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The mussels can be hard to remove from boats or equipment, usually requiring a high-pressure wash or even a manual scraping to get them off. One way to prevent their spread is for boaters to clean out their watercraft and let them dry for five days when transferring between bodies of water
Zebra mussels, which are spreading throughout the Chain O’ Lakes and the Fox River,
Northwest Herald | Invasive creatures spread to Fox River, Chain O’ Lakes
I don’t know if this is a good or bad program—but where is Boone County’s application for this part of the Recovery Act?
The new bonds authorized in the massive $789 billion American Reinvestment and Recovery Act will allow the county to issue bonds for capital projects for itself and the county’s municipalities, or economic development facility bonds for businesses that want to locate in the county or expand.
But the county first must designate itself as a “recovery zone” to be allowed to allocate the funds, said chairman Marc Munaretto, R-Algonquin.
Investors are entitled to receive a 45 percent refund of the federal taxes payable on them
Internal Revenue Service still is working out the formula to determine how much each recovery zone will get
Click on the following for the rest of the story: Northwest Herald | Recovery bonds clear committee hurdle
This may be the “real news” in the article—a County Board sub-committee is researching whether the reimbursement of alcoholic beverages by the Board of Health may have violated county policy.
“The committee also addressed that some members [of the Board of Health] went to Giovanni’s and submitted a request for reimbursement and were paid back.
The committee felt since this meal included alcoholic beverages, this reimbursement is a violation of policy and the parties involved should be disciplined. The committee looked for direction from Terrinoni on how to word a formal ethics complaint.
The committee agreed to look into the process and finalize its complaint next meeting. It was also brought up that the ethics board consists of three people, but at this time there are only two members and one opening.
This, in itself is not a problem, because two members make a quorum. However, one of the two members on this board is also on the Board of Health, which is the body that the complaint will be directed toward….They asked Terrinoni if he could ask for advice from the State’s Attorney Michelle Courier on this matter.”
Under the plan, the carmaker would emerge from bankruptcy with a union retiree trust owning 55 percent, Fiat owning a 20 percent share that could eventually grow to 35 percent, and the United States and Canadian governments holding minority stakes.
bad news that's less bad than it was a few months ago. An economic recovery has to start somewhere, and before things start to get better, they have to stop getting worse.
Home prices have fallen about 30 percent nationwide since they peaked in 2006. Isn't that enough? Surely they have to stop falling soon, right? Maybe not. The Federal Reserve has projected a total home price decline of somewhere between 41 and 48 percent, with a bottom in 2010. After that, the "rebound" is likely to be muted, with slow price gains at best.
unemployment rate will keep rising through 2009 and into 2010, topping out somewhere between 10 and 12 percent….won't return to "normal" levels of 5 percent or less until 2016.
If we're going to have the usual kind of recovery—where jobs generate income that consumers spend—then it's still winter
Click on the following for the rest of the story: Why the Economic Recovery Won't Feel Like One - Rick Newman (usnews.com)
Well—the real question: is the current budget really “balanced” as promised? Do the departments’ cut backs really match the fall in revenues? What do we really know about this current budget? I believe revenues are falling perhaps even more than projected because of the state’s share still being up in the air but what about the expenditures cuts? Public Safety items are nearly 50% of the budget “can” and “will” these expenditures be trimmed?
Terrinoni anticipates he will have a clearer projection to deliver to the board about the county’s budget status. He said as of Tuesday, it looked like the county was operating under a deficit based on “guesswork looking forward.”
June 9, 2009
FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Rich Carter
(815)356-9800
Manzullo Cosponsors Bill to Reverse Forced Closures of GM and Chrysler Dealers, Save Thousands of American Jobs
[WASHINGTON] As the deadline nears for Chrysler and GM to strip thousands of auto dealers of their franchises and put tens of thousands of Americans on the unemployment lines, U.S. Rep. Don Manzullo (R-IL) has cosponsored a bill that would reinstate the franchise agreements for those dealers that would like to stay in business.
The legislation, “The Automobile Dealer Economic Restoration Act (HR 2743),” was introduced late Monday and would restore the economic rights GM and Chrysler dealers enjoyed before the auto manufacturers’ bankruptcies. Because the forced closures of more than 2,000 Chrysler and GM dealers will not save the manufacturers significant amounts of money, reinstatement of the franchises will not affect their planned emergence from bankruptcies. The forced closures of the dealers was agreed to by GM, Chrysler and the President’s auto task force prior to bankruptcies as part of the Administration’s decision to fund the automakers’ debts with more than $60 billion in taxpayer funds.
“The misguided decision of GM, Chrysler and the President’s auto task force to close more than 2,000 dealerships in the United States will do nothing to improve the finances of the automakers because the dealers pay their own costs and actually purchase cars from the automakers. Many of these dealers represent several generations of hard-working small business owners who have given so much to their employees and their communities over decades of service only to be stripped of their franchises and forced to shutter their businesses in a matter of weeks,” Manzullo said. “This legislation will bring some common sense back to the industry and restore the franchise agreements to the dealers who want to keep operating without threatening the plans for both GM and Chrysler to emerge stronger from their bankruptcies.”
Manzullo, who has been working with several local auto dealers scheduled for closure, sent previous letters to the President and the automakers seeking a reconsideration of the forced closures as well as a delay and more transparency in their decisions. Many of the dealers slated for closure are profitable and have no idea why they are targeted for closure.
In addition, Manzullo will vote later today for a “cash for clunkers” bill that will bolster auto manufacturing and sales by providing vouchers up to $4,500 to anyone who trades in a vehicle made after 1984 that gets less than 18 mpg and purchases a new vehicle, costing less than $45,000, that gets at least 4 mpg more. The legislation is expected to bolster auto sales by 1 million vehicles.
Manzullo authored alternative legislation (HR 1606) that would have provided a $5,000 voucher to anyone who purchases a vehicle – no strings attached – that would have covered the sale of 15 million new cars. While the “cash for clunkers” bill will not have nearly the boost to auto manufacturing and sales as Manzullo’s bill, Manzullo still supports the cash for clunkers bill because it will help the industry. He will continue to push for his bill that would have a much greater impact on American manufacturing.
Every one million in new vehicle sales has the following impact on the economy:
· Creates 60,000 jobs (10,000 at vehicle assembly plants; 50,000 at suppliers, auto dealers, and other businesses).
· Provides $750 million in tax revenue to the federal government.
· Provides $1.4 billion in sales tax revenue to states.
· Saves federal government over $1.8 billion in unemployment payments, COBRA health care subsidies, job retraining assistance, and food stamps.
The automobile industry and its suppliers account for 13 million American jobs, 20 percent of all U.S. retail sales, and billions of dollars in state and local sales taxes. The drop in U.S. vehicle sales from 16 million in 2007 to 13 million in 2008 to a projected 9 million in 2009 has been one of the leading causes of America’s economic downturn and huge job losses.
