Jeb Bush is going to run. He might be the "Romney" candidate. The one with 24 percent with each primary.

The RNC usually has a royal hierarchy in it's decision in running Presidential candidates, so Jeb Bush is due. In this article George Will sees the party being a problem to the nomination, but, that isn't the only hurdle he faces.

Let's put it this way, Jeb will be cognizant of his speech regarding the 47% and a security troop that runs the credentials of every person that comes in contact with donors, but, the fact he is still a "Romney Like" candidate is all too obvious. His sugar friends in Florida speaks for itself. 

Posted: Thursday, April 3, 2014 12:00 am 

Updated: 4:49 am, Thu Apr 3, 2014.

By GEORGE WILL 
Washington Post Writers Group

"...It would not be a moral failing (click here) for Bush to decide against enduring the marathon gantlet of presidential politics. He will not, however, have the nomination handed to him on a silver salver. And the nomination fight would be especially bruising because Bush has been admirably forthright, but certainly impolitic, about two divisive issues — immigration and the "Common Core" national education standards for grades K through 12...."

I also believe Chris Christie will be right behind Jeb Bush through the entire GOP primaries. But, what do I know, I picked Michigan State.
 

Awesome.

Maybe Israel doesn't need the military help anymore and Palestine the assistance from Europe and the USA.

Palestine has the right to be recognized by the United Nations. The USA backs Israel unconditionally, but, how can this country justify oppression of a Palestinian nation? It can't. It has long been decided Palestine was to be a legitimate nation. If Israel doesn't recognize Palestine, why would it expect to recognized by other nations as well?

By Terry Atlas  
Apr 4, 2014 11:48 AM ET

U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry(click here) said he’ll consult with President Barack Obama on whether to continue Middle East peace talks, as Israelis and Palestinians sparred over who’s responsible for the latest impasse.

“Regrettably in the last few days both sides have taken steps that are not helpful,” Kerry said in Morocco before his flight back to the U.S. at the end of a regional tour. “There are limits to the amount of time and effort that the United States can spend if the parties themselves are unwilling to take constructive steps,” he said. “So it’s reality check time.” 

It was Kerry’s most pessimistic statement since he brought the sides together last July for negotiations that were supposed to produce a peace accord this month. Instead, Israelis and Palestinians are caught up in increasingly acrimonious exchanges that threaten even Kerry’s scaled-down target of keeping the talks alive beyond the end of April.... 

To recognize there is a Palestine nation, it means there has to be borders Israel doesn't violate anymore. If Israel cannot recognize the Palestine nation and a right to define it's borders with incursions by Israel, then there isn't hope for peace. Palestine cannot go on forever without a definition to it's nation.

The United Nations has a right to a resolution to define Palestine. The USA should not veto such a resolution. There are ways to address the lack of cooperation by Israel. 

The United Nations needs a resolution that defines the Palestinian borders, it's people, it's culture and it's economic base including water resources. It then needs to be enforced and possibly by sanctions against Israel.

4:15 AM Saturday Apr 5, 2014

 

DENVER (AP) Denver's mayor (click here) (Mayor Michael B. Hancock) will visit Amsterdam next week partly to learn about marijuana regulation in the country that led the way in pot liberalization.

The city announced Thursday that Michael Hancock and other officials plan to meet with representatives of Amsterdam's municipal government during a trip mainly focused on economic development.

The Netherlands recently has taken a harder line toward marijuana, including banning tourists from visiting coffee shops where pot is sold. Amsterdam still allows tourists in the shops but has been closing ones near schools.

Denver is the capital of Colorado, which recently became one of two U.S. states that have legalized recreational marijuana.

Blinded by discrimination.

Published time: April 04, 2014 09:15
Edited time: April 04, 2014 10:48

Authorities in Kiev (click here) have routinely ignored evidence in the case of sniper shootings on the Maidan, while suggestions of probes into the matter never came from official channels, Russian FM Lavrov said.

Part of the agreement signed by President Yanukovich and the leaders of the Ukrainian opposition, involved the prospect of a joint investigation into the events of February 20 and what preceded them, Mr Lavrov told journalists following a meeting of the foreign ministers of the Commonwealth of Independent States. 

However, "those who seized power tore it up" and "forgot about issues like stopping radical elements and disarming armed groups," he said. 

Those who fought at Independence Square were amnestied, but calls for investigations are suddenly appearing six weeks later, the FM continued. 

Independent experts have been giving their analysis of sniper activity, their tactics and their positions, but this has all been ignored, Lavrov said in an answer to why Moscow was less enthusiastic about investigating Kiev than it was Crimea.... 

Russia likes to point a finger at Kiev. But, what they forget is that Kiev is surrounded by hostile oligarch militias. They were militias provided for by Yanukovych and have the Ukraine people trapped with threats to their lives all the time. Yanukovych disarmed the national military so that any other leader than himself had no national security. No other leader could move against Russia if it decided to come across the border. No other leader had the capacity to protect the people unless the local militias were called on. It was clever enough, wasn't it? Yet. That aspect to the Ukraine's reality is not important. Only the so called militants in the Maidan are the problem.

There is a lot more to the Ukraine's problems than what happened at the Maidan. Russia turns a blind eye regarding Yanukovych because it doesn't fit into the narrative of Russian nationalism. 

Published on Mar 15, 2014

Militia Donabassa (click here) today at the entrance to Donetsk (on Volnovakha) blocked the movement of Ukrainian military columns.Records events that occur in Ukraine. 

GM hasn't got the right idea about this. Safety is not about being marginal.

The key chain to the left is less than average weight for most key rings. If a car company doesn't design their vehicles for the times they are being purchased then the company is not designing a good car.








There is an entire culture regarding key rings in the USA.

Key rings are personal jewelry. They are used to express interests and used by other commercial enterprises as advertisements. If a car company doesn't understand it's responsibility in knowing their consumer it is failing marketing as well as safety.

One of the first driving lessons I received from my father was about the key chain. That is no lie. He told me it was not a good idea to carry a lot of stuff on a key chain and not for the reasons the Chevy Cobalt failed. My Dad said, "If you put too much weight on your key chain it will cause wear in the ignition switch over time. As a result the amount of 'stuff' on my key ring is limited to what is necessary, but, it is not JUST THE KEY TO THE CAR.

This is pure negligence of it's customer by GM. Then to think when GM realized the deaths this was causing and didn't EVEN CORRECT IT is unthinkable. There was a time in the USA when recalls were devastating news. Today, it SOP. What happened? The customer isn't worth it anymore?

How did Ebola escape? Three cases so far in Mali.

April 4, 2014 at 11:00 AM
 
Africa’s wrestling with a new Ebola outbreak.  (click here) We’ll look at what’s happening, and the efforts to keep this from going global.

There’s always Ebola somewhere in Africa.  The fear, panic, comes when it jumps from the wild to humans.  Ebola is fierce and deadly.  Terrible hemorrhaging and then, swiftly, almost certainly, death.  Touch the fluids and you’re in trouble too.  Family and healthcare workers, first in line for deadly danger.  Right now in West Africa, Guinea, Ebola has come out of the boondocks and into the capitol city of two million.  Epidemic is the word.  France is on alert for spread.  Canada’s had a scare.  Guinea is struggling.  This hour On Point:  the new Ebola outbreak in West Africa, and where it goes.

 

Russia pulled out it's foreign minister to NATO. This may have something to do with it.

1 April 2014

We, the Foreign Ministers of NATO, (click here) are united in our condemnation of Russia’s illegal military intervention in Ukraine and Russia’s violation of Ukraine’s sovereignty and territorial integrity. We do not recognize Russia’s illegal and illegitimate attempt to annex Crimea.  We urge Russia to take immediate steps, as set out in the statement by the NATO-Ukraine Commission, to return to compliance with international law and its international obligations and responsibilities, and to engage immediately in a genuine dialogue towards a political and diplomatic solution that respects international law and Ukraine’s internationally recognized borders. We support the deployment of an OSCE monitoring mission to Ukraine....

The military in the Crimea wants Russian citizenship. That would let them leave, at least. But, then they face a dual citizenship registration and tax. The call for Russian citizenship is most likely affiliated with the statement by Yanukovych stating he wants the Crimea to be part of the Ukraine.

It is going to be interesting as to how the Crimea, especially the Tartars, handle balloting for the upcoming elections. The occupying forces may not allow ballot boxes or election machines into the Crimea.

The Tartars are attempting to create an independent state completely because they want private ownership of the Mosques and religious schools back. This movement by Russia is really not going well. This is the type of problem that exists when an independent nation is not developed but instead kidnapped. 

Yes, kidnapped. I don't believe for one minute Russia intended to do anything except drive elections and put Yanukovych back into power. The Crimea is part of the election strategy. It is now an official election promise. Make me king and I'll bring home the Crimea. It is a massive use of power for control. Russia probably doesn't care about the Crimea at all really. Step one: Take the Crimea. Step Two: Hold the Ukraine people responsible for repaying the money back in leases for the Crimean port. Step Three: Intimidate the Ukrainians with troops on their border posed to invade when they didn't reelect Yanukovych. No one sees that? Corruption. Pure unadulterated ruthless corruption for control. Deaths don't matter in this game, preferable even.

SIMFEROPOL, April 03. /ITAR-TASS

...Islyamov, (click here) who was delegated to his current post by the Mejlis of the Crimean Tatars, said two Crimean Tatar representatives are working on the draft of the Constitution

“We want our interests to be taken into account [by the Constitution],” Islyamov said adding that in general the Constitution should answer interests of all residents of Crimea, no matter what nationality they belong to.

According to Ukrainian state statistics service data, as of late 2013, Crimean Tatars accounted for 12.1%, Russians for 58.5%, Ukrainians for 24.3%, Belarusians for 1.4% and Armenians for 1.1% of the Crimean population....

85 years of polluting and investors cheers at the multi-billion settlement as they feared it would be worse.

As a result of the settlement, (click here) U.S. District Judge Carl Barbier adjourned the trial before it was set to begin on Monday, to allow court proceedings to focus on the environmental penalties that BP, Anadarko Petroleum, Triton Energy and Transocean may face as a result of violating the Oil Pollution and Clean Water Acts.

The petroleum industry is among the most corruption corporations in the world. Nothing stops them from using their money to corrupt governments and rob nations of their natural resources while leaving their pollution to clean up. 

In the case of Triton Energy's payment for their stunts in Indonesia was nothing. These companies don't even feel the pain, but, because it sounds like a lot of money to most the settlements are considered an achievement. I guarantee if I looked into any of the settlements I could find a lot of 'side effects' of the pollution that was never included as the petroleum industry's responsibility.

By LESLIE EATON
Published: February 28, 1997 

The Triton Energy Corporation,(click here) an international oil and gas development company based in Dallas, agreed yesterday to pay $300,000 to settle Federal charges stemming from bribes that a subsidiary paid to Indonesian Government officials in 1989 and 1990.

The unusual complaint was brought by the Securities and Exchange Commission, which contends that Triton officials not only made payments that violated the Foreign Corrupt Practices Act, but also falsified their records to make the bribes appear to be routine business payments.

Six former company officials, including a onetime Triton president, were named in the civil suit filed in United States District Court in Washington or in a related administrative proceeding. All but one settled with the S.E.C. and, like Triton, neither admitted nor denied the commission's charges. The remaining official, Richard L. McAdoo, a former vice president of Triton Indonesia who was named in the civil suit, intends ''to assert his innocence of any wrongdoing and to contest the charges,'' his lawyer, Henry Putzel, said....


Anadarko Petroleum is a defendant in the Deepwater Horizon oil disaster. They are dumpers that have set precedent for other companies like Duke Energy. At one point their dumping polluted Lake Mead. It was decades before all the effects of their dumping was cleaned up. As far as I am concerned, this settlement is nearly appropriate. 85 years of dumping to have the taxpayer clean up the mess.

By Nick Brown

Thu Apr 3, 2014 7:57pm EDT

(Reuters) - Energy company Anadarko Petroleum Corp(click here) agreed on Thursday to pay more than $5 billion to clean up areas across the United States polluted by nuclear fuel, wood creosote and rocket fuel waste that caused cancer and other health problems.

The agreement resolves a long-running lawsuit against the Kerr-McGee energy and chemical company, which Anadarko bought in 2006. The case was brought by a trust representing the U.S. government, 11 state governments, Indian tribes and individuals.

The trust was seeking cleanup costs at more than 2,000 sites nationwide. It was also seeking payment for claims from more than 8,000 people who said their exposure to Kerr-McGee's wood treatment plants in Avoca, Pennsylvania and Manville, New Jersey caused cancer, which in some cases led to death.

"If you are responsible for 85 years of poisoning the earth, you are responsible for cleaning it up," the U.S. Attorney for Manhattan, Preet Bharara, said at a news conference announcing the settlement....

The original liabilty was expected to be 3 to 4 times higher than this. For as egregious the offenses of this industry, the fines should send their stocks into the 'penny stock' column. Ask me what I care.

By Steven Church, Tiffany Kary and Bradley Olson 
Dec 13, 2013 12:01 AM ET

Anadarko Petroleum Corp. (APC) (click here) and its Kerr-McGee unit acted improperly in the 2005 spinoff of Tronox Inc. and may have to pay as much as $14 billion related to environmental cleanup and health claims, a judge ruled.
Anadarko plunged 9.3 percent in after-hours trading, cutting its market value to $38 billion. The judge's ruling yesterday weighed how much money can be recovered from a successor to a polluting company, even after bankruptcy has ostensibly cleaned the slate of obligations. The company said it expects to appeal the ruling. 

The case stems from Kerr-McGee’s spinoff of its chemicals business and old environmental liabilities as Tronox beginning in 2005. About three months after that transaction was completed, Anadarko offered to buy Kerr-McGee’s oil and natural gas assets for $18 billion. 

Burdened by environmental debts, Tronox filed for bankruptcy in 2009 and sued Anadarko and Kerr-McGee the same year. A nonjury trial was held before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Allan Gropper in Manhattan in 2012...

Kochtopia. Genius, Harry. We have a word now. Thank you.

Americans for Prosperity are only interested in their own prosperity. I am waiting for them to finally figure out that Democratic economies actually keep them in business. Where would they be without consumers? I suppose those consumers simply pick money off the Koch Tree as they do. The way Kochtopia defines their best interests is to mine and put long standing steel industries out of business where unions have brought the American Dream to the Middle Class. I don't know where they think they are going with these ideas they have. It sure isn't about democracy and it isn't about success for their companies.

The labyrinthian (click here) design of the political network backed by the Koch brothers and their fellow conservative donors serves several purposes, but one of the biggest is to ensure the privacy of its financial backers....

9:26 AM PDT 4/3/2014

THR Staff 

Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Masha Alyokhina

Gearing up (click here) for her annual Women in the World summit, Tina Brown appeared Thursday alongside the members of Russian activist band Pussy Riot on the Today show with Matt Lauer.

The veteran magazine editor articulated why Nadezhda Tolokonnikova and Masha Alekhina are "game changers," while the duo focused their attention on pointing out the ills of Russian penal colony system. 

"It wouldn't be for the people who really were saying everything they could about us to support us, things would be completely different," Alyokhina said through a translator. "And it might have been that we wouldn't be healthy and sane and alive."...

Ambien is a hypnotic.

Side Effects of Ambien
Anterograde amnesia 
Hallucinations, through all physical senses, of varying intensity
Delusions 
Altered Thought Patterns 
Euphoria and/or dysphoria
Impaired judgment and reasoning
Increased impulsivity

The FDA evaluated the results of Ambien on several occasions and adjusted the label to limit the dosage first for women and then men because they were drowsy and crashing their cars. 

Ambien was suppose to be a short duration sleep medication. Some analysis of the drug revealed similar mechanisms in it's sleep induction as benzodiazepine. The problem with that is the potential to sensitivity. Their chemical base structures are similar but not identical. The similarity in their actions occurs after the components break down in the body.

By Carri Geer Thevenot

LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL

Relatives of Hard Rock Hotel (click here) executive Randy Kwasniewski, who committed suicide in March 2010, filed a wrongful death lawsuit Wednesday against the company that manufactures the sleeping pill Ambien.

The lawsuit alleges sanofi-aventis U.S., a limited liability company based in Delaware, knew Ambien was defective "and had the propensity to cause severe injury, including death."

Unbeknownst to Kwasniewski, the complaint alleges, "Ambien may produce suicidal thoughts, ideations, strange bizarre behaviors and actions."

"Defendant was well-aware of numerous adverse reactions to Ambien which resulted in suicide or suicidal ideation," according to the document, which claims sanofi-aventis "deliberately underwarned about the possible reactions to Ambien."...

By Lisa Maria Garza

FORT HOOD
Texas Thu Apr 3, 2014 8:58pm EDT

..."He was undergoing (click here) a variety of treatment and diagnoses for mental health conditions, ranging from depression to anxiety to some sleep disturbance. He was prescribed a number of drugs to address those, including Ambien," McHugh told a U.S. Senate committee hearing....

Posted  April 14, 2012 - 2:00am
By Carri Geer Thevenot
LAS VEGAS REVIEW-JOURNAL 

Relatives of a Hard Rock Hotel executive (click here) who killed himself two years ago have uncovered a 2006 memo from the Food and Drug Administration that examines possible links between sleep aids and suicide.
Lawyers representing the family of Randy Kwasniewski, who fatally shot himself in March 2010, recently filed the document as an exhibit in their wrongful death case against sanofi-aventis U.S. -- the company that makes the sleeping pill Ambien.
Also named as a defendant in the lawsuit is Nadine Leone, a marriage and family therapist who met with Kwasniewski five days before his death. The plaintiffs allege Leone knew Kwasniewski had been prescribed Ambien but failed to warn him about the possible mental and emotional effects of taking the drug....

Ann Clin Psychiatry. 1996 Jun;8(2):89-91

Zolpidem-induced psychosis

Markowitz JS, Brewerton TD.

Abstract (click here)

Zolpidem is reported to be a safe and effective hypnotic agent for the short-term treatment of insomnia. There are several case reports of zolpidem causing psychotic reactions in patients with no history of psychosis. We report two additional cases in which zolpidem was implicated in psychotic reactions characterized by auditory and visual hallucinations as well as delusional thinking. Both patient's symptoms resolved with the discontinuation of zolpidem use. It appears that our cases share several features in common with the other reported cases. All were female, there appeared to be some dose dependency involved, and the adverse event resolved fairly quickly upon zolpidem discontinuation. Zolpidem should be used at the lowest effective dose for the least amount of time as necessary. Female patients may possibly require smaller doses. In patients manifesting new-onset or unexplained psychotic symptoms, zolpidem use should be considered in the differential diagnosis.

Unions need to pay attention. It is time to take this to the NLRB.

It is more than obvious charter schools are an agenda to privatize education and put unions out of business. The unions need to survey the charter schools to find out how many allow and have unionized teachers. These are public monies. There is a record number of autistic children in need of a well funded public school system with safe facilities. 

In some states, charter schools are provided special status and given more public monies than public school systems. It is time to call this what it is, a union busting agenda that leaves deserving children and handicapped children without funding to provide the opportunity public schools were intended to provide to every child in the country.

Charter schools are not about children. They are about profits, exorbitant salaried administrations and busting unions.

Any Charter School can have ONE extraordinary grades, such as the 5th grade, in scoring in required tests. But, can and do they achieve the recognition in all grades? No, they don't and they can't. How can they? There administrators are soaking up all the funding that could facilitate these goals. They don't have those resources applied to children. They have them applied to wealth regardless of there non-profit status.

Cuomo Played Pivotal Role in Charter School Push (click here)  

By JAVIER C. HERNÁNDEZ and SUSANNE CRAIG  
APRIL 3, 2014

The moment proved to be a turning point, laying the groundwork for a deal reached last weekend that gave New York City charter schools some of the most sweeping protections in the nation, including a right to space inside public buildings. And interviews with state and city officials as well as education leaders make it clear that far from being a mere cheerleader, the governor was a potent force at every turn, seizing on missteps by the mayor, a fellow Democrat, and driving legislation from start to finish.

Mr. Cuomo’s office declined on Wednesday to comment on his role...

 

Since when do treaties mean anything to Russia?

The Ukraine investigative board has found Yanukovych ordered police to kill the protesters in the Maidan.

I hear Yanukovych election slogan is, "As President I will demand President Putin to return the Crimea." Odd. The Ukraine doesn't recognize the annexation now, why would they expect anyone to return it?

Airmen board a NATO AWACS (Airborne Warning and Control Systems) aircraf during a joint NATO military exercise in Siauliai April 1, 2014. The NATO alliance said it will start reconnaissance flights with AWACS planes from their home base in Geilenkirchen and Waddington in Britain over Poland and Romania to monitor the situation in neighbouring Ukraine where Russian forces have taken control of Crimea.

CREDIT: REUTERS/INTS KALNINS

(Reuters) - Russia (click here) said on Thursday it wanted answers from NATO on its activities in eastern Europe after the Western military alliance promised to beef up defences for its eastern members.

Russia's annexation of Ukraine's Crimea region last month has caused the deepest crisis in East-West relations since the Cold War, leading the West to impose sanctions and sparking fear President Vladimir Putin has territorial designs beyond the Black Sea peninsula with its Russian-majority population.

NATO has ordered military planners to draft measures to reassure nervous Eastern European countries - which were under Moscow's domination until the 1989 end of the Cold War - but stopped short of calls by Poland to base more forces there.

Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov said any increase in NATO's permanent presence in eastern Europe would violate a 1997 treaty on NATO-Russian cooperation....0

NATO is carrying it's promise to nations concerned about their sovereignty. NATO is not breaking any treaty, it is living up to it's obligations to it's members. If Russia will recall, it has a troop build up along the Ukraine border that has already annexed land from a sovereign nation with no capacity to attack Russia. The Crimea was litigated a long time ago in a soviet court and the land belongs with the Ukraine. It is Russia that is creating the problem of instability in the region including with members of NATO. 

There is no treaty violated by NATO that hasn't FIRST been violated by Russia. The fly overs are within the borders of member states that have every right to be concerned. Worries at this level with a threat of military invasion causes it's own level of instability. A small contingency of Russian troop withdrawal is not enough to return stability to the region and will continue to effect the Ukraine elections this May. It requires a complete withdrawal of Russia troops currently along the Ukraine border to remove that instability and threat. This is not an imagined threat, it is real and has already acted hostilely in removing land and assets from the Ukraine that was also covered by a treaty. Perhaps Russia has lost it's memory of what occurred in recent months, but, it violated a treaty with NATO then. Why should NATO expect anything less now.? 

27 May. 1997

Founding Act (click here)

on Mutual Relations, Cooperation and Security between NATO and the Russian Federation signed in Paris, France

The North Atlantic Treaty Organization and its member States, on the one hand, and the Russian Federation, on the other hand, hereinafter referred to as NATO and Russia, based on an enduring political commitment undertaken at the highest political level, will build together a lasting and inclusive peace in the Euro-Atlantic area on the principles of democracy and cooperative security.

NATO and Russia do not consider each other as adversaries. They share the goal of overcoming the vestiges of earlier confrontation and competition and of strengthening mutual trust and cooperation. The present Act reaffirms the determination of NATO and Russia to give concrete substance to their shared commitment to build a stable, peaceful and undivided Europe, whole and free, to the benefit of all its peoples. Making this commitment at the highest political level marks the beginning of a fundamentally new relationship between NATO and Russia. They intend to develop, on the basis of common interest, reciprocity and transparency a strong, stable and enduring partnership....

It was Russia that cancelled the treaty, not the Ukraine. Russia automatically relinquished it's right to any claim on the monies it paid the Ukraine. The Crimea did not come with a refund policy.

MOSCOW, April 03. /ITAR-TASS/. Termination (click here) of the effect of the Russian-Ukrainian treaties on the Black Sea Fleet does not relieve Ukraine of financial commitments to Russia, the Russian Foreign Ministry stated on Thursday regarding its note sent to Ukrainian Embassy in the Russian capital of Moscow over the federal law on denouncement of the treaties related to deployment of the Russian Black Sea Fleet in Ukraine that was enacted on April 2, 2014....

Republicans know how to spend money on dysfunctional economies.

The election business is becoming as dysfunctional an economy as the spending on the F-35 Joint Strike Fighter. I never thought I'd see the day allies could be roped into investing in huge amounts of money that achieved nothing, but, it happened. It is why the allies need to develop their own military on their own terms. Talk about corruption. And they carried it out with allies no less.

So, here we are again with the next latest and greatest dysfunctional economy by and for Republicans. I have my own ideas as to how this will play out. It is my estimation the GOP whom is happy and contrite about about this Supreme Court decision will be far more sorry when reality hits.

By ANNE GALLOWAY / VTDigger

POSTED:   04/03/2014 09:20:42 AM EDT

...Vermont Legislature (click here) approved new campaign finance rules this year as the McCutcheon case was under consideration. Lawmakers included an escape clause for a cap on aggregate limits in the law, pending the results of the case. Gov. Peter Shumlin signed the bill into law early this session.

Act 90 puts an aggregate limit of $40,000 on contributions from "single sources" to candidates or parties. The McCutcheon ruling allows limitless contributions from an individual to candidates, PACs and parties.

Rep. Donna Sweaney, D-Windsor, chair of House Government Operations, which shaped the legislation, said the decision is very discouraging.

"I do believe money is the biggest factor in elections and it keeps piling up," Sweaney said. "The more money you have, the better your chances and the more people you know with money, the better your chances. It's a feeding frenzy I see in Washington."

Cheryl Hanna, a professor of constitutional law at the Vermont Law School, says lawmakers were wise to put a contingency plan in state statute.

"It was a good example of the state Legislature paying attention to what is happening in federal constitutional law and crafting a statute that would survive in this case was a well thought out strategy," Hanna said....

Senator James Inhofe is a plethora of bad ideas.

He states today that Moore was a tragedy that was one of two tornadoes last year in Oklahoma causing catastrophic damage and that the people of Oklahoma are used to them and are strong people. 

Do you know how sick I am of hearing how strong people are in the USA when it comes to preventable tragedy?

Mr. Inhofe also stated that Oklahoma was building 'safe houses.' Houses with a safe place to go to protect from tornadoes.

By Alex Sosnowski, Expert Senior Meteorologist

April 03, 2014; 4:05 AM

As a multiple-day severe weather event continues, (click here) 43 million people will be at risk for violent and dangerous storms on Thursday from the Gulf Coast to the Ohio Valley.

Following the significant round of severe weather from Wednesday, the atmosphere will continue to energize on Thursday. The threat for severe weather will continue well into the night time hours, adding to this dangerous situation.

There are many communities at risk for severe weather on Thursday. Major cities in or near the alert area include Dallas, Houston and Austin, Texas; Shreveport, La.; Tulsa, Okla.; Little Rock and Fort Smith, Ark.; St. Louis, Springfield, and Kansas City, Mo.; Peoria, Ill.; Tupelo, Miss.; Memphis and Nashville, Tenn.; Paducah, Lexington, and Louisville, Ky.; Evansville and Indianapolis, Ind.; and Cincinnati, Dayton, and Columbus, Ohio...

Does Mr. Inhofe ever stop to realize what he is saying? All the years Inhofe and others from Oklahoma have been in office and they only this year see safe rooms in homes. Amazing.

May 22, 2013

By Chris Casteel 

...After the devastating tornadoes of May 1999, (click here) former President Bill Clinton went to Del City, which was among the hard hit areas.

“For goodness sake, build a safe room in your house when you rebuild,” Clinton told the crowd in one neighborhood.

Many Oklahoma residents used FEMA grants after those storms to build safe rooms, and then the IRS tried to levy taxes on the grant money.

Earlier this year, the city of Moore reported obstacles to its safe room rebate program. Changes in federal requirements to the city's Hazard Mitigation Plan were cited. And the city said there was not a lot of grant money available because there had been few major disaster declarations.

The investigations are not finished and the right wing media is using every opportunity for fear mongering.

  

I think the level trauma I surgeons said it best, "This is central Texas." Exactly.When all the facts are known I am confident they will be known by the public. 

I thought the base commander was correct in stating the policy regarding personal weapons on base will not be discussed. No one at Fort Hood is allowed to carry concealed weapons. Yet, already to day Inhofe is complaining about the policy of the military base and advocating his usual mind speak protocol of the NRA. 

If Mr. Inhofe wants to live in the wild west he can, but, for the majority of Americans they rather have some control over guns. There are known mental health issues with this shooter and yet he was able to get a gun a few days before the shooting. Same 'ole, same 'ole.

If the country can't control the distribution of guns in our society then they need to control the guns. If the shooter didn't have his Smith and Wesson no one would be dead today.

by EYDER PERALTA

April 02, 2014 6:27 PM ET

A gunman (click here) opened fire on the military post of Fort Hood, Texas, on Wednesday, killing three and injuring 16, before putting the gun to his head and killing himself, Lt. Gen. Mark A. Milleysaid at a televised news conference.

A Pentagon official tells NPR's Tom Bowman that the suspected shooter is Ivan Lopez, a military truck driver.

Without confirming the name, Milley said the man had mental health issues and was being treated for depression and evaluated for post-traumatic stress disorder. The man, Milley said, served four months in Iraq in 2011, but did not receive a Purple Heart, indicating he was not injured in battle...

I needed a day off.

James Boyd is someone. He is an American and people tend to forget that bad times occur with people most economically vulnerable. In 2008 we witnessed even people who thought they were secure fall in the rank of the impoverished.

Yesterday, I mourned James Boyd. Not because he was homeless, but, because he was a target of an uncaring state and city government and a police force without an ounce of sense. 

I sometimes work with homeless artists. They are primarily joyful people and a pleasure to talk to especially when they talk about their craft or art. 

The region I live we perform a homeless census every year. We know who they are, the problems they face and then advocate for their circumstances and it isn't always 'need' they face, sometimes it is infrastructure or lack of monies available for loans or the loss of credibility both financial and personal reputation. Sometimes it is need as with Mr. Boyd who I noticed had a medication bottle among his belongs in the video. But, I have realized the circumstances that create homelessness can be individual. It is up to us to understand our citizens and move to correct the ills of our society. 

The homeless that have I met are men, women and families. They are nice people in social situations where they are given the opportunity to be a part of something. They earn respect and then have personal references to take forward in looking for work. They do volunteer work as they stay at local shelters with don't allow alcohol. Those shelters are open everyday of the year and are supported by the community and their non-profit status. They are often affiliated with religious organizations. 

But, for the most part they move on. There are some that don't and they live within their understanding of life. But, this year we have had the worst winter this area has ever seen with wind chills down to -60 F. They chronically homeless made it through. When police find them huddles somewhere they aren't allowed to freeze to death, they are picked up by the police and brought to a shelter. From their they find reality and grow from it. 

I am so sorry James Boyd is dead. It is not part of my reality and nor do I want it ever to be part of my reality. He was lied to in order to enter into a 'prescribed profile' by police so they may kill him and practice their techniques. No one will ever convince me otherwise. He had turned to leave his circumstances and he was shot. It is very easy to see in the video when he was standing that his posture changed into a limp state and he then fell to the ground. Every effort should be made to find a relative and they need to sue the city and state for the lose of the life of James Boyd.

Investigations are important, but, the Governor needs to stop the killings.

The police involved in the murder of James Boyd must be put on suspension immediately. The Governor is out of touch with reality. 

Associated Press
 Updated: March 31, 2014 at 1:43 pm 
Published: March 31, 2014

Associated Press • Updated: March 31, 2014 at 1:43 pm • Published: March 31, 2014
Read more at http://gazette.com/new-mexico-governor-calls-for-calm-after-protest-1-officer-injured-6-people-arrested/article/1517391#q25iwxTOuBWXhDIQ.99

...Martinez said she watched the protests on television Sunday. (click here)
"Albuquerque is going through a tough time, and they'll figure it out through the investigation," the governor said. "We want that to be thorough. We want confidence in the investigation, but I just don't want to see anyone harmed."
This protest and another last week were in response to the 37 shootings Albuquerque police have been involved in since 2010, 23 of them fatal. The outrage bubbled over recently with the release of a video showing officers fatally shooting 38-year-old James Boyd, a homeless camper, as he appeared to be preparing to surrender on March 16. Ten days later, officers killed another man after they say he shot at them....

I'll go through this second by second if I have to. To begin with there have been innumerable deaths of innocent people unable to protect themselves. I am quite sure, as a homeless man, Mr. Boyd was aware of the danger of being a human being and breathing if an annoyance to police officers.

This video has played over and over in my mind today. I can't get rid of it. It is amazing to me the video is on the net. It indicts these officers and witnesses the murder or an innocent man. Mr. Boyd was asleep and bothering no one. He was homeless because the City of Albuquerque has no adequate homeless policy or shelter secure enough to allow men to feel safe. Additionally, Mr. Boyd didn't want to be in trouble. He was outside the city because he was afraid of trouble with anyone.

James Boyd was not a worldly person, never decided Albuquerque was too dangerous and tried to hitch hike to another city. It is my opinion Mr. Boyd's "Mind Map" was limited to that of Albuquerque and the surrounding area including the foothills. I don't know the man, but, I know the plight of the homeless and how limited their options are. I also know men are men. They take life on the chin and just get on with it. Mr. Boyd was not a violent man. He had a knife like many people do for protection and utility. Being homeless is dangerous.

Everyone has to sleep somewhere. Where was he suppose to sleep in the middle of the road and hope a semi didn't run him over? Seriously. Where does the homeless of New Mexico find respite and a safe environment to work out their problems? Believe it or not living on the street is expensive, too.

It is my estimation Mr. Boyd was so scared of being killed by zealot police officers that he negotiated with officers for three hours before even standing up to become a target. I have this nagging reality that James Boyd knew he was a dead man. 

This video is a training film. Why did they make it at all? Because they knew they were going to kill James Boyd and they wanted it to be a 'kill by the book' so they could not be held responsible for murder. What has astounded me about the news coverage is that the media had no interest in who James Boyd was, except, he was a homeless man THAT was difficult with the police. According to the media, "...being difficult with police..." was enough to murder him. According to the media the police were spot on in their techniques. Now, why would a media be so certain that a man was evil and the police angelical in their professional perfection? Why would that be? It was propaganda. It is 'programming' that is suppose to reassure the public they have a powerful police department and the public is safe. That doesn't seem to be the case, though, now does it?

The camera in this video is placed in an advantageous position. It is nearly Hollywood quality. Everyone can be seen. James Boyd and all the police, the dog and the assassin. They are all in the frame of the video and that quality does not diminish through the entire filming. The person filming this murder was a professional, knew what he or she was doing and knew exactly what was coming. Nothing surprised the videographer. No shaking, nothing blurred, everything comes across extremely clearly. The video was made to exonerate the police from murder. No doubt in my mind. 

Once Mr. Boyd agrees to come out from behind the rock where he was sleeping and not bothering a soul, he was still scared, but believed he had no alternative. He stated to the officer he was talking to, "...don't change the agreement now...."

For three hours James Boyd bargained for his life and when he finally believed he had an agreement that would insure his life and as he surrendered the agreement changed and James Boyd died. 

It is a helmet cam. Amazing. Every bit of what occurred never leaves the frame.  

At 0:45 seconds the officers are talking to him about safety. Safety is a huge problem for James Boyd. He throws his arms in the air as if he was going to be okay and he proceeded to move toward the police because he believed in doing so his safety was assured. 

At 0:53 Mr. Boyd is beginning his walk down the hill toward the police that had just assured him that safety was important. As soon as Mr. Boyd took his first step the police exploded a Stun Grenade. COMPLETELY UNPROVOLKED. Completely unprovoked. The Stun Grenade then BY DESIGN disorients his vision and hearing for AT LEAST 5 seconds. Here is a man surrendering to police and he finds himself disoriented, blinded and deaf. Now, talk about confusion. The police knew exactly what they were doing. They were about kill this man and they wanted to play the hero with all the glitz and glamour afforded their damed egos.  

At 0:56 Mr. Boyd begins to react to the assault. He drops his bags and tries to formulate some kind of defense of himself and is being yelled at to drop to the ground. Now, Mr. Boyd has confusion, deaf and with unclear vision from the Stun Grenade. Was he going to be able to hear those damned bastards? No. He didn't know what happened to him. Not only that but when he became more confused the dog was brought on as if it was necessary and guns were fired.  

At 1:01 as the police assault him, he throws his arms up in the air and then down by his side, he obviously is scared to death for his life and has not formulated what to do. 

At 1:03 Mr. Boyd has already turned to run and he falls to the ground succumbing to the bullets penetrating his body. His movements stopped and he fell to the ground as the goons continued to yell as if they had to.

At 1:12 Mr. Boyd was face down in the dirt, unable to move and the officers are still playing cowboy in their threats and yelling. The dog is still within the methodology of a man face down in the dirt. The assassin by this time had trained a beacon on him because the end was near. Boyd was so dangerous laying face down in the dirt unable to move he was going to die with an flinch.

At 1:17 the asshole police are still yelling about a knife in his hand. Well, if the man couldn't move and was bleeding and becoming weak what difference did any knife make? He was not able to use it, but, the zealot police were going to RUN THEIR GAME to the end. He was a dangerous and out of control man and their lives were in dire danger. Now, does anyone actually expect me and any other same citizen to believe at any point during this murder that the police were in danger. There were three armed and dangerous officers and a dog a moment away from holding that man to the ground or worse and there was a concern about a knife? I could have walked up to him and kicked it away and then called the ambulance and hoped he would not die in transit. But, that isn't what occurred. The cops were 'runnin' game' and it had to be completed.

At 1:35 being shot and unable to stand while the cops are yelling to put his hands up knowing he was face down in the dirt, Mr. Boyd tried to move and his ankles and feet move a few inches. At this point James Boyd still had life in his body and those damn bastards never cared that he did. 

By 1:42 an officer has fired three bullets into James Boyd. James Boyd is face down and the angle of the bullets could easily enter his body and traverse it toward his heart. And the dog keeps moaning to turn him loose on the downed man. Before and while the bullets were entering James Boyd the police are yelling for him to drop the knife. These boys are morons. Nothing short of it. They have not one moral or brave bone in their bodies. 

At 2:11 the dog is NOW biting and tearing at James Boyd and there is blood on the rock. Mr. Boyd is basically lifeless. He more than likely hit his head on the rock when he fell and had a head injury. So even as the Stun Grenade may have been wearing off his head injury was impairing any mentation that might still remain. There was no reason to turn that dog on that man face down in the dirt when there was no overt danger to anyone. They turned the dog loose to let him satisfy the desire he had for attack and maybe some blood. 

The Coroner's Report better have reporting of dog marks on James Boyd's body. 

The lousy assassin still has his beacon trained on the lifeless body. It's all technique. There is no active thought process in any of them. They are on automatic and carrying out TECHNIQUE. James Boyd was as near dead as he could be at that point and RoboCops were still shaking in their shoes. 

At 2:30 there were five officers and a dog (which they could not keep from nipping at the body). Those five officers should have already been carrying James Boyd to a car and racing to take him to the hospital. What do they do? They start to secure his hands. His lifeless hands. At this point James Boyd could not have formulated any movement or begin to realize he had a chance to satisfy those lousy officers intent on killing him. James Boyd was lost to himself and the officers continued to carry out technique. They carried out techniques on a man near death being nipped at by their dog. 

At 2:58 the dog is walked away. Where is James Boyd? On his way to the hospital? No. Still face down in the dirt.

At 3:09 the cops are still running game and 'TAKE ON THE CAMPSITE' where a large ziplock bag holds the only worldly belongings of James Boyd. What did they think they were doing? They just killed a man and now they were hoping to find all kinds of drugs or guns or knives to justify their actions. 

At 3:14 the heroes have their guns trained on the ziplock bag as if it were going to come alive. 

At 3:53 the cops are satisfied there is nothing that is going to come alive and absolutely nothing that James Boyd can jump up and use against them. Brilliant men. Absolute geniuses. Where is James Boyd? Still lying face down in the dirt. 

The tape ends at 3:56.

The Governor needs to turn off her television, take all these men out of the police force, remove their badges and guns until all the investigations are done. And, oh by the way. The Governor should be telling them not to leave town either. The administrators of the  Albuquerque police department should have been fired already and listed as accomplices to murder.

Do I respect these men? Do I respect the Governor? Do I respect the Albuquerque police department? No. And don't expect me to anytime in the near future.

Martinez said she watched the protests on television Sunday.
"Albuquerque is going through a tough time, and they'll figure it out through the investigation," the governor said. "We want that to be thorough. We want confidence in the investigation, but I just don't want to see anyone harmed."
This protest and another last week were in response to the 37 shootings Albuquerque police have been involved in since 2010, 23 of them fatal. The outrage bubbled over recently with the release of a video showing officers fatally shooting 38-year-old James Boyd, a homeless camper, as he appeared to be preparing to surrender on March 16. Ten days later, officers killed another man after they say he shot at them.

Read more at http://gazette.com/new-mexico-governor-calls-for-calm-after-protest-1-officer-injured-6-people-arrested/article/1517391#q25iwxTOuBWXhDIQ.99