agree. cut state jobs. goodness knows many positions and some entire offices are non-essential. Sadly, legislators don’t want to cut their pet projects, offices, blah blah blah.

By: Twoddle

Twoddle — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 19:18:27 +0000

@ Eric

You make some very strong accusations indeed. Can you give some very specific examples rather than just more mindless Rush Limbaugh type hype that you believe?

There are a lot of problems affecting a lot of REAL people in this environment and I for one would like to be proactive in solving as many as we can, but that won’t happen with painting the scene with such a broad brush!

If an LA fireman is caught stealing, does that make all fireman thieves? If a teacher is caught having a relationship with a student, are all teachers child molesters? If a top cop gets an outrageous pension (by YOUR standards) does that mean a 66 year old retired government clerk receiving $970 a month in retirement is outrageous?

Generics are not convincing at all. I see today that many bankers administering mortgage loans are getting incredible bonuses on the backs of their customers losing their homes who have become unemployed due to no fault of their own, is that OK?

Personally Eric Hogue, I’m not impressed by your commentary unless you can present the specifics.

By: Eric

Eric — Thu, 15 Oct 2009 18:24:36 +0000

BTW, this furlough report is bogus. The UC Labor Institute is supported on the backs of 6,000 undergraduates who had to pay $650 more fees…because Steinberg, Bass and Jerry “forced” the UC Board to “increase” their budget for the Institute. So, everyone else get cut, lose jobs and more taxes (fees) while the UNIONS get propaganda pieces to support furlough’s as expensive…written by former newspaper reporters…instead of making govt. more efficient, the unions (and their drones) continue to give outrageous pensions, hire more bureaucrats and use taxpayer’s dollars to produce junk economics as this report today…all to protect their isolated status quo. More at http://www.hoguenews.com later today with a written piece on this scam – as well as CalPERS scandal of the day.