BlueFire Ethanol Fuels, Inc. has submitted an application for a $250 million dollar loan guarantee for the company's planned cellulosic ethanol biorefinery in Fulton, MS. The application, filed under the Department of Energy (DOE) Program DE-FOA-0000140, which provides federal loan guarantees for projects that employ innovative energy efficiency, renewable energy, and advanced transmission and distribution technologies, was submitted 15th of February, 2010 and serves as a phase one application in a two phase approval process.
The Fulton plant is already a recipient of an award of up to $88 million from the U.S. Department of Energy under the Energy Policy Act of 2005 and the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009. If approved, the loan guarantee will secure the financing for the remainder of the costs to construct the facility, which will produce 19 million gallons of ethanol per year from woody biomass, mill residue, and other cellulosic waste.
"We are very optimistic that the DOE will consider the enormous benefits of BlueFire Ethanol's technology to convert cellulosic waste products into useable biofuels during this selection process," said Arnold Klann, CEO of BlueFire Ethanol. "Programs like the DOE loan guarantee enable first-of-its-kind technologies to come to fruiting and ultimately help ease the United States' dependence on fossil fuels like petroleum, which is oftentimes imported from hostile nations."
Currently, BlueFire Ethanol is focused on the development of two cellulosic ethanol facilities in Lancaster, CA and Fulton, MS.
Monday, March 1, 2010
Bozeman Scholars Announced
Recipients of the 2010 Dudley Bozeman Memorial Scholarships were Allen Smith and Justin Brown.
These $2000 awards were made possible by contributions in memory of Dudley Bozeman to the Mississippi Cattlemen's Foundation Endowment Fund.
These $2000 awards were made possible by contributions in memory of Dudley Bozeman to the Mississippi Cattlemen's Foundation Endowment Fund.
What America Needs: A Bumper Crop of Young Entrepreneurs
By Dr. Craig Columbus
The Center for Vision & Values
Compared to prior recessions, something is definitely different this time. If you’ve lost your job, it is harder than ever to replace it.
The New York Times reports that 6.3 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer, more than double the next-worst period, in the early 1980s.
Tighter credit, outsourcing, globalization, and productivity-enhancing technologies have played a role—and each is here to stay. As a result, many older employees are delaying retirement, making it increasingly difficult for recent graduates to enter the workforce.
Voices across the political spectrum agree that America desperately needs private sector job growth, and many are calling for change. In a recent USA Today editorial, Robert Kiyosaki, the best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, calls for two different public-school programs: one for employees and one for entrepreneurs.
Mr. Kiyosaki writes, “If I were running America's school system, I would create the U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs, modeled after our federal military academies. Admissions would be via congressional appointment along with nominations from community business leaders.”
He envisions a U.S. Academy for Entrepreneurs that would produce leaders focused on sustainable jobs and responsible growth. Finally, Mr. Kiyosaki says that his academy could boost results by having “only real entrepreneurs as teachers.”
In my opinion, Mr. Kiyosaki identifies the root problem of America’s job malaise—the need to produce more entrepreneurs. However, I depart from his solution to create more government-run education programs, regardless of how selective or expertly staffed.
As one tasked with educating future entrepreneurs, I would argue that the state of entrepreneurial education has never been more vibrant. Three decades ago, only a handful of colleges offered courses in entrepreneurship. Through the pioneering work of scholars such as Babson’s Dr. Jeffry Timmons and the advocacy of the Kauffman Foundation and others, the field has subsequently flourished.
Today, over 2,000 academic institutions offer at least one course in entrepreneurship compared with just 16 in 1970. Five hundred colleges and universities currently grant an entrepreneurship degree, up from 175 in 1990. And 200 university-based entrepreneurship centers collaborate as members of The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC).
As for the notion that the discipline lacks the perspective of “real” entrepreneurs, there has been a concerted effort by top entrepreneurship programs to recruit current or recent entrepreneurs as classroom instructors. Perhaps more than in any department on campuses across America, academic administrations are increasingly receptive to the integration of practitioners.
I am not suggesting that entrepreneurship education cannot be improved. For example, we need a greatly expanded dialogue about ethics, a stronger commitment to service learning, and much more emphasis on how to actually build things.
But America’s aspiring entrepreneurs have more educational choices and more intellectual capital resources than at any point in the nation’s history. So where is the bottleneck in entrepreneurial dynamism? In a word: incentives.
Much like the Great Depression, the current recession has left an imprint on many young people. They have seen their parents struggle with mortgage debt, and classmates flounder in their job searches. It’s no wonder that students are increasingly drawn to “safe” endeavors.
In the current environment, that most often corresponds to government or government-backed jobs. According to The Wall Street Journal, federal agencies have been hiring at a pace not seen since the end of the Cold War.
However, the nation’s entrepreneurial framework requires more creative and lasting solutions—and soon. That’s because America’s demographics demand a bumper crop of young entrepreneurs.
Nearly one in three American workers will be over the age of 50 by 2012. The “baby boomers,” those born between 1946 and 1965, started small businesses in record numbers during the 1970s and ‘80s.
Just as with the massively overbuilt stock of residential housing, supply-demand imbalances often create severe economic shocks. During the next 20 years, the outcome of the so-called “silver tsunami” will be, in part, determined by boomers finding willing buyers for their small business ventures to fund their retirement needs.
However, current and aspiring entrepreneurs repeat a consistent refrain. They want government to control its spending for the sake of long-term interest rate stability. They don’t want to feel like they are on the outside looking in on a state capitalism “green zone.” And the entrepreneurial class seeks relief from the burdens of state licensing and regulatory departments.
Entrepreneurs also crave a better business climate with reduced payroll taxes, tax credits for research and development, and more manageable workers’ compensation and healthcare costs. Many are attracted to states with low or no income and capital-gains taxes.
Finally, we need to help entrepreneurs attract seed capital and make it easier to get new business loans without personal guarantees, allowing them to retain larger equity stakes.
There will be no meaningful job growth beyond the administrative state without a national embrace of those entrepreneurs that create them. A generation of skilled young entrepreneurs stands ready. Is their government ready for them?
The Center for Vision & Values
Compared to prior recessions, something is definitely different this time. If you’ve lost your job, it is harder than ever to replace it.
The New York Times reports that 6.3 million Americans have been unemployed for six months or longer, more than double the next-worst period, in the early 1980s.
Tighter credit, outsourcing, globalization, and productivity-enhancing technologies have played a role—and each is here to stay. As a result, many older employees are delaying retirement, making it increasingly difficult for recent graduates to enter the workforce.
Voices across the political spectrum agree that America desperately needs private sector job growth, and many are calling for change. In a recent USA Today editorial, Robert Kiyosaki, the best-selling author of Rich Dad Poor Dad, calls for two different public-school programs: one for employees and one for entrepreneurs.
Mr. Kiyosaki writes, “If I were running America's school system, I would create the U.S. Business Academy for Entrepreneurs, modeled after our federal military academies. Admissions would be via congressional appointment along with nominations from community business leaders.”
He envisions a U.S. Academy for Entrepreneurs that would produce leaders focused on sustainable jobs and responsible growth. Finally, Mr. Kiyosaki says that his academy could boost results by having “only real entrepreneurs as teachers.”
In my opinion, Mr. Kiyosaki identifies the root problem of America’s job malaise—the need to produce more entrepreneurs. However, I depart from his solution to create more government-run education programs, regardless of how selective or expertly staffed.
As one tasked with educating future entrepreneurs, I would argue that the state of entrepreneurial education has never been more vibrant. Three decades ago, only a handful of colleges offered courses in entrepreneurship. Through the pioneering work of scholars such as Babson’s Dr. Jeffry Timmons and the advocacy of the Kauffman Foundation and others, the field has subsequently flourished.
Today, over 2,000 academic institutions offer at least one course in entrepreneurship compared with just 16 in 1970. Five hundred colleges and universities currently grant an entrepreneurship degree, up from 175 in 1990. And 200 university-based entrepreneurship centers collaborate as members of The Global Consortium of Entrepreneurship Centers (GCEC).
As for the notion that the discipline lacks the perspective of “real” entrepreneurs, there has been a concerted effort by top entrepreneurship programs to recruit current or recent entrepreneurs as classroom instructors. Perhaps more than in any department on campuses across America, academic administrations are increasingly receptive to the integration of practitioners.
I am not suggesting that entrepreneurship education cannot be improved. For example, we need a greatly expanded dialogue about ethics, a stronger commitment to service learning, and much more emphasis on how to actually build things.
But America’s aspiring entrepreneurs have more educational choices and more intellectual capital resources than at any point in the nation’s history. So where is the bottleneck in entrepreneurial dynamism? In a word: incentives.
Much like the Great Depression, the current recession has left an imprint on many young people. They have seen their parents struggle with mortgage debt, and classmates flounder in their job searches. It’s no wonder that students are increasingly drawn to “safe” endeavors.
In the current environment, that most often corresponds to government or government-backed jobs. According to The Wall Street Journal, federal agencies have been hiring at a pace not seen since the end of the Cold War.
However, the nation’s entrepreneurial framework requires more creative and lasting solutions—and soon. That’s because America’s demographics demand a bumper crop of young entrepreneurs.
Nearly one in three American workers will be over the age of 50 by 2012. The “baby boomers,” those born between 1946 and 1965, started small businesses in record numbers during the 1970s and ‘80s.
Just as with the massively overbuilt stock of residential housing, supply-demand imbalances often create severe economic shocks. During the next 20 years, the outcome of the so-called “silver tsunami” will be, in part, determined by boomers finding willing buyers for their small business ventures to fund their retirement needs.
However, current and aspiring entrepreneurs repeat a consistent refrain. They want government to control its spending for the sake of long-term interest rate stability. They don’t want to feel like they are on the outside looking in on a state capitalism “green zone.” And the entrepreneurial class seeks relief from the burdens of state licensing and regulatory departments.
Entrepreneurs also crave a better business climate with reduced payroll taxes, tax credits for research and development, and more manageable workers’ compensation and healthcare costs. Many are attracted to states with low or no income and capital-gains taxes.
Finally, we need to help entrepreneurs attract seed capital and make it easier to get new business loans without personal guarantees, allowing them to retain larger equity stakes.
There will be no meaningful job growth beyond the administrative state without a national embrace of those entrepreneurs that create them. A generation of skilled young entrepreneurs stands ready. Is their government ready for them?
Look out Farmers! The U.N. is calling for a Tax on Cow Farts
Livestock should be taxed to reduce the contribution made by their flatulence to greenhouse gas emissions, the United Nations said on Thursday in a report that will give fresh ammunition to campaigners against the preponderance of meat in the foodchain.
The novel suggestion by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation to use taxation comes as campaigners focus on the impact on climate change of emissions of methane from cattle, sheep and pigs.
“Market-based policies, such as taxes and fees for natural resource use, should cause [livestock] producers to internalise the costs of environmental damages,” the FAO said in its annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture .
“The sector is consuming a large share of the world’s resources and is contributing a significant portion of global greenhouse gases emissions,” the report adds.
The proposal, if supported by governments, could hit companies such as JBS of Brazil, the world’s largest meat producer, and large US-based businesses such as Tyson Foods, Cargill or Smithfield. Governments do not necessarily follow the FAO’s recommendations, but its views carry some weight, particularly among European policymakers.
Financial Times
The novel suggestion by the UN’s Food and Agriculture Organisation to use taxation comes as campaigners focus on the impact on climate change of emissions of methane from cattle, sheep and pigs.
“Market-based policies, such as taxes and fees for natural resource use, should cause [livestock] producers to internalise the costs of environmental damages,” the FAO said in its annual report, The State of Food and Agriculture .
“The sector is consuming a large share of the world’s resources and is contributing a significant portion of global greenhouse gases emissions,” the report adds.
The proposal, if supported by governments, could hit companies such as JBS of Brazil, the world’s largest meat producer, and large US-based businesses such as Tyson Foods, Cargill or Smithfield. Governments do not necessarily follow the FAO’s recommendations, but its views carry some weight, particularly among European policymakers.
Financial Times
President's Yucca Policy Inconsistent with Nuclear Rhetoric
President Barack Obama's proposals on nuclear energy do little to back up his pro-nuclear rhetoric. Most worrisome is his effort to terminate the Yucca Mountain nuclear waste repository project.
His budget provides no funding for Yucca construction activities, and the Department of Energy (DOE) has filed a motion to permanently withdraw its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to construct the repository. Such action not only flouts existing statute but threatens to end America's nuclear renaissance before it even begins.
According to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as amended, the federal government was obliged to begin collecting nuclear waste by 1998. According to the Yucca Mountain Development Act of 2002, Yucca Mountain was to be the waste repository. Despite having collected over $30 billion in waste disposal fees from electricity ratepayers and spending $10 billion on Yucca development, no waste has been collected.
This has put the federal government in partial breach of contract even before the President decided to ignore existing statute and terminate the Yucca program. With over 60 suits already filed, the federal government has paid out $214 million in settlements. Without Yucca Mountain or any backup plan, this taxpayer liability will amount to over $12.3 billion through 2020 and $500 million annually thereafter.Terminating the program without regard to existing statute exacerbates these problems, and communities are already beginning to investigate the feasibility of pursuing additional legal actions.
The Heritage Foundation
His budget provides no funding for Yucca construction activities, and the Department of Energy (DOE) has filed a motion to permanently withdraw its application to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission (NRC) to construct the repository. Such action not only flouts existing statute but threatens to end America's nuclear renaissance before it even begins.
According to the Nuclear Waste Policy Act (NWPA) of 1982, as amended, the federal government was obliged to begin collecting nuclear waste by 1998. According to the Yucca Mountain Development Act of 2002, Yucca Mountain was to be the waste repository. Despite having collected over $30 billion in waste disposal fees from electricity ratepayers and spending $10 billion on Yucca development, no waste has been collected.
This has put the federal government in partial breach of contract even before the President decided to ignore existing statute and terminate the Yucca program. With over 60 suits already filed, the federal government has paid out $214 million in settlements. Without Yucca Mountain or any backup plan, this taxpayer liability will amount to over $12.3 billion through 2020 and $500 million annually thereafter.Terminating the program without regard to existing statute exacerbates these problems, and communities are already beginning to investigate the feasibility of pursuing additional legal actions.
The Heritage Foundation
Natural gas lobby challenging coal
Natural gas lobbyists, who felt their industry got the short shrift in climate legislation, are pushing new incentives to encourage utilities to switch from coal to natural gas.
In doing so, the sector is starting a lobbying fight with the coal industry, which has long and deep ties on Capitol Hill and is determined to hold onto its role as the dominant source of electricity in the United States.
Lobbyists for natural gas companies were heartened by reports that President Barack Obama would announce during a speech on the economy last Wednesday a program to encourage utilities to displace coal with natural gas.
The Hill
In doing so, the sector is starting a lobbying fight with the coal industry, which has long and deep ties on Capitol Hill and is determined to hold onto its role as the dominant source of electricity in the United States.
Lobbyists for natural gas companies were heartened by reports that President Barack Obama would announce during a speech on the economy last Wednesday a program to encourage utilities to displace coal with natural gas.
The Hill
Obama plans to target low-performing schools
President Barack Obama will announce Monday a national effort to reduce the high school dropout rate and better prepare students for successful college careers.
The administration has committed $3.5 billion to fund changes in persistently low-performing schools around the country, with priority given to high schools with graduation rates below 60 percent.
Every day, 7,000 students drop out of school -- a total of 1.2 million students each year. In addition, only 70 percent of entering high school freshmen graduate every year, creating a loss of $319 billion in potential earnings.
The Hill
The administration has committed $3.5 billion to fund changes in persistently low-performing schools around the country, with priority given to high schools with graduation rates below 60 percent.
Every day, 7,000 students drop out of school -- a total of 1.2 million students each year. In addition, only 70 percent of entering high school freshmen graduate every year, creating a loss of $319 billion in potential earnings.
The Hill
American reliance on government at all-time high
The so-called "Great Recession" has left Americans depending on the government dole like never before.
Without record levels of welfare, unemployment and other government benefits as well as tax cuts last year, the income of U.S. households would have plunged by an astonishing $723 billion — more than four times the record $167 billion drop reported last month by the Commerce Department.
Moreover, for the first time since the Great Depression, Americans took more aid from the government than they paid in taxes.
Washington Times
Without record levels of welfare, unemployment and other government benefits as well as tax cuts last year, the income of U.S. households would have plunged by an astonishing $723 billion — more than four times the record $167 billion drop reported last month by the Commerce Department.
Moreover, for the first time since the Great Depression, Americans took more aid from the government than they paid in taxes.
Washington Times
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Medicare pay cuts loom large and there is no easy fix.
Medicare payments to doctors were supposed to fall by 21% at the start of this year, but Congress passed a last-minute, two-month patch to block the cuts. Without action, those cuts again become a reality on March first.
The budget bill Congress passed in 1997 introduced the “sustainable growth rate” for Medicare, otherwise known as SGR. The SGR says basically that the amount Medicare pays doctors for an average Medicare patient can’t grow faster than the economy as a whole. If growth in payments per beneficiary grows more than the economy as a whole, the SGR says you have to lower payments to doctors across the board to keep costs under control.
The economy slowed and health-care spending skyrocketed earlier this decade, and reimbursements were cut in 2002. Every year since then, the SGR has called for more cuts. However, every time Congress has stepped in to block the cuts. Short-term patches of scheduled Medicare pay cuts to doctors have become standard operating procedure.
Now, according to the SGR, reimbursements should actually be cut by more than 40%--something that is not likely to occur.
The American Medical Association (AMA)and other physician groups are continuing to lobby lawmakers to enact a costly permanent reform to the complex formula that calculates the payment levels. The AARP is supporting their efforts, as is the Military Offices Association of America (MOAA) because the Pentagon’s health program pays medical providers at Medicare rates.
In addition to their joint lobbying campaign and efforts to activate their grassroots networks, the AMA, AARP and MOAA launched a television advertising campaign in eight states in January.
The Senate recently passed a pay-as-you-go law that would require balancing all new spending with tax increases or spending cuts. But, that legislation included a loophole: Congress can allocate an additional $82 billion for physician payments without having to find new sources of revenue or savings. That’s not enough to scrap the current payment system altogether, but it could be enough to block scheduled pay cuts for up to five years, further putting off the pain to future generations.
A bill to permanently block the cuts failed in the Senate last year, in large part because senators couldn’t figure out how to pay for it.
Supporters of the cuts argue that unless programs like Medicare and Medicaid are limited, they will devour greater portions of the federal budget, threatening its overall solvency.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats plan to introduce another bill that would delay the effective date for more than 30 days. A previous Senate bill is allowed for the possibility of a 7-month delay.
It is anticipated that whatever solution comes outs, it would be retroactive to March 1. That way, CMS carriers would pay March claims that were put on hold at the current rate, although physicians would receive their money later than usual.
The CMS officials are struggling to do everything in their authority to minimize payment disruption to providers and prevent access problems for patients.
It remains to be seen if Congress postpones the pay a second and third time over the next few months. But one thing is certain: hard choices lie ahead, this can't go on forever. Some reports indicate the Democrat majority may soon bring to a vote stand-alone legislation (S. 1776) to repeal the SGR formula altogether. It's not like they were using it.
Leaving out an SGR "fix" from the health "reform" legislation" allows Democrats to free up billions of dollars that they can then apply to make other changes in a health care plan-making it easier for the majority to pass its government takeover of health care. So, a vote for S. 1776 could be seen as setting the stage for passage of a government takeover of health care. According to a Concord Coalition analysis in November of 2009, omitting an SGR fix in the Health Care bill understates the cost of health reform by nearly $250 billion.
The budget bill Congress passed in 1997 introduced the “sustainable growth rate” for Medicare, otherwise known as SGR. The SGR says basically that the amount Medicare pays doctors for an average Medicare patient can’t grow faster than the economy as a whole. If growth in payments per beneficiary grows more than the economy as a whole, the SGR says you have to lower payments to doctors across the board to keep costs under control.
The economy slowed and health-care spending skyrocketed earlier this decade, and reimbursements were cut in 2002. Every year since then, the SGR has called for more cuts. However, every time Congress has stepped in to block the cuts. Short-term patches of scheduled Medicare pay cuts to doctors have become standard operating procedure.
Now, according to the SGR, reimbursements should actually be cut by more than 40%--something that is not likely to occur.
The American Medical Association (AMA)and other physician groups are continuing to lobby lawmakers to enact a costly permanent reform to the complex formula that calculates the payment levels. The AARP is supporting their efforts, as is the Military Offices Association of America (MOAA) because the Pentagon’s health program pays medical providers at Medicare rates.
In addition to their joint lobbying campaign and efforts to activate their grassroots networks, the AMA, AARP and MOAA launched a television advertising campaign in eight states in January.
The Senate recently passed a pay-as-you-go law that would require balancing all new spending with tax increases or spending cuts. But, that legislation included a loophole: Congress can allocate an additional $82 billion for physician payments without having to find new sources of revenue or savings. That’s not enough to scrap the current payment system altogether, but it could be enough to block scheduled pay cuts for up to five years, further putting off the pain to future generations.
A bill to permanently block the cuts failed in the Senate last year, in large part because senators couldn’t figure out how to pay for it.
Supporters of the cuts argue that unless programs like Medicare and Medicaid are limited, they will devour greater portions of the federal budget, threatening its overall solvency.
Meanwhile, Senate Democrats plan to introduce another bill that would delay the effective date for more than 30 days. A previous Senate bill is allowed for the possibility of a 7-month delay.
It is anticipated that whatever solution comes outs, it would be retroactive to March 1. That way, CMS carriers would pay March claims that were put on hold at the current rate, although physicians would receive their money later than usual.
The CMS officials are struggling to do everything in their authority to minimize payment disruption to providers and prevent access problems for patients.
It remains to be seen if Congress postpones the pay a second and third time over the next few months. But one thing is certain: hard choices lie ahead, this can't go on forever. Some reports indicate the Democrat majority may soon bring to a vote stand-alone legislation (S. 1776) to repeal the SGR formula altogether. It's not like they were using it.
Leaving out an SGR "fix" from the health "reform" legislation" allows Democrats to free up billions of dollars that they can then apply to make other changes in a health care plan-making it easier for the majority to pass its government takeover of health care. So, a vote for S. 1776 could be seen as setting the stage for passage of a government takeover of health care. According to a Concord Coalition analysis in November of 2009, omitting an SGR fix in the Health Care bill understates the cost of health reform by nearly $250 billion.
Saturday, February 27, 2010
President Obama to appoint JSU President Ronald Mason Jr. to HBCU board of advisors
(JACKSON, Miss.) – President Barack Obama announced his intent on February 26 to appoint Jackson State University President Ronald Mason Jr. to the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCU). Mason will be one of 11 members to serve on the board.
The Board of Advisors, created in 1981 by Executive Order, is tasked with advising the President and the Secretary of Education on methods, programs, and strategies to strengthen HBCUs. President Obama signed a new Executive Order on February 26 to re-establish the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the President’s Board of Advisors. According to the White House, the action signals the Administration’s commitment to assure increased access to federally-sponsored programs and opportunities for the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It will also contribute to the Administration’s efforts to increase the number and percentage of college-trained Americans by the year 2020.
President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce the appointments of these talented, diverse and accomplished individuals to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, all of whom have shown a deep commitment to the mission of these institutions, which are as relevant and necessary to our society today as they were when first established.”
Mason has served as President of Jackson State University since 2000. He was previously the Founder and Executive Director for Tulane and Xavier Universities’ National Center for the Urban Community. During his 18-year tenure at Tulane, Mason also held appointments as Senior Vice President and General Counsel and as Vice President for Finance and Operations. He began his career as a lawyer with the Southern Cooperative Development Fund, Inc. Mason has served on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, and the American Council on Education Board of Directors. He received his B.A. and J.D. from Columbia University.
Mason will serve on President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities along with William R. Harvey of Hampton University, Lawrence S. Bacow of Tufts University, Evelynn M. Hammonds of Harvard University, Beverly Wade Hogan of Tougaloo College, Edward Lewis of Essence magazine, Valerie Mosley of Wellington Management Company, LLP, Willie Pearson Jr. of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Beverly Daniel Tatum of Spelman College, Kenneth Tolson of the Emerging Technology Consortium and David Wilson, who was recently named as the next President of Morgan State University.
The Board of Advisors, created in 1981 by Executive Order, is tasked with advising the President and the Secretary of Education on methods, programs, and strategies to strengthen HBCUs. President Obama signed a new Executive Order on February 26 to re-establish the White House Initiative on Historically Black Colleges and Universities and the President’s Board of Advisors. According to the White House, the action signals the Administration’s commitment to assure increased access to federally-sponsored programs and opportunities for the nation’s Historically Black Colleges and Universities. It will also contribute to the Administration’s efforts to increase the number and percentage of college-trained Americans by the year 2020.
President Obama said, “I am pleased to announce the appointments of these talented, diverse and accomplished individuals to the Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, all of whom have shown a deep commitment to the mission of these institutions, which are as relevant and necessary to our society today as they were when first established.”
Mason has served as President of Jackson State University since 2000. He was previously the Founder and Executive Director for Tulane and Xavier Universities’ National Center for the Urban Community. During his 18-year tenure at Tulane, Mason also held appointments as Senior Vice President and General Counsel and as Vice President for Finance and Operations. He began his career as a lawyer with the Southern Cooperative Development Fund, Inc. Mason has served on the President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities, the National Advisory Committee on Institutional Quality and Integrity, and the American Council on Education Board of Directors. He received his B.A. and J.D. from Columbia University.
Mason will serve on President’s Board of Advisors on Historically Black Colleges and Universities along with William R. Harvey of Hampton University, Lawrence S. Bacow of Tufts University, Evelynn M. Hammonds of Harvard University, Beverly Wade Hogan of Tougaloo College, Edward Lewis of Essence magazine, Valerie Mosley of Wellington Management Company, LLP, Willie Pearson Jr. of the Georgia Institute of Technology, Beverly Daniel Tatum of Spelman College, Kenneth Tolson of the Emerging Technology Consortium and David Wilson, who was recently named as the next President of Morgan State University.
Madison County Supervisor's lobbying adds to county's woes
Like those of us wondering when this long winter will end and the spring begin, Madison County Supervisor Tim Johnson must be wondering if the storm clouds will ever pass. In a span of less than two weeks the District 2 Supervisor and Board President has been hit with an increasingly widening fracture in the county's populace. The unrest has the residents of the southeastern and more populated region pitted against the rest of the county.
Since mid February, Johnson has faced allegations of wasteful spending and mismanagement of county money. Persistent questions remain over fees paid to engineer Rudy Warnock and $4.7 million the county spent on Reunion Parkway interchange, which is no longer going to be built. This week, a resolution from one of the largest muncipalities in the county was passed calling for Johnson to resign.
Back in January, allegations of private deals and "quid pro quo's" arose from a meeting that resulted in Northern District Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor and Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown being found guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act. That meeting between the two Commisioners with Johnson at a Jackson restaurant to discuss funding for the Reunion interchange also included Warnock.
Now comes a ruling that Johnson accepted illegal payment from a charity for lobbying efforts.
It's been a tough few months for the part-time Elvis impersonator. And, he may be looking for an entourage to help him get out of the building. At the very least, he should resign his leadership position and let another Supervisor step in to try to bring peace to the county's proceedings.
New leadership could start fresh with everyone involved and maybe, just maybe, facilitate a "coming together" to get Madison County refocused.
The sooner Johnson's "long cold winter" of leadership is over, the better. Only then can Madison County residents look forward to some much needed "sunshine."
Since mid February, Johnson has faced allegations of wasteful spending and mismanagement of county money. Persistent questions remain over fees paid to engineer Rudy Warnock and $4.7 million the county spent on Reunion Parkway interchange, which is no longer going to be built. This week, a resolution from one of the largest muncipalities in the county was passed calling for Johnson to resign.
Back in January, allegations of private deals and "quid pro quo's" arose from a meeting that resulted in Northern District Transportation Commissioner Bill Minor and Southern District Transportation Commissioner Wayne Brown being found guilty of violating the Open Meetings Act. That meeting between the two Commisioners with Johnson at a Jackson restaurant to discuss funding for the Reunion interchange also included Warnock.
Now comes a ruling that Johnson accepted illegal payment from a charity for lobbying efforts.
It's been a tough few months for the part-time Elvis impersonator. And, he may be looking for an entourage to help him get out of the building. At the very least, he should resign his leadership position and let another Supervisor step in to try to bring peace to the county's proceedings.
New leadership could start fresh with everyone involved and maybe, just maybe, facilitate a "coming together" to get Madison County refocused.
The sooner Johnson's "long cold winter" of leadership is over, the better. Only then can Madison County residents look forward to some much needed "sunshine."
Entergy VP of Regulatory Affairs issues response to AG Hood
In the most recent in a continuing series of public statements, Mississippi’s attorney general questioned on Friday Entergy Corporation's recent transfer of $1.3 billion from its parent company to its nuclear division. The attorney general claims that Entergy Corp. has wrongfully transferred money from its regulated utilities to its nuclear businesses.
“This is just another in a long line of press releases issued by the attorney general making an attempt to tie unrelated items together in order to confuse Mississippi customers,“ said Bob Grenfell, vice president of regulatory affairs at Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “Our actions have been proper and in compliance with applicable federal income tax law. We are confident that had the attorney general contacted Entergy directly, we would have been able to answer his questions.”
Entergy officials encourage Attorney General Hood to closely review the company’s financial disclosures that are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as legally required of publicly traded companies.
“As always, Entergy Mississippi works hard to deliver the most reliable, affordable power possible to its customers,” added Grenfell.
“This is just another in a long line of press releases issued by the attorney general making an attempt to tie unrelated items together in order to confuse Mississippi customers,“ said Bob Grenfell, vice president of regulatory affairs at Entergy Mississippi, Inc. “Our actions have been proper and in compliance with applicable federal income tax law. We are confident that had the attorney general contacted Entergy directly, we would have been able to answer his questions.”
Entergy officials encourage Attorney General Hood to closely review the company’s financial disclosures that are filed with the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission as legally required of publicly traded companies.
“As always, Entergy Mississippi works hard to deliver the most reliable, affordable power possible to its customers,” added Grenfell.
Friday, February 26, 2010
The Daily Caller: Defeated congresswoman’s car still in House parking lot — more than 3 years later.
By Alex Pappas
Former Rep. Melissa Hart may have hit the road and gone back home to Pittsburgh in 2006 when she lost her bid for re-election, but it appears that a car she owns still remains in the Longworth House Office building parking garage — more than three years after she left Congress.
The Daily Caller
The Daily Caller
Governor Barbour Releases Statement on February Revenue Reports
Governor Barbour released the following statement:
"The State Tax Commission reported today that Mississippi’s revenue collections continued a pattern of decline for the month of February. Preliminary reports show the month’s collections coming in at 12.39 percent, or $33 million, below estimates. This month will be one of the worst – if not the worst – month for tax collections in this fiscal year. Clearly, our state’s economy is still feeling the effects of this deep global recession. It is also the 18th consecutive month revenue has fallen short of expectations, and the 15th consecutive month where less money was collected than the previous year.
“With four months remaining in the fiscal year, it is likely state spending will have to be reduced beyond the $458 million in cuts already made. State law requires a balanced budget, and I will uphold the law.”
"The State Tax Commission reported today that Mississippi’s revenue collections continued a pattern of decline for the month of February. Preliminary reports show the month’s collections coming in at 12.39 percent, or $33 million, below estimates. This month will be one of the worst – if not the worst – month for tax collections in this fiscal year. Clearly, our state’s economy is still feeling the effects of this deep global recession. It is also the 18th consecutive month revenue has fallen short of expectations, and the 15th consecutive month where less money was collected than the previous year.
“With four months remaining in the fiscal year, it is likely state spending will have to be reduced beyond the $458 million in cuts already made. State law requires a balanced budget, and I will uphold the law.”
Watchdogs keep an eye on Canton government
Many people had never heard of the group Canton Quality of Life before a few weeks ago. But the once-quiet grassroots organization has recently captured the attention of local lawmakers and the public with their hard-hitting probes on city government.
Remember the recent controversy over a citizen being denied the use of his video camera in an open city meeting? James Cockrell, vice chairman of Canton Quality of Life, was behind the lens. And when the news broke that ex-Canton animal control officer Alonzo Esco had allegedly improperly shot and dumped numerous animals, Canton Quality chairman Susan Coulange made it her mission to hold the city accountable for hiring a qualified officer in Esco's place.
Said Coulange: "We want Canton to belong to the people like it should. We want our leaders representing us."
Canton Mayor William Truly, who clashed with the Cockrell when he ordered him not to videotape the Feb. 10 mayor and aldermen work session but in later meetings ceased resistance, went on the defensive when asked about Canton Quality of Life, saying city government has nothing to hide and that the group has done nothing to better Canton.
With the help of media attention and a revamped Web site, www.cantonquality.org, Canton Quality's membership has doubled to 35 in just two weeks, Cockrell said. Greg Green was recently brought on as secretary, while Gregg Guion serves as treasurer.
Coulange said "anyone who loves Canton" can join the organization that hopes to draw membership from all parts of the city. In time, the bylaws will be finalized, and the group will have general meetings.
Madison County Page
Remember the recent controversy over a citizen being denied the use of his video camera in an open city meeting? James Cockrell, vice chairman of Canton Quality of Life, was behind the lens. And when the news broke that ex-Canton animal control officer Alonzo Esco had allegedly improperly shot and dumped numerous animals, Canton Quality chairman Susan Coulange made it her mission to hold the city accountable for hiring a qualified officer in Esco's place.
Said Coulange: "We want Canton to belong to the people like it should. We want our leaders representing us."
Canton Mayor William Truly, who clashed with the Cockrell when he ordered him not to videotape the Feb. 10 mayor and aldermen work session but in later meetings ceased resistance, went on the defensive when asked about Canton Quality of Life, saying city government has nothing to hide and that the group has done nothing to better Canton.
With the help of media attention and a revamped Web site, www.cantonquality.org, Canton Quality's membership has doubled to 35 in just two weeks, Cockrell said. Greg Green was recently brought on as secretary, while Gregg Guion serves as treasurer.
Coulange said "anyone who loves Canton" can join the organization that hopes to draw membership from all parts of the city. In time, the bylaws will be finalized, and the group will have general meetings.
Madison County Page
Would Reconciliation for Health Care Affect Mid Term Elections?
By Stuart Rothenberg
While using the reconciliation process could help Democrats deliver on their promise, it could also give Republicans yet another arrow in the party’s already well-stocked quiver.
While Republican legislators and their talking-head allies would be sure to bash the substance of the proposal — just as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) did on Monday in his press release, criticizing “another partisan, back-room bill that slashes Medicare for our seniors, raises a half-trillion in new taxes, fines them if they don’t buy the right insurance and further expands the role of government” — they also would be able to attack Democrats for how they passed the measure.
I recently spoke with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, a veteran of the health care wars, about the danger Democrats face using reconciliation to pass health care reform, and he thinks the tactic would be a gamble for Democrats.
Rothenberg Political Report
While using the reconciliation process could help Democrats deliver on their promise, it could also give Republicans yet another arrow in the party’s already well-stocked quiver.
While Republican legislators and their talking-head allies would be sure to bash the substance of the proposal — just as Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (Ky.) did on Monday in his press release, criticizing “another partisan, back-room bill that slashes Medicare for our seniors, raises a half-trillion in new taxes, fines them if they don’t buy the right insurance and further expands the role of government” — they also would be able to attack Democrats for how they passed the measure.
I recently spoke with Republican pollster Bill McInturff of Public Opinion Strategies, a veteran of the health care wars, about the danger Democrats face using reconciliation to pass health care reform, and he thinks the tactic would be a gamble for Democrats.
Rothenberg Political Report
Ethics Committee Releases Report on Caribbean Trips, Exonerates Congressman Bennie Thompson among others
By Jennifer Yachnin
The House ethics committee released its 2,498-page report Friday ruling that two Caribbean trips involving six Members violated House rules — although it exonerated all but Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) of intentional wrongdoing — and disclosing hundreds of pages of receipts and other documents showing corporate sponsorship of the events.
The report follows the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct’s announcement Thursday night that after its investigation into travel sponsored by the Carib News Foundation in 2007 and 2008, it found that the trips violated House gift rules because of prohibitions on corporate contributions and that it had approved the trips based on “false and misleading information.”
The committee exonerated five of the six Members of wrongdoing — Reps. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) — but admonished Rangel after ruling that his staff were aware that some of the funding came from prohibited sources, even if he himself did not know.
Roll Call
The House ethics committee released its 2,498-page report Friday ruling that two Caribbean trips involving six Members violated House rules — although it exonerated all but Rep. Charlie Rangel (D-N.Y.) of intentional wrongdoing — and disclosing hundreds of pages of receipts and other documents showing corporate sponsorship of the events.
The report follows the Committee on Standards of Official Conduct’s announcement Thursday night that after its investigation into travel sponsored by the Carib News Foundation in 2007 and 2008, it found that the trips violated House gift rules because of prohibitions on corporate contributions and that it had approved the trips based on “false and misleading information.”
The committee exonerated five of the six Members of wrongdoing — Reps. Carolyn Cheeks Kilpatrick (D-Mich.), Bennie Thompson (D-Miss.), Donald Payne (D-N.J.), Yvette Clarke (D-N.Y.) and Del. Donna Christensen (D-Virgin Islands) — but admonished Rangel after ruling that his staff were aware that some of the funding came from prohibited sources, even if he himself did not know.
Roll Call
Mississippi Tort Reform Faces "Judicial Nullification" Effort
By Alyson Bustamante Jones
Thanks to the leadership of Governor Haley Barbour and a legislature which has understood the corrosive effect unmeritorious vexatious litigation has on a state's judicial system and its ability to attract new business and grow the economy, Mississippi has transformed its civil justice system and its prior litigious image through targeted tort reforms. When posed with similar legislative reforms in other states, trial lawyers have engaged in a full frontal assault against these efforts at tort reform by attempting to nullify the laws under the state constitutions with mixed and more recently unsuccessful results. This "judicial nullification" effort has migrated to Mississippi, where plaintiffs' lawyers have taken aim at provision of the state's tort reform.
Insider Online
Thanks to the leadership of Governor Haley Barbour and a legislature which has understood the corrosive effect unmeritorious vexatious litigation has on a state's judicial system and its ability to attract new business and grow the economy, Mississippi has transformed its civil justice system and its prior litigious image through targeted tort reforms. When posed with similar legislative reforms in other states, trial lawyers have engaged in a full frontal assault against these efforts at tort reform by attempting to nullify the laws under the state constitutions with mixed and more recently unsuccessful results. This "judicial nullification" effort has migrated to Mississippi, where plaintiffs' lawyers have taken aim at provision of the state's tort reform.
Insider Online
MADISON COUNTY JOURNAL-'Trail Rangers' to patrol Ridgeland multi-use trails
RIDGELAND - City officials are calling for volunteers to patrol its multi-use trails in an effort to cut down on crime.
The "Trail Rangers" program is looking for cyclists, runners, walkers, bird watchers, photographers or anyone else who uses the trail, to volunteer.
Rangers will wear identifying apparel such as a certain colored vest or bib with the Trail Rangers logo and they will carry a cell phone. If any suspicious persons or activity are seen on or near the trail, the Ranger will call the Ridgeland Police immediately.
Madison County Page
The "Trail Rangers" program is looking for cyclists, runners, walkers, bird watchers, photographers or anyone else who uses the trail, to volunteer.
Rangers will wear identifying apparel such as a certain colored vest or bib with the Trail Rangers logo and they will carry a cell phone. If any suspicious persons or activity are seen on or near the trail, the Ranger will call the Ridgeland Police immediately.
Madison County Page
Madison City Officials call for Supervisor Tim Johnson to resign
The City of Madison's leaders are calling on District 2 Supervisor Tim Johnson to resign.
The Madison Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a resolution calling for Johnson's resignation Wednesday, which was then signed by Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler. The resolution lists specific actions by Johnson as cause for the action.
See the complete resolution on the Madison County Page
The Madison Board of Aldermen unanimously approved a resolution calling for Johnson's resignation Wednesday, which was then signed by Mayor Mary Hawkins-Butler. The resolution lists specific actions by Johnson as cause for the action.
See the complete resolution on the Madison County Page
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