Friday, December 17, 2010
For Crying Out Loud
By Daniel J. Flynn/The American Spectator
House Speaker John Boehner insists his tears, like his tan, are genuine. Too bad. His election night sob story over his climb to success, followed by his 60 Minutes blubbering over schoolchildren, might be excusable if inspired by a Machiavellian streak. Alas, a lack of self-control, rather than an act to exert control over his audience, explains the teary-eyed outbursts.
Boehner's waterworks flow most frequently and famously. But his aren't the only tear ducts opening when the cameras are rolling. Senator Tom Coburn cried during his speech in favor Judge John Roberts's confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005. Weepy behavior is bipartisan, as Senator Chuck Schumer whimpered during his introduction of Judge Sonia Sotomayor at her confirmation hearings last year. Mitt Romney choked up running for president when talking about his church admitting blacks, his father, and seeing a casket return from Iraq. America is in trouble when the behavior of its elected officials resembles that of the YouTube sensation who tearfully exhorted everyone to "Leave Britney alone! Please!"
One needn't be a stoic to find something unseemly in all this crying. Almost fifty years ago, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons counseled big girls not to cry. Today, one can't suggest so much to grown men without appearing like a troglodyte. Wussy is the new manly.
Politics merely reflects the culture, which likes its men to be like its women. Sometime after the appearance of man purses but before the pandemic of male eyebrow waxing, the culture gave the green light for guys to wail and weep. "It's okay to cry," we were told. But male icons in sports, movies, and television told us that it's not just okay to cry. It's obligatory.
Michael Jordan cried after winning his first NBA title and Tim Tebow cried after losing the SEC championship game. Get some perspective. You play a children's game. There may be no crying in baseball. Basketball and football are another story.
Joe Friday and Harry Callahan would never make it in today's Hollywood. Jerry Maguire, whose welling eyes impressed rather than repulsed the girl, seems a more iconic representation of modern manliness. He had her at hello. He lost me at boo-hoo.
In 2009, ABC presented Jason Mesnick as a catch to female contestants on The Bachelor. The indecisive, gushing Mesnick presented himself as unable to control his emotions to ABC's viewers. The man that ABC believed that women wanted turned out to be a bachelor for a reason.
Glenn Beck may or may not be a crier in real life, but he plays one on TV. Beck's weepiness has become as much a part of his shtick as Bill O'Reilly's temper or Keith Olbermann's sanctimony. When Walter Cronkite's voice cracked as he reported President Kennedy's assassination, few faulted him for his momentary betrayal of the dispassionate ethic of the anchorman. But in the news-o-tainment era, tears=ratings. Cry yourself to the bank.
Pundits who obsess over the artificiality of the tear flood miss the point. The indifference of the sincerely moved to suppress the impulse toward public emoting, and the eagerness of the phonies to release the feigned emotions, both tacitly acknowledge the benefits of being a crybaby in our society.
Proponents of crying suggest there is something unhealthy in holding back the tears. Perhaps they are on to something. Men are from Mars, not from Vulcan, after all. But why must so many men lose it so publicly? It's undignified. It can be, à la children's crocodile tears, manipulative. In leaders, it does not inspire confidence. As one might say to a couple partaking in similarly annoying public displays of affection, "Get a room!" -- the bathroom, the bedroom, the basement, wherever. Just take your crying eyes away from our eyes.
Cannot the dry eyes and the wet eyes come to a compromise? The former faction will grant that it is okay to cry, provided that the latter faction does so behind closed doors. Deal?
Thirty-nine-years ago, Maine Senator Edmund Muskie stood outside of the Manchester Union Leader and denounced the newspaper for criticizing his wife. Amid the emotionally-charged speech, and winter's flurries, reporters glimpsed moisture trailing down the presidential frontrunner's cheek. Was it melting snowflakes or tears? It didn't matter. The mere suggestion that an aspirant to lead the free world broke down during a stressful situation was enough for some to dismiss his candidacy.
In less than four decades, America has morphed from a culture that cringes at grown men bawling to one that rewards it. That's almost worth crying over.
House Speaker John Boehner insists his tears, like his tan, are genuine. Too bad. His election night sob story over his climb to success, followed by his 60 Minutes blubbering over schoolchildren, might be excusable if inspired by a Machiavellian streak. Alas, a lack of self-control, rather than an act to exert control over his audience, explains the teary-eyed outbursts.
Boehner's waterworks flow most frequently and famously. But his aren't the only tear ducts opening when the cameras are rolling. Senator Tom Coburn cried during his speech in favor Judge John Roberts's confirmation to the Supreme Court in 2005. Weepy behavior is bipartisan, as Senator Chuck Schumer whimpered during his introduction of Judge Sonia Sotomayor at her confirmation hearings last year. Mitt Romney choked up running for president when talking about his church admitting blacks, his father, and seeing a casket return from Iraq. America is in trouble when the behavior of its elected officials resembles that of the YouTube sensation who tearfully exhorted everyone to "Leave Britney alone! Please!"
One needn't be a stoic to find something unseemly in all this crying. Almost fifty years ago, Frankie Valli and the Four Seasons counseled big girls not to cry. Today, one can't suggest so much to grown men without appearing like a troglodyte. Wussy is the new manly.
Politics merely reflects the culture, which likes its men to be like its women. Sometime after the appearance of man purses but before the pandemic of male eyebrow waxing, the culture gave the green light for guys to wail and weep. "It's okay to cry," we were told. But male icons in sports, movies, and television told us that it's not just okay to cry. It's obligatory.
Michael Jordan cried after winning his first NBA title and Tim Tebow cried after losing the SEC championship game. Get some perspective. You play a children's game. There may be no crying in baseball. Basketball and football are another story.
Joe Friday and Harry Callahan would never make it in today's Hollywood. Jerry Maguire, whose welling eyes impressed rather than repulsed the girl, seems a more iconic representation of modern manliness. He had her at hello. He lost me at boo-hoo.
In 2009, ABC presented Jason Mesnick as a catch to female contestants on The Bachelor. The indecisive, gushing Mesnick presented himself as unable to control his emotions to ABC's viewers. The man that ABC believed that women wanted turned out to be a bachelor for a reason.
Glenn Beck may or may not be a crier in real life, but he plays one on TV. Beck's weepiness has become as much a part of his shtick as Bill O'Reilly's temper or Keith Olbermann's sanctimony. When Walter Cronkite's voice cracked as he reported President Kennedy's assassination, few faulted him for his momentary betrayal of the dispassionate ethic of the anchorman. But in the news-o-tainment era, tears=ratings. Cry yourself to the bank.
Pundits who obsess over the artificiality of the tear flood miss the point. The indifference of the sincerely moved to suppress the impulse toward public emoting, and the eagerness of the phonies to release the feigned emotions, both tacitly acknowledge the benefits of being a crybaby in our society.
Proponents of crying suggest there is something unhealthy in holding back the tears. Perhaps they are on to something. Men are from Mars, not from Vulcan, after all. But why must so many men lose it so publicly? It's undignified. It can be, à la children's crocodile tears, manipulative. In leaders, it does not inspire confidence. As one might say to a couple partaking in similarly annoying public displays of affection, "Get a room!" -- the bathroom, the bedroom, the basement, wherever. Just take your crying eyes away from our eyes.
Cannot the dry eyes and the wet eyes come to a compromise? The former faction will grant that it is okay to cry, provided that the latter faction does so behind closed doors. Deal?
Thirty-nine-years ago, Maine Senator Edmund Muskie stood outside of the Manchester Union Leader and denounced the newspaper for criticizing his wife. Amid the emotionally-charged speech, and winter's flurries, reporters glimpsed moisture trailing down the presidential frontrunner's cheek. Was it melting snowflakes or tears? It didn't matter. The mere suggestion that an aspirant to lead the free world broke down during a stressful situation was enough for some to dismiss his candidacy.
In less than four decades, America has morphed from a culture that cringes at grown men bawling to one that rewards it. That's almost worth crying over.
District may close Flora Middle School
The possibility of closing East Flora Middle School was discussed this week as the Madison County School Board faces another year of state funding cuts.
Flora Mayor Les Childress and a group of the school's PTA members sat down with School Board members in executive session to discuss the issue Monday.
The school has an enrollment of 154 students that requires around 13 teachers as well as administration and support staff. School officials estimate it costs around $1 million a year to operate.
Superintendent of Education Michael D. Kent said closing a school is never an easy decision, but with drastic cuts expected for the upcoming school year nothing is off the table.
"There's nothing set in stone, but is it being considered? Absolutely," he said. "It all hinges on funding at the state level.
"What we're doing right now is listening to all the talk coming from the state capitol about funding," he continued. "If we have the funding woes they're predicting we may not have any choice."
Childress said no one in Flora wants to see the school closed and he hoped to push the issue with the town's aldermen and with their state representatives.
"We certainly don't want to see any of the schools on this side of the county close," Childress said. "Hopefully the legislature will come up with the funding, but if not we need to look at all the options."
If closed, the students from East Flora Middle would instead go to Madison Middle School where Kent said they have room. Currently, Madison Middle has the district's second largest enrollment with 1,228 students, second only to Madison Central High School.
In July an analysis of the district's spending showed it costs nearly twice as much to educate a student at East Flora Middle School than it does at Madison Middle School.
The report calculated instructional, transportation and various other expenses coming up with a per-student expense at each school.
It showed East Flora Middle School, the district's smallest, is the most expensive school to operate at almost $10,000 per child.
Other middle schools, like Madison and Germantown Middle, average around $5,700 per student.
The district's overall average is $7,400 per student while the state's average is just over $9,000.
Read More: MCJ
Flora Mayor Les Childress and a group of the school's PTA members sat down with School Board members in executive session to discuss the issue Monday.
The school has an enrollment of 154 students that requires around 13 teachers as well as administration and support staff. School officials estimate it costs around $1 million a year to operate.
Superintendent of Education Michael D. Kent said closing a school is never an easy decision, but with drastic cuts expected for the upcoming school year nothing is off the table.
"There's nothing set in stone, but is it being considered? Absolutely," he said. "It all hinges on funding at the state level.
"What we're doing right now is listening to all the talk coming from the state capitol about funding," he continued. "If we have the funding woes they're predicting we may not have any choice."
Childress said no one in Flora wants to see the school closed and he hoped to push the issue with the town's aldermen and with their state representatives.
"We certainly don't want to see any of the schools on this side of the county close," Childress said. "Hopefully the legislature will come up with the funding, but if not we need to look at all the options."
If closed, the students from East Flora Middle would instead go to Madison Middle School where Kent said they have room. Currently, Madison Middle has the district's second largest enrollment with 1,228 students, second only to Madison Central High School.
In July an analysis of the district's spending showed it costs nearly twice as much to educate a student at East Flora Middle School than it does at Madison Middle School.
The report calculated instructional, transportation and various other expenses coming up with a per-student expense at each school.
It showed East Flora Middle School, the district's smallest, is the most expensive school to operate at almost $10,000 per child.
Other middle schools, like Madison and Germantown Middle, average around $5,700 per student.
The district's overall average is $7,400 per student while the state's average is just over $9,000.
Read More: MCJ
Thursday, December 16, 2010
Preservation Mississippi: MiMo No Mo? The Sun-n-Sand in Downtown Jackson Needs Our Help
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| The iconic sign is a Jackson landmark in itself |
Milner’s space-age motel came replete with meeting rooms with exotic names like the Polynesian, Bali Hai and the Kon Tiki. Its lobby and public areas were decked out in turquoise, pink and an almost lurid shade of orange. The rooms also featured turquoise draperies and shag carpet in colors ranging from rust brown to lime green. It was nothing if not colorful.
Perhaps best known as a second home to the members of the state legislature, the Sun-n-Sand’s siren call was cheap rooms and its proximity to the new capitol building, only a block away. The members of the House made their homes there while the House was in session. It became something of a club for them, even if more than a few legislators had to get their sustenance from the crackers and bologna thoughtfully placed in a corner of the lobby each night. These were the days before lobbyists had infiltrated politics to the extent that such simple fare would do. Not that the bright little coffee shop with its turquoise vinyl banquettes didn’t do a brisk business. It remained popular until the hotel closed in October 2001.
No “sandbox” for the politicos would be really successful without the presence of libations. The hotel didn’t have a bar until the legislature repealed the liquor laws in 1965. “Ye Olde Sandbox” was ready for them with a river of whiskey and umbrella drinks for all. Not that liquor wasn’t there before in abundance…the proverbial (and literally) smoke filled rooms were well-provided with liquor on the down low all along. The legislators hosted barbecue parties outside by the heated pool and nobody really minded the thin walls or the almost wondrously tacky decor. It was a sort of fraternity house for them and they were reluctant to leave when the place finally closed its doors.
Read More
Monday, December 13, 2010
Myths about TSA and screeners
What most Americans forget is why we have these procedures in the first place. There was an outcry when the underwear bomber almost took out a Detroit-bound plane, but little focus on what it would take to prevent such actions, until nearly a year later. The same thing happened with the shoe-bomber; you'd be surprised how easy it was for people to start complaining about taking off their shoes in the airport. But if we've learned anything about terrorism, it's that terrorists don't follow last-year's plan. Instead of a new underwear bomber, they chose to ship explosives in packages via courier. Better intelligence or planning on next time's strike wouldn't be a bad thing to consider, as we buy more and more expensive security gear and develop more intrusive practices.
Myths about TSA and screeners
Myths about TSA and screeners
Mississippi Delegation in U.S. House landing plum committee assignments
Most of the 22 House Republican freshmen-to-be selected to sit on much-coveted, A-list committees won their races with Tea Party backing.
The House Republican Steering Committee last week added the incoming members to the rosters of four powerful committees: Appropriations, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Financial Services.
Speaker-to-be John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his fellow GOP leaders and representatives on the House Steering Committee ensured that members of the largest GOP freshmen class in 70 years were given spots on influential panels.
Nearly half of the new GOP spots on the House Appropriations Committee were given to incoming members.
The Steering Committee tapped four Tea Party-backed representatives-elect to serve on the powerful spending panel.
GOP Rep.-elect Alan Nunnelee (Miss.) was one of nearly a dozen candidates officially endorsed by former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. GOP Reps.-elect Steve Womack (Ark.) and Kevin Yoder (Kan.) were both endorsed by Freedom Works – the interest group closely tied to the Tea Party movement. Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), elected in a special election in June 2010 and who won in the fall's regular election, will also serve on the spending panel and is an outspoken proponent for fiscal restraint.
Republicans pledged that they would make significant cuts in spending over the next two years. The GOP Conference for the 112th Congress voted to ban earmark spending last month.
Just under half of the new GOP spots on the Energy and Commerce Committee will go to incoming lawmakers.
Reps.-elect Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), David McKinley (R-W.Va.), Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) were chosen to sit on the panel that will face a heavy workload in the next Congress as incoming Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) attempts to revamp the new healthcare law and conduct oversight of the EPA.
Bass served in the House from 1995-2007. He won back the seat he held in November.
GOP lawmakers Brian Bilbray (Calif.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Brett Guthrie (Ky.), Gregg Harper (Miss.), Conference Vice-Chairwoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Wash.), Pete Olson (Texas) and GOP Leadership Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) were also added to the Energy panel.
The House Financial Services Committee, led by incoming Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), will get the largest portion of the incoming freshmen.
Ten of the twelve new GOP spots on the committee went to incoming freshmen. GOP Reps-elect Quico Canseco (Texas), Bob Dold (Ill.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), Bill Huizenga (Mich.), Robert Hurt (Va.), Steve Stivers (Ohio), Steve Pearce (N.M.) and Michael Fitzpatrick (Pa.) were selected to sit on the panel with jurisdiction over federal monetary policy and the banking system. Pearce and Fitzpatrick served in the House in prior years.
The GOP Steering Committee will meet this week to decide the committee assignments for the rest of the House panels. They have yet to determine the ratio of Republicans to Democrats on the committees.
Read More
The House Republican Steering Committee last week added the incoming members to the rosters of four powerful committees: Appropriations, Ways and Means, Energy and Commerce and Financial Services.
Speaker-to-be John Boehner (R-Ohio) and his fellow GOP leaders and representatives on the House Steering Committee ensured that members of the largest GOP freshmen class in 70 years were given spots on influential panels.
Nearly half of the new GOP spots on the House Appropriations Committee were given to incoming members.
The Steering Committee tapped four Tea Party-backed representatives-elect to serve on the powerful spending panel.
GOP Rep.-elect Alan Nunnelee (Miss.) was one of nearly a dozen candidates officially endorsed by former GOP vice presidential candidate Sarah Palin. GOP Reps.-elect Steve Womack (Ark.) and Kevin Yoder (Kan.) were both endorsed by Freedom Works – the interest group closely tied to the Tea Party movement. Rep. Tom Graves (R-Ga.), elected in a special election in June 2010 and who won in the fall's regular election, will also serve on the spending panel and is an outspoken proponent for fiscal restraint.
Republicans pledged that they would make significant cuts in spending over the next two years. The GOP Conference for the 112th Congress voted to ban earmark spending last month.
Just under half of the new GOP spots on the Energy and Commerce Committee will go to incoming lawmakers.
Reps.-elect Cory Gardner (R-Colo.), Morgan Griffith (R-Va.), Adam Kinzinger (R-Ill.), David McKinley (R-W.Va.), Mike Pompeo (R-Kan.) and Charlie Bass (R-N.H.) were chosen to sit on the panel that will face a heavy workload in the next Congress as incoming Chairman Fred Upton (R-Mich.) attempts to revamp the new healthcare law and conduct oversight of the EPA.
Bass served in the House from 1995-2007. He won back the seat he held in November.
GOP lawmakers Brian Bilbray (Calif.), Bill Cassidy (La.), Brett Guthrie (Ky.), Gregg Harper (Miss.), Conference Vice-Chairwoman Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Wash.), Pete Olson (Texas) and GOP Leadership Chairman Greg Walden (Ore.) were also added to the Energy panel.
The House Financial Services Committee, led by incoming Chairman Spencer Bachus (R-Ala.), will get the largest portion of the incoming freshmen.
Ten of the twelve new GOP spots on the committee went to incoming freshmen. GOP Reps-elect Quico Canseco (Texas), Bob Dold (Ill.), Sean Duffy (Wis.), Michael Grimm (N.Y.), Nan Hayworth (N.Y.), Bill Huizenga (Mich.), Robert Hurt (Va.), Steve Stivers (Ohio), Steve Pearce (N.M.) and Michael Fitzpatrick (Pa.) were selected to sit on the panel with jurisdiction over federal monetary policy and the banking system. Pearce and Fitzpatrick served in the House in prior years.
The GOP Steering Committee will meet this week to decide the committee assignments for the rest of the House panels. They have yet to determine the ratio of Republicans to Democrats on the committees.
Read More
Friday, December 10, 2010
Harper gets seat on Energy and Commerce
HARPER SELECTED FOR HOUSE ENERGY AND COMMERCE COMMITTEE
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) today was nominated by the Republican Steering Committee to serve on the prestigious House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the 112th Congress.
“As the son of a former petroleum engineer, I have always been interested in energy policy,” said Harper. “I support an all of the above energy strategy that harnesses new technologies and increases American energy production ultimately leading to an energy independent America. Mississippi has an opportunity to lead the nation in renewable technologies through projects like the Kemper County clean-coal plant.”
The Committee on Energy and Commerce has a broad legislative jurisdiction, which covers – among other issues – national energy and environmental policy, health and health facilities, interstate and foreign commerce, consumer affairs and consumer protection, and travel and tourism. The panel’s incoming chairman has indicated that his first priority is to repeal the Democrat’s disastrous health care overhaul signed by the President in March 2010.
“I believe that the so-called “Affordable Care Act” is nothing short of politics above economics,” Harper added. “During a time when nearly one in ten Americans is unemployed, Congress should be offering incentives for entrepreneurs to invest in Mississippi’s economy as opposed to penalizing them with additional taxes and rules. This is why I am committed to repealing this flawed health care law and replacing it with reforms centered on decreasing costs and protecting middle-class jobs.”
WASHINGTON, DC – U.S. Representative Gregg Harper (R-Miss.) today was nominated by the Republican Steering Committee to serve on the prestigious House Committee on Energy and Commerce in the 112th Congress.
“As the son of a former petroleum engineer, I have always been interested in energy policy,” said Harper. “I support an all of the above energy strategy that harnesses new technologies and increases American energy production ultimately leading to an energy independent America. Mississippi has an opportunity to lead the nation in renewable technologies through projects like the Kemper County clean-coal plant.”
The Committee on Energy and Commerce has a broad legislative jurisdiction, which covers – among other issues – national energy and environmental policy, health and health facilities, interstate and foreign commerce, consumer affairs and consumer protection, and travel and tourism. The panel’s incoming chairman has indicated that his first priority is to repeal the Democrat’s disastrous health care overhaul signed by the President in March 2010.
“I believe that the so-called “Affordable Care Act” is nothing short of politics above economics,” Harper added. “During a time when nearly one in ten Americans is unemployed, Congress should be offering incentives for entrepreneurs to invest in Mississippi’s economy as opposed to penalizing them with additional taxes and rules. This is why I am committed to repealing this flawed health care law and replacing it with reforms centered on decreasing costs and protecting middle-class jobs.”
Wednesday, December 8, 2010
Christmas Challenge: Donate now to keep Boys and Girls Club doors open.
Want to show your kids what the Christmas Season really means? Then here's an opportunity, and a challenge.
Boys and Girls Club of Central Mississippi President and CEO Billy Redd said yesterday that the organization will likely be closing three area facilities after December 31. Lack of funding has left the facilities in Bolton, Magnolia and Canton without the money to keep the doors open affecting more than 1,000 kids.
Billy tells me that one time donations are welcome, but what is really need to sustain the programs are long-term committments.
"We need folks to sign up for our monthly check draft program," he said. "We have people who are having a monthly check draft from as low as $5 per month to several hundred dollars per month."
So here is the challenge part. Sharon, Isaac, Rickey and I are pledging $20 per month. Surely your family can give that much to help out kids in need in our own community. Write "The Flora Harvester" at the top of the form before mailing it in, and the Boys and Girls Club will keep a running tally of how much we all give.
The Boys and Girls Club mission statement is “To enable all young people, especially those who need us the most, to realize their full potential as productive, caring, responsible citizens”. The group is a God centered organization that teaches the important of dedication to Faith, country, honesty and fair play. Who can deny these truths to be needed in our communities today.
Here's a few more stats Billy shared with me:
- 95% of Boys and Girls Clubs members graduate from High School
- 0% Pregnancy rate of Boys & Girls Clubs of Central Mississippi members
- 95% of our members are on free or reduced-cost lunch programs at their schools.
- The Boys and Girls Club in Central Mississippi serves over 3,200 youth in six clubs (4-Jackson, Bolton, and Canton) each year and they spend over 750,000 hours a year in the Clubs.
- The membership fee for a child to attend the club is only $25.00 per year. However, the actual cost to serve a child is over $500.00 per year.
• 57% said the Club literally “saved their lives;”
• 95% said the Club was one of the best things available in their community;
• 79% said the Club had a positive impact on their self-esteem; and
• 70% said the Club had a positive impact on their ability to avoid difficulty with the law.
The education aspect can't be overstated. The stat I find to be incredibly important is that of the latest report card info. As of last week, the overall grade average of kids particpating in the Boys and Girls Club ranges from 81.41 to 88.24. Our future is pretty bleak if we can't find a way to instill learning in all children in every community, and the Boys and Girls Club is doing that.
Matthew 25:45 tells us that Jesus said, "I tell you the truth, whatever you did not do for one of the least of these, you did not do for me."
We can argue all day long about geopolitics, race, personal responsibility and a number of other reasons these kids fall through the cracks. We can also argue about all the problems in other parts of the world. But, the simple truth is the Lord didn't put us in a different place, He put us here. It is here where we must work out in the real world our beliefs and attempt to do the most good.
To do your part to help, print and fill out the Pledge Form below and mail it to the address on the form. Remember to write The Flora Harvester at the top. Billy will give us regular reports on the tally.
Pledge Form
Congress To Abandon Washington Every Three Weeks
House Republicans have released their schedule for next year's session: One week off for every two weeks on.
They'll be working five-day weeks instead of the typical three, and cutting down the honorary votes that happen about every 15 minutes now. This will leave plenty of time to cut the capital gains tax several times next year.
Read More
Major motion picture filming in Canton
A local company, Eyevox which is based in Ridgeland, is behind a big production in the City of Lights.
It has the look and feel of a Hollywood set, but this movie is based in Mississippi, written by three people who live here and is now being filmed by a Mississippi company. Opie Cooper is the director.
"We can shoot a city scene here, we can shoot a country scene here, we can shoot just about anything here. We can do winter scenes if we have to, we can do summer scenes if we want to, its just, Mississippi is just a great place to make movies", said Cooper.
The movies is called "Big Bad".
It's a throw back to the 80's thrillers like "The Goonies".
The crew has been working in Canton for about a week.
"There's a monster in it so there's the misconception that we're making a horror film. We're making an action adventure film about 3 kids. A young boy and two girls", Cooper said.
Read More
It has the look and feel of a Hollywood set, but this movie is based in Mississippi, written by three people who live here and is now being filmed by a Mississippi company. Opie Cooper is the director.
"We can shoot a city scene here, we can shoot a country scene here, we can shoot just about anything here. We can do winter scenes if we have to, we can do summer scenes if we want to, its just, Mississippi is just a great place to make movies", said Cooper.
The movies is called "Big Bad".
It's a throw back to the 80's thrillers like "The Goonies".
The crew has been working in Canton for about a week.
"There's a monster in it so there's the misconception that we're making a horror film. We're making an action adventure film about 3 kids. A young boy and two girls", Cooper said.
Read More
Lawmakers celebrate decision to place training mission at Key Field Air Guard Station in Meridian
New Aircraft, Personnel Help Ensure Future for Meridian Military Facility
WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, with Congressman Gregg Harper, today celebrated the U.S. Air Force decision to locate a new formal training unit at Key Field Air National Guard Base at Meridian.
The Mississippi lawmakers, as well as Governor Haley Barbour and Meridian Mayor Cheri M. Barry, were informed early Wednesday that Key Field had been selected as the Air Force’s “preferred alternative” to host a C-27J formal training unit (FTU) mission.
The decision will bring two additional C-27J aircraft to Meridian, increasing the planned total to six. An estimated 37 full-time employees and 85 trainees annually will be associated with the FTU, bringing the total personnel associated with the C-27J platform to 142 by 2015 when the mission is fully operational.
“I am convinced that the qualities represented in Key Field, the Mississippi Air National Guard and the people of Meridian were instrumental in leading the Defense Department to this decision. This new training mission is a solid indication that Key Field will be a long-term asset to the Air National Guard and the U.S Air Force as Mississippi continues to contribute to our nation’s security,” Cochran said.
“The Air Force’s decision to base this training mission at Key Field is another strong reminder of the importance of Meridian to our military,” said Wicker. “Mississippi’s long history of supporting our Armed Forces proudly continues through the MC-12 and C-27J operations.”
“Gaining the C-27J training mission is a tribute to the men and women of Key Field and their ability to adapt and succeed at any task or mission they are given,” said Harper. “Key Field was evaluated alongside several impressive bases during the Air Force’s site survey process, and I am confident that the base’s past successes and the friendly nature of the people of Meridian influenced the Department of Defense’s decision.”
“Gaining this additional mission has been a long-standing goal for the state,” Governor Barbour said. “Having the C-27J training mission at Key Field is important to Mississippi, as the state continues to play a crucial role in our national defense.”
“We are thrilled that the 186th Air Refueling Wing has been selected as the location for the Air National Guard’s C-27J Flying Training Unit. The city of Meridian is truly grateful for the diligent effort of Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker and Congressman Harper that went into this project,” Mayor Barry said.
In being named the preferred alternative site, Key Field edged out five other sites considered for the tactical transport aircraft training mission, which involves preparing pilots, loadmasters and maintenance crews for C-27J operations. The decision will be finalized pending an environmental impact analysis.
The decision to land the C-27J training mission at Key Field will build on the number of those aircraft located in Meridian. The training mission will add two C-27J aircraft at Key Field, where the Air Force had already decided to base four other C-27Js starting in early FY2012. The Air Force indicated that the two additional C-27J aircraft will be transferred in the third quarter of FY2014, with initial operational capability achieved in late 2014. The new FTU would be fully operational by the third quarter of FY2015.
The Air Force based its decision on criteria that considered airspace, facilities and infrastructure, as well as mission and training requirements.
The Key Field Air National Guard Station is currently home to the 186th Air Refueling Wing. In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, the Department of Defense decided that by 2012, it would move the 186th Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135R aircraft to Wisconsin, Tennessee and Maine, leaving Key Field without a clear mission. This decision changes that, giving Meridian responsibility for a crucial mission well into the future.
The C-27J is a twin turbo-prop engine aircraft that provides short take-off and landing capabilities that are best suited for the transport of cargo among intra-theater locales.
WASHINGTON, D. C. – U.S. Senators Thad Cochran and Roger Wicker, with Congressman Gregg Harper, today celebrated the U.S. Air Force decision to locate a new formal training unit at Key Field Air National Guard Base at Meridian.
The Mississippi lawmakers, as well as Governor Haley Barbour and Meridian Mayor Cheri M. Barry, were informed early Wednesday that Key Field had been selected as the Air Force’s “preferred alternative” to host a C-27J formal training unit (FTU) mission.
The decision will bring two additional C-27J aircraft to Meridian, increasing the planned total to six. An estimated 37 full-time employees and 85 trainees annually will be associated with the FTU, bringing the total personnel associated with the C-27J platform to 142 by 2015 when the mission is fully operational.
“I am convinced that the qualities represented in Key Field, the Mississippi Air National Guard and the people of Meridian were instrumental in leading the Defense Department to this decision. This new training mission is a solid indication that Key Field will be a long-term asset to the Air National Guard and the U.S Air Force as Mississippi continues to contribute to our nation’s security,” Cochran said.
“The Air Force’s decision to base this training mission at Key Field is another strong reminder of the importance of Meridian to our military,” said Wicker. “Mississippi’s long history of supporting our Armed Forces proudly continues through the MC-12 and C-27J operations.”
“Gaining the C-27J training mission is a tribute to the men and women of Key Field and their ability to adapt and succeed at any task or mission they are given,” said Harper. “Key Field was evaluated alongside several impressive bases during the Air Force’s site survey process, and I am confident that the base’s past successes and the friendly nature of the people of Meridian influenced the Department of Defense’s decision.”
“Gaining this additional mission has been a long-standing goal for the state,” Governor Barbour said. “Having the C-27J training mission at Key Field is important to Mississippi, as the state continues to play a crucial role in our national defense.”
“We are thrilled that the 186th Air Refueling Wing has been selected as the location for the Air National Guard’s C-27J Flying Training Unit. The city of Meridian is truly grateful for the diligent effort of Senator Cochran, Senator Wicker and Congressman Harper that went into this project,” Mayor Barry said.
In being named the preferred alternative site, Key Field edged out five other sites considered for the tactical transport aircraft training mission, which involves preparing pilots, loadmasters and maintenance crews for C-27J operations. The decision will be finalized pending an environmental impact analysis.
The decision to land the C-27J training mission at Key Field will build on the number of those aircraft located in Meridian. The training mission will add two C-27J aircraft at Key Field, where the Air Force had already decided to base four other C-27Js starting in early FY2012. The Air Force indicated that the two additional C-27J aircraft will be transferred in the third quarter of FY2014, with initial operational capability achieved in late 2014. The new FTU would be fully operational by the third quarter of FY2015.
The Air Force based its decision on criteria that considered airspace, facilities and infrastructure, as well as mission and training requirements.
The Key Field Air National Guard Station is currently home to the 186th Air Refueling Wing. In its 2005 BRAC Recommendations, the Department of Defense decided that by 2012, it would move the 186th Air Refueling Wing’s KC-135R aircraft to Wisconsin, Tennessee and Maine, leaving Key Field without a clear mission. This decision changes that, giving Meridian responsibility for a crucial mission well into the future.
The C-27J is a twin turbo-prop engine aircraft that provides short take-off and landing capabilities that are best suited for the transport of cargo among intra-theater locales.
Tuesday, December 7, 2010
Thomas: Look for Barbour to Announce Presidential Bid Around Feb. 10, 2011
How do I know this? I looked at when people announced in 2007 for the 2008 race. Here is when major candidates announced:
•Edwards: Dec. 26, 2006
•Dodd: Jan. 11, 2007
•Clinton: Jan. 20
•Biden: Jan. 31
•Huckabee: Jan. 28
•Obama: Feb. 10
•Romney: Feb. 13
•Giuliani: Feb. 15
•McCain: Feb. 28
They have a name for candidates who screw around, get coy and "test the waters": Fred Thompson. Thompson waited all the way until Sept. 5 to announce. Don't look for anyone to make that mistake again.
So for Barbour (and other serious candidates) it could be as early as mid-January ,or as late as the end of February. A good guess is in between. Feb. 10 seems like a good a date as any, since it worked for Obama. At least that's how I see it.
Philip Thomas: MLR
Why Obama Caved on the Bush Tax Cuts
By David Paul Kuhn
It's the liberal version of George H.W. Bush reneging on his "read my lips" tax pledge. Candidate Obama excoriated the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. But Monday evening, President Obama tentatively agreed to extend those same tax cuts.
Call it compromise or call it caving, the deal will anger the Democratic base. It opens Obama to charges of hypocrisy. Perhaps Obama saw it as a raw deal. But he also likely believes it's the best deal he can get.
This partly comes down to votes. Democrats lack the 60-Senate votes to extend the tax cuts for earnings under $200,000. That left Democrats with two options: expire all or extend all.
Expiration was Obama's worst option. It amounted to bad policy and bad politics. Major tax hikes have a bad record in bad economies. And this economy has struggled to weather smaller headwinds. Democrats would also have to explain to all working Americans, not merely top earners, why their taxes rose in hard times.
Tax hikes have long been a political loser for Democrats. Many liberals argued that Democrats should blame Republicans for obstructing middle class tax cuts to win tax cuts for the rich. But Democrats retain control of Congress and the presidency (for a few more weeks). And they have learned a DC-axiom the hard way: the party that controls Washington accounts for Washington.
Imagine the Bush tax cuts expiring. The conservative Americans for Tax Reform currently have a "Countdown to the Biggest Tax Increase in American History." The most-cogent message wins debates. And Republicans have long had it on taxes.
Timing is another issue. Democrats waited until the eleventh hour to have this debate. Republicans were not going to let Democrats move to the next issue until the tax issue was resolved. This White House still hopes to ratify the new START treaty with Russia as well as end "don't ask, don't tell" this term. Republicans were also unwilling to extend unemployment benefits for about 2 million Americans without extending the tax cuts to the top income bracket. In the game of chicken, Democrats had more to lose. Democrats would also only have a worst hand next year, with a slimmer Senate majority and a Republican House.
The tentative deal was a political win for Republicans. But Obama has a deal he can stand on. If the deal comes to fruition, the package will extend the Bush tax breaks for two years in exchange for an additional 13 months of unemployment benefits. It will also cut payroll taxes to spur hiring.
The package will cost about $900 billion over the next two years. The deal comes only days after the deficit commission report, which urged serious action to combat America's long-term debt problem (or crisis).
Ironies abound. Democrats spent years railing against George W. Bush for not paying for his tax cuts. Democrats are now emulating the very actions they criticized. Republicans have spent two years preaching about the primacy of deficits. The GOP victory however means a tax deal that will likely prove more costly to the deficit than the stimulus package. This bi-partisan compromise is, oddly, politics as usual.
Obama said Monday evening the "framework" for the tax deal "was not perfect." Yet it's conceivable Obama saw an upside to losing this debate.
In Obama's ideal world, he would bolster programs like food stamps or extend the unemployment benefits independent of the tax cut debate. This is liberal orthodoxy. It is also however not without reason.
Consider the math of Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics and a past-advisor to both parties. Zandi calculates that every dollar spent on food stamps, for example, has a $1.74 impact on the economy (the money goes entirely to goods). The bang-for-buck for extending unemployment benefit is $1.61 (unemployed spend what little they have to stay afloat). By comparison, Zandi calculates that extending the Bush tax cuts will only have a 32-cent impact on the economy for every dollar (affluent earners feed government coffers but they are also more likely to save their tax cut, and therefore not greatly stimulate growth).
But Obama lacks the coalition to win his ideals. That ship sailed long ago. And Obama's political recovery is tied to the economic recovery. Obama will take what stimulus he can get.
Read More
It's the liberal version of George H.W. Bush reneging on his "read my lips" tax pledge. Candidate Obama excoriated the Bush tax cuts for the wealthy. But Monday evening, President Obama tentatively agreed to extend those same tax cuts.
Call it compromise or call it caving, the deal will anger the Democratic base. It opens Obama to charges of hypocrisy. Perhaps Obama saw it as a raw deal. But he also likely believes it's the best deal he can get.
This partly comes down to votes. Democrats lack the 60-Senate votes to extend the tax cuts for earnings under $200,000. That left Democrats with two options: expire all or extend all.
Expiration was Obama's worst option. It amounted to bad policy and bad politics. Major tax hikes have a bad record in bad economies. And this economy has struggled to weather smaller headwinds. Democrats would also have to explain to all working Americans, not merely top earners, why their taxes rose in hard times.
Tax hikes have long been a political loser for Democrats. Many liberals argued that Democrats should blame Republicans for obstructing middle class tax cuts to win tax cuts for the rich. But Democrats retain control of Congress and the presidency (for a few more weeks). And they have learned a DC-axiom the hard way: the party that controls Washington accounts for Washington.
Imagine the Bush tax cuts expiring. The conservative Americans for Tax Reform currently have a "Countdown to the Biggest Tax Increase in American History." The most-cogent message wins debates. And Republicans have long had it on taxes.
Timing is another issue. Democrats waited until the eleventh hour to have this debate. Republicans were not going to let Democrats move to the next issue until the tax issue was resolved. This White House still hopes to ratify the new START treaty with Russia as well as end "don't ask, don't tell" this term. Republicans were also unwilling to extend unemployment benefits for about 2 million Americans without extending the tax cuts to the top income bracket. In the game of chicken, Democrats had more to lose. Democrats would also only have a worst hand next year, with a slimmer Senate majority and a Republican House.
The tentative deal was a political win for Republicans. But Obama has a deal he can stand on. If the deal comes to fruition, the package will extend the Bush tax breaks for two years in exchange for an additional 13 months of unemployment benefits. It will also cut payroll taxes to spur hiring.
The package will cost about $900 billion over the next two years. The deal comes only days after the deficit commission report, which urged serious action to combat America's long-term debt problem (or crisis).
Ironies abound. Democrats spent years railing against George W. Bush for not paying for his tax cuts. Democrats are now emulating the very actions they criticized. Republicans have spent two years preaching about the primacy of deficits. The GOP victory however means a tax deal that will likely prove more costly to the deficit than the stimulus package. This bi-partisan compromise is, oddly, politics as usual.
Obama said Monday evening the "framework" for the tax deal "was not perfect." Yet it's conceivable Obama saw an upside to losing this debate.
In Obama's ideal world, he would bolster programs like food stamps or extend the unemployment benefits independent of the tax cut debate. This is liberal orthodoxy. It is also however not without reason.
Consider the math of Mark Zandi, chief economist of Moody's Analytics and a past-advisor to both parties. Zandi calculates that every dollar spent on food stamps, for example, has a $1.74 impact on the economy (the money goes entirely to goods). The bang-for-buck for extending unemployment benefit is $1.61 (unemployed spend what little they have to stay afloat). By comparison, Zandi calculates that extending the Bush tax cuts will only have a 32-cent impact on the economy for every dollar (affluent earners feed government coffers but they are also more likely to save their tax cut, and therefore not greatly stimulate growth).
But Obama lacks the coalition to win his ideals. That ship sailed long ago. And Obama's political recovery is tied to the economic recovery. Obama will take what stimulus he can get.
Read More
Monday, December 6, 2010
Byrd Analysis: Process servers on radar for '11 session
BY: Shelia Byrd
In Mississippi, not much is required to be a process server, and some lawmakers believe that needs to change.
Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, says he'll file a bill in the 2011 Legislature that would require licensing and educational training for process servers. Zuber believes the proposal, which died in the past, will have a chance next session because of the recent scrutiny given process servers handling child support cases for the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
Earlier this year, judges in Hinds and Jackson counties were reviewing hundreds of child support cases to determine whether some process servers had lied about delivering subpoenas.
The process servers worked for subcontractors of YoungWilliams Child Support Division, a Jackson-based company that received a $23 million contract to file about 15,000 cases, manage another 13,000 and operate a call center. Company President Rob Wells has said about 30 of those cases are being reopened because they involved a process server facing the allegations.
Zuber said there's been other instances of process servers failing to properly perform their jobs and it's caused hardships for average citizens. Zuber said the case of Natalie Parker of Ocean Springs is the reason he first filed the bill in 2008.
Parker's driver's license was revoked in 2003 and, because of that, she missed out on job opportunities. She eventually wound up living in her car. Zuber said Parker had told him about how a process server had lied about delivering papers to notify Parker about a lawsuit that had been filed against her.
After the DHS situation, "I realized it came to the point that something needed to be done. I think there's momentum. It's a statewide problem," he said.
Currently, the only requirement to work as a process server in Mississippi is to be age 18 or older. Zuber, an attorney, wants a licensing procedure that would educate process servers about what is valid service and invalid service.
Read More
In Mississippi, not much is required to be a process server, and some lawmakers believe that needs to change.
Rep. Hank Zuber, R-Ocean Springs, says he'll file a bill in the 2011 Legislature that would require licensing and educational training for process servers. Zuber believes the proposal, which died in the past, will have a chance next session because of the recent scrutiny given process servers handling child support cases for the Mississippi Department of Human Services.
Earlier this year, judges in Hinds and Jackson counties were reviewing hundreds of child support cases to determine whether some process servers had lied about delivering subpoenas.
The process servers worked for subcontractors of YoungWilliams Child Support Division, a Jackson-based company that received a $23 million contract to file about 15,000 cases, manage another 13,000 and operate a call center. Company President Rob Wells has said about 30 of those cases are being reopened because they involved a process server facing the allegations.
Zuber said there's been other instances of process servers failing to properly perform their jobs and it's caused hardships for average citizens. Zuber said the case of Natalie Parker of Ocean Springs is the reason he first filed the bill in 2008.
Parker's driver's license was revoked in 2003 and, because of that, she missed out on job opportunities. She eventually wound up living in her car. Zuber said Parker had told him about how a process server had lied about delivering papers to notify Parker about a lawsuit that had been filed against her.
After the DHS situation, "I realized it came to the point that something needed to be done. I think there's momentum. It's a statewide problem," he said.
Currently, the only requirement to work as a process server in Mississippi is to be age 18 or older. Zuber, an attorney, wants a licensing procedure that would educate process servers about what is valid service and invalid service.
Read More
Madison Co. center training pups to be guide dogs
BY: Lucy Weber
Sadie, along with five other pups, are in the first training class of Gallant Hearts run by Becky Floyd, who has relied on a series of eight different dogs to help her navigate through a sightless world since 1964.
"All my life I wanted to start a guide dog school," said Floyd, who retired in 2009 as executive director of the Mississippi Protection and Advocacy System. "I remember sitting in a law school class telling a classmate that was my dream. After I retired, I decided I want to do this now. I want to be able to give back to the community."
Gallant Hearts, which will provide dogs free of charge, is one of about 13 schools in the country. "There are approximately 18.8 million adults with significant visual impairment and only 1,500 teams (dogs matched with handlers) put out a year in the United States," Floyd said.
For now, Gallant Hearts, run out of Floyd's home by volunteers, has six puppies in foster homes learning basic skills in preparation for the next phase of working with a trainer on how to lead the blind. Tonto lives in Floyd's home, Sassy Sadie is in Vicksburg, Zoe and Dena are at the Hinds County Penal Farm and the two others live in homes in Jackson and Batesville.
The puppies will live in foster homes until they're about 12-15 months of age and then they will start working with a professional trainer for about four months to learn how to be a guide dog. Each dog is thoroughly screened for health problems. Gallant Hearts pays all expenses for the puppies in foster homes and for all the training.
"Each dog will have $22,000 worth of training," she said.
The program relies on donations, and Floyd is in the midst of seeking grants to help fund the operation.
"We've got to have a salary of $45,000 for a trainer or it's all for nothing," volunteer Kathie Curtis said. "The apprentice is another $30,000."
Read More
Sadie, along with five other pups, are in the first training class of Gallant Hearts run by Becky Floyd, who has relied on a series of eight different dogs to help her navigate through a sightless world since 1964.
"All my life I wanted to start a guide dog school," said Floyd, who retired in 2009 as executive director of the Mississippi Protection and Advocacy System. "I remember sitting in a law school class telling a classmate that was my dream. After I retired, I decided I want to do this now. I want to be able to give back to the community."
Gallant Hearts, which will provide dogs free of charge, is one of about 13 schools in the country. "There are approximately 18.8 million adults with significant visual impairment and only 1,500 teams (dogs matched with handlers) put out a year in the United States," Floyd said.
For now, Gallant Hearts, run out of Floyd's home by volunteers, has six puppies in foster homes learning basic skills in preparation for the next phase of working with a trainer on how to lead the blind. Tonto lives in Floyd's home, Sassy Sadie is in Vicksburg, Zoe and Dena are at the Hinds County Penal Farm and the two others live in homes in Jackson and Batesville.
The puppies will live in foster homes until they're about 12-15 months of age and then they will start working with a professional trainer for about four months to learn how to be a guide dog. Each dog is thoroughly screened for health problems. Gallant Hearts pays all expenses for the puppies in foster homes and for all the training.
"Each dog will have $22,000 worth of training," she said.
The program relies on donations, and Floyd is in the midst of seeking grants to help fund the operation.
"We've got to have a salary of $45,000 for a trainer or it's all for nothing," volunteer Kathie Curtis said. "The apprentice is another $30,000."
Read More
Thursday, December 2, 2010
A Real Change Appears on the Horizon
John Boehner set to slice up spending bills
House Republicans are devising a plan to simplify spending decisions by considering government funding bills on a department-by-department basis in the new Congress, according to Republican insiders.
The move would facilitate cutbacks in government programs and, GOP aides say, enhance oversight and accountability for individual agencies, fulfilling promises made by Republicans on the campaign trail and in their Pledge to America. But it would also threaten to complicate an already tattered appropriations process on the House floor and in negotiations with the Senate, which is why the mechanics of the transition are still under discussion.
In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute earlier this year, Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio) outlined the idea that he, Republican transition chief Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and rank-and-file Republicans are now working to implement.
"Let's do away with the concept of 'comprehensive' spending bills. Let's break them up, to encourage scrutiny, and make spending cuts easier. Rather than pairing agencies and departments together, let them come to the House floor individually, to be judged on their own merit," he said at AEI more than a month before the midterm election. "Members shouldn't have to vote for big spending increases at the Labor Department in order to fund Health and Human Services. Members shouldn't have to vote for big increases at the Commerce Department just because they support NASA. Each department and agency should justify itself each year to the full House and Senate, and be judged on its own."
The push to reconstitute the congressional spending process comes just as Republican leaders are deciding who will win the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee in the next Congress. The candidates' reactions to the proposal could influence whether Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) or Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) gets the gavel.
Read more: Politico
House Republicans are devising a plan to simplify spending decisions by considering government funding bills on a department-by-department basis in the new Congress, according to Republican insiders.
The move would facilitate cutbacks in government programs and, GOP aides say, enhance oversight and accountability for individual agencies, fulfilling promises made by Republicans on the campaign trail and in their Pledge to America. But it would also threaten to complicate an already tattered appropriations process on the House floor and in negotiations with the Senate, which is why the mechanics of the transition are still under discussion.
In a speech to the American Enterprise Institute earlier this year, Speaker-designate John Boehner (R-Ohio) outlined the idea that he, Republican transition chief Greg Walden (R-Ore.) and rank-and-file Republicans are now working to implement.
"Let's do away with the concept of 'comprehensive' spending bills. Let's break them up, to encourage scrutiny, and make spending cuts easier. Rather than pairing agencies and departments together, let them come to the House floor individually, to be judged on their own merit," he said at AEI more than a month before the midterm election. "Members shouldn't have to vote for big spending increases at the Labor Department in order to fund Health and Human Services. Members shouldn't have to vote for big increases at the Commerce Department just because they support NASA. Each department and agency should justify itself each year to the full House and Senate, and be judged on its own."
The push to reconstitute the congressional spending process comes just as Republican leaders are deciding who will win the chairmanship of the Appropriations Committee in the next Congress. The candidates' reactions to the proposal could influence whether Rep. Jerry Lewis (R-Calif.), Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) or Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Ga.) gets the gavel.
Read more: Politico
Votes Happening Now Over Pelosi's One Last Political Stunt
With their days numbered in control of the U.S. House, Democrats are planning a political stunt Thursday in hopes of embarrassing Republicans on a vote to raise taxes.
House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer (D-Md.) announced Democrats would disregard the Obama administration’s ongoing negotiations with congressional Republicans and force a vote on taxes. Democrats will use a procedural maneuver preventing the GOP from offering an amendment to extend all of the 2001 and 2003 tax cuts.
Republicans immediately voiced alarm at the move. While the vote would prevent tax hikes on Americans earning $250,000 or less, small businesses would face steep tax increases under the Democrats’ plan.
Without an opportunity to offer amendments, Republicans are expected to vote against the measure. By doing so they’ll give Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.) one final opportunity to demagogue the issue. However, it will likely be a short-lived victory. The measure has little chance of passing in the Senate.
Read More: RS
Coincidence? Fed’s Attack on For-Profit Colleges Supports Dem Donor’s Agenda
Florida trial attorney Chris Hoyer, who along with his wife, has donated close to $30,000 to President Barack Obama and other Democratic candidates and causes over the last decade, appears to be curiously in-tune with the Democratic administration’s agenda on higher education.
Hoyer, through his James/Hoyer Law Firm, is targeting for-profit career schools for class actions at around the same time the Obama administration Department of Education appears to be targeting that same industry through aggressive new regulatory action and rule making.
Hoyer has filed a lawsuit against Westwood College, claiming the school lied about tuition costs and future salary potential for graduating students. As with any class action situation, where the people who benefit are primarily the attorneys, Hoyer’s class action pursuits should not be taken lightly. His 2008 action against Waste Management Company yielded each plaintiff a whopping $25.
But the underserved, largely black and Hispanic students who tend to enroll in similar career schools need to worry that their education choices are under legal assault. “I’m not trying to attack the whole for-profit school industry,” Hoyer maintains. Nevertheless, James/Hoyer claims on its website that it is “investigating” no fewer than seven such for-profit colleges.
As it happens, the Department of Education has begun an aggressive campaign to enforce a beefed up “Gainful Employment” rule. As former New Jersey Governor and 9/11 Commissioner Thomas Kean recently pointed out, this “Gainful Employment” rule appears to be specifically targeted at the same career schools in Chris Hoyer’s laser scope:
Hoyer, through his James/Hoyer Law Firm, is targeting for-profit career schools for class actions at around the same time the Obama administration Department of Education appears to be targeting that same industry through aggressive new regulatory action and rule making.
Hoyer has filed a lawsuit against Westwood College, claiming the school lied about tuition costs and future salary potential for graduating students. As with any class action situation, where the people who benefit are primarily the attorneys, Hoyer’s class action pursuits should not be taken lightly. His 2008 action against Waste Management Company yielded each plaintiff a whopping $25.
But the underserved, largely black and Hispanic students who tend to enroll in similar career schools need to worry that their education choices are under legal assault. “I’m not trying to attack the whole for-profit school industry,” Hoyer maintains. Nevertheless, James/Hoyer claims on its website that it is “investigating” no fewer than seven such for-profit colleges.
As it happens, the Department of Education has begun an aggressive campaign to enforce a beefed up “Gainful Employment” rule. As former New Jersey Governor and 9/11 Commissioner Thomas Kean recently pointed out, this “Gainful Employment” rule appears to be specifically targeted at the same career schools in Chris Hoyer’s laser scope:
Specifically, the department’s proposed gainful employment rule, which seeks to regulate the amount of debt that students who attend career colleges can take on, has been met with legitimate criticism from both sides of the aisle. The rules purport to target higher education programs with high loan default rates.Read More: BG
Wednesday, December 1, 2010
Howland heading back to Madison city board
John Howland appears to be the winner of a special election for Madison alderman at large.
In unofficial results, Howland garnered 916 votes, or 52 percent, to Eddie Tanner’s 847, or 48 percent. Absentee and affidavit ballots were yet to be counted at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
"I look forward to being back on the board again,” said Howland, a former Madison alderman. “It’s a tall order for anyone to run a citywide campaign in three weeks. It was a hard-fought race.”
Howland and Tanner, a former director of parks and recreation for the city of Madison, vied for the post vacated by Lisa Clingan-Smith in October.
Howland will complete the 2 years remaining of Clingan-Smith’s term. He will take a seat when the Board of Aldermen, meet Dec. 7.
Howland, 48, served one term on the board from 2005-2009. He decided not to run for re-election last year when redistricting carved his existing Ward 6 among three others and he found himself in the same ward as Alderman Pat Peeler.
Tanner, a former member of the Madison County School Board, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Ridgeland in 2001 against current Mayor Gene McGee. He also previously served as Ridgeland’s director of parks and recreation after serving as Madison’s director.
Howland was endorsed by Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler.
Read More at MCH
In unofficial results, Howland garnered 916 votes, or 52 percent, to Eddie Tanner’s 847, or 48 percent. Absentee and affidavit ballots were yet to be counted at about 10 p.m. Tuesday.
"I look forward to being back on the board again,” said Howland, a former Madison alderman. “It’s a tall order for anyone to run a citywide campaign in three weeks. It was a hard-fought race.”
Howland and Tanner, a former director of parks and recreation for the city of Madison, vied for the post vacated by Lisa Clingan-Smith in October.
Howland will complete the 2 years remaining of Clingan-Smith’s term. He will take a seat when the Board of Aldermen, meet Dec. 7.
Howland, 48, served one term on the board from 2005-2009. He decided not to run for re-election last year when redistricting carved his existing Ward 6 among three others and he found himself in the same ward as Alderman Pat Peeler.
Tanner, a former member of the Madison County School Board, ran unsuccessfully for mayor of Ridgeland in 2001 against current Mayor Gene McGee. He also previously served as Ridgeland’s director of parks and recreation after serving as Madison’s director.
Howland was endorsed by Mayor Mary Hawkins Butler.
Read More at MCH
Your Vote, Your Opinion: Are the President's Actions Really "Impeachable"?
Vote in the column to the left. Comment below.
Arizona Legislator Calls Obama’s Actions “Impeachable”
The campaign to impeach Barack Obama has a distinguished new advocate: Arizona State Senator Russell Pearce, who authored Arizona’s immigration law S.B. 1070. During a speech on November 19, Pearce told an audience:
Think about it. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a sitting president has sided with a foreign government to sue the citizens of its country. For defending our laws? For defending and protecting the citizens of the state of Arizona? It’s outrageous, and it’s impeachable.
Senator Pearce was referring to the Obama administration’s decision to invite 11 Central and South American nations to join the federal government’s lawsuit against Arizona. This outsourcing ignores the president’s numerous lawsuits against the state, as well as motions against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for “racial profiling,” on the grounds he arrested too many Hispanics near our open border with Mexico.
The lawsuit was perhaps the least offensive or forceful measure the president has taken against the will of his own citizens. The Obama administration hauled Arizona before the UN Human Rights Council after it passed Pearce’s bill.
After Governor Jan Brewer learned about Obama’s outrage, she sent a letter demanding Hillary Clinton strike the reference from the UNHRC report. Hillary refused.
In September, a UN committee issued a thinly veiled denunciation of Arizonans as “xenophobes and racists.” Then Obama allowed human rights violators to humiliate the United States in the Geneva forum while appointing milquetoast globalists like “transnationalist” Harold Koh to “defend” America.
His efforts to enlist foreign nations and the UN to overturn state policies with which he disagrees is indeed unconstitutional, and one of many grounds for impeachment. This author is pleased to have perhaps the best state senator in the United States voicing such truths, especially to those who are hostile to them.
Arizona Legislator Calls Obama’s Actions “Impeachable”
Think about it. This is the first time in the history of the United States that a sitting president has sided with a foreign government to sue the citizens of its country. For defending our laws? For defending and protecting the citizens of the state of Arizona? It’s outrageous, and it’s impeachable.
Senator Pearce was referring to the Obama administration’s decision to invite 11 Central and South American nations to join the federal government’s lawsuit against Arizona. This outsourcing ignores the president’s numerous lawsuits against the state, as well as motions against Maricopa County Sheriff Joe Arpaio for “racial profiling,” on the grounds he arrested too many Hispanics near our open border with Mexico.
The lawsuit was perhaps the least offensive or forceful measure the president has taken against the will of his own citizens. The Obama administration hauled Arizona before the UN Human Rights Council after it passed Pearce’s bill.
After Governor Jan Brewer learned about Obama’s outrage, she sent a letter demanding Hillary Clinton strike the reference from the UNHRC report. Hillary refused.
In September, a UN committee issued a thinly veiled denunciation of Arizonans as “xenophobes and racists.” Then Obama allowed human rights violators to humiliate the United States in the Geneva forum while appointing milquetoast globalists like “transnationalist” Harold Koh to “defend” America.
His efforts to enlist foreign nations and the UN to overturn state policies with which he disagrees is indeed unconstitutional, and one of many grounds for impeachment. This author is pleased to have perhaps the best state senator in the United States voicing such truths, especially to those who are hostile to them.
Tuesday, November 30, 2010
Profit-sharing agreement signed for biomass plant
National Clean Fuels announced today that the company signed a profit participation agreement with the Center for Environment, Commerce & Energy (The Center). The two organizations are working together closely to build a biomass-to-electricity (BTE) plant in Port Gibson, Miss.
According to the agreement, National Clean Fuels will provide the Center with monthly project support payments in exchange for a percentage of the net profits generated by the Port Gibson BTE plant once it becomes operational. The Center and National Clean Fuels signed a term sheet earlier this month.
Plans call for the new Port Gibson BTE plant to generate electricity by gasifying sawdust and woodchips to power a massive turbine. NACF inked a letter of intent with the City of Port Gibson in September to devise plans for biomass and solar-energy production in and around the municipality as well as other potential means of green energy production. The Center will assist with the planning and implementation of the project.
MBJ
According to the agreement, National Clean Fuels will provide the Center with monthly project support payments in exchange for a percentage of the net profits generated by the Port Gibson BTE plant once it becomes operational. The Center and National Clean Fuels signed a term sheet earlier this month.
Plans call for the new Port Gibson BTE plant to generate electricity by gasifying sawdust and woodchips to power a massive turbine. NACF inked a letter of intent with the City of Port Gibson in September to devise plans for biomass and solar-energy production in and around the municipality as well as other potential means of green energy production. The Center will assist with the planning and implementation of the project.
MBJ
CHARLIE MITCHELL: Voters haven’t ‘changed their minds’ about anything
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| Mitchell |
Three Mississippians – returning U.S. Rep. Gregg Harper of District 3 along with newly elected Rep. Alan Nunnelee of District 1 and Rep. Steven Palazzo of District 4 – are in the thick of it.
There’s been a shallow but consistent media chorus since midterm elections. The story line has been, “Why did Americans turn against Obama?” and “Why did voters change their minds?”
Bogus questions, both of them. Voters didn’t turn against Obama. And voters certainly have not changed their minds.
Let’s define Middle America as the voters who swing elections. They dwell between the extremes of liberalism and conservatism. Two years ago, Middle America embraced Barack Obama’s rising star and accepted his pledge to be a president for all the people – one who would focus on the economy and bring federal spending under control. (He really did make those pledges.) Middle America also responded to his promise to bring rationality, equity and cost controls to the delivery of health care and to resolve immigration issues, among many other things. Yes, Obama was a “liberal,” but he was solution-oriented. That resonated.
Obama’s rival for the White House, Sen. John McCain, R-Ariz., called his opponent “naïve,” but Americans not only backed the far more charismatic candidate, they also provided President Obama with clear Democratic majorities in both chambers of Congress. Media folk called this a big victory for liberalism. Wrong. It was a big endorsement of problem-solving.
In the two years since, Middle America has not undergone a giant shift in its collective ideology. Only the most simplistic talk show hosts would suggest that has happened. Lefties are still lefties. Righties are still righties. What Middle America wants is solutions.
So what that means is that Republicans – even without control of the White House or the Senate – must either deliver in the next two years or it will be their turn to decide who gets invited to farewell parties.
Within the party itself, there are divisions.
Harper, Nunnelee and Palazzo have aligned with the super-conservative core of the GOP.
Harper, from Pearl, went to Washington at the same time Obama did. Regarding the $787 billion stimulus bill, Harper had a great quote. When trying to get out of a hole, a good first step is to stop digging, he said in voting “no.” He was re-elected to a second term to deliver the same “stop spending” message. (Interestingly, Harper has been chastised for voting against new spending that would have benefitted Mississippi. Nothing like knocking a guy for doing what he said he’d do.)
Nunnelee, from Tupelo, managed Mississippi’s money as chairman of the Appropriations Committee in the state Senate. Although he and Palazzo don’t take office until January, Nunnelee is on the record with other incoming House Republicans to stop earmarks immediately. (For the record, Obama also pledged to review earmarks “line by line,” yet has signed off on hundreds.)
The way to make the people happy is to fix what’s broken and fixing what’s broken means crafting legislation that (1) Middle America understands and (2) in which Middle America has confidence.
It’s easier said than done, of course.
But folks need to stop saying voters changed. It’s just not true.
NEMS360
Steering panel loaded with John Boehner's allies
House Speaker-designate John Boehner has some close allies to help him potentially sway other members on a Republican panel set to pick leaders of key committees in the next Congress.
Several lawmakers close to the Ohio Republican reside on the 34-member House Republican steering committee – including Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.), who gave a speech backing Boehner to be House speaker, according to a list of steering committee members obtained by POLITICO.
Rep. Steve LaTourette is a fellow member of the Ohio delegation, while Reps. Doc Hastings (Wash.) and Tom Latham (Iowa) have long been close personal friends with Boehner as well.
Others well known to be close to Boehner on the Steering Committee include House Republican Conference Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Wash.), National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas), House GOP transition team leader Greg Walden (Ore.), Mike Rogers (Mich.), and Gregg Harper (Miss.).
Boehner’s choice in contested races to head the Energy and Commerce, Appropriations and other panels is automatically worth four votes, the most of any other committee member. The next expected House majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) gets two votes, while all other members get one vote each when considering each committee race, jurisdictional challenges and potential caucus rule changes.
Shimkus, Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton (Texas), Fred Upton (Mich.) and Cliff Stearns (Fla.) will give roughly 10-minute presentations to the steering committee Tuesday to give their arguments to head the energy panel, followed by a question and answer period. The steering committee will convene at 1:30 p.m. in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.
Read more: Politico
Several lawmakers close to the Ohio Republican reside on the 34-member House Republican steering committee – including Lynn Westmoreland (Ga.), who gave a speech backing Boehner to be House speaker, according to a list of steering committee members obtained by POLITICO.
Rep. Steve LaTourette is a fellow member of the Ohio delegation, while Reps. Doc Hastings (Wash.) and Tom Latham (Iowa) have long been close personal friends with Boehner as well.
Others well known to be close to Boehner on the Steering Committee include House Republican Conference Vice-Chair Cathy McMorris-Rodgers (Wash.), National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman Pete Sessions (Texas), House GOP transition team leader Greg Walden (Ore.), Mike Rogers (Mich.), and Gregg Harper (Miss.).
Boehner’s choice in contested races to head the Energy and Commerce, Appropriations and other panels is automatically worth four votes, the most of any other committee member. The next expected House majority leader, Rep. Eric Cantor (R-Va.) gets two votes, while all other members get one vote each when considering each committee race, jurisdictional challenges and potential caucus rule changes.
Shimkus, Energy and Commerce ranking member Joe Barton (Texas), Fred Upton (Mich.) and Cliff Stearns (Fla.) will give roughly 10-minute presentations to the steering committee Tuesday to give their arguments to head the energy panel, followed by a question and answer period. The steering committee will convene at 1:30 p.m. in the U.S. Capitol Visitor Center.
Read more: Politico
Tuesday, November 23, 2010
Less than an hour left to vote.
Less than an hour left. Click HERE for a message from Will Longwitz.
Who did you vote for in the race for Madison County Judge? Open thread.
Who did you vote for and why? Watch here for returns out of Canton as they are counted.
Open thread. Keep it civil.
Open thread. Keep it civil.
Friday, November 19, 2010
Good Balance Creates Good Leaders
Society has morphed into a mob that wants to hear our leaders definitively and emphatically say “never” and/or “always”. We get caught up in feel good phrases like “Yes We Can.” Empty and meaningless maxims discount one simple fact: none of us, not even those willing to shout such blather from the rooftops and podiums, are ever really in control.
We reward people as worthy of leadership for the pronouncement of meaningless platitudes. We use it to build an otherwise banal personality into a heroic figure and then lay at their doorstep our problems to be fixed. We want someone else to be the “go to guy”, because at our core, the majority of us are scared to stick out our own necks.
We are fearful little children, who learned to deal with life through our control dramas at a young age, and we have brought those dramas with us into adulthood. How do I get fed? I cry. How do I get my way? I throw a temper tantrum. How do I get out of this? I lie. How do I win? I cheat. Those are the standards of the playground in which we live. It is the ways we have deluded ourselves into maintaining the belief that we can control our situations. It is our lesser selves we revert to when focused on a shortcut to the end result. We have forgotten that we are not in control and never have been. We have allowed ourselves to become manipulators--and maninpulated, out of fear, out of laziness, out of aloofness, and in some cases out of blind allegiance to the perception of power.
That’s all power really is; a perception. Situational control, that is momentary management, will always lie with the person or group that is perceived to have power. That group and control will often change when that power is challenged, when a reaction to new circumstances is insufficient to maintain it, or when they begin to believe that they are above reproach. There are leaders and there are followers. Without belief there are no followers, and there can be no leaders without followers.
We deify those who say “never this” or “always that” and put them on a pedestal. But, when those heroes become all too human, as they inevitably do, those that believed in the miracle can only stand by quietly disappointed and watch as the axe is sharpened, usually by someone else who is shouting, “Never again!”
Then, the process starts anew.
We deify our demagogues, and then sacrifice them at the altar of their own failures when it is WE who have set the bar too high for them, while not even bothering to set a bar for ourselves.
We need a reawakening. We need a renewal of personal responsibility—not control, but responsibility. That doesn’t start with some political catchphrase. It starts with each of us. It begins at the most grassroots level, in our own backyard, and in our own communities. It starts by worrying about what we can do for others and relinquishing any hope at controlling the outcome, and by not scheming about what we need for ourselves or manipulating the situation to gain an edge. It starts with REAL public servants, those are people who are in it for the right reasons, people of courage, people prepared to help bring consensus to difficult issues to solve problems.
Politics reflects society. We get exactly what we deserve. Being courageous doesn’t require being obnoxious and building consensus isn’t the same as sacrificing principle. The path is narrow. It requires good balance to keep from falling off into the weeds.
Senator Chuck Hagel writes, "The quality of leaders and effectiveness of government are directly related to informed and committed citizens willing to participate in politics."
Nothing is accomplished by divisive avarice. Citizens should encourage good balance within our social networks and follow the leaders that naturally appear as a result.
Thursday, November 18, 2010
Bachmann Says NO to More Work
According to Politico, Ms. Bachmann was asked to be an appropriator next session and said thanks, but no thanks.
Ms. Bachmann presently sits on only ONE committee … the House Financial Services Committee … where she is a backbencher. Heck, even “rookie” legislators have more asssignments … Consider that Gregg Harper (R-MS) has just started his career in Congress this term and is assigned to four committees (Committee on the Budget, Committee on the Judiciary, Committee on House Administration, and Committee on Standards of Official Conduct). Or fellow freshman Congressman Jason Chaffetz (R-UT), who is assigned to the Judiciary; Natural Resources; Oversight & Government Reform Committees.
Ms. Bachmann is lazy. The Appropriations Committee is a demanding assignment … requiring long hours that can involve skillful diplomacy. It is a lot easier to let someone else do the work …
For all the TaxEnoughAlready folks who sent their hard-earned dollars to support Ms. Bachmann’s re-election should be asking for their monies back.
MNPoliticalRoundtable
Blake Walley Memorial Benefit to be held December 18 in Flora
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| Blake Walley |
The Fish Fry event will be held at the Holcomb Airstrip AKA "Roothog International" on Highway 22 just west of Flora. Plates will be available from 11:30 until 5:00 for $5.00 each. There will also be drawings for prizes and a live and silent auction at 1:00. Two helicopter rides will be among the auction items. Live music will be provided by Crossin Dixon.
All donations go to help pay for final expenses. Amounts in excess of the goal will be donated to a local charity.
Longwitz receives endorsements from Governor and key leaders in Madison County
As the runoff election on Tuesday, November 23rd is just a few days away, Madison County Judge candidate Will Longwitz is pleased to announce that he has received the public support of several key Mississippi leaders.
Will Longwitz has received the support of Mississippi's Governor Haley Barbour as well as the former Chairman of the Mississippi Republican Party, Jim Herring, of Canton. Will Longwitz also has the support of Madison County Sheriff Toby Trowbridge and Madison County State Representative Rita Martinson.
In addition, today's edition of the Madison County Journal newspaper has encouraged readers to vote for Will Longwitz with the newspaper's endorsement titled "Will Longwitz for County Judge" that states, "Will Longwitz is a man of character who possesses solidly conservative ideals. Among other things, Longwitz understands the growing juvenile crime problem in Madison County and is committed to stopping bad behavior from becoming criminal behavior."
Governor Haley Barbour has given his support to Will Longwitz's campaign with the following statement: "There is an important judicial election in Madison County, and I hope you will vote for Will Longwitz. I know he will be a fair, impartial and effective judge for Madison County. Will worked hard for me after Hurricane Katrina, and I know he will work hard for you."
In a letter to the Madison County Herald newspaper, former Mississippi Republican Party Chairman, Jim Herring, of Canton, writes, "Will has shown me he is not afraid of hard work- an essential trait for any good Judge...Will has shown me that he has the proper temperament to be a good Judge, one that is calm, kind, fair and impartial, yet one that can also be firm and even courageous if necessary."
In January, Longwitz announced his campaign at the home of Andy & Karen Taggart of Madison. He promised to "do everything in his power to help keep Madison County safe and strong, and a great place to raise families."
Longwitz is a former federal prosecutor, a special prosecutor for Madison County, and has his law practice in Madison. He is now in a runoff to be held on Tuesday, November 23rd. Longwitz came in first place in the general election on November 2nd, 2010.
You can learn more about Will Longwitz and his campaign by visiting http://www.will4judge.com/
For more information, contact the campaign at (601) 707-8560
Brown strikes a deal in public intoxication charge
Brown was not in court this morning, but his attorney reached a deal with prosecutors in the charge of public intoxication arising from an incident at Beau Rivage Casino & Resort in July of this year.
Brown is to enter anger management classes and stay out of trouble. If he successfully completes the course, the charges against him will be dropped and his record expunged.
Read More: SH
Storey wills Tri-County to OT victory, North State
As the Tri-County Academy Rebels gathered around Trainor Storey at midfield towards the end of regulation in their second round game with DeSoto last Friday his message was simple.
"I just told them that we were brothers and we were going to go down and score and win this one," Storey said. "There was no way they were keeping us out."
The senior was true to his word as he guided the Rebels down the field to tie the game in the final minute and pull off a miraculous 35-28 victory in overtime.
The win kept the Rebs undefeated at 13-0 and was the first loss of the season for DeSoto.
TCA moves on to face Tunica Academy in the Academy A North State Championship this Friday.
"I'm very proud of this team right now," said Coach David Blount. "Their running game was probably the best we faced this year but in the end, our kids rose to the occasion."
MCJ
"I just told them that we were brothers and we were going to go down and score and win this one," Storey said. "There was no way they were keeping us out."
The senior was true to his word as he guided the Rebels down the field to tie the game in the final minute and pull off a miraculous 35-28 victory in overtime.
The win kept the Rebs undefeated at 13-0 and was the first loss of the season for DeSoto.
TCA moves on to face Tunica Academy in the Academy A North State Championship this Friday.
"I'm very proud of this team right now," said Coach David Blount. "Their running game was probably the best we faced this year but in the end, our kids rose to the occasion."
MCJ
Wednesday, November 17, 2010
Congressman Harper Re-elected by peers to GOP Steering Committee
“I’m so honored to serve again on the Republican Steering Committee and I want to thank my classmates for instilling their trust in me to be a voice for the sophomore class,” said Harper. “I am eager to work with Republican leaders to advance our jobs agenda that focuses on reducing runaway federal spending and reforming Congress.”
As Republicans enter the majority, this committee position will allow Harper to advocate for his classmates with regard to their desired committee assignments for the 112th Congress and Mississippi’s two new Republican congressmen-elect.
“Mississippians have chosen two rising stars to join the Republican majority,” Harper added. “I am working closely with Representatives-elect Alan Nunnelee and Steven Palazzo to help them gain seats on committees that will benefit both their district and our state.”
The Republican Steering Committee will settle committee rosters when the 112th Congress convenes in January, although committee chairmen may be selected later this month or in December.
Harper currently serves as the only freshman on the Committee on House Administration and the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct (Ethics). In addition, he serves on the Budget and Judiciary Committees.
Madison County woman charged in insurance fraud
A Madison County woman is behind bars today facing charges she committed insurance fraud, announced Attorney General Jim Hood.
Johnnetta White, 23, of Camden, was arrested by the Madison County Sheriff's Office today following an investigation by the Mississippi Attorney General's Public Integrity Division/Insurance Fraud Unit.
White was indicted in Madison County on a single count of Insurance Fraud after she allegedly filed a fraudulent automobile insurance claim.
White was under house arrest at the time of the offense for a 2009 conviction in Madison County for embezzlement.
CL
Johnnetta White, 23, of Camden, was arrested by the Madison County Sheriff's Office today following an investigation by the Mississippi Attorney General's Public Integrity Division/Insurance Fraud Unit.
White was indicted in Madison County on a single count of Insurance Fraud after she allegedly filed a fraudulent automobile insurance claim.
White was under house arrest at the time of the offense for a 2009 conviction in Madison County for embezzlement.
CL
House Republicans Elect Leadership Team for the 112th Congress
The results of those elections are as follows:
• Speaker of the House: John A. Boehner of Ohio
• Republican Leader: Eric Cantor of Virginia
• Republican Whip: Kevin McCarthy of California
• Republican Conference Chairman: Jeb Hensarling of Texas
• National Republican Congressional Committee Chairman: Pete Sessions of Texas
• Republican Policy Committee Chairman: Tom Price of Georgia
• Republican Conference Vice-Chair: Cathy McMorris Rodgers of Washington
• Republican Conference Secretary: John Carter of Texas
• Freshman Elected Leadership Representative: Kristi Noem of South Dakota
• Freshman Elected Leadership Representative: Tim Scott of South Carolina
Laforge: Earmark Moratorium will have NO impact on the federal budget.
Yesterday the Senate Republican conference agreed on a two-year moratorium on earmarks. Republican Leader Mitch McConnell reluctantly changed his position of supporting earmarks, went along with the party’s conservative wing, and embraced the idea of a moratorium, thus ensuring the endorsement of the Republican caucus, and avoiding a bitter and devisive intra-party battle. This is all in reaction to the election and to voter interests in the government, especially the Congress, doing everything possible to reduce spending and get the financial house in order. Congressional Republican leaders feel it is necessary to restore trust in government by the American people.
However, in reality, it is a mere symbolic gesture…a political reaction and a “feel-good” outcome for politicians who believe that they must listen to the American people and do their will on this issue. It will have NO impact on the federal budget. Earmarks are not “new” money. They only direct where the money will be spent. Essentially, they are directives from Congress on how taxpayers’ dollars should be spent, rather than allowing executive branch agencies to make all the decisions. The same amount of dollars will still be on the table and will be spent. The sad difference now is that Congress is abdicating its constitutional responsibility and privilege regarding the power of the purse, and turning over all the decisions to the executive branch. To me, this is very short-sighted. But it is an issue rife with demagoguery and political messaging. Politicians are falling all over themselves trying to outdo their rivals on this issue, so you will note that an unlikely coalition involving the President and congressional Republicans is having a field day with this issue. For many, perception has become reality, and it appears that the moratorium is real, at least for now.
The Senate action by Republicans comes on the heels of similar action by House Republicans earlier this year. It remains to be seen how congressional Democrats in both houses will respond and what they will do next. It is possible that all or some Democrats, and possibly even some Republicans, will continue to request earmarks. Politically I would envision Republicans making any Democratic earmarks a big issue during the next campaign. Hell hath no fury like a reformed earmarker! Only time will tell.
Bill LaForge is an attorney, Washington, D.C. office managing shareholder and Government Relations Practice Group leader with Winstead PC. A Cleveland, Mississippi native, Laforge was chief counsel of the U.S. Senate Appropriations Subcommittee on Agriculture, and culminated his government career as Chief Legislative Counsel and Chief of Staff to United States Senator Thad Cochran of Mississippi.
Tea Party Fuels Born-Again Earmark Opponents
Tuesday's Republican vote on imposing an earmark moratorium was a direct response to the rising influence of Tea Party conservatives in the Senate. Sen. Jim DeMint (R-S.C.), the de facto leader of the Tea Party Senate caucus, said "the significance of this policy victory cannot be overstated" in an e-mail to supporters.
But a close look at Tuesday's voice vote to impose a non-binding moratorium on earmarks not only showcases the Tea Party's clout in the Senate this year, but its significant influence in GOP primary politics in 2012 and beyond.
Several Republican senators who are up for re-election in 2012 and who have previously sought millions in earmarks reversed course on Tuesday to vote for the measure -- a move for some that was undoubtedly intended to shore up their right flank in 2012. And even newly elected moderate Republican senators, like Illinois' Mark Kirk and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte, backed the measure, an indication that the politics of opposing earmarks is now viewed in the GOP as a clear political winner.
"Part of a politician's DNA is to talk out of both sides of their mouths," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, an organization that opposes earmarks. "So it's not surprising that they have put their fingers into the political wind and sensed it has changed directions on earmarks."
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker (R) is another surprising supporter of the moratorium. A veteran appropriator, Wicker requested $384 million worth of earmarks in 2010, in a state that's relied on federal funds for its military bases and shipyards, among other projects. But he's up for re-election in 2012, and his support of the moratorium is probably with a primary challenger in mind.
HL
But a close look at Tuesday's voice vote to impose a non-binding moratorium on earmarks not only showcases the Tea Party's clout in the Senate this year, but its significant influence in GOP primary politics in 2012 and beyond.
Several Republican senators who are up for re-election in 2012 and who have previously sought millions in earmarks reversed course on Tuesday to vote for the measure -- a move for some that was undoubtedly intended to shore up their right flank in 2012. And even newly elected moderate Republican senators, like Illinois' Mark Kirk and New Hampshire's Kelly Ayotte, backed the measure, an indication that the politics of opposing earmarks is now viewed in the GOP as a clear political winner.
"Part of a politician's DNA is to talk out of both sides of their mouths," said Steve Ellis of Taxpayers for Common Sense, an organization that opposes earmarks. "So it's not surprising that they have put their fingers into the political wind and sensed it has changed directions on earmarks."
Mississippi Sen. Roger Wicker (R) is another surprising supporter of the moratorium. A veteran appropriator, Wicker requested $384 million worth of earmarks in 2010, in a state that's relied on federal funds for its military bases and shipyards, among other projects. But he's up for re-election in 2012, and his support of the moratorium is probably with a primary challenger in mind.
HL
Tuesday, November 16, 2010
Stick a fork in Steele, he's done!
The articles I posted in April and July of this year should have been a pretty good indication of what was to come. More proof that Affirmative Action is a bad idea!
Top RNC Aide Slams Steele For Failed FundraisingHL
Republican National Committee political director Gentry Collins offered an abrupt resignation Tuesday, coupled with a stinging rebuke of Chairman Michael Steele and the committee's fundraising efforts in the midterm elections.
In a five-page letter to Steele and members of the RNC's executive committee, Collins said the party's lackluster fundraising effort contributed just a fraction of the amount of money to state parties that it had in previous cycles. That financial downturn, Collins said, prevented Republicans from capitalizing on an historic wave election and allowed Democrats to hold on in key races.
Collins' public rebuke of Steele's tenure is the latest indication that there are serious divisions within the RNC and that Steele, who is seeking a second term, will face a tough battle to hang on to the job.
Steele hired Collins, a top Republican operative who worked for former Gov. Mitt Romney in the 2008 cycle, in an effort to reassure donors and committee members that he was building an effective operation with seasoned and competent people in key roles. Collins is the latest staffer to leave disgruntled, but the first to have done so in such a public manner.
"Sadly, if left on its current path, the RNC will not be a productive force in the 2012 campaign," wrote Collins. "During the 2010 cycle, the RNC allowed its major donor base to wither."
Collins said the fundraising operation was ineffective, handing out a relative pittance to state parties and candidates while spending more money to raise less. Big donors who gave more than $1,000 contributed just 10.5 percent of the committee's fundraising, an incredible drop-off from recent years.
Meanwhile, Collins revealed the RNC has drawn down $15 million it had secured in lines of credit, and that unpaid bills owed by the committee are "likely to add millions to that debt." The money went to expenses other than the political department, which for the first time since the McCain-Feingold campaign finance reform bill was passed did not fund an independent expenditure program.
What's more, even standard programs developed over decades failed to materialize. The RNC's 72-hour program of turning out voters "was left largely un-funded," Collins wrote, as RNC chief of staff Mike Leavitt withheld funding from states until October 22, a week before those funds were to be implemented.
The lack of funds had a real impact, Collins argued, contributing to Republican losses in Democratic-held seats the party might otherwise have contested. Collins points to 21 House races, stretching from Washington State to Arizona to New York and North Carolina, that the party left on the table, as well as to Senate races in Washington and Colorado and governorships in Vermont, Minnesota and Connecticut.
The 2012 elections represent "huge opportunities requiring massive obligations," Collins wrote. "And this Committee can meet them. But to meet them, we must dig out from huge debts, be focused and disciplined about spending wisely, only spend to win elections, and adopt a laser-like focus on the hard work of reviving our major donor fundraising network."
Collins' public rebuke is stunning in that he has shied away from ever commenting about the internal workings of the party. While staffers, former staffers and committee members have complained, Collins refused to speak with the press except on a handful of occasions while briefing reporters at committee meetings.
We know how to get out of this mess. But, how much more damage gets done until then?
Even those of us with a little history of being on the wrong side of the political witch hunters in Madison County—one day, I’ll write that story and explain—have to look at the past few months of shenanigans with mouths agape in amazement. There is no definitive starting point, and apparently no ending point, to the political gamesmanship that occurs here in the “Land Between Two Rivers”. It goes back decades. But, if one were to try to define a timeline of events that have us where we are today, the ramp-up to our most recent toxic political climate can be traced back to February 2006 when Board President Tim Johnson and Supervisor’s Karl Banks and Paul Griffin formed a voting bloc and passed a $50 million bond debt program without knowing how the county would pay it back. That lack of budget sense was followed by a vote again in September 2008 to raise taxes to the tune of 3.3 mils to cover the debt that was incurred from it.
Before the 2008 vote, there was an attempt to stifle debate altogether by closing the public hearing, followed by a surprisingly inept attempt to double the increase to 6.33 mils. Due to public outcry and the threat of legal challenges, it was quickly reduced back to the original 3.33 mils. But a new way of doing business had been put into play:
Johnson, who said he worked with an “ad hoc” committee comprised of County Engineer Rudy Warnock and road department officials to develop the plan, said he intentionally did not solicit input from either Jones or Taggart. Johnson, who said he did not need public input to determine the county’s greatest transportation needs, said he did discuss the plan and how best to finance the individual road projects chosen as priorities with District 4 Supervisor Karl Banks and District 5 Supervisor Paul Griffin.Plans for the future had been made behind closed doors. It was a sign of things to come.
“They were a part of it, yes,” Johnson said.
Warnock, who formally drafted the presentation document outlining almost $100 million in road construction and repair projects, was approved as part of the road plan’s 3 to 2 adoption to serve as the lead engineer for the entire road plan project – a responsibility that could potentially earn his engineering firm up to 20 percent of the road projects’ total costs.
“I will be the lead engineer for the road work,” Warnock said.
“It’s what the board decided.”
Wary citizens talk of the lack of open government and restraint in Canton reached the stratosphere by 2009. One road project that had fallen out of favor within the newly developed road plan was holding up development in the City of Madison and Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler began a closer look at the county spending. The result was notice of potential double-dipping by County Engineer Rudy Warnock in his billing practices with subcontractors.
A subsequent report by an independent engineering consultant, Richard McAfee, funded by concerned citizens in the City of Madison found several red flags in Warnock’s cozy relationship with Madison County. The allegations became public in March of 2010, and calls for a visit from State Auditor Stacey Pickering ensued. Board President Johnson and Warnock looked on that as the seminal shot fired. With the help of the voting bloc that now controlled the Board of Supervisors, they began implementing a scorched earth retaliation policy, and a game of “hide-and-go-seek” of the county’s invoice approval process.
It has engulfed the county’s business ever since. Now including Board Attorney Eric Hamer’s billing practices:
The questions of financial irresponsibility also extends to questions over the salary of lobbyist C. Steven Seale, and even if his employment is legal under Mississippi code. Nothing at this point appears to be viewed outside the prism of doubt and mistrust.
I’d be willing to bet that former County Administrator Donnie Caughman and Comptroller Mark Houston are happy as two pigs in slop that they got out when they did.
The latest installment of the timeline has the Board of Supervisor’s trying to lock Supervisor D.I. Smith out of any executive sessions by charging him with leaking sensitive legal information to MDOT regarding one of the privately planned road projects.
The tactic employed by Johnson and company is to deny everything, admit to nothing, and to lay waste to everything through counter charges. There is a void left from the board’s refusal to come clean, and citizens are left guessing at why this is all happening. The vacuum created by a Board of Supervisor's unwilling to explain themselves is filled by any number of rumors.
There is Supervisor Banks land holdings and the question of whether he has personally profited from his votes on the board. There have been concerns of the possible uber-politicization of the upcoming redistricting process to allow the control of the power levers to remain in Johnson’s hands as, are you sitting down . . . County Administrator. That's right folks, rumor is he has his sight set on a job to run the whole county; Boss Hogg in a sequened jumpsuit.
As puzzled citizens scratch their heads, old rumors of the county engineer’s epic shindigs have again been brought to the fore, as well. Warnock’s soiree’s, the rumor goes, supposedly helped him gain enough dirt on public officials that he could get away with the billing deceptions and the closed door road planning meetings. No one would dare cross him lest he go public.
Is this all true? I’m not sure. There is almost always a hint of truth in the most deceptive of lies. That’s what makes them believable. But one thing is for certain; the fact that it is all being talked about as the back story to the ongoing head-butting between factions is not financially or civically healthy for any of us.
This is what we Madison Countians have been reduced to by the mismanagement of a few who want all the power all the time. It didn't just start this year, and it won’t be fixed overnight. Most voters probably now realize it will require some serious purging come Election Day before that fix is possible.
The question becomes, “Can Madison County keep from imploding until then?”
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