Kevin Rudd unmasked

The new incarnation of Kevin Rudd appears to be trying to appear something like the description of Earth in ‘The hitch hikers Guide to the Galaxy’, “Mostly harmless.” Looking back on his record reveals that nothing could be further from the truth.

The real Kev is more slippery than a greasy pig, more evasive than ‘Arthur Daley’ from ‘Minder’, more persuasive than a snake oil salesman, and deadlier than a Taipan. Most of the problems he claims to have the fix for, he caused in the first place, but is barefaced enough to pretend that it is not the case.

Here is possibly the best exposé of Rudd ever put together:

 

Note; his current Immigration Minister, Tony Burke saying that, for his colleagues, he just became impossible to work with. It is possible that having someone like Tony in his cabinet who has less principles than himself is a plus, but not much of one.

Quadrant discovers Rudd's 'tent led' recovery

Australian governments have a habit of picking out some sector of the economy as able to lead the nation to an economic recovery.  This is usually done by stimulating the sector with lashings of cash, causing it to boom by the expansion of current operations being supplemented by the entry of shysters, con artists, and shonkies.

There have been numerous examples of this over the years including the ‘housing led recovery’ and the current government spending led one.  My personal favorite though came from the 80s.

Back then, the head of the Australian Council of Social Security (ACOSS), Julian Disney came up with the idea of doubling or tripling welfare payments so that the recipients could spend up big and cause a social security led recovery. 

Kevin Rudd was the first to try out a version of this by sending out $900 cheques to anyone deemed ‘low income’ with instructions to spend it for the sake of the nation.

Quadrant Online has discovered Rudd’s latest plan set out in his Malaysia, Pacific, Final, PNG solution to the illegal immigrant undocumented refugee problem, for a tent led recovery:  

… Here the characteristic Rudd genius comes into play. The unfunded, open-ended PNG Solution has the scope to rescue the sagging Australian economy! He knows that much of the $800 million annual aid budget to that country already comes back in the form of equipment orders and consultancy fees. How much further boost will accrue from the building, transportation and resettlement projects in which Australian contractors and suppliers are sure to gain a significant share. I think that Kevin has had a silent conversion from Keynesian/Krugman economics. I think he has discovered trickle-down effect.

Look at it this way: the riot and destruction of Nauru’s detention centre will require $60 million and six months work to replace. The extension of facilities on Manus Island to house up to 3000 would-be immigrants will take many more millions and years of work. In the meantime, the new arrivals – sometimes running at a rate of 300 a day – will need shelter which can be provided at such short notice only by tents. Canvas-makers all over Australia will be frantically sewing Army-style bell tents for refugees, larger mess, recreation and medical tents for the compounds. 

This will have a beneficial effect on their local communities, and ultimately on spending stimulus, revenues, profits and tax. 

Kevin Rudd has developed a secret plan to stimulate the economy. Quietly, discreetly, he is orchestrating a tent-led recovery.

This could be ‘stimulative’ beyond our wildest dreams, considering the demonstration of his abilities during the Building the Education Revolution effort.  The buildings that were erected under this scheme cost about three times as much as a private citizen or company could get a contractor to do them for.

Considering the distance from here to Manus Island, those Bell tents will probably be erected for $50,000 each, and the bigger ones, $200,000 or more.

Ipswich explosions; possible terrorism

Reports on Thursday night of a chemical explosion at an Ipswich, (west of Brisbane) residence initially sounded like a meth lab had blown up.  This was followed by reports of police detonating jars of ‘volatile chemicals’ in the back yard.  No indication of the nature of these materials has been announced other than that they “can’t be bought at Woolworths.”

Two people, a 37 and a 43 year old, were taken to hospital, one with serious injuries to his hands including the loss of most of his fingers.  Another person was hospitalized the next day from a nearby address.  No identities have been published.

There are reports though of unexplained explosions in the area over previous months, and an ‘unexploded bomb’ was found at a business site several months ago.  We are possibly looking at terrorist activity here:

Homes and businesses are understood to have been evacuated around the Clay Street home with bomb squad and fire officers at the scene. Volatile chemicals, found in jars at the home, are being blown up in the backyard. 

… police are diverting traffic from West Ipswich after discovering more suspicious material in a home where an explosion injured three men last night. Specialist police are now conducting further examinations at the Clay Street home where an explosion occurred around 6.30pm Thursday. Police have declared an emergency situation under the Public Safety Preservation Act, directing traffic around the area, … 

… Neighbors spoke of hearing explosions regularly in the past three to four months, with an unexploded bomb even recently found at the Bunnings site several months ago - just across the road from the home involved in last night's incident. 

Forensics are now examining the Clay street home in West Ipswich after performing three further controlled explosions of the substances last night. Yamanto police acting inspector Geoff Noller said other investigations into explosions would be taken into account. …

After three days of searching, more explosives were found today and detonated by police.  These are now being referred to as ‘devices, which seems to preclude the possibility of accidental mixing and a strong possibility of terrorist activity: 

An emergency situation has been declared in West Ipswich where police found more material this morning. Two men were injured there on Thursday during a chemical explosion, and one lost several fingers. 

At about 9:30am (AEST) police asked residents in streets surrounding the site to stay indoors. Police sealed off several streets on Friday in order to detonate three more devices found at the home. …

There has been no mention of terror, nor names of the suspects, nor the nature of the ‘devices’, nor bombs, other than the one found at Bunnings.   A lot of items are adding up to that conclusion though.

Happy 70th Mick Jagger

I am conservative with a small 'c.' It's possible to be conservative in fiscal policy, and tolerant on moral issues or questions of freedom of expression. – Mick Jagger

 It would be difficult for any libertarian to find anything wrong with that.

 Anyway we can all be thankful you changed your mind about rather being dead than sing Satisfaction at 45.

 

Zero Emissions Foolishness

By Viv Forbes, Chairman,  The Carbon Sense Coalition 

 The Australian Climate Commission says Australia needs to reduce emissions “to nearly zero by 2050”. 

Such a reduction can only be achieved if the Climate Commission has a secret plan to use nuclear power or for a massive expansion of hydro power. 

If they do not have such a plan, their “nearly zero” emissions target would force the shut down of most of the energy, transport and industrial infrastructure developed since James Watt invented the steam engine. 

Imagine Australia with “zero emissions” – which means zero production of carbon dioxide from human activities and industries. 

This would mean zero usage of coal, oil, petrol, diesel or gas, zero production of cement or steel and the shut-down of 92% of Australia’s electricity generators. 

Sunbeams and sea breezes cannot supply 24/7 electricity - the only feasible non-carbon options for Australian grid power are nuclear or hydro. Has the Climate Commission joined the nuclear power lobby? Or do they have a secret plan for big hydro developments on the Snowy, the Franklin and the Tully-Millstream? 

And how do we keep our diesel-fuelled transport fleet operating? Using big, big batteries and even more nuclear or hydro power to recharge them at every roadhouse in the outback? (But once they eliminate our grazing animals and their emissions, we will not need road trains.) 

And how do we keep planes operating? Are they suggesting that we divert most of our sugar production to producing power alcohol?  

For cement and steel we could of course try to catch and bury every molecule of carbon dioxide produced, but in reality the costs involved in such stupidity would force closure of these industries, and cement and steel would be imported from more sensible nations. 

Some zealots would even like to see the end of our vast herds of cattle, sheep and goats, replacing them with kangaroos. 

Unless the Climate Commission can show us a realistic plan for “zero emissions”, with cost benefit analyses, we know it is just more hot emissions from academic zealots. 

They must put up, or shut up. 

For those who can’t believe the Climate commission said something so stupid, see here:

Swamping the media with taxpayer funded Labor ads

Cartoon: By Zeg

You know that an election is coming on in Australia when you begin to see government departments spending millions of taxpayer dollars advertising their plans, wares, programs, aspirations, inspirations, obfuscations, and lots of free stuff, that you can find out more about by visiting www.australia.gov.au/…. (whateveryoudesire)  You are left in no doubt that the things being pushed are due to the largesse of the current government.

You can also ring 1800 CORNUCOPIA.

All governments do this despite railing against it in opposition.  Kevin Rudd in opposition claimed, “I believe this is a sick cancer within our system. It's a cancer on democracy.”  It appears that in view of that he intends to spend $65 million in government advertising in the lead up to the election: 

TAXPAYERS will fork out $65 million in a three-month government advertising blitz as Labor dips into the public purse to promote its asylum seeker and other pre-election reforms. 

In spending levels not seen since John Howard's controversial WorkChoices' campaign, $25 million was outlaid on television, radio and newspaper advertisements in June - four times the amount spent by Commonwealth agencies earlier this year. 

Kevin Rudd - who labelled government advertising a "cancer on democracy'' when he was campaigning in 2007 - is now using taxpayer funds for a domestic advertising blitz to promote his asylum seeker deal. 

But the controversial move has triggered calls for the Auditor-General to investigate whether the weekend's advertisements - which ran nationally - breached guidelines which Mr Rudd himself put in place following the 2007 election. 

Advertising industry figures show Commonwealth agencies spent $80 million for the six months to June 30 - and this level will rise in the election lead-up. ...

Currently there are ads running on the NBN, education reforms, household assistance, disability care, a ‘plan for Australian jobs’, and the already unraveling PNG solution.

George Zimmerman rescues family

That soft popping sound you hear is liberal heads exploding.

Despite being reported to be in hiding after his acquittal on murder charges, George Zimmerman has surfaced, riding to the rescue of a family of four trapped in an overturned vehicle: 

SANFORD, Florida -- Officials say George Zimmerman helped rescue four people from an overturned vehicle last week, just days after he was cleared of all charges in the shooting death of Trayvon Martin. 

Seminole County Sheriff's spokeswoman Kim Cannaday said in a statement Monday that deputies responding to the wreck found Zimmerman and another man had already helped the couple and their two children out of the flipped SUV. 

The sheriff's office report says Zimmerman spoke with a deputy at the scene and then left. Zimmerman did not see the crash happen. 

Zimmerman had been charged with second-degree murder in the 17-year-old's death. His acquittal prompted rallies nationwide calling for a civil rights probe, and the case has sparked debate about race and self-defense laws.

It would be a bad time to be a reporter in a liberal media organization with this story. 

Vaunted PNG refugee deal, a two page spin driven election stunt

 Images (L) Nauru Detention Centre aftermath of riot and arson attack
(R) Villawood Detention Centre blaze

(Lower left) Christmas Island Detention Centre on fire.

Australia’s ‘obligation’ to ‘asylum seekers’ is taken seriously, beginning with detention centres to house them while health and background checks are carried out to ensure that the detainees are genuinely seeking to avoid persecution.  It appears that many of these people are genuinely seeking to flee persecution in their countries of origin owing to the oppressive arson laws there.

 Kevin Rudd’s back of an envelope refugee deal with PNG appears in the cold light of day to be little more than two pages of Labor spin contained in what is essentially a Prime Ministerial election pronouncement co-signed by the PNG leader.  There is no substance, no costings, no projections of effectiveness, and no details of how it is supposed to work. 

Just for starters, it is not a permanent arrangement.  There is no guarantee that it will come into effect at all with news that there is significant opposition to the agreement from a large section of the population.  If it were to do so, it is up for review on an annual basis, which means that if there is trouble it will most likely be canned by PNG.

Despite the suggestions that this will stem the flow of illegal entries, the document seems to expect that there will be sufficient arrivals to create the need for significant infrastructure expenditure.  This is sold as a benefit to communities in which transferees are placed.

It also appears to saddle Australia with the ongoing cost of supporting all of those who are resettled in PNG or any other Pacific nation for the rest of time.  This will include housing, medical costs, and Centre link benefits as well as any requirement for additional facilities.

The price of the additional detention centre needs will possibly be in the order of hundreds of millions of dollars, depending on how many times the quests burn them down.

In addition to this is what appears to be the buy-off costs.  So far we have heard of a possible university, international airport, as well as a major highway.  At this stage though, this is just the start of an extended wish list.

Still, its good enough for the government to spend millions on advertising the deal, some of it overseas, but extensively here, warning us not to attempt to board a boat to enter our country illegally as we have no chance of being resettled here.  This will most likely cease after the election is decided.

Dubai pardons woman jailed for being raped; big of them

A Norwegian woman who was apparently unaware of Islamic law reported a rape by a co-worker in Dubai and has been sentenced to sixteen months of jail time for having sex outside marriage.  Her rapist has been given thirteen months for the same offense.

She was originally detained for four days but was released after embassy intervention and was sentenced on Wednesday.  Fortunately, she has now been ‘pardoned’ by the Dubai ruler: 

A NORWEGIAN woman in a rape case in Dubai dating back to March said she was pardoned today of an extramarital sex charge and allowed to fly home. 

"I was told that I've been pardoned," Marte Dalelv, 24, told reporters outside a court in the Muslim emirate, adding that her passport had been returned and she would leave the Gulf state "as soon as possible". … 

… A spokeswoman from the ministry told AFP that Dalelv had been pardoned by Dubai ruler Sheikh Mohammed bin Rashid al-Maktoum. "She hasn't been deported, she has been pardoned. She can remain in Dubai if she wishes. Her passport has been returned to her," said Ragnhild Imerslund. 

"She will travel home shortly.”

The tendency of Islamic countries to prosecute women who report rape is reasonably well known.  An Australian woman was jailed for eight months in Dubai after being raped by three co-workers while drinking at a resort bar in Fujairah hotel in June 2008.

Kevin Rudd the same yesterday, and to day, and for ever

Cartoon: Paul Zanetti 

One disturbing aspect of Labor party politics at present is that it seem to be engaged in presidential style politics, where the party tend to speak with one voice, Kevin Rudd’s.  The Liberals tend to over-rely on Tony Abbott but at least they sometimes bring Joe Hockey, or Julie Bishop out for a run.

Labor though, seems to grant Rudd a Messianic form of leadership role in which he seems to run the party as a one man band in much the same way as was done during his previous incarnation as Opposition Leader/Prime Minister.  This remained the case until he became too big a poll liability and was replaced by Gillard who did the same until she became too big a poll liability and was replaced by Rudd #2.

This seems to indicate that either the party has no talent other than the leaders, or that the entire party-room is prepared to accept an authoritarian style leadership. The need to reinstate Rudd seems to back up the lack of talent argument although it is possible that anyone with any ability was unwilling to take on a leadership role with Rudd still in the party, white-anting them from under the floorboards.

Equally disturbing are the reports form last night’s state of origin match that indicate that the old Rudd overblown sense of entitlement is still there: 

Mr Rudd and Ms Rein arrived at ANZ Stadium minutes before kick-off, forcing the NRL to scramble to find several tickets for his entourage at the sold-out match. … 

… An NRL spokesman confirmed the Prime Minister's office had called on Tuesday asking for three extra tickets to the game but was unaware of any further requests. He said the tickets were for the PM's Australian Federal Police protection detail and another member of his staff. "We didn't think it was an extraordinary request," the spokesman said. 

But The Daily Telegraph was told other corporate sponsors were asked to offer up any spare tickets they had to transfer to the PM's staff. A source who confirmed they had been asked for extra tickets said they had been told that the Prime Minister's office had also asked if the pre-game formalities could be delayed because Mr Rudd was running late to the game.

It is now understood that the later request was for an extra ten tickets to allow for Rudd’s entourage to attend the sold out match at the last minute.  Ray Hadley at 2GB reports that other than a late request for extra tickets, and a delay in pre-game formalities, he also requested that lifts be held for him, both to arrive and depart.  

It seems that the man who verbally abused an air force stewardess to the point of leaving her in tears over his lunch not being up to his exacting standards has not changed at all, despite all those stories of the new and improved Kevin Rudd.  

Note to Dr Hook; you’re in the wrong game

Well Doc, you have been singing about your problem for a long time now:

 Change your act and you won't have that old situation where everybodys making it big but you:

Zimmerman trial; now ultra nanny chips in

As if the Zimmerman trial has not been politicized enough, ultra nanny Michael Bloomberg has decided to use it to push his gun grabbing agenda with an attack on Florida’s Stand Your Ground law.  Referring to it as a ‘shoot first’ law, he claimed that such laws encourage deadly confrontations.

Probably the most disturbing aspect in the shooting of Trayvon Martin has been the series of attempts by the media, politicians and activists to politicize it.  After the initial investigation resulted in a decision that it was a clear-cut case of self-defense, everybody from the White House down decided to get involved.

In an action probably unprecedented in US history, President Obama weighed in with, “If I had a son he would look like Trayvon.”  If an Australian politician were to make such a statement he would be accused of prejudicing any resultant trial.

The DOJ got involved to an unseemly degree and is maintaining that stance, while racist demagogues like Al Sharpton have been stirring up racial tensions to the point of jury intimidation with the threats of race riots in the event of a not guilty verdict.

The leftist media has done its best to paint this as a race crime, referring to Zimmerman as a ‘white Hispanic’.  A special mention though, goes to NBC which edited the transcript of a phone conversation by the accused to read, “This guy looks like he’s up to no good … he looks black,” leaving out the dispatchers question (replaced by ellipses) “Okay, is this guy, is he white, black, or Hispanic?”

This is a clear attempt to attribute a racist motive to his motives.  Sadly, many of those who genuinely believe that Zimmerman was acting out of racial motives may do so because of this, although fortunately NBC does not have much of an audience.

Stand Your Ground was erroneously raised early in the reporting of this incident as a possible contributory factor, however it was never mentioned in the defense case at the trial.  It was irrelevant to the defense as at the time of shooting, Zimmerman was on the ground with Martin on top of him beating his head against the pavement.

SYG does not allow a citizen to become the aggressor; it simply clarifies the position that there is no requirement to attempt to flee a dangerous situation before using deadly force.  For example, a woman being confronted by a guy with a knife and a hard on does not have to run away prior to pulling out a Glock and blasting him.

It is after all, much more difficult to hit a target when exhausted.

$7,500 fine for helping bogged motorists

It's somewhat ironical that tonight’s episode of Australian Story was about the way people pitched in to help others during the Tasmanian bush fires.  It was a great show featuring the effort by a woman who created a Face Book page that put people in need of help in touch with those willing to give assistance and help coordinate the whole show.

In times of trouble, the best seems to come out in people.  It was not that long ago that we saw victims of a North Queensland cyclone donating their emergency assistance checks to the Victorian bushfire appeal, and before that, Southern farmers donating semi loads of hay to droughted farmers in Queensland.

On the other hand, it is a bad idea to be a Good Samaritan if it is likely to incur the wrath of the Greens or attract the baleful gaze of their captive envirofascists in the Queensland Department of the Environment.  A retired businessman in Harvey Bay has just been fined $7,500 for towing bogged motorists in a national park and could be hit for $15,000 more: 

A GOOD Samaritan who says he has towed more than 200 bogged cars from roads in the Burrum Coast National Park in the past 20 years has been fined $7500 for damaging the park during the rescues. 

Douglas George Waters, 71, appeared in the Hervey Bay Magistrates Court on Monday charged with six counts of breaching a restriction on cultural and natural resources protected areas and one count of driving an unregistered tractor. 

Magistrate Graeme Tatnell convicted Mr Waters on two counts of damaging the national park but dropped the five other charges.  He was fined $7500 - and he may be up for a further $15,000 payment because of a hole he dug while fixing a road. 

Mr Waters has lived on a property in the heart of the Burrum Coast National Park for 25 years and, under the Queensland National Government in 1988, was given permission to maintain the isolated roads leading to his home.  The previous state Labor government cancelled that permission. 

Mr Waters said outside court that the roads had since deteriorated and people could easily become stuck.  He told the Chronicle outside court he was dumbfounded by the lack of common sense.  "At the moment I can't tow anyone out," he said. 

"If you are unlucky enough to be bogged and it's a Friday afternoon or out of normal hours DERM (now Environment and Heritage Protection) has no after-hours number to help which could result in your situation becoming life-threatening."

It is a bit surprising that Mr Waters is “dumbfounded by the lack of common sense” given that he has been dealing with bureaucracy for some time now and should be getting used to it.

It appears that the department was really going after him given the charge of driving an unregistered tractor.  Given that most farm tractors are unregistered unless the farmer has reason to take it on public roads often, and that the road was unmaintained, it has to be assumed that the enviros were trying to get him for everything they could pin on him.  The withdrawal of permission to maintain the road leading to his home may be taken as an attempt to make his continued occupation of his property untenable.

About the only decent thing coming out of this other than the actions of Mr Waters is that the Member for Hinkler, Paul Neville is taking his case up with the Qld government.    

The great literary prime ministerial shaving cut

If you prick us, do we not bleed? – William Shakespeare

Note to self: when rushing out the door in the morning, make sure you take care with the razor. It is sharp. – Kevin Rudd

There are some suggestions that Rudd was attempting to portray himself as a little bit fallible and perhaps not quite as godlike as the press gallery reports him to be. Heaven forbid that we, the ordinary people decide that we really don't deserve him and put Abbott in.

There was really no need.  There is a YouTube video out detailing his fallibility during his previous incarnation as PM:

Silencing the Sceptics – The New Dark Age in Academia

 Cartoon: By R May 

 By Viv Forbes, Chairman,

The Carbon Sense Coalition 

Bob Carter is one of those scientists that the Climatists would like to silence. His output of rational books, articles and lectures on the pseudo-science supporting the man-made global warming is remarkable. And unable to combat his arguments, the alarmists and their friends in government, academia and the media seek to silence him by ignoring his arguments or trying to destroy his support base. 

What looks like another chapter in this unspoken war, James Cook University, North Queensland has blackballed Professor Carter because, as Jo Nova says: 

“The only reasons given were that the staff of the School of Earth and Environmental Studies had discussed the issue (without any consultation with Carter) and decided that his views on climate change did not fit well within the School’s own teaching and research activities. Apparently it took up too much time to defend Carter against outside complaints about his public writings and lectures on climate change.” 

For more on this latest example of the academic closed mind in action see:


Undeterred by all this, Bob Carter and friends have just released a new book:

Taxing Air – Facts and Fallacies in Climate Change 

In this accessible and beautifully produced full colour book The Age's brilliant political cartoonist John Spooner and leading environmental scientist Professor Bob Carter combine with colleagues to answer a series of critical and highly controversial questions about the politics and science of climate change.

Are human industrial carbon dioxide emissions causing dangerous global warming? 

If it is so then climate change surely is one of the great moral challenges of our time. 

But is it possible that the so-called consensus science around global warming produced by lavishly funded research institutes and with its own international political lobby organization - the United Nations Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) - is wrong?


Could it be that the emperor has no clothes? 

Accessible, clearly written and illustrated with simple scientific illustrations, and accompanied by Spooner's brilliantly wry and telling cartoons, Taxing Air answers - without the spin, evasions or propaganda that pollutes most official writing on climate change - every question you have about global warming but have been too intimidated by the oppressive 'consensus' to ask.

To buy the book, or read more about it see:  And on Facebook: 

 Anything but Green

 The phony election campaign is nearly over. The real campaign has commenced.

 There is only one rule – judge every candidate (not just the party label) and put the green zealots and climate alarmists in every party LAST.

RIP HRH Princess Shirley of Hutt River Principality

 Image (L): A young Princess Shirley 

 The Principality of Hutt River has announced the death of their matriarch Princess Shirley, the wife of the founder of the breakaway province, which seceeded from Australia in 1970.

Our sympathy goes out to Prince Leonard and his family for their loss of the lady who has supported and stood by her husband in his battle against government injustice for over forty years.

The Casleys have been an inspiration to many ‘Free State’ and secessionist libertarians over the years owing to their successful efforts to secede from Australia and managing to make a go of it.  While the Australian government has adopted the official position of not recognizing Hutt River Principality, no serious effort has been made to end it.

While there is little to demonstrate a commitment to libertarian principles by Leonard and his family, they deserve some brownie points for the following:

• Secession was a response to the draconian actions of the West Australian Wheat board, (the central marketing authority) which restricted the property to a quota amounting to 1% of the 9,900 acres of wheat ready to harvest at that time.
• They declared war on Australia for several days over demands from the Taxation Department.  A compromise has been reached whereby residents lodge returns, but are considered non-residents for tax purposes, thus paying no tax from income derived in the principality.
• Probably the lowest income tax rate in the world, of 0.5% flat rate.

Hutt River derives income from agricultural production including sheep and grains, a wildflower production and export business, and the approximately 40,000 tourists per year who visit as well and associated stamp, currency and souvenir sales.

The history of the secession is an interesting mix of canny actions by the Casleys and their advisers, and ineptitude in the response to it by the West Australian and Australian governments. 

The move from province to principality was done in response to the threats issued by the incoming Whitlam government to end the secession.  A search of British law revealed that the “Imperial Treasons act of 1495” which had never been repealed, essentially made it an offense (treason) to take action against a de facto prince in the exercise of his functions. 

Thus, the adoption of the title of prince, is not an act of eccentricity, but a legal instrument ensuring the independence of the micro state.

Its nice to find someone who is not only prepared to take on the state, but who can win that fight.