tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-74656307720658776382024-02-08T02:19:49.701-08:00Michael M. McGreerAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.comBlogger34125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-59402029041560600572012-11-02T19:14:00.001-07:002012-11-02T19:14:57.859-07:00Relationship between tax and job creation debunked by CRC<br />
The top tax rate reductions appear to be associated with the increasing concentration of income at the top<br />
of the income distribution. The share of income accruing to the top 0.1% of U.S. families<br />
increased from 4.2% in 1945 to 12.3% by 2007 before falling to 9.2% due to the 2007-2009<br />
recession.<br />
<br />
The evidence does not suggest necessarily a relationship between tax policy with<br />
regard to the top tax rates and the size of the economic pie, but there may be a relationship to how<br />
the economic pie is sliced, according to.Thomas L. Hungerford, Specialist in Public Finance, Congressional Research Center dated September 14, 2012. <br />
<br />
<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-28211402919319060292012-10-17T17:56:00.001-07:002012-10-17T17:56:28.734-07:00Romney: a President or a Boss
Do the people want a President or a
Boss? That's the question James Lipton, of the Actors Studio, asked
after reviewing the Tuesday night presidential debate.
<br />
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was clear that President Obama was
Presidential, whereas Mitt Romney was his same old arrogant, bossy,
and rude self.
</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
Regardless, how one feels about Romney,
there is no excuse for disrespecting the President of the United
States as Romney did during the second debate. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
As Lipton, correctly identified, there
were two people in the debate. A President, i.e. Mr. Obama, and a
Boss, i.e. Romney.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
There is a big difference between a
President and a Boss. From the board-room, Romney can bully the
employees, demand obedience, deny-health care and equal pay. He can
enjoy firing people and sell-out his employees and transfer jobs
overseas when it would put more money in his pocket.</div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A President, on the other-hand, must
represent all the people, all the time. While he can replace his
political employees, he cannot fire civil servants on a whim, nor can
he deny equal pay for equal work. Most importantly, a President must
understand that economics is more than a profit and loss sheet, and
diplomacy requires an understanding of other cultures, and that we
are a nation of mixed races, and cultures how minorities. </div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
</div>
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
A President knows there is a difference between the private sector and the govenment, and knows what those difference are and how to address those difference. Romney hasn't a clue. </div>
<br />
<div style="margin-bottom: 0in;">
It was inexcusable for Romney to treat
the President-of-the-United States, as he were simply a low income
worker, of a different race, who dared to disagree with him and his
opinions as he did during the Tuesday debate.
</div>
<br />
Romney acted the same way, during the
first debate, and his behavior is disgraceful. We need a President, not a boss.
<br />
Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-65239371089388439842012-10-15T09:21:00.001-07:002012-10-15T09:23:49.293-07:00I Prefer My Dog<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=3048&id=33">Mesquite Nevada Number One Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br />
<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a><br />
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<tr><td align="Left" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="newstitle" style="color: #330099; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">I Prefer My Dog</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"></span><br />
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<span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;">Posting Date: 10/15/2012</span></div>
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My dog “Cocoa (pronounced KoKo) is sick and tired of all these robo-calls and negative ads on television. I know that is true because she is constantly barking at the door and wanting to go outside and take a whiff of a sweet smelling plant and rub her ears against a cactus plant.<br />
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Dogs have wonderful senses and when something smells or sounds bad they notice immediately. If you haven't noticed they will try any number of new scents to get the bad odor out of their sensitive nostrils and rub their ears with their paws when they are bothered by sounds.</div>
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When it comes to political debates people sit in front of the television-set, drinking beer or colas and dipping chips in spicy sauces while waiting for their favorite candidate to make some innocuous point that they perceive as some great accomplishment in a sporting event.</div>
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Dogs are genetically designed to manipulate the behavior of their masters. One bark and the master jumps to meet the dog's demands for the benefit of both. Politicians jump to meet their contributors' demands even if it demeans themselves and endangers the general public interest.</div>
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<br /></div>
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However, dogs and politicians are alike in some important ways. Both are animals and both are breed for specific traits. Dog groups are defined by the American Kennel Club (AKA). Politicians are defined by party affiliations.</div>
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<br /></div>
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Both politicians and dogs have genetic characteristics which define how they will look and behave. These traits can be measured and categorized.</div>
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Traits, also called heritabilities, can be measured. For dogs, their behaviors include willingness, fighting the lease, hare tracking and obedience .</div>
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Those traits are not much different from what we want in politicians. A willingness to follow the majority, avoiding the urge to fight the leash imposed on them by the majority, and obedience to a set of rules and regulations that benefit more than the most wealthy among us. Very few politicians track hares these days. Instead they track money.</div>
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If we can genetically engineer dogs, it's time to think about re-engineering our politicians. Until then, I prefer Cocoa.</div>
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Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-13226341361575951142012-10-15T09:19:00.001-07:002012-10-15T09:19:30.227-07:00Berkley vs. Heller (Mike vs. Mike)<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2965&id=58">Mesquite Nevada Number One Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br />
<br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this</a><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'</a><br />
<strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</strong> <strong style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Mike McGreer's turn</strong><br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">I support Democrat Shelley Berkley because of the positions she takes on issues important to me and my family.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Karl Rove's American Crossroads is paying for ads that distorts Berkley's congressional work in 2008, to safeguard the kidney transplant program at the Las Vegas University Medical Center. The ads are designed to present Berkley as benefiting monetarily from her work in behalf of the kidney program because her husband is a kidney doctor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">It was the Republicans that presented the issue to the House Committee on Ethics in order to use it against her during the 2012 campaign. The Committee has agreed to hear only one issue, i.e. should she have recused herself from supporting the program. The entire Nevada delegation, including Dean Heller, supported the issue. Berkley argues that it was a health issue pure and simple.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Dean Heller, (R) is being attacked for his positions on health care and taxes. Heller voted against the Paying a Fair Share Act of 2012, popularly known as the Buffett Rule, and he voted against the Small Business Jobs Act of 2010, calling it "another bank bailout." He opposed the Emergency Economic Stabilization Act of 2008 that created the Troubled Asset Relief Program (TARP) and the Auto Industry Financing and Restructuring Act. The Auto Act saved GM and Chrysler. Nevada banks, credit unions and housing authorities received $161.0 million from TARP. They have returned $140.0M plus another $20.6M in dividends, interest and other fees, leaving a net to date of $367.4K In contrast, Berkley voted in favor of both these bills.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller opposed the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act of 2010, and twice (once in the House and once in the Senate) supported Republican Congressman (now Vice Presidential candidate) Paul Ryan's budget plan. He also opposed expanding the Children's Health Insurance Program.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Berkley supports the Patient Protection and Affordable Care, the Children's Health Insurance Program and opposes Ryan's budget plan. She also co-sponsored bills improving services for people with autism & their families; co-sponsored establishing a national childhood cancer database; co-sponsored Breast Cancer Patient Protection Act and supported funding women's health needs.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller voted against increasing the minimum wage to $7.25 while Berkley voted in its favor.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Berkley voted for restricting employer interference in union organizing, and opposes discriminatory compensation and she signed Paycheck Fairness Act for stronger enforcement against gender-based pay discrimination.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller voted against the Paycheck Fairness Act, but proposed an alternative called "End Pay Discrimination" which would prevent the government from collecting salary information and disbursing grants to help women better negotiate higher salaries.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Berkley supports the elimination of oil and gas subsidies. Heller supports oil and gas subsidies but is against subsidies for development of renewable energy, economic incentives to purchase fuel efficient vehicles, and Amtrak improvements.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller voted against making additional grants to states for the modernization, renovation, or repair of public schools, early learning facilities and charter schools. He opposed an additional $10.2 billion for federal education & HHS projects.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Berkley voted in favor of the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001. She also voted in favor of reauthorizing the America COMPETES Act in 2010 but voted against College Cost Reduction and Access Act. She voted in favor of $40B for green public schools; additional $10.2B for federal education & HHS projects; and $84 million in grants for Black and Hispanic colleges. </div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Berkley adopted the manifesto to offer every parent a choice between charter schools and public. She co-sponsored an amendment to the Elementary and Secondary Education Act to reduce class size to 18 children in grades 1 to 3. She supported funding for teacher training and other initiatives.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller vote against a bill to set federal standards for how schools may restrain students believed at risk of hurting themselves or others.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller is against abortion but voted in favor of embryonic stem cell research. Berkley is "pro-choice" and also voted in favor of embryonic stem cell research.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller opposes amnesty for illegal immigrants, supports a border fence (at $25 million for each mile along the 2,000 mile border) and opposes the DREAM Act which would grant citizenship for young illegal immigrants if they attend college or serve in the military. He supports ending birthright citizenship. Berkley co-sponsored the More Visas for Families of Lawful Immigrants bill, supports building a border fence along the Mexican border, and supports the DREAM Act.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Heller is opposed to gay marriage and against the Employment Non-discrimination Act that called for prohibiting employment discrimination on the basis of sexual orientation. Berkley supports the right of gay and lesbian individuals to get married. Berkley voted in favor of repealing Don't ask, don't tell.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">There is an issue they both agree on and that is the right to bear arms.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">In the final analysis, Heller is opposed to virtually everything that improves Nevada's economy and the health of the middle-class, the poor and the disenfranchised yet he wants to spend $50 billion dollars on a border fence that people can tunnel under and pole vault over.</div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-72458082858332313982012-10-04T19:20:00.000-07:002012-10-04T19:22:09.712-07:00<br />
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
</div>
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</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Mitt Romney was rude, arrogant,
opaque, non-specific and out-of-touch with reality during his
performance at the Presidential debate last night. His performance
was certainly not Presidential.
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
President Barack Obama, was polite,
commanding, open, specific and in-touch with the problems of
Americans during his participation in the debate. He was
Presidential.
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Those looking for entertainment,
instead of substance, may have been disappointed by the presidents
approach, but a presidential debate is not entertainment. It is
serious business.
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Romney proved to the country that he
cannot be trusted by pandering to the audience and pretending to be
someone he is not.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Democratic strategists will have a
field day showing videos of his flip-flops especially those related
to health-care, taxation and economics. He was simply trying to make
himself appear a caring silk purse instead of a dangerous sows ear.
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
He spouted the same old Republican
nonsense that has brought the country to economic ruin. Tax breaks
for the wealthy, vouchers (privatizing) for medical care, obscene
amounts of money for the military and devolving important issues to
cost strapped states. </div>
<br />
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Romneys' rants against the President
for the condition of the economy were intended to appeal to those who
have forgot their fifth-grade civics. As a reminder, there are three
branches of government: the executive, the legislative and the
judicial.
</div>
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<br /></div>
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The Republicans realized four-years
ago that if they stopped the work of the legislative branch the
economy would continue to crumble and they could then cast the blame
onto the President. But the President doesn't control the legislative
and Republicans would rather destroy the economy then see Barack
Obama elected again. This is racism in its worst form.
</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Then there is the Citizens United
decision by the radical right in the Supreme Court. That politically
inspired decision gave organizations the same status as human beings.
This allowed right-wing leaning organizations to shovel massive
amounts of dollars into the campaign to support John Birch and Russia
born Ayn Rand ideology.</div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Here is how it will play out. Both
sides will turn exerts from the debate into campaign advertising, but
the democrats will have the upper-hand since they can show Romney for
being the pandering, wealthy ideologue that is already on tape.
Vice-President Joe Biden will tear republican vice presidential
candidate Paul Ryan apart during the next debate. The president will
be on-the-road point out Romney's many defects and follow-up
factual-based criticism n the final two presidential encounters.</div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="western" lang="en-US">
Romney may like to fire people,
including last-nights moderator - Jim Lehrer - but he cannot fire us
all. </div>
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<br />
<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-64459585816103573022012-09-30T11:23:00.002-07:002012-09-30T11:23:20.377-07:00Mesquite council out-of-touch on sports complex issue <div class="MsoNormal" style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">
From Mike vs. Mike in the <a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2908&id=58" style="font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: medium;">Mesquite Nevada Number One Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a><span style="color: black; font-family: 'Times New Roman'; font-size: small;">:</span><br />
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a></div>
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The Mesquite City Council still thinks the proposed indoor complex is a good idea but voted unanimously that it is too expensive for the city to construct at this time. It's not a good idea since it does little to create jobs and increase the flow of money in the community. Those are the two basic elements of any economic redevelopment initiative.</div>
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You can't just build anything that comes to mind and think it will stimulate the economy. Both business and government people know that an investment must return a profit that exceeds what would be earned if the money was invested in low risk stocks, bonds or Treasuries.</div>
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The idea seems to be that visitors will come to town and spend. The truth is that there is little to spend on except in the casinos. And casinos do not stimulate economic growth for reasons that I have written about Ad nauseam.</div>
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For a community, any investment must go beyond business profits. Any investment must stimulate the flow of money in the community. This is done, for example, when a retail business or government purchases wholesale products from another business in the community.</div>
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Another example, is the hospital which meets the demands of the retiree community, receives income primarily from Medicare, Medicaid, or insurance premiums and pays high wages for professional personnel who then have disposable income to spend in the community if the community offered high-quality goods or services they desire.</div>
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The hospital example highlights a local problem. Simply put, the community lacks anything that people with disposable income wish to purchase. Instead they spend in Las Vegas, St. George, or any number of cities north, south, east and west of the city.</div>
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There is one example of a local businessman that deserves mention. He is Matthew John. He, and his wife, are individuals who have taken abandoned restaurants and turned them around. He took over a dead diner and turned it into Peggy Sue's. He took over a closed Mexican restaurant and turned it into Cucina Italiana. John also manages the Redd and Grill rooms at the Oasis golf course. Most restaurants purchase their food supplies locally and, in case of the Cucina Italiana, a lot of money was spent creating a welcoming ambiance.</div>
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Don Muse, a local advocate of downtown redevelopment also has the right ideas when it comes to investments. Muse, and others, argue that downtown needs to be redeveloped in a way that advances the cultural heritage of the geographic area. Done correctly this would draw visitors, and small business ventures that increase the flow of money in the community.</div>
<span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</span> <span style="background-color: white; color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Mayor and City Council should stop spending time, energy and money on pseudo-economics and task the City Manager to develop a marketable master plan for downtown redevelopment based upon advancing the cultural heritage of the community.</span><br />
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<br />Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-75543887863978559052012-09-25T10:02:00.001-07:002012-09-25T10:02:06.792-07:00(Note: A friend asked why the government failed to take against Nakoula Bessely Nakoula for his hate film “Innocence of Muslims.” We talked about the prevalence of hate speech in the world today and I told her I would give the problem some more thought. Here is the results.<br />
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Federal prosecutors should give serious consideration to filing felony hate crime and homicide complaints against Nakoula Bessely Nakoula for his alleged role in the killing of Ambassador Chris Stevens, information manager Sean Smith and former Navy SEALs Tyrone Woods and Glen Doherty.<br />
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Nakoula's amateurish movie “Innocence of Muslims,” slandered the prophet Muhammad and allegedly triggered protests at several U.S. government buildings in the Middle East, including the embassy in Benghazi where the Americans were killed. Additional charges should be filed for every additional Americans killed as a result of the hate-filled movie.<br />
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Hate crimes from, lynchings to cross burnings to vandalism of synagogues and mosques, have a long shameful history in the United States, and with advent of social media, hate filled messages can now spread from continent-to-continent at light-speed.<br />
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Nakoula did not directly kill the Americans, but the U.S. law of homicide applies when death results from any act by a person who shows a wanton and willful disregard for the risk to humans.
Even if the actual killing was done by terrorists, under cover of the demonstrations, the case could be made that the terrorists were the instruments of Nakoula's disregard for the human risk.<br />
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If Nakoula's actions were considered a hate-crime felony and the homicides occurred during the commission of that felony, then the crime falls under the felony murder rule. That rule says that anyone committing a felony may be guilty of murder if someone dies as a result of his acts, regardless his intent (or lack thereof) to kill.
It would be an interesting point of law if an American (Nakoula in this case) could instigate a criminal act in the United States that kills Americans in a American property (the Embassy) in another country.<br />
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I certainly don't know the answer but the law of murder does cover situations where an act is committed in one state but the victim dies in another.
Of course, this is all speculation but the United States government needs to act aggressively to stop people from acting in such a reckless manner.<br />
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I am obviously a big advocate of freedom of speech in any media format. But, I also recognize that the right is not absolute in any country and it is commonly limited through libel, slander, copyright violations and incitements to commit a crime.
The right to transmit information carries with it special duties and responsibilities including respect for a persons reputation, protection of national security and public health.<br />
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I realize that hate speech is used against Americans in foreign countries. One can only hope that authorities in those countries would act legally and responsibly and in a manner consistent with both the protection of speech and a recognition of its limitations.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-14823723347386947822012-09-17T08:49:00.001-07:002012-09-17T08:49:44.424-07:00Monthly Jobs Report at Mesquite Citizen Journal<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 5px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="Left" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="newstitle" style="color: #330099; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Monthly Jobs Report</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"><div align="left">Posting Date: 09/14/2012</div></span></td></tr>
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<tr><td align="left" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span style="font-size: 12pt;">For this week's Mike versus Mike debate, we asked this question:</span><span style="font-size: 12pt;"> </span><br />
<div align="Left"><div class="MsoNormal">Discuss the monthly jobs report issued Sept. 7, specifically the 96,000 jobs created versus the 384,000 people that gave up looking for a job. You can also work off the previous M v M column in July - here's the link to that column <a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=2363&id=58&mode=archive" style="color: #000066; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Mike vs Mike - The Real Unemployment Numbers</a></div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, we welcome your input into the debate. Leave a comment at the end of this article for others to read and ponder.<br />
Also, take a few moments and answer the poll question in the left menu column.</div></div></td></tr>
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-82763929681728571832012-09-17T08:48:00.001-07:002012-09-17T08:48:03.631-07:00Are Political Conventions Still Necessary at Mesquite Citizen Journal<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 5px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="Left" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="newstitle" style="color: #330099; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Are Political Conventions Still Necessary</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"><div align="left">Posting Date: 09/06/2012</div></span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">For this week's Mike versus Mike debate, we asked this question:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Do the political party conventions still hold real value to individual voters or should they be eliminated?</div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, we welcome your input into the debate. Leave a comment at the end of this article for others to read and ponder.<br />
Also, take a few moments and answer the poll question in the left menu column.</div></div></td></tr>
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-34893892176194053902012-09-17T08:46:00.001-07:002012-09-17T08:46:25.647-07:00Welfare to Work Mesquite Citizen Journal<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="background-color: white; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin: 5px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="Left" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-size: 12pt;"><span class="newstitle" style="color: #330099; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold;">Welfare to Work</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"><div align="left">Posting Date: 08/30/2012</div></span></td></tr>
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<div class="MsoNormal">For this week's Mike versus Mike debate, we asked this question:</div><div class="MsoNormal">Discuss the 'welfare to work' program that has been tossed around in this year's presidential campaigns.</div><div class="MsoNormal"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal">As always, we welcome your input into the debate. Leave a comment at the end of this article for others to read and ponder.<br />
Also, take a few moments and answer the poll question in the left menu column.</div></div></td></tr>
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-61814403188905039832012-04-07T19:17:00.001-07:002012-04-07T19:17:47.684-07:00Medicare, Medicaid revolt.<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1676&id=58">Mesquite Nevada Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br />
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<div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Experience with private sector greed makes it highly likely that people would revolt against a widespread move to transfer Medicaid and Medicare from government administration to private sector profiteering.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Even with Medicaid and Medicare, the United States is the only advanced country that lacks an organized health care system providing universal health care for all members of society.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">The Nation's health care, as it currently exists, is more expensive and continually under-performs health care provided in other nations. But this is not, exclusively, the government's fault</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Medicaid and Medicare are minimal protections at best. Federally managed Medicare is only available for those age 65 or older or under 65 and have a disability, no matter one's income. The state-federal run Medicaid program is only available for certain low-income groups (children and pregnant women, single parents, people with disabilities, and people 65 and over).</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Individuals wishing to have fully adequate care must purchase private sector insurance at an average cost of $15,073 for premium family coverage through an employer. This is a nine percent increase over last year. It would consume 33 percent of income for a family earning the nation's average of $46,326. This makes it unlikely that the average family could afford private sector insurance.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Private sector insurance carriers claim that potential “rules,” under the Affordable Care Act will raise their costs. Of course, advances in medical technology, testing, surgeries and drug research have also increased the cost of health care.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Some ultra-conservatives think that transferring health care to the market place would resolve the problem. Opponents point to profiteering, poor quality, inefficiency, and a range of unethical business practices in the private sector. Circumspect moderates, mainstream republicans, and progressives recognize that it takes both adjustments in the private sector and the government to deliver universal health care.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">While government-private sector partnerships are preferred when delivering health care, it's worth considering the quality of government care provided by the Veterans Health Administration (VHA) to their clients. Once considered the worse of the worse, it was recently awarded the National Committee for Quality Assurance gold seal of approval in all 17 categories.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Currently, the future of government administered health care depends on how the conservative activist majority judges on the Supreme Court rule on the Affordable Care Act. The constitutionality of the Act was brought before the Court by state based Republican Attorney Generals even though a majority of the provisions in the bill were Republican sponsored initiatives under the William Clinton administration.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Depending on how the Court rules, it could mean the elimination of all government provided services, including Medicare, Medicaid, Social Security, and Veterans medical programs since all these programs have two things in common that the wealthy and the extreme conservatives abhor: government administration and tax based financing.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Far too many Americans depend upon these programs to survive and radical right-wingers want to deny health-care to all those who cannot pay the high costs demanded by private sector insurance companies.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 16px;">Fortunately, it is the right (and duty) of the people to overthrow a government that acts against their common interests. In the United States this is done through the ballot box.</div><br />
<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-6299157659063361752012-03-15T16:41:00.001-07:002012-03-15T16:41:58.291-07:00Economic Non Sequiturs<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1515&id=33">Mesquite Nevada Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br />
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<tr><td align="Left" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><span class="newstitle" style="color: #330099; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;">Economic Non Sequiturs - MISC</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"><div align="left">Posting Date: 03/15/2012</div></span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: #cc0066;"><div align="left"><br />
<b>Michael McGreer</b></div></span></td></tr>
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<div align="Left">A three member majority of the Mesquite City council voted Tuesday to spend funds to study the cost of building a multipurpose covered tent near the Mesquite Sports and Event Center site.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">Originally called the Mesquite Indoor Sports Complex, officials are now touting the site as a multiple events complex in order to better sell it to the community.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Councilmen Allan Litman and Kraig Hafen voted against the expenditure on pragmatic grounds.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Litman argued against spending money on a design without a comprehensive business plan and the availability of funds. Hafen objected to taking money from other accounts to pay for the project with only assumed benefits.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Councilman George Rapson, arguing for the project, noted that spending money on projects that didn't make profits was a good thing. He pointed to spending on roads as projects that “don't make a dime.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">The Rapson argument was typical of those who fail to understand that government expenditures must only go to projects that have a clear, measurable, social or economic benefit. Roads do make profits for the businesses that depend upon them to move goods and services from point A to B in an efficient and economical way.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Councilman Geno Withelder argued that since his work companions are for the project, he is for the project. Councilman Karl Gustaveson said that they were only voting to spend money to determine the costs of building the complex.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Litman and Hafen, correctly, were not necessarily arguing against the project, they were arguing for a better economic understanding before launching into projects.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Panic is the best way to describe those supporting the complex. They seem to argue the economic non sequitur that: “if we build it, they will come.”</div><div class="MsoNormal">Resident Robert Shively, a proponent of the “build it, they will come school of economics,” offered that opponents were naysayers without merit and made the illogical comparison between the value of sports complexes in Rochester, Minn., to the potential benefit of the same in the local area.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The most flagrant polemic was seemingly directed at Councilman Hafen by Interim City Manager Kurt Sawyer.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Sawyer attempted to argued that taking economic risks was partly responsible for moving the community from the days when diary cattle roamed the area to its present condition. The reference was an obvious slight to the Hafen family dairy business.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Karen Fielding, President of the Mesquite Chamber of Commerce, argued for the project. Of all the organizations that should understand the need for solid economic planning, it should be the Chamber. Obviously they don't.</div><div class="MsoNormal">Does the City need another indoor event center? Probably not, since one currently exists at the CasaBlanca and there are any number of vacant buildings that could be converted if the need did exist.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This argument is not about the need for economic development. That need is obvious. The argument is about the lack of economic sense applied to decisions made by some of the city councilmen. But this is nothing new.</div></div></td></tr>
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<a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-73838288127020535532012-02-17T17:15:00.000-08:002012-02-17T17:15:37.506-08:00The argument over contraception<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1307&id=58">Mesquite Nevada Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br><br><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a><br />President Barack Obama did not overstepped the First Amendment when he originally proposed that religiously-affiliated organizations pay for contraceptive services.<br /><br />There is no legal argument available under the contraceptive proposal since the two essential elements of the First Amendment are not in play. Specifically, the proposal does not interfere with 1) the right to establish a religion, nor does it 2) impede the free exercise of religion.<br /><br />The current proposal requires religious institutions to cover contraception as part of any health care plan offered to their employees. However, they could also offer an opt-out clause if the offering violates their religious sensibilities. In those cases, an insurance company would cover the individual's choice of contraception, at no cost to the individual or the organization.<br /><br />Further, insurers would likely see cost savings since contraception is far cheaper than the consequences of unprotected sex.<br /><br />"If a woman's employer is a charity or a hospital that has a religious objection to providing contraceptive services as part of their health plan, the insurance company — not the hospital, not the charity — will be required to reach out and offer the woman contraceptive care free of charge," Obama said.<br /><br />The real issue here is not an individual religious one, since a large proportion of Catholics and others already use contraceptives. The issue is the right of a woman to choose their health care independent of working environments, or due to a lack of funds.<br /><br />The contraception issue is a continuation of women's continuing efforts to achieve equal, but sometimes different, rights with men. Specifically, this issue highlights the importance of separate health care provisions which are not necessarily covered by the Equal Protection Clause of the constitution.<br /><br />Unlike race, real differences between the sexes (relating to pregnancy, nursing, life expectancy, etc) do justify different treatment under the law.<br /><br />To some degree, The Equal Rights Amendment, first proposed in 1923, was proposed to affirm that women and men have equal rights under the law which the Equal Protection Clause has failed to accomplish.<br /><br />It's important to remember that equal, in the case of women, means their right to make their own health care decisions, taking into account their own unique needs and circumstances.<br /><br />Some members of Congress have attempted to block the contraceptive proclamation by inventing “right of conscious legislation," whatever that means. The government is not in the business of protecting rights of conscience for individuals or organizations (religious or otherwise).<br /><br />Indeed, as some have said, the only conscience that matters is that which ensures a woman's option to have affordable contraception in an environment dominated by religious zealots.<br /><br />In the final analysis, the contraceptive proposal reinforces the drive of the Obama administration to correct the inefficiencies, inequities, and high costs currently existing in the health care environment.<br /><br />The only constitutional question here is the right of women to be free from the cruel and unusual punishment inflicted upon them by people preaching their own brand of righteousness.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-60385060091752544652012-02-06T18:54:00.000-08:002012-02-06T18:54:17.245-08:00Researchers find partial smoking ban makes economic sense: Nevada Today: University of Nevada, Reno<a href="http://www.unr.edu/nevada-today/news/2011/researchers-find-partial-smoking-ban-makes-economic-sense">Researchers find partial smoking ban makes economic sense: Nevada Today: University of Nevada, Reno</a>: <br><br><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-25444832505108812552012-02-06T17:16:00.000-08:002012-02-06T17:16:54.591-08:00Shifting the burden of smokingShifting the Burden of Smoking<br />Posting Date: 02/06/2012<br /><br />Michael McGreer<br /><br />The Mesquite Mayor and the City Council have been asked to pass an ordinance banning smoking in the casinos, bars and smoke shops. Smoking is already banned in all other public buildings.<br /><br />Those opposing such an ordinance offer a series of arguments from a violation of a person's right to smoke, to the potential loss of business in local casinos and bars. Under scrutiny, these arguments fall apart.<br /><br />Certainly people can smoke in the privacy of their own home or outdoors. But there is no constitutional right to smoke. In simple terms, one does not have the right to endanger another's health with first, second, or third hand tobacco smoke.<br /><br />Further advances in the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA), which took effect in 1992 under George W. Bush, protects both employees and customers, with smoke-related diseases, from discrimination in businesses with fifteen or more employees (Title I). In the very near future this will become a significant factor in ending smoking in bars and casinos.<br /><br />Smoking-related disease is expensive but businesses that allow smoking shift the cost burden to the public in a practice called “Cost-Shifting.”<br />Cost-shifting exists when smoke-filled establishments shift the actual health costs of smoking related diseases to the public, who are required to pay more for health insurance, Medicare, and Medicaid, than would be otherwise expected.<br /><br />According to the Campaign for Tobacco Free Kids, the cost of caring for people with health problems caused by cigarette smoking, counting all sources of medical payments, was about $96 billion per year.<br /><br />Dr. Robert M. Shepard, MD, during his recent visit to Mesquite, pointed to studies showing that smoking related heart diseases could be reduced by an average of 20 percent in communities that pass smoke-free ordinances.<br /><br />Dr. Shepard said it best, “It's such a simple problem to correct. Pass an ordinance and ban smoking."Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-11376270941645571212012-01-28T19:14:00.000-08:002012-01-28T19:14:33.973-08:00Mesquite Nevada Online News Source Mesquite Citizen JournalFear and Loathing in Mesquite<br />Posting Date: 01/16/2012<br /><br />Michael McGreer<br /><br />Putting serious issues in the hands of elected officials is risky business since one never knows where their loyalties lay.<br /><br />Nonetheless, that is what the Mesquite community organization for a Smoke-Free Mesquite is doing when they ask the Mayor and City Council to pass an ordinance banning smoking in local casinos and bars.<br /><br />Mesquite is already smoke-free in part. Nevada's Clean Air Act currently protects customers and workers in all indoor public places except casinos, bars and brothels. Now the majority of citizens, 72.9 percent according to a University of Nevada statistical poll, want the city council to protect public health and safety. That means eliminating all indoor smoking.<br /><br />All kinds of myths and fears surround this issue. Jobs will be lost, the economy will collapse, businesses will lose revenue, smoking is a right, and non-smokers can go elsewhere, and so on.<br /><br />Such opposition is based upon false perceptions of economic catastrophes, or the rights of smokers over the rights of non-smokers. Only, a few would disagree with the overwhelming evidence that smoking, and second-hand smoke in particular, is a killer.<br /><br />The American Lung Association (ALA) has compiled a number of research papers and information over the past 20 years that refute the notion that casinos and bars would lose revenue.<br /><br />The overwhelming evidence shows that people want clean environments and will increase business in such environments. According to a November poll by the ALA, local casinos could see a 33 percent gain in gaming revenue if Mesquite became smoke-free.<br /><br />Health is the big issue. Local residents are spending more each year on health, in part, because of smoking-related illnesses. Even if one does not smoke, they still pay the increases in insurance costs to cover the hospital costs of those diseased by smoking.<br /><br />In Mesquite every hundred people are paying higher insurance costs because 15 smokers from that 100 drive the costs up. If these costs were reduced, savings would be spent in the local economy, not to mention the lives saved.<br /><br />In previous discussions with the Mayor and City Councilmen, some expressed a desire to have the people vote on the issue. That approach simply kicks the issue down to a smaller section of the population that votes and ignores the opinions of the majority of the local population, visitors, the youth, and casino workers.<br /><br />But most importantly, it reflects an opinion that elected officials can get away with kicking health and safety issues to the voters every time it becomes controversial. That's not what we elected those individuals to do.<br /><br />Then there was the expression, from at least one councilman, that elected officials should not be telling a business what to do. Individuals are elected, among other things, to pass ordinances and legislation that protect and serve the people. And they are elected to enforce those laws.<br /><br />Certainly, over-regulation is an issue that must be avoided. It's hard to image an environment in which local politicians have refused to solve an obvious public health problem out of unfounded economic fear spun by misguided and ill-informed smoking advocates who are often backed by the smoking industry.<br /><br />Certainly the casinos and bars should have help from local government in marketing Mesquite as a clean, non-smoking environment. Therefore, any ordinance should be backed by a full faith marketing effort by the city.<br /><br />City officials are thinking about outsourcing economic development when real-life economic development is right in front of them. Imagine if Mesquite were the first city to become smoke-free. Health conscious individuals would flock to the area to maintain their quality of life, while business owners could increase their customer base and home owners could see their property values grow.<br /><br />All this increases tax revenue for the city to further invest in growth strategies. And this begins with a smoke-free ordinance and a well-planned and executed marketing strategy.<br /><br />That's what the vast majority of the people want.<a href="http://mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=1090&id=33">Mesquite Nevada Online News Source Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <br><br><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-34112089311127360192011-10-29T17:26:00.000-07:002011-10-29T17:26:57.582-07:00Nevada politicians vie for reapportioned, redistricted Congressional seatsNevada State Senator John J. Lee, D., District 1 and State Senate Majority Leader Steven Horsford, District 4, will go head-to-head during the Democratic primary race for the 4th Congressional District, members of the Mesquite Democrat Club were told Tuesday, Oct. 18.<br /><br />Currently, District 4 is held by Congresswoman Shelley Berkley, who has announced that she is running for the U.S. Senate. This district covers much of North Las Vegas and the northern urbanized Clark County. It also covers half of the rural counties in the state.<br /><br />However, every ten years, following the Federal Census, the Nevada State Legislature is responsible for reapportioning and redistricting Congressional districts in addition to other local, state, federal, and educational districts.<br /><br />While it is certain that Nevada will gain a fourth seat in Congress, plans developed by the State legislature were rejected by the Governor during the last legislative session. The issue now awaits further action by the state or federal courts. Nonetheless, individuals are placing themselves in contention for the four congressional districts.<br /><br />Lee told the members that he grew up in a working-class environment, and learned early about the value of education and hard-work. Lee said he worked in the potato fields and felt a kinship with the rural residents in Nevada.<br /><br />Lee, 56, a Las Vegas businessman, has lived in North Las Vegas since he was 5. He served four years in the Assembly before winning his first of two terms in the state Senate in 2004.<br /><br />Lee, who has served in the state legislature for 14-years, also said that, if elected to the Congressional seat, he would work to diversify the economy, create jobs, and work to resolve the foreclosure problems that have plagued Nevadans.<br /><br />Lee joined other Democrats in backing Gov. Brian Sandoval's proposal to extend more than $600 million in taxes that were scheduled to expire.<br /><br />Horsford, the current Senate Majority Leader, is a life-long resident of Las Vegas. In 2001, he went to work at the Culinary Academy of Las Vegas, a labor/management partnership between major Nevada employer and the unions that represent their workers. He was elected to the Nevada State Senate in 2004 and wrote and passed the "Clean Energy Jobs Initiative." He is an advocate of renewable energy technology, and authored legislation providing tax incentives to businesses that create higher paying jobs in Nevada.<br /><br />Horsford, joined with Republican state senator Joe Hardy in passing SB-278 which streamlines contracting and rationalizes reporting between insurers and providers of health care.<br /><br />Both Horsford and Lee, joined with other legislators to pass SB 440 which establishes a health insurance exchange. Both bills are necessary in order to enact the provisions of the nation's Affordable Care Act (ACA,) which will be phased in over time.<br /><br />Horsford, told the group that although certain provisions of the ACA do not become effective immediately, some 26 provisions of the act are already law including the establishment of a high-risk insurance pool for people with pre-existing medical conditions. These pools end on January 1, 2014, when government-regulated insurance exchanges start operating. By then insurance companies will be unable to deny coverage to people with pre-existing conditions.<br /><br />Both Lee and Horsford, during the last session, voted to amend the states Clean Air Act to allow smoking in certain restaurants. Lee pointed out that he voted for the amendment out of concern for potential business loss if the ban was enforced.<br /><br />In other legislative action, Lee opposed a tax increase proposal developed by Horsford and other Democrats. No vote was taken on that plan.<br /><br />Democrats Assembly Speaker John Oceguera, and Sen. Ruben Kihuen have also announced their candidacies for a congressional seat. In addition, former Democratic Rep. Dina Titus is also vying for a seat. Among the Republicans, Reps. Joe Heck and Mark Amodei will likely seek re-election for their seats.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-19918966005189708352011-10-07T13:20:00.000-07:002011-10-07T13:21:46.096-07:00ObamacareState Senator Joe Hardy (R), who represents Mesquite in the State Legislature, was factually incorrect when he recently told a group of local citizens that The Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (PPACA) was interfering with job creation.<br />
Hardy and other Republicans demagogue PPACA as Obamacare but, in fact, it was legislation passed by a 60 to 39 vote in the U.S. Senate and a 219 to 212 vote in the House of Representatives. If they wish to engage in polarizing propaganda then they should call the expansion of Medicare and Social Security in 1969 as Nixoncare.<br />
According to press reports Hardy told local residents, during a September town hall meeting, that: "small businesses are waiting to hire people because they don’t know what’s happening to healthcare. Other businesses are letting their insurance programs go because they felt health care was being taken over by the federal government.” In fact, non-partisan experts have constantly predicted that the law will have little effect on employment.<br />
Republicans constantly repeat the job reduction claim by pointing to a nonpartisan Congressional Budget Office (CBO) report which they say analysts projected job losses for the U.S. economy. In fact, CBO analysts did not predict a job loss. CBO authors actually said that the economy will use less labor primarily because many people will choose to work less, or retire early, as a result of the new law. What CBO projects is mostly a reduction in the supply of labor, which is not the same as a reduction in the supply of jobs.<br />
CBO said one reason fewer people will choose to work is that many low-income people will have more money in their pockets as a result of the law expanding Medicaid and providing federal subsidies for many who buy insurance privately. "The expansion of Medicaid and the availability of subsidies through the exchanges will effectively increase beneficiaries’ financial resources," CBO said. "Those additional resources will encourage some people to work fewer hours or to withdraw from the labor market."<br />
Another reason that people might work less is that the new law requires insurance companies to cover preexisting conditions, and also limits their ability to charge higher rates for older persons who buy policies for themselves.<br />
Further, small businesses, those with 50 or fewer employees, are likely to benefit under the law. According to the Lewin Group, a subsidiary of United Health Group, small business activities actually could come out ahead since they don’t face the employee mandate and they get a tax credit for their health benefit programs. This gives them an advantage in the marketplace especially if they’re competing against larger firms.<br />
According to the Web site FactCheck.org, the GOP also misrepresents a report by the National Federation of Independent Business, projecting a 1.6 million job loss from the Act. But the NFIB did not study the new law. Its report was based on a hypothetical employer mandate that bears little resemblance to what was actually passed — and it also projects a gain of hundreds of thousands of health care and insurance industry jobs.<br />
FactCheck points out that the GOP report refers to the NFIB’s analysis as "independent," but it’s hardly a neutral source. The federation is currently backing repeal of the new law, and has historically been opposed to any requirement that businesses provide coverage for their workers. NFIB also co-sponsored with the Chamber of Commerce an ad criticizing health care legislation.<br />
House Republicans also claim that the Act is a "budget-busting" piece of legislation. The CBO officially scored the new law as self-financing, projecting that it would actually reduce the deficit over the first 10 years — and beyond. Repealing the new law, as Republicans propose, would increase the deficit. CBO’s latest figures project that repealing the new law will increase the deficit by a total of $230 billion over the next 10 years (through fiscal year 2021). So keeping it in place would help the budget, not bust it.<br />
Michael M. McGreer writes on public policy. His books: No Harm, No Foul, Bioterrorism in the 21st century, and All Rivers Flow West, are both available in the MesquiteCitizen Journal book store. Click here to see his blogAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-17585194270258459092011-10-07T13:14:00.000-07:002011-10-07T13:18:17.665-07:00Market Oriented Mesquite, Nevada<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=446&id=33">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>:<br />
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<tr><td height="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div align="Left">The interim City Manager, the Recreation and Parks Director and the Economic Development Director want to sink an estimated $3.7 million into an indoor sports complex and cover it with a used 215' by 400' fabric covered, metal structure and potentially pump 150 tons of air conditioning into the unit to support uncertain sports events in the desert.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal">To pay for the complex, city administrators propose spending approximately $1 million generated from a land deal with Nevada Community Solutions (NCS).<span></span>The additional money is projected to come from more land sales or by using Rural Development Authority (RDA) funds. At some future date, NCS<span> </span>would further develop 500 acres near the sports complex.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This issue goes back to 2004 when then-city officials entered into an agreement with NCS whereby NCS would develop land west of Mesquite. NCS gave the City a $6 million down payment. In March 2010, NCS offered to terminate the agreement if the $6 million was returned.<span> </span>City officials opted to look at new ways to spend the money.</div><div class="MsoNormal">The policy issue before the Mayor and city council remains essentially the same. Return the money to NCS or do something. It's the "do something" problem that eventually generated the desire to build the indoor sporting complex.</div><div class="MsoNormal">This project highlights the major problem with city economic planning and development. They approach these deals with a “<span lang="EN">build it and they will come,” philosophy.<span> </span>This philosophy is an economic fallacy.<span> </span>They also approach projects with a “sunk cost,” mentality.<span> </span>That is, we have invested time and money into this project and can't stand to see it go to waste. That is another economic fallacy.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Mayor Mark Weir and some members of the city council appear uncomfortable with the situation, as well they should.<span> </span>Weir and councilman Kraig Hafen come from the private sector and probably, and instinctively, feel uncomfortable with spending based upon economic fallacies. Councilman<span> </span>Allan Litman, comes from a government background, but is well aware of the need to conserve taxpayer money and avoid questionable spending.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Clearly, appointed city administrators have forgotten, if they ever knew, that markets exist in both the private and public sectors and even government economic planning must be built upon classic market strategies. T</span>he same laws of supply and demand that govern business success also work in the delivery of government services and projects. It's up to the elected Mayor and the city council to steer these appointed administrators in more thoughtful economic direction.<span></span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">In this deal with NCS, if it should continue, the two parties should quantify the exact nature of the market for increasing recreational opportunities in a desert setting this close to the well-established opportunities in both St. George and Las Vegas. If none exists, engage in some “out-of-the-box,” thinking as alternatives.<span> </span>If nothing fits into a marketable strategy, return the funds and move on. Consider, for example, the market that exists for smoke free gaming as an alternative to the current gambling environments. Instead of indoor recreation, the city-NCS and gaming investors could potentially re-open the convention center or the Oasis and offer quality dining in addition to smoke-free gaming.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">Elected officials, among other things, could offer substantial tax credits for the business venture and possibly set-aside a portion of the complex for artists, writers, and a history museum with artifacts that<span> </span>exemplify the western life.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span lang="EN">In the future, elected officials should consider a smoke-free city ordinance, based upon the economic success of this investment, and existing research by </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;">Richard Roesler (2006</span></span><span lang="EN">) and</span><span lang="EN" style="color: teal; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"> </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;">Eriksenand F. Chaloupka (2007)</span></span><span lang="EN" style="color: teal; font-family: sans-serif; font-size: 9pt;"><span></span></span><span lang="EN">which shows that the fear of losing business if smoking is banned in casinos, bars and restaurants, is unfounded.</span></div><div class="MsoNormal">In marketable terms, Mesquite's true assets are not its smoke-filled casinos, seasonal golf courses and sports fields. Its true value is it's atmosphere of individual freedom, opportunity and a sense of well-being that comes from healthy, peaceful, desert living.</div><div class="MsoNormal"></div><div class="MsoNormal"><span>Michael M. McGreer writes on public policy. His books: </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;">No Harm, No Foul, Bioterrorism in the 21st century</span></span><span>, and </span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span style="color: navy;">All Rivers Flow West,</span></b></span><span> are both available on Amazon.</span><span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;"> <b>Click here to see his blog</b></span></span></div></div></td></tr>
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</tbody></table><a href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk" style="font-size: 13px;">'via Blog this'</a>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-87509268588090541402011-09-09T20:11:00.000-07:002011-09-09T20:11:47.288-07:009-11 then and now<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=349&id=3">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "><tbody><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><tbody><tr><td height="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><div align="Left"><p class="MsoNormal">At 8:19 A.M. On September 11, 2001, Bonnie LaJeunese McGreer was settling in to work at the Pentagon Federal Credit Union, on the east side of the Pentagon.<span> </span>At the same time, Betty Ong, a flight attendant on American Airlines Flight 11 called the Airlines office from an air-phone.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“The cockpit is not answering,” Ong said continuing with, “somebody’s stabbed in business class and I think there’s Mace. We can’t breathe. I don’t know, I think we’re getting hijacked.” <span></span>She then tells American Airlines of the stabbings of two flight attendants.</p><p class="MsoNormal">A few minutes later, at 8:20 A.M., American Airlines Flight 77, with 58 passengers and six crew members, departed from Washington Dulles International Airport for Los Angeles. Five hijackers were aboard. Ultimately, Flight 77 would crash into the West side of the Pentagon. Separating the five sides of the Pentagon is a five-acre central plaza known as "ground zero."</p><p class="MsoNormal">The nickname originated during the Cold War and based on the presumption that the Soviet Union would target one or more nuclear missiles at this central location in the outbreak of a nuclear war.<span> </span>It was this separation that would spare the life of my wife and hundreds more.<span></span><span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Twenty-six minutes later, at 8:46 A.M., Flight 11 carrying Ms. Ong, and 96 others along with the hijackers crashed into the north face of the North Tower (1WTC) of the World Trade Center between floors 93 and 99.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Six minutes later, a passenger on United Airlines Flight 175 called his father and told him, I think they've taken over the cockpit. An attendant has been stabbed. And someone else up front may have been killed. The plane is making strange moves.”<span> </span>It was 8:52 A.M.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Just before 9 A.M., my colleague, Paul C., stood in the doorway of my office.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“A plane just crashed into the World Trade Center”, he said.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As Paul and I discussed airplane crashes in New York, Bonnie called, our morning ritual.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“A plane has crashed into the Trade Center”, I told her.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">I was only moderately concerned about the crash.<span> </span>There was nothing new about airplane crashes in the New York area. Planes have crashed into the Empire State Building, the Hudson river, a Riker's Island monument, a Brooklyn apartment, onto Rockaway Blvd, into Cove Neck, Long Island, a home in Shinnecock, Long Island, the East river and helicopters have crashed into the Hudson bay and onto 60th street.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As we were discussing the various plane crashes, Mike K., another colleague, entered the office.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“A plane has crashed into the World Trade Center”, he announced.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“We know”, I said.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“No a second plane”, he answered.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">After Bonnie hung up the phone, she went into a kitchen area to watch CNN just as Flight 175<span> </span>crashed into the south face of the South Tower (2 WTC) of the World Trade Center, between floors 77 and 85.<span> </span>It was 9:02:59 A.M.</p><p class="MsoNormal">About the same time, Flight 77 had altered its course and headed directly towards the Pentagon.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">I picked up the phone to call my wife to see if she knew anything about the second plane crashing into the Trade Center.<span> </span>No answer.<span> </span>I called again. No answer. I was now extremely concerned.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“I'm going to the Command Center,” I told Paul and Mike.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When I entered the Command Center, CNN was broadcasting the crashes of Flight 11 and Flight 175 into the towers.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">Between 9:39 and 9:40 all the television stations in the Command Center, CNN, Fox News Channel, NBC and MSNBC, came alive with breaking news bulletins reporting fires and explosions at the Pentagon. At 9:53: CNN confirmed that a plane (later identified as Flight 77) had crashed into the<span> </span>western side of the Pentagon and started a violent fire. All 64 people on board are killed, as were 125 Pentagon personnel.</p><p class="MsoNormal">To me, there was nothing unusual about the idea that terrorists might use a fully fueled airliner as a target against high valued targets.<span> </span>Before moving to the U.S. Geological Survey, I had worked in the Department of Defense on a variety of intelligence and counter-intelligence activities where such an idea had been tossed around on a routine basis.</p><p class="MsoNormal">I had just returned to the Survey from a year long tour establishing the Chief Information Office (CIO) for the Defense Threat Reduction Agency (DTRA). As the CIO, I was the highest ranking technology executive responsible for the Agency global information technology and computer systems that support DTRA in its mission of reducing the global threat from weapons of mass destruction (WMD).</p><p class="MsoNormal">During that tour,<span> </span>the bombing of the USS Cole occurred while it was harbored and refueled in the port of Aden. Seventeen American sailors were killed, and 39 were injured.<span> </span>None of us were surprised when Osama bin Laden claimed responsibility for the attack.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">I had been in the Pentagon numerous times while working in Defense and in addition to my wife, I had friends and former colleagues who worked in that building.<span> </span>The Pentagon is a complex building of five sides, several floors and a tangle of basement offices.<span> </span>But as hard as I tried to picture the location of my wife’s office and those of friends and colleagues, I could not get the layout straight in my mind.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As I stood in the Command Center, I heard someone in the background saying, "No, No, No." Then I realized that the someone was me.<span> </span>I went back to my office and tried to again call my wife. No answer on the land-line.<span> </span>No answer on the cell phone. I told Paul that I was going home but before I was able to leave, both my daughter and son called asking about their mother. They were both clearly upset and I could not give them a satisfactory answer. I asked each to come to our townhouse when they could.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was only a few miles from my Reston office to our townhouse in Centreville but, no matter the time of day or night, traffic is always heavy.<span></span>The car radio was alive with news of the crashes and breaking news that another airliner, United Airlines Flight 93, had also been hijacked and crashed into a field 80 miles southeast of Pittsburgh in Somerset County, Pennsylvania.</p><p class="MsoNormal">My son arrived at the townhouse shortly after me.<span> </span>My daughter, who worked in a law office a few blocks from the White House, was essentially trapped in the city because of traffic jams and emergency procedures. It was now impossible to make phone calls.<span> </span>All lines, including cell phones were busy.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">It was about 2:30 P.M. When the phone finally rang. It was my wife. A wave of relief caused me to shutter as I heard her voice.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">She had been watching the planes crash into the Trade Center, when she heard or felt something.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">The Pentagon, is the size of a small city with approximately 23,000 military and civilian employees and about 3,000 non-defense support personnel.<span> </span>It's busy 24-hours a day, with<span> </span>people rushing from one place to another as the echoes of footsteps and a multitude of voices bounce off the walls and through the hallways. But at that moment, on that day, “it suddenly became silent,” Bonnie said.<span> </span>Then screams. Panic and more screams.</p><p class="MsoNormal">She was out of the building and engulfed into an unorganized, chaotic crowd. Then another explosion.<span> </span>They thought it was bombs.</p><p class="MsoNormal">As she was leaving the Pentagon, employees were told to take off their badges to avoid being targeted if it were a terrorist attack. Bonnie and her colleagues walked to the Ritz hotel in Pentagon City. The phone lines were all busy and she could not call out.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">“We went directly to the bar,” she said.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Eventually,<span> </span>she was able to get through to me on a pay phone. Then she was picked up by the Credit Union and taken to an office in Alexandria where employees were asked to speak with clinical personnel and later taken home. It was about 6:30 P.M. when she arrived home.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"><u>Aftermath:</u></p><p class="MsoNormal">Nineteen Islamic militants, with box cutters, took the lives of 2,877 individuals from 70 countries on September 11, 2001.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the aftermath of the attack, two wars have been declared, which, to date, have required the deployment of some 2 million soldiers, sailors, airman and an equal number of civilians to the Middle east. Six thousand, five hundred military personnel have been killed. Ten times the number killed have been wounded. An unknown number of military personnel currently, or in the future, will suffer from post traumatic stress syndrome (PTS).</p><p class="MsoNormal">An estimated 655,000 Iraqi civilian and combatants have died. Between 10,960 and 49,600 Afghans have been killed during the Wars, and in Pakistan between 1,467 and 2, 334 were killed in U.S. drone attacks as of May 6, 2011.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Congress (both Democrats and Republicans) have spent $1.3 trillion dollars and currently continue to spend about $120 billion each year on the wars.</p><p class="MsoNormal">For the first time in history, while at war, Congress passed the tax cuts, cutting revenue by an additional $1.7 trillion dollars.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In the final analysis, 9-11 was a terrible, frightening, and bloody day in American history, but political reaction over the past ten years has been even more frightening.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal"></p><p class="MsoNormal">Additional notes:</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>"Complete 911 Time-line", minute by minute, provided by the Center for Cooperative Research.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>“Final Report of the Collapse of the World Trade Center Towers”, published by the U.S. Commerce Department's National Institute of Standards and Technology in September 2005, pp. 83-84</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>“The 9-11 Commission Report.” U.S. Government Printing Office. July 22, 2004. p.45. Retrieved 2010-08-15.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>Iraq death toll: Iraqi civilian and combatant, according to the second Lancet survey of mortality.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>5.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span><span></span>Afghanistan death toll, numerous sources.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0.5in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>6.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span><span></span>Pakistan deaths: Central Intelligence Agency's Special Activities Division.</p><p class="MsoNormal"><span></span></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "> </td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-77291343962014508482011-09-05T14:23:00.000-07:002011-09-05T14:23:27.215-07:00Mesquite Citizen Journal<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=322&id=33">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "><tbody><tr><td height="25" align="Left" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="newstitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">The Marshall Plan</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">Posting Date: 09/05/2011</div></span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left"><br /><b>Michael McGreer</b></div></span></td></tr><tr valign="top"></tr><tr><td height="25" align="left" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><br /><div align="Left"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">The race between Democrat Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall and Republican Mark Amodei for Nevada 2nd Congressional District seat means more to Mesquite voters than typical Democrat vs. Republican ideology position taking.</span><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Those voting for Amodei are endorsing a Tea Party aligned candidate.<span> </span>It is the current batch of elected Tea Partiers who pose a huge threat to traditional Republicans by slowing any chance for collaborative solutions to existing economic and international problems.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">When the Tea Party Republicans held out for the balanced-budget amendment during the recent deficit debacle an editorial<span> </span>in the conservative Wall Street Journal mocked them as hobbits battling Mordor.<span></span>“This is the kind of crack political thinking that turned Sharron Angle and Christine O'Donnell<span> </span>into GOP Senate nominees,” the Journal wrote. John McCain, R., Ariz., frivolously quoted the editorial on the Senate floor.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Amodei's has expressed his allegiance to the Tea Party by supporting the “Ryan Budget Plan.” For those unfamiliar with this plan, it was proposed by Tea-Party Republican Congressman Paul Ryan, who argued, incorrectly, that his plan would reduce the national debt.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">As Jonathan Chait writes, Ryan's plan includes "a huge tax cut for people who don't really need it." Those supporting Ryan argue that giving more money to rich will trickle down. This, Reagan era trickle-down economics underlies the Ryan plan and has been discredited by virtually every economist over the past 30-years.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Nevada Senator Republican Dean Heller, Amodei's mentor, has voted twice in support of the plan. He supported it as the Congressman for District 2, and again as Senator. Heller was appointed by Governor Brian Sandoval to the Senate seat vacated by John Ensign. It is Heller's congressional seat that is contested in the Sept. 13th special election.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Amodei and Heller are both out of the Republican mainstream. Conservative Republicans Olympia Snowe (R-ME),<span> </span>Sens. Susan Collins (R-ME), Scott Brown (R-MA) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK), actually joined Democrats in opposing the Ryan Plan, when it came to the Senate. Said Snowe: "I am going to vote no on the budget because I have deep and abiding concerns about the approach on Medicare, which is essentially to privatize it."</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Amodei's opponent for the 2nd Congressional seat is Democrat Kate Marshall. Marshall is endorsed by several groups including the national Alliance for Retired Americans. They endorsed Marshall for her "leadership on issues such as fighting Social Security and Medicare privatization."<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Seniors attending the endorsement event dubbed Amodei "Calamity Amodei" as they expressed their outrage for Amodei's plan to end Medicare while rallying in support of Marshall's pledge to protect Nevada seniors.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">In accepting the endorsement, Marshall pledged to “work together to combat Mr. Amodei's reckless plan to turn over our Medicare to private insurance companies, give seniors vouchers and double their out of pocket costs." In discussing both Medicare and Social Security, she said that: “You have paid into it all your lives and you have earned it, plain and simple."</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Mesquite</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> veterans stand to benefit from Marshall. As Treasurer, she was successful in safeguarding military artifacts that come into Nevada's Unclaimed Property division until the rightful owners or surviving family members are able to claim them. She also created a college savings matching funds program with USAA to help make obtaining a college degree for returning veterans easier and more affordable.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Marshall</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> is progressive, but not fiscally irresponsible. As Treasurer, she registered a large net gain for Nevada and says she would argue, if elected to Congress, for pay as you go rules, and demand benchmarks and milestones to lower our federal deficit. She is against pay raises until the federal budget is balanced, and argues for cuts in subsidies to the big oil companies and banking conglomerates which she hopes would force Congress to focus on Main Street, not Wall Street.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">In contrast, Amodei, as a state legislator, in a moment of anti Tea-Party action, supported a billion dollar tax increase package that taxed everything from car repairs to movie tickets.<span> </span>The bill also taxed job creation initiatives. In addition, he voted for a pay raise for himself and other state legislators.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Marshall</span><span style="font-size: 12pt; "> approaches legislation in a collaborative manner.<span> </span>In doing so, she was able to gain bi-partisan support in the last session of the Nevada legislature for SB75.<span> </span>This bill creates a private equity investment fund for Nevada. The bill was signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval to take effect on October 1, 2011.<span> </span>The fund, a first for Nevada, provides that non-tax dollars from the Permanent School Fund may be invested in new businesses in Nevada, including a possible alternative energy non-profit incubation site for Mesquite.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Environmentalists, such as The Toiyabe chapter of the Sierra Club have endorsed Marshall for her advocacy of<span> </span>the use of Nevada's natural resources (wind, solar, and geothermal) to improve the states economic position.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Amodei, The Sierra Club noted, served in the Nevada Legislature while working as head of the Nevada Mining Association.</span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Those wishing to vote for American Party candidate Tim Fasano or independent Helmuth Lehmann would be throwing a vote away since neither, if elected, would have the political clout to get anything done. Doing nothing is no way to improve the economic condition of the state and its citizens.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Both progressive Democrats and traditional conservative Republicans will gain if Marshall is elected to Congress. Unlike Amodei, she has a fiscally conservative history, and has outlined a plan to potentially create jobs in Mesquite.<span> </span>She also would protect social security and fight against increasing the costs of health-care, through privatization.<span></span></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; "></span></p><p class="PreformattedText"><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">Michael M. McGreer writes on public policy. </span><a href="http://iwpinc.net/html/our_store.html" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(176, 122, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">His books: No Harm, No Foul, Bioterrorism in the 21st Century, and All Rivers Flow West, are both available on Amazon. C</a><span style="font-size: 12pt; ">lick </span><a href="http://mmcgreer.blogspot.com/" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(176, 122, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">here to see his blog</a></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></span><br /><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-38622253001469057052011-08-30T10:38:00.000-07:002011-08-30T10:38:25.672-07:00Mesquite Citizen Journal<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=295&id=33">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <div>
<br /></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "><tbody><tr><td height="25" align="Left" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="newstitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">Mayor Hits Bulls-eye with Performance Suggestions</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">Posting Date: 08/30/2011</div></span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">
<br /><b>Michael McGreer</b></div></span></td></tr><tr valign="top"></tr><tr><td height="25" align="left" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><div align="Left"><p>Mayor Mark Wier's suggestion that the city adopt a performance-based budget approach is right on target.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">There is nothing new about performance based budgeting, nor about linking the budget to the planning and programming processes.<span> </span>Wier is correct in arguing that line-item budgets create organizations that have little reason to strive for better performance. And, he is correct in asserting that the use of performance-based approaches is not the same as micro-management.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">There are numerous examples of government experiences with performance-based budgeting.<span> </span>Everything from Management by Objectives, Planning, Programming and Budgeting,<span> </span>Zero Based Budgeting and the contemporary mix of all these in the Government Performance and Results Act (GPRA) which has been in use for years in the Federal government.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Indeed, it's the executives' job to ensure that taxpayer funds are spend efficiently and effectively and ensuring so is not simply done through legislation as Councilman Karl Gustaveson suggested. It's the job of an executive (elected or otherwise) to see that governance is done correctly. If they can't do it, they hire or contract with someone who can guide them through the process and help city administrators and elected officials freeze the performance process into everyday operations..<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">The terms, efficiently and effectively, form the measurement framework around which a performance-based management approach rallies.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">There are four key elements of a performance-based approach and each element is measured qualitatively or quantitatively with concentration of the efficiency and effectiveness of the service or program under study.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Here, in simple terms, are the four key elements of any good performance-based program:<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>1.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>Resource inputs, i.e. dollars and man-hours are committed to…</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>2.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>a set of processes that are measured in terms of their efficiency which results in…</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>3.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>a set of outputs which taken together meet the…</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0.25in; text-indent: -0.25in; "><span><span>4.<span style="font: normal normal normal 7pt/normal 'Times New Roman'; "> </span></span></span>goals (outcomes) which are measured in terms of effectiveness.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">One notices that this is an approach that does not simply concentrate on the inputs and the outcomes. All the elements must be considered in a systematic fashion if resources are to be spent in an efficient and effective way.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Further, it's important to realize that all the functions of an executive; planning, organizing, staffing, directing, co-coordinating, reporting and<span></span>budgeting, are exercised in a performance-based approach.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">If all the functions of an executive fail to be unified, then the exercise becomes nothing more than a disjointed plan with little actual impact.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Normally, a person, trained, educated and experienced in governance would lead elected officials and department heads through the process, but the city lacks that type of expertise.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Space does not permit specific examples on how this approach works in practice but it is practical, sensible, and well understood by those who have worked within such a system.</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">Further performance-based management is not as time consuming as it may appear primarily since it's a matter of adding measurable elements to the existing functions which are performed routinely. In other words, its a re-education process.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-top: 4.3pt; margin-right: 0in; margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; ">A systematic approach to performance management is very much needed if the city is to survive the upcoming financial difficulties and deliver the most efficient and effective service possible. Done correctly, the approach generates measurable economic and performance rewards. Done incorrectly, it's an exercise in futility.</p></div></td></tr><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "> </td></tr></tbody></table></span>
<br /><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-19169494783790218812011-08-29T17:20:00.000-07:002011-08-29T17:20:13.397-07:00Mesquite Citizen Journal<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=289&id=38">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a>: <div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "><tbody><tr><td height="25" align="center" class="bodytxt" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><span > </span> </td></tr><tr><td height="25" align="Left" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="newstitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">Congressional Candidate Would Advance Mesquite</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">Posting Date: 08/29/2011</div></span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">
<br /><b>Michael McGreer</b></div></span></td></tr><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><tbody><tr><td height="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><div class="floatimgleft" style="float: left; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; "><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><img alt="Fred Toval, left, President of Mesquite Democrats, discusses election issues with Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of Representatives Dist. 2, Kate Marshall. Photo by Mike McGreer." src="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/admin/news/news_Images/KateTownsend-08-29-11-300.jpg" border="0" width="300" /></td></tr><tr><td width="100%" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><p align="center" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); ">Fred Toval, left, President of Mesquite
<br />Democrats, discusses election issues with
<br />Democratic Candidate for U.S. House of
<br />Representatives Dist. 2, Kate Marshall. Photo
<br />by Mike McGreer.</p></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div align="Left"><p>Nevada State Treasurer Kate Marshall would help Mesquite entrepreneurs obtain an incubation site to advance alternative energy if elected to Congress, she told Mesquite democrats during a question and answer session held by her supporters in Las Vegas last week.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Marshall, who was first elected Nevada State Treasurer in 2006 and was reelected in 2010, was the sponsor for SB75, which created a private equity investment fund for Nevada. The bill was signed into law by Governor Brian Sandoval to take effect on October 1, 2011.</p><p class="MsoNormal">The private equity investment fund, a first for Nevada, provides that non-tax dollars from the Permanent School Fund may be invested in new businesses in Nevada, in existing businesses that are expanding, or in businesses which agree to<span> </span>relocate to this state. The bill also establishes a partnership with the Nevada System of Higher<span> </span>Education to provide students internship opportunities with businesses that receive investments from this fund.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">The legislation also creates a nonprofit public entity, the Nevada Capital Investment Corporation (NCIC), a board that includes appointees of the Governor and Legislative Leadership based on<span> </span>their investment, finance, or banking expertise. The State Treasurer,<span> </span>whose duties include the investment of state money, is also a member.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Marshall told the group that two incubation sites, one in Northern Nevada and the other in Las Vegas are being established to advance alternative energy opportunities. “I would certainly work with Mesquite on another incubation site to explore alternative energy if elected,” she told members of the group.</p><p class="MsoNormal">In a podcast (http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/16778797) to Mesquite voters, Marshall noted that it was time to promote alternative energy.<span> </span>She pointed to Germany as one country moving to solar energy to reduce its dependency on Russia for gasoline.</p><p class="MsoNormal">When asked if she would support the progressive coalition in Congress, she nodded and went on to explain that Congress should represent the people, not special interests such as giving subsidies to Exxon, and proving tax breaks for hedge fund managers.<span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal">In terms of home losses, Marshall pointed out that “banks make money on foreclosures.<span> </span>They need to make money on rewriting contracts.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">“Money,” she said is “motivating the wrong behavior.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">“They had a saying in the Justice Department when I worked there,” Marshall said, “get them bracelets (a reference to putting offenders in handcuffs).<span> </span>Some bankers need bracelets,” she said, when discussing the need to protect the consumer from fraud.</p><p class="MsoNormal">Marshall pointed out in the podcast that she is a strong supporter of education, while her opponent (Republican Mark Amodei) was the lone vote in opposition to more funding for text books, and has publicly stated that if he is elected to congress he wants to end the Department of Energy, cut 20 percent from Education, Social Security, Medicare and Defense. (Authors note: Amodei was term limited last year after twelve years in the State Senate.)</p><p class="MsoNormal">“My opponent has stated that he supports the Ryan budget plan which guts Medicare, and has publicly said that he likes what the Ryan plan has to say about Medicare in the budget,” Marshall said.</p><p class="MsoNormal">“My opponent has used falsehoods, prevarications, and misstatements so much that ads have been pulled from the air,” Marshall said, adding that the Republican party has poured “three quarters of a million dollars into his campaign.“</p><p class="MsoNormal">When asked about her chances to win in the September 13, special election, she said, “If people vote, we win, if they don't, we loose. The race is about you.”</p><p class="MsoNormal">Early voting runs from 8 to 5 on Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday, Aug. 29-31, at 150 Yucca Street, Mesquite.</p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr></tbody></table></span>
<br /><a style="font-size:13px" href="https://chrome.google.com/webstore/detail/pengoopmcjnbflcjbmoeodbmoflcgjlk">'via Blog this'</a></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-76740570816627946082011-08-22T10:02:00.000-07:002011-08-22T10:02:05.102-07:00Mesquite Citizen Journal<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=250&id=3">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: rgb(51, 51, 51); font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; "><table border="0" align="center" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px; margin-bottom: 5px; "><tbody><tr><td height="25" align="Left" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><span class="newstitle" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 14pt; color: rgb(51, 0, 153); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">CNN.com News Article Discusses Fairchild Deaths</span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">Posting Date: 08/22/2011</div></span><span class="bodytxt" style="color: rgb(204, 0, 102); "><div align="left">
<br /><b>By Barbara Ellestad</b></div></span></td></tr><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><table width="98%" border="0" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" align="center" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><tbody><tr><td height="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><div class="floatimgleft" style="float: left; margin-left: 2px; margin-right: 10px; margin-bottom: 10px; "><table cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0" border="0" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><tbody><tr><td width="100%" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "><img alt="" src="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/admin/news/news_Images/Fairchild-08-22-11-300.jpg" border="0" width="300" /></td></tr></tbody></table></div><div align="Left"><p></p><p class="MsoNormal">Sometimes it's good for a small town like Mesquite to make national headline news. Other times, maybe not so much.</p><p class="MsoNormal">A lengthy news article, "<em><span style="font-style: normal; ">Deaths reveal a small town's mean streak,"</span></em>posted on CNN.com, Sunday, Aug. 21, discusses the Jan. 25 murder-suicide of former Mesquite City Councilwoman Donna and her husband, Bill Fairchild.</p><p class="MsoNormal">An Editor's note included at the beginning of the story written by Ann O'Neill, explains that it was based on "<em><span style="font-style: normal; ">two visits to Mesquite, Nevada, interviews with two dozen people and hundreds of pages of police and city documents obtained by CNN through a public records request."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill explains the allegations of wrongdoing from former Mesquite Mayor Susan Holecheck about a $94 travel voucher that Donna Fairchild had falsely submitted for a trip to Las Vegas to attend a meeting of the Nevada Development Authority that kicked off a series of events no one could possibly have foreseen.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">"While she was at lunch, Fairchild had received an e-mail from the city, and the news wasn't what she'd hoped for. They were playing hardball: If Fairchild quit the City Council, she'd avoid a criminal investigation. But she could never again seek public office in Mesquite," the article said.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">The article goes on to describe a phone call Fairchild received just before she took her husband's life and then her own. "'You know, you brought this on yourself,' the caller said," is how O'Neill quoted Bob Shively, "a retired medical sales executive from Rochester, Minnesota, [who] fancies himself a behind-the-scenes player."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill then states that "Shively admits making the phone call that had Fairchild so upset the day before she died. But he denies calling to taunt her, even if that is the way she took it."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">Throughout the article, O'Neill explains Mesquite's long history of political firestorms that seem to erupt every two years during what some longtime residents call "the silly season," officially known as campaigns for municipal and general elections. She discusses the particularly brutal mayoral campaign in 2007 in which Holecheck won over incumbent Mayor Bill Nicholes by 200 votes.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">She goes on to describe how the 2011 mayoral race was shaping up to be more of the same. "Mesquite has never re-elected an incumbent mayor, and Susan Holecheck was determined to change that in 2011. She faced three challengers - City Councilman Dave Bennett, political newcomer Mark Wier, who works for the phone company, and Fairchild."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">"There are plenty of people in Mesquite who believe Fairchild was targeted for a 'political hit.' They include Nicholes, the mayor Holecheck ousted from office. Nicholes felt bullied during the 2007 race and believes Fairchild fell victim to the same political dirty tricks," is how O'Neill described the situation.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill says Holecheck "denies playing petty politics, explaining that she did what she had to as mayor. 'This idea that we were going to pound her into the sand isn't true,' she said. 'Unfortunately, I got blamed for it all.'"</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">The article goes on to trace the mayoral election through to Wier's election to the seat. It also mentions that one of the first actions Wier and the City Council took after they were sworn into office July 1 was to rescind the Mesquite Code of Conduct for Elected Officials. The Code is what Holecheck, City Attorney Cheryl Hunt, and the then-City Council used to charge Fairchild with wrongdoing.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">The newly elected council also began allowing citizens to attend technical reviews meetings, previously closed to the public. The meetings are used by council members and City Staff to review agenda items for upcoming Council meetings. Many citizens felt they were used to manipulate the agenda and secure agreements on pending actions between council members ahead of time. All of the sitting council members and mayor denied those allegations during the spring election campaign.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">Those two actions answered the call from many voters during the campaign season to change the way Mesquite elected officials responded to their constituents.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">During the course of her investigation, O'Neill conducted several interviews with the previous editor of the Mesquite Local News, Morris Workman. O'Neill described an interview Workman had with Donna Fairchild just before she shot her husband while he slept and then killed herself. He added the interview to the online arm of the newspaper the Saturday before the tragic end of the Fairchilds' lives.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">Workman mentioned to O'Neill that reader comments were divided between positive messages for Donna and negative ones calling for her ouster from City Council and the mayoral race.</span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">Some local Mesquite residents later blamed Workman's articles and associated reader comments as causing, in part, the situation between Donna, Holecheck, and the City Council to escalate.</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill quoted Workman as saying, "'We get blamed for being mean. What we're guilty of is trying to get to the truth.'"</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill also pointed out that Workman, who was replaced as editor of the popular news source in June, felt that "he's now more aware of the impact his stories have on people."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">O'Neill also points out that City Manager Tim Hacker was fired in May, and Police Chief Douglas Law, retired in April. While she doesn't directly relate all of the subsequent personnel actions to the Fairchild murder-suicide, she does say, "With a changing of the guard, the city built on the dreams of people from somewhere else will continue to grow and change long after the players in the Donna Fairchild tragedy move on."</span></em><em><span style="font-style: normal; "></span></em></p><p class="MsoNormal"><em><span style="font-style: normal; ">The complete CNN.com article, "Deaths reveal a small town's mean streak," O'Neill, Ann, </span></em>August 21, 2011 11:11 a.m. EDT<em><span style="font-style: normal; "> is available through this Web link: http://<a target="_blank" href="http://www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/21/mesquite.murder.suicide/index.html?hpt=hp_c1" style="font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; color: rgb(176, 122, 0); font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none; ">www.cnn.com/2011/US/08/21/mesquite.murder.suicide/index.html?hpt=hp_c1</a></span></em></p></div></td></tr></tbody></table></td></tr><tr><td height="25" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; "> </td></tr></tbody></table></span></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-7465630772065877638.post-91278777025878989932011-08-15T14:28:00.000-07:002011-08-15T14:32:25.066-07:00Who are the Koch Brothers and why do they matter?<div>By<br />
Michael M. McGreer<br />
<a href="http://www.mesquitecitizen.com/viewnews.php?newsid=239&id=33">Mesquite Citizen Journal</a></div><div><span class="Apple-style-span" style="color: #333333; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif;"></span><br />
<table align="center" border="0" cellpadding="0" cellspacing="0" class="content_table" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt; margin-bottom: 5px; margin-left: 5px; margin-right: 5px; margin-top: 5px;"><tbody>
<tr><td align="left" class="bodytxt" colspan="3" height="25" style="font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; font-size: 12pt;"><div align="Left">Billionaire brothers David and Charles Koch are the bankers behind the ultra-conservative Tea Party movement that has divided the Republican party in their attempt to dismantle government and increase their capital investments in many environmental hazardous investments.<br />
<div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">The brothers own Koch Industries, a Kansas-based conglomerate that operates oil refineries in several states and is the company behind brands including Brawny paper towels, Dixie cups, Georgia-Pacific lumber, Lycra fibers and Stainmaster Carpet. Forbes ranks Koch Industries as the second-largest privately held company in the U.S. The Koch brothers themselves are worth billions.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">On one side of the Republican party are the old line establishment Republicans who hold with both fiscal and social conservatism. Over the years, their policies have grown increasingly restrictive of personal liberties, and they have contributed to increasing corporate welfare and national debt.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">In opposition to the old-line are the far right anti-government individuals identified chiefly with the Tea Party movement to which the Koch brothers give money ostensibly to educate, fund and organize Tea Party protesters. This has allowed the Koch brothers to turn their private agenda into a mass movement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Since the 1980s the Koch Foundations have given more than $100 million to such organizations, among these, think tanks like the Heritage Foundation and the Cato Institute, as well as more recently Americans for Prosperity and FreedomWorks in order to steer the country in a more libertarian direction. The brothers also have created several neutral-sounding groups like Citizens for a Sound Economy which staged media events to oppose President Clinton's proposed BTU tax on energy and Citizens for the Environment, which called many environmental problems, including acid rain, "myths."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Rob Stein, a Democratic political strategist who has studied the conservative movements finances, said that the Kochs are the epicenter of the anti-Obama movement. But it is not just about Obama. They would have done the same to Hillary Clinton. They did the same with Bill Clinton. They are out to destroy the progressive movement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">The foundation of the Koch paranoia over government goes back to their father, Fred C. Koch who attended M.I.T., and earned a degree in chemical engineering. In 1927, he invented a more efficient process for converting oil into gasoline but, unable to succeed at home, went to work in the Soviet Union. In the 1930s, his company trained Bolshevik engineers and helped the Stalin regime set up fifteen modern oil refineries until they were purged. Koch returned to the United States where he anguished over his Soviet experience.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">In 1958, Fred Koch became one of the original members of the John Birch Society, the arch-conservative group known, in part, for a highly skeptical view of governance and for spreading fears of a Communist takeover. Koch claimed that the Communists have infiltrated both the Democrat and Republican Parties. He wrote admiringly of Benito Mussolini's suppression of Communists in Italy, and disparagingly of the American civil-rights movement. He claimed that welfare was a secret plot to attract rural blacks to cities, where they would foment a vicious race war. In a 1963 speech Koch predicted that Communists would infiltrate the highest offices of government in the U.S. until the President is a Communist, unknown to the rest of us.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Friends of Fred Koch report that he was a John Wayne type who emphasized rugged pursuits, taking his sons big-game hunting in Africa, and requiring them to do farm labor at the family ranch. "He was constantly speaking to us children about what was wrong with government," Charles Koch told Brian Doherty, an editor of the libertarian magazine Reason. He said that they grew up with a fundamentalist point of view that big government was bad, and "imposition of government controls on our lives and economic fortunes was not good."</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">David and Charles had absorbed their father's conservative politics and adopted the John Birch Society's interest in a school of Austrian economists who promoted free-market ideals. They were particularly influenced by the work of Friedrich von Hayek, the author of The Road to Serfdom (1944), which argued that centralized government planning led, inexorably, to totalitarianism.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Along with Ayn Rand's book Atlas Shrugged, the ultra-conservatives promote The Road to Serfdom, both of which have become best-sellers on Amazon. These two academically discredited books, serve as the intellectual base for the Tea Party's ultra-conservative movement.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">The Koch brothers are also devotees of a more radical thinker, anarchist Robert LeFevre, who favored the abolition of the state and argued that the New Deal was a horrible mistake.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">As their fortunes grew, Charles and David Koch became the primary underwriters of hard-line libertarian politics in America. Charles' goal, according to Doherty, is to tear the government apart at the root.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Tax records indicate that in 2008 the three main Koch family foundations gave money to 34 political and policy organizations, three of which they founded, and several of which they direct. The Kochs and their company have given additional millions to political campaigns, advocacy groups, and lobbyists.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Following an airplane accident that nearly cost David Koch his life, he was diagnosed with prostrate cancer. His reaction to the disease was to donate to several cancer fighting institutes. However, his gratitude poses a conflict of interest since Koch Industries has been lobbying to prevent the E.P.A. from classifying formaldehyde, which the company produces in great quantities, as a known carcinogen in humans.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">The Kochs have long depended on the public not knowing all the details about them. They have been content to operate what David Koch has called the largest company that you've never heard of. But with the growing prominence of the Tea Party, and with increased awareness of the Koch's ties to the movement, the brothers may find it harder to deflect scrutiny.</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;"></div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;"><br />
</div><div class="MsoNormal" style="margin-bottom: 4.3pt; margin-left: 0in; margin-right: 0in; margin-top: 4.3pt;">Michael M. McGreer writes on public policy. His books: <span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;">No Harm, No Foul, Bioterrorism in the 21st century</span></span>, and <span class="MsoHyperlink"><b><span style="color: navy;">All Rivers Flow West,</span></b></span> are both available on Amazon.<span class="MsoHyperlink"><span style="color: navy;"> <b><a href="http://www.generations.typepad.com/" style="color: #b07a00; font-family: Verdana; font-size: 8pt; font-weight: bold; text-decoration: none;" target="_blank">Click here to see his blog</a></b></span></span></div></div></td></tr>
</tbody></table></div>Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/12682149182011903488noreply@blogger.com0