Germany set to suffer record deficit

"The German government will record its biggest post-war budget deficit this year as the economic crisis sends tax revenues plummeting, Peer Steinbrück, finance minister, said on Thursday."

"Mr Steinbrück admitted the federal deficit would exceed €50bn in 2009 and rise to €90bn next year, more than twice the previous record of €40bn set in 1996 as Germany was absorbing the huge cost of its unification. In contrast, the federal deficit last year was only €11.9bn."

CEO base pay plummets 24 percent in last year

"The average base salary of a CEO at a U.S. public company dropped 23.9 percent in the past year to $1.2 million, according to a study."

"The drop is the largest decline in base salaries in the past 12 years, according to the Redmond, Wash.-based ERI Economic Research Institute’s Executive Compensation Index."

"In May 2009, the average base pay was $1.2 million, down from $1.58 million in May 2008. But other parts of an average CEO’s compensation package haven’t fallen nearly as dramatically."

"Bonus and nonequity incentives have risen 1 percent in the past year, as well as other compensations. The average CEO compensation package, which includes bonuses, options, pension and other items, is now $16.65 million annually, down 3.3 percent from $17.21 million a year ago."

Is America about to go broke?

"News reports regularly inform us of the growing federal deficit, projected at a stunning $1.75 trillion for fiscal 2009 and $1.17 trillion for 2010. But regularly reported, less visible government obligations have been growing much faster."

"In the four years from January 2004 to January 2008, the Medicare trustees reported that the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare grew by a stunning $10.4 trillion. The average annual growth topped $2.5 trillion. "

"In the 2008 trustees' report (.pdf file), the unfunded liabilities of Social Security and Medicare -- promises of future retirement and health care benefits -- total $42.9 trillion. In a few days, we should be able to read the 2009 report. It's a good bet that the unfunded liabilities will show an increase in the new report."

White House memo challenges EPA finding on warming

"An Environmental Protection Agency proposal that could lead to regulating the gases blamed for global warming will prove costly for factories, small businesses and other institutions, according to a White House document."

"The nine-page memo is a compilation of opinions made by a dozen federal agencies and departments during an internal review before the EPA issued a finding in April that greenhouse gases pose dangers to public health and welfare."

"That finding could set in motion for the first time the regulation of six heat-trapping gases from cars and trucks, factories and other sources under the Clean Air Act."

"The document, labeled "Deliberative-Attorney Client Privilege," says that if the EPA proceeds with the regulation of heat-trapping gases, including carbon dioxide, factories, small businesses and institutions would be subject to costly regulation."

"Making the decision to regulate carbon dioxide ... is likely to have serious economic consequences for regulated entities throughout the U.S. economy, including small businesses and small communities," the document says."

Most Liberal States Are Least Free

According to ABC, the most overpriced cities in America with "bloated housing prices, lofty living costs and unemployment rates among the highest in the nation" include:

1. LA
2. Chicago
4. New York City.

http://abcnews.go.com/Business/Economy/Story?id=7559867&page=2

"According to a new study released by the Mercatus Center of George Mason University, some of the most liberal U.S. states rank lowest when it comes to personal freedom."
"The freest states are New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota, which together achieve a virtual tie for first place. All three states feature low taxes and government spending -- and middling levels of regulation and paternalism."

"New York is the least overall free by a considerable margin, followed by New Jersey, Rhode Island, California, and Maryland. "

http://www.newsmax.com/insidecover/free_states_study/2009/05/06/211385.html?utm_medium=RSS

Annual Checkup for Social Security and Medicare

"A year ago, the trustees projected that the Social Security trust fund would start paying out more in benefits than it collects in taxes in 2017 and that the trust fund would be depleted in 2041."

"For the Medicare trust fund, which pays for hospital care, the situation was more urgent. It was projected to start paying more in benefits than it collects in taxes within a year, and the trustees forecast that it would be depleted by 2019."

"Fewer people working means less being paid into the trust funds for Social Security and Medicare. The Congressional Budget Office recently projected that Social Security will collect just $3 billion more in 2010 than it will pay out in benefits. A year ago, the CBO had projected that Social Security would have a much higher $86 billion cash surplus for the 2010 budget year, which begins Oct. 1. The difference in the two estimates is the result of the recession."

Home sales up in Jacksonville and statewide

"Existing single-family home sales were up 7 percent in Jacksonville during the first quarter 2009, and the statewide numbers were even better. Condominium sales in Jacksonville dropped 9 percent, according to the Florida Association of Realtors."

Taxis and buses face automatic speed limiting

"Thousands of taxis, buses and council vehicles could be fitted with devices that prevent them from exceeding the speed limit."

"The technology — known as Intelligent Speed Adaptation (ISA) — is being tested by Transport for London in a trial starting this summer on all roads inside the M25."

"Drivers of vehicles with ISA will be able to select an option that prevents them from accelerating over the limit. The vehicle will also automatically slow down if the driver fails to reduce his speed when he passes a sign marking a lower limit."

"The device uses satellite tracking and a digital road map to detect the local speed limit."

Congress Plans Incentives for Healthy Habits

"In its effort to overhaul health care, Congress is planning to give employers sweeping new authority to reward employees for healthy behavior, including better diet, more exercise, weight loss and smoking cessation."

"Congress is seriously considering proposals to provide tax credits or other subsidies to employers who offer wellness programs that meet federal criteria. In addition, lawmakers said they would make it easier for employers to use financial rewards or penalties to promote healthy behavior among employees."

"Under Mr. Harkin’s proposal, employers could obtain tax credits for programs that offer periodic screenings for health problems and counseling to help employees adopt healthier lifestyles. Programs could focus on tobacco use, obesity, physical fitness, nutrition and depression, he said."

Teaching Americans to Read and Write

"About 30 million people -- 14 percent of the US population 16 and older -- have trouble with basic reading and writing. Correlating factors that were explored in a new government report include poverty, ethnicity, native language background, and disabilities."

"Of these 30 million people, 7 million are considered "nonliterate" in English because their reading abilities are so low. When shown the label for an over-the-counter drug, for instance, many in this subgroup cannot read the word "adult" or a sentence explaining what to do in the event of an overdose."

Leaders Push for Police Presence at Block Parties

"In light of the recent violence at a block party, city leaders, MAD DADS and church leaders have proposed a change to a city ordinance requiring off-duty officers to be present at these large gatherings. "

"Private residents must already obtain a permit to have a block party but this revision would make them financially responsible for the police presence. "

"We feel this is necessary to provide sufficient security, to control the unexpected amount of attendees including children, the elderly and families," said Donald Foy, president of MAD DADS. "

"According to the Jacksonville Sheriff's Office, the price for an officer can vary depending on the function. But all events with alcohol are required to have two officers or more depending on the number of people in attendance. Standard rates are $28 per hour for an officer."

Beautiful Boy

Title: Beautiful Boy: A Father's Journey Through His Son's Addiction
Author: David Sheff
Genre: Non-Fiction, Memoir, Drugs

Review: Excellent book and memoir. Sheff writes about his son's addiction with meth (and the irony that he had his own addiction with his son's "treatment"). Short and easy to read. I highly recommend this book for anyone who has or knows someone with an addiction (this should apply to everyone whether you think so or not).

Grade: A

Knockemstiff

Title: Knockemstiff
Author: Donald Ray Pollock
Genre: Drama

Review: Decent book. Short and easy to read. It lacks any climax or story though. It was just a handful of different stories about a small town.

Grade: C

The Tales of Beedle the Bard

Title: The Tales of Beedle the Bard
Author: J.K. Rowling
Genre: Fiction, Magic, Science Fiction

Review: Very short book that includes a few short stories from the Harry Potter world. I have read a few in the series and this is nothing compared to the actual Harry Potter stories. I would suggest to not read it. Some of the stories do not even make any sense.

Grade: D+

The Telephone Gambit

Title: The Telephone Gambit: Chasing Alexander Graham Bell's Secret
Author: Seth Shulman
Genre: Non-fiction/Science

Review: Shulman argues that Bell was not the first to invent the phone but rather a man named Elisha Grey. Decent book although the book is too long. He repeats his argument and the handful of evidence to support it at least 12 times. Could have been a very small book (although it is only 200 pages).

Grade: B-

City of Thieves

Title: City of Thieves
Author: David Benioff
Genre: Drama/War

Review: Pretty good book about a soldier in World War II and his search for a dozen eggs. Short and well worth the time.

Grade: B

N.Y. doctor offers flat-rate care for uninsured

"A New York doctor is offering flat-rate health care for the uninsured for $79 a month, but he has run afoul of state insurance regulations in a case that challenges the established norms of the U.S. health system."

"Dr. John Muney, president of AMG Medical Group, said he started the program in September after noticing that many of his patients were losing their jobs, and therefore, their health insurance coverage."

"About 500 people have registered for Muney's $79-a-month plan, accounting for 15 percent of patients at the practice, which has offices in each of New York's five boroughs."

"The monthly $79 fee -- roughly equivalent to the price of a Starbucks coffee a day -- covers unlimited preventive visits and onsite medical services such as minor surgery, physical therapy, lab work and gynecological care."

"So far the program has not turned a profit, but Muney said he estimates that it could be profitable with 4,000 patients. In the meantime, he said, his motive is to give something back and provide a model of how healthcare can be more efficient."

"Our healthcare system lends itself to abuse, fraud and waste," he said, adding that bypassing insurers saved on administrative costs, which he said were about 25 percent of the price of care. "With this model, we're bypassing all that."

"Muney said he received initial complaints from state insurance authorities in November. "The law says you can do preventive checkups unlimited, but if they come for sick visits you have to charge your overhead costs," he told Reuters."

"In February he received a letter instructing him that he must charge that minimum cost, which he calculates at $33 a visit -- a price he says will deter people from signing up."

Where Have All the Doctors Gone?

"But the rate of that growth is expected to shrink considerably over the next decade as the number of retirees increases."

"At the same time, consumer demand for medical services is expected to increase. Again, blame the baby boomers: While the total population is expected to increase by 18 percent over the next 10 years, the population over the age of 65 will expand by 54 percent. Since older people require more health care, we'll need more doctors to handle the same number of patients."

"Ironically, just a little more than a decade ago, there was a doctor surplus. In 1996, a committee of the Institute of Medicine warned that the United States had a surfeit of doctors caused by foreign-trained physicians coming here to work and recommended freezing med-school class sizes and limiting first-year residency positions. A year later, Slate ran an article on an alternative strategy for reducing the number of doctors approved by the federal Health Care Financing Administration. Under the Graduate Medical Education Demonstration Project, 41 teaching hospitals received $400 million in exchange for not training between 20 percent and 25 percent of the medical residents they would otherwise have trained over the next six years."

Obama Takes Aim At Tax Havens, Loopholes

"President Barack Obama vowed Monday to "detect and pursue" U.S tax evaders and go after their offshore tax shelters. "

"In announcing a series of steps aimed at overhauling the U.S. tax code, Mr. Obama complained that existing law makes it possible to "pay lower taxes if you create a job in Bangalore, India, than if you create one in Buffalo, New York."

"The president said he wants to prevent U.S. companies from deferring tax payments by keeping profits in foreign countries rather than recording them at home and called for more transparency in bank accounts that Americans hold in notorious tax havens like the Cayman Islands."

"The president, who hammered on this issue during his long campaign for the White House, said at a White House event that his plan would generate $210 billion in new taxes over 10 years and "make it easier" for companies to create jobs at home. Over a decade, $210 billion would make a modest dent in a federal deficit expected to swell to $1.2 trillion in 2010. "

"Under the plan, companies would not be able to write off domestic expenses for generating profits abroad. The goal is to reduce the incentive for U.S. companies to base all or part of their operations in other countries. "

The Rust Belt: A forgotten housing crisis

"While most attention has focused on the wave of foreclosures sweeping mostly middle-class, suburban Sunbelt neighborhoods from California to Florida, the nation's emptiest neighborhoods have remained concentrated in the same place for nearly a generation: the mostly minority, poor, urban neighborhoods of the American Rust Belt."

"An analysis by The Associated Press, based on data collected by the U.S. Postal Service and the Housing and Urban Development Department, shows the emptiest neighborhoods are clustered in places hit hard during the recession of the 1980s — cities such as Flint, Mich.; Columbus, Ohio; Buffalo, N.Y.; and Indianapolis."

"In some sections of certain areas like Cincinnati's Over-the-Rhine neighborhood, roughly two of every three homes are vacant or used by squatters. The area is more than 70 percent black and poor, with unemployment often around 50 percent. It's a place where simmering resentment and frustration boiled up into three days of rioting in 2001 after police fatally shot a young, unarmed black man fleeing arrest on traffic warrants."

"In Buffalo, there are as many as 10,000 vacant, abandoned homes. Suburban sprawl, an aging population and manufacturing losses have left the city with a population under 300,000 — about half what it was during the 1950s."

House Democrats unveil $94.2 billion wartime spending bill

"House Democrats unveiled a $94.2 billion wartime spending bill Monday which adds $9.3 billion to White House requests but also reflects serious doubts about the long-term viability of President Barack Obama’s military commitments to Afghanistan and its neighbor Pakistan. "

Get ready for more taxes, less service from $65B Florida budget deal

"A few days late and a little worn out, Florida legislators finally reached an accord Monday on how to balance the proposed $65 billion state budget that touches every life in the nation's fourth most-populous state."

"The budget raises an historic amount of taxes, fees and licenses -- about $2 billion worth -- on smokers, drivers, property owners, sportsmen, university students and sportsmen."

"Pumped with $5 billion in federal bailout cash, the budget provides a small boost in per-student spending for K-12 schools, and trims a wide array of Medicaid reimbursements to doctors and hospitals and applied a 2 percent reduction to the salaries of state workers earning more than $45,000 yearly."

Book Review: Sail

Title: Sail
Author: James Patterson
Genre: Mystery

Review: Horrible book. I have constantly promised myself that I will no longer read Patterson novels, however, the quickness by which I can read his novels make it hard to turn them down. I wish I would have though; I didn't even finish it.

Do not read this book!

Grade: F

Book Review: Indignation

Title: Indignation
Author: Philip Roth
Genre: Drama

Review: A good story. It is incredibly short and can be read in only a few hours.

Grade: B+

Book Review: The Spellman Files

Title: The Spellman Files
Author: Lisa Lutz
Genre: Mystery, Comedy

Review: This is a hilarious book. It is both entertaining and engrossing. I couldn't put it down. It is a comedy/crime novel about a family of private investigators and the life they live.

A must read!

Grade: A

(For all book reviews: the above link will guide you to the synopsis of the actual book. My only job is to tell you, in the least amount of words, whether it is worth reading or not).

Taxpayers to get rude surprise

"Millions of Americans enjoying their small windfall from President Barack Obama's "Making Work Pay" tax credit are in for an unpleasant surprise next spring. "

"The government is going to want some of that money back."

"The tax credit is supposed to provide up to $400 to individuals and $800 to married couples as part of the massive economic recovery package enacted in February. Most workers started receiving the credit through small increases in their paychecks in the past month."

"The credit pays workers 6.2 percent of their earned income, up to a maximum of $400 for individuals and $800 for married couples who file jointly. Individuals making more $95,000 and couples making more than $190,000 are ineligible."

"But new tax withholding tables issued by the IRS could cause millions of taxpayers to get hundreds of dollars more than they are entitled to under the credit, money that will have to be repaid at tax time."

"A single worker with two jobs making $20,000 a year at each job will get a $400 boost in take-home pay at each of them, for a total of $800. That worker, however, is eligible for a maximum credit of $400, so the remaining $400 will have to be paid back at tax time -- either through a smaller refund or a payment to the IRS."

Jacksonville Air Quality: F

"The American Lung Association has given Duval County an "F" grade in air quality."

"Breaking it down, the city scores an "F" in both the number of high ozone days and in particle pollution."

"The worst air quality? It's Los Angeles. By comparison, the ozone data for Los Angeles indicates a weighted average of 96.5. A failing grade is anything over a 3.3. Jacksonville rates a 7.0."

School Cut By 45 Minutes For Thousands of Local Students

"The Duval County School Board reduced the amount of time middle and high school students will spend at school next year."

"In a 5-2 vote, the board voted to reduce the school day by 45 minutes."

"The district says it will save $13 million dollars, but 200 positions will be cut. Students will have three 90-minute classes and one 45-minute class."

Teach for (Some of) America

"If you've spent time on university campuses lately, you probably know the answer. Teach for America -- the privately funded program that sends college grads into America's poorest school districts for two years -- received 35,000 applications this year, up 42% from 2008. More than 11% of Ivy League seniors applied, including 35% of African-American seniors at Harvard. Teach for America has been gaining applicants since it was founded in 1990, but its popularity has exploded this year amid a tight job market."

"So poor urban and rural school districts must be rejoicing, right? Hardly. Union and bureaucratic opposition is so strong that Teach for America is allotted a mere 3,800 teaching slots nationwide, or a little more than one in 10 of this year's applicants. Districts place a cap on the number of Teach for America teachers they will accept, typically between 10% and 30% of new hires. In the Washington area, that number is about 25% to 30%, but in Chicago, former home of Secretary of Education Arne Duncan, it is an embarrassing 10%."

"This is a tragic lost opportunity. Teach for America picks up the $20,000 tab for the recruitment and training of each teacher, which saves public money. More important, the program feeds high-energy, high-IQ talent into a teaching profession that desperately needs it. Unions claim the recent grads lack the proper experience and commitment to a teaching career. But the Urban Institute has studied the program and found that "TFA status more than offsets any experience effects. Disadvantaged secondary students would be better off with TFA teachers, especially in math and science, than with fully licensed in-field teachers with three or more years of experience."

Obama Calls for an End to 'Abusive' Credit Card Lending

"Surrounded by some of the country's top credit card company executives, President Obama today called for an end to "unfair rate increases," "abusive fees" and "confusing terms and conditions" facing American consumers."

"I think there has to be strong and reliable protections for consumers -- protections that ban unfair rate increases and forbid abusive fees and penalties," Obama said. "The days of anytime, any-reason rate hikes and late fee traps have to end."

"In addition to limits on rate increases and late-term penalties, the president called for companies to disclose the terms and conditions of credit cards "in plain language" and "in plain sight." "No more fine print, no more confusing terms and conditions. We want clarity and transparency from here on out," he said."

"He also proposed that each card issuer might issue "a plain vanilla, easy-to-understand" credit card "that the average user can feel comfortable with." There should also be more accountability for card issuers, he said. Those who break the law, Obama said, "will feel the full weight of the law.""

House votes to increase Fla. graduation standards

"High school graduation standards would be tightened under a bill that's cleared the Florida House."

"The measure (HB 1293) passed Thursday on a 75-42 party line vote with Republicans for and Democrats against."

"It would increase math and science requirements and the score needed on the Florida Comprehensive Assessment Test, or FCAT, to get a standard diploma."

Council members balk at Peyton's landfill deal

"In its initial vote on Mayor John Peyton’s Trail Ridge landfill proposal, Jacksonville’s City Council recommended to itself Thursday that the controversial plan be withdrawn."

"Meeting as a “committee of the whole,” council members voted 11-7 against allowing the city to extend its contract with Waste Management. At least two of those seven voted against the measure because they wanted more discussion, not necessarily because they supported the mayor’s plan."

"Peyton wants the council to waive procurement rules and allowed Waste Management to continue operating the landfill for the next 35 years or so, a deal worth an estimated $750 million. The recommendation for withdrawal will go before the full council for a final vote at Tuesday’s regularly scheduled meeting."

"How they voted
The Jacksonville City Council members, meeting as a “committee of the whole,” voted 11-7 Thursday to recommend to itself the withdrawal of the mayor’s proposal giving Waste Management a contract extension worth an estimated $750 million over the next 35 years. Here is how each member voted:"

Yes
Bill Bishop
Richard Clark
Michael Corrigan
Daniel Davis
Ronnie Fussell
Johnny Gaffney
Art Graham
Kevin Hyde
Glorious Johnson
Denise Lee
Jack Webb

No
Reggie Brown
John Crescimbeni
Ray Holt
Warren Jones
Stephen Joost
Don Redman
Clay Yarborough

Not present
Art Shad

You can run red lights, but you can't hide from cameras

"Cameras that automatically take pictures of motorists running red lights soon could be installed at intersections all over Florida."

"The Senate Ways and Means Committee on Tuesday passed a red-light camera bill (SB 2004) similar to one that received House committee approval Monday (HB 439)."

"If the chambers agree on a final version of the two bills, drivers caught on film would be fined $150 but would not have points assessed on their licenses, theoretically allowing them to avoid higher insurance bills."

"The big difference between the House and Senate bills is where money collected from the fines will go. Both versions would return $90 to the city or county where the cameras are mounted."

"The Senate bill directs $40 to general revenues — which can be spent on any state program — and $20 to hospital trauma centers; the House would send $30 to the state transportation trust fund — for roads and transit projects — and $30 to trauma centers."

Banned Techniques Yielded ‘High Value Information,’ Memo Says

"President Obama’s national intelligence director told colleagues in a private memo last week that the harsh interrogation techniques banned by the White House did produce significant information that helped the nation in its struggle with terrorists."

“High value information came from interrogations in which those methods were used and provided a deeper understanding of the al Qa’ida organization that was attacking this country,” Adm. Dennis C. Blair, the intelligence director, wrote in a memo to his staff last Thursday. "

Mortgage industry changes throw new hurdles in borrowers' way

"Mortgage rates and house prices are down -- which sounds great for buyers and refinancers. But mortgage industry underwriting and appraisal changes taking effect this month are putting new hurdles in the way of borrowers and loan officers."

"Take Fannie Mae's and Freddie Mac's add-on fees for loans purchased after April 1. In some cases, applicants are being hit with extra fees of 3% to 5% because of the type of property they want to buy or refinance, their credit scores or the size of their down payment."

"Some major lenders who sell loans to Fannie and Freddie are going further -- tightening underwriting rules beyond what either corporation requires. For example, as of April 6, Wells Fargo, one of the country's largest mortgage originators, imposed a new minimum FICO credit score of 720 -- up from the previous 620 -- on all conventional loans purchased through its wholesale system that have less than a 20% down payment. It also began requiring a total debt-to-income ratio maximum of 41% -- down from the previous 45%."

"Fannie Mae now has a mandatory fee of three-quarters of a percentage point on all condominium loans, no matter how high the applicant's credit score. For a once-popular interest-only condo loan with a 20% down payment and a borrower credit score of 690, Fannie imposes the following ratcheted sequence of add-ons: one-quarter of a percentage point as an "adverse market" fee; 1.5% for the below-optimal credit score; three-quarters of a percentage point for the interest-only payment feature; and the same because the property is a condo. The total comes to 3.25% extra, which can be paid upfront or rolled into the loan."

"On top of these extra fees, borrowers are now starting to get hit with two sets of cost-raising appraisal rule changes. Fannie and Freddie have begun requiring all appraisers to complete an extra "market condition" report that includes detailed statistical analyses of local sales and pricing trends -- above and beyond the regular appraisal data. Many appraisers are charging an extra $45 to $50 for the time required to complete the form. Home buyers and refinancers can expect to pay the higher fees."

"On top of that, beginning May 1, Fannie and Freddie are refusing to fund loans with appraisals that do not follow a set of new rules known as the Home Valuation Code of Conduct. Among the procedural changes: Mortgage brokers no longer can order appraisals directly, but instead must allow lenders or investors to use third-party "appraisal management companies" to assign the job to appraisers in their networks."

"How does that affect the consumer? Consider the notification one Connecticut brokerage firm recently received from a major lending partner: Starting April 15, all good faith estimates provided to applicants must indicate a flat $455 charge for appraisals arranged through the appraisal management company. The broker previously charged $325. Consumers will now have to pay the appraisal fee upfront -- before any inspection or valuation is completed -- using a credit card, debit card or electronic fund transfer."

62 Trillion Spam E-mails = ?

"According to a report released this week by computer security company McAfee, spammers last year generated a whopping 62 trillion junk e-mails."

"What does that mean in terms of energy?"

"Instead of sending messages asking for money or marketing Viagra, the electricity used sending the e-mails could have powered 2.4 million homes for a year or driven a car around the planet 1.6 times, according to the report. "

"Spam-related emissions for all e-mail users around the world in 2008 totaled 17 million metric tons of CO2, according to ICF International, the consulting firm that partnered with McAfee on the study. That's .2 percent of the total global emissions."

Decline in blacks in prison for drug crimes reverses 25-year trend

"For the first time in a quarter century, the number of African-Americans incarcerated for drug offenses in state prisons has declined more than 20 percent while the number of white imprisoned drug offenders has increased more than 40 percent."

"The decline took place over a six year period from 1999 to 2005 and reflects fundamental changes in the so-called "war on drugs" – how it's targeted and prosecuted – as well as the waning of the crack epidemic in predominantly minority urban areas and the increase in methamphetamine abuse in largely white rural neighborhoods. "

"According to the study, the number of blacks in state prisons on drug-related charges dropped from 144,700 in 1991 to 113,500 in 2005. The number of white drug-offenders in prison increased during the same time from 50,700 to 72,300."

"The majority of incarcerated drug offenders have been African-American – despite the fact that drug abuse rates are fairly equal across ethnic and racial lines – and that fed a widespread perception that law enforcement efforts were racially biased."

Florida Studies Reveal Huge Increase in Cost of Illegal Immigration and Widespread Voter Dissatisfaction

"A separate FAIR study, the Costs of Illegal Immigration to Floridians found that providing education and health care to illegal aliens and their families, and incarcerating criminal illegal aliens, costs state taxpayers more than $3.8 billion annually, more than double the costs measured in 2005."

"The Costs of Illegal Immigration to Floridians found that taxpayers spend:"

"-- $3.4 billion a year to educate illegal immigrant children and the U.S. born children of illegal immigrants. -- $290 million a year on unreimbursed health care for illegal aliens. -- $90 million a year to incarcerate criminal illegal aliens."

CNSNews.com Green Stimulus Money Costs More Jobs Than It Creates, Study Shows

"Every “green job” created with government money in Spain over the last eight years came at the cost of 2.2 regular jobs, and only one in 10 of the newly created green jobs became a permanent job, says a new study released this month. The study draws parallels with the green jobs programs of the Obama administration. "

"Spain’s experience (cited by President Obama as a model) reveals with high confidence, by two different methods, that the U.S. should expect a loss of at least 2.2 jobs on average, or about 9 jobs lost for every 4 created, to which we have to add those jobs that non-subsidized investments with the same resources would have created,” wrote Calzada in his report: Study of the Effects on Employment of Public Aid to Renewable Energy Sources."

Obama relaxes travel restrictions to Cuba

"President Barack Obama on Monday took a big step towards relaxing sanctions on Cuba, lifting all travel and remittance restrictions on Cuban-Americans and permitting US telecoms companies to offer services directly to the island."

"The end of the restrictions, which Mr Obama promised during his campaign, means Cuban-Americans will be able to travel to the island state when they like, as opposed to once a year, and send as much money as they want to relatives, as opposed to $75 a month. Mr Obama also said he would permit Cuban-Americans to pay for US-provided telecoms services to relatives living in Cuba."

HUD's Dollar Homes falls short of mission

"Congress launched the program in 1998 to clear the Department of Housing and Urban Development's books of foreclosures and provide affordable housing. Local governments would buy the homes for $1, fix them up and resell them at a discount to poor families, who would get a chance to put down roots in the community."

"At least that's how it was supposed to work. A Times investigation has found that the Dollar Homes program has helped housing contractors and investors, but there is no evidence that it has provided any lasting benefit to people like the Ptaceks. The findings offer a cautionary tale as the Obama administration works to craft similar efforts to help communities ravaged by the housing slump."

"More than 2,300 homes have been sold by HUD for $1 each nationwide, with 326 in California. Nearly half of the homes in California were bought by companies or individuals who typically resold them at a much higher price. Only 15% were sold to nonprofit housing groups such as Habitat for Humanity, records show."

Obama requests $83.4 billion more for war spending

"President Obama is seeking an additional $83.4 billion for military operations in Iraq and Afghanistan, a request that will drive the cost of the two wars to nearly $1 trillion since 2001."

"The budget request, to cover operations for the remainder of 2009, comes on top of $67.2 billion approved last fall as a down payment for the year. However, the annual total, about $150 billion, is lower than the amount spent in 2008, after the conclusion of the U.S. troop "surge" in Iraq."

"The $83.4-billion request includes $75.8 billion for military operations. An additional $7.1 billion will go to diplomatic efforts and foreign aid, including $1.6 billion for Afghanistan, $1.4 billion for Pakistan and $700 million for Iraq."

"In February, the Obama administration estimated that it would need $75.5 billion. The extra money will be used in part for $400 million to increase security on the U.S.-Mexico border. The proposal also includes an additional $3.6 billion for Afghanistan's forces and $400 million to help fund counterinsurgency efforts in Pakistan."

Laid-off U.S. workers finding new jobs, less pay

"Half of U.S. workers laid off in the past year who were questioned in a survey released on Wednesday reported finding new jobs, but often with less pay and in a different field."

"The survey of 807 adults who lost full-time jobs in the past year showed that 49 percent had found new jobs but of those, 49 percent now earn less money."

"Of those with new jobs, 38 percent said they are now employed in a different field, the survey found. Eight percent reported finding part-time work."

Study Buoys Mortgage Modification

"Cutting financially troubled borrowers' monthly mortgage payments by more than 10% reduces the chances that they will fall behind again after their loan is modified, a study found."

"While modifications that result in lower payments are increasing, nearly half of all loan workouts still result in the same or higher payments, the study found."

"The report comes as a weak economy and falling home prices are creating problems for a number of borrowers, including many who previously had good credit. The biggest percentage jump in troubled loans was for prime mortgages, with 2.4% of these loans more than 60 days past due at the end of the fourth quarter, up from 1.1% at the end of the first quarter. The portion of subprime loans that were more than 60 days past due climbed to 16% from 11% during this same period. Overall, more than one in 10 loans were 60 days past due, the report found."

"Some borrowers fall behind again because of job loss or other problems, but whether or not the borrower gets payment relief also appears to play a role in the outcome. The redefault rate was just 26% after nine months when monthly payments were cut by more than 10%, compared with about 50% when the payment increased or remained the same."

"Servicers have stepped up their efforts to modify loans and reduce borrowers' payments in response to pressure to reduce foreclosures. The percentage of modifications that reduced loan payments by more than 10% increased to 37% in the fourth quarter from 26% in the third quarter. Still, roughly one in four borrowers saw their payments increase after their loan was modified."

"Mortgage servicers have been more successful modifying loans that are held on their own books than those that are owned by mortgage investors. Nearly half of investor loans were at least 60 days delinquent nine months after they were modified compared with about 30% of loans that are held in bank portfolios. Servicers said they have more flexibility to rework loan terms for mortgages they own than for those held by investors."

Sex offender sentenced to 70 years

"A youthful-looking sex offender who posed as a 12-year-old boy to enroll in several Arizona schools was sentenced to more than 70 years in prison Tuesday."

"Neil Havens Rodreick II pleaded guilty last year to seven criminal charges. Most involved child pornography but two stemmed from the charade he pulled off for two years."

"Authorities didn't find any victims of sexual abuse at the schools Rodreick attended, but they found an extensive collection of child pornography at his home."

"Rodreick originally faced 28 counts, but pleaded guilty to only a quarter of them: four counts of sexual exploitation of a minor stemming from the pornography, and one count each of failure to register as a sex offender, fraud and simple assault. The assault charge involved an allegation that he grabbed a girl's buttocks at a school in Prescott Valley with the intent to injure, insult or provoke."

Fewer Bus Stops Part of School Transportation Changes

"More students in Duval County could be walking to school or seeing their parents give them a ride to a school so they can catch a magnet bus."

"The Duval County School Board is rethinking its transportation plan to save money in tight times. Several changes are being considered that would add up to nearly $5 million in savings to taxpayers."

"One proposal up for debate would cut some bus stops for students who attend magnet schools. This plan would have magnet students picked from their neighborhood school and then bused to their magnet school."

"Another transportation change would increase the distance from school where transportation is provided. At present, students are not afforded a bus ride if they live closer than 1.5 miles from their school. That distance could be increased to 2 miles, which is the state standard."

$1T hit to pensions could cost taxpayers, workers

"Pensions need $270 billion in additional contributions over the next four years, and more than $100 billion annually for two decades hence, according to the Center for Retirement Research at Boston College."

"But as bad as the budget picture looks, it is dwarfed by the size of the gaps in states' pensions, which have collectively lost at least $1 trillion as financial markets swooned over the past year. Public pensions cover about 14 million state and local employees and paid out almost $163 billion to seven million retirees in 2006-2007, according to the Census Bureau."

1 in 5 Medicare patients readmitted within month

"One in five Medicare patients ends up back in the hospital within a month of discharge, a large study found, and that practice costs billions of dollars a year."

"The findings suggest patients aren't told enough about how to take care of themselves and stay healthy before they go home, the researchers said. A few simple things — like making a doctor's appointment for departing patients — can help, they said."

"The study found that a surprising half of the non-surgery patients who returned within a month hadn't even seen a doctor between hospital stays."

"About 10% of all readmissions were probably planned, such as putting in a stent, the researchers said. They estimated that unplanned return visits accounted for $17.4 billion of the $102.6 billion that Medicare paid hospitals in 2004."

9 Texans made nearly 2,700 ER visits

"Just nine people accounted for nearly 2,700 of the emergency room visits in the Austin area during the past six years at a cost of $3 million to taxpayers and others, according to a report."

"The patients went to hospital emergency rooms 2,678 times from 2003 through 2008, said the report from the non-profit Integrated Care Collaboration, a group of health care providers who care for low-income and uninsured patients."

GOP proposes big tax cuts, spending curbs

"Despite spending reductions, the plan projects permanent deficits exceeding $500 billion into the future, fueled largely by big tax cuts."

"The GOP plan would offer a dramatically simplified tax code in which couples would have the option of a 10 percent rate on the first $100,000 of income, with a 25 percent rate thereafter, with the first $25,000 of income exempt from taxation. Single filers could get a $12,500 exemption and a 10 percent rate on income up to $50,000."

"Taxpayers could also opt to remain in the current system. On Medicare, workers under the age of 55 would enroll in private plans and receive premium subsidies equal to the average Medicare benefit when they retire. Benefits would not be changed for people in the program or people 55 or older."

Florida to receive $168M to go green

"Florida will receive $168 million in federal stimulus money to pay for projects that reduce energy use, greenhouse gas emissions and improve energy efficiency."

"The money is being made available through the Energy Efficiency and Conservation Block Grant (EECBG) program, which was signed into law in 2007. However, the program was not funded until the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act of 2009 was signed into law."

"The money will be allocated through grants to 17 counties ($74 million), 69 cities ($64 million), two tribal governments ($243,000) and the governor’s Energy Office ($30 million)."

"In addition, the Energy Office will distribute $18 million in sub-grants – 60 percent of its federal allocation to smaller cities and counties that are ineligible for direct formula grants."

U.S. study backs shelter, drink for homeless alcoholics

"A program that gives shelter to homeless alcoholics but allows them to keep drinking and not be forced into treatment could save taxpayers millions in public costs, according to a study published on Tuesday. The study also found that daily alcohol consumption fell by 2 percent per month for those in the shelter."

"The results were based on a look at 95 people admitted to a program in Seattle called Housing First from 2005 to 2007. They were compared with others who were still on the street and on waiting lists to get into the shelter."

"After 12 months in the shelter the total public costs relating to the care of the 95 individuals was cut by more than $4 million compared to the year before, the researchers said.

"In the year before entering the shelter, those who got in had run up more than $4,000 each per month in costs for jail, detox center use, hospital-based medical services, publicly funded alcohol and drug programs, emergency medical services and the like, the study team said."

"But after they entered the housing arrangement, their individual monthly costs for using such services fell to $1,492 after six months and to $958 after a year -- a reduction in total costs of more than $4 million, the researchers said."

"Each of them had cost state and local governments an average of $86,062 per year before being housed, compared to an average of $13,440 it costs per person per year to administer the housing program," Larimer said."

House Energy Bill Seeks to Cap Greenhouse Gases

"The economy may be in the tank, but that hasn't stopped Washington from taking aim at global warming. First, President Barack Obama lived up to his campaign promises by including caps on emissions of greenhouse gases in his proposed budget, and telling his Environmental Protection Agency to start moving on regulations under existing laws. Now, House Energy & Commerce Committee Chairman Henry A. Waxman (D-Calif.) has fulfilled his promise to move aggressively on climate legislation. On Mar. 31 he and Representative Edward J. Markey (D-Mass.), chairman of the energy and environment subcommittee, released a draft of a massive 648-page bill that tackles both climate and energy. "This legislation will create millions of clean energy jobs, put America on the path to energy independence, and cut global warming pollution," Waxman claims."

"On the energy front, the proposal takes the controversial step of requiring 25% of all electricity to come from renewable sources (or energy efficiency steps) by 2025. It promotes a "smart" transmission grid, more energy-efficient buildings, higher-mileage cars, and training programs for green jobs. But the climate provisions are getting the most attention, prompting a flood of responses from environmentalists and business groups."

Few Floridians sign up for low-cost health care

"Gov. Charlie Crist and the state legislature thought they had found a solution to these problems when they created Cover Florida, a low-cost, unsubsidized health insurance for adults. When Cover Florida took effect in January, Crist said it could extend coverage to nearly 4 million of the state's uninsured."

"Yet three months into the program, less than 1,500 people have enrolled statewide."

"It's disappointing to me," Crist said Monday during a press conference at a medical clinic in Hialeah."

"It's certainly easy to qualify for the insurance - you need to be between the ages of 19 and 64, have been laid off from your job or have not had health insurance for six months. Those with pre-existing health conditions will not be denied enrollment to Cover Florida, but plans can exclude payment for treatment of certain pre-existing conditions for one year."

"The average monthly premium for the program is $155. Some policies cover only the basics such as office visits, screenings, emergency room care and prescription drugs. Others will offer hospitalization and catastrophic coverage, but they cost more; children and seniors are not covered because there are other state plans available to them. Premiums vary according to age, gender, geography and options, such as deductibles, that consumers can choose."

Free Medical Care for Some Who've Lost Their Jobs

"Free Medical Care is being offered for certain people who've lost their jobs. It's all part of a program called "Take Care Recovery." And, it's being offered at certain Walgreens all across the country."

"The clinics at these Walgreens will offer free "sick" visits. For instance, if you feel like you have the flu, you can stop by to get checked out for free."

"The "free" part only applies to those who are already members of Walgreens Take Care medical service and those who have lost their jobs starting today."

D.O.T. Wants New Toll Road

"The Florida Department of Transportation hopes to make a beltway connecting I-10 in Duval County and I-95 in St. Johns County a toll road. "

"The 46.5 mile beltway would use part of Chaffee road on the westside, go down through Clay County and create a new Shands Bridge."

"The entire project would cost two billion dollars. The D.O.T. is hoping to hire a company to build the beltway, then maintain the road by charging a toll."

"It says by using tolls, the project could be done in five to seven years. By comparison, the D.O.T says the entire State Road 9A project took 20 years to complete under more conventional funding methods."

Labor Agency Is Failing Workers, Report Says

"The federal agency charged with enforcing minimum wage, overtime and many other labor laws is failing in that role, leaving millions of workers vulnerable, Congressional auditors have found."

"In a report scheduled to be released Wednesday, the Government Accountability Office found that the agency, the Labor Department’s Wage and Hour Division, had mishandled 9 of the 10 cases brought by a team of undercover agents posing as aggrieved workers."

"In one case, the division failed to investigate a complaint that under-age children in Modesto, Calif., were working during school hours at a meatpacking plant with dangerous machinery, the G.A.O., the nonpartisan auditing arm of Congress, found. "

Public university students could pay 'green' fee

"College students in Florida could pay a new "green" fee that would help pay for solar energy and other types of renewable energy."

"The Senate Higher Education Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that allows the state's 11 public universities to charge the fee if students approve it in a referendum. The fee could be up to $5 per credit hour or $150 a year for a full-time student. The money would be used to reduce the greenhouse gases or energy needs of university campuses."

Public university students could pay 'green' fee

"College students in Florida could pay a new "green" fee that would help pay for solar energy and other types of renewable energy."

"The Senate Higher Education Committee on Wednesday approved a bill that allows the state's 11 public universities to charge the fee if students approve it in a referendum. The fee could be up to $5 per credit hour or $150 a year for a full-time student. The money would be used to reduce the greenhouse gases or energy needs of university campuses."

Freddie Mac portfolio reaches record $822B

"The Obama administration is counting on Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac to revive the mortgage market, and McLean-based Freddie Mac did its part last month by increasing its retained portfolio of mortgages by $23.1 billion to an all-time high of $822 billion."

"The total of those guarantee commitments eased 1.4 percent in February to $1.82 trillion. Adding that to Freddie’s retained portfolio, the company’s total of loans owned or guaranteed increased 3 percent during the month to $2.2 trillion."

Unemployment hits harder among Latinos, blacks

"Since the recession began in December 2007, Latino unemployment has risen 4.7 percentage points, to 10.9 percent, according to the Bureau of Labor Statistics. Black unemployment has risen 4.5 points, to 13.5 percent. White unemployment has risen 2.9 points, to 7.3 percent."

Election 08 Results by District

District 4 - Presidential Results for 2008:

Obama: 37%
McCain: 62%

District 4 - House Election Results for 2008:

Jay McGovern: 34.74%
Ander Crenshaw: 65.25%

Only 1% voted third party. That is very depressing.

House passes bill taxing AIG, other bonuses

"The Democratic-led House overwhelmingly approved a bill on Thursday to slap punishing taxes on big employee bonuses from AIG and other firms bailed out by taxpayers."

"The vote was 328-93."

"We want our money back and we want our money back now for the taxpayers," said House Speaker Nancy Pelosi, D-Calif."

"The bonuses, totaling $165 million, were paid to employees of troubled insurer American International Group, including to traders in the unit that nearly brought about the company's collapse."

"In all, 243 Democrats and 85 Republicans voted "yes" on the bill. It was opposed by six Democrats and 87 Republicans."

"The bill levies a 90 percent tax on bonuses paid to employees with family incomes above $250,000 at companies that have received at least $5 billion in government bailout money."

Study: Fla. No. 3 for business

"Florida moved up in the ranks to become the third-best state in which to conduct business, according to Chief Executive magazine."

"The magazine evaluated states on natural resources, regulation, tax policies, quality of living, education and infrastructure, among others. Florida ranked No. 10 in 2008."

"However, Florida didn't rank as high in some of the categories. For example, the Sunshine State ranked No. 42 when it comes to the cost of business, No. 18 for transportation, No. 39 for education and No. 23 for quality of life."

Fannie Is Handing Out Its Own Sizable Retention Payouts

"Fannie Mae is due to pay retention bonuses of between $470,000 and $611,000 this year to some executives, despite enormous losses at the government-backed mortgage company. Fannie's main rival, Freddie Mac, also plans to pay such bonuses but hasn't yet provided details."

"But the Fannie bonuses are still considerable and come at a time when Fannie and Freddie are receiving increasing amounts of funding from the Treasury. For 2008, Fannie and Freddie reported combined losses of about $108 billion, largely stemming from a surge in home-mortgage defaults. The Treasury has agreed to provide as much as $200 billion of capital apiece to Fannie and Freddie in exchange for preferred stock. The two companies have said they will need a combined $60 billion of that money to cover their losses so far."

"A recent Fannie securities filing, providing details on a bonus plan announced last year, says that Michael Williams, the company's chief operating officer, is due to receive cash retention awards of $611,000 this year, atop a similar award of $260,000 in 2008. His base salary is $676,000 a year."

"The company also disclosed plans to pay retention awards this year of $517,000 to David Hisey and $470,000 each to Thomas Lund and Kenneth Bacon. All three are executive vice presidents."

HUD AND DOT ANNOUNCE INTERAGENCY PARTNERSHIP TO PROMOTE SUSTAINABLE COMMUNITIES

"One of my highest priorities is to help promote more livable communities through sustainable surface transportation programs," said Secretary LaHood."

"This partnership will help expand every American family's choices for affordable housing and transportation," said Secretary Donovan. "HUD's central mission - ensuring that every American has access to decent, affordable housing - can be achieved only in context of the housing, transportation, and energy costs and choices that American families experience each day."

"DOT and HUD have created a high-level interagency task force to better coordinate federal transportation and housing investments and identify strategies to give American families:

• More choices for affordable housing near employment opportunities;
• More transportation options, to lower transportation costs, shorten travel times, and improve the environment; and
• Safe, livable, healthy communities."

Fed pumps $1.2tn into US economy

"The biggest surprise was the announcement that the Fed would buy up to $300bn worth of government debt, known as US Treasuries, over the next six months."

"It also said it would buy an additional $750bn of mortgage-backed securities to boost mortgage lending, bringing total purchases of this type to $1.25 trillion."

"It added that it would buy a further $100bn in debt issued by government-sponsored agencies like Freddie Mac, which supports the mortgage market."

Some librarians dispute law on lead in children's books

"But a new federal law banning more than minute levels of lead in most products intended for children 12 or younger — and a federal agency's interpretation of the law — prompted at least two libraries last month to pull children's books printed before 1986 from their shelves."

"We're talking about tens of millions of copies of children's books that are perfectly safe. I wish a reasonable, rational person would just say, 'This is stupid. What are we doing?"' said Emily Sheketoff, executive director of the American Library Association's Washington office."

"A CPSC spokesman told The Associated Press in a recent interview that until more testing is done, the nation's more than 116,000 public and school libraries should take steps to ensure that children are kept away from books printed before 1986."

U.S. births break record; 40% out-of-wedlock

"More babies were born in the United States in 2007 than any year in the nation's history — and a wedding band made increasingly little difference in the matter. The 4,317,119 births, reported by federal researchers Wednesday, topped a record first set in 1957 at the height of the baby boom."

"Behind the number is both good and bad news. While it shows the U.S. population is more than replacing itself, a healthy trend, the teen birth rate was up for a second year in a row."

"The birth rate rose slightly for women of all ages, and births to unwed mothers reached an all-time high of about 40%, continuing a trend that started years ago. More than three-quarters of these women were 20 or older."

"Cesarean section deliveries continue to rise, now accounting for almost a third of all births. Health officials say that rate is much higher than is medically necessary. About 34% of births to black women were by C-section, more than any other racial group. But geographically, the percentages were highest in Puerto Rico, at 49%, and New Jersey, at 38%."

Fake Outrage? AIG Bonuses Known Months Ago

"For months, the Obama administration and members of Congress have known that insurance giant AIG was getting ready to pay huge bonuses while living off government bailouts. It wasn't until the money was flowing and news was trickling out to the public that official Washington rose up in anger and vowed to yank the money back. "

"Why the sudden furor, just weeks after Barack Obama's team paid out $30 billion in additional aid to the company? So far, the administration has been unable to match its actions to Mr. Obama's tough rhetoric on executive compensation. And Congress has been unable or unwilling to restrict bonuses for bailout recipients, despite some lawmakers' repeated efforts to do so."

"While administration officials insisted Tuesday that neither Mr. Obama nor Geithner learned of the impending bonus payments until last week, the problem wasn't new. AIG's plans to pay hundreds of millions of dollars were publicized last fall, when Congress started asking questions about expensive junkets the company had sponsored. A November SEC filing by the company details more than $469 million in "retention payments" to keep prized employees. "

"Around the same time, Congress and Mr. Obama's team were passing up an opportunity to put in place strict laws to revoke bonuses from recipients of the $700 billion Wall Street bailout. In February, the Senate voted to add such a proposal to the economic recovery bill that cleared Congress, but in final closed-door talks on the measure, that provision was dropped in favor of limits that affect only future payments. "

Characteristics of Private Schools in the United States: Results from the 2007-08 Private School Universe Survey

Read page 18 of the PDF file.

Graduation Rate for 12th Graders of Private Schools: 99%

Graduation Rate for 12 Graders of Duval County Public Schools: 65.9%

Sales tax hike for education?

"The idea of a sales tax increase to support education appears be gaining steam in the Legislature. On the same day that two Democrats and the state’s largest teachers’ union held a news conference touting a temporary one-cent increase in the tax, Gov. Charlie Crist said he wouldn’t rule out the proposal."

"The plans being discussed would bump the statewide sales tax from 6 cents on the dollar to 7 cents, with any local taxes tacked on to that. The proposal floated by the Florida Education Association, a 140,000-member union, would expire after three years."

Interesting chart from the article:

1 cent

The amount of the proposed sales tax increase

$2.42

The amount the Florida Education Association says it would cost a family of four each week.

$3 billion

The amount the increase is expected to raise annually for public education and colleges and universities.

$31.2 billion

Gov. Charlie Crist's proposed education budget for the coming fiscal year.

Corrine Brown Video Regarding the Gator!

An interesting video of Corrine Brown (D) a representative of Jacksonville in the House of Representatives.

Health care reform likely $1.5 trillion

"Guaranteeing health insurance for all Americans may cost about $1.5 trillion over the next decade, health experts say. That's more than double the $634 billion 'down payment' President Barack Obama set aside for health reform in his budget, raising the prospect of sticker shock at a time of record federal spending."

"The health care plan Obama offered as a candidate would have cost nearly $1.2 trillion over ten years, according to a detailed estimate last fall by the Lewin Group, a leading consulting and policy analysis firm. The campaign plan would not have covered all the uninsured, as most Democrats in Congress want to do. But it is a starting point for lawmakers."

"John Sheils, a senior vice president of the Lewin Group, said about $1.5 trillion to $1.7 trillion would be a credible estimate for a plan that commits the nation to covering all its citizens. That would amount to around 4 percent of projected health care costs over the next 10 years, he added."

Soaring Costs Jeopardize Missile Defense Systems

"Congressional auditors estimated that the national missile defense programs could have cost overruns of $2 billion to $3 billion, reinforcing widespread expectations that they will be subject to cuts by the Obama administration."

"The G.A.O. said that the Pentagon’s Missile Defense Agency has spent almost $56 billion since it began developing and fielding defense systems in 2002, and it is likely to spend $50 billion more over the next five years."

New-home construction logs unexpected gain

"The government says construction of new homes rose sharply in February, defying economists' forecasts for yet another drop in activity."

"The Commerce Department reported Tuesday that construction of new homes and apartments jumped 22.2 percent from January to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 583,000 units. Economists were expecting construction to drop to a pace of around 450,000 units."

Administration Is Open to Taxing Health Benefits

"The Obama administration is signaling to Congress that the president could support taxing some employee health benefits, as several influential lawmakers and many economists favor, to help pay for overhauling the health care system."

"The proposal is politically problematic for President Obama, however, since it is similar to one he denounced in the presidential campaign as “the largest middle-class tax increase in history.” Most Americans with insurance get it from their employers, and taxing workers for the benefit is opposed by union leaders and some businesses."

"Mr. Obama’s proposed limit on deductions would raise an estimated $318 billion over 10 years, or half of his proposed “health care reserve fund.” That is a fraction of the revenues that could be raised from taxing employer-provided health benefits."

"In the campaign, Mr. McCain estimated that taxing all health benefits would raise $3.6 trillion over a decade — “a multitrillion-dollar tax hike,” one Obama advertisement said".

"The Congressional Budget Office says that including health benefits in taxable income could mean $246 billion in additional revenue for a single year. Stopping short of full taxation, as Mr. Baucus and others suggest, would mean less new revenue."

Obama calls AIG bonuses an 'outrage to the taxpayers'

"President Obama reacted angrily today to reports that American International Group Inc. employees received $165 million in bonuses -- even as the giant insurer was being sustained by billions of dollars of taxpayer money -- and said he would use his administration's power to block the bonuses."

"Under these circumstances, it's hard to understand how derivative traders at AIG warranted any bonuses, much less $165 million in extra pay," Obama said. "How do they justify this outrage to the taxpayers who are keeping the company afloat?"

"In the last six months, AIG has received substantial sums from the U.S. Treasury," he continued. "I've asked Secretary Geithner to use that leverage and pursue every legal avenue to block these bonuses and make the American taxpayers whole."

"It was unclear what the White House could do legally to stop the bonuses, which reportedly ranged from $1,000 to $6.5 million and were mainly being paid to executives in AIG's financial products division."

"The AIG situation is especially galling for many policymakers and Americans alike because the company has received $180 billion in federal bailout funds."

Proposed Florida seat belt law could lock in funds, cut costs

"At issue is whether Florida will join 25 other states and the District of Columbia in approving a "primary" seat belt law and claiming federal dollars that would come with the change."

"Law enforcement officers in Florida now have to pull over an adult driver for some other offense, such as speeding, before writing a ticket for not wearing a seat belt."

"Under a primary enforcement law, an officer could pull over a driver just because he or she isn't wearing a seat belt."

"The main motive for pushing the measure, supporters say, is its ability to protect Floridians. Backers of primary enforcement say it could save 124 lives a year and prevent 1,700 serious injuries."

"But some black lawmakers have either co-sponsored the bill or voted for it in committee, citing recent research that shows racial profiling concerns might be misplaced or noting that law enforcement officers have to note the ethnicity of the driver on any ticket issued for not wearing a seat belt. Studies also have shown that young black men are less likely to wear seat belts than other people, but more likely to do so in states with primary enforcement laws."

American Adults Flunk Basic Science

"According to the national survey commissioned by the California Academy of Sciences:

• Only 53% of adults know how long it takes for the Earth to revolve around the Sun.
• Only 59% of adults know that the earliest humans and dinosaurs did not live at the same time.
• Only 47% of adults can roughly approximate the percent of the Earth's surface that is covered with water.*
• Only 21% of adults answered all three questions correctly."

Obama defends tax hikes, promises to steer clear of protectionism

"President Barack Obama defended his tax increases on those making more than $250,000 a year to a contingent of CEOs Thursday and promised not to let the current recession steer a course toward protectionist trade policies."

"Obama defended his plan to raise the top federal income tax bracket from 35 percent to 39.6 percent for couples making $250,000 or more. Small business owners have criticized that plan, worrying it will not help job growth or investments and the determination that amount of income is considered rich. Obama’s tax plans also would raise some investment taxes."

"Obama told the CEOs “It will still be lower than they were during the Clinton era. You will pay a tax rate on capital gains and dividends that is also lower than it was during most of the 1990s. And the revenue that results from these changes will reduce the deficit by $750 billion over the next 10 years,” Obama said."

U.S. household wealth falls $11.2 trillion in 2008

"U.S. households suffered a record 9 percent drop in wealth and pared debt in the fourth quarter as a deepening recession battered confidence and finances, Federal Reserve data showed on Thursday."

"Household net worth dropped by $5.1 trillion from the prior quarter to $51.5 trillion. For the full year, net worth dropped by $11.2 trillion, reflecting steep declines in the housing and stock markets."

"The declines in household net worth were the largest since quarterly and annual records began in 1951 and 1946, respectively, said the Fed -- the U.S. central bank."

"Since a second-quarter 2007 peak of $64.4 trillion, household wealth has dropped by about 20 percent, effectively wiping out four years of gains. That has put a chill on consumer spending and added to Americans' anxiety about their economic well-being."

Congress still slated to get automatic pay hike

"Congress' automatic pay raises are in little immediate danger of being scrapped for good, even with the economy slumping and millions of Americans unemployed."

"House Speaker Nancy Pelosi on Thursday would not commit to holding a vote on a bill to do away with the annual cost-of-living increases. She pointed out that Congress recognized the economic crisis by voting this week to skip next year's raise."

College freshmen study booze more than books

"Nearly half of college freshmen who drink alcohol spend more time drinking each week than they do studying, suggests a survey involving more than 30,000 first-year students on 76 campuses who took an online alcohol education course last fall."

"Students who said they had at least one drink in the past 14 days spent an average 10.2 hours a week drinking, and averaged about 8.4 hours a week studying, according to findings being presented today at a conference in Seattle for campus student affairs officials. Nearly 70% of respondents (20,801 students) said they drank. Of those, 49.4% spent more time drinking than studying."

Fla. teens given probation for videotaped beating

"Two teenage girls accused of taking part in a notorious videotaped beating of a central Florida girl last year have been sentenced to probation and required to write letters of apology."

"A judge sentenced April Cooper to two years probation on Wednesday. Kayla Hassall was given one year probation."

"Five teens were charged in connection with the beating last March. Authorities say Victoria Lindsay was hit several times and knocked unconscious. The 16-year-old suffered a concussion, bruises and other injuries."

PACs Hit Record Numbers — and Dollars — in 2008

"Federal registrations by PACs increased by 9 percent, according to the Federal Election Commission, growing from 4,234 on Jan. 1, 2008, to 4,611 by Jan. 1, 2009. It was the largest jump in registrations since 1984, with 360 new committees being added to the rolls during the last six months of the year, the most for such a period in 30 years."

"As the number of PACs increased so did the amount they contributed either directly or indirectly to campaigns, according to a CQ MoneyLine study of PAC contributions. All together, committees donated a record $418 million during the 2008 election cycle, eclipsing the 2006 election by $41 million and the 2004 election by more than $100 million."

"Most of the 2008 PAC money went to Democrats, who received $235 million compared to Republicans, who got $183 million."

Florida lawmakers consider ban on bestiality

"The act of bestiality is a step closer to becoming illegal in Florida now that a Senate agriculture committee voted to slap a third-degree felony charge on anyone who has sex with animals."

"Florida is one of only 16 states that still permit bestiality -- a fact that animal-rights activist and Sunrise Sen. Nan Rich learned to her horror when a Panhandle man three years ago was suspected of accidentally asphyxiating a family goat that he held by the collar while engaged in a sex act."

Wal-Mart donates $1.2 million for Clay park

"Wal-Mart donated $1.2 million to Clay County government today to help build and design a county park on land also donated by the retail chain."

"The park, behind the newest Wal-Mart Supercenter on Blanding Boulevard north of College Drive, is expected to cost $2 million to $2.5 million and be complete in 2 to 3 years, said county Parks and Recreation Director Tom Price."

Supreme Court limits reach of Voting Rights Act

"The Supreme Court limited the reach of the Voting Rights Act today, ruling that there is no duty to draw voting districts that will elect black candidates in areas where blacks are less than a majority."

"In a 5-4 decision, the court said officials need not consider race when drawing districts for state legislatures, county boards, city councils and school districts, so long as blacks do not make up a voting majority in a particular area."

"State lawmakers believed the Voting Rights Act required them to draw districts that would give black candidates a realistic chance of winning."

"But in today's opinion, the court said they had misread the law. It said the law applies "only when a geographically compact group of minority voters could form a majority in a single-member district," Kennedy said."

Poll: Rise In Americans With No Religion

"A wide-ranging study on American religious life found that the percentage of Christians in the nation has declined and more people say they have no religion at all. "

"Fifteen percent of respondents said they had no religion, an increase from 14.2 percent in 2001 and 8.2 percent in 1990, according to the American Religious Identification Survey."

"In 2008, Christians comprised 76 percent of U.S. adults, compared to about 77 percent in 2001 and about 86 percent in 1990. Researchers said the dwindling ranks of mainline Protestants, including Methodists, Lutherans and Episcopalians, largely explains the shift. Over the last seven years, mainline Protestants dropped from just over 17 percent to 12.9 percent of the population. "

"About 12 percent of Americans believe in a higher power but not the personal God at the core of monotheistic faiths. And, since 1990, a slightly greater share of respondents - 1.2 percent - said they were part of new religious movements, including Scientology, Wicca and Santeria. "

Even in a recession, some companies are hiring

"While the recession has claimed 4.4 million jobs, the economy has created others, many of them for highly trained and specialized professionals. More than 2 million jobs openings now exist across a range of industries, according to government data."

"Job seekers beware, though. An average of nearly five people are competing for each opening. That's up sharply from a ratio of less than 2-to-1 in December 2007, when the recession was just starting and nearly 4 million openings existed."

"Human resources executives say companies that are hiring are benefiting from a top-notch talent pool as applications pour in from a larger base of job seekers. The number of unemployed Americans has soared, to 12.5 million last month, from 7 million when the recession began. "

"Broadly, jobs are being added in education, health care and the government, the Labor Department said, with the government adding 9,000 new jobs last month alone."

Fla. unemployment jumps to 8.6 percent in Jan.

"Florida's unemployment rate jumped a full percentage point in January from the month before to 8.6 percent, with 800,000 workers out of a job, state officials said Friday."

"It's the highest the state's seasonally adjusted, nonagricultural jobless rate has been in more than 16 years - since September 1992, when it hit 8.9 percent."

"Florida's January rate also was a full percentage point above the 7.6 percent national figure for that month."

"That's due largely to Florida's heavy reliance on construction and the continued decline in the housing market, said officials with the Agency for Workforce Innovation."

"Gov. Charlie Crist already has signed an agreement with the U.S. Department of Labor to increase weekly unemployment benefits by $25. That increase went into effect Feb. 22. Unemployed workers should start getting the extra dollars by the end of March."

"Crist also has recommended to the Legislature that about $81 million in stimulus be spent this budget year, which runs through June 30, and nearly $77.8 million in the next one to match job seekers with businesses and train workers."

"The governor also has proposed using $32 million in stimulus over the next two years to improve and expand the agency so it can better handle the crush of unemployed workers seeking compensation and job-finding assistance."

Jacksonville Journey Could Get $4 Million From Stimulus

"According to the city, Jacksonville could get about $38 million from the federal stimulus package. $4 million would come through the State Department of Justice for the Jacksonville Journey. It's a project not everyone has been on board with."

"I think that the Journey has received $31 million, and I think that if any additional funds come into Jacksonville, they need to go to grass roots organizations," says Donald Foy with Mad Dads."

"Foy used to be on of one of the Journey's committees but later stepped down, after saying he didn't feel it was serving the community the best it could."

"The answer to the murder problem in Jacksonville is not going to just be one solution. I think those after school programs are good, but we want to stop the murder problem. Most of the murders are happening between the ages of 19 to 34 years old. I think the resources need to be given to groups that are not already apart of the Jacksonville Journey that are working at the grass root level of the community," says Foy."

"The city says the Florida Department of Transportation is expecting to get $20 million for projects. $12 million will go for energy efficiency projects and $2 million will be through community development block grants."

"The Jacksonville Journey allocated close to $31 million for the 2009 fiscal year. $10.8 million went towards increasing police presence"

Sink: Fla. not doing enough to get federal grants

"Chief Financial Officer Alex Sink says Florida isn't doing enough to get its share of federal money."

"Sink sent a report to lawmakers on Wednesday saying Florida ranks 45th when it comes to getting money for everything from health care to transportation. She says the state could get $6 billion a year more if Florida received the national average."

"Sink says she has no idea what the state's Washington D.C. office does or even how much money it spends. That office reports directly to Gov. Charlie Crist. Sink added that there's lack of coordination between the Legislature and state agencies."

Freedom in the 50 States: Index of Personal and Economic Freedom

"We find that the freest states in the country are New Hampshire, Colorado, and South Dakota, which together achieve a virtual tie for first place. All three states feature low taxes and government spending and middling levels of regulation and paternalism. New York is the least free by a considerable margin, followed by New Jersey, Rhode Island, California and Maryland. On personal freedom alone, Alaska is the clear winner, while Maryland brings up the rear. As for freedom in the different regions of the country, the Mountain and West North Central regions are the freest overall while the Middle Atlantic lags far behind on both economic and personal freedom. Regression analysis demonstrates that states enjoying more economic and personal freedom tend to attract substantially higher rates of internal net migration."

Insurance taxes could fund private school vouchers

"Insurance taxes may pay for private school vouchers for low income children."

"A House committee on Tuesday approved a measure that would allow insurance companies to send money to groups that provide vouchers to nearly 25,000 children across the state. Insurers would receive a tax credit against what they owe to the state. Corporations already participate in the program."

"The House PreK-12 Policy committee approved the bill, HB 453, along party lines. Democrats complained that the state should do more to help public schools. But Rep. Will Weatherford, R-Wesley Chapel, said the program saves the state money because vouchers cost less than what the state spends in public schools."

Fla. county may declare itself disaster area

"Just five years ago, Port St. Lucie was America's fastest-growing large city. Then the foreclosure crisis slammed it like a hurricane."

"Today it sits in one of the hardest-hit counties in the nation. Thousands of houses are empty or unfinished. Neighborhoods are littered with for-sale and foreclosure signs and overgrown, neglected yards. Break-ins are on the rise."

"But one politician believes he has a unique solution: Declare St. Lucie County a disaster area as if it had been hit by, well, a hurricane."

"This is a manmade disaster," County Commissioner Doug Coward acknowledged. But he said that is why "we've got to do something. Clearly, the economic crisis of the country far exceeds the ability of local governments to solve it, but we're trying be a part of the solution."

"The declaration would act like a mini-stimulus plan, giving government officials access to a $17.5 million county fund usually reserved for natural disasters."

Prison Spending Outpaces All but Medicaid

"One in every 31 adults, or 7.3 million Americans, is in prison, on parole or probation, at a cost to the states of $47 billion in 2008, according to a new study."

"The increases in the number of people in some form of correctional control occurred as crime rates declined by about 25 percent in the past two decades."

"States have shown a preference for prison spending even though it is cheaper to monitor convicts in community programs, including probation and parole, which require offenders to report to law enforcement officers. A survey of 34 states found that states spent an average of $29,000 a year on prisoners, compared with $1,250 on probationers and $2,750 on parolees. The study found that despite more spending on prisons, recidivism rates remained largely unchanged."

"One in 11 African-Americans, or 9.2 percent, are under correctional control, compared with one in 27 Latinos (3.7 percent) and one in 45 whites (2.2 percent). Only one out of 89 women is behind bars or monitored, compared with one out of 18 men."

Washington state to allow assisted suicide

"Terminally ill patients with less than six months to live will soon be able to ask their doctors to prescribe them lethal medication in Washington state."

"But even though the "Death with Dignity" law takes effect Thursday, people who might seek the life-ending prescriptions could find their doctors conflicted or not willing to write them."

"Many doctors are hesitant to talk publicly about where they stand on the issue, said Dr. Tom Preston, a retired cardiologist and board member of Compassion & Choices, the group that campaigned for and supports the law."

"There are a lot of doctors, who in principle, would approve or don't mind this, but for a lot of social or professional reasons, they don't want to be involved," he said."

"The U.S. Supreme Court ruled in 2006 that it was up to states to regulate medical practice, including assisted suicide, and Washington's Initiative 1000 was passed by nearly 60% of state voters in November."

"It became the second state, behind Oregon, to have a voter-approved measure allowing assisted suicide."

Ban urged on insurers' use of credit scores

"Credit scores and credit reports should not be used to set car and home insurance rates, some Florida lawmakers say."

"State Rep. Priscilla Taylor, a West Palm Beach Democrat, said especially now, credit history shouldn't affect the price of Floridians' insurance premiums."

"She and state Sen. Ronda Storms, a Valrico Republican, have filed bills that would forbid insurers from considering credit scores, credit reports, level of education or occupation when setting rates -- unless the job involves using a vehicle."

"The bills are HB 683 and SB 1524."