U.S. leads world in foreign weapons sales: report

"The United States accounted for more than two-thirds of foreign weapons sales in 2008, a year in which global sales were at a three-year low, The New York Times reported on Sunday. Citing a congressional study released on Friday, the Times said the United States was involved in 68.4 percent of the global sales of arms."

"U.S. weapons sales jumped nearly 50 percent in 2008 despite the global economic recession to $37.8 billion from $25.4 billion the year before. The jump defied worldwide trends as global arms sales fell 7.6 percent to $55.2 billion in 2008, the report said. Global weapons agreements were at their lowest level since 2005."

"Italy, the second ranked country, amassed only $3.7 billion in arms sales, while Russia ranked third with sales falling to $3.5 billion in 2008, down from $10.8 billion in 2007."

"Such deals with the developing world included a $6.5 billion air defense system for the United Arab Emirates, a $2.1 billion jet fighter for Morocco and a $2 billion attack helicopter for Taiwan."

"India, Iraq, Saudi Arabia, Egypt, South Korea and Brazil also reached weapons deals with the United States, the Times said. The report revealed the United Arab Emirates was the top buyer of arms in the developing world with $9.7 billion in arms purchases in 2008."

"Saudi Arabia ranked second with $8.7 billion in weapons agreements, and Morocco was third with $5.4 billion in deals."

Florida Cigarette Sales Down After Price Hike

"The latest state figures show a 28 percent drop in the sale of cigarette packs in July versus the same month a year earlier. From June to July, sales were sales were down 17 percent."

"Florida's previous 34-cents a pack cigarette tax was among the nation's lowest. It went up to $1.34 July 1."

Independent schools score far more A and A* grades at GCSE

"About two thirds of GCSE exams taken at independent schools this year gained at least an A grade, compared with only one in five in the state sector."

"The IGCSE contains no coursework element and is similar to a traditional O level. It is favoured by all of this year’s Top Ten independent schools but is still not recognised by the Government. Dr Spurr said the GCSE syllabus for some subjects, particularly science, is not challenging enough for pupils at the £19,000-a-year school. "

"Almost 60 per cent of GCSEs and IGCSEs taken by independent pupils were awarded A or A* this year compared with 21.6 per cent of those taken in state schools. Admissions tutors at top universities, including Oxford and Cambridge, have indicated that they value the IGCSE most highly. "

Watchdog: SEC Screwed Up on Madoff

"In a stinging new report, the inspector general for the Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC)reveals how the agency's "inexperienced" attorneys missed Bernard L. Madoff's colossal scam and believed Madoff's answers to their questions even when they were "seemingly implausible." Yet Inspector General David Kotz did not find any evidence of corruption at the agency - citing incompetence instead. "

"Kotz concludes that the agency's repeated investigations and clearing of Madoff served to increase Madoff's credibility with investors who believed that if the SEC had found no wrongdoing then Madoff's business had to be clean. "

"The report describes how Madoff tightly controlled who spoke to SEC investigators. In one meeting, a Madoff employee was yanked out of the room because she was "urgently needed." Later Madoff told SEC investigators the woman had to go to lunch."

"The report also notes that Madoff repeatedly intimidated SEC attorneys noting his relationships with the higher-ups at the agency even going so far as to say "that Madoff himself 'was on the short list' to be the next Chairman of the SEC." However, when SEC attorneys reported Madoff's repeated pushbacks to their superiors "they received no support."

"The inspector general notes that "at no time did the SEC ever verify Madoff's trading through an independent third-party." The report also notes that SEC attorneys investigated too narrowly and never "seemed to have considered the possibility that Madoff could have taken the money."

"The SEC investigated Madoff five times over 16 years and failed to detect the Ponzi scheme. Notably, even when SEC enforcement attorneys were handed a step by step roadmap of the Madoff scam by securities expert Harry Markopolos, they did not uncover the fraud that left thousands bankrupt overnight. "

Sink cuts wireless ties to save taxpayer dollars

"Alex Sink, who is hoping to win the seat now held by Gov. Charlie Crist, said her department has instituted cost-cutting measures that will result in savings of some $210,000 a year in wireless costs — a 37 percent reduction, according to a media release issued by her office."

"Some of those cuts are coming as a result of disconnecting 116 BlackBerrys, 56 cell phones and 40 air cards that Sink's office determined did not meet newly established criteria. The rest is coming from lowering monthly costs for services and reducing unused services."

"Less than a year ago, Sink, who is running a campaign on a platform of fiscal responsibility, announced plans to consolidate her department’s 11 consumer call centers into two call centers. The consolidation, which took effect Feb. 1, has saved nearly $727,000, with $2.25 million projected in annual recurring savings, according to the release."

Food stamp list soars past 35 million: USDA

"More than 35 million Americans received food stamps in June, up 22 percent from June 2008 and a new record as the country continued to grapple with the worst recession since the Great Depression of the 1930s."

Jax lost nearly 25K jobs in last year

"The nation’s three biggest labor markets were also its three largest losers in employment during the past 12 months, and Jacksonville posted job declines of 4 percent, according to figures released Tuesday by the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics."

"The Los Angeles area lost 240,100 jobs between July 2008 and the same month this year, the biggest decline in raw numbers anywhere in America. The Chicago and New York City markets were the runners-up with losses of 206,200 and 157,900 jobs, respectively."

"Jacksonville notched a year-over-year decline of 24,800 jobs, making it the 36th-worst of the top 100 markets in the country in terms of number of jobs lost."

Contractors Outnumber U.S. Troops in Afghanistan

"Civilian contractors working for the Pentagon in Afghanistan not only outnumber the uniformed troops, according to a report by a Congressional research group, but also form the highest ratio of contractors to military personnel recorded in any war in the history of the United States."

"As of March this year, contractors made up 57 percent of the Pentagon’s force in Afghanistan, and if the figure is averaged over the past two years, it is 65 percent, according to the report by the Congressional Research Service."

"The 68,197 contractors — many of them Afghans — handle a variety of jobs, including cooking for the troops, serving as interpreters and even providing security, the report says."

"Congress appropriated at least $106 billion for Pentagon contractors in Iraq and Afghanistan from 2003 through the first half of the 2008 fiscal year, the report says."

Case Shows Limits of Sex Offender Alert Programs

"Mr. Garrido, who had been convicted of kidnapping and rape in the 1970s, was listed, as required, on California’s sex-offender registry (complete with a description of the surgical scar on his abdomen and his 196-pound weight) and had dutifully checked in with the local authorities each year for the past decade — all while, officials say, his victim and the two children he is accused of fathering with her were living in his backyard."

"Sex offender lists have made far more information readily available to the public and the police than before, but experts say little research is available to suggest that the registries have actually discouraged offenders from committing new crimes."

"And some experts say that the lists may lead people to presume that anyone registered must also be elaborately monitored, when, in truth, monitoring ranges enormously from place to place and state to state. In some cases, it amounts to little more than an offender mailing a postcard with his address to a police department once a year."

"The sheer numbers of sex offenders on the registries in all 50 states — an estimated 674,000 across the country — are overwhelming to local police departments and, at times, to the public, who may not easily distinguish between those who must register because they have repeatedly raped children and those convicted of nonviolent or less serious crimes, like exposing themselves in public."

FCC looks to block sex, violence from kids

"The Federal Communications Commission will open an inquiry to examine the various technologies to block children from watching programs with sex and violence, the agency's chief said on Monday."

"Parents must have access to control technologies that can appropriately limit their children's exposure to unsuitable material," FCC Chairman Julius Genachowski said in releasing an agency report detailing the technologies available to parents."

"The report concluded that no single parental control technology works across all the media platforms, such as over-the-air, cable and satellite television; wireless services and the Internet."

Fla. Governor Picks Friend to Fill Senate Seat

"Bypassing better-known Republicans, Gov. Charlie Crist on Friday instead chose his friend and top political adviser, George LeMieux, to fill the Senate seat given up this month by Mel Martinez."

"Mr. Crist announced in May that rather than seek re-election, he would run for the Senate seat himself next year. Mr. LeMieux, 40, made it clear on Friday that he had no ambitions beyond the next 16 months, noting that “my time in Washington will be brief.”

"Mr. Crist chose Mr. LeMieux, who once worked as his chief of staff and managed his 2006 campaign, over a list of other contenders, including former members of Congress, a former United States attorney and one of the state legislators who led the battle to keep Terri Schiavo alive."

FTC bans robocalls

"The Federal Trade Commission on Thursday banned unsolicited, prerecorded, commercial telemarketing calls - better known as robocalls - just because they are annoying."

"American consumers have made it crystal clear that few things annoy them more than the billions of commercial telemarketing robocalls they receive every year," FTC Chairman Jon Leibowitz said. "Starting September 1, this bombardment of prerecorded pitches, senseless solicitations and malicious marketing will be illegal."

"Telemarketing firms that want to continue to use robocalls must first receive written permission from the person receiving the phone call. Under the previous rule, consumers had to "opt out" of robocalls by joining do-not-call lists."

"In the likely event they don't receive permission, telemarketers face fines up to $16,000 per call."

"The ban does contain some major exceptions. For example, prerecorded messages that aren't trying to sell something still will be permitted."

Jacksonville City Council panel cuts Veterans Day Parade, 18 other events

"To save $562,300, the panel agreed to eliminate funding for 19 of 26 special events planned for the next fiscal year."

"Money remains for only the biggest city-sponsored events - those drawing crowds of at least 50,000. That means the Jacksonville Jazz Festival and World of Nations Celebration, which had been initially on the chopping block as well, survive so far."

GDP declines 1 percent, better than expected

"The economy shrank at an annual rate of 1 percent in the spring, a better-than-expected showing and more evidence that the recession is drawing to a close"

"The 1 percent rate of decline in the April-June quarter followed decreases of 6.4 percent in the first quarter and 5.4 percent in the final three months of 2008, the sharpest back-to-back declines in a half-century. The four straight quarterly declines in GDP, which measures the country’s total output of goods and services, mark the first time that has occurred on government records that date to 1947."

Poll: 66% of workers lack proper savings

"Indeed, 34 percent of U.S. workers said they have less than a week’s worth of savings to cover living expenses if they were to be laid off from work, according to the survey from Maynard, Mass.-based Monster.com."

"Another 16 percent of respondents said they have between two and four weeks of savings and another 16 percent said they have between one to two months of savings."

"About 20 percent of the respondents said they have savings that would last them six months or longer, according to the poll."

Florida driver's license fee rising to $48 on Sept. 1

"The cost of renewing a license goes from $20 to $48. A first-time license will also cost $48, up from $27. Registering a car for the first time will be $225. Now, it's $100."

"Despite the unanimous objections of House Democrats, the Legislature approved these and other fee increases this year as part of an effort to balance the state's budget. Lawmakers raised the fees on 21 types of driver's licenses and raised the fees on 74 separate motor vehicle registration fees."

"The fee increases are expected to generate an extra $800 million in revenue in fiscal 2010, and $1 billion more in fiscal year 2011, Nucatola said. The department collects $1.5 billion in total revenue now and will collect $2.5 billion a year when the fee increases go through."

Obama approves interrogation unit

"Barack Obama, the US president, has approved the formation of a White House-supervised unit that will interrogate terrorism suspects, a senior aide has announced."

"The president ... did put in place a new group, the High Value Interrogation Group, which will be housed at the FBI," Bill Burton, the deputy White House spokesman, said on Monday."

"The interrogation unit, which will answer to the National Security Council, will adhere to guidelines on questioning terrorism suspects based on the US army field manual – a break with the policies of the Bush administration."

"The US Central Intelligence Agency will no longer handle the questioning of people suspected of planning or carrying out attacks, Burton confirmed."

Parents pay college costs amid recession: study

"More than half of U.S. parents use their current income to pay all or part of college costs for their children and are confident they can continue to support them amid the country's recession, a Gallup poll found."

"The poll, which was commissioned by student loan provider Sallie Mae and released on Wednesday, found 55 percent of the 800 parents surveyed paid on average $7,175 for the 2008-2009 academic year from their current income."

"Despite tough economic times, 67 percent of parents said they were confident in their ability to meet the cost of education, while 13 percent had little or no confidence."

"Parents paid 45 percent of the total costs of college in the 2008/09 academic year using income, savings and borrowing, similar to the previous year."

"The second largest source of college funding was scholarships and grants, covering 25 percent of total costs, while students contributed 24 percent, using a mix of income, savings and borrowing. A small amount came from sources such as relatives and friends."

Government Will End Clunker Program Early

"The government will end its popular “cash for clunkers” program on Monday, more than two months early, because it is already running out of money."

"The program, formally known as the Car Allowance Rebate System, or CARS, gives consumers a credit of up to $4,500 toward the price of a new car or truck if they turn in an older vehicle with lower gas mileage. It has generated more than 457,000 sales since July 24, prompting G.M., the Ford Motor Company and other automakers to increase factory output and call back some idled workers."

“It has been successful beyond anybody’s imagination,” President Obama said on Thursday in a radio interview with the syndicated talk show host Michael Smerconish. “And we’re now slightly victims of success because the thing happened so quick, there was so much more demand than anybody expected, that dealers were overwhelmed with applications.”

"As of Thursday, the Transportation Department had repaid dealers just $145 million, or 7 percent of the $1.9 billion that they had requested, leaving many squeezed and prompting some to withdraw from the program early. The government is tripling the size of the work force assigned to handle the applications."

"In many cases, the administration says incomplete forms or errors in the information submitted by dealers are slowing the process. Workers have reviewed about 40 percent of the applications filed, and many have been rejected and then returned to the dealer for possible resubmission."

City Council Committee Nixes Buying Jaguars Tickets

"The perk enjoyed by the Mayor's Office and the City Council of having access to Jaguars football tickets at taxpayer expense could be history."

"The council's Finance Committee voted that the $43,000 expense is something taxpayers can no longer afford."

"In spirited debate, members voiced the pros and cons of the city no longer buying 40 tickets for the skybox at Jacksonville Municipal Stadium."

What Would an Anti-Federalist Say About Health Care Reform?

"It is natural for men, who wish to hasten the adoption of a measure, to tell us, now is the crisis - now is the critical moment which must be seized, or all will be lost: and to shut the door against free enquiry, whenever conscious the thing presented has defects in it, which time and investigation will probably discover. This has been the custom of tyrants and their dependants in all ages" - The Federal Farmer (8 October 1787).

Apply this quote, made by an Anti-Federalist in response to the brand new US Constitution, to the present health care reform process...

Book Review: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo

Title: The Girl with the Dragon Tattoo.
Author: Steig Larsson.
Year: 2008.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Mystery.

Review: A good suspenseful mystery novel. Well worth the long read.

Grade: B.

53 Duval teachers replaced at 'F' schools

"Fifty-three teachers from six Duval County "F" schools are being replaced with higher performing teachers to help the schools improve next school year."

"The replacement teachers were selected because they have a history of generating learning gains among their students and are part of the district's efforts to get the schools off the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test's F list."

"Most of the high school teachers being replaced were transferred to middle schools, with a handful going to other high schools. None were fired, Willis said, because they all had satisfactory evaluations but just weren't the best fit for their previous school."

"They might perform better in another school setting with fewer challenges or at another school level," she said. "Just because a teacher's student gains are below average does not mean the teacher should be dismissed."

States get tough on driving menaces

"States are trying to put the brakes on bad driving by targeting "super speeders," lane hogs and those guilty of multiple moving violations."

"Florida is leading the way with a new law that sends its worst drivers back to driving school. A driver found at fault in three crashes in three years will have to pass a driver education course and a driving test, just like novice drivers."

"These people have proven themselves to be chronically bad drivers. You have to try everything you can to change their behavior," says Electra Theodorides-Bustle, executive director of the Florida Department of Highway Safety and Motor Vehicles. The cost for additional training will be passed on to violators, she says."

"The moves come as a growing body of evidence suggests that aggressive driving — including speeding, tailgating, changing lanes without signaling, ignoring traffic signals and weaving in and out of traffic — is deadlier than drunken driving. An April study by the AAA Foundation for Traffic Safety found that aggressive driving was a factor in 56% of all fatal U.S. crashes from 2003 through 2007."

"Florida's new law, which takes effect Jan. 1, is unlikely to eradicate bad driving in the Sunshine State: Highway safety officials have identified 3,200 people — out of about 15.5 million licensed drivers — who would currently fall under the new law."

DNA Evidence Can Be Fabricated, Scientists Show

"Scientists in Israel have demonstrated that it is possible to fabricate DNA evidence, undermining the credibility of what has been considered the gold standard of proof in criminal cases."

"The scientists fabricated blood and saliva samples containing DNA from a person other than the donor of the blood and saliva. They also showed that if they had access to a DNA profile in a database, they could construct a sample of DNA to match that profile without obtaining any tissue from that person."

“You can just engineer a crime scene,” said Dan Frumkin, lead author of the paper, which has been published online by the journal Forensic Science International: Genetics. “Any biology undergraduate could perform this.”

FL Population Drops for First Time Since 1946

"Florida's population has declined for the first time in 63 years, state researchers said Monday as they blamed the recession for plunging tax revenues and a steep drop in new residents."

"The decline -- 58,000 people over the past year -- is the first since large numbers of military personnel left the state in 1946 after World War II."

"There have been booms and busts over the time, but this is the first time it has declined," said Stan Smith, director of the University of Florida's Bureau of Economic and Business Research."

"Florida's unemployment rate was 10.6 percent in June, the highest level since 1975. The state has lost 392,800 jobs during the past year, continuing a decline that began in 2007, the Agency for Workforce Innovation said."

Auto Dealers Paid for Just 2 Percent of 'Clunkers' Claims, Congressman Says

"The federal government has only reimbursed auto dealers for 2 percent of the claims they've submitted through the popular "cash for clunkers" program, a Pennsylvania congressman said, calling on the Obama administration to help speed up the process. "

"Rep. Joe Sestak, D-Pa., called for "immediate action" to address the problem in a statement Sunday, after writing a letter to President Obama Saturday expressing his concerns. "

"In the letter, Sestak said only 2 percent of claims have been paid and that four of every five applications have been "rejected for minor oversight."

"In recent days, auto dealers across the country have been complaining that the reimbursement payments are slow to process. And they said some of their applications were being rejected because of apparent procedural issues. The statistics Sestak cited suggest those complaints are not based on isolated incidents. "

Why We Need Health Care Reform

"There are four main ways the reform we’re proposing will provide more stability and security to every American."

"First, if you don’t have health insurance, you will have a choice of high-quality, affordable coverage for yourself and your family — coverage that will stay with you whether you move, change your job or lose your job."

"Second, reform will finally bring skyrocketing health care costs under control, which will mean real savings for families, businesses and our government. We’ll cut hundreds of billions of dollars in waste and inefficiency in federal health programs like Medicare and Medicaid and in unwarranted subsidies to insurance companies that do nothing to improve care and everything to improve their profits."

"Third, by making Medicare more efficient, we’ll be able to ensure that more tax dollars go directly to caring for seniors instead of enriching insurance companies. This will not only help provide today’s seniors with the benefits they’ve been promised; it will also ensure the long-term health of Medicare for tomorrow’s seniors. And our reforms will also reduce the amount our seniors pay for their prescription drugs."

"Lastly, reform will provide every American with some basic consumer protections that will finally hold insurance companies accountable. A 2007 national survey actually shows that insurance companies discriminated against more than 12 million Americans in the previous three years because they had a pre-existing illness or condition. The companies either refused to cover the person, refused to cover a specific illness or condition or charged a higher premium."

"We will put an end to these practices. Our reform will prohibit insurance companies from denying coverage because of your medical history. Nor will they be allowed to drop your coverage if you get sick. They will not be able to water down your coverage when you need it most. They will no longer be able to place some arbitrary cap on the amount of coverage you can receive in a given year or in a lifetime. And we will place a limit on how much you can be charged for out-of-pocket expenses. No one in America should go broke because they get sick."

"Most important, we will require insurance companies to cover routine checkups, preventive care and screening tests like mammograms and colonoscopies. There’s no reason that we shouldn’t be catching diseases like breast cancer and prostate cancer on the front end. It makes sense, it saves lives and it can also save money."

"In the coming weeks, the cynics and the naysayers will continue to exploit fear and concerns for political gain. But for all the scare tactics out there, what’s truly scary — truly risky — is the prospect of doing nothing. If we maintain the status quo, we will continue to see 14,000 Americans lose their health insurance every day. Premiums will continue to skyrocket. Our deficit will continue to grow. And insurance companies will continue to profit by discriminating against sick people."

Book Review: The Brass Verdict

Title: The Brass Verdict.
Author: Michael Connelly.
Year: 2008.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Mystery, Crime, Law.

Review: Pretty good Connelly book. Remember, he is my favorite mystery/crime author at the moment. A quick and entertaining read. It was not classic Connelly, however. I sure do miss Bosch...

Grade: B.

Book Review: In Defense of Food

Title: In Defense of Food.
Author: Michael Pollan.
Year: 2008.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Health.

Review: Why was this rated so well on Amazon (with 4 1/2 stars)? It was good but it basically said the same idea over and over again. Could have easily been an article in a newspaper or magazine. It was, however, worth the read - especially falling under 200 pages. Informative, although common sense material.

Grade: C+

Book Review: A Reliable Wife

Title: A Reliable Wife.
Author: Robert Goolrick.
Year: 2009.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: Drama.

Review: I only read about 100 pages until I had to finally realize how much time I just wasted on reading this boring book. It repeats words and sentences over and over again. It also reads like a soap opera - a genre of books (as well as movies/tv) that I am not a fan of. Definitely better out there...

Grade: D-

JEDC OKs incentives for Saft America

"The Jacksonville Economic Development Commission has approved a $20.2 million incentive package for Saft America Inc. to build a lithium ion battery plant at Cecil Commerce Center that will employ at least 279."

"The incentive package approved Aug. 13 includes $5.3 million worth of city incentives and $14.9 million worth of state incentives."

"Headquartered in Bagnolet, France, Saft manufactures batteries for military vehicles, aviation, smart grid support, broadband back-up power and renewable energy storage. The company employs about 4,000 worldwide."

"The city’s portion of the incentive package includes a $3.3 million Recaptured Enhanced Value Grant; a total of $1 million from the Countywide Economic Development Fund divided into $700,000 for site development and $300,000 for job creation; $550,000 for a five-year public service tax exemption; and the remaining funds for being a qualified targeted industry, a brownfield bonus and an enterprise zone bonus."

"The city is investing a little more than $19,000 per job, higher than its typical range of between $600 and $12,000, but JEDC Business Development Chief Lindsey Ballas said the additional funding is necessary for this project because of the competition from other cities and because it will help develop Cecil Field."

"Although some of the 279 jobs to be filled by the end of 2016 will be filled by employees transferred from other plants, most will be hired locally, Alcide said. The jobs will have an average annual wage of $44,807 plus a $17,000 benefits package and, company executives said, more jobs will likely be created. Alcide said the company is already actively recruiting in Jacksonville."

Seven Falsehoods About Health Care

From Newsweek:

"In this article we offer a run-down of seven falsehoods we've taken on recently, with some additional updating and research thrown in."

"False: Government Will Decide What Care I Get (a.k.a. they won't give grandma a hip replacement)

False: The Bill Is Paid For

False: Private Insurance Will Be Illegal

False: The House Bill Requires Suicide Counseling

False: Families Will Save $2,500

False: Medicare Benefits Will Be Slashed

False: Illegal Immigrants Will Be Covered "

U.S. food companies seek easier sugar quotas

This proves that we do not have a truly free market in the United States:

"Large U.S. food companies have been pushing the Obama administration to ease sugar import curbs, citing forecasts for unprecedented sugar shortages that could result in higher retail prices and possible job losses."

Bankruptcy filings surge in first-half 2009

"U.S. bankruptcy filings rose 38 percent in April-June from a year ago, according to court data released Thursday, as consumers and business were hit by rising unemployment and a lack of credit."

"Overall, 381,073 bankruptcies were filed in the second quarter, up 15 percent from the first three months of the year and up 38 percent from a year ago, according to the Administrative Office of the U.S. Courts."

"More than 16,000 businesses filed for bankruptcy in the quarter, the highest in the three-month period since 1993, according to the American Bankruptcy Institute."

Sales up, prices down for Jacksonville homes

"Existing single family and condominium sales continued to rebound in Jacksonville during the second quarter, climbing 7 percent and 12 percent, respectively, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

"Median home prices were down 16 percent in Jacksonville, from $191,700 to $160,300. Condo prices were down from $159,700 to $124,900."

"Statewide home sales were up 23 percent to 43,125 and the median price was down 29 percent to $143,600. Statewide condo sales were up 29 percent to 14,742 and the median sales price was down 38 percent to $111,100."

Health Care Research

This link goes to a blog post which has links for all the current health reform bills proposed in Congress.

Nuclear Plant Given Green Light

"The Governor and state cabinet have approved plans to build the first nuclear power plant in Florida since 1976."

"Progress Energy will own the plant and says it will help Florida skirt a future energy shortage and reduce coal use."

Book Review: Falling Through the Earth

Title: Falling Through the Earth.
Author: Danielle Trussoni.
Year: 2006.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Memoir.

Review: This was pretty good autobiography about a girl and her father (a crazy Vietnam vet). It was written very well, mixing both the present and the past together in an interesting way. Worth the read, though not a new story or anything special.

Grade: B-

Book Review: Born Standing Up

Title: Born Standing Up.
Author: Steve Martin.
Year: 2007.
Type: Non-Fiction.
Genre: Autobiography.

Review: I really don't understand why it has 4 1/2 stars on Amazon for this book. Maybe you just have to been around when Martin was most famous. I really don't understand his type of humor which makes it even worse. It was a short read, however, I was able to read it in an hour or so.

Grade: D+

Book Review: Dragon Sim 13

Title: Dragon Sim 13.
Author: Bob Mayer.
Year: 1992.
Type: Fiction.
Genre: War, Action.

Review: A decent special operations type of novel. It started a bit slow and picked up a little in the middle. It reminded me of a Stephen Coonts novel.

Grade: C+

Facts about Health Care Reform (by the White House)

The above link contains "facts" regarding health care reform as seen by President Obama.

I have a few questions/comments in regards to this website:

1) Who pays for this, as well as all the other .gov websites, that the President has set up in the past few months? The costs of servers and maintenance must be substantial.

2) What is considered a "fact"? For example, how can the government promise, by claiming it as fact, that the new reform will not lead to "rationing"? How do they know what will happen in the future?

3) Regarding the President's numerous townhall meetings: Once again, who pays for this? Why are we paying a President (mind you I just started paying attention to politics thus I have little to say in regards to President Bush) to travel around the United States to push his agenda? I just do not understand this...

Survey Finds High Fees Common in Medical Care

"A patient in Illinois was charged $12,712 for cataract surgery. Medicare pays $675 for the same procedure. In California, a patient was charged $20,120 for a knee operation that Medicare pays $584 for. And a New Jersey patient was charged $72,000 for a spinal fusion procedure that Medicare covers for $1,629."

"The group said it had used Medicare payments for comparison because Medicare was so familiar and payments are, on average, about 80 percent of what private insurers pay."

Councilwoman Says $11-Million Wasted On Bureaucracy

"Jacksonville City Councilman Glorious Johnson says people are calling her home, and calling her cell phone, saying they can't keep up with city taxes and fees anymore."

"Now, Johnson wants to completely dismantle the Jacksonville Economic Development Commission. Saying taxpayers spend about $11 million a year on the J.E.D.C., Johnson claims their function could be better handled by other agencies."

"I would like to utilize services of the (Jacksonville Chamber of Commerce) and the Planning Department, when it comes to bringing businesses and jobs to the community," said Johnson."

"Johnson said she has wanted to go after the J.E.D.C since 2003. But this budget year is special, and Johnson said eliminating the Commission would go a long way towards preserving essential services like police and fire. "We don't need another bureaucracy," said Johnson."

Changes Coming to School Bus Routes

"There are fewer bus stops, and more children will be walking to school as Duval County is implementing some major changes in bus transportation."

"On Tuesday, the district's call center began fielding questions from parents about bus routes and bus stops."

"This year the major change is the elimination of bus stops. Now transportation is provided only if a child lives more than two miles from their school. In the past, the district's cutoff was 1.5 miles."

"The district says the elimination of some bus stops this year will impact about 7,000 children. Transportation changes are expected to save taxpayers $5 million a year."

What is the status of the U.S. nuclear industry?

"There are currently 104 commercial nuclear reactors at 65 nuclear power plants in 31 States. Since 1990, the share of the Nation’s total electricity supply provided by nuclear power generation has averaged about 20%, with the level of nuclear generation growing at roughly the same rate as overall electricity use. Between 1985 and 1996, 34 new reactors were placed in service. In addition, nuclear generation has increased as a result of higher utilization of existing capacity and from technical modifications to increase nuclear plant capacity (expressed in megawatts)."

"In 2008, the nuclear share of electricity generation at 20% nearly matched the natural gas share at 21%."

"Nuclear power generation itself does not contribute to airborne emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2), a major greenhouse gas, although related activities such as the production of nuclear fuel for reactors do result in CO2 emissions. "

"By the end of February 2009, the NRC had received applications for a total of 26 newly designed reactors. It is uncertain how many of these reactors will eventually be built, but the NRC estimates 42 months to complete the review of all the applications prior to a final decision."

'Un-American' attacks can't derail health care debate

"These disruptions are occurring because opponents are afraid not just of differing views — but of the facts themselves. Drowning out opposing views is simply un-American. Drowning out the facts is how we failed at this task for decades."

"Health care is complex. It touches every American life. It drives our economy. People must be allowed to learn the facts."

"The first fact is that health insurance reform will mean more patient choice. It will allow every American who likes his or her current plan to keep it. And it will free doctors and patients to make the health decisions that make the most sense, not the most profits for insurance companies."

"Reform will mean stability and peace of mind for the middle class. Never again will medical bills drive Americans into bankruptcy; never again will Americans be in danger of losing coverage if they lose their jobs or if they become sick; never again will insurance companies be allowed to deny patients coverage because of pre-existing conditions."

Book Review: The Chris Farley Show

Title: The Chris Farley Show: A Biography in Three Acts.
Author: Tom Farley Jr.
Year: 2008.
Genre: Biography, Comedy.

Review: This was an excellent biography of a very funny man. I especially liked the way the story was told - by his many friends. If you enjoy Tommy Boy or Farley SNL skits, I would recommend reading this quick read.

Grade: B

Banks make $38bn from overdraft fees

"US banks stand to collect a record $38.5bn in fees for customer overdrafts this year, with the bulk of the revenue coming from the most financially stretched consumers amid the deepest recession since the 1930s, according to research. The fees are nearly double those reported in 2000."

"The median bank overdraft fee has this year rose from $25 to $26, according to Moebs, the first time it has gone up in a recession for more than 40 years."

Fla. inmates make, sell own hot sauce

"A group of Tampa inmates is offering a taste of what it's like jail - no locks, bars or handcuffs required. But you'd better have an tough stomach to use more than a dash of their "Jailhouse Fire Hot Sauce."

"Minimum-security Hillsborough County Jail inmates offer it in "Original," "Smoke" and "No Escape" varieties, all made from their jail-grown peppers."

"They came up with the recipe and started selling it in 2005. Since then, horticulture instructor Allen Boatman estimates they've made $10,000 on the sauce. Each bottle is $7. The income is used to keep up the greenhouse and buy basic supplies."

Book Review: Little Bee

Title: Little Bee: A Novel
Author: Chris Cleave
Year: 2008
Genre: Drama

Review: Very interesting novel. Bit of insight into the horrible institution of immigration (specifically deportation, etc.). I enjoyed how it was told from two different viewpoints. Very good book, though the ending was a bit of a disappointment (it just ended without a really good conclusion).

Grade: B

Note: Anything higher than a C+ is recommended reading.

Book Review: The Whole Truth

Title: The Whole Truth
Author: David Baldacci
Year: 2008
Genre: Spy Thriller, Action

Review: I used to like this guy but he is turning into another James Patterson. It is a quick read, however, though I still would not recommend it. Would this stuff really happen? And would it always end so perfectly?

Grade: C-

Book Review: When You Are Engulfed in Flames

Title: When You Are Engulfed in Flames
Author: David Sedaris
Year: 2008
Genre: Drama, Comedy

Review: Started out a little slow but it eventually became highly addicting near the end. The best short story was in regards to quitting smoking in Tokyo. Lots of chuckles. I still really do not understand the point of the story though.

Grade: B+

Teens Taking Opioids to Relax, Get High

"American teens are using prescription opioids -- such as Vicodin, OxyContin, Percocet, and codeine -- without a doctor's orders at an alarmingly high rate. And they are more likely to use the drugs to relieve stress or get high rather than for pain relief."

"Those findings come from a new study, published in the Archives of Pediatrics & Adolescent Medicine, that is based on questionnaires filled out by high school students in the spring of their senior year. A total of 12,441 students from more than 100 private and public high schools participated between 2002 and 2006."

"More than one in 10 high school seniors (12.3%) reported ever having taken prescription opioids for a nonmedical reason. That included 8% who reported having done so within the past year."

Obama sends stimulus aid to foreign firms

"Nearly half of the $2.4 billion in federal grant money awarded Wednesday to stimulate the U.S. economy and boost the production of hybrid and electric vehicles went to six companies with ties to places as far away as Russia, China, South Korea and France."

"President Obama announced the grants during a visit to Indiana and said the funds would create domestic jobs and instigate more "green" manufacturing in the United States. But because so few American companies have the necessary technology, much of the money will initially go toward manufacturing electric vehicle batteries overseas."

"Three grants went to General Motors Corp., one for $105.9 million to help produce high-volume battery packs for the GM Volt automobile. But cells for the packs will be built in South Korea and by "other cell providers to be named."

"Of the grants awarded for 48 projects, the lion's share -- $1.07 billion -- went to the six companies with foreign ties and are meant to produce advanced battery and electric drive projects."

High Flying Congress

"Congress is poised to spend $200 million to buy the Air Force three of the highest performing passenger jets in the world, including two planes that will be used for members of Congress and other government VIPs."

Antidepressant Use Nearly Doubles

''Ten percent of the population is being treated with an antidepressant during the course of a year," he says. That compares to 5.8% in 1996, he found."

"The rate of antidepressant treatment increased from 5.84% to 10.12 % -- or from 13 million people to about 27 million, the researchers found."

"One exception to the trend involved African-Americans. "African-Americans really did stand out as one group that didn't experience a significant increase in antidepressant use," Olfson says. In 1996, 3.6% of African-Americans surveyed were on antidepressants and 4.5% in 2005."

"Major depression is more common. Two surveys found the prevalence of major depression in adults rose from 3.3% in 1991-1992 to 7.1% in 2001-2002."

AP ENTERPRISE: Federal tax revenues plummeting

"The numbers could hardly be more stark: Tax receipts are on pace to drop 18 percent this year, the biggest single-year decline since the Great Depression, while the federal deficit balloons to a record $1.8 trillion."

"Other figures in an Associated Press analysis underscore the recession's impact: Individual income tax receipts are down 22 percent from a year ago. Corporate income taxes are down 57 percent. Social Security tax receipts could drop for only the second time since 1940, and Medicare taxes are on pace to drop for only the third time ever."

Council Sets up Email Suggestion Box for Budget Ideas

"The general public and the business community have been tightening their belts and squeezing down expenses for more than a year now," said Council President Richard Clark, "and perhaps now they can help us with ideas and strategies that have work for them that might be applied to the City budget as well."

"The e-mailbox will be open starting Monday, August 3."

Book Review: The Soloist

Title: The Soloist.
Author: Steve Lopez.
Year: 2008
Genre: Memoir, Drama.

Review: I don't really understand what the big hype is for this book. Maybe you have to be from LA or something. It was a quick read though, which is always good for me. I would not recommend it, however.

Grade: C

U.S. to suspend auto "clunkers" program

"The Obama administration will suspend a $1 billion program intended to spur U.S. auto sales after it approached its funding limit after only a few days, government and industry sources said."

"The program was expected to run through September 30 but the sources said the administration would suspend it within the next day."

"The government estimated 250,000 auto sales if the full rebate was granted. It is unclear how many vehicles have been sold under the program. The government formally launched the program on July 24."

Mortgage Co. Face New Pressure on Homeowner Help

"Treasury Secretary Timothy Geithner said in a statement following the meetings that 200,000 loan modifications are already underway."

Mayor Peyton Vetoes City Council Tax Vote

"The Mayor vetoed City Council's amendment to keep the millage rate at 8.45."

"City Council could override the Mayor's veto with 13 votes, but Clark believes it will be difficult to bring everyone together for a meeting before August 4, the deadline for the property appraiser to hand out tax notices to property owners."

Sheriff Looks for More Revenue to Keep Up Fight Against Violent Crime

"Mayor Peyton's budget proposal includes a $27 million budget increase for the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office this coming fiscal year."

"The Sheriff's Office expects to cut $9 million from next year's budget, primarily by cutting overtime."

"Another $18 million will go straight to the pension fund, off-setting the additional money needed in the fund with new officer hires. "

"City crews perform maintenance on JSO vehicles and receive a mark-up for administrative costs. That means in addition to labor and parts costs, JSO pays the City $600,000 in mark-ups on tire repair alone."

"JSO also pays the City 22 cents for every gallon of gas. On average, Rutherford says police vehicles burn 7,000 gallons of gas a day."

Fla. spends less than national average per student

"Florida’s public schools spent $8,515 per student in 2007, the latest year for which figures are available, according to a report issued Monday morning by the U.S. Census Bureau."

"That’s $1,151 below the U.S. average of $9,666, and nearly half of what New York’s public schools spent."

Study: Obesity accounts for 9.1% of medical spending

"Spending on conditions associated with obesity, such as diabetes, has doubled in the last decade, as obesity rates grew 37 percent between 1998 and 2006, according to a study published Monday."

"Obesity now accounts for 9.1 percent of all medical spending, up from 6.5 percent in 1998."

"The report found that per-capita medical spending for obese people was 42 percent – or $1,429 – higher per year than for someone of normal weight."

Sheriff Urges Residents to Support Tax Hike

"In his budget presentation, Sheriff Rutherford says, "We have had the highest murder rate in the state for 10 consecutive years." The sheriff issued a letter to "concerned citizens" of Jacksonville."

"Rutherford says funding for public safety in Jacksonville is the lowest among major cities. He says now is not the time to stop progress on the war against violent crime."

"The sheriff attached a list of council members, urging people to call them in support of the millage rate increase."

10 years later, Florida's FCAT, school grade reforms get mixed grades

"Back in the 1990s, Florida had a reputation -- deserved or not -- for graduating too many kids who couldn't read or write. Then-Gov. Jeb Bush, who saw himself as an education innovator, hit on a grand plan to make schools accountable."

"He called it the A+ Plan for Education. It morphed into the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test and took on newfound importance: Schools would be assigned a letter grade, A through F, based on exam scores."

"A decade later, the FCAT and school grades -- along with a host of other changes -- have placed Florida front and center in the educational reform movement."

"Since Florida began grading schools in 1999, the percentage of schools receiving A's and B's has more than tripled from 21 percent to 79 percent. The proportion of D and F schools dropped from 28 percent to 7 percent. The improvement came even as the state continually raised the standards on which the grades would be based, affording the schools little time or resources to adapt."

"Critics say improved school grades show only that students are getting better at the FCAT, not that they are necessarily learning more. But students have also improved their scores on other standardized tests they don't prepare for."

"One of them -- the National Assessment of Educational Progress, billed as ``the nation's report card'' -- showed 70 percent of Florida fourth-graders reading at grade level in 2007, compared with 53 percent in 1998."

"Those results lifted Florida's national ranking. In 1998, Florida placed 35th on the fourth-grade reading test. The state ranked 22nd in the same category in 2007, though the results have been less stellar in math and in eighth grade."

Administration Takes Aim at State Laws on Teachers

"The Obama administration took aim on Thursday at state laws — adopted after heavy teachers’ union lobbying — barring the use of student achievement data to evaluate teacher performance."

"The federal Department of Education proposed rules to prevent states with such laws from getting money from a $4.3 billion-educational innovation fund."

"Proposed rules for the $4.3 billion Race to the Top competition say that states must show they are carrying out education innovation and reform, improving student achievement, adopting higher standards, recruiting effective teachers and principals, building educational data systems, and turning around low-performing schools."

"To be eligible to apply for money, a “state must not have any legal, statutory or regulatory barriers to linking data on student achievement or student growth to teachers and principals for the purpose of teacher and principal evaluation,” according to a summary of the proposed rules."

Vaccine-Preventable Diseases Kill More Americans Than Car Wrecks

"Diseases easily preventable by adult vaccines kill more Americans each year than car wrecks, breast cancer, or AIDS."

"Yet relatively few in the U.S. know much about these diseases -- and far too few adults get vaccinated, find surveys by the CDC and the National Foundation for Infectious Diseases (NFID)."

"It may surprise you to learn that over 50,000 adults die each year of diseases that are potentially vaccine preventable," NFID president-elect William Schaffner, MD, said at a news conference held to announce the survey results."

Who Is Killing America's Millionaires?

"CapGemini's survey contains some interesting geographic wrinkles. High-tax areas like New York and California—places where politicians have been talking about potentially raising taxes on the rich to deal with budget crises—held up better than the national average. The New York region, which has the most HNWIs, at 561,000, lost only 13.6 percent of its rich population last year. Los Angeles and San Francisco lost 17.8 percent and 15.3 percent, respectively. As for Maryland, the Baltimore metro area had a 19 percent drop in high-net-worth population."

"Comparative tax havens like Florida, Nevada, and Arizona didn't see an influx of millionaires in 2008. Far from it. In 2008, Las Vegas lost 38 percent of its HNWIs, and Phoenix lost 34 percent. Florida, which has no state income tax and hasn't been talking about one, was a killing field for the rich. The three major metro areas that lost more than 40 percent of millionaires in 2008 were all in no-income-tax Florida—Orlando (42 percent), Miami (42 percent), and Tampa (51 percent). The decline has nothing to do with taxes and everything to do with bursting asset bubbles. Florida, Vegas, and Phoenix are places whose economies were dominated by ultra-bubbly real estate markets and where lots of businesses owned by wealthy people are dependent on construction, tourism, and leisure—sectors that got seriously whacked in 2008."

Successful charter school cuts staff, hours over union contract

"Baltimore's most successful middle school is laying off staff and shortening its school day to meet demands of a teachers union contract in what is one of the first major disputes over teacher pay between a charter school and a union."

"KIPP Ujima Village Academy, based on a model that has forged a successful track record among poor students in more than a dozen states, has been violating a contract requiring teachers to be paid more if they work extra hours, school and union leaders acknowledge."

"After seven years of ignoring the issue, the Baltimore Teachers Union told the charter school earlier this year that it must pay its teachers 33 percent more than other city school teachers because they were working nine hours and 15 minutes a day, as well as every other Saturday. The standard workday for teachers is seven hours and five minutes."

"KIPP has been paying its teachers 18 percent above the salary scale, but could not afford to increase all teachers' salaries by 33 percent, according to Jason Botel, executive director of KIPP Baltimore. So it decided to stagger staff starting times and cut back on the hours students are in school when they return to classes next month."

"Students will attend classes for eight hours in the next school year, and Saturday classes have been canceled. The four layoffs include one music and one art teacher who were recently let go, as well as two staff members who worked with special education and struggling students."

Study Links Rise in Health Care Costs to Job Losses

"The Rand researchers examined the economic performance of 38 industries from 1987 through 2005, in an attempt to assess the economic impact of “excess” growth in health care costs on U.S. industries. Excess growth is defined as the increase in health care costs that exceeds the overall growth of the nation’s GDP—a yearly occurrence in the U.S. The team compared changes in employment, economic output and the value added to the GDP product for industries that provide health benefits to most workers to those where few workers have job-based health insurance."

"After adjusting for other factors, industries that provide insurance had significantly less employment growth than industries where health benefits were not common. Industries with a larger percentage of workers receiving employer-sponsored health insurance also showed lower growth in their contribution to the GDP."

"The rate of growth in U.S. health care costs has outpaced the growth rate in the gross domestic product (GDP) for many years. In 1940, the share of GDP accounted for by health care spending was just 4.5%. By 1990, it had reached 12.2%, and 16% in 2005, when health care spending totaled nearly $2 trillion, or $6,697 per person, far more than any other nation. This year health care spending is on track to equal 18% of GDP."

City Council Committee Snubs Tax Hike

"The Finance Committee of the Jacksonville City Council said no to the Fix it Now tax hike proposal that Mayor Peyton is shopping around the city."

"The committee voted to approve an amendment to set the millage rate at 8.48, which happens to be the current millage rate for homeowners."

"We felt it important to get into our budget and cut unnecessary expenses and dig into the budget process before we raise taxes," said City Council president Richard Clark. "We need to look at the budget before we look at tax increases."

"The issue will be voted on by the full city council on July 28. The committee has a total of 7 members."

Report: Fewer Mexicans entering U.S.

"The number of Mexicans moving to the USA has dropped sharply since the middle of the decade, according to a new report by the Pew Hispanic Center."

"Figures from various sources, including the Census Bureau, show that 30% to 50% fewer Mexicans came here — legally or illegally — in 2008 compared with 2006, says Jeffrey Passel, a senior demographer at the non-partisan research center, who is a co-author of the study."

"Last year, 653,035 of the 705,005 people caught breaching the southern border were Mexican, he says."

Mayor talks public safety and Jacksonville Journey

"In fact, he included $6.1 million in Jacksonville Journey's budget proposal to fund 40 police officers, 44 additional corrections officers and 19 civilians. He hopes the city receives federal funding to offset the costs for the new officers."

"The Journey Oversight Committee has asked for $19.8 million in funding, down from the $31 million approved last summer. Most of the reductions come from no longer funding capital projects and eliminating $4 million spent on police overtime."

FCAT test is no longer sole factor in grading

"Florida is changing the way it grades its high schools. Beginning this fall, grades no longer will be based solely on performance on the often-criticized Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test. In fact, FCAT will only account for half of a high school's grade. Final details are pending."

Foreclosures rise 15% in first half of '09

"The number of U.S. households on the verge of losing their homes soared by nearly 15% in the first half of the year as more people lost their jobs and were unable to pay their monthly mortgage bills."

"The mushrooming foreclosure crisis affected more than 1.5 million homes in the first six months of the year, according to a report released Thursday by foreclosure listing service RealtyTrac Inc."

"The data show that, despite the Obama administration's plan to encourage the lending industry to prevent foreclosures by handing out $50 billion in subsidies, the nation's housing woes continue to spread. Experts don't expect foreclosures to peak until the middle of next year."

"Foreclosure filings rose more than 33% in June compared with the same month last year and were up nearly 5% from May, RealtyTrac said."

"It was the fourth-straight month in which more than 300,000 households receiving a foreclosure filing, which includes default notices and several other legal notices that homeowners receive before they finally lose their homes. Banks repossessed more than 79,000 homes in June, up from about 65,000 a month earlier."

U.S. must address high minority jobless rates: think-tank

"Minority jobless rates have spiked sharply higher than those of whites in some states, according to a report released on Wednesday, prompting calls for new job growth efforts and the possible revival of a funding mechanism long opposed by Wall Street."

"The Economic Policy Institute, a Washington, D.C.-based think tank, issued a report analyzing racial and ethnic jobless rates in the 50 states. It said the 18-month recession has erased many recent gains for minorities because manufacturing, construction and trade jobs, often the easiest for them to obtain, are melting away."

"At the end of the first quarter of this year, Alabama's black jobless rate soared to 15.1 percent from 5.3 in the 2007 fourth quarter. For whites, however, the rate rose to 5.8 percent from 3 percent."

"For blacks, Louisiana had the worst comparable rate. They were three times more likely than whites to be jobless. In Alabama, New York, Mississippi and Texas, blacks were more than twice as likely to be unemployed."

Pot No Longer Focus of Anti-Drug Campaigns

"In fact, the Partnership for a Drug Free America, the nation's largest creator of anti-drug messages, hasn't produced a single anti-marijuana public service advertisement since 2005. "

"The change comes as a result of the decline in marijuana use amongst teens, and growing worry over the abuse of prescription drugs. Marijuana use has been declining for 10 years and past-month use is down 25 percent since 2001 according to the largest tracking study in the U.S., "Monitoring the Future" by the University of Michigan. "

"Meanwhile prescription drug abuse has held steady over the past five years according to the Partnership for a Drug-Free America, with nearly one in five teens (19 percent) abusing prescription medications to get high."

"The bottom line is the Opiates and Stimulates are much more addictive than marijuana, those that try it are likely to return to them after first use." said Mitch Earleywine, associate professor of psychology at the State University of New York. "Maybe 9 percent of marijuana users develop problems but 14-23 percent of prescription drug abusers end up saying can't quit or report withdrawal when they want to stop."

"The report compared data on deaths due to marijuana with FDA-approved medications. It found that the approved drugs -- which included anti-psychotics, Attention Deficit Disorder medications, painkillers and other prescription drugs -- were suspected as the primary cause of 10,008 deaths and as a secondary cause in 1,679 more."

"Another report recently issued by the Florida Department of Law Enforcement indicated that prescription drugs caused more deaths than illicit drugs - even including alcohol-related automobile accidents. Prescription drugs were the cause of more than 25 percent of drug related deaths in the state. Marijuana was not listed as a cause of death last year in Florida."

Sex Offender Begs For More Jail Time

"Marquez is just one of hundreds of sex offenders who are unable to find work or housing in Broward County. One local blogger describes his plight as being "under house arrest without a home."

"And the problem isn't just there. In Miami, a legal battle has erupted over a growing colony of sex offenders who have been forced under the Julia Tuttle Causeway. The vagrants live in shacks, creating a national dialogue over the unintended consequences of residency laws."

"Marquez was required to register in his Oakland Park neighborhood and carry a large GPS box to track his every move. He must observe an indoor curfew from 10 p.m. to 6 a.m. and not live within 2,500 feet of a school, day care facility, playground or other place where children regularly congregate."

"That, in addition to the high cost of rent, has made finding a place to live impossible, according to his public defender lawyer, Cheryl Koewing."

"No one wants to employ him," Koewing told ABCNews.com. "How can law enforcement keep track of these individuals and not have them turning to other means to get food to live? They've served their time."

Health Care Details

"Some of you were nice enough to play "research team" for this correspondent, and search out a few things in the bill. Jason read my mind by searching for provisions that would authorize spending "such sums" as may be necessary for certain sections of the bill."

"There are a dozen of them:
* p. 120, to cover the start up costs of the government health insurance option
* p. 300, to pay for a study on why Medicare costs vary around the nation
* p. 404, to pay for a section on "Ensuring Effective Communication In Medicare"
* p. 610, for a study of large intrastate chains of nursing facilities
* p. 864, to increase funding for Community Health Centers between 2013-2019
* p. 869, to fund the National Health Service Corps Program for 2013-2019
* p. 892, to increase money for the Public Health Investment Fund
* p. 897, more on funding for the Public Health Investment Fund
* p. 931, "such sums" to fund a cryptic reference to public health law
* p. 1001, money to fund School Based Health Clinics for 2011-2014
* p. 1006, to fund the National Medical Device Registry
* p. 1018, to fund Grant Programs to Provide Education to Nurses"

"Since taxes are such a hot button issue, I thought I would also look at the tax hikes included in this bill, as a penalty for those not getting health care coverage."

"If you make $350,000-$500,000 in modified adjusted gross income and don't buy health insurance, then you would be subjected to a 1% surtax; If you make $500,000 to $1,000,000 and don't buy health insurance, you would be hit with a 1.5% surtax;"

"And if you make more than a million a year, you would see a 5.4% surtax. After 2012, the 1% rate would go up to 2% and the 1.5% rate would double as well to 3%."

More troops lost to roadside bombs: a familiar pattern

"The Taliban and other militants in Afghanistan are turning to a familiar tool to try to kill more Americans and allied troops: the roadside bomb."

"Allied troops reported 736 IED incidents last month, up from 234 in June 2007, according to the Joint Improvised Explosive Device Defeat Organization, a Defense Department group. "Incidents" include bombs that detonate and are effective, as well as bombs that are found and cleared and those that detonate but are not injurious."

"So far this year, 107 American service members have been killed in Afghanistan – compared with 155 for all of 2008, according to the website icasualties.org. Last month, there were 38 coalition fatalities, but so far in July, not yet half over, there have already been 40. British forces have lost 15 soldiers in the past 11 days."

JEA: Climate bill would raise rates by 10 percent

"Climate change legislation pending in Congress could translate into a 10 percent electricity rate increase for JEA customers within three years."

"JEA CEO Jim Dickenson said Tuesday the cost would trickle down to customers — many of them irritated already with a number of recent rate increases — if the city-owned utility has to purchase $130 million in pollution allowances in order to obey the law in 2012."

"By 2020, utility companies would have to be generating 20 percent of their electricity with renewable resources like solar and wind power. The JEA grid currently includes 1 percent renewable energy. Even with a 15-megawatt solar farm planned for a 100-acre plot in the Westside, the total renewable portfolio would be only 1.2 percent."

"By 2050, utility companies would have to either reduce carbon emissions to 80 percent of what they were in 2005, or purchase carbon credits from other companies meeting the demand."

"U.S. Rep. Corrine Brown, D-Fla., the lone regional legislator who voted in favor of the climate change bill, released a statement saying it would cost the average American household 50 cents daily, a small price to protect the environment — including the 1,350 miles of Florida coastline in the crosshairs of global warming. Brown said the bill would also spawn needed green-energy jobs."

"Her Republican counterpart in the 7th District, John Mica, voted against the bill. He said it would cost the average American family $1,400 a year and force some businesses to send jobs overseas."

Chicago report says Obama misled public about Duncan

"New research from a Chicago civic group takes direct aim at the city's "abysmal" public high school performance — and suggests that President Obama and U.S. Education Secretary Arne Duncan, who led Chicago schools for seven years, have misled the public about school performance during Duncan's tenure."

"The Civic Committee of The Commercial Club of Chicago, a supporter of Duncan and Chicago Mayor Richard M. Daley's push for more control of city schools, issued the report June 30. It says city schools have made little progress since 2003."

"Its key findings stand in stark contrast to assertions Obama made last December when he nominated Duncan to be Education secretary. And though the findings are by no means as explosive, they're reminiscent of revelations from Houston in 2003, when state investigators found that 15 high schools had underreported dropout rates under former superintendent Rod Paige, who by then was George W. Bush's Education secretary."

"In December, Obama said that during a seven-year tenure, Duncan had boosted elementary school test scores "from 38% of students meeting the standards to 67%" — a gain of 29 percentage points. But the new report found that, adjusting for changes in tests and procedures, students' pass rates grew only about 8 percentage points."

"Obama also said Chicago's dropout rate "has gone down every year he's been in charge." Though that's technically true, the committee says it's still unacceptably high: About half of Chicago students drop out of the city's non-selective-enrollment high schools. And more than 70% of 11th-graders fail to meet state standards, a trend that "has remained essentially flat" over the past several years."

"Even among those who graduate, it says, skills are poor: An analysis of students entering the Chicago City Colleges in the fall of 2006 showed that 69% were not prepared for college-level reading, 79% were not prepared for writing, and 95% were not prepared for math."

More than 70 caseworkers lied about efforts to protect children

"During the past two years, more than 70 Florida child-welfare workers have been caught falsifying records -- lying about their on-the-job efforts to protect children, according to state and county records reviewed by the Orlando Sentinel."

"As a consequence, the Florida Department of Children and Families temporarily lost track of at least six children, sometimes for months. Fourteen children were left in unsafe homes, the Sentinel found in a review of agency records."

How budget cuts equal more spending in Jacksonville

A list of $993.8 million in expenses for Jacksonville's next fiscal year shows that despite departmental budget-trimming, spending at City Hall is projected to increase.

Although the city's projected $110 million in pension costs next fiscal year has been made a primary culprit, there are also concerns about the growing cost of health care and electricity.

The numbers remain fluid until Mayor John Peyton delivers his budget proposal Monday to City Council, but overall spending appears to be going up by $22.4 million.

The 2.3 percent increase for 2009-10 tops last year's 1.8 percent, which was heralded as the lowest since 1991, despite a multimillion-dollar public safety increase.

Next year's budget is growing despite $41 million in planned cuts, most of them to employee compensation. To prevent deeper cuts, Peyton is proposing a 12 percent property tax rate increase.

Although he gave department heads a directive to cut at least 5 percent from their operating budgets, total departmental expenses are expected to jump by $33 million, according to the latest figures released by the mayor's office.

However, $30 million of that increase stems from more spending by the police and fire departments, which were not directed to trim their budgets.

Although Peyton is proposing cutting $1.1 million from the libraries on top of the 5 percent reduction, the library budget actually is increasing by $3.3 million.

Since Peyton took office in 2003, non-public safety spending has dropped roughly $7 million, while the overall budget has grown by about $270 million.

Operation Valkyrie and the July Plot to Assassinate Hitler

Follow the above link (by clicking the title) to learn about the final failed assassination attempt of Adolf Hitler near the end of World War II.

It is an interesting story about a group of individuals who were willing to die based solely on their principals. It's failure shows not only the coup's military ineffectiveness but the failure of German citizens to rise up against a dictator.

Who decides how much White House staffers get paid?

"The Obama White House recently released the salaries of its 487 staffers. The highest-paid administration staffer, the president's director of public health policy, David Marcozzi, earns $193,000, while salaries bottom out at $36,000. The president himself makes $400,000, a salary set by Congress. Two advisers, Michael J. Warren and Patricia G. McGinnis, forgo pay altogether. How does the White House decide who makes what?"

"There's a rough formula for how much executive branch staffers make. White House salaries are on a scale associated with certain ranks. The top rank in the White House consists of those staffers who hold the title "assistant to the president." Twenty-two people in the Obama administration have that rank—including David Axelrod, Rahm Emanuel, and Jon Favreau—and they all get paid the same amount: $172,000. Marcozzi earns more than the assistants to the president because he's on detail from the Department of Health and Human Services, which pays his salary. (After six months, "detailees" have to switch to White House payroll.) The next level below the assistants are the "deputy assistants to the president," all of whom make between $130,000 and $150,000. Further down still are "special assistants to the president," who earn anywhere from $50,000 to $130,000. And below that are the staff assistants, legislative assistants, press assistants, secretaries, greeters, speechwriters, advance coordinators, and record keepers—i.e., the bulk of the White House staff—who make between $40,000 and $55,000."

"The total spending on salaries is determined by Congress, which has to approve the annual White House budget. In 2007, President Bush requested a total of $51.9 million for White House office salaries. (That's for the core of 500 or so staffers.) The numbers creep up every year. In 2003, the maximum pay for assistants was $151,000. Since then, it has increased between 1.7 percent and 4 percent annually. In 2008, it reached $172,000 and remains there, since Obama declared a pay freeze for anyone making more than $100,000."

U.S. Wiretapping of Limited Value, Officials Report

"While the Bush administration had defended its program of wiretapping without warrants as a vital tool that saved lives, a new government review released Friday said the program’s effectiveness in fighting terrorism was unclear."

"The report, mandated by Congress last year and produced by the inspectors general of five federal agencies, found that other intelligence tools used in assessing security threats posed by terrorists provided more timely and detailed information."

"While the program obtained information that “had value in some counterterrorism investigations, it generally played a limited role in the F.B.I.’s overall counterterrorism efforts,” the report concluded. The Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence branches also viewed the program, which allowed eavesdropping without warrants on the international communications of Americans, as a useful tool but could not link it directly to counterterrorism successes, presumably arrests or thwarted plots."

"The report found that the secrecy surrounding the program may have limited its effectiveness. At the C.I.A., it said, so few working-level officers were allowed to know about the program that the agency often did not make full use of the leads the wiretapping generated, and intelligence leads that came from the wiretapping operation were often “vague or without context,” the report said."

U.S. Wiretapping of Limited Value, Officials Report

"While the Bush administration had defended its program of wiretapping without warrants as a vital tool that saved lives, a new government review released Friday said the program’s effectiveness in fighting terrorism was unclear."

"The report, mandated by Congress last year and produced by the inspectors general of five federal agencies, found that other intelligence tools used in assessing security threats posed by terrorists provided more timely and detailed information."

"While the program obtained information that “had value in some counterterrorism investigations, it generally played a limited role in the F.B.I.’s overall counterterrorism efforts,” the report concluded. The Central Intelligence Agency and other intelligence branches also viewed the program, which allowed eavesdropping without warrants on the international communications of Americans, as a useful tool but could not link it directly to counterterrorism successes, presumably arrests or thwarted plots."

"The report found that the secrecy surrounding the program may have limited its effectiveness. At the C.I.A., it said, so few working-level officers were allowed to know about the program that the agency often did not make full use of the leads the wiretapping generated, and intelligence leads that came from the wiretapping operation were often “vague or without context,” the report said."

U.S. commander: Afghan forces insufficient

"Gen. Stanley A. McChrystal, the newly arrived top commander in Afghanistan, has concluded that the Afghan security forces will have to be far larger than currently planned if President Obama's strategy for winning the war is to succeed, according to senior military officials."

"Such an expansion would require spending billions more than the $7.5 billion the administration has budgeted annually to build up the Afghan army and police over the next several years, and the likely deployment of thousands more U.S. troops as trainers and advisers, officials said. "

"Obama has voiced strong commitment to the ongoing Afghan conflict -- which this year surpasses Vietnam as America's longest combat engagement -- but has been cautious about making any additional military resources available beyond the 17,000 combat troops and 4,000 military trainers he agreed to in February. That will bring the total U.S. force to 68,000 by fall."

"The Afghan army is already scheduled to grow from 85,000 to 134,000, an expansion originally expected to take five years but now fast-tracked for completion by 2011. Several senior Pentagon officials indicated that an adequate size for the Afghan force may be twice the expanded number."

Study: 50% borrow money for college

"College students are borrowing more and taking on riskier forms of debt than ever before, according to a national analysis released Thursday."

“Drowning in Debt: The Emerging Student Loan Crisis,” released by an independent education policy think tank called the Education Sector, analyzed 15 years of data through the 2007-2008 academic year."

"The study found:

• The cost of attending a public university has doubled over the past two decades, causing previously unseen costs of higher education.
• Family income and student financial aid haven’t kept up with the increasing costs, forcing students to borrow more money for their education than ever before.
• More students are finding those funds in the form of risky, unregulated, private student loans, where they pay the highest interest rates.
• Minority college students appear to be borrowing a disproportionate share."

"Some of the specific stats included in the report include:

• Borrowing has gone from being the exception for undergraduates in 1993, at only 32 percent, to the rule. As of 2008, more than 50 percent of students at public, four-year universities borrowed for their education. In for-profit education, the percentage of borrowers rose to 92 percent in 2008 from 53 percent in 1993.
• The average annual debt for borrowers at four-year private universities increased by 70 percent over the study period, while the average debt for students at for-profit colleges increased by 57 percent, to $9,600 a year.
• Only 5 percent of undergraduates borrowed private loans in 2003-2004. In four years, the percentage grew to 14 percent.
• Between 2004 and 2008, the percentage of African-American students who took out private loans tripled, giving that group higher participation levels than white or Hispanic students.
• At private, four-year institutions in 2008, the wealthiest students received institutional grants of nearly equal size to those earned by the poorest students."

'Shocking' Security Breaches at Federal Buildings

"Investigators from the Government Accountability Office, Congress' investigative arm, were able to penetrate all 10 of the undisclosed federal buildings it tested across the United States."

"The Federal Protective Service, a part of the Department of Homeland Security, is responsible for securing more than 9,000 federal buildings and, among other employees, utilizes 15,000 contract security guards. "

Cops threaten to boycott Peyton family business

"How a police boycott of Gate would hurt the business is uncertain. A veritable empire built by the mayor’s father, Herb Peyton, in the 1960s, Gate has 225 locations in six Southeastern states."

"The company also has a stake in $21 million worth of contracts to fuel the city motor pool, including police cruisers, which officers take home after work."

Reading The Bills

"Earmarks are usually listed in what's called the "report" which accompanies the bill, where the legislative intentions of the Appropriations Committee are spelled out. They are just recommendations, which some argue don't even have the force of law."

"If you think it is time consuming to read a bill, it is much more time consuming to read the report, which can be hundreds and hundreds of pages of explanation."

Green nonsense

"Global temperatures have declined -- extending the current downtrend to 11 years with a particularly rapid decline in 2007-2008," said a draft report written in March by an expert at the Environmental Protection Agency."

"We'd pay a lot for that tenth of a degree, though how much is hotly in dispute. Cost estimates range from about $100 per family when the bill would go into effect in 2012 to $3,900 per family."

"Mr. Obama calls Waxman-Markey a jobs bill, on the specious assumption it will create more jobs building windmills and solar panels than it will destroy in the coal, oil and natural gas industries and in the industries dependent upon them. But Charles River Associates, a Harvard-based economic consulting firm, estimates the net loss of jobs at about 2.5 million a year."

"Waxman-Markey contains unpleasant surprises for Americans, including a provision which could prevent homeowners from selling their homes if they aren't retrofitted to meet federal "green" guidelines. But the House passed the 1,400-page bill before its members had an opportunity to read it, much less ponder its implications. Let's pray the Senate is more responsible."

Quote of the Day

"We cannot retaliate on indifference by asserting truth, only by casting doubt." (Piscali's Island, 192).

Herr Gesing: "How have you arrived at this confident knowledge of what is lies and what is truth? I envy it." (Piscali's Island, 70).

Highway deaths at lowest level on record

"The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration said Thursday the number of motorists killed from January through March 2009 declined by 9 percent, to 7,689 motorists, from the same period a year ago. Motor vehicle fatalities continued to fall to levels not seen since records began being kept in 1961."

"An estimated 37,261 motorists died nationwide in 2008, the lowest number since 1961. If this year's trends continue, fewer than 31,000 people will die in 2009. However, motorcycle deaths have increased for the 11th straight year in a row and account for 14 percent of all highway fatalities."

Mississippi's Still Fattest but Alabama Closing In

"In 31 states, more than one in four adults are obese, says a new report from the Trust for America's Health and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation. And obesity rates among adults rose in 23 states over the past year, and no state experienced a significant decline."

"The report provides one of the first in-depth looks at obese boomers, and its implications are sobering. This first wave of aging boomers will mean a jump of obese Medicare patients that ranges from 5.2 percent in New York to a high of 16.3 percent in Alabama, the report concluded. In Alabama, nearly 39 percent of the oldest boomers are obese."

"Health economists once made the harsh financial calculation that the obese would save money by dying sooner. But more recent research instead suggests that better treatments are keeping them alive nearly as long — but they're much sicker for longer, requiring such costly interventions as knee replacements and diabetes care and dialysis. Medicare spends anywhere from $1,400 to $6,000 more annually on health care for an obese senior than for the non-obese, Levi said."