Ex-airport boss Turkia Mullin awarded $712,000 for being wrongly fired | Crain's Detroit Business:
"An arbitrator has awarded about $712,000 to the former Detroit Metropolitan Airport chief executive, saying that a county board wrongly fired her.
The Wayne County airport board fired Turkia Mullin in October 2011 during a dispute over a $200,000 severance payment that County Executive Robert Ficano made to her when she left her previous job as the county's economic development director. She later repaid the money.
WXYZ-TV says arbitrator Paul Teranes also ordered the airport authority to pay Mullin's lawyers. It says he denied Mullin's request for punitive damages."
Thursday, April 25, 2013
Big Brother Has A New Face, And It's Your Boss
Big Brother Has A New Face, And It's Your Boss - Forbes:
"Recently, the CVS Caremark Corporation began requiring employees to disclose personal health information (including weight, blood pressure, and body fat levels) or else pay an annual $600 fine.
Workers must make this information available to the company’s employee “Wellness Program” and sign a form stating that they’re doing so voluntarily.
CVS argues this will help workers “take more responsibility for improving their health.”
At one level, this makes a certain sense.
Because the company is paying for their employees’ health insurance, they naturally prefer healthier workers.
But at a deeper level, CVS’ action demonstrates a growing problem with our current system of employer-provided health insurance.
If our bosses must pay for our health care, they will inevitably seek greater control over our lifestyles."
"Recently, the CVS Caremark Corporation began requiring employees to disclose personal health information (including weight, blood pressure, and body fat levels) or else pay an annual $600 fine.
Workers must make this information available to the company’s employee “Wellness Program” and sign a form stating that they’re doing so voluntarily.
CVS argues this will help workers “take more responsibility for improving their health.”
At one level, this makes a certain sense.
Because the company is paying for their employees’ health insurance, they naturally prefer healthier workers.
But at a deeper level, CVS’ action demonstrates a growing problem with our current system of employer-provided health insurance.
If our bosses must pay for our health care, they will inevitably seek greater control over our lifestyles."
Congress, Fearing 'Brain Drain,' Seeks to Opt Out of Participating in Obamacare's Exchanges
Congress, Fearing 'Brain Drain,' Seeks to Opt Out of Participating in Obamacare's Exchanges - Forbes:
"As Obamacare was winding its way through the Senate in 2009, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) slipped in an amendment requiring that members of Congress, and their staff, enroll in Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges.
The idea was simple: that if Congress was going to impose Obamacare upon the country, it should have to experience what it is imposing firsthand. But now, word comes that Congress is quietly seeking to rescind that provision of the law, because members fear that staffers who face higher insurance costs will leave the Hill."
"As Obamacare was winding its way through the Senate in 2009, Sen. Chuck Grassley (R., Iowa) slipped in an amendment requiring that members of Congress, and their staff, enroll in Obamacare’s health insurance exchanges.
The idea was simple: that if Congress was going to impose Obamacare upon the country, it should have to experience what it is imposing firsthand. But now, word comes that Congress is quietly seeking to rescind that provision of the law, because members fear that staffers who face higher insurance costs will leave the Hill."
Michigan families could lose welfare cash if kids miss school under advancing legislation
Michigan families could lose welfare cash if kids miss school under advancing legislation | MLive.com:
"House Bill 4388, introduced by Republican state Rep. Al Pscholka of Stevensville, would codify a policy adopted by the Department of Human Services in October regarding eligibility for the family independence program, which provides an average cash grant of approximately $400 to more than 45,000 needy families each month.
DHS has already removed a handful of families from the program due to child truancy.
The legislation would formally prohibit the cash assistance for families that have a child between the age of 6 and 16 who fails to comply with mandatory school attendance requirements."
"House Bill 4388, introduced by Republican state Rep. Al Pscholka of Stevensville, would codify a policy adopted by the Department of Human Services in October regarding eligibility for the family independence program, which provides an average cash grant of approximately $400 to more than 45,000 needy families each month.
DHS has already removed a handful of families from the program due to child truancy.
The legislation would formally prohibit the cash assistance for families that have a child between the age of 6 and 16 who fails to comply with mandatory school attendance requirements."
Patrick administration refuses to release Tsarnaev brothers' records
Patrick administration refuses to release Tsarnaev brothers' records | Boston Herald
The Patrick administration clamped down the lid yesterday on Herald requests for details of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s government benefits, citing the dead terror mastermind’s right to privacy.
Across the board, state agencies flatly refused to provide information about the taxpayer-funded lifestyle for the 26-year-old man and his brother and accused accomplice Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19.
On EBT card status or spending, state welfare spokesman Alec Loftus would only say Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and 3-year-old daughter received benefits that ended in 2012. He declined further comment.
On unemployment compensation, labor department spokesman Kevin Franck refused to say whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev ever collected, saying it was “confidential and not a matter of public record.”
On Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s college aid, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth spokesman Robert Connolly said, “It is our position — and I believe the accepted position in higher education — that student records including academic records and financial records (including financial aid) cannot under federal law be released without a student’s consent.”
On cellphones, the Federal Communications Commission would not say whether either brother had a government-paid cellphone, also citing privacy laws.
On housing, Cambridge officials and the family’s landlord ducked questions on whether the brothers were ever on Section 8 assistance.
The Herald reported yesterday that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and 3-year-old daughter collected welfare until 2012 and that both Tamerlan and Dzhokhar received benefits through their parents “for a limited portion” of the time after they came to the U.S., which was around 2002.
However, the Department of Transitional Assistance wouldn’t release information about how long or how much they received.
It remains unclear how the accused bomber brothers financed their heartless attacks on the marathon.
The administration was slammed by a Democratic congressman who insisted the public has a right to know how taxpayers were underwriting the accused jihadist Tsarnaevs.
“It’s certainly relevant information that should be made public,” U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch told the Herald. “There’s a national security interest No. 1. Secondly, there’s also a public interest in finding out whether these individuals were able to exploit the system and get benefits they weren’t entitled to.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lies hospitalized and facing capital charges that include using a weapon of mass destruction that killed three people and injured 260 near the Boston Marathon finish line.
Taxpayers — already on the hook for Tsarnaev’s court-appointed attorneys in the terror plot — continue to pay his mounting medical bills at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The public also paid for Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s attorney when the Russian national successfully fought criminal charges in 2009 that he battered a former girlfriend.
The Patrick administration clamped down the lid yesterday on Herald requests for details of Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s government benefits, citing the dead terror mastermind’s right to privacy.
Across the board, state agencies flatly refused to provide information about the taxpayer-funded lifestyle for the 26-year-old man and his brother and accused accomplice Dzhokhar Tsarnaev, 19.
On EBT card status or spending, state welfare spokesman Alec Loftus would only say Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and 3-year-old daughter received benefits that ended in 2012. He declined further comment.
On unemployment compensation, labor department spokesman Kevin Franck refused to say whether Tamerlan Tsarnaev ever collected, saying it was “confidential and not a matter of public record.”
On Dzhokhar Tsarnaev’s college aid, University of Massachusetts Dartmouth spokesman Robert Connolly said, “It is our position — and I believe the accepted position in higher education — that student records including academic records and financial records (including financial aid) cannot under federal law be released without a student’s consent.”
On cellphones, the Federal Communications Commission would not say whether either brother had a government-paid cellphone, also citing privacy laws.
On housing, Cambridge officials and the family’s landlord ducked questions on whether the brothers were ever on Section 8 assistance.
The Herald reported yesterday that Tamerlan Tsarnaev, his wife and 3-year-old daughter collected welfare until 2012 and that both Tamerlan and Dzhokhar received benefits through their parents “for a limited portion” of the time after they came to the U.S., which was around 2002.
However, the Department of Transitional Assistance wouldn’t release information about how long or how much they received.
It remains unclear how the accused bomber brothers financed their heartless attacks on the marathon.
The administration was slammed by a Democratic congressman who insisted the public has a right to know how taxpayers were underwriting the accused jihadist Tsarnaevs.
“It’s certainly relevant information that should be made public,” U.S. Rep. Stephen F. Lynch told the Herald. “There’s a national security interest No. 1. Secondly, there’s also a public interest in finding out whether these individuals were able to exploit the system and get benefits they weren’t entitled to.”
Dzhokhar Tsarnaev lies hospitalized and facing capital charges that include using a weapon of mass destruction that killed three people and injured 260 near the Boston Marathon finish line.
Taxpayers — already on the hook for Tsarnaev’s court-appointed attorneys in the terror plot — continue to pay his mounting medical bills at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center.
The public also paid for Tamerlan Tsarnaev’s attorney when the Russian national successfully fought criminal charges in 2009 that he battered a former girlfriend.
DEMING: The real deniers of climate change
DEMING: The real deniers of climate change - Washington Times:
"The Northern Hemisphere is experiencing unusually cold weather.
Snow cover last December was the greatest since satellite monitoring began in 1966.
The United Kingdom had the coldest March weather in 50 years, and there were more than a thousand record low temperatures in the United States.
The Irish meteorological office reported that March “temperatures were the lowest on record nearly everywhere.”
Spring snowfall in Europe was also high.
In Moscow, the snow depth was the highest in 134 years of observation.
In Kiev, authorities had to bring in military vehicles to clear snow from the streets."
"The Northern Hemisphere is experiencing unusually cold weather.
Snow cover last December was the greatest since satellite monitoring began in 1966.
The United Kingdom had the coldest March weather in 50 years, and there were more than a thousand record low temperatures in the United States.
The Irish meteorological office reported that March “temperatures were the lowest on record nearly everywhere.”
Spring snowfall in Europe was also high.
In Moscow, the snow depth was the highest in 134 years of observation.
In Kiev, authorities had to bring in military vehicles to clear snow from the streets."
Outcry erupts over 1% pay raise proposed for military
Outcry erupts over 1% pay raise proposed for military | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
Military families and their advocates are battling an Obama administration proposal to limit troops' pay raises to 1% in 2014, the lowest increase in half a century.
The raise comes at a time when forces will still be fighting in Afghanistan.
"We're sending the wrong message to the ones who have worked the hardest in our country by the multiple deployments and family separations," says Michael Hayden, deputy director of government relations for the Military Officers Association of America.
White House spokeswoman Caitlin Hayden, no relation to Michael Hayden, said Obama is committed to "a sacred trust" with military members, but needed to reduce the pay raise, partly to offset congressional refusal to cut spending on "outdated weapons system
."
."Elizabeth Robbins, a Pentagon spokeswoman, called the limit on pay increases a "tough decision." She said the Defense Department must pay for proper training and support, and "fair compensation that recognizes the sacrifices they (troops) make for our country ... while adhering to the budget constraints it is facing."
Pentagon officials briefing military family representatives framed the 1% increase as a trade-off — "They believe servicemembers and families would be willing to give something on the size of pay raises to ensure funding for the mission," the National Military Family Association explained to members on its website.
Sequester, tight budgets means DHS buying less ammunition
Sequester, tight budgets means DHS buying less ammunition - Washington Times:
"In 2012, the department used 88.3 million rounds for training and 27.9 million rounds for operational purposes. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, used the most ammunition at nearly 38 million rounds, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement used more than 28 million rounds.
Homeland Security said that by buying in bulk ahead of time, it has been able to save money — $1.7 billion since 2005.
The department currently has seven active contracts that could produce 674.1 million rounds of ammunition, with the biggest being a five-year contract for 450 million rounds, worth $110 million.
Actual use of guns in the line of duty is limited. Jon Adler, representing the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, says in his prepared testimony that there is an average of one shooting incident a week for federal officers or agents. "
"In 2012, the department used 88.3 million rounds for training and 27.9 million rounds for operational purposes. Customs and Border Protection, which includes the Border Patrol, used the most ammunition at nearly 38 million rounds, while Immigration and Customs Enforcement used more than 28 million rounds.
Homeland Security said that by buying in bulk ahead of time, it has been able to save money — $1.7 billion since 2005.
The department currently has seven active contracts that could produce 674.1 million rounds of ammunition, with the biggest being a five-year contract for 450 million rounds, worth $110 million.
Actual use of guns in the line of duty is limited. Jon Adler, representing the Federal Law Enforcement Officers Association, says in his prepared testimony that there is an average of one shooting incident a week for federal officers or agents. "
Congress Prepares $100 Million Bipartisan Flu Tax
Congress Prepares $100 Million Bipartisan Flu Tax | The Weekly Standard:
"The legislation would exact a 75¢ per dose tax on any "vaccine against seasonal influenza."
Given that the Centers for Disease Control projects that 135 million doses of flu vaccine will be used this year, the government's take on flu vaccines alone is over $100,000,000 per year."
"The legislation would exact a 75¢ per dose tax on any "vaccine against seasonal influenza."
Given that the Centers for Disease Control projects that 135 million doses of flu vaccine will be used this year, the government's take on flu vaccines alone is over $100,000,000 per year."
Despite Repeal Attempts, State Law Still Requires Unlicensed Dogs To Be Killed
Despite Repeal Attempts, State Law Still Requires Unlicensed Dogs To Be Killed [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"The statute states that if a county treasurer locates an unlicensed dog, the animal is to be considered a “public nuisance” and killed.
The law reads: “The sheriff locate and kill, or cause to be killed, all such unlicensed dogs.
Failure, refusal, or neglect on the part of a sheriff to carry out the provisions of this section constitutes nonfeasance in office.”
This is ignored by law enforcement, district attorneys and local officials."
"The statute states that if a county treasurer locates an unlicensed dog, the animal is to be considered a “public nuisance” and killed.
The law reads: “The sheriff locate and kill, or cause to be killed, all such unlicensed dogs.
Failure, refusal, or neglect on the part of a sheriff to carry out the provisions of this section constitutes nonfeasance in office.”
This is ignored by law enforcement, district attorneys and local officials."
Snyder urges lawmakers to back more early ed funding
Snyder urges lawmakers to back more early ed funding | Crain's Detroit Business
Now he is proposing increasing spending on Great Start preschool programs by 60 percent in the budget he proposed earlier this year that is working its way through the legislative process.
The program is a state-funded effort to ensure poor or disadvantaged children are ready to begin attending school when the time comes.
It began as a pilot program in 1985.
"We're really taking care of kids that wouldn't have the resources otherwise to get in a program," he said.
The investment would increase payments to preschool providers and create openings for 16,000 more children.
He is also proposing another $65 million for these programs in 2015, bringing the total two-year increased investment in early childhood education to $130 million.
Such an investment is not an easy sell, and Republicans in the House and Senate have already been tinkering with his proposal by either lowering the amount of investment or changing who could qualify for the program.
Detractors often point to studies they say show that any gains made from early childhood education disappear within a few years once kids are in school with students who didn't go through those programs.
Now he is proposing increasing spending on Great Start preschool programs by 60 percent in the budget he proposed earlier this year that is working its way through the legislative process.
The program is a state-funded effort to ensure poor or disadvantaged children are ready to begin attending school when the time comes.
It began as a pilot program in 1985.
"We're really taking care of kids that wouldn't have the resources otherwise to get in a program," he said.
The investment would increase payments to preschool providers and create openings for 16,000 more children.
He is also proposing another $65 million for these programs in 2015, bringing the total two-year increased investment in early childhood education to $130 million.
Such an investment is not an easy sell, and Republicans in the House and Senate have already been tinkering with his proposal by either lowering the amount of investment or changing who could qualify for the program.
Detractors often point to studies they say show that any gains made from early childhood education disappear within a few years once kids are in school with students who didn't go through those programs.
Cruz: Obama Pushing Citizenship Because He Wants Immigration Reform To Fail
Cruz: Obama Pushing Citizenship Because He Wants Immigration Reform To Fail | RealClearPolitics
"President Obama does not want an immigration bill to pass," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told CBS News' Jan Crawford in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
"I think that the president wants to campaign on immigration reform in 2014 and 2016.
And I think the reason that the White House is insisting on a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is because the White House knows that insisting on that is very likely to scuttle the bill."
"President Obama does not want an immigration bill to pass," Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) told CBS News' Jan Crawford in an interview that aired on Wednesday.
"I think that the president wants to campaign on immigration reform in 2014 and 2016.
And I think the reason that the White House is insisting on a path to citizenship for those who are here illegally is because the White House knows that insisting on that is very likely to scuttle the bill."
Michigan poised to keep drunken driving threshold at .08 -- could boats, snowmobiles be next?
Michigan poised to keep drunken driving threshold at .08 -- could boats, snowmobiles be next? | MLive.com
"If the bill doesn’t become law, Michigan’s drunken driving threshold would revert to a higher threshold of .10 percent on Oct. 1.
Michigan could lose an estimated $50 million a year in federal highway funding if the state allows the threshold to bounce back up to .10.
All states have drunken driving thresholds set at .08 to be in compliance with federal standards and keep their federal highway money."
"If the bill doesn’t become law, Michigan’s drunken driving threshold would revert to a higher threshold of .10 percent on Oct. 1.
Michigan could lose an estimated $50 million a year in federal highway funding if the state allows the threshold to bounce back up to .10.
All states have drunken driving thresholds set at .08 to be in compliance with federal standards and keep their federal highway money."
Williams-Sonoma Pulls Pressure Cookers Off Shelves in Massachusetts
Williams-Sonoma Pulls Pressure Cookers Off Shelves in Massachusetts - Dedham, MA Patch:
"Following the Boston Marathon bombing last Monday in which pressure cookers were used for the explosion, the cookware giant has decided to temporarily stop selling the items in their Massachusetts stores."
"Following the Boston Marathon bombing last Monday in which pressure cookers were used for the explosion, the cookware giant has decided to temporarily stop selling the items in their Massachusetts stores."
County plans discussion of ‘smart meter’ bill
Allegan News Online: "
“My meter is right outside a spot on my house where I’d spend hours within 2 feet of it,” Orweller said. “It should be you can opt out, no extra cost.”
McKee said the Michigan Public Service Commission was set to rule in September about proposed opt-out fees.
The utility is set to charge a one-time fee of $69.39 to enroll in a manual meter read program that carries a monthly $11.12 fee to maintain.
Commissioner Max Thiele said that, while claiming no scientific expertise, there appeared to be more than 900 studies worldwide that showed potential health damage from the electromagnetic fields generated by radio devices.
“Just the presence of this information poses the question that may be contrary to what’s being presented (by McKee),” Thiele said. “It’s appropriate to voice some kind of resolution about at least expressing caution in this area.”
“My meter is right outside a spot on my house where I’d spend hours within 2 feet of it,” Orweller said. “It should be you can opt out, no extra cost.”
McKee said the Michigan Public Service Commission was set to rule in September about proposed opt-out fees.
The utility is set to charge a one-time fee of $69.39 to enroll in a manual meter read program that carries a monthly $11.12 fee to maintain.
Commissioner Max Thiele said that, while claiming no scientific expertise, there appeared to be more than 900 studies worldwide that showed potential health damage from the electromagnetic fields generated by radio devices.
“Just the presence of this information poses the question that may be contrary to what’s being presented (by McKee),” Thiele said. “It’s appropriate to voice some kind of resolution about at least expressing caution in this area.”
Wednesday, April 24, 2013
Semi-truck driver reaching for hankie after sneezing misses stop sign, leading to violent crash in Muskegon Township
Semi-truck driver reaching for hankie after sneezing misses stop sign, leading to violent crash in Muskegon Township | MLive.com:
"While grabbing his hankie to blow his nose, he didn't see a stop sign coming up at Hall Road. "
"While grabbing his hankie to blow his nose, he didn't see a stop sign coming up at Hall Road. "
The spectacular rise in ‘Saudi America’s’ oil output in just 4 years to a 21-year high is nothing short of phenomenal
The spectacular rise in ‘Saudi America’s’ oil output in just 4 years to a 21-year high is nothing short of phenomenal | AEIdeas:
"Almost entirely due to the breakthrough drilling technologies of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling that started accessing oceans of shale oil in North Dakota and Texas toward the end of 2008 (see arrow in chart), US oil output has increased by 46.5%, from about 5 million bpd in early 2009 to now more than 7.3 million bpd. "
"Almost entirely due to the breakthrough drilling technologies of hydraulic fracturing and horizontal drilling that started accessing oceans of shale oil in North Dakota and Texas toward the end of 2008 (see arrow in chart), US oil output has increased by 46.5%, from about 5 million bpd in early 2009 to now more than 7.3 million bpd. "
NHTSA recommends disabling built-in texting, Web browsing while driving
NHTSA recommends disabling built-in texting, Web browsing while driving | Crain's Detroit Business:
"NHTSA has said that after finishing its guidelines for in-car equipment, it intends to set guidelines for portable devices and for voice-activated features."
"NHTSA has said that after finishing its guidelines for in-car equipment, it intends to set guidelines for portable devices and for voice-activated features."
Detroit health company worker pleads guilty in $24M Medicare fraud
Detroit health company worker pleads guilty in $24M Medicare fraud | Crain's Detroit Business:
"The government says Medicare paid about $923,000 because of false claims involving Sharma in 2007-2012."
"The government says Medicare paid about $923,000 because of false claims involving Sharma in 2007-2012."
Michigan House plan has no money for film incentives
Michigan House plan has no money for film incentives | Crain's Detroit Business:
"The Republican-led state House is looking to do away with tax incentives that lure moviemakers to Michigan so the money instead goes toward road maintenance.
The House on Tuesday stripped $25 million in tax credits it planned to set aside for the film industry.
The funding would go to the state and local governments for road repairs.
The House also cut $25 million from an economic-development fund and allocated it for roads."
"The Republican-led state House is looking to do away with tax incentives that lure moviemakers to Michigan so the money instead goes toward road maintenance.
The House on Tuesday stripped $25 million in tax credits it planned to set aside for the film industry.
The funding would go to the state and local governments for road repairs.
The House also cut $25 million from an economic-development fund and allocated it for roads."
Muskegon County Port Advisory Committee sets vision and mission statements
Muskegon County Port Advisory Committee sets vision and mission statements | MLive.com:
"The next Muskegon County Port Advisory Committee meeting is 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28 at the Michigan Alternative Renewal Energy Center, 200 Veridian Drive, in Muskegon.
"The next Muskegon County Port Advisory Committee meeting is 1:30 p.m. Tuesday, May 28 at the Michigan Alternative Renewal Energy Center, 200 Veridian Drive, in Muskegon.
FBI video: Domestic terrorist says he targeted conservative group for being ‘anti-gay’
FBI video: Domestic terrorist says he targeted conservative group for being ‘anti-gay’ | WashingtonExaminer.com:
"Family Research Council (FRC) officials released video of federal investigators questioning convicted domestic terrorist Floyd Lee Corkins II, who explained that he attacked the group’s headquarters because the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identified them as a “hate group” due to their traditional marriage views.
“Southern Poverty Law lists anti-gay groups,” Corkins tells interrogators in the video, which FRC obtained from the FBI. “I found them online, did a little research, went to the website, stuff like that.”
The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard reported that Corkins, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, said in court that he hoped to “kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in victims’ faces, and kill the guard.” "
"Family Research Council (FRC) officials released video of federal investigators questioning convicted domestic terrorist Floyd Lee Corkins II, who explained that he attacked the group’s headquarters because the Southern Poverty Law Center (SPLC) identified them as a “hate group” due to their traditional marriage views.
“Southern Poverty Law lists anti-gay groups,” Corkins tells interrogators in the video, which FRC obtained from the FBI. “I found them online, did a little research, went to the website, stuff like that.”
The Washington Examiner’s Paul Bedard reported that Corkins, who pleaded guilty to terrorism charges, said in court that he hoped to “kill as many as possible and smear the Chick-Fil-A sandwiches in victims’ faces, and kill the guard.” "
THE PROBLEM ISN'T JUST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, IT'S LEGAL IMMIGRATION, TOO
Ann Coulter - April 24, 2013 - THE PROBLEM ISN'T JUST ILLEGAL IMMIGRATION, IT'S LEGAL IMMIGRATION, TOO:
"My thought is, maybe we should consider admitting immigrants who can succeed in America, rather than deadbeats.
But we're not allowed to "discriminate" in favor of immigrants who would be good for America.
Instead of helping America, our immigration policies are designed to help other countries solve their internal problems by shipping their losers to us. "
"My thought is, maybe we should consider admitting immigrants who can succeed in America, rather than deadbeats.
But we're not allowed to "discriminate" in favor of immigrants who would be good for America.
Instead of helping America, our immigration policies are designed to help other countries solve their internal problems by shipping their losers to us. "
CNBC Viewership Plunges To Eight Year Lows
CNBC Viewership Plunges To Eight Year Lows | Zero Hedge:
"CNBC, which lately has become a sad, one-sided caricature of its once informative self, whose only agenda is to get the most marginal Joe Sixpack to dump his hard-earned cash into 100x P/E stocks, and where according to data from Nielsen Media Research, the total and demographic (25-54) viewership during the prime time segment (9:30am - 5:00 pm) just tumbled to 216K and 40K - the lowest recorded viewership since mid 2005 and sliding."
"CNBC, which lately has become a sad, one-sided caricature of its once informative self, whose only agenda is to get the most marginal Joe Sixpack to dump his hard-earned cash into 100x P/E stocks, and where according to data from Nielsen Media Research, the total and demographic (25-54) viewership during the prime time segment (9:30am - 5:00 pm) just tumbled to 216K and 40K - the lowest recorded viewership since mid 2005 and sliding."
Earth Day's good news: Column
Earth Day's good news: Column
Year after year, we are treated to a message of environmental doom and gloom and admonitions on Earth Day. On the back of this sentiment in wealthy countries, governments have invested billions of dollars in inefficient, feel-good policies such assubsidizing solar panels and electric cars.
But there are far better ways to improve environmental prospects for humanity and our planet. On Earth Day, we need more fracking, more wealth, smarter investments and fewer inefficient subsidies.
German taxpayers have poured $130 billion into subsidizing solar panels, but ultimately by the end of the century, this will postpone global warming by a trivial 37 hours. The electric car is even less efficient. Its production consumes a vast amount of fossil fuels, and mostly it utilizes fossil fuel electricityto be recharged. Even if the U.S. did reach the lofty goal of 1 million electric cars by 2015 — costing taxpayers more than $7.5 billion — global warming would be postponed by only 60 minutes.
These beguiling policies cost a fortune but make little difference to the environment because the technologies are still not ready. That's why we need to invest more in long-term research and development for green innovation. This would be much cheaper than current environmental policies and would end up doing more good for the climate.
If we could make solar panels 2.0 or 3.0 cheaper than fossil fuels, we could get everyone, including the Chinese and Indians, on board for a greener future.
Moreover, our focus on solar and electric cars diverts us from the world's most deadly environmental problems. In wealthy countries, most environmental indicators are getting better. We have cleaner air and cleaner water, and we suffer fewer environmental risks. But air and water pollution kill 6 million people each year and harm billions worldwide.
Wealthy countries largely solved these problems through economic development.
Poor countries should have the same opportunity to develop — so they, too, can have clean drinking water and switch to cleaner energy sources, instead of usingdung and twigs for fuel.
We can also directly intervene in poor countries. Many charitable organizations are involved in solving these problems by improving access to clean water and sanitation. By addressing these challenges, we do far more good for our planet.
Earth Day also presents an opportunity to recognize our own environmental achievements. In spite of decades of political wrangling, which failed to produce a meaningful global climate policy, it was ultimately the shale gas revolution thatcurtailed U.S. carbon dioxide emissions.
Fracking has caused a dramatic transition to natural gas, a fuel that emits 45% less carbon dioxide than burning coal. Data from the U.S. Energy Information Administration showed that in 2012, carbon dioxide emissions was 12% lower than the peak in 2007. The shift from coal to natural gas is alone responsible for a reduction of between 8%-9% of the entire U.S. CO2 emissions. In fact, it amounts to twice the reduction that the rest of the world has achieved over the past 20 years.
All energy projects have risks, and though the dangers of well contamination from fracking have probably been exaggerated, tighter regulation would reduce risks further. Also, natural gas is not the ultimate energy breakthrough because it is still a fossil fuel. Even so, fracking is likely the best green option of this decade. And if fracking happened worldwide, emissions would likely decline substantially by 2020. Over the coming decades, we need to drive down the cost of green energy through smart investments in green innovation.
This Earth Day, we need a dose of realism about real environmental challenges — such as the air and water pollution that make life so miserable for billions — and the real opportunities that exist for environmental innovation, to make our planet a better place.
Bjørn Lomborg, author of The Skeptical Environmentalist and Cool It, is president of the Copenhagen Consensus Center.
$3 Million Retirement Cap in Obama's Budget Would Not Apply to Him
$3 Million Retirement Cap in Obama's Budget Would Not Apply to Him:
"President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget puts a $3 million cap on tax-advantaged retirement accounts to crack down on “wealthy individuals” using these investment vehicles to earn “substantially more than is needed to fund reasonable levels of retirement savings.”
But an analysis by Forbes finds that a 20-year old saving for retirement would need to amass a $9.97 million portfolio to fund just a $60,000 lifestyle by age 65.
What’s more, writes David John Marotta of Forbes, $3 million today represents just $500,000 in 1970s dollars.
Kathleen Pender of the San Francisco Chronicle also notes that Obama’s plan would not apply to himself:
The limit would not apply to Obama’s own pension, which is worth at least $5 million, because it is not in a tax-advantaged account, according to Brian Graff, executive director of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries. Obama’s pension, which guarantees him a Cabinet-level salary for life indexed to inflation, is a “non-qualified deferred compensation plan, similar to what corporate executives get,” he says."
"President Barack Obama’s 2014 budget puts a $3 million cap on tax-advantaged retirement accounts to crack down on “wealthy individuals” using these investment vehicles to earn “substantially more than is needed to fund reasonable levels of retirement savings.”
But an analysis by Forbes finds that a 20-year old saving for retirement would need to amass a $9.97 million portfolio to fund just a $60,000 lifestyle by age 65.
What’s more, writes David John Marotta of Forbes, $3 million today represents just $500,000 in 1970s dollars.
Kathleen Pender of the San Francisco Chronicle also notes that Obama’s plan would not apply to himself:
The limit would not apply to Obama’s own pension, which is worth at least $5 million, because it is not in a tax-advantaged account, according to Brian Graff, executive director of the American Society of Pension Professionals & Actuaries. Obama’s pension, which guarantees him a Cabinet-level salary for life indexed to inflation, is a “non-qualified deferred compensation plan, similar to what corporate executives get,” he says."
Immigration proposals: Provide in-state college tuition for young arrivals, establish Michigan office | MLive.com
Immigration proposals: Provide in-state college tuition for young arrivals, establish Michigan office | MLive.com
Michigan House Democrats, acknowledging the ongoing national debate on immigration reform, today announced a series of bills designed to make the state more welcoming for new arrivals and provide new opportunities for those already here.
The package, described collectively as the "New American Opportunity and Fairness Act," includes legislation to create an Office of Immigration Integration, which according to sponsoring Rep. Rashida Tlaib of Detroit, would allow the state to coordinate resources and services for "aspiring citizens."
A separate bill introduced by Rep. Jeff Irwin of Ann Arbor would require Michigan universities to offer in-state tuition rates to immigrants who entered the country illegally at a young age but qualify for the federal government's Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, which allows them to live and work in the United States without fear of deportation.
Crash in front of Mona Shores High School results in a student being taken to the hospital
Crash in front of Mona Shores High School results in a student being taken to the hospital | MLive.com: "birchtree11
the school or the city should station an individual or two at the parking lot exit as school lets out. There is always a "mad dash" of kids driving too fast with too little experience and being more concerned with their cell phone than watching for area traffic. This is not the first nor certainly the last accident of this type that will occur.
12 Hours Ago · Reply
federal12
and with norton closed more folks are driving by the high school.
i hope she is alright.
9 Hours Ago · Reply
"
'via Blog this'
the school or the city should station an individual or two at the parking lot exit as school lets out. There is always a "mad dash" of kids driving too fast with too little experience and being more concerned with their cell phone than watching for area traffic. This is not the first nor certainly the last accident of this type that will occur.
12 Hours Ago · Reply
federal12
and with norton closed more folks are driving by the high school.
i hope she is alright.
9 Hours Ago · Reply
"
'via Blog this'
Obama “Indiana Voter Fraud” Trial is Underway
Obama “Indiana Voter Fraud” Trial is Underway | The D.C. Clothesline:
"Questions will soon be answered as to whether or not Barack Hussein Obama actually qualified to be on the 2008 Presidential ballot as the trial gets underway for a former Democrat Party official and a Board of Elections worker who are accused of submitting illegitimate signatures on petitions that enabled both Obama and Hillary Clinton to qualify for the race in Indiana.
"Questions will soon be answered as to whether or not Barack Hussein Obama actually qualified to be on the 2008 Presidential ballot as the trial gets underway for a former Democrat Party official and a Board of Elections worker who are accused of submitting illegitimate signatures on petitions that enabled both Obama and Hillary Clinton to qualify for the race in Indiana.
Academic Cesspools
Academic Cesspools | CNS News:
"Recent evidence has emerged that some colleges have become bold enough to hire former terrorists to teach and possibly indoctrinate our young people. That's the case with Columbia University in the hiring of convicted Weather Underground terrorist Kathy Boudin, who spent 22 years in prison for the murder of two policemen and a Brink's guard. She now holds a professorship at Columbia's School of Social Work. Her Weather Underground comrade William Ayers is a professor of education on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Unrepentant, in the wake of 9/11, Ayers told us: ''I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough.'' Bernardine Dohrn, his wife, is a professor at Northwestern University School of Law. Her stated mission is to overthrow capitalism. "
"Recent evidence has emerged that some colleges have become bold enough to hire former terrorists to teach and possibly indoctrinate our young people. That's the case with Columbia University in the hiring of convicted Weather Underground terrorist Kathy Boudin, who spent 22 years in prison for the murder of two policemen and a Brink's guard. She now holds a professorship at Columbia's School of Social Work. Her Weather Underground comrade William Ayers is a professor of education on the faculty of the University of Illinois at Chicago.
Unrepentant, in the wake of 9/11, Ayers told us: ''I don't regret setting bombs. I feel we didn't do enough.'' Bernardine Dohrn, his wife, is a professor at Northwestern University School of Law. Her stated mission is to overthrow capitalism. "
State Has Weak History of Punishing School Campaign Finance Law Violators
State Has Weak History of Punishing School Campaign Finance Law Violators [Michigan Capitol Confidential]
"In 2011, Michigan Capitol Confidential looked at the Secretary of State's enforcement of school districts it found to have violated the campaign finance law from 2006 to 2010.
The state fined two districts that broke the law $100 each."
"In 2011, Michigan Capitol Confidential looked at the Secretary of State's enforcement of school districts it found to have violated the campaign finance law from 2006 to 2010.
The state fined two districts that broke the law $100 each."
HSBC: The Bank That Likes to Say 'Demising'
HSBC: The Bank That Likes to Say 'Demising':
"HSBC said the integration would mean the role of commercial financial advisers would be "demised".
Likewise, there would be a "demising" of 942 relationship manager roles, staffed by employees who do not give financial advice.
"I've heard a lot of HR guff in my time," said one top London headhunter.
"But this is something else.
It makes them look not only foolish, but callous and thoughtless, too."
"HSBC said the integration would mean the role of commercial financial advisers would be "demised".
Likewise, there would be a "demising" of 942 relationship manager roles, staffed by employees who do not give financial advice.
"I've heard a lot of HR guff in my time," said one top London headhunter.
"But this is something else.
It makes them look not only foolish, but callous and thoughtless, too."
Tuesday, April 23, 2013
99.5% of illegal immigrants get approval for legal status; high number raises concerns about fraud
99.5% of illegal immigrants get approval for legal status; high number raises concerns about fraud - Washington Times
But the high rate leaves others wondering whether the administration is doing all it can to weed out fraud or potentially dangerous illegal immigrants in DACA, or the Deferred Action for Childhood Arrivals program, as it’s formally known.
“You really have to wonder who they’re giving deferred action to, and what kind of risk they represent to us,” said Jessica Vaughan, director of policy studies at the Center for Immigration Studies.
“The screening process is much less for DACA than it would be for a green card, and so it’s all that much more susceptible to fraud.”
DACA is seen by many as a test-run should Congress pass a broad legalization for most of the 11 million illegal immigrants in the U.S.
Partnership with 'Pure Michigan' paid dividends last year, Experience Grand Rapids officials say
Partnership with 'Pure Michigan' paid dividends last year, Experience Grand Rapids officials say | MLive.com
"Last year’s local partnership with the “Pure Michigan” marketing campaign attracted an incremental 381,100 visits to the area, yielding a local impact on the economy of $101.5 million, officials of Experience Grand Rapids said.
Experience Grand Rapids, the official destination marketing organization for Kent County, said the figures were calculated by Longwoods International, a leader in tourism research.
Experience Grand Rapids invested $250,000 in a $500,000 "Pure Michigan" marketing campaign that showcased Grand Rapids, according to a news release issued Monday, April 22."
"Last year’s local partnership with the “Pure Michigan” marketing campaign attracted an incremental 381,100 visits to the area, yielding a local impact on the economy of $101.5 million, officials of Experience Grand Rapids said.
Experience Grand Rapids, the official destination marketing organization for Kent County, said the figures were calculated by Longwoods International, a leader in tourism research.
Experience Grand Rapids invested $250,000 in a $500,000 "Pure Michigan" marketing campaign that showcased Grand Rapids, according to a news release issued Monday, April 22."
Existing Home Sales Fall as Prices Rise Most Since 2005
Existing Home Sales Fall as Prices Rise Most Since 2005:
"The National Association of Realtors said on Monday that existing home sales edged down 0.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million units.
Economist polled by Reuters had expected home resales to rise to a 5.01 million-unit rate."
"The National Association of Realtors said on Monday that existing home sales edged down 0.6 percent last month to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 4.92 million units.
Economist polled by Reuters had expected home resales to rise to a 5.01 million-unit rate."
RACING AHEAD
RACING AHEAD | Daily Telegraph Tim Blair Blog:
How confident was the Sydney Morning Herald that the Boston bombers were associated with the Tea Party? So confident that last Friday it ran this teapot terror image:
The associated article, which has one or two problems of its own, actually applauds thoughtful media reaction:
The associated article, which has one or two problems of its own, actually applauds thoughtful media reaction:
We’re witnessing something truly remarkable: media outlets almost sticking to reporting what they know, and not racing ahead of a terrorism story.
Meanwhile, the hunt for the elusive Tea Party murderer continues.
The Internet Sales Tax Rush
Review & Outlook: The Internet Sales Tax Rush - WSJ.com:
"The Enzi plan would require a centralized tax collector for each state or for a group of states that would gather both state and local levies from the online merchants.
His office concedes that could still mean 27 or more different auditors of a Web-based business—which is better than 9,600 but hardly qualifies as simplicity.
The drivers of this rush to tax are Wal-Mart WMT -0.41% and other big retailers that can more easily absorb the costs of collection than can smaller competitors.
Also supporting the bill is Internet giant Amazon, which coincidentally now sells its own tax compliance service to other merchants.
Adding to the lobbying muscle are state and local governments.
The politicians believe they'll collect tens of billions of dollars in taxes that are already owed by shoppers on remote sales but rarely paid."
"The Enzi plan would require a centralized tax collector for each state or for a group of states that would gather both state and local levies from the online merchants.
His office concedes that could still mean 27 or more different auditors of a Web-based business—which is better than 9,600 but hardly qualifies as simplicity.
The drivers of this rush to tax are Wal-Mart WMT -0.41% and other big retailers that can more easily absorb the costs of collection than can smaller competitors.
Also supporting the bill is Internet giant Amazon, which coincidentally now sells its own tax compliance service to other merchants.
Adding to the lobbying muscle are state and local governments.
The politicians believe they'll collect tens of billions of dollars in taxes that are already owed by shoppers on remote sales but rarely paid."
Americans Run Towards the Fire
Americans Run Towards the Fire - Kurt Schlichter - Page 1
We’ve seen the footage of 9/11 where injured people are clearing the area while long lines of rescuers head into the carnage. But those folks departing are often helping the injured or the fearful, even as the grim firefighters trudge toward their fate, utterly unwilling to allow those trapped in the towers to be lost without a fight.
The Americans on Flight 93 didn’t wait for rescue. They knew what lay ahead and chose death on their feet fighting to save others on the ground over cowering in their seats.
The Americans who ran toward the wounded on Patriot’s Day in Boston showed courage not just because they willingly faced the bloody slaughter of an anti-personnel IED but because, as everyone knows, terrorists delight in planting follow-on devices to kill those coming to the aid of the original victims. Watching video of the Massachusetts Army National Guardsmen ripping through the metal barrier to use their combat lifesaver skills on the wounded, you could see the right shoulder insignia one wore. It was a “Screaming Eagle” 101st Airborne “combat patch,” earned in action in Iraq or Afghanistan – maybe both. That American warrior knew exactly what the risks were, and he didn’t hesitate.
MAYBE BLOOMBERG SHOULD FOCUS ON THIS INSTEAD OF BIG GULPS: Jew-Hatred On The NYC Subway.
Instapundit » Blog Archive » MAYBE BLOOMBERG SHOULD FOCUS ON THIS INSTEAD OF BIG GULPS
MAYBE BLOOMBERG SHOULD FOCUS ON THIS INSTEAD OF BIG GULPS: Jew-Hatred On The NYC Subway.
A harrowing scene occurred recently on the New York City subway when a group of teens approached and harassed a Jewish man wearing a yarmulke. The ringleader, a self-identified Muslim teen, threatened to kill the man and added, “They should have killed all of you.” When police confronted the belligerent 17-year-old at a stop in Brooklyn, a mob formed. As the crowd filmed the scene and yelled at the policemen, one young woman began beating a cop before being arrested.It is, indeed appalling.
It’s unclear from the Daily News report whether the mob knew exactly who or what they were defending. It’s conceivable they thought they were protesting the needless arrest of a black teenager, not endorsing the anti-Semitic conduct that led to the young man’s arrest. There’s also no evidence from this report that the 17-year-old insulted and threatened the Jewish passenger out of any religious motivation. We wouldn’t be surprised if he is simply a jerk.
Whatever the motives for the attack and for the mob’s reaction, one can’t help but be appalled. Since its founding, America has been one of the safest and most welcoming countries for Jews, judged against any time period, and New York has played a particularly important role in this regard.
PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD: West Virginia teen returns to school with NRA shirt, classmates’ sup…
Instapundit » Blog Archive » PUNCHING BACK TWICE AS HARD
West Virginia teen returns to school with NRA shirt, classmates’ support.
A West Virginia teen who was arrested and suspended for wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school returned to class Monday wearing the same shirt that got him into trouble.
Jared Marcum, 14, was joined by about 100 other students across Logan County who wore shirts with a similar gun rights theme in a show of support for free speech.
"That’s how you respond to this sort of thing."
West Virginia teen returns to school with NRA shirt, classmates’ support.
A West Virginia teen who was arrested and suspended for wearing a National Rifle Association T-shirt to school returned to class Monday wearing the same shirt that got him into trouble.
Jared Marcum, 14, was joined by about 100 other students across Logan County who wore shirts with a similar gun rights theme in a show of support for free speech.
"That’s how you respond to this sort of thing."
For The First Time, Average Michigan Government Employee Compensation Exceeds $100K
For The First Time, Average Michigan Government Employee Compensation Exceeds $100K [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"The average combined cost of salary and benefits for a state worker jumped to $104,067 in 2011-12, increasing from $97,883 in 2010-11."
"The average combined cost of salary and benefits for a state worker jumped to $104,067 in 2011-12, increasing from $97,883 in 2010-11."
No change: Consumers Energy president reiterates utility's plans to close Muskegon's B.C. Cobb plant
No change: Consumers Energy president reiterates utility's plans to close Muskegon's B.C. Cobb plant | MLive.com:
"Federal Clean Air Act regulations on the amount of particulates, nitrogen dioxide and mercury stiffen for coal-power plants in 2015.
Consumers Energy’s expected move to close B.C. Cobb, which employs 116 people, is a significant blow to the Muskegon community.
The plant is Muskegon County’s largest taxpayer, although its value diminished to $134.5 million in 2012 for taxing purposes under an agreement with the city of Muskegon and the company."
"Federal Clean Air Act regulations on the amount of particulates, nitrogen dioxide and mercury stiffen for coal-power plants in 2015.
Consumers Energy’s expected move to close B.C. Cobb, which employs 116 people, is a significant blow to the Muskegon community.
The plant is Muskegon County’s largest taxpayer, although its value diminished to $134.5 million in 2012 for taxing purposes under an agreement with the city of Muskegon and the company."
Economists: Business Tax Reform Helping, Not Hurting, Michigan
Economists: Business Tax Reform Helping, Not Hurting, Michigan [Michigan Capitol Confidential]:
"Swift's statements are inaccurate, says James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The state didn't give $1.4 billion to "corporate special interests."
Instead, it eliminated the Michigan Business Tax and replaced it with a corporate income tax.
Hohman said Swift's comment about "corporate special interests" makes it appear big business, industries and companies favored by politicians received some of that $1.4 billion in special deals, something similar to the state's film incentives in which the state gives money to out-of-state movie producers.
In reality, it was mostly small businesses that ended up with the tax cut because they are not corporations and hence don't pay the corporate income tax."
"Swift's statements are inaccurate, says James Hohman, a fiscal policy analyst for the Mackinac Center for Public Policy.
The state didn't give $1.4 billion to "corporate special interests."
Instead, it eliminated the Michigan Business Tax and replaced it with a corporate income tax.
Hohman said Swift's comment about "corporate special interests" makes it appear big business, industries and companies favored by politicians received some of that $1.4 billion in special deals, something similar to the state's film incentives in which the state gives money to out-of-state movie producers.
In reality, it was mostly small businesses that ended up with the tax cut because they are not corporations and hence don't pay the corporate income tax."
Legislators eye changes to high school graduation requirements
Legislators eye changes to high school graduation requirements | Bridge Michigan:
"So came into being the Michigan Merit Curriculum – a detailed set of state requirements for high school grads.
In June, the third set of graduates taught under the curriculum will graduate.
It could be the last.
Nearly 10 bills have been filed in the Legislature to modify the state standards, most of which target foreign language and algebra II requirements.
On Wednesday, the House Education Committee took testimony on two of those bills, HB 4465 and 4466.
Mike Foster, a former superintendent at Laingsburg and supporter of the bills, said more options were needed in the requirements to allow for vocational courses – and that the existing option for a “personal curriculum” under the MMC was too restrictive.
By contrast, Justin Jennings, principal at Holland High School, speaking in opposition to the bills, said his school already was working in partnership with furniture maker Herman Miller on career training under the existing curriculum rules."
"So came into being the Michigan Merit Curriculum – a detailed set of state requirements for high school grads.
In June, the third set of graduates taught under the curriculum will graduate.
It could be the last.
Nearly 10 bills have been filed in the Legislature to modify the state standards, most of which target foreign language and algebra II requirements.
On Wednesday, the House Education Committee took testimony on two of those bills, HB 4465 and 4466.
Mike Foster, a former superintendent at Laingsburg and supporter of the bills, said more options were needed in the requirements to allow for vocational courses – and that the existing option for a “personal curriculum” under the MMC was too restrictive.
By contrast, Justin Jennings, principal at Holland High School, speaking in opposition to the bills, said his school already was working in partnership with furniture maker Herman Miller on career training under the existing curriculum rules."
Surprise runoff fees roil Detroit biz
Surprise runoff fees roil Detroit biz | Crain's Detroit Business
A DWSD internal review found the department had not been billing about 1,200 commercial businesses in the city for stormwater drainage, said Bill Johnson, a spokesman for the DWSD.
....The charges affect only Detroit businesses because the DWSD is not responsible for stormwater drainage services in suburban communities.
...."These are people that never received any sort of invoice ever for stormwater runoff," Gold said.
....While the exact amount the DWSD is owed for the unbilled drainage charges is unknown, it "could ultimately be in the millions," Johnson said.
....One city business owner, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the stormwater drainage portion of the monthly bill he recently received was for $4,500, which will amount to $54,000 annually on his 8-acre property.
"It's going to run people away," he said. "It's a rain tax -- that's really what it is."
...Susan Harvey, senior vice president of the Canton Township office of New York-based Ashley Capital LLC, an industrial and office real estate acquisition firm, said she believes the stormwater runoff charges "are excessive and they influenced our decision not to buy any more industrial property in the city of Detroit."
A DWSD internal review found the department had not been billing about 1,200 commercial businesses in the city for stormwater drainage, said Bill Johnson, a spokesman for the DWSD.
....The charges affect only Detroit businesses because the DWSD is not responsible for stormwater drainage services in suburban communities.
...."These are people that never received any sort of invoice ever for stormwater runoff," Gold said.
....While the exact amount the DWSD is owed for the unbilled drainage charges is unknown, it "could ultimately be in the millions," Johnson said.
....One city business owner, speaking on the condition of anonymity, said the stormwater drainage portion of the monthly bill he recently received was for $4,500, which will amount to $54,000 annually on his 8-acre property.
"It's going to run people away," he said. "It's a rain tax -- that's really what it is."
...Susan Harvey, senior vice president of the Canton Township office of New York-based Ashley Capital LLC, an industrial and office real estate acquisition firm, said she believes the stormwater runoff charges "are excessive and they influenced our decision not to buy any more industrial property in the city of Detroit."
NPR’s Dina Temple Raston Blames Boston on ‘Right-Wing Individuals’
ViralRead » NPR’s Dina Temple Raston Blames Boston on ‘Right-Wing Individuals’:
"On NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ yesterday, Counterterrorism Correspondent Dina Temple Raston concludes that the Boston Marathon tragedy was more than likely “a domestic extremist attack” citing April as a “big month for anti-government, right-wing individuals.”
In her segment, she notes that Hitler’s birthday and the anniversaries of the Columbine attack, the Oklahoma City bombing and the assault on the Branch-Davidian compound in Waco, TX all fall in April."
"On NPR’s ‘All Things Considered’ yesterday, Counterterrorism Correspondent Dina Temple Raston concludes that the Boston Marathon tragedy was more than likely “a domestic extremist attack” citing April as a “big month for anti-government, right-wing individuals.”
In her segment, she notes that Hitler’s birthday and the anniversaries of the Columbine attack, the Oklahoma City bombing and the assault on the Branch-Davidian compound in Waco, TX all fall in April."
Muskegon County schools pursuing September technology millage
Muskegon County schools pursuing September technology millage | MLive.com:
Eleven school districts have petitioned the Muskegon Area Intermediate School District to seek the 1-mill property tax increase to pay for technology improvements.
The districts, which do not include the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, would share proceeds of the millage estimated to raise about $4 million per year.
The first step in getting the 10-year “enhancement millage” on a Sept. 24 ballot is collecting signatures of registered voters. At least 3,000 valid signatures need to be collected by July 2.
The MAISD was obligated to pursue the millage after the boards of education representing at least half of the 29,000 students in the county's traditional public school districts asked it to do so.
Under state law, only intermediate school districts can seek enhancement millages.
The MAISD was obligated to pursue the millage after the boards of education representing at least half of the 29,000 students in the county's traditional public school districts asked it to do so.
Under state law, only intermediate school districts can seek enhancement millages.
A phone survey conducted in February by a research group found that 68 percent of 400 registered voters in the county supported a 1-mill school technology enhancement millage.
......Software and support services cannot be paid with traditional school bonds sought by school districts, including those to pay for technology improvements.
.......Charter schools, including the Muskegon Heights Public School Academy System, would not benefit from the millage.
Monday, April 22, 2013
My favorite Earth Day video
My favorite Earth Day video. | Jen Kuznicki:
"I can’t stop laughing.
I have a few things to point out.
Did you see how they were depriving the grass and sprouts and seedlings of CO2 and sunlight by sitting their fat asses down around the tree stump?"
MUST SEE VIDEO!
"I can’t stop laughing.
I have a few things to point out.
Did you see how they were depriving the grass and sprouts and seedlings of CO2 and sunlight by sitting their fat asses down around the tree stump?"
MUST SEE VIDEO!
Mich. Court Backs Anonymity for Former Student Who Trashed Law School Online
Mich. Court Backs Anonymity for Former Student Who Trashed Law School Online | Inside Higher Ed:
"A former student who created a website that harshly criticized Thomas M. Cooley Law School is protected by the First Amendment and should not have his identity revealed, a Michigan state appeals court ruled this month. Cooley, a freestanding law school in Michigan, had sued the former student in state court, saying that the site the ex-student created, Thomas M. Cooley Law School Scam, defamed the institution.
Cooley officials obtained a California subpoena compelling the company that hosted the website to reveal his identity, and a lower state court refused to block the subpoena.
But the appeals court ruled that Michigan law protects such speech, and sent the case back to the lower court for further review."
"A former student who created a website that harshly criticized Thomas M. Cooley Law School is protected by the First Amendment and should not have his identity revealed, a Michigan state appeals court ruled this month. Cooley, a freestanding law school in Michigan, had sued the former student in state court, saying that the site the ex-student created, Thomas M. Cooley Law School Scam, defamed the institution.
Cooley officials obtained a California subpoena compelling the company that hosted the website to reveal his identity, and a lower state court refused to block the subpoena.
But the appeals court ruled that Michigan law protects such speech, and sent the case back to the lower court for further review."
I Saw Something, So I'm Saying Something
Articles: I Saw Something, So I'm Saying Something:
"I've seen Obama stand before the United Nations after the jihad-crazed slaughter of four Americans in Benghazi, including our ambassador, and proclaim "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."
So much for America's right of free speech!
And freedom of religion!
Can you find anything in that bizarre sentence with which the Boston bombers would disagree?
No wonder Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was an Obama supporter."
"I've seen Obama stand before the United Nations after the jihad-crazed slaughter of four Americans in Benghazi, including our ambassador, and proclaim "The future must not belong to those who slander the prophet of Islam."
So much for America's right of free speech!
And freedom of religion!
Can you find anything in that bizarre sentence with which the Boston bombers would disagree?
No wonder Dzhokhar Tsarnaev was an Obama supporter."
Liberal Professor: We Used “Too Much Force” Capturing Boston Bomber
Liberal Professor: We Used “Too Much Force” Capturing Boston Bomber. // Mr. Conservative:
"This said, the mortuary pictures of the older brother of the two are extremely disturbing, raising questions as to whether the Boston Police Department captured him with too much force.
…Boston has great resonance for terrorists.
Selecting the Boston Marathon has great impact and it is going to be felt among the upper middle class: healthy, white, high-income earners who are non-smokers and non-drinkers (though maybe pancake-and-syrup eaters) — those who attend the Boston Marathon or watch it.
I do hope we all watch the cleanup or the damage control and hear the words Obama uttered – we should be careful not just to bracket the motives of these terrorists – but also make sure to remember that we are an immigrant nation."
"This said, the mortuary pictures of the older brother of the two are extremely disturbing, raising questions as to whether the Boston Police Department captured him with too much force.
…Boston has great resonance for terrorists.
Selecting the Boston Marathon has great impact and it is going to be felt among the upper middle class: healthy, white, high-income earners who are non-smokers and non-drinkers (though maybe pancake-and-syrup eaters) — those who attend the Boston Marathon or watch it.
I do hope we all watch the cleanup or the damage control and hear the words Obama uttered – we should be careful not just to bracket the motives of these terrorists – but also make sure to remember that we are an immigrant nation."
New Hockey Stick Sent to the Permanent Penalty Box
New Hockey Stick Sent to the Permanent Penalty Box | Heartlander Magazine:
"Climate expert Ross McKitrick this week in the Financial Post published perhaps the best summary of the spectacular death of the 4,000-year hockey stick paper.
The final death blow of the paper, as McKitrick reports, is the author’s admission,
“[The] 20th-century portion of our paleotemperature stack is not statistically robust, cannot be considered representative of global temperature changes, and therefore is not the basis of any of our conclusions.”
Wow! According to the author of the paper himself, the very portion of the paper alarmists and the media have been proclaiming as the climatic equivalent of the Zombie Apocalypse “cannot be considered representative of global temperature changes.”
So all we are left with is a temperature reconstruction that shows temperatures by 1900 A.D. had sunk to their coldest levels since the last ice age epoch ended 11,000 years ago.
Perhaps maybe a little twentieth century global warming may have been just what the planet needed after all."
"Climate expert Ross McKitrick this week in the Financial Post published perhaps the best summary of the spectacular death of the 4,000-year hockey stick paper.
The final death blow of the paper, as McKitrick reports, is the author’s admission,
“[The] 20th-century portion of our paleotemperature stack is not statistically robust, cannot be considered representative of global temperature changes, and therefore is not the basis of any of our conclusions.”
Wow! According to the author of the paper himself, the very portion of the paper alarmists and the media have been proclaiming as the climatic equivalent of the Zombie Apocalypse “cannot be considered representative of global temperature changes.”
So all we are left with is a temperature reconstruction that shows temperatures by 1900 A.D. had sunk to their coldest levels since the last ice age epoch ended 11,000 years ago.
Perhaps maybe a little twentieth century global warming may have been just what the planet needed after all."
Earth Day’s Big Lie
Earth Day’s Big Lie
A global propaganda campaign will glorify Earth Day and its message is that you must change your life to accommodate the lies that sustain the environmental movement and permit government agencies such as the Environmental Protection Agency to strangle the economic life of the nation.
On Earth day there will be thousands of events to promote its anti-energy, anti-technology, and anti-humanity message.
There are thousands, of environmental organizations. Here, for example, are some Earth Day recommendations from the Natural Resources Defense Council.
- Wash clothing in cold water. According to the NRDC, “this saves a great deal of money as the bulk of the energy tied to clothes washing is used to heat water.”
- Cut clothes dryer energy by 20 to 40 percent. “It is more efficient to spin waterout of clothing than bake it out in the dryer.”
- Select the ‘normal’ or ‘standard’ picture setting on your TV.
An environmental group called the Food Tank recommends the following:
- Get in touch with agriculture. “This time of year, many people are starting to plan vacations.” Forget Disney Land; instead choose a “farm-stay” in which participants spend a few days or weeks living with a host family…helping around the farm in exchange for free food and lodging.”
- “Buy food with less packaging.” This ignores the fact that modern packaging ensures the safety of the foods you purchase. Even ancient civilizations either burned refuse or created landfills.
- Do-it-Yourself projects such as “turning old t-shirts into produce bags to save plastic, starting seeds in eggshells…”
Behind the many Earth Day suggestions is the environmentalists’ insistence on a general return to an era when household tasks were undertaken without machines that used electricity, before the ubiquitous benefits of plastic, and less cars were on the roads. In the 1940s my late mother had to wash clothes by hand and hang them in the back yard or basement to dry. Food was kept cool in an ice box before the invention ofrefrigerators. This is Earth Day’s idea of saving the Earth.
Everyone wants clean air and clean water. We have it. The Clean Air and Clean WaterActs of the 1970s have achieved their goals. Substituting “clean energy” such as solar and wind power has proven to be expensive and impractical as neither of these produce sufficient energy (about 3% at present) to power America. Taxpayers have lost billions in the government loans made to solar and wind power companies while traditional sources of power contribute billions to the economy.
The Earth is not endangered, nor should it be worshipped as a pagan religion
Behind environmentalism is panoply of schemes intended to enrich those who advocate “global warming” and/or “climate change.” Governments around the world are abandoning “clean energy” programs and returning to traditional and abundant forms of energy.
The “science” behind climate change and the claim of a “consensus” among the world’s scientists is a lie. Computer models have been rigged to produce “warming” data while the planet has been in a natural cooling cycle for the last seventeen years!
On Earth Day, you will be assailed by these and countless other claims, but you will do yourself and the Earth a big favor if you ignore them.
Sunday, April 21, 2013
An American savors the language of Margaret Thatcher's funeral
An American savors the language of Margaret Thatcher's funeral by Andrew Malcolm - Investors.com:
"Bishop Chartres certainly lived up to his charge.
Here's Chartres' very first sentence: "After the storm of a life lived in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm."
And there was in his ensuing pause, a great calm in that historic church at that moment."
"Bishop Chartres certainly lived up to his charge.
Here's Chartres' very first sentence: "After the storm of a life lived in the heat of political controversy, there is a great calm."
And there was in his ensuing pause, a great calm in that historic church at that moment."
Obama's plan for $25 Trillion in Debt
Obama's plan for $25 Trillion in Debt | Do It Yourself Capitalism
Well, thanks to some overworked aide in Paul Ryan's office, we now have a reasonable summary of what the President would like to do to us if he gets his way. Ready for this?
(1) $8.2 Trillion in New Debt
(2) $1.1 Trillion in New Taxes
(3) $964 Billion in New Spending above Projected Growth
(4) Total U.S. debt in 2023: $25.4 trillion, up from the current $16. 8 trillion.
(5) The President's Budget Never Balances—Ever.
Now we never again have to wonder whether President Obama respects the lawful ministerial obligations of his office. He has no respect for his legal duty to propose a timely, conscientious budget to the American people. Secondly, we never need to debate whether President Obama ever intended to do anything to lower the crushing national debt. As of last Tuesday, we know that the President wants this country to increase the national debt load from its current $16.8 trillion at this writing to $25.4 TRILLION.
Well, thanks to some overworked aide in Paul Ryan's office, we now have a reasonable summary of what the President would like to do to us if he gets his way. Ready for this?
(1) $8.2 Trillion in New Debt
(2) $1.1 Trillion in New Taxes
(3) $964 Billion in New Spending above Projected Growth
(4) Total U.S. debt in 2023: $25.4 trillion, up from the current $16. 8 trillion.
(5) The President's Budget Never Balances—Ever.
Now we never again have to wonder whether President Obama respects the lawful ministerial obligations of his office. He has no respect for his legal duty to propose a timely, conscientious budget to the American people. Secondly, we never need to debate whether President Obama ever intended to do anything to lower the crushing national debt. As of last Tuesday, we know that the President wants this country to increase the national debt load from its current $16.8 trillion at this writing to $25.4 TRILLION.
Hey Joe: What mattered about Michigan State’s spring game, in order
Hey Joe: What mattered about Michigan State’s spring game, in order | Detroit Free Press | freep.com:
"3. The MSU offense has a long way to go.
It needs better quarterback play, better running back play, better receiver play and someone to step up at tight end.
That’s all."
"3. The MSU offense has a long way to go.
It needs better quarterback play, better running back play, better receiver play and someone to step up at tight end.
That’s all."
Arrested 396 times, woman knows how to work the system
Arrested 396 times, woman knows how to work the system - Chicago Sun-Times:
"The frustrating truth: The system — strapped by overcrowded prisons and cuts to mental health funding — hasn’t been able to save Miles from herself or to help the communities she menaces.
Nothing has worked.
Not jail.
Not prison.
Not countless psychological exams for the woman described as being “acutely psychotic.”
"The frustrating truth: The system — strapped by overcrowded prisons and cuts to mental health funding — hasn’t been able to save Miles from herself or to help the communities she menaces.
Nothing has worked.
Not jail.
Not prison.
Not countless psychological exams for the woman described as being “acutely psychotic.”
Under-fire state agency director vows to go after fraud at $3,500 threshold
Under-fire state agency director vows to go after fraud at $3,500 threshold | Crain's Detroit Business:
"Steve Arwood, director of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and the state Unemployment Insurance Agency, was grilled by lawmakers recently after a report in the Detroit Free Press showed that his agency was dealing only with fraud claims above $15,000.
According to the report, agency officials were told not to show up at administrative hearings for fraud cases unless the amount of fraudulently claimed benefits was at least $15,000.
That upset lawmakers because they passed a law last year that made such fraud a potential felony for anything above $3,500. The lawmakers were not happy that the agency decided not to follow suit with enforcement. "
"Steve Arwood, director of Michigan's Department of Licensing and Regulatory Affairs and the state Unemployment Insurance Agency, was grilled by lawmakers recently after a report in the Detroit Free Press showed that his agency was dealing only with fraud claims above $15,000.
According to the report, agency officials were told not to show up at administrative hearings for fraud cases unless the amount of fraudulently claimed benefits was at least $15,000.
That upset lawmakers because they passed a law last year that made such fraud a potential felony for anything above $3,500. The lawmakers were not happy that the agency decided not to follow suit with enforcement. "
Saturday, April 20, 2013
Former Flint schools financial chief claims district fired her because she is black
Former Flint schools financial chief claims district fired her because she is black | MLive.com:
Pabst alleged that Flint schools Interim Superintendent Lawrence Watkins told Derricks after the Lansing meeting that the district had difficulty interacting with state education officials because "there were a lot of white faces looking at the poor blacks from Flint Community Schools."
"They just got a white face to interface with the Lansing people," Pabst said of the district's decision to remove Derricks.
Flint school' spokesman Bob Campbell declined to comment on the lawsuit.
Attorneys representing the district filed a motion seeking a more definitive statement in Derricks' complaint, arguing the lawsuit is "so vague or ambiguous that (the district) can not properly prepare a response," to the allegations, according to court records.
School board members in January approved contracting financial services to Linda Holloway, a Certified Public Accountant with CIVA, LLC. The board will pay Holloway $120 per hour for financial work and $150 per hour for attending to "board meetings and consultation," according to the board resolution.
The decision to hire Holloway came following the departure of former district Superintendent Linda Thompson. Prior to Thompson's departure, the board criticized her for poor management and financial oversight.
But, Pabst said that Derricks did a satisfactory job with the district."They never told her she did anything wrong," said Pabst.
Fact-Free Crusades
Fact-Free Crusades | RealClearPolitics:
"Amid all the heated, emotional advocacy of gun control, have you ever heard even one person present convincing hard evidence that tighter gun control laws have in fact reduced murders?"
"Amid all the heated, emotional advocacy of gun control, have you ever heard even one person present convincing hard evidence that tighter gun control laws have in fact reduced murders?"
ACLU: Detroit Police Dumping Homeless Outside City
ACLU: Detroit Police Dumping Homeless Outside City « CBS Detroit:
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan says Detroit police are removing homeless people from the popular Greektown entertainment district downtown and dropping them off miles away — sometimes outside the city.
Following a year-long investigation, the ACLU filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department and sent a letter to Detroit police demanding an end to what they call a “disturbing practice.”
“DPD’s practice of essentially kidnapping homeless people and abandoning them miles away from the neighborhoods they know – with no means for a safe return — is inhumane, callous and illegal,” said Sarah Mehta, ACLU of Michigan staff attorney. “
The American Civil Liberties Union of Michigan says Detroit police are removing homeless people from the popular Greektown entertainment district downtown and dropping them off miles away — sometimes outside the city.
Following a year-long investigation, the ACLU filed a complaint with the U.S. Justice Department and sent a letter to Detroit police demanding an end to what they call a “disturbing practice.”
“DPD’s practice of essentially kidnapping homeless people and abandoning them miles away from the neighborhoods they know – with no means for a safe return — is inhumane, callous and illegal,” said Sarah Mehta, ACLU of Michigan staff attorney. “
The city’s desire to hide painful reminders of our economic struggles cannot justify discriminating against the poor, banishing them from their city, and endangering their lives.
A person who has lost his home has not lost his right to be treated with dignity.”
The organization says it started receiving complaints last year and that the homeless are told they are not welcome in Greektown, which is popular with visitors to Detroit.
The organization says it started receiving complaints last year and that the homeless are told they are not welcome in Greektown, which is popular with visitors to Detroit.
The people are then forced in to vans, driven away and then deserted.
City of Boston gave 'subsidy' to bombing suspects' mosque
City of Boston gave 'subsidy' to bombing suspects' mosque | The Daily Caller:
"The Boston Redevelopment Authority, which is the city’s municipal planning agency and which is comprised of mayoral appointees, conveyed the land for the ISB’s purchase in 2000 at more than $400,000.
However, the city of Boston only charged ISB $175,000 for the land, with an agreement that the ISB perform other services for the city to make up the $225,000 remainder.
The ISB agreed to deliver a series of lectures at Roxbury Community College, to assist the Roxbury Community College Foundation in its fundraising efforts, and to maintain a Boston “play area.”
The deal was later described in media coverage as “an apparent financial handout” and a “possible government subsidy” from the city of Boston to the ISB.
The ISB has raised concerns in the past for its ties to radical figures in the Muslim world."
"The Boston Redevelopment Authority, which is the city’s municipal planning agency and which is comprised of mayoral appointees, conveyed the land for the ISB’s purchase in 2000 at more than $400,000.
However, the city of Boston only charged ISB $175,000 for the land, with an agreement that the ISB perform other services for the city to make up the $225,000 remainder.
The ISB agreed to deliver a series of lectures at Roxbury Community College, to assist the Roxbury Community College Foundation in its fundraising efforts, and to maintain a Boston “play area.”
The deal was later described in media coverage as “an apparent financial handout” and a “possible government subsidy” from the city of Boston to the ISB.
The ISB has raised concerns in the past for its ties to radical figures in the Muslim world."
U.N. Committee Says: This Speech Must Lead to a Criminal Prosecution of the Speaker
The Volokh Conspiracy » U.N. Committee Says: This Speech Must Lead to a Criminal Prosecution of the Speaker:
The German government decided not to prosecute the speaker based on this speech, but the U.N. Committee on the Elimination of Racial Discrimination has recently stated the contrary, TBB v. Germany (Feb. 26, 2013). Here’s the speech that, according to the Committee, must lead to a criminal prosecution in countries that have ratified the International Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Racial Discrimination. (I am pleased to say that the U.S. has not recognized the competence of the Committee to enforce the Convention, though most European countries have; the U.S. has also ratified subject to a specific reservation in favor of the freedom of speech.)
The German cultural journal Lettre International (2009 fall edition, number 86)3 published an interview with Mr. Thilo Sarrazin, the former Finance Senator of the Berlin Senate (from 2002 to April 2009, Social Democratic Party) and member of the Board of Directors of the German Central Bank (from May 2009), entitled “Class instead of Mass: from the Capital City of Social Services to the Metropolis of the Elite”. In this interview, Mr. Sarrazin expressed himself in a derogatory and discriminatory way about social “lower classes”, which are “not productive” and would have to “ disappear over time” in order to create a city of the “elite”. In this contex alia:
BOW NOT promises to oppose plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart, calls for April 24 protest
BOW NOT promises to oppose plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart, calls for April 24 protest | MLive.com:
"The opponents have created a group called Back Off Walmart – Not Our Town, which goes by BOW NOT. The group has created a Facebook page and used a Change.org website petition which has received more than 900 “signatures” from across the country asking that plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart be rejected.
A pro-Wal-Mart in Whitehall Township petition on change.org has 26 signatures.
But when it comes to more traditional protest, BOW NOT will be playing that game as well.
The group has asked Wal-Mart opponents to gather Wednesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. for a rally at the Whitehall Township Hall, 7644 Durham Road, before the 7 p.m. special Whitehall Township Planning Commission meeting."
"The opponents have created a group called Back Off Walmart – Not Our Town, which goes by BOW NOT. The group has created a Facebook page and used a Change.org website petition which has received more than 900 “signatures” from across the country asking that plans for a Whitehall Township Wal-Mart be rejected.
A pro-Wal-Mart in Whitehall Township petition on change.org has 26 signatures.
But when it comes to more traditional protest, BOW NOT will be playing that game as well.
The group has asked Wal-Mart opponents to gather Wednesday, April 24, at 6:30 p.m. for a rally at the Whitehall Township Hall, 7644 Durham Road, before the 7 p.m. special Whitehall Township Planning Commission meeting."
In residential real estate, bid farewell to the 'master bedroom'
In residential real estate, bid farewell to the 'master bedroom' - Baltimore Business Journal:
The “master suite” is being phased out — not from our homes, but from our lexicon.
A survey of 10 major Washington, D.C.-area homebuilders found that six no longer use the term “master” in
their floor plans to describe the largest bedroom in the house. They have replaced it with “owner’s suite” or
“owner’s bedroom” or, in one case, “mastre bedroom.”
Why? In large part for exactly the reason you would think: “Master” has connotation problems, in gender (it
skews toward male) and race (the slave-master).
Enter the owner's suite.4/19/13 Inresidential real estate, bidfarewell tothe'master bedroom' - BaltimoreBusiness Journal
m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/04/16/homebuilders-scrap-racist.html?r=full 2/3
“I imagine it’s not only a more accurate description but also a more politically correct term of art,” said Steve
Nardella, senior vice president of operations for Bethesda-based Winchester Homes Inc.
Either way, the “master suite” has been linguistically shoved aside.
Winchester, Pulte Homes, NV Homes and Ryan Homes (both under the NVR Inc. umbrella), Van Metre Cos.
and D.R. Horton Inc. have allreplaced “master” in their floor plans, some more recently than others.
Richmond American Homes, Shulz Homes Corp. Sekas Homes Ltd. (in some of its models) and Quaker
Custom Homes LLC continue to employ the word “master” in their designs.
In general, said Grant Johnson of Sekas Homes, “we’re using owner suite, but sometimes it will come through as
master.”
Over time, “master” will be filtered out entirely, he said. The change is “just working through the industry, and
finally, bingo, we got it.”
Randy Creaser, owner of D.C.’s Creaser/O’Brien Architects PC, said he ditched “master” in the early 1990s in
his home designs. He vaguely recalled a few lawsuits brought against builders over the phrase. Pulte
spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said Pulte made the shift maybe three or four years ago.
The “master suite” is being phased out — not from our homes, but from our lexicon.
A survey of 10 major Washington, D.C.-area homebuilders found that six no longer use the term “master” in
their floor plans to describe the largest bedroom in the house. They have replaced it with “owner’s suite” or
“owner’s bedroom” or, in one case, “mastre bedroom.”
Why? In large part for exactly the reason you would think: “Master” has connotation problems, in gender (it
skews toward male) and race (the slave-master).
Enter the owner's suite.4/19/13 Inresidential real estate, bidfarewell tothe'master bedroom' - BaltimoreBusiness Journal
m.bizjournals.com/baltimore/news/2013/04/16/homebuilders-scrap-racist.html?r=full 2/3
“I imagine it’s not only a more accurate description but also a more politically correct term of art,” said Steve
Nardella, senior vice president of operations for Bethesda-based Winchester Homes Inc.
Either way, the “master suite” has been linguistically shoved aside.
Winchester, Pulte Homes, NV Homes and Ryan Homes (both under the NVR Inc. umbrella), Van Metre Cos.
and D.R. Horton Inc. have allreplaced “master” in their floor plans, some more recently than others.
Richmond American Homes, Shulz Homes Corp. Sekas Homes Ltd. (in some of its models) and Quaker
Custom Homes LLC continue to employ the word “master” in their designs.
In general, said Grant Johnson of Sekas Homes, “we’re using owner suite, but sometimes it will come through as
master.”
Over time, “master” will be filtered out entirely, he said. The change is “just working through the industry, and
finally, bingo, we got it.”
Randy Creaser, owner of D.C.’s Creaser/O’Brien Architects PC, said he ditched “master” in the early 1990s in
his home designs. He vaguely recalled a few lawsuits brought against builders over the phrase. Pulte
spokeswoman Valerie Dolenga said Pulte made the shift maybe three or four years ago.
Detroit EM Kevyn Orr letter could indicate end to collective bargaining with unions
Detroit EM Kevyn Orr letter could indicate end to collective bargaining with unions | MLive.com:
Unions in general are at odds with the 2012 emergency manager law that empowers state-appointed officials to trump and unilaterally amend existing bargaining agreements.
Detroit Emergency Manager Kevyn Orr on Thursday issued a letter to state labor officials saying he has no obligation to collaborative bargaining or arbitration, which some speculate could be a hint that he intends to circumvent traditional bargaining mechanisms and make changes to the pay and benefits of Detroit employees with or without their consent, Reuters reports (full story).
"It's obvious what they're trying to do," Dan McNamara, president of the firefighters' unions, told Reuters. "They don't plan to negotiate with us."
Days after Orr took office, a federal lawsuit was filed challenging the sweeping emergency manager powers.It's Orr's intention to restructure the city's budget and expenses to ensure it doesn't go bankrupt.
Detroit is running a $100 million annual budget deficit and has $14 billion in long-term debt. There are nearly 50 unions that contract with the city.
"Everything is on the table," Orr said when he was appointed March 17. "I hope to be inclusive... I am going to make decisions and move forward."
Lawmakers Call for Abolishing ‘Corruption-Infested’ Pennsylvania Turnpike
Lawmakers Call for Abolishing ‘Corruption-Infested’ Pennsylvania Turnpike | Heartlander Magazine:
"Pennsylvania has two transportation agencies.
One controls more than 40,000 miles of state roads and 25,000 bridges, and another maintains 545 miles of tolled highway.
The former has seven executives, one for every 5,857 miles of roadway; the latter nine executives, one for every 60 miles of roadway.
For a group of Republican lawmakers, this doesn’t add up, especially when one of those agencies was the subject of a 44-month long grand jury investigation over alleged bid-rigging."
"Pennsylvania has two transportation agencies.
One controls more than 40,000 miles of state roads and 25,000 bridges, and another maintains 545 miles of tolled highway.
The former has seven executives, one for every 5,857 miles of roadway; the latter nine executives, one for every 60 miles of roadway.
For a group of Republican lawmakers, this doesn’t add up, especially when one of those agencies was the subject of a 44-month long grand jury investigation over alleged bid-rigging."
Snyder defends secret project to reform education system
Snyder defends secret project to reform education system | The Detroit News | detroitnews.com
Gov. Rick Snyder on Friday defended his administration's involvement in a secret project that is trying to develop a cheaper way to deliver public education through a voucher-like funding system.
The education reform advisory team's existence had been secret until The Detroit News reported Friday about a months-long "skunk works" project to design a new "value school" that costs $5,000 per child annually to operate — $2,000 less than the state's minimum per-pupil funding. The group includes employees of software companies, charter school advocates and five state employees.
"There's people in the executive branch and any parts of government, actually in the general community, that get together and try to come up with new ideas and try to innovate and bring those ideas forward," Snyder told reporters Friday after the 14th annual Leadership Luncheon at the Renaissance Center in Detroit.
"That's what I would view a group like that — just working together to say they want to come up with new ideas and throw them out there. That's how you come up with new ideas. Most of them don't go anywhere, but you don't want to discourage people from trying and being creative."
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