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Contract means these terms and conditions together with Your Tariff Details or, if you haven't made an agreement with us, our E.ON EnergyPlan prices.
End Date means the date on which your tariff is due to end, as shown in Your Tariff Details. This only applies to tariffs which have a limited duration – see section 14 to see if this applies to your tariff.
Energy means electricity or natural gas or both.
Exit Fee means the fee you have to pay if you switch to another supplier before the End Date. This only applies to tariffs which have a limited duration – see section 14 to see if this applies to your tariff.
Green Deal means the government scheme which enables a Property to be fitted with Energy-saving improvements that are paid for through the electricity bills for that Property.
Green Deal Charges means the payments we will collect from you if you have a Green Deal. We will pay these to your Green Deal provider on your behalf.
Network Operator means a company which manages part of the gas or electricity distribution systems which carry Energy to your Property.
Property means the home or other premises to which we supply Energy under your Contract with us.
Smart Energy Display means a worktop display unit which is provided with a Smart Meter, and which shows your latest Energy usage and estimated costs.
Smart Meter means a meter that can be communicated with and controlled remotely, for example to obtain meter readings.
Your Tariff Details means the part of the most recent letter we sent you to confirm your Contract with us or, where applicable, changes to your Contract made in accordance with your terms and conditions. Your Tariff Details show the charges and any other terms that apply, for example how you have agreed to pay us.
This Contract is between you, the person or persons responsible for the Energy we supply to the Property, and us, E.ON Energy Solutions Limited. It is the terms and conditions under which you will be supplied by us. Either of us can rely on the law to protect us if the other one breaks those terms and conditions. You can also take complaints to the Energy Ombudsman if we haven't been able to agree a solution with you – see section 9.
In accepting a supply of Energy from us, you confirm that:
Your Contract is made up of these terms and conditions and Your Tariff Details, which make up your entire agreement with us.
Cooling off
You have 14 days from the day you agreed this Contract to change your mind – this is the cooling off period. If you do change your mind, contact us using the contact details provided with Your Tariff Details.
Credit check
When you switch to us we check your credit rating to see whether you might have problems paying your bills on time. We'll ask you for your permission before we do this, but if you refuse you will need to meet certain conditions before we will agree a Contract with you.
We'll also check your credit rating if you want to switch to a standard credit meter from a prepayment meter. If you refuse permission for this we won't agree to the switch.
When we do a credit check we'll check our own records (if we already supply you or have supplied you in the past 12 months) and get information about you from a credit reference agency. You can find out more, including which agencies we use, at eonenergy.com/fairprocessing, or call us on 0345 301 4905. Depending on the results of the credit check we may:
How long will my switch take?
If you're switching to us from another supplier, your switch should be completed no more than 21 days after the end of the cooling off period unless:
This might happen where:
If you've become responsible for the Energy used at the Property, when you start to use Energy at the Property you will be supplied on our standard variable tariff (E.ON EnergyPlan) unless you agree a Contract with us.
You should contact us as soon as possible to tell us you are responsible for the Property so we can bill you accurately. We can also tell you about our other tariffs. You can find details of all our tariffs at eonenergy.com/services, or call us on 0333 202 4608.
If you are a landlord and your tenant has moved out and no-one else has moved in, you will be charged if you use Energy while the Property is empty. Unless you use Energy for mainly domestic purposes, we'll supply you on our terms and conditions for business customers. Our Terms and Conditions for Small and Medium Enterprises are available at eonenergy.com/smeconditions.
Your Contract will end when you switch to another supplier or have your Energy supply permanently disconnected. If you agree a new Contract with us, for example where you switch to another of our tariffs, your new Contract will replace your old one.
In rare circumstances, the Energy regulator Ofgem may arrange for another supplier to take over the supply at your Property. If they do, your Contract with us will end. Your new supplier will contact you if this happens.
If you've agreed a Contract with us, details of your prices are shown in Your Tariff Details. If you haven't agreed a Contract, you'll be charged at our standard variable prices (E.ON EnergyPlan) which are available at eonenergy.com/ourstandardprices, or call us on 0333 202 4608.
In some circumstances we may apply additional charges, including:
More information about additional charges is provided at eonenergy.com/additionalcharges or by calling us on 0345 301 4905.
You will receive a discount on your Energy bills:
Discounts are shown as a yearly amount but are applied to your account daily, so if you leave us before the end of a year we'll pay you for the number of days we supplied you.
If you have a prepayment meter your discounts will be paid by cheque after we have sent your statement.
To work out how much Energy you've used, we need readings from your meter.
If you have a Smart Meter, in most cases we'll be able to read your meter remotely. We'll do this once a month, when we'll collect meter readings for each day of that month unless:
We'll also try to read your Smart Meter remotely when your prices change or you switch to another E.ON tariff. If you switch to another supplier we may read your meter remotely and send the reading to your new supplier, providing we have an agreement with them to do this.
If we can't obtain a reading from your Smart Meter we'll estimate your usage (see section 2.6).
If you don't have a Smart Meter we'll send a meter reader to your Property to read your meter from time to time.
You can give us your meter readings at any time by going to eonenergy.com/meterread or call us on 0345 052 0000.
We'll bill you in kilowatt hours (kWh).
Your gas meter measures your Energy usage in either cubic metres or cubic feet. How much Energy you get from that gas depends on a number of things, such as the quality of the gas and the pressure in your pipes. We will convert your meter reading into a kWh Energy value as required by the Gas Act 1986.
Your electricity meter already measures your Energy in kWh so we don't need to convert your meter reading.
we'll estimate how much you've used. Our estimate will be based on your previous meter readings, information you've told us or what we know about your Property.
If you disagree with our estimate, you should give us an accurate meter reading (see section 2.4).
If, after we've sent you a bill or statement of account (including a final bill), we find out that it was based on inaccurate readings, or any other information we used to calculate the bill was incorrect, we will correct it on your next bill or statement of account or send you a new final bill.
Some payment methods may not be available for some of our tariffs.
Monthly Direct Debit
We will review the amount of your monthly Direct Debit payment at least once a year on your anniversary date, and we'll give you at least ten working days' notice of any changes to the amount or the date the amount will be taken. Go to eonenergy.com/ddguarantee to find out more about paying by Direct Debit.
Information about prepayment meters is available at eonenergy.com/prepaymentquestions, or call us on 0345 303 3040.
Other methods
If you are not a prepayment customer and don't pay by monthly Direct Debit, we will send you bills every quarter, or as otherwise agreed. Payment is due when you receive your bill and no more than14 days after it was sent to you, unless we agree a different regular payment method with you.
If you genuinely believe that an amount shown on your bill is not correct you should contact us straight away on 0345 052 0000. You must pay any amount you don't disagree with.
You can ask us to change your payment method at any time. We'll write and confirm the details of the changes to your Contract and tell you when the change will take place. If you want to change to a prepayment meter we'll tell you about the costs and give you a cooling off period in case you change your mind. If you change your mind after the cooling off period you will have to pay our reasonable costs of replacing the meter.
When we set up your regular monthly Direct Debit payments, we'll agree a date with you to collect payments from your bank. If your bank refuses to pay us on the date agreed, we'll try and collect the payment again. If the payment fails again, or if you tell us you no longer want to pay by monthly Direct Debit, we'll give you seven working days' notice that we will start sending you bills instead of statements of account which you will have to pay within 14 days. If we do this your standing charge will be increased by the amount shown in Your Tariff Details.
If you have a Green Deal (see section 5), your Green Deal Charges will be shown separately on your electricity bill or statement. Any payments you make to us will be split fairly between your Green Deal Charges and any other charges due from you.
Except where you have a Green Deal, we'll use your payment to pay off your Energy charges first and then your non-Energy charges. In both cases we'll pay off the oldest charges first. If you have more than one account with us, we will decide which account to make the payment to, except where we've agreed a payment plan in respect of a specific account.
Except where you have a Green Deal, we'll use your payment to pay off your Energy charges first and then your non-Energy charges. In both cases we'll pay off the oldest charges first. If you have more than one account with us, we will decide which account to make the payment to, except where we've agreed a payment plan in respect of a specific account.
If there is a credit on your account you can contact us on 0345 052 0000 with an up to date meter reading, and we will arrange a refund unless we reasonably believe it is not appropriate to do so.
You must call us on 0345 052 0000. We may be able to agree a payment plan with you and give you advice on how you may be able to reduce your Energy bills. If you do not contact us we will charge you our costs of recovering the money you owe.
If you don't pay us as agreed we may:
We inform credit rating agencies about how you manage your account. If you do not pay us as agreed, it may affect your credit rating.
We won't send bills, annual statements, details of price changes or other important information to you electronically unless you've agreed to receive them that way.
We won't send you any marketing material electronically unless you have agreed that we can. You can tell us at any time if you want to stop receiving marketing material electronically.
When you give us your email address we will set up an online account for you and send you a password. If you want to manage your account online, you need to follow the instructions we send you to register your account.
If you manage your account online:
If we regard your username as inflammatory, or if we think someone else is using it, we'll ask you to change it.
If you sign up to a Green Deal for your home, or move into a Property that has a Green Deal, you are responsible for payment of the Green Deal Charges due for that Property. We will bill and collect Green Deal Charges on behalf of your Green Deal provider through your usual method of payment. If you have an electricity prepayment meter, we will collect these charges through your meter. See section 3.3 for more details about how we collect your Green Deal Charges.
Green Deal Charges are not included in the prices we agree with you when you switch to us or switch to one of our other tariffs. We will write to you about your Green Deal Charges as soon as your Green Deal provider or your old supplier tells us what they are.
If you're no longer responsible for the Property, you need to tell us or we'll continue charging you until someone else takes responsibility for the supply. You must provide us with a final meter reading and your new address so we can send you your final bill.
We will send your final bill within six weeks of us finding out that you have moved and you must pay it no more than 14 days after it was sent to you. We'll use the final reading if you've given us one, otherwise we'll have to rely on the new occupant's reading.
If you have a Smart Meter, you must leave the Smart Energy Display that goes with it in your old Property.
If you move out of a Property where Green Deal Charges are due, you will have to pay all Green Deal Charges due up until the date you move out in addition to any other charges due to that date. Any Green Deal Charges due after the date you move out will be charged to the new owner or tenant or, if the Property is empty, to the landlord.
If you are on a fixed term tariff and you are moving into another Property you may be able to take your tariff with you when you move. There must be at least 90 days left on your fixed tariff after your move and, for your electricity supply, your new home must be in the same electricity distribution area as your old home. Your current area will be shown on your bill or statement, or call us for advice on 0345 303 3020.
If we do not supply your new Property when you first move in, you may still be able to take your fixed term tariff with you providing we start to supply the Property within a reasonable amount of time.
You can arrange a switch to another E.ON tariff or another supplier at any time, but on some tariffs you will need to pay an Exit Fee in certain circumstances – see section 14 to see if this applies to your tariff.
You can get impartial advice about switching your Energy supply from Consumer Focus. Their leaflet is available at eonenergy.com/consumerguidance.
If you switch supplier we'll take all reasonable steps to enable your switch to be completed within 21 days of receiving notification from your new supplier, which will normally be at the end of your cooling off period with them.
We can prevent you from switching if you owe us money. If you have a prepayment meter, you can switch supplier as long your debt is no more than £500 per fuel and you and your new supplier agree to your debt being switched with you.
If you have a Smart Meter, some of its functions may not work fully with your new supplier. Speak to us or your new supplier for more information.
Your new supplier will take over collecting any Green Deal Charges due at the Property from the time they start to supply you.
We will send you a final bill or statement within six weeks of switching.
If you owe us money we may, as a last resort, disconnect your supply. Before we do this we'll take all reasonable steps to help you if you have difficulty paying your bills. We'll write and give you notice before we disconnect your supply. If you don't allow us access to the meter we may need to get a warrant. We'll charge you our reasonable costs to collect any money you owe us – see section 2.2.
We or the Network Operator can also disconnect your supply for safety reasons, or if we reasonably believe you have acted illegally. We will charge you our reasonable costs for disconnecting and reconnecting your supply - see section 2.2.
If you want us to disconnect your supply temporarily (for example during building works) or if you no longer need a supply of Energy at the Property (for example where the Property is being demolished), you can go to eonenergy.com/disconnections for information, or call us on 0333 202 4544.
If we have failed to deliver the standard of service you expect from us, you can contact our Complaint Resolution Team to tell them about the problem:
If you're still not satisfied you can contact the Energy Ombudsman. We'll write and let you know when you can take your complaint to them. The Energy Ombudsman is a free independent service to resolve complaints with Energy suppliers.
You can contact the Energy Ombudsman as follows:
For independent advice about your rights as an Energy consumer, you can go to adviceguide.org.uk or contact Citizens Advice consumer service on 03454 04 05 06.
If we change our complaints process we'll update the information on your bill or statement of account and on our website.
Your Energy is delivered to your meter by your local Network Operator. Details of your local Network Operator are provided on your bill or statement.
We and your Network Operator aim to give you a high standard of service at all times but, despite all reasonable efforts, your Energy supply may be interrupted or of a lower quality due to circumstances outside our or their reasonable control. We'll send you information about the level of service you should expect and any compensation you may be eligible for if we don't meet those standards once a year, or you can go to eonenergy.com/guaranteedstandards or call us on 0345 052 0000 and we'll send you a copy.
We are acting on behalf of your electricity Network Operator to make an agreement with you. The agreement is that you and your electricity Network Operator both accept the National Terms of Connection (NTC) and agree to keep to its conditions. This will happen from the time that you enter into this Contract and it affects your legal rights. The NTC is a legal agreement. It sets out rights and duties in relation to the connection at which your Network Operator delivers electricity to, or accepts electricity from, your Property.
If you want a copy of the NTC or have any questions about it, please write to: Energy Networks Association, 6th Floor, Dean Bradley House, 52 Horseferry Road, London, SW1P 2AF: phone 0207 706 5137 or visit the website at connectionterms.co.uk.
You need to tell us if you have a medical condition or disability. We will let your Network Operator know so that if there is an emergency they will, where possible, ensure you are not without essential heating and lighting.
In a gas emergency, we or your Network Operator may ask you to turn down gas equipment or stop using gas. You need to follow any instructions you receive at the time.
If you think your meter is faulty you can ask us to test it. If it is not faulty you will be charged for the test. If we think your meter is faulty we will arrange to have it tested and we will pay for the test.
If your meter is found to be faulty, we will estimate how much Energy you have used until the fault is fixed.(see section 2.6).
Whatever type of meter you have, we need to inspect it at least every two years, which will include taking a meter reading. We may charge you our costs if you don't allow us to have reasonable access to your meter, including any costs relating to getting a warrant.
You have to allow your Network Operator, us or anyone we authorise to access your meter. If it isn't an emergency, this will be at reasonable times. We will take reasonable care while we are in your Property.
12.1 E.ON's RESPONSIBILITIES
We accept full legal responsibility for death or injury caused by us or our agents because of their negligence, or because we have acted fraudulently.
We are not liable for:
If the Network Operator causes you loss or damage, our responsibility will be limited to the amount we are entitled to recover from them on your behalf.
The maximum we or the Network Operator(s) will pay you in any calendar year (January to December) for any incident – or related series of incidents – is £1,000,000. This limit doesn't apply to death or personal injury.
You are responsible for all Energy used at the Property and payment to us in accordance with this Contract.
You must take reasonable care of the metering equipment at your Property, including protecting it from weather. You are responsible for providing or replacing any meter box or other covering for the meter.
It's illegal and dangerous to interfere with our equipment or the Network Operator's equipment, for example to steal (or try to steal) Energy.
You must let us know immediately if you believe your meter is damaged or has been tampered with. If the damage was caused by you or because of your negligence, we will charge you for repairing or replacing your meter. We may prosecute anyone responsible for damaging or tampering with metering equipment.
If you have a Smart Meter, you must not allow anything to interfere with its ability to communicate with us.
Our Fair Processing Policy gives you more information about how we use your personal data. You can see it at eonenergy.com, or call us on 0345 301 4905 and we'll send you a copy.
We will use personal data we hold about you (including data obtained from your Smart Meter) and data we obtain from other organisations, for example Network Operators and credit reference agencies, to manage your account.
If your Contract with us is with more than one named person we will hold personal data in a common record, including any information you tell us about any medical conditions or disabilities. You need to get the other named person's agreement before you give us information about them.
If you move house and move into another property we supply, we will link your personal data with the details for the Energy supply at your new address.
In addition to using your personal data to manage your account, we may use it:
We may monitor and record our conversations with you for security, for example as evidence you have entered into a Contract with us, and also for training purposes and to help improve the quality of our services. We won't record information such as credit or debit card details.
We'll obtain information from different sources, including our partners, other organisations involved in servicing your account such as Network Operators, and information in the public domain. We will match this data with our own to help ensure the data we hold about you is accurate and up to date.
We'll share your personal data with:
We will not share your personal data with social networking sites or other online media without your permission. If you share personal data with us or link your social media account with ours, we may use that data in accordance with this section 12. You are responsible for all personal data you share with us through social media.
Some of the organisations we share information with may be outside the European Economic Area. We'll make sure there is adequate protection for your data to the same standards we have in the United Kingdom.
We will not use your personal data to send you marketing materials if you have told us you do not want to receive this type of information. We will contact you in the ways that you have told us we can.
We won't share your personal data with other organisations, including those in the E.ON group, for marketing purposes unless you have told us we can.
You can tell us at any time that you want us to stop using your personal data for marketing purposes, and/or stop us from sharing your personal data with other organisations for marketing purposes. Contact us on 0345 052 0000.
You can get a copy of the personal data that we hold about you. We may charge you a fee for this.
If you believe that any of the information we hold about you is inaccurate or out-of-date, you need to let us know as soon as possible so that we can bring our records up to date. To do this, or for more information, you can contact us 0345 052 0000.
If you have made a joint application or given us information about a spouse or partner, they have the same rights regarding their personal data under this Contract as you do.
14.1 If we supply you in England or Wales, this Contract is governed by the laws of England and Wales. If we supply you in Scotland, this Contract is governed by Scottish law.
14.2 Nothing in your Contract affects any legal rights you have.
14.3 We may transfer this Contract to another company. If we do, it won't affect your rights to end the Contract. We will share your personal data with the new company to enable them to continue supplying you.
14.4 If your Contract with us is with more than one named person, you will all be responsible both together and individually for any money owed to us. If you haven't agreed a Contract with us (see section 1.3), you will be responsible if you use Energy at the Property, and you could be responsible if you are the owner, tenant or occupier of the Property, depending upon the circumstances.
14.5 If you decide to have your meter fitted or maintained by your own metering agent, or if you change the use of the Property to business premises, we will end this Contract and supply you on different terms. Contact us in advance and we will advise you what you need to do.
14.6 If a court of law decides that one or more of the terms in this Contract is not valid, the remaining terms and conditions will still apply.
14.7 Most of E.ON's telephone numbers start with 0333 or 0345, which means your calls will be charged at the local rate even where you contact us from your mobile phone. Most of our phone lines are available to take your calls Monday to Saturday 8am to 6pm. We may change our opening hours from time to time.
Your prices are shown in Your Tariff Details. These prices will stay the same until the End Date shown in Your Tariff Details, unless:
E.ON Electricity Only Collective Switch Fixed 1 year Sept 2014 is only available to customers with a standard credit meter or Economy 7 credit meter.
You can arrange to switch to another of our tariffs or to another supplier at any time without giving notice. If you switch supplier before we send you your renewal notice we will charge you an Exit Fee, as shown in Your Tariff Details.
You'll receive a renewal notice from us about 6 weeks before your End Date to remind you that your tariff is coming to an end.
Your renewal notice will tell you about the E.ON EnergyPlan prices and terms and conditions that you will be switched to after the End Date unless you agree a new tariff with us or another supplier. You can find details of our other tariffs by going to eonenergy.com/services or calling us on 0333 202 4608.
we will keep you on your old E.ON Electricity Only Collective Switch Fixed 1 year Sept 2014 prices and terms and conditions until your switch is complete.
If you owe us money when we receive notice from your new supplier about your switch, we may prevent you from switching. We will write and tell you about this, and give you 30 working days to pay the money you owe us. If you do this and your switch is completed within three weeks of paying your bill, we will continue to supply you on your old E.ON Electricity Only Collective Switch Fixed 1 year Sept 2014 prices and terms and conditions until your switch is complete.
Once you have been switched to this tariff you will stay on it unless you agree a new tariff with us or another supplier. E.ON EnergyPlan does not have an End Date. You do not need to give us notice of leaving us and we will not charge an Exit Fee.
Increasing our E.ON EnergyPlan prices or changing these terms and conditions to your disadvantage
We will write and tell you at least 30 days before the changes are due to take effect. If you don't want to accept the changes you can arrange to switch to one or our other tariffs or to another supplier.
we will keep you on your old E.ON EnergyPlan prices and terms and conditions until your switch is complete.
If you owe us money when we receive notice from your new supplier about your switch, we may prevent you from switching. We will write and tell you about this, and give you 30 working days to pay the money you owe us. If you do this and your switch is completed within four weeks of paying your bill, we will continue to supply you on your old E.ON EnergyPlan price and terms and conditions until your switch is complete.
In this section, these terms have the meanings shown:
Points Balance means the total number of E.ON Rewards Points available for you to exchange for rewards.
Reward Provider means a third party who provides vouchers or other rewards as part of the E.ON Rewards scheme.
How to opt in to E.ON Rewards
You can join E.ON Rewards when you agree your Contract with us on an eligible tariff. If you are already on an eligible tariff you can log into your online account (if you have one) or call us on 0345 052 0000. You can also speak to an E.ON representative in one of our high street stores or if you see them in your local shopping centre.
How to earn E.ON Reward Points
Once you have opted in, for each day we supply you with electricity under this or any other eligible tariff, you will automatically receive E.ON Reward Points under our Customer Reward – see eonenergy.com/rewards for more information.
We may introduce new ways to earn E.ON Reward Points. We'll let you know about this.
More about E.ON Reward Points
Each month we will calculate the E.ON Reward Points you have earned and add them to your Points Balance. Each point will then have a life of two years; after that time the points will expire and will disappear from your Points Balance.
E.ON Reward Points have no monetary value. They cannot be exchanged for cash and are only valid for the named account holder; they cannot be transferred.
How you will know how many E.ON Reward Points you have
If you have any points in your Points Balance when we send your bill or statement, we'll tell you about them. You can also see how many points are in your Points Balance by logging in to your online account (if you have one) or calling us on 0345 052 0000.
How you can exchange your points for rewards
When you have collected enough E.ON Reward Points you will be able to exchange them for rewards. You can do this by logging in to your online account (if you have one) or calling us on 0345 052 0000. You can see details of the rewards available at eonenergy.com/rewards.
When you exchange points for rewards, we'll use your oldest points first.
When you exchange your points we'll tell you when you can expect to receive your reward. If you don't receive your reward within the time stated, give us a call on 0345 052 0000.
If you receive your reward from a Reward Provider and you have any queries about using it or experience any problems with it, you should talk to the Reward Provider directly, using the contact details provided with your reward. We are not responsible for any goods or services provided by a Rewards Provider.
If you move out
If you tell us you are moving to another property supplied by E.ON we will arrange to transfer your Points Balance to your new home. If we do not supply your new property but tell us you are arranging to switch your supply to us on an eligible tariff, your Points Balance will be transferred to your new home once the switch is complete. Your points will continue to expire after two years, therefore when your switch is complete you may have less points in your Points Balance than you had before you moved.
Leaving E.ON Rewards
If you are no longer supplied by E.ON on an eligible tariff, or if you opt out of E.ON Rewards, you will no longer be able to earn E.ON Reward Points. If you are no longer supplied by E.ON for any fuel, we will update your Points Balance with all the points earned up until you left and round your points up to the nearest 100 E.ON Reward Points; this will be shown on your final bill. You will be able to exchange your points for rewards until all the points have expired.
Changes to E.ON Rewards
We may make changes to or withdraw E.ON Rewards at any time by giving you 30 days' notice.
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text:
Government Doesn't Work
Letter to the editor
In "The Croly Ghost," Virginia Postrel says the popular libertarian slogan "government doesn't work" is "not so good. . . .It thereby jettisons the entire classical liberal tradition which is very much supportive of 'government' properly constrained in favor of a vague anarchism." This is surprising, coming from someone who has written so many eloquent articles showing that voluntary exchange is far superior to government programs.
One need not be an anarchist (vague or otherwise) to recognize the obvious that government doesn't work. It doesn't deliver the mail on time, keep the cities safe, or educate our children properly. Its War on Poverty and its War on Drugs are massive failures. Millions of Americans have lost faith in government precisely because governments everywhere have reached the inevitable stage where nothing about them works as promised.
When I appeared on hundreds of talk shows as the Libertarian Party's presidential candidate in 1996, often someone would say, "You exaggerate; many government programs work well." But when I asked for a single example, the answer almost always was a deafening silence.
Only two programs were ever offered as evidence of government efficiency. One was the interstate highway system, but no one could explain why a program to build highways inevitably wound up spending billions of our tax dollars on such things as a new Denver airport that no one in Denver wanted and an L.A. subway system that Californians consider a joke. Another person suggested the Weather Bureau but he couldn't explain why TV and newspaper weathermen, relying on government forecasts, are the butt of so many jokes.
Why don't these and other programs work correctly? The answer is simple. Anytime you turn anything over to the government, you transform what was a commercial, medical, social, safety, financial, or military matter into a political issue to be decided by politicians like Bill Clinton, Newt Gingrich, Teddy Kennedy, and Jesse Helms. And guess how they make their decisions?
Conservatives recognize that government is incapable of eliminating poverty, discrimination, smoking, drinking, and many other supposed ills. But when the target is crime, foreign dictators, pornography, drugs, abortion, cloning, or any other item on their menu, government is suddenly transformed into Superman. Just allocate enough money, and the problem will be solved. And if the problem isn't solved, that's proof that not enough money was spent. Transpose the menus and you get the definition of a liberal.
Libertarians, however, know that government doesn't work even when it tries to do something we want. Government is coercion pure and simple. Every government program involves forced activity, forcible prohibition, and/or forced financing or else it wouldn't be a government program. And there's no way to make force efficient or benevolent; it's just force. Thus libertarians are continually looking for ways to take functions any functions away from government, because they want to reduce government force to the absolute minimum possible.
What is the absolute minimum possible? We might argue endlessly about that, but the question is really irrelevant. What's important today is that most people reading this magazine and, in fact, most Americans want much less government than they have now. Once we've harnessed that antigovernment sentiment and reduced government to a fraction of its present size, we can argue over how much further we should go.
But realize that, when that happens, the free market will give the best minds in the world an incentive to devise profitable methods (that we can't even imagine today) by which the free market can perform functions we might think now can be performed only by government. That isn't a "vague anarchism"; it's a reasonable belief that free human beings are much more creative, productive, and efficient than government.
In the meantime, we move in the wrong direction if we attribute to government an efficiency or benevolence it can't possibly possess. That's turning government into a Santa Claus someone who will grant us our wishes if we're good little children and ask for the proper things. In short, it's a fantasy. No, Virginia, there is no Santa Claus. Government doesn't work.-------
Harry Browne was the Libertarian Party presidential candidate in 1996 and 2000, and is now the Director of Public Policy for the American Liberty Foundation. You can read more of his articles at HarryBrowne.org.

subset: commoncrawl


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Welcome to the McRennett Foods Web Portal
Written by Administrator
Sunday, 14 December 2008 19:23
Welcome to McRennett Web Site
Thank you for visiting us
Thank you for visiting our Web Site. We hope that the information you seek is available here. If it's not here, please do tell us about it. We would love to hear from you. Please use our
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to tell us about yourself & how we can serve you better.
McRennett is one of the oldest bakeries in India which operates through thirty retail outlets situated in prime locations throughout the city of Chennai, India. Please see
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We have more than 400 items on our Products List. About 60 of these are seasonal products. Others are generally produced on a daily basis. Some of these are listed
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We would like to hear from suppliers & vendors of bakery ingredients, consumable, equipments, etc. Our retailing operation also quite large. If you have food product or any other product which are closely associated with bakery food products or compliments our products, please do get in touch with us. Please see
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Not Your Average Restore Job
Everyone who's had a fender bender knows the cost of repairs is going up. But few cars can be as costly to fix as "Mr. Bean" actor Rowan Atkinson's rare McLaren F1.
It took more than a year — and more than 900,000 pounds ($1.4 million) — to get his supercar up and running after a 2011 crash that left Atkinson with a badly damaged shoulder.
The high-performance car makes extensive use of carbon fiber and needed specialist care — it took weeks just to get a proper insurance estimate.
Ben Stagg, specialty insurer with RK Harrison, said the quality components used to make an F1 are one reason the repair costs were so high.
"All modern supercars are predominantly carbon fiber — most Lamborghinis, most Ferraris — and the smallest ding in carbon fiber is a big repair job," he said. "And part of the engine bay is gold, that's the best heat conductor. It's the materials they used compared to everyday cars that make it so expensive."
He said many owners baby their expensive cars, driving them only a few times a year in perfect weather conditions, but Atkinson actually drives his McLaren extensively.
The unusual repair job, thought to involve one of the largest car insurance settlements in British history, is extensively documented in Classic & Sports Car magazine, with a picture of the burgundy McLaren on the cover.
Atkinson, last seen by many playing piano as Mr. Bean during the opening ceremony of the London Olympics, told the magazine he believes supercars should be used, not sequestered in garages.
"It depresses me when great cars are hidden away," he said. "It's a crime not to use it."
Magazine editor Alastair Clements said Atkinson should be applauded.
"He let us do the story because he wanted other enthusiasts to know that he loves it, that he isn't just some celebrity with an expensive car, that he's owned it for 15 years and loved it for 15 years," he said. "He's put it back exactly as it was. He's a bit of a hero. It's much more than the value."
Of course, the value is there — Stagg said the last used McLaren F1 sold on the open market went for about 3.5 million pounds.


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TUCSON, Ariz. — The man accused of wounding Rep. Gabrielle Giffords and killing six in a shooting rampage in Arizona is mentally incompetent to stand trial, a judge ruled Wednesday after two deputy U.S. marshals dragged the man out of the courtroom because of an angry outburst.
As survivors of the deadly January attack looked on, Jared Lee Loughner lowered his head, raised it and said what sounded like "Thank you for the freak show. She died in front of me." His words were loud but indistinct, and it wasn't clear who he was talking about. He wore a khaki prison suit and sported bushy, reddish sideburns.
U.S. District Judge Larry Burns' decision means the 22-year-old will be sent to back to a federal facility in Missouri for up to four months, where doctors will try to medicate him to see if they can restore his competency to a point where he understands the case against him.
The ruling came after Burns said two mental health professionals had concluded Loughner suffers from schizophrenia and is mentally unfit for trial.Video: Loughner declared not competent to stand trial (on this page)
Loughner spent five weeks in March and April at a federal facility in Springfield, Mo., where he was examined by psychologist Christina Pietz and psychiatrist Matthew Carroll. The two were asked to determine if Loughner understands the consequences of the case against him.
Burns viewed 18 hours of the experts' videotaped interviews with Loughner. He said the experts' reports and videos were confidential, but he summarized their findings at the hearing.
The judge said Carroll concluded Loughner's mental health has declined in the past two or three years and his thinking on legal issues is confused. Carroll believes Loughner doesn't grasp the gravity of the charges against him and is instead fixated on inconsequential issues.
Pietz concluded Loughner's thoughts are random and that he suffers from delusions, the judge said. She noted Loughner gave nonsensical answers to questions and doesn't understand the role of judges or jurors.
Neither expert thought Loughner was faking his mental health problems, with Carroll saying Loughner doesn't want to be perceived as mentally ill. A hearing to revisit Loughner's mental competency is set for Sept. 21.
Loughner has pleaded not guilty to 49 federal charges stemming from the Jan. 8 shooting at a meet-and-greet event that wounded Giffords and 12 others and killed six people, including a 9-year-old girl and a federal judge.
Loughner was calm at the beginning of Wednesday's hearing, tilting his head and swaying back in forth as he watched the attorneys argue in the packed courtroom.
Later, he lowered his head to within inches of the table in front of him, then lifted it and began to speak, interrupting the proceedings. His words were loud but difficult to make out. Some reporters also heard him say what sounded like "You're treasonous." The AP has asked the court clerk's office for an official transcript and recording of the hearing.
Following the outburst, two marshals standing behind Loughner's chair grabbed him by each arm and led him from the courtroom. Loughner's father, sitting a few rows behind him, lowered his eyes and huddled with two women.
Shortly after Loughner was led away, the judge told the attorneys the suspect was entitled to be in the courtroom as long as he composed himself. "I don't want him to act up or speak out," Burns said.
After a 10-minute recess, the marshals said Loughner had calmed down. They then brought him back into the courtroom, and the judge asked Loughner if he wanted to stay and behave, or view the hearing on a TV screen in another room.
"I want to watch the TV screen," Loughner said, the two marshals tightly gripping his arms.
At least three survivors of the Tucson attack attended the hearing: Giffords aide Pam Simon, who was shot in the chest and right wrist; Eric Fuller, who was shot in the knee and the back; and retired Army Col. Bill Badger, who is credited with helping subdue Loughner after a bullet grazed the back of Badger's head.
Fuller said he is comfortable with the judge's incompetency decision and wouldn't be bothered if Loughner spends the rest of his life in a mental health facility.
"You don't have to be a psychiatrist to know that the boy is disturbed," Fuller said.
Prosecutors had requested the mental exam, citing a YouTube video in which they believe a hooded Loughner wore garbage bags and burned an American flag.
The judge gave the two experts access to Loughner's health records from his pediatrician, a behavioral health hospital that treated him for extreme intoxication in May 2006 and an urgent care center where he was treated in 2004 for unknown reasons.
Prosecutor Wallace Kleindienst said that in the next few days, Loughner will be sent back to the Missouri facility where he underwent five weeks of mental competency testing.
Loughner will stay at the facility for up to four months, and doctors will seek to medicate him to see if he improves, Kleindienst said. He added he didn't know if Loughner would agree to be medicated.
If Loughner is later determined to be competent enough to understand the case against him, the court proceedings will resume.
If he isn't deemed competent at the end of his treatment, Loughner's stay at the facility can be extended. There are no limits on the number of times such extensions can be granted.
If doctors conclude they can't restore Loughner's mental competency, the judge must make another decision. If he finds there's no likelihood of Loughner being restored to competency, he can dismiss the charges against Loughner. In that case, state and federal authorities can petition to have Loughner civilly committed and could seek to extend that commitment repeatedly, said Heather Williams, a federal public defender in Tucson who isn't involved in the Loughner case.
Loughner's lawyers haven't said whether they intend to present an insanity defense. But they noted in court filings that his mental condition will likely be a central issue at trial and described him as a "gravely mentally ill man."
Giffords spokesman C.J. Karamargin declined to comment on Wednesday's ruling and wasn't sure if Giffords would be notified. "We've never commented on Loughner's legal case," he said. "There's no reason to start now."
Giffords' astronaut husband Mark Kelly is in space on NASA's next-to-last shuttle flight. Asked about whether Kelly would be told of the judge's decision, Karamargin said: "I don't know. My guess is he's of course in constant communication with Earth, so I imagine he will be told."
Associated Press writer Mark Carlson in Phoenix contributed to this report.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.


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2008 GMC Sierra Z71 4x4 - The Ultimate Z71 Part 6
Finish Lines
Whether we've been wrenching on that rusty K-5 Blazer for decades or that new-school high-zoot buggy that's one rattlecan away from being on the trail, we all share that sweet sensation of accomplishment when it's finally time to set down the tools and get behind the wheel. Over the past few months and five issues we've chronicled the transformation of our '00 GMC Sierra Z71. Starting with the 8-year-old 1/2-ton we set forth converting that everyday pickup into a Super Sleeper wheeling rig built to lead 18 hard-core off-roaders on the wheeling trip of a lifetime known as the Ultimate Adventure.
With the tireless efforts of Mel Wade and his Off Road Evolution crew, we created the Ultimate Z71, a truck capable of more than 14 inches of suspension travel on 40-inch tires that's sleek enough that your hybrid-driving neighbors won't bat an eye, but dynamic enough to command attention when it hits the trail.
Though the 2008 Ultimate Adventure is now a thing of the past (Nov., Dec. '08 issues), there are a few finishing items we want to let you in on as we wrap up our GMC build. From the glossy new wrap from Ape Wraps to the sweet rumble of our tired engine (over 216k and counting), it's those little details and finishing touches that may take a little extra time but are worth it in the end. And for those of you just tuning in (where have you been!?) don't fret, because we have the entire buildup including web-exclusive extras that show the 1/2-ton's transformation from start to finish at 4wheeloffroad.com.
1. Sometimes giving a tired motor a little wake-up is as easy as bolting on one of K&N's cold-air intake kits. The K&N kit installed in roughly one hour, giving the 5.3L a noticeable increase in responsiveness, not to mention the service benefit of being able to inspect and access the intake quickly and easily.
2. Giving our tired V-8 a fresh sound is a single 3-inch Hushpower muffler. Due to the limited space, and with the drivetrain occupying more of the passenger side than ever before, we opted to go with a single exhaust pipe and route it out the driver side.


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Posts Tagged 'visualization'
Lately, David Smith from REvolution Computing set out to challenge the R community with the reprocuction of a beautiful choropleth map (= multiple regions map/thematic map) on US unemployment rates he had seen on the Flowing Data blog. Here you can find the impressing results. Being a fan of beautiful visualizations I tried to produce […]
Filed under: R / R-Code | 26 Comments
Tags: maps, R, visualization


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Interview — 'Sons of Guns' Star Stephanie Hayden Talks About Girls with Guns, Pit Bulls, and Saving the Wetlands [AUDIO]
We're no strangers to guns, and neither is Stephanie Hayden. The manager of Red Jacket Firearms in Baton Rouge, La. and reality TV star is hanging out at Sportsman's Expo all day Saturday at the Shreveport Convention Center.
We spoke to Hayden about how she became a gun loving chick, the future of Sons of Guns, and what guns she really likes to shoot.


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Karlie Kloss Says Taylor Swift Has 'No Time for Boys'by Maggie Malach | PopCrush
Taylor Swift's heart-on-her-sleeve music makes us all want to be her best friend, but there are a few lucky people who actually do hang out with the singer on the regular! (Selena Gomez, Lorde and Lena Dunham — we're looking at you!)
During the CFDA awards last night (June 2), Victoria's Secret model Karlie Kloss chatted with Us Weekly about Taylor and her much buzzed-about love life.
"I've been traveling. She's been traveling. No time for boys!" Karlie said, who recently went on a well-documented road trip across California with the 'Everything Has Changed' singer.
And, as we expected, Karlie had nothing but sweet things to say about Taylor.
"She's true to who she is. She's such a special girl," Karlie added. "I feel really lucky that we connected and our paths crossed. She's just a special girl."
The two recently hung out at a Met Gala after party hosted by Taylor.
"She threw the best after party ever!" Karlie raved to Us Weekly last month. "We were all playing pool in our ball gowns, and just eating pizza and hanging out — just like you'd do at a teenage after party."


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Art Agnos on Proposition B and the waterfront
|Fog City Journal photo
This is a speech by Art Agnos last month at San Francisco Tomorrow's annual dinner, first published in the Bay Guardian:
I am delighted to speak to the members and friends of SFT about the waterfront tonight…and a special shout out to Jane Morrison as one of the pioneer professional women in the media and one of the finest Social Service Commissioners in our City's history.
I also welcome the opportunity to join you in honoring tonight's unsung heroes: Becky Evans, with whom I have worked closely over the past year and half; Tim Redmond, the conscience of the progressive community for the past 35 years; and Sara Shortt and Tommi Avicolli Mecca from the Housing Rights Committee, who stand up every day for poor and working people who need a voice in our city.
Twenty-four years ago, in 1990, I made one of the best decisions of my mayoralty when I listened to the progressive environmental voice of San Francisco and ordered the demolition of the Embarcadero Freeway. That freeway was not only a hideous blight but also a wall that separated the city from its waterfront.
Hard to believe today, but it was a very controversial decision back then. Just three years before, in 1987, the voters had defeated a proposal by Mayor Feinstein to demolish it. The Loma Prieta Earthquake gave us a chance to reconsider that idea in 1990.
Despite opposition of 22,000 signatures on a petition to retrofit the damaged freeway, combined with intense lobbying from the downtown business community led by the Chamber of Commerce, North Beach, Fisherman's Wharf, and especially Chinatown, we convinced the Board of Supervisors to adopt our plan to demolish the freeway, by one vote.
And the rest is history---until today.
After a period of superb improvements---that include a restored Ferry Building, the ball park, two new public piers where one can walk further out into the bay than ever before in the history of this city, the Exploratorium, the soon to be opened Jim Herman Cruise Ship Terminal, Brannan Wharf Park---there is a new threat.
Private development plans that threaten to change the environment of what Herb Caen first called "our newest precious place," not with an ugly concrete freeway wall, but with steel and glass high-rises that are twice as tall. Today, the availability of huge amounts of developer financing, combined with unprecedented influence in City Hall and the oversight bodies of this city, the waterfront has become the new gold coast of San Francisco.
Politically connected developers seek to exploit magnificent public space with high-rise, high profit developments that shut out the ordinary San Franciscan from our newest precious place. We love this city because it is a place where all of us have a claim to the best of it, no matter what our income, no matter that we are renter or homeowner, no matter what part of the city we come from.
And connected to that is the belief that waterfront public land is for all of us, not just those with the biggest bank account or most political influence. That was driven home in a recent call I had from a San Franciscan who complained about the high cost of housing for home ownership or rent, the high cost of Muni, museum admissions, even Golden Gate Bridge tours, and on and on.
When he finished with his list, I reminded him I was mayor 23 years ago and that there had been four mayors since me, so why was he complaining to me? "Because you are the only one I can reach!" he said.
Over the past few weeks, that message has stuck with me. And I finally realized why. This is what many people in our city have been seeking, someone who will listen and understand. Someone who will listen, understand, and act to protect our newest precious place, our restored waterfront.
You see, it was not just about luxury high-rise condos at 8 Washington last year. It was not just a monstrous basketball arena on Pier 30-32 with luxury high-rise condos and a hotel across the street on public land. It's about the whole waterfront that belongs to the people of San Francisco, all seven and a half miles of it, from the Hyde Street Piers to India Basin. And it must be protected from the land use mistakes that can become irrevocable.
This is not new to our time: 8 Washington and the Warriors arena were not the first horrendous proposals, they were only the latest. Huge, out of scale, enormously profitable projects, fueled by exuberant boosterism from the Chamber of Commerce, have always surfaced on our waterfront.
Fifty years ago my mentor in politics, then-Supervisor Leo McCarthy said, "We must prevent a wall of high rise apartment along the waterfront, and we must stop the filling in of the SF bay as a part of a program to retain the things that have made this city attractive."
That was 1964. In 2014, former Board of Supervisors President Aaron Peskin said it best this way: "It seems like every 10 years, every generation has to stand up to some huge development that promises untold riches as it seeks to exploit the waterfront and our public access to it."
Public awareness first started with the construction of the 18 stories of Fontana towers east and west in 1963. That motivated then-Assemblyman Casper Weinberger to lead public opposition and demand the first height limits, as well as put a stop to five more Fontana-style buildings on the next block at Ghirardelli Square. This was the same Casper Weinberger who went on to become Secretary of HEW [Department of Health, Education, and Welfare] and Secretary of Defense under President Ronald Reagan.
In 1970, the Port Commission proposed to rip out the then "rotting piers" of Piers 1-7 just north of the Ferry Building. They were to be replaced with 40 acres of fill (three times the size of Union Square) upon which a 1200-room hotel and a 2400 car garage would be built.
It passed easily through Planning and the Board of Supervisors. When the proposal was rejected on 22 to 1 vote by BCDC [the San Francisco Bay Conservation and Development Commission], Mayor Alioto complained, "We just embalmed the rotting piers."
No, we didn't, we saved them for the right project. And if one goes there today, they see it, the largest surviving renovated piers complex with restaurants, walk-in cafes, Port offices, free public docking space, water taxis, and complete public access front and back. In 2002 that entire project was placed on the U.S. National Historic Register.
But my favorite outrageous proposal from that time was plan to demolish another set of "rotting piers" from the Ferry Building south to the Bay Bridge. And in place of those rotting piers, the plans called for more landfill to create a Ford dealership car lot with 5000 cars as well as a new shopping center. That too was stopped.
So now it's our turn to make sure that we stop these all-too-frequent threats to the access and viability of our waterfront. In the past two weeks, we have seen momentum grow to support locating the George Lucas Museum on Piers 30-32 or the sea wall across the Embarcadero.
I love the idea, but where would we be with that one if a small band of waterfront neighbors and the Sierra Club had not had the courage to stand up to the Warriors and City Hall two years ago. Once again, they used the all-too-familiar refrain of "rotting piers" as an impending catastrophe at Piers 30-32.
Proposition B will help prevent mistakes before they happen. Most of all, Prop. B will ensure protection of the Port on a more permanent basis by requiring a public vote on any increases to current height limits on Port property. All of the current planning approval processes will stay in place---Port Commission, Planning Commission, Board of Permit Appeals, Board of Supervisors, all will continue to do what they have always done.
But if a waiver of current height limits along the waterfront is granted by any of those political bodies, it must be affirmed by a vote of the people. Prop B does not say Yes or No, it says Choice. It is that simple. The people of SF will make the final choice on height limit increases on Port property.
The idea of putting voters in charge of final approval is not new. In the past, the people of San Francisco have voted for initiatives to approve a Children's budget, a Library budget, retaining neighborhood fire stations, minimum police staffing, as well as to require public authorization for new runway bay fill at our airport. And at the Port itself there have been approximately 18 ballot measures to make land use and policy decisions.
So we are not talking about ballot box planning, we are talking about ballot box approval for waivers of existing height limits on public property. Opponents like the Building Trades Council, the Board of Realtors, and the Chamber of Commerce are raising alarms that we will lose environment protections like CEQA by creating loopholes for developers. Astonishing!
Prop B is sponsored by the Sierra Club. Tonight we honor Becky Evans of the Sierra Club who sponsored Proposition B. That same set of opponents are joined by city bureaucrats issuing "doomsday" reports stating that we will lose thousands of units of middle class housing, billions of dollars in Port revenues, elimination of parks and open space on the waterfront. Astonishing!
These are the same bureaucrats who issued glowing reports a couple of years ago that the America's Cup would mean billions in revenue for the Port and the city. And they wanted to give Oracle's Larry Ellison 66-year leases to develop on five of our Port piers for that benefit! Now, how did THAT work out? So far, City Hall will admit to $11 million in known losses for the taxpayers. Another opponent, SPUR [San Francisco Planning and Urban Research Association], says any kind of housing will make a difference and there are thousands in the pipeline, so don't worry. Astonishing!
We have not seen one stick of low income or affordable housing proposed on the waterfront since the '80s and '90s when Mayor Feinstein and I used waterfront land for that very purpose. Hundreds of low-income housing dwellings like Delancey Street and Steamboat Point Apartments, affordable and middle class housing like South Beach Marina apartments and Bayside village, comprise an oasis of diversity and affordable housing in the midst of ultra expensive condos.
For me, that was part of an inaugural promise made in January 1988. I said, "At the heart of our vision is a refusal to let San Francisco become an expensive enclave that locks out the middle class, working families, and the poor. At the center of our strategy is a belief in the basic right of people to decent jobs and housing."
Yes, that was the commitment on public land on the waterfront by two mayors of a recent era, but not today. Indeed, San Francisco has been rated the #1 least affordable city in America, including Manhattan. That is one of the many reasons we see middle class people, as well as the working poor, being forced to leave San Francisco for Oakland and elsewhere in the Bay Area.
That reality was reinforced in the February 10, 2014 issue of Time Magazine. Mayor Lee said, "I don't think we paid any attention to the middle class. I think everybody assumed the middle class was moving out."
Today, an individual or family earning up to $120,000 per year---150 percent of the median in this city---does not qualify for mortgage and can't afford the rent in one of the thousands of new housing units opening in the city. The Chronicle reported a couple of weeks ago that a working family of three who have lived in a rent-controlled studio apartment in the Mission was offered $50,000 to leave.
That is what the purely developer-driven housing market offers. And that philosophy is reinforced by a Planning Commission whose chair was quoted in December 2013 issue of SF Magazine saying, "Mansions are just as important as housing."
Prop B changes that dynamic by putting the citizen in the room with the "pay to play" power brokers. That is what it is all about, my friends: Power.
Former SF city planning director and UC School of City Planning Professor Alan Jacobs recently related what he called the Jacobs Truism of land economics: "Where political discretion is involved in land use decisions, the side that wins is the side with the most power. And that side is the side with the most money."
Prop B will ensure that if developers are going to spend a lot of money to get a height waiver on Port property, the best place to spend it will be to involve, inform, and engage the citizen as to the merit of their request, not on the politicians. Today that power to decide is in a room in City Hall. I know that room. I have been in that room.
You know who is there? It is the lobbyists, the land use lawyers, the construction union representatives, the departmental directors, and other politicians. You know who is not in the room? You. The hope is that someone in that room remembers you.
But if you really want your voice to be heard, you have to go to some departmental hearing or the Board of Supervisors, wait for three or four hours for your turn, and then get two minutes to make your case. Prop B changes that dynamic and puts you in the room that matters. No more "advisory committees" that get indulged and brushed off. No more "community outreach" that is ignored.
It will all matter. That is why today there is no opposition from any waterfront developer. They get it. We are going to win. It is easy to see how the prospect of Prop B on the ballot this June has changed the dynamics of high-rise development along the waterfront.
The Warriors have left and purchased a better location on private land in Mission Bay. The Giants have publicly announced that they will revise their plans with an eye to more appropriate height limits on Port land. Forest City is moving with a ballot proposal to use Pier 70 to build new buildings of nine stories, the same height as one of current historic buildings they will preserve on that site for artists.
The Pier 70 project will include 30 percent low-income, affordable and middle class housing on site, along with low-tech industries, office space, and a waterfront promenade that stretches along the entire shoreline boundary. A good project that offers what the city needs will win an increase in height limits because it works for everybody. A bad one will not.
My friends, I have completed my elected public service career. There will be no more elections for me. And as I review my 40 years in public life, I am convinced of one fundamental truth: The power of the people should, and must, determine what kind of a city this will be.
It must not be left to a high-tech billionaire political network that wants to control City Hall to fulfill their vision of who can live here and where. It starts with you, the people of this city's neighborhoods, empowered to participate in the decisions that affect our future. You are the ones who must be vigilant and keep faith with values that make this city great.
This city is stronger when we open our arms to all who want to be a part of it, to live and work in it, to be who they want to be, with whomever they want to be it with. Our dreams for this city are more powerful when they can be shared by all of us in our time.
WE are the ones, here and now, who can create the climate to advance the San Francisco dream to the next generation. And the next opportunity to do that will be election day June 3.
Thank you
Labels: Central Subway, CEQA, City Government, Highrise Development, Housing in the City, Neighborhoods, Planning Dept., The SF Bay Guardian, Tim Redmond, Warriors Stadium


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Bishop Leroy T. Matthiesen, who once urged Catholics in the Diocese of Amarillo, Texas, to reconsider their employment at a nuclear weapons factory in his diocese, has been named the Pax Christi USA Teacher of Peace Award winner.
Writing in 1981 in The West Texas Catholic, the diocesan newspaper, Bishop Matthiesen urged people to seek peaceful employment. His call came after President Ronald Reagan announced that Pantex, the factory outside of Amarillo where all of the country's nuclear weapons were assembled, would begin assembling neutron bombs.
The bishop, who turns 88 June 11 and has been retired since 1997, recalled to Catholic News Service how he was denounced for his stance, especially when jobs were in high need during the deep recession of the early 1980s. But he said he was motivated by his desire for the world to live in peace.
"I always agreed with Cardinal (Joseph) Bernardin about this consistent ethic of life, that we shouldn't just focus on the neutron bomb, that we shouldn't just focus on abortion, that we shouldn't just focus on the death penalty or the abolition of torture," he said. "It's beginning with the right to life at the very beginning, not ending there, but to have that consistent ethic of life."
At the time his action heartened the Catholic peace movement. Soon, his fellow Texas bishops joined his call. The U.S. bishops also were influenced as they deliberated on and finally adopted their 1983 pastoral letter on the nuclear arms race, "The Challenge of Peace: God's Promise and Our Response."
Bishop Matthiesen will receive the award during Pax Christi USA's annual national conference on peacemaking July 17-19 in Chicago.


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The Syrian people of Maaloula tell the story of anti-Assad outsiders who tried to enlist the townspeople as agitators against the President and his government. Both Muslim and Christian citizens rejected their invitation.
Correspondent Maria Finoshina gives a video report from the town, alleged to be the only place in the world where an entire community still speaks Aramaic as a living language (most scholars believe a form of Aramaic was the native tongue of Jesus of Nazareth).
Interviewed in the clip is Mother Pelagia Sayaf, Christian nun and schoolteacher at the town's Monastery of St. Thekla:
"There were people who came here, they wanted to push us against the government, the President, the army… these people are receiving money and listening to orders."
The town's Muslim Imam reports the same:
"I remember last April, there were several men after Friday prayers, they tried to persuade Muslims to protest against the government, encouraging them to go and make trouble."
The Imam said they had never seen most of those people before and had not seen them again since. "We are not talking about normal Muslims, but people with an extremist way of thinking… We had a meeting with residents, and the people agreed to support the leadership [Assad]."
Mother Pelagia said "If you hear that the army enters this city and kills people, believe me – this is a mistake [a lie]… Our country before the crisis was going forward, now we are all losing ground… God bless Assad."
In the words of another citizen interviewed:
"We used to live in peace – Muslims and Christians – of course we're afraid people from outside the city and this country may come and destroy this unity. Assad became more than just the head of State. He's a kind of international symbol of this fight for our life."
My Comment: Prior to the rise of the NATO-backed and NATO financed Syrian 'insurgency', Assad's secular state was one of the last governments in the Arab world under which a citizenry enjoyed peaceful coexistence of diverse religious and ethnic communities. The people know this, and they also know that the violent and random provocations of the murderous Arab mercenaries and outsiders (and the still bigger violence planned by their NATO handlers) have threatened the whole secular foundation for this peace.
In my unprofessional opinion, I think what we're looking at in Syria is a fraudulent program of regime change. Like Iran in 1953, Guatemala in 1954, Vietnam in 1963, El Salvador, Angola, etc., etc. The Cold Warrior and Neocon do not understand true democracy or humanitarianism, and we see his/her unmistakeable signature in the great civilian tragedies resulting from all of the above covert actions, no less than in the more recently broken and utterly failed states of Iraq and Libya.
One can always spot the Neocon footprint in the wake of US/NATO's self-serving efforts to effect changes in non-NATO countries: fraudulent opposition movements, phony replacement governments, ruined sovereignty, co-opted national resources, and untold civilian death .


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Kansas Senate Cancels Remap Debate
KSCB News - May 17, 2012 8:37 am
The Kansas Senate has put off a debate on a
proposal for redrawing the chamber's 40 districts as talks
involving Republicans continue.
Aides to Senate Majority Leader Jay Emler said Wednesday the
Lindsborg Republican was called away by family business, leading to
the cancellation of the debate.
But even in Emler's absence, conservative and moderate
Republican senators were negotiating privately over adjustments of
district boundaries to account for changes in population over the
past decade. The Senate's Democratic leader also was involved.
The dispute among Republicans over redistricting threatens to
delay the state's August 7th primary election.
Also Wednesday, Secretary of State Kris Kobach asked a federal
court to resolve redistricting issues for legislators. Kobach is
the defendant in a federal lawsuit over redistricting.


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Company will offer free test to any water authority that serves more than 100,000 customers
Responding to recent reports regarding findings of trace levels of pharmaceuticals found in U.S. drinking water supplies, Waters Corp. recently announced that it will offer qualified U.S. water authorities complimentary drinking water analysis for common over-the-counter and prescription antidepressant pharmaceutical compounds to help assess regional exposure and move towards forward-looking solutions.
"As a provider of analytical technologies capable of detecting trace levels of contaminants in water, food and the environment, Waters is keenly aware of the broad impact that contaminants can have on our natural resources," said Rohit Khanna, vice president of worldwide marketing for the Waters Division. "As scientists, we at Waters believe in the need—and have the solutions—to assess baseline data to measure contamination levels, if any. Through this program we hope to work in cooperation with U.S. water authorities to better assess the public's exposure to pharmaceutical residues and assist them with potential action plans."
For a limited time, Waters will offer authorized officials from any U.S. water authority that serves more than 100,000 customers to submit a request for a complimentary test for common over-the-counter and antidepressant pharmaceutical compounds of their finished water (tap water) by visiting www.waters.com/h2o. Requests will only be honored from authorized water officials and the results will be held in strict confidence. Waters will not accept requests from third parties.
The intention of these tests is to provide a baseline understanding of exposure to facilitate long-term solutions. These complimentary tests will not be validated or certified, and are only intended as an initial screen for the detection of pharmaceutical residues.
Waters will test submitted samples using the AquaAnalysis System, designed to detect a range of contaminants in drinking water. The AquaAnalysis System can detect target analytes at or below 10 parts per trillion (ppt), easily meeting or exceeding regulatory standards worldwide. The AquaAnalysis System has been shown to improve sample throughput by up to 80% by cutting analysis times from between three to five hours to just 30 minutes.
In December 2007, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency published Method 1694 Pharmaceuticals and Personal Care Products in Water, Soil, Sediment, and Biosolids by HPLC/MS/MS. Using Waters chemistry products, Method 1694 identifies pharmaceuticals and personal care products in environmental samples by high-performance liquid chromatography combined with tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC/MS/MS) using isotope dilution and internal standard quantification techniques. This method has been developed for use with aqueous, solid, and biosolids matrices.


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Any way, in this article we will see mix of these interview questions from abstract class and interface. All questions has been asked in various Java interviews and difficulty level for these question is easy for most of Java developer.
It's mostly fact-based questions, but some questions like difference between abstract class and interface in Java, and when to prefer abstract class over interface can be really tricky.
Frequently asked Abstract class and Interface questions in Java
1) Can abstract class have constructors in Java?
Now some interviewer, ask what is the purpose of constructor, if you can not instantiate abstract class? Well, it can still be used to initialize common variables, which are declared inside abstract class, and used by various implementation.
Also even if you don't provide any constructor, compiler will add default no argument constructor in an abstract class, without that your subclass will not compile, since first statement in any constructor implicitly calls super(), default super class constructor in Java.
2) Can abstract class implements interface in Java? does they require to implement all methods?
3) Can abstract class be final in Java?
4) Can abstract class have static methods in Java?
5) Can you create instance of abstract class?
6) Is it necessary for abstract class to have abstract method?
7) Difference between abstract class and interface in Java?
8) When do you favor abstract class over interface?
9) What is abstract method in Java?
10) Can abstract class contains main method in Java ?
Further Learning
SOLID Principles of Object Oriented Design
Absolute Introduction to Object Oriented Programming in Java
Java - Object Oriented Programming [For Absolute Beginners]