Schools stockpile grenade launchers, M16 rifles, armored vehicles and other military equipment

Schools stockpile grenade launchers, M16 rifles, armored vehicles and other military equipment - EAGnews.org
WASHINGTON, D.C. – Nearly two dozen legal, civil rights, and education advocacy organizations recently sent a letter to the U.S. departments of Defense, Justice and Education to plead with federal officials to stop sending military equipment, weapons and armored vehicles to public schools.
The move comes as an increasing number of school districts across the country take part in the Department of Defense’s Excess Property Program, commonly known as the 1033 program.
The Huffington Post reports that at least 20 schools have taken in military-grade equipment, from grenade launchers to laptops, since the program started in 1997.
....Florida’s Pinellas County School District, for example, received almost two dozen M16 rifles, while San Diego and Los Angeles schools took in armored vehicles capable of withstanding mine explosions, according to the news site.
“Our hope is that our officers never have a need to use this equipment,” Pinellas schools public information officer Melanie Marquez Parra told the news site. “These are items we acquired so they could have equipment for worst-case scenario situations.”
San Diego Unified School District Police Chief Ruben Littlejohn told NPR the district’s mine-resistant vehicle will be used exclusively as a rescue vehicle, and that officials planned to fill it with teddy bears and trauma kits.
It’s not a militarization of public schools, he said.

Top DIA Officials Receive Huge Compensation Increases While Running Deficit, Raking in Taxpayer Money

Top DIA Officials Receive Huge Compensation Increases While Running Deficit, Raking in Taxpayer Money [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
Detroit Institute of Arts director sees compensation increase from $455K to $514K

Soon after voters approved a three-county $230 million millage for the Detroit Institute of Arts, its top two officers received increases of $58,415 and $98,564 in compensation.

Graham Beal, director of the DIA, saw his total compensation increase from $455,453 in 2012 to $513,868 in 2013, a 12.8 percent increase. In two years, Beal’s total compensation has increased 20 percent from $426,699 in 2011 to the $513,868.

Annmarie Erickson, executive vice president of the DIA, saw her total compensation jump 36.3 percent as it increased from $270,802 in 2012 to $369,366 in 2013. Erickson was recently given an additional title of Chief Operating Officer, according to the DIA website.

The salaries are reported on the DIA’s 990 Form. The most recent 2013 990 Form from the DIA was recently released by Guidestar.

The increases came despite what is described on the DIA website as a "structural operating deficit."

In 2012, voters in Macomb, Wayne and Oakland counties approved a 10-year, $230 million millage for the DIA.

Typical – As Michelle Obama Purges School Vending Machines Of Sugary Snacks, WH Machine Sells 590 Calorie Honey Buns

Typical – As Michelle Obama Purges School Vending Machines Of Sugary Snacks, WH Machine Sells 590 Calorie Honey Buns | Progressives Today:
It has been widely reported that Michelle Obama’s fight against childhood obesity in America’s schools has reached past the lunchroom into bake sales and even the vending machines.

The First Lady’s new standards remove any sugary snacks over 200 calories from the machines.  Sometimes machines are emptied all together leaving students upset and hungry.

Not willing to put her healthy vending machine items where her mouth is–
Michelle’s hypocrisy is on full display in the place where she should have the most influence, The White House vending machine:

History for September 19

History for September 19 - On-This-Day.com
Adam West 1928, Mike Royko 1932, Bill Medley (Righteous Brothers) 1940


"Mama" Cass Elliott (The Mamas and Papas) 1943, Joan Lunden 1951, Jim Abbott 1967


1777 - The Battle of Saratoga was won by American soldiers during the Revolutionary War. 


1876 - Melville R. Bissell patented the carpet sweeper. 


1955 - Argentina President Juan Peron was ousted after a revolt by the army and navy. 


1957 - The U.S. conducted its first underground nuclear test. The test took place in the Nevada desert. 


1959 - Nikita Khruschev was not allowed to visit Disneyland due to security reasons. Khrushchev reacted angrily. 


1970 - "The Mary Tyler Moore Show" premiered on CBS-TV. 


1982 - Scott Fahlman became the first person to use :-) in an online message. 


1994 - U.S. troops entered Haiti peacefully to enforce the return of exiled President Jean-Bertrand Aristide. 


1995 - The U.S. Senate passed a welfare overhaul bill. 

LIBERTY REVIEW

LIBERTY REVIEW:
http://libertyreview76.blogspot.com/2014/09/oblivious-by-tammy-derouin-my-weekly.html
Just how ridiculous would it be to hear that your neighbor befriended an intruder?  Yeah, did you hear Mr. Oblivious found an intruder in his home?  Evidence indicated that after all valuables were removed, the intruder was going to destroy him and what was left of his home.  Get this, instead of calling the police and having him removed, Mr. Oblivious opened up his home, giving the intruder full access to all of his possessions.  He is providing him with a room and all the benefits of being a member of his family. But wait, it gets worse.  

Scottish independence results: YouGov poll predicts 54% no, 46% yes

Scottish independence results: YouGov poll predicts 54% no, 46% yes - live | Politics | theguardian.com:

Scottish independence results: YouGov poll predicts 54% no, 46% yes - live

Billion Dollar Obamacare Contractor Processed Only 5% of Applications – Played Hangman Instead

Billion Dollar Obamacare Contractor Processed Only 5% of Applications – Played Hangman Instead (Video) | The Gateway Pundit:

Employees at Serco Corporation in Wentzville, Missouri, outside of St. Louis, told reporters in May that they are being paid to do nothing.
The company was paid by the government to process paper applications of those signing up for Obamacare.
But, employees were just sitting at their desk most of the day.
A former employee admitted that sometimes the employees played Trivia Pursuit, Hangman, Wheel of Fortune, games like that.
Now this…
The Obamacare contractor processed less than 5 percent of applications.

10 Ways Scottish Independence Could Transform Europe

10 Ways Scottish Independence Could Transform Europe - Listverse
Geographically and linguistically, Belgium is one of the most schizophrenic countries on Earth. 
Half the population speaks Dutch, nearly half speaks French, and a tiny minority speaks German. 
For decades, the Dutch-speaking Flanders region has been itching to break away from its dominant counterpart. A Scottish “Yes” vote could be the trigger to Flemish secession.

Since the nightmare of the Balkan Wars, Europe has been very wary of allowing countries to break up.
A peaceful “divorce” between Scotland and the rest of the UK (rUK) would create a road map for other regions looking to go solo.
At the very least, it would spur calls for greater devolution in Belgium, effectively splitting the country into two highly autonomous but connected states.
Flanders independence movement is so excited by the prospect that they’ve even sent delegates to Scotland to watch the proceedings.
They’re not the only ones to cotton on.
Brussels is so terrified of the prospect of Flemish nationalism that they’ve threatened to block an independent Scotland’s entry into the EU.

After 2-Year-Old Emails Detailing Impropriety Surface, Los Angeles School Board Votes To Limit Retention To One Year | Techdirt:

After 2-Year-Old Emails Detailing Impropriety Surface, Los Angeles School Board Votes To Limit Retention To One Year

from the accountability-is-for-the-little-people dept

In a set of strange coincidences not unlike those surrounding the IRS/Lois Lerner email disappearance, the Los Angeles Unified school board has decided it will only retain internal emails for one year going forward.

The Los Angeles Unified school board voted Tuesday to buy a Microsoft email archiving service programmed to automatically destroy staff emails after one year.

Why only one year? According to the Chief Information Officer of the school district, the one year limit is mandated by district policy -- which is handy, but likely not the real reason. (Keeping all those bytes is considered "too expensive.") After all, if this policy was already in force, why the vote on retention limits? 

More likely, this decision was prompted by recent events -- namely the publication of emails more than a year old.

The decision comes less than three weeks after KPCC published two-year-old internal emails that raised questions about whether Superintendent John Deasy's meetings and discussions with Apple and textbook publisher Pearson influenced the school district's historic $500 million technology contract.

A half-billion that ultimately went nowhere. Deasy allegedly cozied up to the companies before the district awarded them the tech contract, holding personal meetings with both a year before the plan went up for public bidding. The superintendent claimed he did nothing wrong ("discussed a pilot program that went nowhere") but nevertheless cancelled the program three day after KPCC's story went live. 

What was implemented never worked properly, making this $500 million (which ultimately turned out to be $1.3 billion) project a complete washout.

When the CDC Tells Us to Prepare for the Ebola Pandemic, Things Are About to Get Real

When the CDC Tells Us to Prepare for the Ebola Pandemic, Things Are About to Get Real | Ready Nutrition:

Are you ready for the possibility of an Ebola pandemic that will interrupt the day-to-day life of most Americans?

Because now, the CDC has issued a checklist and said that “Now is the time to prepare.”

You can read the entire document HERE. 

As well, the State Department has purchased 160,000 Ebola Hazmat suits.

The checklist is a directory for hospitals and medical personnel.

“Every hospital should ensure that it can detect a patient with Ebola, protect healthcare workers so they can safely care for the patient, and respond in a coordinated fashion…
While we are not aware of any domestic Ebola Virus Disease cases (other than two American citizens who were medically evacuated to the United States), now is the time to prepare, as it is possible that individuals with EVD in West Africa may travel to the United States, exhibit signs and symptoms of EVD, and present to facilities.”

The CDC’s Ebola virus page is HERE.

The World Health Organization and other agencies have gone to great lengths to avoid releasing information that might cause a panic. 

You can bet that if they’ve gone so far as to issue this warning, things are about to get real.

The state department has purchased 160,000 Ebola Hazmat suits. 

If the government is getting ready for an outbreak, shouldn’t you get ready too?

Ranking Each State’s Highway Conditions and Cost-Effectiveness

Reason Foundation - Ranking Each State’s Highway Conditions and Cost-Effectiveness: Wyoming, Nebraska and South Dakota Are Best; Hawaii, Alaska and New Jersey Are Worst

Reason Foundation’s 21^st Annual Highway Report’s overall performance and cost-effectiveness rankings are: 

1. Wyoming 
2. Nebraska 
3. South Dakota 
4. South Carolina 
5. Kansas 
6. North Dakota 
7. New Mexico 
8. Mississippi 
9. Montana 
10. Kentucky 
11. Texas 
12. Missouri 
13. Georgia 
14. Ohio 
15. Wisconsin 
16. Maine 
17. Tennessee 
18. Iowa 
19. Arizona 
20. North Carolina 
21. Alabama 
22. Oklahoma 
23. New Hampshire 
24. Nevada 
25. Virginia 
26. Oregon 
27. Illinois 
28. Minnesota 
29. Utah 
30. Idaho 
31. Florida 
32. Michigan 

- See more at: http://reason.org/news/show/21st-annual-highway-report#sthash.lqQos6eC.dpuf

41 maps (and charts) that explain the Midwest

41 maps (and charts) that explain the Midwest - Vox

Government Insider Warned of HealthCare.gov Security Risks

Government Insider Warned of HealthCare.gov Security Risks:
"Government insiders who flagged security issues prior to the launch of HealthCare.gov were right to be concerned. That’s according to a new audit by the Government Accountability Office, which concluded that security weaknesses are putting “the sensitive personal information” contained by HealthCare.gov and its related systems at risk."

General: ‘We Don’t Have a Replacement’ for A-10, U-2

General: ‘We Don’t Have a Replacement’ for A-10, U-2 | Defense Tech:
"The Air Force does not have a suitable replacement for the planned divestiture of the A-10 Warthog aircraft and U-2 spy plane, senior service leaders said Sept. 16 at the Air Force Association Air and Space Conference, National Harbor, Md.

“I don’t want to cut the A-10 and the U-2 – we don’t have a replacement,” said Gen. Michael Hostage III, Commander, Air Force Air Combat Command.

As part of its budget request for the fiscal year beginning Oct. 1, the service proposed retiring its entire fleets of A-10 attack planes and U-2 spy planes, and partial inventories of other aircraft. The proposed budget cuts to the A-10 and U-2 fleets are described by service officials as budget-driven necessities given current fiscal pressures.

The recommendations were driven in a large part by automatic budget cuts known as sequestration. Sending the close-air-support aircraft to the bone yard would save an estimated $4.2 billion over five years alone, Air Force officials have said."

Who’da Thought? Millennials Overwhelmingly Oppose Affirmative Action

Who’da Thought? Millennials Overwhelmingly Oppose Affirmative Action:
"Writing in the University of Georgia’s The Red & Black, Katelyn Umholtz cannot seem to reconcile how Millennials can believe in a colorblind society … and also oppose affirmative action (my emphasis):
A survey conducted by MTV asked 3,000 Millennials ages 14 to 24 their thoughts on race-related issues, including affirmative action for college acceptance, in May.
And what it found was seemingly paradoxical: 90 percent of Millennials surveyed “believe that everyone should be treated the same regardless of race,” yet 88 percent opposed affirmative action.
Thomas Greneker, a senior University of Georgia biology major from Valdosta, said it’s a “tricky debate” because diversity is so important.
However, he said he does not think affirmative action is the fairest route to take when creating a diverse community.
“It’s not an equal approach in a push for equality,” Greneker said.
Seriously: why the phrase “seemingly paradoxical” and the word “yet” when comparing the belief in colorblindness to opposition to affirmative action?
Only those obsessed with diversity could see a contradiction between the two."

Muskegon County Wastewater to take on $4 million more in debt

Muskegon County Wastewater to take on $4 million more in debt | MLive.com: "MUSKEGON, MI – Muskegon County is poised to borrow $4 million and give townships a year off from increasing the wholesale sewer rates it charges them.
The Muskegon County Board of Public Works on Thursday, Sept. 11 gave preliminary approval to a budget for the Muskegon County Wastewater Management System.
The board voted in favor of a plan to sell $4 million in bonds for capital improvements and take a year off from increasing its rates.
The rates would resume at increasing at 4.9 percent per year for 2016-2019 under the plan.
Utility Financial Solutions Vice President Dawn Lund – a third-party consultant brought in to evaluate the wastewater system's finances -- earlier recommended against taking on more debt.
The system has about $65 million in debt and its remaining equity is worth roughly the same amount, she said.
But the Board of Public Works chairman Terry Sabo said that without the $4 million in bond money, the wastewater system's funds for emergency repairs would be a bit thin over the coming year.
"It worries me a little bit," Sabo said."

Student suspended for selling non-diet soda banned by school policy

Student suspended for selling non-diet soda banned by school policy - EAGnews.org:
"ALBERTA, Canada – When 17-year-old Keenan Shaw sees an opportunity, he jumps on it.
And the new diet-only soft drink rule at his Lethbridge, Alberta high school was the perfect opportunity.
“Mr. Shaw arrived at the school last week carrying a case full of pop, which was recently banned from the school,” the National Post reports. “
He began selling it to fellow students, knowing he was flouting the administration’s restrictions on the drink but not expecting the punishment.”
Sales were booming, until school administrators stepped in.
After a week of selling full flavored Pepsi from his school locker, Shaw was slapped with a two-day suspension for refusing to follow the school’s nonsensical restrictions.
“I thought it was a joke,” Shaw told the news site. “I didn’t think they could (suspend) me for selling pop.”
Lethbridge superintendent Sheryl Gilmour told the National Post said selling the illegal pop at school violated the district’s nutritional policy, as well as marketing and distribution rules.
And it wasn’t so much that Shaw violated the rules as it was his refusal to end his burgeoning business that got him in trouble, she said."

My God, EVERYONE in government is listening to ALL of our private communication! And non-government crooks too!-----Who Is Running Phony Cell Phone Towers Around The United States?

Who Is Running Phony Cell Phone Towers Around The United States? | Popular Science
Since filing an amicus brief with the EFF on the first case in the country challenging the constitutionality of "Stingray" surveillance in 2012, the ACLU has used press reporting and analysis of government records to establish that 43 different state and local law enforcement agencies in 18 states have the technology. 
On the federal level, at least 12 agencies have purchased interceptors, including the National Security Agency, the Federal Bureau of Investigation, the Drug Enforcement Administration, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms, and Explosives, and all the branches of the U.S. military. 
But amidst this thicket of government and police surveillance, security experts cannot rule out the possibility that foreign spies or criminal hackers are also using the cell tower simulators in the United States. 
The most sophisticated interceptors cost roughly $100,000, though a skilled, determined hacker could cobble together a basic interceptor for less than $2,000.

ESD America CEO Les Goldsmith says that we don't know for sure who's using the interceptors, but he speculates that owners might be the U.S. government, foreign spies, or possibly criminal hackers.

DISGUSTING, LYING DEMOCRATS------Rush Limbaugh strikes back at DCCC

Rush Limbaugh strikes back at DCCC - POLITICO.com
Glicklich says those remarks were taken out of context. Whatever the case, some people found the DCCC's efforts to fundraise off Limbaught's remarks unseemly. (The email directed recipients to a form where they were required to fill out their email address and had the option of supplying their zip code. After giving their information to the DCCC, they are redirected to ActBlue and asked for a donation, preferably recurring weekly.)

"Using rape to build lists is just wrong, and they'd slam any Republican doing it," one Democratic campaign strategist wrote in an email. "Limbaugh's comments are disgusting, and should be called out, but this is the wrong way of doing it."

Glicklich similarly condemned the DCCC's tactics: "Even for the partisan DCCC, this reprehensible behavior reaches a new low," he said. "They should apologize to women everywhere, and donate the funds they raised by this fiction to the real victims of sexual violence. We are waiting for their explanation."

The full transcript of Limbaugh's remarks, as provided by Glicklich, follows:

"Consent must be freely given, can be withdrawn at any time, and the absence of 'no' does not mean 'yes.'" How many of you guys, in your own experience with women, have learned that "no" means "yes" if you know how to spot it? Let me tell you something. In this modern world, that is simply not tolerated. People aren't even gonna try to understand that one. I mean, it used to be said it was a cliche. It used to be part of the advice young boys were given.   See, that's what we gotta change. We have got to reprogram the way we raise men. Why do you think permission every step of the way, clearly spelling out "why"... are all of these not lawsuits just waiting to happen if even one of these steps is not taken?

(WATCH: Rush Limbaugh: 'No means yes if you know how to spot it')

UPDATE (4:07 p.m.): Emily Bittner, the Communications Director at the DCCC, emails:

The world according to Rush Limbaugh: women who use the birth control pill are ‘sluts,’ ‘no means yes if you know how to spot it,’ and anyone who dares question him is ‘reprehensible.’ There’s no context where no means yes, and that’s why thousands of Americans are responding to our petition demanding that his sponsors to pull their advertising.

Child abuse!------Debt and Deficits in CBO’s Updated Budget Outlook: 2014 to 2024

Debt and Deficits in CBO’s Updated Budget Outlook: 2014 to 2024 | Mercatus:
"This week’s charts use data from the Congressional Budget Office’s (CBO) recently released update to its Budget and Economic Outlook to show the trends and components of projected debt and deficit increases.
The charts show that debt and deficits will continue to grow over the coming decade..."

History for September 18

History for September 18 - On-This-Day.com
Samuel Johnson 1709, Greta Garbo 1905, Eddie "Rochester" Anderson 1905 


Robert Blake 1938, Fred Willard 1939, Frankie Avalon 1939 


1759 - The French formally surrendered Quebec to the British. 


1789 - Alexander Hamilton negotiated and secured the first loan for the United States. The Temporary Loan of 1789 was repaid on June 8, 1790 at the sum of $191,608.81. 

1830 - The "Tom Thumb", the first locomotive built in America, raced a horse on a nine-mile course. The horse won when the locomotive had some mechanical difficulties. 


1850 - The Fugitive Slave Act was declared by the U.S. Congress. The act allowed slave owners to claim slaves that had escaped into other states. 


1927 - Columbia Phonograph Broadcasting System made its debut with its network broadcast over 16 radio stations. The name was later changed to CBS. 


1947 - The United States Air Force was established as a separate military branch by the National Security Act. 


1955 - The "Ed Sullivan Show" began on CBS-TV. The show had been "The Toast of the Town" since 1948. 


1963 - "The Patty Duke Show" premiered on ABC-TV. 


1981 - A museum honoring former U.S. President Ford was dedicated in Grand Rapids, MI. 


1997 - Ted Turner, U.S. Media magnate, announced that over the next ten years he would give $1 billion to the United Nations. 


1998 - The U.S. House Judiciary Committee voted to release to videotape of President Clinton's grand jury testimony from August 17.