Queen Elizabeth, Canada's head of state, always draws crowds when she visits Canada. Since her accession to the Throne in 1952, Queen Elizabeth has made 22 official Royal visits to Canada, usually accompanied by her husband Prince Philip, the Duke of Edinburgh, and sometimes by her children Prince Charles, Princess Anne, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward. Queen Elizabeth has visited every province and territory in Canada. 2010 Royal Visit
Date: June 28 to July 6, 2010
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
The 2010 Royal Visit included celebrations in Halifax, Nova Scotia to mark the centennial of the founding of the Royal Canadian Navy, Canada Day celebrations on Parliament Hill in Ottawa, and a dedication of the cornerstone for the Museum of Human Rights in Winnipeg, Manitoba. 2005 Royal Visit
Date: May 17 to 25, 2005
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip attended events in Saksatchewan and Alberta to celebrate the centennial of the entry of Saskatchewan and Alberta into Confederation. 2002 Royal Visit
Date: October 4 to 15, 2002
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
The 2002 Royal Visit to Canada was in celebration of the Queen's Golden Jubilee. The Royal couple visited Iqaluit, Nunavut; Victoria and Vancouver, British Columbia; Winnipeg, Manitoba; Toronto, Oakville, Hamilton and Ottawa, Ontario; Fredericton, Sussex and Moncton, New Brunswick. 1997 Royal Visit
Date: June 23 to July 2, 1997
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
The 1997 Royal Visit marked the 500th anniversary of John Cabot's arrival in what is now Canada. Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited St. John's and Bonavista, Newfoundland; NorthWest River, Shetshatshiu, Happy Valley and Goose Bay, Labrador, They also visited London, Ontario and viewed the floods in Manitoba. 1994 Royal Visit
Date: August 13 to 22, 1994
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured Halifax, Sydney, the Fortress of Louisbourg, and Dartmouth, Nova Scotia; attended the Commonwealth Games in Victoria, British Columbia; and visited Yellowknife, Rankin Inlet and Iqaluit (then part of the Northwest Territories). 1992 Royal Visit
Date: June 30 to July 2, 1992
Queen Elizabeth visited Ottawa, Canada's capital, marking the 125th anniversary of Canadian Confederation and the 40th anniversary of her accession to the Throne. 1990 Royal Visit
Date: June 27 to July 1, 1990
Queen Elizabeth visited Calgary and Red Deer, Alberta, and then joined the celebrations for Canada Day in Ottawa, Canada's capital. 1987 Royal Visit
Date: October 9 to 24, 1987
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
On the 1987 Royal Visit, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured Vancouver, Victoria and Esquimalt, British Columbia; Regina, Saskatoon, Yorkton, Canora, Veregin, Kamsack and Kindersley, Saskatchewan; and Sillery, Cap Tourmente, Rivière-du-Loup and La Pocatière, Quebec. 1984 Royal Visit
Date: September 24 to October 7, 1984
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh for all parts of the visit except Manitoba
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip toured New Brunswick and Ontario to participate in events marking the bicentennials of those two provinces. Queen Elizabeth also visited Manitoba. 1983 Royal Visit
Date: March 8 to 11, 1983
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
At the end of a tour of the U.S. West Coast, Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip visited Victoria, Vancouver, Nanaimo, Vernon, Kamloops and New Westminster, British Columbia. 1982 Royal Visit
Date: April 15 to 19, 1982f
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
This Royal Visit was to Ottawa, Canada's capital, for the Proclamation of the Constitution Act, 1982. 1978 Royal Visit
Date: July 26 to August 6, 1978
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward
Toured Newfoundland, Saskatchewn and Alberta, attending the Commonwealth Games in Edmonton, Alberta. 1977 Royal Visit
Date: October 14 to 19, 1977
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
This Royal Visit was to Ottawa, Canada's capital, in celebration of the Queen's Silver Jubilee Year. 1976 Royal Visit
Date: June 28 to July 6, 1976
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh, Prince Charles, Prince Andrew and Prince Edward
The Royal family visited Nova Scotia and New Brunswick, and then Montreal, Quebec for the 1976 Olympics. Princess Anne was a member of the British equestrian team competing in the Olympics in Montreal. 1973 Royal Visit (2)
Date: July 31 to August 4, 1973
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth was in Ottawa, Canada's capital, for the Commonwealth Heads of Government Meeting. Prince Philip had his own program of events. 1973 Royal Visit (1)
Date: June 25 to July 5, 1973
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth's first visit to Canada in 1973 included an extended tour of Ontario, including events to mark the 300th anniversary of Kingston. The Royal couple spent time in Prince Edward Island marking the centennial of PEI's entry into Canadian Confederation, and they went on to Regina, Saskatchewan and Calgary, Alberta to participate in events marking the RCMP centennial. 1971 Royal Visit
Date: May 3 to May 12, 1971
Accompanied by Princess Anne
Queen Elizabeth and Princess Anne marked the centennial of British Columbia's entry into Canadian Confederation by visiting Victoria, Vancouver, Tofino, Kelowna, Vernon, Penticton, William Lake and Comox, B.C. 1970 Royal Visit
Date: July 5 to 15, 1970
Accompanied by Prince Charles and Princess Anne
The 1970 Royal Visit to Canada included a tour of Manitoba to celebrate the centennial of Manitoba's entry into Canadian Confederation. The Royal Family also visited the Northwest Territories to mark its centennial. 1967 Royal Visit
Date: June 29 to July 5, 1967
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip were in Ottawa, Canada's capital, to celebrate Canada's centennial. They also went to Montreal, Quebec to attend Expo '67. 1964 Royal Visit
Date: October 5 to 13, 1964
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip Visited Charlottetown, Prince Edward Island, Quebec City, Quebec and Ottawa, Ontario to attend the commemoration of the three major conferences that led up to Canadian Confederation in 1867. 1959 Royal Visit
Date: June 18 to August 1, 1959
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
This was Queen Elizabeth's first major tour of Canada. She officially opened the St. Lawrence Seaway and visited all Canadian provinces and territories over the span of six weeks. 1957 Royal Visit
Date: October 12 to 16, 1957
Accompanied by the Duke of Edinburgh
On her first official visit to Canada as Queen, Queen Elizabeth spent four days in Ottawa, Canada's capital, and officially opened the first session of the 23rd Parliament of Canada.
2/29/12
Royal Visits to Canada
2/28/12
McCain Loss: 5 Reasons
Reason #2 - McCain's Refuses to Admit the Iraq War's End
At the first presidential debate, McCain obsessed frequently about "victory in Iraq" and stated several times, "... we are winning in Iraq. And we will come home with victory and with honor." No withdrawal timetable. No stated horror over the cost, in lives, injuries, funds, or U.S. reputation, of the Iraq War. No apparent recognition that the Bush administration is presently negotiating a withdrawal timetable. No agreement with General David Petraeus' statement last month that he would never use the word "victory" to describe U.S. involvement in Iraq.And like the Bush administration, McCain doesn't seem to give a damn that, in early Oct 2008, 65% of all Americans disapprove of the Iraq war.
For more, see:
(Also read Five Reasons Why Obama Will Win the '08 Election.)
2/27/12
President John F. Kennedy - National Archive Photos of His Presidency
Although Kennedy, 43 years old when elected, was president for less than three years, his brief term was uniquely memorable for many reasons, including dramatic foreign policy events pressures, Kennedy's charisma and public popularity, his photogenic young family, and the glamourous style of President and First Lady Jacqueline "Jackie" Kennedy.
The series of unique photos from the National Archives captures special moments during President Kennedy's term in office, from his swearing in on the steps of the U.S. Capitol Building to his historic funeral procession through Washington D.C.
2/26/12
Five Liberal Leaders in 2005
When Senator Reid was newly elected Senate Democratic leader in November 2004 just after the national election, Senate Democrats were in political shambles, holding only 44 of 100 Senate seats and longtime leader Tom Daschle headed back home after reelection defeat.
And Senator Reid seemed an unlikely candidate to be a Democrat at all, much less a Democratic Party uniter. A Mormon by faith, he opposes gun control and some abortion rights, and is the antithesis of the fire-breathing, hardball-seeming politician.
He's a passionate champion and tenacious advocate, though, for the environment, educational opportunities and standards, equal opportunity for all, and issues vital to senior citizens, such as Social Security, healthcare and prescription drug coverage.
Soft-spoken Senator Reid, former head of the Nevada Gaming Commission who ran the mob out of Las Vegas, molded Senate Democrats plus one Independent and a handful of moderate Republicans into a surprisingly influential coalition.
In May 2005, he successfully led Senate Democrats in a tough fight to beat back an aggressive Republican power grab to kill the filibuster for judicial nominees. He labored tirelessly to bury the President's Social Security privatization plan that would have cut and eventually killed Social Security in the United States.
He relentlessly marshaled support to protect the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge from oil-drilling. He fought off presidential plans to use immigrants to create a permanent, slave-like underclass of US workers. And always, he spoke openly and candidly to the American public.
On August 19, 2005, Reid's office announced that the Senator suffered a mild stroke. Yet, the senator returned full-strength in September to continue to lead Senate Democrats as a formidable and inspiring Senate force for American values and all Americans.
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Cindy Sheehan, Anti-Iraq War Activist and "Peace Mom"
Cindy Sheehan, the blunt-speaking middle-aged suburban mother of a soldier killed in Iraq, gave a face in 2005 to the bereaved families of the War in Iraq. Mrs. Sheehan, a youth pastor at a Roman Catholic church in California, began speaking out against the war in 2004 just a month after her Eagle Scout son was killed in action, and just weeks after a group meeting-gone-awry with President Bush.
In August 2005, Cindy Sheehan came to international prominence, and galvanized the national anti-war movement, when she and hundreds of supporters and other bereaved families camped outside the President's Crawford, Texas ranch estate for the entirety of his five-week vacation.
The purpose of Mrs. Sheehan's encampment was to request a personal meeting with the President to ask him what the "noble cause" was that her son died for. Despite threats of physical violence and arrest, Camp Casey occupants survived and thrived for the five weeks, waiting for a 30-minute meeting with the President. George Bush never made the time to meet with them.
On September 24, 2005, Cindy Sheehan led over 200,000 protestors, inspired by her example, in a three-day rally in Washington DC, in which she and others were arrested for demonstrating without a permit.
Sheehan now travels around the country speaking and encouraging others to stand against the War in Iraq. She has met with members of Congress, both friendly and unfriendly to her drive for peace.
And on December 10, 2005, Mrs. Sheehan addressed the International Peace Conference in London, where she was greeted enthusiastically as a heroine. Later that evening, she attended a play written by Nobel Prize Literature winner, Dario Fo, about Sheehan's leadership for world peace.
Cindy Sheehan is an American mother who made a difference, and inspired others to also make a difference...including Senator Russ Feingold and Congressman John Murtha in their respective calls for the US to exit Iraq.
2/25/12
T3 Tax Slips
A Canadian T3 tax slip, or Statement of Trust Income Allocations and Designations, is prepared and issued by financial administrators and trustees to tell you and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA) how much income you received from investment in mutual funds in non-registered accounts, from business income trusts or income from an estate for a given tax year.
Quebec residents receive the equivalent Relevé 16 or R16 tax slip.
Unlike most other tax slips, T3 tax slips do not have to be mailed until the last day of March the year after the calendar year to which the T3 tax slips apply.
This page from the CRA site shows a sample T3 tax slip. See the second page (the back of the T3 slip) for more information on what is included in each box on the T3 tax slip.
When you file a paper income tax return, include copies of each of the T3 tax slips you receive. If you file your income tax return using NETFILE, TELEFILE or EFILE, keep copies of your T3 tax slips with your records for six years in case the CRA asks to see them.
If you have trust or mutual funds income and haven't received a T3 tax slip, get in touch with the relevant financial administrator or trustee to be sure you get your tax slip. File your income tax return by the deadline anyway to avoid penalties for filing your income taxes late. Calculate the income and any related deductions and credits as closely as you can using any information you have. Include a note with the name and address of the financial administrator or trustee, the type and amount of trust or mutual funds income and related deductions, and what you have done to get a copy of the missing T3 tax slip. Include copies of any statements you used in calculating the income and deductions for the missing T3 tax slip.
Other tax information slips include: T4 - Statement of Remuneration PaidT4A - Statement of Pension, Retirement, Annuity, and Other IncomeT4A(OAS) - Statement of Old Age SecurityT4A(P) - Statement of Canada Pension Plan BenefitsT4E - Statement of Employment Insurance and Other BenefitsT4RIF - Statement of Income From a Registered Retirement Income FundT4RSP - Statement of RRSP IncomeT5 - Statement of Investment Income
2/24/12
Colorado in 2012 Elections
How Colorado Votes: Red State or Blue State?
Democratic presidential candidates have won in Colorado only twice in 40 years: Barack Obama in 2008 and Bill Clinton in 1992.
However, demographic changes in the state's population in the 21st century have caused Colorado to become a bona fide electoral swing state, one that could easily veer either Democratic or Republican in presidential elections.
U.S. News and World Report analyzed Obama's 2008 victory in Colorado, "... his biggest sources of support, returns show, are voters in Denver and its northern suburbs (Boulder), whose ranks have swelled in recent years."
From 2000 to 2010, Colorado's population increased by almost 15%, with most growth occurring around Denver and Boulder. Both cities have major university campuses, and a younger and more diverse populace than much of the state.
Per the 2010 Census, Hispanics comprised 20.7% of all Colorado residents, a huge increase of 41.2% from 2000 to 2010 and the nation's 7th highest state Hispanic percentage.
Obama captured the vast majority of Colorado's Hispanic vote in 2008.
In the last four presidential elections, Colorado voted as follows: 2008 - 54% for Democrat Obama, 45% for Republican McCain 2004 - 52% for Republican Bush, 47% for Democrat Kerry 2000 - 51% for Republican Bush, 42% for Democrat Gore, 7% for Other 1996 - 46% for Republican Dole, 44% for Democrat Clinton, 10% for OtherThrough 2012, Colorado's governor, John Hickenlooper, and lieutenant governor, Joseph Garcia, and two U.S. Senators, Mark Udall and Michael Bennet, are all Democrats.
Of Colorado's seven House of Representative members, three are Democrats and four are Republicans.
Summary of Top Issues in Colorado
In 2011, Colorado's economy is fairly healthy in comparison to other states: unemployment and poverty rates are well below the national averages, although the Centennial State boasts the nation's 10th highest home foreclosure rate. Colorado has a low concentration of unionized workers.
Reform of U.S. immigration regulations is a top concern for the state's rapidly expanding Hispanic population. Although most Republicans oppose humanitarian immigration reforms and many push for an armed U.S.-Mexico border, Hispanics are also deeply disappointed by President Obama's failure to actively support or enact reform of immigration laws.
Pro-environmental protection and conservation stances are always important and popular in Colorado, which is home to 18 national parks, including famed Rocky Mountain National Park, and 42 state parks and outdoor recreation areas.
Republican proposals to slash Social Security and Medicare are not major issues in Colorado, as seniors are less than 11% of the state population, which ranks 46th among all states.
Colorado Economic Facts and Voter Demographics
Unemployment Rate as of June 2011 - 8.5%, which is below the U.S. unemployment rate and ranks 22nd among states.
Foreclosure Rates as of June 2011 - 1 in 497 homes, the nation's 10th highest state foreclosure rate for homes and higher than the national foreclosures rate per housing units of 1 of 583.
State Residents Living Below Poverty-Level Income - 11.4%, which is ranked #32 among states.
Hispanic Population - 20.7% of Colorado residents are of Hispanic origin, the nation's 7th highest state Hispanic population percentage. Colorado trails five other western states and Florida.
Senior Citizen Population - 10.9% of Colorado's total population, a very low level that ranks 46th among states.
Women as a Percentage of Colorado's Population - 49.9%, which is 42nd in the nation, tied with Idaho and Hawaii.
African-American Population - 4% of Colorado's resident population, ranking 33rd among states, tied with Alaska, Arizona and Washington.
Labor Union Membership - Colorado does not rank among the Top 20 Labor Union States, and boasts less than 200,000 labor union members.
2/23/12
Obama on Immigration
"Under the new system, just a few of the current family preferences would be retained in any recognizable form. Spouses and children of U.S. citizens would still be able to come.
Bush Plan: Foreign-Born Parents of U.S. Citizens Denied Residency
"However, parents of U.S. citizens would no longer be counted as immediate families, and thus most parents seeking to join their children and grandchildren in the United States would be denied green cards. The rest of the current family preferences – siblings, adult children, and many parents -- would be eviscerated.
"The new points system also would eliminate employment-based green cards altogether, forcing employers recruiting workers abroad to rely exclusively on short-term H-1B and Y visas. This proposal takes an admittedly problematic, employment-based visa system and replaces it with a far more problematic, temporary worker program.
Pushing Latino Workers to the Back of an Endless Line
"The design of the points system leaves numerous questions unanswered. Beyond pushing workers from Latin America to the back of an endless line, with no hope of ever reaching the front, the new points system leaves unspecified the crucial question of how migrants with sufficient points will be prioritized.
"Government bureaucrats would thus be left with unprecedented discretion to determine which immigrants have acceptable education, employment history, and work experience to merit admission into the country.
"Taken together, the questionable design of this points program and the fundamental shift away from family preferences in the allocation of visas raise enough red flags that we should not simply rubber stamp this proposal and allow it to go forward.
"Let me be clear: Senators Menendez, Feingold, and I are not proposing to strike the program from the bill. But this system should be revisited after a reasonable amount of time to determine whether it’s working, how it can be improved, and whether we should return to the current family and employer based system that has worked so well.
This Is Not Who We Are as a Country
"We live in a global economy, and I do believe that America will be strengthened if we welcome more immigrants who have mastered science and engineering.
"But, we cannot weaken the very essence of what America is by turning our backs on immigrants who want to reunite with their family members, or immigrants who have a willingness to work hard but who may not have the right graduate degrees.
"This is not who we are as a country.
"Should those without graduate degrees who spoke Italian or Polish or German, instead of English, have been turned back at Ellis Island?
"Should the immigrants from Asia who arrived at Angel Island to build our railroads have been told that they could only come for two years because they had no hope of passing a points test?
"How many of our ancestors would have been allowed to enter the U.S. under this new system?
America Does Not Have a Caste or Class Based Society
"Character and work ethic have long defined generations of immigrants to America. But these qualities are beyond the scope of this bill’s points system.
"It tells us nothing about what people who have been without opportunity can achieve once they are here.
"It tells us nothing about the potential of their children to serve and to lead.
"We are Americans. We do not have a caste or class based society, and we do not need a caste or class based immigration system.
"In short, the points system raises some serious concerns for me.
"Now, I’m willing to defer to those senators who negotiated this provision and say we should give this a try. But I’m not willing to say that this untested system should be made virtually permanent.
"For that reason, I urge my colleagues to support this common-sense amendment to sunset this points system after five years so we can examine its effectiveness and necessity."
2/22/12
'08 Democratic Convention
Gov. Sebelius commented, "Millions of Americans are facing tough challenges every day - from the economy to the war in Iraq to the housing crisis to crippling energy costs... The 2008 Convention is about ensuring that those peoples' voices are heard and their call for change is heeded."
Each of the first three days, "everyday Americans" will speak in primetime to share their concerns and struggles, and to explain why they support Barack Obama for the presidency.
(Details about the Final Day - Obama's Acceptance Speech are at page two of this article.)
THE 2008 Democratic Convention in Denver:
AMERICANS GATHERING TO CHANGE THE COURSE OF A NATION
(Also see Religious Faith at the '08 Democratic Convention). Monday, August 25, 2008
Day One will be held at the Pepsi Center arena, the 19,000-seat home of the NBA's Denver Nuggets.
Convention Day One message is "ONE NATION" and the headline prime-time speaker will be Michelle Obama, who will focus on her husband's background and core beliefs. Also speaking will be Maya Soetoro-Ng, Sen. Obama's sister and Craig Robinson, Michelle's brother.
Day One will feature a tribute to Sen. Ted Kennedy, a U.S. senator for 46 years, who is recuperating from treatment for brain cancer. Kennedy has videoed a message as part of the tribute.
Also, House Speaker Nancy Pelosi will be honored for helping lead the Democratic party back to power in Congress.
Other prominent speakers set for Day One include former President Jimmy Carter, Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri , a national co-chair of Obama's campaign, and Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Speaking in the "Celebrate Everyday Americans" spot will be: Mike and Cheryl Fisher (Beech Grove, IN) Margie Perez (New Orleans, LA) Candi Schmieder (Marengo, IA)Tuesday, August 26, 2008
Convention Day Two message is "RENEWING AMERICA'S PROMISE." Day Two will be held at the Pepsi Center arena, the 19,000-seat home of the NBA's Denver Nuggets.
The keynote speaker, usually a rising party leader, will be former Gov. Mark Warner of Virginia, a 2008 Senate candidate. At the 2004 convention, keynote speaker Barack Obama delivered his acclaimed "OUT OF MANY, ONE" speeech.
Another prime-time speaker will be Sen. Hillary Clinton, who has chosen to be introduced by daughter Chelsea Clinton. Clinton will focus on health care, jobs and the economy.
Hillary Clinton's speech is calendered for the 88th anniversary of ratification of the 19th amendment, which granted women the right to vote. Sen. Clinton will be joined on stage by all current women Democratic senators, which includes:
Sen. Barbara Boxer of California
Sen. Maria Cantwell of Washington
Sen. Dianne Feinstein of California
Sen. Amy Klobuchar of Minnesota
Sen. Mary Landrieu of Louisiana
Sen. Blanche Lincoln of Arkansas
Sen. Claire McCaskill of Missouri
Sen. Barbara Mikulski of Maryland
Sen. Patty Murray of Washington
Sen. Debbie Stabenow of Michigan
State governors set to speak on Day Two include:
Governor Brian Schweitzer of Montana
Governor Deval Patrick of Massachusetts
Governor Kathleen Sebelius of Kansas
Gov. Janet Napolitano of Arizona
Gov. Joe Manchin of West Virginia
Gov. Jim Doyle of Wisconsin
Gov. Ed Rendell of Pennsylvania
Gov. Ted Strickland of Ohio
Gov. David Paterson of New York and
Gov. Chet Culver of Iowa.
Other Day Two speakers are Sen. Bob Casey, Jr., of Pennsylvania; Sen. Patrick Leahy of Vermont, House Majority Leader Steny Hoyer, and House Democratic Caucus Chair Rahm Emanuel.
Speaking in the "Celebrate Everyday Americans" spot will be: Pauline Beck (Oakland, CA) Pamella Cash-Roper (Pittsboro, NC) David Gipp (Fort Yates, ND) Robin Golden (Wyoming, MI) Katherine Marcano (Cedar Rapids, IA)Wednesday, August 27, 2008
Convention Day Three message is "SECURING AMERICA'S FUTURE."
Day Three will be held at the Pepsi Center arena, the 19,000-seat home of the NBA's Denver Nuggets.
The headline prime-time speaker is six-term Sen. Joe Biden, Barack Obama's Vice Presidential Nominee, who will deliver an acceptance speech focusing on national security and veterans.
Biden, the outspoken Chair of the Senate Foreign Relations Committee in the 110th Congress, has helped shape U.S. security and foreign relations policies for decades.
Also set to speak on Day Three are former President Bill Clinton, Gov. Bill Richardson of New Mexico and House Majority Whip James E. Clyburn.
Other members Congress who will address the Convention on Day Three are Sen. Evan Bayh of Indiana, Sen. John Kerry of Massachusetts, Sen. Jay Rockefeller of West Virginia and Rep. Robert Wexler of Florida. Speaking in the "Celebrate Everyday Americans" spot will be: Mark Docherty (Sterling Heights, MI) Michele Jones (Washington, DC) Beth Robinson (Norfolk, VA) Xiomara Rodriguez (Reno, NV) Michael Wilson (Melbourne, FL) Rep. Patrick Murphy and Iraq War veteran Tammy Duckworth will lead a tribute to veterans, active duty military and their families.
Per the Convention committee, "Barack Obama offers a new, tough foreign policy that is neither Republican nor Democratic, but is a strong, smart American foreign policy to make our country more secure and advance our interests in the world."
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ABOUT THE DEMOCRATIC NOMINEES2/21/12
Rep. Patrick Murphy of Pennsylvania
Notability - When elected to Congress in 2006, then 33-year-old Patrick Murphy became the only Iraq War veteran member of the 110th Congress. Murphy was reelected with 57% of the vote in 2008, and was joined in Congress by three other Iraq War vets.
In his first term, Murphy was the only freshman assigned to the prestigious House Permanent Select Committee on Intelligence. Patrick Murphy is part of the House Blue Dog Democrats, a influential, fiscally conservative, pro-business group.
Career Path –
1996 – 2000 – Worked as a legislative aide to Thomas Tangretti, a Democratic member of the Pennsylvania legislature; at the Harrisburg Civil Law Clinic, a legal aid society; and taught government at Mt. St. Mary’s College. 2000 – Murphy went active duty in the U.S. Army, and was first assigned to teach constitutional law at the West Point U.S. Military Academy. 2001 – After the 9/11 attacks, Murphy volunteered for overseas duty. He served first in Bosnia, then in Baghdad for seven months in 2003-04 as a paratrooper with the 82nd Airborne Division. Murphy earned the Bronze Star for service and his unit earned the Presidential Unit Citation. Murphy left the military in 2004.
Birth – October 19, 1973 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, the son of a Philadelphia police officer and a secretary.
Education – In 1991, Patrick Murphy attended Bucks Community College before transferring to King's College in Wilkes-Barre, where he was student body president, captain of the hockey team, and an ROTC cadet.
After earning a B.A., Murphy was commissioned as an officer with the rank of Second Lieutenant. Congressman Murphy then studied at Widener University School of Law in Harrisburg, earning a J.D. in 1996.
2/20/12
T4s and Other Tax Slips
Around the end of February each year, employers, payers and administrators send out income tax information slips to tell Canadian taxpayers, and the Canada Revenue Agency (CRA), how much income and benefits they earned in the previous income tax year, and how much income tax was deducted. If you don't receive an information slip, you are required to ask your employer or the issuer of the slip for a duplicate copy. Use these tax slips in preparing and filing your Canadian income tax return and include copies with your tax return.
These are common T4 and other tax information slips.
T4s are tax information slips prepared and issued by employers to tell you and the CRA how much employment income you were paid during a tax year and the amount of income tax that was deducted.
T4As are prepared and issued by employers, trustees, estate executors or liquidators, pension administrators, or corporate directors to tell you and the CRA how much of certain types of income they paid you during a tax year and the amount of income tax that was deducted. T4As are used for a variety of different types of income, including pension and superannuation income, self-employment commissions, RESP accumulated income payments, death benefits and research grants.
T5s are tax information slips prepared and issued by organizations which pay interest, dividends or royalties to tell you and the CRA how much investment income you earned for a given tax year. Investment income included on T5 tax slips includes most dividends, royalties and interest from bank accounts, accounts with investment dealers or brokers, insurance policies, annuities and bonds.
2/18/12
George Beverly Shea
George Beverly Shea is a Canadian-born gospel singer and composer with a slow and sweet baritone. He is known to millions as a soloist on evangelist Billy Graham Crusades and from his radio and television appearances and recordings. In 2011 he won a Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award at the age of 102.
Born in Winchester, Ontario, near Ottawa, in 1909, Bev Shea is the son of a Wesleyan Methodist minister. He first sang in a church choir and at religious meetings in the Ottawa Valley. His father taught him to play the violin, and his mother taught him piano and the organ.
In 1928 he moved to New York State to go to Houghton College. Money was tight and he had to leave college. He began working as a clerk in an insurance company in New York. His father had a new congregation in Jersey City and Bev spent time singing and playing the organ there. He sang at outdoor Bible meetings and for ten years sang on WMCA radio.
In 1939, during the Depression, George Shea received an offer to be an announcer and soloist on WMBI radio in Chicago. By 1944 he was singing hymns on WCFL's "Club Time" and "Songs in the Night," a program featuring Billy Graham who was then a pastor in Western Springs, Illinois. In 1947, George Shea sang at his first Billy Graham Crusade and in 1950 joined Graham's weekly "Hour of Decision" radio broadcast. Shortly afterwards, Shea signed a recording contract with RCA Victor. For more than 50 years George Shea performed at rallies around the world and on radio and TV.
George Beverly Shea has recorded more than 70 albums on RCA and World Records.
2/17/12
Women by State
This data is relevant to national and state elections for two main reasons: Except for the deep south region, U.S. women are slightly more likely to vote Democratic than Republicans. Five of the six states (below) in which women comprise a very high percentage of the population are traditionally Democratic-blue states. In contrast, five of the nine states comprised of less than 50% women are staunchly Republican-red states, and the other four usually vote Republican.
"Recent polls have indicated that 41% of women identify as Democrats while only 25% of women identify as Republicans and 26% as independents, while 32% of men identify as Democrats, 28% as Republicans and 34% as independents," per Wikipedia.
Womens' issues, such as abortion and health care access, hold the potential of swaying women to vote Democratic rather than for Republican social conservatives.A recent example occurred in red-state Arkansas in November 2011 when women voters defeated a "Personhood Amendment" pushed by evangelical Christian conservatives that would have criminalized abortions and many forms of birth control within the state.
In 2008, women voters were key to Democrat Obama winning the White House race. MSNBC reported on the morning after the historic election, "Women voters typically are crucial to a Democratic presidential victory, and Obama was pulling 55 percent of their votes, compared with 43 percent for McCain, according to exit polls. Obama and McCain were nearly even among male voters, who split 49-49 percent."States with Very High Populations of Women
1. Alabama - 52.0% 2. New York - 51.6% 2. Massachusetts - 51.6% 2. Maryland - 51.6% 2. Delaware - 51.6% 2. Rhode Island - 51.6%
States with High Populations of Women
7. South Carolina - 51.4% 7. Mississippi - 51.4% 9. Pennsylvania - 51.3% 9. North Carolina - 51.3% 9. Connecticut - 51.3% 9. New Jersey - 51.3% 9. Tennessee - 51.3% 14. Ohio - 51.2% 14. Georgia - 51.2% 16. Florida - 51.1% 16. Maine - 51.1% 18. Missouri - 51.0% 18. Louisiana - 51.0% 20. Arkansas - 50.9% 20. Illinois - 50.9% 20. Michigan - 50.9% 20. Virginia - 50.9%
States with Median Populations of Women
24. Indiana - 50.8% 24. Kentucky - 50.8% 24. Vermont - 50.8% 27. New Hampshire - 50.7% 27. West Virginia - 50.7% 29. New Mexico - 50.6% 30. Iowa - 50.5% 30. Oregon - 50.5% 30. Oklahoma - 50.5% 33. California - 50.4% 33. Texas - 50.4% 33. Wisconsin - 50.4% 33. Minnesota - 50.4% 33. Nebraska - 50.4% 33. Kansas - 50.4% 39. Arizona - 50.3% 40. Washington - 50.2% 41. South Dakota - 50.0%
States with Low Populations of Women
42. Colorado - 49.9% 42. Idaho - 49.9% 42. Hawaii - 49.9% 45. Montana - 49.8% 45. Utah - 49.8% 47. Nevada - 49.5% 47. North Dakota - 49.5% 49. Wyoming - 48.9% 50. Alaska - 48.0%
Source - U.S. Census Bureau, Table 16 - Resident Population by Age and State: 2010
2/16/12
New Year's Resolutions
Do you have trouble sticking to your New Year's Resolutions? Do you have a hard time even thinking of a New Year's Resolution? Here are some resources by and for Canadians to help you change old habits and develop some new areas in your life.
Quit SmokingIt's time to check out the benefits of quitting smoking and programs to help you stop. Get Better Grades
Major Canadian universities offer tips on writing essays, efficient reading, attending lectures, taking notes and exams. Organize Your Home Office
You can start by doing some things to get your home office organized right now, and then move on to a 12-step plan to get your work space more functional. From Susan Ward, About.com Small Business: Canada Exercise Your Brain
Dave Fisher, About.com Puzzles, offers all sorts of free puzzles to clear the cobwebs, keep your brain active, and provide hours of relaxation and entertainment. The Four Rivers strategy puzzle is a good place to start! De-clutter Your House
Clean out your closets and donate old clothes and unused possessions to charity. Many malls have drop boxes for old clothes, and the Canadian Diabetes Association will come right to your door to pick them up.Enjoy the Canadian Winter
Jane McLean, About.com Canada Travel, has some great ideas for getting the most out of the Canadian winter. Save Gas and Money
Save gas and money and reduce greenhouse gas emissions at the same time with these energy conservation tips. Take a Family Vacation
Teresa Plowright, About.com Family Vacations, has hundreds of suggestions and tips to help you and the kids enjoy your next family vacation. Start a Small Business
Make your dream of starting a business of your own a reality. Susan Ward, About.com Small Business: Canada, outlines the steps to starting a business in Canada to help you on your way. Learn Chinese Cooking
Try a whole new way of cooking. Rhonda Parkinson, About.com Guide to Chinese Food, has basic tips and techniques to introduce you to the world of Chinese cuisine.
2/15/12
Michel Trudeau Killed
Nearly ten months after the avalanche that killed Michel Trudeau, the RCMP is sending a dive team into Kokanee Lake to search for his body. A long winter, a cold summer, and snow in the Rockies have hampered search efforts. The RCMP cautions that it is possible young Trudeau's body may never be found. Because of the high altitude, divers can only go down to a depth of 30 meters (about 100 feet), but the lake is 91 meters (close to 300 feet) deep at its centre.
Michel Trudeau, the 23-year-old son of former Canadian Prime Minister Pierre Trudeau and Margaret Kemper was killed by an avalanche in British Columbia's Kokanee Glacier Park on November 13, 1998. Three other skiers were rescued by a national park service helicopter.
The provincial park is in the wilderness area northeast of Nelson, BC, between the Slocan and Kootenay lakes.
Young Trudeau was pushed off the ski trail by the avalanche and swept down into Kokanee Lake, where he is presumed to have drowned.
A private memorial service for family and friends was held on Friday, November 20, 1998 in Outremont, Quebec.
2/14/12
Voting Rights & Ohio 2004
- Numerous instances of votes incorrectly recorded In its limited investigation, the Washington Post found 25 electronic voting machines that transferred an unknown number of Kerry votes to the Bush column.
Likewise, the Election Protection Commission noted a voter reporting that "Every time I tried to vote for the Democratic Party presidential candidate, the machine went blank. I had to keep trying. It took five times."
One voter, a newspaper manager, testified that she "pushed the button for Kerry---and watched her vote jump to the Bush column."
Numerous obvious errors in recording votes Ward 1B in the Gahana precinct of Franklin County recorded 4,258 votes for Bush and 260 votes for Kerry, when this precinct only has 800 registered voters. It was determined after the election that a computer glitch recorded 3,893 extra votes for Bush.
Voters are required to affix their signature to a roster before voting. At many precincts, more ballots were cast then there were voter signatures. And in a few heavily Democratic precincts, more voters signatures were present on the rolls than ballots actually reported as cast.
And at some Ohio precincts, the numbers were even more nonsensical. At the Reading S precinct in Trumball County, the sign-in roster shows 360 voters cast ballots, plus 33 absentees ballots were cast for a total of 393 total ballots. Yet, the official tally reflected 489 votes cast in that precinct.
In Hamilton County, many absentee ballots entirely excluded John Kerry's name, ostensibly due to worker error.
The Congressional Report recounts, "We learned of literally thousands of additional irregularities in Ohio....There is no doubt that there were a number of machine irregularities and glitches in the election, beyond the major discrepancies highlighted in our report."
- Confusion in counting provisional ballots Blackwell failed to issue clear standards for the counting of provisional ballots, causing arbitrary and diverse counting practices for each Ohio county. This irregularity conceivably caused 50,000 to 100,000 ballots to not be counted.
For instance, in Cuyahoga County, 8,099 out of 24,472 provisional ballots were rejected and never counted, which is twice the normal percentage of provisional ballots rejected there in 2000.
- Recounts were delayed Prior to the 2004 election, Blackwell issued directive that Ohio boards of election need to complete their official counts by December 1, fully one month after Election Day.
He also directed that "no recount may be held prior to the official canvass and certification of results." Thus, recounts were stalled until December, and then were required to be completed by December 15.
By design, the end result was the impossibility of an Ohio election recount in time to affect the national election.
- Manipulation of recount software by voting machine manufacturer In what the Congessional Report termed "the most disturbing iiregularity" in connection with the recount, repressentatives of Triad GSI, supplier of the voting machines, altered tabulating software in at least six Ohio counties during the recount process.
A witness testified that one Triad employee in Hocking County "advised election officials how to manipulate voting machinery to ensure that a preliminary hand recount matches the machine count." In Union county the original hard drive on the Triad vote tabulating machine disappeared, and only reappeared in response to a subpoena.
In Monroe County, a new Triad machine was brought in during the recount to replace a machine that failed twice to match the original count. The new machine matched original counts results; and the original machine disappeared.
And startlingly, Congress belatedly discovered that Triad could alter election software by remote access. And more startingly, Triad reprogrammed recount voting machines in Fulton and Henry Counties to "count only presidential votes prior to the start of the recount."(That statement implies that votes were added during the initial recount processses.)
The Congressional report noted that "Triad is controlled by the Rapp family, and its founder, Brett A. Rapp, has been a consistent contributor to Republican causes."
2/13/12
Politics of George Clooney
In the aftermath of the 9/11 attacks, George, inspired to support the families of the 9/11 dead, was a prime organizer behind the September 21, 2001 America: A Tribute to Heroes telecast. The program featured dozens of top Hollywood stars, including Clooney, Tom Hanks, Will Smith, Jim Carrey, Sarah Jessica Parker, Tom Cruise, Julia Roberts and Chris Rock, and raised about $129 million, which was given to the United Way for distribution.
On October 31, 2001, Bill O'Reilly attacked attacked celebrities like Clooney, Roberts and Hanks for not coming on his Fox News program, The O'Reilly Factor, to defend themselves from scattered news reports that money they helped to raise through the Tribute to Heroes telethon wasn't going to the victims of September 11.
Quipped O'Reilly, "When a telethon to help the victims' families is presented, the stars clamor to be a part of it....Those fundraisers bring the stars great publicity." He continued to the New York Post, "[These stars] get a lot of positive publicity when they do these events, but when it's time to take some responsibility, they are MIA."
Infuriated, Clooney famously wrote an angry letter to O'Reilly on November 6, 2001 in which he scolded, "The fund is not only the most successful single fundraiser ever, it is doing exactly what it is designed to do. Responsibly. The money is going out to the right people...
It took one phone call to find this information. One phone call you did not make. But hey, it's the first week of sweeps and you need to run a hard-hitting expose of irresponsible, pampered performers and try to bait them on your show with inflammatory statements. I'm sure it must have been frustrting for yu that not one person took the bait. Hell Bill, even McCarthy got a few people to show up."
Clooney's missive was the stuff of headlines and talk show fodder for weeks after O'Reilly discussed it on air.
Clooney & O'Reilly Spar Again
Clooney and O'Reilly again sparred publicly three years later when Clooney took a leadership role in organizing the star-studded January 15, 2005 telethon, Tsunami Aid: A Concert of Hope, to benefit victims of the late-2004 Indian Ocean tsunami.
O'Reilly sniped on his Fox News show that he "will be watching to see if the money gets to the tsunami victims....we applaud the time and generosity of George Clooney and the other stars. But with power comes responsibility. and we expect all the telethon people to understand that."
Clooney responded, "I'm booking the talent for the Tsunami event...and you, Mr. O'Reilly, are now officially invited to be a presenter....This way, you can personally follow up on our fund-raising. This is your chance to put your considerable money where your considerable mouth is...."
George Clooney in the 21st Century
Several media sources quote George Clooney saying in 2003, "The problem is we elected a manager, and we need a leader. Let's face it: Bush is just dim."
Ultra-conservative website CelebPolitics.com gives George "a conservative-friendly rating of -14, making George a Wacko Liberal Nutcase." The site also reports that Clooney has made $10,000 in liberal campaign contributions and none in conservative caampaign contributions.
Clooney publicly supported John Kerry for President in 2004, and donated $2,000 to his campaign. In fact, Clooney purchased his Lake Como, Italy villa from the Kerry-Heinz family for a reported $7.8 million prior to Kerry announcing his candidacy for the 2004 presidential race.
George Clooney donated $1 million in September 2005 to the United Way Hurricane Katrina Response Fund to help out the victims of the hurricane. Clooney is a member of the United Way Board of Trustees. Said Clooney when he made the donation, "Today our neighbors need food, shelter and health care, but the very near future is when the difficult part of rebuilding lives and homes and cities starts. We're all in this one together." In March 2006, Clooney donated his Oscar gift-bag (Value: about $100,000) to the United Way, to be auctioned off to benefit that humanitarian organization's programs.
In 2006, as he promoted his two most recent films, Good Night, and Good Luck and Syriana, Clooney spoke more openly and freely about politics.
In March, the Associated Press reported, "George Clooney has faulted Democrats for their timidity in the months before the start of the Iraq war, saying many party leaders muted their criticism of the Bush administration rather than risk being branded as unpatriotic. 'The fear of (being) criticized can be paralyzing. Just look at the way so many Democrats caved in the run up to the war,' Clooney said..."
2/12/12
Queen's Counsel - QC
Appointments as Queen's Counsel are formally made by the provincial Lieutenant-Governor from members of the bar of the relevant province, on the recommendation of the provincial Attorney General.
The practice of making Queen's Counsel appointments in not consistent across Canada, and the eligibility criteria vary. For example, Quebec stopped making Queen's Counsel appointments in 1976, and Ontario stopped the practice in 1985.
The federal government discontinued federal Queen's Counsel appointments in 1993.
Also Known As: King's Counsel or KC when the monarch is a king.2/11/12
Trumka Economics Speech
A Generation of Stagnant Wages, Collapsing Benefits
Working people want an American economy that works for them—that creates good jobs, where wealth is fairly shared, and where the economic life of our nation is about solving problems like the threat of climate change rather than creating problems like the foreclosure crisis.
We know that growing inequality undermines our ability to grow as a nation – by squandering the talents and the contributions of our people and consigning entire communities to stagnation and failure.
If we are going to make our vision real, we must challenge our political leaders, and we must also challenge ourselves and our movement.
Workers formed the labor movement as an expression of our lives— a chain of responsibility and solidarity, making millions of people here in America and around the world into agents of social change – able to accomplish much more together than as isolated individuals. That movement gives voice to the hopes, values and interests of working people every day. But despite our best efforts, we have endured a generation of stagnant wages and collapsing benefits—a generation where the labor movement has been much more about defense than about offense, where our horizons are shrinking rather than growing.
But the future of the labor movement depends on moving forward—on innovating and changing the way we work, on being open to all working people and giving voice to all workers, even when our laws and employers seek to divide us from each other. And that is something we are working on every day.
The AFL-CIO is building new ways for working people to organize themselves, and new models for collective bargaining. We have created Working America, a 3 million member community-based union growing in working class neighborhoods—that is one of the signal accomplishments of my predecessor John Sweeney, who I’m so happy is here today.
Giving Voice to All Workers
We are very proud of our alliance with the workers’ center movement that links the unions of the AFL-CIO with hundreds of grassroots organizations. We are also working with community allies to strengthen the voice and bargaining power of low-wage workers in Los Angeles’ car washes – some of the worst-paid and worst-treated workers in this country.
Next week, AFL-CIO Executive Vice President Arlene Holt Baker will lead the labor movement’s commemoration of the 50th anniversary of the lunch counter sit-ins in Greensboro, North Carolina – continuing the great work she has done over so many years on behalf of the most vulnerable in our society.
Not far from Greensboro, we have been working with unemployed African American day laborers and their workers’ center, desperately trying to keep alive the dream launched in those sit-ins.
Staving Off Unemployment, Homelessness
In San Diego last week, I visited a pre-apprenticeship program formed by the local labor movement to create career paths for at-risk youth. In Los Angeles, I saw a remarkable community-based labor-management training program created by the Electrical Workers that is focused on green jobs. These programs demonstrate the tremendous benefits that are possible when labor and business come together to solve problems jointly.
I met people who had been homeless who were about to become journeymen electricians. A young man named Nakayah said to me, "The union gave me a chance to go from no life to the hope for a middle-class life. It didn’t just teach me to get a job, it taught me how to be a man."
As I talked to hotel workers—members of Unite Here, many of them immigrants—on strike to keep hotel jobs from falling back into poverty and to union members with PhD’s fighting to prevent California’s budget catastrophe from cratering not only their jobs but the education of their state’s children, I thought of my father on strike in the coal fields when I was a boy.
And I was reminded of this basic truth: A job is a good job because workers fight to make it one—it doesn’t matter if the job is in a coal mine or a classroom or a car wash. And that is why unions are needed today, more than ever.
(See Profile of Richard Trumka, AFL-CIO President.)
2/10/12
Work Permits Canada
You must also produce any additional documents requested.
2/9/12
Study Permits for Canada
When you apply for a study permit for Canada, you must satisfy the immigration officer who reviews your application that you will leave Canada after your temporary stay have been accepted by a recognized school, university or college in Canada have enough money to pay for your tuition fees, to support yourself and family members while you are in Canada, and enough to return home will be law abiding have no record of criminal activity (a Police Certificate may be required) are not a risk to the security of Canada are in good health (a medical exam may be required)
2/7/12
Crown corporation
While Crown corporations are instruments of public policy, many also operate in a business environment. Some Crown corporations are completely funded by government; others are self-sufficient or profit-making. Some Crown corporations have regulatory or quasi-regulatory functions.
On a day-to-day basis, Crown corporations operate at arm's length from the government. Each has a Board of Directors responsible for the strategic direction and management performance of the organization.
The government maintains a variety of powers to influence the direction of Crown corporations, including the ability to amend governing legislation a directive power which allows the responsible cabinet minister to provide direction to the Crown corporation's Board of Directors as long as notice is given to Parliament approval of corporate plans appointments to key positions approval and guarantee of financing.
Feingold Speech for Censure
Senator Feingold is an independent-thinking leader who votes the courage of his strong progressive convictions, no matter the political cost. He voted against the Iraq War in 2002, and in 2005, was the first senator to call for a specific timetable for US troops to exit Iraq.
Russ Feingold is also well-known known for his work with Senator John McCain to clean-up election campaign finance abuses, via the Campaign Finance Reform Act of 2002.
(See Profile of Sen. Russ Feingold, Democrat with Courage of Convictions.)
Mr. President, when the President of the United States breaks the law, he must be held accountable. That is why today I am introducing a resolution to censure President George W. Bush.
The President authorized an illegal program to spy on American citizens on American soil, and then misled Congress and the public about the existence and legality of that program. It is up to this body to reaffirm the rule of law by condemning the President's actions.
All of us in this body took an oath to support and defend the Constitution of the United States and bear true allegiance to the same. Fulfilling that oath requires us to speak clearly and forcefully when the President violates the law. This resolution allows us to send a clear message that the President's conduct was wrong.
And we must do that. The President's actions demand a formal judgment from Congress.
At moments in our history like this, we are reminded why the founders balanced the powers of the different branches of government so carefully in the Constitution. At the very heart of our system of government lies the recognition that some leaders will do wrong, and that others in the government will then bear the responsibility to do right.
This President has done wrong. This body can do right by condemning his conduct and showing the people of this nation that his actions will not be allowed to stand unchallenged.
To date, members of Congress have responded in very different ways to the President's conduct. Some are responding by defending his conduct, ceding him the power he claims, and even seeking to grant him expanded statutory authorization powers to make his conduct legal. While we know he is breaking the law, we do not know the details of what the President has authorized or whether there is any need to change the law to allow it, yet some want to give him carte blanche to continue his illegal conduct.
To approve the President's actions now, without demanding a full inquiry into this program, a detailed explanation for why the President authorized it, and accountability for his illegal actions, would be irresponsible. It would be to abandon the duty of the legislative branch under our constitutional system of separation of powers while the President recklessly grabs for power and ignores the rule of law.
Others in Congress have taken important steps to check the President. Senator Specter has held hearings on the wiretapping program in the Judiciary Committee. He has even suggested that Congress may need to use the power of the purse in order to get some answers out of the Administration. And Senator Byrd has proposed that Congress establish an independent commission to investigate this program.
As we move forward, Congress will need to consider a range of possible actions, including investigations, independent commissions, legislation, or even impeachment. But, at a minimum, Congress should censure a president who has so plainly broken the law.
Our founders anticipated that these kinds of abuses would occur. Federalist Number 51 speaks of the Constitution's system of checks and balances:
"It may be a reflection on human nature, that such devices should be necessary to control the abuses of government. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary.
If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself."
Mr. President, we are faced with an executive branch that places itself above the law. The founders understood that the branches must check each other to control abuses of government power. The president's actions are such an abuse, Mr. President. His actions must be checked, and he should be censured.
2/5/12
Obama-Small Business
Other prominent features of Barack Obama's Small Business Emergency Rescue Plan include: Increase access to capital - Obama will work to help more entrepreneurs secure both traditional and alternative means of financing, expand the network of lenders, make interest rates for SBA loans more competitive with the private sector, and simplify the loan approval process. Create public-private business incubators - Obama will support small businesses and spur job growth by creating a national network of public-private business incubators which will offer help designing business plans, provide physical space, identify and address problems affecting all small businesses within a given community, and give advice on a wide range of business practices, including reducing overhead costs. Reinvigorate the SBA - Since 2001, the SBA’s budget has been cut by the Bush administration more deeply than any other federal agency. Obama pledges to restore the SBA’s budget, strengthen its capacity, and ensure that the small business community plays a vital role in government policymaking. Promote small business ownership in communications industry - As president, Obama will support efforts to achieve diverse media ownership, particularly in an era of increased media concentration.
Obama has joined Sen. John Kerry (D-MA) in calling on the FCC to immediately address the issues of minority, women and small business media ownership before taking up a second review of wider media ownership rules.
Strengthen small business programs targeting Women, service-disabled veterans and minorities - Obama will strengthen programs that provide access to capital and contracting opportunities to minority- and women-owned businesses, support outreach programs that help minority, service-disabled veteran, and women-owned business owners apply for and are awarded loans, and work to encourage the growth and capacity of minority and women-owned firms.Obama will also implement a Women-Owned Business contracting program to create greater opportunities for women business owners who would like to do business with the federal government – a program that was signed into law by President Bill Clinton, but has yet to be implemented by the Bush Administration.
NOTE - The source of this article is BARACK OBAMA AND JOE BIDEN: Small Business Emergency Rescue Plan. See that plan for additional details.2/4/12
Guns and Gun Violence Issue
Gun violence in major cities in Canada, especially in Toronto, has been a growing concern, and was pushed to the forefront in the 2006 federal election campaign by public outrage over the shooting of a 15-year old girl on Boxing Day in downtown Toronto. While the Conservatives have traditionally worked the law-and-order issue, in the 2006 Canadian federal election the Liberals and NDP are also advocating getting tough on guns and gun violence. There are many different factors that go into an effective strategy on reducing gun violence, including addressing the root causes of violence and gangs, control over guns and ammunition, enforcement of existing laws, the need for new laws, and the effective implementation of border controls to prevent the importation of illegal guns. Here is what the major federal parties in Canada are advocating. The Liberals say they will amend the Criminal Code of Canada to let provinces and territories ban handguns, including an amnesty program and a buy-back program to collect existing handguns. The Liberals have promised to establish a national Gunstoppers Program to provide rewards for information leading to the removal of illegal guns from the streets. The Liberals plan to re-introduce legislation to combat gun crime which would double mandatory minimum sentences for key gun crimes, such as trafficking and smuggling of firearms and the illegal possession of loaded handguns in public places. The legislation was introduced just days before the 2006 Canadian federal election was called. A $50 million Gun Violence and Gangs Prevention Fund would be used to support reduction in gun violence and gang activity through diversionary and skills development programs. The Liberals plan a $50-million Rural Community Safety Plan for crime prevention initiatives in smaller communities in Canada. Prime Minister Paul Martin has pledged to support "reverse onus" on bail conditions for gun crimes. With reverse onus the accused has to explain why bail is justified. The Liberals are also promising to waive gun registry re-licensing fees for long guns, and to refund re-licensing fees that have already been paid by long gun owners. Additional policing measures announced by the Liberals include $225 million to create an RCMP Advanced Community Safety and Rapid Enforcement Team, $10 million a year to increase the number of graduating RCMP officers to 1,400 a year by 2008, and $40 million to increase intelligence and surveillance and stem the flow of illegal firearms into Canada. The Conservatives are proposing mandatory minimum prison sentences of five or ten years for major firearms offences, including a minimum five years sentence for possession of a loaded restricted or prohibited weapon such as a handgun. They propose sentencing anyone 14 years old convicted of a serious violent crime or repeat offence as an adult. They also say there would be no more conditional sentences, or house arrest, for serious gun crimes. (Most gun crimes currently have minimum sentences, though not as long as the Conservatives recommend, and so people convicted of those offences are not eligible for conditional sentencing anyway.) The Conservatives would crack down on firearms smuggling and toughen security at Canada’s border crossings. They propose allowing border guards to carry sidearms. The Conservatives propose ending the gun registry and using the savings to hire more police officers. They say they would fill the more than 1,000 unfilled RCMP positions and work with the provinces and municipalities to hire at least 2,500 more police officers across the country. The Conservatives are also promising to invest $50 million over five years in programs to promote crime prevention and assist youth at risk.
The Bloc Québécois 2006 election platform does not address guns and gun violence. The NDP propose a four-year minimum sentence for illegal possession and sale of restricted firearms and targeting the sale of illegal weapons on the Internet. To stop the flow of illegal guns from the United States, the NDP propose a four-year minimum sentence for importing illegal guns and strengthening border controls, including arming customs officers at the border. The NDP supports reverse onus bail conditions. The NDP proposes strengthening witness protection and support programs so that witnesses can better assist police. The NDP also proposes that young offenders 16 and over who are charged with gun offences be tried as adults. The NDP wants to ensure that the federal government works with local communities to find solutions to violence, and that money and assets seized through proceeds of crime legislation go back into the neighbourhoods they came from.
2/3/12
Florida in 2012 Elections
How Florida Votes: Red State or Blue State?
Democratic presidential candidates have won in Florida only three times in 40 years: Barack Obama in 2008, Bill Clinton in 1996 and Jimmy Carter in 1976.
In 2008, Obama won 57% of Florida's Hispanic vote, compared to Democrat John Kerry winning only 44% in 2004. By 2010, the Sunshine State's growing population of Hispanics comprised 22.5% of Florida residents, the nation's 6th highest state Hispanic percentage.
The Miami Herald newspaper analyzed after the 2008 elections, "Polls indicate the state's Hispanic vote may now be divided. On one side are conservative older Cuban Americans, who vote reliably Republican. On the other are younger Cuban Americans coupled with an expanding number of non-Cuban Hispanics, who tend to lean Democratic."
In 2008, Democrat Obama also attracted the votes of 72% of Florida's 650,000 new voters, most of them young or members of non-white ethnic groups who had newly registered since the 2004 presidential election.
In the last four presidential elections, Florida voted as follows: 2008 - 51% for Democrat Obama, 48% for Republican McCain 2004 - 52% for Republican Bush, 47% for Democrat Kerry 2000 - 49% for Republican Bush, 49% for Democrat Gore 1996 - 48% for Democrat Clinton, 42% for Republican Dole, 10% for OtherIn 2011, Florida's governor, Rick Scott, and lieutenant governor, Jennifer Carroll, are both Republicans. Gov. Scott, a Tea Party-Libertarian Republican and former healthcare corporation CEO, was elected to office in November 2010 by a very narrow margin of 68,000 votes. A year later, Gov. Scott's statewide approval has plummeted to only 26%.
Floridians have elected one Democrat, Bill Nelson, and one Republican, Marco Rubio, to the U.S. Senate. Florida's delegation to the House of Representatives includes 19 Republicans and six Democrats.
Summary of Top Issues in Florida
Florida is currently experiencing the nation's 4th highest unemployment rate (10.6%) and 7th highest home foreclosure rate (1 in 372 homes). Thus, the economy, jobs creation, foreclosure relief, and depressed real estate values are paramount concerns in the Sunshine State.
Florida also boasts the highest state percentage of seniors in the nation, 17.3%, causing Social Security and Medicare to be foremost concerns, too. Republican presidential candidates have all pledged to slash both programs.
Hispanics comprise 22.5% of Florida's residents, per the 2010 census, the nation's 6th highest state Hispanic population percentage. Almost 19% of Floridians speak Spanish as their primary language.
Although Republican leaders oppose humanitarian immigration reforms and many push for an armed U.S.-Mexico border, the nation's Hispanic population is also deeply disappointed by President Obama's failure to actively support or enact reform of immigration laws.
Florida Economic Facts and Voter Demographics
Unemployment Rate as of June 2011 - 10.6%, the nation's 4th highest state unemployment rate.
Foreclosure Rates as of June 2011 - 1 in 372 homes, the nation's 7th highest state foreclosure rate for homes.
State Residents Living Below Poverty-Level Income - 13.2%, which is ranked #22 among states.
Labor Union Membership - In Florida, 601,000 workers, which is 7.9% of all employed Florida workers, belong to an organized labor union, the nation's 9th highest quantity of labor union members.
Senior Citizen Population - 17.3% of Florida's total population, the highest state percentage of seniors in the nation.
Women as a Percentage of Florida's Population - 51.1%, which is 16th in the nation, tied with Maine.
Hispanic Population - 22.5% of Florida residents are of Hispanic origin, the nation's 6th highest state Hispanic population percentage, and the highest outside the western United States.
African-American Population - 16% of Florida's resident population, the nation's 11th highest state African-American percentage, tied with Arkansas and New York.
2/2/12
Steny Hoyer profile
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.
2/1/12
Obama's Famed '04 Speech
E pluribus unum. Out of many, one.
Now even as we speak, there are those who are preparing to divide us, the spin masters, the negative ad peddlers who embrace the politics of anything goes.
Well, I say to them tonight, there is not a liberal America and a conservative America — there is the United States of America. There is not a Black America and a White America and Latino America and Asian America — there’s the United States of America.
The pundits, the pundits like to slice-and-dice our country into Red States and Blue States; Red States for Republicans, Blue States for Democrats. But I’ve got news for them, too:
We worship an awesome God in the Blue States, and we don’t like federal agents poking around in our libraries in the Red States.
We coach Little League in the Blue States and yes, we’ve got some gay friends in the Red States.
There are patriots who opposed the war in Iraq and there are patriots who supported the war in Iraq.
We Are One People
We are one people, all of us pledging allegiance to the stars and stripes, all of us defending the United States of America. In the end, that’s what this election is about. Do we participate in a politics of cynicism or do we participate in a politics of hope?
John Kerry calls on us to hope. John Edwards calls on us to hope.
I’m not talking about blind optimism here - the almost willful ignorance that thinks unemployment will go away if we just don’t think about it, or the health care crisis will solve itself if we just ignore it. That’s not what I’m talking about. I’m talking about something more substantial.
It’s the hope of slaves sitting around a fire singing freedom songs. The hope of immigrants setting out for distant shores.
The hope of a young naval lieutenant bravely patrolling the Mekong Delta.
The hope of a millworker’s son who dares to defy the odds.
The hope of a skinny kid with a funny name who believes that America has a place for him, too.
Hope in the face of difficulty. Hope in the face of uncertainty. The audacity of hope!
In the end, that is God’s greatest gift to us, the bedrock of this nation. A belief in things not seen. A belief that there are better days ahead.
I believe that we can give our middle class relief and provide working families with a road to opportunity.
I believe we can provide jobs to the jobless, homes to the homeless, and reclaim young people in cities across America from violence and despair.
I believe that we have a righteous wind at our backs and that as we stand on the crossroads of history, we can make the right choices, and meet the challenges that face us.
America! Tonight, if you feel the same energy that I do, if you feel the same urgency that I do, if you feel the same passion I do, if you feel the same hopefulness that I do — if we do what we must do, then I have no doubts that all across the country, from Florida to Oregon, from Washington to Maine, the people will rise up in November, and John Kerry will be sworn in as president, and John Edwards will be sworn in as vice president, and this country will reclaim its promise, and out of this long political darkness a brighter day will come.
Thank you very much everybody. God bless you. Thank you.
Thank you, and God bless America.
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