thamanjimmy

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-12-19T21:08:00.002-05:00

Issue: JEA pay raises

What it means: The council considered five bills that would authorize new labor contracts for unionized JEA employees. About 1,730 employees would get up to 3 percent base pay raises.

Bill Nos. 2011-677 through 2011-681

Action: Vote delayed until Feb. 14

Issue: Parking garage subsidy

What it means: The council considered changes to a contract with Metropolitan Parking Solutions, which operates three downtown parking garages that receive city loans because they annually lose money. The changes would give the city two more years to buy out the MPS contract and lower the return on investment the city has guaranteed MPS.

Bill No. 2011-700

Action: Approved

Issue: Meat packer incentives

What it means: The council was asked to endorse a package of $1.2 million in state and city aid for Bruss Co., a meat packing subsidiary of Tyson Foods. The company would spend about $10 million updating a factory at 5441 W. Fifth St. that would employ 200 people.

Bill No. 2011-728

Action: Approved

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-12-19T21:08:00.001-05:00

A look at some of the issues Jacksonville’s City Council considered in its meeting Tuesday:

Issue: City election dates

What it means: The council was asked to authorize a referendum in November 2012 on changing city election dates to coincide with Florida’s gubernatorial elections.

Bill No. 2011-654

Action: Denied

Issue: Poker room rezoning

What it means: The council was asked to rezone part of the site of a planned poker room at 201 Monument Road across from Regency Square mall. The effect was to make the entire property zoned CCG-2, a designation that allows the sale of liquor as well as beer and wine.

Bill No. 2011-585

Action: Approved

Issue: Fire and rescue projects

What it means: The council was asked to defer for a year a set of projects once intended to improve the city’s fire and rescue services.

Bill No. 2011-657

Action: Approved

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-12-19T21:04:00.002-05:00

Issue: Curb, gutter and sidewalk bills

What it means: The council was asked to raise the price the city charges people who want curbs, gutters and sidewalks built at their property. The price hasn't changed since 1989 and would rise from $12 per linear foot to $35.

Bill No. 2011-410

Action: Approved

Issue: Council members using computers

What it means: Council members considered whether to allow themselves to use city phones and computers to stay in touch with their outside jobs. Other city employees can't do that. Council members wouldn't be allowed to run up special costs to the city. Bill No. 2011-576

Action: Approved

Issue: Kernan speed zone

What it means: The council was asked for permission to agree to a joint project with the Duval County School Board to set up flashing lights and other controls for a speed zone on Kernan Boulevard near Kernan Trail Elementary and Kernan Middle School. The city could spend about $100,000. Bill No. 2011-594

Action: Approved

Duval School Board action

2011-12-19T21:04:00.001-05:00

Item: Ready for Tomorrow contract.

What it means: Consider a contract not exceeding $270,000 to continue the Ready for Tomorrow tutoring and mentoring program at Raines and Ribault high schools and North Shore Elementary School and offer it at Andrew Jackson High School.

Action taken: Approved 7-0.

Item: Upgrade the SuccessMaker program for 13 elementary schools designated
Correct II schools.

What it means: SuccessMaker is a computer-based software program that provides adaptive, individualized intervention in both reading and math concepts and skills. Purchasing the upgrade would cost up to $638,000.

Action taken: Approved 7-0.

Item: Per-capita and examination fees for 2011-12 to International Baccalaureate North America for Stanton College Preparatory School, Paxon School for Advanced Studies and Ribault High School.

What it means: The cost would not exceed $123,325 for Stanton, not exceed $58,000 for Paxon and not exceed $10,500 for Ribault. Legislated incentive funds for passing schools on exams will be used to refund the school district for the cost of the exams.

Action taken: Approved 7-0.

Duval School Board action

2011-12-19T21:03:00.002-05:00

Item: Selection of initial option for first-year intervene schools Forrest High School, A. Philip Randolph High School and Ed White High School.

What it means: The board decided to select the option to reconstitute the three high schools and make them "district-managed" high schools. The district will have to proceed with the option if the schools fail to make enough progress this school year.

Action: Approved 7-0

Item: Selection of an option for third-year intervene schools Andrew Jackson, Raines and Ribault high schools and North Shore Elementary.

What it means: The board selected the option to hand the schools over to a management organization for the 2012-13 school year if the schools fail to make the needed progress this school year.

Action: Approved 7-0

Duval School Board Action

2011-12-19T21:03:00.001-05:00

The Duval County School Board had its monthly meeting Tuesday. Among the actions taken were:

Item: KIPP's charter school applications

What it means: Despite its first school earning the lowest area FCAT score last year, the charter school organization wants to open two elementary schools in the 2012-13 school year.

Action: Delayed approval; will invite KIPP to discussion at Oct. 18 meeting. (6-1, Hazouri)

Item: Public hearing and vote on a new policy for teen-dating violence or abuse

What it means: State law mandates all school districts adopt policies addressing teen-dating violence and institute curriculum designed to teach teens how to recognize if they are in an abusive relationship and how to seek help.

Action: Approved, 7-0

Item: Suspensions without pay

What it means: Frederick Richardson, a teacher at Highlands Middle, faces a 15-day suspension for choking a student and pinning him against a concrete wall. Richardson got into a physical altercation May 9 with a student he said was disobedient and disruptive in class. This would be Richardson's second time being suspended by the district for his conduct as a teacher.

Action: Richardson was suspended for 5 days (6-1, Wright).

BUSY BUSY

2011-10-05T21:08:00.001-04:00

Due to time restraints, I will now only post local issues and voting records for local representatives.

Thanks!

Key Vote: Cumulative Regulatory Analysis

2011-10-05T21:07:00.000-04:00

Cumulative Regulatory Analysis

- Vote Passed (249-169, 15 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill that would delay the EPAs implementation of two air pollution regulations. The bill also requires the president to establish a commission to report on the cost of certain EPA regulations. The Senate is unlikely to take up the bill.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Short-Term Continuing Appropriations

2011-10-05T21:06:00.000-04:00

Short-Term Continuing Appropriations

- Vote Passed (219-203, 11 Not Voting)

This bill would fund the government through the first seven weeks of the 2012 fiscal year, which starts on October 1. The bill offsets an increase in federal disaster aid by reducing funding for two Energy Department loan programs. The Senate subsequently rejected the bill and scheduled a vote on an alternate version this week.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011

2011-10-05T21:05:00.000-04:00

Trade Adjustment Assistance Extension Act of 2011

- Vote Passed (70-27, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate passed this bill that would provide additional assistance to workers affected by foreign trade agreements. It would also revive the Generalized System of Preferences program that is intended to help developing countries expand their trade. Speaker John Boehner said the House will consider the bill if the president submits trade agreements with Colombia, Panama and South Korea to Congress.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted NO

Key Vote: Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

2011-10-05T21:04:00.002-04:00

Protecting Jobs From Government Interference Act

- Vote Passed (238-186, 9 Not Voting)

The House approved this legislation to limit the authority of the National Labor Relations Board. The bill prohibits the board from ordering an employer to restore, shut down or relocate operations. The Senate is unlikely to take up the measure.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act

2011-10-05T21:04:00.001-04:00

Empowering Parents through Quality Charter Schools Act

- Vote Passed (365-54, 12 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill to expand successful charter school programs, the first part of an effort to overhaul and reauthorize the No Child Left Behind Act. The Senate is likely to consider charter school legislation as part of a broader reauthorization of No Child Left Behind rather than as a stand-alone bill.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011

2011-10-05T21:03:00.000-04:00

Surface and Air Transportation Programs Extension Act of 2011

- Vote Passed (92-6, 2 Not Voting)

On Thursday, the Senate approved this bill to extend FAA programs through January 2012 and surface transportation authorization through March 2012. The House had passed the bill by voice vote earlier in the week. Aviation programs were scheduled to expire on September 16, and highway programs would have expired this week. The president signed the bill on Friday.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted Not Voting

Key Vote: Emergency Supplemental Disaster Relief Appropriations Resolution, 2011

2011-10-05T21:01:00.001-04:00

Emergency Supplemental Disaster Relief Appropriations Resolution, 2011

- Vote Agreed to (62-37, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate agreed to add supplemental disaster relief funding to legislation extending the trade sanctions on Myanmar, still commonly known as Burma. The bill, later passed by unanimous consent, would provide $6.9 billion in immediate aid. The vote came after the Senate rejected two proposals to offset the cost of the funding.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted YES

Key Vote: Intelligence Authorization Act, FY 2012

2011-10-05T21:00:00.000-04:00

Intelligence Authorization Act, FY 2012

- Vote Passed (384-14, 33 Not Voting)

This House bill would authorize spending for the 16 intelligence agencies in the upcoming fiscal year. The cost of the bill is classified. The Senate is expected to take up the bill later this year.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES......send e-mail

or see bio

Key Vote: Motion to Proceed; Debt limit disapproval

2011-10-05T20:59:00.000-04:00

Motion to Proceed; Debt limit disapproval

- Vote Rejected (45-52, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate rejected this motion to take up a resolution that would have disapproved a $500 billion debt limit increase. Under the budget law enacted on August 2, the debt limit was increase by $400 billion. A second increase of $500 billion will take effect unless Congress passes a disapproval measure.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted NO......send e-mail

or see bio

Sen. Marco Rubio voted Not Voting......send e-mail

or see bio

Key Vote: Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

2011-10-05T20:57:00.000-04:00

Leahy-Smith America Invents Act

- Vote Passed (89-9, 2 Not Voting)

The Senate gave final approval to this bill that would change the way patents are awarded from first to invent to first to file. The overhaul is intended to speed up the process of awarding patents. The House passed the bill in June. President Obama is expected to sign it into law.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted Not Voting

Study gives Florida an A in civil rights education

2011-10-05T20:56:00.002-04:00

Florida has received an A for education about the civil rights movement - one of only three states given the top grade in a nationwide study.

No Smoking for State Prison Inmates; No More 'Lighting Up'

2011-10-05T20:56:00.001-04:00

A new law taking effect Oct. 1 in Florida means no tobacco for state prison inmates and no more "lighting up" behind bars.

Cigarettes and lighters will now be considered contraband inside prison fences.

The ban is being implemented for two reasons, said Gretl Plessinger, spokeswoman for the Florida Department of Corrections.

She said the state spent almost $9 million on hospital bills for inmates for tobacco related illnesses. Additionally, to smoke you need a lighter.

City paying millions to keep Jacksonville garages afloat

2011-10-05T20:54:00.001-04:00

Jacksonville has lent $16 million in five years to subsidize a parking company it picked to own and run three downtown garages.

Now, the city could spend $50 million buying its way out of the deal.

That would leave City Hall owning and operating garages it never wanted and hoping that spending big money up front can cut taxpayers' losses - eventually.

The city approved a deal with Metropolitan in 2004, while new buildings from the Better Jacksonville Plan were popping up across downtown. Headed by businessmen from another firm, Signet Development, Metropolitan was one of five companies that answered a city notice for proposals to build and run new garages.

To have parking for sports and music fans - and eventually for courthouse visitors - the city helped Metropolitan issue $50 million in bonds for construction, with the company solely responsible for repaying investors who bought them. The company also brought $3 million of its own to the table and the city held notes on $5.7 million spent buying the sites.

The city agreed that if Metropolitan couldn't break even once the garages opened, it would lend enough to cover the company's losses, along with a $240,000 yearly return on the company's investment. The loans would be repaid with interest once the garages turned a profit.

The company has collected nine loans from the city since 2007, ranging from $859,000 to $2.3 million, usually through payments in May and September.

This summer the company requested an additional loan of $2.3 million to cover losses from the first half of 2011.

With the company still obligated to pay off bonds that will last more than 20 years, auditors say the city should expect to lend millions year after year.

"It's conceivable that one day the city will have $100 million loaned to this developer," Billy warned council Finance Committee members.

Court: Fla. must pay for defending poor suspects

2011-10-05T20:53:00.000-04:00

The Florida Supreme Court says the state, not counties, must pay for new legal offices that help represent indigent defendants.

The justices unanimously ruled on Thursday that a 2007 law creating the offices unconstitutionally passed overhead expenses to Florida's 67 counties.

48 Jacksonville cops laid off as standoff continues between union, sheriff

2011-10-05T20:51:00.000-04:00

Forty-eight Jacksonville police officers are being laid off as the Sheriff's Office cuts payroll to handle a shrunken 2012 budget, Nelson Cuba, the police union's president, said Tuesday.

Cuba said he learned the number of layoffs from a letter sent to the union from the city's Human Resources Department. Another 23 vacancies have been eliminated, along with an uncertain number of civilian employees, Cuba said.

The police layoffs, from the last two police academy classes, occurred Monday and Tuesday.

Rutherford has been repeatedly critical of the police union opposing a 2 percent salary cut, which the sheriff said would allow him to fund the positions. Cuba called that argument "smoke and mirrors."

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-09-16T22:52:00.000-04:00

Issue: Outdoor bar seating

What it means: The council was asked to let bars around downtown's Bay Street Town Center entertainment zone have outdoor seating, and rename the area the E-Town Zone.

Bill No. 2011-443

Action: Approved

Issue: Foreclosure intervention

What it means: The council was asked to release $425,000 to homebuyer counseling and foreclosure intervention programs from fees collected by registering foreclosed properties.

Bill No. 2011-371

Action: Approved

Issue: Green building lease

What it means: The council was asked to approve a five-year, no-rent lease for the U.S. Green Building Council's North Florida chapter. The council would pay to build a sustainability center inside an unfinished, dirt-floor storefront area in a city-owned parking garage at 33. W. Adams St.

Bill No. 2011-494

Action: Approved

Florida Turns Down Millions in Federal Aid; Accepts Abstinence Only Sex-Ed Money

2011-08-10T21:52:00.000-04:00

After turning down millions of federal dollars for Florida related to the Afforadable Health Care Act, Governor Rick Scott and the Legislature have finally decided to accept one.

But now they've accepted a $2.5 million grant for abstinence only sex education, and some health care advocates are calling the move inconsistent.

According to Governor Scott's office that list so far includes $4.5 million in grants they've returned, and 11.9 million they have not persued.

Report: 40 states passed immigration legislation in 2011

2011-08-10T21:51:00.000-04:00

Nearly 250 new immigration laws and resolutions were enacted in 40 states during the first half of 2011 indicating a growing frustration with the federal government's handling of the issue, according to a new report.

The laws range from hiring restrictions to voter identification and allowing in-state tuition for illegal immigrants, according to the report released Tuesday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.

Jacksonville personal income rises 2.8% to $54B

2011-08-10T21:50:00.000-04:00

Metro Jacksonville residents earned $53.8 billion last year, placing it 42nd among the nation’s 366 metros.

That marked a 2.8 percent rise over the area’s total personal income for 2009.

Volunteerism on the rise in Jacksonville area, study shows

2011-08-10T21:49:00.001-04:00

Almost 28 percent of residents in Northeast Florida volunteered some time in 2010, according to the annual "Volunteering in America" report. The average rate since 2008 is 27.6 percent, and that number boosted the city from 33rd in the nation to 22nd.

Of the more than 332,000 people who did some volunteer work from 2008 to 2010, according to the study, about 33 percent said they volunteered with a religious organization.

New hires at Jacksonville City Hall must live in Duval starting July 1

2011-08-10T21:48:00.000-04:00

The new rule will take effect July 1. People living outside the county could still be hired but would have to move within six months.

The changes don't affect existing employees who live outside the county, a group that Brown said early this year totaled more than 1,500. It would apply, though, to people who left the city payroll and were hired back.

IRS: 1,470 millionaires paid no income tax in '09

2011-08-10T21:46:00.002-04:00

Not the best day to report this, but the IRS says 1,470 millionaires paid no federal income taxes in 2009.

More than 235,000 taxpayers earned $1 million or more in '09, with 8,274 making more than $10 million, the Internal Revenue Service said. All told, there were 140 million taxpayers.

The nonpartisan Tax Policy Center reported last month that 46% of American households (known as "units") actually will not pay federal income taxes for this year nor will receive refunds. That's because of low incomes, credits for children or other dependents, or exemptions.

UNF makes No. 19 on Forbes Best Buy Colleges list

2011-08-10T21:46:00.001-04:00

UNF is the only Northeast Florida university to make the list and came in at No. 19 among best buy colleges in the country.

The three other Florida universities to make the top 20 are the University of Florida (No. 11), Florida State University (No. 13) and New College of Florida in Sarasota (No. 16).

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-08-10T21:44:00.000-04:00

Issue: Enterprise zone boundaries

What it means: The council was asked to approve boundary changes to an enterprise zone at Imeson industrial park that would help Kaman Aerospace qualify for incentives if it adds 200 jobs there.

Bill No. 2011-383

Action: Approved

Issue: Pension study

What it means: The council was asked to delay until next year an actuarial study on the city's general employee pension system. The city has not budgeted for an additional multimillion-dollar payment the study could decide is needed, and advocates say the cost can be handled better with time to plan a funding source.

Bill No. 2011-377

Action: Postponed two weeks

Issue: Elections records

What it means: The Supervisor of Elections Office asked for an ordinance change requiring local candidates to file treasurer reports electronically.

Bill No. 2011-409

Action: Approved

Issue: Mothballing buildings

What is means: The council was asked to let homeowners in historic districts "mothball" properties that could be bulldozed for code violations. Owners would have to make the building structurally stable and watertight, then maintain the exterior in return for a three-year delay to make improvements.

Bill No. 2011-408

Action: Approved

Bad Economy Means Good News For Amtrak

2011-08-10T21:43:00.000-04:00

The poor economy is making the train more attractive to travelers. Amtrak says it expects to exceed 30 million passengers for the first time this fiscal year. Amtrak says 2.6 million passengers rode its trains nationwide in June. In Jacksonville, 6,872 riders got on or off the train in June. That's a 14% increase compared to the same time last year.

Obama administration to offer No Child Left Behind waivers

2011-08-10T21:42:00.000-04:00

The Obama administration will provide qualifying states a waiver from No Child Left Behind after Congressional inaction on reforming the program, the Department of Education said on Monday.

States that seek relief from certain provisions of NCLB must demonstrate commitment to education reform, Barnes said, adding that the President's process is "not a pass on accountability."

The administration proposes to reform NCLB by a more flexible and targeted accountability system based on measuring annual student growth on college- and career-ready standards, focusing on data and quality of teachers and principles.

Standard & Poor’s downgrades Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac

2011-08-10T21:41:00.003-04:00

On the heels of its surprise downgrade of U.S. long-term debt from AAA to AA+, Standard & Poor’s has downgraded the credit ratings of Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac .

S&P lowered its credit rating on both Fannie (OTCBB: FNMA) and Freddie (OTCBB: FMCC) one level from AAA to AA+.

Dow plunges 634 points; Nasdaq, S&P fall almost 7%

2011-08-10T21:41:00.002-04:00

Final numbers: Dow closed at 10,809.85, a loss of 634.76 points, or 5.55%.

The S$P 500 ended at 1,119.46, a drop of 79.92 points, or 6.66%. (Uh-oh, the "devil's number" ...)

The Nasdaq finished at 2,357.89, a daily loss of 174.72 points, or 6.9%.

Mayor Alvin Brown releases transition reports

2011-08-10T21:38:00.000-04:00

The eighteen transition committees set up by Mayor Alvin Brown released reports today that included about 300 recommendations for changing city government.

They're available on the city's website here.

The reports examine city government procedures and look for ways to make them more efficient.

"It is an absolute treasure trove of work," said Peter Rummell, a co-chair of the transition effort. He said the ideas grew from 3,800 hours of meetings that involved 217 volunteers and about 125 city staff and subject experts.

IRS will not go after airline fare hikes

2011-08-10T21:37:00.000-04:00

The government does not plan to go after more than $400 million in airline revenue from fare increases that were facilitated by a two-week ticket-tax holiday resulting from a congressional dispute over aviation funding.

The ticket tax, which amounts to about $30 million per day in receipts, funds a federal trust account the FAA uses to help pay its bills.

Postal Service posts $3B loss, warns of default

2011-08-10T21:36:00.000-04:00

For the nine months that ended June 30, the Postal Service lost a total of $5.7 billion. Mail volume continued to decline, led by first-class services, as more consumers relied on e-mail and electronic bill-paying. Total volume fell to 39.8 billion pieces, a drop of 2.6% from the same period a year ago.

Though regulated by Congress, the USPS does not receive taxpayer funding. The default threat has raised the specter of a bailout.

FAA Goes Back to Work

2011-08-10T21:35:00.000-04:00

After two weeks of finger pointing and blame game in Congress, the Senate on Friday approved a short term extension of the underlying law that authorizes the Federal Aviation Administration, getting 4,000 furloughed workers back to their jobs, along with thousands of workers on construction projects at various airports.

S&P downgrades U.S. credit rating from AAA for the first time since 1917

2011-08-10T21:34:00.000-04:00

The back and forth came after Standard & Poor’s, one of the world’s three major credit rating agencies, cited “difficulties in bridging the gulf between political parties” as a major reason for the downgrade from U.S.’s top shelf AAA status to AA+, the next level down. The rating agency has essentially lost faith in Washington’s ability to work together to address its debt.

The downgrade, hours after markets closed on Friday, is a first for the U.S. since it was granted an AAA rating in 1917. S&P warned about a downgrade as far back as April. Its decision came just four days after fractious debate over raising the nation’s debt ceiling ended in a compromise that would reduce the country’s debt by more than $2 trillion (euro1.41 trillion). S&P said Friday the cuts did not go far enough.

Study: Healthier eating means higher grocery bill

2011-08-10T21:33:00.002-04:00

But the study found introducing more potassium in a diet is likely to add $380 per year to the average consumer’s food costs, said lead researcher Pablo Monsivais, an assistant professor in the Department of Epidemiology and the School of Public Health at the University of Washington.

“Almost 15 percent of households in America say they don’t have enough money to eat the way they want to eat,” she said. Recent estimates show 49 million Americans make food decisions based on cost, she added.

The 19 most hated companies in America

2011-08-10T21:33:00.001-04:00

It's interesting to note that so many of the 19 are monopolies or regulated utilities. Companies like that don't have normal worries about the marketplace, or they are in an industry with limited competition and don't do a hot job as a result.

The worst company in America is Pepco, an electric service provider in Washington, D.C., and Montgomery and Prince George's counties in Maryland. I used to pay a monthly bill to them when I lived in Maryland.

Rounding out the Top 5 are Delta (No. 2), Time Warner Cable (No. 3), Comcast (No. 4) and Charter (No. 5). Note again that four of the first five worst companies face limited competition because they were granted monopolies.

Richer minorities seen living in poorer neighborhoods

2011-08-03T20:48:00.000-04:00

The most successful blacks and Hispanics are more likely to have poor neighbors than are whites, according to a new analysis of Census data.

The average affluent black and Hispanic household — defined in the study as earning more than $75,000 a year — lives in a poorer neighborhood than the average lower-income non-Hispanic white household that makes less than $40,000 a year.

"Separate translates to unequal even for the most successful black and Hispanic minorities," says sociologist John Logan, director of US2010 Project at Brown University, which studies trends in American society.

"Blacks are segregated and even affluent blacks are pretty segregated," says Logan, who analyzed 2005-09 data for the nation's 384 metropolitan areas. "African Americans who really succeeded live in neighborhoods where people around them have not succeeded to the same extent."

How many district administrators does Duval County Public Schools have?

2011-08-03T20:47:00.000-04:00

Do you know how many district administrators Duval County Public Schools has? Go ahead, take a guess.

The number is 288.

Some readers may say this is too high, but consultant group Education Resource Strategies says the district spends significantly less on administrators than other districts.

U.S. says insurers must fully cover birth control

2011-08-03T20:46:00.000-04:00

U.S. health insurance companies must fully cover women's birth control and other preventive health care services under Obama administration rules released on Monday.

The mandate from the Health and Human Services Department represents a landmark decision in a decades-long debate on women's health issues that has pitted family planning groups against conservative organizations.

"Under the law, we're making it illegal to charge women more just because of their gender," HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius said on Monday.

UNF grads score well in teacher ratings

2011-08-03T20:45:00.000-04:00

About 78 percent of the teachers with education degrees from UNF saw at least half of their students improve on the FCAT, according to the study. Only Miami-Dade College and three private colleges - Barry University, University of Miami and University of Tampa - saw a higher percentage of its teachers with student growth.

http://jacksonville.com/news/metro/2011-08-01/story/unf-grads-score-well-teacher-ratings?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+JacksonvillecomNews+%28Jacksonville+Local+News+%E2%80%93+Jacksonville.com+and+The+Florida+Times-Union%29

U.S. Report Finds Security Deteriorating in Iraq

2011-08-03T20:43:00.000-04:00

Over the past year, security in Iraq has deteriorated and electricity shortages and corruption have continued unabated, according to a report released Saturday by a special inspector appointed by Congress to oversee Iraq’s reconstruction.

Obama Reveals Details of Gas Mileage Rules

2011-08-03T20:42:00.000-04:00

President Obama announced new automobile fuel-efficiency standards on Friday that require an average 54.5 miles per gallon by 2025.

Administration officials said Friday that the new fuel rules also contained an intricate set of “credits” for auto companies to achieve the new target of 54.5 miles per gallon for their fleets in 14 years.

Anthony Trial Cost Almost $700,000

2011-08-03T20:41:00.000-04:00

The Casey Anthony murder investigation and trial cost taxpayers almost $700,000, based on new tallies on Friday from the major agencies involved in the case.

How the U.S. Racked Up $14 Trillion in Debt

2011-08-03T20:40:00.001-04:00

Click on the title to view a few important charts relating to the "debt crisis."

Florida No. 5 for government job growth

2011-08-03T20:39:00.001-04:00

Florida has added 21,400 government jobs since 2006, one of 35 states that saw an increase, according to new On Numbers analysis.

Texas led the way with 168,600 new federal, state and local government workers added between the midpoints of 2006 and 2011, according to seasonally adjusted data from the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics.

Key Vote: Budget Control Act of 2011

2011-08-03T20:37:00.001-04:00

Budget Control Act of 2011

- Vote Passed (269-161, 3 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill that raises the debt limit, caps discretionary spending for ten years, establishes a bipartisan committee to identify additional spending cuts, and requires a vote on a balanced budget amendment to the constitution. The Senate gave final approval to the bill the next day, clearing it for the president.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: North American-Made Energy Security Act

2011-08-03T20:36:00.002-04:00

North American-Made Energy Security Act

- Vote Passed (279-147, 1 Present, 5 Not Voting)

This House bill would require the White House to decide by November 1 whether to allow construction of a 1,700 mile oil pipeline running from Canada to U.S. refineries in the Midwest and Gulf Coast. The application to build the pipeline was made nearly three years ago. The White House said the State Department is committed to completing its review by the end of the year and called the bill "unnecessary."

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Budget Control Act of 2011

2011-08-03T20:35:00.000-04:00

Budget Control Act of 2011

- Vote Agreed to (74-26)

The Senate gave final approval to this bill to raise the debt limit by at least $2.1 trillion and cut spending by as much as $2.4 trillion over the next ten years. President Obama signed the bill into law a short time later.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted NO

Key Vote: Confirmation of Robert S. Mueller III to be Director of the FBI

2011-08-03T19:43:00.000-04:00

Confirmation of Robert S. Mueller III to be Director of the FBI

- Vote Confirmed (100-0)

The Senate agreed to extend the term of Federal Bureau of Investigation director Robert S. Mueller III through September 4, 2013. The FBI director is limited to one 10-year term and Muellers term began in August 2001. The president signed legislation earlier in the week to allow Mueller to serve an additional two years.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted YES

Key Vote: Legislative Branch Appropriations, FY2012

2011-07-27T23:10:00.000-04:00

Legislative Branch Appropriations, FY2012

- Vote Passed (252-159, 21 Not Voting)

This $3.3 billion bill would fund the legislative branch in the upcoming fiscal year. It marks a 6.4 percent reduction from the current funding level. It is not clear when the Senate will take up the bill.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011

2011-07-27T23:09:00.002-04:00

Consumer Financial Protection Safety and Soundness Improvement Act of 2011

- Vote Passed (241-173, 18 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill to alter the structure of the Consumer Financial Protection Bureau, a mortgage and credit card watchdog group created by the 2010 Dodd-Frank financial overhaul law. The bill would raise the threshold by which the Financial Stability Oversight Council can overturn CFPB regulations and require Senate confirmation of a director before the CFPB can begin operating. The Senate is unlikely to pass the bill.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Cut, Cap, and Balance Act

2011-07-27T23:08:00.000-04:00

Cut, Cap, and Balance Act

- Vote Passed (234-190, 8 Not Voting)

The House passed this bill that would make a debt ceiling increase contingent on passage of a balanced-budget constitutional amendment. The White House indicated the president would veto it. The Senate rejected the bill later in the week.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Motion to Table; Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011

2011-07-27T23:07:00.000-04:00

Motion to Table; Cut, Cap, and Balance Act of 2011

- Vote Agreed to (51-46, 3 Not Voting)

The Senate agreed to this motion to table the House-passed "Cut, Cap and Balance" debt ceiling and balanced-budget plan. The move essentially kills the bill.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted NO

Key Vote: Military Construction-VA Appropriations, FY2012

2011-07-27T23:06:00.001-04:00

Military Construction-VA Appropriations, FY2012

- Vote Passed (97-2, 1 Not Voting)

The Senate passed its version of the military construction and Department of Veterans Affairs appropriations bill for the upcoming fiscal year. The $144 billion bill differs slightly from the House version that passed on June 14. A conference committee will work out a final bill.

Sen. Bill Nelson voted YES
Sen. Marco Rubio voted YES

Key Vote: Energy-Water Appropriations, FY2012

2011-07-27T23:05:00.000-04:00

Energy-Water Appropriations, FY2012

- Vote Passed (219-196, 16 Not Voting)

The House passed this 2012 fiscal year spending bill that would provide $30.6 billion to the Department of Energy, the Army Corps of Engineers and various water projects. The Senate has not written its version of the bill yet.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

2011-07-27T23:04:00.000-04:00

Clean Water Cooperative Federalism Act of 2011

- Vote Passed (239-184, 8 Not Voting)

This House bill would limit the EPAs authority to override a states water pollution standards in favor of stricter standards. It is unclear if the Senate will take up the bill. The White House has issued a veto threat.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES......send e-mail

or see bio

Key Vote: Better Use of Light Bulbs Act

2011-07-27T23:03:00.002-04:00

Better Use of Light Bulbs Act

- Vote Failed (233-193, 1 Present, 4 Not Voting)

The House rejected this bill that would have repealed energy efficiency standards that are expected to lead to a phaseout of the traditional incandescent light bulb. A two-thirds vote was necessary to pass the bill under suspension of the rules. The bill is likely to come up again under a rule or as part of another bill.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Key Vote: Fiscal 2012 Defense Appropriations

2011-07-27T23:02:00.000-04:00

Fiscal 2012 Defense Appropriations

- Vote Passed (336-87, 8 Not Voting)

The House passed this $649.2 billion bill to fund the Defense Department in the next fiscal year. The bill marks a $17 billion increase over the 2011 spending level. The Senate is expected to work on its version of the bill later in the summer.

Rep. Ander Crenshaw voted YES

Charter schools aren’t measuring up

2011-07-27T23:01:00.000-04:00

The governor and the Legislature have invested their rhetoric and your money in the notion that charter schools will improve student achievement. Except the results haven’t been so grand. Less than 12 percent of the state’s schools are charters, but they account for 15 of Florida’s 31 failing schools. In Broward, for example, all four of the schools deemed failures were charters. Statewide, charters were more likely to receive a D rating, but less likely to earn A’s, B’s or C’s than traditional schools.

Study on Teach for America's effectiveness in Duval schools

2011-07-27T22:59:00.001-04:00

The report found that Teach for America teacher's students made more gains than other Title I teachers with similar experience levels.

There are about 110 Teacher for America teachers in the district and the district pays about $1,500 per teacher.

U.S. Default: Sovereign And Local Government Debt Defaults Extremely Rare

2011-07-27T22:58:00.000-04:00

Sovereign default events are rare. Since the mid 1990s Fitch has recorded a total of eight sovereign defaults, including the Jamaican default event. The list of sovereign defaults includes Indonesia and the Russian Federation, both in 1998; Argentina (2001); Moldova (2002); Uruguay (2003); the Dominican Republic (2005) and Ecuador (2008).

Even more infrequent are municipal or local governments defaulting on their debt.

Jacksonville City Council action

2011-07-27T22:56:00.000-04:00

A look at some of the issues the City Council considered in its meeting Tuesday:

Issue: Property tax rates

What it means: The council was asked to adopt an emergency resolution listing proposed and "rolled-back" property tax rates for the coming year, which the county property appraiser mails to property owners. The proposed rate - the same as this year - is the highest the council can impose without mailing new notices.

Bill No. 2011-401

Action: Approved

Issue: Restricting mobile vendors

What it means: The council was asked to withdraw a bill that would have forbidden mobile vendors such as roadside rug or plant merchants from setting up shop within a mile of a similar business.

Bill No. 2010-856

Action: Withdrawn

Issue: Kaman Aerospace aid

What it means: The council was asked to approve an agreement for Kaman to seek up to $2.1 million in state and city aid if it adds 200 jobs to a plant in the Imeson area. It could also get a $231,000 grant.

Bill No. 2011-384

Action: Approved

Issue: St. Johns River City Band funds

What it means: The council was asked to retroactively approve grants to the band and remove it from the auditor's list of groups not complying with city finance rules.

Bill No. 2011-318

Action: Withdrawn

Popular medications are going on the cheap

2011-07-27T22:53:00.000-04:00

In the next 14 months, seven of the world's 20 best-selling drugs will be available in generic form, dramatically slashing the cost for patients but also decimating sales for the drug companies that created them. CBS News correspondent Ben Tracy explains what they are and what this means.

So what are the two biggest drugs to go generic? Cholosterol drug Lipitor in November and blood thinner Plavix in May 2012. About 4.3 million Americans take Lipitor, while 1.4 million are on Plavix.

Generic drugs cost 20 to 80 percent less than brand names. When heartburn drug Protonix went generic, the price dropped from $170 per month to just $16.

By 2016, dozens of popular drugs -- Lexapro, Avandia, Lunesta, Singulair -- with $255 billion in global sales will go generic. Pharmaceutical company profits are expected to plunge.

Drugs Help Keep Seniors from Emergency Care, Study Finds

2011-07-27T22:51:00.001-04:00

Seniors with access to affordable prescription drugs require less spending on emergency and short-term nursing care, according to a study of Medicare Part D released Tuesday.

Published in the Journal of the American Medical Association, the report shows that the federal program -- which subsidizes prescription drugs for seniors -- "significantly" reduces non-drug medical costs for those who had limited coverage before the program began in 2006.

In real terms, their non-drug health care costs dropped $1,200 per year below what would have been expected without Part D, according to the report.

Recession Study Finds Hispanics Hit the Hardest

2011-07-27T22:49:00.000-04:00

The study, which used data collected by the Census Bureau, found that the median wealth of Hispanic households fell by 66 percent from 2005 to 2009. By contrast, the median wealth of whites fell by just 16 percent over the same period. African Americans saw their wealth drop by 53 percent. Asians also saw a big decline, with household wealth dropping 54 percent.

The declines have led to the largest wealth disparities in the 25 years that the bureau has been collecting the data, according to the report.

Median wealth of whites is now 20 times that of black households and 18 times that of Hispanic households, double the already marked disparities that had prevailed in the decades before the recent recession, the study found.

The share of Americans with no wealth at all rose sharply during the recession. A third of Hispanics had zero or negative net worth in 2009, up from 23 percent in 2005. For blacks, the portion rose to 35 percent from 29 percent, and for whites, it rose to 15 percent from 11 percent.

About a quarter of all black and Hispanic households owned nothing but a car in 2009. Just 6 percent of whites and 8 percent of Asians were in that situation.

Whites were less affected by the crisis, largely because their wealth flowed from assets other than housing, like stocks. A third of whites owned stocks and mutual funds in 2005, compared with 8 percent of Hispanics and 9 percent of blacks.

The median value of stocks and mutual funds owned by whites dropped by 9 percent from 2005 to 2009. In comparison, the median value of holdings for those blacks who held stocks dropped by 71 percent, most likely because they had to sell when prices were low, Mr. Taylor said.

Charter Schools $55 Million:Public Schools $0 For Repairs

2011-07-27T22:47:00.003-04:00

Duval schools were expecting $10 million this school year for maintenance, repairs, renovations and remodeling, but the legislature has opted not to give public schools a penny.

Last year, Duval County schools received $7 million from the legislature for maintenance, remodeling and repair; this year it was expecting $10.3 million but will get nothing.

Last year public schools in Florida received $122 million for maintenance but this year lawmakers declined to appropriate a dime.

Yet, they approved $55 million dollars for maintenance and repair of charter schools only.

Obama certifies repeal of 'don't ask, don't tell'

2011-07-27T22:47:00.001-04:00

President Obama has certified the repeal of "don't ask, don't tell," clearing the way for gays to serve openly in the military.

The certification will take effect in 60 days. Obama signed the congressional repeal in December.

Jacksonville the least walkable city in the USA

2011-07-27T22:46:00.001-04:00

Jacksonville was named the least walkable of the 50 largest cities in the U.S. by Walk Score, a company that evaluates the walkability and transportation of cities.

The River City earned a walk score of 32.6 based on a scale of zero being the least walkable and 100 being the most walkable. Based on the data, about 80 percent of Jacksonville residents live in vehicle-dependent neighborhoods.

JEA ranked No. 2 for new solar power capacity in 2010

2011-07-27T22:45:00.000-04:00

The Solar Electric Power Association recognized JEA as one of the nation’s top utilities driving solar electric power growth.

With 29.1 watts per customer, JEA ranked seventh out of 10 utilities in the 2010 Annual Solar Watts-per-Customer category and was ranked second in the nation for annual municipal utility solar megawatt capacity. California’s Silicon Valley Power topped the list with 39.9 watts per customer.

Wells Fargo fined $85M over subprime mortgage practices

2011-07-27T22:43:00.000-04:00

Wells Fargo & Co was fined $85 million for steering potential creditworthy borrowers into more costly subprime mortgages through a subsidiary, the Federal Reserve said Wednesday.

The fine is the largest the Fed has assessed in a consumer-protection enforcement action.

Training of Teachers Is Flawed, Study Says

2011-07-27T22:42:00.000-04:00

The National Council on Teacher Quality, an advocacy group, is to issue a study on Thursday reporting that most student-teaching programs are seriously flawed. The group has already angered the nation’s schools for teachers with its plans to give them letter grades that would appear in U.S. News and World Report.

The council’s report, “Student Teaching in the United States,” rated 134 student-teaching programs nationwide — about 10 percent of those preparing elementary school teachers — and found that three-quarters of them did not meet five basic standards for a high-quality student-teaching program.

Fatal shootings of police officers are on the rise

2011-07-27T22:41:00.000-04:00

Overall officer deaths are up 14% so far in 2011, while deadly shootings have increased by 33%, according to a midyear report by the National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund, which tracks law enforcement fatalities.

Police deaths

Number of fatal police shootings by year: 2007: 69
2008: 40
2009: 49
2010: 59
Source: National Law Enforcement Officers Memorial Fund

Forbes: Jaguars the least valuable NFL team

2011-07-27T22:39:00.003-04:00

As the least valuable NFL franchise, the Jacksonville Jaguars are still worth more than any pro basketball or hockey team, according to Forbes, which recently published a list of the world’s 50 most valuable sports teams.

At $725 million, the Jags are also worth more than all but five Major League Baseball teams.

Council: Florida among ‘Toxic 20’ states

2011-07-27T22:39:00.001-04:00

“Toxic 20” list, shown below.

Ohio
Pennsylvania
Florida

Future of spaceflight? NASA is outsourcing the job

2011-07-27T22:38:00.000-04:00

NASA has hired two companies - Space Exploration Technologies Corp. of Hawthorne, Calif., and Orbital Sciences of Dulles, Va. - to deliver 40 tons of supplies to the space station in 20 flights. The cost is $3.5 billion, about the same price per pound as it was during the space shuttle's 30-year history.

Florida spurns $50 million for child-abuse prevention

2011-07-27T22:34:00.000-04:00

Florida lawmakers have rejected more than $50 million in federal child-abuse prevention money. The grants were tied to the Obama administration’s healthcare reform package, which many lawmakers oppose on philosophical grounds.

The money, offered through the federal Affordable Health Care Act passed last year, would have paid, among other things, for a visiting nurse program run by Healthy Families Florida, one of the most successful child-abuse prevention efforts in the nation. Healthy Families’ budget was cut in last year’s spending plan by close to $10 million.

And because the federal Race to the Top educational-reform effort is tied to the child-abuse prevention program that Healthy Families administers, the state may also lose a four-year block grant worth an additional $100 million in federal dollars, records show.

School Discipline Study Raises Fresh Questions

2011-07-20T21:39:00.000-04:00

Raising new questions about the effectiveness of school discipline, a report scheduled for release on Tuesday found that 31 percent of Texas students were suspended off campus or expelled at least once during their years in middle and high school — at an average of almost four times apiece.

When also considering less serious infractions punished by in-school suspensions, the rate climbed to nearly 60 percent, according to the study by the Council of State Governments, with one in seven students facing such disciplinary measures at least 11 times.

The study linked these disciplinary actions to lower rates of graduation and higher rates of later criminal activity and found that minority students were more likely than whites to face the more severe punishments.

Can a Playground Be Too Safe?

2011-07-20T21:37:00.000-04:00

“Risky play mirrors effective cognitive behavioral therapy of anxiety,” they write in the journal Evolutionary Psychology, concluding that this “anti-phobic effect” helps explain the evolution of children’s fondness for thrill-seeking. While a youthful zest for exploring heights might not seem adaptive — why would natural selection favor children who risk death before they have a chance to reproduce? — the dangers seemed to be outweighed by the benefits of conquering fear and developing a sense of mastery.

“Paradoxically,” the psychologists write, “we posit that our fear of children being harmed by mostly harmless injuries may result in more fearful children and increased levels of psychopathology.”

Board grants waivers for 8 low performing schools

2011-07-20T21:36:00.000-04:00

The Florida Board of Education agreed Tuesday to allow eight low performing schools - including several where just 15 percent of students or less are proficient in reading - the chance to continue under district management for another year rather than be closed or turned into a charter.

All but one board member, John Padget, voted in favor or each waiver. Dr. A.K. Desai described his approval of waivers for four Duval County schools as "a reluctant yes."

"The message to be taken home is loud and clear from the board," Desai said. "We are giving you this opportunity for a year, but the expectation is all the promises made today must be kept."

Only a quarter of U.S. students proficient in geography: report

2011-07-20T21:34:00.000-04:00

About a quarter of U.S. students are proficient in geography, according to a report released on Tuesday.

Twenty-one percent of fourth-graders, 27 percent of eighth graders, and 20 percent of 12th graders performed at or above the proficient level on the 2010 geography assessment conducted by the National Assessment of Educational Progress.

Performance among fourth graders improved since 2001, while eighth grade results were little changed, and achievement by 12th graders declined from 1994 levels when the assessment was first conducted.

Guards' union sues over Fla. prison privatization

2011-07-20T21:33:00.000-04:00

A union representing correctional officers has sued to block the implementation of a state budget provision that would privatize 18 prison facilities in South Florida, warning of job losses.

About 3,800 prison guards work at the facilities targeted for privatization according to state figures.

Florida Police Benevolent Association lawyer Hal Johnson said Tuesday that the measure won't save the state money as claimed by its supporters in the Republican-controlled Legislature. Sponsors say turning the prisons over to private companies will cut operating costs by at least 7 percent.

Getting wise to red light cameras

2011-07-20T21:32:00.000-04:00

Cameras were conceived as labor-saving cures for the epidemic of red-light running. The safety angle seems to have worked out, anyway. In February, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety released a study conducted in 14 cities, all with populations over 200,000, concluding that red light cameras have reduced the rate of fatal crashes caused by red-light runners by 24 percent .

But maybe red light cameras worked too well. City and counties that installed red light cameras at their most dangerous intersections discovered that drivers caught on. Fewer ran red lights. Which meant fewer paid those $158 fines.

Hillsborough County, for example, set cameras at 10 busy intersections a little over 18 months ago. In the first nine months, the county took in $1.3 million from red light runner citations. In the second nine months, the total had fallen to $637,000. A police spokesman told the Tampa Tribune that the county drivers, aware of the cameras, no longer ignored the lights so blatantly. The number of collisions at those same intersections fell. Cops called this a success. Accountants may not have been so pleased.

The cities of Miami and Hollywood both prepared 2011 budgets based on wildly optimistic (if one can use the term “optimistic” in anticipation of mass stupidity) income estimates from red light cameras. Hollywood budgeted $1.8 million from red light citations. Miami figured on $8 million. Neither city counted on drivers wising up. Instead, Hollywood will take in about $500,000 from cameras. Miami, just $3 million.

JEDC approves $2.5M incentives for Medtronic

2011-07-20T21:31:00.000-04:00

Medtronic Inc. , a Minneapolis medical technology developer with a strong Northeast Florida presence, received approval from the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission Thursday for a $2.5 million financial incentives package to jump-start job creation.

Medtronic has three Jacksonville offices and about 600 local employees, and the company will use the incentives package to generate close to 200 jobs by 2015 at its Southside location. The average salary for those positions is $80,000 per year, according to a JEDC report.

The city will provide $660,000 in qualified target industry tax incentives, while the state will hand over $1.87 million.

Jacksonville Mayor Alvin Brown Introduces Budget to City Council

2011-07-20T21:30:00.000-04:00

Brown plans to eliminate 225 city government jobs, including about 50 that Brown himself would have appointed.

Additionally, Brown explained that some city departments have cut expenses. The information technology department will expend $7.1 million less than last year, and the fleet management department reduced its spending by nearly $5 million.

The budget is $961 million, $28 million less than last year.

"I kept my campaign pledge," said Brown. "I wanted to streamline government and not raise taxes or fees, and this budget does that. I made the tough decisions and you have to do that."

Brown's budget also cuts public safety a little. The sheriff''s office will cut 40 positions and lose $1.3 million. Jacksonville Fire and Rescue will be cut $1.8 millon.

High school grads make $8,000 more per year than dropouts, new study finds

2011-07-20T21:29:00.000-04:00

High school graduates make an average of $8,000 more a year nationally than high school dropouts, according to a report released Monday by the Alliance for Excellent Education.

The earnings varied by state. The release says a high school dropout makes almost $19,000 in Florida, compared to about $26,000 for a high school graduate. Someone with an associate's degree in Florida earns almost $39,000 and someone with a bachelor's degree earns almost $44,000.

Florida less reliant on manufacturing than other states

2011-07-20T21:28:00.000-04:00

An On Numbers analysis of new federal data indicates that manufacturing generates 5.14 percent of Florida’s gross state product — a far cry from most manufacturing-dependent state, Indiana with 27.2 percent.

Florida’s total GSP in 2010 was $748 billion with $38.4 billion attributed to manufacturing.

Debt Crisis Déjà Vu

2011-07-16T11:42:00.000-04:00

Democratic Sen. Kent Conrad is losing patience with arguments for raising the debt ceiling.

“The question is: Are we staying on this course to keep running up the debt, debt on top of debt, increasingly financed by foreigners, or are we going to change course?” he asked.

But Republican Sen. Chuck Grassley says there is no alternative, with lawmakers facing “a choice between breaking the law by exceeding the statutory debt limit or, on the other hand, breaking faith with the public by defaulting on our debt.”

That was the state of play in 2006, when George W. Bush wanted to lift the debt ceiling from $8.2 trillion to $9 trillion and the Democrats were ripping his handling of the economy. In fact, every Senate Democrat—including Barack Obama and Joe Biden—voted against boosting the debt ceiling, while all but two Senate Republicans voted in favor. It was Bush’s fourth debt-ceiling hike in five years, for a total of $3 trillion.

25,000 Airport Security Breaches Since 2001: Congress

2011-07-13T22:46:00.000-04:00

The Transportation Security Administration has suffered more than 25,000 security breaches in U.S. airports in the past ten years, House subcommittee on National Security chairman Rep. Jason Chaffetz (R-Utah) said today.

Chaffetz made the comments during the opening of a hearing on the TSA and Airport Security. Of the 25,000 breaches, more than 14,000 people were able to access sensitive areas of the airport and some 6,000 passengers and carry-on luggage were able to make it past government checkpoints without proper scrutiny.

U.S. airport bomb screening needs update, GAO says

2011-07-13T22:45:00.000-04:00

The Transportation Security Administration spent $8 billion since the Sept. 11 attacks installing machines at airports to screen checked bags for explosives, but many of the systems are obsolete and need to be upgraded, according to congressional investigators.

In a report set for release Wednesday at a hearing of the House Transportation and Infrastructure Committee, the Government Accountability Office (GAO) concluded that explosives-screening equipment at many of the 462 U.S. airports use detection criteria more than a decade old, and machines being installed now will require upgrading before they can meet the latest standards.

Report: Systems to catch Medicaid fraud inadequate

2011-07-13T22:43:00.000-04:00

The federal government's systems for analyzing Medicare and Medicaid data for possible fraud are inadequate and underused, making it more difficult to detect the billions of dollars in fraudulent claims paid out each year, according to a report released Tuesday.

The Government Accountability Office report said the systems don't even include Medicaid data. Furthermore, 639 analysts were supposed to have been trained to use the system - yet only 41 have been so far, it said.

The Centers for Medicare and Medicaid Services - which administer the taxpayer-funded health care programs for the elderly, poor and disabled - lacks plans to finish the systems projected to save $21 billion. The technology is crucial to making a dent in the $60 billion to $90 billion in fraudulent claims paid out each year.

Each state has its own systems with very limited access to Medicare or national Medicaid data. But CMS does not have set plans to share access with the states, despite an earlier commitment to do so starting in 2010, according to the report.

The new $150 million systems, which went live in 2009, are intended be a one-stop storage for all data, accessible by all CMS staff and its contractors, law enforcement and state agencies.

Homeowner associations foreclose on residents

2011-07-13T22:42:00.000-04:00

In exchange for adhering to the rules, homeowners got safe communities with clubhouses, pools and tennis courts. But what many didn't realize when they bought their homes was that the fine print gave the association the right to foreclose — even over a few hundred dollars in unpaid dues.

All the association board has to do is alert its attorney to place a lien on the property to start the process. The home can then be auctioned by the board until the bank eventually takes ownership. Homeowners typically have no right to a hearing.

Today, one in five U.S. homeowners is subject to the will of the homeowners' association, whose boards oversee 24.4 million homes. More than 80% of newly constructed homes in the U.S are in association communities.

And of the nation's 300,000 homeowners' associations, more than 50% now face "serious financial problems," according to a September survey by the Community Association Institute. An October survey found that 65% of homeowners' associations have delinquency rates higher than 5%, up from 19% of associations in 2005.

Residents Upset City is not Removing Dangerous Trees

2011-07-13T22:40:00.000-04:00

Donna Perry is outraged that a damaged tree in front of her home on city property has not been removed 13 months after the city tagged it. "It's very aggravating."

The Perry family is one of many waiting for the city to take action. According to a city spokeswoman, as of June 28, 725 trees either needed removal or repair.

Some are wondering why these dangerous trees are still standing, while the city is removing trees that an expert tells us, were not dangerous or damaged on Hendricks Avenue in San Marco.

Federal Health Spending from 1962-Present

2011-07-08T15:44:00.002-04:00

This post will explain how spending for government programs can increase drastically from their original intent.

In 1962, federal monies spent on health care programs was 2.3 billion (0.4% of GDP). By 1980 (remember the 70s was extremely volatile), we spent $65 billion (2.4% of GDP).

During the conservative Regan era federal spending for health care went to $145 billion (2.9% of GDP).

Even the great Clinton years saw a large increase in spending: by 2000 they spent $388 billion (4% of GDP).

The Bush years saw a drastic increase in health care spending (at least in terms of percentage of GDP): it went from 4.2% ($428 billion) in 2001 to 5.2% ($750 billion) in 2008.

Thus Bush spent increased federal health care spending by over 25% during his reign. Once again, probably not the best "conservative" (at least fiscally).

So, to sum it all up, federal health care spending went from about $2.3 billion in 1962 (0.4% of GDP) to $916 billion in 2010 (6.3% of GDP).

Yet, the federal government has no role in the health care market? Remember, in another post I wrote, total health care spending in the U.S. (both government and non-government) was $2.5 trillion. Is this a free market? or are these federal payments subsidies that likely increase the costs of care? The federal government does, after all, make up almost 40% of health care spending in the U.S.

Reagan Debt Limit VS Obama Debt Limit: Politics at its Best

2011-07-07T22:37:00.004-04:00

I recently spent some time researching the federal limits on our national debt.

I found an excel spreadsheet called "Statutory Limits On Federal Debt: 1940-Current" which displays all of the debt limit increases from 1940 to the present.

Some interesting figures:

The debt limit (DL) jumped from $49 billion in 1940 to $300 billion in 1945.
The DL went down over the next decade to the low of $275 billion in 1957.
During the late 1970s (1978-1979), the DL was reverted to $400 billion three times (from an average of about $800 billion during those same years).
During the Reagan era the DL went from almost $1 trillion to almost $3 trillion.

I think this information is extremely important (among other information) in trying to understand how volatile our national economy is and how this politicking effects our economy in various ways.

The first bullet just shows how much money was spent (and made) during the great FDR years of growth and middle class perfection (at least that's how progressives see it).

The second bullet point shows how decreasing the debt limit led to growth in our economy (after all, the 50s-70s are often called are golden era (at least a correlation).

The third bullet point shows just how volatile the economy was during the late 70s (Carter's years). Why would anyone invest in an economy where Congress would raise the debt limit by 100% and then lower it again by 50%? and then repeat this two more times???

Finally, the fourth bullet shows just how "conservative" Reagan was during his reign. Regan increased the debt limit by $2 trillion (200%) while Obama has only raised it about $4 trillion (about 40%).

I will try to look up more info regarding this time period in the next few days.