The modern day central planners have so many wonderful good intentions...isn't that enough??? They just want the best for us (eyes watering, fighting back the tears).
Unfortunately, all the good intentions in the world plus billions in taxpayer funded subsidies can't convince people in Los Angeles to take mass transit...in fact all the subsidized shopping built around mass transit stations is actually attracting more cars!!
Link
In Los Angeles alone, billions of public and private dollars have been lavished on transit-oriented projects such as Hollywood & Vine, with more than 20,000 residential units approved within a quarter mile of transit stations between 2001 and 2005.
But there is little research to back up the rosy predictions. Among the few academic studies of the subject, one that looked at buildings in the Los Angeles area showed that transit-based development successfully weaned relatively few residents from their cars. It also found that, over time, no more people in the buildings studied were taking transit 10 years after a project opened than when it was first built.
[...]
The reporting showed that only a small fraction of residents shunned their cars during morning rush hour. Most people said that even though they lived close to transit stations, the trains weren't convenient enough, taking too long to arrive at destinations and lacking stops near their workplaces. Many complained that they didn't feel comfortable riding the MTA's crowded, often slow-moving buses from transit terminals to their jobs.
Moreover, the attraction of shops and cafes that are often built into developments at transit stations can actually draw more cars to neighborhoods, putting an additional traffic burden on areas that had been promised relief.
Saturday, June 30, 2007
Do ya think any of these groups
would EVER oppose a tax hike?
Many smart, well meaning, and sincere people staff these groups and many smart, well meaning and sincere people are members and their mission is to grow the size and influence and power of their groups. That is why they exist. Most are funded in part or whole by taxpayers.
Here is, as they say, the bottom line. If we, the citizens, allow those within government to determine the size and scope and tax burden of government, taxes will NEVER be high enough and the scope will NEVER be large enough.
Our elected representatives are supposed to represent US to those in government. Far too often they simply represent those in government to US.
TN Municipal League
TN Counties Association
TN County Attorneys Association
Association of Tennessee Valley Governments
TN County Officials Assocation
TN County Highway Officials Association
TN Sheriffs Assocation
TN School Boards Assocation
TN Institute for Public Service
Tennessee Registers (of Deeds-Assessors) Association
Tennessee County Trustee Association
Tennessee Association of Municipal Clerks and Recorders
Tennessee City Management Association
Local Government Corporation
TN Municipal Attorneys Association
TN Chapter American Public Works Association
TN Government Finance Officers Association
TN Association Housing/Redevelopment Officials
TN Building Officials
TN Fire Chiefs Association
TN Association of Chiefs of Police
TN Recreation and Parks Association
TN Chapter, American Planning Association
TN Personnel Management Association
TN Association of Public Purchasing
TN Section, Institute of Transportation Engineers
TN Public Transportation Association
TN Fire Safety Inspectors Association
TN Municipal Judges Conference
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
County Technical Advisory Service
Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
Many smart, well meaning, and sincere people staff these groups and many smart, well meaning and sincere people are members and their mission is to grow the size and influence and power of their groups. That is why they exist. Most are funded in part or whole by taxpayers.
Here is, as they say, the bottom line. If we, the citizens, allow those within government to determine the size and scope and tax burden of government, taxes will NEVER be high enough and the scope will NEVER be large enough.
Our elected representatives are supposed to represent US to those in government. Far too often they simply represent those in government to US.
TN Municipal League
TN Counties Association
TN County Attorneys Association
Association of Tennessee Valley Governments
TN County Officials Assocation
TN County Highway Officials Association
TN Sheriffs Assocation
TN School Boards Assocation
TN Institute for Public Service
Tennessee Registers (of Deeds-Assessors) Association
Tennessee County Trustee Association
Tennessee Association of Municipal Clerks and Recorders
Tennessee City Management Association
Local Government Corporation
TN Municipal Attorneys Association
TN Chapter American Public Works Association
TN Government Finance Officers Association
TN Association Housing/Redevelopment Officials
TN Building Officials
TN Fire Chiefs Association
TN Association of Chiefs of Police
TN Recreation and Parks Association
TN Chapter, American Planning Association
TN Personnel Management Association
TN Association of Public Purchasing
TN Section, Institute of Transportation Engineers
TN Public Transportation Association
TN Fire Safety Inspectors Association
TN Municipal Judges Conference
Municipal Technical Advisory Service
County Technical Advisory Service
Tennessee Advisory Commission on Intergovernmental Relations
$4.88 for a plasma TV?
Link
According to police reports, Simms carried a 42-inch Sanyo Plasma TV to a self-checkout aisle after switching the original price tag of $984 with one for only $4.88. Wal-Mart Loss Prevention officers witnessed the alleged transaction and called police.
According to police reports, Simms carried a 42-inch Sanyo Plasma TV to a self-checkout aisle after switching the original price tag of $984 with one for only $4.88. Wal-Mart Loss Prevention officers witnessed the alleged transaction and called police.
Buyer's Market in Key West Condos
Link
* 3930 Roosevelt Blvd w101 - Original Price: $325,000 - Listing Price: $215,000
* 3930 Roosevelt Blvd S-104 - Original Price: $350,000 - Listing Price: $249,900
* 3314 Northside Dr 35 - Original Price: $499,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 2521 Fogarty Ave 4 - Original Price: $324,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 124 - Original Price: $449,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 173 Golf Club Dr - Original Price: $399,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 35 - Original Price: $499,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 124 - Original Price: $449,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 2601 Roosevelt Blvd 307 c - Original Price: $430,000 - Listing Price: $355,000
* 11 Whistling Duck Ln - Original Price: $669,000 - Listing Price: $399,000
* 1332 Seminary St 101 - Original Price: $525,000 - Listing Price: $410,000
* 1402 Olivia St 4 - Original Price: $598,876 - Listing Price: $499,000
* 21 Kestral Way - Original Price: $815,000 - Listing Price: $550,000
* 620 Thomas St 174 - Original Price: $729,000 - Listing Price: $595,900
* 1616 Atlantic Blvd 9 - Original Price: $1,212,500 - Listing Price: $905,000
* 2609 Gulfview Dr - Original Price: $1,270,000 - Listing Price: $923,200
* 31 Seaside south Ct - Original Price: $1,195,000 - Listing Price: $1,095,000
* 3930 Roosevelt Blvd w101 - Original Price: $325,000 - Listing Price: $215,000
* 3930 Roosevelt Blvd S-104 - Original Price: $350,000 - Listing Price: $249,900
* 3314 Northside Dr 35 - Original Price: $499,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 2521 Fogarty Ave 4 - Original Price: $324,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 124 - Original Price: $449,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 173 Golf Club Dr - Original Price: $399,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 35 - Original Price: $499,000 - Listing Price: $299,000
* 3314 Northside Dr 124 - Original Price: $449,000 - Listing Price: $335,000
* 2601 Roosevelt Blvd 307 c - Original Price: $430,000 - Listing Price: $355,000
* 11 Whistling Duck Ln - Original Price: $669,000 - Listing Price: $399,000
* 1332 Seminary St 101 - Original Price: $525,000 - Listing Price: $410,000
* 1402 Olivia St 4 - Original Price: $598,876 - Listing Price: $499,000
* 21 Kestral Way - Original Price: $815,000 - Listing Price: $550,000
* 620 Thomas St 174 - Original Price: $729,000 - Listing Price: $595,900
* 1616 Atlantic Blvd 9 - Original Price: $1,212,500 - Listing Price: $905,000
* 2609 Gulfview Dr - Original Price: $1,270,000 - Listing Price: $923,200
* 31 Seaside south Ct - Original Price: $1,195,000 - Listing Price: $1,095,000
Friday, June 29, 2007
NYC wants a piece of your YouTube action
Link
Some tourists, amateur photographers, even would-be filmmakers hoping to make it big on YouTube could soon be forced to obtain a city permit and $1 million in liability insurance before taking pictures or filming on city property, including sidewalks.
New rules being considered by the Mayor's Office of Film, Theater and Broadcasting would require any group of two or more people who want to use a camera in a single public location for more than a half hour to get a city permit and insurance.
The same requirements would apply to any group of five or more people who plan to use a tripod in a public location for more than 10 minutes, including the time it takes to set up the equipment.
Julianne Cho, assistant commissioner of the film office, said the rules were not intended to apply to families on vacation or amateur filmmakers or photographers.
Nevertheless, the New York Civil Liberties Union says the proposed rules, as strictly interpreted, could have that effect. The group also warns that the rules set the stage for selective and perhaps discriminatory enforcement by police.
"These rules will apply to a huge range of casual photography and filming, including tourists taking snapshots and people making short videos for YouTube," said Christopher Dunn, the group's associate legal director.
Mayoral candidates split on residency requirement
Link
A residency requirement for Metro Nashville employees that was discontinued when Governor Phil Bredesen was Mayor resurfaced last night as a divisive issue in the race to be Nashville's next mayor.
Currently nearly half of Metro firefighters and one-third of police officers live outside Metro. At a forum organized by the NAACP, the six candidates landed all over the map on whether public servants should live in the city.
Vice-mayor Howard Gentry made the strongest commitment to return to a residency requirement.
"It supports our tax base. It keeps our salaries that we pay inside of our county. It'd be a bold move, but no more bold than the decision to let them move outside the county."
Councilman and former fire chief Buck Dozier said there are too many variables and personal issues that would negatively impact families. Councilman David Briley said such a rule would be unenforceable.
Candidates also focused issues in the African American community. They were all in agreement about redeveloping Jefferson Street. Briley also suggested a new museum that would house Fisk University's famous art collection, which is now in storage.
Answering a question about how to get more Metro contracts to minority-owned businesses, former Metro Law director Karl Dean suggested breaking them up so smaller businesses would get a chance to bid.
Early voting begins July 13th. Election day is August 2nd.
What's your sign...and vote?
The Washington Post Congressional Vote database shows votes by gender, boomer status, and birth sign. Here is the vote to allow the Congressional pay raise go forward for example:
Thursday, June 28, 2007
Taxpayers fund Art with low interest loans
Link
Lucas County residents will be able to apply for low-interest loans to buy local artwork though a county-funded program, Commissioner Ben Konop, announced yesterday.
[...]
"The main beneficiary is the working people of Lucas County, who now have a more affordable opportunity to purchase art."
Sometimes blog posts just write themselves
Link
OTTAWA — The federal government burned through seven years worth of money in nine months last year in a failed effort to cut costs in its massive procurement machine, an internal audit has found.
In the latest administrative nightmare to emerge from Public Works Canada, auditors say high-level bureaucrats lost control of a $24-million contract with cost-cutting consultants.
[...]
Mr. Fortier has called on the department to implement a six-point action plan, including the creation of an oversight committee, to "avoid this from happening again," according to his spokesman, Jacques Gagnon.
EPA Tyranny - Ozone Mission Creep
Link
Due to relatively low ozone levels during the last few years, only 19 percent of the nation's metropolitan areas violate EPA's current eight-hour ozone standard of 85 parts per billion, down from 40 percent just a few years ago. Non-metropolitan counties — those that include only rural areas or smaller cities — are in even better shape, with only a four-percent violation rate. Absent a tougher standard, this would have meant that many areas would shortly be getting out from under some of the Clean Air Act's most odious requirements.
With the new standard, however, non-attainment will become the norm, rather than the exception. EPA is proposing a standard somewhere in the range of 70–75 ppb. Based on current ozone levels, this would put 67–87 percent of metropolitan areas in violation, and 39–72 percent of non-metropolitan counties.
Due to relatively low ozone levels during the last few years, only 19 percent of the nation's metropolitan areas violate EPA's current eight-hour ozone standard of 85 parts per billion, down from 40 percent just a few years ago. Non-metropolitan counties — those that include only rural areas or smaller cities — are in even better shape, with only a four-percent violation rate. Absent a tougher standard, this would have meant that many areas would shortly be getting out from under some of the Clean Air Act's most odious requirements.
With the new standard, however, non-attainment will become the norm, rather than the exception. EPA is proposing a standard somewhere in the range of 70–75 ppb. Based on current ozone levels, this would put 67–87 percent of metropolitan areas in violation, and 39–72 percent of non-metropolitan counties.
Ethics Commission too big for their britches
Link
Tennessee Ethics Commission members say it may be time to pull back the reins on the commission's staff.
In a meeting today Commissioner Dianne Neal said the staff might be getting ahead of the commissioners in the decisions they make. As an example she pointed to Executive Director Bruce Androphy's decision to hire an overseer for the registration of lobbyists and the setting of that person's salary without the commission's approval.
Paris beats Hannity and Colmes
Link
Larry King's interview with Paris Hilton averaged 3,079,000 viewers last night, according to live viewer data (not including same-day DVR viewership) from Nielsen Media Research.
In the 25-54 demo, King averaged 1,336,000 viewers.
King almost doubled Hannity & Colmes in total viewers (1,621,000) and tripled the show in the demo (382,000). MSNBC had 502,000 viewers, including 205,000 in the demo, for the hour.
CNN easily beat FNC in primetime in the 25-54 demo, 812,000 to 442,000. Among total viewers, CNN lost in a tight race, with FNC averaging 1,858,000 to CNN's 1,851,000...
Larry King's interview with Paris Hilton averaged 3,079,000 viewers last night, according to live viewer data (not including same-day DVR viewership) from Nielsen Media Research.
In the 25-54 demo, King averaged 1,336,000 viewers.
King almost doubled Hannity & Colmes in total viewers (1,621,000) and tripled the show in the demo (382,000). MSNBC had 502,000 viewers, including 205,000 in the demo, for the hour.
CNN easily beat FNC in primetime in the 25-54 demo, 812,000 to 442,000. Among total viewers, CNN lost in a tight race, with FNC averaging 1,858,000 to CNN's 1,851,000...
How much MORE will your school system receive?
These are the latest figures on how much additional money each Tennessee school system will receive under the new BEP calculations for 07-08 compared to what they got last year. Every school system will see an increase.
| BEP 2.0 Analysis | |||||
| FINAL Dollars 06-07 | FINAL Est BEP 2.0 07-08 | Diff 07-08 06-07 | |||
| Anderson County | $ 24,396,000 | $ 27,864,000 | $ 3,468,000 | ||
| Clinton City | $ 3,208,000 | $ 3,557,000 | $ 349,000 | ||
| Oak Ridge City | $ 15,143,000 | $ 17,109,000 | $ 1,966,000 | ||
| Bedford County | $ 27,353,000 | $ 31,361,000 | $ 4,008,000 | ||
| Benton County | $ 10,037,000 | $ 11,115,000 | $ 1,078,000 | ||
| Bledsoe County | $ 9,351,000 | $ 10,302,000 | $ 951,000 | ||
| Blount County | $ 40,398,000 | $ 42,332,000 | $ 1,934,000 | ||
| Alcoa City | $ 4,988,000 | $ 5,530,000 | $ 542,000 | ||
| Maryville City | $ 16,081,000 | $ 16,837,000 | $ 756,000 | ||
| Bradley County | $ 31,183,000 | $ 35,549,000 | $ 4,366,000 | ||
| Cleveland City | $ 14,494,000 | $ 16,517,000 | $ 2,023,000 | ||
| Campbell County | $ 24,086,000 | $ 25,214,000 | $ 1,128,000 | ||
| Cannon County | $ 9,374,000 | $ 10,401,000 | $ 1,027,000 | ||
| Carroll County | $ 1,769,000 | $ 1,775,900 | $ 6,900 | ||
| H Rock-Bruceton SSD | $ 2,897,000 | $ 3,128,000 | $ 231,000 | ||
| Huntingdon SSD | $ 5,050,000 | $ 5,375,000 | $ 325,000 | ||
| McKenzie SSD | $ 5,179,000 | $ 5,813,000 | $ 634,000 | ||
| South Carroll Co SSD | $ 1,689,000 | $ 1,712,300 | $ 23,300 | ||
| West Carroll Co SSD | $ 4,258,000 | $ 4,451,000 | $ 193,000 | ||
| Carter County | $ 25,101,000 | $ 26,986,000 | $ 1,885,000 | ||
| Elizabethton City | $ 7,803,000 | $ 8,399,000 | $ 596,000 | ||
| Cheatham County | $ 26,808,000 | $ 28,652,000 | $ 1,844,000 | ||
| Chester County | $ 10,312,000 | $ 11,668,000 | $ 1,356,000 | ||
| Claiborne County | $ 21,036,000 | $ 22,282,000 | $ 1,246,000 | ||
| Clay County | $ 5,321,000 | $ 5,744,000 | $ 423,000 | ||
| Cocke County | $ 18,886,000 | $ 20,784,000 | $ 1,898,000 | ||
| Newport City | $ 2,699,000 | $ 2,956,000 | $ 257,000 | ||
| Coffee County | $ 14,586,000 | $ 16,936,000 | $ 2,350,000 | ||
| Manchester City | $ 4,304,000 | $ 5,185,000 | $ 881,000 | ||
| Tullahoma City | $ 11,423,000 | $ 12,589,000 | $ 1,166,000 | ||
| Crockett County | $ 7,614,000 | $ 8,082,000 | $ 468,000 | ||
| Alamo City | $ 2,172,000 | $ 2,601,000 | $ 429,000 | ||
| Bells City | $ 1,790,000 | $ 1,962,000 | $ 172,000 | ||
| Cumberland County | $ 24,973,000 | $ 26,102,000 | $ 1,129,000 | ||
| Davidson County | $ 171,406,000 | $ 186,062,000 | $ 14,656,000 | ||
| Decatur County | $ 6,524,000 | $ 7,117,000 | $ 593,000 | ||
| DeKalb County | $ 10,657,000 | $ 11,474,000 | $ 817,000 | ||
| Dickson County | $ 29,249,000 | $ 32,525,000 | $ 3,276,000 | ||
| Dyer County | $ 12,083,000 | $ 13,782,000 | $ 1,699,000 | ||
| Dyersburg City | $ 11,539,000 | $ 12,787,000 | $ 1,248,000 | ||
| Fayette County | $ 13,658,000 | $ 14,655,000 | $ 997,000 | ||
| Fentress County | $ 9,974,000 | $ 10,817,000 | $ 843,000 | ||
| Franklin County | $ 23,428,000 | $ 24,643,000 | $ 1,215,000 | ||
| Humboldt City | $ 5,612,000 | $ 6,342,000 | $ 730,000 | ||
| Milan SSD | $ 7,749,000 | $ 8,787,000 | $ 1,038,000 | ||
| Trenton SSD | $ 5,507,000 | $ 6,154,000 | $ 647,000 | ||
| Bradford SSD | $ 2,394,000 | $ 2,721,000 | $ 327,000 | ||
| Gibson County SSD | $ 10,612,000 | $ 12,304,000 | $ 1,692,000 | ||
| Giles County | $ 16,051,000 | $ 17,467,000 | $ 1,416,000 | ||
| Grainger County | $ 15,741,000 | $ 17,090,000 | $ 1,349,000 | ||
| Greene County | $ 25,623,000 | $ 28,602,000 | $ 2,979,000 | ||
| Greeneville City | $ 10,110,000 | $ 11,091,000 | $ 981,000 | ||
| Grundy County | $ 10,648,000 | $ 11,762,000 | $ 1,114,000 | ||
| Hamblen County | $ 29,175,000 | $ 34,566,000 | $ 5,391,000 | ||
| Hamilton County | $ 95,452,000 | $ 108,320,000 | $ 12,868,000 | ||
| Hancock County | $ 5,370,000 | $ 5,720,000 | $ 350,000 | ||
| Hardeman County | $ 19,253,000 | $ 20,438,000 | $ 1,185,000 | ||
| Hardin County | $ 13,477,000 | $ 14,051,000 | $ 574,000 | ||
| Hawkins County | $ 30,107,000 | $ 33,129,000 | $ 3,022,000 | ||
| Rogersville City | $ 2,552,000 | $ 2,585,800 | $ 33,800 | ||
| Haywood County | $ 14,754,000 | $ 15,501,000 | $ 747,000 | ||
| Henderson County | $ 13,666,000 | $ 14,745,000 | $ 1,079,000 | ||
| Lexington City | $ 3,989,000 | $ 4,494,000 | $ 505,000 | ||
| Henry County | $ 11,386,000 | $ 12,550,000 | $ 1,164,000 | ||
| Paris SSD | $ 5,481,000 | $ 6,050,000 | $ 569,000 | ||
| Hickman County | $ 17,857,000 | $ 19,290,000 | $ 1,433,000 | ||
| Houston County | $ 6,804,000 | $ 7,582,000 | $ 778,000 | ||
| Humphreys County | $ 11,512,000 | $ 12,549,000 | $ 1,037,000 | ||
| Jackson County | $ 7,308,000 | $ 8,075,000 | $ 767,000 | ||
| Jefferson County | $ 27,745,000 | $ 29,629,000 | $ 1,884,000 | ||
| Johnson County | $ 10,909,000 | $ 11,448,000 | $ 539,000 | ||
| Knox County | $ 122,649,000 | $ 141,588,000 | $ 18,939,000 | ||
| Lake County | $ 4,433,000 | $ 4,491,600 | $ 58,600 | ||
| Lauderdale County | $ 19,304,000 | $ 21,542,000 | $ 2,238,000 | ||
| Lawrence County | $ 25,592,000 | $ 28,513,000 | $ 2,921,000 | ||
| Lewis County | $ 8,058,000 | $ 8,723,000 | $ 665,000 | ||
| Lincoln County | $ 15,398,000 | $ 16,727,000 | $ 1,329,000 | ||
| Fayetteville City | $ 3,697,000 | $ 3,997,000 | $ 300,000 | ||
| Loudon County | $ 17,633,000 | $ 18,800,000 | $ 1,167,000 | ||
| Lenoir City | $ 7,649,000 | $ 7,965,000 | $ 316,000 | ||
| McMinn County | $ 20,187,000 | $ 21,435,000 | $ 1,248,000 | ||
| Athens City | $ 5,883,000 | $ 6,505,000 | $ 622,000 | ||
| Etowah City | $ 1,416,000 | $ 1,442,000 | $ 26,000 | ||
| McNairy County | $ 16,715,000 | $ 18,663,000 | $ 1,948,000 | ||
| Macon County | $ 15,156,000 | $ 16,594,000 | $ 1,438,000 | ||
| Madison County | $ 38,426,000 | $ 43,011,000 | $ 4,585,000 | ||
| Marion County | $ 15,536,000 | $ 16,686,000 | $ 1,150,000 | ||
| Richard City SSD | $ 1,263,000 | $ 1,387,000 | $ 124,000 | ||
| Marshall County | $ 17,570,000 | $ 20,059,000 | $ 2,489,000 | ||
| Maury County | $ 40,475,000 | $ 42,784,000 | $ 2,309,000 | ||
| Meigs County | $ 8,476,000 | $ 9,067,000 | $ 591,000 | ||
| Monroe County | $ 21,275,000 | $ 22,904,000 | $ 1,629,000 | ||
| Sweetwater City | $ 5,726,000 | $ 6,210,000 | $ 484,000 | ||
| Montgomery County | $ 89,694,000 | $ 105,214,000 | $ 15,520,000 | ||
| Moore County | $ 4,107,000 | $ 4,400,000 | $ 293,000 | ||
| Morgan County | $ 15,750,000 | $ 16,879,000 | $ 1,129,000 | ||
| Obion County | $ 14,037,000 | $ 16,038,000 | $ 2,001,000 | ||
| Union City | $ 4,896,000 | $ 5,623,000 | $ 727,000 | ||
| Overton County | $ 14,382,000 | $ 15,483,000 | $ 1,101,000 | ||
| Perry County | $ 4,882,000 | $ 5,226,000 | $ 344,000 | ||
| Pickett County | $ 3,221,000 | $ 3,468,000 | $ 247,000 | ||
| Polk County | $ 10,934,000 | $ 12,128,000 | $ 1,194,000 | ||
| Putnam County | $ 30,915,000 | $ 35,738,000 | $ 4,823,000 | ||
| Rhea County | $ 16,346,000 | $ 17,850,000 | $ 1,504,000 | ||
| Dayton City | $ 2,746,000 | $ 3,088,000 | $ 342,000 | ||
| Roane County | $ 26,855,000 | $ 29,302,000 | $ 2,447,000 | ||
| Robertson County | $ 38,212,000 | $ 42,369,000 | $ 4,157,000 | ||
| Rutherford County | $ 102,944,000 | $ 121,981,000 | $ 19,037,000 | ||
| Murfreesboro City | $ 20,991,000 | $ 24,895,000 | $ 3,904,000 | ||
| Scott County | $ 11,634,000 | $ 12,730,000 | $ 1,096,000 | ||
| Oneida SSD | $ 5,462,000 | $ 5,940,000 | $ 478,000 | ||
| Sequatchie County | $ 9,486,000 | $ 10,293,000 | $ 807,000 | ||
| Sevier County | $ 35,933,000 | $ 36,421,400 | $ 488,400 | ||
| Shelby County | $ 144,122,000 | $ 160,871,000 | $ 16,749,000 | ||
| Memphis City | $ 371,376,000 | $ 419,383,000 | $ 48,007,000 | ||
| Smith County | $ 12,465,000 | $ 14,073,000 | $ 1,608,000 | ||
| Stewart County | $ 9,580,000 | $ 10,607,000 | $ 1,027,000 | ||
| Sullivan County | $ 36,256,000 | $ 40,094,000 | $ 3,838,000 | ||
| Bristol City | $ 11,047,000 | $ 12,663,000 | $ 1,616,000 | ||
| Kingsport City | $ 18,605,000 | $ 20,895,000 | $ 2,290,000 | ||
| Sumner County | $ 88,229,000 | $ 98,948,000 | $ 10,719,000 | ||
| Tipton County | $ 48,606,000 | $ 53,092,000 | $ 4,486,000 | ||
| Trousdale County | $ 6,082,000 | $ 6,650,000 | $ 568,000 | ||
| Unicoi County | $ 9,933,000 | $ 10,975,000 | $ 1,042,000 | ||
| Union County | $ 14,741,000 | $ 15,599,000 | $ 858,000 | ||
| Van Buren County | $ 4,315,000 | $ 4,365,000 | $ 50,000 | ||
| Warren County | $ 22,803,000 | $ 25,833,000 | $ 3,030,000 | ||
| Washington County | $ 26,235,000 | $ 28,954,000 | $ 2,719,000 | ||
| Johnson City | $ 20,508,000 | $ 22,239,000 | $ 1,731,000 | ||
| Wayne County | $ 11,717,000 | $ 12,490,000 | $ 773,000 | ||
| Weakley County | $ 18,744,000 | $ 20,718,000 | $ 1,974,000 | ||
| White County | $ 16,184,000 | $ 17,490,000 | $ 1,306,000 | ||
| Williamson County | $ 68,267,000 | $ 76,565,000 | $ 8,298,000 | ||
| Franklin SSD | $ 11,442,000 | $ 11,862,000 | $ 420,000 | ||
| Wilson County | $ 43,313,000 | $ 48,266,000 | $ 4,953,000 | ||
| Lebanon SSD | $ 10,063,000 | $ 11,241,000 | $ 1,178,000 | ||
| Dept. of Children Services | $ 6,491,000 | $ 6,491,000 | |||
| Statewide Total | $ 3,081,701,000 | $ 3,428,300,000 | $ 346,599,000 | ||
More info on Sevierille investigation
Reporter Greg Johnson is doing a great job investigating the City of Sevierville and the lobbyist hired with taxpayer money. It is clear from Johnson's investigation that the lobbyist, in effect, became another branch of government, unaccountable to the citizens.
Link
Though Sevierville city officials deny any knowledge of or involvement in a bill that would have allowed liquor by the drink in Sevierville's Tourism Development Zone, at least some city officials knew about it as early as January. Though city officials expressed surprise that a last-days amendment on behalf of Sevierville was presented by Rep. Ulysses Jones, D-Memphis, to allow liquor in the city without a referendum, Sevierville's city administrator knew that was the plan before the Legislature convened.
Link
Though Sevierville city officials deny any knowledge of or involvement in a bill that would have allowed liquor by the drink in Sevierville's Tourism Development Zone, at least some city officials knew about it as early as January. Though city officials expressed surprise that a last-days amendment on behalf of Sevierville was presented by Rep. Ulysses Jones, D-Memphis, to allow liquor in the city without a referendum, Sevierville's city administrator knew that was the plan before the Legislature convened.
Memphis Taxpayer sues re private college donation
Here is hoping Dr. Entman wins his lawsuit, this would be a huge victory for Tennessee Taxpayers.
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A judge agreed to hear a lawsuit against LeMoyne-Owen College and the city of Memphis.
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A judge agreed to hear a lawsuit against LeMoyne-Owen College and the city of Memphis.
The suit is over $3 million dollars the city gave the college and one man wants your money back.
Howard Entman's fired up. He says he'll prove the city's using your tax money inappropriately.
But, the city appears just as fired up to prove its donation will reap a multi-million dollar reward for the public.
Local radiologist Howard Entman is paying an attorney to stop the city from donating $3 million to LeMoyne Owen College.
Major investigation of Sevierville Lobbyist
This is a fascinating article about a lobbyist for Sevierville and the attempt to get liquor by the drink attached to a tourist development zone bill and the involvement of a developer who owns 1,000 acres inside the TDZ. There is a strong indication that Mayor and Aldermen broke the open meetings law: "The next day the mayor submitted a letter indicating city support after he consulted aldermen by phone."
The lobbyist is quoted as saying "I always wait till the end of a legislative session before quietly massaging legislation of this nature through the process."
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Bishop said he and Atchley were in Nashville May 22 to speak to legislators about another bill. Developer Jim Calkin, who owns about 1,000 acres in the TDZ, including the land around the Events Center, asked them that day if there was any way to get liquor by the drink approved in the zone.
That was why they asked Biddle about it, Bishop said.
Atchley also said the liquor discussion started at Calkin's request, and that Calkin also had lobbyists working on it.
Biddle and Bishop admit that before the session started in January they discussed how a bill involving the sale of liquor by the drink might be handled, leading Biddle to include comments about the matter in a letter he attached to his January invoice to the city.
"As to consideration of authorizing 'spirits' within a specified development area, we will have around till the end of April to decide exactly the 'if's, how's, and when's,'" the letter said. "I always wait till the end of a legislative session before quietly massaging legislation of this nature through the process."
The lobbyist is quoted as saying "I always wait till the end of a legislative session before quietly massaging legislation of this nature through the process."
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Bishop said he and Atchley were in Nashville May 22 to speak to legislators about another bill. Developer Jim Calkin, who owns about 1,000 acres in the TDZ, including the land around the Events Center, asked them that day if there was any way to get liquor by the drink approved in the zone.
That was why they asked Biddle about it, Bishop said.
Atchley also said the liquor discussion started at Calkin's request, and that Calkin also had lobbyists working on it.
Biddle and Bishop admit that before the session started in January they discussed how a bill involving the sale of liquor by the drink might be handled, leading Biddle to include comments about the matter in a letter he attached to his January invoice to the city.
"As to consideration of authorizing 'spirits' within a specified development area, we will have around till the end of April to decide exactly the 'if's, how's, and when's,'" the letter said. "I always wait till the end of a legislative session before quietly massaging legislation of this nature through the process."
No marriage and No refund on vasectomy
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SALT LAKE CITY (AP) - Lost love carries no refund, even if you have a receipt. The Utah Court of Appeals rejected an ex-fiance's request to recover thousands of dollars spent during his engagement on a vasectomy, a cruise to Alaska, a trip to France and other purchases.
Layne D. Hess sued Jody Johnston after she returned an engagement ring to him in April 2005 and called off a wedding planned for that summer.
Hess accused her of unjust enrichment and breach of contract, claiming he spent the money because of their upcoming marriage.
Govt can't give away our money fast enough
And much of the money that is being successfully "dished out" is used to militarize our local police...an awful trend.
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Almost $5 billion of $16.04 billion in grants approved by Congress for states and the District of Columbia from fiscal 2002 to 2007 remains in federal coffers, according to Homeland Security Department budget figures. That's fueled concerns in Congress that the federal government has been dishing out money faster than state and local governments can spend it.
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Almost $5 billion of $16.04 billion in grants approved by Congress for states and the District of Columbia from fiscal 2002 to 2007 remains in federal coffers, according to Homeland Security Department budget figures. That's fueled concerns in Congress that the federal government has been dishing out money faster than state and local governments can spend it.
In Indiana, 27.3 percent of the $272 million in federal anti-terrorism money awarded to the state remains unspent, second most in the region.
"Why put billions more dollars in the hopper when it's full already?" asks Rep. Hal Rogers, R-Ky., the top Republican on the House Homeland Security appropriations subcommittee.
Spring Hill Property taxes stay at $0.0
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SPRING HILL — A $20.5 million budget got its final approval recently and members of the Board of Mayor and Aldermen were pleased to note there was no property tax increase.
"In case the audience don't know, the tax rate is zero," Alderman Miles Johnson announced at the June 18 meeting.
West Va Food tax drops to 4%
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If you're a real penny pincher, you might want to wait until Sunday to go grocery shopping in West Virginia.
If you're a real penny pincher, you might want to wait until Sunday to go grocery shopping in West Virginia.
That's when the state sales tax on food drops to 4 percent from the existing 5 percent.
In another year, it will fall an additional percentage point to 3 percent under one of Gov. Joe Manchin's many tax reform initiatives.
Complete Texas Spending Transparency
A new Texas law will require all state expenditures to be listed online in detail. GREAT IDEA!!! Tennessee owes its taxpayers the same level of disclosure.
Here is the Texas site.
Here is the site for Texas A&M University
Here is the Texas site.
Here is the site for Texas A&M University
For the ladies - a website of WealthyMen.Com
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Wealthy Men is the one and only online personals site dedicated to those men & women seeking a higher caliber online dating experience.
Wealthy Men is the one and only online personals site dedicated to those men & women seeking a higher caliber online dating experience.
Cigarette taxes to triple Sunday
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The Legislature also passed a law that says by Sunday, smoking inside public buildings like restaurants and workplaces is not allowed.
The Legislature also passed a law that says by Sunday, smoking inside public buildings like restaurants and workplaces is not allowed.
According to the Tennessee Department of Revenue, retailers can sell cigarettes for whatever price they want, but by law they have to give the state a cut from each pack, which will go up to 62 cents on Sunday.
But that's just on cigarettes, not on cigars or chewing tobacco.
Columbia Tax HIKE
Link
The City Council may still vote to raise the city's tax rate at least 10 cents despite city staff discovering a $129,000 surplus from sales tax revenue.
The City Council may still vote to raise the city's tax rate at least 10 cents despite city staff discovering a $129,000 surplus from sales tax revenue.
A new option for Jackson Parents
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"We are very excited about offering a new private school option to Madison and surrounding counties," Board Chairman Robert J. Edwards said in the release. "It fills a need for many people who have wanted more options for education in the area."
"We are very excited about offering a new private school option to Madison and surrounding counties," Board Chairman Robert J. Edwards said in the release. "It fills a need for many people who have wanted more options for education in the area."
The secular school will offer a modified school year, with nine weeks of core curriculum followed by two weeks of enrichment. There will be a six-week break during the summer; however, the school will offer a recreational camp during that time.
Lobbyists and Lawmakers Audits
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Yesterday, Mark Greene was serving one of his clients, the Tennessee Lobbyist Association, by observing the agency that oversees lobbyists, the Tennessee Ethics Commission, during its meeting. Then, for the first time since its creation, the ethics commission was conducting a random, electronic selection of 11 of the 538 registered lobbyists to be audited.
He joined other "lucky" notables including Ralph Schulz, president of the Nashville Area Chamber of Commerce, and Johnny Hayes, a longtime Democratic Party fundraiser and national campaign finance chairman for Vice President Al Gore's presidential campaign in 2000.
Greene, one of the handful of lobbyists attending the meeting, had jokingly remarked that he had a 98 percent chance of not being selected, which he — like most — considered pretty good.
But the computer thought otherwise as it picked No. 191 — Greene's number.
Greene muttered an expletive and jokingly yelled out to the commission that he wanted to go "double or nothing."
"I'm finished," Greene quipped later to reporters. "Just take me straight to jail."
[...]
The Registry of Election Finance randomly selected the candidates for the state Senate District 17, which included the winner, Sen. Mae Beavers (R-Mount Juliet) and Democrats Bob Rochelle and Aubrey Givens. Two other state representatives, Reps. John Tidwell (D-New Johnsonville) Steve McManus (R-Memphis) as well as McManus' opponent's campaign accounts will also be audited.
In addition, 18 legislators who had non-itemized contributions on their campaign disclosure accounts of $5,000 or more will also be automatically audited. Rep. Brenda Gilmore (D-Nashville) is one of those 18.
Hamblen Cnty Property TAX HIKE
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The Hamblen County Commission is set to vote Thursday on a 10-cent increase in the county tax rate.
The Hamblen County Commission is set to vote Thursday on a 10-cent increase in the county tax rate.
Wednesday, June 27, 2007
Presidential web site traffic analysis
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Hillary Clinton overtook Barack Obama in May, John Edwards and Rudy Giuliani held steady and Ron Paul rocketed from fifth place to first. That's according to Hitwise data showing the ebb and flow of traffic to the official sites of the Democratic and Republican presidential primary candidates.
US union organizers make China redder?
As the post title says, this is not a parody.
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But China's communist revolution has gone off the rails, David-Friedman adds. The party "has divorced itself, tragically, from allowing itself to be led by the needs of workers," she adds. But maybe, in some small measure, these Vermont Progressives can help put the world's largest country back on the track toward socialism.
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But China's communist revolution has gone off the rails, David-Friedman adds. The party "has divorced itself, tragically, from allowing itself to be led by the needs of workers," she adds. But maybe, in some small measure, these Vermont Progressives can help put the world's largest country back on the track toward socialism.
Lobbyists concerned about audit
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The Tennessee Ethics Commission randomly selected 11 lobbyists today for an audit- the first since the commission's creation.
The nine-month-old entity is required to audit a minimum of two percent of registered lobbyists every year, but the commission could change the number in the future.
Tennessee Lobbyists Association president Mark Greene was at the meeting when the 11 were announced. Greene's name is on the list. He says lobbyists are concerned about how detailed an account the commission wants.
Owner says PUB an embassy to defy smoking ban
LinkFor pub-goers who enjoy a cigarette with their drink, next week's ban will make England a very different place.
So one landlord has claims to have found a loophole to fight the new law - by declaring his pub to be part of a different country.
The Wellington Arms in Southampton is set to transform itself from a public house into the official embassy for a tiny Caribbean island.
Get Grandpa's FBI file
You can generate an order letter for the FBI file of any deceased person HERE.
Why do people start a business? FREEDOM!
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* 46% of owners started a small business to have more flexibility with their time or to be more independent. Just 19% cited making more money as their main reason.
* 61% would still choose independence over working for someone else -– even for more money than they make now.
* 64% of owners agree it's riskier to run a business than to work for a large company.
East Ridge Speaks out against Tax Hike
A community speaks out against a mayor's idea to raise property taxes. East Ridge is facing a million dollar budget deficit, putting them in a financial crisis.
Folks in East Ridge demanded a meeting with city officials to discuss the possibility of a property tax hike in order to make up the city's shortfall. In a fiery exchange, folks made it clear they won't stand for higher taxes.
"Myself and others like us will be moving if East Ridge will not be able to grow and thrive," one taxpayer said. Folks in East Ridge spoke up against the mayor's idea to raise property taxes at least forty-cents. "Listen folks, I love ya, I love ya, but listen to yourself, you're applauding, what could the city have done?" the mayor said.
A lack of industry is just one factor limiting the city's revenue. "You have to learn to live on what you've got, sometimes you have to cut though, we do in a home and we do in a city," said taxpayer, Fraces Pope.
Cheatham Cnty Tax HIKE
I must have missed something...did Cheatham County Taxpayers get a 10% raise??? And why is the county Mayor paying people based on need instead of how well they serve the taxpayers?
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ASHLAND CITY — Cheatham County's draft budget for 2007-08 includes 10 percent average raises for county employees, but County Mayor Bill Orange said that would require a tax increase.
Orange told commissioners last week that the salary adjustments for county employees were intended to make Cheatham competitive with other counties — or at least try to.
"It's a good step," he said. "The people who make the least will get the highest increase."
Boston Bureaucratic Ballot Boondogle
Link
Mitt Romney could be read as Sticky or Uncooked Rice, Fred Thompson as Virtue Soup, and Tom Menino? Rainbow farmer -- or worse.
Mitt Romney could be read as Sticky or Uncooked Rice, Fred Thompson as Virtue Soup, and Tom Menino? Rainbow farmer -- or worse.
That's one translation of their names into Chinese, according to Secretary of State William F. Galvin, and if the US Justice Department's voting rights division has its way, that is how they could appear on many Boston ballots in 2008.
Under a 2005 agreement, which Galvin is now challenging in court, the federal government required Boston to translate election ballots -- including the candidates' names -- into Chinese characters in precincts with prominent Chinese-speaking populations.
Referendum could halt Bible park privilege tax
theme Park Opposition web site
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The bill was approved after developers announced they wanted to build the $150 million to $200 million Bible Park USA on 280 acres in the Blackman community to the west of Murfreesboro.
Gov. Phil Bredesen has signed the privilege tax into law.
The approval of the privilege tax on the local front requires that the 21-member County Commission pass a resolution by a two-thirds vote on two consecutive readings.
The legislation also allows for a referendum if 10 percent of qualified voters who voted in the last gubernatorial election file a petition with the county's Election Commission within 30 days of final approval of the resolution.
Rutherford County had 62,334 residents vote in the governor's election last November, meaning 6,233 of those voters must sign the petition to force a referendum on the issue.
"We would like to stop it before it gets that far," said Joe Dassaro, a Blackman area resident who has launched a Web site dedicated to preventing the theme park from being built.
Challenging the Fire Tax in Shelby Cnty
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Rural north Shelby County residents who successfully thwarted future annexation by Memphis may take aim at a fire tax proposed for unincorporated areas of the county.
The Rural Action Group, which in 2003 won a three-year legal and political fight to protect Shelby Forest residents from urban growth, will consider mounting a challenge to a fire tax proposed to finance emergency fire and ambulance services.
Tuesday, June 26, 2007
Voters Reject Health Tax
in Escambia County Florida....by greater margin than 3 years earlier.
Link
Escambia County voters today resoundingly rejected a proposed half-percent sales tax increase to fund basic medical care and checkups for thousands of uninsured county residents.
About 10 precincts have yet to report, but the referendum is all but decided with nearly 65 percent of voters saying no to the proposal.
"Obviously, there are a lot of people out there concerned about tax issues," said David Sjoberg, a Baptist Health Care executive who helped promote the tax plan. "There are a lot of people legitimately concerned about taxes."
It's the second time in less than three years the tax proposal failed at the polls.
The previous time occurred in November 2004, when the outcome was 55 percent opposed to the tax and 45 percent who favored the tax.
Link
Escambia County voters today resoundingly rejected a proposed half-percent sales tax increase to fund basic medical care and checkups for thousands of uninsured county residents.
About 10 precincts have yet to report, but the referendum is all but decided with nearly 65 percent of voters saying no to the proposal.
"Obviously, there are a lot of people out there concerned about tax issues," said David Sjoberg, a Baptist Health Care executive who helped promote the tax plan. "There are a lot of people legitimately concerned about taxes."
It's the second time in less than three years the tax proposal failed at the polls.
The previous time occurred in November 2004, when the outcome was 55 percent opposed to the tax and 45 percent who favored the tax.
Marxism: "Its something like fiction"
Link
Classes in Marxist philosophy have been compulsory in Chinese schools since not long after the 1949 communist revolution. They remain enshrined in the national education law, Article 3 of which states: "In developing the socialist educational undertakings, the state shall uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Tse-tung Thought and the theories of constructing socialism with Chinese characteristics as directives and comply with the basic principles of the Constitution."
But today's China is, in some respects, less socialistic than much of Western Europe, with a moth-eaten social safety net and a wild free-market economy. Students in almost any urban Chinese school can look out their classroom windows and see just about everything but socialism being constructed: high-rise office buildings, shopping malls, movie theaters, luxury apartment buildings, fast-food restaurants, hotels, factories — the whole capitalist panorama.
IT seems an understatement to say that there's a disconnect between reality and what the students are learning about Marx and Mao, who held that capitalism would inevitably and naturally give way to communism.
"Compared to my normal opinions about the world … it's something like fiction," said Du Zimu, one of Liu's classmates.
Classes in Marxist philosophy have been compulsory in Chinese schools since not long after the 1949 communist revolution. They remain enshrined in the national education law, Article 3 of which states: "In developing the socialist educational undertakings, the state shall uphold Marxism-Leninism, Mao Tse-tung Thought and the theories of constructing socialism with Chinese characteristics as directives and comply with the basic principles of the Constitution."
But today's China is, in some respects, less socialistic than much of Western Europe, with a moth-eaten social safety net and a wild free-market economy. Students in almost any urban Chinese school can look out their classroom windows and see just about everything but socialism being constructed: high-rise office buildings, shopping malls, movie theaters, luxury apartment buildings, fast-food restaurants, hotels, factories — the whole capitalist panorama.
IT seems an understatement to say that there's a disconnect between reality and what the students are learning about Marx and Mao, who held that capitalism would inevitably and naturally give way to communism.
"Compared to my normal opinions about the world … it's something like fiction," said Du Zimu, one of Liu's classmates.
Cash on hand 3-31-07 TN Candidates
Link
| CANDIDATE NAME | DIST | NET RECEIPTS | NET DISB | CASH | DEBT | THROUGH |
| ALEXANDER, LAMAR | SEN | $711,139 | $134,552 | $816,477 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| BRYANT, EDWARD G | SEN | $17,158 | $20,303 | $0 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| CORKER, ROBERT P JR | SEN | $553,645 | $751,281 | $38,883 | $5,941,359 | 03/31/2007 |
| FORD, HAROLD E JR | SEN | $82,289 | $119,002 | $39,337 | $123,600 | 03/31/2007 |
| HILLEARY, WILLIAM V | SEN | $390 | $2,365 | $8,978 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| KURITA, ROSALIND | SEN | $0 | $980 | $160,836 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| BARNETT, PEGGY PARKER | 1 | $0 | $0 | $42 | $0 | 02/28/2007 |
| BRACKETT, COLQUITT (C.P.) | 1 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 03/02/2007 |
| JENKINS, WILLIAM L | 1 | $300 | $4,182 | $105,860 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| REEVES, JAMES WILLIAM | 1 | $117 | $141 | $94 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| ROBERTS, RICHARD H | 1 | $44,700 | $44,700 | $762 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| ROE, DAVID PHILIP | 1 | $0 | $0 | $2,196 | $90,000 | 03/31/2007 |
| TRENT, RICKY LYNN | 1 | $0 | $1,114 | $10 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| VENABLE, RICHARD S | 1 | $0 | $22,887 | $0 | $267,112 | 03/31/2007 |
| WATERS, JAMES LARRY | 1 | $0 | $276 | $-2,601 | $19,287 | 03/31/2007 |
| BENEDICT, BRENT HOWARD | 3 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 05/08/2007 |
| STULCE, TERRY F | 3 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| WAMP, ZACH | 3 | $78,658 | $122,482 | $683,845 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| WOLFE, JOHN M JR | 3 | $60 | $60 | $12,920 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| DAVIS, LINCOLN EDWARD | 4 | $38,173 | $50,323 | $18,884 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| PEDIGO, ALAN | 4 | $0 | $0 | $27,406 | $25,000 | 03/31/2007 |
| GORDON, BARTON JENNINGS | 6 | $9,973 | $65,288 | $383,547 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| KUSTOFF, DAVID | 7 | $13 | $0 | $2,552 | $311,000 | 03/31/2007 |
| MORRISON, WILLIAM LLOYD | 7 | $0 | $156 | $2,257 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| NORRIS, MARK | 7 | $0 | $0 | $4,183 | $122,641 | 03/31/2007 |
| TAYLOR, BRENT | 7 | $0 | $0 | $35 | $21,100 | 03/31/2007 |
| TANNER, JOHN S. | 8 | $155,241 | $59,543 | $931,371 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| BENNETT, DERRICK | 9 | $4,342 | $4,636 | $0 | $9,631 | 03/31/2007 |
| BOLTON, JULIAN TAYLOR | 9 | $0 | $86 | $416 | $161,993 | 03/31/2007 |
| COHEN, STEVE | 9 | $44,605 | $8,336 | $165,208 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| FORD, HAROLD JR | 9 | $82,289 | $119,002 | $39,337 | $123,600 | 03/31/2007 |
| FORD, NEWTON JAKE | 9 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $1,100 | 03/31/2007 |
| KYLES, JOSEPH B | 9 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| MITCHELL, MARVELL R | 9 | $0 | $0 | $28 | $35,300 | 03/31/2007 |
| STANTON III, EDWARD L | 9 | $0 | $106 | $0 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| WHITE, HOYT (MARK) | 9 | $0 | $156 | $73 | $150,259 | 03/31/2007 |
| WHITE, RALPH | 9 | $0 | $0 | $0 | $0 | 03/31/2007 |
| COOPER, JAMES H. S. | 5 | $4,680 | $26,998 | $43,659 | $50,000 | 03/31/2007 |
New law dictates pay hike for TN cnty officials
I wonder if Sen. Southerland will sponsor a bill next year mandating that the family budgets of taxpayers increase by the same percentage??
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Sen. Southerland sponsored the amendment to change the law making annual salary increases for county officials the same across the state.
"Some of the larger counties were only getting a .6 percent raise," he said. "They weren't even getting a full one percent.
The smaller counties were getting whatever the state employees were getting. This allows the larger counties to get the same as everyone else in the state. It evens the playing field."
British docs admit truth about socialized medicine
They are finally saying the dreaded "r" word. Government run Health care is Rationed in the UK.
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Patients have voiced anger that new, but expensive, treatments are denied them on the NHS.
In some cases they are available in Scotland, while patients in England go without.
Alex Smallwood, from the BMA's junior doctors' committee, told the meeting in Torquay it needed to be accepted that rationing must take place in the NHS, but this had to be done much more openly.
"It is no longer possible to provide all the latest to absolutely everybody without notable detriment to others," he said.
Knox Cnty gives away $8.2 mil of taxpayer money
This tax break is for Condos!!! This is getting really ridiculous!! I say again...the next time anyone wants to build a house in Knox County, call the Mayor and tell him you will NOT build your house in Knox County unless you can use your property tax money to pay off your mortgage, otherwise you will build your house in another county. If this type of tax break is good for a downtown condo it ought to be good for anyone building a home in Knox Cnty.
Who will pay for the govt services that these condo owners use? YOU WILL!!!!!
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Commissioners approved the tax break 15-3 after lengthy debate over the tax-increment financing package proposed by Mayor Mike Ragsdale's administration.
Who will pay for the govt services that these condo owners use? YOU WILL!!!!!
Link
Commissioners approved the tax break 15-3 after lengthy debate over the tax-increment financing package proposed by Mayor Mike Ragsdale's administration.
Tax-increment financing, or TIF, generally allows additional property tax revenue generated by a project to be used for paying debt on the project.
Some commissioners worried about giving a break to high-dollar downtown real estate.
"I'd love to see this project. Those condos would sell for half a million," said Commissioner Frank Leuthold, but "I don't think people living in $100,000 or $200,000 homes appreciate subsidizing condos downtown. I don't think this is the appropriate use of the TIF program."
Those taxing occupancy taxes
In Texas
Those hotel occupancy taxes in Texas' big cities are so high they'll give you a nosebleed. Example: My $279 stay at the lovely Granduca Hotel in Houston a few days ago carried $46.93 in occupancy tax: That's 6 percent for the great State of Texas, 7 percent for the city, 2 percent for Harris County and another 2 percent for the Houston-Harris County Sports Authority, the entity that builds stadiums. That little sports tax pushed Houston's total to 17 percent, inching past San Antonio's 16.75 percent. Dallas sits at 15 percent. If the Cowboys had wound up there instead of deciding to build a new stadium in Arlington, my guess is that we travelers would be ponying up for that, too.
I know, I know: Anyone who can afford a $280 hotel room can probably handle nearly $50 in taxes on it. It's still irksome.
Monday, June 25, 2007
Gov Bredesen: Will you be accountable? Part 4
Rhetoric is cheap. In fact it is completely worthless. Governor Bredesen's statement below was made at a signing ceremony in Chattanooga. It is more of the same rhetoric we have heard before.
When will the Governor tell us HOW he will "hold their feet to the fire?" He sure as heck will hold taxpayers accountable for paying the $500 million, the State Department of Revenue will see to that. BUT HOW will he hold the education bureaucracy accountable and when will he tell us if they have failed or succeeded? The taxpayers of Tennessee deserve to know specifics. Enough with the empty rhetoric. We have heard it all before, again and again ad nausem.
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"We want to, on the one hand, make sure we're providing money for needs," said Gov. Bredesen. "But also hold their feet to the fire."
"To whom much is given, much is expected," said Dr. Scales. "So we wouldn't expect to receive any money from the state without tying it to accountability. To increase achievement level of our students, that's what it's all about."
When will the Governor tell us HOW he will "hold their feet to the fire?" He sure as heck will hold taxpayers accountable for paying the $500 million, the State Department of Revenue will see to that. BUT HOW will he hold the education bureaucracy accountable and when will he tell us if they have failed or succeeded? The taxpayers of Tennessee deserve to know specifics. Enough with the empty rhetoric. We have heard it all before, again and again ad nausem.
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"We want to, on the one hand, make sure we're providing money for needs," said Gov. Bredesen. "But also hold their feet to the fire."
"To whom much is given, much is expected," said Dr. Scales. "So we wouldn't expect to receive any money from the state without tying it to accountability. To increase achievement level of our students, that's what it's all about."
Procrastination: we can deal with it
says Psychology Today. (A bit of break through for Psychology Today also.)
- Twenty percent of people identify themselves as chronic procrastinators. For them procrastination is a lifestyle, albeit a maladaptive one. And it cuts across all domains of their life. They don't pay bills on time. They miss opportunities for buying tickets to concerts. They don't cash gift certificates or checks. They file income tax returns late. They leave their Christmas shopping until Christmas eve.
- It's not trivial, although as a culture we don't take it seriously as a problem. It represents a profound problem of self-regulation. And there may be more of it in the U.S. than in other countries because we are so nice; we don't call people on their excuses ("my grandmother died last week") even when we don't believe them.
- Procrastination is not a problem of time management or of planning. Procrastinators are not different in their ability to estimate time, although they are more optimistic than others. "Telling someone who procrastinates to buy a weekly planner is like telling someone with chronic depression to just cheer up," insists Dr. Ferrari.
- Procrastinators are made not born. Procrastination is learned in the family milieu, but not directly. It is one response to an authoritarian parenting style. Having a harsh, controlling father keeps children from developing the ability to regulate themselves, from internalizing their own intentions and then learning to act on them. Procrastination can even be a form of rebellion, one of the few forms available under such circumstances. What's more, under those household conditions, procrastinators turn more to friends than to parents for support, and their friends may reinforce procrastination because they tend to be tolerant of their excuses.
- Procrastination predicts higher levels of consumption of alcohol among those people who drink. Procrastinators drink more than they intend to—a manifestation of generalized problems in self-regulation. That is over and above the effect of avoidant coping styles that underlie procrastination and lead to disengagement via substance abuse.
- Procrastinators tell lies to themselves. Such as, "I'll feel more like doing this tomorrow." Or "I work best under pressure." But in fact they do not get the urge the next day or work best under pressure. In addition, they protect their sense of self by saying "this isn't important." Another big lie procrastinators indulge is that time pressure makes them more creative. Unfortunately they do not turn out to be more creative; they only feel that way. They squander their resources.
- Procrastinators actively look for distractions, particularly ones that don't take a lot of commitment on their part. Checking e-mail is almost perfect for this purpose. They distract themselves as a way of regulating their emotions such as fear of failure.
- There's more than one flavor of procrastination. People procrastinate for different reasons. Dr. Ferrari identifies three basic types of procrastinators:
- arousal types, or thrill-seekers, who wait to the last minute for the euphoric rush.
- avoiders, who may be avoiding fear of failure or even fear of success, but in either case are very concerned with what others think of them; they would rather have others think they lack effort than ability.
- decisional procrastinators, who cannot make a decision. Not making a decision absolves procrastinators of responsibility for the outcome of events.
- There are big costs to procrastination. Health is one. Just over the course of a single academic term, procrastinating college students had such evidence of compromised immune systems as more colds and flu, more gastrointestinal problems. And they had insomnia. In addition, procrastination has a high cost to others as well as oneself; it shifts the burden of responsibilities onto others, who become resentful. Procrastination destroys teamwork in the workplace and private relationships.
- Procrastinators can change their behavior—but doing so consumes a lot of psychic energy. And it doesn't necessarily mean one feels transformed internally. It can be done with highly structured cognitive behavioral therapy.
Free markets really put a crimp in Chavez's style
Its just so hard being a totalitarian dictator these days. The damned capitalists (anybody with savings) just move their capital to a more productive place.
Link
South Florida is a prime destination as Venezuelans rush to move their money out of the reach of Hugo Chávez. Capital flight from Caracas is nothing new: Venezuelans have been channeling funds north for decades as they have hedged their bets against economic instability. Nearly every real estate agent has an anecdote about a Venezuelan whipping out a fancy pen to write a check for a condo facing Biscayne Bay. But the pace of the outflow is picking up. As many as 100,000 Venezuelans now live in South Florida, and their numbers are rising.
Link
South Florida is a prime destination as Venezuelans rush to move their money out of the reach of Hugo Chávez. Capital flight from Caracas is nothing new: Venezuelans have been channeling funds north for decades as they have hedged their bets against economic instability. Nearly every real estate agent has an anecdote about a Venezuelan whipping out a fancy pen to write a check for a condo facing Biscayne Bay. But the pace of the outflow is picking up. As many as 100,000 Venezuelans now live in South Florida, and their numbers are rising.
Farmers love subsidies, Docs luv restraint of trade
Lobbyists everywhere are salivating at the prospect of getting a piece of this action. Wal-Mart and CVS are opening LOTS of very convenient "minute" clinics that will bring down the cost of health care.
Do the docs accept this new competitive challenge and ramp up services and more convenience for customers? Of course not, they try to use government to put the new clinics OUT OF BUSINESS.
Link
"There is no more urgent issue than this for the AMA," Dr. Kamran Hashemi, a family physician from South Barrington, said, urging the organization to push for more regulation of retail clinics. "This issue speaks to what all of us do every day in practice." If the AMA does nothing, Hashemi said, "in five years, the chairs [at the AMA] meeting will be filled with representatives from Walgreens, Wal-Mart" and other retail outlets.
Do the docs accept this new competitive challenge and ramp up services and more convenience for customers? Of course not, they try to use government to put the new clinics OUT OF BUSINESS.
Link
"There is no more urgent issue than this for the AMA," Dr. Kamran Hashemi, a family physician from South Barrington, said, urging the organization to push for more regulation of retail clinics. "This issue speaks to what all of us do every day in practice." If the AMA does nothing, Hashemi said, "in five years, the chairs [at the AMA] meeting will be filled with representatives from Walgreens, Wal-Mart" and other retail outlets.
14 yr old home school investment company mgr
Brandon and his crew are hardly the first teenage market junkies to come along, but their story suggests that some child investors are now hitting a new level of sophistication, and, sometimes, obsession. Brandon has taken on many of the conventions of a professional investment fund. He and his staff are raising money from outside investors, developing relationships with companies, and even speaking up at shareholder meetings. He even shorted some stocks right before a February stock-market decline.
Brandon got the idea to start the fund in November when he took a financial-literacy course. As part of the program, he and other students had to develop their own business plans. One student wanted to open a skateboard shop. Brandon, who became interested in markets with a virtual-reality game called Neopets and was setting up mock stock portfolios by the age of 12, wanted to start his own investment fund. "It blew me away," says Jay Ellis, a regional manager of Washington Mutual in Manhattan and the course instructor.
More on Federal salaries in Tennessee
The average Federal worker in Tennessee makes $57,371 vs $35,859 for the average private sector worker. HERE is the table.
Click HERE is a list of all federal workers in Tennessee with salaries and a breakdown by county.
Click HERE is a list of all federal workers in Tennessee with salaries and a breakdown by county.
Fed Govt workers make 50% more than taxpayers
From USAToday
Also interesting the article points to a database of most federal employees and salaries :
Federal workers, on average, are paid almost 50% more than employees in the private sector, an Asbury Park Press analysis of salary data shows.
The average federal worker made $59,864 in 2005, compared with the average salary of $40,505 in the private sector, according to the latest data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.
And that pay gap appears to have widened in the first nine months of 2006.
Also interesting the article points to a database of most federal employees and salaries :
Are we FREE?
Op/ed from OCRegister:
Link
Every few years, I write a column that updates the erosion of our freedoms. It mostly deals with simple, everyday stuff, but it's rather telling. Here is my latest installment:
Link
Every few years, I write a column that updates the erosion of our freedoms. It mostly deals with simple, everyday stuff, but it's rather telling. Here is my latest installment:
If I want to build a new house, I need to petition any number of government agencies and commissions, and can build only what they allow. Those agencies decide not only if my project conforms to some basic, easily understood rules, but whether it conforms to their own preferences regarding style, color, historical influences, size, number of stories, and so forth. If I ever want to add on or improve that house, I must wait until a government inspector approves it. If I am a developer, and want to build a larger number of properties on a site, I must fight for years to get approvals – and usually the final project will bear little resemblance in style or design to my original vision.
If I want to start a new business, I not only will have to pay a large portion of any earnings to the government, but I must first get all the necessary approvals from myriad governments. I must pay my employees a minimum rate determined by the government. They may only work the number of hours set by the government. If it's a restaurant or business that serves the public, I must get a conditional-use permit – a long list of conditions that micromanage exactly how I run the place, from the hours to the number of tables, based on the whims of the commissioners who must approve the business.
The government can, at any time, take my home or business and give it to someone else if officials, for any reason, prefer the new use to my use. The government can, at its discretion, steal all the value from my property by declaring it a wetland or by finding on it some "endangered" rodent or other species. No compensation need be paid as long as I still have any use of the land.
The government's officers can launch a "no-knock" raid of my home (if they get a tip about, say, a drug deal) and can shoot and kill me if they say that they viewed me as a threat. Abusive federal agents or local police officers can, by law in California, keep all their disciplinary records secret. Those same agents can arrest me and throw me in jail for decades for possessing those "drugs" that the government determines to be illegal. Meanwhile, the government maintains files on all my personal and financial data and will use them to assure that I pay the amount of taxes the government determines that I must pay.
If I refuse to pay the full amount, I will become a ward of one of the biggest growth industries in the country: the government-run prison system. I am free to pay about half of all my earnings to the government, which will use those taxes to erect a multitude of offices and pay its workers salaries and benefits that are far more than most of us will ever earn. The government's "child protective services" workers are free to take anyone's children away from them based on their discretion. Parents are then forced into a totally secret court system, in which they must prove their innocence rather than having the government being forced to prove guilt.
Sunshine and Citizen Journalism in China
The internet is shifting the balance of power from government to individual citizens everywhere.
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"The phenomenon of 'citizen journalism' suddenly arrived several years ago," said Beijing-based dissident Liu Xiaobo, who was one of the student leaders of the 1989 Tiananmen democracy protests.
"Since the appearance of blogs in particular, every blog is a new platform for the spread of information."
He cited the example of a couple in the southwestern city of Chongqing who became known as the "Stubborn Nails" in April because they refused to leave their home until they received adequate compensation from the property developer who wanted them out.
They quickly became household names in China -- and symbols of resistance against greedy land developers and corrupt local authorities -- mainly thanks to Internet postings.
"That case was first revealed through blogs," Liu said.
Burden of taxation MUCH higher
Paying high taxes is just the start. This new study by The Joint Committee says the deadweight loss, in addtition to the actual amount of taxes, may be as high as 40%. In other words, for every $100 you pay in taxes there is a cost of $40 because of administrative costs, compliance costs, and the reduction in economic growth.
TaxProf Blog Link
Overall cost of taxation. The overall economic cost of the federal tax system above and beyond tax collections arises from three sources:
1. Administrative costs are the expenses that the U.S. government incurs in devising, administering, and enforcing its tax laws. In fiscal year 2006, the Internal Revenue Service spent $10.7 billion, or 0.5 percent of federal tax receipts.
2. Compliance costs are the value of time and the out-of-pocket expenses that individuals and firms must shoulder to learn tax requirements, keep records, and prepare returns, including accounting and legal fees. In 1999, compliance costs were estimated to be $100 billion, or about 9.4 percent of federal income tax receipts.1
3. Excess burden or deadweight loss is the reduction in potential output or economic welfare that occurs when taxes distort behavior. High marginal tax rates:
- discourage individuals from working and firms from undertaking investments that would increase GDP;
- cause individuals and firms to arrange their transactions in ways that minimize tax payments even though these arrangements may reduce GDP; and
- prompt individuals to increase their consumption of less valuable goods and
TaxProf Blog Link
Overall cost of taxation. The overall economic cost of the federal tax system above and beyond tax collections arises from three sources:
1. Administrative costs are the expenses that the U.S. government incurs in devising, administering, and enforcing its tax laws. In fiscal year 2006, the Internal Revenue Service spent $10.7 billion, or 0.5 percent of federal tax receipts.
2. Compliance costs are the value of time and the out-of-pocket expenses that individuals and firms must shoulder to learn tax requirements, keep records, and prepare returns, including accounting and legal fees. In 1999, compliance costs were estimated to be $100 billion, or about 9.4 percent of federal income tax receipts.1
3. Excess burden or deadweight loss is the reduction in potential output or economic welfare that occurs when taxes distort behavior. High marginal tax rates:
- discourage individuals from working and firms from undertaking investments that would increase GDP;
- cause individuals and firms to arrange their transactions in ways that minimize tax payments even though these arrangements may reduce GDP; and
- prompt individuals to increase their consumption of less valuable goods and
Addicted to the taxpayer's money
"Addiction experts" apparently are re-considering their conclusion that video games are an addiction. Not for long. Here is a prediction for you....within the year these same experts will reconsider and video games will become a taxpayer money reimbursable medical malady.
There is just too much taxpayer money at stake to leave this pseudo affliction off the list. Can you imagine all the family counselors and psychologists and psychiatrists who stand to collect big bucks. I am sure there is a lobbyist in DC already writing the regs.
Link
There is just too much taxpayer money at stake to leave this pseudo affliction off the list. Can you imagine all the family counselors and psychologists and psychiatrists who stand to collect big bucks. I am sure there is a lobbyist in DC already writing the regs.
Link
CHICAGO (Reuters) - Doctors backed away on Sunday from a controversial proposal to designate video game addiction as a mental disorder akin to alcoholism, saying psychiatrists should study the issue more.
Addiction experts also strongly opposed the idea at a debate at the American Medical Association's annual meeting.
They said more study is needed before excessive use of video and online games -- a problem that affects about 10 percent of players -- could be considered a mental illness.
Beanbags and Bureaucratic nonsense
Ok here is the deal, the sea lions are eating the salmon. The sea lions are protected so you can't thin the herd so what do the bureaucratic geniuses at the Dept of Agriculture come up with to solve this problem? Why of course, you shoot the sea lions with bean bags:
Link
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"I got one on the back of the neck with a beanbag and he didn't even drop the fish he was eating," said Schmidt of the U.S. Department of Agriculture.
Blasts of rubber buckshot, earsplitting pyrotechnics on the river surface and underwater firecrackers haven't helped, either.
County Ethics policies new hope? NOPE
says this oped from the Mountain Press in Sevier County:
Link
Anybody who thinks the county's new ethics committee will change the way business is done or the attitudes of commissioners about possible job conflicts may be in for a disappointment. Sevier County and its municipalities have all approved an ethics policy that encourages compliance but doesn't require it, that encourages officials to avoid conflicts of interest but doesn't really define what that is, and a policy that gives the appearance of something significant but probably will never be.
There apparently is no law that keeps a county commissioner from being a county employee and voting on appropriations and matters that would directly affect his real job. There apparently is no law that keeps a county commissioner or city commissioner from being a developer and then seeking the government's help in handling that development.
Link
Anybody who thinks the county's new ethics committee will change the way business is done or the attitudes of commissioners about possible job conflicts may be in for a disappointment. Sevier County and its municipalities have all approved an ethics policy that encourages compliance but doesn't require it, that encourages officials to avoid conflicts of interest but doesn't really define what that is, and a policy that gives the appearance of something significant but probably will never be.
There apparently is no law that keeps a county commissioner from being a county employee and voting on appropriations and matters that would directly affect his real job. There apparently is no law that keeps a county commissioner or city commissioner from being a developer and then seeking the government's help in handling that development.
Sunday, June 24, 2007
Taxpayer Information Center Update
Major Market TN Commercial TV Stations
Online TN Newspapers
TN City Government Web sites
TN County Government Web sites
Help farmers or everyone else in the world?
The Washington Post rightly editorializes against farm subsidies. Now if they could only lead the fight against ethanol subsidies, the NEW thinly veiled farm subsidy which will ALSO cost everyone a huge subsidy tax by driving up the cost of food.
We can't afford any more of their help!!!
The geniuses in the Senate, including our own Senator Alexander and Senator Corker voted this week for a huge increase in the giveaway of out taxpayer money to farmers and big agricultural companies who are producing ethanol from corn. They have also created an army of new lobbyists for all the new ethanol processing plants.
Oh, this sounds like a GREAAAAAAAT idea. Lets Take the crops that we use for FOOD and start using them for gas for our cars.
Now the price of everyone's food is going thru the roof. Milk may be $4.50 by the end of the summer, not to mention the price of all other foods.
WHY!!! do these folks in Congress continue to have the unmitigated arrogance to believe they can "HELP" us after all their past failures. Its is really sickening to watch C-Span and listen to so many Reps and Senators say they want to help the (insert name of group here). LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!!
Lets review: Congress has failed to secure the border. They have taken the money that was supposed to be reserved for Social Security and spent it on everything EXCEPT Social Security. NOW, they are trying to "help" us with energy security and they are driving the price of food (for poor people and everyone else) through the roof.
A suggestion for Congress: STOP trying to HELP us.
Oh, this sounds like a GREAAAAAAAT idea. Lets Take the crops that we use for FOOD and start using them for gas for our cars.
Now the price of everyone's food is going thru the roof. Milk may be $4.50 by the end of the summer, not to mention the price of all other foods.
WHY!!! do these folks in Congress continue to have the unmitigated arrogance to believe they can "HELP" us after all their past failures. Its is really sickening to watch C-Span and listen to so many Reps and Senators say they want to help the (insert name of group here). LEAVE US ALONE!!!!!!
Lets review: Congress has failed to secure the border. They have taken the money that was supposed to be reserved for Social Security and spent it on everything EXCEPT Social Security. NOW, they are trying to "help" us with energy security and they are driving the price of food (for poor people and everyone else) through the roof.
A suggestion for Congress: STOP trying to HELP us.
Base pay on student outcomes? NAH!!
UTC is trying to decide how to "distribute" new salary money. Does anybody suggest the money be used to reward those who improve student outcomes? Nah!!!
Link
Link
Dr. Shela Van Ness, a faculty member and vice president of UTC's employees union, said she personally is not in favor of the 2 percent pool being used for merit pay because there is not a "transparent" system in place that determines who is awarded it.
"I know of people last year who wrote books and got grants and never received a dime for merit pay," she said.
Dr. Andy Novobilski, a professor and head of UTC's computer science and engineering department, said he thinks merit pay gives faculty more reason to strive to perform better.
"I believe that if you're going to recognize somebody for doing something above and beyond, then there needs to be something that goes with it that's tangible," he said.
Saturday, June 23, 2007
Friday, June 22, 2007
Red Light Cameras are a "revenue windfall"
For city of Red Bank near Chattanooga.
Since Red Bank installed cameras to catch drivers speeding through red lights last year, it expected to make $95,000. Instead, the city made $450,000 from sending out tickets for $50 from red light cameras on Ashland Terrace and Signal Mountain Boulevard.
Jeff Greene, a Red Bank resident, said, "I'd like to know where the extra money is going."
Seattle woman registers Dog to vote
Link
Balogh, who lives with Duncan, an Australian shepherd-terrier mix, and four other dogs and four cats, registered her dog as a protest of a 2005 state voter-registration statute that she says makes it too easy for noncitizens to vote. She put her phone bill in Duncan's name, then used the phone bill as identification to register him as a voter.
"I wasn't trying to do anything fraudulent. I was trying to prove that our system is flawed. So I got myself in trouble," she says.
Balogh, who lives with Duncan, an Australian shepherd-terrier mix, and four other dogs and four cats, registered her dog as a protest of a 2005 state voter-registration statute that she says makes it too easy for noncitizens to vote. She put her phone bill in Duncan's name, then used the phone bill as identification to register him as a voter.
"I wasn't trying to do anything fraudulent. I was trying to prove that our system is flawed. So I got myself in trouble," she says.
How do we deal with Frank Neudecker?
Jackson City Councilman Frank Neudecker is hard working, smart, and a well prepared fiscal conservative according to the Jackson Sun. Why then is the Jackson Sun editorial page asking him to go another direction by "building consensus" instead asking for budget cuts?
Sooooo.....the Jackson Sun wants Frank Neudecker to throw his principles overboard? Frank Neudecker is rock solid and will continue working for his taxpaying constituents. The Jackson Sun simply doesn't understand someone who will NOT "compromise" when it comes to taxpayers money. We need MORE Frank Neudeckers.The prime example was his exceptional work in analyzing the proposed city budget. He sifted through huge amounts of detail to determine that the city could, with nominal cutbacks and adjustments to the budget, allocate an additional $2.9 million to the city's crushing debt service. But the well thought out, albeit complicated, proposal couldn't even get a second on the council.
Pollsters probs with Cell-only Households
Link
This concern is particularly relevant for young adults. According to the most recent government estimate, more than 25% of those under age 30 use only a cell phone. An analysis of young people ages 18-25 in one of the Pew polls found that the exclusion of the cell-only respondents resulted in significantly lower estimates of this age group's approval of alcohol consumption and marijuana use. Perhaps not surprisingly, excluding the cell-only respondents also yields lower estimates of technological sophistication. For example, the overall estimate for the proportion of 18-25 year olds using social networking sites is 57% when the cell-only sample is blended with the landline sample, while the estimate based only on the landline sample is 50%.
Blount County Property Tax HIKE
In a year when Senator Kyle says taxpayers should demand lower property taxes AND in a year that Blount County will receive almost $1 million more in State funds, Blount County Commissioners are going to require Blount County taxpayers to take EVEN More money from their family budgets.
Unbelievable.
Unbelievable.
Judge's order clarifies ruling in Cooper trial
Chief U.S. District Judge Curtis Collier on Thursday issued an order in the case against state Sen. Jerry Cooper 10 days after a jury acquitted him of all charges.
[...]
According to the judge's order, the testimony was allowed because "a preponderance of the evidence demonstrates both the defendant and the ECD commissioner were members of a conspiracy, whose purpose was to obtain financing related to the defendant's property."
[...]
According to the judge's order, the testimony was allowed because "a preponderance of the evidence demonstrates both the defendant and the ECD commissioner were members of a conspiracy, whose purpose was to obtain financing related to the defendant's property."
Philip Trauernict, an ECD official, testified that he declined to recommend approval for a state loan for Anthony Auyer, who was attempting to purchase the lumber mill from Sen. Cooper, until Mr. Baxter told him to support it because he had made a promise to Sen. Cooper.
Bloggers keep Networx debacle story alive
Bloggers have done an extraordinary job of documenting the Networx debacle in Memphis. The taxpayers of Memphis invested $29 million in this company and it now appears the "investment" has been a TOTAL loss. The company has refused to reveal even the most basic information to the citizens and now we know why.
West TN Liberal gives Kudos to the Pesky Fly who has done a great job on his blog and in the Memphis Flyer.
and Memphis WatchDog has been on this story even longer.
West TN Liberal gives Kudos to the Pesky Fly who has done a great job on his blog and in the Memphis Flyer.
and Memphis WatchDog has been on this story even longer.
Thursday, June 21, 2007
Freedom, not climate, is at risk
says Czech President Vaclav Klaus
Link
As someone who lived under communism for most of his life, I feel obliged to say that I see the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity now in ambitious environmentalism, not in communism. This ideology wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central (now global) planning.
Link
As someone who lived under communism for most of his life, I feel obliged to say that I see the biggest threat to freedom, democracy, the market economy and prosperity now in ambitious environmentalism, not in communism. This ideology wants to replace the free and spontaneous evolution of mankind by a sort of central (now global) planning.
The environmentalists ask for immediate political action because they do not believe in the long-term positive impact of economic growth and ignore both the technological progress that future generations will undoubtedly enjoy, and the proven fact that the higher the wealth of society, the higher is the quality of the environment. They are Malthusian pessimists.
Taxes and the Florida Presidential Primary
Link
Property taxes are a huge issue in FL, and the Legislature just wrapped up a special session to cut and "reform" the property tax. Here's the interesting twist.
A huge part of the property tax savings are contingent on a referendum that will be on the ballot . . . . Jan. 29.
That happens to be the date of the second in the nation presidential primary. And one that might loom much larger than thought today.
I'd imagine this will drive a lot more people to the polls than normal Jan. 29, and a lot of them, Democratic and Republican, will be tax sensitive types.
This could help candidates with strong taxpayer credentials in both the GOP and Democratic primaries.
Govt advises us that Glass will break
Thank goodness these bureaucrats are on the payroll.
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Hazard: The glassware can crack or break unexpectedly, posing a laceration hazard to consumers.
Incidents/Injuries: Pier 1 Imports has received 21 reports in total of glassware that cracked or broke, including one injury involving a minor cut from broken glass associated with a previous recall.
Gov Bredesen: Will you be accountable? Part III
Here is my best guess: Phil Bredesen and Senators Woodson, Kyle, Burchett, and McNally and Commissioner Seviers and Rep. Winningham are NOT willing to be held accountable for any kind of concrete improvement in student outcomes. They will certainly hold us, the taxpayers, accountable for funding the additional $500 million for the new BEP but they WILL NOT tell us, with hard numbers, how much improvement we can expect in return for this money.
Martin Kennedy, in his post linked below, tells us how Metro Schools are giving the cold shoulder to one of the best hopes for educational improvement, charter schools. By funneling $500 million into a system that shows ABSOLUTELY no willingness to change Phil Bredesen is virtually assuring us our tax money will be wasted.
Link
Martin Kennedy, in his post linked below, tells us how Metro Schools are giving the cold shoulder to one of the best hopes for educational improvement, charter schools. By funneling $500 million into a system that shows ABSOLUTELY no willingness to change Phil Bredesen is virtually assuring us our tax money will be wasted.
Link
William Jefferson brother involved in Bribery
Link
NEW ORLEANS (AP) - A former Orleans Parish School Board president, who ran as a corruption fighter, pleaded guilty today to taking more than $100,000 in bribes to help an unidentified business consultant win school board contracts for his employer.
Ellenese Brooks-Simms was charged today in a federal bill of information with conspiracy to commit bribery. She pleaded guilty before US District Judge Lance Africk.
The charges against her do not name the person who paid her. The Times-Picayune reports today -- quoting unidentified sources -- that Brooks-Simms allegedly took the bribe from Mose Jefferson -- the brother of US Representative Bill Jefferson, who is facing unrelated corruption charges in Virginia.
3% say Congress doing a good job on immigration
Link
The Zogby Interactive poll of 8,300 adults nationwide finds just 3% of Americans viewing Congress's handling of the immigration issue in favorable terms, while 9% say the same of the President-even as respondents in the survey rated it the second most important issue facing the country, after the war in Iraq.
NYT-Dumpster diving Freegans
I think we used to call these folks hobos....like everyone they are living better than they used to.
Link
Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants.
Link
Freegans are scavengers of the developed world, living off consumer waste in an effort to minimize their support of corporations and their impact on the planet, and to distance themselves from what they see as out-of-control consumerism. They forage through supermarket trash and eat the slightly bruised produce or just-expired canned goods that are routinely thrown out, and negotiate gifts of surplus food from sympathetic stores and restaurants.
They dress in castoff clothes and furnish their homes with items found on the street; at freecycle.org, where users post unwanted items; and at so-called freemeets, flea markets where no money is exchanged. Some claim to hold themselves to rigorous standards. "If a person chooses to live an ethical lifestyle it's not enough to be vegan, they need to absent themselves from capitalism," said Adam Weissman, 29, who started freegan.info four years ago and is the movement's de facto spokesman.
Freeganism dates to the mid-'90s, and grew out of the antiglobalization and environmental movements, as well as groups like Food Not Bombs, a network of small organizations that serve free vegetarian and vegan food to the hungry, much of it salvaged from food market trash. It also has echoes of groups like the Diggers, an anarchist street theater troupe based in Haight-Ashbury in San Francisco in the 1960's, which gave away food and social services.
Rolling Stone: Recording Industry's Decline
LinkFor the music industry, it was a rare bit of good news: Linkin Park's new album sold 623,000 copies in its first week this May -- the strongest debut of the year. But it wasn't nearly enough. That same month, the band's record company, Warner Music Group, announced that it would lay off 400 people, and its stock price lingered at fifty-eight percent of its peak from last June.
Overall CD sales have plummeted sixteen percent for the year so far -- and that's after seven years of near-constant erosion. In the face of widespread piracy, consumers' growing preference for low-profit-margin digital singles over albums, and other woes, the record business has plunged into a historic decline.
The major labels are struggling to reinvent their business models, even as some wonder whether it's too late. "The record business is over," says music attorney Peter Paterno, who represents Metallica and Dr. Dre. "The labels have wonderful assets -- they just can't make any money off them." One senior music-industry source who requested anonymity went further: "Here we have a business that's dying. There won't be any major labels pretty soon."
Gov Bredesen: Will you be accountable? Part II
A politicians dream: a photo op where everyone can smile for the camera and brag about how much taxpayer money they are spending. We should ask again....Governor Bredesen, how can the taxpayers hold you accountable for the improvements in student outcomes that you claim will result from this additional money.
Link
"We're trying to get more money in the hands of teachers, and we're telling them what we expect in return," Bredesen said. "And that is getting students to perform at a higher level."
Another concern, Bredesen said, is that the U.S. Chamber of Commerce gave the state a failing grade, citing the state of Tennessee for not setting its standards high enough.
Along with the historic half-billion dollar investment, Bredesen said another focus will definitely involve standards and accountability.
"Our job is to get students ready to take part in the challenging work force," Bredesen said.
Commissioner of Education Lana Seivers called the reform a monumental investment.
"This will enable school districts to improve salaries that they offer teachers, which will help in retaining and attracting teachers," Seivers said
Wednesday, June 20, 2007
Wal-Mart continues to help poor
This new service by Wal-Mart will save millions, probably billions for poor people who have been using "payday" lenders. Wal-Mart has done more for the poor than ANY government program.
Link
The company also said it would expand a pilot program that offered a Wal-Mart/Visa reloadable debit card, issued by GE Money Bank, to 1,300 stores in June and all of its more than 3,300 U.S. discount and Supercenter stores by the end of the year.
"Many of our customers are paying too much, traveling too far and not being well served," Jane Thompson, president of Wal-Mart financial services, said in a statement. "But they still need to pay their bills, cash their checks and transfer money. We're offering them a safe place and a card to help them manage their money."
Link
The company also said it would expand a pilot program that offered a Wal-Mart/Visa reloadable debit card, issued by GE Money Bank, to 1,300 stores in June and all of its more than 3,300 U.S. discount and Supercenter stores by the end of the year.
"Many of our customers are paying too much, traveling too far and not being well served," Jane Thompson, president of Wal-Mart financial services, said in a statement. "But they still need to pay their bills, cash their checks and transfer money. We're offering them a safe place and a card to help them manage their money."
Govt Energy "Policy" in Argentina is a disaster
Government has a MUCH greater ability to screw up our lives than to make them better. The Argentinian Government has managed to turn an efficient, free market based energy system into a disaster.
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Analysts have long predicted that the consequences of the government's populist energy policies would begin to be felt this winter. During Argentina's 2001-02 economic crisis, the government forcibly converted all energy tariffs from dollars to pesos, representing a cut of nearly two-thirds in their real value. Since then, only a handful of modest increases have been permitted, resulting in energy prices that are some 40% lower than those in neighbouring countries.
This has caused private-sector energy investment to grind to a virtual halt, while the economy has grown by nearly 9% a year. As a result, Argentina's proven gas reserves have fallen from more than 20 years' worth of production in the mid-1990s to less than ten years' worth today, and it can no longer produce enough electricity to cover exceptional demand.
Morristown: largest property tax hike in history
The City Council says the city budget is MORE important than the taxpayers family budget...sorry taxpayers.
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Morristown (WVLT) - Morristown's homeowners are one step closer to paying the largest property tax hike in city history. Tuesday night, city council approved the first reading of the proposed 40-cent hike by just one vote.
The home's aren't any different, but since Tuesday morning they're one step closer to being more expensive.
"We're not taking it lightly be any stretch of the imagination," Sami Barile says.
By a four-to-three vote, Morristown City council approved the first reading of a 40-cent property tax hike. The biggest in city history.
"It's a budget problem that's come about because of some changes in our sales tax economy," Jim Crumley says.
Tuesday, June 19, 2007
Gov Bredesen et al: Will you be accountable?
In the preceding post I detailed how taxpayers will be held accountable for funding the new BEP. There is no way taxpayers can escape this responsibility. It is, in fact, unlawful for us to avoid paying for these new programs.
NOW, are we the taxpayers to expect anything in return for this money?
Should we the citizen taxpayers now say to 1-Phil Bredesen and 2-members of the General Assembly and 3-our State Department of Education and 4-our local Boards of Education that we the citizen taxpayers are holding THEM accountable for real, measurable results in return for our hard earned money?
What about Senators Woodson and Burchett and Kyle and McNally and Rep. Winningham and Commissioner Seivers. Can we now expect them to tell us HOW the educational system will change as a result of this money. And NO, we are not looking for platitudes or generalities, we are looking for results.
HOW MUCH will graduation rates improve? HOW MUCH will drop-out rates improve? HOW MUCH will test scores improve? How much can we reduce remedial college courses?
Governor Bredesen, Senator Woodson, Rep. Winningham. Commissioner Seivers. What say you?
NOW, are we the taxpayers to expect anything in return for this money?
Should we the citizen taxpayers now say to 1-Phil Bredesen and 2-members of the General Assembly and 3-our State Department of Education and 4-our local Boards of Education that we the citizen taxpayers are holding THEM accountable for real, measurable results in return for our hard earned money?
What about Senators Woodson and Burchett and Kyle and McNally and Rep. Winningham and Commissioner Seivers. Can we now expect them to tell us HOW the educational system will change as a result of this money. And NO, we are not looking for platitudes or generalities, we are looking for results.
HOW MUCH will graduation rates improve? HOW MUCH will drop-out rates improve? HOW MUCH will test scores improve? How much can we reduce remedial college courses?
Governor Bredesen, Senator Woodson, Rep. Winningham. Commissioner Seivers. What say you?
Taxpayers are now accountable
Taxpayers are now accountable for paying $500 million each year to fully fund the new BEP. There is no way we, the taxpayers, can escape this responsibility. Our Governor and General Assembly have written the check and the taxpayers must take the money out of their family budgets to cash this check. The quotes from Governor Bredesen below indicate that he believes we will see specific and measurable results from this new money.
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"I think this is really a historic moment, a turning point for education in our state," said Bredsen.
[...]
The new cigarette tax is expected to bring in $500 million for Tennessee schools. Out of that total, Memphis City Schools will get an additional $50 million.
"I don't think money is the answer to everything in education, but you can't put your head in the sand," said Bredesen. "It takes money to do those things. It takes money to hire teachers."
Link
"I think this is really a historic moment, a turning point for education in our state," said Bredsen.
[...]
The new cigarette tax is expected to bring in $500 million for Tennessee schools. Out of that total, Memphis City Schools will get an additional $50 million.
"I don't think money is the answer to everything in education, but you can't put your head in the sand," said Bredesen. "It takes money to do those things. It takes money to hire teachers."
Heavy Metal Music is a disability in Sweden
In Sweden a man has had his addiction to heavy metal music classified as a disability.
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A Swedish heavy metal fan has had his musical preferences officially classified as a disability. The results of a psychological analysis enable the metal lover to supplement his income with state benefits.
Roger Tullgren, 42, from Hässleholm in southern Sweden has just started working part time as a dishwasher at a local restaurant.
Because heavy metal dominates so many aspects of his life, the Employment Service has agreed to pay part of Tullgren's salary. His new boss meanwhile has given him a special dispensation to play loud music at work.
"I have been trying for ten years to get this classified as a handicap," Tullgren told The Local.
"I spoke to three psychologists and they finally agreed that I needed this to avoid being discriminated against."
Roger Tullgren first developed an interest in heavy metal when his older brother came home with a Black Sabbath album in 1971.
Mass Town adopts new currency
Link
There are about 844,000 BerkShares in circulation, worth $759,600 at the fixed exchange rate of 1 BerkShare to 90 U.S. cents, according to program organizers. The paper scrip is available in denominations of one, five, 10, 20 and 50.
In their 10 months of circulation, they've become a regular feature of the local economy. Businesses that accept BerkShares treat them interchangeably with dollars: a $1 cup of coffee sells for 1 BerkShare, a 10 percent discount for people paying in BerkShares.
Named for the local Berkshire Hills, BerkShares are accepted in about 280 cafes, coffee shops, grocery stores and other businesses in Great Barrington and neighboring towns, including Stockbridge, the town where Rockwell lived for a quarter century.
Govt can't look at your Email without warrant
Link
Landmark Ruling Gives Email Same Constitutional Protections as Phone Calls
San Francisco - The government must have a search warrant before it can secretly seize and search emails stored by email service providers, according to a landmark ruling Monday in the 6th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals. The court found that email users have the same reasonable expectation of privacy in their stored email as they do in their telephone calls -- the first circuit court ever to make that finding.
Mark Belling on the ethanol disaster
THANK GOODNESS someone is speaking the truth on ethanol. Mark Belling is substituting for Rush Limbaugh today and he is talking about ethanol and how it is a total disaster for consumers and taxpayers. Food prices are going through the roof because the price of corn is going up. Farm price supports have always been a disaster and the current ethanol craze is simply magnifying all the price distortions caused by these agricultural subsidies. In addition ethanol is difficult to transport and store and is destructive to many engines.
ETHANOL as a gasoline replacement is a JOKE, a very expensive JOKE.
The only reason anyone makes or uses ethanol is because of the billions in taxpayer money used to subsidize ethanol.
ETHANOL as a gasoline replacement is a JOKE, a very expensive JOKE.
The only reason anyone makes or uses ethanol is because of the billions in taxpayer money used to subsidize ethanol.
Damned unreliable amphibians
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The state (New Hampshire) spent about $25,000 to build the tunnel to allow salamanders, frogs and other critters a safe way to get around the area without becoming roadkill.
But state officials say while there is some evidence that skunks, muskrats and other small mammals have been using the tunnel, the amphibians it was designed for are staying away.
Sweet smell of Hypocrisy-Comrade landlord
Communist Party USA decides to lease their Manhattan HQ for cold, hard capitalist cash instead of providing, oh say, "affordable housing."Link
"This is Manhattan. It's the biggest rental market in North America," said Libero Della Piana, state chair of the state Communist Party. "We live in a capitalist society, and in order for us to play our role, we have to make money."
Two months ago, the local hammer-and-sickle crowd opened the doors of its swanky, eight-story headquarters to yet another new tenant, Dumann Realty.
"We believe the market is great. We believe Chelsea is coming up," said Richard Du, president of Dumann, which leases commercial and retail space in Manhattan.
New tone is pretty shrill
(CNN) -- Despite the new Democratic congressional leadership's promise of "openness and transparency" in the budget process, a CNN survey of the House found it nearly impossible to get information on lawmakers' pet projects.
Staffers for only 31 of the 435 members of the House contacted by CNN between Wednesday and Friday of last week supplied a list of their earmark requests for fiscal year 2008, which begins on October 1, or pointed callers to Web sites where those earmark requests were posted.
YouTube goes International
with sites for Japan, and 8 other countries. Here is the welcome video for Japan:
Public Transit = Black Hole for Taxes
The 96% of taxpayers who don't use public transit are subsidizing a huge, expensive effort to promote public transit. The result is a huge increase in the public transit bureaucracy and spending but virtually NO increase in riders. Here is the simple, unavoidable truth: public transit is not popular and never has been except in dense urban areas where it is the only option in many cases. The overwhelming majority of people prefer the convenience and independence of a car and as we all get more prosperous the demand for public transit will decline.
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More than 100 public transportation agencies nationwide will be participating in the Second Annual 2007 National Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 21. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), 2007 National Dump the Pump Day is a public awareness day that emphasizes the environmental benefits of using public transportation. The day also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our nation's dependence on oil.
Link
More than 100 public transportation agencies nationwide will be participating in the Second Annual 2007 National Dump the Pump Day on Thursday, June 21. Sponsored by the American Public Transportation Association (APTA), 2007 National Dump the Pump Day is a public awareness day that emphasizes the environmental benefits of using public transportation. The day also offers the opportunity for people to beat the high price of gasoline and support public transportation as an important travel option that helps reduce our nation's dependence on oil.
Monday, June 18, 2007
Budget "cut to the bone" no flat screen TVs
Florida Property Tax Cuts causing council to re-think flat screen TV purchases.
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"I talked with Ms. Miller after I found out that they had purchased two of them and made a recommendation to her that it would be more fiscally prudent to return the televisions and either use a smaller, lower-cost option or just monitor the council meetings on the computer, " Smith said.
With looming property tax reform that could affect local revenue, Iorio had asked the council to reduce its budget by $66, 055 next year. Miller rejected the suggestion, and in a memo to other council members said such a cut was "not feasible" and the board was not under the administration's control. But "in the spirit of cooperation" she offered to trim $7, 000.
The effects of pool choice: better pools
Link
A $2 million renovation, dedicated yesterday, is part of the Northern Virginia Regional Park Authority's effort to woo residents from the increasing number of pools run by homeowners associations, officials said.
"These days, when people move into those kinds of developments, they expect that there's a pool there," said Paul McCray, the Park Authority's operations director. "This is something that we can offer that the HOAs typically don't."
New Bush Adviser is major lobbyist
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Ed Gillespie, named Wednesday as the next White House counselor, is a partner in Quinn Gillespie & Associates LLC, a lobbying firm whose clients include: Sirius Satellite Radio, which needs antitrust approval to acquire a rival; Qualcomm, which wants Bush to veto a federal agency's ban on imported cell phones made with its chips; and the Pharmaceutical Research and Manufacturers of America, a trade group trying to limit drug industry regulation.
Tennessee Rain Watch
Nashville Weather Radar
Memphis Weather Radar
Chattanooga Weather Radar
Knoxville Weather Radar
More Traffic Cams, WebCams, and Weather Cams HERE in the Tennessee Tax Revolt Taxpayer Information Center
BEP 2.0 County by County Numbers
Here is spreadsheet showing how much each school system in Tennessee will receive from the new BEP money. These numbers may change somewhat.
Spreadsheet Link
Spreadsheet Link
TBI gets entrepreneurial
by selling background checks for $29 brining in $2 mil.
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"We provided a service," she said. "This is something people wanted."
The service, which is available to anyone, is a statewide check of a person's criminal record.
Ms. Johnson said small-business owners and people who hire domestic help are the most frequent clients.
"People run a check on a baby-sitter or a housekeeper," she said. "We've had people check on the people they're dating, even."
New York Times discovers corporate welfare
This story is about a golf course in a small Oregon town which caters to corporate execs using millions in taxpayer subsidies.
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No official tally of business subsidies exists, but in separate studies Peter S. Fisher of the University of Iowa and Kenneth F. Thomas of the University of Missouri estimated that state and local subsidies aimed at creating jobs total about $50 billion annually. More subtle subsidies like those that benefit Bandon Dunes are not counted in those figures and may be even larger.
Such government subsidies have been challenged as inefficient by a broad spectrum of critics, from the libertarian Cato Institute and the conservative Heritage Foundation to liberal groups like Good Jobs First.
Guy makes $9 mil selling Land on Moon
Link
Dennis Hope, self-proclaimed Head Cheese of the Lunar Embassy, will promise you the moon. Or at least a piece of it. Since 1980, Hope has raked in over $9 million selling acres of lunar real estate for $19.99 a pop. So far, 4.25 million people have purchased a piece of the moon, including celebrities like Barbara Walters, George Lucas, Ronald Reagan, and even the first President Bush. Hope says he exploited a loophole in the 1967 United Nations Outer Space Treaty, which prohibits nations from owning the moon.
Because the law says nothing about individual holders, he says, his claim—which he sent to the United Nations—has some clout. "It was unowned land," he says. "For private property claims, 197 countries at one time or another had a basis by which private citizens could make claims on land and not make payment. There are no standardized rules."
NYT-Merit pay for teachers gaining momentum
All of the efforts cited in the article are deeply mired in silly bureaucratic rules. My guess is that very few will result in any real progress but they are indicative of the pressure building to change a fossilized public education system.
Scores of similar but mostly smaller teacher-pay experiments are under way nationwide, and union locals are cooperating with some of them, said Allan Odden, a professor at the University of Wisconsin who studies teacher compensation. A consensus is building across the political spectrum that rewarding teachers with bonuses or raises for improving student achievement, working in lower income schools or teaching subjects that are hard to staff can energize veteran teachers and attract bright rookies to the profession.
"It's looking like there's a critical mass," Professor Odden said. The movement to experiment with teacher pay, he added, "is still not ubiquitous, but it's developing momentum."
More "economic development" corruption
Giving away taxpayer money for "economic development" is an open invitation to corruption. Another example, this one from St. Louis. When politicians say "I want to help you", we should all run as fast as possible in the opposite direction. When politicians say "I want to create new jobs", hold on to your wallet.
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In Jefferson City, criticism has focused on whether the tax credit bill was designed solely for McKee. Some legislators were upset that the far-reaching measure was tucked into the governor's economic development bill.
"It's an attempt to hide a big pot of money for one guy,"
[...]
Kinder, who received $11,200 in campaign contributions from McKee's firms in December, unveiled the tax credit proposal at a Senate hearing on Blunt's economic development bill in February.
That month, McKee hired a prominent pair of lobbyists, Bill Gamble and Jorgen Schlemeier. Their clients range from casinos to pharmacists to nursing homes.
McKee later added two Republican lobbyists to his team. The duo, Jewell Patek and James Harris, are both former aides to Blunt, either when he was secretary of state or governor.
Shortly before the bill came up for debate, Senate President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, needed a quick flight to a political event in Branson. McKee sent his plane. The round trip cost $3,188, which McKee covered as an in-kind campaign contribution.
Gibbons said he knows McKee "pretty well" and supported the bill long before the flight. Gibbons said he met last year with McKee, who explained the difficulties of assembling large tracts of land in urban areas, where lots are so small.
Link
In Jefferson City, criticism has focused on whether the tax credit bill was designed solely for McKee. Some legislators were upset that the far-reaching measure was tucked into the governor's economic development bill.
"It's an attempt to hide a big pot of money for one guy,"
[...]
Kinder, who received $11,200 in campaign contributions from McKee's firms in December, unveiled the tax credit proposal at a Senate hearing on Blunt's economic development bill in February.
That month, McKee hired a prominent pair of lobbyists, Bill Gamble and Jorgen Schlemeier. Their clients range from casinos to pharmacists to nursing homes.
McKee later added two Republican lobbyists to his team. The duo, Jewell Patek and James Harris, are both former aides to Blunt, either when he was secretary of state or governor.
Shortly before the bill came up for debate, Senate President Pro Tem Mike Gibbons, R-Kirkwood, needed a quick flight to a political event in Branson. McKee sent his plane. The round trip cost $3,188, which McKee covered as an in-kind campaign contribution.
Gibbons said he knows McKee "pretty well" and supported the bill long before the flight. Gibbons said he met last year with McKee, who explained the difficulties of assembling large tracts of land in urban areas, where lots are so small.
$140 mil of the "Tax Gap" found
Link
The U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia on Friday refused to correct the Government's botched plea agreement with telecommunications mogul Walter Anderson, who pled guilty to hiding over $365 million in income and evading over $140 million in federal income taxes during the 1990s in the largest case of individual tax fraud in history. The Government's plea agreement failed to order Anderson to make restitution, and District Judge Paul Friedman rejected the government's request to "correct clear error" in the agreement:
Teachers union fights choice decision in AZ
This is the second ruling to uphold vouchers in Arizona. The teachers union will appeal of course and will fight any threat to its power.
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"It's really time for opponents of school choice to drop these frivolous battles," said Keller, an official of the Institute for Justice.
The rulings consistently have found that the programs are permissible because they don't promote religion, Keller said.
"Rather than requiring a religious exclusion, they have to require religious neutrality," Keller said.
Supporters likely will push for further incremental steps "as a genuine method of improving the state of public education" but it is unrealistic to expect the current Legislature or Gov. Janet Napolitano to agree on any sweeping expansions, Keller said.
The challengers included the Arizona Education Association and the American Civil Liberties Union of Arizona. AEA spokesman John Wright said the opponents would appeal Hicks' ruling.
Sunday, June 17, 2007
Local Govt run WI-FI is financial, technical failure
What!!! You mean to tell me that the government can't run a high tech business at a profit Think Networx in Memphis that was just "sold" (given away is more like it) and taxpayers LOST their entire $29 million investment.
Woman escapes abuse: An act of Bravery:
to inspire us all
Link
KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian maid, after allegedly suffering from months of abuse, tried to escape through the window of a 15th floor condominium in Sentul yesterday.
[...]
Residents at the condominium, who saw Shamelin hanging from a rope, alerted firemen who were in the building for a drill.
Shamelin, from Sumatra, alleged her employer had abused her since she started work five months ago.
"My employer is a woman in her 30s and I live alone with her in the unit on the 15th floor," she said.
"She has a bad temper. She tries to strangle me. If I make a mistake, she will starve me. She has hurt me so many times by beating me."
Shamelin, who was in tears, said she could not bear the treatment any more and decided to run away.
Link
KUALA LUMPUR: An Indonesian maid, after allegedly suffering from months of abuse, tried to escape through the window of a 15th floor condominium in Sentul yesterday.
[...]
Residents at the condominium, who saw Shamelin hanging from a rope, alerted firemen who were in the building for a drill.
"My employer is a woman in her 30s and I live alone with her in the unit on the 15th floor," she said.
"She has a bad temper. She tries to strangle me. If I make a mistake, she will starve me. She has hurt me so many times by beating me."
Shamelin, who was in tears, said she could not bear the treatment any more and decided to run away.
Another botched drug raid
The increasing militarization of our police, facilitated by millions in Homeland Security Grants to local Govts, will continue to result in appalling stupidity like this. Our police should be held accountable by local citizens and funded locally.
"There is a big difference between 74 and 82," he said, referring to the house numbers.
What's more, Herrick doesn't understand why his 77-year-old mother was handcuffed.
"Why they thought it was necessary to handcuff her and put her on the floor I don't know," he said. "And then they had to ask her what the address was."
Bushes who live in glass houses
Link
In his weekly radio address, Bush said the Democrats' "tax and spend" approach is endangering economic growth and budget-balancing efforts. "They've passed a budget that would mean higher taxes for American families and job creators, ignore the need for entitlement reform, and pile on hundreds of billions of dollars in new government spending over the next five years," Bush said.
Daughtrey: Dems get last laugh on pork after all
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Republicans who want their pork must go hat in hand to Mr. Democrat and sign on the dotted line specifying how much and where. Darnell, of course, is a strong advocate of the state's open records law, and it is not unreasonable to expect the pork requests, granted or not, to end up on the Internet.
Of course, only extreme cynics (and maybe FBI agents) would suggest that our righteous legislators might swap a few promises of future votes for a little pork. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Republicans who want their pork must go hat in hand to Mr. Democrat and sign on the dotted line specifying how much and where. Darnell, of course, is a strong advocate of the state's open records law, and it is not unreasonable to expect the pork requests, granted or not, to end up on the Internet.
Of course, only extreme cynics (and maybe FBI agents) would suggest that our righteous legislators might swap a few promises of future votes for a little pork. Not that there's anything wrong with that.
Saturday, June 16, 2007
Friday, June 15, 2007
FEMA, aka Keystone cops, copes
The Federal Government aka, the Keystone cops, is trying to recover $400 million plus of money that it apparently gave to people who didn't deserve it after Katrina. As you can imagine, the process to recover the money is just as screwed up as the original effort to hand it out.
WHY!!!!!! Does anyone trust the federal government to "help" us?????
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WHY!!!!!! Does anyone trust the federal government to "help" us?????
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Cheryl Gilbert got the letter in December. She was told the federal government had given her disaster aid when it shouldn't have. She was going to have to pay it back.
For nine months after Hurricane Katrina toppled the small cottage she had rented in D'Iberville, Miss., the Federal Emergency Management Agency paid for Gilbert to rent a mobile home. It was the only housing she could find near the battered coast. But the government told her she owes back $3,880 of about $5,000 that FEMA paid her in rental aid.
"I haven't paid anything back because I don't have it," she said. "If I had the money to pay it back, I wouldn't have needed the rental assistance."
In the weeks after Katrina struck, FEMA unleashed an avalanche of disaster aid, sending out checks even when officials knew that some people weren't qualified to receive help. Auditors reviewing those payments months later ultimately found that nearly $410 million went to people who shouldn't have been given aid after Katrina, records show, and the agency started sending out thousands of letters demanding that the money be returned.
Canadian Senator claims haemorrhoids
other Senators want proof.
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CTV News has learned that the Senate -- a place Sir John A. Macdonald deemed one of "sober second thought" -- is now having second thoughts about a medical leave Lavigne took to undergo haemorrhoidal surgery.
The Senate hired a doctor to check on whether Lavigne actually underwent the procedure -- a move which outraged the senator.
"Do you think this is a reasonable way to treat a Senator. Next time it could be you," Lavigne wrote to Liberal senators.
Kent Williams is optimistic about accountability
I wish that I could share his optimism. He puts the General Assembly at the top of The chain of command. I would like to see parents at the top of the chain of command.
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"Teachers are going to answer to principals, principals to superintendents, superintendents to school boards, the school boards to the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner to the Governor and the Governor to us," he said. "I've heard a lot of talk in Nashville. We want to see accountability. If we are going to pour this much money into education, we want to see results. I think we will."
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"Teachers are going to answer to principals, principals to superintendents, superintendents to school boards, the school boards to the Commissioner of Education, the Commissioner to the Governor and the Governor to us," he said. "I've heard a lot of talk in Nashville. We want to see accountability. If we are going to pour this much money into education, we want to see results. I think we will."
Good news, Bad Coverage
Link
Conclusion: Rising gas prices get more than 3X the news coverage as falling gas prices, even when the price increase is the same as the price decrease (24 cents in this case), over the same period of time (3 weeks in this case).
It's probably also the case that when it comes to the economy, bad economic news always gets more press coverage than positive economic news, which leads to the general public falsely thinking economic conditions are worse than they actually are.
Great New Database of Govt Docs
by Sunlight Foundation...
Louis
Welcome to the first phase of LOUIS - the Library Of Unified Information Sources, a project of the Sunlight Foundation, and an effort, to paraphrase Justice Louis Brandeis, to illuminate the workings of the federal government. Our ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive, completely indexed and cross-referenced depository of federal documents from the executive and legislative branches of government. We are not there yet, but we can now offer these documents organized in a user-friendly interface, with a powerful search engine.
Louis
Welcome to the first phase of LOUIS - the Library Of Unified Information Sources, a project of the Sunlight Foundation, and an effort, to paraphrase Justice Louis Brandeis, to illuminate the workings of the federal government. Our ultimate goal is to create a comprehensive, completely indexed and cross-referenced depository of federal documents from the executive and legislative branches of government. We are not there yet, but we can now offer these documents organized in a user-friendly interface, with a powerful search engine.
$24 billion Property Tax Cut in Fla
Link
TALLAHASSEE -- The Florida Legislature on Thursday passed a series of measures that, if fully implemented, will cut property taxes about $24 billion over five years.
State lawmakers overwhelmingly passed a property tax cut and cap that would take effect this year and reduce local government revenues from 3 percent to 9 percent.
Also passed was legislation that asks resident homeowners to trade their popular Save Our Homes tax protection for a super homestead exemption that would knock 75 percent off the first $200,000 of a home's taxable value and 15 percent off the next $300,000.
"This was about savings to people, not cuts to government," said House Speaker Marco Rubio, R-Miami Beach.
Senator Harper wants forgiveness
Say it ain't so. The lottery was the result of so many "good intentions" by so many people!! Hey, maybe the lesson here is that there are many problems that government can NOT solve? Maybe there are some problems best solved by independent, sovereign citizens.
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"I've asked the Lord to forgive me for that," (Voting FOR the lottery) Harper said yesterday.
Harper said one of the reasons she is so disappointed is because the state has been "very, very stingy" with providing scholarship funds to students and has been resistant to lowering standards to allow more students the ability attend college or have less debt.
The senator has encouraged poor people to stop playing the lottery.
"It's poor people who lack resources who are playing the lottery in hopes of winning and it's their kids who are not getting scholarships," Harper said. "So they need to stop playing. They need to buying computers and dictionaries."
Link
"I've asked the Lord to forgive me for that," (Voting FOR the lottery) Harper said yesterday.
Harper said one of the reasons she is so disappointed is because the state has been "very, very stingy" with providing scholarship funds to students and has been resistant to lowering standards to allow more students the ability attend college or have less debt.
The senator has encouraged poor people to stop playing the lottery.
"It's poor people who lack resources who are playing the lottery in hopes of winning and it's their kids who are not getting scholarships," Harper said. "So they need to stop playing. They need to buying computers and dictionaries."
Would you vote to Reelect your Congressperson?
Link
NBC News/Wall Street Journal Poll conducted by the polling organizations of Peter Hart (D) and Neil Newhouse (R). June 8-11, 2007. N=1,008 adults nationwide. Results below are among registered voters.
"In the next election for U.S. Congress, do you feel that your representative deserves to be reelected, or do you think that it is time to give a new person a chance?"
Deserves To Time for
&n