BELVIDERE (WIFR) – Another big box store
casualty will leave a big empty building in Belvidere.
The Kmart in the 500 block of West Chrysler Drive will be closing in late December.
The store will begin liquidation sales on October 25. A Kmart spokesman says the store closure is part of a series of actions the company is taking to reduce ongoing expenses and accelerate the transformation of its business model
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The 67 employees of the store will be offered severance packages.
Thursday, October 1, 2015
Belvidere Kmart Closing in Late December
States Go Overtime on Budgets, Hurting Programs
It does not happen only in Illinois.
States Go Overtime on Budgets, Hurting Programs
- September 24, 2015
- By Elaine S. Povich
In a state that fails to approve its budget on time, the residents who feel the effects range from domestic violence victims to teaching aides. This year, an unusually large number of states found themselves having to scramble to ease the damage wrought by “overtime” budgets.
States are up against varying challenges, but most of them face the same overarching problem: slow revenue growth, even years after the end of the Great Recession. Pent-up demand in education and infrastructure, coupled with resistance to tax hikes, has made it even harder to craft spending plans.
More than a half-dozen states failed to pass a budget by the constitutionally mandated deadline, June 30 in all but four states. To keep government running, some states approved a “continuing resolution” for a period of days, weeks or months to maintain spending while budgets are worked out. Others invoked provisions in their statutes or constitutions to keep government operating during the budget wrangling.
Months after the deadline, some states still haven’t approved new spending plans.
Illinois and Pennsylvania are stuck in budget impasses, with no end in sight. New Hampshire and North Carolina reached deals in recent days, but only after significant disruptions. In Wisconsin, Republican Gov. Scott Walker clashed with members of his own party over road construction, a new arena for the Milwaukee Bucks basketball team, and the state’s prevailing wage law before finally signing a two-year $72.7 billion budget.
Squabbling, among legislators and with the governor, postponed approval of Massachusetts’ budget until 17 days after the start of the new fiscal year and pushed approval of budgets to the brink in Connecticut, Delaware and Washington. Alabama had threatened to go to overtime, but lawmakers last week passed a budget before the state’s fiscal year begins, Oct. 1.
The difficulties didn’t always occur in states where one party controls the legislature and the other holds the governor’s office. In single-party states like Kansas (Republican) and Connecticut (Democratic), budget negotiations broke down over spending priorities, lower-than-anticipated revenue and pledges of no tax hikes.
Over the past decade and a half, about 20 states, at one time or another, started their fiscal year without a budget, according to the National Conference of State Legislatures and an analysis by the Pew Charitable Trusts (Pew funds Stateline). In fiscal 2012, 2013 and 2015, two states operated without a budget for a period of time.
“I do think it’s disruptive,” said Brian Sigritz, director of state fiscal studies for the National Association of State Budget Officers. “You see the impact on services and citizens can be impacted. And, it can make it more difficult to pass a budget on time later on if there’s this precedent that the budget isn’t passed by the end of the fiscal year.”
Irate in Illinois
In Illinois, the budget impasse has persisted for months. Legislators have approved emergency spending to pay state employees and open schools on time. But state employees’ health providers’ insurance bills haven’t been paid for weeks and social service agencies say they are running out of money to pay for nearly four dozen programs, including after-school programs for teenagers, early childhood interventions for poor kids and domestic violence services.
Illinoisans got riled when the state stopped paying out lottery prizes over $25,000, while continuing to run ads urging state residents to play.
“What we do know is that the state continues to operate the lottery and collect money and that money is on deposit and the state is earning interest on it,” said attorney Tom Zimmerman, who has filed a class action suit on behalf of some of the winners. “If any business did this, they would be shut down by the state. They advertise that you can be an instant winner with an instant payment but yet they failed to inform the public [that they weren’t paying].”
Jayme Odom, spokeswoman for the Illinois Lottery, said the lottery can’t make the larger payments without authorizing legislation contained in the budget. Odom said winners can claim prizes under $600 at retailers and prizes under $25,000 at the lottery claims center.
Not good enough, Zimmerman said. “They continue to sell tickets with that misrepresentation [of possible winnings],” he said.
North Carolina School Fight
After a three-month stalemate, the North Carolina General Assembly approved a two-year budget that Republican Gov. Pat McCrory signed just before the third temporary state spending measure was to expire, at the end of this month. The budget plan will spend about $21.7 billion in its first year. It includes less money than the House originally approved, but expands funds for teaching assistants and driver’s education.
Steve Curtis, finance officer and director of auxiliary services for the Pamlico County school system, said it would be early October before the district received money for teaching assistants or driver’s ed. But since school has already started, the county went ahead and continued driver’s ed, and was prepared to use county funds indefinitely for the program, had the state not come through. Hiring new teaching assistants, however, was put on hold, forcing existing staff to do double- and triple-duty.
“A lot of school systems suspended their driver’s ed programs until they found out what the state was going to do,” Curtis said, noting that his district was one of the lucky ones which found some money. But overall, the situation has left him frustrated.
“It’s ridiculous,” he said. “We have to have a budget by June 30 in Pamlico County. The state apparently doesn’t have to adhere to the June 30 deadline. This budget was the longest they have gone in the past 13 years. Now we are looking at October, not July. It’s very frustrating.”
Intraparty Dispute
It also took New Hampshire three months beyond deadline to approve a two-year budget. The Legislature and Gov. Maggie Hassan agreed on an $11.3 billion plan that will cut the state’s two largest business taxes and give a pay raise to state employees. While the Democratic governor and the Republican Legislature had their differences, Republicans were divided among themselves, too.
The split in the New Hampshire GOP resembled intraparty disputes in other states. The biggest was over the size and phase-in schedule of proposed tax cuts. In addition, some Republicans wanted to include in the budget a voter residency requirement that had not survived an earlier Hassan veto. The party also was split over funding for social services such as Meals on Wheels and aid for the developmentally disabled.
The situation was different in Pennsylvania, where Democratic Gov. Tom Wolf vetoed the budget approved by the Republican-controlled Legislature, claiming it was not balanced. The plan also did not include Wolf’s proposed increase in education spending, or his plan to lower property taxes, raise sales and personal income taxes, and levy a severance tax on natural gas drilling.
Also in dispute: Whether to privatize state-run liquor stores. Wolf vetoed a bill that would have but countered with a proposal to lease stores to a private entity to manage.
The Pennsylvania impasse is not over. Republicans in the Legislature are readying another stopgap budget that Wolf has threatened to veto.
UAW rejects Fiat Chrysler contract; strikes loom - Yahoo News
By Bernie Woodall
DETROIT (Reuters) - Fiat Chrysler Automobiles NV's U.S. workers soundly rejected a four-year contract the automaker had agreed with the UAW, the union said on Thursday, setting the stage for at least localized strikes against the automaker.
The tentative agreement was voted down by 65 percent of the 40,000 unionized workers who work at the 37 plants of Fiat Chrysler, the smallest of the three major Detroit automakers.
UAW President Dennis Williams is holding a meeting with 300 representatives from Fiat Chrysler union halls on Thursday to consider next steps.
"We will gather the issues together and notify (Fiat Chrysler) that further discussions are needed," Williams said in a statement.
In the aftermath of the rejection, which reflects growing discontent among auto workers about stagnant pay, some Fiat Chrysler locals are preparing to send workers out on strike.
Alternatively, the United Auto Workers (UAW) union may invite Fiat Chrysler back to the negotiating table, or the could decide to turn its attention to one of the other Detroit Three companies - GM or Ford.
During the General Motors Global Business Conference on Thursday CEO Mary Barra said the company has had regular dialogue with the UAW. "It is their choice how they resolve" the contract with Fiat Chrysler, she added.
There has not been a sustained UAW strike in decades, and this makes the first time a national contract negotiated between the UAW and a major car maker has been rejected since 1982. It is the first time since 1976 that a contract with the company chosen by the union for pattern bargaining has failed.
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A new Fiat Chrysler Automobiles sign is pictured after being unveiled at Chrysler Group World Headqu …
Fiat Chrysler said it was disappointed by the tentative pact's rejection. (http://bit.ly/1M48PxF) "The Company will make decisions, as always, based on achieving our industrial objectives, and looks forward to continuing a dialogue with the UAW," the company said in a statement.
A localized strike against Ford Motor Co was a possibility even before the Fiat Chrysler vote. The UAW’s top negotiator at Ford on Tuesday said he has authorized a strike as early as Sunday by 7,500 workers at a factory near Kansas City, Mo. that builds the company’s best-selling F-150 pickup truck, a linchpin of Ford’s global profits.
HEALTHCARE WORRIES
Fiat Chrysler union members who voted "no" said they were motivated by concerns about the carmaker's two-tiered pay system, under which recently hired workers earned about $19 an hour, while workers hired before 2007 earned base wages of $28 an hour.
Fiat Chrysler has the highest share, among top automakers, of second-tier workers, 45 percent of its production workforce, and therefore has lower labor costs.
The proposed Fiat Chrysler deal would have narrowed, but not closed the gap between the two tiers of workers.
In addition, their hopes were disappointed that the new contract failed to cap at 25 percent the number of lower-paid, second-tier workers in the company's workforce.
Union leadership had previously pledged to pursue such a cap when it was pushing for ratification of a prior contract that took effect in 2011.
Members also said they needed further clarification of the contract's proposed system of cooperating with workers at the other two Detroit automakers to cut healthcare costs. Workers said they are concerned about a pending increase in federal tax on premium health care, which will affect them after it takes effect in 2018.
"People wanted to know why they stand to lose benefits or pay more money when the premium health care tax kicks in," said Bill Parker, a veteran worker at a plant in Sterling Heights, Michigan.
Talks leading to the now-failed tentative agreement also broached the idea of moving production of Fiat Chrysler cars to Mexico and concentrating the more profitable SUV and truck production in the United States, a source with knowledge of the talks said, adding that was just one of several options on product placement the company presented to the union. The UAW said Fiat Chrysler plans to invest $5.3 billion in U.S. locations based on market conditions.
Fiat Chrysler reached the tentative deal with the union on Sept. 15 and its workers at its U.S. plants have been voting on the contract through Wednesday.
Results from some of the biggest plants have been revealed by local leaders of rank-and-file members officially, or unofficially, on social media.
Fiat Chrysler shares rose 2.3 percent to close at $13.52 on the New York Stock Exchange.
(Additional reporting by Meredith Davis in Chicago, Arunima Banerjee in Bengaluru; Editing by David Greising and Christian Plumb)
UAW rejects Fiat Chrysler contract; strikes loom - Yahoo News
Todd Shattuck announces bid for Boone County Circuit Clerk
BOONE COUNTY – Todd Shattuck, 40, of Belvidere has formally announced his bid as a Republican Candidate for Boone County Circuit Clerk.
Shattuck has strong ties to the Boone County community. Shattuck was raised in Boone County, and chose to remain in his hometown with his wife, Lynn, to raise their daughter Rachel.
He graduated from Belvidere High School in 1993 and from Western Illinois University in 1997 with a Bachelor of Science degree.
He began his career working in the Boone County Courthouse as a Probation Officer for the 17th Judicial Circuit. More recently, he has worked in the business banking industry as an Account Manager advising efficient payment processing for local businesses.
“The Circuit Clerk is often the first encounter the public has with the courthouse, is responsible for handling hundreds of thousands of dollars, and is instrumental in ensuring that court runs efficiently and professionally,” Shattuck said.
“I am running to provide a professional Circuit Clerk’s Office that treats the public with respect, to provide the independent supervision needed to protect the public’s money, and to implement the technology needed to improve courtroom efficiencies.”
Above is from: Todd Shattuck announces bid for Boone County Circuit Clerk
Problems arise as new management takes over operations at PAC
What is happening at District 100’s auditorium? This is from FACEBOOK
By Michele Gruba
Reporter
BELVIDERE – On Wednesday, Sept. 16, the faculty of the fine arts department at Belvidere High School (BHS) discovered they no longer had access to the Performing Arts Center (PAC) which also served the classroom, performance venue, and rehearsal space for theater arts students.
Dan Holmes, Belvidere High Schools theater arts and theater tech teacher, had previously served as the manager of the PAC from 1999 when it opened until May 2015 when he resigned his position as PAC Manager.
“This will be my last year of teaching. I wanted to lighten my load and focus on teaching my students,” Holmes said regarding his resignation as manager of the PAC.
On Monday, Sept.14, the board of education approved Adam Walsh d/b/a The Studio as the new manager of the PAC. He will receive a stipend of $14,004 for the 2015-2016 school year.
The Studio has been a frequent renter of the PAC. According to documents on the board of education website, The Studio began renting the PAC in Sept. 2014 and has been a recurrent customer through the current school year.
In an email response signed by Co-Interim Superintendent Dr. Larry Weck , the question as to if Adam Walsh d/b/a The Studio being one of the most frequent renters of the PAC is a conflict of interest, was not answered. The following information about Walsh was provided.
“In response to a resignation, the District hired a new PAC Manager on Sept. 15. Adam Walsh has a B.S. in music from Bradley University and has been involved in every aspect of theater since the 1990’s. Adam and his wife, Courtney, have built dinner theaters from the ground up and have produced and musically, technically, and artistically directed numerous shows for a variety of companies. They are co-owners of The Studio, a performing, and visual arts studio in Cherry Valley, and have utilized the Performing Arts Center on a rental basis on multiple occasions over the last year.”
Faculty from Belvidere High School and Belvidere North High School are now required to submit a written request to use the PAC. Faculty members were not consulted on these new procedures or given advanced notice of their implementation.
“Faculty members from both BHS and BNHS cannot access the PAC without submitting a written request to Shannon Hansen [District 100 Communications Coordinator], who then contacts Adam Walsh. Neither Adam Walsh nor Shannon Hansen work on site during the school day. There was no communication or collaboration about these changes with faculty or consideration on how they could impact student learning,” Holmes said.
Formal introductions between faculty and Walsh have so far not taken place. Weck’s response contained information on how Walsh was introduced to school staff; however, why formal introductions were not an immediate priority was not included.
“Individuals with scheduled PAC rentals during the 2015-2016 school year, as well as all building principals, were introduced to Mr. Walsh on Sept. 16 by email, and he will be making formal introductions as he settles into his new position.”
It remains unclear who authorized the locks being changed on the PAC or why faculty of BHS and the fine arts department were not given any notice this change would occur.
According to the response from Weck, locks were changed as a security measure.
“Locks on the perimeter doors around the PAC have been changed in order to safeguard the facility, including the light and sound equipment and their programmed settings, costumes, sets, and other tangibles housed within the PAC.”
Until Wednesday, Sept. 16, the fine arts faculty all had keys to the PAC. Theater arts, band, chorus, and art teachers all used the PAC in a variety of ways to enrich student learning while providing a hands-on learning experience.
However according to a source that would prefer to remain anonymous this is no longer the case.
“These changes have not just affected theater; band, chorus, and art are also impacted. Theater class is now being held in an art room without the benefit of learning on a stage. Creating and designing sets is difficult in the constraints of a classroom and also affects the learning environment of students in the adjacent classroom. Chorus and Band cannot practice in the PAC without completing paperwork and waiting to see if it fits into The Studios practice schedule. ”
While no direct response was provided by District 100 regarding the accusations that reduced student use of the PAC and classroom relocations is having a negative impact on student learning, they did provide the following information on the change in use of the PAC.
“While some changes have taken place over the past year, some things have remained the same.
Schools and student organizations have the first opportunity to schedule events; Space can be reserved for classroom use as needed. Otherwise, music, band, art, and theater teachers have designated classrooms. Students from Belvidere High School and Belvidere North High School have opportunities to provide sound and lighting technical assistance for productions.”
On Thursday, Sept. 24, the only document available on the PAC page on the District 100 website was a seating chart and a link to the PAC calendar. The following day Friday, Sept. 25, a uniform rental agreement was created at 1:34 p.m. by Hansen. However, the response from Weck on the scheduling process and rental agreement had been put in place over the past year.
“Over the past year, some processes have been streamlined, and others implemented in order to promote safety and consistency.”
“A uniform rental agreement form was created for internal and external use. This form outlines a user’s needs and is the start of a paper trail for use of the facility. (Internally some schools were following a formal process while others were not.)
A PAC calendar was created and is posted on the district website. Anyone wishing to use the facility can check its availability prior to submitting a request for use, and the community can see what events are available to attend.”
According to the faculty of the fine arts department, the requirement to sending a written request to Hansen to use the PAC during the day for classes or events is new this school year. This is supported by a document located on the board of education website. An excerpt of Department highlights dated Sept. 14 from Interim Superintendent Cheryl Gieseke to the Board of Education under communication.
“Work related to the creation of a needs form to be completed for all events at the Performing Arts Center and distributed same to internal and external users”
The problems at the PAC since the new manager has taken over do not stop at changed locks, scheduling conflicts, and reduced student usage. Concerns have also arisen about potential safety issues.
On Wednesday, Sept. 16, when the locks were changed the students and staff in the band, and chorus classes no longer had access to the hallway behind the stage. That was their designated safe zone in the event of a tornado. In the response provided by Weck, no information was provided on whether students and staff have an alternative safe zone to utilize.
According to multiple sources on Thursday, Sept. 17, during an after-school activity, a student with a medical condition had to urinate outside. This student could not access the bathrooms behind the stage or in the lobby because they were locked.
In the response by Weck, bathroom usage was addressed but what was not addressed was student or staff access during after school activities, or staff use when working at night or on weekends.
“Restrooms in the PAC lobby are open for use during the school day. This change provides more stalls and sinks for students and staff, and the space is checked regularly by hall monitors. Previously only the restrooms in the back hallway of the PAC were available on a limited basis during the day.”
According to multiple sources who would like to remain anonymous, adult volunteers from The Studio have had access to the building, unchaperoned, without checking in with the front office and when Walsh is not on the premises.
In the response from Weck, it never addressed if these adult volunteers have been background checked, or if a policy on volunteers from The Studio having unsupervised access to the building while students are present is in place.
It was discovered on Wednesday morning, Sept. 23, that the PAC had been left unsecured overnight by The Studio or its volunteers, according to a sourse that would like to remain anonymous.
“They had repeatedly been asked not to leave the exit doors propped open. In response to this request, tape was placed over the lock to prevent it from locking and was left on, leaving the building open overnight.”
The only area of Weck’s response that addresses building security in any way is the section relating to lock changes on Wednesday, Sept. 16. Policies or safeguards for securing the PAC when in use by The Studio or its volunteers was never mentioned.
“Locks on the perimeter doors around the PAC have been changed in order to safeguard the facility, including the light and sound equipment and their programmed settings, costumes, sets, and other tangibles housed within the PAC. Access is provided to requested areas for each scheduled use, and the PAC is secure once vacated.”
Dan Holmes fears that the change in District priorities and student use policies of the PAC do not bode well for the future of the theater arts curriculum offered by District 100. He expressed the following sentiments in a letter written to the board of education on Sept. 18.
“My fear is that these changes are going to have a negative effect on our students and the fine arts communities at BHS and BNHS. I am sad that the theatre classes offered in District 100 (one of the best theatre curriculums in Northern Illinois) might no longer be available to students simply because we don’t the students in that space. It is sad for me to think that students will learn theatre from a book instead of doing work performing in a theatre,” Holmes said.
“I could line up hundreds of graduates, many who are working in the theatre industry, who would agree with the education experts that “hands-on learning” is much more effective than getting information from at book. It’s what they refer to as best practice. Even if students aren’t doing activities that require “hands on,” the theatre is a better environment for learning about theatre than the traditional classroom!”
Many questions were posed to Interim Superintendent Gieseke, School Board President Dan Tolbert, District 100 Communication Coordinator Shannon Hansen, and PAC Manager Adam Walsh. They were all contacted multiple times by phone and email regarding the changes at the PAC. All, but Hansen, declined to comment or respond to any of our questions.
On Sept. 25, in response to questions, Hansen provided a document signed by Weck. The document can be found on the District 100 website entitled, “Performing Art Center experiences increased use resulting in streamlined procedures.
On Wednesday, Sept. 30, after much trial and error, the district reopened the position for PAC manager.
Above is from: Problems arise as new management takes over operations at PAC
Below are some of the postings from the District 100 website regarding the issue:
Performing Arts Center experiences increased use resulting in streamlined procedures
Page Content
Originally designed as a roadhouse, the Performing Arts Center (PAC) located inside Belvidere High School is a beautiful facility with the ability to host a variety of events. This 850-seat theater is home to four theater and two musical productions each year by our high school students, a variety of middle school and elementary chorus and band concerts, a Madrigal Dinner, Mr. Thunder and Mr. BHS scholarship competitions, and a host of other in-district events. Theater Tech classes regularly use the space, and band, chorus, and art classes are held periodically in the Performing Arts Center. the venue is available for rent as well.
In response to increased interest from outside organizations, scheduling of events and marketing of the facility were assumed by the District office in 2014. In 2015, use of the facility was expanded to include the summer months, and the PAC hosted a dance company and a theater company for shows open to the community.
Over the past year some processes have been streamlined and others implemented in order to promote safety and consistency.
• A uniform rental agreement form was created for internal and external use. This form outlines a user's needs and is the start of a paper trail for use of the facility. Internally, some schools were following a formal process while others were not.
• A PAC calendar was created and is posted on the District's website. Anyone wishing to use the facility can check its availability prior to submitting a request for use, and the community can see what events are available to attend. Simply select About Us and then Performing Arts Center located in the blue column to the left.
• Restrooms in the PAC lobby are open for use during the school day. This change provides more stalls and sinks for students and staff and the space is checked regularly by hall monitors. Previously only the restrooms in the back hallway of the PAC were available on a limited basis during the day.
• Locks on the perimeter doors around the PAC have been changed in order to safeguard the facility, including the light and sound equipment and their programmed settings, costumes, sets, and other tangibles housed within the PAC. Access is provided to requested areas for each scheduled use, and the PAC is secure once vacated.
• The District is expanding its marketing efforts to include advertising musical and theater performances by District #100 students in a local paper. This task, and the cost of advertising, were previously the responsibility of the school's music or theater department.
While some changes have taken place over the past year, some things have remained the same.
• Schools and student organizations have the first opportunity to schedule events.
• Space can be reserved for classroom use as needed. Otherwise, music, band, art, and theater teachers have designated classrooms.
• Students from Belvidere High School and Belvidere North High School have opportunities to provide sound and lighting technical assistance for productions.
In response to a resignation, the District hired a new PAC Manager on September 15. Adam Walsh has a B.S. in music from Bradley University and has been involved in every aspect of theater since the 1990's. Adam and his wife Courtney have built dinner theaters from the ground up and have produced and musically, technically, and artistically directed numerous shows for a variety of companies. They are co-owners of The Studio, a performing and visual arts studio in Cherry Valley, and have utilized the Performing Arts Center on a rental basis on multiple occasions over the last year. Adam is familiar with the PAC and has an established relationship with the District's former PAC Manager as a result of The Studio's prior use of the space.
Individuals with scheduled PAC rentals during the 2015-16 school year, as well as all building principals, were introduced to Mr. Walsh on September 16 by email, and he will be making formal introductions has he settles into his new position.
To learn more about the Performing Arts Center or to view its calendar of events, click on About Us above and select Performing Arts Center in the blue bar on the left. We invite you to enjoy the theater and its many wonderful productions throughout the year.
Above is from: http://www.district100.com/Newsroom/Pages/Performing-Arts-Center-experiences-increased-use-resulting-in-streamlined-procedures.aspx
If Edward Snowden Is Right About Clinton's Emails, Bernie Sanders Will Win a Landslide Victory | H. A. Goodman
Perhaps nobody on the planet knows more about intelligence protocol than Edward Snowden. If Snowden says it's "completely ridiculous" to believe that Clinton's emails were safe, then yes, it's fair to include his viewpoint in any critique of Hillary Clinton's latest controversy. In addition, since I believe Senator Bernie Sanders is desperately needed at this point in U.S. history, and electing Clinton or a Republican would essentially be nominating the same president on war and foreign policy, it's important to address relevant analysis of the email controversy.
There seems to be a bizarre paradigm of thought among some Democrats that prevents any scandal associated with Hillary Clinton from being a part of debate or discussion. When Anthony Weiner questioned the legitimacy of Sanders running as a Democrat, or when Senator Claire McCaskill attacked Bernie for being "too liberal" and "extreme," ironically there was never any uproar or indignation among those who claim to support unity among progressives.
Just recently, a pro-Clinton super PAC tried to link controversial statements made by Hugo Chavez to Bernie Sanders. Also, let's not bring up Hillary Clinton's 2008 campaign against Barack Obama. If you don't think Clinton's 3 AM ad in 2008 contained a "racist sub-message," then read the analysis of a Harvard sociologist and remember the viewpoint ("black people are incensed over all of this") of South Carolina's James Clyburn.
Therefore, since we know that some Clinton supporters have no qualms about comparing Bernie Sanders to a Fox News socialist or even linking him to Hugo Chavez, let's simply address reality while others genuinely "go negative." The reality is that other intelligence experts have come to the same conclusion as Snowden.
However, even before the email issue, it's important to note why Sanders will defeat Clinton even without a breakthrough from the FBI or CIA.
One look at the Huffpost Pollster interactive chart shows why Sanders will win the Democratic nomination and the presidency. This election will be about polling trajectory and nothing else, when it comes to analyzing public opinion. Without billionaire donors and simply with a grass roots effort, Bernie Sanders has gone from 4% support on January 12, 2015 to 27.5% on September 27, 2015. No, Sanders doesn't need to go negative on anyone. Stating the obvious, however, isn't negative. If Bernie Sanders can get to 7 points within Clinton, without an official statement from the FBI about Clinton's emails being a threat to national security, then imagine if Snowden is correct.
What if Edward Snowden is correct to believe that it's "completely ridiculous" to think Clinton's emails were safe? If this is true, then it's feasible to foresee a breakthrough in the FBI investigation. Yes, it's logical to assume that national security was jeopardized if Snowden and others feel Clinton was reckless with her intelligence protocol. We're then looking at a Bernie Sanders landslide victory in the Democratic primaries.
Edward Snowden isn't part of a GOP conspiracy and has no incentive other than to illustrate a relevant viewpoint, when he addressed Clinton's private emails and server. I have no incentive to write this piece other than to highlight a key distinction between two Democratic candidates. Also, I am voting only for Senator Bernie Sanders and nobody else.
In addition, the person weighing in on this topic is more than just an expert on intelligence and national security issues. First, Snowden is a whistleblower who fostered a national discussion about domestic spying. His actions weren't treason, resulted in "needed transparency" and we've had a national debate about civil liberties and the Bill of Rights because of his actions. Furthermore, if Clinton can store classified and "Top Secret" emails (whether or not many were retroactively classified is irrelevant, there were also "born classified" emails) and the FBI owns the server of a presidential candidate, then as I've advocated, bring Snowden home.
Yes, Bernie Sanders will win the presidency because of his bold message and policies, but since Clinton's PAC's and supporters will inevitably fabricate a narrative about Sanders, the least any writer can do is simply state the facts. A POLITICO article titled Snowden: No way Hillary's private server was secure highlights why the Democratic Party should be concerned about Hillary Clinton in a general election:
Edward Snowden blasted Hillary Clinton's assertion that her State Department emails were secure on a private server, calling the notion "completely ridiculous" in excerpts of an interview with Al Jazeera English published Thursday.
"When the unclassified systems of the United States government, which has a full-time information security staff regularly gets hacked, the idea that someone keeping a private server in the renovated bathroom of a server farm in Colorado, is more secure is completely ridiculous," Snowden said, referring to the physical location of the server hosted by Denver-based Platte River Networks.
Simply claiming something is legal doesn't make it right, and Snowden goes on to say that if anyone acted like Clinton, "they would not only lose their jobs and lose their clearance, they would very likely face prosecution for it."
In my analysis of 2016, I've tried my best to make relevant distinctions between Sanders and Clinton. In my recent appearances on Ring of Fire and The Benjamin Dixon Show, I highlight why Clinton had essentially been a Republican on issues ranging from war and foreign policy to gay marriage, Keystone XL, the TPP, and other topics. As for my views on foreign policy, I've also appeared on Ring of Fire to discuss my thoughts on Dick Cheney and Jeb Bush.
With Snowden's commentary of Hillary Clinton's email practices, however, my opinions on politics take a backseat to the potential of a president who can't type an email without a nationwide scandal. You might think Hillary Clinton would make a fine president, but you can't say Edward Snowden doesn't know anything about intelligence protocol.
Another article in The Hill titled Snowden: Clinton's email server 'a problem', highlights Snowden's belief of why Clinton failed to keep intelligence secure:
"This is a problem because anyone who has the clearances that the secretary of State has, or the director of any top level agency has, knows how classified information should be handled," he said, according to excerpts of an Al Jazeera interviewairing Friday.
"If an ordinary worker at the State Department or the Central Intelligence Agency ... were sending details about the security of the embassies, which is alleged to be in her email, meetings with private government officials, foreign government officials and the statements that were made to them in confidence over unclassified email systems, they would not only lose their jobs and lose their clearance, they would very likely face prosecution for it," he added.
Therefore, Clinton's email server, at least according to one of the top experts on the planet pertaining to intelligence protocol, is "a problem." It's also an issues because unlike the excuse of "convenience," top officials know exactly how "classified information should be handled."
As for Snowden's comments, don't think Democratic superdelegates and party officials aren't worried about the email issue. A New York Times article titled Hillary Clinton's Handling of Email Issue Frustrates Democratic Leaders explains why the DNC is already worried:
Democratic leaders are increasingly frustrated by Hillary Rodham Clinton's failure to put to rest questions about her State Department email practices...
Interviews with more than 75 Democratic governors, lawmakers, candidates and party members have laid bare a widespread bewilderment that Mrs. Clinton has allowed a cloud to settle over her candidacy -- by using a private email server in the first place, since it was likely to raise questions about her judgment, and by not defusing those questions once and for all when the issue first emerged in March.
To simply say that nobody is concerned about this ignores the reality that leaders within the Democratic Party know that deleted emails could doom a general election.
Not everything is "Benghazi." Hillary Clinton is competing against Bernie Sanders for the Democratic nomination and a genuine distinction should be made, not just on issues, but on character. If you feel that Clinton's stances on war, foreign policy, and gay marriage warrant the presidency, then you might be a "Facebook liberal." As for me, I'm voting for Bernie Sanders. He doesn't need a Clinton scandal to win the Democratic nomination, but he will win the nomination in a landslide of Edward Snowden is correct.
GM launches car-sharing program for select NYC residents - MarketWatch
General Motors Co. GM, +1.17% unveiled on Thursday a car-sharing program for a limited number of New York City residents, as part of the car maker's plan to expand urban mobility options worldwide. The new program, called "Let's Drive NYC," is available to residents of The Ritz Plaza, a luxury apartment building with 479 units near Times Square owned by Stonehenge Partners. With periodic apartment lease payments, users will receive electronic credits valid for three hours of rental a month, and have access to parking in 200 garages in Manhattan managed by Icon Parking. On top of that, users will pay less than $10 an hour, or up to $75 for a 24-hour reservation. "We view evolving consumer preferences, such as car-sharing, as real business opportunities, where we can quickly build on our existing capabilities such as OnStar connectivity to very effectively meet customer needs," said GM President Dan Ammann. GM's stock rose 1.4% in morning trade, after reporting a 12.5% rise in vehicle sales for September. The stock has lost 7.8% over the past three months, while the S&P 500 has declined 7.9%.
GM launches car-sharing program for select NYC residents - MarketWatch
Illinois home day care workers seek repayment of union dues - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com
ST. LOUIS — Home day care workers in Illinois are seeking a refund of millions of dollars in past payments in a federal lawsuit recently filed in the wake of a U.S. Supreme Court decision that overturned a state requirement for non-union home health workers to pay fair-share union fees.
The class-action lawsuit was brought by home day care owners Laura Baston of Casey and Sandy Winner of Jacksonville and names Gov. Bruce Rauner and the Service Employees International Union Healthcare Illinois & Indiana as defendants. It comes as the first-term Republican governor aggressively aims to curtail labor unions’ political influence.
The lawsuit says Illinois should repay what the conservative Illinois Policy Institute estimates was as much as $10 million in annual withholding of “agency fees” that were deducted from reimbursements for private contractors who cared for low-income children eligible to receive state support. The fees, which are not supposed to be used for political activity, had been collected since 2005 under an executive order by former Gov. Rod Blagojevich.
The Supreme Court ruled 5-4 in June 2014 that the union dues, which cover the costs of contract negotiations and grievance disputes, could not be collected from people who provided in-home care for people with disabilities who didn’t want to join the state employees’ union. Soon after, the administration of Gov. Pat Quinn, a Democrat and Rauner’s predecessor, stopped collecting the fees from child care providers — at the policy institute’s request.
Baston and her attorneys declined comment Wednesday. Officials with the governor’s office and the Illinois Attorney General’s Office, which is representing Rauner, did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
SEIU spokesman James Muhammad called the class-action suit a politically motivated effort to weaken a union that has won better wages and working conditions for its members.
“The lawsuit … is doing the same thing in the courtroom that Gov. Rauner himself is doing at the bargaining table — demanding that workers give up their voice in a race to the bottom in wages, benefits and protections,” he said.
A status hearing in the lawsuit, which was filed in mid-August in U.S. District Court in Chicago, is scheduled for Oct. 15. The presiding federal judge granted a request by attorneys for Rauner seeking more time to file their answer to the complaint.
The U.S. Supreme Court is scheduled to hear arguments later this year in a similar case brought by California teachers challenging a state requirement that non-union members pay fair-share fees.
In a separate federal suit, a judge in May dismissed Rauner as a plaintiff in a case over forced fees paid by non-union state workers who are nonetheless represented by their union bargaining units. Rauner had also sought to collect those dues and keep them in a separate escrow account pending the legal fight.
Illinois home day care workers seek repayment of union dues - The Telegraph - thetelegraph.com
Governor closing museums, shooting range in budget standoff | Daily Chronicle
Savings: Millions or $400,000? Read and find out.
Read the entire story by clicking on the following: Governor closing museums, shooting range in budget standoff | Daily Chronicle
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