Sizing up Penn State's liability in abuse scandal | Reuters
Last week, a jury in Northern California awarded $7 million in compensatory damages and an additional $21 million in punitive damages to a woman who claimed the Jehovah's Witnesses allowed one of its members to sexually abuse her when she was a child.
Lawyers for the plaintiff say they believe the award is the largest ordered in the United States in a religious child abuse case for a single victim.
Saturday, June 23, 2012
Muskegon County won't fix Holton road, residents stranded at times
County won't fix road, residents stranded at times | wzzm13.com
Hulka says his department only maintains roads that meet minimum requirements.
"I don't know why you feel the public should have to pay for it," Hulka said in response.
"At some point you made the decision to build a home out here."
Hulka says his department only maintains roads that meet minimum requirements.
"I don't know why you feel the public should have to pay for it," Hulka said in response.
"At some point you made the decision to build a home out here."
Friday, June 22, 2012
Police: Intoxicated Pentwater man drives into huge statue in Muskegon's downtown traffic circle
Police: Intoxicated Pentwater man drives into huge statue in Muskegon's downtown traffic circle | MLive.com
The man had left Club Envy, located just a short distance away, when he drove himself and passengers up over the barrier and into the rocks before striking the sculpture, police said.
The man continued driving with three flat tires until he was pulled over on Terrace Street near the Muskegon Fire Department’s central station, police said.
The man had left Club Envy, located just a short distance away, when he drove himself and passengers up over the barrier and into the rocks before striking the sculpture, police said.
The man continued driving with three flat tires until he was pulled over on Terrace Street near the Muskegon Fire Department’s central station, police said.
Passion, not politics, fuels Senate candidate
Passion, not politics, fuels Senate candidate
Detroit
Tramping around a gutted, dusty elementary school on the city's northwest side is an unlikely tactic for winning a U.S. Senate seat, but that doesn't keep Clark Durant from doing it anyway.
Because that's who he is — a 63-year-old conservative Republican who 20 years ago left a lucrative career managing other people's money to become an evangelist for urban education through the New Common School Foundation that Durant heads.
He breaks rules, like the one born of a particularly insidious form of bigotry that says urban kids can't learn. Really? Tell that to graduates of Cornerstone Schools. He ignores skeptics, like the ones who insist "no one" will drive into Detroit to go to school. But they do anyway.
He gladly irritates his campaign staff, who'd prefer he spend an hour earlier this week making fundraising calls to would-be donors instead of touring his latest Detroit school with me and the project's architect, Francis Resendes, managing principal of Resendes Design Group.
That's Durant — part rebel, part dreamer, part doer, part business guy all wrapped up in a blue button-down and khakis. He's vying with former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra for the chance to challenge incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow in the November election. And, yes, he can muster his standard line that the country is being ruined by the short-sighted leadership of career politicians on both sides of the political aisle.
But passion? It's right here in the hollowed-out hulk of Alex Dow Elementary School, also known as Langston Hughes Academy. Come September, two public charter schools will be operating on the site — Madison Carver Preparatory Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade and Cornerstone Health High School, a 21st-century interpretation of vocational education for jobs in the health care industry.
"The reason I'm doing this is because this is who I am," Durant says, not-so-subtly setting up a campaign riff. "I'm a problem solver. This is a great place. America is a great place. And we're losing that."
In some ways, certainly. But to walk through an old Detroit school in the midst of revival is to see an enduring optimism embedded in America, too, in the economic construct of "creative destruction" adopted for the transformation of education in Detroit.
As union-dominated Detroit Public Schools wither in a bid to stabilize and survive, the independent Cornerstone and public charters associated with Durant continue to grow, add students and produce graduates. Where the old DPS school on McIntyre deployed security guards and cameras to monitor students, the new school will open classrooms, carpet floors and set high expectations.
This new school rising from the abandoned rot of the old may not be popular with the teachers unions and it may not be the scintillating fodder for a Senate campaign, but maybe it should be. It's about leadership defying expectations and cynicism; creating opportunity and offering hope; proving that allegedly lost souls can find their way to productive lives if they're given the chance to learn in dignity and safety.
How many sitting senators could say that and not be laughed out of the room? Durant could, and anyone who doesn't believe it should attend a partner morning at a Cornerstone School or read the testimonial of a graduate now on his way to work on Wall Street.
It would blow your mind — the young human potential in the process of being fulfilled, the repurposing of real estate abandoned by institutions in decline, the realization of a vision fueled by the determination to succeed because of an innately felt moral imperative to do so.
The political pros may be proven right: Maybe a wannabe senator should be spending every waking minute dialing for dollars, sharpening his newest attack, embellishing a façade divorced from reality. But they all do that, and the results speak for themselves.
dchowes@detnews.com
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120622/OPINION03/206220344#ixzz1yYqSEnEq
Detroit
Tramping around a gutted, dusty elementary school on the city's northwest side is an unlikely tactic for winning a U.S. Senate seat, but that doesn't keep Clark Durant from doing it anyway.
Because that's who he is — a 63-year-old conservative Republican who 20 years ago left a lucrative career managing other people's money to become an evangelist for urban education through the New Common School Foundation that Durant heads.
He breaks rules, like the one born of a particularly insidious form of bigotry that says urban kids can't learn. Really? Tell that to graduates of Cornerstone Schools. He ignores skeptics, like the ones who insist "no one" will drive into Detroit to go to school. But they do anyway.
He gladly irritates his campaign staff, who'd prefer he spend an hour earlier this week making fundraising calls to would-be donors instead of touring his latest Detroit school with me and the project's architect, Francis Resendes, managing principal of Resendes Design Group.
That's Durant — part rebel, part dreamer, part doer, part business guy all wrapped up in a blue button-down and khakis. He's vying with former U.S. Rep. Pete Hoekstra for the chance to challenge incumbent Sen. Debbie Stabenow in the November election. And, yes, he can muster his standard line that the country is being ruined by the short-sighted leadership of career politicians on both sides of the political aisle.
But passion? It's right here in the hollowed-out hulk of Alex Dow Elementary School, also known as Langston Hughes Academy. Come September, two public charter schools will be operating on the site — Madison Carver Preparatory Academy for kindergarten through eighth grade and Cornerstone Health High School, a 21st-century interpretation of vocational education for jobs in the health care industry.
"The reason I'm doing this is because this is who I am," Durant says, not-so-subtly setting up a campaign riff. "I'm a problem solver. This is a great place. America is a great place. And we're losing that."
In some ways, certainly. But to walk through an old Detroit school in the midst of revival is to see an enduring optimism embedded in America, too, in the economic construct of "creative destruction" adopted for the transformation of education in Detroit.
As union-dominated Detroit Public Schools wither in a bid to stabilize and survive, the independent Cornerstone and public charters associated with Durant continue to grow, add students and produce graduates. Where the old DPS school on McIntyre deployed security guards and cameras to monitor students, the new school will open classrooms, carpet floors and set high expectations.
This new school rising from the abandoned rot of the old may not be popular with the teachers unions and it may not be the scintillating fodder for a Senate campaign, but maybe it should be. It's about leadership defying expectations and cynicism; creating opportunity and offering hope; proving that allegedly lost souls can find their way to productive lives if they're given the chance to learn in dignity and safety.
How many sitting senators could say that and not be laughed out of the room? Durant could, and anyone who doesn't believe it should attend a partner morning at a Cornerstone School or read the testimonial of a graduate now on his way to work on Wall Street.
It would blow your mind — the young human potential in the process of being fulfilled, the repurposing of real estate abandoned by institutions in decline, the realization of a vision fueled by the determination to succeed because of an innately felt moral imperative to do so.
The political pros may be proven right: Maybe a wannabe senator should be spending every waking minute dialing for dollars, sharpening his newest attack, embellishing a façade divorced from reality. But they all do that, and the results speak for themselves.
dchowes@detnews.com
From The Detroit News: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120622/OPINION03/206220344#ixzz1yYqSEnEq
Troubled Wayne County pension plan takes $113-million hit
Wayne County's troubled pension plan got more bad news Thursday when an audit analysis showed it lost an additional $113 million last year.
The losses for the year that ended Sept. 30, 2011, continue a downward trend that has shaved more than $300 million off the plan's portfolio since it peaked at about $1 billion in 2007.
The Free Press reported Thursday that the plan is only 60% funded as of its last actuarial evaluation in September 2010, one of the lowest funded of the major pension plans in Michigan.
The losses for the year that ended Sept. 30, 2011, continue a downward trend that has shaved more than $300 million off the plan's portfolio since it peaked at about $1 billion in 2007.
The Free Press reported Thursday that the plan is only 60% funded as of its last actuarial evaluation in September 2010, one of the lowest funded of the major pension plans in Michigan.
Study: Obesity Could Lead To Depletion Of Earth’s Resources
Study: Obesity Could Lead To Depletion Of Earth’s Resources « CBS Atlanta
A recent study conducted by scientists in London found that the obese persons of the world are playing an increasingly large role in the rate at which the planet’s finite resources are used.
A recent study conducted by scientists in London found that the obese persons of the world are playing an increasingly large role in the rate at which the planet’s finite resources are used.
Wayne County taxpayers on hook for $600M as generous pensions drain fund
Wayne County taxpayers on hook for $600M as generous pensions drain fund | Detroit Free Press | freep.com
Wayne County taxpayers face a mounting bill -- now more than $600 million -- to cover the deficits in a county pension plan that was fully funded when County Executive Robert Ficano took office in 2003 but has since taken a steep dive.
Wayne County taxpayers face a mounting bill -- now more than $600 million -- to cover the deficits in a county pension plan that was fully funded when County Executive Robert Ficano took office in 2003 but has since taken a steep dive.
Challenge filed to collective bargaining petition
Challenge filed to collective bargaining petition | MLive.com
Opponents say the union-backed petition language doesn't make it clear that up to 80 Michigan laws could be changed if voters approve the measure.
Opponents say the union-backed petition language doesn't make it clear that up to 80 Michigan laws could be changed if voters approve the measure.
Thursday, June 21, 2012
Moroun-backed group collects enough signatures for ballot referendum on new government bridge
Moroun-backed group collects enough signatures for ballot referendum on new government bridge | MLive.com
Even if voters were to approve the referendum, it's not clear whether a constitutional amendment would undo the deal with Canada.
The Snyder administration has said that the agreement, like any other contract, is "intended to be binding and not impaired by other actions."
Even if voters were to approve the referendum, it's not clear whether a constitutional amendment would undo the deal with Canada.
The Snyder administration has said that the agreement, like any other contract, is "intended to be binding and not impaired by other actions."
Un-Fair Campaign Partners With University of Minnesota at Duluth to Spread Stereotypes About ‘White Privilege’
Un-Fair Campaign Partners With University of Minnesota at Duluth to Spread Stereotypes About ‘White Privilege’ | Video | TheBlaze.com
Here’s a pop quiz: What do we usually call unsubstantiated assumptions about someone’s class, or position in life, based upon the color of their skin?
That’s right, racism.
And that appears to be what Campus Reform has uncovered at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which is sponsoring an ad campaign whose core message is very difficult to distinguish from undiluted racism.
Watch the ad below if you don’t believe us, and if that doesn’t convince you, keep reading:
Here’s a pop quiz: What do we usually call unsubstantiated assumptions about someone’s class, or position in life, based upon the color of their skin?
That’s right, racism.
And that appears to be what Campus Reform has uncovered at the University of Minnesota-Duluth, which is sponsoring an ad campaign whose core message is very difficult to distinguish from undiluted racism.
Watch the ad below if you don’t believe us, and if that doesn’t convince you, keep reading:
Stores clearing shelves of 'spice' after governor Snyder signs bill to make synthetic drugs illegal
Stores clearing shelves of 'spice' after governor Snyder signs bill to make synthetic drugs illegal | MLive.com
Another Saginaw County storeowner who did not want to be identified said he had sold spice at his party store for a few months.
Sales started out slow, he said, but once word got out that he was carrying spice, he was making an estimated $300 per day in profit.
Another Saginaw County storeowner who did not want to be identified said he had sold spice at his party store for a few months.
Sales started out slow, he said, but once word got out that he was carrying spice, he was making an estimated $300 per day in profit.
WHO PAYS THESE HECKLERS? “But what horrified me as I looked into this is that it turns out that the…
WHO PAYS THESE HECKLERS?
“But what horrified me as I looked into this is that it turns out that the protesters are being paid with my tax dollars.”
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 9:34 pm
“But what horrified me as I looked into this is that it turns out that the protesters are being paid with my tax dollars.”
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 9:34 pm
Boeing CEO says U.S. regulatory climate worse than ever
Boeing CEO says U.S. regulatory climate worse than ever - Political Watch - MarketWatch
The 62-year-old McNerney, also chairman of the Business Roundtable, said regulatory agencies have crafted a host of new rules and enforced them more aggressively than prior administrations.
He said regulators often take a hostile approach to business and that the prevailing attitude is companies “are guilty until proven innocent.”
The 62-year-old McNerney, also chairman of the Business Roundtable, said regulatory agencies have crafted a host of new rules and enforced them more aggressively than prior administrations.
He said regulators often take a hostile approach to business and that the prevailing attitude is companies “are guilty until proven innocent.”
Gallup poll: Confidence in public schools at an all-time low
Gallup poll: Confidence in public schools at an all-time low | MLive.com
The number of people expressing “a great deal” and “quite a lot” of confidence in public education dropped 5 points to 29 percent, according to the poll released Wednesday.
The number of people expressing “a great deal” and “quite a lot” of confidence in public education dropped 5 points to 29 percent, according to the poll released Wednesday.
Wednesday, June 20, 2012
Muskegon County seeking hefty grant to forge slimmer waistlines, combat obesity
Muskegon County seeking hefty grant to forge slimmer waistlines, combat obesity | MLive.com
Muskegon County is going after a more than $700,000 grant from the federal government as part of a community effort to address the obesity problem.
The County Board of Commissioners, meeting as the Ways and Means Committee, gave its approval Tuesday afternoon to allow staff to apply for a $720,000 grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement evidence- and practice-based wellness strategies.
The goal of the proposed project is to reduce the rate of obesity rate in Muskegon County through a variety of intervention methods during a two-year period.
The county has one of the highest obesity rates in the state.
Muskegon County is going after a more than $700,000 grant from the federal government as part of a community effort to address the obesity problem.
The County Board of Commissioners, meeting as the Ways and Means Committee, gave its approval Tuesday afternoon to allow staff to apply for a $720,000 grant from the federal Centers for Disease Control and Prevention to implement evidence- and practice-based wellness strategies.
The goal of the proposed project is to reduce the rate of obesity rate in Muskegon County through a variety of intervention methods during a two-year period.
The county has one of the highest obesity rates in the state.
Michigan gets ready to enforce bigger, broader ban on synthetic drugs such as K2
Michigan gets ready to enforce bigger, broader ban on synthetic drugs such as K2 | MLive.com
Broader state laws aimed at cracking down on synthetic drugs such as K2 and Spice have been signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder, and Michigan law enforcement officials say they will aggressively enforce the ban when it kicks in July 1.
The measures signed Tuesday list broad chemical classifications that will be banned and give law enforcement agencies more power to get the drugs off store shelves.
One measure would allow a state agency to make emergency rules to classify certain substances as controlled substances in certain situations.
Broader state laws aimed at cracking down on synthetic drugs such as K2 and Spice have been signed into law by Gov. Rick Snyder, and Michigan law enforcement officials say they will aggressively enforce the ban when it kicks in July 1.
The measures signed Tuesday list broad chemical classifications that will be banned and give law enforcement agencies more power to get the drugs off store shelves.
One measure would allow a state agency to make emergency rules to classify certain substances as controlled substances in certain situations.
Harry Reid Shuts Down Reporter: ‘That’s A Clown Question Bro’
Harry Reid Shuts Down Reporter: ‘That’s A Clown Question Bro’ | Politicker
According to USA Today, Mr. Reid’s unusual response was a provoked by a reporter asking him to respond to “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s comments on the DREAM Act.”
According to USA Today, Mr. Reid’s unusual response was a provoked by a reporter asking him to respond to “Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell’s comments on the DREAM Act.”
Tuesday, June 19, 2012
Study: State pension shortfall ballooned in 2010
Study: State pension shortfall ballooned in 2010 - Yahoo! News
Recession-plagued states diverted scarce money away from pensions to pay for more immediate concerns, leaving a $757 billion hole in the retirement funds covering millions of public employees, according to a study released Monday.
The Pew Center on the States found 34 states failed to maintain safe levels of money in the pension funds, which most experts agree is about 80 percent of long-term obligations. Four states — Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky and Rhode Island — didn't even have 55 percent of the money they'll need in the long run.
Recession-plagued states diverted scarce money away from pensions to pay for more immediate concerns, leaving a $757 billion hole in the retirement funds covering millions of public employees, according to a study released Monday.
The Pew Center on the States found 34 states failed to maintain safe levels of money in the pension funds, which most experts agree is about 80 percent of long-term obligations. Four states — Connecticut, Illinois, Kentucky and Rhode Island — didn't even have 55 percent of the money they'll need in the long run.
Economic bummer: 6.9 million homes ditch cable TV
Economic bummer: 6.9 million homes ditch cable TV | WashingtonExaminer.com
An ownership survey conducted by GfK Media found that about 6.9 million homes abandoned pay TV last year, a shocking number that industry sources chalk up to the sagging economy
An ownership survey conducted by GfK Media found that about 6.9 million homes abandoned pay TV last year, a shocking number that industry sources chalk up to the sagging economy
Kan. company suspected of Medicare fraud for penis pumps
Kan. company suspected of Medicare fraud for penis pumps - Washington Times
The Health and Human Services inspector general said it sampled 100 claims made with Pos-T-Vac, the Dodge City-based penis-pump manufacturer, and found improprieties in more than half of payments for what are known as “male vacuum erection systems.”
The Health and Human Services inspector general said it sampled 100 claims made with Pos-T-Vac, the Dodge City-based penis-pump manufacturer, and found improprieties in more than half of payments for what are known as “male vacuum erection systems.”
Obama's Post-Constitutional Wingmen
The American Spectator : Obama's Post-Constitutional Wingmen
You don't interrupt the president.
So goes the media narrative in the wake of the media hysteria surrounding theDaily Caller's Neil Munro and his so-called "heckling" of President Obama.
Yeah, right. This is bunk.
You don't interrupt the president.
So goes the media narrative in the wake of the media hysteria surrounding theDaily Caller's Neil Munro and his so-called "heckling" of President Obama.
Yeah, right. This is bunk.
Monday, June 18, 2012
JP Morgan report on pension bomb
JP Morgan report on pension bomb—Charles Gasparino - NYPOST.com
The scandal isn’t simply that most public officials are misleading the public about the enormity of the problem and what steps must be taken to address the matter.
As the Morgan report notes, many of the real liabilities are located “off balance sheet,” hidden from the public’s eye, and lax accounting standards let cities and states minimize their enormity.
The scandal isn’t simply that most public officials are misleading the public about the enormity of the problem and what steps must be taken to address the matter.
As the Morgan report notes, many of the real liabilities are located “off balance sheet,” hidden from the public’s eye, and lax accounting standards let cities and states minimize their enormity.
IS MERITOCRACY failing America?
Instapundit » Blog Archive » IS MERITOCRACY failing America?
I’m not sure that what we’ve got is a meritocracy.
Our people seem to be credentialed, more than educated.
But I don’t think that affirmative action and higher taxes are likely to make things better.
I’d say shrink the playground of the “elites” — government — so that they can do less harm.
Notice that that’s never the answer to any of their failings, though?
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 10:00 am
I’m not sure that what we’ve got is a meritocracy.
Our people seem to be credentialed, more than educated.
But I don’t think that affirmative action and higher taxes are likely to make things better.
I’d say shrink the playground of the “elites” — government — so that they can do less harm.
Notice that that’s never the answer to any of their failings, though?
Posted by Glenn Reynolds at 10:00 am
Sunday, June 17, 2012
Muskegon health care reformers want patients to weigh costs, benefits of care
Muskegon health care reformers want patients to weigh costs, benefits of care | MLive.com
“We don’t penalize you for being unhealthy, we incentivize you to be healthy,” he said.
If most people go over budget, taxes would go up, Rice said. If most people control their expenses, taxes would go down.
The idea is that patients would make the best decisions about their care when they could weigh the benefit of a test or treatment against its price, Rice said.
“We don’t penalize you for being unhealthy, we incentivize you to be healthy,” he said.
If most people go over budget, taxes would go up, Rice said. If most people control their expenses, taxes would go down.
The idea is that patients would make the best decisions about their care when they could weigh the benefit of a test or treatment against its price, Rice said.
Summer Evening Recreation Program at Muskegon High School gets young people off the streets
Summer Evening Recreation Program at Muskegon High School gets young people off the streets | MLive.com
Nothing might stem incidents of urban violence more than giving young people something positive to do with their time.
That is the goal behind the third year of the Summer Evening Recreation Program at Muskegon High School.
Young people from age 8 to 25 from all over the community are invited to participate in a variety of activities three nights a week all summer long.
Nothing might stem incidents of urban violence more than giving young people something positive to do with their time.
That is the goal behind the third year of the Summer Evening Recreation Program at Muskegon High School.
Young people from age 8 to 25 from all over the community are invited to participate in a variety of activities three nights a week all summer long.
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