It was a good debate. Democrats have two incredible candidates. They each have their own virtues and short falls. The people have to decide and it is not an easy decision. 

I make no recommendations, but, only wish every voter carry their best interests into the balloting.

Good night.

When are the existing pipelines in the USA going to be replaced rather than causing more danger to more lands in the USA?

No is never no to the petroleum industry. They want to endanger the land in the same states that the KXL was crossing. This is ridiculous. There are miles and miles of existing pipeline old and speculative to it's integrity, yet, the petroleum industry wants to threaten more land with a FAILING INDUSTRY.

A project by any other name is still the same project. Even after the KXL was ordered to end it's useless ambitions, there is still all this nonsense going on. No presidential candidate should be accepting funding from the petroleum industry. THEY ARE FAILING AND GOING OUT OF BUSINESS!

The Dakota Access Pipeline (click here) Project is a new approximate 1,134-mile, 30-inch diameter pipeline that will connect the rapidly expanding Bakken and Three Forks production areas in North Dakota to Patoka, Illinois. The pipeline will enable domestically produced light sweet crude oil from North Dakota to reach major refining markets in a more direct, cost-effective, safer and environmentally responsible manner. The pipeline will also reduce the current use of rail and truck transportation to move Bakken crude oil to major U.S. markets to support domestic demand.

Even the Detroit Public School fundraiser isn't going well.

PURCHASE THIS REPORT (click here) AS A BEAUTIFUL HARDCOVER BOOK FOR $100.

LIMITED EDITION WITH 20 EXTRA PAGES OF REPORTING AND PHOTOGRAPHY INCLUDING

• Historic and contemporary pictures of Detroit’s Public Schools
• Additional commentary on the future of the school district

The Detroit Public School story is bigger than most believe is the issue. The Detroit Public School system deteriorated because the city did. It had nothing to do with mismanagement.

March 4, 2016
By Lester Graham 

John Grover and Yvette van der Velde co-authored a Loveland Technologies report on the decline of the Detroit Public Schools District.

..."Around 2006 there were (click here) only about 380 students going to school here. So, the school district was faced with a choice. You have a successful school academically, but it’s designed for 2,200 students. It only has 380 in there. What do you do? So, what they ended up doing is they closed the program that was in this school, the Hutchins Intermediate program. They moved it to another school about 10 blocks to the south called McMichael Intermediate. And that became Hutchins at McMichael. And the feeling was you could just pick up all the students, all the teachers, the program that was so successful here and transplant it into another school,” Grover said....

The 1933 Glass-Steagall Act (click here) mandated the separation of banks, insurance companies and securities firms after the banking collpase that ushered in the Great Depression. But those restrictions were undone during 28 years of conservative economic rule that began with Ronald Reagan and found its boldest statement in 1999, when President Clinton signed the Financial Services Modernization Act, which tore down the walls separating banks, securities firms and insurers....

Is it true Senator Sanders voted for the Commodity Futures Modernization Act

October 9, 2015
Bernie Sanders' campaign (click here) message is built around a central theme -- wresting economic power away from Wall Street and returning it to working people. It's a message that closely tracks the voting record of the self-described socialist senator from Vermont.
But there is one significant blemish on that record. In 2000, Sanders voted for the Commodity Futures Modernization Act, a landmark bill that blocked federal agencies from regulating credit default swaps -- the complex contracts at the heart of the 2008 financial crisis.
The CFMA's chief architect was then-Sen. Phil Gramm (R-Texas), a die-hard deregulator who joined Swiss banking giant UBS after leaving the Senate. Today, he's essentially the rhetorical opposite of Sanders, appearing in congressional hearings to literally bemoan the low pay of multimillionaire CEOs.
By 2000, Sanders was already an unpopular figure with big banks. The prior year, he had vigorously opposed the repeal of the Glass-Steagall Act, a Depression-era law which barred conventional banks from engaging in risky securities trading. Its repeal is widely viewed as fueling a merger binge that made companies massive and complex -- a catalyst for the banking collapse....

Read more here: http://www.mcclatchydc.com/news/politics-government/article24500815.html#storylink=cpy

Mayo Clinic

Initially, lead poisoning can be hard to detect (click here) — even people who seem healthy can have high blood levels of lead. Signs and symptoms usually don't appear until dangerous amounts have accumulated.

Lead poisoning symptoms in children

The signs and symptoms of lead poisoning in children may include:

• Developmental delay
• Learning difficulties
• Irritability
• Loss of appetite
• Weight loss
• Sluggishness and fatigue
• Abdominal pain
• Vomiting
• Constipation
• Hearing loss

Lead poisoning symptoms in newborns

Babies who are exposed to lead before birth may experience:

• Learning difficulties
• Slowed growth

Lead poisoning symptoms in adults

Although children are primarily at risk, lead poisoning is also dangerous for adults. Signs and symptoms in adults may include:

• High blood pressure
• Abdominal pain
• Constipation
• Joint pains
• Muscle pain
• Declines in mental functioning
• Pain, numbness or tingling of the extremities
• Headache
• Memory loss
• Mood disorders
• Reduced sperm count, abnormal sperm
• Miscarriage or premature birth in pregnant women

It doesn't bring her back to life. Her life will prevent more victimization.

The Waller County Jail was not protecting Sandra's life while in their custody. Her arrest was a prime example of police overreach. The officer escalated the ticketing and made the arrest a priority.

March 5, 2016
By Ashley Monae

Just three months ago (click here) we were both saddened and agreed by the fact that the grand jury in the Sandra Bland case failed to indict any of the officers involved with her arrest or any other employee of the Waller County Jail.
A month later, Brian Encinia, the Texas trooper who initially pulled Bland over for failing to signal, was indicted on charges of perjury by the grand jury.
Although  the charges were not in relation to the jailhouse death, he was still accused of lying about his July 2015 arrest of Bland and their confrontational traffic stop that was caught on dashcam video.
On Tuesday (Mar. 1), Department of Public Safety Director Steve McCraw made the decision to officially fire Encinia, according to The Chicago Tribune. Encinia’s attorney, Larkin Eakin, previously called the indictment that led to his termination “unjustified,” also sharing that he was concerned for his clients safety.
Since Bland’s arrest, Encinia has been on paid desk duty, even remaining on the payroll after McCraw announced in December that the agency would begin the process of firing him.
CNN reports that the former trooper still has the right to appeal this week’s decision. “He is now no longer a paid employee and will remain that way even if he appeals his dismissal to the state’s Public Safety Commission,” Department of Public Safety spokesman Tom Vinger said.

CPAC is occurring, too. The NRA is a sponsor. This is their latest propaganda.

March 6, 2016
By Krystal Heath

...“They don’t like how the men and women (click here) who build their office buildings, vacation homes and luxury cars … who mop their floors, clean their clothes and serve their dinner … have access to the same level of protection as their armed security guards. They want you to surrender your freedom for a false promise of government-provided security they will never rely upon themselves.”...

This is laughable. The propaganda is called Hypocrisy. Supposedly the wealthy in Hollywood can afford armed security guards while those the wealthy employ are having their rights removed.

Ever see the cost of a gun? The average wage earner has marital problems because of the cost of buying and owning a gun. To think average people are upset over the access of guns is nonsense. We know the same people purchasing guns are the same people owning 300 million guns. They are wealthy and can afford such dangerous weapons. 

This method of denouncing gun control by the NRA is exactly the same as past years of accusations of government taking away the country's guns. The reason Hollywood became a target is because the NRA and other gun groups have backed militias such as those that occupied public lands in Oregon.

One of the reasons many Americans want gun control is the level of deaths in the case of domestic violence.

2 February 2016
By Sam Levin

The 10 men charged in Malheur occupation (click here) have criminal histories involving domestic violence, illegal firearm possession and terrorist threats

There it is. The NRA propaganda is dangerous and facilitates violence within the USA. When that violence finally surfaces as in Oregon the NRA finds other victims that are victimized by some level of power. It was the USA government for decades and now Hollywood is demanding gun control that deprive their employees the privilege of self-defense.

The NRA pits wealth having the right to self-defense per body guard, while their employees live without that benefit by own a gun. It is nonsense. The average American can't afford guns. The statistics bear that out. There are 300 million guns owned in the USA and they are owned by those that can afford it, not every American.

The NRA propaganda is perverse.

If people in Hollywood NEED body guards, it is because the NRA has leveraged power over propagation of violence rather than ending it. 

There is already an Exit Fee for Ex-patriots. The mechanism is in place to charge exit fees for companies leaving the USA after being recovered by taxpayer dollars.

August 28, 2014

...After Facebook co-founder Eduardo Saverin (click here) departed for Singapore, Senators Chuck Schumer and Bob Casey introduced a bill to double the exit tax to 30% for anyone leaving the U.S. for tax reasons. That hasn’t happened, but taxes are still a big issue for many....

This is the official website for the EXIM bank. It paints an interesting rosey picture.

Our office supports and keeps (click here) elected officials and their staff informed on how we support American jobs by financing U.S. exports. We also respond to Congressional concerns, and help elected officials educate their constituents on EXIM financing tools through hosting local events....

Shown Here:
Introduced in Senate (03/19/2015) (click here)

Export-Import Bank Reform and Reauthorization Act of 2015

This bill amends the Export-Import Bank Act of 1945 to reduce, for each of FY2015-FY2019, the authorized aggregate amount of loans, guarantees, and insurance the Export-Import Bank may have outstanding at any time.

The Bank shall build to and hold in reserve, to protect against future losses, at least 5% of its aggregate amount of disbursed and outstanding loans, guarantees, and insurance.

The Export-Import Bank Reauthorization Act of 2012 (EIBRA) is amended to require the Government Accountability Office's quadrennial review of the adequacy of the design and effectiveness of the Bank's fraud controls to include review of the Bank's compliance with these controls.

An Office of Ethics is established within the Bank to recommend administrative actions to establish or enforce standards of official conduct.

A Chief Risk Officer of the Bank is established to oversee all issues relating to risk within the Bank....

Sponsor is Mark Kirk a Republican from Illinois.

Co-sponsors

Sen. Heitkamp, Heidi [D-ND]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Graham, Lindsey [R-SC]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Manchin, Joe, III [D-WV]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Blunt, Roy [R-MO]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Donnelly, Joe [D-IN]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Ayotte, Kelly [R-NH]*	03/19/2015
Sen. Warner, Mark R. [D-VA]*	03/19/2015

The free trade agreements are a problem, too.

December 11, 2008
By Bob Kinzel
Vermont's two U.S. Senators, (click here) Patrick Leahy and Bernie Sanders, say they're reluctantly supporting a $15 billion rescue package for the nation's auto industry.
Both senators say that allowing Ford, General Motors or Chrylser to fall into bankruptcy could affect a lot of auto related jobs in Vermont.
VPRs Bob Kinzel reports:
(Kinzel) Vermont isn't home to any production facilities for the nation's largest auto makers but the NSK Steering Company in Bennington serves as a good example of the potential rippling effect that the bankruptcy of the big car companies could have across the country....

From the 2012 Presidential Race:

...Prevailing Wages For Average American Workers (click here)

Half the entire U.S. workforce now earns less than $12.67 a hour. The federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour is about 1/3 of a middle-class wage of $21.63 an hour. Last year the average CEO earned $10.8 million and paid a lower tax rate (15%) than those middle-class steelworkers, firefighters and teachers (25%). (See tax brackets and rates here)

As of the last quarter of 2011, the total median household income was $52,378 a year (that's just $26,188 per person in a two income household.)

Last year 50% of all U.S. workers earned less than $26,364 a year (that's $12.67 an hour) when the poverty level for a family household of four is considered to be $22,314 a year (which is a very low government assessment). $22,314 year is about what Ann Romney spends every year just to feed and care for her favorite horse.

By contrast, for those out of work, the average American collected only $295 in weekly unemployment benefits($15,340 a year) which only replaced about a third of the average worker's previous salary.

If one were working a full-time 40-hour per week job (providing they could find one) and earned the federal minimum wage of $7.25 an hour, they would only be earning $290 a week, or $1,257 a month, or $15,080 a year.

As for retired workers, their average monthly Social Security benefit was about $1,230 a month at the beginning of 2012 ($14,760 a year)....

When is the Flint River water going to stop and the Detroit water returned?

March 6, 2016
By Monica Davey

...Last Sunday, (click here) the Oscars went on in Hollywood, the filmmakers Ryan Coogler and Ava DuVernay, and musicians like Janelle Monáe and Stevie Wonder, held a #JusticeForFlint benefit on a local stage, raising more than $156,000. Cher, Eminem, Big Sean, Mark Wahlberg and other celebrities have offered their support, as have faraway grade-school classes, labor unions, police groups, rotary clubs and corporations.

But five months after state authorities announced that it was unsafe to drink unfiltered water because of high lead levels caused by government errors over the past two years, federal officials said here last week that the water still was not safe, and, as testing goes on, offered no promise for when it would be....

The water bills in Flint are crazy. They are threatening home ownership. What are banks doing to bring pressure to the government in Michigan that would be looking at foreclosure if the water rates continue to be ridiculously high?

The unemployment rate in Flint, Michigan,(click here) is 13.90%, with job growth of 0.69%. Future job growth over the next ten years is predicted to be 27.50%. Flint, Michigan Taxes Flint, Michigan,sales tax rate is 6.00%. Income tax is 5.25%. Flint, Michigan Income and Salaries The income per capita is $14,606, which includes all adults and children. The median household income is $26,339. One third of the people in Flint, Michigan have an annual income of less than $15,000 while the USA the same income is seen in 12.61 percent.

North Korea needs to stop aggression and join the international community in trade for better quality of life of the North Korean people.

March 5, 2016
By Andreo Calonzo

Manila — The Philippines (click here) is holding a North Korean-controlled cargo vessel for inspection days after the U.N. Security Council passed a new round of sanctions to punish the government in Pyongyang for a fourth nuclear test and a rocket launch.

The decision to stop the Jin Teng from leaving the Subic port, north of Manila, will be reported to the UN, which may send a team to inspect the 6,830-ton ship, Communications Undersecretary Manolo Quezon said Saturday. Quezon said the crew will be deported in accordance with the new security council resolution, which requires inspection of all cargo entering or leaving North Korea.

“As a member of the UN, we have an obligation to implement the sanctions,” Quezon said. Under the UN resolution, North Korean assets are subject to a freeze by UN member states and this means that authorities must impound the ship, Quezon said. The Philippine coast guard had inspected the ship on Friday and said it tested negative for weapons of mass destruction.

The Philippines’ action marks the first case of UN sanctions being enforced against North Korean ships since the security council unanimously passed the resolution on Wednesday, which lists 31 vessels as “economic resources controlled or operated” by a North Korean firm....

The dates of this particular warning is irrelevant. This is the chaos and real danger people and commerce are exposed to by the rocket tests alone. 

The Philippines (click here) is announcing precautions for airlines and ships to avoid falling debris from North Korea's expected rocket launch, due in the next few days. North Korean officials say the first stage will fall into the sea about 160 kilometers from the Philippines, but past North Korean launches have been notoriously inaccurate.

The Civil Aviation Authority of the Philippines is rerouting some flights in anticipation of the launch that North Korea says will put a weather satellite in orbit.

Defense leaders from several governments estimate that debris from the three-stage launch could fall to earth along the rocket's southern trajectory.

Aviation Authority Spokeswoman Joy Songsong says planes will not be allowed to pass through three lanes in the skies northeast of the country from 5:00 a.m. to 1:00 p.m. from April 12 - 16.

"Part of the approximately 20 flights that will be affected daily would be international flights using the Philippine airways to get to their destinations," Songsong said....

Aborigianal children in Australia are 53 times more likely to be in jail than others.

March 5, 2016
by A. Odysseus Patrick

SYDNEY — An 11-year-old boy (click here) charged with murder has come to epitomize Australia’s great shame: the plight of its Aboriginal citizens.

The boy is one of the youngest people to be charged with murder in Australia. He was part of a gang of seven or eight boys, teenagers and young men who roamed the remote city of Perth late into the night on Australia’s national day, Jan. 26.

Equivalent to the United States’ Independence Day, Australia Day has been dubbed “Invasion Day” by some Aborigines who resent the colonization of their lands by the English starting in 1788.

Around 3 a.m., the boy’s gang got into a fist fight with another group in the city’s downtown. But some of the gang members were armed with wooden stakes, screwdrivers, glass bottles and metal fence pickets, and they chased 26-year-old Patrick Slater into an alcove of a tram stop. Slater, also an Aboriginal, was left bleeding from fatal wounds to his head, chest and leg.

The 11-year-old, who cannot be named under Australian law, was arrested nine days later....

The Aborigines are native to Australia. They are equivalent to the Native American in the USA. They are Australia's minority population. The Aborigines also struggle to keep their land in Australia.

February 12, 2011
By Norimitsu Onishi

Joseph Roe at James Price Point, a site that has spiritual significance for his Aboriginal people.

Broome, Australia — Australia (click here) is experiencing a natural resources boom, driven by China’s headlong modernization, that is often described as a once-in-a-century phenomenon. It has minted billionaires out of businessmen who deal in iron ore and coal, and it has enriched many Australians by increasing the value of their homes and creating well-paying jobs.

But it has conspicuously left out Aboriginal Australians, whose home ownership and education levels fall below the national averages. High unemployment and widespread alcoholism have continued to debilitate isolated Aboriginal communities here in northwestern Australia, on the other side of the continent from the major cities along the eastern coast.

As resource companies push ever deeper into Australia’s remotest areas, however, Aboriginal leaders are leveraging their rights as traditional landowners to negotiate deals with companies and governments that are seeking to develop their holdings. They say the potential windfall — hundreds of millions of dollars — will rescue their communities from their long dependence on welfare and state subsidies....

This is a rather interesting parallel with the USA. Could it be a visual difference that is insensitive to the person behind the skin color?

Reality check.

For the Democrats (click here) there are still 171 uncommitted delegates and 3182 remaining delegates in primaries and caucuses not yet held. 2382 delegates are needed for the nomination.

For Republicans all current delegates are claimed with 1699 delegates still remaining in primaries and caucuses. 1237 delegates are needed to capture the nomination.

March 4, 2016
By Michael Barbaro, Ashley Parker and Jonathan Martin

From Michigan to Louisiana to California on Friday, (click here) rank-and-file Republicans expressed mystification, dismissal and contempt over the instructions that their party’s most high-profile leaders were urgently handing down to them: Reject and defeat Donald J. Trump.

Their angry reactions, in the 24 hours since Mitt Romney and John McCain urged millions of voters to cooperate in a grand strategy to undermine Mr. Trump’s candidacy, have captured the seemingly inexorable force of a movement that still puzzles the Republican elite and now threatens to unravel the party they hold dear....

The establishment is waging a war against it's own, while having a pledge signed stating as long as the GOP was fair there would be no independent run. 

It looks like it's a race to the end. (click here)

The Republican convention may be pure chaos if anyone files a complaint challenging Cruz' citizenship.