The Flint River Water Project is ongoing.

February 10, 2017

By Bill Laitner and Ann Zaniewski

State officials (click here) have decided to end the state-funded subsidies that since 2014 had helped Flint residents pay their water bills after the city's water system became contaminated with lead.

Word of the subsidies' impending cutoff surfaced Thursday after a senior adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder sent a letter to Flint’s interim chief financial officer, saying the subsidies will stop after Feb. 28, according to a news release from the City of Flint.

The reaction of Flint's mayor and other city officials was mild, characterizing the governor's decision as a sign that the city's water quality had improved although they stopped short of saying it was entirely safe. But vehement objections followed quickly from community leaders in Flint, as well as from critics of the state's role in the water crisis including prominent Democratic Party politicians. All said the cutoff of subsidies was premature, and some said it was an example of  Snyder trying to downplay the seriousness of the crisis.

Flint Mayor Karen Weaver issued a statement voicing concern at the abruptness of the cutoff but said it was a welcome sign that Flint's water is improving....  

Everything about this Governor has been abrupt. The much needed repair of the cities water pipes has to be concluded in at least three years.

February 10, 2017

By AP

Flint — The state of Michigan (click here) plans to provide Flint residents with water filters and replacement cartridges for about three more years amid the city’s crisis with lead-tainted water.

The Flint Journal reports the timeline was noted in a letter to a Flint official from Richard Baird, a senior adviser to Gov. Rick Snyder. The letter also gave the city notice that credits to ease the cost of Flint water bills will stop at the end of this month.

The filters and replacement cartridges will be provided as officials work to replace lead pipes and some other water service lines throughout Flint. The letter also said the state would continue to provide access to bottled water.

The city is looking to replace service lines at 6,000 homes this year....

Laws like this are no different than changes in salary; to take place with the next Governor election at the very least. I don't know of any other state senate that confirms a governor's cabinet. This is right wing extremism at work in North Carolina.

February 8, 201

Raleigh, N.C. -- A North Carolina court (click here) temporarily blocked a new state law on Wednesday that stripped the new Democratic governor of some of his powers.

The law, passed by the GOP-controlled legislature, required Senate confirmation for the governor’s Cabinet members, which previous governors have not needed. The law was approved in December, two weeks before Roy Cooper took over. It was criticized by Democrats who called it a partisan effort to undermine the new governor’s authority.

A three-judge panel released its decision Wednesday as state senators were scheduled to question Cooper’s pick to lead the veterans’ affairs department.

Cooper appointed eight of his 10 Cabinet members before the legislature came into session in January and they were sworn in. Cooper said they are the Cabinet heads and are working at their jobs....

The Middle Class needs focus by Democrats. The fiduciary relationship is still intact in real estate last time I checked.

January 24, 2017
By Lucia Mutikani

U.S. home resales fell more than expected in December (click here) as the supply of houses on the market dropped to levels last seen in 1999, but the housing market recovery remained intact against the backdrop of a tightening labor market.

The National Association of Realtors said on Tuesday existing home sales decreased 2.8 percent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 5.49 million units. In addition to the lack of properties to purchase, rising home prices and mortgage rates also likely sidelined some buyers last month.

The drop in sales followed three straight months of increases and probably does not signal impending housing weakness, with the labor market near full employment and the economy strengthening....     

It is stated there are fewer homes sales because there aren't enough new homes. Well. There is conflicting information about that.

If the Democrats are not the experts on how the USA Middle Class is doing than shame on them. The local economies today are strong and should have clear understandings of how their economies are doing. There should be no doubt what so ever how the Middle Class is fairing as compromise from the White House damage their lives.

May 24, 2016
By Lucia Mutikani

New U.S. single-family home sales recorded their biggest gain in 24 years (click here) in April, touching a more than eight-year high as purchases increased broadly, a sign of growing confidence in the economy's prospects.

Tuesday's report from the Commerce Department, which also showed a surge in new home prices to a record high, offered further evidence of a pick-up in economic growth that could allow the Federal Reserve to raise interest rates soon.

"Consumers are taking the leap and buying the biggest of big ticket items of their lives and this speaks to confidence. The Federal Reserve can raise rates at their June meeting without fear the economy is going to slow," said Chris Rupkey, chief economist at MUFG Union Bank in New York....

Wall Street breaks from the Oval Office needs to trickle down to real improvements of quality of life of Americans.

The Democrats need to get serious about controlling the carnage of the government; Social Security, Medicare and Medicaid are on the agenda. The Republicans intend to destroy this government and as a result the people will be facing danger in their lives.

Airlines met at the White House, that interprets into "Fly at your own risk." What changes are taking place at the NTSB; no more maintenance logs?

Watch for roll backs of "noise pollution" and barriers around airports.

I hope the impeachment pens are at work because Trump is building momentum into promoting his personal agenda to serve his own wealth. Once all these issues find a full head of steam the USA is lost and the wealthy have no end to their greed.

Democrats should be keeping an active log leading to impeachment. They should be building their own head of steam to impeachment and the obvious dangers opening up to the people. They need to build their own populous that is based in fact and agenda.

The unions need to realize there are no more reasons to reduce wages, cut back on benefits or hurt pensions. Wall Street is getting all sorts of gifts from the Oval Office. The cost of operations across the board is going to far less. There is no reason to oppress the influence of unions and worker productivity. That productivity needs to include SAFE WORK ENVIRONMENTS and not slip shod practices allowed by Trump.

Trump has promised to make American great again, that includes union members and the protections they afford.

February 10, 2017
By Reuters

The Republican chairman (click here) of a key House of Representatives committee has laid out his plan to roll back Wall Street rules and consumer protections conceived after the 2008 financial crisis, a step that will largely define the financial deregulation debate in the Trump era.

Jeb Hensarling, chairman of the Financial Services Committee, outlined his legislation to clear away many rules bankers say have hobbled investment and economic growth in a staff memo seen by Reuters on Thursday.

The plan comes after President Donald Trump on Friday signed a largely symbolic executive order that outlined an intention to ease banking rules, which he and other critics of the Dodd-Frank reform law passed after the financial crisis say hinder lending.

Under Hensarling's plan, the largest U.S. banks would face less oversight—though not as little as they had been hoping for—while startups would have easier access to investors....