text:
Labor MPs will meet in Canberra on Friday to discuss the rancorous issue of party leadership amid calls for outgoing Prime Minister
Labor frontbencher
The Labor caucus will meet at noon on Friday. If there is only one candidate to lead the party, a decision could be made as early as Friday. If there are two or more contenders, a ballot process could take as long as a month under new party rules requiring members have a say.
Outgoing Deputy Prime Minister
Also ruling himself out the leadership contest on Tuesday was Mr O'Connor, who told Sky News he was happy to serve on the frontbench but is not interested in the top job.
Similarly, Immigration Minister
But he admitted to harbouring aspirations for the future.
"I'm not in any rush in any of this," he told ABC radio on Tuesday.
"I also know I'm not ready for leadership in any way. At some point, it's something that I'd aspire to."
Declaring Labor's election defeat on Saturday night, Mr Rudd said he would not re-contest the leadership but indicated he would continue to serve as the Member for Griffith.
One of his closest supporters, Victorian Senator
Mr Emerson was scathing of Mr Rudd in an interview during the same program.
"You should never reward treachery and what happened is that the parliamentary Labor Party by a majority rewarded Kevin Rudd's treachery and we saw the consequences," he said. "His treachery should never be rewarded again."
But Mr Burke said it should be up to Mr Rudd to determine his own future.
Like Health Minister
"Let's not have an election night where we all say we understand the message was that we've got to stop the infighting and then two days later we're having arguments like this," he said.
Trade Minister
The Australian Financial Review


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Olmert took his leave with a sarcastic, though not angry, expression of gratitude.
Signs of gratitude and support were everywhere at the Crawford ranch.
It gave us gratitude for every blessed second we have together.
Because of this attitude I do believe there is little true appreciation and gratitude.
Every other kind of influence-buying, such as spending to achieve influence, gratitude, access, etc., is just fine.
He thanked his King in a voice full of gratitude and affection.
He walked with new vigour and a deepening sense of gratitude.
Her acceptance of him at that moment might be due in part to gratitude and relief.
His motive was gratitude to us, and affection excited by compassion.
It is not he who opposes, but he who performs, to whom the world owes its gratitude.
mid-15c., "good will," from Middle French gratitude (15c.) or directly from Medieval Latin gratitudinem (nominative gratitudo) "thankfulness," from Latin gratus "thankful, pleasing" (see grace). Meaning "thankfulness" is from 1560s.

subset: commoncrawl


text: Welcome to Llanelli Tennis & Squash Club. We are a club run by volunteers which prides itself on its friendly atmosphere. We have a tennis coaching programme and mini, junior & adult teams playing in local leagues. We have pay to play tennis available for non-members. We also have squash coaching available and fitness sessions are held for ladies and men. We run the very successful Llanelli Open tournament each year where visitors are encouraged to camp with us for the week.


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Refugees who resettle in the USA rarely have access to personal resources in their homeland or a source of income in this country when they first arrive. To sustain themselves until they become self-sufficient, refugees may apply for financial assistance at the local Departments of Social Services (DSS).
Refugee families with dependent children must first apply for, and if eligible, participate in the state TANF program, known in North Carolina as Work First Family Assistance (WFFA), or Work First. See Work First Manual to determine eligibility for WFFA.
Refugees 65 years of age or older, or who are blind or disabled, would meet criteria for the Supplemental Security Income (SSI). However, since the SSI approval process is typically a lengthy one, the state authorizes receipt of RCA until the refugee applicant is approved for SSI, or until the 8-month RCA eligibility period expires--whichever comes first.
The North Carolina Refugee Cash Assistance Program (RCA) was established to provide income to needy refugees who do not meet qualifications for WFFA or SSI. RCA is a short-term transitional program available for the first eight months a refugee resides in the USA. In determining eligibility for RCA, the county DSS (herein referred to as the agency) must comply with the policies and procedures described in this chapter of the NC Refugee Assistance Manual.
NOTE: Throughout this Chapter, the term "refugee" will refer to all groups below, who are Qualified Aliens, and potentially eligible for RCA. See Chapter I., III. for definitions.
After you have determined that the refugee household is not eligible for TANF, SSI, OAA, AB, APTD, or AABD programs, you are ready to determine eligibility for RCA. To be eligible for RCA, a refugee must:
A. Be unable to meet the eligibility requirements for TANF (Work First), Supplemental Security Income (SSI), Old Age Assistance (OAA), Aid to the Blind (AB), Aid to the Permanently and Totally disabled (APTD), and Aid to the Blind and Disabled (AABD) programs; and,
B. Be in the USA 8 months or less, or have eligible status, such as asylee, for 8 months or less; and
C. Have the proper immigration status and documentation or be the dependent child of, and part of the same family unit as, individuals who meet the proper immigration status; and
D. Not be a full-time student in an institution of higher education; and
E. Live in North Carolina with the intent to remain; and
F. Register for work; and
G. Not, for the purpose of receiving or continuing assistance, have voluntarily quit a job or refused to apply for or accept an appropriate offer of employment or employment related training during the 30 days prior to applying for aid; and
H. Meet the provisions of the North Carolina Work First Family Assistance program in regard to:
1. treatment of income and resources,
2. determination of benefit amounts based on household size and income disregards.
NOTE: References will be made, throughout this chapter, to the appropriate Section of the NC Work First Manual whenever the Work First and RCA programs have policies and procedures in common. Exceptions or special rules for RCA will be noted.
A. Application and Interview
Refer to Work First, Section 104. Apply cultural sensitivity in all communications. Apply the same NC Confidentiality Rules that pertain to the WFFA program in the administration of the RCA program. Maintain and retain operational records in accordance with the standards established by the NC Department of Health and Human Services Policy and Procedures Manual Section IV.
Additional requirements for Refugee households
1. An eligible refugee household may consist of a single adult, age 18 or older, or a married couple with no minor children.
NOTE: At age 18, a refugee is potentially eligible for Refugee Cash Assistance. Explore this option before considering Family and Children's Medicaid (M-AF) or Family Planning MA only.
2. Applicant can have any person(s) of his or her choice participate in the interview.
3. Information must be presented in a language the refugee understands.
4. Explain RCA in understandable terms, ensuring that the refugee understands his rights and responsibilities.
5. Offer the refugee the opportunity to apply for food stamp benefits on the same day.
6. For refugees who came through a local affiliate, the agency must make provisions to receive from, and share with the local affiliate the following information:
a. applicant's address
b. applicant's telephone number or where he or she can be reached
c. confirmation that applicant has applied for cash assistance, and
d. the status and disposition of his or her application for cash assistance.
7. The refugee household has the additional responsibility to:
a. provide the name and mailing address of the referring local affiliate, if appropriate (this does not apply to refugees who were originally settled and received Reception and Placement in a state other than NC or those who did not come through a local affiliate);
b. report receipt of Match Grant. If receiving Match Grant, application for RCA/RRF must be denied since federal law prohibits simultaneous participation in both programs. (The refugee may still be eligible for Refugee Medical Assistance. Refer to Chapter II, Refugee Medical Assistance Program);
c. unless exempt, participate in appropriate employment services (See IV. Employment Services).
B. Processing Time Standard
You have 30 (THIRTY) DAYS to complete the application unless there is applicant delay. The 30 calendar days begin the day after the date of application and end on the day the check or denial notice is mailed. The date of application is the date the applicant, authorized representative, or someone acting on applicant's behalf, signs the application.
C. Processing Requirements
1. State/County Residence – accept applicant's statement. Do not request other verification such as post-marked mail, rental/utility records, etc., as newly arrived refugees are not likely to have these.
2. Income and Resources – the determination of initial and on-going eligibility (treatment of income and resources, budgeting methods, need standard). Follow instructions in WFFA Sections 114 and 115.
3. Needs Assessment - the determination of benefit amounts (payment levels based on size of the assistance unit, income disregards). Follow instructions in WFFA Section 114.
4. Refugee Medical Assistance (RMA/MRF) Considerations
5. Rule to Apply for a Social Security Number - Do not require that applicants for RCA provide Social Security Numbers or proof of application for an SSN.
6. Alien Status - An applicant for RCA/RRF must submit evidence of documentation issued by CIS, which indicates alien eligibility status. A child(ren) who arrives with a parent(s) carries the same alien status as the parent(s). Secondary verification is not required. A list of acceptable CIS documentation most often presented by refugees is in Chapter I, II.
a. Ask the applicant for a written declaration that he or she has an immigration status that makes him or her eligible for refugee cash benefits.
b. Review the documentation of immigration status as outlined in charts in Appendix C.
c. If status is supported by documents, assume the applicant has a qualified status and continue determining eligibility based on other requirements. Do not use the SAVE system unless you are unable to confirm status from the documents presented.
d. If unable to confirm status from documentation supplied by client, approve RCA if other eligibility requirements are met and use other methods to verify status, such as accessing the SAVE system, or calling the NC State Refugee Office at (919) 733-4650.
A. Within 30 days of receipt of RCA, recipients, unless exempt, must:
1. Register with an appropriate agency providing employment services as defined in D. and E. below.
2. Go to a job interview which is arranged by that agency
3. Accept appropriate employment
4. Participate in a refugee social service or targeted assistance program which provides job or language training in the area in which the refugee resides (see Appendix A)
5. Not have quit a job or refused to participate in required employment services, without good cause, within 30 consecutive days immediately prior to the application for RCA.
If not in compliance, applicant is not eligible to participate in RCA/RRF. Terminate RCA and automatically transfer to RMA without a separate RMA determination for the remainder of the 8-month eligibility period.
B. Exemptions to the work requirement for Refugee Cash Assistance include anyone who is:
1. under the age of 18;
2. age 65 or older;
3. a parent or other relative who is caring for a child under two (2) ;
4. ill or incapacitated; or
5. required in the home to care for another member of the household who is ill or incapacitated.
NOTE: A refugee's inability to communicate in English is not a reason for exemption
C. Exemption Verification
1. Document age by examining the individual's I-94 or other documentation
2. Establish illness or incapacitation by,
a. the worker's observation and documentation of the physical and/or mental illness or incapacity of the individual, or
b. documentation of a psychological examination, if indicated, or
c. a medical report from a doctor or medical facility when the individual's condition is questionable. Document findings.
D. Employment Services
Appropriate employment services are those provided by local affiliates and other authorized refugee service providers that are specifically designed to assist refugees in becoming employed (see Appendix A and B for a list of authorized refugee service providers). Refer refugees by using the Refugee Registration Certification, Employment/Refusal and Termination/Denial Notice (DSS-5022). These agencies will:
1. Provide proof of registration,
2. Develop an Individualized Employability Plan (DSS-6232) that sets forth a program of services intended to result in the earliest possible employment of the refugee,
3. Complete a Family Self-Sufficiency Plan (DSS-6230), that addresses the employment related service needs of the employable members in a family for the purpose of enabling the family to become self-supporting through the employment of one or more family members.
E. When there is no refugee-specific employment service provider in the county in which the refugee resides, the agency is responsible for the development of both the Family Self-Sufficiency and Individual Employability Plans.
F. Allow applicant to register with the local Work First approved First Stop Employment Assistance program administered by the Employment Security Commission, if he or she chooses to do so.
G. The Employability Plan must:
1. Be designed to lead to the earliest possible employment, and not be structured in such a way as to discourage or delay employment or job-seeking, and
2. Contain a definite employment goal, attainable in the shortest time period consistent with the employability of the refugee in relation to job openings in the area.
H. The employment services and employment must meet the following criteria:
1. All assignments must be within the scope of the individual's employability plan. The plan may be modified to reflect changed services or employment conditions.
2. The services or employment must be related to the capability of the individual to perform the task on a regular basis. Any claim of adverse effect on physical or mental health must be based on adequate medical testimony from a physician or licensed or certified psychologist indicating that participation would impair the individual's physical or mental health.
3. The total daily commuting time to and from home to the service or employment site must not normally exceed 2 hours, not including the transportation of a child to and from a child care facility, unless a longer commuting distance or time is generally accepted in the community, in which case the round trip commuting time must not exceed the generally accepted community standards.
4. When child care is required, the care must meet the standards normally required by the state in its work and training programs for Work First recipients [Reference the NC Child Care Subsidy Manual, DHHS, Division of Child Development].
5. The service or work site to which the individual is assigned must not be in violation of applicable federal, state, or local health and safety standards.
6. Assignments must not be made which are discriminatory in terms of age, sex, race, creed, color, or national origin.
7. Appropriate work may be temporary, permanent, full-time, part-time, or seasonal work, if such work meets the other standards listed above.
8. The wage shall meet or exceed the federal or state minimum wage law, whichever is applicable, and the wage shall not be substantially less favorable than the wage normally paid for similar work in that labor market.
9. The daily hours of work and the weekly hours of work shall not exceed those customary to the occupation.
10. The quality of training must meet local employers' requirements so that the individual will be in a competitive position within the local labor market. The training must also be likely to lead to employment that will meet the appropriate work criteria.
11. No individual may be required to accept employment if:
a. the position offered is vacant due to strike, lockout, or other bona fide labor dispute; or
b. the individual would be required to work for an employer contrary to the conditions of his existing membership in the union governing that occupation, however, employment not governed by the rules of union in which she or he has membership may be deemed appropriate.
12. If an individual is a professional in need of professional refresher training and other recertification services in order to qualify to practice his or her profession in the United States, the training may consist of full-time attendance in a college or professional training program, provided that such training,
a. is part of the individual's employability plan by the agency,
b. does not exceed one year's duration (including any time enrolled prior to application for assistance),
c. is specifically intended to assist the professional in becoming relicensed in his or her profession, and if completed can realistically be expected to result in such relicensing. The training may only be available to individuals who are employed.
13. A refugee offered suitable employment is required to accept, without regard to whether such job would interrupt a program of services planned or in progress, unless the refugee is currently participating in a program in progress of on-the-job training, or vocational training that is being carried out as part of an approved employability plan.
I. Failure or Refusal to Accept Employment Services or Employment
If, without good cause, a non-exempt RCA recipient fails or refuses to comply with Employment Services, accept employment, or voluntarily quits a job, and:
1. The sanctioned refugee is the only member of the case, terminate cash assistance. Manually send a written timely Notice of Stopping or Changing Public Assistance, DSS-8110 (see Section 264 of the NC Work First Manual). The sanction shall remain in effect for 3 payment months for the first failure and 6 payment months for any subsequent failure. Transfer to RMA without a separate RMA determination for the remainder of the 8 month eligibility period for refugee assistance.
2. The case includes another refugee, remove the sanctioned refugee and reduce the assistance. Do not consider the sanctioned refugee's needs in determining benefits. Manually send a written timely Notice of Stopping or Changing Public Assistance, DSS-8110. (See Section 264 of the NC Work First Manual.) The sanction shall remain in effect for 3 payment months for the first failure and 6 payment months for any subsequent failure. Open a RMA case for the sanctioned refugee for the remainder of the 8 months eligibility period for refugee assistance.
3. Good cause reasons for failure to comply with employment services or voluntarily quitting a job include:
a. discrimination by an employer based on race, color, national origin, gender, religion, age, disability, or political beliefs;
b. work demands or conditions that render continued employment unreasonable, such as not being paid on schedule or being required to work overtime and not being paid for it;
c. acceptance of another offer of employment as long as the new job meets the minimum requirement of this provision (20 or more hours per week or earnings equivalent to federal minimum wage times 20 hours);
d. resignation by the member under the age of 60 which is recognized by the employer as retirement;
e. acceptance of an offer of employment of 20 hours or more per week (or equivalent earnings) which because of circumstances beyond the control of the member does not materialize or results in employment which does not meet the suitability criteria specified in IV. H. above;
f. leaving a job in connection with patterns of employment. For example, migrant farm laborers or construction workers often go from one employer to another;
g. a significant family crisis or change, including, but not limited to, illness or death of a family member which requires the member's presence, household emergency, unavailability of transportation.
A. Calculate Eligibility Period
Eligible applicants are entitled to receive RCA/RRF coverage for up to eight (8) full months from the date of entry in the United States. To calculate the eligibility period:
1. Determine start date – Benefit payment begins on the first day of the month in which the application is made. Always enter in EIS, the first day of the month as the Date of Application so that the RCA benefits are not prorated, and
2. Determine end date -- Eligibility ends eight months after the refugee's date of entry, on the last day of that month. For an asylee, the date of entry is the date asylum was granted.
3. Assign the appropriate certification period, up to eight (8) months.
B. Notices
Once the determination of eligibility has been processed, the applicant must be notified of the results. If applicant was referred by a local resettlement affiliate, that affiliate must also be notified of the outcome.
1. EIS does not automatically generate a notice to the RCA/RRF applicant regarding the disposition of the application.
2. The agency must manually generate written notices to both the client and the referring local resettlement affiliate (when applicable). Complete and mail Notice of Benefits, DSS-8108, to report the following. Follow instructions in WFFA Section 264.)
a. that refugee has applied for assistance
b. benefits for which programs, if any, have been approved (i.e. Medicaid, Food Stamps, WFFA RCA/RRF, etc) as well as which programs, if any, have been denied
c. the status and disposition of the application, and
d. the reason if assistance has been refused, denied or terminated.
NOTE: If a refugee applies for assistance and is determined ineligible for Work First, but eligible for RCA, the notice must specify both determinations.
A. A change in situation is any change the refugee family unit experiences that may affect who is included in the family unit, the family's RCA payment, or whether the family unit continues to qualify for RCA. Examples include a change in who lives in the home and starting or stopping employment.
B. The refugee family unit is responsible for reporting changes. A change in situation must be reported within 10 calendar days of when the change is known.
C. When a family reports a change, or the agency becomes aware of a change from any source, make the change in benefits as early as the month following the month of change but not later than the second month after the change. Changes are effective the month after the month in which the 10-day notice expires, unless the family unit waives the 10-day notice. Follow instructions in WFFA Section 202.
NOTE: RCA applicants/recipients must receive Timely notice of a reduction or termination.
Example: You are notified on January 8 that a refugee individual who receives RCA went to work. Verify the new wages, send a timely notice, and enter the change into EIS to be effective no later than March 1.
D. Verify the change according to the verification procedures in the Work First Manual. Always document the change and verification on the Verification Of Change In Situation form, DSS-1662 (see Section 202 of NC Work First Manual).
E. For income changes, refer to Section 114, Income and Budgeting, of the NC Work First Manual.
F. Manually send a written timely Notice of Stopping or Changing Public Assistance, DSS-8110 (see Section 264 of the NC Work First Manual) to notify the household how the change affects their benefits. If the cash assistance terminates, transfer to RMA without a separate RMA determination for the remainder of the 8 month eligibility period for refugee assistance.
Do not send a review notice. At the end of the refugee's eighth month in the US, terminate RCA assistance. Evaluate to determine if the refugee(s) is eligible for any other assistance and take the necessary applications or refer to the appropriate agency. In addition to notifying the refugee of the termination, the notice must indicate the determination of eligibility for other programs. Manually send a written timely Notice of Stopping or Changing Public Assistance, DSS-8110. (See Section 264 of the NC Work First Manual.)
Refugee Assistance Programs are available to refugees for the first eight months after their date of entry in the U.S.A. and only if they are not eligible for other mainstream social services assistance programs such as Work First.
A. All applicants for and recipients of RCA must be provided an opportunity for a hearing to contest adverse determinations. See Section 264 of the NC Work First Manual.
B. A hearing need not be granted when RCA is terminated because the eligibility time period (8 months) imposed by law has been reached.
Agencies must ensure recovery of overpayments and correction of underpayments.
A. If it becomes known that a refugee received an underpayment of benefits, take the steps necessary to issue the lost benefit amount to the refugee. Document the case record and issue restored benefits within 30 days of the discovery.
B. If it becomes known that a refugee received an overpayment of benefits:
1. If the refugee is associated with a local affiliate, contact them to review the information.
2. Verify the information that causes the change in benefits, i.e., wages, other income, household composition.
3. Establish the amount of overpayment by determining the amount the payment should have been had the information been known.
4. Request that the refugee household repay the overpayment by:
a. paying a lump sum for the total amount of the overpayment, or
b. paying cash installments – get a signed repayment agreement from the household stating the payments amounts and frequency of payment.
Because Refugee Assistance is not considered a program of public assistance under N. C. G. S. 108A-24, fraud cases must be prosecuted under N. C. G. S. 14-100, "False Pretense and Cheats." Follow procedures in Section 207 of the NC Work First Manual.
For questions or clarification on any of the policy contained in these manuals, please contact your local county office.


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Please note BBC Politics Show must be credited if any part of this transcript is used.
Jeremy Vine: I'm joined now by the Leader of the Conservative Party, Michael Howard. Mr Howard, good afternoon.
Michael Howard: Good afternoon Jeremy, Happy New Year to you and to all your viewers.
Jeremy Vine: Thank you. Let's start if we can just with the last point that Max made, which is that when you move out of conservative central office, there might be all kinds of policies there which we currently assume you're espousing on pensions and tax cuts and everything, which are actually destined for the bin.
Michael Howard: No. That's not right. Those policies are there and we will build on them but I think they're good policies, I was intimately involved in drawing them up when I was shadow chancellor; so I don't have a problem with any of those policies at all but we do need to build on them and of course Simon Walters is quite right to say that we do need to show that the principles, the beliefs which I published are going to be translated in to policies that are going to give people more control over their lives, make their lives better, the kind of things that we're there to achieve.
Jeremy Vine: Because at the moment, as Max Cotton pointed out, everybody, almost everybody is signing up to your statement of principles, including the communist party.
Michael Howard: I'm very pleased to, to be told that. You may remember that on the morning they came out, John Prescott and Ian McCartney were saying completely the opposite.
They were saying these beliefs are a throw back to old style Thatcherism, and that's what we're going to get from Michael Howard. They were saying completely the opposite of what you're now suggesting everybody else is saying.
Look, I'm in the business of building as wide a base of support for my beliefs and my policies and my party as I can; so if people are saying they can sign up to these beliefs, that's very good news, that's a very good start.
Jeremy Vine: You're happy to bring communists on board and everybody else.
Michael Howard: Look if anyone - I don't care how they voted in the past or what their political background is, I want to show them that the conservative party can give people more control over their lives, can make this a better country for people to live in, give it a better future and I want people from all kinds of different backgrounds and beliefs to come and join us.
Jeremy Vine: When you get in to contentious territory with this statement of principles, though whether it's about being in favour of wealth or private education, you seem to put it as a negative; so you say, 'I don't believe one person's wealth causes another person's poverty'. As if you are actually a little bit defensive about some of your core principles.
Michael Howard: Oh no I, there's nothing defensive about them at all, and it's a positive statement. It's meant to be a positive statement of beliefs, it's the first positive piece of advertising that the Conservative Party has put out for a very long time, or probably that any party has put out for a very long time because most political advertising does tend to be negative and attacking of the other parties.
I wanted to say something positive at the start of the year, I wanted to set out my beliefs in a positive way, and that's I think what the system, what the statement of beliefs does.
Jeremy Vine: You say I believe in equality of opportunity; so why did you oppose equalising the age of consent for homosexuals.
Michael Howard: Well I thought that raised particular issues about the protection of young people and that was what led me to vote in that particular way on that issue. I don't think that is really relevant to equality of opportunity.
What is relevant to equality of opportunity is the current debate that we're having on tuition fees because if you're going to introduce a system as the government propose, which is going to deter able young people from going to university and saddle them with big debts, which they're going to be paying off well in to their 30s and 40s, that's something which gets in the way of equality of opportunity, and that's one of the reasons why we are so opposed to this proposal.
Jeremy Vine: I'll ask you about tuition fees next, but just on the point I made, you also voted against equal adoption rights for unmarried couples. You're saying those areas of social policy have nothing to do with equality of opportunity are you.
Michael Howard: Again, that was to do with my view of the best family background in which young people, in which children can be brought up. All the evidence, there's a lot of evidence which shows that children do better when they're brought up in a, in a stable family background with married parents, and I think what motivated me, I quite see that some people may take a different view on this issue, what motivated me in relation to that vote was the view that I took about the best possible way of providing a bright future for those children, who are adopted.
Jeremy Vine: On tuition fees; we've heard the Prime Minister speaking about it this morning, making it clear that this policy, top up fees means a lot to him, he's not backing down, he's going ahead with it, and he says he's going to win. What's your reaction to that.
Michael Howard: Well I don't make predictions about the vote. I think this is a very bad policy. I think it's going to deter able young people from going to university, it's going to saddle them with debts, and as far as I can see, it's very doubtful whether the universities are going to be any better off.
For every pound that will be raised in the top-up fees, the cost of these government's proposals, is something like £2.50, and we haven't yet been told whether the Treasury are going to increase the budget of the universities, to reflect those costs; so the universities might even find themselves worse off as a result of these proposals.
They are thoroughly mis-guided proposals, and that's why we're going to vote against them. When it comes to the vote, when, when it comes to the vote, I want to make one thing clear. The vote on foundation hospitals, which we had a few weeks ago, was decided by the votes of members of parliament from Scotland, and they don't have foundation hospitals in Scotland.
It would be absolutely wrong for the vote on top-up fees to be decided by the votes of members of parliament from Scotland, they're not going to have top-up fees in Scotland, and for members of parliament from Scotland to impose top-up fees on England and Wales, would be quite unacceptable. Our member of parliament from Scotland, will not vote in that division.
Maybe a very close vote, maybe decided by a single vote, but we are adopting a position of principle in relation to this vote. Our member of parliament from Scotland will not vote in it, and I challenge the other parties to adopt a similar position, so that their members of parliament don't vote, and we don't have top-up fees imposed on England and Wales, by the votes of members of parliament from Scotland, where top-up fees will not be introduced.
Jeremy Vine: But hang on. If you carry that principle forward in to other areas, you end up not voting for anything that's going on in Scotland or Northern Ireland, and you have you know, two weeks later an English parliament don't you.
Michael Howard: No, our member of parliament, Peter Duncan, our member of parliament from Scotland, has not voted consistently in any issue which is devolved to Scotland. And I think that is absolutely the right principled approach to take.
Where there are matters which have been devolved to the Scottish parliament, then members, and members of parliament from Scotland shouldn't vote on those issues, as they apply to England and Wales, it's quite wrong.
They can't vote for them in their own consistencies because they've been devolved, they shouldn't seek to impose on England and Wales, policies which will not apply to Scotland. That I think would be quite unacceptable, and that's a view of principle which Peter Duncan has consistently taken, and I agree with him, and he will continue to take that line.
Jeremy Vine: Have you found a way yet, an alternative way, of raising the nine billion pounds the universities say they need by 2005.
Michael Howard: Well, well the government's proposals certainly aren't going to give them anything like that kind of money, indeed, as I've just explained, the government's proposals may make matters worse. For every pound the universities raise in top-up fees, the cost of the government's proposals are two pound fifty. And the government hasn't yet said that the budget for the universities will be increased to reflect those extra costs.
Jeremy Vine: (interjects & overlap) Tell us about your proposals.
Michael Howard: So the government's proposals. I'm coming to my proposals - just, in just one moment. The government's proposals therefore might well make matters worse; so far as our proposals are concerned, we will ease the universities financial plight by scrapping the arbitrary and I think misguided 50% target.
There will be many costs associated with the government's proposals which we will not burden the universities with, but we recognise that more will need to be done and we're working on seeing how we can do more to meet the financial problems which the universities face, when we're ready with those proposals, we will put them in a manifesto so that people can decide and then introduce them.
We won't do what the government has done, which is go absolutely flagrantly in breach of its manifesto commitment. Only two years ago, the government put a manifesto before the British people in which they said, we will not introduce top up fees, we have legislated to prevent them. And there has never been a more cynical breach of a manifesto commitment than the government's current proposals.
Jeremy Vine: But you are criticising the government's proposals without, as you conceded without an alternative, and going back to your I believe statement of values, actually, in a way what they're proposing is that individual students take responsibility for the charges levied on them, is quintessentially conservative isn't it.
Michael Howard: No because you've always got to apply those beliefs and principles in a practical way. We have always made it clear that we believe in a health service that is free at the point of use. And actually, if you look at the government's logic, you could apply their logic just as well to young people at school studying for A level.
Children who leave school at 16 tend to get less well paid jobs than those who stay on and do A levels. And of course children who leave school at 16 pay taxes; so their taxes are subsidising those who stay on at school to do A levels. If the government's logic is to be accepted, then you'd start charging people to stay on at school to do A levels, I don't think that would be right.
I don't think that would represent equality of opportunity, and I think it's just as wrong and just as misguided when you apply it to universities.
Jeremy Vine: Let me ask you finally Mr Howard about the Hutton Inquiry, and what we're beginning to, the territory we're beginning to see sketched out there. It may be the Prime Minister's defence is this. He said, he didn't leak the name of Dr David Kelly but he may have chaired the meeting at which a strategy was agreed to confirm the name, if journalists came up with it. Now those two statements could ride together could they not, without contradiction.
Michael Howard: No. On any plain view of language, what the government did was to adopt a strategy which was designed to lead to the disclosure of Dr Kelly's name.
That was the whole point of it, that was what they wanted to achieve. It might be interesting to look at the Oxford English Dictionary definition of a leak, I'll tell you what it is; the deliberate disclosure of confidential information.
That's exactly I think, well at least if you believe the top civil servant in the Ministry of Defence, that's exactly what the government were about.
NB: this transcript was typed from a recording and not copied from an original script.
Because of the possibility of mis-hearing and the difficulty, in some cases, of identifying individual speakers, the BBC cannot vouch for its accuracy.
Let us know what you think
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Due to the illness, the daughter of Ozzy Osbourne called off an appearance at the Wednesday, June 9 gay pride event.
Kelly Osbourne has apologized to fans for pulling out of an appearance at a gay pride event in Los Angeles after she fell sick with a bout of food poisoning. Ozzy Osbourne's daughter was due to host a celebration at Eleven nightclub in West Hollywood on Wednesday, June 9 but was too ill to attend.
However, the reality TV star has promised she will be well enough to attend the city's gay pride parade on Sunday, June 13, where she and her mother Sharon Osbourne will serve as this year's Grand Marshals. In a series of posts on Twitter.com, she explains, "I got food poisoning last night and have been up since 3am throwing up in more ways then one. Thank God it's stopped! I cant believe my luck!"
"My deepest apologies to anyone I disappoint but I am still too sick to make it to Eleven for my gay pride event tonight. I'm literally gutted. But all is not lost, my mother will still be there and I will see you all on Sunday! Again I'm so sorry I feel like i have let people down."


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The Finest of Everything
Forbes estimates Bernard Arnault and his family are worth a whopping $29 billion. Arnault took a $15 million investment in 1984 in Boussac, the parent company of Christian Dior, and parlayed that into a 46% equity stake (63% of votes) in LVMH (LVMUY), one of the world's biggest producers of luxury brands.
The "LV" of course stands for Louis Vuitton and the "MH" is short for Moët Hennessey, a combination of Moët & Chandon champagne and Hennessy cognac. Add Belvedere vodka, Fendi, Christian Dior, TAG Heuer, Sephora and many other fine brands to the mix, and you have all you need to survive amongst the jet set.
Even though LVMH owns some great brands, investors only care about stock performance. Arnault has done supremely well, achieving an annualized return of 14.2% for LVMH — 610 basis points greater than the S&P 500. As far as the board goes, Bernard Arnault is the chairman and CEO, while his son and daughter also serve on the 17-person board.
LVMH is just one more example of a family-controlled business that's able to balance family ties with good old-fashioned performance.


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If you see a covered woman in the forest, run! The peasants and woodcutters, who have seen her, say that she is a burly, elegant lady, dressed in fresh leaves and green moss, with a hat covered by leaves and green feathers. It's not possible to distinguish her face, because it is darkened by her hat. Many people also recognize her shouts or bellows in dark nights and in dangerous weather. She lives in entangled places, with leafy trees, away from the noise of civilization in hot forests with harmful animals.
The peasants say that when the Madremonte bathes in the head-boards of the rivers, they become muddy and overflow, causing floods and strong tempests that cause frightful damage. She protects her boundaries and punishes those who invade her lands: the perjured, the perverse, the unfaithful spouses and the vagabonds.
Note: This is audiobook is in Spanish.
© and (P)2007 Editorial Fonolibros, SA.
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Spending spree over: PM closes coffers on conservation
Page Tools
John Howard's willingness to spend money during this election campaign has shocked many, but yesterday his stinginess was the surprise.
He has promised about $65 billion since budget day but could find only $52 million to preserve Tasmania's native forests. Labor's $800 million offering for the same job earlier this week was more than three times the $250 million conservation groups said would be needed to wean the Tasmanian logging industry off its reliance on chopping down old-growth forests. The Coalition is offering a fifth of that.
The Labor plan was criticised for lacking detail, not because it was underfunded. The Coalition's offering has more detail but that does not mean it will not save trees in Parliament's next term.
The difference between the two policies is neatly summarised by the respective jobs promises by the Coalition and Labor. Labor says there will be no net jobs losses, while the Coalition says no job losses at all. It might look like a subtle difference but its not.
This shows Labor's proposal assumes a move away from logging old-growth forests, requiring a lot of cash for compensation and industry restructuring.
There is no compensation plan in the Coalition proposal. Environmentalists say that proves 6000 hectares of native forest will keep being destroyed each year.
The Coalition plan offers a raft of subsidies and handouts to the logging industry, without demanding many conservation gains in return. The biggest single policy measure offered by the Coalition yesterday is $20 million for "industry revitalisation".
The first phrase of the Coalition document signals its priority. "The Coalition Government recognises the importance of the forest-products industry to the Tasmanian economy," it says.
But it may not do much for forest workers in the long run.
An angry conservation movement is bound to step up its opposition to old-growth logging in Tasmania after yesterday's announcement. It has considerable resources and political clout - the Greens are currently polling 12 per cent in the Senate.
Because the conservation outcome from the Coalition's policy is so limited, the political dispute over Tasmania's native forests is likely to intensify.
The uncertainty created by this conflict puts the perennial question mark over the industry's access to old-growth forests. This threatens to, in turn, undermine the investment necessary to keep the industry viable in its current form. A move away from logging native forests seems to be the only option for the Tasmanian timber industry, but Mr Howard's offering does not look like doing much to achieve that.
If the Coalition wins the election, the Tasmanian forest controversy looks certain to erupt as a federal election issue again in three years.


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Wednesday, July 6, 2011
My Friend....New Stampin'Up! set
Hope you didn't say up to late last night and that your 4th was fabulous. Here it was great....neighborhood get together are always great. Okay know lets talk about this card. First I have to say this is one of my favorite set, I have 4 set that I will use them a lots can you guest the 4 of them. I know it's more then 4 set that I like/love in the new catalog but Love at first sight I have 4 of them.This card I use the in-color card stock, Lucky Limeade, Island Indigo. The punch is a new on to call "Lace Ribbon Border", plus i use the new in-color brads, love the polka dots on them. Well this wrap it up for today. Have a great day!
Posted by France Martin at 1:36 AM
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Rowving Smith
» Click to list general statistics » OR, select a date :
Day And Night....!
When you said
You are my Sun...
I wasn't paying attention
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United Overseas Bank's Profit Rises as Bad-Loan Costs Decline in Singapore
United Overseas Bank Ltd., Singapore's second-largest lender by market value, reported a 28 percent increase in quarterly profit as declining bad-loan charges offset a slump in client trading and share sales.
Net income jumped to S$602 million ($444.7 million) in the three months ended June 30 from S$470 million a year earlier as non-interest income plunged 31 percent, the Singapore-based company said in a statement today.
Swings in stock and bond markets, and signs of economic headwinds in the U.S., Europe and China have deterred clients from trading and making share sales, trimming earnings' gains. Singapore's three-month interbank lending rate, or Sibor, has averaged 0.6 percent this year, hampering net interest margins.
"The numbers demonstrate the revenue challenges for the bank," said Sanjay Jain, a Singapore-based analyst at Credit Suisse Group AG. "I'm hoping the margin decline will not be severe in the second half."
United Overseas fell 1.1 percent to S$19.30 at the close of trade in Singapore. The shares have dropped 2 percent this year, compared with a 3 percent increase in the benchmark Straits Times Index.
Profit matched the S$602.6 million average second-quarter estimate of eight analysts surveyed by Bloomberg.
Bad-Loan Costs
Second-quarter bad-loan costs fell 88.9 percent to S$52 million from a year ago, mainly because of lower collective and individual impairment on loans.
Non-interest income fell to S$382 million in the period from S$551 million a year ago, as trading and investment income tumbled 95 percent to S$12 million, United Overseas said.
Net interest income, or the difference between what the bank makes from lending and what it pays on deposits, fell 2.6 percent to S$884 million in the quarter mainly from lower interest margin. The net interest margin, a measure of loan profitability, narrowed to 2.14 percent from 2.35 percent a year earlier, it said.
Rival Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp.'s second-quarter profit missed analysts' estimates, as its trading earnings also slumped and its lending margins narrowed. DBS Group Holdings Ltd., Southeast Asia's biggest lender, last month reported an unexpected second-quarter loss of S$300 million as it booked a one-time goodwill impairment charge at its Hong Kong unit because of pressure on interest margins.
Regional Markets
United Overseas' fees and commission income, including credit card and fund management fees, grew 27 percent to S$285 million as economic conditions improved and net loans grew 6.1 percent to S$103.8 billion from a year earlier as the bank lent more to home buyers and the general commerce sector.
The Singapore government expects the Southeast Asian island's economy to expand 13 percent to 15 percent in 2010. Growth accelerated to 18.1 percent in the first half, the fastest pace since records began in 1975.
United Overseas is growing key regional markets such as Malaysia, Indonesia and Thailand, and has reduced loans in western countries, it said in a briefing today. The company also said it plans to keep its scrip-dividend plan for the time being.
The lender will focus on growth in the region outside Singapore, Chief Executive Officer Wee Ee Cheong said in a briefing in Singapore today. The company is looking at organic growth, Chief Financial Officer Lee Wai Fai said.
To contact the reporter on this story: Joyce Koh in Singapore at firstname.lastname@example.com


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- 1 pound orzo
- 2 tablespoons white wine vinegar
- 1 tablespoon mayonnaise
- 1 1/2 cups marinated bocconcini, quartered, plus 1/2 cup of the marinating oil
- Salt and freshly ground pepper
- 1 pint grape tomatoes, halved
- 1/2 cup chopped pitted kalamata olives
- 2 scallions, thinly sliced
- 5 ounces baby spinach
In a large saucepan of boiling salted water, cook the orzo until al dente. Drain and cool under running water. Shake out any excess water.
In a large bowl, whisk the vinegar with the mayonnaise. Add the marinating oil from the bocconcini and whisk until smooth. Season with salt and pepper. Stir in the orzo, tomatoes, olives, scallions and bocconcini and let stand for 30 minutes. Just before serving, fold in the spinach and serve.


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|You are in: Business
Wednesday, 10 May, 2000, 01:12 GMT 02:12 UK
Triumphant Rover's return
By Business Correspondent Mark Foster
John Towers stepped out of the Rover 75 he had just driven through the gates of Longbridge to be greeted like a conquering hero.
He was immediately flanked by the waiting media and as he made his way towards the conference centre workers patted him on the back like an FA Cup winner on his way to collect a medal.
To the workers and their families, Mr Towers has emerged the hero of the hour.
They know him from his days as chief executive of Rover, a post he quit shortly after BMW took over six years ago.
Fortunes transformed
During his time at the helm, the notoriously strike-happy Longbridge plant enjoyed trouble-free industrial relations as Towers turned a £40m loss into a £90m profit.
He once described the workforce as a company's greatest asset - little wonder then he has made the workers shareholders in the new Rover venture.
One-third of the assets will be held in trust for the workforce.
Even so 1,000 people will have to go.
Normally job losses on that scale would cast a pall over any factory but Rover already has a queue of 3,000 volunteers for redundancy.
Given the many thousand jobs that could have gone under closure or sale to Alchemy, nothing was going to overshadow a sun-drenched Longbridge.
Throughout the day workers had gathered for celebrations outside Q Gate and on the grass of Cofton Park opposite - once the scene of many a mass meeting but now a small media encampment with satellite dishes and radio masts blending in with the trees.
The now familiar John Bull was resplendent in his hunting pink and was accompanied by three British bull dogs - symbolising the determination here to succeed with the Phoenix bid.
Anger and emotion
They say there is no place for sentiment in business but the Rover saga has seen an outpouring of anger and emotion.
I asked John Towers if he was glad to be back on familiar ground and he replied he had seen good days and bad days at Longbridge but this was an emotional day.
He added he felt that emotion was one of the things which had helped push through the Phoenix deal.
The tide of public feeling for Rover to be saved had got the members of the consortium to rally to the flag and supported them in their round-the-clock negotiations with BMW.
See also:
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Acoustic Archives
Trans-Allegheny Archive
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum in Weston, West Virginia was a unique location we decided to try and capture both the many acoustics of this historic space as well as the possibility of unexplained audio. Trans-Allegheny is the oldest stone mason building in the country. Its 500,000 square foot structure is a daunting reminder of a time long forgotten.
The Kirkbride Plan
The doors first opened in 1864, it was part of the Kirkbride plan. An asylum
that gave its residents more privacy and sunlight, Trans-Allegheny was originally intended to house 250 patients. At its peak it held 2600. In 1994, it closed its doors for good and lay vacant for years. In 2007, it was purchased by a contractor looking to restore it as one of Americas most interesting structures.
In our day at the asylum, we were able to capture the sounds of roughly 40 different rooms. The older parts of the building like the Civil War wing, were especially large sounding. We worked our way up, each floor capturing different hallways, isolation rooms, bathrooms,etc. As acousticians, it was a fascinating day. Hearing all of the different sounds available in one location was truly amazing. Rarely do you get to experience the sonic structure of a building this unique.
The Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Reverb Video Demo
13 of the 40 Archived Rooms
(Recorded using Murkuri Microphones)
Heritage & Ghost
tours are available at
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
in Weston, WV
For more information
please visit
Trans-Allegheny Lunatic Asylum
Content copyright
Main Navigation
Acoustic Archives
Trans-Allegheny Archive
Morris-Jumel Mansion
Carrie Blast Furnace
About Us


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1. That you will become a "Product Junky."
Which you probably are already. Oh the sweet serenity of denial.
2. Walking through spider webs.
Sure, this is scary for everyone. But when a spider gets stuck in an afro, he may never be found again. It's a frightening experience for both human and arachnid.
Or worse, that a bee will get stuck in your fro and sting you. Especially when using products like this:
3. That natural hair bloggers will find something else to do with their spare time.
Melshary and Whitney (Naptural85) are goddesses among us.
4. Never being able to keep your hair moisturized.
5. That your homemade hair products will turn out all wrong.
Didn't thoroughly blend the avocado? Plan on picking that stuff out for hours. Overdo it on the honey? Sticky situation.
6. That Solange Knowles will straighten her hair with a relaxer.
7. Wasting even a single drop of your favorite conditioner.
Not the Carol's Daughter Monoi Repairing Conditioner! Anything but that!
8. Offices that don't allow scarves as headwear.
9. Or people that won't accept you due to your "unprofessional hair."
10. Combs.
Yep, combs. They are handheld torture devices. Finger detangling saves, my friends.
11. People discovering that your "Michelle Obama arms" aren't from pushups, but from hours spent washing and styling your hair.
12. An emergency happening on wash day.
Oh, there's a fire in your building? You could just avoid inhaling the smoke until your treatment is over, right?
13. Washing your hair at night and not having a clue what it will look like in the morning.
Or if it will be completely dry by then.
14. That your pastor will discover you read curlynikki.com more than you read scripture.
The most comprehensive collection of natural hair advice on the Web? Hallelujah.
15. That you will straighten your hair and never see your precious curls again.
Sorry, hair. So, so sorry.
16. Getting caught in heavy rain, or plunging into deep waters.
Underwater? Nope, this twist out took too long. Sorry!
17. That Shea butter or coconut oil will suddenly be in short supply.
19. That someone will catch a glimpse of you before you can fluff in the morning.
A good night's rest makes for a disheveled and unintentional fauxhawk.
20. That your braids will be too tight and you'll have to take down your protective style.
So much for leaving your hair alone for awhile.
21. That you'll never really be able to wear a hat.
22. That the local store won't have what your hair needs.
Apparently "ethnic" shelves are the only ones that can hold natural hair products, and not all stores have them.
23. You'll never really be sure which "type" of hair you have on your head.
During transition phases you probably have more than one type.
24. That your braid outs and twist outs will end up looking a hot mess.
And don't even THINK about taking your hair down before it's dry. Unless the style you're going for is Frizzy Puff Ball.
25. Styling without EVOO gel.
You sprung for the huge bargain size but you still have nightmares about running out.
26. That people will discover what your hair looks like at night.
Braids tonight = healthy curl definition tomorrow. Hush, haters.
27. The idea of sleeping without a satin pillowcase.
28. That the hair will someday take over.
It's only a matter of time.
29. And yes, STILL: people who touch your hair without asking.


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What the…? Mother Lets 7-Year-Old Son Wear KKK Costume for Halloween [VIDEO]
The sheet has hit the fan.
The sheet has hit the fan.
Sure, parallel parking is tough, but who knew it might be easier than simply backing out?
If there was a Bad Idea Hall of Fame, the brain trust behind this video would probably be a first-ballot inductee.
When it comes to pulling off a robbery, this sad sack fell on his face.
The customer may always be right. But that's no reason to get the police involved.
Fun and games turned into flying fists recently at a Chuck E. Cheese.
A TV station in Oakland, California was left red-faced after making a major mistake in its coverage of last week's Asiana Airlines crash.
Now that the Supreme Court has ruled in matters of love between people of the same gender, maybe it can finally tackle the long-neglected issue of love between people and furniture.
With the outrageous baggage fees passengers have to cough up these days, you'd think the airlines could at least treat our precious cargo with some care. Not so fast.
Buyer, beware.
Do you have one of those friends or family members who are really good about getting drunk and obnoxious at important events, or even random get-togethers? Chances are, they've got nothing on this woman.
A woman in Sacramento, California is about to become the cigarette butt of many jokes.


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Today, the Software Freedom Law Center published Managing Copyright Information within a Free Software Project, a guide to help developers maintain the license and copyright notices associated with their projects.
SFLC News: 2012
Aaron Williamson testified before the U.S. Copyright Office on Tuesday, in support of SFLC's proposed exemption to the anti-circumvention provisions of the Digital Millennium Copyright Act (DMCA). The exemption, if granted, would make it legal for owners of personal computing devices to circumvent DRM for the purpose of installing alternative operating systems and applications.
The Software Freedom Law Center responded on Friday to comments submitted in the DMCA exemption rulemaking process by the Business Software Alliance, Recording Industry Association of America, Motion Picture Association of America, and several other content industry groups. SFLC's full reply is here; it begins with this summary:


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Welcomes the classes of 1921-2014
Serra Catholic High School - McKeesport, PA
Class of 2002 Mini Reunion
The class of 2002 held a mini reunion on Saturday, July 15th at Voodoo Brewery in Homestead. A good time was had by all.
Pictured left to right: Maureen Shields, Nick Cervo, Stef Haughey, Katie Baurnes, Natalie Ludwick, Matt Mendencino, Julie Poljak, Jill Betters and Nick Kotun
JaQuae Jackson and Khalil Smith were placed on the offensive ballot for the Kennywood Preseason All Star Team. We can vote one time per day through July 15th. The link to the voting site is: http://www.msasports.net/
Please vote as many times as you can, and let's get these boys and the team some great preseason recognition!
JaQuae is listed under the Wide Receiver category.
Khalil is listed under the Running Back category.
Go Serra!
Michael J. Luft Named Serra 2017 Commencement Speaker
Congratulations, Mr. Luft! To read about Mr. Luft visit the Serra website at (serrahs.org).
Congratulations Rostraver Ice Gardens - Kraft Hockeyville Winner!
Save the Date!
St. Peter High School
Classes of 1967 50th Reunion
June 2nd- June 4th 2017
Hampton Inn & Suites, Strip District
Check the Facebook page for more details: St. Peter's HS Class of '67 - 50th Reunion
Save the Date!
Serra and St. Peter's Classes of 1966
50th Class Reunion
Friday September 23rd
Puzzler's Restuarant - 2714 Walnut St, McKeesport, PA 15132
7:00 p.m.
$10.00 per person at the door, cash bar
Classes of 1965, 1967 and 1968 welcome to attend!
Saturday, September 24th
Grand View Golf Club - 1000 Clubhouse Dr, Braddock Hills, PA 15104
5:00 Cocktail hour
6:00 Dinner
Business casual
$50/person, $80/couple – Includes dinner and entertainment
Make checks payable to Joe Pricener and mail to:
Serra Catholic High School
1966 Reunion
200 Hershey Drive
McKeesport, PA 15132
For more information, contact:
Joe Pricener – email@example.com
Assunta Como Tyskiewicz – firstname.lastname@example.com
Toni Hudak Dominick – email@example.com or 412-372-7844
Update your contact info through this site or send an email to firstname.lastname@example.com!
Bob Rozanski Honored
Congratulations to long-time Serra boys coach, Bob Rozanski, who was inducted into the Pittsburgh Basketball Club Hall of Fame this past Saturday!
Serra's first graduating class will celebrate their 50th reunion over the weekend of October 9th, 2015. Please RSVP to email@example.com with your most recent contact information. Details to follow. While visitng our Grand Reunion site, be sure to update your classmate profile, too!
Serra will host its Annual Golf Outing on June 8th, 2015 at Youghiogheny Country Club. Contact the Development Office at email@example.com or 412.751.2020 to verify your contact information before we send out the invitations!
23nd Annual Juniper's Journey Auction
Thank you to our Co-Chairs, volunteers, sponsors, donors & attendees for making this event a success!
Serra Catholic 2015-2016 Annual Fund
(July 1, 2015-June 30, 2016)
Have you considered making a gift to Serra this year in support of tuition assistance? Every dollar counts as we plan for the future of Serra Catholic!
Click the button below to make secure, tax-deductible donation - it will only take a few minutes! Thank you in advance.
Read more about the happenings at your alma mater...
2015 Class Reunion Planning
Contact the Development Office for a class contact list and learn the ways in which we can assist you with advertising your event to classmates.
Click the"Upcoming Reunions" tab for photos and reunion info for the year!
Congratulations to our Distinguished Alumni Class of 2014!
Serra Catholic is Named as a
2014 School of Excellence!
On September 15, 2014, The Cardinal Newman Society released the list of schools recognized by the Catholic Education Honor Roll as 2014 Schools of Excellence. Serra Catholic High School is among the schools being designated on the Honor Roll as a School of Excellence.
In order to be considered for this award, schools must demonstrate the three "Indicators of Excellence," including:
Institutional Commitment– the school demonstrates in all aspects and associations, a commitment to Catholic principles
Mission-Centered Individuals– when retained, every school leader, administrator, and faculty member is evaluated for a sincere commitment to enhance the Catholic identity of the school
Protecting the Mission– the school develops and maintains programs to ensure the enhancement of the school's Catholic identity
The entire Serra community shares in the celebration of this recognition. It is especially a tribute to Serra's teachers who every day implement the very aspects by which this award is designated: outstanding education and integration of Catholic identity throughout the curriculum. Thanks to all who serve to advance the mission of Serra Catholic High School - you are the reason we have been designated as one of the top schools in the nation and why we continue to receive this honor today.


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To read more about YouTube photo booth hire go to this web site: click for more


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I would like to thank the Rev. Bill Knight for the book, "Mill Hill Memories," he recently completed. Bill spent approximately three years interviewing people, collecting photos, personal stories and information from families and other sources. I appreciate his tireless effort and long hours spent putting this book together.
Thanks to him I now have many years of photos and memorials combined in one book.
In the Jan. 31 edition of The Lancaster News, I wrote a column titled, "We cannot judge what goes on in another person's mind."
In that column, I misquoted Myra McCants. I said McCants wrote in a Dec. 30 letter to the editor that anyone who commits suicide commits an unforgivable sin in the eyes of God.
McCants did not use those words. McCants actually said, "Suicide is a selfish act."
A great deal of debate ensued recently when I announced a proposal to raise South Carolina's lowest-in-the-nation cigarette tax to the national average, with the proceeds split between health care and education. I remain convinced that this is the right course of action for our state.
On Tuesday, Feb. 9, Lancaster City Council will vote on an ordinance to annex four Arrowood Estates lots into the city. If it passes, this vote will open the door for more of Arrowood to be annexed.
In 1962, my father started development of a subdivision outside the city limits. With him, our family trekked through deep woods as he imagined and planned how this subdivision would evolve. He found an arrow that would determine the name for his, and others, dream, Arrowood.
A fire at a vacant motel last week has been ruled an arson, Lancaster Police Department Capt. Harlean Howard said.
Dozens of firefighters from the city of Lancaster and several county volunteer departments battled the Feb. 24 blaze at the former Budget Inn on North Main Street. The 40-room motel, which has been closed for several years, is behind the Travelodge.
Arson investigators from the State Law Enforcement Division were called to assist the Lancaster Police Department with the investigation.
I am writing this letter as a businessman, parent, taxpayer, a fiscal conservative and former chair of the State Board of Education. We have an opportunity in South Carolina to reduce some of the public education bureaucracy in Columbia by sunsetting the Education Oversight Committee (EOC.)
I ask the General Assembly to support the bill introduced by Rep. Bakari Sellers (D-Bamberg), which will do exactly this.
The University of South Carolina at Lancaster will host a workshop designed to give local community members training in oral history collection.
Recognizing that families, churches and other centers of worship, and even businesses and civic organizations, often have histories that are not written down, but are carried in the memories of elders in the community, USCL is bringing together a group of scholars and oral historians to promote the collection of oral history and local community traditions.
The following letter was sent to the See Lancaster Committee on Dec. 31, 2009. We asked for a response. As of Feb. 22, 2010, we have not had a response.
Dear Committee Members:
The Santa Train has become a tradition that has been enjoyed by many children and adults, also. We have taken our grandchildren to ride the train, which is an enjoyable ride, and enjoyed the food, activities and talking with Santa for a number of years. Everything had been an enjoyable experience until this year.
I read an article in The Lancaster News that absolutely infuriated me. While the people in the 5th Congressional District have an overwhelming unemployment rate, our Congressman John Spratt waltzes off to Afghanistan.
Now what did John Spratt think he was going to accomplish there?
How about staying either in Washington or your district in South Carolina and finding companies that might want to relocate to the 5th District and employ your constituents?
To Lowe's Home Improvement, Bob Clemmer and Lancaster Tours, to the drivers for Lancaster Tours who volunteered their time and wages during the Christmas season, to the many individuals in Lancaster, Rock Hill, York and surrounding areas, to 103.7FM radio station and their listeners, to Home Depot, to Jenny Arnold and The Lancaster News, and lastly to any other businesses, groups or individuals who donated money, gifts, time and prayers for the soldiers of the 174th MAC National Guard Unit Wellford, SC and the 1222nd National Guard Unit Fort Mill, S.C., we would like to say thank you.
Copyright © 2017
The Lancaster News is your source for local news, sports, events, and information in Lancaster County and Lancaster, South Carolina, and the surrounding area..


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Vacant, run-down homes can be a blight on a neighborhood, affecting the value of adjacent homes that are occupied.
The federal government a few years ago came out with the Neighborhood Stabilization Program (NSP) in recognition of the blight. NSP grants were given to some cities to purchase vacant, foreclosed homes and either rehabilitate them for resale or demolish them.
The city of Princeton received an NSP grant in April 2009 for $796,254. The city, with Lakes & Pines Community Action Council administering the grant, acquired seven residential properties.
Of those, the city rehabilitated four of the homes to resell, demolished two more single-family residences and started a redevelopment project at the seventh property.
Of the two single-family dwellings the city had demolished, the city split the one lot and donated the resulting two lots to the East Central Minnesota Habitat for Humanity affiliate, which then built two Habitat homes.
The second property where a house demolition took place, is still held by the city for use in improving drainage in the area.
The last mentioned property acquired through the grant was the former Arcadian Homes complex along West Branch Street. The three Arcadian Homes structures with their 12 rental units had gone into foreclosure. They were not maintained properly at that point and were vacated after being deemed unfit for human habitation. The city purchased the property from a bank, had the buildings destroyed and the land cleared for planned redevelopment. The Central Minnesota Housing Partnership has been selected to do that project.


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CHAP Announces New Leadership For Its Board Of Directors
Posted on Wednesday, February 11, 2015 11:08 AMDuring a recent meeting, the CHAP Board of Directors (Board) voted on a number of leadership transitions that took effect earlier this month. CHAP's Board of Directors includes volunteer industry leaders representing community-based health care providers, consumers and the payer community:
- Elizabeth "Liz" Buff has previously served as board chair and is now immediate past chair. Most recently, she was senior vice president of quality management and clinical excellence at the Visiting Nurse Service of New York.
- Kathleen "Kathy" Dodd is now board chair after serving as chair elect. Kathy is the chair emeritus at The Corridor Group, Inc.
- Peggy Pettit is now chair elect. Peggy is the executive vice president at VITAS Healthcare Corporation.
- David Matayas has replaced Kevin McQueen as treasurer. David is a member at the law firm Epstein Becker Green.
- Warren Hebert will remain in his role as board secretary. Warren is the CEO of the HomeCare Association of Louisiana.


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Not too much movement went on out of the South this week when the Scout rankings were updates, but there was a few movers.
The biggest move was in the 2016 rankings -- Shea Patterson is the new No. 1 quarterback in the country.
The Arizona commit took over the spot and Malik Henry moved down to No. 2. Patterson was a four-star, now both he and Henry are five-star quarterbacks and Patterson is the No. 9 overall prospect in the country.
Greg Biggins is a national recruiting analyst on the West region and he's had the luxury of seeing each signal caller throw this year.
Patterson, a 6-foot-2, 190 pound quarterback with mobility stood out to him.
"I had a chance to see Patterson throw for three days at the Steve Clarkson QB Retreat in San Diego over Memorial Day weekend and was thoroughly impressed. In fact it only took about 3-4 throws to see the kid was a special talent," said Biggins."His footwork, quick release, live arm, accuracy and ability to throw with heat or touch depending on the throw really jumped out to me. His pocket mobility, presence and ability to move around, while keeping his eyes down the field was equally impressive. On top of the physical ability, Patterson also showed an advanced feel for understanding the different reads he had to make and picking up a complex college offense should't be an issue for him.
"Throw in a tireless work ethic off the field and Patterson definitely has all the tools to play early at the next level."
Just like he impressed Biggins out West, he did the same when competing in the South. Patterson was already the No. 1 quarterback in the South for Chad Simmons, now he is No. 1 overall.
The only other mover in the 2016 class it outside linebacker Jaleel Laguins. The 6-2, 207 pound athlete tested off the charts at Georgia Friday night and you put that with his tape -- it is very impressive.
Laguins was offered by Auburn and Georgia at camp last weekend and Florida and Penn State each offered in June. The Watkinsville (Ga.) Oconee junior is now the No. 14 outside linebacker on Scout.
Moving to the 2015 class, the biggest move there was offensive tackle Emanuel McGirt. He impressed Scout at the Charlotte NFTC early in the spring and he did it again in Athens, Ga. at Dawg Night.
The 6-5, 270 pound senior out of Durham (N.C.) Hillside is now No. 24 at offensive tackle on Scout and No. 9 in the South. He is athletic, he is versatile, and he has real upside. The North Carolina commit is now a Scout 300 prospect.
Another offensive tackle, Abdul Bello rose up the rankings some too after seeing him live again at Florida State last week. The Montverde (Fla.) Academy senior is now the No. 15 prospect at his position. He committed to FSU Tuesday.
A prospect that is starting to emerge this summer is Orange Park (Fla.) Oakleaf defensive back Chris Westry. He camped at Auburn Sunday, he was offered as a cornerback. Scout now ranks the senior as a safety. No. 73 is where the 6-foot-4, 180 pounder now ranks at his position on Scout.
Patterson IMG 7v7 Highlights:


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Sysco Corporation (NYSE: SYY) is a large market cap stock with a market cap of 28857.86. It is in the Food Wholesale industry and sector Services, with a current P/E of 36.94, a forward P/E of 22.73 and EPS of 1.39. At a stock price of 51.2 (0.93%) it has a dividend yield of 2.42%.
EPS growth for the last five years have been -10.40%, more recently this last year it has grown by -27.10%. The next year growth is going to be about 10.71% and more long-term 9.77% after five years. EPS growth quarter over quarter is 28.70%. Sales growth for the past five years have been 5.50% and sales growth quarter over quarter is 2.20%.
For performance, Sysco Corporation the past week has seen a gain of 3.65%. For the last month performance for Sysco Corporation is 5.36%. While the last quarter is 10.33% and half year, 28.71%. Finally for the year, performance is 47.63%.
The 52-week high for Sysco Corporation, is at 0.51%, and for the 52-week low it comes to a value of 48.58%. The 20-day simple moving average is 5.31% and 17.97% for the 200-day simple moving average.
Volatility for the week is at 1.36%, and for the month it is 1.19%. Sysco Corporation, has a target price of 49.78.
In terms of debt, long term debt/equity is 1.08, and for total debt/equity Sysco Corporation has 1.1. The gross margin is 17.80%, while operating margin is 2.90%, the profit margin is 1.60%. The current ratio is 1.7 and the quick ratio is 1.
Insider ownership is at 0.30%, with instituitional ownership at 79.80%. Sysco Corporation has a payout ratio of 87.40%. With the total shares outstanding coming to 563.63. The shares float is 562.14, with the float short at 2.72%, with short ratio coming to 4.03.
In terms of returns, the return on assets see Sysco Corporation, get 5.60%, with its returns on investment at 7.20%. Return on equity is 17.50%. So will the investors see the target price of 49.78, reached soon?
Disclaimer: Remember there is a risk to your investment, this is not a recommendation, nor personal advice, never invest more than you are able too loose.


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Top 10 Most Expensive Sales for May 2008
I'm a little late putting May's list up, but better late then never!
1. Etudes à l'Eau-Forte by Francis Seymour Haden – $17,216
A collection of 25 etchings by Seymour Hayden. 24 of the plates depict the landscape around London, the Thames, Ireland and Wales and the final plate is a portrait of Thomas Haden. The text reproduces an article printed in the Gazette des Beaux-Arts by Philippe Burty and contains a catalogue of the etched work of Seymour Haden.
2. Grimms Fairy Tales by Jakob and Wilhelm Grimm – $11,388
A first edition, first issue copy of these famous fairy tales, includes 22 etched plates by George Cruikshank. Housed in clamshell box.
3. Atlas der Krystallformen by Victor Goldschmidt – $8500
A complete 18 volume treatise on modern mineralogy by the man considered to be the founder of modern geochemistry and crystal chemistry, developer of the Goldschmidt Classification of elements.
4. Traité élémentaire de Chimie by Antoine-Laurent de Lavoisier – $7709
Second printing of Traité élémentaire de Chimie, which is considered to be the first modern chemistry Textbook created. Lavoisier has been called the father of modern chemistry and is credited with the introduction of the metric system and the law of conservation of mass.
5. The Library of Treasury of French Law by Laurent Bouchel – $6356
A digest of the laws of France put together in alphabetical order by the lawyer and French writer Laurent Bouchel in 1615.
6. English Etchings – A Collection of Original Etching – $5867
An 8 volume set of the English Etchings series of prints. A thorough survey of the etched work of English artists such as William Strang, James McNeill Whistler, Frank Short, Percy Thomas, Herbert Marshall, Robert Currie, Buxton Knight and Oliver Baker among othes.
7. The Four Books of Architecture by Andrea Palladio – $5844
A treatise by the Italian Renaissance architect widely considered to be one of the most influential people in the history of Western architecture. This was the first French edition (1640), which included woodcuts from the original Italian edition of 1570
8. A Room of One's Own by Virginia Woolf – $4950
A limited, signed, first edition copy of this 1929 essay on feminism.
9. The Collected Poems by D.H. Lawrence – $4893
A limited first edition, one of 100 numbered copies that were signed by Lawrence. This 1928 two volume collection comes with a cream dustjacket that is especially prone to wear, thus making fine copies highly desirable


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Members of religious orders have been and continue to be at the forefront of the Catholic Church's evangelizing efforts; they are not just "resources" to be used for new programs, said the head of the international organization of women's religious orders.
Sr. Mary Lou Wirtz, an American who is the general superior of the Daughters of the Sacred Hearts of Jesus and Mary and president of the International Union of Superiors General, addressed the Synod of Bishops Wednesday.
The working document for the synod on new evangelization referred to religious as a "resource," but religious are more than that, she said. "For centuries, we religious have been a prophetic presence and witness in the church."
The synod discussions about evangelization, she said, seem to have overlooked the key role religious play in sharing the Gospel and educating Catholics.
Wirtz also spoke to the synod about the obligation to reach out to Catholics "who are hurting. Some have already left our institutional church because they cannot find a place to belong; others remain within the church but are struggling and searching for something that nourishes their soul."
Many Catholics, nominal or not, want to share their burdens in a nonjudgmental atmosphere, she said. "When Blessed Pope John XXIII called the Second Vatican Council, he said that the church was to become more 'pastoral and merciful.'"
Unfortunately today, she said, many people are "alienated by judgmental attitudes or issues of power and control. This only pushes them further away."
Canadian Cardinal Marc Ouellet, prefect of the Congregation for Bishops, also spoke about consecrated men and women in his Oct. 17 talk to the synod.
To be an effective witness of new life in Christ and of the catholicity of the Catholic Church, bishops and members of religious order must work together, he said.
Unity -- with God and with each other -- "becomes the most evocative part of the testimony that believers can offer to their peers," Ouellet said.
The cardinal did not mention specific areas of tension between the church's bishops and religious but acknowledged that, "in relations between the hierarchy and consecrated life, a certain unease has arisen: at times, due to the ignorance" of the gifts of consecrated life and their role in the church, and "at other times due to the inclination of some religious to contest the magisterium" and official teachers of the faith.
Ouellet urged a new reading, and perhaps updating, of the Vatican's 1978 document on relations between religious and bishops and new efforts to engage in the dialogue the document recommended to promote a correct understanding of the roles of each in the church.
He quoted the document: "It would be a serious mistake to make the two realities -- religious life and ecclesial structures -- independent one of the other or to oppose one to the other as if they could subsist as two distant entities, one charismatic, the other institutional. Both elements -- namely the spiritual gifts and the ecclesial structures -- form one, even though complex, reality."
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text: Arizona Estate Planning Attorney At Gorman & Jones, PLC, we believe that everyone should have an estate plan, regardless of the amount of wealth involved. An estate plan, whether simple or complex, allows you to plan for the future of your family, indicate how your assets will be distributed, and make your wishes clear about care at the end of your life. Estate planning and estate administration is all we do. We use the depth of our experience in this area to benefit our clients.


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These sewing cupcakes are vanilla cake with buttercream. All the sewing details are fondant. I also made the cupcake wrapper with soft cardboard for a good looking.
Vintage Cupcake/ Mod Podge Bday Cake
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Auto Maker Curbs Investments Over Court Ruling
Court Ruling Favoring Union Has Italy's Fiat Pulling Back on a Export Push
TURIN, Italy—Fiat SpA Chief Executive Sergio Marchionne said he halted further investments designed to increase exports from the auto maker's Italian factories after a court ruling that could hinder the auto maker's efforts to stanch losses.
The July 3 ruling was a victory for Fiom-Cgil, an Italian metalworkers union that has been fighting Fiat's efforts to reduce labor costs at a time when European sales are slumping. Mr. Marchionne...


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[This post is part of the conversation around the new book, Hijacked: Responding to the Partisan Church Divide, now featured at the Patheos Book Club.]
I just finished watching the HBO movie "Game Change," which gives one perspective on the selection of Sarah Palin for the GOP vice-presidential slot in the 2008 McCain campaign. Those on the political right seem to be convinced the movie was too hard on Palin; those on the political left are sure it was too easy on her. It's an interesting debate, but not one I want to have here. Instead, I want to draw attention to a scene that comes very late in the movie, one which corresponds to real events from early October in 2008. In a town hall meeting in Lakeville, Minnesota, McCain took the microphone from a supporter who had referenced then Senator Obama as an Arab. After taking it, he responded, "No, ma'am. No, ma'am. He's a decent family man, a citizen whom I just happen to have serious differences with on fundamental questions." Rather than attempting further to exploit divisive and inaccurate partisan bickering, McCain sought to refocus the discussion. The question was not who was a "real American," but rather a question of ideas and policies and that's where the discussion belonged.
Evidences indicate that this election cycle is going to be remarkably vicious, even by today's political standards. So, when it comes to the inevitable partisan attacks that those on the "other" side are not "really Christian," who will imitate McCain? To this point, the signs have not been encouraging. While the President has yet to really start campaigning, the Republican primary has already brought out the charges as to who is and who is not really a follower of Jesus. Santorum has already dubbed the President's faith at least substandard, indicating that he has a "phony theology." Franklin Graham indicated his doubts about the President's faith and considers Mitt Romney, being Mormon and all, not really a Christian. Other religious leaders have already tried to tell us the range of candidates we can support as Christians, presumably because only those on the list are real Christians. Never mind that the list also just happened to match their own political preferences. Convenient, that, how only those on "our" side are "really Christian." Of course, we can expect it only to get worse.
Also, late in the movie, Game Change, there was an interesting exchange between a couple of characters as they observed how easily the crowds were whipped up to treat their rival as "other." "There is a dark side to American politics." By that, they meant that the willingness to completely abandon civility and respond to a campaign with our basest and most fearful emotions is never very far. That dark side is easily unleashed, and once unleashed, remarkably hard to get back under control. It took a statesman to do that in the last election. McCain had to take the microphone and indicate that he was not going to let the campaign deteriorate into the kind of name calling we noted above. Will there be a John McCain-like figure this time? One who will step up, one who has the credentials as a statesman, and simply say, "No, no, the campaign is not about disrespecting each other as Christian sisters and brothers, which in fact, we are. We do, however, have serious policy disagreements, and we are going to stay focused on them for our debates." On the one hand, I hope there is such a statesman; on the other, he hasn't shown up yet.
Dr. Charles (Chuck) Gutenson is Chief Operating Officer of Sojourners. He previously served 10 years at Asbury Seminary in Kentucky, most recently as the professor of Theology and Philosophy. Chuck is the author of three books and numerous articles on a variety of theological and philosophical articles.


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In a perfect world our elected representatives would sit down with each other, craft laws that help society and, when they don't work, fix what is wrong with them.
Sadly when a law gets passed, it is difficult to fix any problems that result from it. This is because politics is not about good government. Politics is about power.
When a law is passed but has a few problems, it is in the interest of those who opposed the law to wail about how much of a failure it is. Conversely, it is in the interest of those who supported the law to not amend it because to do so would be an admission of failure.
As a result, we have a ton of laws that sort of work but not really, and a Congress paralyzed to do anything about it. As an educator, I believe No Child Left Behind would be good example. These laws are well-intentioned, but things get bogged in the execution, and special interests also have reasons to keep things bogged down. The No Child Left Behind Act was jokingly called the No Testing Company Left Behind Act.
As voters, we really need to start asking our politicians to fix what they can. House Speaker John Boehner has mentioned that some interest groups are misleading people. I have to agree with him. Interest groups focus on getting the party's candidate elected by promoting misleading sound bites as facts.
One example is the sound bite that the poor don't pay their share of income taxes. That's like complaining the homeless don't pay their share of property taxes. If we include sales tax, payroll taxes, etc., the bottom 20 percent pay twice as much in taxes as a share of their income than the top 1 percent.
So how do we get past the misinformation and get our government functioning? It starts of course with critical thinking. As voters, we have an obligation to challenge our own beliefs and be in general educated about all sides of an issue.
Thomas Jefferson perhaps summed it up best: "If a nation expects to be ignorant and free in a state of civilization, it expects what never was and never will be. If we are to guard against ignorance and remain free, it is the responsibility of every American to be informed."
Another barrier to functioning is that our congressional representatives aren't very representative of the people.
Gerrymandered districts and a primary system that favors party extremes has made it very difficult to get fair and equal representation. Fairvote: The Center for Voting and Democracy suggests districts be merged so each has three Representatives. On Election Day the three candidates with the most votes are elected. This has the potential to help create a third-party voice as well.
We may also consider an amendment changing a representative's term from two to four years. At this point, candidates are basically raising money and running for office instead of reading and repairing laws. Since they are constantly campaigning, it's easy to understand how they may not have time to become well-informed about all sides of an issue.
It also makes them easy prey for lobbyists with large campaign donations.
These would be giant changes and honestly aren't likely, but hopefully, as a nation, we can begin to discuss it. We really need to find a way to have a government more representative and understanding of the needs of the people. The fate of the republic is at stake.
Brandon Givens is a Gainesville resident. His columns appear occasionally and on gainesvilletimes.com/viewpoint.


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