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The United States remains one of the richest countries in the world, but many Americans go to bed hungry at night. Local agencies that assist low-income people have seen significant increases in requests for food. At the Father McKenna Center at St. Aloysius Church in Washington, D.C., for instance, a staff member, Virginia Jenkins, spoke to America of an African-American mother who "comes in every 15 days for food for herself and her five children. We give her enough to finish out the month—otherwise she would go hungry." This mother is just one of the increasing number of men, women and children who visit the center in search of food as a stopgap against hunger. The fact that the church is within walking distance of the U.S. Capitol reflects the federal government's inability to cope with the rising tide of hunger nationwide. Food insecurity (uncertain access to adequate food) has become an increasingly serious problem as the recession continues. Black and Hispanic households experience food insecurity at far higher rates than white ones. Some 50 million people currently live in food-insecure households.
Sadly, the situation is likely to get worse rather than better. In late July the Senate majority leader, Harry Reid, Democrat of Nevada, attached an amendment to a job and education bill that would increase federal matching funds to help states cover Medicaid expenses and teachers' salaries to prevent more teacher layoffs. But funding cuts that must be made elsewhere to finance this (almost $12 billion) would include reductions in the Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program that provides food stamps. Food stamp enrollment has grown rapidly during the recession, and enrollment is at an all-time high, with over 40 million recipients—a 50-percent increase since the economic downturn began. The media periodically carry stories of impoverished men and women who, along with their children, depend on food stamps from month to month as their only source of income. In Lee City, Fla., for example, 15,000 people reported earlier this year that they had no income at all apart from their food stamps.
But now, because of the cuts, a family of four can expect their food stamp benefits to drop by $59 a month. Anti-hunger advocates who strongly oppose the cuts note that this would mean returning benefits to lower levels at a time when many households already run out of food by the third or fourth week of the month. Advocates also point out that the cuts could increase obesity by making it more difficult for families to buy healthful foods, such as fresh fruits and vegetables. At a time when the unemployment rate, now around 10 percent, is predicted to remain high through 2013, Senator Reid's amendment is indeed what Representative Rosa de Lauro of Connecticut called a "bitter pill." Cutting back on one necessity to pay for another is a cruel tax on some of America's most vulnerable people.
Growing food insecurity became evident last December, when the U.S. Conference of Mayors issued its status report on hunger and homelessness. The report found that the number of requests for emergency food assistance increased by 26 percent the preceding year, the largest yearly average increase ever in the cities surveyed. Half the cities reported that the demand jumped by 30 percent. Not surprisingly, unemployment was cited by 92 percent of the reporting agencies as the primary cause of this increase, followed by housing costs. Six cities reported that even middle class families who used to donate to food pantries are now seeking assistance for themselves. This circumstance, as the survey put it, was one of the elements that has caused new challenges for food pantries, not least because middle-class families in need of assistance are "unfamiliar with accessing social services."
Because of these increased demands in both pantries and soup kitchens, food assistance agencies, according to three-quarters of the respondents in the survey, have had to cut back on what they can offer. Philadelphia, for instance, reported a 45-percent unmet need because of cutbacks food pantries were forced to make in the amount each client was allowed to receive regularly.
Families should not have to cut back on one necessity to pay for another, like having to choose between food and medical care. Food stamps, one of the key elements of the safety net for poor American families, are too important a lifeline for families already weighed down by the recession. Jim Weill, president of the nonprofit Food Research & Action Center, has said that it would be "an outrage to fund even the best of programs by taking money away from the neediest people in the country, and we're going to oppose it." So should Congress.
The first and most useful thing the bishops could do to solve the problem (the soup kitchens assuage the symptom) is forcefully preach from the pulpits and their seats for vouchers for inner city children, which would provide them a decent chance to develop a moral sense, self-control, delayed gratification, and educational skills that the parochials schools, which are not dominated by unions who consider the children secondary priorities, are better able to provide. Even more importantly, it would force the public school system to respond to an alternative source for quality education, to the benefit of those students also. Then these young men and women could experience the pride of self-sufficiency rather than depend on welfare.
Hear this, you who trample upon the needy
and destroy the poor of the land!
The LORD has sworn by the pride of Jacob:
Never will I forget a thing they have done!
Census figures released this week tell us that more than 43 million Americans live in poverty. How many more million would have been added to this number had their been no unemployment insurance for those hit hard by the recession? Should we tell our brothers and sisters living in poverty to wait and see if school vouchers and union busting will reform our schools so that our children will be prepared to work in all of those jobs created by tax cuts for the rich?
Along with the food, we need to spread this knowledge. This is not hard hearted or cruel. It is as much a service as providing the food for those who do not know how to make it within the food stamp budget.
I don't condemn people for not knowing how to manage the trick of frugal shopping and food prep. But the fix for that is not to up the budget at a time when we are beyond broke but to educate people how to cook nutritiously and frugally with the charity we can, should, and do give them.
People are depending on pensions, American society has insufficient money to pay, health insurance we will not be able to sustainably deliver, and social services we can not sustainably fund. A lot of people are going to be hurt as it becomes more clear how bankrupt we are (approximately $130T in the hole over 75 years, or 1.3T every 9 months). If we can stretch food charity with food preparation education (and it's not that expensive to do), there's that much money to resolve the other major challenges coming down the pipe.
The american people have been lied to about what we can afford to provide and people depended on those false promises for decades. Unwinding those lies is going to hurt a lot of people and the Church needs to be prepared. Economic growth needs to be a priority so we have some of that 1.3T/9months in our pockets and we need to make providing basic needs much more efficient.
Deacon Evans and Mr. Kuczynski, Mr Mattingly made a suggestion as to what to do to solve the subject issue. The pair of you quite obviously disagree with him for your various reasons. But at least he made a suggestion. The pair of you have only criticized his solution. It is fine to disagree, but I would like to see a constructive criticism not the negative criticism you both evince. What is your solution?
As Christians shouldn't we be discussing this issue in a constructive fashion instead of throwing verbal darts at him?
Every one of you should read "How the Irish Saved Civilization." A portion of the book discusses the fall of Rome, how and why it happened. The rich and the elite did not pay taxes, the poor could not pay taxes and the middle class, of course, were the only ones who had to pay taxes and so became poorer and poorer from carrying the whole load. (Sound familiar?) Rome could no longer even afford to have an army (is that something like borrowing from China to fight wars???). In this wealthy country, the wealthy demand more and more "breaks," promising jobs (WHERE ARE THEY?). People frustrate the system by disallowing the majority to make policy, simply to get more power for themselves. Hungry children cannot learn, but who wanted to cut food for children in schools? Three guesses and the first two don't count. This person sounds like a couple of the women running for office who call those without work lazy. God help the poor if they get into office. The wealthy get breaks in taxes so they can take jobs overseas (Citicorp just did exactly that - have made more jobs, but certainly not in the United States). It's easy to see why Jesus said it is harder for a rich man to get into heaven than for a camel to get through the eye of a needle. They never get enough and they don't care who gets trampled down by them as they get more and more and more. When we don't remember history we are doomed to repeat it and we are on the downward run.
No one will be paying taxes before long, because there are no jobs - they are gone to cheap foreign labor for more and more profits for those who already have. They even want people to invest for their social security, because then they have a vested interest in doing the same thing. There is only one thing to be done - exactly what FDR did - yes, there will be inflation for a while, but once people can make money they can pay taxes. I am so tired of hearing whiney rich people infer that people don't work in this country because they really don't want to while CEO's carry off millions for failing and even throw it in our faces. These kinds of people don't have a clue what it is like, especially if they are white (yes, I AM).
I have not seen so much hate since we started bussing. How vividly I remember that woman in Louisville. You see, they always claimed that the schools were separate but equal. I can still remember the hate on her face when she screamed - those schools are not fit for my children!!! How well I remember living in the south where a black woman would be paid $5.00 a day for baby-sitting and doing the housework for a working mother - $5.00 for more than an eight-hour day, and didn't want to cause any trouble when her children were bussed out of town to a black school, miles away from their homes.
No matter what these people try to say, they hate our president because he is black. As far as they are concerned he is an "uppity you-know-what." Oh, they don't want to lay claim to their prejudice, but there it is - that's why they try to say he is not a citizen or that he is a Muslim - it's a good time right now for them to do so. They seem to think that they have an excuse for hating - I don't think so! They gain their power through fear. And they realize that if you repeat something over and over and over again, people will start to believe it. Politicians continue to affirm their hate and prejudice by remaining silent or actually "egging them on," like the person who says, "Well, I'll take him at his word." Others use the airways to straight out lie. They outright lie and don't think a thing about it. Who are these people???? It will not be moral turpitude that brings this country down; it will be the refusal to do exactly what Jesus told us to do.
I guess they should read the Sermon on the Mount first and then "How the IRish Saved Civilization." For some reason there are innumerable so-called Christians in this country who think that Jesus didn't really mean what He said.
Parochial schools? People in this country don't give enough money to their churches to support parochial schools, or hospitals or anything else. If they did, this country would not be in the mess it is in, because people would be taking care of one another, rather than hoarding their money to buy "things" for themselves. What is the saying that pretty much fits today?? The one who dies with the biggest toy wins. As long as we have that kind of mentality, there is no hope.
Excuse me - Mr. Mattingly suggested how someone else could do something. What he does not say is schools can choose who they want to take and who they do not. You surely know what that means.
Where did we ever get the idea that to be a Christian or a Catholic demands nothing more than debating in a civil manner - as if everyt person's opinion is entitled to equal weight. Jesus told us that following the Gospel means that we must hate our parents, our families, and our friends. I don't think this means that we are literally to hate others. But we are supposed to speak the truth, whatever the cost.
I am sorry if you consider me ungentlemanly for speaking out against what Mr. Mattingly had to say. But it saddens me to see that I live in a world poor people are shunted aside and told that they ought to be joyful an glad, for one day the Kingdom of God wil be theirs. I am one of those people who society would be happy to marginalize, and every day I live with the reality that there are those who would say to me, as a person with a disability, that I ought to be content to live in isolation - in the hope that family and friends will take care of me.
Just why is it that the poor and disadv antaged Christians should simply be expected to live in the hope of the future of the Kingdom of God, while rich Christians (who daily live in a state that Jesus clearly spoke of as sinful) should be able to say that they are just as worthy of the Kingdom of God as everyone else?
As for ideas for how we should solve the problem of food insecurity, I have plenty, Mr. Collins. And if you have read any of my comments and letters in America in the past, you would haveti an insight into what some of them are. We should not be throwing valuable resources away on Mr. Bush's and Mr. Obama's misaventures in Iraq and Afghanistan - trying to reform people who have no more interest in Democracy as the Man on the Moon. If we want to wage unjustified war, then let all of us pay for it - in treasure and travaill. The stitmulus should have been twice as much as it was. We should be rebuilding our shattered infrastructure, and providing jobs to people at the same time. Let's try developing renewable energy sources. Let's all try living a more modest life. But when I say all, I mean all; the burden of living more modestly should not fall upon those least able to bear it! Let's try being Christians; not disciples of Ronald Reagan!
I think you have misread or misunderstood my "placing the blame" upon the victims. Such blame as I do place is clearly upon the disastrous state of our public schools, particularly in the inner cities. The welfare state also shares the blame, as anyone who has seen the movie Precious can easily recognize. (Bill Clinton, a much more careful and conservative guardian of the public treasure than George Bush, who increased nondefense spending almost twice as much as Clinton, deserves great credit for reforming welfare and reducing the welfare rolls from 14 to 6 1/2 million.)
Maybe I can clarify the issues by referring to some experiences and statistics, some anecdotes and some facts.
The last 19 years of my restaurant experience was in a low income, predominately minority neighborhood. Two of the D/F middle schools and two of the F highschools were nearby. Over the years I was called upon to do small caterings for various schools, including the middle school and the parochial grammar school. Both nearby, both with similar demographics and incomes. I would arrive shortly before lunch with the food. In the middle school, the disarray in the halls and disorder in the classrooms was appalling. At the parochial school, it was totally the opposite. That is anecdotal; this is not: over 85% of the graduates of the parochial school went on to post secondary education; 57% of the graduates of the middle school did.
Here's a different but related example. A friend, a single mother and excellent musician, had a son who was having academic and social difficulties at his public school which were not approving. At considerable expense of time and effort, she managed to get the assistant principal, the school counselor, and two of his teachers to meet after school at 5 p.m. Two days before the scheduled meeting, the counselor called and informed her that the meeting had to be cancelled because the local union told the teachers not to participate. Though this mother could ill afford it, she withdrew her son from the school and paid full tuition for him to attend a nearby private school at an annual expense of $7200.
Her withdrawal cost the union not a dime, and obviously it concluded its members' interests exceeded those of the student. Suppose, however, that this mother had been offered a voucher if she so chose? My guess is that because that money would be drawn directly out of the monies allocated to schools, a good portion of which would have gone to teachers' salaries, and some of that to union dues, that the union, fearing the loss of income, would likely have permitted that meeting.
Such competition would have tremendous benefit for improving education, which is a great factor in developing delayed gratification, discipline, and in the case of parochial schools at least, moral sense. Unlike food stamps, this would have the long-term potential to seriously reduce the problem.
Milton Friedman, the renowned American economist of the last century, said late in his career that the 3 things needed to keep America prosperous were to control spending, to keep the money supply growing at a slow and steady pace, and to allow vouchers in education. The first two were no surprise, but Friedman saw the importance of establishing competition in education as of equal importance to the first two.
While few would argue in this disastrous unemployment situation of the last 2 years that we should extend benefits to the needy, they should not be contrary to human nature. One unemployed man wrote recently that he turned down a job offer of only $385 a week. He had been making over $500 at his old job, and his unemployment check was $435 a week. Why, he asked, should he take a cut in income to go to work? Anyone in human resources would tell this person that the best way to get back to over $500 a week of income if no such job had materialized or on the horizon would be to take the lesser job and work back up or look for a better opportunity while employed. The longer unemployed, the harder to become employed. Yet here the government discourages him from doing so. He was unemployed, not stupid.
Nothing extends unemployment longer and more efficiently than subsidizing it.
All that is ludicrous. And unfortunately, all that is true. Something we all should speak up about, no matter the cost.
I would not propose forcing anything upon our brothers and sisters in regard to school choice, but rather offer than an option. I would ask the parents in the inner city neighborhoods that have failing schools whether or not they would like to have vouchers as educational options for their children. Would it be Christian to deny them that choice?
It is true that parochial schools can refuse troublesome students and expell those who act out violently. That is also true of these public schools. Those who curse teachers or commit serious violations are expelled from neighborhood schools and sent to special schools, the prospect of which is not looked upon favorably.
I have already read How the Irish Saved Civilization (excellent), also The Gift of the Jews and 2 others of the Hinges of History series. Cahill is one of my favorites. It is interesting to consider the plight of the Irish, who in some ways were in greater peril of starvation and exploitation than even African slaves.
We have seen the terrible loss of life in the slave ships in movies such as Armistaad. It is estimated that 10% of those impressed lost their lives crossing the Atlantic. Yet in the Coffin Ships, so named for obvious reasons, the loss of life has been estimated at 20%. Why? The income of the slavers was dependent upon delivering healthy slaves to the market. They were paid for each live slave. The income of those manning the coffin ships was received at boarding. Whether they survived or not did not affect their income.
Likewise the most dangerous and appalling jobs. In New Orleans that may have been the dredging activities, done in swampy, malarial and yellow fever infested waters. The life expectancy for these workers has been estimated at 2 years. Did slaves do this work? Of course not. A black man was worth $300; no one would want to lose that asset. Give the Irishman a dollar a week and a few bottles of wine, and presto. And when he got sick, there were plenty of new arrivals at the docks to fill his position.
How did the Irish overcome this disadvantage, all those Irish Need Not Apply signs in employment windows? Simple: strong families, church, and a good parochial school education system. While we cannot directly provide a strong family to these children, we can provide a semblance of that education, and if so chosen, a portion of those moral values.
I think that is the Christian thing to do, don't you?
As far as avoiding Ronald Reagan goes, do you think that a 17% increase in real wages for the average worker is a bad thing? Do you think lowering unemployment by 50% over 8 years would be undesireable? Would you be overjoyed to see these things repeated by anyone, or only if they were accomplished under a "liberal" administration? Are you ashamed that our actions under the Reagan administration contributed strongly to the destruction of the Berlin Wall freeing 20 odd countries and 50 million people from tyranny?
As far as starving goes, that is not America's health problems among the poor. It may have been in earlier days, but now we know our greatest epidemic is obesity. And that is mostly due to poor diet and lack of exercise, as Michelle Obama, the Obama with the good health plan, has stated time and again. Is it because healthful choices are too expensive? Go to a Sav a Lot inner city grocery store and look at the prices for carrots, potatoes, string beans, brocolli in the frozen section, chicken, etc, then check the price per pound for potato chips and ice cream. Then watch the checkout line and see what is in the basket of those paying with food stamps. At the end, observe the cash pulled out to pay for the cigarettes and the beer.
You'll quickly learn how accurate Michelle is concerning her claims.
First of all these are the starting salaries for teachers in a variety of "industrial" countries:
Australia $53,261
Canada $33,387Ireland $37,671
Japan $21,960New Zealand $34,000
United Kingdom $27,535United States $35,000
Yes, I researched it on line. And yes, I converted yen and euro's into US dollars. YOu are right about our students being behind in education, but I wonder if either you and/or I would check the number of students per class room what we would find. One of the first things one learns when studying elementary education is that a class size, particularly for early elementary school is eleven students per teacher. (Of course, one of the things one USED TO learn in taking business courses was that the most valuable asset in business is the employee - long ago abandoned.) Do you know how many schools have been closed in the last few years and children carried to other schools? Check it out - teachers are not necessarily carried with them, so that the class rooms are even larger. In our area we have adults going to local schools to listen to children read - the teachers do not have time to do so.Maybe if both parents did not work, they would be able to help their children at home, but to expect teachers to have to plan lessons night after night, go to school early in the morning and then stay after school besides is ludicrous. More than that most states require more education of their teachers during the summer months. Now if you and your wife put all those hours in your work and still help your children, that is great for you, outstanding, in fact; but you have not for a second looked at the drain this puts on teachers and why more and more of them go into other lines of employment.
It may well be true that the Irish rose above the status they were allowed in the United States through parochial education, but you apparently live in an area where that is a possibility. In very many small cities (e.g. JOhnstown, PA), rural areas (Aledo IL) there is not even enough money or priests to finance parochial schools. In Aledo, for example, there is one priest for four small parishes in Mercer County IL. There are certainly no "Parochial" schools there. As for your statement of schools refusing "problem" children, I find that remark inane. My brother-in-law attended eight years of parochial school in the years that almost every RC Church had one, and when he graduated from the eighth grade, he was not accepted at the Catholic High School. HE COULD NOT READ. The only words he could read were those he had memorized. He did not have a clue how to break a new word down. The fact that he was able to memorize so many words indicates that he was an intelligent young man. It is misleading to state that only "problem children" are refused entry into these private schools.Hungry children have a big problem learning. That is only common sense. As the article states even the amount of food that shelters and food pantries can provide is reduced, probably not so much because they are not getting as much to give, but that they have more people who are in need. One of the answers to this problem would have been to extend unemployment to the "99'rs," - as much as people want to claim this country is based on Christian values, I am unable to see much of it when it comes to helping those in need. Bring the jobs back to this country and we won't have such unemployment (BUT then the corporations would not make as much profit!! - that seems to be the bottom line; and these super-rich people really think that they are put upon.) How much better are we than the British who refused to provide potatoes to the starving Irish, even though they had plenty to give? You speak of WWII. THere were potatoes rotting in bins in this country while people were starving all over the world after that war was over.
One other thing - I don't know where you live, and I no longer live there, but when I lost a job in Georgia I received unemployment for so many weeks and thereafter the amount went down. Whether or not the person with whom you spoke is in a state that does the same thing, I don't know; but it seems to me there is something wrong with that picture. Every state in which I have lived (and there have been many - being married to a military man) to collect unemployment, one must present a signed document from employers that shows they have applied for a job and have been refused employment, or there was none available. They can't simply refuse a job because it does not pay enough. There are things, though, that do keep people on disability and unemployment, but it isn't the money. If a disabled person were to get even a part-time job, they would lose all their health benefits and, of course, until the new health bill, what caused their disability would not be covered should they want a job. THey are actually trapped (or have been) by the system, and if some politicians have their way, they will be trapped again. I have actually known government workers who have told a person that if they are missing one "quarter" to be qualified for disability they should go back to work for that quarter. You are absolutely right - there is a problem with education in this country. But there is a greater problem in this country in a lack of humanity and empathy.I'm afraid that people who are not living in these circumstances nor have had to face them don't really understand the plight of these people at all. I still haven't found out how one gets a job that no longer exists. It would be a good thing for all of them to volunteer at a food pantry or a soup kitchen or work at an employment agency for a while.
Thanks for reading my "epistle."
I can't duplicate your numbers among sources on the net. I did find starting salaries on the UNESCO site, which listed the US ahead of all the starting salaries for primary school teachers that you have listed, with Switzerland and Germanic countries at the top, the US at 5th, and Australia just below it.
All at far lower levels than the numbers you quote here. All of the countries you list, while paying less for new teachers, have students whose performance exceeds that of their US counterparts, most quite significantly.
Again, according to the NEA, the large union teachers' organization which would not be inclined to publicly exaggerated compensation figures, the average US public school teacher in the 2008-09 school year made $54,319. It is of course higher now. As best as I can determine, in Australia, which does compensate its teachers well, it is currently around $51K. But Australia gets something for its money; its students perform well. We don't.
According to the Manhattan Institute and US Bureau of Labor and Statistics, teachers in the US on a per hour worked basis are paid 11% more than the average professional, more than civil engineers, architects, accountants, or computer programmers with similar degree, working an average of 36.5 hours per week when school is in session.
According to Ask.com, the average public school class size in 1997 was 27; in 2007, 15.5.
What has the nation received in return for these great real increases in teacher compensation and educational expenditures and tremendous reduction in class sizes that have occurred over the last 35 or so years? The US is atop the bottom quartile of OECD nations, and has earned the distinction of being the only OECD country in which 25-34 year olds are not better educated than 55-64 year olds. In the long haul, how can any corporation compete on an international basis, which competition can no longer be avoided, when other nations have better educated and with it, I maintain, better disciplined workforces?
Mr. Withers, the info on the worker I supplied was from a major publication. While it is necessary for the unemployed to document efforts to obtain a job, the employee can chose to ask or not ask the employer to fill out the necessary paperwork at the end of the interview, thereby documenting or not documenting the application. At my restaurant I saw this all the time. Many, perhaps 40%, the applications of those who had a good period of time remaining on their benefits were submitted half filled out from improperly attired applicants, whose only demand was I verify written documentatin that they had applied for a job and been turned down to submit to the agency. These same employees, when maybe only 2 weeks was left for them on unemployment compensation, would turn up again, now interested.
I totally sympathize with the absurdity you suggest of withdrawing all benefits from a disabled or other worker because he has managed to get a parttime or low paying job. It is the type of disincentive that is just irrational, discouraging the behaviour you are seeking. Such workers, who have jobs that are totally insufficient even for a poverty level of subsistence, should be receiving negative income tax monies. Just yesterday a friend working as an advocate for disabilities shared this with me. A longtime client, whose IQ was measured as 44, with some aid had obtained a job at a restaurant. With a supplementary check for his disability, he worked 20 years as a valued dishwasher and had obtained his own car, a home to live in, and a wife. Recently that restaurant closed for 6 months for remodeling. He therefore had to reapply, and somehow because he had established a record for being gainfully employed, he was disqualified for disability payments. Over the next several months, he lost his house, his car-and his wife.
We can do so much better than this for education by restoring competition to this bloated and self-interested bureaucracy, and for the needy, by gearing our efforts toward self-sufficiency, not the dole.
(By the way, it's Mrs. Withers.)
Thank you for the correction.
If Ask.com is anywhere near correct, class sizes were reduced from 27 to 15.5 over the decade covering 1997-2007. That is a 40% reduction in class size, which produced no improvement in our international educational standing. In addition, salaries increased to a point where earnings per hour worked exceeds that of comparable professionals. Even when school is in session, teachers on average work 9% fewer hours than those professionals typically do. It is possible that if they were required to meet certain standards of progress as measured by student achievement, that might increase to 40 hours, or more efficient work.
In the experiment in DC, where vouchers had a brief 3 year run against the most terrible opposition from a union establishment fearing their entitlements would be subject to competition, the results of the vouchers have evinced clear improvements. In any case, what we know for certain is that reducing school size and increasing expenditures has done nothing to assuage the problem. Continuing along the same old proven failed path is simply nonsensical.
Above all, who do you think knows best about what school her child should attend, the mother who lives in the neighborhood, or a remote bureaucrat? And this is the real question I would like you to answer: should parents in a neighborhood whose school has had very poor results for a substantial period of time have the right to take a portion of their tax money to choose a school that they determine might be a better option than the execrable one their child is assigned to, an amount of money that will actually be less than it costs to send them to the assigned school, or not?
What would be the Christian thing to do, given those two options?
Our mean performance-that is, taken as a whole across the entire nation-puts at in 18th place. Break those numbers down my zip code and you will find public schools that rank in the top 1% of any school system on the planet. Here in Massachusetts where I live, we are sixth in the world on the international TIMMS test in math and science. Students in affluent suburban public school districts rank equal to or above students in any part of the world you can name. What's different about America is that we actually attempt to educate all of our children at the highest possible level: those who have learning disabilities, those who are poor, those who are learning to speak, read, and write English, etc. Other nations, simply put, do not. Our best public schools beat or match any public or private school anywhere in the world...and we aren't 'creaming' only the best and brightest as we do it.
So while there is certainly a lot of room for improvement in the American public education system, let's not forget that there are many, many areas of excellence, and that we try to help every child, not just those who are easy to educate.


text:
SEATTLE (AP) — The sister of an American missionary held for nearly two years in North Korea said Monday that she is worried about the health and well-being of Kenneth Bae, who's isolated in a labor camp and suffers from severe back pain.
In a statement released Monday after Bae, 46, gave a brief news conference with other detained Americans, Terri Chung of Edmonds, Washington, said it's obvious from the way her brother sat that he is in a lot of pain.
She said the normally cheerful man also has little human contact in the camp, where he was sentenced to a 15-year term for what North Korea has claimed were hostile acts against the state. Chung appealed to North Korean officials to show mercy and release her brother, saying he has confessed and served a longer detainment than any other American since the war. Bae has been held since November 2012.
"As an incredibly friendly and social man, the psychological pain of isolation and worry for his family must weigh on him as much as the physical agony," Chung wrote after news conference. "He is normally cheerful — larger than life — but I could not see that man today."
In a telephone interview with The Associated Press, Chung said the televised interviews are difficult to watch and thinks Bae's body isn't going to be able to withstand much more of the physical labor. Bae also has diabetes and has been moved back and forth to a hospital during his confinement.
Bae's media appearance echoed a telephone conversation Chung had with her brother about three weeks ago, which was her fourth call from him in two years, she said.
"He's eager to come home. His health is not going well. He needs help from the United States government," Chung said, adding she is in regular contact with the State Department.
"We know that they are working on something," she said. "I want to see all the work come to fruition."
National Security Council spokesman Patrick Ventrell said in a statement that the U.S. government continues to work to get Bae and the other Americans released as soon as possible.
Chung said the family has also had some contact with Bae through email, and his responses show he is receiving their notes and getting some medical care.
She called the limited exchange of information and the infrequent television appearances an emotional roller coaster. Each time, Chung hopes his release may be imminent.
"It's past time now to bring him home," Chung said. "He's an American citizen pleading for help. It's difficult watching him pleading repeatedly on TV."

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Mary Kay CEO Wants Pink Caddy in Fast Lane
Direct sellers have had a rough time lately.
From nutritional-supplement maker Herbalife Ltd. recently being forced to deny its business model is a pyramid scheme to beauty company Avon Products Inc. facing an expensive bribery probe, the industry is yet again on the defensive.
Closely held cosmetics seller Mary Kay Inc. hasn't seen the same...


text:
Thursday, June 20, 2013
Ogden Raptors being Pioneer League play, led by Valentin and Valdez
2 comments:
- BluefanJune 21, 2013 at 8:44 AM
Got a little bit of a disagreement on the money for the last three un-reported bonus' from the Top 10 rounds. The big discrepancy is with Underwood. I have heard from you and others, that Underwood would be receiving an "over-slot" deal, so the $360,000 reported by JP Hoornstra from the LA Daily News sounds correct, but Baseball America notes the signing bonus at slot ($306,200).ReplyDelete
Underwood Farmer Keener
Daily News $360,000 $40,000 $5,000
BA.com $306,200 NA $5,000
With the Daily News totals, the Dodgers would have roughly $27,000 in spending available without surrendering a pick.
The BA.com totals, would bring that figure up to roughly $81,000.
I am hoping for the later, because I think we can squeeze 13th Rounder, LH Ty Damron in if the BA.com totals are correct.Replies
Just posted an update a few hours ago (newest post). I'm going with Hoornsta's number until I hear otherwise. Saw BA had it at slot, but like you said, it seems J.P. might be correct.Delete


text:
BOSTON — There are so many past experiences for the Bruins to draw lessons from, they can't possibly take the ice tonight unprepared for what Philadelphia is going to throw at them tonight.
Can they?
We'll find out after the puck drops to start Game 3 of the Eastern Conference semifinal series between the Bruins and Flyers at 7 p.m. at the TD Garden.
The talk this morning in the Bruins' dressing room after the morning skate would lead you to believe Boston is ready to take as many haymakers as the Flyers are willing to throw in an attempt to dig out of their 0-2 deficit.
"We put ourselves in a good spot. But we know anything can happen," said forward Brad Marchand. "We've been through it last series [down 0-2 to Montreal] and last season [up 3-o on Philly], so we have to make sure we don't take it easy and sit back. We have to keep going."
"We were in the same boat last series and came back and won," said winger Michael Ryder. "We know that anything can happen and we can't take anything for granted. We have to go out tonight and work just as hard and try to and get that win."
If there's such a thing as game-to-game momentum, the Flyers might have some despite losing Game 2 Monday in overtime. The Flyers outshot the Bruins, 32-12, over the final period and overtime, but were unable to solve goaltender Tim Thomas.
With the start of the game so important, head coach Claude Julien has attempted to make sure his team knows it has to be better than it was at the end of last game.
"Well we have to get back to our game, simple as that," said Julien. "I think we got away from it and that's what allowed them to have a lot more pace than they had in the previous game or the first couple of periods. And tonight the first period is going to be an important one for both teams. I think they are both going to be keying on that first period, and how we come out is going to play a big role in dictating tonight's game."
The Bruins are just 2-2 at home this postseason, in contrast to their 4-1 record on the road. Marchand's hoping the Bruins can get the crowd behind them early tonight and then ride that wave to a 3-0 series lead.
"I think the biggest thing is we have to have a big start. They're going to come out flying and they did it last game," said Marchand. "They're going to want to get a couple goals early and we just have to build off that. So we just have to make sure that we have a big start, counter that and use the crowd to our advantage."


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Suffolk, ss.
Docket No. VS-08-436
SENETHRA T. ANDERSON, Petitioner
DEPARTMENT OF VETERANS SERVICES, Respondent
Appearance for the Petitioner:
Senethra Anderson, pro se, 101 Green St., #104, Jamaica Plain, MA 02130.
Appearance for the Respondent:
Gail Cavanaugh-McAuliffe, Esq., Dept. of Veterans Services, 600 Washington St., Suite 1100
Boston, MA 02111.
Administrative Magistrate:
Mark L. Silverstein, Esq.
Summary of Decision
Because the petitioner's pro se representation generates no income for her and is not expected to do so, it is not "employment" for purposes of establishing her eligibility for M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits; accordingly, the decision of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services sustaining the suspension of petitioner's veterans benefits based upon her refusal to accept any kind of employment is affirmed, without prejudice to a reapplication by the petitioner for M.G.L. c.115 benefits that meets the employment-related requirements of 108 CMR 7.01 and 7.02.
Petitioner Senethra T. Anderson, an honorably-discharged Air Force veteran, appeals from a decision of the Massachusetts Department of Veterans Services (DVS), issued on May 15, 2008 following a hearing, sustaining the suspension of her M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits by the City of Boston Veterans Services Department based upon her refusal to accept any kind of employment. See 108 CMR 7.01(4). Ms. Anderson contends that her benefits should not have been suspended because she is employed full-time as a pro se litigant and therefore cannot accept other employment.
Ms. Anderson appealed the DVS decision on May 23, 2008. The appeal was timely but was filed initially with DVS, which transferred it to the Division of Administrative Law Appeals (DALA), together with a copy of its decision and the exhibits that DVS marked in evidence at its May 13, 2008 hearing (DVS Hrg. Exhs. 1-7).
After receiving written notice that DALA had received her appeal, Ms. Anderson filed a motion to dismiss in which she asserted that DALA lacked adjudicatory jurisdiction until her appeal was "reheard" by "the Veterans Department of Health and Human Services." DALA did not decide the motion at the time and instead issued, on July 28, 2008, a notice scheduling a hearing for August 29, 2008.
DVS appeared for the scheduled hearing, but Ms. Anderson did not appear. I did not dismiss the appeal, however. Noting that the appeal raised only a legal issue, I determined that Ms. Anderson had elected to waive a hearing and present her case upon written submissions. Order Following Hearing (Aug. 28, 2008), at 2; see 801 CMR 1.02(10)(b).[1] I also allowed time for each party to file a memorandum of law if it chose to do so. Ms. Anderson filed, in response to this Order, a letter restating her objection to DALA's jurisdiction. DVS did not file a memorandum or a response to Ms. Anderson's letter.
For the reasons stated below, I sustain DALA's jurisdiction to adjudicate this appeal, and I conclude that Ms. Anderson's pro se representation is not "employment" for purposes of establishing M.G.L. c. 115 benefits eligibility because it is beyond genuine dispute that this activity generates no income and is not expected to do so. Accordingly, I affirm the appealed DVS decision, without prejudice to a reapplication by Ms. Anderson for M.G.L. c.115 benefits that meets the employment-related requirements of 108 CMR 7.01 and 7.02.
[1] The Informal/Fair Hearing Rules of the Standard Adjudicatory Rules of Practice and Procedure, 801 CMR 1.02, apply to adjudicatory proceedings, such as this appeal, "involving review of action or inaction of an Agency or of a Veterans' agent with respect to a claim for benefits or services."
Findings of Fact
I make the following findings of fact based upon the documents in the record before me.
1. Ms. Anderson is an honorably-discharged Air Force veteran. (DVS Decision, May 15, 2008, at 1)
2. Ms. Anderson worked as a financial service representative at American Express in 2003 and 2004, a customer service representative at the Fleet Center in Boston between 2002 and 2004 [2], an assistant manager at The Black Library (probably the Black Library Booksellers) in Dorchester between 2004 and 2005, and a parking monitor at Harvard University in Cambridge between 2004 and 2007. (DVS Hrg. Exh. 7: Resume of Senethra T. Anderson.)
3. Ms. Anderson attended the Harvard University Continuing Education program in 2006 and yoga instructor certification courses in 2007 and 2008. (DVS Hrg. Exh. 7: Resume of Senethra T. Anderson; DVS Hrg. Exh. 4: copy of email to Ms. Anderson from Fitness Resources Associates in Needham, MA.)
4. Ms. Anderson's resume does not state that she has attended or received a degree from any law school or that she is admitted to the bar of any state. (DVS Hrg. Exh. 7: Resume of Senethra T. Anderson.)
5. Ms. Anderson describes her current occupation as "Legal Self-Representation...Pro Se,"and in her resume summarized her work in this capacity thus:
Task includes preparing motions, briefs, summons, complaints and memoranda for litigative arguments. Arraignments, motions hearing, bench trials, appeals and judgements. Has familiar knowledge in criminal and civil legal proceedings. Study work consisted of case law, statute, ordinance, constitutional law and procedural law. All research management done at Harvard, Northeastern, Suffolk, State Libraries. Cases which are most challenging are unemployment insurance appeals.
(DVS Hrg. Exh. 7: Resume of Senethra T. Anderson.)
6. Ms. Anderson received M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits at various times in 2001, 2002, 2006 and 2007 and, as well, in early 2008. (DVS Hrg. Exh. 5: DVS Request for Authorization of Veterans' Benefits-Form VS-21A.) These benefits were paid to Ms. Anderson by the City of Boston Veterans Services Department, acting as DVS veterans services agent. ( Id.). See M.G.L. c. 115, §
7. The City of Boston Veterans Services Department notified Ms. Anderson on March 26, 2008 that her M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits would be suspended on April 1, 2008 based upon her refusal to accept any kind of employment, citing 108 CMR 1.01(4). (DVS Hrg. Exh. 5: DVS Request for Authorization of Veterans' Benefits-Form VS-21A; DVS Hrg. Exh. 6: Notice of Intent dated Mar. 26, 2008.)
8. On April 17, 2008, Ms. Anderson challenged the decision of the City of Boston Veterans Services Department to suspend her benefits by filing an appeal with DVS. (DVS Hrg. Exh. 1)
9. DVS held a hearing on Ms. Anderson's appeal on May 13, 2008. Ms. Anderson testified on her own behalf. Two other witnesses testified at the DVS hearing: Evan Makrinikolas, DVS's Chief Authorizer, and George Egan, the Director of the City of Boston Veterans' Services Department. (DVS Decision, May 15, 2008, at 1.)
10. In its decision following the hearing, DVS rejected Ms. Anderson's contention that her "pro se advocacy" was "a form of employment in itself." (DVS Decision, May 15, 2008, at 2-3). It concluded that Ms. Anderson was "voluntarily unemployed" and was required to seek and accept full-time employment in order to be eligible for benefits under M.G.L. c. 115. DVS therefore sustained the suspension of her benefits. ( Id.)
11. On May 23, 2008, Ms. Anderson filed with DVS an appeal challenging the DVS decision.
12. DVS transferred the appeal to DALA, which acknowledged receipt of the appeal on June 17, 2008. (DALA Corrected Acknowledgment dated July 11, 2008.)
[2] Ms. Anderson's resume states that her employer in 2002-04 was "TD Banknorth Garden," but although that was the sports arena's name when this appeal was commenced, it was known as the Fleet Center before it was renamed "TD Banknorth Garden" in July 2005. I regard the error as inadvertent.
DALA alone has jurisdiction to adjudicate this appeal.
The DVS regulations specify, at 108 CMR 8.07, the procedure by which an applicant for benefits may appeal "any action taken by a veterans' agent"-for example (as in this case), the suspension of M.G.L. c. 115 benefits by the local Veterans Services Department.
The appeal is first to the Secretary of DVS, within 21 days of the date of notice of the veterans' agent's action. See 108 CMR 8.07(1). Ms. Anderson timely exercised, on April 17, 2008, her right to appeal the suspension of her M.G.L. c. 115 benefits by the Boston Veterans Services Department to the DVS Commissioner.
The regulations direct that a DVS hearing officer conduct a hearing on the appeal challenging a veterans' agent's action and issue a decision in writing to the applicant and the veterans' agent. 108 CMR 8.07(3). DVS met these requirements when its hearing officer held a hearing on Ms. Anderson's appeal on May 13, 2008 and issued a written decision on May 15, 2008 sustaining the suspension of her M.G.L. c. 115 benefits.
The regulations make no provision for further or different proceedings at DVS to challenge a veterans' agent's action, and accordingly the written decision that DVS issues pursuant to 108 CMR 8.07(3) marks the appeal's last stop at that agency. However, "the aggrieved party may further appeal, in writing, to DALA by filing an appeal within ten days of the receipt of the decision" issued by DVS. See 108 CMR 8.07(3). This route of further appeal to DALA following DVS's written decision is exclusive. DVS can adjudicate the matter no further once it issues its decision under 108 CMR 8.07(3), even if the appealing party requests further DVS review or files a timely appeal of the DVS decision with DVS rather than directly at DALA, as occurred here. See Finding 11, above, at 5.
Ms. Anderson's motion to dismiss this proceeding and transfer her appeal back to DVS was without merit, consequently, and I deny it.
With her appeal properly before DALA, Ms. Anderson was entitled only to the hearing that DALA scheduled upon notice to her. Her failure to appear for the scheduled hearing on August 29, 2008 cannot be justified by DALA's alleged lack of jurisdiction to adjudicate her appeal. It was within my discretion, therefore, to issue to Ms. Anderson an order to show cause why her appeal should not be dismissed for failure to appear at the hearing, see 310 CMR 1.02(10)(d), or to determine instead, as I did here, that Ms. Anderson had elected to waive a hearing and present her case upon written submissions. See 801 CMR 1.02(10)(b). The latter option was appropriate in this case. First, the appeal is unburdened by factual dispute and raises a purely legal issue-whether Ms. Anderson's pro se representation qualifies as employment and precludes the suspension of her benefits for refusal to accept any kind of employment under108 CMR 7.01(4). Second, this legal issue is likely to resurface if Ms. Anderson reapplies for M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits, as this Decision allows her to do, and the issue is not now decided. [3] I turn to this issue next.
108 CMR 7.01(4), entitled "employability of the applicant," provides that: The veterans' agent shall deny further veterans' benefits to employable applicants who refuse, without good cause, to accept any bona fide offer of employment for which they are reasonably qualified based on their skills, training, physical condition and present circumstances. Notwithstanding the foregoing, applicants may be required to accept minimum wage employment.
Neither M.G.L. c. 115 nor the DVS Regulations define "employment." The regulations define "voluntary unemployment" as "unemployment brought about by one's own act or failure to act." 108 CMR 2.02. The regulations also direct the local veterans' agent to determine that the applicant is voluntarily unemployed" if "all the circumstances of the case, including age, physical condition, skills, length of time unemployed, economic conditions, etc. indicate that the applicant has not made, or is not making a good faith effort to obtain any type of employment for which he or she is reasonably suited..." 108 CMR 3.06(1)(b). [4]
No statutory or regulatory definition clarifies, thus, what activities in general comprise "employment" for M.G.L. c. 115 benefits-related purposes or, more specifically, how it is to be determined whether pro se representation is employment that precludes a discontinuation of benefits under 108 CMR 3.06(1)(b) or under 108 CMR 7.01(4). There appears to be, in addition, no caselaw addressing either of these points.
Working without the benefit of any such guideposts, the DVS hearing officer found that Ms. Anderson was "involved in" an unidentified lawsuit that was "ongoing for some time" and had "become an all encompassing aspect of her life," and that "[h]er pro se advocacy is preventing her from working." DVS Decision (May 15, 2008), at 2. She noted that although "[l]awsuits by their very nature are adversarial" and "are time consuming and costly," Ms. Anderson's pro se advocacy was not, as she contended, "a form of employment in itself," and nor can employment and pro se representation "be construed to be the same," citing Blacks Law Dictionary. [5] The hearing officer reasoned further that:
Although the petitioner's desire to have her pro se representation in her civil suit be considered work it cannot be. If that were the case then anyone involved in civil litigation would be entitled to receive state aid. That is not the case. Law suits are timely, costly and emotionally draining at best however they do not exclude one from participating in gainful employment unless they become physically disabled. The petitioner is not physically disabled.
Based upon this reasoning, the hearing officer concluded that Ms. Anderson was voluntarily unemployed and that the veterans' agent had properly discontinued payment of M.G.L. c. 115 benefits to her.
Because neither M.G.L. c. 115 nor the DVS regulations define "employment," what constitutes employment under the regulations is determined from the word's common or ordinary meaning such as dictionary definitions supply, provided that this determination is consistent with the plain language and purpose of the statute and regulations. See T.B.I., Inc. v. Board of Health of North Andover, 431 Mass. 9, 725 N.E.2d 188 (2000).
Dictionary definitions of "employment" equate employment with an activity to which one devotes time or effort or with activity that is "gainful." See, e,g., The American Heritage Dictionary, 2d ed. 1991 (definitions of "employ" and "employment"). These definitions are only partly helpful, as they furnish no means of distinguishing between an activity that is steadily gainful from one that is time-consuming but gainful sporadically, or from one that is gainful in the sense that it avoids costs or is beneficial in some other manner.
The definition quoted by the DVS hearing officer is somewhat more helpful, as it equates employment with "[w]ork for which one has been hired and is being paid by an employer." However, while this definition equates employment with payment, it does not clarify how this definition applies in the context of self-employment, where one is not necessarily paid steadily by an employer as one works and payment may not occur until all work has been completed.
Perhaps because the dictionary definition was no more helpful than were the statute and regulations in distinguishing pro se representation from employment, the DVS hearing officer focused instead upon another approach in distinguishing one from the other. It cannot be the case, she reasoned, that one is entitled to state aid because of involvement in civil litigation, and although civil litigation is "timely, costly and emotionally draining," it does not preclude one from "participating in gainful employment" unless one becomes physically disabled, which Ms. Anderson was not. As inviting as this reasoning is, however, it still provides no functional way to determine, under the DVS regulations, whether pro se representation is employment.
Defining employment in the context of public benefits eligibility need not depend upon whether a particular activity is found on a "master list" of occupations or upon whether the agency administering a benefits program (or the benefits applicant) perceives a particular form of activity as the equivalent of employment. One alternative approach is to forego relying upon any such subjective definition of employment, or to dispense altogether with creating occupation lists or defining employment and to require, instead, that an applicant submit proof of income to meet an employment prerequisite for state aid. Some states specify, for example, the forms of proof that suffice to show earned income from wages or self-employment, or from other sources such as royalties from one's published works, honoraria, stipends, or federal or state work/study program grants, and also the forms of proof that do not show earned income, such as receipts for participating in clinical drug trials or for donating blood or plasma. [6]
The DVS regulations are not similarly specific, but they show, nonetheless, that the agency has adopted an income-based approach in determining whether a veteran or dependent who is otherwise eligible for M.G.L. c. 115 benefits is employed or is, instead, voluntarily unemployed.
First, the regulations clarify that the payment of benefits under M.G.L. c. 115 "constitutes a grant of public assistance to the veteran or his or her dependent," 108 CMR 5.01(2), and that eligibility for this type of assistance is based upon demonstrated financial need. The "general rule for determination of benefits" under M.G.L. c. 115 is that "[o]nly such amounts shall be paid to or for any veteran or dependent as may be necessary to afford him or her sufficient relief or support and such benefits shall not be paid to any person who is able to support himself or herself or who is in receipt of income from any source sufficient for his or her support." 108 CMR 5.01(1) (emphasis added). [7]
Second, the regulations require that self-employed persons "whose self-employment efforts have failed to generate income which is adequate enough to afford them sufficient relief or support, and who have no foreseeable prospects of generating income" must "complete an employment plan and conduct job searches as required by 108 CMR 7.13(3) and (4) as a condition of receiving benefits." 108 CMR 7.02(2)(emphases added).
"Employment" for purposes of the DVS regulations means, consequently, employment that generates income. Moreover, income from self-employment must generate, or must have a foreseeable prospect of generating, income that is adequate enough to afford the applicant "sufficient relief or support."
Far less effort is needed to determine what qualifies as "income" under the DVS regulations, because the regulations define this term. Income is "the combined money or its earned or unearned equivalent as further defined in 108 CMR 6.01(4)." 108 CMR 2.02. 108 CMR 6.01(4), entitled "Types of Exempt Income," provides that:
(a) A veteran's income from annuities received under the provisions of M.G.L. c. 115, § 6B, shall not be counted as income to be deducted in determining veterans' benefits.
(b) Money which an applicant has received from the United States or the Commonwealth as a "bonus" for military service or enrollment shall not be considered as income to be deducted in determining benefits.
(c) Earned income of children attending high school shall not be counted.
(d) Earned income for children attending college shall not be counted.
(e) Payments made to an applicant from the Agent Orange Settlement Fund or any other fund established pursuant to the settlement in the In Re Agent Orange Product Liability Litigation, M.D.L. No. 381 (E.D.N.Y.) and the Radiation Exposure Compensation Program shall not be considered income in determining veterans' payments.
108 CMR 6.01(4)(a)-(e).
Notably absent from this list is any clause allowing other types of income to qualify as "earned or unearned equivalents of income." The list of such income that appears at 108 CMR 6.04 is therefore exclusive.
Pro se representation does not qualify as an earned or unearned equivalent of income, thus, unless it is one of the income types listed at 108 CMR 6.04(a)-(e). There is neither argument nor proof before me that pro se representation is any of these income types. It is beyond genuine dispute here, therefore, that it does not qualify as any of them.
Construing "employment" to mean "employment that generates income" makes it unnecessary to determine whether pro se representation should be regarded as employment for M.G.L. c. 115 benefits-related purposes on any other grounds, including the investment of time that pro se representation requires, the cost and time consumed by lawsuits, or any of the other grounds mentioned in the DVS Decision. It also makes it unnecessary to decide whether persons involved in civil litigation should receive state aid, or whether pro se representation should be regarded as work. Focusing upon income-generation without regard to the activity's social value requires answers to these questions alone: (1) does this activity generate income for Ms. Anderson, and, if so, (2) is this income currently, or does it have a foreseeable prospect of being, "adequate enough" to afford Ms. Anderson "sufficient relief or support"?
Only the first question need be answered here. The record includes no representation by Ms. Anderson, and no proof, that her pro se representation generates income. It is beyond genuine dispute, therefore, that Ms. Anderson's pro se representation does not do so. It is also beyond genuine dispute (as noted above) that Ms. Anderson's pro se representation does not qualify as earned or unearned equivalent of income under 108 CMR 6.04.
I conclude, consequently, that Ms. Anderson's pro se representation is not "employment" under the DVS regulations, and is neither the acceptance of employment nor "good cause" to refuse employment under 108 CMR 7.01(4).
[3] DVS did not oppose this determination on the merits.
[4] Ms. Anderson did not assert inability to seek employment based upon any of the grounds recited at 108 CMR 3.06(1)(b). She asserted, instead, that her self-representation is "employment" in order to demonstrate her eligibility for M.G.L. c. 115 benefits.
[5] The DVS Decision does not cite to a particular 5 edition of Black's Law Dictionary. One of the editions currently in use defines "employment" as:
Act of employing or state of being employed; that which engages or occupies; that which consumes time or attention; also an occupation, profession, trade, post or business (citation omitted). Includes the doing of the work and a reasonable margin of time and space required in passing to and from the place where the work is to be done (citations omitted). Activity in which a person engages or is employed; normally, on a day-to-day basis.
Black's Law Dictionary, 5th ed. (West 1979), at 471.
The same edition defines "pro se" as:
[f]or himself; in his own behalf; in person. Appearing for oneself, as in the case of one who does not retain a lawyer and appears for himself in court.
Id., at 1099.
[6] See, e.g., Minn 6 esota Department of Human Services, Health Care Programs Manual, at ch. 3: "Eligibility Groups and Bases of Eligibility, Medical Assistance for Employed Persons With Disabilities -Definition of Employment." This document may be found on the web at: http://hcopub.dhs.state.mn.us/03_30_20_05.htm .
[7] This general rule practically mirrors the language of M.G.L. c. 115, § 5, para. 2, which states that "[o]nly such amount shall be paid to or for any veteran or dependent as may be necessary to afford him sufficient relief or support and such benefits shall not be paid to any person who is able to support himself or who is in receipt of income from any source sufficient for his support."
I affirm the appealed DVS decision sustaining, pursuant to 108 CMR 7.01(4), the suspension of Ms. Anderson's M.G.L. c. 115 veterans benefits by the City of Boston Veterans Services Department based upon her refusal to accept any kind of employment. This disposition is without prejudice to a reapplication by Ms. Anderson for M.G.L. c.115 benefits that meets the employment related requirements of 108 CMR 7.01 and 7.02.
Notice of Appeal Rights
This is a final agency decision. Pursuant to M.G.L. c. 115, § 2, further review of such decision may be had by any party upon application made to the Governor and Council within ten days after receipt of the decision.
Whether or not an application for further review is made to the Governor and Council, this decision of the Division of Administrative Law Appeals, or the decision of the Governor and Council if an application for further review is made, is subject to judicial review in accordance with the provisions of M.G.L. c. 30A, § 14. Any such appeal must be instituted within thirty (30) days of receipt of such decision, and filed with the Superior Court Department of the Trial Court.
Mark L. Silverstein
Administrative Magistrate
Dated: August 19, 2009
Information provided by the Division of Administrative Law Appeals


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The Smyrna High School Eagles football team is off to a 2-1 start this season. Helping the team out on the offensive and defensive side of the ball is junior running back/safety Maurice McFolling, who has 8 touchdowns and 2 interceptions in three games.
While McFolling, 17, is having a good start to the season, he credits it to his teammates and said without his father he wouldn't be as serious about the game. McFolling took a few minutes during practice last week to talk football.
Q How did you get into football?
A Actually I've never played organized football before high school. Growing up, I'd come home after school and the first thing I'd do is change into some football clothes and we'd go out to the field to play. We called it the field, we'd tell our friends a meeting time and go out in the backyard and play football for two hours every night until winter since the first grade.
Q What do you like about playing football?
A Just love of the game and playing with a team. I love being competitive; I'm a big competitor. It's the rush, adrenaline and the Friday night lights. I love the game.
My dad played football at Alabama University. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't be as serious about football. He's a really good football player. He's teaching me to be a mentally good player and athlete.
Q How do you feel about your performance so far?
A Honestly, I didn't know what to expect [coming into the season]. We lost a lot of seniors and people were doubting Smyrna could win. I let it get to my head a little bit but not completely. I try to have the mindset to play out every game.
I didn't expect this but I can always do better. I'm never satisfied with my play.
Q Do you have any personal goals this year?
A I want to get a scholarship, not athletically but academically. I just want to focus on my grades this year and my senior year. I'm shooting for all A's, that's hard but I'm going to do the best I can. My dad said if football doesn't work out I can fall back on my grades.
Q Do you have a team goal for the season?
A We're not worrying about the end of the season but the next game. We're not thinking of being 9-1 but 2-1, then we can start thinking of 3-1 and then 4-1. Right now we're thinking about 2-1. As the season ends, hopefully the playoffs.
Email Jennifer Dailey at email@example.com.


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Booth Library Orientation Tour
Wednesday, 25 September, 2013 @ 05:00 PM - 05:45 PM |
Booth Library is offering library orientation tours through Sept. 25. (The library is closed on Sept. 2, so there will be no tour that day.) Tours meet in the library's North Foyer at the following times:
- Mondays -- 6 p.m.
- Tuesdays -- 11 a.m.
- Wednesdays -- 5 p.m.
Sessions last approximately 45 minutes. All are welcome to attend. To take a tour, simply go to the Marvin Foyer (inside the north entrance) at Booth Library at the scheduled time. Registration is not required for general tours.Categories: Booth Library | Current Students


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Playroom Project Luncheon and Fundraiser - 5/21/09
This year, approximately $100,000 was raised by the Mario Lemieux Foundation Playroom Project to build playrooms in the hospitals of UPMC Passavant North Hills and UPMC Passavant Cranberry at the Playroom Project Lunch and Fundraiser. After an auction at LeMont Restaurant, 300 guests enjoyed lunch and a specialty cake, created and delivered by celebrity Chef Duff Goldman, baker and owner of Charm City Cakes and star of the Food Network television show Ace of Cakes. The cake and a special appearance by Mario Lemieux were both a surprise to Nathalie Lemieux. "She couldn't believe it. She was very surprised," says Nancy Angus, executive director of the Mario Lemieux Foundation. "Mario usually doesn't attend these events because they are for the ladies. Nathalie nearly fell off her chair when she saw him." Photography by Megan WylieRead More


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Hah, while you have been scurrying about, night and day, trying to get your crops planted, I have been agonizing over the color of the Porsche convertible I will be ordering. Shortly.
And that's just my Saturday/Sunday car.
For weekdays, I'm thinking of a Mercedes. You know, the BIG one. The one with little windshield wipers on the headlights (which of course will be the new, trés çhic, brilliant white lights that blind all the everyday people who have only ordinary lamps on their cars and SUVs). Plus, a fancy GPS system that will help me effortlessly navigate to only the finest restaurants. And my private banker.
I have also been spending a good deal of time trying to decide whether I'd prefer my winter villa somewhere on the Mediterranean coast or perhaps in the South Pacific. Fiji, maybe. Or Bora Bora. No more nasty, bone-chilling Delta winters for me. It's gonna be warm sun, sparkling beaches, and stunning turquoise water. I had momentarily thought of a place in the South of France. But well, things being the way they are between Mr. Bush and France these days, I guess not. He may well invade them and outlaw snails in garlic wine sauce as weapons of mass heartburn. Then where would I be?
For my summers, perhaps a modest-but-elegant 12-room, custom-designed lodge somewhere on one of the incredibly blue mountain lakes of the Great Northwest, where the days are long, the breezes pleasant, the skies cloudless, and the colors of grass and flowers so intense it takes your breath away.
Oh, I almost forgot: The jet. I'm torn between one of the deluxe Learjets and a Gulfstream. No more airport waiting for me. No more surly airline employees. No more peanuts and pretzels. No more tubercular seatmates coughing on me, or shrieking babies. Just hop aboard and away I go, munching the array of gourmet goodies prepared by my personal chef. To my villa in Fiji. Or Bora Bora. Or the modest-but-elegant lodge in the Great Northwest.
Ah, I can see that you're skeptical. I can sense your disbelief. I can hear you mentally asking (with more than a trace of envy, I can't help but notice) how this can be. How can one who — sans rich uncles or lottery jackpots — having toiled a lifetime in the unglamorous milieu of the Fourth Estate, now ascend to the Lifestyles of the Rich and Famous?
Well, I can't give too much away, but here's a hint. E-mail.
There it was, lurking in the queue of offers for mortgage refinancing, term life insurance, unmentionable male/female products, DisneyWorld vacations, and other electronic junk mail — an earnest plea from Dr. Guis Obaseki, who obtained my name from the Nigerian Chamber of Commerce and Industry (I didn't even know they knew me!). Because I have such a sterling, upright reputation, Dr. Obaseki asks me to assist in transferring US$35,600,000.00 from a dormant bank account in his country to the U.S. For my assistance, he will give me 25 percent! All he needs is my bank account number, Social Security number, and a bit of other personal info, and I can score an easy $8 mill and change. Is that a deal, or what?
But wait. It gets better. Two days later (Dr. Obaseki obviously having told others of my reputation and superb business acumen), an e-mail from Ms. Nanda Kutanda implored that I assist her in transferring and selling gemstones worth at least USD$12.5 million, for which she will give me a generous percentage.
Next day, Eng. Samuel Zuma of the South African Ministry of Energy and Mineral Resources, sought my assistance in moving US$14.3 million, for which I will "be entitled to 30 percent of the money."
And this very morning, Mrs. Margaret Fofana, "wife to the late Chief Vincent Fofana from Sierra Leone," asks my help in transferring $25 million USD "in trunk boxes deposited and declared as precious stones by my late husband." For which I will receive 20 percent! Ka-chung, ka-chung.
Then, in one day, similar requests from Mr. Dada Guei, David Dakosa, Mobuta Ada James, and Mr. Emmanuel Stevens, all wanting to share their millions with me.
In the mere space of one week, these desperate-but-rich African people have shown me the road to riches.
As I expect my cuts from their generosity will be more than sufficient to support my new lifestyle for whatever years I have remaining, I will not be greedy. Since I am one in whom the African desperately wealthy class has obviously placed great trust, I expect other offers to be forthcoming — which I will be willing to share with YOU.
Just e-mail me your bank account number(s) and…


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Academic Support Program
ASP Small Group Sessions. ASP Small Group Sessions. Information about the Academic Support Program, including membership criteria for ASP small group sessions and the process for petitioning into the small groups, is available by clicking here. For more information about the Academic Support Program and study resources, please visit the ASP web site.
Spring Upass Information
Replacement Upass Information
Lost or Stolen: If you lose your U-Pass or it is stolen, you need to go to CTAHeadquarters at 567 West Lake Street, 2nd Floor. Replacement cards cost $35.00 (cash, credit card, or money order only) and you will need to bring a valid Chicago-Kent student ID card. Replacement passes are sent to Chicago-Kent five to seven days after you apply. You will be notified by email once it arrives. Please note: CTA will replace lost or stolen U-Pass cards only one time per academic year.
On a Bus: If your U-Pass is captured in bus equipment, the bus operator will ask you to complete a customer service card and allow you to ride free. If needed, a free transfer will be provided. You must bring the customer service card, along with your valid Chicago-Kent student ID card, to CTA Headquarters at 567 West Lake Street, 2nd Floor to apply for a replacement. Replacement passes are sent to Chicago-Kent five to sevendays after you apply. You will be notified by email once it arrives. If you fail to get the customer service card, it can take up to two weeks to replace your U-Pass.
On the El: If your U-Pass is captured in rail station equipment, locate a customer assistant and inform him or her of your problem. The customer assistant will have you complete a fare discrepancy report (FDR) and issue you a free transit card valued at $3.60. You must bring a copy of the FDR, along with your valid Chicago-Kent student ID card, to CTA Headquarters at 567 West Lake Street, 2nd Floor to apply for a replacement. Replacement passes are sent to Chicago-Kent five to seven days after you apply. You will be notified by email once it arrives. If you fail to get the FDR, it can take up to two weeks to replace your U-Pass.
You can find more information about the U-Pass at CTA's U-Pass Website or Kent's U-Pass FAQ.
Student health insurance information:
Spring Health Insurance Enrollment Period
If you were not enrolled in student health insurance this fall, you can now enroll for the spring. Spring health insurance costs $508 for the coverage period of January 9 - August 13, 2011. This cost will be added to your spring semester fees. Please submit an online enrollment form by January 26, 2011. (The spring enrollment form should be put online this week.) Please save a copy of the enrollment form confirmation for your records. For more information about the student health insurance plan, please visit IIT's Student Health Center website or the Health Insurance FAQ. Students can also enroll in student health insurance by emailing Melody Jack at firstname.lastname@example.com. When emailing Ms. Jack, please include your CWID.
Waiving/Canceling Health Insurance for the Spring
Any student (day or evening division) enrolled for 12 or more credits in the spring, will be automatically enrolled in student health insurance. If you have your own insurance coverage, you can waive student health insurance by completing the online waiver form by January 26, 2011. If you previously waived student health insurance, the waiver will remain on your account indefinitely unless you re-enrolled in the plan after you submitted that waiver. If you are on a F1 or J1 visa, you cannot waive student health insurance.If you were enrolled in student health insurance in the fall and no longer want the coverage either because you have another insurance plan or are now registered for less than 12 credits, you can cancel student health insurance for the spring by contacting Melody Jack at email@example.com by January 26, 2011. You will receive a refund on your account for the spring.
Academic Resource Library
The Office of Student Services maintains a small resource library of study aids and other materials for first year classes, including Civil Procedure, Contracts, Criminal Law, Justice, Property, and Torts. Students can borrow materials for a three-day period. This is a great way to preview a study aid before you buy it or do a quick review for a class.
If you are interested in borrowing a book or flashcards, please see Jenna Abhijeet in Room 310a.
Click here for a list of Subject areas and Book titles
Student Business Cards
To order student business cards with the Chicago-Kent logo,Click here to complete the form.
If you have any questions, contact Jenna Abhijeet, Director of Student Services, at (312) 906-5005 or email@example.com.
Counseling Services
IIT's Counseling Center will have a staff psychologist at the Law School on Mondays and Wednesdays throughout the academic year. Services are by appointment only. To schedule an appointment, call (312) 567-5900. There is no charge for counseling services. You may also visit http://www.iit.edu/counseling_center for more information.
Other Helpful Links:
Academic Support Program
Law School Survival Guide
Student Health Insurance FAQ
U-Pass Information
Main Chicago-Kent event
Academic calendar
CLE calendar
Alumnae/i event calendar
Admissions calendar


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All public logs
From DocWikiCombined display of all available logs of DocWiki. You can narrow down the view by selecting a log type, the user name (case-sensitive), or the affected page (also case-sensitive).
- 18:32, 18 December 2009 Docwikibot (Talk | contribs) marked revision 24830 of Prompts with incorrect codec being played out patrolled (automatic)
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Article by Mike Monocello, Testing by Greg Nelson
A VAR evaluates 10 all-in-one POS terminals and shares the pros and cons of each.
When it comes to retail, restaurant, and grocery IT, no system is as crucial as the point of sale. While margins have eroded over the years, and there's been outside pressure from tablets and similar mobile technologies, the timetested POS continues to stand as the primary customer payment and interaction device. With that importance in mind, Business Solutions teamed with Greg Nelson, VP and CTO of Genesis POS, to test 10 all-in-one units from a variety of leading manufacturers. The goal: to arm you with the information you need to either confirm your existing product line or shorten your time of evaluating new products.
Utilizing our recent Best Channel Vendors survey results, we re-sorted the data to determine which manufacturers had the highest product-related scores in the survey. As a result, we had a field of 13 manufacturers with scores we felt were high enough for consideration. Among those companies, PAR Technology, Elo, and ToshibaTEC declined to participate in this round of testing. Of those willing to participate, we used input from readers and Nelson to establish our baseline target specs for the test units, which we felt represented a typical regular-duty terminal. We asked manufacturers to provide Nelson with their model that had (as closely as possible) a 1.8 GHz Intel Dual Core Atom Processor, 2 GB RAM, a mechanical hard drive, and POS Ready 9 as the OS. If you want more info on why we chose these specs, visit the extended article online (the link appears at the end of this article). Once the units began arriving, Nelson began his testing.
To read the full article, please log in or register below.
You can also view the full table ot contents for the All-In-One POS Terminal reviews here.


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Starwood Hotels & Resorts Checks-in to Stamford
Global Hospitality Leader Relocates Worldwide Headquarters; Brings More than 800 Jobs to Connecticut.
STAMFORD, Conn.--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Jan. 18, 2012-- Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. (NYSE:HOT) has relocated its global headquarters from White Plains, NY to Stamford, bringing more than 800 jobs to Connecticut. Located in the Harbor Point development on Stamford's historic waterfront, Starwood's new 290,000-square-foot global headquarters comprises a two-tower office complex and is just minutes from downtown Stamford. The new global headquarters will be LEED certified, which aligns with Harbor Point's own LEED certification.
"Not only does this move to Stamford make great business sense, but it also provides the opportunity to design office space that is illustrative of Starwood's leadership in global hospitality, design and brand-building, as well as our commitment to the environment and our communities," said Frits van Paasschen, President & CEO, Starwood Hotels & Resorts. "Our new home base is a great showcase for Starwood and our nine brands."
Starwood will pursue LEED certification from the US Green Building Council for its new office space. Designed by renowned firm HOK, the rejuvenated offices boast a sleek design that utilizes eco-friendly materials to create open spaces with ample natural light. Energy-conserving LED and CFL lighting was installed, along with recycled carpeting, Forest Stewardship Council-certified woods, low-VOC finishes and water conserving plumbing fixtures. Starwood expects to decrease energy use by 15 to 25 percent and water consumption by approximately 40 percent from its previous flagship offices.
Though the global headquarters has moved from White Plains to Stamford, Starwood is not leaving New York state where the company has 27 hotels and more than 4,000 associates. Starwood is also one of the largest hotel operators in New York City which is the only city in the world to boast all nine Starwood brands.
Connecticut is currently home to four Starwood Hotels – Four Points by Sheraton Meriden, Four Points by Sheraton Norwalk, Sheraton Hartford Hotel at Bradley Airport and the newly opened Sheraton Stamford which is located just a few blocks from the new headquarters.
Set on an 80-acre peninsula, Harbor Point is an urban redevelopment project converting a former industrial area just south of downtown Stamford into a sought-after commercial/residential district and exciting urban destination. The overall design of Harbor Point emphasizes walkability, mixed-use development, ample open space, and park areas. Home to the new apartment communities 101 Park Place (www.101parkplace.com ), the Lofts at Yale & Towne (www.ytlofts.com ), and The Lockworks (www.hplockworks.com ), as well as several projects currently in development, Harbor Point is bustling with nearly 1,000 new residents. In addition to Starwood, Harbor Point has seen an influx of both large and small commercial and retail tenants. Harbor Point has been awarded LEED Gold Status for leadership in environmentally-friendly neighborhood design. Additionally, Starwood has secured the option to develop more hotels in the South Stamford area over the next several years.
About Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc. is one of the leading hotel and leisure companies in the world with 1,071 properties in 100 countries and territories with 145,000 employees at its owned and managed properties. Starwood Hotels is a fully integrated owner, operator and franchisor of hotels, resorts and residences with the following internationally renowned brands: St. Regis®, The Luxury Collection®, W®, Westin®, Le Méridien®, Sheraton®, Four Points® by Sheraton, Aloft® and ElementSM. The company boasts one of the industry's leading loyalty programs, Starwood Preferred Guest (SPG), allowing members to earn and redeem points for room stays, room upgrades and flights, with no blackout dates. Starwood Hotels also owns Starwood Vacation Ownership, Inc., one of the premier developers and operators of high quality vacation interval ownership resorts. For more information, please visit www.starwoodhotels.com.
Source: Starwood Hotels & Resorts Worldwide, Inc.
Starwood Hotels & Resorts
Nadeen Ayala, 203-351-2542


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The Tecate Journals
- Seventy Days on the Rio Grande
- Narrated by: Jonathan Davis
- Length: 10 hrs and 52 mins
- Unabridged Audiobook
- Release date: 06-14-13
- Language: English
- Publisher: Audible Studios
- Whispersync for Voice-ready
Regular price: $24.95
Publisher's Summary
A first work from a new voice that is parts gritty, elegant, and contemporary. The Rio Grande is simultaneously one of the most watched and least understood rivers in the world. Some stretches of the Rio pass for endless miles through remote wilderness, boxed in by canyons hundreds of feet high and inhabited by only the hardiest animals and humans. Other stretches go straight through the center of massive urban areas, all but ignored by the thousands of city folks above. It is a national border, a water source, a dangerous rapid with house-sized boulders, a nature refuge, a garbage dump, and a playground, depending on where you are on its 1885-mile course.
That's why journalist Keith Bowden decided to become the first person to travel the entire length of the Rio as it forms the border between America and Mexico. This is his fascinating account of the journey by bike, canoe, and raft along one of North America's most overlooked resources. From illegal immigrants and drug runners trying to make it into America to the border patrol working to stop them; from human coyotes - smugglers who help people navigate their way into the United States - to encounters with real coyotes, mountain lions, and other flora and fauna, Bowden reveals a side of America that few of us ever see. The border between the U.S. and Mexico is, in many ways, a country unto itself, where inhabitants share more in common with fellow riverside dwellers than they do with the rest of their countrymen.
With this isolated and colorful micro-world as his backdrop, Bowden not only explores his surroundings, but also tests his inner mettle along some of the most dangerous and remote riparian wilderness in North America.
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- John S.
- Seattle, WA United States
- 01-27-14
Story of a unique trip
I couldn't put my finger exactly on why I didn't like the book more, deciding it was his style of ingratiating himself with Hispanics he met as "such a cool Anglo" (which he had the honesty to report actually backfired on him at least once).
The first part is rather slow going with backstory of his life, finally getting in the water at El Paso, and then canoeing down to Laredo, where the author lives. A couple of friends join him for stretches, and he meets up with others along the way. This section isn't very populated, and there's only so much description to go on about, so he "profiles" the folks I've just mentioned, which fell into a "you had to be there" mode for me.
Still, on balance, that was marginally better than the second part from Laredo to the Gulf of Mexico. Here, he spends a great deal of time charming initially-unfriendly border patrol agents, between beer runs in local towns. At one point, he marvels that he was able to stroll through a (prosperous) winter retirement community ... "because I'm white!" That was back-to-back with an encounter with a Mexican who was pleased that his countrymen had treated Bowden so kindly (he had bopped back and forth between the countries in a sort of zig-zag fashion); his delight in telling the reader of that fellow's follow up remark "and how would I be treated as a stranger in your country?" to which Bowden gives the expected answer of "not well!" had my eyes rolling. If that politics wouldn't bother you, you'll like the book more than I did.
Finally, the narration was outstanding - perfect fit!
8 of 8 people found this review helpful
- Carmen Anita
- 12-05-16
So good you'll want to listen twice
The narrator was great...the Spanish was Spanish, the accented English was great and the American English was perfect. The story is really interesting and informative, exciting in places.
2 of 2 people found this review helpful


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6:00 pm
PBS NewsHour NULL
7:00 pm
Nature "Christmas In Yellowstone" The undisturbed beauty of Yellowstone National Park in winter dress is NATURE's holiday gift to viewers. Cameras capture breathtaking landscapes that frame intimate scenes of wildlife making their way through their most challenging season of the year. Filmmaker Shane Moore, who lives in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, leads the way on this winter exploration that includes meeting Tim Murphy, who has skied into Yellowstone for 26 winters to photograph its wonders.G
8:00 pm
NOVA "Riddles of the Sphinx" A team of archeologists, including the director of the Ancient Egypt Resource Associates, peel back 45 centuries of mysteries to reveal the techniques and labor invested in the giant sculpture. The team unearths new discoveries about the people who built this half-human, half-lion image that is nearly the length of a football field and as tall as the White House. And, why they created such a haunting and stupendous image.G
9:00 pm
NOVA "Building Pharaoh's Ship" NOVA follows a team of archaeologists and boat builders as they reconstruct the mighty vessel shown on a mysterious carving on the wall of a 3,500-year-old temple built for the female pharaoh Hatshepsut. According to the wall carving, the vessel embarks on a royal expedition to a mysterious land called Punt. Today's adventurers launch their boat into the Red Sea on a modern voyage of discovery.G
10:00 pm
Hustle "The Delivery" Mickey and the gang suddenly find themselves trying to recover diamonds for the Mafia to help an old friend, but soon discover the diamonds are underneath a police station. Meanwhile, Albert gets a shocking revelation from someone from his past.G
11:00 pm
Charlie Rose NULL