North Muskegon campaigns have some intensity - mlive.com: "Override Headlee in Ferrysburg on Nov. 6
Voters in the city of Ferrysburg are being asked to do something this Nov. 6 that they wouldn't have to bother with, had the late Mr. Headlee not succeeded in attaching his pernicious tax-limiting provision to the state's constitution. The so-called Headlee Amendment was aimed at tying homeowners' property taxes to the rate of inflation; what it mainly succeeded in doing, though, was to tie the hands of city and school officials by throwing monkey wrenches into the budget processes of municipalities and school districts throughout Michigan. Thus, Ferrysburg voters have the choice -- the honor, really -- of overriding another Headlee rollback in Ferrysburg. If it is approved, the proposal would restore 0.3424 mills that would otherwise be cut from the city's operating budget, which would generate a little over $52,000. Cities, which have inflationary pressures of their own to deal with as well as ongoing steep cuts in state-shared revenues in recent years, already have a hard enough time keeping up with just the vital and basic services that their taxpaying residents expect and deserve. We strongly urge a 'YES' vote on Ferrysburg's Headlee override. "
Wednesday, October 31, 2007
Tuesday, October 30, 2007
Monday, October 29, 2007
My Way News - 1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories'
My Way News - 1 in 10 Schools Are 'Dropout Factories': "It's a nickname no principal could be proud of: 'Dropout Factory,' a high school where no more than 60 percent of the students who start as freshmen make it to their senior year. That description fits more than one in 10 high schools across America."
Sunday, October 28, 2007
Greg Mankiw's Blog: Redistribution in the Rangel Bill
Greg Mankiw's Blog: Redistribution in the Rangel Bill: "Redistribution in the Rangel Bill
The Tax Policy Center has run the numbers to show how different income groups would be affected by the Rangel tax reform proposal compared to the tax law currently on the books.
Here is roughly what the numbers (in Table T07-0300) show:
The bottom three-fourths of households, those making less than $75,000 a year, are not much affected. They each would receive a tax cut of about $100 per year.
The next 24 percent, those making between $75,000 and $500,000, would receive much more substantial tax cuts.
Those in the $200,000 to $500,000 range, who are in the 96 to 99 percentile of the income distribution, would get a tax cut of about $3,600 per year.
The top 1 percent, those making over $500,000, would pay substantially more in taxes.
Those making more than $1 million would see their tax bill rise by an average of more than $100,000.
Thus, as a first approximation, the plan increases the progressivity of the tax code by redistributing income from the very rich (e.g., CEOs, hedge fund managers, superstar athletes and actors) to the upper middle class (e.g., doctors, lawyers, congressmen)."
The Tax Policy Center has run the numbers to show how different income groups would be affected by the Rangel tax reform proposal compared to the tax law currently on the books.
Here is roughly what the numbers (in Table T07-0300) show:
The bottom three-fourths of households, those making less than $75,000 a year, are not much affected. They each would receive a tax cut of about $100 per year.
The next 24 percent, those making between $75,000 and $500,000, would receive much more substantial tax cuts.
Those in the $200,000 to $500,000 range, who are in the 96 to 99 percentile of the income distribution, would get a tax cut of about $3,600 per year.
The top 1 percent, those making over $500,000, would pay substantially more in taxes.
Those making more than $1 million would see their tax bill rise by an average of more than $100,000.
Thus, as a first approximation, the plan increases the progressivity of the tax code by redistributing income from the very rich (e.g., CEOs, hedge fund managers, superstar athletes and actors) to the upper middle class (e.g., doctors, lawyers, congressmen)."
LA Daily News - 34 percent believe in ghosts
LA Daily News - 34 percent believe in ghosts: "34 percent of people who say they believe in ghosts, according to a pre-Halloween poll by The Associated Press and Ipsos. That's the same proportion who believe in unidentified flying objects - exceeding the 19 percent who accept the existence of spells or witchcraft. Forty-eight percent believe in extrasensory perception, or ESP. But nearly half of you knew we were about to tell you that, right? "
Quack Michael Moore has mad view of the NHS | Minette Marrin - Times Online
Quack Michael Moore has mad view of the NHS Minette Marrin - Times Online: "Unfortunately Sicko is a dishonest film. That is not only my opinion. It is the opinion of Professor Lord Robert Winston, the consultant and advocate of the NHS. When asked on BBC Radio 4 whether he recognised the NHS as portrayed in this film, Winston replied: “No, I didn’t. Most of it was filmed at my hospital [the Hammersmith in west London], which is a very good hospital but doesn’t represent what the NHS is like.” I didn’t recognise it either, from years of visiting NHS hospitals. Moore painted a rose-tinted vision of spotless wards, impeccable treatment, happy patients who laugh away any suggestion of waiting in casualty, and a glamorous young GP who combines his devotion to his patients with a salary of £100,000, a house worth £1m and two cars. All this, and for free. This, along with an even rosier portrait of the French welfare system, is what Moore says the state can and should provide. You would never guess from Sicko that the NHS is in deep trouble, mired in scandal and incompetence, despite the injection of billions of pounds of taxpayers’ money. While there are good doctors and nurses and treatments in the NHS, there is so much that is inadequate or bad that it is dishonest to represent it as the envy of the world and a perfect blueprint for national healthcare. It isn’t. GPs’ salaries – used by Moore as evidence that a state-run system does not necessarily mean low wages – is highly controversial; their huge pay rise has coincided with a loss of home visits, a serious problem in getting GP appointments and continuing very low pay for nurses and cleaners. "
German Party Backs Highway Speed Limit | World Latest | Guardian Unlimited
German Party Backs Highway Speed Limit World Latest Guardian Unlimited: "A majority of delegates at a conference of the center-left Social Democrat party backed a resolution stating that ``a fast and unbureaucratic path to climate protection is the introduction of a general speed limit of 130 kilometers per hour,'' or 80 mph. "
Japan's death penalty under threat as EU spearheads push for global moratorium - Mainichi Daily News
Japan's death penalty under threat as EU spearheads push for global moratorium - Mainichi Daily News: "The European Union and nine other countries started an open negotiation on their draft resolution on a worldwide moratorium on the death penalty, seeking support from other UN member states in order to pass the resolution at the UN General Assembly's committee on human rights later this week. The resolution, co-authored by the 27 EU nations along with Albania, Angola, Brazil, Croatia, Gabon, Mexico, New Zealand, the Philippines and East Timor, requests countries that still practice the death penalty to 'establish a moratorium on executions with a view to abolishing the death penalty,' according to a copy of the draft resolution obtained by the Mainichi."
An environmental warning proposed for cars in Europe - International Herald Tribune
An environmental warning proposed for cars in Europe - International Herald Tribune: "The advertising business has jumped on the environmental bandwagon, finding ways to give all sorts of industries a 'green' tuneup and profiting in the process. But is it about to backfire? The European Parliament proposed last Wednesday that car advertisements in the European Union carry tobacco-style labels, warning of the environmental impact they cause. Under the plan, 20 percent of the space or time of any auto ad would have to be set aside for information on a car's fuel consumption and carbon dioxide emissions, cited as a contributor to global climate change. So, should we prepare for warnings along the lines of, 'Driving this car may damage the health of the planet'?"
TheStar.com | News | Quebec to introduce veil ban in voting
TheStar.com News Quebec to introduce veil ban in voting: "Quebec City will follow Ottawa's lead by requiring all electors to show their faces before casting a ballot in elections. Premier Jean Charest's government is expected to introduce legislation on Thursday to compel all voters – including veiled Muslim women – to uncover their faces to a polling station official. The change will be enforced for provincial, municipal and school board elections."
Human race will 'split into two different species' | the Daily Mail
Human race will 'split into two different species' the Daily Mail: "The human race will one day split into two separate species, an attractive, intelligent ruling elite and an underclass of dim-witted, ugly goblin-like creatures, according to a top scientist. "
Edwards plans big for presidency - A Concord Monitor Article - Your News Source - Concord NH 03301
Edwards plans big for presidency - A Concord Monitor Article - Your News Source - Concord NH 03301: "John Edwards says if he's elected president, he'll institute a New Deal-like suite of programs to fight poverty and stem growing wealth disparity. To do it, he said, he'll ask many Americans to make sacrifices, like paying higher taxes. "
Tuesday, October 23, 2007
Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com
Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com: "For the second time in four months, officials from local townships got together -- along with invited guests from the Muskegon County Road Commission, the state Legislature, the Michigan Department of Transportation and other agencies -- to discuss the crumbling condition of many county roads and the need to find money to repair them. "
mebee they spent the $$ on other stuff?
Talks over road funding remain in dark tunnel - mlive.com: "For the second time in four months, officials from local townships got together -- along with invited guests from the Muskegon County Road Commission, the state Legislature, the Michigan Department of Transportation and other agencies -- to discuss the crumbling condition of many county roads and the need to find money to repair them. "
Monday, October 22, 2007
Thursday, October 18, 2007
Save the birdies!
No nuke, no coal, no windfarms. I'm thinking the enviros are pretty clear:
No people, No factories, No jobs.
Conservationists lose wind farm ruling Houston Chronicle: "The venture that would build the proposed transmission line, in filings with the PUC, said the 'true purpose' of the alliance intervention is to stop the construction of the two wind farms. A preliminary assessment of potential impacts from the wind farms, conducted for the alliance by EDM International of Fort Collins, Colo., found potential threats to local and migrating bird populations in South Texas. The wind industry has said the installation would not harm migrating birds. Blackburn said the transmission lines might not result in daily kills but could prove deadly when bad weather and other factors force birds to fly at lower altitudes. But he said the real danger is from the turbines."
No people, No factories, No jobs.
Conservationists lose wind farm ruling Houston Chronicle: "The venture that would build the proposed transmission line, in filings with the PUC, said the 'true purpose' of the alliance intervention is to stop the construction of the two wind farms. A preliminary assessment of potential impacts from the wind farms, conducted for the alliance by EDM International of Fort Collins, Colo., found potential threats to local and migrating bird populations in South Texas. The wind industry has said the installation would not harm migrating birds. Blackburn said the transmission lines might not result in daily kills but could prove deadly when bad weather and other factors force birds to fly at lower altitudes. But he said the real danger is from the turbines."
No coal!
Dozens of Coal Plant Proposals Scrapped Due to Global Warming Concerns: "At least 16 coal-fired power plant proposals nationwide have been scrapped in recent months and more than three dozen have been delayed as utilities face increasing pressure due to concerns over global warming and rising construction costs."
Bush's fault?
Michigan's jobless rate climbs to 7.5%: "Michigan's unemployment rate is up slightly to 7.5 percent. State officials say the seasonally adjusted rate last month rose one-tenth of a percentage point higher than the August rate. The state's unemployment rate continues to lead the national rate, which was 4.7 percent last month. "
Low income kids get a new "benefit"!
Everyone must be so proud!
What new "benefits" are being cooked up by enlightened libs?
Maine school to offer contraceptives - Yahoo! News: "King is the only one of the three schools with a health center, primarily because it has more students who get free or reduced-price lunch, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers."
What new "benefits" are being cooked up by enlightened libs?
Maine school to offer contraceptives - Yahoo! News: "King is the only one of the three schools with a health center, primarily because it has more students who get free or reduced-price lunch, said Lisa Belanger, who oversees Portland's student health centers."
The truth that none dare speak?
Is there scientific proof that all races have identical intelligence?
Controversial DNA pioneer's talk halted - Yahoo! News
London's Science Museum canceled a Friday talk by Nobel Prize-winning geneticist James Watson after the co-discoverer of DNA's structure told a newspaper that Africans and Europeans had different levels of intelligence.
James Watson provoked widespread outrage with his comments to The Sunday Times, which quoted the 79-year-old American as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."
He told the paper he hoped that everyone was equal, but added: "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true."
The comments drew condemnation from British lawmakers, scientists, and civil rights campaigners. On Wednesday The Independent newspaper put Watson on its front page, against the words: "Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer."
Watson, who serves as chancellor of the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., was to deliver a sold-out lecture at the Science Museum, but on Wednesday night the institution said Watson's comments had gone too far and the event had been canceled.
Call to Watson's book publisher and his office in New York were not immediately returned.
This is not the first time Watson's speaking engagements have caused a stir.
The Independent catalogued a series of controversial statements from Watson, including one in which he reportedly suggested women should have the right to have abortions if tests could determine their children would be homosexual.
In 2000 Watson shocked an audience at the University of California, Berkeley, when he advanced a theory about a link between skin color and sex drive.
His lecture, complete with slides of bikini-clad women, argued that extracts of melanin — which give skin its color — had been found to boost subjects' sex drive.
"That's why you have Latin lovers," he said, according to people who attended the lecture. "You've never heard of an English lover. Only an English patient."
Telephone and e-mail messages left with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory after business hours Wednesday were not immediately returned.
Controversial DNA pioneer's talk halted - Yahoo! News
London's Science Museum canceled a Friday talk by Nobel Prize-winning geneticist James Watson after the co-discoverer of DNA's structure told a newspaper that Africans and Europeans had different levels of intelligence.
James Watson provoked widespread outrage with his comments to The Sunday Times, which quoted the 79-year-old American as saying he was "inherently gloomy about the prospect of Africa" because "all our social policies are based on the fact that their intelligence is the same as ours — whereas all the testing says not really."
He told the paper he hoped that everyone was equal, but added: "people who have to deal with black employees find this not true."
The comments drew condemnation from British lawmakers, scientists, and civil rights campaigners. On Wednesday The Independent newspaper put Watson on its front page, against the words: "Africans are less intelligent than Westerners, says DNA pioneer."
Watson, who serves as chancellor of the renowned Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory in Cold Spring Harbor, N.Y., was to deliver a sold-out lecture at the Science Museum, but on Wednesday night the institution said Watson's comments had gone too far and the event had been canceled.
Call to Watson's book publisher and his office in New York were not immediately returned.
This is not the first time Watson's speaking engagements have caused a stir.
The Independent catalogued a series of controversial statements from Watson, including one in which he reportedly suggested women should have the right to have abortions if tests could determine their children would be homosexual.
In 2000 Watson shocked an audience at the University of California, Berkeley, when he advanced a theory about a link between skin color and sex drive.
His lecture, complete with slides of bikini-clad women, argued that extracts of melanin — which give skin its color — had been found to boost subjects' sex drive.
"That's why you have Latin lovers," he said, according to people who attended the lecture. "You've never heard of an English lover. Only an English patient."
Telephone and e-mail messages left with the Cold Spring Harbor Laboratory after business hours Wednesday were not immediately returned.
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