text:
Person Name:(required)
Person Biography:(required)
As the younger son of Prince Charles and the late Princess Diana, Prince Harry has been rather overshadowed recently. On the 29th April 2011 his elder brother, Prince William married his long time partner, Kate Middleton. Harry though has always been his own man and with the years has come into his own. He was William's best man and gossip has it that he had the reception in uproar with his funny speech.

Prince Henry of Wales, Henry Charles Albert David, more commonly known as Prince Harry, was born on 15th September 1984. As grandson of Queen Elizabeth II and Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh he has distinct royal connections. This means that currently, April 2011, he is third in the line of succession to the thrones of 16 independent countries. He is of course resident in, and most directly involved with, the United Kingdom.

His line of succession will no doubt change over the years. If William and Kate's marriage is blessed with children Harry will drop down the line. In the event of an abdication such as Edward's many years ago or childless marriages he could succeed to the throne. That is doubtful however, and would not be ideal or wanted.

This is probably why Harry has been more able to enjoy his young years. As a red headed cheeky child, teenager and then man Harry seemed the one destined to get into trouble. He has had bad press over the years, which has involved drugs, fancy dress nazi costumes and more. Maybe he has behaved no worse than other royals but simply been caught out.

Rumours about his parentage have always been bandied about the fringes of UK society. Diana and Charles, his parents, were not at their happiest when Harry was conceived. Still Harry is loved by his family, which is plain for all to see. Gossip will always surround the royal family and over the years they have developed a tough exterior to sustain themselves and ignore such rumours.

As the Spencer family seems to have the red hair gene, his looks could stem from his mother's family, and in all probability do.

At the wedding of William and Kate on 29th April 2011, Harry was best man. He looked resplendent if not a trifle uncomfortable in a dress uniform. His words to Prince William, as Kate approached were caught on camera and played around the world. In true Harry and brotherly style he said "wait till you see her, she looks amazing". These words may not be an exact copy but the meaning is the same.

On the balcony of Buckingham Palace, after the wedding, Prince Harry can be seen having a joke with his father. This is how most people view Harry. As a bit of a joker.

However, Prince Harry the man is more than just a joker.

As a baby, and then young child, Harry accompanied his parents on royal tours. This inclusion of the children is usually thought to be down to Diana.

When his mother, Princess Diana was tragically killed in a car into in 1997, young Harry joined his brother and family members to walk behind her funeral vehicle. He was only 13 years old.

It is so easy for people to forget that Harry went through a painful divorce of his parents, at a young age. He will also have experienced the break up of their relationship, first hand, before the divorce came. He then lost his mother in tragic circumstances, whilst he was still a young teenager. Enough to send any young person of the rails for a time.

After his public school education Harry took a gap year out. This was spent in Australia and Lesotho. Instead of the usual University education Prince Harry went straight into the military. Harry is no academic, but he has excelled in sports such as Rugby and the royal favourite Polo, and has enjoyed a successful military career.

His military career included 77 days on the front line in Afghanistan. At one time, in true Spartacus style, his fellow soldiers all wore an "I'm Harry" T shirt. Following a news leak during his time in Afghanistan he had to be pulled out, much to his annoyance.

Harry has had allegations of racism levied against him such as when he called a pakistani officer "our little paki friend". With Prince Phillip's knack of saying the wrong thing at the wrong time perhaps he is more royal than many give him credit for.

As Harry has grown he seems to have matured beyond such silliness. He appears to be growing into a good man. Only time will tell. There are now rumours that he could be romantically involved with Kate Middleton's sister Pippa. However this gossip appears to have no substance. Both Pippa and Harry already have their own romantic attachments.

Chelsy Davy is Prince Harry's long time girlfriend. They broke up last year, not for the first time. However, it now seems they are back together. The path of true love seldom runs smooth so perhaps she will ultimately be a royal bride.

For now though that seems a long way off.

Category:(required) (no category) Politics Sports Entertainment Business Science & Technology Conflict & Tragedy Odd Your Story Health Travel Green Humanitarian Causes Obituaries Arts & Culture Funny Life Style Spirituality & Religion Education
Let us know from where this person belongs to.
Country:(required) Select Country Afghanistan Albania Algeria American Samoa Andorra Angola Anguilla Antarctica Antigua and Barbuda Argentina Armenia Aruba Australia Austria Azerbaijan Bahamas Bahrain Bangladesh Barbados Belarus Belgium Belize Benin Bermuda Bhutan Bolivia Bosnia and Herzegovina Botswana Brazil British Virgin Islands Brunei Bulgaria Burkina Faso Burundi Cambodia Cameroon Canada Cape Verde Cayman Islands Central African Republic Chad Chile China Chingon Colombia Comoros Congo Congo (Dem. Rep.) Cook Islands Costa Rica Croatia Cuba Cyprus Czech Republic Denmark Djibouti Dominica Dominican Republic East Timor Ecuador Egypt El Salvador Equatorial Guinea Eritrea Estonia Ethiopia External Territories of Australia Falkland Islands Faroe Islands Fiji Islands Finland France French Guiana French Polynesia French Southern Territories Gabon Gambia Georgia Germany Ghana Gibraltar Greece Greenland Grenada Guadeloupe Guam Guatemala Guernsey and Alderney Guinea Guinea-Bissau Guyana Haiti Honduras Hungary Iceland India Indonesia Iran Iraq Ireland Isle of Man Israel Italy Ivory Coast Jamaica Japan Jersey Jordan Kazakhstan Kenya Kiribati Kosovo Kosovo Kuwait Kyrgyzstan Laos Latvia Lebanon Lesotho Liberia Libya Liechtenstein Lithuania Luxembourg Macedonia Madagascar Malawi Malaysia Maldives Mali Malta Marshall Islands Martinique Mauritania Mauritius Mayotte Mexico Micronesia Moldova Monaco Mongolia Montenegro Montenegro Montserrat Morocco Mozambique Myanmar Namibia Nauru Nepal Netherlands Netherlands Antilles New Caledonia New Zealand Nicaragua Niger Nigeria Niue Norfolk Island North Korea Northern Mariana Islands Norway Oman Pakistan Palau Palestine Panama Papua New Guinea Paraguay Peru Philippines Poland Portugal Puerto Rico Qatar Reunion Romania Russia Rwanda Saint Helena Saint Kitts and Nevis Saint Lucia Saint Pierre and Miquelon Saint Vincent and The Grenadines Samoa San Marino Sao Tome and Principe Saudi Arabia Senegal Serbia Seychelles Sierra Leone Singapore Slovakia Slovenia Smaller Territories of Chile Smaller Territories of the UK Solomon Islands Somalia South Africa South Korea Spain Sri Lanka Sudan Suriname Svalbard and Jan Mayen Swaziland Sweden Switzerland Syria Taiwan Tajikistan Tanzania Thailand Togo Tokelau Tonga Trinidad and Tobago Tunisia Turkey Turkmenistan Turks and Caicos Islands Tuvalu Uganda Ukraine United Arab Emirates United Kingdom United States Minor Outlying Islands USA Uruguay Uzbekistan Vanuatu Vatican City Venezuela Vietnam Virgin Islands of the United States Wallis and Futuna Western Sahara Yemen Zambia Zimbabwe
State:(required) Select State Alabama Alaska Arizona Arkansas California Colorado Connecticut Delaware District of Columbia Florida Georgia Hawaii Idaho Illinois Indiana Iowa Kansas Kentucky Louisiana Maine Maryland Massachusetts Michigan Minnesota Mississippi Missouri Montana Nebraska Nevada New Hampshire New Jersey New Mexico New York North Carolina North Dakota Ohio Oklahoma Oregon Pennsylvania Rhode Island South Carolina South Dakota Tennessee Texas Utah Vermont Virginia Washington West Virginia Wisconsin Wyoming There is no such state in the country specified
Show the person
Lock Name
Lock Bio
Lock Thumbnail
Lock Total Score
Add related content for Britain's Prince Harry
News Stories | Images | Videos | Comments
Relevance Verifier Results


text:
Great Rentals is part of HomeAway.com, the world's leading vacation rentals marketplace. Search over 170,000 vacation rentals properties now! Click here to see more Bolton Vacation Rentals
Bolton Rentals, Sleeps 5-8
Sort by: | Show rentals per page |
View all 5 Bolton Vacation Rentals or all 157 Stowe Area Vacation Rentals
Advertise your rental in Bolton, Stowe Area
Bolton Luxury 3BR Ski-in Ski-out Townhome at Bolton Valley
3 BR/3 BA, 1 half bath
(sleeps 8)
$225 - $325/nt$1,300 - $1,800/wkper property, Mountain, Resort, Rural, Balcony, Internet, Satellite / Cable, Television, DVD Player, Parking, Fireplace
Bolton Ski in/ Ski out Luxury Townhouse at Bolton Valley
- 2 BR/2 BA, 1 half bath Townhome (sleeps 6) accept credit card, pets considered, Mountain, Resort, Jacuzzi, Balcony, Fitness Room / Equipment, Internet, Satellite / Cable
Bolton Ski in-ski out, within steps of Base Lodge, central to everything
(sleeps 7)
$250 - $275/nt$1,700/wkper property, Mountain, Resort, Balcony, Satellite / Cable, Television, DVD Player, Parking, Fireplace
Didn't find what you're looking for?
View all 5 Bolton Vacation Rentals or all 157 Stowe Area Vacation Rentals

subset: commoncrawl


text:
OUTDOOR RESEARCH Women's Flyway Shirt, S/S
Hike a winding trail or paddle your favorite rapids. The Outdoor Research Flyway Shirt combines casual, flattering style with wicking, fast-drying technical performance and FreshGuard odor neutralization.Features/Benefits:
- drirelease heathered, space-dye fabric of polyester and cotton
- Wicks perspiration fast and dries 4 times faster than cotton
- Lightweight and breathable
- FreshGuard prevents odor
- Won�t shrink or lose shape
- Ruching just below shoulders at front
- Flat-seam construction for chafe-free comfort
- OR metal badge
- Center-back length: 25.25 in. (64 cm)
- Standard fit: Traditional fit for comfort in casual apparel
Fiber Content: 85% polyester, 15% cotton
Country of Origin: Imported -
OUTDOOR RESEARCH Women's Flyway Shirt, S/S
Back Length 25.25 in. (64 cm) Weight 3.8 oz. (107 g) Fabric(s) Synthetic Sleeve Length Short-Sleeve


text:
'Paper Man' Lisa Kudrow impressed by Ryan Reynolds' super hero costume
Lisa Kudrow is thrilled by the fact that her new NBC celebrity genealogy TV series, "Who Do You Think You Are," has just been renewed for a second season.
She's also pysched about her new critically hailed independent dark comedy, "Paper Man," now in theatres, starring Jeff Daniels, Emma Stone, Kieran Culkin and Ryan Reynolds.
She plays Daniels' busy surgeon wife. He's a stalled writer with -- naturally -- writers block who has a secret superhero imaginary friend, played by "Green Lantern" star Reynolds, clad in a goofy red and blue superhero costume with squeaky red rubber boots.
"I'm always impressed by people who are inconvenienced by wardrobe and
not complaining," says Kudrow, of Ryan's skin-tight Captain Excellent
costume. "But that must have been hot or freezing ... in the winter in
Montauk, New York."
As for the dark comedy, she says one of the draws was getting
to work with fellow indie regular Daniels.
"I just like how complicated is ... you know, that's how marriage is, for better or worse
and when it becomes more than one of them can bear, there's an
As for young actress Emma Stone's ("Superbad," Zombieland," "The House Bunny") role as a depressed
teen who befriends Daniels' neurotic character, Lisa explains, "It's a
platonic relationship but that's part of the tension of the movie.
You're watching it the whole time, going 'You're not gonna kiss her,
are you?'"
Lisa and Emma will next be paired up in another comedy, "Easy A." Here's
the first trailer, which doesn't reveal the plot (an unpopular girl uses a rumor about her lost virginity to advance her social standing), but it's pretty cute.
"Easy A" -- due out next fall -- also stars Amanda Bynes, "Gossip Girl" star Penn Badgley, Stanley Tucci, Cam Gigandet, Patricia Clarkson and Malcolm McDowell, which is a pretty impressive cast.
Follow Zap2it on Twitter and Zap2it on Facebook for the latest TV, movie and celebrity news.
More Ryan Reynolds dish:
Scarlett Johansson, Ryan Reynolds share a superhero trainer, Bobby Strom
Ryan Reynolds gives Betty White the bird. And she tells him to what?
Ryan Reynolds on "Wolverine" and a possible "Deadpool" franchise
Ryan Reynolds talks "Deadpool" at Adventureland junket
paper man is opening at new theaters in dallas, LA, and brooklyn this weekend, April 30- and then on to seattle, palm springs, austin, san francisco, berkley, chicago and minneapolis. support the film- check out the website for more info! www.papermanthemovie.com


text:
Document Information | ||
Get help downloading & printing files. How to complete a fillable form. | ||
Title |
Application to Reopen Claim Due to Worsening Condition (A fillable form - 168 KB PDF)
Description | Used by injured workers and doctors to apply to reopen an industrial injury or occupational disease claim that has been closed for longer than 60 days. 12-2009 version is in the warehouse until stock is used up, then the new 12-2012 version will be printed. |
Detail | ||
Form number | F242-079-000 | |
Availability | Order it |
Keywords | claim information, industrial insurance, occupational injuries, reopen, reopen claim, Reopening, worker's compensation, workers compensation | |
Languages | English , English/Spanish , Spanish | |
Valid dates | 12-2012 | |
Contact information |
Claims for Job Injuries
© Washington State Dept. of Labor & Industries. Use of this site is subject to the laws of the state of Washington.
Do you plan to access the Labor and Industries website from a mobile device? (such as a phone or tablet)


text:
Product Description
Cervini Fiberglass Stalker Hood for 2005-2009 V6/GT Mustangs.
Add a new look to your Mustang with the Cervini stalker hood. The hood features a finished underside liner that adds extra strength and can be painted. The hood bolts on using OEM hood hinges, latch and hardware. Relocates the windshield washer squirters under the hood. Will require prepping, priming and painting prior to installation if you purchase the unpainted version.Includes:
-Pre-cut front air ducts
-CNC machined aluminum air duct screens and drip pans
-Width of scoop openings: 7-3/8?
-Height of scoop openings: 1.5?
*Must use with Factory or C-Series front bumper cover.
Available pre-painted in all Ford paint colors offered for 2005-2009 Mustangs.
Please Note: The pre-painted version comes with only the topside painted. The underside comes in unpainted white gelcoat..
Installation Instructions
Difficulty: Moderate
Product Reviews
- Not Yet Rated
- 0 Reviews | Write a Review
Overall Rating: 0 / 5
0 Reviews
You Might Also Like
CJ's Low Price:$194.99


text:
Levi's 501 Original Straight Jeans, Light Broken
Click on the image to zoomProduct information
Look no further for your quintessential pair of smart casual jeans. These Levi 501's are straight cut and will be your go-to pair for when you need a relaxed look, with a smart twist.
As an enduring classic, these Levi 501 jeans will always look great, and their longevity stands testament to this. They are comfortable, stylish and durable and the Levi brand is instantly recognisable as as a quality denim.
In a standard fit, the 501 jeans are straight through the seat, thigh and leg. They feature the original 5-pocket detail and a button fly. They are very versatile and look great with a t-shirt and trainers or a relaxed blazer and shirt.
- Brand
- Levi's
- Brand Jeans Style
- 501 Original
- Denim Wash
- Dark
- Eligible for International Delivery
- Jeans Fit
- Standard Straight
- Material
- 100% cotton
- Washing Instructions
- Machine washable
Editors Notes
Established in 1853 in the United States by enterprising Bavarian immigrant Levi Strauss, Levi's is the original jeans brand, pioneering the use of rivets in trousers to create the world's first jeans.
With a rich heritage and an association with the rugged character of the American mid-west, Levi's continues to produce iconic and classic jeans that are both timeless and effortlessly cool.
Click & collect
Free Click & Collect from John Lewis and Waitrose shops for collection tomorrow from 2pm
258 participating John Lewis and Waitrose shops - Free
Standard UK delivery within 5 working days
- Free
Next, named or Saturday UK delivery.
- £6.95
Next/named day UK delivery pre-10.30am.
- £9.95
Collect+ from a local shop from Monday - postcode exclusions apply for Collect+ deliveries
Trial in Scotland, Wales, SW England and N Ireland only
1500 participating Collect+ shops - £3.00
International delivery not available
We want you to be happy with your purchase. If you're not, just return the products to us or to one of our shops. Unless faulty, we'd like this to be within 90 days of purchase. Exceptions apply to certain products - find out more about our refund policy.
Depending on the type of product, you can make free returns via our shops, Royal Mail (or courier collection for large or heavy items), Collect+ or via MyHermes.
Q & As
Take a look at our guide to work out which style will suit you best
UK delivery:
Free Standard UK delivery within 5 working days
Click & collect
Free Click & Collect from John Lewis and Waitrose shops for collection tomorrow from 2pm
£3.00 Collect+ from a local shop from Monday (Trial in selected areas)
International delivery not available:
Returns are free
See more details about returning this product


text:
Now Playing
Connect with Us
Podcasts & RSS Feeds
All Content |
View all podcasts & RSS feeds |
Most Active Stories
KUNM News
Local News
9:48 am
Wed April 25, 2012
Democrats Ahead in New Mexico Senate Race
A recent poll by Public Policy Polling shows incumbent Representative Martin Heinrich leading in the race for retiring Senator Jeff Bingaman's seat.
Our newest poll finds Martin Heinrich leading Heather Wilson 48-43 and Hector Balderas with a 44-43 advantage. Both match ups have seen only a small change from when PPP polled the state in December. At that time Heinrich led Wilson 47-40 and Balderas and Wilson were knotted at 43%.
PPP found Republican Heather Wilson remaining competitive even though her showing with independent voters isn't as dramatic as independent voter support for Republican Governor Susana Martinez in 2010.
[Wilson's] favorability with them [independent voters] is 36/45, worse than her overall spread of 40/45, and she basically ties both Democrats with them. She's up 37-34 on Balderas, but down 40-37 to Heinrich. For a Republican to win New Mexico pretty much requires not just winning independents, but winning them by a healthy margin.


text:
0cart: $0.00
Dress Up & Apparel
New Year's
Sort By:
Relevance Popularity Top Rated Name Low Price High Price
16 Per Page 48 Per Page 96 Per Page
Viewing Page 1 of 1
Pink Flapper Kids Costume
In stock, ready to ship!
Our Price: $29.99
New Year's Foil Hi-Hat with Glitter Assorted
Our Price: $3.00
Silver Legacy Top Hat
Our Price: $2.00
© CelebrateExpress.com. All Rights Reserved.CEWEB01


text:
Certified massage practitioner Norma Mercado sends soothing echoes through achy muscles at her own Heavenly Gifts massage studio. In the privacy of a cozy room, clients can request relaxing aromatherapy bodywork with flowing Swedish strokes and essential oils, or firm deep-tissue pressure to alleviate chronic lower-layer pain.
Bella Grace Salon's master barber stylist Nedra Cano tames gentlemanly manes and rugged chin gardens with more than 25 years of experience, utilizing techniques acquired from her father and her years as a barber for the Navy. Handsome-enhancing experiences begin with a soothing scalp massage and shampoo. Once head jungles are cleansed, Nedra will work with each client to find an ideal style before cutting and styling, while mouths enjoy a complimentary glass of wine and a light snack attack. Afterward, a traditional razor shave will instill faces with a long-lasting, irritation-free smoothness ideal for nuzzling even the most delicate of pet balloon animals.
Each and every service at Katsu Hair begins with a consultation and ends with a swipe of a membership card. The eponymous owner—an experienced Beverly Hills stylist who originally hails from Japan—leads a talented cast, all of whom discuss cut, color, and style options with clients before kicking off treatments. Sudsy shampoos and tantalizing scalp massages bolstered by Pureology products accompany every hair service, which range from simple cuts to Ombre color treatments and Brazilian blowouts. The staff doles out complimentary membership cards to new clients, allowing them acquire points toward discounts or future one-on-one basketball games after each service. Katsu Hair also hosts monthly happy hour receptions, complete with wine, food, and plenty of style tips.
For more than 25 years, Miami Tan's bronzing experts have been doling out tans without subjecting clients to hours in the sun. Since opening the first Southern California location in 1985, the crew has helped clients achieve natural-looking tans with multiple UV beds of varying intensities. As the center grew in popularity, so did its offerings, opening an additional six locations throughout the state. Today, the award-winning tanning salons offer clients both UV and UV-free options, including airbrush treatments that coat skin with an amino acid-based formula that leaves clients feeling as sun-kissed as a rogue asteroid.


text:
"We had an excellent vacation. Our children said it was one of their best. We have been telling all of our friends and we will definitely return - the sooner the better!"
Enter to Win a Deluxe 3-Day, 2-Night Getaway
Give the gift of travel with Gift Certificates to The Meadowmere Resort. For that special occasion, give your loved ones overnight accommodations moments from the ocean. Join us in the heart of Ogunquit today.
Reserve Now


text:
Current Region: North America
Your selections will be saved and used to recommend products based on your interests.
| Online
View PDF
Continuing Education credit or Certificate Program units are not available for Archived Webinars
Benefit-Risk 8-Part Webinar Series Overview
Plan now on participating in this webinar series to learn more about current approaches to Benefit-Risk (B-R) assessment, including how to:
Assessing the Benefits and Risks of Medicines: Webinar Series Learning Objectives
Overview Part 1:
Benefit-Risk (B-R) has gained attention globally amidst growing concerns around patient safety, transparency of medical information, and efficient use of limited budgets to reimburse new medicines. The goal of B-R is to ensure that appropriate medicines are matched to patient needs.
Part 1 will be an introduction to Benefit-Risk – how it differs from simply evaluating efficacy and safety, where it's being used, and an illustration of how it is used.
Please monitor the website for the remaining 7 parts in this webinar series.
Professionals involved in:
Learning Objectives Part 1:
At the conclusion of this webinar, participants should be able to:
Series Discount Available!Register for multiple webinars in the series and save 15%!
Questions on Archived WebinarJessica CulpDIA North AmericaPhone +1.215.442.6132Fax +firstname.lastname@example.com
Vice President, Worldwide Safety Pfizer Inc, United States
Senior Director, Benefit-Risk EvaluationGlaxoSmithKline, United States
Executive Director, Risk Management and EpidemiologyPurdue Pharma L.P., United States
Session Chair(s):
Series Discount Available:Save 15% by registering online in one transaction for multiple webinars in this series. (Special pricing valid for online registrations by Industry individuals and groups. Does not apply to already discounted fees.)
CANCELLATIONSNo refunds will be provided in the event of a participant's cancellation since all costs for this webinar have been prepaid by DIA. DIA reserves the right to modify or cancel programs and/or substitute presenters or panelists. DIA is not responsible for failure to deliver programs due to circumstances beyond its control.
Participants with Disabilities Reasonable accommodations will be made available to persons with disabilities who attend an educational activity. Contact the DIA office in writing at least 15 days prior to event to indicate your needs.


text:
As lagniappe for New Orleans cooks, Crider also sent a recipe for a "homey Texas soup, which is as easy as browning ground beef and opening a few cans, plus a package of taco seasoning mix. It's perfect for slow cookers, group gatherings and novice cooks. Serve with taco chips for that trademark crunch."
Taco soup
1 large onion, chopped
1 (28-ounce) can tomatoes with juice
1 (15-ounce) can kidney beans
1 (17-ounce) can whole kernel corn with liquid
1 (8-ounce) can tomato sauce
1 package taco seasoning mix
4 cups water


text:
Experience | |
Industry Recognition | |
Professional Conduct |
Peter graduated from the State University of New York at Fredonia in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science. For almost 10 years, he worked... more
View all photos and/or videosI gladly endorse this lawyer. His clients like him, attorneys respect him, he knows the law and his advice is solid. If you have a tax question, he... more


text:
1949 Chopped Mercury Coupe Northwest Classic Auto Mall advertises this vehicle for the owner. If you are interested in this vehicle or have any questions, please... More
1966 Mercury Monterey S55, This was my mothers car..it's titled in my fathers name title # H27506308 state of Minnesota last regitered in 1979..both... More
1954 Austin Healey 100-4 BN1 Roadster!!!! - "For the People who Dare to be Different!" The new Austin-Healey went into production in 1953 and was immediately... More
Chassis# 11102112083675 Engine # 12998012018883 Paint Code: 124G 1966 Mercedes 250SE Coupe, black on black. Automatic, original California car with a title dating back to 1973. Restoration... More
1967 Dodge Coronet 500 2 Door Hardtop, all Factory Original 383 4BBL, AC, PS, PB, Factory Dual exhaust, 3.23 Suregrip, Torqueflight automatic, Bucket seats,... More
MUSTANG: 1982 GT, unfinished project, many new parts, face to face sale only, $1,500. 813-285-3080 after 5 pm, FL;... More
Estate Sale George "Dutch" Fuchs, 8 cyclinder. 2 door, 351 engine does run. Vehilce will be sold EBay Auction on April 5, 2014 thru... More
1974 DeTomaso Pantera L, california car. second owner. new hall pantera mini brute engine. new carb. new radiator. new center force clutch. new universal... More
1971 Chevrolet Malibu Convertible, One owner/family 1971 Malibu convertible. Partial restoration in the 80's, then put up on blocks, covered, and stored inside since... More
1969 Pontiac GTO Convertible, Matching numbers '69 GTO Convertible (barn find). Needs complete restoration. Too many projects, needs to go. PHS info will be... More
1956 Cadillac Eldorado Biarritz And Seville - TWO FOR ONE PACKAGE, Complete Biarritz and Seville as parts/hotrod? So the convertible restoration was well under way... More
Rare 1932 Plymouth PB Convertible Coupe with Rumble Seat is ready for assembly or tweaking for your personal taste. Specifications: 1932 Plymouth PB Convertible Coupe with... More
super clean detailed chassis with no rust,super straight slick body,new windsheild and rubber,installed back glass,Brand new front bumper-brackets and stainless bolts,nice 4 row radiator... More
This is the 40th anniversary and the last year this vehicle was produced. A great find and fairly easy restoration. Automatic and air conditioning.... More
Purchased this caddy in June, 2002. Sent it to Island Tire. They replaced the fuel pump, carburetor, starter motor, master cylnder,plugs, rotor & ignton... More


text:
Lake Laurie - A Sun RV Resort
TollFree | 888-409-6110 |
Phone | 888-409-6110 |
Forward to a Friend | |
Email this company |
669 Route 9
Cape May, NJ 08204
Cape May, NJ 08204
Lake Laurie is in New Jersey's Camping Paradise
At Lake Laurie, you can enjoy the best of camping in New Jersey. This east coast haven offers something for everyone. Bring your tent or RV. Rent one of our cottages. Bring your family and friends and enjoy your summer vacation outdoors.


text:
Top draw
Teacher Guided
Suitable for Years 4 - 12 and adults
Duration: one hour
The Gardens is the perfect place to practise your art skills...or is it scientific study?
The downloadable booklet provides support for drawing in your school garden, or the local bush, or onsite in the Gardens. Suitable for a single lesson or for an entire unit of work. The activities combine art and science to give you great cross-curriculum potential.
We can offer clipboards, recycled paper and pencils for this activity. Please indicate your needs when booking.
Download Top draw...drawing Aussie flora (PDF - 708 KB)
Download Top draw...drawing Aussie flora further design activities (PDF - 301 KB)
Download Rationale and what to do on the day (PDF - 44 KB)
If you are unable to access these documents, please contact email@example.com


text:
Location: Dublin
Ryanair is Europe's only ultra-low cost airline, operating more than 1,500 flights per day (over 500,000 per year) from 57 bases across1,500 low fare routes across 29 countries, connecting 180 destinations. Ryanair operates a fleet of 305 new Boeing 737-800 aircraft with firm orders for a further 175 new aircraft which will be delivered between 2014 and 2018. Ryanair currently has a team of more than 8,500 people, expects to carry over 80million passengers this year and has an unblemished 28-year safety record.
Closing Date: 27/11/2013
Please email full curriculum vitae with cover letter
(quoting reference number FRBSA02) to
Niamh O'Connor at
Please note only applications for the position of Business System Analyst will be accepted through the above email address,
applications for other positions, general enquiries or requests will not be processed.


text:
"Tom Clancy's Ghost Recon: Future Soldier"
Platforms: Xbox 360, PlayStation 3, PC
Genre: Shooter
Publisher: Ubisoft
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 4 stars (out of 5)
Lately, military-themed shooters stress multiplayer modes and online engagement over a tautly written narrative. Leave it to a franchise with an author's name to bring back the love of a cohesive plot and finely tuned details.
You play as a member of the Ghosts, an elite recon-and-fire team that excels in quietly extracting VIPs from hostile territories or going loud and leaving a mess of bodies and burning vehicles in their wake.
"Future Soldier" uses high-tech equipment that other shooters ignore. Load up the optical camouflage, let loose the aerial drone or toss out some detection sensors and the baddies don't stand much of a chance. In fact, enemies with fallible artificial intelligence create an often-too-easy path to victory, so I highly suggest ramping up the difficulty level on this game to have a better experience.
After traversing the campaign (which you can complete with the help of a friend via co-op), it's off to the multiplayer where Ubisoft incorporates elements from the campaign so it's not just a standard package of death match, capture the flag or horde modes. Instead, modes like Conflict inject some timely suspense into the action, where you can incapacitate an enemy and steal valuable data instead of merely sending the foe to the re-spawn point. This adds a new level of strategy to the game and makes it much more satisfying.
Few games lately have placed a premium on story and setting. "Future Soldier" does it well, giving you ample reasons to buy this well-rounded package.
Platform: Xbox 360
Genre: Action
Publisher: Microsoft
ESRB Rating: M, for Mature
Grade: 1 star
Reach into your kitchen drawer and pull out a butter knife. Now, walk outside and start cutting down a tree with it. Even a wee sapling -- I don't care.
Sure, you'll eventually fell that tree, but I'm guessing about 15 seconds of thought would yield you a better solution to this challenge. "Bloodforge" is that butter knife. As it saps the life force from you like the protagonist does with a swing of his blade or hurl of the sledgehammer, you yearn for the game that this one wants to be.
Arawn's heart burns for revenge. The gods have tricked him into slaying his family, so now it's payback time and his blood lust knows few bounds. Severed heads, disemboweled bodies and more satisfy his cravings, offering gory moments indeed, though they grow repetitious as the campaign wears on.
If you are thinking that "Man is fooled by the gods and unleashes a blood bath of revenge" sounds a lot like Kratos from Sony's "God of War," you join the rest of us who feel that way. While just an XBLA download instead of a full release, "Bloodforge" treads on the same territory (save the loose Greek mythos), and Kratos does it better in every aspect from visual design to soundtrack and execution.
This game takes much less than 10 hours to finish, and it would go faster if the battles against common foes and the big bosses were not strung out into laborious affairs. Button-mashers are excellent when presented properly; here, it's just a losing endeavor dressed in a get-up that only horror punker Glenn Danzig would appreciate.
(Follow Chris Campbell at twitter.com/campbler or email him at game_on_games(at)mac.com.)


text:
Category: Health & Safety ×
Subcategory: Health Hazards ×
Location: Europe ×
Location: United Kingdom ×
WIL draws on many years of hands-on experience in the tyre recycling business. Our know-how in the tyre recycling industry stems from being actively involved in tyre disposal, tyre shredding, rubber granulation, selling turn-key solutions and world-wide rubber product sales on a daily basis.
QUA Group LLC
QUA® develops and manufactures both Ultrafiltration (UF) membranes and Electrodeionization (EDI) stacks. These advanced membrane products are used in the water, wastewater, & water reuse markets. Sold exclusively through a global network of qualified OEM`s, QUA`s product offering includes their innovative Fractional Electrodeionization (FEDI) stack, which has superior ...
MIOX Corporation
MIOX Corporation is the innovator and industry leader in on-site chemical generators for water disinfection. MIOX technology combines salt, water and power to generate cost-effective disinfectant chemistries on site. Our expertly designed chemical generators give customers the freedom to produce disinfectants in the amount they need, when they need it. With over twenty ...
IHS Global Inc.
IHS is the leading source of information and insight in critical areas that shape today's business landscape – including environmental, health, safety and sustainability (EHS&S). Businesses and governments worldwide rely on IHS software, content and expertise to manage a broad spectrum of critical EHS business challenges, including operational risk, product stewardship, ...
OSEI - Oil Spill Eater International, Corp
Oil Spill Eater II (OSE II) is the world's most environmentally safe and cost effective bioremediation process for the mitigation of hazardous waste, spills and contamination virtually anywhere of any size, large or small. OSE II is an environmentally safe cleanup method because it uses natures own bioremediation processes to effectively eliminate hazardous materials.
LG Sound: Ultrasonic Algae Control
LG Sonic Algae Control. LG Sound is the leading international provider of innovative ultrasound systems that reduce and control the formation of algae, biofilm and some other micro-organisms in all situations where water is stored. Many of the traditional methods to fight algae are either insufficient, cumbersome, environmentally unfriendly, or all of these.
United Initiators, Inc.
A century worth of experience makes us an innovative market leader in high-grade peroxide chemicals - in research, production and services. Each step in the world of remediation also means taking a step with our products. True to the motto "Driving Your success" we will take you to the top.
Advanced Cyclone Systems, S. A.
Advanced Cyclone Systems, S.A. (ACS) is exclusively dedicated to the development, and international commercialization of high efficiency cyclone systems worldwide. ACS works in a very close cooperation with its clients in order to design custom made dust collector systems that really solve their unmet needs. Mission: To achieve total particle capture with cyclones, ...
Codel International Ltd
CODEL are world leaders in the design and manufacture of systems for continuous emissions gas monitoring (cems) and combustion control analysers, such as in-situ and extractive flue gas emissions analysers (analyzers), pollution sensors, dust monitor/particulate monitors, opacity/smoke monitors, flue gas analysers (analyzers), road tunnel atmosphere sensors and velocity ...
Brüel & Kjær Sound & Vibration Measurement A/S
Brüel & Kjær is a world leading manufacturer and supplier of sound and vibration solutions. We help our customers solve their sound and vibration problems – from measuring traffic noise and vibration in car engines to evaluating building acoustics and performing quality control. We have customers in a wide range of fields, including automotive, aerospace, consumer goods ...


text:
Welcome, guest. Register to remove this message!
Welcome, guest. Register to remove this message!
Hello, and welcome to NTFA Forums! To post in our community you must register, but don't worry - this is a simple, free process that only takes a few moments to complete. Register now! Advantages of registering include:
General Chatter |
12 September 2010, 08:31
The mob is out to get ya.. Heidi Salo, Finland Group: Sponsors Posts: 6 287 Joined: 26 February 2006 |
ahem.. if i do remember right, before the old NTFA site went down, there was one new topic open. I do not remember the name of it, but it was equal to same kind of topic in the Finnish side of the forums named *Yleistä Höpinää(general nonsense)* so, why not have one in English forum also.. because, due the lack of activity in the Finnish side, is not so fun to tell the most ridiculously irritatingly funny thingummy about your day, when there is no one to make comment about it, pat on your on the shoulder and say there there, it's okay it will Never happen again, or throw the can of salt on your open wounds and rub in it..
so, you can chat in this topic about your day, about everything, what don't include Transformers, what don't fit in the other topics.. good things, bad things, what you want to share with others.. like.. i got lost in the forest in three times this week.. first time in Monday, but i did find my way out in 30minutes. Second time was in Tuesday, when i did realize, at the house what i was looking at in the other side of the opening, was not the same one, where i left my car, so i did run back in the forest to find the last land mark, to find my way out.. (yes, i was not so clever to run back In the forest ). The third time was Wednesday.. i did make sure to look where i'm going, i did look land marks to keep track of my actions, and then i did find this one good spot with plenty of mushrooms in it.. and, when i finished with picking up them, i guess a started to walk in completely wrong way.. about an hour later (when i did realize, at i'm lost again) i did come to this one clearing and i spotted someones house there. i went to ask, at where em i . Well.. the kind person int he farm told me, at that same forest have made tricks to him also and, at the moment, i have about four kilometers to where i left my car, if i take the shortest path in the forest, but i can also walk by the road to get to the main road so i would not get lost again.. and i also did get flu, when i was in the forest.. next time, i will go to different forest.. except.. in this forest were i was lost, was those somewhat rare mushrooms.. hmmm.. maybe if i take some string with me, i might not get lost this time, if i go check that one spot one more time.. -------------------- ..official red car lunatic..
my car has mind on it's own.. and it is evil.. eeeeevil..!! Real friends are those who, when you feel you've made a fool of yourself, don't feel you've done a permanent job. Anon. "-Rojekti on hanke, jossa kyvyttömät koettaavat suaha haluttomat tekemään mahottomia.." |
2 October 2010, 17:59
Mite! Nihongo o hanashimasu! Veli Oulu, Finland Group: Members Posts: 900 Joined: 27 February 2006 |
Yesterday I read Alan Moore's Watchmen. Wow, definitely some heavy reading with quite ingenious plot.
-------------------- Jolt - "Uhh, shouldn't we be saying something really dramatic right about now?"
Longarm - "Shut up, Jolt!" Jolt - "That wasn't what I had in mind." My deviantART page |
19 October 2010, 07:30
Tonight we're gonna party like it's 1988! Martin Lund Aalborg, Denmark Group: Administrators Posts: 3 815 Joined: 26 February 2006 |
I found out a few months ago, that I am going to be a father this coming spring.
Everything has gone according to plan, and we've had our first scan a month ago or something. Thursday we'll be having our second scan, which will hopefully tell us the gender of the baby. We have a feeling that it will be a girl, so it's pretty exciting whether our hunch is right or not! I am opting for the "21st century father" approach, and will take 6 months of maternity leave from work, so that Marie can resume her work after the first 6 months of the baby's life. Looking forward to that, really - having no experience with toddlers at all, it will be a bit daunting, but I also really want to be a part of my child's life. -------------------- NTFA Blog: From the Vault Ep. 21! (27/02/14) The NTFA Blog "From the Vault" Archives Collection count: More than 950 toys from all generations. Check out my Collection List, NEW Collection Pics (updated 05/03/2014), Want List (updated 05/03/2014) and NTFA Feedback. |
19 October 2010, 09:52
Lord of the manor Tero Säärelä Oulu, Finland Group: Sponsors Posts: 2 440 Joined: 27 February 2006 |
I found out a few months ago, that I am going to be a father this coming spring. Congratulations, man! Birth of a child changes your life totally - in a positive way. I hope all goes well. -------------------- The Brotherhood of the Cybertronian Radial
"Takai desu ne" "Jinsei da" Check out my items for sale. Most wanted: Pretender Roadblock inner robot, G1 Ultra Magnus missiles and launchers, G1 Smokescreen car roof |
19 October 2010, 15:22
The mob is out to get ya.. Heidi Salo, Finland Group: Sponsors Posts: 6 287 Joined: 26 February 2006 |
Congratulations, Martin..!!
Lo-fi version | Time is now: 8 Mar 2014 - 15:52 |


text:
- Northern New York Newspapers
- Watertown Daily Times
- The Journal
- Daily Courier-Observer
- NNY Ads
- NNY Business
- NNY Living
- Malone Telegram
Richard W. Mousaw, 89, of Utica passed away on Wednesday, July 3, 2013 at the Focus Rehab and Nursing Center in Utica.
Richard was born in Canton, NY on June 5, 1924, a son of Michael and Estelle (DeGuff) Mousaw. Richard served in the U.S. Army during World War II. On June 2, 1948 he was united in marriage to Barbara Rosenbarker. For many years until his retirement in 1994 Richard was employed with Gaetano Construction Co. He was a member of the American Legion and the Carpenters Union.
Richard is survived by his wife, Barbara, two daughters, Tonia Derouin and husband Robert, Watertown, NY and Katryn Mousaw, Utica, two sons, David Mousaw, Raleigh, NC and Thomas Mousaw, Charlotte, NC. He is also survived by 7 grandchildren, 9 great grandchildren and 5 brothers and sisters.
Calling hours for Richard will be held on Monday, July 8, 2013 at the OLeary Funeral Home, 5821 US Hwy 11; Canton, from 3-7 PM.
Those so wishing may make a donation to a Veterans Organization of their choice in Richards memory.
Condolences may be shared online at www.olearyfunealservice.com.


text:
Book Description:Little Red Riding Hood ate some of Peter Piper's peppers without asking. Now Peter is very upset. What can Red do? The Super Readers fly into the book "Hansel and Gretel." There they meet a witch who is also upset because someone ate part of her gingerbread house. Will meeting the witch help Red with her problem?
Tags: Children's Books, Literature, Fairy Tales, Folk Tales & Myths,
Book List () | College Textbooks
Content Copyright © 1999-2014 Terms and Conditions of Use, Security and Privacy Policy | Resources: 1 2 3 | Site Map


text:
Contact Us
Site Map
Access to Justice Commission
Client Assistance Program
Fee Disputes
Find a Lawyer
Free Legal Clinics
Free Publications
Judicial Surveys & Reports
Law Related Education
Law School for Non-Lawyers
Lawyers Fund for Client Protection
Legal Assistance for Military Personnel
Pro Bono Resources
Self-Represented Divorce
Speakers Bureau
Unauthorized Practice of Law
For Members
For the Public
CLE Materials - Going Green
Live Seminar Calendar
Teleseminar Calendar
Publication Store
CLE Satellite Remote Site Locations
Course Books Direct
Distance Learning
CLE Resources
Annotated SC Rules of Professional Conduct
Trial Objections Notebook Product Demo
CLE Options
Bridge The Gap - FAQ's
Commission on CLE
Law Related Education
All Programs
Attorney Volunteers
Mock Trial Webinar Registration Page
Law for Teachers Webinar Registration
Young Lawyers
Officers & Representatives
The S.C. Young Lawyer
Service to the Bar
Service to the Public
Event and Meeting Calendar
Documents & Forms
Construction Law Section
Consumer Law Section
Corporate Banking and Securities Law Section
Criminal Law Section
Dispute Resolution Section
Employment and Labor Law Section
Labor Management Relations Committee
Immigration Law Committee
Environment and Natural Resources Section
Family Law Section
Government Law Section
Health Care Law Section
Law Student Affiliate Division
Military and Veterans Law Section
Probate Estate Planning and Trust Section
Real Estate Practices Section
Senior Lawyers Division
Solo and Small Firm Section
Tax Law Section
Torts and Insurance Practice Section
Trial and Appellate Advocacy Section
Workers Compensation Section
Administrative and Regulatory Law Committee
Animal Law Committee
Childrens Law Committee
CLE Committee
Community Association Law Committee
Education Law
Elder Law Committee
Ethics Advisory Committee
In-House Counsel Committee
Insurance Programs for Lawyers
International Law
Judicial Qualifications
Law Related Education
Lawyer Legislators Committee
Lawyers Fund for Client Protection
Lawyers Helping Lawyers
Memory Hold the Door
Practice and Procedure
Pro Bono Committee
Professional Liability
Professional Potential Task Force
Professional Responsibility
Resolution of Fee Disputes Board
Unauthorized Practice of Law
About Us
Board of Governors
House of Delegates
Frequently Asked Questions
Staff Listing
Bar Conference Center
Prospective Member
Bar Foundation
Public Services
South Carolina Bad Check Law
South Carolina Bad Check Law
If a person pays for goods or services with a check and that check is then dishonored by the bank on which it is written, you may be able to collect on the check by proceeding under the so-called South Carolina Bad Check law.
That law provides that it is unlawful for any person, with intent to defraud, to make, issue or deliver to another a check, whether given to pay rent, make payment on a lease, obtain money, services, credit or property of any kind, when at the time of making, issuing or delivering such check, the maker does not have an account in such bank, does not have sufficient funds on deposit to pay the check, or the check has an incorrect or insufficient signature thereon.
It is important that you understand that not all checks that are dishonored come under this law. For the law to apply certain requirements must be met. First, the payment by check must be made at the same time that the goods or services are delivered. Second, the check must not have been postdated. Third, the maker of the check must not have given you any reason to believe that the check is no good such as asking you to hold it for a few days. Fourth, you must have presented the check for payment within ten days of receipt. Finally, you must have obtained the name, home address and home telephone number of the maker at the time the check is given to you and you must show that you witnessed the maker's signature by initialing the check.
Remember that by proceeding under this law you may cause the arrest of a person, so it is important that you proceed correctly. If you don't the person from whom you are trying to collect may have grounds to file a complaint against you.
Once you have determined that the check in question does come under the Bad Check law, you are required to send written notice to the maker of the check to the address given at the time the check was written. This notice must be sent by certified mail. The notice must include the check number, the date it is written, the amount and the bank on which it was drawn. You must also give the reason why the bank refused payment, advise the maker that payment in full, plus $20.00 service charge, must be make within ten days from the date the notice was mailed and advise the maker that failure to make payment may result in you applying to the criminal court for prosecution under the Bad Check law.
If the check and service charge is paid, then that should end the matter. In the event that payment is not made you must decide whether to institute criminal proceedings against the maker of the bad check. You will have to give the magistrate evidence that you sent the proper notice ten days earlier in order to get a warrant. The law prohibits anyone from using the criminal process to collect a debt; prosecutions are instituted primarily to vindicate the rights of the public by punishing criminal conduct. Therefore, at this point you must be prepared to suffer the loss of the payment in exchange for seeking punishment of the person who gave you a bad check. However, if the maker subsequently pays you after criminal charges have been filed and before a hearing on the matter, you can drop the charge providing that you notify the court at least 24 hours before the court date that the matter has been resolved.
It is strongly suggested that you obtain an attorney to advise you whether you should proceed under the Bad Check law in order to collect on a bad check. Unless all requirements for using the law are met, you could be subjecting yourself to a lawsuit if the maker of the check is arrested and it subsequently develops that the matter should not have been brought under the Bad Check law.
This information was prepared to give you some general information on the law. It is not intended as legal advice about any particular problem. If you have questions about the law you should consult a lawyer. If you do not know a lawyer, you can call the South Carolina Bar Lawyer Referral Service weekdays between 9 a.m. and 5 p.m. The number is 799-7100 in Richland or Lexington Counties, and 1-800-868-2284 from other parts of the state.


text:
We request that hotel guests be 18 years and above. Alternatively, guests below the age of 18 should be accompanied by parents or a guardian. The hotel respectfully reserves the right to check identification.
View hotel photos on flickr®.
Information for this hotel is not available in English.
Please select a language below to read about the hotel in that language. Once you make your selection, text throughout the site will change to that language.
A representative is currently available to tell you more about this hotel in English. Click here and someone will contact you right away.
Or click here for a list of our local Customer Support phone numbers.


text:
Set in London's Covent Garden, the Lobby Bar offers serious cocktails, delectable bar food and a brilliant buzz.
Its effortless cool resulted in the Lobby Bar being named one of the top five hotel bars in the world by the Sunday Telegraph.
The stunning double height space with original contemporary sculptures including the spectacular Oarsman and vast flower arrangements set high on Perspex plinths provide the wow. Add bespoke furniture, polished limestone floor, simple clean lines, London vibe and fabulous Covent Garden location and you have all the ingredients for a seriously cool yet comfortable bar.
Choose from an extensive range of Champagnes, wines and beers and a vast number of original cocktails, including specialist martinis and non-alcoholic cocktails with the freshest of ingredients.
"This is probably the
most beautiful hotel lobby bar in London."
London Evening Standard
"One of London's more glamourous drinking spaces" - The Times
Bar food served 11am - 11pm
Reservations can be made for parties of ten or more.
The Lobby Bar
Tel: 020 7300 1070
Email: email@example.com
Join Us On:
Opening Hours
8.00am - midnight
Monday - Friday
9.00am - midnight
9.00am - 10.30pm
Winter Collection
See our creative cocktail menu
Afternoon Tea
Inspired By Charlie & The Chocolate Factory


text:
You have no items in your shopping cart.
Don't Have an account? Sign up today.
Honeyville's Long Grain Brown Rice is an excellent nutritional food source for emergency preparedness. Rice is the most important grain with regard to human nutrition and caloric intake, providing more than one fifth of the calories consumed worldwide by the human species. As a grain, it is the most important staple food for a large part of the world's human population, especially in East Asia, Southeast Asia, South Asia, the Middle East, and the West Indies. Honeyville Long Grain Brown Rice is an ideal product for long term food storage and emergency preparedness.
Shelf-Life: Long Grain Brown Rice will store for 1 year in a sealed 50 pound bag under ideal storage conditions (cool, dry place).
Instructions: Measure 1 part rice to 2 parts water. Combine in a large pot and set to medium heat. Cook until boiling, then wait 1 minute and then reduce heat to low and cover. Leave on low for 15 minutes and serve.
Uses: Long Grain Brown Rice can be used to make pastas, stir fry, and any recipe calling for rice.
Visit our blog In the Kitchen with Honeyville to find delicious recipes for Long Grain Brown Rice and more!
Packaging: Long Grain Brown Rice in bulk is available in a 50 pound bag. Packaging may vary.
Ingredients: Long Grain Rice.
Allergen information: This product does not contain any allergens.


text:
Market Research A to Z | Company Profiles A to Z | Register | Contact Us |
+44 (0) 203 086 8600 Call us on |
Market | Headline | Published | News Category |
Nintendo Profits Fall on Reduced Wii and DS Sales | 27 January 2011 |
Financials |
Japanese gaming group Nintendo reported a 74 percent drop in profits for the nine months ended December 2010, due in large part to lower sales of its Wii console and DS gaming device. Ninte... |
Oakley Capital Acquires Majority Stake in Emesa E-Commerce Group | 25 March 2011 |
Contract Wins |
Oakley Capital Investments Limited (OCL) said Friday that Oakley Capital Private Equity L.P. had acquired a significant majority stake in Emesa B.V., a leading e-commerce company active in the... |
Acquisition of Cinesur Circuito Sanchez-Ramade by Cineworld Group PLC | 7 April 2011 |
Mergers & Acquisitions |
Leading UK cinema operator, Cineworld Group PLC, has today announced that it has purchased Spanish cinema chain Cinesur Circuito Sanchez-Ramade. Cineworld currently operates 78 UK sites and... |
Owners of Big Three Poker Sites Hit with Indictment | 15 April 2011 |
General |
The owners of the world's three largest poker sites were today charged with bank fraud, money laundering and illegal gambling offenses. PokerStars, Full Tilt Poker, ... |
Mondrian Los Angeles Hotel sold for $137 million | 25 April 2011 |
Operations |
In a statement today, boutique hotel operator, Morgans Hotel Group confirmed that it is to sell its Mondrian Los Angeles hotel in a deal valued at $137 million, equivalent to $580k per room. The an... |
IGT to sell Barcrest Group to Scientific Games Corporation for $54 million | 27 April 2011 |
Mergers & Acquisitions |
Specialist gaming equipment and software company, International Game Technology (IGT), has confirmed it is to sell its UK based subsidiary, Barcrest Group in a deal expected to reach up to $66 mill... |
Firemint to become part of Electronic Arts, Inc | 3 May 2011 |
Mergers & Acquisitions |
Independent Australian gaming design company, Firemint, has been acquired by leading gaming software company, Electronic Arts, Inc (EA), in a deal of undisclosed value which looks set to be finalis... |
Post-Recession Recovery Anticipated in Boardsports Market | 6 July 2011 |
General |
Recession halted growth in boardsports market<strong... |
Sports Equipment Expenditure in the US to Reach $26Bn in 2011 | 25 October 2011 |
General |
US Consumer Sports Equipment Market by Sport 2007-2011. The US consumer sports equipment market has seen strong growth over the period 2007 to 2011. By the end of this year, total ... |
Sri Lanka Tourism Numbers Set to Rise Six Percent each Year | 27 October 2011 |
General |
The forecast for Sri Lankan tourism shows strong and sustained growth. Arrivals are projected to grow at a CAGR of 6% over the forecast period. As the country stabilises and gets its tourism act to... |
Report: Specific Strategies Needed to Target Women Surfers | 5 December 2011 |
General |
World surfing market is forecast to reach $13.24 billion by the year 2017. Although the recent global recession had thrown a temporary dampener on growth patterns, the surfing market is expected to... |
Ninety Six Percent of Dogs sent to Shelters are Untrained: Pet Care Industry To Address | 5 January 2012 |
General |
PetSmart is celebrating National Train Your Dog Month and a recent study by the National Council on Pet Population (NCPPSP) revealed that ninety six percent of all dogs in shelters are untrained. P... |
Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc report Twelve Percent Increase in Revenue | 5 January 2012 |
Financials |
Home Inns & Hotels Management Inc reported RMB988 million in the third quarter 2011, representing a 12.3% increase in revenue, year-on-year. The company's most mature set of hotels reported bet... |
Digital photography market set to reach $82.5 billion by 2016 | 17 May 2012 |
Market |
The digital photography market is se... |
MaterCard reveals new breed of football fans | 18 May 2012 |
General |
To celebrate the UEFA Champions League final, official sponsor MasterCard today revealed a new breed of football fans who, in Europe, are collectively spending a staggering €35 billion each season ... |
Gaylord Entertainment to sell brand to Marriott International | 31 May 2012 |
Mergers & Acquisitions |
Gaylord Entertainment Co. has announced an agreement to sell the Gaylord Hotels brand and the rights to manage its four hotels to Marriott International, Inc. for $210 million in ... |
William Hill moves closer to Nevada operating license | 8 June 2012 |
General |
The largest bookmaker across Britain, William Hill, has moved somewhat closer to winning a licence to operate in Nevada after the state's Gaming Control Board backed its application.The fina... |
International Game Technology authorises share repurchase program | 14 June 2012 |
General |
It was announced today that the Board of Directors of International Game Technology (IGT), a global leader in driving technology innovations in the gaming industry, has authorised a new share repur... |
Online movie ticketing services market to total $13.7 billion by 2017 | 21 June 2012 |
Market |
Services within the global online movie ticketing services market are forecast to total US $13.7 billion by the year 2017. This market growth is being predominantly driven by increasing digitisatio... |
Boardsports market to achieve revenue of $19.6 billion by 2017 | 21 June 2012 |
Market |
The global boardsports market is set to achieve revenue of US $19.6 billion by the year 2017. This market growth is being predominantly driven through an undying interest of hard-core participants,... |
Free Research Support: Let us do the work for you and find information from public and private sources of information. Contact us now and we can save you time and money.......Free Research Support
eBrandPromote: Let us promote your brand online through article writing, press release distribution, social media and search engine marketing services. Click here to download our eBrandPromote brochure.


text:
Michael Turner and his son watch the evacuation of their neighborhood in LaPlace, La. Turner said water levels weren't this high even during Hurricane Katrina in 2005.
( Carolyn Cole, Los Angeles Times / August 30, 2012 ) |
Comments (0)
Add comments | Discussion FAQCurrently there are no comments. Be the first to comment!


text:
California is facing serious economic and political problems. How we deal with these problems will affect both California and the nation.
In this first essay of our Advice to the Governor public policy series, the Claremont Institute's William Voegeli explains that we must strictly limit spending, and we must do it repeatedly rather than just enough to get us through the next budget or election cycle. The path forward is simple but not easy. Ballot measures that seek to restrain budgets and revenues are unlikely to provide lasting solutions unless our legislature and governor are committed to fiscal rectitude. In this long-building crisis, we have great opportunities. As Voegeli puts it, we are likely to see not a teachable moment but a "teachable decade." The time to act is now, for we cannot escape the inescapable any longer.
Voegeli is the author of Never Enough: America's Limitless Welfare State and a contributing editor of the Claremont Review of Books.
In the tense and frightening year of 1932, two political leaders offered Americans reasons to hope that prosperity could be restored, and progress reclaimed, through innovative public policy. Both of their concepts remain familiar today. The first of these modern-day liberal formulations came in a dissenting opinion in New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, decided by the United States Supreme Court. Justice Louis Brandeis wrote in opposition to the majority's ruling that an Oklahoma law restricting entry by new companies into the ice business was unconstitutional. In his dissent, Brandeis said:
The discoveries in physical science, the triumphs in invention, attest the value of the process of trial and error. In large measure, these advances have been due to experimentation. In those fields, experimentation has, for two centuries, been not only free, but encouraged. . . . There must be power in the States and the nation to remould, through experimentation, our economic practices and institutions to meet changing social and economic needs. . . . It is one of the happy incidents of the federal system that a single courageous State may, if its citizens choose, serve as a laboratory; and try novel social and economic experiments without risk to the rest of the country.1
Two months later that spring, Governor Franklin Roosevelt of New York gave a commencement address at Oglethorpe University in Georgia. Although Roosevelt was the leading Democratic candidate for the presidency, his nomination at the upcoming convention was far from assured. In speaking to graduating students who were apprehensive about beginning their careers amid the Great Depression, Governor Roosevelt spoke to the economic anxieties of the whole nation as well. In the most famous passage of this speech, he said:
The country needs and, unless I mistake its temper, the country demands bold, persistent experimentation. It is common sense to take a method and try it: If it fails, admit it frankly and try another. But above all, try something. The millions who are in want will not stand by silently forever while the things to satisfy their needs are within easy reach.2
Without mentioning his name, Brandeis and Roosevelt seemed to have been invoking the memory of Thomas Edison, who had died in 1931 at the age of 84: We'll put the Depression behind us, much as we put candles and gas lamps behind us, when fearless government leaders set the nation's economic problems on a workbench and apply Edison-like ingenuity, determination and confidence to solving them.
It is understandable why political leaders would choose, in exceedingly grim circumstances, to accentuate the positive. But the need to undertake "bold, persistent experimentation" in the laboratories of democracy has been invoked repeatedly since 1932, in many political and economic circumstances. Turning that exhortation into a rule ignores its many problems.
The most important of these problems is that governments, especially democratic ones, are not really laboratories. They do not exist to ascertain what's true, which is the work of pure science. Nor do they exist to determine what works, the concern of applied science. Their purpose is to serve a free people, justly, within the bounds of the constitution. Real laboratories are places where hypotheses or theories are typically disproven and rejected by the scientist, where prototypes or models are routinely demolished. Democracies are fundamentally inappropriate to that "creative destruction." To illustrate the point, let us rephrase Senator Howard Baker's famous question from the 1973 Watergate hearings: What is it that we don't know about Amtrak, and when will we know it? What lab results are we still awaiting, 38 years after Amtrak was established, that will prove or disprove the viability of a publicly owned corporation providing passenger rail service in a vast nation of frequent fliers and interstate highways? Every year this question remains pending is a year that costs the federal government another $2.6 billion in subsidies.
Amtrak doesn't persist because we do not yet know whether it's a good idea. It persists because it doesn't matter, politically, that it's a bad idea. In the years since 1932, American state and local governments have sometimes tried bold, persistent experimentation. On occasion they have resorted to the "above all, try something" standard. It's the part about frankly admitting failures—and then decisively abandoning them—that democracies don't do very well.
That part turns out to be very important, since our ability to conduct new policy experiments is lessened by our inability to drop old ones. People keen on new programs, laws and regulations should be, but seldom are, especially mindful that the nation's economic resources and the citizens' patience are finite. At the dawn of the Great Society, the sociologist Nathan Glazer wrote: "How one wishes for the open field of the New Deal, which was not littered with the carcasses of half-successful and hardly successful programs, each in the hands of a hardening bureaucracy."3 Men like Justice Brandeis and Franklin Roosevelt could be hopeful about policy experiments in 1932, confident that failures would be rare and readily discarded, in part because men like Brandeis and Roosevelt had been given few opportunities before 1932 to conduct such experiments.
Our federal and state governments are bad laboratories because they are far more amenable to "rent-seeking" than truth-seeking, far better at providing narrow, unmerited advantages to savvy, well-connected and relentless special interests than at discovering measures that are comprehensively beneficial to the public. As a result, sclerotic and dysfunctional interest-group liberalism usually shows greater strength and durability than public-spirited, truly innovative liberalism. Amtrak provides much of its service to the states and districts of powerful legislators. They, in turn, use their positions on congressional committees to guarantee that unprofitable and underutilized routes are never abandoned. Thus Amtrak is never shut down, despite its inefficiency and its failure as a policy experiment.
Brandeis's assurance that an individual state may pursue its innovations without risk to the others is now as dubious as FDR's expectation that failed experiments will cause bad policies to be abandoned. The idea that the states could govern themselves in simple isolation made a good deal of sense back in 1932, before the New Deal's regulatory policy and intergovernmental transfer payments reduced the autonomy of the states and localities. In the interconnected America of the 21st century, the idea that the courageous citizens of a single state may try novel experiments without risk to the rest of the country is about as reassuring as observing that fellow ship passengers are limiting themselves to drilling through the hull far away from one's own cabin. The innovations undertaken by Louisiana in disaster preparedness and response, for example, will significantly affect taxpayers in the other 49 states for many years beyond Hurricane Katrina.
The idea that bad policy experiments will be benign, easily confined to just one time and place, is especially doubtful in the most populous state, as California has been for nearly half a century. Not since 1860 has a single state accounted for such a large share of the country. In 2007, just over 12% of the U.S. population lived here.
For most of California's history, its population grew faster than the rest of the country's. When it was admitted to the union in 1850, the 92,600 Californians were less than half of 1% of the national population. That increased to 2% by 1900, doubled to more than 4% by 1930, and doubled again to almost 10% in 1970.
Yet over the past two decades, the California population growth rate has barely equaled the rest of America's. Because the comprehensive (and readily retrievable) Census Bureau data on state and local finances begins in 1992 and currently runs to 2007, I have compared the bureau's annual population estimates for those two years. They show that the population in California grew by 18.39%, little more than the 18.25% for the rest of the country. The second—and third—most populous states, Texas and Florida, each saw its population increase by 35% between 1992 and 2007—more than twice as fast as the rest of the nation. The fourth-largest state, New York, increased by just 6.72% during those years, far below the 19.15% population growth of the other 49 states plus the District of Columbia. By 2007, those four largest states accounted for nearly one-third of the national population.
Voting With Their Feet
Such facts are important to know and understand because in our federal system the states compete against one another—for residents, taxpayers, businesses, investments and jobs. In a country as big and diverse as America, the states aren't all competing for the same residents and jobs, however. Much as Neiman Marcus and Walmart seek the business of customers with divergent tastes and budgets, different states seek and attract different people.
It is for this reason that the New York and California approach, in which state and local governments extract relatively large amounts of revenue through high taxes and other means while spending more than most other states on public services, has its defenders. They deny that we are uniformly a nation of Walmart shoppers when it comes to taxes, that we're all much more concerned with price than with the quality of what we're buying. The economist Jed Kolko of the Public Policy Institute of California, for example, criticizes "business climate" rankings, which typically concentrate on each state's tax and regulatory environment. "The skill level of the workforce, availability of capital, support for new business and overall quality of life are important aspects of the state's business climate as well," he contends.4
Kolko has a point, which one of the most commonly cited rankings, the Tax Foundation's assessment of each state's "business tax climate," inadvertently supports. According to its 2010 rankings, the states with the four best business tax climates were, in order: South Dakota, Wyoming, Alaska and Nevada. Despite the low taxes on their own residents and businesses, none of these sprawling states will need to worry about overcrowding anytime soon. In terms of population, they rank 46th, 51st, 47th and 35th respectively. Combined, they held less than 1.5% of the national population in 2007. The four states with the worst business tax climates according to the Tax Foundation—Ohio, California, New York and, dead last, New Jersey—had, together, just over one-quarter of the population.5
One moral of the story, a sobering one for conservatives, is that states generally have high taxes because they can, and keep them low only if they must. The advantages states can exploit financially include: cultural and educational institutions built up over many decades; an identifying mythology (New York's vigor and sophistication, or California's laid-back ease); a pleasant climate; good natural resources; and well-established industries. Even when these advantages describe a state's past better than its present, tax codes can still exploit people's inertial reluctance to move away. By contrast, states that never enjoyed many such advantages have little choice but to keep taxes low. "Where else are you going to go?" is not a smart question for elected officials to pose to South Dakota's 800,000 residents.
During the New Deal and the long economic boom after World War II many states, especially urbanized and industrialized ones, grew wealthier and more populous while imposing high taxes to finance an expansive public sector. California was one of them. "From the 1920s on," the urban scholar Joel Kotkin has written, the state's "prevailing ideology was a kind of business-like progressivism. Californians in both parties embraced the idea that government could be a positive force in the economic and social life of California." Government would be active, but would also be disciplined about controlling its costs and getting tangible results.6
This pragmatic approach, according to Kotkin, came to be "undermined by rising interest-group liberalism." Kotkin—who calls himself a "Pat Brown Democrat," after California's governor from 1959 through 1966—laments that by the 1990s, as "pet social programs, entitlements, and state employee pensions soared, infrastructure spending—the hallmark of the Pat Brown regime and once 20 percent of the state budget—shrank to less than 3 percent."7
The Census Bureau data on American moving habits and on the growth rates of the various states suggests that the demise of this vigorous but rigorous use of government spending to attract and retain people and investments is a national phenomenon, not simply a California one. The alternative hypothesis, that we have recently become a nation of "taxaphobes," uniformly indifferent to the superior quality of life in states that spend heavily on public programs, is far less plausible.
Consider the eight states whose populations grew at least twice as fast as the rest of the country between 1992 and 2007. In every one of them, per capita government expenditures (state and local combined) were below the $8,809 national average
The states whose populations grew less than half as fast as the rest of the country are a larger and more diverse group:
If minimizing government expenditures was the key to attracting and retaining taxpayers and businesses, it's hard to explain why West Virginia's share of the national population decreased by 15% between 1992 and 2007 while Idaho's grew by 18%.
No state had lower government outlays than Idaho, yet West Virginia's per capita expenditures in 2007 were only $391 higher than those in Idaho. Similarly, Iowa's governments spent $43 less per capita than Florida's in 2007, yet Iowa's share of the national population declined by 10% between 1992 and 2007 while Florida's rose by 14%.
It seems fair to conclude that one factor, but only one, explaining why some states' populations grow much faster than the rest of the country's, while others grow much slower, concerns how much and how well the state and local governments tax and spend. That is, it's always good for a state's governments to give its residents excellent rather than dubious value for their tax dollars, but there are some problems efficiency cannot overcome, even as there are some advantages that inefficiency cannot dissipate.
States prosper and grow for good reasons, and they decline for equally fundamental ones. The same is true of cities, as the economist Edward Glaeser has argued. Buffalo, New York, he points out, had a population of 573,000 in 1930, making it the thirteenth largest city in America. That population declined by 55% over the next 75 years, during which the total national population increased by 140%. According to Glaeser, Buffalo's grew because of advantages—proximity to the Erie Canal, and then cheaper and more plentiful electricity because of proximity to Niagara Falls—that were nullified by advances in transportation and energy technology. After World War II, as air conditioning made the South and West a more attractive place to live and work, Buffalo found it harder and harder to attract or retain businesses and residents.8
We need, says Glaeser, to keep sight of the distinction between helping people and helping places. The best thing the nation, especially the national government, can do for Buffalo or West Virginia, in other words, is to strengthen the human capital of its residents through well-designed and delivered education and training programs. Though it's not the explicit goal, the inevitable consequence of providing such help to the people of Buffalo and West Virginia will be to help many of them leave Buffalo and West Virginia.
California, however, isn't Buffalo or West Virginia. It is—or used to be considered—part of the Sunbelt. In terms of climate and natural resources, there is no reason it should have stopped being competitive with thriving states like Nevada, Arizona, Georgia, Texas and Florida. The fact that all those states are growing rapidly in population, while California is barely keeping pace with the rest of the country, suggests that although good governance can't rescue intrinsically disadvantaged states, bad policies can eventually harm even the most fortunately situated ones.
California's share of the national population would have fallen, rather than stayed level, if not for immigration from abroad. Between 2000 and 2007 there was positive internal migration in 27 states, meaning more people moved into the state from elsewhere in the U.S. than left for other states. Of the 24 states that had negative internal migration, losing net population to other states, California is one of only nine that gained more people from abroad than it lost through internal migration. Although the disparities in the other eight of these nine states are not dramatic, California had a net gain of 1.81 million people from outside the country in a 7¼-year period when it lost 1.22 million people to other states. Given that so many of the immigrants to California are from Mexico and elsewhere in Latin America, this means that while the economic opportunities and quality of life in California are looking less and less attractive compared with Nevada, Arizona, Texas or Florida, they are still perceived for the time being as superior to Oaxaca's or El Salvador's.9
California and only six other states had per capita government outlays in 2007 that were at least 10% higher than the rest of the country's.
Of these eight jurisdictions, California's population increased slightly faster than the rest of the country's between 1992 and 2007, while Delaware's increased much faster, by 25.3% compared with 18.2% everywhere else. All the others on the list grew more slowly than the rest of the country. Massachusetts, New York and Washington DC, as we have seen, lost significantly in share of national population, growing at less than half the national rate.
Alaska and Wyoming are high on the government-spending list because their public finances rest on economies based on extraction industries, whose companies are not in a position to take their business elsewhere just because the states subject them to very high taxes.They can't really "vote with their feet," so they're especially vulnerable to politicians who enact tax policies that exploit their immobility. In their way, the District of Columbia and Delaware are also extraction-based economies—deriving revenue from, respectively, the federal government and companies attracted by favorable incorporation laws.These options are not available to other states.
That leaves California, Massachusetts, New Jersey and New York on the big-spender list. It's easy to see how the last three are alike. They are in the same part of the country, and have the same kinds of challenges in terms of aging infrastructure and declining industries. Because California isn't part of the Rust Belt, its wounds are to a much larger extent self-inflicted. Even if New York had been governed flawlessly over the past 30 or 40 years, it would probably still have big problems today because of global shifts in economic activity, especially manufacturing, over which governors, state legislators, mayors, city councils and school boards have very little control. By contrast, if California had been governed adequately over the same period it would likely be in pretty good shape today, given the progress made by other comparably advantaged Sunbelt states.
This result is especially strange and sad. Contrary to the hopeful claims about the states serving as the laboratories of democracy, California has faltered by consistently emulating the failed experiments of declining states like New York rather than the successes of growing ones like Texas and Florida. The narrative arc of New York's decline, recently traced by historian Fred Siegel, is strikingly similar to the demise of California's business-like progressivism except that it became manifest three decades sooner.
As late as the 1950s, according to Siegel, "vigorous upstate business interests" exerted enough political influence to partially frustrate Albany's big-government ambitions. The "runaway spending and punitive taxing" of Nelson Rockefeller, New York's governor from 1959 to 1973, changed all that. Every state with a Great Lakes shoreline (an approximate definition of the Rust Belt) has faced a daunting economic challenge over the past half-century. But Rockefeller's policies worsened an already dire situation. "If you count New York north of greater Gotham as a separate state, it has ranked between 46th and 50th in the U.S. in job growth over the past 40 years," Siegel notes. Much of the rural upstate "has sunk into Appalachian hardship" while the "young and talented have left the region in droves."10
The heavy spending, taxes and regulations, while accelerating the decline and departure of the upstate region's private sector, also weakened the countervailing power of the business interests vis-à-vis big government. "The Business Council of New York State, once an influential group representing Fortune 500 CEOs, has none of its former clout. These days, businesses, if they're powerful enough, push for tax-incentive deals for themselves instead of pursuing shared interests with other firms."11
That decline and political weakening of upstate business strengthened the power of the New York City liberals and the state's public-employee unions, which resulted in more taxes and regulations, which caused more businesses to leave New York. As the wealth builders have lost the ability to make much political difference, the wealth extractors have gone from strength to strength:
New York's well-to-do public-sector unions—with their phone banks, massive Election Day get-out-the-vote efforts, and ad campaigns—have only grown mightier with each passing year. Political success for New York pols rests on keeping the most powerful pressure groups happy by spending more than the state or city can afford. . . . [T]he business lobbying comes and goes, while the unions pushing for ever more education and health-care spending are permanent fixtures.12
The correlation of political forces in California is not, yet, as lopsided as New York's. As a result, California state and local governments spend about one-quarter more than those in all the other states, while government in New York spends half-again as much as in the other states. On the other hand, California's per capita governmental expenditures, adjusted for inflation, were 22.8% higher in 2007 than in 1992, while New York's were only 14.6% higher. Our state's public sector and political leadership appear even more determined than New York's were to engage in slow-motion fiscal suicide. Per capita state and local government spending grew by 18.7% nationwide between 1992 and 2007. The figures for Florida and Texas were 23% and 18% respectively. Nevada, the fastest-growing state in terms of population, saw per capita government spending increase by less than 1% during those years.13
Delivering On Promises
It is impossible to imagine that California will ever transform itself into a Walmart state, one that is trying to attract and retain residents who are primarily interested in low taxes and the most basic public services. If, however, its destiny is to be a Neiman Marcus state—or, more realistically, a Nordstrom or Macy's—it is all the more important to deliver on the promises implicit in its high taxes and spending. As Indiana's governor Mitch Daniels says: "[M]easured provable performance and effective spending ought to be a goal that unites advocates of limited government and advocates of expansive government. . . . I argue to my most liberal friends: 'You ought to be the most offended of anybody if a dollar that could help a poor person is being squandered in some way.' And some of them actually agree."14
But a lot of liberals don't agree, or act as if they don't. It seems that the moral imperative to help the most vulnerable among us is constantly being compromised, and routinely trampled, by the political imperative to maintain a coalition embracing everyone who seeks to gain some advantage from the government's redistribution of wealth and power. If California has a prominent Democratic politician, activist or editorialist who has said it's outrageous for more than 12,000 retired civil servants and educators to receive pensions worth over $100,000 per year—that it's shameful even to pretend this is the best and highest use of our state's finite resources—it is an exceptionally well-kept secret.15
By contrast, it's an open secret that 32 years after the passage of Proposition 13, the holy grail of California Democratic politics is to repeal (or at least gut) that Bunker Hill victory of the state and national tax revolt. The reason why squandered expenditures do not offend most advocates of expansive government is that it's far more congenial to them, far less divisive for their coalition, to stress the need to pour more dollars into the government's money pipes than to fix the growing leaks or protect against siphoning. Per-pupil public school expenditures in California are 4% higher than in Florida and 12% higher than in Texas, according to the U.S. Department of Education. Yet California's fourth—and eighth—grade students rank near the bottom of the nation in both math and reading test scores, while those in Florida and Texas are slightly above the national average. Despite its higher per-pupil expenditures, California has one teacher for every 20.9 students—much lower classroom staffing than the one teacher per 16.4 school children in Florida, or the one per 14.8 in Texas.16
For liberal interests and spokesmen, there seems to be only one possible conclusion from this data: "The real problem that needs to be addressed to solve California's budget problems is Proposition 13," according to the California Federation of Teachers. "The problem isn't [government] 'overspending,'" it insists. "Don't let people tell you that 'we don't have the money' for a decent public education system. The money's there. It's just in the wrong bank accounts."17 The "wrong" bank accounts, to be clear, are ones belonging to taxpayers. The "right" ones are those held by members of the CFT and the many other public-employee unions, where the tax dollars are destined to reside after a brief layover in the state treasurer's bank accounts.
Reviled as Proposition 13 has been by many critics, its record in terms of controlling how much money the public sector acquires and spends has been quite mixed. By 2007 California's state and local governments had the tenth-highest per capita tax receipts in the country. And even at that, taxes generated a remarkably small 37% of California government revenues in 2007, the tenth-lowest percentage of any state. (The proportion for the rest of the country was 42.5%.) In contrast, governmental income from all sources—taxes, fees, insurance trusts, utility revenues, and transfers from the federal government—was $12,776 per capita in California. That's higher than in all but three states and the District of Columbia. California officials, in other words, adapted to their restricted ability to generate tax revenue by becoming proficient at increasing fees and charges that don't qualify as taxes, even if they feel like it to residents.
Proposition 13, of course, is primarily concerned with property taxes, just one of the public sector's revenue streams. What California really needs, if it wants to discipline its government, is a comprehensive limitation on public expenditures and revenues. Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger's first two years in Sacramento were preoccupied with battles over spending limits and the state's "structural deficit," which culminated in the campaign for and the November 2005 defeat of Proposition 76, an initiative to limit the state's budget.
You could have followed that debate closely, however, without realizing that California already has a comprehensive budget limitation on expenditures in its constitution—Proposition 4, passed overwhelmingly by the voters in 1979. Also known as the Gann limit after the tax activist and its chief proponent Paul Gann, Proposition 4 prohibits state spending increases that exceed increases necessary to keep up with inflation and population growth. It also requires that the state give any resulting surplus revenues back to the people through tax rebates.
Although Proposition 4's limits were rendered less stringent after 1990 by Proposition 111, an initiative placed on the ballot by the legislature, it could still, on paper, arrest the growth of government. The recent conclusion of three political scientists at UC San Diego, however, is that the "Gann limit has rarely constrained the growth of state government" because in reality "its spending limit binds very little, if at all."18
The scholars contend that Proposition 4's marginalization "is not terribly surprising."
Expenditure and revenue limits belong to a general class of political phenomena that attempt a tough trick: locking in the preferences of a set of political principals by constraining the future actions of potentially hostile agents. Either voters are trying to limit state lawmakers, or legislators in one era are attempting to slow the growth of government under future lawmakers. Regardless, the proponents of these limits face the common principal-agent delegation problem, made especially challenging by the fact that they are trying to constrain behavior long into the future, when they are likely not to be around to monitor it.19
To make the same point less clinically, political problems require political solutions, of which policy solutions are only one component. Proposition 4's inability to restrain spending is not fundamentally a policy failure, one that could be corrected by more adroitly crafted specifications about how taxes and spending would be limited, or about how taxpayers would be guaranteed their surpluses and rebates. Rather, it was a political failure based on the belief that fiscal limits, once passed by the voters, would be self-implementing. California's advocates of limited government acted as if the war had been won, while the coalition favoring practically unlimited government acted as if a single skirmish had been lost.
The Key To A Successful Diet
There have been reforms of the budget process at both the federal and state levels in the past 40 years. The single analysis that best describes their effects is this: Budget reforms cannot make legislators do what they don't want to do, and legislators will not do what voters either don't want or won't demand. One analysis of tax and spending limits in state constitutions found that the best predictor of whether they would be adhered to was the fiscal conservatism of the state legislators charged with implementing them.
In other words, budget limits work best where they're needed least.20
California's elected officials will have to cope with the state's fiscal crisis for the foreseeable future. Coping with it, however, includes not letting the crisis go to waste. The imbalance between the state's spending commitments and its resources presents a teachable moment that is likely to turn into a teachable decade. What the laboratory
of California's democracy has shown is that California's democracy is not much of a laboratory. It is receptive to experiments that augment the government's wealth and power. It is hostile to ones that impose strict fiscal and performance standards on governmental activities. One challenge for California's future leaders, including the next governor, is to come up with better, more successful policy innovations for restraining and monitoring public expenditures. An even larger and more important challenge is to exercise the political leadership, year-in and year-out, that would make California a better laboratory, one that corrects its inherent bias against governance that is fair, frugal and effective.
More so than most states, California needs to go on a strict, long-term fiscal diet. As anyone who has ever endured one knows, diets succeed or fail as a result of will power, not because of the ingenuity of the latest "findings" that promise you can eat all your favorite foods, never feel hungry, and still lose weight. The temptation to place great faith in the discovery of an exciting new fiscal formula that will cause California's excess spending to magically melt away has to be resisted. California is not saddled with a large structural deficit and an under-performing public sector because its political leaders haven't been clever enough, but because the leaders and followers haven't been candid and disciplined enough. The policy measures that lead California back to solvency and growth will be noteworthy not for their ingenuity, but for their obviousness. The key will be the political perseverance of the state's leaders, who commit to no higher priority than wringing excess spending out of all governmental budgets, and wringing the maximum benefit out of each dollar that does get spent at any level of government in California. In a democracy, the success of that endeavor requires not just the determination to act, but the determination to explain—patiently, clearly, repeatedly and respectfully—why the state has come to grief by living beyond its means, and can only be restored to health by living within them.
1 New State Ice Co. v. Liebmann, 285 U.S. 262 (1932), at 310-311.
2 Franklin D. Roosevelt, Address at Oglethorpe University, May 22, 1932; reprinted in The Public Papers and Addresses of Franklin D. Roosevelt, Vol. 1, 1928-32, (New York: Random House, 1938), p. 639; http://newdeal.feri.org/speeches/1932d.htm.
3 Quoted in Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Maximum Feasible Misunderstanding: Community Action in the War on Poverty (New York: Free Press, 1970), p. 5.
4 Jed Kolko, "California Loses Few Jobs to Other States," San Francisco Chronicle, May 8, 2009, p. A-23; http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/05/08/ED1117GHGJ.DTL&hw=industries&sn=002&sc=998.
5 The Tax Foundation, "State Business Tax Climate Index Rankings, 2006-2010"; http://www.taxfoundation.org/taxdata/show/22661.html.
6 Joel Kotkin, "Sundown for California," The American, November-December 2008; http://www.american.com/archive/2008/november-december-magazine/sundown-for-california/?searchterm=Kotkin.
7 Kotkin, "Sundown for California," and Joel Kotkin, "Can California Make a Comeback?" Forbes, May 26, 2009; http://www.forbes.com/2009/05/25/golden-state-deficit-schwarzanegger-opinions-columnists-california.html.
8 Edward L. Glaeser, "Can Buffalo Ever Come Back?" City Journal, Autumn 2007; http://www.city-journal.org/html/17_4_buffalo_ny.html.
9 U.S. Census Bureau, "State Resident Population - Components of Change"; http://www.census.gov/compendia/statab/tables/09s0015.pdf
10 Fred Siegel, "Madison's Nightmare," City Journal, Spring 2009; http://www.city-journal.org/2009/nytom_madisons-nightmare.html.
11 Ibid.
12 Ibid.
13 Calculations based on U.S. Census Bureau, "State and Local Government Finances, 1992" (http://www2.census.gov/govs/estimate/92censusviewtabss.xls) and U.S. Department of Commerce, Implicit Price Deflator for State and Local Consumption and Investment Expenditures(http://www.bea.gov/national/nipaweb/TableView.asp?SelectedTable=13&ViewSeries=NO&Java=no&Request3Place=N&3Place=N&FromView=YES&Freq=Year&FirstYear=1994&LastYear=2008&3Place=N&Update=Update&JavaBox=no)
14 Mark Hemingway, "Mitch the Knife," National Review, June 8, 2009; http://nrd.nationalreview.com/article/?q=OWMyMzc0MjRiZjEwYTRmODc2ZDkxYjhhMGNmNDNkZGY=.
15 Data from the California Foundation for Fiscal Responsibility website; http://www.californiapensionreform.com/database.asp?vttable=calpers.
16 Data from the "Nation's Report Card" at the National Assessment of Educational Progress, National Center for Educational Statistics, U.S. Department of Education; http://nces.ed.gov/nationsreportcard/states/.
17 "Background of the Budget Gap," California Federation of Teachers website; http://www.cft.org/index.php/current-issues/245-state-budget.html.
18 Thad Kousser, Mathew D. McCubbins and Kaj Rozga, "When Does the Ballot Box Limit the Budget?" Paper prepared for "Fiscal Challenges: An Interdisciplinary Approach to Budget Policy," February 10, 2006, University of Southern California Gould School of Law, pp. 1-2; http://papers.ssrn.com/sol3/Delivery.cfm/SSRN_ID1003326_code843376.pdf?abstractid=1003326
19 Kousser, McCubbins and Rozga, p. 2.
20 Robert Erikson, Gerald Wright and John McIver, Statehouse Democracy: Public Opinion and Policy in the American States (New York: Cambridge University Press, 1993), cited in Kousser, McCubbins and Rozga, p. 34.