Vatican Wants a Central World Bank, Confederate Plate Fight, and More in Chad’s Steaming Pile

Here are just a few things in Chad’s Pile that you will hear on Lubbock’s First News this morning. Give Chad your feedback on the steaming topics.

1. The Vatican weighs in (link)

Well now even the Vatican is weighing in on the global economic crisis. I'm not sure if everyone will listen, but they are letting their thoughts be known.

The Vatican called on Monday for the establishment of a “global public authority” and a “central world bank” to rule over financial institutions that have become outdated and often ineffective in dealing fairly with crises. The document from the Vatican’s Justice and Peace department should please the “Occupy Wall Street” demonstrators and similar movements around the world who have protested against the economic downturn.

“Towards Reforming the International Financial and Monetary Systems in the Context of a Global Public Authority,” was at times very specific, calling, for example, for taxation measures on financial transactions. “The economic and financial crisis which the world is going through calls everyone, individuals and peoples, to examine in depth the principles and the cultural and moral values at the basis of social coexistence,” it said.

It condemned what it called “the idolatry of the market” as well as a “neo-liberal thinking” that it said looked exclusively at technical solutions to economic problems. “In fact, the crisis has revealed behaviours like selfishness, collective greed and hoarding of goods on a great scale,” it said, adding that world economics needed an “ethic of solidarity” among rich and poor nations.

2. License plate fight (link)

I really don't care if the State of Texas allows Confederate plates or not. It will never affect my life and I'm pretty sure it won't hurt anyone else's life either. Of course that won't stop Sheila Jackson Lee from speaking out.

"We cannot allow the state to issue a symbol of intimidation," U.S. Rep. Sheila Jackson Lee, D-Houston, said to a crowd of community leaders outside the Civil Courthouse Saturday.

Lee and other officials plan to go to Austin on Nov. 10, when the Department of Motor Vehicles votes on the design, with petitions and a letter from 17 state legislators to persuade them to vote against the license plates.

Sen.Rodney Ellis, D-Houston, said that allowing these license plates would be allowing the people who lost a war to write history.

The Department of Motor Vehicles' vote on the plate in April ended in a 4-4 tie, with one member absent. The controversial design was created to honor Confederate veterans on the 150th anniversary of the start of the Civil War.

According to the paper, the proposal is sponsored by Texas Land Commissioner Jerry Patterson on behalf of the Sons of Confederate Veterans, a group that has won approval of the plates in nine other states, including Georgia, Maryland and Tennessee. It has filed and won lawsuits in states where its requests were denied.

On second thought. If Sheila Jackson Lee is against something, why the hell not? Bring on the plates!

3. Harley recall (link)

If you have a Harley, read this:

Harley-Davidson is recalling about 308,000 motorcycles to fix a switch problem that can cause failure of the brake lights and possibly even the rear brakes themselves.

The company says in government documents that brake light switches can be exposed to too much heat from the exhaust system. The brake lights can fail, and the problem also can cause fluid leaks and the loss of rear brakes.

The problem affects Touring, CVO Touring and Trike vehicles from the 2009 through 2012 model years.

These and many more topics coming up on Tuesday’s edition of Lubbock’s First News with Chad Hasty. Tune in mornings 6-9am on News/Talk 790 KFYO, streaming online at kfyo.com, and now on your iPhone and Android device with the radioPup App.