Tuesday, August 28, 2012

"Race to the Top" helped Governor Christi fill his educational agenda in New Jersey.

N. J. receives $38 million in Race to the Top funds (click title to entry - thank you)


Published: Friday, December 23, 2011, 11:30 AM     
Updated: Friday, December 23, 2011, 12:40 PM



TRENTON — New Jersey has been awarded nearly $38 million in federal Race to the Top funding to bolster Gov. Chris Christie’s education reform agenda, including plans to use test scores to evaluate teacher performance.
The funding was awarded after the state lost out on $460 million in two previous rounds of the Race to the Top competition, including a failed bid last week for $60 million that would have benefited pre-schoolers statewide....

I think Governor Christie made a great speech. He brought back words needed in the Republican Party. He toned the extremism and to that end I think he did a great job.

It laid out battleground for the future of the GOP to actually put forward a party that can serve this country and do so in bi-partisanship. I believe and I hope Governor Christie continues to set a leadership example that will work to change the direction of the GOP. I mean with sincerity. I remind he was the only Governor I know of that actually placed a person of the Muslim faith before the legislature for the NJ Judiciary. He is a warrior alone in the GOP in many ways. 

I wish him luck for the further fight of the GOP.

August 08, 2012
By Matt Katz, Inquirer Trenton Bureau


MIDDLESEX, N.J. - Teachers' union leaders (click here) and Gov. Christie appeared in the same room Monday - and even shook hands - as they heralded legislation on tenure passed by lawmakers from both parties.
But the smiles and signs of détente in the ugly feud between Christie and the unions belied reality, as the bulk of Christie's education agenda remains sidelined.
The bill-signing at a middle school in central New Jersey was a historic moment, marking the state's most significant changes to teacher-tenure rules in a century. It links tenure to performance, increases the time it takes to earn tenure, and makes it faster and cheaper to dismiss a poor teacher....
Governor Christi has been able to bring about reasonable changes to contracts. No one can say he didn't. They are changes the people have been seeking without destroying the unionized teachers of New Jersey. The parents wanted empowerment and he was able to achieve that without completely destroying the integrity of the unions. I don't think there is anything wrong with that.
I know he is not a fan of Democratic principles, but, he is not out to destroy them and punish different faiths and beliefs for the simple fact they exist. He has many redeeming qualities, it would be wrong to trash him. I think he can do the GOP a lot of good. I hope he does. The country needs a truce in the worst way. 
Governor Christi welcomes the federal government in the help it has offered from the Obama Administration. They have been partners in education and Christi awaited the visit of President Obama post Irene. I am quite confident he accepted any aid for unemployment in New Jersey stemming from the Recovery Act.
He didn't take cheap shots tonight. He didn't scream 'Down with Obamacare' as  most other Republicans do. That is an empty chant. It is the easy way out. If the Republicans hope they are going to defeat the National Debt based on destroying the Affordable Care Act, Medicare, Medicaid and Social Security, then they have no answer to the nation's needs or the best path forward. I think Christi knows that and I remember him stating, "I am tired of the crazies."
Maybe it takes a Jersey Guy to set the GOP on a far better path than they have now. Time will tell.

Who built it? Whom's dream did he satisfy?



Mrs. Ann Romney loves her husband and will back every aspect of his success, that does not necessarily mean the success of the Middle Class of the USA.

Governor Nicki Haley lies. What else is new?

Boeing settled the NLRB lawsuit. If it weren't for the lawsuit there would have been no settlement. Nicki Haley had absolutely nothing to do with the case settling. It would have been ludicrous for the NLRB to stand in the way of the settlement.

The Republicans used the suit for propaganda. The labor settled the lawsuit, not Nicki Haley's noisiness.

by David Jackson, USA TODAY
Updated 2011-12-09 2:43 PM 

President Obama praised the resolution of a labor dispute (click here) that had blocked an airplane plant in South Carolina and threatened to create a political headache in next year's election.

"I'm glad people are gonna be working," Obama told a press pool as he walked from a staff holiday party in Blair House, across the street from the White House.

The National Labor Relations Board announced today it is dropping a case against Boeing, the action that had held up the plant in South Carolina; Republican lawmakers and presidential candidates have used the case to argue that Obama was beholden to labor and over-regulation of the economy.

The NLRB and the unions had accused Boeing of building the South Carolina plant in order to avoid the unionization of workers.

But the machinists union, which made the initial complaint, asked that it be withdrawn after ratifying a four-year contract extension with Boeing on Wednesday.

White House spokesman Jay Carney said Obama had nothing to do with the decision by the National Labor Relations Board, which is an independent entity.

The only mention of older Americans by Santorum was of his father.

 at 09:04 AM ET, 01/04/2012

A funny thing happened when Rick Santorum nearly tied Mitt Romney in Tuesday night’s Iowa caucus: The Republican presidential hopeful who has most ardently argued for privatizing Medicare made an incredibly strong showing in the Hawkeye State.


Medicare is usually the third rail of electoral politics. Voters don’t like changes to the entitlement program, even when politicians suggest expanding it. And Iowa isn’t exactly a prime location to roll out big Medicare changes: Seniors make up 14.9 percent of the population there, compared with their 13 percent share nationally.

But that didn’t scare off Santorum. The former U.S. senator from Pennsylvania has, for months now, aggressively backed the Medicare changes that House budget chairman Rep. Paul Ryan (R) rolled out in April. That would be the plan that proposed privatizing the program and giving qualified recipients federal money to purchase health coverage. The plan was a political flop. Polls found that voters weren’t exactly keen to scrap the entitlement program as it exists now....

It was a very short speech as if he wasn't welcome there. I think the Republicans forced to make short speeches because of the hurricane should be allowed to record their entire speech and place it on the RNC Convention webpage.

The Official Website of the 2012 Republican National Convention (click here)

One of the realities Republicans conveniently forget is that the Poor of the USA are not all ideal. There are Poor on welfare, but, there is also the Working Poor.

All on welfare are poor, but, all that are poor are not on welfare.

The demographic group in the USA most severely impacted by the economic collapse of 2008 were African Americans. That is a fact. So, the GOP would target them with bigoted innuendos as the most hapless and helpless in the USA. Santorum is a very bigoted man. It comes across loud and clear in his book.

Dysfunction always screams for a scapegoat. 

Wisconsin has lost the most private sector jobs in the USA.

By John Schmid and Craig Gilbert of the Journal Sentinel
March 3, 2012


Wisconsin desperately needs new jobs.
Alone among the 50 states, it has lost private-sector jobs for six straight months, raising the political and economic stakes of the next jobs report, due Thursday for the month of January.
Even feeble job creation would bring a sense of relief to a recession-weary state and a pro-business governor who campaigned on a promise to add 250,000 new private-sector jobs in his current term.
"The rest of the nation is moving upwards. We're one of the few states moving downward. There's something wrong," said economist Steven Deller of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
The United States as a whole has added private-sector jobs 23 months in a row, including almost a half million jobs in the past two months....
YEP!

Austerity will do it every time!



Ohio - Auto Industry - President Obama.

Texas - Petroleum Industry - Natural Resources.

Quakes rattles Texas: fracking disposal wells to blame? (click here)

Texas, a state that has, historically, been light on seismic activity, has recently endured a considerable number of earthquakes, which, while not damaging, have come as a troubling surprise. Seismologists have concluded that wastewater disposal wells from fracking are causing the unpleasant phenomenon, adding new cause for concern regarding a natural gas extraction process that is already steeped in controversy.
The earthquakes, which increased in frequency and intensity from 2001 onward, happen to be near areas with dozens of deep injection wells, which are used for disposing of wastewater from fracking, a problematic natural gas extraction process....

Good news from the White House ! (click title to entry - thank you)


Tue, Aug 28 2012 at 11:12 AM EST

Obama administration agrees to release secret 'White House Honey Ale' recipe if more than 25,000 people sign an on-line petition.


White House Honey Ale, guaranteed to work at any Beer Summit.

When Speaker Boner jests about bars, he forgets how many bars there are in the USA, what companies brew sells in those bars and the Micor-Brewery are some of the most successful local small businesses.

Can the American Jobs Act be related to the Welfare to Work Act?


I think there are a few factors people may be reacting to, but, they are very under and misinformed. So, let's take a look at the charges by the GOP presidential candidate. I am sure it will come up in his speech. I found this Op-Ed by Mrs. Jean Carnahan more than interesting, so I'll start there.
...Welfare reform requires states to move people from welfare to work, (click title to entry - thank you) but some federal requirements are extremely complex. During his time as governor, my late husband, Mel Carnahan, helped moved 131,000 Missouri families off welfare. And by October 2000, 17,600 more Missouri families had self-sufficiency pacts in place and were in the process of moving from welfare to work. That was possible because he pursued innovations at the state level made possible by flexibility granted at the federal level.
In July, after hearing those concerns from Republican governors in states like Nevada and Utah, the Obama administration announced new options to help states do a better job at moving people from welfare to work. States can apply for waivers from federal requirements that get in the way, so they can build the welfare-to-work programs that are best for them, just like Mel did as governor.
President Obama's action strengthens welfare reform — especially its work requirements — because every state that gets a waiver has to move 20 percent more people from welfare to work. Romney's claims to the contrary are simple political nonsense.
The Obama administration has been very clear: Waivers will only go to states that test ways to move more people to work. Waivers won't be approved if they weaken or undercut welfare reform, or if they try to waive the time limits that were central to welfare reform.
President Obama has a long record of making sure work is part of welfare reform. As a state senator in Illinois, he was the lead Democrat on welfare reform and supported work requirements even when some of his counterparts didn't. Like President Clinton, he reached across the aisle to work with Republicans to pass welfare reform, and they later praised his "bipartisan support and work" that helped get it done....

Jean Carahan points to the reality that welfare is not a goal or good for people as a long term fix to economic reality. She also points out there is somewhat of a penalty to ask for a waiver by any State of the HHS. If a waiver is granted to the States there has to be a movement of not only the usual standard, but, twenty percent more. So, the States asking for waivers have to take the request seriously. The States have to be looking at a particular problem that has to be solved to move their welfare populations forward. 

I imagine there have been burdens for States to move people off welfare rolls after the 2008 global economic crash. The USA not only had to put millions and millions of people back to work receiving unemployment, but, add to that the amount of people losing their homes and investments and actually having to turn to welfare and living with family or friends. In many ways, the poverty rate reflects what was probably an increase in welfare across the country. The crash occurred September - October 2008, this is the fourth anniversary and when the Governors looked at their welfare rolls and looked at job prospects of only having those people off support within one more year, it was better to ask for the waivers than not at all. I sincerely believe the Governors are preparing for the worse. The WORST might be yet to come if the GOP continues to cut domestic programs in austerity measures. Governor Christi knows his austerity measures have backfired with a 9.8% unemployment rate.

Getting the country back to work has been more than difficult. It required not only to bring the unemployed back to the working environment with new skills, it also required bringing the poor back to work as well. The double wammy President Obama has had to deal with was more than just the unemployed. The USA sincerely imploded in every way it could. The burden of support of a devastated economy fell to all levels of governments. Local governments were at a loss because of large reductions in property tax. Small businesses that frequently hire the unemployed and/or welfare recipients had no loans from banks. When realizing the actual condition of the nation that President Obama inherited, he and his administration has performed nothing short of a miracle.

Are Americans angry about the continued dependence and do they see the welfare recipients as an extension of unemployment? Wouldn't you? Are Romney and the Republicans ranting a racial tone, you betcha, but at the same time there are 'ideas' attached to some of those racial tones. I have no doubt some Americans are being taunted over radio waves and television by  personalities to realize how profound the failure of the President's administration has been.

Is the idea the President's unemployment numbers actually over 8.2% one he owns? No. Why? Because the President has asked and proposed and advocated the passage of measures to put people back to work. Would the States be better off today if The American Jobs Act passed? Yes. Would they be asking for waivers? Maybe, but, probably not. It would depend in the State and their ability to implement The American's Job Act.

Also at work is the National Deficit and Debt. In 2012, welfare was 12% of the Nation's budget. The proposed budget for 2013 was to cut welfare to 11%. This was some of the 'domestic sequestration' agreed to by the Congress. The Republicans are scoffed in many ways by people for demanding the return of monies to the military that was part of that bill and in a way allowing the States to have waivers looks like the Democrats are up to the same thing, but, in a different manner.

Also what is frustrating with the idea of welfare is Medicaid. So, the American people responding to the Romney ads which is based in lies, strikes a nerve with some folks and not for the reasons that are obvious.

President Obama has to address these concerns in a real way. He has to make it clear this administration has been more successful than he ever expected and the failure to prevent this 'wave of the needy' belongs to the Republicans and their refusal to solve the nation's problems. This is not whining. It is not evading the truth. It is telling the American people the truth. 

President Obama knows his relationship with citizens has been strong and important. He has valued that relationship when asking them to come to the service of driving Congress to resolve urgent needs. If the Republicans can get Americans to believe the President wasn't 'up front' with them the entire time, it would cause them to lose their faith in his leadership.

The ads by the Romney Campaign and its PACs are based in lies, but, President Obama has to respond as if it were based in an untold truth. I don't think President Obama has to lie or be a mind reader, but, simply say "I don't know what the truth is that some might believe exists, but, I would like to heal that misunderstanding with the sincere truth." He also needs to let Americans know their Congress has compounded the problem of the Poor and the unemployed. President Obama has to say that Congress have not been problem solvers because of the profound impasse created by the Republicans. He needs to point out his attempts for reaching across the aisle, which were many. He attended meetings of the GOP as the only Democrat in the room if I remember right. He could not be more willing than that.

President Obama has to ask those disturbed by the ads and words of the opposition; if Americans want to know the truth or keep believing in scandals of lies that shouldn't exist? He'll find a way. He always does.

I thought Jindal prided himself on the Private Sector. Why doesn't he ask the petroleum industry to help with his costs.

A hurricane is not a profit opportunity at the cost of the federal government.

...Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal, who has criticized Barack Obama for excessive federal spending, said the president isn’t providing enough funding to cover the costs of Tropical Storm Isaac.
“The speed with which this threat developed has necessitated extraordinary emergency protective measures at the state and local government level,” Jindal, a Republican, wrote in a letter to the Democratic president yesterday evening. “The increased urgency of the situation necessitates that we re- emphasize the request for full federal assistance for the state.”...
This is not a catastrophic event. It is building velocity out of a tropic storm status, so it is bearly a Cat 1. I am sure there is going to be considerable flooding. It may be a Hurricane Irene from last year, but, that is not known yet.

If Governor Jindal sincerely cared about the people of New Orleans and Louisiana he would be demanding all kinds of changes along the Gulf Coast, including, restoration of the wetlands back into the Gulf, but, alas there are always the 'ax in the roof strategy' that works better than Republicans.

The people of the United States has invested a great deal of money to preventive changes to the Gulf Coast. I don't expect a return of Katrina. The Climate Crisis has made it nearly impossible for the return of Katrina. Tornadoes on the other hand are a different topic.

Governor Jindal is a political screaming meme rather than someone who noted that President Obama had the teams of federal help on the ground along the entire Gulf Coast for nearly a week now. He was taking no chances.

If I were a Governor along the Gulf Coast, I would be very worried about the return of spilled BP Oil stagnant in the Gulf of Mexico sea floor coming ashore. That reality should have been realized for years and informed people they need to beware of possible oil contamination with every major storm that comes along the Gulf Coast.

Why not vote Republican?

They have no ideas.

I comment on that theme when the major speakers have finished tonight.

...One three-word phrase (click title to entry - thank you) I keep hearing over and over, and this is spoken with genuine incredulity, is "He's got nothing" -- with the "he" being President Barack Obama. Therein lies the stinging summation of where the Obama campaign is right now. Obama seems to have nothing -- zippo -- to run on, only anger at those pernicious 1 percenters, half of whom probably voted for the president in the first place....

Right.

I will say this, Governor Chris Christi will be a presidential nomination for the GOP. I also believe he has the capacity to lead the GOP to a better message.

Until later.

Storm Kirk is alive and well in the Atlantic.

August 28, 2012
1130z
UNISYS Infrared GOES East Satellite (click title for 12 hour loop - thank you)

Kirk is south of the Azores.

The storms are very different and only seven years apart.


Aug 27, 2012
Hurricane Warnings have been posted for east of Morgan City, LA to Destin, FL including metropolitan 
New Orleans, Lake Pontchartrain and Lake Maurepas. A Hurricane Warning means that hurricane 
conditions are expected somewhere within the warning area. A Warning is typically issued 36 hours 
before the anticipated first occurrence of tropical storm force winds, conditions that make outside 
preparations difficult or dangerous. Preparations to protect life and property should be rushed to 
completion. This image was taken by GOES East at 1545Z on August 27, 2012.


Katerina, August 28, 2005

Katrina's path was very 
different, notably beginning 
and traveling closerto Florida. 
Katrina passed over southern 
Florida and the Keys as a
Category 1 hurricane. It heated 
in the Gulf of Mexico and made 
landfall as a Cat 5.



Issac's track and duration was far 
longer than Katrina, but, not longer
than Andrew in 1992.



Andrew started in the Atlantic
but took Katrina's path over
southern Florida as Katrina 
did. Andrew was a Cat 5 when
it passed over Florida.

Issac had a similar path as 
Andrew only more south. When
examining the health of the
troposhere and the Climate 
Crisis it is legitimate to 
realize the path and 
development of Isaac is 
extremely different than storms
of prior years. Andrew in 1992
and Katrina in 2005 had no problem building into strong storms uninterrupted.

That is not the experience with Issac. Isaac's track is more southern than other
storm development of the same origins and path.

Isaac developed in a more southern longitude due to the lack of water vapor in
areas where others storms have developed. Isaac's development occurred at the 
expense of rainforest water vapor and water vapor found at the Intertropical
Convergence Zone. Isaac developed very differently than storms Pre-2006.