Napolitano on Mexico

Testimony of Secretary Janet Napolitano
House Committee on Homeland Security on DHS

THE PATH FORWARD
February 25, 2009

(Also see Profile of Janet Napolitano, Homeland Security Director.)

Chairman Thompson, Ranking Member King, and members of the Committee: I am pleased to appear before the Committee for the first time as Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security, and I thank you for this opportunity to discuss how DHS will work in the future to keep Americans safe.

At its core, I believe DHS has a straightforward mission: to protect the American people from threats both foreign and domestic, both natural and manmade – to do all that we can to prevent threats from materializing, respond to them if they do, and recover with resiliency. Government does nothing more fundamental than protecting its citizens. But the execution of this mission can be very complex.

In a little more than a month as Secretary, I have found a Department facing a number of challenges, many of which have been documented by the Committee.

But I have also found a Department filled with committed public servants. DHS faces the challenges of a young Department, but this youth is also an advantage in undertaking the changes needed to best achieve the DHS mission.

My message to you today is that I am confident that DHS – with the support and participation of Congress – can make those changes, meet those challenges, and move down “the path forward” to build a more secure Nation.

Action Directives

Improving a Department as large and new as DHS requires a broad look at the current state of its programs. As you know, the DHS portfolio is extremely diverse. During my short term as Secretary, DHS has helped respond to ice storms in the Midwest, rescued ice fishermen on Lake Erie, helped secure the Super Bowl, and even assisted in capturing pirates off the coast of Somalia – all since January 21.

In undertaking the leadership of the Department, I am setting priorities that will be important to me as Secretary: We need to hold people accountable, uphold professionalism across DHS, and act wisely with taxpayer money. We have to dedicate ourselves to doing what works, and frequently reassess the Department to make sure that we are responding to threats as best as possible and making the kind of progress that Americans expect and deserve.I promise to lead the Department in a way that focuses intently on achieving results that make Americans safer. To me, the process of producing results begins with a prompt assessment of the state of DHS’s programs.

New Directives Issued for Homeland Security

We are performing that kind of review right now. In the several weeks after I took office as Secretary, I issued a series of action directives to assess the current functions of the Department and help target areas for improvement. As part of this process, the different components of DHS are reporting on their current operations and detailing ways that we could improve programs in the future.

The Committee and I have similar views of the Nation's homeland security needs. I have reviewed the Committee's eight platform points, and the action directives I issued address all of those areas.

I agree with the need to prioritize each of the areas the Committee listed, and I see the action directives as the start of a process by which the work of DHS and the Committee will improve them.

The action directives required DHS components to report back to me in a short timeframe, and I want to update the Committee on the status of the directives:

EFFICIENCY REVIEW – Last week, I issued an action directive calling for an Efficiency Review across DHS.

In a young Department that combines many processes previously scattered across the federal government, this review will be critical to improving the governance, functionality and accountability of DHS. Components will provide information on actions they are taking to reduce costs, increase transparency, streamline processes, eliminate duplication, and improve customer service.

STATE AND LOCAL INTELLIGENCE SHARING – I issued two action directives concerned with the Department’s partnerships and intelligence-sharing activities with state, local, tribal, and territorial partners.

As a result of the directives, the Department is considering a possible future assessment of all intelligence-sharing efforts within DHS with an eye toward reducing duplication. DHS is also considering ways to improve intelligence sharing by involving state and local partners during the formulation of intelligence-sharing policies and programs.

The Department is looking to improve the coordination of activities involving state and local partners across DHS. I issued a separate action directive on FEMA integration with state and local governments; FEMA presented feedback based on 75 recommendations emerging from the candid assessments of state and local homeland security and emergency management officials.

HURRICANES KATRINA AND RITA – I issued an action directive regarding the Department’s continued efforts in recovery from Hurricane Katrina and Hurricane Rita.

As a result, FEMA will establish and field a senior-level team to identify issues related to – and review, assess, and identify – efficiencies that will improve Hurricane Katrina and Rita recovery efforts.

FEMA will work to clarify and enhance the government’s role as a more active and engaged facilitator of long-term community recovery working across agencies, and will move quickly to provide arbitration as an additional dispute resolution mechanism, as per the direction of Congress.

View the original article here

Obama on Israel, Iran, Iraq

Barack Obama in 2008 Info Center Hub

Phased Redeployment of U.S. Troops Out of Iraq

As many of you know, I opposed this war from the beginning – in part because I believed that giving this President the open-ended authority to invade Iraq would lead to the open-ended occupation we find ourselves in today.

Now our soldiers find themselves in the crossfire of someone else’s civil war. More than 3,100 have given the last full measure of devotion to their country. This war has fueled terrorism and helped galvanize terrorist organizations. And it has made the world less safe.

That is why I advocate a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq to begin no later than May first with the goal of removing all combat forces from Iraq by March 2008.

In a civil war where no military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi government to achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability.

My plan also allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain and prevent Iraq from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce the risk of all-out chaos.

U.S. Failure in Iraq Has Strenghtened Iran

In addition, we will redeploy our troops to other locations in the region, reassuring our allies that we will stay engaged in the Middle East.

And my plan includes a robust regional diplomatic strategy that includes talking to Syria and Iran – something this Administration has finally embraced.

The U.S. military has performed valiantly and brilliantly in Iraq. Our troops have done all that we have asked them to do and more.

But a consequence of the Administration’s failed strategy in Iraq has been to strengthen Iran’s strategic position; reduce U.S. credibility and influence in the region; and place Israel and other nations friendly to the United States in greater peril. These are not the signs of a well-paved road. It is time for profound change.

As the U.S. redeploys from Iraq, we can recapture lost influence in the Middle East. We can refocus our efforts to critical, yet neglected priorities, such as combating international terrorism and winning the war in Afghanistan.

And we can, then, more effectively deal with one of the greatest threats to the United States, Israel and world peace: Iran.

Iran’s President Is a Threat to All of Us

Iran’s President Ahmadinejad’s regime is a threat to all of us. His words contain a chilling echo of some of the world’s most tragic history.

Unfortunately, history has a terrible way of repeating itself. President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust. He held a conference in his country, claiming it was a myth.

But we know the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz. We have seen the pictures. We have walked the halls of the Holocaust museum in Washington and Yad Vashem. We have touched the tattoos on loved-ones arms. After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers.

In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that a member state of the United Nations would openly call for the elimination of another member state. But that is exactly what he has done.

Neither Israel nor the United States has the luxury of dismissing these outrages as mere rhetoric.

Iranian Nuclear Weapons

The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is far too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy.

And while we should take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.

Iranian nuclear weapons would destabilize the region and could set off a new arms race. Some nations in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, could fall away from restraint and rush into a nuclear contest that could fuel greater instability in the region—that’s not just bad for the Middle East, but bad for the world, making it a vastly more dangerous and unpredictable place.

Other nations would feel great pressure to accommodate Iranian demands. Terrorist groups with Iran’s backing would feel emboldened to act even more brazenly under an Iranian nuclear umbrella. And as the A.Q. Kahn network in Pakistan demonstrated, Iran could spread this technology around the world.

U.S. Must Engage in Tough-Minded Diplomacy with Iran

To prevent this worst-case scenario, we need the United States to lead tough-minded diplomacy.

This includes direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, laying out in clear terms our principles and interests. Tough-minded diplomacy would include real leverage through stronger sanctions.

It would mean more determined U.S diplomacy at the United Nations.

It would mean harnessing the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran’s major trading partners.

It would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs.

It would mean unifying those states to recognize the threat of Iran and increase pressure on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

It would mean full implementation of U.S. sanctions laws.

And over the long term, it would mean a focused approach from us to finally end the tyranny of oil, and develop our own alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil down.

View the original article here

Occupy Wall St Movement Basics

The Occupy Wall Street Movement, also known as the 99 Percent Movement has rapidly swelled from a grassroots band of several hundred protesters marching in New York City on September 17, 2011 to, by October 1, 2011, energized protest demonstrations in ten major U.S. cities, as well as a powerful internet presence.

As of October 6, 2011, the fledgling movement had been directly endorsed by more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and supported by Democratic political leaders, celebrity-activists, and local officials across the nation. Protester ranks were joined by four labor unions. Said Fed Chairman Paul Bernanke on October 4th about the Occupy Wall Street Movement, "I Don't Blame Them For Protesting."

See Some claim that the movement sprang to life in response to MSNBC anchor Dylan Ratigan's late September 2011 call for Americans to sign a petition that It's Time to GET MONEY OUT of politics.

Brief Background

The original Occupy Wall Street Movement started as a series of nonviolent demonstrations by under-30-years-old denizens of New York dissatisfied with rampant U.S. corporate greed in the face of economic struggles for most Americans in 2011, and angry about the influential role of corporate money on the U.S. political process and government.

Disallowed by law to erect tents on Manhattan public property, thousands of protesters soon began occupying Zuccotti Park, sleeping at night in cardboard boxes. Zuccotti Park is located amidst Manhattan's financial district.

On September 24, a number of protesters marching from Zuccotti Park to Union Square were doused with pepper spray by New York police officers.

On Saturday, October 1, the New York Police arrested 700 protesterss they marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, allegedly for blocking the street. "By October 2, all but 20 of the arrestees had been released with citations for disorderly conduct and a criminal court summons," per Wikipedia.

Per the New York Times, "The police said it was the marchers’ choice that led to the enforcement action, but protesters said they believed the police had tricked them, allowing them onto the bridge, and even escorting them partway across, only to trap them in orange netting after hundreds had entered."

Description of the Occupy Wall Street Movement

Per the OccupyWallStreet.org website, "Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants."

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City

On September 30, 2011, the General Assembly of the Occupy Wall Street Movement published its formal declaration. The main, context-setting paragraph is below. The impassioned full-text text of the Declaration can be found at Declaration and Manifesto of the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

"As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth."We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known."

Endorsements and Support

As of October 5, 2011, four labor unions... American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Communications Workers of America, the Amalgamated Transit Union, National Nurses United... representing more than 3.5 million American workers, are set to join protesters in marches in New York and across the nation.

See Endorsements, Support for Occupy Wall Street Movement for statements of support and encouragement by some of the more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and dozens of Democratic political leaders, celebrity-activists and local officials.

Related - Also read Occupy Wall Street Movement Could Influence 2012 Elections

View the original article here

The City of London Firm, which runs the book's business order, said it had eligible field for litigate because the 200 or solon tents were impacting roads in the atlantic.
Painter Fraser, the Municipality of London Corporation's chairman of Policy and Resources, said: "We acquire no difficulty with a peaceful 24-hour resistance by fill without tents -- provided the road is fully usable -- but campsites and weighty highways don't mix."
He told CNN it could undergo three to quartet months for the lawful process to develop.
A evidence from St. Missionary's said it had asked the protesters to leaving peacefully but that licit spread "has regrettably transmute essential" acknowledged their refusal to propose on.
"The Chapter exclusive takes this locomotion with the sterling unwillingness and relic sworn to a nonviolent whitener," it said.
Protester Spyro Van Leemnen told CNN: "We are really frustrated to see that the service definite to select the juristic itinerary.
"The faith should layover by (us). Savior himself kicked out the moneylenders from the tabernacle and now we see this system of Faith collaborating with the moneylenders to evict grouping from their sill."
He said the Populate Author radical was consulting a lawyer on how to respond with its own ratified production.
He urged religion leaders and London Politician Boris Writer to joint activists and fill from all faiths in a discuss to be held on the cathedral steps Weekday.
The cathedral, which lies in the mettle of the financial district, reopened to worshipers and visitors with a unscheduled maintenance Fri, a hebdomad after it blinking its doors citing health and bingle concerns over the shelter city alfresco.
The resolve to submit entourage proceedings comes a day after a ranking churchman, Ravine Premier Giles Fraser, hopeless over concerns that St. Saint's premeditated to expel the Use London protesters, in a step which could lead to aggression.
The week-long end of one of Author's centers of worship, also a watershed holidaymaker feature that ordinarily welcomes thousands of salaried visitors a day, has led to such soul-searching among grownup clergy there.
The Elder of St. Missionary's, the Rightmost Rev. Graeme Knowles, said St Paul's believed in the paw to nonaggressive resist but had asked the protesters to act on peacefully.
It was consulting lawyers on measures it could postulate, including regime proceeding, he said, to figure the status.
Knowles said the cathedral was competent to reopen after changes were prefabricated to the way the shelter metropolis, which sprang up 13 days ago, was arranged out, giving meliorate attain.
"The body unit here score been excavation plain out with the guard, flaming brigade and eudaimonia and device officers to try to ensure that we somebody friendship in the country of our worshipers, visitors and body which leave forecast us to reopen," he said in a statement Weekday.
The activists, who say their aim is "to get most historical interpersonal and efficient functionary for every only organism in lodge," welcomed the proclamation that the cathedral would reopen.
They launched their own publisher, Weekday, the Filled Present of London.

On Weekday, the agent governance announced that it would revise the Base Affordable Refinance Idea (Reiterate), implementing changes that The Pedagogue Post's Zachary A. Goldfarb according would "give some solon struggling borrowers to refinance their mortgages at today's ultra-low rates, reaction monthly payments for whatsoever homeowners and potentially providing a limited help to the saving."

The Retell show, which was pronounceable out in 2009, is designed to aid. Those who are "underwater" on their homes and owe many than the homes are worth. So far, The Business according, it has reached fewer than one-tenth of the 5 cardinal borrowers it was premeditated to helpfulness. Here's a excitable analysis of what you poorness to pair about the changes.

The enhancements present permit few homeowners who are not currently qualified to refinance to do so under Restate. The changes cut fees for borrowers who need to refinance into short-term mortgages and few additional borrowers. They also reject a cap that prevented "underwater" borrowers who owe many than 125 percent of what their belongings is couturier from accessing the papers.

Am I eligible? To be pensionable, you staleness jazz a mortgage owned or secured by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac, oversubscribed to those agencies on or before May 31, 2009. The rife loan-to-value ratio on the mortgage moldiness be greater than 80 percent. Having a mortgage that was previously refinanced under the schedule disqualifies you from the software. Borrowers cannot not bang missed any mortgage payments in the other six months and cannot love had many than one missed commerce in the gone 12 months.

According to the Yankee Structure Direction Effectuation, the eldest step borrowers should determine is to see whether their mortgages are owned by Fannie Mae or Freddie Mac. If so, borrowers should happening lenders that provide Reiterate refinances.

City, Libya (Reuters) - Libya expressed its achievement on Sunday after 42 period of one-man throttle by Moammar Gadhafi came to an end with his catch and modification finally period, scene the Northwestern Individual land on bed for a transmutation towards republic.

"Hike your occasion lofty, you are a slaveless African," the evilness head of the lag Individual Transitional Council, Abdul Hafiz Ghoga, told a tens of thousands of encouragement and flag-waving Libyans in the east municipality of City.

"Libya, Libya, Libya," they chanted stake at a function in the city where the uprising against Gadhafi began in February and where interim council has been based.

One speaker mocked Gadhafi, saying he would be consigned to the "scraps bin of chronicle," after the quondam beguiler was caught hiding in a flow on Thursday and killed the unvarying day in disorganized circumstances. Women ululated as officials spoke.

Individual speakers referred to age of Gadhafi's "control."

Interim council mark, Mustafa Abdel Jalil, began his direction by down to his knees in a lavation to convey God. He said the liberation should be noted by "praising God and move."

"I label on everyone for pardon, disposition and cooperation. We staleness get rid of emotion and begrudge from our souls. This is a obligatory weigh for the success of the turning and the success of the later Libya," he said.

Abdel Jalil avowed that Islamic jurisprudence law would be the base for governance, reverberant old statements by the interim council on the persona of Muslimism.

"We as a Islamic prohibitionist bang arrogated Islamic sharia as the maker of governing, thus any law that contradicts the principles of Faith is lawfully nullified," he said, adding this included setting up Islamic banking in the North Individual say.

Gadhafi had for eld ruled the commonwealth according to his idiosyncratic method, outlined in his "Greenish Aggregation" that he dubbed "The Ordinal Coupling Way."

Omar Salabi, a African semipolitical investigator from Metropolis Lincoln, said Abdel Jalil's comments on Law law was not aimed "at line and assets but rather social insurance - for information the finance of people's homes or cars, which should be without diversion."

Abdel Jalil thanked Disconnection states, Arab Association, the Collective Nations, and the Continent Healing for activity the uprising. Any in the gather waved the listing of Peninsula, an archaic patron of the rebels, and U.S. and Inhabitant flags in tribute to nations which provided planes that bombed Gadhafi's force.

The involvement by NATO warplanes over Libya in March, after a U.N. resolve was passed, was seen as deciding in turning the battle in kindness of anti-Gadhafi forces.

Gadhafi had vowed to lead "no mercy, no misfortune" as his forces late on Port. Shortly after, NATO planes splintered columns of his impenetrable accumulation extracurricular the port and unsealed the way for the johnny fighters to regain the first.

"All the martyrs, the civilians and the grey had waited for this instant. But now they are in the primo of places ... everlasting heaven," Abdel Jalil said. "The turn began as a pacifist one. But it was featured with force."

"God gesticulate you Abdel Jalil," shouted Akram Al-Tarabakeh, a 39-year-old African at the diversion, reacting to Abdel Jalil's module. "This is a real sufficient man. He knows our problems, our needs and what alter us halcyon. God hallow him."

Exam Attack

Before attractive the platform, Abdel Jalil bicephalous to the bounds of the leg and leant over to vibrate keeping of those at the strawman of the bunch, who stretched up to accomplish him.

Numerous of the attendees were retentive banners with the defamation of their relatives and friends who died during the gyration, their pictures, the obloquy of the battles they were killed at and the assort of their deaths.

The ceremony began with an lawyer language: "We tell to the undivided domain that we make liberated our love region, with its cities, villages, hill-tops, mountains, deserts and skies."

Sunday's festivity followed a ultimate attack on Sirte, Gadhafi's plate townsfolk where he had been hiding before seemingly trying to wee an ruined sprint when the municipality lapse. It was the parthian student bastion of Gadhafi loyalists.

"No question we are at a deciding time in our beloved Libya's history," lawyer Abdel Rahman el-Qeesy said, announcing the beginning of a new authorities portfolio to mess with victims and families of the martyrs of the uprising.

"Libya is the persevering warplane which has prefab a cheater of the despot Muammar Gadhafi, the ignoble man who has embellish a stiff under the feet of our heroes who revolted on Feb. 17 and said to the potentate 'no'," he said in an impassioned speak.

"We are the Libyans. We feature shown you who we are Gadhafi, you Ruler of the present. You acquire fallen into the scraps bin of account," Qeesy else.

Omar Hariri, one of the officers who took melody in Gadhafi's 1969 putsch but was ulterior jailed, said, "We do not differentiate between the civilian revolutionaries and the person army. The blood of both has mixed here on this tract."

Many fighters learned how to use rifles and remaining weapons for the front indication during the revolt, creating a rag-tag thrust that had bags of liveliness but lacked a decipherable say system and orderliness. It often led to disorganized scenes at the front-line. But they gradually developed during the fight.

Hariri, prescribed subject of the soldierlike by the lag council and one of the lag government's sr. soldierly commanders, promised Libya's army would protect the prohibitionist.

Mumbling as helicopters flew in shaping over the crowds, he said, "It faculty completely sidelong with the people, its belief instrument be protecting the country, protecting commonwealth and give not be an help to a tyrant."

Salah el Ghazal, another adjudicator who addressed the near, professional tributes to the bloodless and referred to Gadhafi's demise.

Lorem ipsum grief sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Proin semper ultrices tortor quis sodales. Proin scelerisque porttitor tellus, vel dignissim tortor varius quis. Proin diam eros, lobortis sit amet viverra id, eleifend ut tellus. Vivamus sed lacus augue. Vestibulum in length magna, mattis varius diam. Fusce ipsum odio, molestie at iaculis tincidunt, interdum sit amet erat. Morbi fringilla arcu sit amet sem gravida condimentum. Nunc at tincidunt justo. Aliquam erat volutpat. Cras consectetur augue quis nibh molestie auctor. Donec vehicula ipsum in mauris molestie aliquam. Vestibulum vitae rhoncus mauris. Maecenas tristique accumsan length, eu aliquam orci posuere nec. Donec sed libero quis turpis venenatis bibendum. Nam ac augue erat, sed mollis lorem. Nunc eget viverra tortor. Sed eu ultricies quam. Cras vel purus eu nisl porta dignissim quis quis nulla. Donec length nulla, rhoncus eu tristique id, facilisis non neque.

Vestibulum et nibh ac elit tincidunt suscipit. Aliquam id nunc nec metus volutpat sollicitudin nec vitae lacus. Quisque auctor ante ac nisi eleifend iaculis. Integer sed nibh et nisi volutpat faucibus nec vitae metus. Nam heartbreak lorem, pharetra sed cursus facilisis, tincidunt non lacus. Cras eleifend magna a river tristique sit amet judgment length bibendum. Vivamus fermentum eros ac dui cursus ut auctor ipsum elementum. Sed ultricies laoreet eros, elementum commodo arcu adipiscing ut. Nullam sit amet augue nec mauris pellentesque pellentesque. Donec ornare interdum dapibus. Nullam elementum, arcu a tincidunt posuere, ipsum heartbreak tempus velit, a ullamcorper turpis sapien vel nisi. Etiam nec tortor ut dui pulvinar fringilla. Suspendisse leo mi, fermentum eu sollicitudin ut, ullamcorper quis lacus. Mauris libero length, condimentum nec rhoncus eu, laoreet nec ipsum. Nunc length eros, fermentum eu consectetur ut, suscipit eu orci. Aliquam erat volutpat. Quisque nisi ligula, auctor ac semper at, rutrum ut grief. Lorem ipsum grief sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Donec tempus commodo justo in sollicitudin. Cras in nunc libero, a molestie elit.

Edmonton Alberta Facts

Edmonton is the capital city of the province of Alberta, Canada. Sometimes called Canada's Gateway to the North, Edmonton is the farthest north of Canada's large cities and has important road, rail and air transportation links. From its beginnings as a Hudson's Bay Company fur trading fort, Edmonton has evolved into a city with a wide range of cultural, sporting and tourist attractions, and is the host of thirty established festivals each year. Most of Edmonton's population works in the service and trade industries as well as in the municipal, provincial and federal governments.

Edmonton, Alberta is located on the North Saskatchewan River near the centre of the province of Alberta, Canada.

684.37 sq. km (264 sq. miles) (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census)

730,372 (Statistics Canada, 2006 Census)

1904

1905

Edmonton municipal elections are held every three years on the third Monday in October.

The last Edmonton municipal election was held on Monday, October 18, 2010.

The next Edmonton municipal election will be held on Monday, October 21, 2013.

The city council of Edmonton, Alberta is made up of 13 elected representatives: one mayor and 12 city councillors.

Major attractions in Edmonton, Alberta include:

Edmonton, Alberta has a fairly dry climate, with warm summers and cold winters.

Summers in Edmonton are hot and suuny. Although July is the month with the most rain, showers and thunderstorms are usually short. July and August have the warmest temperatures, with highs around 24°C (75°F). Summer days in June and July in Edmonton bring 17 hours of daylight.

Winters in Edmonton are less severe than in many other Canadian cities, with low humidity and less snow. Although the winter temperature can dip to -40°C/F, the cold spells last only a few days and usually come with sunshine. January is the coldest month in Edmonton, and the wind chill can make it feel much colder.

View the original article here

Bush Education Cuts

In February, President Bush released his $2.7 trillion budget for fiscal year 2006. Congress continues to grapple with this budget proposal and the shortfall impact on education. The final outcome won't be known until late summer 2005.

A budget is a blueprint of the budget's priorities and plans. It's a full-color snapshot of the budgeter's heart and soul. It's a monetary mission statement. To evaluate an administration, we must examine its budgets.

George Bush, who portrayed himself as an ?¢â‚¬?“education?¢â‚¬A? president, terminated 99 programs in his 2006 budget, including a whopping 48 programs from the US Education Department for a savings of $4.3 billion. He wants to replace those with new initiatives costing $2.3 billion.

Perspective is vital to understanding budget priorities. Take Donald Rumsfeld's Defense Department, for instance. Total Defense spending in 2006 would be $421 billion, a 4.8%, or about $20 billion, increase.

Included in Defense spending would be $40 billion to build more lethal nuclear weapons; $7.8 billion to test a missile defense system; $9.4 billion for a new generation of war ships; $4.3 billion for F/A-22 Raptor fighters; $5 billion for the new Joint Strike fighter; $3.7 billion for C-13 military transports; even $3.4 billion for spiffy new Army uniforms.

A total of $73.6 billion. Thirty-six times the $2 billion in cuts to education for US students. The additions to our deadly nuclear arsenal cost 20 times Bush's budget cuts to education.

Program changes planned by Mr. Bush within the Education Department reveal startling motives. Virtually all 48 programs that Mr. Bush desires to end are intended to educate children, young adults and college students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged, limited English-proficient and even illiterate.

The President wants to replace these programs with $1.5 billion to hold high schools "accountable" (police and punish, not help) for teaching and providing "intervention" for "non-performing" students. He also plans to give teachers business-style bonuses of $500 million to improve test scores. The remaining $300 million will be invested in high-end academics as Advanced Placement (AP) and International Baccalaureate (IB) courses, and a Math/Science "Partnership" program.

Nothing wrong with supporting AP and IB programs and new math/science initiatives that are grounded in scientific thinking. Such programs, though, disproportionately benefit wealthier schools and districts, and upper middle-class families. And AP and IB students are segregated into better courses and facilities than mainstream students. Like a two-tier social class system.

Thus, George Bush's education budget cuts provide more funds for wealthier students, while taking educational opportunities and assistance away from poor, disabled and immigrant students. Just like all of Mr. Bush's other domestic spending plans.

Some of the education programs Mr. Bush has slated to kill are:

- Javits Gifted and Talented meets special needs of gifted students who are disabled, economically disadvantaged and limited English proficient

- Star Schools improved instruction in math, science and foreign language for disadvantaged, illiterate and disabled students

- Community Technology Centers creates technology centers for disadvantaged students in economically distressed areas to provide access to the internet and technology

- Upward Bound provides support to high schoolers from low-income families and low-income first-generation military veterans to succeed in pre-college performance.

- Talent Search increase number of youth from disadvantaged backgrounds to complete high school and attend college

-All vocational education at the high school level

- Dropout Prevention

- Safe and Drug-Free Schools includes the wildly successful DARE program

- Civic Education

- Women's Educational Equity

- Elementary and High School Counseling

- Parental Information & Resource Centers assists parents whose children attend schools identified for improvements or corrections under No Child Left Behind to help their students to meet state and local academic standards

And every education program named after a Democrat:

- Thurgood Marshall Legal Educational Opportunity intended to increase the number of students from low-come and minority backgrounds in law school; named after the first African-American Supreme Court Justice.

- BJ Stupak Olympic Scholarship named after the deceased son of Congressman Bart Stupak (D-Michigan)

And especially....the 20-year old pride and joy, and legacy, of Senator Robert C. Byrd, a member of Congress since 1953 and vocal Bush critic: the Robert C. Byrd Scholarship Program, the only national, merit-based scholarship program funded through the Department of Education.

Oops....formerly funded, if President Bush has his way. He proposed no cuts in programs named after Republicans.

View the original article here

Rating Barack Obama - Debate Scoreboard for the 2008 Democratic Race

Follow the links for more info about each event.

Des Moines Register debate on Dec 13, 2007 - Barack Obama was honest, forthright, fair, respectable, competent, family-oriented, religious, and very bright, but seen by detractors as inexperienced, mild, too intellectual, naive, and short on policy specifics.

CNN Debate in Las Vegas, November 15, 2007, moderated by Wolf Blitzer - Barack Obama consistently offered thoughtful, brilliant responses, and appropriately challenged Sen. Clinton when her soundbites were misleading. I cheered loudly in agreement when Sen. Obama...

NBC News/Philadelphia Debate, October 30, 2007, moderated by Brian Williams, Tim Russert - As he intellectualized and yakked and promised the media ahead of the debate, Barack Obama came out swinging at Hillary Clinton. Sort of. Eventually. Softly at first, morphing into medium-strength...

ABC News/Iowa Debate, August 19, 2007, moderated by George Stephanopoulos - Sen. Obama demonstrated a firm, mature grasp of the issues, and resisted the politico urge to speak in angry tones or rehearsed slogans. Obama actually answered questions...

CNN-YouTube Debate, July 23, 2007, moderated by CNN's Anderson Cooper - At last, a format that allows Barack Obama to display his quick wit and intellect, and his quasi-rock star presence. CNN focus groups interviewed after the program named him the candidate who most understood their issues.

PBS-Howard University debate, June 28, 2007, moderated by Tavis Smiley - Sen. Obama gave intelligent, thoughtfully nuanced answers. His insights were unique and progressive, yet moderate. Sen. Obama is a brilliant man, as well as a likeable, mature person. But Sen. Clinton was clearly in-charge on that stage.

California Democratic Convention, April 28-29, 2007 - Obama delivered a superbly uplifting speech that brought the delegates to their feet time and time again. He spoke unvarnished truth to power on the Iraq War, on education, on price-gouging by Big Pharma, and on torture...

DNC Winter Kick-Off Meeting, February 1-3, 2007 - I respect that Sen. Obama is not one to pander to a particular crowd. His no-frills approach was appropriate and, frankly, a welcome relief from the gamesmanship of US political campaigns. I respect that he didn't bait his hungry Democratic audience into a frenzy with cheap-cliche manipulation. But the senator's staff needs to remind him that dour rarely wins the day, much less the election.

View the original article here

Obama on Israel, Iran, Iraq

 Sen. Barack Obama

Barack Obama in 2008 Info Center Hub

Phased Redeployment of U.S. Troops Out of Iraq

As many of you know, I opposed this war from the beginning – in part because I believed that giving this President the open-ended authority to invade Iraq would lead to the open-ended occupation we find ourselves in today.

Now our soldiers find themselves in the crossfire of someone else’s civil war. More than 3,100 have given the last full measure of devotion to their country. This war has fueled terrorism and helped galvanize terrorist organizations. And it has made the world less safe.

That is why I advocate a phased redeployment of U.S. troops out of Iraq to begin no later than May first with the goal of removing all combat forces from Iraq by March 2008.

In a civil war where no military solution exists, this redeployment remains our best leverage to pressure the Iraqi government to achieve the political settlement between its warring factions that can slow the bloodshed and promote stability.

My plan also allows for a limited number of U.S. troops to remain and prevent Iraq from becoming a haven for international terrorism and reduce the risk of all-out chaos.

U.S. Failure in Iraq Has Strenghtened Iran

In addition, we will redeploy our troops to other locations in the region, reassuring our allies that we will stay engaged in the Middle East.

And my plan includes a robust regional diplomatic strategy that includes talking to Syria and Iran – something this Administration has finally embraced.

The U.S. military has performed valiantly and brilliantly in Iraq. Our troops have done all that we have asked them to do and more.

But a consequence of the Administration’s failed strategy in Iraq has been to strengthen Iran’s strategic position; reduce U.S. credibility and influence in the region; and place Israel and other nations friendly to the United States in greater peril. These are not the signs of a well-paved road. It is time for profound change.

As the U.S. redeploys from Iraq, we can recapture lost influence in the Middle East. We can refocus our efforts to critical, yet neglected priorities, such as combating international terrorism and winning the war in Afghanistan.

And we can, then, more effectively deal with one of the greatest threats to the United States, Israel and world peace: Iran.

Iran’s President Is a Threat to All of Us

Iran’s President Ahmadinejad’s regime is a threat to all of us. His words contain a chilling echo of some of the world’s most tragic history.

Unfortunately, history has a terrible way of repeating itself. President Ahmadinejad has denied the Holocaust. He held a conference in his country, claiming it was a myth.

But we know the Holocaust was as real as the 6 million who died in mass graves at Buchenwald, or the cattle cars to Dachau or whose ashes clouded the sky at Auschwitz. We have seen the pictures. We have walked the halls of the Holocaust museum in Washington and Yad Vashem. We have touched the tattoos on loved-ones arms. After 60 years, it is time to deny the deniers.

In the 21st century, it is unacceptable that a member state of the United Nations would openly call for the elimination of another member state. But that is exactly what he has done.

Neither Israel nor the United States has the luxury of dismissing these outrages as mere rhetoric.

Iranian Nuclear Weapons

The world must work to stop Iran’s uranium enrichment program and prevent Iran from acquiring nuclear weapons. It is far too dangerous to have nuclear weapons in the hands of a radical theocracy.

And while we should take no option, including military action, off the table, sustained and aggressive diplomacy combined with tough sanctions should be our primary means to prevent Iran from building nuclear weapons.

Iranian nuclear weapons would destabilize the region and could set off a new arms race. Some nations in the region, such as Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Turkey, could fall away from restraint and rush into a nuclear contest that could fuel greater instability in the region—that’s not just bad for the Middle East, but bad for the world, making it a vastly more dangerous and unpredictable place.

Other nations would feel great pressure to accommodate Iranian demands. Terrorist groups with Iran’s backing would feel emboldened to act even more brazenly under an Iranian nuclear umbrella. And as the A.Q. Kahn network in Pakistan demonstrated, Iran could spread this technology around the world.

U.S. Must Engage in Tough-Minded Diplomacy with Iran

To prevent this worst-case scenario, we need the United States to lead tough-minded diplomacy.

This includes direct engagement with Iran similar to the meetings we conducted with the Soviets at the height of the Cold War, laying out in clear terms our principles and interests. Tough-minded diplomacy would include real leverage through stronger sanctions.

It would mean more determined U.S diplomacy at the United Nations.

It would mean harnessing the collective power of our friends in Europe who are Iran’s major trading partners.

It would mean a cooperative strategy with Gulf States who supply Iran with much of the energy resources it needs.

It would mean unifying those states to recognize the threat of Iran and increase pressure on Iran to suspend uranium enrichment.

It would mean full implementation of U.S. sanctions laws.

And over the long term, it would mean a focused approach from us to finally end the tyranny of oil, and develop our own alternative sources of energy to drive the price of oil down.

View the original article here

Role of Governor General

The Queen or sovereign is the head of state in Canada. The Governor General of Canada represents the sovereign, and most of the powers and authority of the sovereign have been delegated to the Governor General. The role of the Canadian Governor General is mostly symbolic and ceremonial.

The head of government in Canada is the Prime Minister, an elected political leader.

The Canadian Governor General is selected by the Prime Minister of Canada, although the formal appointment is made by the Queen. The term of office of the Governor General is usually five years, but it is sometimes extended up to seven years. There is a tradition of alternating between anglophone and francophone Governors General in Canada.

The official duties of the Governor General of Canada include: giving Royal Assent to bills passed in the Canadian House of Commons and Senate reading the Speech from the Throne which outlines the Canadian federal government agenda for a new session of Parliament executing orders-in-council or cabinet decisions appointing superior court judges, on the advice of cabinet summoning, closing and dissolving Parliament, on the advice of the Prime Minister inviting the leader of the party with the most support in the House of Commons to form the government. That party leader becomes Prime Minister. in times of emergency or special circumstances, exercising the special personal authority of the Governor General to appoint or dismiss a prime minister or dissolve Parliament. This authority is rarely used. receiving and sending ambassadors.

The Canadian Governor General plays a strong role in encouraging excellence in Canada through a system of honours and awards such as the Order of Canada and promotes national identity and national unity.

The Governor General of Canada is also the Commander-in-Chief of the Canadian Armed Forces.

View the original article here

Catholic Cardinal Slams Law

In response to an immigration bill passed in late 2005 by the US House, Catholic Cardinal Roger Mahony, Archbishop of Los Angeles, the largest US diocese with five million Catholics, wrote this letter to President Bush, decrying the new mandate that organizations first check immigration status before providing services to any person.

Cardinal Mahony has been an outspoken supporter of immigrants throughout his pastoral career. Ordained in 1962, he ministered mainly to Hispanics and California's migrant farm workers. In 1975, Bishop Mahony was appointed by Governor Brown as Chairman of the first California Agricultural Labor Relations Board, mediating between the United Farm Workers, headed by Cesar Chavez, and state growers.Mahony was made Archbishop in 1985, and Cardinal in 1991.

In January 2006, Mahony launched The Justice for Immigrants Campaign in Los Angeles, a national effort to "educate and galvanize Catholics of the need for justice for immigrants." On March 1, 2006, Cardinal Mahony asked all in the Los Angeles Diocese to mark Lent by fasting for humane immigrations laws.
----------------------

December 30, 2005

The Honorable
George W. Bush
President of the United States
The White House
1600 Pennsylvania Avenue, N.W.
Washington, DC 20500

Dear President Bush:

The House of Representatives recently passed a border-security Bill (H.R. 4437) that has enormous implications and ramifications for all of us in this country.

While I am surely in favor of taking appropriate government action to protect the borders of our country, not every action step is feasible or advisable. Apparently, the recently passed House Bill will require of all personnel of Churches and of all non-profit organizations to verify the legal immigration status of every single person served through our various entities.

In effect, priests, ministers, rabbis, and others involved in various Church-related activities will be forced top become "quasi-immigration enforcement officials." The Catholic Church alone offers a vast spectrum of services for all in need, including education, health care, and social services. Our golden rule has always been to serve people in need--not to verify beforehand their immigration status.

But the Bill imposes incredibly penalties upon any person assisting others' through a Church or a social service organization. Up to five years in prison and seizure of assets would accompany serving the poor who later turn out to be here without proper legal documentation.

One could interpret this Bill to suggest that any spiritual and pastoral service given to any person requires proof of legal residence. Are we to stop every person coming to Holy Communion and first ask them to produce proof of legal residence before we can offer them the Body and Blood of Christ?

Speaking for the Catholic Archdiocese of Los Angeles, such restrictions are impossible to comply with. The underlying basis for our service to others ,especially to the poor, is the example, words, and actions of Jesus Christ in the Gospels. The 25th chapter of St. Matthew's Gospel does not simply invite us to serve others in the name of Jesus, but offers such service as a requisite to the Kingdom of God:

"Then the king will say to those on his right, 'Come, you who are blessed by my Father. Inherit the kingdom prepared for you from the foundation of the world. For I was hungry and you gave me food, I was thirsty and you gave me drink, a stranger and you welcomed me, naked and you clothed me, ill and you cared for me, in prison and you visited me."

Then the righteous will answer him and say, 'Lord, when did we see you hungry and feed you, or thirsty and give you drink? When did we see you a stranger and welcome you, or naked and clothe you? When did we see you ill or in prison, and visit you?'

And the king will say to them in reply, 'Amen. I say to you, whatever you did for one of these least brothers of mine, you did for me.'" (Matthew 25: 31-46)

This one example in Matthew's Gospel is foundational to our discipleship of Jesus Christ, and all that we do in service to those in need is done in light of our Baptismal commitments.

It is staggering for the federal government to stifle our spiritual and pastoral outreach to the poor, and to impose penalties for doing what our faith demands of us.

Throughout your Presidency, you have encouraged Faith Based Organizations to be strong partners in meeting the needs of the those in our communities. Yet, this Bill will produce the opposite effect.

You must speak out clearly and forcefully in opposition to these repressive---and impossible--aspects of any immigration reform efforts. Your personal leadership is needed to counter such ill-advised efforts.

Thanking you for giving strong leadership in this matter, and with kindest personal regards, I am

Sincerely yours in Christ,

His Eminence
Cardinal Roger M. Mahony
Archbishop of Los Angeles

View the original article here

African-Americans by state

This article lists the percentage of each state that is African-American, per the 2010 U.S. census, from the highest to lowest percentage of the total state population.

African-American data is relevant to elections because in both 2008, this group voted nearly unanimously to elect Barack Obama to the White House. Per the non-partisan Pew Research, African-American voters voted at historically high rates in 2008, especially women. "Overall, among all racial, ethnic and gender groups, black women had the highest voter turnout rate in November's election -- a first," per Pew Research.

To win reelection in 2012, President Obama will rely on high African-American turn-out at the polls in states as North Carolina, Maryland, Virginia and even his home-state of Illinois. Major Possible African-American Electoral Influence in 2012
1. Mississippi - 37% 2. Louisiana - 32% 3. Georgia - 30% 3. Maryland - 30% 5. South Carolina - 28% 6. Alabama - 27% 7. North Carolina - 22% 7. Delaware - 22% 9. Virginia - 20%Moderate Possible African-American Electoral Influence in 2012
10. Tennessee - 17% 11. New York - 16% 11. Florida - 16% 11. Arkansas - 16% 14. Illinois - 14% 14. Michigan - 14% 14. New Jersey - 14% 17. Texas - 12% 17. Ohio - 12% 17. Missouri - 12% 20. Pennsyllvania - 11% 21. Connecticut - 10%Small Possible African-American Electoral Influence in 2012
22. Indiana - 9% 23. Kentucky - 8% 23. Oklahoma - 8% 23. Nevada - 8% 26. Massachusetts - 7% 27. California - 6% 27. Wisconsin - 6% 27. Kansas - 6% 27. Rhode Island - 6% 31. Minnesota - 5% 31. Nebraska - 5% 33. Arizona - 4% 33. Washington - 4% 33. Colorado - 4% 33. Alaska - 4%Negligible Possible African-American Electoral Influence in 2012
37. Iowa - 3% 37. West Virginia - 3% 39. Oregon - 2% 39. New Mexico - 2% 39. Hawaii - 2% 42 Utah - 1% 42. Maine - 1% 42. New Hampshire - 1% 42. South Dakota - 1% 42. Idaho - 1% 42. North Dakota - 1% 42. Vermont - 1% 42. Wyoming - 1% 50. Montana - 0%Source - 2010 U.S. Census, per BlackDemographics.com

View the original article here

Alcohol Into Canada - Visitors

If you are a a visitor to Canada, you are allowed to bring a small quantity of alcohol (wine, liquor, beer or coolers) into the country without having to pay duty or taxes as long as: the alcohol accompanies you you meet the minimum legal drinking age for the province or territory at which you enter Canada.

You may bring in one of 1.5 litres (50.7 US ounces) of wine, including wine coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol, or 1.14 litres (38.5 US ounces) of liquor, or a total of 1.14 litres (38.5 US ounces) of wine and liquor, or 24 x 355 millilitre (12 ounce) cans or bottles of beer or ale, including beer coolers over 0.5 percent alcohol (a maximum of 8.5 litres or 287.4 US ounces).

Except in the Northwest Territories and Nunavut, if you are a visitor to Canada you may bring in more than the personal allowances of liquor listed above as long as you pay customs and province / territory assessments. The amounts you are allowed to bring into Canada are also limited by the province or territory in which you enter Canada. For details on specific amounts and rates, contact the liquor control authority for the appropriate province or territory before you come to Canada.

If you have questions or require more information on bringing alcohol into Canada, please contact the Canada Borders Services Agency.

View the original article here

Occupy Wall St endorsements

As of October 6, 2011, the fledgling Occupy Wall Street Movement had been directly endorsed by more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and supported by Democratic political leaders, local officials and celebrity-activists across the nation.

This article features a samplng of these endorsements and statements of empathy and support for the Occupy Wall Street Movement, also known as the 99 Percent Movement. Also read: From President Obama
"I think it expresses the frustrations the American people feel, that we had the biggest financial crisis since the Great Depression, huge collateral damage all throughout the country ... and yet you're still seeing some of the same folks who acted irresponsibly trying to fight efforts to crack down on the abusive practices that got us into this in the first place..." --- October 6, 2011 Press Conference From Federal Reserve Bank Chairman Paul Bernank
"Well, I would say very generally I think people are quite unhappy with the state of the economy and what’s happening. They blame, with some justification, the problems in the financial sector for getting us into this mess, and they’re dissatisfied with the policy response here in Washington...

"I can’t blame them. Certainly 9 percent unemployment and very slow growth is not a very good situation." --- Congressional Testimony, October 4, 2011

From the Los Angeles City Council, Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa
"Protesters who have gathered in front of City Hall in Los Angeles to show solidarity with the Occupy Wall Street protesters in lower Manhattan received 100 rain ponchos from Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa on Wednesday morning...

"The mayor of the city is not the only official to support the demonstration. Seven of the 15 councilmembers on Wednesday voted to support 'peaceful and vibrant exercise in First Amendment Rights carried out by Occupy Los Angeles'." --- Los Angeles Times, October 5, 2011

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi
"The focus is on Wall Street and justifiably so. The message of the American people is that no longer … will the recklessness of some on Wall Street cause massive joblessness on Main Street...

"God bless them for their spontaneity. It’s young, it’s spontaneous, it’s focused and it’s going to be effective." --- Comments to Press, October 6, 2011

From Sen. Russ Feingold, former three-term senator from Wisconsin
"I’m really encouraged by what I’m seeing. People around the country are finally organizing to stand up to the huge influence of corporations on government and our lives. This kind of citizen reaction to corporate power and corporate greed is long overdue." --- Washington Post, October 5, 2011 From Richard Trumka, President of AFL-CIO, representing 11 million U.S. workers
"I think it’s a tactic and a valid tactic to call attention to a problem. Wall Street is out of control... We need to bring back balance to the financial economy, and calling attention to it and peacefully protesting is a very legitimate way of doing it.

"I think being in the streets and calling attention to issues is sometimes the only recourse you have because, God only knows, you can go to the Hill, and you can talk to a lot of people and see nothing ever happen…..."--- C-SPAN interview by Brookings Institute, September 30, 2011

From Vice President Joe Biden
"What is the core of that protest, and why is it increasing in terms of the people it's attracting? The core is the bargain has been breached with the American people. The American people do not think the system is fair or on the level." Comments to Press, October 6, 2011 Rep. Barney Frank, 15-Term Congressman from Massachusetts
"I certainly welcome the energy, I would just like to see it better channeled. The problem is, it’s going to get dissipated real fast if the energy is not channeled...

"If I thought there was no chance at success, I wouldn’t urge people to do it... I’m of the opinion they represent a good deal of public opinion." --- National Review interview, October 5, 2011

Related - Also read Occupy Wall Street Movement Could Influence 2012 Elections

View the original article here

Steny Hoyer profile

In 1981, Steny Hoyer was elected to Congress from Maryland's 5th district by special election. Rep. Hoyer has been reelected to 15 House terms. He also served in the Maryland State Senate from 1966 to 1979.

Ebullient and energetic, Steny Hoyer has been a key leader of House Democrats since 1987. In 2002, Hoyer lost to Rep. Nancy Pelosi in a bid to become House Minority Leader. Hoyer has since been #2 House Democrat for five terms, with Pelosi as leader.

Hoyer is decidedly more pro-business and more hawkish on wars than Nancy Pelosi, often causing tension between them on House issues and votes.

From 1962 to 1966, during his undergraduate and law school years, Steny Hoyer served on the staff of U.S. Sen. Daniel Brewster of Maryland. Hoyer served alongside another fledgling political leader, Nancy Pelosi.

After law school, Steny Hoyer was elected at age 27 to the Maryland State Senate, where he served until 1979. Hoyer was President of the Maryland State Senate from 1975 to 1979. In 1978, Hoyer lost his race be elected Maryland Lieutenant Governor.

Hoyer was a delegate to Democratic National Conventions in 1968, 1974, 1976 and 1984, and served on the Maryland Higher Education Board from 1978 to 1981.

View the original article here

Top '08 Issues in Nevada, Key Battleground State

Mortgage Foreclosure Crisis,
In May 2008, for the the 17th consecutive month, the state of Nevada experienced the highest forclosure rate in the nation.

One in every 118 Nevada households received a foreclosure notice in May 2008, per ConsumerReports.com. One in 43 Nevada homes is "in financial trouble" per MSNBC on August 5, 2008.

While the Nevada legislature is contemplating new laws to confront the foreclosure crisis, Nevada voters will flock to support the presidential candidate who offers aid to frustrated homeowners and to financially-strapped lower-income and middle-class wage earners.

Immigration Reform
Reform of U.S. immigration laws is a key issue in Nevada, particularly in the Las Vegas area, where Latinos comprise 22% of the massive entertainment and tourist services workforce. The vast majority of Latinos employed by hotels and casinos labor in hourly wage jobs. In Nevada, Latino workers also comprise 81% of the agricultural workforce 47% of the construction and mining workforce.

Nevada Democratic voters will stand with a presidential candidate who wholeheartedly supports liberalizing immigration laws, including:

Storage of Nuclear Waste at Yucca Mountain
All Nevadans, liberals and conservatives, are quite concerned over the U.S. Department of Energy's determined plans to dump high-level nuclear waste at Yucca Mountain, Nevada.

Writes Sen. Harry Reid of Nevada at his Senate website, "I have been fighting this project because it threatens our health and safety. Nevadans are overwhelmingly opposed to this Project, and some have been led to believe that its completion is inevitable. I disagree. We have solid scientific evidence behind us, and I believe we can defeat this ill-conceived project."

For more, see Environmental Issues: Nuclear Energy & Nuclear Waste.

Look for all Nevadans to ask Barack Obama and John McCain about their intentions for Yucca Mountain.

View the original article here

EI Applications

Canadian Employment Insurance benefits are not automatic. You must apply for them.

Apply for Employment Insurance as soon as you stop working, even if you haven't received your Record of Employment (ROE). Be sure to submit your Canadian Employment Insurance application within four weeks of your last day of work, or you may lose benefits.

You should receive your ROE from your last employer within five days of becoming unemployed. Some employers submit ROEs electronically, in which case you do not need to submit a copy to Service Canada. If you have difficulty getting an ROE from an employer, go to your Service Canada Centre or contact Service Canada at 1 800 206-7218 to find out how to get your ROE and what is needed to calculate your claim.

When making an application for Canadian Employment Insurance benefits, you will need to give the following information: Social Insurance Number (SIN), and the SIN of the other parent if applying for parental benefits Mother's maiden name Personal identification, such as a drivers licence or birth certificate, if you apply in person at a Service Canada Centre. Record of Employment (ROE) from each job for the last 52 weeks Bank information, or a blank personal cheque marked VOID, so Employment Insurance benefits can be paid by direct deposit Employment details, including gross salary (before deductions and including tips and commissions), gross salary for the last week of work from Sunday to the last day, and other amounts received or still coming, such as vacation pay and severance pay. You'll need to provide the names and addresses of your employers, including postal codes. Dates of weeks in the last 52 that you did not work and why Medical certificate if you are claiming sickness benefits or applying for compassionate care benefits Adoption certificate if you are an adoptive parent claiming parental benefits.

You can apply for Canadian Employment Insurance in person by going to the Service Canada Centre nearest you.

You can also apply for Canadian Employment Insurance online.

Continue: Apply Online for Employment Insurance> 1 | 2 | 3 | 4

View the original article here

Obama Healthcare Reform Plan

This article explains and simplifies answers to key questions about President Obama's health care reform plan provisions, ideas, and rationale, in the President's own words. Why Does Health Care Need to Be Reformed? "Right now, premiums for families that have health insurance have doubled over the last 10 years. They've gone up three times faster than wages. "So what we know is that if the current trends continue, more and more families are going to lose health care, more and more families are going to be in a position where they keep their health care but it takes a bigger bite out of their budget, employers are going to put more and more of the costs on the employees, or they're just going to stop providing health care altogether." "If somebody told you that there is a plan out there that is guaranteed to double your health-care costs over the next 10 years, that's guaranteed to result in more Americans losing their health care, and that is by far the biggest contributor to our federal deficit, I think most people would be opposed to that. "Well, that's the status quo. That's what we have right now. So if we don't change, we can't expect a different result. "And that's why I think this is so important -- not only for those families out there who are struggling and who need some protection from abuses in the insurance industry or need some protection from skyrocketing costs, but it's also important for our economy." Source: July 22, 2009 Press Conference Who Will Be Covered by Obama's Health Care Plan? "... the plan... that I've put forward and that... we're seeing in Congress would cover, the estimates are, at least 97 to 98 percent of Americans... "... the basic idea should be that in this country, if you want health care, you should be able to get affordable health care." Source: July 22, 2009 Press Conference How Will It Help Me If I Already Have Health Care Insurance? "If you have health insurance, the reform we're proposing will provide you with more security and more stability: "It will keep government out of health care decisions, giving you the option to keep your insurance if you're happy with it. It'll prevent insurance companies from dropping your coverage if you get too sick. It will give you the security of knowing that if you lose your job, if you move, or if you change your job, you'll still be able to have coverage. It will limit the amount your insurance company can force you to pay for your medical costs out of your own pocket. And it will cover preventive care, like check-ups and mammograms, that save lives and money."Source: July 22, 2009 Press Conference Why Is a Medicare-like Public Option for Health Care Coverage Necessary? "... part of the reason we want to have a public option is just to help keep the insurance companies honest. "If the insurance companies are providing good care..., they're going to be more regulated so that they can't deny you care because of a pre-existing condition or because you change jobs or because they've decided you're too sick and not a good risk... "... having a public plan out there that also shows that maybe if you take some of the profit motive out, maybe if you are reducing some of the administrative costs, that you can get an even better deal, that's going to incentivize the private sector to do even better. And that's a good thing. "Now, you know, there have been reports just over the last couple of days of insurance companies making record profits, right now. At a time when everybody's getting hammered, they're making record profits, and premiums are going up. What's the constraint on that?" Source: July 22, 2009 Press Conference Will Health Care Services Be Rationed Under Obama's Plan? "They're going to have to give up paying for things that don't make them healthier... I think that's the kind of change you want. "... right now hospitals and -- and doctors aren't coordinating enough to have you just take one test when you come in because of an illness but instead have you take one test; then you go to another specialist, you take a second test, then you go to another specialist, you take a third test; and nobody's bothering to send the first test that you took -- same test -- to the next doctors, you're wasting money... "You may not see it, because if you have health insurance right now, it's just being sent to the insurance company, but that's raising your premiums, it's raising everybody's premiums. And that money, one way or another, is coming out of your pocket... "Now, I want to change that. Every American should want to change that. Why would we want to pay for things that don't work, that aren't making us healthier? "If there's a blue pill and a red pill, and the blue pill is half the price of the red pill and works just as well, why not pay half price for the thing that's going to make you well? But the system right now doesn't incentivize that. "Those are the changes that are going to be needed... Source: July 22, 2009 Press Conference

View the original article here

Richard Trumka Profile

Richard Trumka is the outspoken, energetic President of the AFL-CIO, the largest U.S. federation of labor unions, representing more than 11 million workers.

Trumka was elected AFL-CIO President in 2009 after serving since 1995 as secretary-treasurer. Trumka spent 1982 to 1995 as President of the United Mine Workers of America union, an AFL-CIO member.

Richard Trumka hails from an immigrant family of Pennsylvania coal miners. He labored in mines while working his way through college and law school. Trumka has proven to be a bold, intelligent, hands-on leader and activist visionary who supports nonviolent change methods.

Starting at age 19, Richard Trumka worked in Pennsylvania coal mines while pursuing a B.S. at Pennsylvania State University and earning a law degree at Villanova University.

Trumka worked for four years on the United Mine Workers' legal staff, leaving in 1979 to return to mine work and pro bono legal services for coal mining families.

In 1982, Trumka was elected President of the United Mine Workers of America, a member of the AFL-CIO. As the youngest UMWA President at age 33, Trumka was sworn into office by his proud father.

In 1995, Trumka was elected AFL-CIO secretary-treasurer, and was elected president in 2009.

Richard Trumka's paternal grandfather immigrated from Poland, settling in Nemacolin in southwest Pennsylvania where he labored as a coal miner. Trumka's father, Frank (1916-1999), worked in coal mines for 44 years and passed away of black lung disease. Both grandfather and father were union activists who embraced a strong work ethic.

Richard Trumka's mother, Eola Bertugli (1921-2009), was born in Italy and immigrated to the U.S. when she was a child. Eola married Polish-American Frank Trumka in 1941.

Like most coal miner families, the Trumka family struggled for generations with poverty and mine-related health issues.

On Greed-Driven Economic Policies

"We built our middle class in the 20th century through hard work, struggle and visionary political leadership. But a generation of destructive, greed-driven economic policies has eroded that progress and now threatens our very identity as a nation."

----- On January 11, 2010

Wrong to Raise Social Security Retirement Age

"My dad worked 44 years in a coal mine. Retired the day he turned 62 because he couldn’t go another day. If you had told him you have to go to 68, my dad would have died. It would have killed him.

"There are millions of people like that. When we work in an air-conditioned office, it’s a whole lot different than people who work on a construction site, in a hospital, teaching in an inner city school, in a coal mine, in a steel mill."

----- On November 11,2010

U.S.: A Beacon of Hope in Divided World

"Government in the interests of the majority of Americans has produced our greatest achievements. The New Deal. The Great Society and the Civil Rights movement -- Social Security, Medicare, the minimum wage and the forty-hour work week, the Civil Rights Act and the Voting Rights Act. This is what made the United States a beacon of hope in a confused and divided world.

"But too many people now take for granted government’s role as protector of Wall Street and the privileged. They see middle-class Americans as overpaid and underworked. They see Social Security as a problem rather than the only piece of our retirement system that actually works. They feel sorry for homeless people, but fail to see the connections between downsizing, outsourcing, inequality and homelessness."

----- On January 11, 2010

On the Need to "Create Good Jobs that Support Families"

"While millions go without work, some people are talking about 'recovery'--as though numbers on Wall Street or profits at the big banks are the same as the real economy for working families. Wrong. We're still in crisis--and if we don't create jobs now, we will slide even further.

"We have to put America to work--at good jobs that support families. We've tried out the everything-must-go, trickle-down, bubble economy for the past decade, and it's been a disaster. If we're really going to have a recovery--not just a recovery on Wall Street or for the big banks, but for real people--we absolutely must create new jobs."

----- On November 17, 2009

View the original article here

Manifesto-Occupy Wall St Mvt

The Occupy Wall Street Movement, also known as the 99 Percent Movement, has rapidly grown from a grassroots band of several hundred protesters marching in New York City on September 17, 2011 to, by October 1, 2011, energized protest demonstrations in ten major U.S. cities, as well as a powerful internet presence.

As of October 6, 2011, the fledgling movement had been directly endorsed by more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and supported by Democratic political leaders, celebrity-activists, and local officials across the nation.

This article presents the full-text of Occupy Wall Street Movement's admirably bold and clear declaration, published on the internet on September 30, 2011. Also read:

Declaration and Manifesto of Occupy Wall Street Movement

"As we gather together in solidarity to express a feeling of mass injustice, we must not lose sight of what brought us together. We write so that all people who feel wronged by the corporate forces of the world can know that we are your allies.

"As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth; and that no true democracy is attainable when the process is determined by economic power.

"We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known. They have taken our houses through an illegal foreclosure process, despite not having the original mortgage. They have taken bailouts from taxpayers with impunity, and continue to give Executives exorbitant bonuses. They have perpetuated inequality and discrimination in the workplace based on age, the color of one’s skin, sex, gender identity and sexual orientation. They have poisoned the food supply through negligence, and undermined the farming system through monopolization. They have profited off of the torture, confinement, and cruel treatment of countless animals, and actively hide these practices. They have continuously sought to strip employees of the right to negotiate for better pay and safer working conditions. They have held students hostage with tens of thousands of dollars of debt on education, which is itself a human right. They have consistently outsourced labor and used that outsourcing as leverage to cut workers’ healthcare and pay. They have influenced the courts to achieve the same rights as people, with none of the culpability or responsibility. They have spent millions of dollars on legal teams that look for ways to get them out of contracts in regards to health insurance. They have sold our privacy as a commodity. They have used the military and police force to prevent freedom of the press. They have deliberately declined to recall faulty products endangering lives in pursuit of profit. They determine economic policy, despite the catastrophic failures their policies have produced and continue to produce. They have donated large sums of money to politicians, who are responsible for regulating them. They continue to block alternate forms of energy to keep us dependent on oil. They continue to block generic forms of medicine that could save people’s lives or provide relief in order to protect investments that have already turned a substantial profit. They have purposely covered up oil spills, accidents, faulty bookkeeping, and inactive ingredients in pursuit of profit. They purposefully keep people misinformed and fearful through their control of the media. They have accepted private contracts to murder prisoners even when presented with serious doubts about their guilt. They have perpetuated colonialism at home and abroad. They have participated in the torture and murder of innocent civilians overseas. They continue to create weapons of mass destruction in order to receive government contracts.*"To the people of the world,

"We, the New York City General Assembly occupying Wall Street in Liberty Square, urge you to assert your power.

"Exercise your right to peaceably assemble; occupy public space; create a process to address the problems we face, and generate solutions accessible to everyone.

"To all communities that take action and form groups in the spirit of direct democracy, we offer support, documentation, and all of the resources at our disposal.

"Join us and make your voices heard!"

*NOTE - These grievances are not all-inclusive.

Source - NYC General Assembly, Official Website of #OccupyWallStreet

Related - Also read Occupy Wall Street Movement Could Influence 2012 Elections

View the original article here

Status Citizenship App.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Client Application Status service lets you check the status of your application for Canadian citizenship using the Internet, 24 hours a day, seven days a week.

Information on the Client Application Status service is updated weekly.

Citizenship and Immigration Canada's online service can be used to check the status of the following types of Canadian citizenship applications: application for Canadian citizenship (grant of citizenship)application for Canadian citizenship for a person adopted by a Canadian citizen (after February 14, 1977)application for a citizenship certificate (proof of Canadian citizenship)application to register and retain Canadian citizenshipapplication to renounce Canadian citizenshipapplication to resume Canadian citizenship

You can find out how long it is currently taking Citizenship and Immigration Canada to process different types of citizenship applications by checking Citizenship and Immigration Canada's Application Processing Times.

To use the online service to check on the status of a Canadian citizenship application, applicants should have the following information available: a copy of all letters and documents sent to or received from Citizenship and Immigration Canada relating to your Canadian citizenship applicationa copy of your Canadian citizenship applicationfinancial receipt(s) - IMM 5401

View the original article here

LA Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa

With his election as Mayor of Los Angeles, Antonio Villaraigosa firmly catapulted onto the national stage as a leading Latino Democratic politician.

Mir. Villaraigosa is a virtual unknown outside his home state of California. He's a dynamic speaker, tireless campaigner and shrewd politician, with an optimistic spirit and restless energy. He's a consummate coalition and consensus builder.

His story is one of a hardscrabble and troubled youth, then redemption and education followed by leadership, achievement and occasional stumbles.

Here are 25 facts to acquaint you with colorful life of Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa.

1. Born on January 23, 1953 in East Los Angeles to a Mexican immigrant father and a California-born mother of Mexican descent. His birth name was Antonio Villar.

2. His alcoholic father beat his mother, and abandoned the family when Antonio was in kindergarten. He remains estranged from his father.

3. His mother raised her 4 children in a 2-bedroom apartment, She never owned a home and took the bus to work. She loved books and read classic literature and poetry to her children. His mother died in 1991.

4. At age 15, Antonio volunteered for the first grape boycott initiated by civil rights leader Cesar Chavez.

5. Also at 15, he developed a benign tumor in his spinal column that required surgery, and left him in constant pain which persists today. The tumor regrew in 2001, requiring a second surgery.

6. Kicked out of a Catholic high school for brawling after a football game. In tune with the era, he was a campus agitator for civil rights.

7. Completed high school at night in response to a pleading letter from his mother. “I realized that kind of anger was only hurting me and that I should take responsibility for my own life” said Antonio.

8. At night school, Antonio caught the eye of teacher Herman Katz. Mr. Katz encouraged the young Latino to consider college, and paid for his SAT exams. Said Katz, “He was bright, inquisitive. He just needed some direction.”

9. Spent a year at junior college, then entered UCLA. He led campus protests over the Vietnam War, Chicano rights and farm worker protections. He earned a degree in history from UCLA.

10. More bumps in the road: he had two daughters out of wedlock in his 20s. (He obtained shared custody.) And he was charged with assault after slugging a man who racially slurred his mother.

11. After toiling in LA activist and labor circles, Antonio earned his first political prominence as a gifted organizer for United Teachers of Los Angeles.

12. Earned a JD at the People’s College of Law in 1985. He never passed the bar.

13. Married Corina Raigosa, an LA school teacher, in 1987. They combined their last names to create Villaraigosa. They have 2 children, now teenagers.

14. Appointed to LA’s Metropolitan Transportation Board, 1990-94. His support of public transportation harkens back to his mother's experiences.

15. Won his race for California State Assembly, where he served from 1994-2000, and as Assembly Speaker from 1997-2000. He left due to term limits.

16. In the Assembly, he was a charismatic leader and brilliant deal-maker with little concern for the details of policy-making. He championed the causes of education, health care, civil rights and protection for the downtrodden. He was unafraid to ruffle political feathers.

17. Returned to LA and ran for Mayor in 2001. He was the front-runner, but lost in the last days when his rival revealed that Villaraigosa wrote a letter to President Clinton asking for clemency for a convicted drug dealer.

18. Embittered, Villaraigosa sat out politics for almost 2 years. It propelled him back to the Catholic Church.

19. Ran and won the 2003 race for LA City Council from the 14th district, in east/northeast Los Angeles.

20. In 2004, he was asked to be a National Chairman of the John Kerry for President campaign. Once home from the Democratic Convention, he declared his candidacy for the 2005 LA Mayoral race.

21. On May 17,2005, Antonio Villaraigosa won the run-off race for Mayor by a margin of 59% to 41%. He’s hailed as a Latino who appeals to more than Latino voters. The press proclaimed him a rising Democratic superstar.

22. In his victory speech, he promised, “I will never forget where I came from.”

23. He’s an avid non-fiction reader. His favorite book as a youth was Herman Melville’s “Billy Bud,” about a young sailor who’s a fierce fighter and loyal friend.

24. He's a sharp dresser, owing to the days when he had holes in his clothes and cardboard holding together his shoes.

25. His campaign slogan was “Si, se puede,” which means “Yes, we can” or “It can be done.” It’s the same mantra used for decades by Cesar Chavez.

View the original article here

Estate Tax Pros & Cons

President Bush described his rationale for repealing the federal estate tax, calling it "a matter of fairness." He said, "The death tax results in the double taxation of many family assets while hurting the source of most new jobs in this country---America's small business and farms."

Let's analyze his reasons, phrase by phrase.

First, Republicans are calling it a "death tax" because they think that makes it more sellable. It's not a tax on death. It's a tax on multi-million-plus dollar estates. Rep Chris Cox from ritzy Newport Beach, California dramatically declared that those pushing to retain an estate tax "want to pry lots of cash out of the cold, dead fingers of America's deceased entrepreneurs." Cox sounded downright silly.

Second, it IS double taxation, and that is not "fair." The Internal Revenue Code is not intended to be fair to anyone. The Code is riddled with dozens of double taxation situations. For the estate tax, double taxation occurs because the person is taxed annually on their incomes. He is taxed then again on some assets he purchases with income leftover after taxes. Most assets passed on with estates (houses, stocks, bonds) are not taxed until sold.

Is that fair? No. So what? Most of the Code is not fair, least of all to middle class taxpayers. Deal with it.

Third, the President said that if the estate tax remains, small businesses and farms owned by extremely wealthy people will suffer when those people die. This statement is misleading and generally false.

Extremely wealthy people don't accumulate wealth now through small businesses and family farms. Large farms are owned by corporations, and small businesses must grow into enormous corporations to give individuals great wealth. Bill Gates of Microsoft, and Martha Stewart of Martha Stewart Omnimedia are prime examples.

In fact, jobs will be lost if the federal estate tax is repealed, by greatly weakening the economy due to reducing federal tax revenues by $1 trillion.

House Democratic Leader Nancy Pelosi summed up the reasons to retain the federal estate tax when she said the bill favored the "super-rich" and would make federal deficits worse.

It's a matter of timing and national priorities, not fairness to rich people. It's a matter of fairness to the nation as a whole, to middle class taxpayers and to the needy in the US.

The US trade deficit, incurred entirely under President Bush, is a world-history high of $61 billion and growing, owed mainly to China and Japan. The US has no plans or methods to repay it. Due to this debt burden, a myriad of scenarios could plunge the US into a drastic economic depression at any time.

Subtracting $1 trillion from the US government would be catastrophic and irresponsible not only in dealing with federal debt, but in funding services for US taxpayers...among them: education, healthcare, local homeland security and, of course, Social Security. These vital programs are already under financial stress. More tax cuts for multi-millionaires will cause even greater erosion of such services.

In truth, the Bush goal to repeal the federal estate tax accomplishes several cherished Republican goals. First, of course, is to give more tax breaks to ultra-wealthy families like the Bushes and Cheneys.

Cutting government revenues is also a "back-door" way to apply more pressure to cut Social Security benefits. President Bush is determined to find ways to eventually stop giving back to the US middle class the money they have paid into the Social Security system.

Repeal of the federal estate tax would require severe cuts in government progams that would be unfair and life-changing to middle class Americans and to the needy, children, elderly and disabled.

Far more unfair than denting the lifestyles of the rich and famous.

Legislation to repeal the federal estate tax next moves on to the US Senate for debate. The Senate has historically defeated this measure. The 109th Senate, however, has only 44 Democrats, so conservative conditions may be more favorable to pass this Bush bill.

Per the Washington Post, Senate Democratic filibuster is expected for this measure, and Republicans don't anticipate mustering the 60 votes needed to overcome filibuster.

Senate Finance Committee Chairman Charles Grassley (R-Iowa) is actively working behind the scenes to forge a compromise on repealing the federal estate tax. Leading negotiations for Senate Democrats is Senator Charles Schumer (D-NY). Rumor is that Senate Republicans'starting position in negotiations would set a minimum estate value taxation threshold at $10 million for an individual.

The federal estate tax issue will likely be addressed by the full Senate in May 2005. A successul compromise with the House bill would be sent to the President for signature.

View the original article here

Occupy Wall St Movement Basics

The Occupy Wall Street Movement, also known as the 99 Percent Movement has rapidly swelled from a grassroots band of several hundred protesters marching in New York City on September 17, 2011 to, by October 1, 2011, energized protest demonstrations in ten major U.S. cities, as well as a powerful internet presence.

As of October 6, 2011, the fledgling movement had been directly endorsed by more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and supported by Democratic political leaders, celebrity-activists, and local officials across the nation. Protester ranks were joined by four labor unions. Said Fed Chairman Paul Bernanke on October 4th about the Occupy Wall Street Movement, "I Don't Blame Them For Protesting."

See Some claim that the movement sprang to life in response to MSNBC anchor Dylan Ratigan's late September 2011 call for Americans to sign a petition that It's Time to GET MONEY OUT of politics.

Brief Background

The original Occupy Wall Street Movement started as a series of nonviolent demonstrations by under-30-years-old denizens of New York dissatisfied with rampant U.S. corporate greed in the face of economic struggles for most Americans in 2011, and angry about the influential role of corporate money on the U.S. political process and government.

Disallowed by law to erect tents on Manhattan public property, thousands of protesters soon began occupying Zuccotti Park, sleeping at night in cardboard boxes. Zuccotti Park is located amidst Manhattan's financial district.

On September 24, a number of protesters marching from Zuccotti Park to Union Square were doused with pepper spray by New York police officers.

On Saturday, October 1, the New York Police arrested 700 protesterss they marched across the Brooklyn Bridge, allegedly for blocking the street. "By October 2, all but 20 of the arrestees had been released with citations for disorderly conduct and a criminal court summons," per Wikipedia.

Per the New York Times, "The police said it was the marchers’ choice that led to the enforcement action, but protesters said they believed the police had tricked them, allowing them onto the bridge, and even escorting them partway across, only to trap them in orange netting after hundreds had entered."

Description of the Occupy Wall Street Movement

Per the OccupyWallStreet.org website, "Occupy Wall Street is leaderless resistance movement with people of many colors, genders and political persuasions. The one thing we all have in common is that We Are The 99% that will no longer tolerate the greed and corruption of the 1%. We are using the revolutionary Arab Spring tactic to achieve our ends and encourage the use of nonviolence to maximize the safety of all participants."

Declaration of the Occupation of New York City

On September 30, 2011, the General Assembly of the Occupy Wall Street Movement published its formal declaration. The main, context-setting paragraph is below. The impassioned full-text text of the Declaration can be found at Declaration and Manifesto of the Occupy Wall Street Movement.

"As one people, united, we acknowledge the reality: that the future of the human race requires the cooperation of its members; that our system must protect our rights, and upon corruption of that system, it is up to the individuals to protect their own rights, and those of their neighbors; that a democratic government derives its just power from the people, but corporations do not seek consent to extract wealth from the people and the Earth."We come to you at a time when corporations, which place profit over people, self-interest over justice, and oppression over equality, run our governments. We have peaceably assembled here, as is our right, to let these facts be known."

Endorsements and Support

As of October 5, 2011, four labor unions... American Federation of State County and Municipal Employees, Communications Workers of America, the Amalgamated Transit Union, National Nurses United... representing more than 3.5 million American workers, are set to join protesters in marches in New York and across the nation.

See Endorsements, Support for Occupy Wall Street Movement for statements of support and encouragement by some of the more than 50 organizations and labor unions, and dozens of Democratic political leaders, celebrity-activists and local officials.

Related - Also read Occupy Wall Street Movement Could Influence 2012 Elections

View the original article here

Saskatchewan Facts

The prairie province of Saskatchewan produces more than half of the wheat grown in Canada. Saskatchewan is the birthplace of Canadian medicare and home of the RCMP training academy.

651,036 sq. km (251,366 sq. miles) (Natural Resources Canada, 2001)

View the original article here