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By Tiernan Ray
As you'll recall Netflix (NFLX) shares rose sharply yesterday afternoon, after a brief halt in trading, and closed up 14% at $79.24 after activist investor Carl Icahn said he and partners had taken a 10% stake in the company. Icahn, in case you missed it, proceeded to go on Bloomberg television to talk with Trish Regan about how the stock is undervalued.
The stock is down $.170, to 2.2%, at $77.54, as there remain doubters.
Needham & Co.'s Charlie Wolf, who has an Underperform rating on Netflix, just can't see what Icahn sees in the company, given the high level of competition in streaming, the weak economics of that business, and the apparently low likelihood of a buyout by Microsoft (MSFT):
What does Icahn see that we don't? Netflix has migrated from DVD rentals, a market in which it has a major competitive advantage, to a streaming video subscription service, where it faces far greater competition from the video content producers and from competitors such as Amazon that are spending hundreds of millions to build competing services. Netflix has a domestic streaming installed base of 25 million subscribers. But we calculate that the lifetime value of a new streaming subscriber is actually negative when current and future streaming costs are taken into account. Moreover, the company has indicated that any profits from its domestic streaming and DVD businesses will be used to build its international businesses in Canada, Latin American, the U.K and Nordic countries. So it looks unlikely that the company will generate more than nominal profits through 2014, if then. Icahn's group typically obtains one or more board seats so it can change the trajectory of a company's business or sell the company at a profit to someone else. Icahn may be interested in NFLX on the basis of last week's speculation that Microsoft may be interested in buying Netflix. Given what we see as Microsoft's weak acquisition history, this speculation may well have merit.
Barclays Capital's Anthony DiClemente, who has an Equal Weight rating on Netflix, this afternoon offers the humorously titled missive "Barbarians in the Queue," opining, "Though it remains unclear if an interested buyer will emerge over time, we believe Icahn's goal is indeed to sell the company."
Based on Icahn's previous history with Blockbuster and Lions Gate (LGF), writes DiClemente, the man can be expected to pursue control "and then ultimately sell the company."
That might prompt a tug of war:
Due to the fundamental challenges facing the business today, including increased domestic competition and rising content costs, we believe other shareholders would be willing to partner with Icahn in his efforts to force a sale […] We believe Icahn's efforts may initially be met with resistance from management, particularly Reed Hastings, Netflix's CEO. In the past, Hastings has expressed his reluctance to sell the company, a view we believe he still holds today. However, since Hastings owns less than 2% of the company's stock, we believe Icahn could eventually use his stake to influence Board elections and effect a sale of the company, should he find an interested buyer.
What price could it fetch? Well, writes DiClemente, it has value as a strategic asset, a "loss leader" that could draw consumers into an "ecosystem."
"However, we are skeptical that a buyer would find more value in purchasing Netflix than building a content offering organically."


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Every once in awhile, we get invited to do something truly special for the community. Last month, that something special was visiting Weisenberg Elementary School in Allentown, PA, where we visited Ms. Holmes' third grade class to teach them how to write a Thank You Note.
One of our stellar retailers, The Paperbag, set everything up and off we went.
The students had just finished taking their standardized tests, and so Ms. Holmes decided it would be a lovely gesture to send Thank You notes to the "snack moms" who came in and provided Goldfish, GoGurt and other treats to keep them energized during the tests.
We covered the proper Thank You Note format, then the students wrote a rough draft on their notebook paper. After Ms. Holmes checked their work, giving advice on what they might want to add and making sure grammar and spelling was perfect, we gave each student a Thank You Note (Crane & Co., of course) on which to write their final, perfect message. Some even drew delightful pictures to accompany their notes.
Finally, they addressed their envelopes, placed their stamps perfectly and handed them off to Ms. Holmes for safe mailing.
Before we left, we made sure all of the students had boxes of their own stationery so they could continue to write: one box from our watercolor collage animal series and one The Paperbag created especially for each student, complete with each student's first initial.
A few days later, we were smitten to find this in our own mailbox:
Thank you to The Paperbag, Ms. Holmes and especially all her students for making us feel so welcome and letting us share our passion with you!

subset: commoncrawl


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By Daily Journal Reports
NEW ORLEANS – Like a savory gumbo, tonight's Super Bowl has something for everyone's tastes.
A departing megastar in Baltimore linebacker Ray Lewis, who'll retire after tonight – win or lose.
Dynamic defenses and big-play offenses.
A return to New Orleans for the first time since Hurricane Katrina's devastation.
A touch of history as the San Francisco 49ers (13-4-1) seek their sixth Super Bowl title when they meet the Baltimore Ravens (13-6) at the Superdome, in a game with a 5:30 p.m. kickoff on CBS.
A full day of coverage begins at 9 a.m., on ESPN and an hour later on CBS.
Rebels, Bulldogs
There are rooting interests tonight for fans of both Ole Miss (49ers linebacker Patrick Willis and Ravens tackle Michael Oher) and Mississippi State (Baltimore defensive end Pernell McPhee and San Francisco reserve running back Anthony Dixon).
Oh, yeah, there's also an unprecedented sibling rivalry, with Ravens coach John Harbaugh guiding his AFC champions against younger brother Jim and the NFC champ 49ers.
One team will suffer its first Super Bowl loss – San Francisco is 5-0 while Baltimore won its only appearance, in 2001.
The Tupelo Buffalo Park's camel, Joe, picked the 49ers earlier this week – and the 49ers are slight favorites, although several high-profile experts prefer the Ravens.
In a DJournal.com poll last week, 62 percent of you backed the 49ers.


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By Dennis Seid/NEMS Daily Journal
Mississippi Tourism Director Malcolm White hailed the Tupelo Convention & Visitors Bureau's Tourism Leadership Program, which graduated its second class Tuesday.
"I've seen ambassador programs elsewhere, but this is so much more," he said. "It's tourism driven. … there's a lot of information that's passed around and shared, helping to build the community."
The class of 13, representing individuals in the hospitality industry, finished a five-part program spread over five months, covering the history and economic development of Tupelo, how to work with the CVB, social media, customer service and public relations. The participants, who applied for the program in October, also visited all of the city's attractions.
The program is designed to give participants a greater understanding of the CVB's inner workings so they can better engage visitors.
White said Tupelo's was a program that should be replicated statewide to help boost an already strong industry.
"Tourism is an incredible engine for job creation," he said, noting that last year tourism spending generated $6 billion in the state. More than 83,000 people also are employed in the tourism and travel industry in Mississippi.
"That's real business, that's real economic development."
Among the graduates was Bev Crossen, the director of marketing at The Farmhouse in Tupelo and event coordinator of the Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel.
She also received the Lynn Davis Scholarship, which pays for two years at the Southeast Tourism Society's Marketing College.
TLP Grads
THE SECOND CLASS of the Tourism Leadership Program included Chanda Cossitt, Tommy Morgan Realtors; Ty Robinson, Robinson and Associates; Shari Neely, Hilton Garden Inn; Faith Melville, Quality Inn; Camille Reed Sloan, Reed's; Lucia Randle Harrison, Reed's; Virginia
Chambers, His Hers; Steven Lyles, Fairpark Grill; Beverly Crossen, The Farmhouse/Don't Be Cruel BBQ Duel; Jessica Reed, Downtown Tupelo Main Street Association; Cindy Childs, The Mall at Barnes Crossing; Amy Kennedy, Tupelo Parks and Recreation; and Romanda Fears, Hampton Inn & Suites.


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|Knowledgeability = 10
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Answers by Expert:
Science teacher for over 50 years. MSc. in biology. I can answer questions in general biology, zoology, botany, anatomy and physiology and biochemistry.
I have a MSc in biology and have been a science teacher for over 50 years. At present I am a faculty member at a college and a science consultant at seven catholic schools.
The Ohio journal of Science
Momentum-The Journal of the Catholic Education Association
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Alternate name: Staghorn Cholla
Family: Cactaceae, Cactus view all from this family
Description The main trunk of this tree-like cactus is short and erect; branching open and low to ground. Branches are cylindrical; the joints light green.
Habit: native perennial shrub; succulent stems, in segments 4-20 in (10-50 cm) tall by 0.75-1.25 in (2-3 cm) diameter; new growth is gray-green to purple-green; old growth has rough, scaly, brownish black bark.
Height: 3-15 ft (1-4.5 m)
Leaf: stout sheathed spine, straw or silver-brown becoming gray, to 1 in (25 mm) long or more; 15-25 or more spines per areole.
Flower: delicate, lemon yellow to copper to red to pink, 2-3 in (5-7.5 cm) wide.
Fruit: pear-shaped or barrel-shaped, densely spiny, yellow-green berry, maturing to tan, shriveled, dry mass; 0.6-1.4 in (15-35 mm) long, 0.6-0.8 in (15-20 mm) diameter; drops before next flowering.
May to June.
Flower April - May
Habitat Mojave Desert, edges of juniper woodlands, rocky slopes; 3600-3950 ft (1100-1200 m).
Range Nevada, Utah and Arizona.
Discussion Also known as staghorn cholla, yellow flowered cane cactus. Now classified as Cylindropuntia acanthocarpa var. acanthocarpa following a reorganization of the genus Opuntia. Collection of this plant in the wild is restricted in Arizona.
The Buckhorn Cholla is often found growing in the same range as the Silver Cholla, and sometimes it is not easy to tell them apart. The Silver Cholla usually has one main trunk and a tubercle length one to two times the width. The Buckhorn Cholla usually has serveral small trunks and tubercle length three to several times the width. The Buckhorn Cholla is often quite shrubby, but some plants are treelike and reach up to 13 feet tall. The flower buds are sometimes steamed and used as food by the Pima Indians.
Exposure Preference Sun.
Native Distribution S. California, s. Nevada, Arizona & extreme s.w. Utah
Site Preference Open areas to 3500 ft.
Soil Preference Sandy soils.


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Comment So? (Score 5, Interesting) 520
Rust, on the other hand, is something genuinely new: it provides completely memory safety without a requiring a garbage collector at all. It's sad to seeing people switch from Rust to Nim: they're often too inexperienced to know what they're giving up, and I feel like they're seeking (syntactic) novelty, not a programming environment that's actually useful.


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[When] I broke, when my parents broke with the Catholic Church and took me out of [Catholic school] because there was a big fight about them working seven days a week, I went to a state school and this was a traumatic shock for me. So I was moved from a world of ideas and a world that was quite delicate, where the children were quite delicate, into a world that was grey, hard, spiritually empty and very violent — the state school in other words. I can describe it to you in colour. One was black, white and red and the one I entered was grey and it was made of stone and it was very frightening to me and I think that's when my … need to replace that sense of loss began.
Sean Scully, interview with Irving Sandler, February 1997, Sean Scully: Paintings (exhibition catalogue), Manchester: Manchester City Art Gallery, 1997, pp. 34–47 (p. 34).


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I do not have the information to do this examination and evaluation.
It boils down to 1/2 the population generating the wealth that supports the other 1/2. Even a small amount of tax on 150 million people (who currently don't pay taxes) would be a windfall to whittling down the deficit.
Logic would dictate, that since these 150 million do not pay anything now, it could not result in decreased revenue if they paid "something" ... even $100/year; even $50/year.
The logic you cite only applies if you are increasing tax on those already paying some tax.


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The NBA's Game of Thrones
For all that everyone has said about Mark Cuban, I have to respect that he made the move to take a terrible franchise and turn them around into world champions. To make it even sweeter, it was with HIS superstar Dirk Nowitzki, and it was against the 2 and a Half Men 'Super Team' Miami Heat (and while all along I thought Bosh would play the half man Tyrion Lannister, now it appears that be Lebron has fully solidified his role as 'the (G)Imp').
Editor's Note: "You give Lebron too much credit. He's Joffery, the illegitimate heir, forged from a immoral union, and granted a throne he doesn't deserve." – Anil C.
With the relatively 'Cersei Lannisterness' of NBA players and management these days (read as fickle, disloyal, incestuous), it was great to see Cuban stick by his guy and Dirk do the same. From the day he was drafted, I can't remember a single time where Dirk made trade demands or Cuban dangled him in an offer. For them, it didn't seem to be about personal glory or accomplishments, but rather their life story only matters as far as it affects their reputation and family name, the Dallas Mavericks.
So in this NBA Game of Thrones, Cuban would probably fall into the character of Tywin Lannister. Hated by everyone, loved only by his, and ultimately a man who knows how to win and what to protect, a point deeply made in the first scene of Episode 7 of Game of Thrones. So where does that leave Dirk? The answer is obvious …. KINGSLAYER
And to the Miami Heat, simply Bend the Knee.
Now, I really hope that somehow Cuban can get his hands on the Mets, but for now the only thing I can hope for is a little Khal Drogo on my New York Knicks. Maybe Dwight Howard can fill this role:


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Kolpin Half-Folding Windshield, Cub Cadet
Prices, promotions, styles and availability may vary by store and online.
Half-folding design protects you from debris
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Protect yourself from debris and mud on the trail with this innovative half-folding windshield from Kolpin! Extremely durable and versatile, the folding system allows you to lower the top shield and secure it in place for maximum ventilation, while the custom injection-molded clamps hold tight over any terrain. Constructed of ultra-thick, high-quality, scratch-resistant ¼" MR10 GE Lexan polycarbonate, this is the toughest windshield available! All stainless steel, black-coated finish hardware. Super smooth edges. Easy to install with no drilling required.


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Candies, cake mix and ready-to-spread frosting are about all you need to create a fun purse cake.
Need some extra help? See how to make it.
We prefer using two 8-inch cake layers. This results in a more stable cake that is less likely to tip over. Use remaining frosting to decorate small purse shown in video.
Bulk candy stores carry a wide variety of candies. You can see what you're purchasing and pick just the candies you want.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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Concept art, gameplay experience, and story details are revealed on the hotly-anticipated video game, Star Wars 1313, and the biggest detail is that it was set to star Boba Fett. Unfortunately, with the sale of Lucasfilm and Lucasarts to Disney, the SW1313 game appears to be shelved permanently. But IGN was given a look at an extended demo of SW1313, and while they cannot show the actual video, they have a detailed breakdown of what was seen.
Forum Rules


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Story highlights
- Bank of America Tower was officially the second-tallest building in New York until One World Trade Center topped out in May 2013
- Bank of China Tower inspired by the shape of a bamboo stalk
- Islamic Development Bank has narrow window slits to block sunlight while central patios are covered in glass to let in natural light
It should be no surprise that the world's financial behemoths also own or inhabit some of the best real estate.
With One World Trade Center officially being declared the highest building in the United States, and the iconic Midland Bank Building in London being turned into a hotel, building data company Emporis of Hamburg, Germany, has pulled together what it thinks are 12 of the most "spectacular" buildings in the banking industry.
"One of the most singular bank buildings is undoubtedly the Bank of China Tower in Hong Kong, the first building outside the United States to break the 1,000-foot mark and, even today, one of the world's tallest corporate headquarters," said an Emporis spokesperson.
Others in its list include the Macquarie Bank Centre in Sydney with a "sophisticated interior design ... [that] does entirely without loadbearing columns and provides light-flooded, colorful workspaces" and the Bank of America Tower in New York, which cost a billion dollars and is "one of the most eye-catching in this city."
The report notes that even the recent financial crisis did not entirely kill banks' desires to build extravagantly.
"As recently as 2009, the Co-Op Bank, Cyprus, moved into an exclusive new designer building," the report says, also citing BBVA, Spain's second-largest bank, which is building a new headquarters with an immodest circular design by architects Herzog & de Meuron.


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DecalPaper.com's premium grade water slide decal paper is easy to use and can be applied to most surfaces including: Plastics (model planes, trains, automobiles, etc), Glass (trophies, clocks, etc ), Wax (Candles), Wood (art,Furnishings, Crafts), Metal,Cardboard, Tile (for kitchens, bathrooms, etc),Pottery, Ceramics & Enamel.
DecalPaper.com proudly introduces our line of premium Tattoo paper specifically engineered to work with both ink jet and laser printers. Use your custom designs, artwork or logos to create fun, safe and attention grabbing tattoos! best of all, DecalPaper.com's low prices make the art of decal and temporary tattoo making inexpensive and affordabee fun for the whole family.


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Everything you need to know about today's media coverage of Israel.
News & Commentary
• The Jerusalem Post obtained a document sent to Israeli envoys abroad spelling out some of the legal problems Palestinian statehood faces. It's an important story; I expanded on but one of the points raised: Who is A Palestinian Citizen?
• Ofcom (pdf format) released its findings on Al-Jazeera's PaliLeaks coverage. The investigation was at the PLO's request, and Al-Jazeera comes out clean. Ofcom's bottom line:
The part played by Dr Erakat and the PLO was an important element of that process, and the documents obtained from Dr Erakat's office were clearly important and useful in informing viewers' understanding of their part in the peace process. In these circumstances, even to the extent that Dr Erakat's and the PLO's expectations of privacy were engaged, Ofcom took the view that the public interest outweighed this expectation and considered that the obtaining and use of the material was warranted.
Ofcom therefore found that there was no unwarranted infringement of Dr Erakat's privacy or that of the PLO in the making or the broadcast of the programme.
Of coures, Al Jazeera's crowing vindication. And the head of the AJ's "transparency unit," Clayton Swisher, takes to The Guardian (CiF section) to do the same. The leaks from earlier this year exposed a Palestinian honesty gap.
• Get a load of the this prejudiced description of Elliott Abrams in the Financial Times (click via Google News). Keep in mind that this is from a news story:
"There are ways for Congress to express its displeasure that don't involve cutting off aid," says Elliott Abrams, a Middle East adviser in the Bush administration and a leading conservative voice against the Palestinians.
• David Miliband follows up on yesterday's Daily Telegraph Gaza dispatch with his own commentary in The Guardian's CiF section. The former foreign minister is critical of Israel, but his tone is nowhere near as vitriolic as Riddell.
• Yoram Ettinger (Israel HaYom) weighs in on Israel-US relations.
• The Mahmoud Abbas Latin American Tour '11 rolls on. The LA Times reports on stops in Columbia, El Salvador, Mexico . . .
Arab Spring
• Staff-eds in the Washington Post and The Australian denounce the Egyptian junta's handling of sectarian violence and the rising influence of Islamic elements. And Bret Stephens (WSJ via Google News) points out the government can't blame the Jews for this one:
Gone is Mr. Sharaf's narrative, a popular staple when Hosni Mubarak was still in power, of a united Egyptian nation undercut by the sinister meddling of outside forces. Gone as well is the Arab Spring narrative of tech-savvy, pro-democracy protesters standing tall and proud against the dinosaur Mubarak regime. Gone even is the narrative of the liberal secularists versus the Muslim Brotherhood.
Instead, picture Egypt as a vacant lot in which a dozen or so combustible elements—a leaking oil can here; some dry wood over there; patches of desiccated grass—sit in varying degrees of proximity to one another, while the boys who play in the lot light cigarettes. Chances are, something will catch fire. Chances are that if something does, all of it will.
• Yitzchok Adlerstein (LA Times op-ed) slams Egypt for blocking the export of palm fronds to Israel. Is the Egyptian Ministry of Agriculture the Grinch that stole Sukkot?
Only hatred and spite could move a government to act so irrationally and counterproductively.
On a related note, Gaza farmers tell Al Jazeera that the Hamas ban on lulav exports to Israel is political. The farmers say the infection hit just one plantation and all the affected trees were destroyed. So is it blight or spite?
• A NY Times staff-ed slams Security Council's paralysis over Syria. The NYT also reports that the Syrian economy's "buckling" under the weight of economic sanctions:
With Syria's currency weakening, its recession expanding, its tourism industry wrecked and international sanctions affecting most essential sectors, the International Monetary Fund now expects Syria's economy to shrink this year, by at least 2 percent.
Rest O' the Roundup
• Wafa News: Hamas raided the offices of the Palestinian Journalists Syndicate.
• I don't know how this headline got by BBC copy editors who have issues with a certain word that start with a T and rhymes with error. At least they remembered how to spell the T-word correctly:
• Emma Hurd (Sky News) looks at secular-religious tensions in Jerusalem. I'm not sure Hurd really understands the nuances between the religious and non-religious populations of Israel.
• Since 9/11, the value of Israeli security exports have risen from $2 billion a year to $7 billion a year. More at UPI.


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Looking for homemade loaf? Then check out this flavorful gingerbread – the perfect holiday gift.
Gingerbread has been a holiday specialty for centuries. During the middle ages, ladies presented this spiced bread to dashing knights going into tournament battle.
Since this recipe makes two loaves, your family can enjoy one and the other can be given as a gift. Cover the loaf with plastic wrap, then wrap with decorative paper and a bright bow.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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By Sid Salter
STARKVILLE – Now that voters in the states of Colorado and Washington have approved legalizing the sale of marijuana in their states, there is the inevitable showdown between these new state laws and current federal law that makes marijuana sales illegal in all states.
The laws passed in both states last week allow the recreational use of marijuana and require that the states set up a bureaucracy to license, regulate and tax those sales. That system is expected to be at least similar to regulation of the sales of liquor, wine and beer.
In few states is the enforcement of state liquor and beer sale laws more interesting, more convoluted and more complex than in Mississippi – where the "local option" laws regulating the sale of liquor and beer produce nothing less than a patchwork quilt of "wet" and "dry" jurisdictions.
In Mississippi, you have every possible combination across the state's 82 counties. There are counties that are "wet" on beer and "dry" on liquor. There are cities that are "wet" on beer or liquor in "dry" counties. There are "split" counties in which the half the county is "wet" and half is "dry." There are "dry" counties that are "wet" in so-called "resort" areas.
Can you imagine, gentle reader, if Mississippi were ever to follow Colorado and Washington voters in marking marijuana sales legal? One would need a map, a divining rod, two interpreters, a guide dog and a bodyguard just to drive from one end of the state to the other.
Wet. Dry. High. Not high. What county is this? Are we outside of the city limits? The mind reels …
Luckily, there's more likelihood that I'll grow a full head of hair by next week than there is that Mississippi voters will legalize marijuana sales in any form in my lifetime. The political dynamic that has historically made liquor and beer referendums interesting – the point at which the interests of Mississippi's people of faith and Mississippi's bootleggers intersect – would likely remain visible.
I'll still bet on Mississippi's people of faith to win that political battle hands down. I'd also bet on Marshall Fisher and the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics to carry the day on the secular side of that culture war.
Congress deemed marijuana as a Schedule l controlled substance under the Controlled Substances Act back in 1970. So the fact that the sale, possession and use of marijuana is a violation of federal law is not a point of any serious debate. So the question becomes just how the Obama administration's Justice Department will handle the conflict.
The Colorado and Washington laws legalized marijuana sales regardless of purpose. Some 18 states have adopted laws legalizing the use of "medical marijuana." In California – the first state to pass such a law – the state primarily left regulation to individual cities. The result has been a hodgepodge of federal raids and attempts at federal prosecutions.
But for now, be thankful that the only "patchwork quilt" of laws that Mississippians have to navigate are those regulating booze and beer sales, not marijuana.
Sid Salter is a syndicated columnist. Contact him at (601) 507-8004 or firstname.lastname@example.com.


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Based on how wrong the vast majority of folks on this forum predicted the outcome of the election and believed they knew what americans were thinking, it is clear the right of this forum can not read the tea leaves and shows even more that their sources of information they like to spew on here are not accurate to say the least.
My suggestion to folks is to stop listening to spin and realize when you are hearing spin. The down fall of the republicans is that they are dependent on this group of spin doctors to mold the beliefs of folks and make them angry as opposed to working at real solutions that will aide both republicans and democrats.
As of right now, every republican on this forum has no creditability as a good source of fact given how badly you all perdicted the outcome of the election.
If your desire is to be informed, I recommend you start reading what I write and quit arguing since your argument is no more than the spin of the day.


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David Schoonmaker, Elsa Youngsteadt, Greg Ross
THE MODEL T: A Centennial History. Robert Casey. Johns Hopkins University Press, $24.95.
I'm a classic car buff who rarely reads books about classic cars. So Robert Casey's The Model T: A Centennial History caught me by surprise. I opened it to chapter 5, "Owning and Driving the Model T." The first two pages offer a driver's-eye view of the controls. There are three pedals: clutch, brake and reverse. Reverse? I had to find out what this was about.
Now in a more receptive mood, I backtracked to chapter 2, "Creating the Model T," which includes an explanation of the planetary transmission. It sounds simple enough to use, if a bit limited in ratios, and indeed, Ford chose it because it was easy to learn. In other respects, the Model T was quite innovative from an engineering standpoint (something I hadn't really appreciated, despite having on many occasions visited the Henry Ford Museum, where Casey is curator of transportation). It was the first American car with a cylinder block cast in one piece, and it was one of only two American makes at the time with a removable cylinder head. This facilitated valve grinding, which was a part of periodic maintenance.
The T was also a sprightly performer. At 1,200 pounds, it was nearly 400 pounds lighter than its closest four-passenger competitor, the Buick Model 10 Tourabout. Moreover, that lightness translated to an intentionally flexible chassis, which allowed the car to take on terrain where others couldn't venture (as shown above). Unlike my mother, I've never driven a Model T, but I'm richer now for knowing a bit about what it was like to do so.—David Schoonmaker
AMERICAN PESTS: The Losing War on Insects from Colonial Times to DDT. James E. McWilliams. Columbia University Press, $24.95.
An unfamiliar horde of hungry insects greeted the first Europeans to settle on American soil. With cash crops on their minds, the settlers responded by unleashing a haphazard assortment of sprays, lures and rituals. One farmer's response to an infestation of caterpillars was to "take lighted charcoal in a chafing dish, and throw thereon some pinches of brimstone powder," then set the dish beneath the affected tree. Others poured boiling water on their gardens before planting or used sheepskins to lure weevils away from stored grain.
These and other colorful remedies fill the first (and finest) chapters of James E. McWilliams's American Pests. McWilliams shows that since colonial times, whenever farmers and entomologists have learned to control pests in a particular agricultural context, that context has changed and expanded. Typically there is a shift to a more expansive monoculture crop that fosters more drastic infestation and invites more desperate chemical countermeasures. The arms race against insects entered into by those European settlers is still escalating today.
The single most important "wrong turn" taken in the United States, writes McWilliams, was the "consolidation of authority over environmental issues in the hands of a relatively few powerful decision makers"—a move that "weakened the flexibility and ingenuity of biological and cultural methods of insect management." He pleads for a return to a more personalized, democratic and locally adapted approach to pest control.
The book is peopled with strong and intriguing characters, from the farmers who experimented with brimstone and boiling water to the first professional entomologists and, finally, Rachel Carson. But especially for actions taken since about 1940, McWilliams increasingly assigns ulterior motives, intentions and agendas to entomologists, the government and chemical companies. Unfortunately, he often does so without providing the concrete evidence that would convincingly substantiate his claims.—Elsa Youngsteadt
FLOTSAMETRICS AND THE FLOATING WORLD: How One Man's Obsession with Runaway Sneakers and Rubber Ducks Revolutionized Ocean Science. Curtis Ebbesmeyer and Eric Scigliano. Collins, $26.99.
In May 1990, a storm swept 21 shipping containers from a cargo vessel and left 61,820 Nike shoes bobbing in the North Pacific. When they began appearing on North American shores eight months later, ocean scientist Curtis Ebbesmeyer (below [left], with colleague Jim Ingraham) saw an opportunity: He formed a network of beachcombers and used their reports as a way to track ocean currents.
Ebbesmeyer had begun his career as a conventional oceanographer, studying icebergs and oil spills, but his new study of "flotsametrics" grew into a full-time occupation. In January 1992, 28,800 bathtub toys went overboard near the international date line. In December 1994, 34,300 hockey gloves fell into the mid-Pacific. In each case, Ebbesmeyer's simulations predicted when and where they'd come ashore, and his army of volunteers confirmed the accuracy of the predictions.
Ebbesmeyer writes with disarming enthusiasm, telling romantic stories of floating coffins, derelict ships and messages in bottles. But it's clear that he's a dedicated scientist, and his passion and resourcefulness reveal a true love of the sea. He doesn't hide his dismay when describing Hawaii's litter-strewn "Junk Beach" or the Great Eastern Garbage Patch, a broth of Pacific debris half the size of the United States. Reading his book, it's hard not to be both captivated by the oceans and appalled at what we're doing to them.—Greg Ross
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View of the Westfield River in Woronoco MA (part of the Town of Russell) just above the dam which was built in the area called Salmon Falls. The well known Strathmore paper mill occupying both sides of the river here for about 100 years or so. Although the mills are no longer in operation power generation, which was ...


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A fabulous "Showtime" event on Sunday, organised by Sandra Sutters, saw £1,750.00 being donated back. The 3 course Sunday Lunch was delicious the atmosphere was warm and friendly with over 70 people coming together to enjoy themselves and raise money for "Find a Voice". A UK based charity which supports children and adults who have severe speech and communication difficulties, based in Ashford, Kent, UK – www.findavoice.org With a raffle as well with prizes donated by local businesses.
The highlight of the afternoon was an amazing performance by 2 professional singers – Jo Appleby (Soprano) and David Habbin (Tenor) – They sung both opera and songs from West End Shows. Incredible voices and a polished performance, singing a wide range songs.
A really enjoyable afternoon that raised much needed money for a deserving cause.
Pierre Edmonds presented a cheque for £1,750.00 to Jan Francis who represents the "Find a Voice" Charity


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Senate Republicans Support Debt Limit Solution
Posted by Mattie Duppler on Friday, July 22nd, 2011, 11:41 AM PERMALINK Follow @MDuppler
Senate Democrats refused to solve the debt limit debate on Friday, rejecting the Cut, Cap and Balance Act of 2011 which would cut spending, restrain future outlays and require passage of a Balanced Budget Amendment to the Constitution. The Senate then adjourned for the weekend, without offering any way forward in the debt limit debate.
While taxpayers have been balancing their household budgets by restraining their own spending, every Senate Democrat present voted against requiring the federal government to do the same. Voters understand Senate Democrats rejected a solution for America's debt problem without offering any plan of their own.
Senate Republicans unanimously supported the Cut, Cap and Balance Act, showing they are unwilling to allow continued distraction from the government's overspending problem. Congressional Republicans have repeatedly refused to accept any debt limit deal that increases taxes, keeping the focus where it should be: the government's overspending problem. Democrats' rejection today of the only solution offered to fix that problem shows they would rather bankrupt the country than restrain federal spending.
"Senate Democrats, who haven't proposed a budget in over two years, must think taxpayers aren't paying attention," said Americans for Tax Reform President Grover Norquist. "They're wrong—after their rejection of the only concrete plan to end the debt limit dealings, voters are wondering what Senate Democrats are doing every day in Washington…because it certainly isn't their jobs. This vote proves that Democrats are not interested in governing; taxpayers tend to remember things like that."
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Senate Should Confirm Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor
Posted by Justin Sykes on Tuesday, April 25th, 2017, 3:40 PM PERMALINK Follow @JustinDSykes
This week the Senate will vote on the confirmation of President Trump's nominee R. Alexander Acosta as Secretary of Labor. Mr. Acosta is a dedicated public servant who has spent his career handling complex legal issues and has a record of proven management and federal agency experience. Lawmakers in the upper chamber this week should vote to confirm Mr. Acosta as the next Secretary of the Department of Labor (DOL).
During President Obama's tenure the DOL issued a number of burdensome rules that threatened the U.S. economy and the livelihoods of millions of Americans. Since taking office President Trump has worked to reverse the DOL's heavy-handed approach under Obama by issuing a number of Executive Orders to give relief to the business community, as well as by nominating Mr. Acosta to lead DOL.
Mr. Acosta has committed to supporting Executive Orders put forth by President Trump, primarily Trump's order directing the DOL to review the Fiduciary Rule.
During a recent confirmation hearing before the Senate Health, Education, Labor and Pensions Committee, Acosta stated in regard to the fiduciary rule, "There is an executive action that directs how the Department of Labor will approach this rule. If I am confirmed as secretary of labor, I believe and support my following executive orders of the president."
Acosta's commitment to carry out Trump's Executive actions on the Fiduciary Rule would be a welcome relief for American's saving for retirement. As a result of the Rule, 7 million IRA holders could be disqualified from receiving investment advice, and the number of IRA's opened annually would be reduced by up to 400,000.
Thankfully Mr. Acosta could soon be in a position to stop the rush to implementation of the Fiduciary Rule, among other onerous DOL rules put forth under Obama.
The U.S. Senate has previously confirmed Mr. Acosta on three occasions with bipartisan support – once for the National Labor Relations Board, once as an Assistant Attorney General, and also as U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Florida.
Lawmakers in the Senate this week should vote to confirm Mr. Acosta as the next Secretary of Labor. Acosta's credentials show he not only has the necessary experience but the ability to lead the DOL in a way that serves the Department's mission but does so in a way that foster's economic growth, instead of deterring growth through regulatory hurdles and bureaucratic red tape.
Photo Credit: Adam Polak
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Infrastructure Bill Provides Golden Opportunity for Ohio Legislature
Posted by Marc Dupont on Tuesday, April 25th, 2017, 2:05 PM PERMALINK
Today, the Ohio House's Committee on State and Local Government will hold a hearing on HB 121, legislation that would yield significant taxpayer savings by opening up competition for water infrastructure.
HB 121, if enacted, would save the state's taxpayers millions of dollars per year by lifting local laws that restrict which piping materials can be used for water infrastructure projects. As is the case in other states, a number of cities and counties throughout Ohio dictate what materials can be used, which results in higher costs for taxpayers across the Buckeye state.
According to the American Chemistry Council, the average cost to replace water pipes in a "closed competition" jurisdiction is $51.83 per foot. In a city like Columbus that utilizes such a system, these costs can amount to almost $300,000 per mile. Compare that with nearby Delaware County, which does not impose such restrictions and has a competitive market for pipe materials. Their capital costs are a modest $33.33 per foot, which saves taxpayers a whopping $97,680 per mile when stacked up against cities like Columbus. It is estimated that by ensuring open competition across the country through the lifting of local restrictions, the cost savings could add up to more than $317 billion nationally.
ATR sent the following letter to Ohio lawmakers urging them to support open competition and reduced costs by voting Yes on HB 121:
Dear Representative,
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform and our supporters across Ohio, I urge you to support House Bill 121, legislation that would enable Ohio to rebuild its aging water infrastructure while reducing costs to taxpayers through open competition.
Arcane laws and procurement codes in many localities across the country, including Ohio, restrict the piping materials that can be used in water infrastructure projects, without consideration for project specifics. These restrictions prohibit the use of other materials that are longer lasting, better performing, and less costly to taxpayers. Such restrictions on piping materials represent classic protectionism, and another example of public policy that picks industry winners and losers.
In this case, the big losers from local closed competition statutes for water infrastructure are taxpayers, who are forced to pay the heightened costs of lower-performing piping materials whose use is mandated. Enactment of HB 121 would fix this problem by opening competition to all piping materials, which would yield significant taxpayer savings.
Take Franklin County, which has a closed competition policy on water infrastructure, compared to Delaware County. Delaware County, unlike Franklin, allows for open competition. As a result, the average per mile cost of water infrastructure piping in open competition Delaware County is $97,680 less than closed competition Franklin County. Those are real taxpayer savings.
HB 121 is a free market, pro-taxpayer reform that deserves your support. ATR will be educating your constituents and all Ohio taxpayers as to how lawmakers in Columbus vote on HB 121, and other important fiscal and economic matters throughout the legislative session. Please look to ATR to as a resource on tax, budget, and other policy matters pending before you.
Grover G. Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform
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IRS Data Breach Allows Hackers to Steal $30 Million from Taxpayers
Posted by Elizabeth McKee on Tuesday, April 25th, 2017, 1:23 PM PERMALINK
IRS Commissioner Josh Koskinen testified before the Senate Finance Committee that a breach in the IRS Data Retrieval Tool (DRT) has allowed hackers to gain access to the personal information of 100,000 students, who use the tool to fill out the Free Application for Federal Student Aid (FAFSA). Identity thieves used this information to fill out fraudulent tax returns and steal an estimated $30 million from the U.S. government.
The tool works by importing students' and families' tax information - such as Adjusted Gross Income - directly from the IRS to their FAFSA application. The Data Retrieval Tool was popular among students, who used it to save time in applying for financial aid and student loans. It turns out that hackers were also fans of the online service; they could use fairly basic personal information to begin FAFSA applications in the guise of students. The DRT would then provide hackers with confidential tax information, which they could use to file fraudulent tax returns and steal money from American taxpayers.
Senator Orrin Hatch questioned Koskinen on why the IRS waited so long to take down the compromised Data Retrieval Tool. According to Koskinen, the IRS realized that the DRT may jeopardize taxpayer information, and therefore disabled the tool in order to address security concerns. However, most of the fraudulent tax returns in question were filed in January - months after the IRS realized the tool posed a security risk. Koskinen says he was alerted to the problem in September, but students continued to use the tool until it was taken down in March.
In 2015, as many as 17 million students had the option of using the Data Retrieval Tool to fill out their financial aid applications. This year, the IRS flagged 100,000 tax return applications that may have come from hackers who made of the DRT, although Koskinen says "that number may grow." Of the 100,000 students whose information may have been stolen, the IRS has notified 35,000.
The exploitation of the Data Retrieval Tool is far from the only security breach that taxpayers need to worry about. Under Koskinen, the IRS has repeatedly failed to protect taxpayer information; in one breach in 2016, as many as 600,000 taxpayer accounts were jeopardized. The Government Accountability Office released a report accusing the agency of "significant deficiency" when it comes to protecting taxpayer data.
Koskinen, though, does not seem to be concerned about the IRS's systematic failure to protect taxpayer information. "Fortunately, we were at the front end of this problem," he testified. "We've been monitoring it. We have other areas we're monitoring. We're trying to anticipate where the criminals will attack next."
Photo Credit: M. Seery
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Coalition Urges Congress to Rein in FDA's Overreach as Part of FY17 Spending Package
Posted by Paul Blair on Monday, April 24th, 2017, 7:22 PM PERMALINK Follow @gopaulblair
Today, in a letter to GOP leadership in the House and Senate, as well as the Appropriations Chairman, Americans for Tax Reform and thirteen other free market groups urged Congress to rein in the Food and Drug Administration's May 2016 "Deeming Rule" as part of the FY17 appropriations package. Without immediate action, rules imposed by President Obama's FDA on an expanded list of "tobacco products" will force thousands of new businesses to close their doors by August of 2018.
As a result of the Rule, which redefined tobacco products subject to regulations imposed by the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA), every manufacturer of tobacco-free vapor products - large and small - will have to submit what is called a Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA), retroactive and burdensome pre-approval process designed to prevent new products from hitting the market. This will harm public health, stifle innovation, and kill jobs.
Below is the letter, which can also be read here.
We, the undersigned organizations, urge you to provide regulatory relief from the Food and Drug Administration's May 2016 "Deeming Rule" as part of the final FY17 omnibus appropriations package. Without a modernization of a provision of the Family Smoking Prevention and Tobacco Control Act (TCA), the Deeming Rule will kill tens of thousands of jobs in an industry that is helping many American smokers transition to lower risk alternatives to combustible cigarettes.
Language and legislation sponsored by Congressmen Tom Cole (R-Okla.) and Sanford Bishop (D-Ga.) modernizes the "predicate date" for newly deemed products, providing urgent relief to small businesses from an onerous and retroactive pre-approval process imposed by last year's Rule. House Resolution 1136 and the Cole-Bishop Amendment to the current FY17 Agriculture Bill would provide additional substantive protections for adult consumers without preventing the FDA from imposing more appropriate regulations for the product category in the future.
Congressional action is necessary to prevent the loss of tens of thousands of jobs created in the last four years. Most of these jobs are the result of domestic manufacturing and new retailers that are providing smokers with potentially effective smoking cessation and/or harm reduction choices that were not available ten years ago.
The Deeming Rule requires new products that did not exist on or before February 15, 2007 – the predicate date – to undergo a burdensome pre-market review process that achieves little in the way of protecting public health at a very high cost. The FDA's own estimates found that the cost of completing and submitting the required Pre-Market Tobacco Application (PMTA) would exceed $300,000 per product and take at least 500 hours of time per application. At present, the deadline for the submission of PMTAs for each product manufactured in the United States is August 8, 2018.
There are tens of thousands of vapor products that would have to be processed by the FDA and the Center for Tobacco Products in the months following August of next year, a nightmare for the agencies and small businesses involved. That is, if businesses could even afford an attempt at compliance. Estimates from the startup industry suggest 99% of all businesses would be wiped out unless Congress moves soon to rein in the Deeming Rule's burdensome barriers to approval for new products.
This onerous process required of every single vapor product on the market today was one that every single manufacturer of cigarettes in the U.S. avoided when the TCA was signed into law. Even if businesses could afford this investment, however, the process is designed to end in failure. Many small businesses produce hundreds of these products and would be forced to close their doors as a result of this retroactive federal rule.
In his confirmation hearing as FDA Commissioner two weeks ago, Dr. Scott Gottlieb concluded, "There should be reduced harm products available to consumers to transition them off of combustible cigarettes." Dr. Gottlieb recognizes what numerous international health agencies and bodies have – that vapor products are substantially less harmful than cigarettes and should be embraced by the government as low-risk alternatives for smokers. Without a statutory change to TCA by Congress, however, these tens of thousands of smoking cessation products will be illegal in August of next year.
Time is of the essence for many of these businesses, which cannot afford to wait for an administrative delay in deadlines or delayed Congressional action on the 2016 Deeming Rule. The millions of consumers who currently rely on these products as less harmful alternatives to smoking need your help today.
The Cole-Bishop Amendment and House Resolution 1136 would not weaken the TCA or the ability of the FDA to impose additional product standards or regulations on new products in the future. That is precisely why the efforts are bipartisan, because there is recognition that while regulations that protect consumers are important, the Rule imposed burdens that neither protect consumers, nor acknowledge that the consequence will be the new industry's demise.
The inclusion of the Cole-Bishop Amendment, as it passed the House Appropriations Committee, will provide significant regulatory certainty to tens of thousands of small businesses in the United States. We encourage Congress to adopt the language into the final FY17 omnibus budget.
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ATR Joins Coalition Urging Congress to Hault DOL Fiduciary Rule
Posted by Justin Sykes on Monday, April 24th, 2017, 2:56 PM PERMALINK Follow @JustinDSykes
Americans for Tax Reform this week joined a coalition of free market organizations urging Congressional lawmakers to quickly act to stop the pending implementation of the Department of Labor's (DOL) Fiduciary Rule.
The Fiduciary Rule, put forth by the DOL under President Obama, would greatly reduce the ability of financial advisors to give advice to IRA and 401(k) holders, essentially putting the federal government between Americans and their retirement savings decisions. Estimates show the Rule could disqualify up to 7 million IRA holders from investment advice, and reduce the number of IRAs opened annually by up to 400,000.
The coalition letter outlines three affirmative steps Congress should take to stop the Fiduciary Rule from taking effect before a thorough examination, as ordered by President Trump this year, is completed.
First, the Senate should confirm President Trump's nominee to lead DOL, Alexander Acosta, who can stop the rush to implementation. Second, any omnibus spending package to fund the government for the next fiscal year should include a policy rider denying funding to DOL for implementation of the Rule. Third, Congress should work toward revising the Rule or overturning it entirely.
The full coalition letter can be found here.
Photo credit: Shawn Clover
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ATR Urges Texas Lawmakers to Support Paycheck Protection Legislation
Posted by Patrick Gleason on Monday, April 24th, 2017, 11:16 AM PERMALINK
Texas is widely seen as a bastion of conservative and free market policies and governance. However, while Texas is a Right to Work state, it does not have a Paycheck Protection law on the books. As a result, state agencies and municipalities across the Lone Star State relieve government worker union bosses of dues collection responsibilities and take care of that for them using taxpayer resources.
Money the state automatically takes from worker paychecks and hands to union bosses is then used to support anti-business, anti-taxpayer policies and candidates. Today ATR president Grover Norquist sent the following letter to Texas state representatives, urging them to vote Yes on legislation already approved by the state senate that would put an end to this misuses of scarce taxpayer resources:
To: Members of the Texas House of Representatives
From: Americans for Tax Reform
Re: Paycheck Protection Legislation
Dear Representative,
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and our supporters across Texas, I urge you to support and vote Yes on Senate Bill 13, legislation approved by the Senate, and House Bill 510, legislation introduced by Rep. Sarah Davis. This pro-worker legislation, if enacted, would end automatic government deduction of union dues from public employee paychecks.
It is a completely inappropriate use of taxpayer resources to have state agencies and municipalities serving as the money bagmen for unions, but that is the current practice in the Lone Star State, a fact whose revelation surprises many who otherwise view Texas as a bastion of pro-business policies. The question comes down to whether lawmakers think the state should be in the business of using taxpayer resources to collect political money for government unions. Lawmakers who think that is an improper function of government and use of taxpayer resources can put a stop to it by voting Yes on SB 13/HB 510.
Despite what opponents of this legislation have incorrectly alleged, SB 13/HB 510 would not affect the right to organize and join a union; the legislation would simply require union bosses to collect their dues from workers voluntarily, as opposed to the current practice of having state agencies and municipalities collect it for them. If unions are providing a valuable service to workers, then they will have no problem convincing workers that they should join and pay dues voluntarily without automatic state confiscation. However, research indicates that without proper safeguards, many workers are forced to give up hard earned wages against their will.
A study by the Heritage Foundation found states that passed paycheck protection laws like SB 13 & HB 510 saw union spending on political campaigns and activities fall by an average by 50% after such laws were enacted. In Washington State, the Washington Education Association saw the number of members donating to the political activity fund drop from 82% to 11% following the implementation of Washington's paycheck protection law in 1992. This underscores the fact that often the goals of the union leadership do not reflect the priorities of workers.
One of the more egregious aspects of automatic confiscation of union dues from government worker paychecks in Texas is fact that money the state collects for union bosses is in turn funneled to candidates and lobbyists who advance and advocate anti-business, anti-taxpayer policies. Enactment of SB 13 or HB 510 would put an end to this racket. As such, ATR urges you to vote Yes on SB 13 and HB 510. ATR will be educating your constituents and all Texas taxpayers as to how lawmakers in Austin vote on this and other important fiscal and economic matters throughout the legislative session.
Grover G. Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform
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ATR Supports H.J. Res. 73 and S.J. Res. 19 Repealing CFPB's Prepaid Card Rules
Posted by Daniel Uzi Frydman on Monday, April 24th, 2017, 9:50 AM PERMALINK
Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) President Grover Norquist this week sent a letter to Congressional lawmakers urging support for Representative Roger Williams' H.J. Res. 73 and Senator David Perdue's S.J. Res. 19.
Both resolutions would use the Congressional Review Act to block the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) rules on prepaid debit cards, put forth at the end of 2016 and set to go into effect April of 2018. The CFPB's prepaid card rule would deprive American financial consumers of access to banking services and perpetuate the regressive impacts of Dodd-Frank.
Below is the text of the letter to Congress, which can also be found here.
April 24, 2017
The Honorable Paul Ryan
U.S. House of Representatives
Washington, DC 20515
The Honorable Mitch McConnell
Majority Leader
U.S. Senate
Washington, DC 20510
Dear Speaker Ryan and Majority Leader McConnell:
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) I write to express ATR's strong support for using the Congressional Review Act to repeal the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau's (CFPB) rule on prepaid debit cards.
Issued in the fall of 2016 and set to go into effect April of 2018, the CFPB's rule on prepaid debit cards would actually harm the same financial consumers the Bureau sought to protect in issuing the rule. Millions of American consumers use and rely on prepaid cards, yet if the CFPB's rule is allowed to proceed those millions of consumers will be deprived of access to needed banking services.
As a result of the Dodd-Frank Act, many banks no longer offer free checking accounts or have alternatively either increased fees or required higher minimum balances for maintaining free checking accounts. This has had the effect of pushing many financial consumers out of the traditional banking system and led to millions of Americans becoming "unbanked." The CFPB's rule would only increase this regressive trend, impacting primarily low-income consumers.
A report from the Pew Charitable Trusts found that of an estimated 23 million consumers using prepaid cards, a quarter of those were low-income Americans, with a third having annual income below $15,000. Prepaid cards have increased in popularity in recent years, with the amount placed on prepaid cards growing from $1 billion in 2003 to a projected $112 billion for 2018.
This is due in part to the fact that for consumers that can no longer afford traditional banking services, prepaid cards are a more affordable option than traditional debit cards linked to checking accounts. The CFPB's rule will in turn have a disparate impact on low-income financial consumers and as a result further increase the number of unbanked Americans.
Thankfully, Representative Roger Williams and Senator David Perdue have introduced joint resolutions of disapproval of the CFPB's rule under the Congressional Review Act. H.J. Res. 73 in the House and S.J. Res. 19 in the Senate would repeal the CFPB's costly and regressive prepaid debit card rule.
I urge you and your colleagues in Congress to support both H.J. Res. 73 and S.J. Res. 19 and use the authority granted under the Congressional Review Act to protect American consumers and preserve choice in financial products by repealing the CFPB's rule on prepaid debit cards.
Grover G. Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform
Photo Credit: Phil Roeder
CFPB Prepaid Card Rules Will Harm Consumers and Should be Repealed
Posted by Justin Sykes on Friday, April 21st, 2017, 2:38 PM PERMALINK Follow @JustinDSykes
In the fall of 2016 the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau (CFPB) issued final rules on prepaid debit cards, now set to go into effect April 1st of 2018. As is the case with most CFPB rule makings, the rule on prepaid debit cards will actually harm the same consumers it was originally designed to "protect." Over 23 million Americans use and rely on prepaid cards, yet if the CFPB's rule goes into effect, those same consumers will be pushed out of the market, depriving them of access to basic banking services.
Since enactment of the Dodd-Frank Act, and resulting myriad of regulations, many banks have found it no longer advantageous or feasible to offer free checking accounts, and have alternatively increased fees and required higher minimum balances in order to maintain free checking accounts. This in turn pushed many financial consumers, which tend to be low-income, out of the traditional banking system.
Many of the consumers that lost their free checking accounts or were no longer able to afford them turned to alterative financial products, such as prepaid debit cards, which serve a similar function as traditional bank accounts. Prepaid cardholders can have their paychecks directly deposited onto the cards in much the same manner as standard debit card and checking account arrangements.
In recent years prepaid cards have grown in popularity because they are often cheaper than traditional account linked debit cards, which is why they are often preferred by low-income users. In fact, the amounts placed on prepaid cards have grown from $1 billion in 2003 to a projected $112 billion for 2018.
According to a 2014 report from The Pew Charitable Trusts, of an estimated 23 million consumers using prepaid cards, a quarter of those were low-income Americans, with a third having annual income below $15,000. Obviously these numbers reflect that if the CFPB prepaid card rule moves forward, low-income Americans will bear the brunt of the impact. This will likely increase the amount of "unbanked" Americans, which already number in the millions.
Additionally, as pointed out in a recent piece from the American Action Forum (AAF), according to the CFPB's own estimates the prepaid rules will result in 137,642 one-time burden hours for prepaid card companies forced to comply, and another 19,494 ongoing burden hours.
AAF estimates that the rules will costs prepaid card companies $5,257,935 just to get into compliance with the rule, in addition to another $744,697 annually just to maintain compliance. Such costs will inevitably be passed onto consumers, depriving even more of needed banking services.
Thankfully, this year the House and Senate introduced joint resolutions of disapproval of the CFPB's prepaid card rule pursuant to the Congressional Review Act. H.J. Res. 73 was introduced in the House by Representative Roger Williams (R-Texas) and S.J. Res. 19 was similarly introduced in the Senate by Senator David Perdue (R-Ga.).
Lawmakers on Capitol Hill should support these common sense measures that will protect American consumers, especially those of limited means, that rely on and prefer prepaid debit cards. This will not only increase choice for consumers but will ensure that those who have been pushed away from traditional banking products and services will have access to alternative financial services such as prepaid cards.
Photo credit: Paul Istoan
More from Americans for Tax Reform
ATR Statement Supporting Chairman Hensarling's Financial CHOICE Act
Posted by Justin Sykes on Thursday, April 20th, 2017, 11:04 AM PERMALINK Follow @JustinDSykes
ATR President Grover Norquist issued the following statement today in support of House Financial Services Committee Chairman Jeb Hensarling's release of the Financial CHOICE Act:
"Americans for Tax Reform supports Chairman Hensarling's efforts to reform the costly and burdensome Dodd-Frank Act with his release of the Financial CHOICE Act this week. Chairman Hensarling has consistently been a champion for financial consumers and reforming Dodd-Frank. The Financial CHOICE Act looks to deliver reforms that will replace the misguided regulatory burdens imposed on America's financial consumers and small financial institutions by the Obama Administration.
"Under President Obama Americans saw the role of government in the market increase exponentially with the Dodd-Frank Act. While Dodd-Frank was supposed to target Wall Street, impacts of the law have instead fallen heaviest on Main Street, reducing small business lending, shuttering credit unions and community banks, and growing the number of unbanked Americans.
"Chairman Hensarling's Financial CHOICE Act will increase accountability from financial regulators and protect American consumers while also fostering economic growth. The Financial CHOICE Act seeks to rein in 'regulatory taxes' imposed by Dodd-Frank that have served only to burden consumers with increased fees and reduced products and services.
"The Financial CHOICE Act also gives much needed relief to America's credit unions and community banks, which have been crushed by compliance costs in recent years, with an average of one institution being shuttered daily. The Act also repeals the failed Durbin Amendment and the Department of Labor's Fiduciary Rule, both of which will benefit financial consumers.
"I look forward to working with Chairman Hensarling on this pro-consumer, pro-growth legislation, that ensures American consumers and taxpayers are protected, while also fostering a regulatory climate that allows business to grow and prosper."
Photo credit: Gage Skidmore
ATR Urges Support for Nebraska Tax Reform Measures
Posted by Marc Dupont on Tuesday, April 18th, 2017, 5:25 PM PERMALINK
Nebraska has the opportunity to become the next state to carry the torch of tax reform as the state's legislature gears up to debate a bill this Friday that, if enacted, would provide needed relief to taxpayers and improvements to Nebraska's tax code.
LB 461, which recently passed out of committee, would lower the top personal and corporate income tax rates from 6.84% and 7.81%, respectively, to as low as 5.99% by 2029, so long as certain revenue triggers are met.
Across the country, recent years have proven to be a golden age for pro-growth tax reform. States like Texas, Tennessee, Arizona, Arkansas, Wisconsin, and especially North Carolina have all enacted policies that have resulted in lower taxes, allowing residents to keep more of their hard-earned income. States that fail to improve their codes and provide relief to taxpayers are being left behind in the competition for investment, employers, jobs, and people. By enacting LB 461, Nebraska legislators can ensure the Cornhusker State will not be left behind.
According to ALEC's 2016 economic outlook index, Nebraska is dismally ranked 32nd in the nation. In fact, all of its neighboring states, from Wyoming (4) to Iowa (29), are ranked as more economically competitive. Passage of LB 461 will help Nebraska close this competitiveness gap. Today, Americans for Tax Reform sent the following letter Nebraska lawmakers calling on them to enact rate reducing tax reform by voting Yes on LB 461:
Dear Members of the Nebraska Legislature,
On behalf of Americans for Tax Reform (ATR) and our supporters across Nebraska, I urge you to support LB 461. Nebraska currently has a top personal income tax rate of 6.84% and 7.81%. LB 461, if enacted, would reduce those rates by 12.4% and 23.3%, respectively, taking both rates down to as low as 5.99 percent by 2028, so long as revenue triggers are met.
There is ample evidence that lower tax rates make states more competitive, and more conducive economic growth. John Hood, chairman of the John Locke Foundation, a non-partisan think tank, analyzed 681 peer-reviewed academic journal articles dating back to 1990. Most of the studies found that lower levels of taxation and spending correlate with stronger economic performance. When Tax Foundation chief economist William McBride reviewed academic literature going back three decades, he found "the results consistently point to significant negative effects of taxes on economic growth, even after controlling for various other factors such as government spending, business cycle conditions and monetary policy."
As the Platte Institute has reported, Nebraskans face a higher burden than taxpayers in competing states:
"On average, taxpayers in Nebraska pay 52 percent more personal income tax per person, and 36 percent more corporate income tax. That's $1,125 per person per year in Nebraska versus $541 in the five rival states [Texas, Florida, Arizona, Colorado, and Iowa] for personal income taxes."
If that weren't bad enough, your constituents have been hit with 20 federal Obamacare tax increases over the last eight years. As such, individuals, families, and employers across Nebraska are greatly in need of the sort of income tax relief that enactment of LB 461 would provide.
A reduction in the personal income tax would allow taxpayers to keep more of their hard-earned income, while increasing the job-creating capacity of small businesses that file under the individual income tax system. Meanwhile, a corporate rate reduction would make Nebraska more attractive to employers, job creation, and investment. Corporate tax relief will benefit the broader populace, as the burden of corporate taxation is borne by people in the form of lower wagers, fewer job opportunities, and reduced returns on savings and investment. Enactment of the type of rate-reducing tax reform found in LB 461 would help Nebraska compete with the likes of Texas, Oklahoma, Colorado, North Carolina, Florida, Arizona and other competitor states that already boast lower tax burdens and more hospitable business tax climates than Nebraska.
North Carolina provides a great example of how much progress can be made in a short period of time, and should inspire those seeking to provide relief to Nebraska taxpayers while improving the state tax code. Just four years ago, North Carolina had the highest personal and corporate income tax rates in the Southeast. Thanks to tax reform measures enacted in 2013 and 2015, North Carolina now has a flat personal income tax rate that is the lowest in its region, with the exception of Florida and Tennessee, which do not levy an income tax. North Carolina's present corporate tax rate, at 3%, is now less than half of what it was just four years ago, and the personal income tax rate has been reduced by nearly 30%.
In addition to having the lowest personal income tax rate in the region, North Carolina now has the lowest corporate rate in the nation among states that levy such a tax. Going into 2013, North Carolina had the 44th ranked business tax climate in the country on the non-partisan Tax Foundation's business tax climate index. Thanks to the reforms enacted since 2013, North Carolina now has the nation's 11th best business tax climate. This remarkable improvement in North Carolina's tax code was achieved with the same sort of revenue triggers that LB 461 uses to provide tax relief for Nebraskans in a fiscally responsible fashion.
Americans for Tax Reform urges you to vote YES on LB 461. ATR will be educating your constituents and all Nebraskan taxpayers as to how lawmakers in Lincoln vote on LB 461 and other important fiscal and economic matters throughout the legislative session. Please look to ATR to as a resource on tax, budget, and other policy matters pending before you. If you have any questions, please contact Patrick Gleason, ATR's director of state affairs, at (202) 785-0266 or email@example.com.
Grover G. Norquist
Americans for Tax Reform


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Your kiddo is no longer a water baby — he is learning how to hold his own in the waves. He needs these R U Serious shorts from Billabong to show his off his dedication to surfing. These boardies will wick away moisture while maintaining a slight stretch that will move with him no matter what he's doing. They also feature Billabong's Platinum X Quad Stretch technology with H2 Repel, allover plaid print, wave logo appliqué patch and Billabong printed graphics.
- Sewn-in bungee lanyard to hold keys or wax comb in pocket
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- Imported
- Billabong Platinum X Series
- Billabong 4-way stretch boardshort
- Size 28 has a 10" Inseam
- Billabong embroidery & screen print
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Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Frozen stir-fry vegetables and zesty Szechuan sauce bring beautiful color and nutrition to a savory turkey dinner.
If the honey teriyaki seasoning mix is not available, use a 1-ounce package of stir-fry seasoning mix.
Place the boxes of frozen vegetables in the refrigerator the night before so they'll be thawed in the morning.
© 2017 ®/TM General Mills All Rights Reserved


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CHICAGO (MarketWatch) — Among the stocks that could see active trade in Monday's session are Citigroup, Mattel and Gannett.
U.S. week ahead: earnings
The coming week will bring earnings reports from Citigroup and Bank of America, plus retail sales and data from the Philly Fed. Laura Mandaro reports on Markets Hub. Photo: Reuters.
Citigroup C, -1.18% is slated to report first-quarter earnings before the opening bell. The company is expected to earn $10.1 a share on revenue of $19.9 billion, according to the average estimate of analysts polled by FactSet Research.
Mattel MAT, -13.57% is also up and the toy company will post a profit of 7 cents a share on revenue of $986 million if Wall Street's best estimates are on the mark.
Gannett GCI, +1.71% will earn 31 cents a share with sales of $1.24 if it meets analyst expectations.
Late Friday, shares of Procter & Gamble PG, -0.79% edged higher after the company said it will raise its quarterly dividend 7% to 56.2 cents a share.


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Deeplinks Blog posts about Digital Video
Public Knowledge, joined by EFF as well as the Consumer Federation of America, the Digital Freedom Campaign, the Media Access Project, the New America Foundation and U.S. PIRG, yesterday filed an opposition [PDF] to the MPAA's FCC petition seeking a waiver of the ban against selectable output controls (SOC) (we have an explanation of what a "selectable output control" is on our Digital Video issue page).
In the absence of NBC or Microsoft coming clean about what they've done -
what flags NBC sent, and what flags Microsoft obeys, we've been doing some detective
work of our own -- and we'd like your help.
NBC have already said that their activation of their copy-control system was
a "mistake". But when the next mistake occurs is the best chance to uncover what
copy-protection Vista obeys on digital, over-the-air TV.
We're looking to obtain raw data dumps of the ATSC stream next time your
copy of Vista chokes on an over-the-air digital TV feed.
While its customers are still puzzling over why Vista Media Center
is suddenly refusing to record over-the-air NBC digital TV, Microsoft has come out
with an astounding admission, courtesy of Greg Sandoval at CNet News:
"Microsoft included technologies in Windows based on rules set forth by the (Federal Communications Commission)," a Microsoft spokeswoman wrote in an e-mail to CNET News.com. "As part of these regulations, Windows Media Center fully adheres to the flags used by broadcasters and content owners to determine how their content is distributed and consumed."
After further investigation of reports of Vista refusing to record NBC, we have found at least one case where a user receiving digital TV over-the-air has been blocked from recording TV shows. Justin Sanders, who took this screenshot, says he was recording Raleigh's HDTV channel WNCN-DT1 on his Vista machine when a popup stating that "restrictions set by the broadcaster ... prohibit recording of this program" appeared.
This is significant: this is the first case we've heard of equipment voluntarily obeying broadcast flag-like restrictions on TV content digitally broadcast over-the-air.
Reports are coming in of digital video recording systems refusing to record NBC programs - both on digital cable and over-the-air transmissions.
We're still investigating whether these involved over-the-air digital TV, which would mean that NBC was the first broadcaster to attempt to revive the abandoned ATSC "broadcast flag" (as opposed to cable and analog copy control signals like CGMS-A which have been used before).
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|Stripers and Coastal Gamefish Stripers, Blues, Inshore tuna!
|Topic Review (Newest First)
Compare stories on the warranties/service, that could affect your final choice.
I have TFO 9wt and 4wt switch rods and really love them. One thing to note is the TFO are what I would say, a "slow" action (and I'm not sure about the Beulah's action) the rods have a nice slow bend. I started out with Skagit which I suppose was suited to this, without me knowing much a couple years ago. Now I'm trying more Scandi and on certain days, I wish for some slightly faster tapers. I'll be trying out some Beulah switches at the next Spey Nation, I'm really curious about them now.
PS - for the TFO 9wt I lined it with Meiser/SGS Skandit kit which is wonderful and absolutely dialed in for the rod. I also have a Airflo Compact Scandi 540gr for it which should probably have been a 500-520gr after all. The 9wt is a beast of a rod, section 1 is reminiscent of a single hand 12wt. People also swear by the Beulah Elixir lines for these rods or even the Orvis Switch line which IIRC is a Beulah elixir.
switch rod
I'm thinking of buying a switch rod and am trying to decide between the T.F.O. and the Beulah switch rods . Any advice would be greatly appreciated .
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