Comments on: Panem et Circenses

By: vidyohs

vidyohs — Tue, 04 Aug 2009 01:32:01 +0000

I have the same feeling here that I had in Iceland when I went to visit and explore the ice caves in the lava flows. I stood there at the entrance to a vast dark empty hole that extended as far as I could see with what light filtered into a short distance.

I feel this attempt at discussion with you is very similar.

HTF could you come to the conclusion or charge me with taking it personally, are you really Daniel Kuehn in disguise?

By: brotio

brotio — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:33:24 +0000

Nero has to be Obama. The Broadway date, etc…

The Bob Guccione-produced movie, Caligula could easily be about Clinton.

By: vidyohs

vidyohs — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 22:32:01 +0000

By: brotio

brotio — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 19:33:24 +0000

Nero has to be Obama. The Broadway date, etc…

The Bob Guccione-produced movie, Caligula could easily be about Clinton.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 18:04:30 +0000

I'm wondering to what extent that can really be considered a subsidy.

When the police put more boots on the streets to cover a protest like, for example, the G20 economic summit protests, are the protesters being subsidized?

By: JeffreyEdelman

JeffreyEdelman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:28:03 +0000

Here, at least, you are onto something- the ending or curtailment of these other wasteful subsidies rather than their expansion….

By: JeffreyEdelman

JeffreyEdelman — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 16:26:48 +0000

At least the “subsidization” of MJ's funeral was in the realm of public safety; I assume MJ contributed far, far, far, far, far more than that to the public purse during his tenure in CA.

The subsidy for the Circus is in the realm of “PLEASE COME HERE AND HERE'S MONEY WE DON'T HAVE!”

By: dg lesvic

dg lesvic — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:50:02 +0000

Please. Mercy. No more e-mails.

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:46:50 +0000

Also, the choice to not use disqus(?) should be at the top, not the bottom. At the very least, make it easy to click, if not the default condition.

Oh, I see now. Do not subscribe seems to stay default once chosen. A cookie then.

By: Randy

Randy — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:44:06 +0000

I just got my first email of that type. There's a link to confirm that I want it. So how do I say that I don't want it – ever? Does choosing “Do not subscribe” do it? If so, that should be the default.

By: Bill Goodwin

Bill Goodwin — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:32:43 +0000

Yeah, Jackson's funeral was subsidized. The city paid over a million for security (police overtime) and several hundred grand in other expenses.

By: Seth

Seth — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:27:01 +0000

Cities and states already subsidize other entertainment – MLB, NFL, NHL, dozens of booze malls that have popped up around the country around such venues – why not CdS?

By: brian125

brian125 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:26:58 +0000

Once they subsidize housing there, it will become one.

By: Marcus

Marcus — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:05:09 +0000

Well, when I posted my comment I didn't have you in mind though you seem to have taken it personally.

By: Methinks

Methinks — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 15:01:12 +0000

around $1 million.

By: Bill

Bill — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:50:28 +0000

While Michael Jackson's funeral may not have been “subsidized,” I wonder what the cost to the LA taxpayers was for all the extra police hours, etc. to manage the event?

By: dg lesvic

dg lesvic — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:47:38 +0000

I have tried to activate your device for shutting off e-mail notification of new comments, to no avail. Having my mail box flooded with the musings of Martin Brock was bad enough, but now Daniel Keuhn, too?

Enough! Cease!

By: damian03

damian03 — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:31:43 +0000

A $30 million loan for 900 jobs? Seems fishy. Furthermore, I am very skeptical that the jobs will be new--I don't know how they are calculating those figures, but bringing a circus seems more of a relocating of activity rather than new economic activity.

Section 108 is also supposed to be for "revitalizing" neighborhoods--

"The Section 108 Loan Guarantee Program is a source of financing alotted (sic) for the economic development, housing rehabilitation, public facilities rehab, construction or installation for the benefit of low- to moderate-income persons, or to aid in the prevention of slums."

Is Hollywood a slum? Or made up of low income folk? I have been there once, and don't remember it as such. Anybody know details of where this complex is?

By: ArrowSmith

ArrowSmith — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:11:25 +0000

Bread and circuses. So who will play the part of Nero, Caligula?

By: mikeikon

mikeikon — Mon, 03 Aug 2009 14:09:24 +0000

Crap. We're doomed.