Occupy, Over and Out!

Occupy Boston-Finale, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

The Occupy Boston protesters have been evicted from Dewey Square, with some being booked by the local constabulary. Satan and his corporate pals bid adieu to the movement in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It."

Wall Street Eviction Notice

OWS Eviction, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Now that the Occupy Wall Street movement has been removed from Zuccotti Park, Satan would like to see a different group of Wall Street "occupiers" evicted in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Santorum's Spider Web

Santorum TARP, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Oh, what a tangled web former Sen. Rick Santorum spun for three rivals at this week's Republican presidential debate. Santorum accused Mitt Romney, Herman Cain and Rick Perry of all backing TARP. Read more in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Occupy Wall Street, Meet Co-Opt City!

Millionaire Mansions, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Occupy Wall Street demonstrator Frank Faust gets a bit more than he bargained for when he stops by Mephistopheles' mansion to protest in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

David 'Occupies' Goliath's Attention

Occupy Boston Cartoon, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

The "Occupy Boston" protesters have camped out in Dewey Square to protest economic inequality, taking a page from the "Occupy Wall Street" playbook in New York. While Satan eggs on the corporate Goliath to face them, it looks like demonstrator David is well-rested for a struggle, in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Brookline Pledges Its Dissent

Pledge Cartoon copy, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

A group in the town of Brookline, Mass., wants to ban the Pledge of Allegiance in the public schools -- 10 years after 9/11, no less. Yet Satan thinks this is right in line with sound capitalist principles in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Brown's Policies 'Border' on Liberalism

Scott Brown-Debt Bill, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

Well, the debt-ceiling bill has finally passed -- with help from MA Sen. Scott Brown, one of the Republicans who voted for it in the Senate. Satan explores the nuances of his vote in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Cashing in on Debt Crisis

Debt Ceiling cartoon, a photo by rbtenorio on Flickr.

One thing the media keeps forgetting to tell us about this $14 trillion debt-ceiling problem is who exactly we owe it to. China, yes. Japan, yes. But also Americans who took out bonds. Satan has a simple suggestion for these American bondholders in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

My Dinner With Hu

China State Dinner, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Was it a good idea for President Obama to lavishly welcome Chinese leader Hu Jintao at the White House this week, with a sumptuous dinner and a guest list that included Barbara Streisand? Satan joins in those saying "Ni hao" to China in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Tax Cuts: Path of No Return?

Obama Tax Cuts Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

President Obama wants to extend the Bush tax cuts, and his fellow Democrats aren't happy. Satan and Frank Faust pick up the debate in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Parking Meters, Take a Holiday

Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick has already proposed a sales-tax holiday for the Bay State’s financially strapped citizens. How about a parking-meter holiday, too?
Imagine driving down Massachusetts Avenue in Cambridge at lunchtime, seeing a tantalizing pizza place and a parking spot right outside it, and -- oops! -- having no change for the meter. Not only are you out of a lunch option, but the pizza place owner has missed out on a client, and the state is out of some tax revenue.
The big cities of the Bay State, places like Cambridge, Boston and Somerville, create a culture of unfriendliness with their legions of parking meters, some of which allow parking for a maximum time of as low as 15 minutes. Many meters allow only quarters, and oftentimes one quarter is only good for 15 minutes. Motorists who park in metered spots must constantly check their watches, interrupting their lunch to run back and put more change in the meters. And even then, they might get fined for an overtime violation.
I call on Gov. Patrick to push for a parking-meter holiday -- a stretch when motorists can park in metered spots at no charge -- to provide a hassle-free environment for drivers, and potentially more revenue for business owners. It would represent a small but significant easing of stress on drivers who already have to pay for gas and maintenance.
Granted, there might be a few wrinkles to iron out. Some drivers might abuse the privilege, parking in metered spots all day during the holiday and depriving peers of the opportunity to use the space. Perhaps Patrick could adopt a set of rules that stipulate that during the holiday, all metered spots would change to a minimum of one hour’s free parking (if the meter normally runs for one hour or less) with a maximum of two hours’ free parking (if the meter normally exceeds one hour), with normal ticketing policies in place for drivers who park beyond the allotted time.
As constituted, parking meters represent an additional tax on motorists that, while small in monetary value, is still unpleasant … kind of like the impositions that King George III, his Parliament and Govs. Bernard and Hutchinson of the Massachusetts Bay Colony wanted the colonists to pay over stamps and tea. Our present-day governor, Patrick, should not ignore the promising possibility of a parking-meter holiday as he battles for reelection.

Forget the Gulf, Tap the Arctic!

Gulf-Arctic Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

In his speech on the Gulf oil spill on Wednesday, President Obama noted that oil companies are running out of options to drill undersea. He said that due to American demand, "oil companies are drilling a mile beneath the surface of the ocean -- because we’re running out of places to drill on land and in shallow water."
Well, Satan has a simple solution for this conundrum: Tap the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge. He explains this strategy to the president in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It."

Humanity Still Stuck on Oil?

Gulf Oil Spill Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

What a sad sight to see in the Gulf of Mexico: The pollution caused by an oil spill that has dwarfed the impact of the Exxon Valdez catastrophe in 1989. (There has also been a human toll: the 11 BP employees who lost their lives in the explosion that caused the spill.) Is mankind condemned to such sights because of the car-crazed culture of the United States? Read more in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Congress Cures Capitalism

House Passes Health Care, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Is the health care bill a boon to the 30 million-plus Americans it will cover ... or a nightmare because of its $938 billion price tag? Satan and Frank Faust weigh in for the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Tea Party Rage, Explained

Tea Party Anger Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

They've gotten (grudging) props from NYT columnist David Brooks and about one out of every five Americans considers themselves a member. But just what, exactly, is the Tea Party movement so angry about? Satan breaks it down for Frank Faust in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Six-Figure Salary Sympathy

Six-Figure Salaries Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Who do you feel worse for in this recession -- the homeless guy on the street or the six-figure salary earner who complains he's not making enough? Satan challenges our notion of the "working poor" in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!
Hat tip to my friend Steve for the idea for this cartoon.

Thanksgiving 2009: Full Plate for Obama

Thanksgiving 2009 Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Despite the economic slowdown and the other turmoils of 2009, Frank Faust realizes he has a lot to be thankful for in a Turkey Day episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!
Happy Thanksgiving, everyone!

Bailout Bars and Senate Zombies

Halloween 2009 Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Halloween is here, and Satan and Frank Faust are ready to go trick-or-treating in Washington, DC. Join them as they visit the Senate zombies in thrall to the insurance industry and pick up some government-sponsored "Bailout Bars" in an All Hallows Eve version of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Forgetting Twin Towers, Remembering Wall Street

9-11 Cartoon, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

"Crisis" ... "catastrophe" ... "collapse" ... These are words you'd likely associate with the terrorist attacks of 9/11/01, right? Wrong. Eight years after the attacks on the World Trade Center, the Pentagon and a Pennsylvania field, people are using these words to describe a different anniversary ... that of a fateful stretch in September that sunk Lehman Brothers last year. Satan and Frank Faust assess this development in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!

Barack Obama: The First Hundred Sways

Obama Hundred Days, originally uploaded by rbtenorio.

Last week, Barack Obama celebrated his first 100 days as president of the United States. (I also marked the occasion with my second self-published collection of cartoons, "The Devil Made Me Blog It: The First 100 Sways.") Mephistopheles and Frank Faust reflect -- from the president's popularity to the arrival of First Dog Bo to the economic crisis that won't go away -- in the latest episode of "The Devil Made Me Blog It"!