Well, Jimmy Dimora has done it again! He has decided to line the county coffers with taxpayers money without asking if the residents of Cuyahoga County really want to pay more taxes or not. Cuyahoga County already has the highest tax rate in the State of Ohio at 7.5%. So Jimmy Dimora has decided that this new increase is good for the county. Adding an extra .25% would bring in $42 million a year, and the tax runs for the next 20 years! You do the math. That adds up to $840 million! The new convention center is expected to cost $350 million. So what are they going to do with the other $500 million? Line their pockets and hand out pet projects to their cronies! Just a side thought--the properties that the county is looking at, for the new Convention Center, just happen to be owned by Jimmy Dimora's buddies, Forest City Enterprises (see my past post on Jimmy and his ties with Forest City).
If Cuyahoga residents think that they can escape the high tax by purchasing items in other counties and having them delivered to their Cuyahoga County residence, think again! The politicians have included a residency clause that would require stores to charge customers the higher tax if they are purchasing something in another county and having it delivered to Cuyahoga County.
Well, the taxpayer once again gets the shaft, and the big shots get the money! And they can't seem to understand why people are leaving the county in droves!?
At least, for once, they didn't ask that smokers foot the entire bill!
Friday, July 27, 2007
Monday, July 2, 2007
Old Glory Made In China? BUY AMERICAN!
With the 4th of July fast approaching, I would like to ask that all of you buy your American flag ONLY if it says "Made In USA" on it. Granted, only a small portion of American flags are imported (mostly from China), but our flag should be the exclusive property of the United States of America, and should be copyrighted. Currently, it is public property, and therefore can be made by anyone. We should protect this symbol of our freedom.
Screw our trade relations with China! We should draw the line on cheap Chinese imports with our flag. It should be deemed criminal to produce our flag outside of this country. At least let us keep this one thing!
Screw our trade relations with China! We should draw the line on cheap Chinese imports with our flag. It should be deemed criminal to produce our flag outside of this country. At least let us keep this one thing!
Wal Mart Shipping Ohio Jobs Overseas
Between 2001 and 2004 Ohio lost one of every six manufacturing jobs. This adds up to 170,000 jobs in 4 years. Cleveland alone lost 40,000 jobs. Why?
Wal Mart
Look at the charts below:
Wal Mart
Look at the charts below:
Last year alone, Wal Mart sourced out $18 billion worth of goods from China that used to be made in the U.S. In 1995, Wal Mart was big on "Buy American" with only 6% of its' merchandise imported. Today, over 60% of Wal Mart merchandise is imported. The import figure would be much higher, but the Wal Mart Supercenters that have groceries (mostly grown in America) has helped to keep the figure down.
I found reports on 4 companies that used to be in Ohio, but now have their plants in China, thanks to Wal Mart. Remember Huffy Corp., Rubbermaid, Mr. Coffee and Thomson Electronics? Those are just a few, but there are others--Hasbro, Ohio Art, Texas Instruments, Hoover, World Kitchen and Phillips have also closed their Ohio plant thanks to Wal Mart. How does this happen?
Wal Mart is the biggest company in the world. It generates more profit than McDonalds, Boeing, UPS, The Gap, Nike, Apple Computers, Circuit City, Best Buy, Heinz, Office Depot and Halliburton combined! Companies that supply Wal Mart can't tell Wal Mart what a product will cost. Wal Mart tells these companies what it will pay for their products. If they can't cut their price, Wal Mart will go elsewhere. Check out these examples:
Huffy Bikes Huffy accounts for 85% of all bikes sold in the U.S. Wal Mart is the largest seller of bikes in the U.S. Wal Mart told Huffy it had to lower its' prices or Wal Mart would stop selling Huffy bikes. Since Wal Mart was their biggest customer, they had to comply. Huffy was forced to close its' Celina, Ohio plant and move the work overseas. By 2005, even though Huffy made its' bikes in China, still could not meet the ever-increasing demands from Wal Mart to lower their prices. They were forced to reorganize and an agreement gave its' Chinese suppliers controlling interest in the company. Bottom line--gone is another American icon--now a Chinese company. How can the Chinese make a bike so cheap, that we can't compete?
At the Baoan Bicycle Factory in China, workers:*Work 15 hours a day, 7 days a week*Earn 25 to 41 cents an hour*Have no health insurance or pension*Are not allowed to talk during working hours*Limited to 2 poor quality meals a day*Are fired if they complain about working conditions or refuse overtime
Here's the irony of the situation. Wal Mart built a supercenter on the 50 acre site that was once the home of the Celina Huffy plant. Sick!
Rubbermaid The company was in business for over 85 years and they were born in Wooster, Ohio. They were renowned for their high quality and innovative designs. Around 1995, Wal Mart decided to carry Rubbermaid, and became their biggest customer. When Rubbermaids' raw material prices increased by 80%, they went to Wal Mart to ask for a price increase. Wal Mart told then to go fly a kite! Wal Mart replaced much of their Rubbermaid line with Sterlite, a cheaper brand made overseas. Rubbermaid's profits dropped by 30%. Rubbermaid finally closed its' flagship plant in Wooster. The cost? Loss of over 1250 Ohio jobs. The closing killed the city of Wooster, and cost the local school system over $1 million a year. The trickle-down effect cost almost 100 teachers their jobs and surely impacted hundreds (maybe thousands) of other businesses and individuals part (or all) of their livelyhood.
Thomson Electronics Thomson Consumer Electronics operated its' RCA television manufacturing plant in Circleville, Ohio. They supplied Sanyo with big screen televisions. In 2003, Sanyo was pressured to lower their prices by Wal Mart. Sanyo increased their (cheaper) imports (up to 4 million units) from China. Thomson lost almost all of its' orders from Sanyo, and closed their Circleville, Ohio plant costing Ohio over 1,000 jobs.
Mr. Coffee In 1985, Wal Mart demanded that Mr. Coffee cut their prices. In order to meet Wal Mart's demands, Mr. Coffee was forced to explore moving their plant overseas. According to a Mr. Coffee former executive, "Wal Mart encouraged offshore production even as it promoted a "Buy American" campaign". by 1997, 40% of their production was from China. In 2000, they closed their Glenwillow plant and moved it to Mexico (costing 340 jobs). In 2003, they closed their Mexican plant and moved it to China. The Chinese even undercut the Mexicans! In order to meet Wal Mart's price demands, they cut wages from $10.00/hr.(in Ohio) to 25 cents/hr.(in China). The irony:
The amount they saved by moving their plants overseas (an estimated $7 million) was paid out to their CEO (Jerry Levin) in performance bonuses. I'm kind of pissed off at this one. Not only at Wal Mart for making Mr. Coffee to play the "import card" but at Mr. Coffee executives for directly profiting from the misfortunes of the common man in Ohio.
In Conclusion If you want low prices, you go to Wal Mart. But what does this do for our country? It puts American workers out of work! Wal Mart is using its' power to force Americans to make a false choice between good jobs and lower prices. Wal Mart's size has allowed it to remake the American economy, substituting its' narrow interests for honored American values, including good jobs, family-supporting wages and affordable health care.
Taxpayers Funding Wal Mart Growth
I'm on a Wal Mart kick this week.
Like the title of this blog states, we (the taxpayers) are funding Wal Mart's growth:
State Tax Refunds and Credits given to Wal Mart
*Columbus, OH (distribution center) - $2.2 million
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $2.6 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $3.4 million
Property Tax Exemptions/Abatements
*Grove City, OH (distribution center) - $18 million
Job Training and Recruiting Grants
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $200,000
*Columbus, OH (distribution center) - $400,000
Infrastructure and Site Preparation Assistance
*Grove City, OH (distribution center) - $1 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $1.1 million
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $2 million
*Morraine, OH (store) - $157,000
*West Chester, OH (store) - $3.4 million
Free or Reduced Price Land
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $1.1 million
Enterprise Zone Tax Benefits
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $3.5 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - 3.6 million
*Streetsboro, OH (store) - $491,000
*Ravena, OH (store) - $1.3 million
These are just locations in Ohio. For the complete report:
http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/wmtstudy.pdf
Like the title of this blog states, we (the taxpayers) are funding Wal Mart's growth:
State Tax Refunds and Credits given to Wal Mart
*Columbus, OH (distribution center) - $2.2 million
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $2.6 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $3.4 million
Property Tax Exemptions/Abatements
*Grove City, OH (distribution center) - $18 million
Job Training and Recruiting Grants
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $200,000
*Columbus, OH (distribution center) - $400,000
Infrastructure and Site Preparation Assistance
*Grove City, OH (distribution center) - $1 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $1.1 million
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $2 million
*Morraine, OH (store) - $157,000
*West Chester, OH (store) - $3.4 million
Free or Reduced Price Land
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - $1.1 million
Enterprise Zone Tax Benefits
*Washington Court House, OH (distribution center) - $3.5 million
*Island Creek Township, OH (distribution center) - 3.6 million
*Streetsboro, OH (store) - $491,000
*Ravena, OH (store) - $1.3 million
These are just locations in Ohio. For the complete report:
http://www.goodjobsfirst.org/pdf/wmtstudy.pdf
Union Officials Working To Line Their Own Pockets
One of the main themes of my blog posts is, that power corrupts, and absolute power corrupts absolutely!
Unlike the title of my blog would suggest, Union Officials are much more concerned with taking care of themselves...
On April 30, Dennis P. Harper, former branch president of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 304, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to three years probation, including three months house arrest, for embezzling $2,543.10 in union funds. He also was ordered to make restitution in that amount. Harper was convicted in December.
On April 4, Ronald Schweitzer, former president of Local 1967 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on one count of embezzling union funds during 2002-05 in the amount of $58,305.30.
On March 15, Deborah Walters, former president of Local 11, Chapter 8330, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, pled guilty in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to embezzling more than $10,000 in union funds. She had been charged last October with one count of embezzlement and five counts of falsifying union records. Chapter 8330 represents employees of Warren Correctional Institution.
On February 16, Michael Griffie, an electrical contractor, was sentenced in Hamilton County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, to one year of community service. He’d been charged last March with aggravated theft of property or services worth $100,000 or more from IBEW Local 212. He also was charged with tampering with, and forging, market recovery fund forms, with the intent of defrauding the local. Two women involved in the case, Rachetta Johnson and Charlene Monroe, were sentenced last September. The actions follow an investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards
On January 24, Russell Liming, former business manager and financial secretary for Sheet Metal Workers Local 183, was sentenced in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to one week of imprisonment followed by three years of probation for bank fraud. He had claimed on a loan application to be acting on behalf of the local, and subsequently used the proceeds for personal purposes. He also will have to make $2,421 in restitution to Franklin Savings & Loan, and pay a $250 fine and a $100 special assessment. Liming pleaded guilty in October.
On December 18, Boni Segura, formerly secretary for Local 18 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to five years probation and ordered to make $5,548.98 in immediate restitution to the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland. She pleaded in August to one count of embezzling more than $5,700 in funds from the Cleveland-based union.
On December 7, Nanette Peterson, former treasurer for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 11, Chapter 2597, was sentenced in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to three years probation and 100 hours of community service, and ordered to make restitution to the local in the amount of $5,409.29 within 30 days. She had pleaded guilty in August to embezzling more than $6,300 in funds from the union, which represents corrections facility employees in the central part of the state.
On October 5, Jereika Ward, ex-treasurer for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 998, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to three years probation with six months of home detention for embezzling $46,708.97 from the union. Of that sum, she will have to make $24,118.97 in restitution. She had pleaded guilty in July to embezzlement and filing a false report.
On August 4, Peggy Sue Carnes, former financial secretary-treasurer for Local 5-621 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to two years probation and three years home confinement, and ordered to pay $8,019.73 in restitution, the amount of union funds she had embezzled. She pleaded guilty back in May.
I only went back a few months in my research, if you want a complete list, visit: http://www.nlpc.org/statindx.asp#ohio
Unlike the title of my blog would suggest, Union Officials are much more concerned with taking care of themselves...
On April 30, Dennis P. Harper, former branch president of National Postal Mail Handlers Local 304, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio to three years probation, including three months house arrest, for embezzling $2,543.10 in union funds. He also was ordered to make restitution in that amount. Harper was convicted in December.
On April 4, Ronald Schweitzer, former president of Local 1967 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, was indicted in U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Ohio on one count of embezzling union funds during 2002-05 in the amount of $58,305.30.
On March 15, Deborah Walters, former president of Local 11, Chapter 8330, of the American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees, pled guilty in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to embezzling more than $10,000 in union funds. She had been charged last October with one count of embezzlement and five counts of falsifying union records. Chapter 8330 represents employees of Warren Correctional Institution.
On February 16, Michael Griffie, an electrical contractor, was sentenced in Hamilton County, Ohio, Court of Common Pleas, to one year of community service. He’d been charged last March with aggravated theft of property or services worth $100,000 or more from IBEW Local 212. He also was charged with tampering with, and forging, market recovery fund forms, with the intent of defrauding the local. Two women involved in the case, Rachetta Johnson and Charlene Monroe, were sentenced last September. The actions follow an investigation by the Labor Department’s Office of Labor-Management Standards
On January 24, Russell Liming, former business manager and financial secretary for Sheet Metal Workers Local 183, was sentenced in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to one week of imprisonment followed by three years of probation for bank fraud. He had claimed on a loan application to be acting on behalf of the local, and subsequently used the proceeds for personal purposes. He also will have to make $2,421 in restitution to Franklin Savings & Loan, and pay a $250 fine and a $100 special assessment. Liming pleaded guilty in October.
On December 18, Boni Segura, formerly secretary for Local 18 of the International Union of Operating Engineers, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to five years probation and ordered to make $5,548.98 in immediate restitution to the Fidelity and Deposit Company of Maryland. She pleaded in August to one count of embezzling more than $5,700 in funds from the Cleveland-based union.
On December 7, Nanette Peterson, former treasurer for American Federation of State, County and Municipal Employees Local 11, Chapter 2597, was sentenced in federal court for the Southern District of Ohio to three years probation and 100 hours of community service, and ordered to make restitution to the local in the amount of $5,409.29 within 30 days. She had pleaded guilty in August to embezzling more than $6,300 in funds from the union, which represents corrections facility employees in the central part of the state.
On October 5, Jereika Ward, ex-treasurer for International Brotherhood of Electrical Workers Local 998, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to three years probation with six months of home detention for embezzling $46,708.97 from the union. Of that sum, she will have to make $24,118.97 in restitution. She had pleaded guilty in July to embezzlement and filing a false report.
On August 4, Peggy Sue Carnes, former financial secretary-treasurer for Local 5-621 of the Paper, Allied-Industrial, Chemical and Energy Workers International Union, was sentenced in U.S. District Court for the Northern District of Ohio to two years probation and three years home confinement, and ordered to pay $8,019.73 in restitution, the amount of union funds she had embezzled. She pleaded guilty back in May.
I only went back a few months in my research, if you want a complete list, visit: http://www.nlpc.org/statindx.asp#ohio
Lorain, Ohio Bridge Lighting
I was at the International Festival on friday night to enjoy a little Summertime fun with my brother-in-law. After paying $6.00 for a lame calzone, and dropping $12.00 on three 8oz. Guiness beers, we got to see the much awaited lighting of the Charles Berry bridge.
The Mayor, County Commissioners and Port Authority officials all stood up and gave long winded speeches about how great this project was for the city of Lorain. Also mentioned, under the cuff, was the cost to light the bridge--a meager $250,000! It reminded me of a silver Christmas tree that my parents once owned that had that revolving multi-colored spotlight underneath it to change the colors of the tree. I was a little un-impressed and wonder if we spent our (taxpayer) dollars wisely on this project?
The Mayor, County Commissioners and Port Authority officials all stood up and gave long winded speeches about how great this project was for the city of Lorain. Also mentioned, under the cuff, was the cost to light the bridge--a meager $250,000! It reminded me of a silver Christmas tree that my parents once owned that had that revolving multi-colored spotlight underneath it to change the colors of the tree. I was a little un-impressed and wonder if we spent our (taxpayer) dollars wisely on this project?
Jokes
A teacher asks her class, ''If there are 5 birds sitting on a fence and you shoot one of them, how many will be left?'' She calls on little Johnny.
''None, they all fly away with the first gunshot.''
The teacher replies, ''The correct answer is 4, but I like your thinking.'' Then Little Johnny says, ''I have a question for YOU. There are three women sitting on a bench having ice cream. One is delicately licking the sides of the triple scoop of ice cream. The second is gobbling down the top and sucking the cone. The third is biting off the top of the ice cream. Which one is married?''
The teacher, blushing a great deal, replies, ''Well I suppose the one that's gobbled down the top and sucked the cone.''
''The correct answer is the one with the wedding ring on...but I like your thinking.''
A man travelling by plane was in urgent need of a restroom facility. But each time he tried, it was occupied. The flight attendant, aware of his predicament, suggested he use the attendant's ladies room, but cautioned him not to press any of the buttons.
There next to the paper roll were four buttons marked WW, WA, PP and ATR.
Making the mistake so many men make of not listening to a woman, he disregarded what she said when his curiosity got the best of him.
He carefully pressed the WW button and immediately a gentle flush of Warm Water sprayed on his bare bottom. He thought "Wow" these gals really have it nice!!
So a little more boldly he pressed the WA button and body temperature Warm Air blew across his wet bottom and dried it comfortably.
"Aha" he thought, "no wonder these women take so long in the bathroom with these kinds of services!"
So he pushed the next button PP with anticipation. A soft disposable Powder Puff swung below him and dusted his bottom lightly with talc.
"Man, this is great," he thought as he reached out for the ATR button.
When he awoke in the hospital, the morphine was just wearing off...confused he buzzed the nurse to find out what happened.
He explained the last thing he remembered was intense pain in the ladies room on the plane.
The nurse explained, "Yes, you must have been having a great time until you pushed the Automatic Tampon Removal button."
A first-grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students.
The teacher asked, "Eddy what is your problem?" Eddy answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third -grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!"
The teacher had had enough.
She took Eddy to the principal's office.
While Eddy waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was.
The principal told the teacher he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade and behave.
The teacher agreed.
Eddy was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.
Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Eddy: "9".
Principal: "What is 6 x 6?" Eddy: "36".
And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know.
The principal looks at the teacher and tells her, "I think Eddy can go to the third-grade."
The teacher says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions?"
The principal and Eddy both agree.
The teacher asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Eddy, after a moment, "Legs."
Teacher: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"
The principal wondered, why does she ask such a question!
Eddy replied, "Pockets."
Teacher: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Eddy: "Pants"
Teacher: What's starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid? Eddy: Coconut
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer,
Eddy was taking charge.
Teacher: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky? Eddy: Bubblegum
Teacher: What does a man do standing up, a woman do sitting down and a dog do on three legs?
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer.
Eddy: Shake hands
Teacher: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of questions, okay? Eddy: Yep.
Teacher: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I get wet before you do. Eddy: Tent
Teacher: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The best man always has me first.
Principal was looking restless and bit tense.
Eddy: Wedding Ring
Teacher: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good. Eddy: Nose
Teacher: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver. Eddy: Arrow
Teacher: What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of excitement? Eddy: Firetruck
The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put Eddy in the fifth-grade, I missed the last ten questions myself."
''None, they all fly away with the first gunshot.''
The teacher replies, ''The correct answer is 4, but I like your thinking.'' Then Little Johnny says, ''I have a question for YOU. There are three women sitting on a bench having ice cream. One is delicately licking the sides of the triple scoop of ice cream. The second is gobbling down the top and sucking the cone. The third is biting off the top of the ice cream. Which one is married?''
The teacher, blushing a great deal, replies, ''Well I suppose the one that's gobbled down the top and sucked the cone.''
''The correct answer is the one with the wedding ring on...but I like your thinking.''
A man travelling by plane was in urgent need of a restroom facility. But each time he tried, it was occupied. The flight attendant, aware of his predicament, suggested he use the attendant's ladies room, but cautioned him not to press any of the buttons.
There next to the paper roll were four buttons marked WW, WA, PP and ATR.
Making the mistake so many men make of not listening to a woman, he disregarded what she said when his curiosity got the best of him.
He carefully pressed the WW button and immediately a gentle flush of Warm Water sprayed on his bare bottom. He thought "Wow" these gals really have it nice!!
So a little more boldly he pressed the WA button and body temperature Warm Air blew across his wet bottom and dried it comfortably.
"Aha" he thought, "no wonder these women take so long in the bathroom with these kinds of services!"
So he pushed the next button PP with anticipation. A soft disposable Powder Puff swung below him and dusted his bottom lightly with talc.
"Man, this is great," he thought as he reached out for the ATR button.
When he awoke in the hospital, the morphine was just wearing off...confused he buzzed the nurse to find out what happened.
He explained the last thing he remembered was intense pain in the ladies room on the plane.
The nurse explained, "Yes, you must have been having a great time until you pushed the Automatic Tampon Removal button."
A first-grade teacher was having trouble with one of her students.
The teacher asked, "Eddy what is your problem?" Eddy answered, "I'm too smart for the first-grade. My sister is in the third -grade and I'm smarter than she is! I think I should be in the third-grade too!"
The teacher had had enough.
She took Eddy to the principal's office.
While Eddy waited in the outer office, the teacher explained to the principal what the situation was.
The principal told the teacher he would give the boy a test and if he failed to answer any of his questions he was to go back to the first-grade and behave.
The teacher agreed.
Eddy was brought in and the conditions were explained to him and he agreed to take the test.
Principal: "What is 3 x 3?" Eddy: "9".
Principal: "What is 6 x 6?" Eddy: "36".
And so it went with every question the principal thought a third-grade should know.
The principal looks at the teacher and tells her, "I think Eddy can go to the third-grade."
The teacher says to the principal, "Let me ask him some questions?"
The principal and Eddy both agree.
The teacher asks, "What does a cow have four of that I have only two of?" Eddy, after a moment, "Legs."
Teacher: "What is in your pants that you have but I do not have?"
The principal wondered, why does she ask such a question!
Eddy replied, "Pockets."
Teacher: "What does a dog do that a man steps into?" Eddy: "Pants"
Teacher: What's starts with a C and ends with a T, is hairy, oval, delicious and contains thin whitish liquid? Eddy: Coconut
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer,
Eddy was taking charge.
Teacher: What goes in hard and pink then comes out soft and sticky? Eddy: Bubblegum
Teacher: What does a man do standing up, a woman do sitting down and a dog do on three legs?
The principal's eyes open really wide and before he could stop the answer.
Eddy: Shake hands
Teacher: Now I will ask some "Who am I" sort of questions, okay? Eddy: Yep.
Teacher: You stick your poles inside me. You tie me down to get me up. I get wet before you do. Eddy: Tent
Teacher: A finger goes in me. You fiddle with me when you're bored. The best man always has me first.
Principal was looking restless and bit tense.
Eddy: Wedding Ring
Teacher: I come in many sizes. When I'm not well, I drip. When you blow me, you feel good. Eddy: Nose
Teacher: I have a stiff shaft. My tip penetrates. I come with a quiver. Eddy: Arrow
Teacher: What word starts with an 'F' and ends in 'K' that means a lot of excitement? Eddy: Firetruck
The principal breathed a sigh of relief and told the teacher, "Put Eddy in the fifth-grade, I missed the last ten questions myself."
Bobby Cutts Jr. Dating Profile
Bobby Cutts was a swinger...
Here is is dating site profile:
DALAW150 : LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LIGHT MY FIRE
*City: N.CANTON Ohio
Here is is dating site profile:
DALAW150 : LOOKING FOR SOMEONE TO LIGHT MY FIRE
*City: N.CANTON Ohio
*Sign: Taurus
*Height: 6' 0" (183 cm)
*Age: 30 year old Man
*Ethnicity: African American with Black hair *Smoker? No
*Body Type: Athletic
*Religion: Baptist
*Rate My Picture (uploade the day of the murder)
*I am Seeking a Woman For Hang Out
*Do you drink? Socially
*Marital Status: Separated
*Profession: LAW ENFORCEMENT
*Do you want children? Does not want children
*Do you do drugs? No
*Do you have children? Yes
*About Me: I'M A EASY GOING PERSON WHO LIKES TO HAVE FUN WHENEVER POSSIBLE. I LIKE DOING THINGS TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH BUT CAN BE SERIOUS WHEN NEED BE. I AM A HARD WORKING PERSON AND I EXPECT FOR YOU TO BE THE SAME.
*First Date: I WOULD LIKE TO DO WHATEVER THE OTHER PERSON WOULD LIKE TO DO FOLLOWED BY DINNER AND POSSIBLE DRINKS. THE NIGHT COULD END THERE OR IT COULD LEAD TO A LONG DRIVE OR LONG WALK BEFORE WE CALL IT A NIGHT.OR........
*FemaleAge between 18 and 45
*Height: 6' 0" (183 cm)
*Age: 30 year old Man
*Ethnicity: African American with Black hair *Smoker? No
*Body Type: Athletic
*Religion: Baptist
*Rate My Picture (uploade the day of the murder)
*I am Seeking a Woman For Hang Out
*Do you drink? Socially
*Marital Status: Separated
*Profession: LAW ENFORCEMENT
*Do you want children? Does not want children
*Do you do drugs? No
*Do you have children? Yes
*About Me: I'M A EASY GOING PERSON WHO LIKES TO HAVE FUN WHENEVER POSSIBLE. I LIKE DOING THINGS TO MAKE PEOPLE LAUGH BUT CAN BE SERIOUS WHEN NEED BE. I AM A HARD WORKING PERSON AND I EXPECT FOR YOU TO BE THE SAME.
*First Date: I WOULD LIKE TO DO WHATEVER THE OTHER PERSON WOULD LIKE TO DO FOLLOWED BY DINNER AND POSSIBLE DRINKS. THE NIGHT COULD END THERE OR IT COULD LEAD TO A LONG DRIVE OR LONG WALK BEFORE WE CALL IT A NIGHT.OR........
*FemaleAge between 18 and 45
*Live in United States
*Must not smoke
Should have added, if it doesn't work out, I'll kill you...
SCUMBAG!
Should have added, if it doesn't work out, I'll kill you...
SCUMBAG!
Ohio State Employee Loses Sensitive Information
The local news has mentioned this story lately, however, they have glossed-over the real nightmare! Here are the facts:
State employee, Jared Ilovar, an intern with the Office of Management and Budget division of our State Government, lost a radar detector and a $15 back-up tape from his car. He left the tape in his unlocked car in his apartment parking lot, and someone took it-duh. The Governor, Ted Strickland, is trying to down-play the theft but the information on the tape could cost hundreds of thousands of Ohio residents their life savings. At the very least, it is going to cost the taxpayers $660,000 for identity theft protection that the Governor has promised to all those whose personal information was on the tape. Here is a partial list of the information contained on the tape:
**2,685 records including school district names and local government names complete with their bank account information. This is all a theif would need to crack into all of the bank accounts of these institutions and empty their accounts!
**159,708 records of Medicaid provider names, tax identification numbers, addresses and bank information. A Gold Mine for identity theives!
**Names, social security numbers and STRS account information for all of the 1,031 state teachers enrolled in the State Teachers Retirement System.
**28,362 records of state employees and vendors that use Electronic Funds Transfer. Includes all of their state-assigned employee numbers, addresses, phone numbers and their complete bank information!
An additional review of data revealed that the storage device also held information on 53,797 participants enrolled in the state's pharmacy benefits management program, as well as names and Social Security numbers of about 75,532 dependents.
This is only a partial list of the sensitive information on the tape. The Governor is trying to down-play the serious nature of the theft, saying that a common theif would not know what to do with the information or how to access it. Maybe so, but a "common theif" would surely be able to find a buyer that could use this information!
Under protocol in place since 2002, a first backup storage device is kept at a temporary work site for a state office along with the computer system that holds all the employee information, and a second backup device is given to employees on a rotating basis to take home for safekeeping.
This idiot (and the supervisors) that came up with the "back-up tape protection program" will probably get a promotion and hefty pay raise in the near future for their good work!
State employee, Jared Ilovar, an intern with the Office of Management and Budget division of our State Government, lost a radar detector and a $15 back-up tape from his car. He left the tape in his unlocked car in his apartment parking lot, and someone took it-duh. The Governor, Ted Strickland, is trying to down-play the theft but the information on the tape could cost hundreds of thousands of Ohio residents their life savings. At the very least, it is going to cost the taxpayers $660,000 for identity theft protection that the Governor has promised to all those whose personal information was on the tape. Here is a partial list of the information contained on the tape:
**2,685 records including school district names and local government names complete with their bank account information. This is all a theif would need to crack into all of the bank accounts of these institutions and empty their accounts!
**159,708 records of Medicaid provider names, tax identification numbers, addresses and bank information. A Gold Mine for identity theives!
**Names, social security numbers and STRS account information for all of the 1,031 state teachers enrolled in the State Teachers Retirement System.
**28,362 records of state employees and vendors that use Electronic Funds Transfer. Includes all of their state-assigned employee numbers, addresses, phone numbers and their complete bank information!
An additional review of data revealed that the storage device also held information on 53,797 participants enrolled in the state's pharmacy benefits management program, as well as names and Social Security numbers of about 75,532 dependents.
This is only a partial list of the sensitive information on the tape. The Governor is trying to down-play the serious nature of the theft, saying that a common theif would not know what to do with the information or how to access it. Maybe so, but a "common theif" would surely be able to find a buyer that could use this information!
Under protocol in place since 2002, a first backup storage device is kept at a temporary work site for a state office along with the computer system that holds all the employee information, and a second backup device is given to employees on a rotating basis to take home for safekeeping.
This idiot (and the supervisors) that came up with the "back-up tape protection program" will probably get a promotion and hefty pay raise in the near future for their good work!
Saint Bernards TOP Food Dog In China
PLEASE--Do Not read this if you have a weak stomach!
This post is dedicated to my brother-in-laws dog, Sebastian, his St. Bernard puppy...
St. Bernards are the top "food dog" in China
China has no animal rights laws. Switzerland, has found out that their "national dog", the Saint Bernard, has become a favorite in China. To avoid that their national symbol becomes food for Chinese people, Switzerland has forbidden export of dogs to countries where dogs are eaten, like China, South Korea, etc. So, now, the Saint Bernard dogs and the Danish dogs are imported from Russia at a very high price.
Although international organizations for the protection of Saint Bernard dogs ask that the breeding of Saint Bernard dogs for food should be stopped in China, the Chinese specialists consider the Saint Bernard dog the most adequate breed for cross-breeding and production of meat dogs. Saint Bernard dogs are of very big size and have a very high breeding rate. Specialists have named the Saint Bernard breeding a highly profitable business of the 21st century. In fact, representatives of the Chinese government have imported the first shipment of Saint Bernard dogs which were then sold to breeders for meat production and reproduction.
Economically speaking, to raise Saint Bernard dogs is 4 times more profitable than pigs and 3 times more profitable than raising chickens in China.
They keep the dogs in small cages until it is time for slaughter. When the dogs are big enough, they (the Chinese), believe that if they can increase the adrenaline level in the dog, just before they die, it will create a meat that can increase virility in men. Therefore, they torture the dogs to death. Two of the most popular ways are:1. Confirmed reports that breeders normally killed dogs destined for the butcher by cutting a hole in the paw and bleeding them to death. ``It's true, and it takes them about 10 minutes to die, but this way the meat tastes better.''2. They catch the dog with an iron pinch. The dog is petrified. The shop owners assistant starts to beat the dog’s head with a stick. The dog screams of pain and loses all control and urinates and defecates at the same time. As the dog keeps fighting in his agony, the assistant hits the dog once more strongly with his stick. The dog finally collapses. The owner takes a knife and starts immediately opening the throat of the dog. The assistant pulls out all the organs of the dog and removes the skin from the dog. The reason for this? A dog who is scared produces adrenaline, the meat of the dog slaughtered that way is very good for men's virility.
THIS HAS TO STOP!
This post is dedicated to my brother-in-laws dog, Sebastian, his St. Bernard puppy...
St. Bernards are the top "food dog" in China
China has no animal rights laws. Switzerland, has found out that their "national dog", the Saint Bernard, has become a favorite in China. To avoid that their national symbol becomes food for Chinese people, Switzerland has forbidden export of dogs to countries where dogs are eaten, like China, South Korea, etc. So, now, the Saint Bernard dogs and the Danish dogs are imported from Russia at a very high price.
Although international organizations for the protection of Saint Bernard dogs ask that the breeding of Saint Bernard dogs for food should be stopped in China, the Chinese specialists consider the Saint Bernard dog the most adequate breed for cross-breeding and production of meat dogs. Saint Bernard dogs are of very big size and have a very high breeding rate. Specialists have named the Saint Bernard breeding a highly profitable business of the 21st century. In fact, representatives of the Chinese government have imported the first shipment of Saint Bernard dogs which were then sold to breeders for meat production and reproduction.
Economically speaking, to raise Saint Bernard dogs is 4 times more profitable than pigs and 3 times more profitable than raising chickens in China.
They keep the dogs in small cages until it is time for slaughter. When the dogs are big enough, they (the Chinese), believe that if they can increase the adrenaline level in the dog, just before they die, it will create a meat that can increase virility in men. Therefore, they torture the dogs to death. Two of the most popular ways are:1. Confirmed reports that breeders normally killed dogs destined for the butcher by cutting a hole in the paw and bleeding them to death. ``It's true, and it takes them about 10 minutes to die, but this way the meat tastes better.''2. They catch the dog with an iron pinch. The dog is petrified. The shop owners assistant starts to beat the dog’s head with a stick. The dog screams of pain and loses all control and urinates and defecates at the same time. As the dog keeps fighting in his agony, the assistant hits the dog once more strongly with his stick. The dog finally collapses. The owner takes a knife and starts immediately opening the throat of the dog. The assistant pulls out all the organs of the dog and removes the skin from the dog. The reason for this? A dog who is scared produces adrenaline, the meat of the dog slaughtered that way is very good for men's virility.
THIS HAS TO STOP!
Cop From The Village People In Trouble With The Law
COP FROM VILLAGE PEOPLE FACES PRISON - AFTER SECOND CHARGE FOR BATTERING GIRLFRIEND
It may be fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A. - but it looks like the cop from the Village People may be headed to a less friendly address.Singer Victor Willis is in double trouble with the law - and faces up to three years behind bars!Willis was arrested March 23 for allegedly choking his girlfriend, putting a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her.But The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that cops also busted Willis just nine days earlier at a hospital where he was attending drug and alcohol rehab classes!The 55-year-old entertainer, reportedly the only heterosexual in the group, was nabbed at Aurora San Diego Hospital in California on March 14 after his girlfriend told cops he'd thrown a cup of soda and ice cubes in her face.She also claimed a boozy Willis - famous for such disco hits as "Macho Man" - threw a suitcase at her and ordered her to leave their hotel room in a previous incident, according to the arrest report.Willis, who has a long history of drug problems, is free on his own recognizance after being charged with infliction of corporal injury on a spouse, cohabitant, etc.If convicted, he could get up to three years in jail for violating his probation on a plea bargain deal he made last year in San Mateo County Criminal Court.At the time, the prosecutor warned the troubled star that he "will go to prison if he does not follow through with this and conquer his addiction."His press rep called the latest incident "simply a heated argument that's been blown way out of proportion."
It may be fun to stay at the Y.M.C.A. - but it looks like the cop from the Village People may be headed to a less friendly address.Singer Victor Willis is in double trouble with the law - and faces up to three years behind bars!Willis was arrested March 23 for allegedly choking his girlfriend, putting a knife to her throat and threatening to kill her.But The ENQUIRER has learned exclusively that cops also busted Willis just nine days earlier at a hospital where he was attending drug and alcohol rehab classes!The 55-year-old entertainer, reportedly the only heterosexual in the group, was nabbed at Aurora San Diego Hospital in California on March 14 after his girlfriend told cops he'd thrown a cup of soda and ice cubes in her face.She also claimed a boozy Willis - famous for such disco hits as "Macho Man" - threw a suitcase at her and ordered her to leave their hotel room in a previous incident, according to the arrest report.Willis, who has a long history of drug problems, is free on his own recognizance after being charged with infliction of corporal injury on a spouse, cohabitant, etc.If convicted, he could get up to three years in jail for violating his probation on a plea bargain deal he made last year in San Mateo County Criminal Court.At the time, the prosecutor warned the troubled star that he "will go to prison if he does not follow through with this and conquer his addiction."His press rep called the latest incident "simply a heated argument that's been blown way out of proportion."
Tom Cruise Banned In Germany
So, Germany has decided to ban Tom Cruisfrom filming in their country. All because he is a Scientologist? I have to admit, he looks like a "nut case" when he proclaims the "greatness" of his religion. But is that religious discrimination? I just have to laugh at his beliefs! South Park did a show on the subject (which Scientologists sued over, and won, and cannot be shown again, ever), and I thought that it was too weird to be true. Here is what they believe, and South Park pretty much got it right:They assert that 75 million years ago, an evil galactic warlord named Xenu controlled seventy-six planets in this corner of the galaxy, each of which was severely overpopulated. To solve this problem, Xenu rounded up 13.5 trillion beings and then flew them to Earth, where they were dumped into volcanoes around the globe and vaporized with bombs. This scattered their radioactive souls, or thetans, until they were caught in electronic traps set up around the atmosphere and "implanted" with a number of false ideas -- including the concepts of God, Christ and organized religion. Scientologists later learn that many of these entities attached themselves to human beings, where they remain to this day, creating not just the root of all of our emotional and physical problems but the root of all problems of the modern world.
O.K., so these guys are completely off the deep end, as far as their thinking goes. And because of Tom's crazed rantings about his beliefs, he has alienated himself from his fan base, why not just let him make another movie that bombs? Eventually, he will just fall off the Earth (and be re-born) and take up farming in Illinois or somewhere.
George Lucas Has invented Modern Film
I am a fanatical fan of action-adventure and sci-fi films. This brings me to discuss the greatest contributor to the modern film industry--George Lucas. His vision has led the industry into new frontiers, and given us some of the best movies ever made!Needless to say, this guy is my hero! He created such great films as the Star Wars series, Indiana Jones series, Jurasic Park series, and many many more.
What has George Lucas done for modern film?
His companies have had a hand in virtually every film you have seen for the past 20 years or more. What has George Lucas founded or owned?
He founded American Zoetrope (with Francis Ford Copolla).
He developed THX (named after his first film project, THX1138), used in almost every movie theater in America to provide us with true mind blowing sound.
He started Skywalker Sound to provide post production sound engineering for virtually every movie done for the past 20 years.
He started ILM (Industrial Light and Magic) to create mind-blowing CGI special effects. It is reported that ILM has more computing power than the entire U.S. Government! ILM has created special effects for just about any movie you have ever seen since the 70's. Films to their credit include:All the Star Wars moviesAll the Indiana Jones moviesThe Tomb Raider moviesThe Pirates of the Caribbean moviesThe Harry Potter moviesE.T. The Extra TerrestrialThe Star Trek moviesThe Die Hard moviesTwisterAnd well over 200 more of the greatest movies of the past century!complete list at: http://www.ilm.com/ilm_services.html (you will be amazed)
LucasFilms, Lucas Arts and Lucas Licensing. Originally created to manage the Star Wars movies, the LucasFilms division is a production company. Lucas Licensing was created to manage the sale of Star Wars toys (the Studio passed on the toy end of Star Wars because they didn't think that there was any money in it!), to date has generated over $20 billion in profit! Lucas Arts was created by Lucas to promote young directors/producers get into the business.
Pixar Animation Studios. They have created some of the top box office CGI animated movies ever!Toy Story moviesBug moviesFinding NemoMonsters Inc.CarsAnd More: http://www.pixar.com/featurefilms/index.html
So, how rich is George Lucas? In 2005, his net worth was over $3.5 billion.
Sunday, July 1, 2007
Paris Hilton Gets a Bum Rap
Don't get me wrong, I think Paris Hilton is a spoiled rotten little bitch, but...The same rules should apply to everyone. I don't think that she was made an example of, she got the same treatment that any "average Joe" would have received. Unless you have connections:
The top prosecutor (City Attorney Rocky Delgadillo), the person that tried the case and got her sent to jail, does not treat everyone the same. If you happen to be the wife of the City prosecutor, you might just get treated a little different: Seems that she was driving his city issued vehicle (something that is against the city rules) and got in a minor fender bender (twice). Well, the City Attorney (the one person you would expect to know the rules), did not know that personal use of his city vehicle was not allowed. He stated that the rule is un-clear when confronted about it (after all, "city vehicles are for official use only, and cannot be used for personal use", is a little hard to understand). Alright, so letting his wife drive around in his city vehicle may not be a big deal (even though she is not a very good driver). But driving on a suspended license, is a little different. Seems she was: 1.Driving a city owned vehicle, 2. Had a suspended license, 3. Got in an accident, 4. Refused to pay for the damage because the prosecutor thought since it was a city vehicle, the city should pay for it.
Here's how the rules apply to different people:
Paris Hilton: sentenced to 45 days in jail for driving on a suspended license
Michelle Delgadillo (the prosecutor's wife): Got into an accident (in her husband's city owned vehicle), and had her license suspended for failing to appear in court. Got in a second accident (same vehicle - a month later) and was fined $185.00. NO JAIL TIME!
The prosecutor states that (his wife) got no special treatment.
I beg to differ.
Welcome back to the world of the rich and bitchy, Paris!
Cleveland Clinic Will No Longer Hire Smokers
My thoughts on the policy of The Cleveland Clinic (and many other companies) not to hire smokers. It is, pure and simple, a form of discrimination!
They are not allowed (by law) to discriminate against anyone based on their age, sex, religion, or disability. They should not be able to dictate what an employee can do on their own personal free time, especially if it is legal! Unless a persons' private life (if they smoke, drink beer, etc.) disrupts their performance at work, they should be allowed to participate in any legal acivity that they want to! Sure, an employer can dictate that its' employees cannot drink or smoke at work (duh), but what an employee does with their free time is their own business.
If the employer is concerned about increased health insurance costs for smokers, then they can pass the additional cost on to the smoker and let the employee decide if they want to quit smoking and save themselves the extra money.
What is next?
You're overweight, and if you don't lose the extra weight and get healthy, we will have to get rid of you. We will not hire any overweight people because they have more health problems. We will give you a list of required foods that you can eat to remain healthy, and if we catch you eating anything that is not on our list, you will be let go...
We looked at your driving record, and noticed that you have quite a few speeding tickets. You are at a greater risk, because of this, to suffer injury and miss time from work. Therefore, if you get another speeding ticket, we will have to find a safer driver...
We don't think that people that go deer hunting should work for our company...
A recent study found that women that shave their legs are more prone to infections from razor cuts, therefore, shaving your legs will no longer be tolerated...
If you have more than one child, you are considered to have added stress. Therefore new company policy dictates that you must get sterilized after your first child...
Can you see my point?
They are not allowed (by law) to discriminate against anyone based on their age, sex, religion, or disability. They should not be able to dictate what an employee can do on their own personal free time, especially if it is legal! Unless a persons' private life (if they smoke, drink beer, etc.) disrupts their performance at work, they should be allowed to participate in any legal acivity that they want to! Sure, an employer can dictate that its' employees cannot drink or smoke at work (duh), but what an employee does with their free time is their own business.
If the employer is concerned about increased health insurance costs for smokers, then they can pass the additional cost on to the smoker and let the employee decide if they want to quit smoking and save themselves the extra money.
What is next?
You're overweight, and if you don't lose the extra weight and get healthy, we will have to get rid of you. We will not hire any overweight people because they have more health problems. We will give you a list of required foods that you can eat to remain healthy, and if we catch you eating anything that is not on our list, you will be let go...
We looked at your driving record, and noticed that you have quite a few speeding tickets. You are at a greater risk, because of this, to suffer injury and miss time from work. Therefore, if you get another speeding ticket, we will have to find a safer driver...
We don't think that people that go deer hunting should work for our company...
A recent study found that women that shave their legs are more prone to infections from razor cuts, therefore, shaving your legs will no longer be tolerated...
If you have more than one child, you are considered to have added stress. Therefore new company policy dictates that you must get sterilized after your first child...
Can you see my point?
South Korean Dog Eating
aken (in part) from It's Their Destiny Websight:http://itstheirdestiny.2kat.net/phil.html
It seems that cruelty toward animals is endemic throughout Asia, although the South Koreans are truly outstanding in this field of endeavor. The exact figures vary according to the source, however it is certain that at least 2 million dogs are tortured to death each year.No-one is prepared to hazard an estimate of the number of cats that are boiled alive to produce "Goyangi soju" (literally, "cat juice"), that they superstitiously believe to be a cure for arthritic problems. The "medicine" is considered to be more effective if the cat is slowly boiled to death in a pressure cooker.Dogs die a slow death for a different reason. In the early 1980's, when new-found prosperity saw an increase in demand for beef and pork, the dog butchers propagated the myth that dog meat was an aphrodisiac. The final touch to this lie was the embellishment that the more the animal suffered in its death, the more tender and "potent" its flesh would be.The dog butchers are very imaginative in the administering of this slow death. Slow strangulation or hanging is one of their favourite methods, since there are no costs involved and they can regulate the suffering and length of time it takes the dog to die. Often, the strangulation ends before the dog is dead, and it dies from shock as its fur is burnt off with a blow-torch.Another favourite method is to suspend the dog by its hind legs and beat it to death with sticks or bats. This method has the advantage of not having to rely upon adrenaline to tenderise the meat and can take up to an hour.
It seems that cruelty toward animals is endemic throughout Asia, although the South Koreans are truly outstanding in this field of endeavor. The exact figures vary according to the source, however it is certain that at least 2 million dogs are tortured to death each year.No-one is prepared to hazard an estimate of the number of cats that are boiled alive to produce "Goyangi soju" (literally, "cat juice"), that they superstitiously believe to be a cure for arthritic problems. The "medicine" is considered to be more effective if the cat is slowly boiled to death in a pressure cooker.Dogs die a slow death for a different reason. In the early 1980's, when new-found prosperity saw an increase in demand for beef and pork, the dog butchers propagated the myth that dog meat was an aphrodisiac. The final touch to this lie was the embellishment that the more the animal suffered in its death, the more tender and "potent" its flesh would be.The dog butchers are very imaginative in the administering of this slow death. Slow strangulation or hanging is one of their favourite methods, since there are no costs involved and they can regulate the suffering and length of time it takes the dog to die. Often, the strangulation ends before the dog is dead, and it dies from shock as its fur is burnt off with a blow-torch.Another favourite method is to suspend the dog by its hind legs and beat it to death with sticks or bats. This method has the advantage of not having to rely upon adrenaline to tenderise the meat and can take up to an hour.
Smithsonian Burning Money--Yours!!
The Smithsonian has found a new way to burn money. They just hire someone that has a track record of being able to show them how...
Point in case. They hired Lawrence Small as one of their top executives (the Secretary of the Smithsonian). The reason they picked him was obvious. His resume' included as his last position, Chief Operating Officer of Fannie Mae. He was only making over 4 million dollars a year there, and had to screw with the books (like the Enron execs.) to make sure that he and his cronies would still get their big fat bonus checks-even though Fannie Mae was losing money. He resigned from his position, but it cost investors over 30 billion dollars. I can understand why the Government would hire a guy with these credentials to run the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian could not pay him what he was used to, but he decided to take the position anyway. His salary (at the Smithsonian) was a pitiful 1 million dollars a year. The Smithsonian had to offer him perks just to keep an executive of this caliber. Even though he owned his home outright, the Smithsonian had to give him a $200,000 a year housing subsidy. He had to be provided catered meals (complete with rented linens, china and glassware) at $500 a pop, almost every day of the week. When he was forced to eat out, you can rest assured he did not eat at Burger King. They had to provide him with a private jet to travel in (on the taxpayers dime). One of his trips to Las Vegas (a museum hotspot), cost the taxpayers $14,000 in travel expenses alone. Since he could barely afford to live on his reduced pay, he was forced to charge the Smithsonian for a new heat pump for his pool, and the cleaning of the chandeliers in his home. He also needed his employer to pay $273,000 for housekeeping expenses to clean his home (on top of his housing subsidy). When he moved into his new office at the Smithsonian, he just had to redecorate it. Nothing too fancy though--only $4,000 for a new chair, $9,000 for a new coffee table and $100,000 for a new rug. The Smithsonian also had to pick up the tab for memberships for both hinself and his wife at a private club in Washington.
Well, he resigned on March 28th after these things began to bother people on Capitol Hill. Don't worry though, he won't go to jail (like you or me would) and will probably be appointed to another lucrative Government position in the near future. Keep your eye out for the name, I'm sure we have not seen the last of this great leader.
Point in case. They hired Lawrence Small as one of their top executives (the Secretary of the Smithsonian). The reason they picked him was obvious. His resume' included as his last position, Chief Operating Officer of Fannie Mae. He was only making over 4 million dollars a year there, and had to screw with the books (like the Enron execs.) to make sure that he and his cronies would still get their big fat bonus checks-even though Fannie Mae was losing money. He resigned from his position, but it cost investors over 30 billion dollars. I can understand why the Government would hire a guy with these credentials to run the Smithsonian.
The Smithsonian could not pay him what he was used to, but he decided to take the position anyway. His salary (at the Smithsonian) was a pitiful 1 million dollars a year. The Smithsonian had to offer him perks just to keep an executive of this caliber. Even though he owned his home outright, the Smithsonian had to give him a $200,000 a year housing subsidy. He had to be provided catered meals (complete with rented linens, china and glassware) at $500 a pop, almost every day of the week. When he was forced to eat out, you can rest assured he did not eat at Burger King. They had to provide him with a private jet to travel in (on the taxpayers dime). One of his trips to Las Vegas (a museum hotspot), cost the taxpayers $14,000 in travel expenses alone. Since he could barely afford to live on his reduced pay, he was forced to charge the Smithsonian for a new heat pump for his pool, and the cleaning of the chandeliers in his home. He also needed his employer to pay $273,000 for housekeeping expenses to clean his home (on top of his housing subsidy). When he moved into his new office at the Smithsonian, he just had to redecorate it. Nothing too fancy though--only $4,000 for a new chair, $9,000 for a new coffee table and $100,000 for a new rug. The Smithsonian also had to pick up the tab for memberships for both hinself and his wife at a private club in Washington.
Well, he resigned on March 28th after these things began to bother people on Capitol Hill. Don't worry though, he won't go to jail (like you or me would) and will probably be appointed to another lucrative Government position in the near future. Keep your eye out for the name, I'm sure we have not seen the last of this great leader.
Ohio's New School Seat Belt Law
View the proposal on line at:
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_82
The bill sounds kind of watered down to me. It only requires that seat belts are to be installed on buses if they are purchased or leased after January 1st 2010. Ever after that date, it provides for diciplinary action against the children (or their parents) if they do not wear or adjust them properly. What it does do, is eliminate any responsibility from bus drivers or owners from any recourse (as in a lawsuit) if the students don't have a seatbelt on and get hurt. Bad news for liability lawyers.
Let me try to understand this. It is the responsibility of bus owners to install seat belts on school buses (good idea). It is the responsibility of a first grader to adjust them properly and wear them (huh?). If they don't, it is their own problem, and they are barred from suing the bus driver or the school system or transportation company.
What a waste of time....
http://www.legislature.state.oh.us/bills.cfm?ID=127_HB_82
The bill sounds kind of watered down to me. It only requires that seat belts are to be installed on buses if they are purchased or leased after January 1st 2010. Ever after that date, it provides for diciplinary action against the children (or their parents) if they do not wear or adjust them properly. What it does do, is eliminate any responsibility from bus drivers or owners from any recourse (as in a lawsuit) if the students don't have a seatbelt on and get hurt. Bad news for liability lawyers.
Let me try to understand this. It is the responsibility of bus owners to install seat belts on school buses (good idea). It is the responsibility of a first grader to adjust them properly and wear them (huh?). If they don't, it is their own problem, and they are barred from suing the bus driver or the school system or transportation company.
What a waste of time....
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