Thursday, November 5, 2009

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How Obama Can Convince Congress to Enact a Larger Stimulus, and Why He Must

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states are slicing their budgets, laying off workers, and ratcheting up taxes. That's because state tax revenues are falling off a cliff, and almost every state is barred by its constitution from running a deficit. That means the states are actively implementing an anti-stimulus plan.

[Obama] should tell them [Congress] the economy needs a bigger stimulus in order to show improved job numbers by the mid-term elections.

Click on the following for Mr. Reich’s complete comments:  Robert Reich's Blog

Hidden Camera Shows Indiana Food Stamp Fund Misuse

State officials said they can't do anything about stores breaking the rules. That responsibility falls on U.S. Department of Agriculture investigators.

Click on the following for details:  Hidden Camera Shows Indiana Food Stamp Fund Misuse - Indiana News Story - WRTV Indianapolis

Kane County sheriff could run out of money

 

The Kane County Sheriff's Department could be out of money in as soon as late next week, according to county board Chairwoman Karen McConnaughay.

Claims that are not within the budget approved by the county board will not be paid, the e-mail [from the county auditor's office] continues.

Click on the following for more details:  Kane sheriff could run out of money :: The Courier News :: Local News

Barrington Bank buys Woodstock Station property

The downtown redevelopment property was bought by Barrington Bank for $1.25 million. Representatives from Barrington Bank declined to comment.

Northwest Herald | Barrington Bank buys Woodstock Station property

High and Low Finance - Goodbye to the Accounting Reforms of 2002 - NYTimes.com

 

The American Bankers Association is now pushing Congress to give a new systemic risk regulator — either the Federal Reserve or some panel of regulators — the power to override accounting standards. The view of the bankers is that the financial crisis did not stem from the fact that the banks made lots of bad loans and invested in dubious securities; it was caused by accounting rules that required disclosure when the losses began to mount.

Section 404 was adopted with little controversy in 2002, and for good reason. It simply mandated that public companies report on the effectiveness of their internal financial controls, and that auditors render an opinion on them.

Click on the following for more details:  High and Low Finance - Goodbye to the Accounting Reforms of 2002 - NYTimes.com

Army: Ft. Hood shooting suspect is alive | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

recanted and said that he was alive and in stable condition at a hospital, watched by a guard. 

“His death is not imminent,” said Lt. Gen. Bob Cone at Fort Hood. He offered little explanation for the mistake, other than to say there was confusion at the hospital.

Army: Ft. Hood shooting suspect is alive | freep.com | Detroit Free Press

Suspected Fort Hood, Texas shooter is Vinton resident, Virginia Tech grad - Roanoke.com

Hometown newspaper on Major Hasan.

Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan is the son of Palestinian immigrants and Vinton residents Malik Awadallah Hassan and Hanan Ismail "Nora" Hasan. Nora Hasan ran the now defunct Capitol Restaurant on the Roanoke Market. Hasan's father owned the Mount Olive Grill and Bar and the Community Grocery Store on Elm Avenue. Both parents are deceased.

a U.S. citizen and was registered to vote in 2001 and 2004 in Virginia, with an address in Vinton. He had also lived at one point lived in Roanoke, records show, according to the Post.

received a poor performance evaluation while at Walter Reed.

The Virginia-born soldier is single with no children. He is 39 years old.

He is a graduate of Virginia Tech University, where he was a member of the ROTC and earned a bachelor's degree in biochemistry in 1995. He received his medical degree from the military's Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences in Bethesda, Md., in 2001. At Walter Reed, he did his internship, residency and a fellowship.

The following blog quote is alledged:  "To say that this soldier committed suicide is inappropriate. Its more appropriate to say he is a brave hero that sacrificed his life for a more noble cause," said the Internet posting. "Scholars have paralled (sic) this to suicide bombers whose intention, by sacrificing their lives, is to help save Muslims by killing enemy soldiers."

Suspected Fort Hood, Texas shooter is Vinton resident, Virginia Tech grad - Roanoke.com

AP: Authorities had concerns about suspect | clarionledger.com

I just caught this AP article from a Mississippi newspaper.  Who knows if it is correct?  Click on the citation and see what you think.

The officials say the postings appeared to have been made by Maj. Nidal Malik Hasan,

One of the Web postings that authorities reviewed is a blog that equates suicide bombers with a soldier throwing himself on a grenade to save the lives of his comrades.

AP: Authorities had concerns about suspect | clarionledger.com | The Clarion-Ledger

Unpaid docs owed millions

 

Sycamore Hospitals, Sycamore ... 150 physicians and Kishwaukee Community Hospital. According to the letter, none of the providers have been paid for seeing state employees in the past 10 months, and some have outstanding claims dating back to August 2008.

Northern Illinois University Vice President of Administration and Human Resources Steve Cunningham said about 3,400 NIU employees use the insurance program. The state is also at least seven months behind on a program that reimburses employees for some medical claims, he said, so employees understand the providers’ predicament.

Click on the following for more details:  Unpaid docs owed millions | Daily Chronicle

Fannie Mae to rent out homes instead foreclosing - Yahoo! News

 

Fannie Mae, Freddie Mac ...  Deed for Lease" program, will allow borrowers to transfer ownership to Fannie Mae and sign a one-year lease, with month-to-month extensions after that.

Freddie Mac, launched a similar effort in March. That policy, however, requires the foreclosure to be complete and only allows month-to-month leases

Click on the following for the rest of the story:   Fannie Mae to rent out homes instead foreclosing - Yahoo! News

North Aurora cuts residential building fees

 Village of North Aurora

reduced fees, some discounted as much as 50 percent, will be available through June, and builders will have to have projects completed within a year of getting a permit.

400 permits a year (in 2000) to as few as 10 so far this fiscal year. Berman said there are more than 400 residential lots waiting to be built on.

A $300,000 house with four bedrooms and 3,000 square feet would have been charged $14,010.30 for those fees before the discount.

Click on the following for more details:  Daily Herald | North Aurora cuts residential building fees

State’s attorney gets roofing complaints - Rockford, IL -

 

Boone County State’s Attorney Michelle Courier has received complaints about an out-of-town roofing company offering free estimates to repair roofs caused by hail damage.

State’s attorney gets roofing complaints - Rockford, IL - Rockford Register Star

McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Imposes More Costly Way for Humanitarians to Help Inmates and Detainees

Cal Skinner has an incredible story regarding McHenry County’s Sheriff Department imposing rules and fees that will destroy a long standing charitable program for prisoners, primarily illegal immigrants. Please read this by clicking on the link at the bottom.

McHenry County Sheriff's ...

Crystal Laker Dave Warren has been a 10-year, regular visitor and helper of those behind bars. His jail ministry has regularly written checks so the Sheriff’s Department can buy such personal items as soap, shampoo, lotion, and snacks that fit their cultural diet. [now that program will stop because of new rules]

McHenry County Blog | McHenry County Sheriff’s Department Imposes More Costly Way for Humanitarians to Help Inmates and Detainees

Committee recommends deficit-free budget

DeKalb County budget and jail plans.  Remember Boone County is counting on revenues from DeKalb County prisoners using Boone County facilities.  FY2011 may really be affected.

An amendment to that eliminated the $1.7 million deficit [in DeKalb County budget] through two measures: The first was transferring everything, or $1.64 million, from the building fund into the general fund.
This amount had been saved to eventually build a new jail. But clearing the fund now makes sense, Hanson said, because the county board recently authorized the jail and courthouse to be expanded through selling bonds rather than saving a little at a time.

Click on the following for more details:  Committee recommends deficit-free budget | Daily Chronicle