Based upon my comments at the end of the last entry...
Thousands of farmers are taking their fields out of the government’s biggest conservation program, which pays them not to cultivate. They are spurning guaranteed annual payments for a chance to cash in on the boom in wheat, soybeans, corn and other crops. Last fall, they took back as many acres as are in Rhode Island and Delaware combined.
Environmental and hunting groups are warning that years of progress could soon be lost, particularly with the native prairie in the Upper Midwest. But a broad coalition of baking, poultry, snack food, ethanol and livestock groups say bigger harvests are a more important priority than habitats for waterfowl and other wildlife. They want the government to ease restrictions on the preserved land, which would encourage many more farmers to think beyond conservation.
Now, because of a growing global middle class as well as federal mandates to turn large amounts of corn into ethanol-based fuel, food prices are beginning to jump. Cropland is suddenly in heavy demand, a situation that is fraying old alliances, inspiring new ones and putting pressure on the Agriculture Department, which is being lobbied directly by all sides without managing to satisfy any of them.
Read the article at NYTimes.
Friday, April 25, 2008
Many States Appear To Be In A Recession
Good article from HuffingtonPost via the AP.
The finances of many states have deteriorated so badly that they appear to be in a recession, regardless of whether that's true for the nation as a whole, a survey of all 50 state fiscal directors concludes.
The situation looks even worse for the fiscal year that begins July 1 in most states.
"Whether or not the national economy is in recession _ a subject of ongoing debate _ is almost beside the point for some states," said the report to be released Friday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The weakening economy is hitting tax revenue in a number of ways: People's discretionary income is being gobbled up by higher food and fuel costs, while the tanking housing market means people are spending less on furniture and appliances associated with buying a house.
The situation is grim in Delaware, with a $69 million gap this year, and bleak in California, with a projected $16 billion budget shortfall over the next two years, the report said. Florida does not expect a rapid turnaround in revenue because of the prolonged real estate slump there.
Read the article at HuffingtonPost.
While I am not complaining about the stimulus check that I will be receiving in the mail, I have reservations that this will actually stimulate the economy. I also feel that most people will use this money to help pay overdue bills. I feel that it is obvious due to rising gas and food prices, that the money will be put towards those purposes. With the issue of food, why do we continue to pay farmers not to grow food on their land? This is a great opportunity to support our local farmers and have US grown produce here in the USA instead of importing.
The finances of many states have deteriorated so badly that they appear to be in a recession, regardless of whether that's true for the nation as a whole, a survey of all 50 state fiscal directors concludes.
The situation looks even worse for the fiscal year that begins July 1 in most states.
"Whether or not the national economy is in recession _ a subject of ongoing debate _ is almost beside the point for some states," said the report to be released Friday by the National Conference of State Legislatures.
The weakening economy is hitting tax revenue in a number of ways: People's discretionary income is being gobbled up by higher food and fuel costs, while the tanking housing market means people are spending less on furniture and appliances associated with buying a house.
The situation is grim in Delaware, with a $69 million gap this year, and bleak in California, with a projected $16 billion budget shortfall over the next two years, the report said. Florida does not expect a rapid turnaround in revenue because of the prolonged real estate slump there.
Read the article at HuffingtonPost.
While I am not complaining about the stimulus check that I will be receiving in the mail, I have reservations that this will actually stimulate the economy. I also feel that most people will use this money to help pay overdue bills. I feel that it is obvious due to rising gas and food prices, that the money will be put towards those purposes. With the issue of food, why do we continue to pay farmers not to grow food on their land? This is a great opportunity to support our local farmers and have US grown produce here in the USA instead of importing.
McCain says N.C. Republicans out of touch over ad
WASHINGTON (Reuters) - Republican U.S. presidential candidate John McCain accused North Carolina's Republican Party of being "out of touch with reality" over its refusal to pull an advertisement criticizing Democrat Barack Obama.
In an NBC interview aired on Friday, the Arizona senator said he has done all he can to persuade the state party to cancel the television ad that criticizes Obama as "too extreme" because of controversial remarks made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
"They're not listening to me because they're out of touch with reality and the Republican Party. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan and this kind of campaigning is unacceptable," McCain told NBC's "Today" Show.
"I've done everything that I can to repudiate and to see that this kind of campaigning does not continue," he added.
Read the article at Reuters.
In an NBC interview aired on Friday, the Arizona senator said he has done all he can to persuade the state party to cancel the television ad that criticizes Obama as "too extreme" because of controversial remarks made by his former pastor, the Rev. Jeremiah Wright.
"They're not listening to me because they're out of touch with reality and the Republican Party. We are the party of Abraham Lincoln, Theodore Roosevelt and Ronald Reagan and this kind of campaigning is unacceptable," McCain told NBC's "Today" Show.
"I've done everything that I can to repudiate and to see that this kind of campaigning does not continue," he added.
Read the article at Reuters.
Thursday, April 24, 2008
Running for State Rep!
Yesterday I formally filed for State Representative for the 28th District of Michigan. I plan on having my website up next weekend. Other than the link for the Balaska 4 Rep shop I have on my "political links" section as well as the soon to be added link for my campaign; this will be the only mention of it on this website. I plan on keeping The Political Life separate from the campaign as I primarily use this website to post articles of interest from a Republican, Democratic and Independent perspective.
Political News from across the Globe. That's the Political Life.
Michigan DNC member files challenge on delegates
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- A top supporter of Hillary Rodham Clinton has filed a challenge with the Democratic National Committee seeking to get Michigan's delegates seated at the national convention.
Under DNC member Joel Ferguson's proposal, Michigan would send the 28 unpledged superdelegates and 128 pledged delegates to Denver that it was allocated before the DNC stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates for holding early primaries.
Ferguson said it would be fair punishment to give each pledged delegate only half a vote for breaking DNC rules. But he said superdelegates -- of which he is one -- should get a a full vote.
He wants to award the delegates to candidates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which Clinton won. But the campaign of Clinton rival Barack Obama said again Wednesday that the Michigan and Florida delegates should be split evenly between the two candidates, even though Clinton won both states. Obama leads nationally in pledged delegates.
Read the article at MSNBC.
Under DNC member Joel Ferguson's proposal, Michigan would send the 28 unpledged superdelegates and 128 pledged delegates to Denver that it was allocated before the DNC stripped Michigan and Florida of their delegates for holding early primaries.
Ferguson said it would be fair punishment to give each pledged delegate only half a vote for breaking DNC rules. But he said superdelegates -- of which he is one -- should get a a full vote.
He wants to award the delegates to candidates based on the results of the Jan. 15 primary, which Clinton won. But the campaign of Clinton rival Barack Obama said again Wednesday that the Michigan and Florida delegates should be split evenly between the two candidates, even though Clinton won both states. Obama leads nationally in pledged delegates.
Read the article at MSNBC.
Michigan pulls out of federal student loan program
LANSING, Mich. (AP) -- State government has temporarily pulled out of a federal student loan program because of the credit crunch, ending some benefits for the tens of thousands of students who use the program.
Michigan officially suspended its participation in the Federal Family Education Loan Program on Monday, according to a notice posted on the state Treasury Department's Web site. It already had suspended offering new loans through the Michigan Alternative Student Loan Program, or MI-LOAN.
Seventy-five Michigan colleges and universities offer Federal Family Education Loan Program loans through the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority. They include all but four of the state's community colleges; Eastern Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State universities; several law schools; a variety of trade schools; and private colleges such as Adrian, Albion, Concordia, Finlandia, Marygrove, Northwood, Olivet and Spring Arbor.
Read the article at MSNBC.
Michigan officially suspended its participation in the Federal Family Education Loan Program on Monday, according to a notice posted on the state Treasury Department's Web site. It already had suspended offering new loans through the Michigan Alternative Student Loan Program, or MI-LOAN.
Seventy-five Michigan colleges and universities offer Federal Family Education Loan Program loans through the Michigan Higher Education Student Loan Authority. They include all but four of the state's community colleges; Eastern Michigan, Michigan State and Wayne State universities; several law schools; a variety of trade schools; and private colleges such as Adrian, Albion, Concordia, Finlandia, Marygrove, Northwood, Olivet and Spring Arbor.
Read the article at MSNBC.
Monday, April 21, 2008
Earth Day 2008
Earth Day 2008We can all do our part on Earth Day. Whether it is using reusable bags at the grocery store, switching to e-billing instead of receiving paper bills or even taking shorter showers; every little bit helps. Going Green doesn't just happen one day out of the year - it should happen every day of the year. We should all be conscious of the the products we choose, what we use and whether we decide to recycle. I have put together a list of websites that are helpful in Going Green.
GreenGuide by National Geographic is a great website with all sorts of tips on Living Green.
PersonalEmissionsCalculator by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency helps you to obtain an estimate of your personal greenhouse gas emissions or your family's greenhouse gas emissions.
GoingGreen tips from NBC gives seven great tips on Going Green and even has some videos for your viewing pleasure.
TimeForChange by the WWF (World Wildlife Fund) has many tools, guides and even e-cards you can send out.
Sunday, April 20, 2008
Obama linked to gun control efforts
Barack Obama’s presidential campaign has worked to assure uneasy gun owners that he believes the Constitution protects their rights and that he doesn’t want to take away their guns.
But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions.
The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners’ rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called “Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns.”
Obama’s eight years on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which paid him more than $70,000 in directors fees, do not in any way conflict with his campaign-trail support for the rights of gun owners, Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Obama’s presidential campaign, asserted in a statement issued to Politico this week.
Read the article at ThePolitico.
But before he became a national political figure, he sat on the board of a Chicago-based foundation that doled out at least nine grants totaling nearly $2.7 million to groups that advocated the opposite positions.
The foundation funded legal scholarship advancing the theory that the Second Amendment does not protect individual gun owners’ rights, as well as two groups that advocated handgun bans. And it paid to support a book called “Every Handgun Is Aimed at You: The Case for Banning Handguns.”
Obama’s eight years on the board of the Joyce Foundation, which paid him more than $70,000 in directors fees, do not in any way conflict with his campaign-trail support for the rights of gun owners, Ben LaBolt, a spokesman for Obama’s presidential campaign, asserted in a statement issued to Politico this week.
Read the article at ThePolitico.
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