The U.S. House of Representatives passed bipartisan legislation tonight sponsored by Rep. William Delahunt (D-MA) which would create a national commission to study the U.S. criminal justice system and make recommendations for reform. The bill passed under an expedited process that presumes unanimity unless a member of Congress objects. No member objected.
Month: July 2010
Home Vacancies Rise as U.S. Ownership Falls to Lowest in Decade
From BLOOMBERG.COM: About 18.9 million homes in the U.S. stood empty during the second quarter as surging foreclosures helped push ownership to the lowest level in a decade. The number of vacant properties, including foreclosures, residences for sale and vacation homes, rose from 18.6 million in the year-earlier quarter, the U.S. Census Bureau said in […]
Marijuana Now Legal for Medical Use in Nation’s Capital; DC Joins 14 States
A law allowing qualified patients to possess and use marijuana with a doctor’s recommendation in the nation’s capital took effect last night. The law, passed unanimously by the Washington, DC District Council in May, went through a congressional review period that ended last night. The DC Public Health Department will now begin issuing regulations to […]
German health care rivals French
According to T. R. .Reid in “The Healing of America”, everyone in Germany is required to belong to one of the approximately 200 non-profit “sickness funds” that vigorously compete for members. On a regional basis, the groups negotiate rates with doctors and hospitals. The members never see a bill. Virtually all health issues are automatically covered and payment rates are pre- determined, so the purpose of the insurance companies is simply to process invoices.
We all pay taxes to support CC
I am SICK and TIRED of the convention center supporters trotting out the ‘local taxpayers pay nothing’ as though the tax dollars spent on this dog a project do not have an diminishing effect. Where do you think the MILLIONS of dollars of state money is coming from – a money tree?!?! Besides, those tax […]
US recovery elusive amid fiscal gaps
From the FINANCIAL TIMES: Most US states are expecting to see tax revenues improve after a freefall from the recession, but a recovery remains uncertain and hinged on whether economic growth withstands the end of federal stimulus funds, a report on Tuesday shows… People across the US have seen massive cuts to services, ranging from […]
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
Sad news: “Lancaster Mayor Rick Gray on Monday morning ordered flags in the city to be lowered to half-staff to mark the death of philanthropist and community volunteer Caroline Steinman Nunan.
“Nunan, 85, died Sunday at the Dartmouth Hitchcock Medical Center in Lebanon, N.H. She had been stricken Wednesday while visiting her daughter’s home in Norwich, Vt.”
Pennsylvania biggest casino taxer
From the MORNING CALL: Nevada’s got far more slot machines and table games, New Jersey has more casino workers and even Iowa has nearly twice as many casinos, but there’s one place where Pennsylvania gambling industry is king: taxes. Pennsylvania collected more taxes from its casinos than any other state, passing Nevada for the first […]
Canadian banks leap at U.S. rivals’ weakness
From THE GLOBE AND MAIL: Canadian banks that covet a bigger slice of the U.S. market have identified a small window of opportunity to potentially steal corporate business from troubled American banks. Now some are pulling out all the stops – using top bank brass to wine and dine the heads of small U.S. companies […]
Pakistan Aids Insurgency in Afghanistan, Reports Assert
From the NEW YORK TIMES: Americans fighting the war in Afghanistan have long harbored strong suspicions that Pakistan’s military spy service has guided the Afghan insurgency with a hidden hand, even as Pakistan receives more than $1 billion a year from Washington for its help combating the militants, according to a trove of secret military […]
SUNDAY NEWS
An article reports: “It was revealed a month ago that the three-member board of county commissioners will look at abolishing the HRC, which has been investigating complaints of racial, employment and housing discrimination here since 1964, as a cost-cutting measure. “County residents could receive the same services from the state Human Relations Commission, supporters of […]
GLOBE AND MAIL
Article reports: “At more than 2,300 pages, the Dodd-frank Wall Street Reform and Consumer Protection Act was bound to have unintended consequences. It took only a day for the first one to come to light….Facing legal liability for the first time, [rating firms] are now refusing to allow their ratings to be used in offering […]
LETTER: CC staff essential to protect tax payers
There is quite a bit more to this issue than meets the eye. The ONLY people that serve to protect us taxpayers from the Penn Square Partners are the LCCCA Finance Committee, Mary Ellen Davis, and Kevin Molloy. The LCCCA Finance Committee meets once a month, where it hears a presentation from Interstate Hotels and Resorts, the joint manager of the “integrated facility”. Members of the LCCCA Finance committee can – and do – question the numbers provided by IHR, but they often don’t have all of the background.
Cornered: The scariest book
Good review. The reviewer sees the same weakness in the book that I saw. “Lynn, libertarian by inclination, offers little remedy outside renewed anti-trust enforcement and a serious attention to checks and balances. For a better appreciation of how the tax, subsidy and regulatory systems favor the top one percent, read David Cay Johnston’s Perfectly […]