Morris Publishing given another payment extension
Atlanta Business Chronicle - by J. Scott Trubey Staff Writer
Morris Publishing Group LLC, the parent company of three daily papers in Georgia, got a two-week extension from its lenders on a long overdue $9.7 million interest payment on its senior subordinate notes.
Morris Publishing now has until June 12 to make the interest payment, which was originally due Feb. 1, 2009. This is Morris Publishing’s sixth extension.
On May 14, Morris Publishing acknowledged in a Securities and Exchange Commission filing that if it could not make the payment or buy more time, creditors could force Morris Publishing, or its guarantor Morris Communications, to repay the balance of bonds, interest and a revolving line of credit totaling $419 million,
Morris Publishing, is the parent of 13 daily newspapers including The Augusta Chronicle, The Savannah Morning News and The Athens Banner-Herald. The company also owns numerous non-dailies, city magazines and free publications.
In its May 14 earnings statement, Morris Publishing said “several factors relating to the Company’s outstanding debt raise significant uncertainty about its liquidity and ability to continue as a going concern. Specifically, the Company’s debt far exceeds the current value of its assets, and the Company’s creditors may have the right to accelerate the maturity of the debt before the end of May 2009.”
The company had about $171 million in assets at the end of the first quarter.
Morris Publishing spent $2.8 million on advisers in the first quarter March 31 seeking to refinance its debt, according to the SEC filing.
Slumping advertising revenues caused by the recession and changing media appetites have hurt Morris Publishing and other newspaper companies throughout the United States.
In the first quarter ended March 31, Morris Publishing lost $12.6 million compared to a $5.6 million profit in the first quarter of 2008, according to the May 14 SEC filing. Quarterly revenues plummeted 22.4 percent year-over-year from $82.7 million to $64.2 million. Advertising revenue fell 29.2 percent for the quarter.
Morris Publishing might not be out of the woods.
In its last public announcement May 14, Morris Publishing said even if the company is able to make its latest payment, the company is at risk of being in non-compliance with financial covenants, which have been relaxed by the creditors. The company is also “unlikely to meet the financial covenants under the Credit Agreement when the Company and Morris Communications deliver their consolidated financial statements for the second quarter of 2009, no later than August 29, 2009,” when its relaxed financial covenants terminate.
If the company cannot amend or refinance the debt before then, Morris Publishing would be prevented from borrowing on its revolving credit line and “may be required to prepay the entire principal due under the Credit Agreement” at that time.
All contents of this site © American City Business Journals Inc. All rights reserved.
Friday, May 29, 2009
JFK: "The very word 'secrec y' Is repugnant in a free and open society"
Photo credit: Marie Hardage
Our City of St. Augustine failed to give proper notice to residents of Lincolnville when it spilled 1875 gallons of raw sewage into Maria Sanchez Lake commencing May 21, never notifying our local newspaper and only erecting one tiny English-only sign (above), which appeared on Tuesday and was gone by Wednesday.
Our state and federal regulators must arrive with criminal investigators, instead of excuses. The time for desuetude is past. Prosecute the polluters! Indict City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS and his henchmen for a pettern of environmental crimes.
This blog began in 2006 with a quote from JFK about secrecy being "repugnant in a free and open society." Here's the whole speech:
The President and the Press: Address before the American Newspaper Publishers Association
President John F. Kennedy
Waldorf-Astoria Hotel
New York City, April 27, 1961
Mr. Chairman, ladies and gentlemen:
I appreciate very much your generous invitation to be here tonight.
You bear heavy responsibilities these days and an article I read some time ago reminded me of how particularly heavily the burdens of present day events bear upon your profession.
You may remember that in 1851 the New York Herald Tribune under the sponsorship and publishing of Horace Greeley, employed as its London correspondent an obscure journalist by the name of Karl Marx.
We are told that foreign correspondent Marx, stone broke, and with a family ill and undernourished, constantly appealed to Greeley and managing editor Charles Dana for an increase in his munificent salary of $5 per installment, a salary which he and Engels ungratefully labeled as the "lousiest petty bourgeois cheating."
But when all his financial appeals were refused, Marx looked around for other means of livelihood and fame, eventually terminating his relationship with the Tribune and devoting his talents full time to the cause that would bequeath the world the seeds of Leninism, Stalinism, revolution and the cold war.
If only this capitalistic New York newspaper had treated him more kindly; if only Marx had remained a foreign correspondent, history might have been different. And I hope all publishers will bear this lesson in mind the next time they receive a poverty-stricken appeal for a small increase in the expense account from an obscure newspaper man.
I have selected as the title of my remarks tonight "The President and the Press." Some may suggest that this would be more naturally worded "The President Versus the Press." But those are not my sentiments tonight.
It is true, however, that when a well-known diplomat from another country demanded recently that our State Department repudiate certain newspaper attacks on his colleague it was unnecessary for us to reply that this Administration was not responsible for the press, for the press had already made it clear that it was not responsible for this Administration.
Nevertheless, my purpose here tonight is not to deliver the usual assault on the so-called one party press. On the contrary, in recent months I have rarely heard any complaints about political bias in the press except from a few Republicans. Nor is it my purpose tonight to discuss or defend the televising of Presidential press conferences. I think it is highly beneficial to have some 20,000,000 Americans regularly sit in on these conferences to observe, if I may say so, the incisive, the intelligent and the courteous qualities displayed by your Washington correspondents.
Nor, finally, are these remarks intended to examine the proper degree of privacy which the press should allow to any President and his family.
If in the last few months your White House reporters and photographers have been attending church services with regularity, that has surely done them no harm.
On the other hand, I realize that your staff and wire service photographers may be complaining that they do not enjoy the same green privileges at the local golf courses that they once did.
It is true that my predecessor did not object as I do to pictures of one's golfing skill in action. But neither on the other hand did he ever bean a Secret Service man.
My topic tonight is a more sober one of concern to publishers as well as editors.
I want to talk about our common responsibilities in the face of a common danger. The events of recent weeks may have helped to illuminate that challenge for some; but the dimensions of its threat have loomed large on the horizon for many years. Whatever our hopes may be for the future--for reducing this threat or living with it--there is no escaping either the gravity or the totality of its challenge to our survival and to our security--a challenge that confronts us in unaccustomed ways in every sphere of human activity.
This deadly challenge imposes upon our society two requirements of direct concern both to the press and to the President--two requirements that may seem almost contradictory in tone, but which must be reconciled and fulfilled if we are to meet this national peril. I refer, first, to the need for a far greater public information; and, second, to the need for far greater official secrecy.
I
The very word "secrecy" is repugnant in a free and open society; and we are as a people inherently and historically opposed to secret societies, to secret oaths and to secret proceedings. We decided long ago that the dangers of excessive and unwarranted concealment of pertinent facts far outweighed the dangers which are cited to justify it. Even today, there is little value in opposing the threat of a closed society by imitating its arbitrary restrictions. Even today, there is little value in insuring the survival of our nation if our traditions do not survive with it. And there is very grave danger that an announced need for increased security will be seized upon by those anxious to expand its meaning to the very limits of official censorship and concealment. That I do not intend to permit to the extent that it is in my control. And no official of my Administration, whether his rank is high or low, civilian or military, should interpret my words here tonight as an excuse to censor the news, to stifle dissent, to cover up our mistakes or to withhold from the press and the public the facts they deserve to know.
But I do ask every publisher, every editor, and every newsman in the nation to reexamine his own standards, and to recognize the nature of our country's peril. In time of war, the government and the press have customarily joined in an effort based largely on self-discipline, to prevent unauthorized disclosures to the enemy. In time of "clear and present danger," the courts have held that even the privileged rights of the First Amendment must yield to the public's need for national security.
Today no war has been declared--and however fierce the struggle may be, it may never be declared in the traditional fashion. Our way of life is under attack. Those who make themselves our enemy are advancing around the globe. The survival of our friends is in danger. And yet no war has been declared, no borders have been crossed by marching troops, no missiles have been fired.
If the press is awaiting a declaration of war before it imposes the self-discipline of combat conditions, then I can only say that no war ever posed a greater threat to our security. If you are awaiting a finding of "clear and present danger," then I can only say that the danger has never been more clear and its presence has never been more imminent.
It requires a change in outlook, a change in tactics, a change in missions--by the government, by the people, by every businessman or labor leader, and by every newspaper. For we are opposed around the world by a monolithic and ruthless conspiracy that relies primarily on covert means for expanding its sphere of influence--on infiltration instead of invasion, on subversion instead of elections, on intimidation instead of free choice, on guerrillas by night instead of armies by day. It is a system which has conscripted vast human and material resources into the building of a tightly knit, highly efficient machine that combines military, diplomatic, intelligence, economic, scientific and political operations.
Its preparations are concealed, not published. Its mistakes are buried, not headlined. Its dissenters are silenced, not praised. No expenditure is questioned, no rumor is printed, no secret is revealed. It conducts the Cold War, in short, with a war-time discipline no democracy would ever hope or wish to match.
Nevertheless, every democracy recognizes the necessary restraints of national security--and the question remains whether those restraints need to be more strictly observed if we are to oppose this kind of attack as well as outright invasion.
For the facts of the matter are that this nation's foes have openly boasted of acquiring through our newspapers information they would otherwise hire agents to acquire through theft, bribery or espionage; that details of this nation's covert preparations to counter the enemy's covert operations have been available to every newspaper reader, friend and foe alike; that the size, the strength, the location and the nature of our forces and weapons, and our plans and strategy for their use, have all been pinpointed in the press and other news media to a degree sufficient to satisfy any foreign power; and that, in at least in one case, the publication of details concerning a secret mechanism whereby satellites were followed required its alteration at the expense of considerable time and money.
The newspapers which printed these stories were loyal, patriotic, responsible and well-meaning. Had we been engaged in open warfare, they undoubtedly would not have published such items. But in the absence of open warfare, they recognized only the tests of journalism and not the tests of national security. And my question tonight is whether additional tests should not now be adopted.
The question is for you alone to answer. No public official should answer it for you. No governmental plan should impose its restraints against your will. But I would be failing in my duty to the nation, in considering all of the responsibilities that we now bear and all of the means at hand to meet those responsibilities, if I did not commend this problem to your attention, and urge its thoughtful consideration.
On many earlier occasions, I have said--and your newspapers have constantly said--that these are times that appeal to every citizen's sense of sacrifice and self-discipline. They call out to every citizen to weigh his rights and comforts against his obligations to the common good. I cannot now believe that those citizens who serve in the newspaper business consider themselves exempt from that appeal.
I have no intention of establishing a new Office of War Information to govern the flow of news. I am not suggesting any new forms of censorship or any new types of security classifications. I have no easy answer to the dilemma that I have posed, and would not seek to impose it if I had one. But I am asking the members of the newspaper profession and the industry in this country to reexamine their own responsibilities, to consider the degree and the nature of the present danger, and to heed the duty of self-restraint which that danger imposes upon us all.
Every newspaper now asks itself, with respect to every story: "Is it news?" All I suggest is that you add the question: "Is it in the interest of the national security?" And I hope that every group in America--unions and businessmen and public officials at every level-- will ask the same question of their endeavors, and subject their actions to the same exacting tests.
And should the press of America consider and recommend the voluntary assumption of specific new steps or machinery, I can assure you that we will cooperate whole-heartedly with those recommendations.
Perhaps there will be no recommendations. Perhaps there is no answer to the dilemma faced by a free and open society in a cold and secret war. In times of peace, any discussion of this subject, and any action that results, are both painful and without precedent. But this is a time of peace and peril which knows no precedent in history.
II
It is the unprecedented nature of this challenge that also gives rise to your second obligation--an obligation which I share. And that is our obligation to inform and alert the American people--to make certain that they possess all the facts that they need, and understand them as well--the perils, the prospects, the purposes of our program and the choices that we face.
No President should fear public scrutiny of his program. For from that scrutiny comes understanding; and from that understanding comes support or opposition. And both are necessary. I am not asking your newspapers to support the Administration, but I am asking your help in the tremendous task of informing and alerting the American people. For I have complete confidence in the response and dedication of our citizens whenever they are fully informed.
I not only could not stifle controversy among your readers--I welcome it. This Administration intends to be candid about its errors; for as a wise man once said: "An error does not become a mistake until you refuse to correct it." We intend to accept full responsibility for our errors; and we expect you to point them out when we miss them.
Without debate, without criticism, no Administration and no country can succeed--and no republic can survive. That is why the Athenian lawmaker Solon decreed it a crime for any citizen to shrink from controversy. And that is why our press was protected by the First Amendment-- the only business in America specifically protected by the Constitution- -not primarily to amuse and entertain, not to emphasize the trivial and the sentimental, not to simply "give the public what it wants"--but to inform, to arouse, to reflect, to state our dangers and our opportunities, to indicate our crises and our choices, to lead, mold, educate and sometimes even anger public opinion.
This means greater coverage and analysis of international news--for it is no longer far away and foreign but close at hand and local. It means greater attention to improved understanding of the news as well as improved transmission. And it means, finally, that government at all levels, must meet its obligation to provide you with the fullest possible information outside the narrowest limits of national security--and we intend to do it.
III
It was early in the Seventeenth Century that Francis Bacon remarked on three recent inventions already transforming the world: the compass, gunpowder and the printing press. Now the links between the nations first forged by the compass have made us all citizens of the world, the hopes and threats of one becoming the hopes and threats of us all. In that one world's efforts to live together, the evolution of gunpowder to its ultimate limit has warned mankind of the terrible consequences of failure.
And so it is to the printing press--to the recorder of man's deeds, the keeper of his conscience, the courier of his news--that we look for strength and assistance, confident that with your help man will be what he was born to be: free and independent
http://www.jfklibrary.org/Historical+Resources/Archives/Reference+Desk/Speeches/JFK/003POF03NewspaperPublishers04271961.htm
Thursday, May 28, 2009
1875 Gallons of Raw Sewage Spilled in Maria Sanchez Lake By City of St. Augustine, Florida
Photo credit: Marie Hardage
Our City of St. Augustine failed to give proper notice to residents of Lincolnville when it spilled 1875 gallons of raw sewage into Maria Sanchez Lake commencing May 21, never notifying our local newspaper and only erecting one tiny English-only sign (above), which appeared on Tuesday and was gone by Wednesday.
Our state and federal regulators must arrive with criminal investigators, instead of excuses. The time for desuetude is past. Prosecute the polluters! Indict City Manager WILLIAM B. HARRISS and his henchmen for a pettern of environmental crimes.
EPA: NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR MUNICIPAL SANITARY SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEMS AND SSOs
Photo credit: Marie Hardage
NPDES PERMIT REQUIREMENTS FOR MUNICIPAL SANITARY SEWER COLLECTION SYSTEMS AND SSOs
EPA estimates that between 23,000 and 75,000 sanitary sewer overflow (SSO) events occur per year in the United States (excluding basement backups). Overflows of untreated wastewater may present serious risks of human exposure when released to certain areas, such as streets, private property, basements, and receiving waters used for drinking water, fishing and shellfishing, or contact recreation. Untreated sewage contains pathogens and other pollutants, which are toxic. A description of the extent of human health and environmental impacts caused by discharges of untreated sewage, along with other information, is provided in AReport to Congress on the Impacts and Control of CSOs and SSOs,@ EPA, 2004.
The Report to Congress found that numerous NPDES authorities were making progress identifying SSO occurrences and their causes, and that NPDES permit requirements establishing clear reporting, record keeping and third party notification of overflows from municipal sewage collection systems, as well as clear requirements to properly operate and maintain the collection system, are critical to effective program implementation. NPDES authorities should be improving implementation of NPDES permit requirements for SSOs and sanitary sewer collection systems to improve the performance of municipal sanitary sewer collection systems and improve public notice for SSO events, which would:
$ Reduce health and environmental risks by reducing SSO occurrences and improving treatment facility performance; and
$ Protect the nation=s collection system infrastructure by enhancing and maintaining system capacity, reducing equipment and operational failures and extending the life of its components.
Clarifying Permit Conditions
To assure proper implementation, the NPDES regulations provide standard conditions that are to be in NPDES permits for POTWs (see 40 CFR 122.41 and 122.42). Standard conditions in a permit for a POTW apply to portions of the collection system for which the permittee has ownership or has operational control. Standard permit conditions that have particular application to SSOs and municipal sanitary sewer collection systems are discussed below. When reissued, permits for POTW discharges should clarify how key standard permit conditions apply to SSOs and sanitary sewer collection systems. Clarifications should address:
Immediate Reporting - Permits should clarify that the permittee is required to notify the NPDES authority of an overflow which may endanger health or the environment from portions of the collection system over which the permittee has ownership or operational control as soon as practicable but within 24 hours of the time the permittee becomes aware of the overflow. (See 40 CFR 122.41(l)(6))
Written Reports - Permits should clarify that the permittee is required to provide the NPDES authority a written report within five days of the time it became aware of any overflow that is subject to the immediate reporting provision. (See 40 CFR 122.41(l)(6)(i)). In addition, permits should clarify that any overflow that is not immediately reported as indicated above, should be reported in the discharge monitoring report. (See 40 CFR 122.41(l)(7)).
Third Party Notice -Permits should establish a process for requiring the permittee or the NPDES authority to notify specified third parties of overflows that may endanger health due to a likelihood of human exposure; or unanticipated bypass and upset that exceeds any effluent limitation in the permit or that may endanger health due to a likelihood of human exposure. Permits should clarify that the permittee is required to develop, in consultation with appropriate authorities at the local, county, and/or state level, a plan that describes how, under various overflow (and unanticipated bypass and upset) scenarios, the public, as well as other entities, would be notified of overflows that may endanger health. The plan should identify all overflows that would be reported and to whom, and the specific information that would be reported. The plan should include a description of lines of communication and the identities of responsible officials. (See 40 CFR 122.41(l)(6)).
Record Keeping -Permits should clarify that the permittee is required to keep records of overflows. Clarified permit language for record keeping should require the permittee to retain the reports submitted to the NPDES authority and other appropriate reports that could include work orders associated with investigation of system problems related to an overflow, that describes the steps taken or planned to reduce, eliminate, and prevent reoccurrence of the overflow. (See 40 CFR 122.41(j)).
Capacity, Management, Operation and Maintenance Programs -Permits should clarify requirements for proper operation and maintenance of the collection system. (See 40 CFR 122.41(d) and (e)). This may include requiring the development and implementation of capacity, management, operation and maintenance (CMOM) programs.
EPA=s Region 4 (in Atlanta) has developed materials and guidance that can help a municipality with its CMOM program. A list of resources can be found at www.epa.gov/region4/water/wpeb/momproject/momlinks.htm. The CMOM program may use a process for self-assessment and information management techniques for ongoing program improvement. The CMOM program may develop and implement emergency response procedures to overflows. In addition, the CMOM permit condition may specify appropriate documentation requirements, including:
CMOM Program Summary - Permittees may be required to develop a written
summary of their CMOM programs, which would be available to the NPDES
authority and public upon request. The program summary would give an
overview of the management program and summarize major implementation
activities.
Program Audit Report -Permittees may be required to conduct comprehensive audits of their programs during the permit cycle, and submit a copy of the audit report to the NPDES authority with the application for permit renewal. EPA=s Office of Wastewater Management provides information on CMOM, see http://cpub.gov/npdes/sso/toolbox.cfm?program_id=4. The Region 4 guide for MOM audits and self-audits is found at
www.epa.gov/region04/water/wpeb/pdfs/self-audit_review2-3.pdf.
System Evaluation and Capacity Assurance Plan - Capacity assurance refers to a process to identify, characterize and address hydraulic deficiencies in a sanitary sewer collection system. The permit may require the permittee to implement a program to assess the current capacity of the collection system and treatment facilities that they own or over which they have operational control in order to assure that discharges from unauthorized locations do not occur. Where peak flow conditions contribute to an SSO discharge or to noncompliance at a treatment plant, the permittee may be required to prepare and implement a system evaluation and capacity assurance plan. In some instances the permittee may already be under an enforceable obligation and schedule to do so, in which case this permit provision would be redundant, thus unnecessary.
Draft model permit conditions for clarifying reporting, recordkeeping, third party notification and CMOM programs for sanitary sewer collection systems are attached to this fact sheet.
Permit Coverage for Municipal Satellite Collection Systems
Under 40 CFR 122.1(b)(1) the NPDES program requires permits for the discharge of pollutants from any point source into waters of the United States. Under 40 CFR 122.21(a)(1) the NPDES regulations provide that any person who discharges or proposes to discharge pollutants and who does not have an effective permit, must submit a complete application to the NPDES authority, including overflows from any collection system that discharges to waters of the United States. NPDES authorities should issue a NPDES permit to the owner or operator of the municipal satellite collection system consistent with the CWA. NPDES permits issued for municipal satellite collection systems should include the same requirements, as applicable, as a permit issued to any other publicly owned treatment works with a municipal sanitary sewer collection system, e.g. capacity, management, operation and maintenance (CMOM), reporting, third party notification and record-keeping. Any discharge from a municipal satellite collection system without a permit would be a violation of the CWA and would be subject to potential enforcement.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
National Response Center Report No. 906722 -- Recent Raw Sewage Spill
Photo credit: Marie Hardage
Last night at approximately 6 PM we saw the sign (above) at the intersection of St. Francis Street and Cordova Street, bording Maria Sanchez Lake.
Efforts to obtain information from the City of St. Augustine were unavailing.
However, JOHN REGAN, Chief Operations Officer of the City of St. Augustine told me at 6: 10 last night that the "Recent Raw Sewage Spill" in quo was "last week."
The "Recent Sewage Spill"sign was not there on Tuesday morning, May 26th. It was there by 6 PM.
The "Recent Sewage Spill" sign was not there throughout the entire weekend.
The Editor of our local newspaper had not been informed by the City of the spill or the existence of a "Recent Sewage Spill" sign at Maria Sanchez Lake.
Local residents were not informed, other than by the obscure, monolingual "Recent Raw Sewage Spill" sign, of which there was only one on the north end of Maria Sanchez Lake.
The National Response Center was not informed by the City of the "Recent Raw Sewage Spill."
The "Recent Raw Sewage Spill" sign was tiny (8 x 10 inches) and only in English. That's right, not only is our Nation's Oldest European-founded City not informing people of a recent raw sewage spill in a lake used for fishing, but it is so ethnocentric that it does not post "Recent Raw Sewage Spill" signs in Spanish.
What about bigger signs and the word "WARNING" or "DANGER" (and Spanish translations)?
What would EPA think of the City's method of public health notices?
What would FDEP think of the City's method of public health notices?
Call and ask them about National Response Center Report No. 906722.
What would the King of Spain (who visited here) or Pedro Menendez de Aviles (our Ancient City's founder) say about that?
Undoubtedly the City of St. Augustine staff will kvetch that I turned them in to the National Response Center (again). The City staff has done it before, again and again.
As Jefferson said, "I have sworn upon the Altar of Almighty God eternal vigilance against every form of tyranny over the mind" of humankind.
Tuesday, May 26, 2009
Opinion: National health care long overdue By FAYE ARMITAGE
Opinion: National health care long overdue
By FAYE ARMITAGE
Fruit Cove
Publication Date: 05/24/09
In America's unsafe, uncivilized health care system patients fall victim to neglectful corporate health insurance bureaucracies. Many can't get any health insurance at all. Our system's in "critical condition."
Yet we have false and deceptive TV advertising by a cynical front group Conservatives for Patient Rights (CPR) run by Rick Scott, founder and ex-CEO of Columbia/HCA Healthcare Corp., who left after FBI raids in 1997. CPR is running emotional ads warning of the dangers of "socialized medicine." What these lobbyists are against, most of us regard as really "civilized medicine."
Scott's Columbia/HCA chain that couldn't bill straight was infamous for defrauding Medicare. Sued by the Justice Department in 2001, it settled the case for $1.7 billion, becoming the largest health care fraud in history. Now Scott has put $1 million of his Columbia/HCA gains behind malicious ads intended to scare Americans about a public option. The scare ads show purported Canadian patients and the operator of a private Vancouver clinic claiming that patients are dying on waiting lists. Not true.
Canada has no waiting lists for emergency procedures. It's wrong to suggest that Canadians with serious, life-threatening illnesses are enrolled on a "waiting list" before they can receive life-saving therapies. "Waiting lists" are for elective procedures.
How frustrating to those whose lives are ruined by lack of medical attention to be insulted by Rick Scott's cruelly unfair and misleading TV commercials about Canadian health care.
So how does America compare on wait times? A 2009 survey reports average doctor appointment wait times for cardiology, dermatology, obstetrics/gynecology, orthopedic surgery and family practice: average wait for a doctor's appointment is over two (2) months in some cities (if you're lucky enough to have health insurance). Almost 50 million Americans have no health insurance; and another 50 million have inadequate, or junk insurance. Some 39 percent of men, and 52 percent of women delay needed care. Health crises are the number one reason for bankruptcies and foreclosures.
The Republican Massachusetts health care "reform" model pushed by U.S. Rep. John Mica, is the worst of all worlds for patients/taxpayers. It creates a mandate to purchase taxpayer-subsidized private insurance mostly high out-of-pocket cost, minimum benefit plans. Mandating private insurance is a windfall (not unlike a taxpayer-funded bailout) to for-profit health insurances, while people are left high and dry (and on waiting lists) at high financial and health risk.
We must reduce the number of home foreclosures in Florida; one of the best ways is to devise an effective universal medical healthcare system that includes a less costly "public option," so families don't go bankrupt paying for hospitalizations.
Nothing is more destructive to patient care than the $20 billion annual private health insurance bureaucracy which profits from frequently denying or delaying health care claims. Fully one-third of U.S. health insurance claims are initially denied; yet according to the PBS documentary "Sick Around the World," claims are paid within two weeks in countries that employ a non-profit private insurance system along-side a public option.
Patients must have the right to choose their own doctors, which is exactly what an expanded Medicare style public option will allow. Corporate (HMO) health care denies that right. That's wrong. Speaking of "waiting lists," hardworking, loyal Americans have been waiting almost 64 years for civilized health care, since President Harry S. Truman first proposed it, on Nov. 19, 1945. That's a long wait, even in Congress. Watching Congress "deliberate" health care 64 years later is like waiting for a herd of turtles to compose a symphony.
Today, we're all Trumanites: we want national health care before more people die from a broken healthcare system.
Faye Armitage is an economist and advocate for a better health care system for the United States.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052409/opinions_052409_030.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Yet more reasons to support a St. Augusitne National Historical Park, National Seashore and National Scenic Coastal Parkway Act, www.staugustreen.com
Protecting endangered leatherback turtles (see below).
Protecting our City's historic downtown from ugliness (see below).
Protecting our City's historic downtown from ugliness (see below).
Turtle guided back to sea -- Leatherback helped from river By MARCIA LANE marc
Photos by Daron Dean
Turtle guided back to sea
Leatherback helped from river
By MARCIA LANE
marcia.lane@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/26/09
A group of volunteers who helped a leatherback turtle find her way back into the ocean at Summer Haven on Monday won't soon forget Memorial Day 2009.
"You could look her right in the eye. You could see her eyes tearing up," Mark Zander with the Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol said. "It was quite an experience."
A rare one, said Tara Dodson, habitat conservation coordinator for St. Johns County.
"I've never seen a live, healthy leatherback turtle," said Dodson, who missed getting to the site at Matanzas Inlet before the turtle made it back into the water.
For about two hours early Monday morning, half-a-dozen volunteers worked to get the wayward turtle back into the ocean.
Turtle Patrol volunteers first spotted the leatherback's tracks near Summer Haven and asked for assistance. A group under the leadership of Beth Libert, coordinator for the Volusia/Flagler Turtle Patrol also holds the permit for St. Johns County, came to the site.
The turtle, who weighed between 600 and 700 pounds, apparently came ashore, crawled over the dune and kept going, crossing over old A1A, heading into the grasslands and continuing into Matanzas River at Summer Haven.
"We followed her tracks and saw her floundering on the sandbar," Zander said. "She was exhausted."
So how do you get a 600-pound turtle back to the ocean when its mind is made up to go elsewhere?
With a lot of effort.
"Our fear was she would go on in the river and get in the Intracoastal (Waterway) ... A turtle that big, she would have had trouble. That was the importance of getting her back over the dune," Zander said.
Joining Libert and Zander in the effort were Turtle Patrol members Sonja Zander, Marcella and Karl Hague, Joan DeCamp and Pat Kleinsser.
Vacationer Clint Pollitt from the Brooksville area ended up adding his muscle to the effort.
"We had seen it in the inlet earlier ... flopping around. We saw some people there and it seemed like they could use some help. ... We went down," said Pollitt, who is renting a vacation house in the area
He joined the group "pushing and pulling" the turtle toward the direction of the ocean.
"My wife and two younger kids were watching the fun," Pollitt said, adding while he's seen dolphins, manatees and sharks "it's the first time I've seen a turtle that big."
Rescuers used a strap to try and guide her during the half-mile trip.
When the leatherback was in the deepest part of the channel she could use her flippers, otherwise the water was so shallow her flippers were touching the bottom.
"It was quite an experience to try and get that thing going in the right direction. You could hear every gasp of breath every time it came up. We were kind of breathing with her. It almost got to the point where you could feel the rhythm, (you knew) when she was going to take a breath," Mark Zander said
Once they had her back to the dune, the going got easier and the turtle headed back to the ocean, pushed along by two of the men.
Dodson says the leatherback is "pretty rare" in the north part of Florida, although more are seen in the southern part of the state.
The wayward turtle may have been laying a nest when she got headed in the wrong direction.
Area experts say it's been an exceptional year for leatherbacks with higher numbers than normal showing up to nest.
"Actually we've had 10 nests this season. I'm pretty sure that's the highest amount on record. That poor girl got disoriented, but the end result turned out fine," Dodson said.
#
Leatherback turtle facts
* Scientific name: Dermochelys coriacea
* Largest of all marine reptiles.
* Only sea turtles without hard shells. Black and white shells lack scales and are covered instead with a rubbery skin, distinguished by seven longitudinal keels or ridges.
* Unlike other species, can regulate body temperature, enabling it to dive deeper and to migrate thousands of miles.
* Length: 60 to 100 inches
* Weight: 710 to 1300 pounds
* Distribution: Nests in tropics, can wander to sub-Arctic waters.
* Diet: Jellyfish
* ESA status: Endangered
Source: St. Johns County Web site
#
How to help
Sea turtle strandings are increasing.
If you find a dead or sick sea turtle, call the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission turtle pager at (800) 241-4653 and enter number 274-4867 between 8 a.m. and 8 p.m. Do not put the turtles back into the water in case they need medical attention.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052609/news_052609_005.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
NY TIMES: Obama Selects Sotomayor for Court
By PETER BAKER and JEFF ZELENY
Published: May 26, 2009
WASHINGTON — President Obama has decided to nominate the federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, choosing a daughter of Puerto Rican parents raised in Bronx public housing projects to become the nation’s first Hispanic justice, officials said Tuesday.
The decision, to be announced Tuesday morning, will be Mr. Obama’s first selection to the Supreme Court and could trigger a struggle with Senate Republicans who have indicated they may oppose the nomination. But Democrats control nearly the 60 votes necessary to choke off a filibuster and even Republicans said they have little hope of blocking confirmation barring unforeseen revelation.
Judge Sotomayor, 54, who has served for more than a decade on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based in New York City, would become the nation’s 111th justice, replacing David H. Souter, who is retiring after 19 years on the bench. Although Justice Souter was appointed by the first President George Bush, he became a mainstay of the liberal faction on the court and so his replacement by Judge Sotomayor likely would not shift the overall balance of power.
But her appointment would add a second woman to the nine-member court and give Hispanics their first seat. Her life story, mirroring in some ways Mr. Obama’s own, would add a different complexion to the panel, fulfilling the president’s stated desire to add diversity of background to the nation’s highest tribunal.
Judge Sotomayor’s father died when she was 9 years old and she was raised by her mother, who worked six-day weeks to earn enough money to send her and a brother to Catholic school. She got into Princeton University, where she once said she felt like “a visitor landing in an alien country,” but graduated summa cum laude.
After Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal, she worked for Robert M. Morgenthau in the district attorney’s office in New York and later was in private practice. The first President Bush nominated her in 1991 to the federal district court on the recommendation of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat of New York, and she was confirmed a year later. President Bill Clinton decided to elevate her to the appeals court in 1997 and she was confirmed a year later.
Judge Sotomayor has said her ethnicity and gender are important factors in serving on the bench, a point that could generate debate. “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” she said in a 2002 lecture.
She also once said at a conference that a “court of appeals is where policy is made,” a statement that has drawn criticism from conservatives who saw it as a sign of judicial activism. Judge Sotomayor seemed to understand at the time that she was making a controversial statement, adding that “I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don’t make law.”
Conservatives quickly pointed to such statements after word of her selection on Tuesday.
“Judge Sotomayor is a liberal activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important than the law as written,” said Wendy E. Long, counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, an activist group. “She thinks that judges should dictate policy and that one’s sex, race, and ethnicity ought to affect the decisions one renders from the bench.”
White House officials concluded that such statements, while perhaps providing fodder for opponents, would not be problematic enough to hinder her confirmation. Some officials have said in recent days that they relish the prospect of Republicans standing up against a Hispanic woman with her life story because it would only damage the G.O.P. in a key voting bloc.
Indeed, in nominating the first Hispanic justice, Mr. Obama may appeal to a large and growing constituency whose party loyalty is still very much in play. Hispanic groups have expressed excitement about the idea of one of their own serving on the high court. (Some scholars argue whether Benjamin Cardozo was really the first Hispanic justice, but with his Portuguese-Jewish background, he never identified himself as a Hispanic.)
On the appeals court, Judge Sotomayor has not been involved in many hotly disputed decisions, but one that she participated in is before the Supreme Court right now. As part of a panel, she voted to uphold New Haven’s decision to throw out a set of fire department promotion tests because no minority candidates made the top of the list. White firefighters who scored high but were denied promotion are appealing that ruling.
As a district judge, she briefly earned fame in 1995 by ending a Major League Baseball strike, ruling in favor of players and against the owners, who she said were trying to subvert the labor system..
Published: May 26, 2009
WASHINGTON — President Obama has decided to nominate the federal appeals judge Sonia Sotomayor to the Supreme Court, choosing a daughter of Puerto Rican parents raised in Bronx public housing projects to become the nation’s first Hispanic justice, officials said Tuesday.
The decision, to be announced Tuesday morning, will be Mr. Obama’s first selection to the Supreme Court and could trigger a struggle with Senate Republicans who have indicated they may oppose the nomination. But Democrats control nearly the 60 votes necessary to choke off a filibuster and even Republicans said they have little hope of blocking confirmation barring unforeseen revelation.
Judge Sotomayor, 54, who has served for more than a decade on the 2nd Circuit Court of Appeals based in New York City, would become the nation’s 111th justice, replacing David H. Souter, who is retiring after 19 years on the bench. Although Justice Souter was appointed by the first President George Bush, he became a mainstay of the liberal faction on the court and so his replacement by Judge Sotomayor likely would not shift the overall balance of power.
But her appointment would add a second woman to the nine-member court and give Hispanics their first seat. Her life story, mirroring in some ways Mr. Obama’s own, would add a different complexion to the panel, fulfilling the president’s stated desire to add diversity of background to the nation’s highest tribunal.
Judge Sotomayor’s father died when she was 9 years old and she was raised by her mother, who worked six-day weeks to earn enough money to send her and a brother to Catholic school. She got into Princeton University, where she once said she felt like “a visitor landing in an alien country,” but graduated summa cum laude.
After Yale Law School, where she was editor of the Yale Law Journal, she worked for Robert M. Morgenthau in the district attorney’s office in New York and later was in private practice. The first President Bush nominated her in 1991 to the federal district court on the recommendation of Senator Daniel Patrick Moynihan, Democrat of New York, and she was confirmed a year later. President Bill Clinton decided to elevate her to the appeals court in 1997 and she was confirmed a year later.
Judge Sotomayor has said her ethnicity and gender are important factors in serving on the bench, a point that could generate debate. “I would hope that a wise Latina woman with the richness of her experiences would more often than not reach a better conclusion than a white male who hasn’t lived that life,” she said in a 2002 lecture.
She also once said at a conference that a “court of appeals is where policy is made,” a statement that has drawn criticism from conservatives who saw it as a sign of judicial activism. Judge Sotomayor seemed to understand at the time that she was making a controversial statement, adding that “I know this is on tape and I should never say that because we don’t make law.”
Conservatives quickly pointed to such statements after word of her selection on Tuesday.
“Judge Sotomayor is a liberal activist of the first order who thinks her own personal political agenda is more important than the law as written,” said Wendy E. Long, counsel to the Judicial Confirmation Network, an activist group. “She thinks that judges should dictate policy and that one’s sex, race, and ethnicity ought to affect the decisions one renders from the bench.”
White House officials concluded that such statements, while perhaps providing fodder for opponents, would not be problematic enough to hinder her confirmation. Some officials have said in recent days that they relish the prospect of Republicans standing up against a Hispanic woman with her life story because it would only damage the G.O.P. in a key voting bloc.
Indeed, in nominating the first Hispanic justice, Mr. Obama may appeal to a large and growing constituency whose party loyalty is still very much in play. Hispanic groups have expressed excitement about the idea of one of their own serving on the high court. (Some scholars argue whether Benjamin Cardozo was really the first Hispanic justice, but with his Portuguese-Jewish background, he never identified himself as a Hispanic.)
On the appeals court, Judge Sotomayor has not been involved in many hotly disputed decisions, but one that she participated in is before the Supreme Court right now. As part of a panel, she voted to uphold New Haven’s decision to throw out a set of fire department promotion tests because no minority candidates made the top of the list. White firefighters who scored high but were denied promotion are appealing that ruling.
As a district judge, she briefly earned fame in 1995 by ending a Major League Baseball strike, ruling in favor of players and against the owners, who she said were trying to subvert the labor system..
Acting Circuit Judge Patti Christensen Insults Summer Haven Litigants
Acting Circuit Judge Patti Christensen, behaving like a misanthrope, insults Summer Haven residents in her latest ukase. We need more judges like Supreme Court nominee Sotomayor, who have actual life experiences, instead of silver-spoon condescension for lesser mortals.
Court: No relief for Summer Haven
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/23/09
A group of Summer Haven residents who live along deteriorating Old A1A filed a civil damages lawsuit against St. Johns County in 2005 to force county officials to repair the road.
But they learned Friday evening that a judge ruled against them.
Acting Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen granted a summary judgment for the county, additionally declaring that the county has no responsibility to maintain, repair or reconstruct Old A1A or even to provide emergency services to homeowners there.
The county acquired the 1.6-mile road in 1979 when the state abandoned it because of "extensive erosion," and sections of it had been washed away repeatedly since 1981, Christensen wrote in her 26-page order.
"Unfortunately, after a thorough reading of the statutes, the court has found no guidance as to how a county must maintain a deteriorating road," she wrote.
County Administrator Mike Wanchick said he was pleased that the county's interests had prevailed.
"But you don't really relish a legal victory over your own residents," he said. "We're ready to do everything we can to improve their situation."
County Attorney Patrick McCormack said he was "not celebrating the ruling," adding that his office plans to work with county administration and "reasonably" confront the concerns of Summer Haven residents.
"The order appears to address all of the major issues of the case. The county is gratified that the court order carefully analyzed Florida and state law pertaining to the complicated issues," McCormack said.
Plaintiffs Robert and Linnie Jordan of Summer Haven and plaintiff attorney Tom Warner of West Palm Beach were unable to be reached.
Their lawsuit asked for five decisions from the court:
* Declaratory relief: A ruling that the county must provide them emergency services,
* Injunctive relief: Asking the court for a temporary and permanent injunction requiring the county to repair the road.
* Inverse condemnation: Claiming the county's failure to properly maintain Old A1A restricted their access and therefore amounted to a taking of property rights without compensation.
* Declaratory judgment: Claiming that county ordinances which established a building moratorium violated their due process rights, causing damages.
* Inverse condemnation: Alleging that the moratorium deprived them of the beneficial use of their properties, creating a taking for which they should be compensated.
Christensen, in her section Finds of Fact, wrote a comprehensive history of Old A1A's problems over the past 25 years.
The original house on Summer Haven, built in 1952, eventually floated off its foundation.
When the county acquired the road, there were only three residences on it. Since then, 25 have been permitted.
"In 1981, a strong Nor'easter washed out chunks of the road in the northern part and took out dunes in the area. In 1984, approximately one mile of the road was totally destroyed by storms," she said. "The road has steadily deteriorated since the county acquired it."
Since 1986 the county has voted not to spend any money to rebuild Old A1A, but it estimates that it spent $2.3 million from 2003 to 2005 for temporary fixes.
Recently, a section of Summer Haven washed completely through to the Summer Haven River, cutting off the north end from the south and taking with it the water pipes leading to the southern half.
Christensen said, "It would be impractical if not impossible to restore the road. The county does not even own those portions of the road under the mean high water mark because they have become state land. As a general observation, the plaintiffs as a group are intelligent, well-educated professionals who decided to purchase property on a barren sand dune."
Click here to return to story:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/052309/news_052309_023.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Court: No relief for Summer Haven
By PETER GUINTA
peter.guinta@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/23/09
A group of Summer Haven residents who live along deteriorating Old A1A filed a civil damages lawsuit against St. Johns County in 2005 to force county officials to repair the road.
But they learned Friday evening that a judge ruled against them.
Acting Circuit Judge Patti A. Christensen granted a summary judgment for the county, additionally declaring that the county has no responsibility to maintain, repair or reconstruct Old A1A or even to provide emergency services to homeowners there.
The county acquired the 1.6-mile road in 1979 when the state abandoned it because of "extensive erosion," and sections of it had been washed away repeatedly since 1981, Christensen wrote in her 26-page order.
"Unfortunately, after a thorough reading of the statutes, the court has found no guidance as to how a county must maintain a deteriorating road," she wrote.
County Administrator Mike Wanchick said he was pleased that the county's interests had prevailed.
"But you don't really relish a legal victory over your own residents," he said. "We're ready to do everything we can to improve their situation."
County Attorney Patrick McCormack said he was "not celebrating the ruling," adding that his office plans to work with county administration and "reasonably" confront the concerns of Summer Haven residents.
"The order appears to address all of the major issues of the case. The county is gratified that the court order carefully analyzed Florida and state law pertaining to the complicated issues," McCormack said.
Plaintiffs Robert and Linnie Jordan of Summer Haven and plaintiff attorney Tom Warner of West Palm Beach were unable to be reached.
Their lawsuit asked for five decisions from the court:
* Declaratory relief: A ruling that the county must provide them emergency services,
* Injunctive relief: Asking the court for a temporary and permanent injunction requiring the county to repair the road.
* Inverse condemnation: Claiming the county's failure to properly maintain Old A1A restricted their access and therefore amounted to a taking of property rights without compensation.
* Declaratory judgment: Claiming that county ordinances which established a building moratorium violated their due process rights, causing damages.
* Inverse condemnation: Alleging that the moratorium deprived them of the beneficial use of their properties, creating a taking for which they should be compensated.
Christensen, in her section Finds of Fact, wrote a comprehensive history of Old A1A's problems over the past 25 years.
The original house on Summer Haven, built in 1952, eventually floated off its foundation.
When the county acquired the road, there were only three residences on it. Since then, 25 have been permitted.
"In 1981, a strong Nor'easter washed out chunks of the road in the northern part and took out dunes in the area. In 1984, approximately one mile of the road was totally destroyed by storms," she said. "The road has steadily deteriorated since the county acquired it."
Since 1986 the county has voted not to spend any money to rebuild Old A1A, but it estimates that it spent $2.3 million from 2003 to 2005 for temporary fixes.
Recently, a section of Summer Haven washed completely through to the Summer Haven River, cutting off the north end from the south and taking with it the water pipes leading to the southern half.
Christensen said, "It would be impractical if not impossible to restore the road. The county does not even own those portions of the road under the mean high water mark because they have become state land. As a general observation, the plaintiffs as a group are intelligent, well-educated professionals who decided to purchase property on a barren sand dune."
Click here to return to story:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/052309/news_052309_023.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Presidential sendoff
Presidential sendoff
Publication Date: 05/23/09
President Barack Obama fist bumps Naval Academy graduate Thomas Tracy Upchurch, history major, as he approaches the stage to receive his diploma during the United States Naval Academy graduation ceremony in Annapolis, Md., on Friday. Upchurch is a graduate of Pedro Menendez High School and the son of Mr. and Mrs. Tracy W. Upchurch of St. Augustine. By Charles Dharapak, AP photo See story, Page 7a
Click here to return to story:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/052309/news_052309_022.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Newspapers, learn from the Telegraph (and Garrison Keillor) below
As Garrison Keillor says (below): "The other part of the story is that Telegraph sales are up by 10 percent, which is one answer to the question all newspapers are asking these days. If you print stuff that people are avid to read, they will buy your paper, and there is nothing people love more than to savor the embarrassment of the high and mighty. Forget about Iran -- if Mr. Obama is charging us for his trouser press, we want to know."
The business of newspapers is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted -- to expose wrongdoing, not be an accomplice to it. What do you reckon?
The business of newspapers is to afflict the comfortable and comfort the afflicted -- to expose wrongdoing, not be an accomplice to it. What do you reckon?
Stop the (trouser) presses!
Stop the (trouser) presses!
Garrison Keillor
Syndicated Columnist
Publication Date: 05/23/09
I come to London for the signage ("Danger: Men working overhead"), and to pick up a tube of Euthymol toothpaste and devour a cup of Mr. Whippy lemon ice and a package of chocolate HobNobs, and to enjoy the roomy taxicabs and the cabbies' no-hesitation style of driving, their bold U-turns, and to observe the gilded gates and the Mounted Guards and all the storybook tinges of aristocracy so dear to us Americans.
And terrific theater. Saw a beautiful and moving performance by puppets -- life-sized horses in "War Horse" at the National Theatre -- light shells of horses with visible frames and legs of two puppeteers inside, another manipulating the head, and yet the sight of the beasts grazing, nuzzling, shying, rearing up was the most perfect and believable thing I've seen onstage in a long time. And then at the vaudeville-burlesque "La Clique," saw a fine contortionist work his body through the head of a tennis racket and an American comedienne drop her drawers, pull a kazoo out of her bosom and stick it up her dress into a very private place and proceed to give us (we thought, we assumed, we dared to hope) a rendition of "America" from her nether regions and, a moment later, put another kazoo in her mouth and play a very accomplished orifice duet, all with the innocence of a 4-Her doing a performance project at the county fair. Wowza.
But the best show in town is the Daily Telegraph's dogged campaign to bring down Gordon Brown's Labor government by exposing the squishy underbelly of corruption in Parliament that Labor has tolerated for years. Day after day for almost two weeks, the paper has pounded away with details of petty grifting in high places and large unflattering photographs of members of Parliament, some of which seem horizontally distorted to give the Honorables a piggish appearance, like a funhouse mirror. And now, as I write, the speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, has stepped down, the first to do so in more than 300 years, knocked off his horse by a crusading newspaper.
The story is fairly simple: Parliament members from districts outside London can be compensated for expenses deemed "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred to enable you to stay overnight away from your main home," and a large number of members have exploited this provision to pad their modest salaries (slightly more than a hundred grand per annum) in ways that Martin tried to keep secret. But some minion in a parliamentary office took home a computer disk and sold it to the Telegraph for a tidy sum and out spilled the garbage -- 2,000 pounds for a 37-inch high-def plasma TV set; 1,625 pounds for a garden table, chairs and parasol; 7,000 pounds for a new kitchen; 519.31 pounds for a week at the Bide-A-Wee holiday cottage; 100 pounds to remove moles from a garden; 725 pounds for a cherrywood mirror; 600 pounds for the removal of wisteria; 2,200 pounds for the cleaning of a moat; 2,000 pounds to repair a pipe under a tennis court; 5,700 pounds for a portico; 115 pounds for a handyman to come and change light bulbs -- on and on it went, day after day, a tide of savory details.
There were several instances of members being compensated for interest on mortgages that turned out not to exist, a criminal matter. But most of the stuff was rather small, if fascinating, potatoes. A wealthy member who owns seven homes in Britain and part of one in France charged the taxpayers 119 pounds for a trouser press. This is the sort of thing that makes a constituent grab his pint of bitters and slam his fist on the table.
And now, having seen the Speaker walk the plank, the Honorables must go out to their districts in Sodden Wickham and Twitching Bridgewater to explain why taxpayers paid for the cleaning of a moat. A dreadful fate, having to kneel down and crawl in public as the mob flings dead fish and dry dog dung at you.
The other part of the story is that Telegraph sales are up by 10 percent, which is one answer to the question all newspapers are asking these days. If you print stuff that people are avid to read, they will buy your paper, and there is nothing people love more than to savor the embarrassment of the high and mighty. Forget about Iran -- if Mr. Obama is charging us for his trouser press, we want to know.
#
Garrison Keillor is the author of the Lake Wobegon novel "Liberty" (Viking).
Click here to return to story:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/052309/opinions_052309_054.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Garrison Keillor
Syndicated Columnist
Publication Date: 05/23/09
I come to London for the signage ("Danger: Men working overhead"), and to pick up a tube of Euthymol toothpaste and devour a cup of Mr. Whippy lemon ice and a package of chocolate HobNobs, and to enjoy the roomy taxicabs and the cabbies' no-hesitation style of driving, their bold U-turns, and to observe the gilded gates and the Mounted Guards and all the storybook tinges of aristocracy so dear to us Americans.
And terrific theater. Saw a beautiful and moving performance by puppets -- life-sized horses in "War Horse" at the National Theatre -- light shells of horses with visible frames and legs of two puppeteers inside, another manipulating the head, and yet the sight of the beasts grazing, nuzzling, shying, rearing up was the most perfect and believable thing I've seen onstage in a long time. And then at the vaudeville-burlesque "La Clique," saw a fine contortionist work his body through the head of a tennis racket and an American comedienne drop her drawers, pull a kazoo out of her bosom and stick it up her dress into a very private place and proceed to give us (we thought, we assumed, we dared to hope) a rendition of "America" from her nether regions and, a moment later, put another kazoo in her mouth and play a very accomplished orifice duet, all with the innocence of a 4-Her doing a performance project at the county fair. Wowza.
But the best show in town is the Daily Telegraph's dogged campaign to bring down Gordon Brown's Labor government by exposing the squishy underbelly of corruption in Parliament that Labor has tolerated for years. Day after day for almost two weeks, the paper has pounded away with details of petty grifting in high places and large unflattering photographs of members of Parliament, some of which seem horizontally distorted to give the Honorables a piggish appearance, like a funhouse mirror. And now, as I write, the speaker of the House of Commons, Michael Martin, has stepped down, the first to do so in more than 300 years, knocked off his horse by a crusading newspaper.
The story is fairly simple: Parliament members from districts outside London can be compensated for expenses deemed "wholly, exclusively and necessarily incurred to enable you to stay overnight away from your main home," and a large number of members have exploited this provision to pad their modest salaries (slightly more than a hundred grand per annum) in ways that Martin tried to keep secret. But some minion in a parliamentary office took home a computer disk and sold it to the Telegraph for a tidy sum and out spilled the garbage -- 2,000 pounds for a 37-inch high-def plasma TV set; 1,625 pounds for a garden table, chairs and parasol; 7,000 pounds for a new kitchen; 519.31 pounds for a week at the Bide-A-Wee holiday cottage; 100 pounds to remove moles from a garden; 725 pounds for a cherrywood mirror; 600 pounds for the removal of wisteria; 2,200 pounds for the cleaning of a moat; 2,000 pounds to repair a pipe under a tennis court; 5,700 pounds for a portico; 115 pounds for a handyman to come and change light bulbs -- on and on it went, day after day, a tide of savory details.
There were several instances of members being compensated for interest on mortgages that turned out not to exist, a criminal matter. But most of the stuff was rather small, if fascinating, potatoes. A wealthy member who owns seven homes in Britain and part of one in France charged the taxpayers 119 pounds for a trouser press. This is the sort of thing that makes a constituent grab his pint of bitters and slam his fist on the table.
And now, having seen the Speaker walk the plank, the Honorables must go out to their districts in Sodden Wickham and Twitching Bridgewater to explain why taxpayers paid for the cleaning of a moat. A dreadful fate, having to kneel down and crawl in public as the mob flings dead fish and dry dog dung at you.
The other part of the story is that Telegraph sales are up by 10 percent, which is one answer to the question all newspapers are asking these days. If you print stuff that people are avid to read, they will buy your paper, and there is nothing people love more than to savor the embarrassment of the high and mighty. Forget about Iran -- if Mr. Obama is charging us for his trouser press, we want to know.
#
Garrison Keillor is the author of the Lake Wobegon novel "Liberty" (Viking).
Click here to return to story:
http://www.staugustine.com/stories/052309/opinions_052309_054.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Developers await Crist's signature Others critical of bill allowing building growth
Developers await Crist's signature
Others critical of bill allowing building growth
By MARY ELLEN KLAS
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Publication Date: 05/26/09
TALLAHASSEE -- A growth-management bill awaiting Gov. Charlie Crist's signature is being hailed by developers as the coveted key to unlocking hundreds of delayed construction projects across the state.
The same bill is seen by environmentalists and local governments as a shortsighted solution that will exacerbate Florida's housing glut, increase traffic delays and allow uncontrolled development in rural areas.
It is up to Crist to sort it out. The governor said last week that he probably will sign the measure, known as SB 360, but his top guru for growth management, Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham, sounds less certain.
At an online seminar to brief the public on growth-management issues last week, Pelham repeatedly said that "if'' the bill should become law, the department would work closely with local government so that the act "will result in responsible planning."
Short of that, Pelham told his listeners: "I have absolutely no inside information about the governor's pending decision, and if I did I couldn't share it with you anyway."
The measure passed the Florida House 78-37 and the Senate 30-7. The governor has until June 2 to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
The measure makes substantial rewrites to the state's 25-year-old growth laws by:
* Allowing developers in Florida's most urban counties to add more residential development without expanding roads. Instead, developers would pay a "mobility fee'' -- yet to be determined -- to finance public transit and road improvements.
* Giving cities and counties the option of designating urban areas that would also be exempt from the requirement to construct the roads needed to avoid traffic congestion.
* Exempting large development projects from review by regional planning boards.
Promoters of the legislation say the changes are needed so developers can kick-start their projects when the economy improves. Among the incentives, the changes make it less expensive to build in urban areas -- channeling growth into denser areas instead of pushing more growth to the suburbs and encouraging sprawl.
"The hope is that by removing unworkable or duplicative regulations, when the economy begins to rebound, the state of Florida will not be standing in its own way," said Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, who is a developer and sponsored the bill. In an op-ed piece that ran in newspapers across the state, Bennett said the legislation "is an attempt to promote both economic development and good planning."
Ron Weaver, a Tampa land-use lawyer, said that if the bill becomes law hundreds of construction projects -- including education and government buildings, medical clinics and assisted-living facilities -- will come off the shelves because builders will find it economical to construct them.
"It's not as if it's going to be a major outbreak of development. It's not," Weaver said. "But there is some development out there waiting for some reasonable rules."
The Audubon Society of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Association have urged Crist to veto the bill. They argue that its definition of urban area -- 1,000 people per square mile -- is so low that instead of discouraging sprawl the bill will encourage it.
The Florida Association of Counties is also asking for the governor's veto, arguing that the elimination of transportation "concurrency'' will lead to more backlogged road construction and clogged roads. Counties would have to find ways to deal with traffic congestion caused by growth after the growth occurs, rather than require the developer to have a road-financing plan in place before construction, the group says.
Pelham acknowledges that change is needed. As one of the architects of the state's first laws to regulate growth, he continues to believe growth management and planning are important. But he said the economy has forced a new reality.
"We're suddenly experiencing a sharp economic downturn with very little population growth and you hear people saying, 'Well, now we need some growth to manage,' " he said. The goal of the legislation is to "salvage what is good but also adapting to the times that we're in."
But he acknowledged that if the bill becomes law it "can exacerbate the glut of homes on the market." His department has received requests from local governments that want to amend their growth plans to allow for "large amounts of residential development'' -- from 20,000 to 100,000 new units in most areas.
"I think clearly if we went down that path it could contribute to oversupply, overbuilding -- the kind of problem we're already in," he said. But, he added, many of those proposals "are clearly speculative'' and it's up to government to make sure that any development that is approved is responsible.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052609/state_052609_014.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Others critical of bill allowing building growth
By MARY ELLEN KLAS
Times/Herald Tallahassee Bureau
Publication Date: 05/26/09
TALLAHASSEE -- A growth-management bill awaiting Gov. Charlie Crist's signature is being hailed by developers as the coveted key to unlocking hundreds of delayed construction projects across the state.
The same bill is seen by environmentalists and local governments as a shortsighted solution that will exacerbate Florida's housing glut, increase traffic delays and allow uncontrolled development in rural areas.
It is up to Crist to sort it out. The governor said last week that he probably will sign the measure, known as SB 360, but his top guru for growth management, Department of Community Affairs Secretary Tom Pelham, sounds less certain.
At an online seminar to brief the public on growth-management issues last week, Pelham repeatedly said that "if'' the bill should become law, the department would work closely with local government so that the act "will result in responsible planning."
Short of that, Pelham told his listeners: "I have absolutely no inside information about the governor's pending decision, and if I did I couldn't share it with you anyway."
The measure passed the Florida House 78-37 and the Senate 30-7. The governor has until June 2 to sign it, veto it or let it become law without his signature.
The measure makes substantial rewrites to the state's 25-year-old growth laws by:
* Allowing developers in Florida's most urban counties to add more residential development without expanding roads. Instead, developers would pay a "mobility fee'' -- yet to be determined -- to finance public transit and road improvements.
* Giving cities and counties the option of designating urban areas that would also be exempt from the requirement to construct the roads needed to avoid traffic congestion.
* Exempting large development projects from review by regional planning boards.
Promoters of the legislation say the changes are needed so developers can kick-start their projects when the economy improves. Among the incentives, the changes make it less expensive to build in urban areas -- channeling growth into denser areas instead of pushing more growth to the suburbs and encouraging sprawl.
"The hope is that by removing unworkable or duplicative regulations, when the economy begins to rebound, the state of Florida will not be standing in its own way," said Sen. Mike Bennett, R-Bradenton, who is a developer and sponsored the bill. In an op-ed piece that ran in newspapers across the state, Bennett said the legislation "is an attempt to promote both economic development and good planning."
Ron Weaver, a Tampa land-use lawyer, said that if the bill becomes law hundreds of construction projects -- including education and government buildings, medical clinics and assisted-living facilities -- will come off the shelves because builders will find it economical to construct them.
"It's not as if it's going to be a major outbreak of development. It's not," Weaver said. "But there is some development out there waiting for some reasonable rules."
The Audubon Society of Florida, 1000 Friends of Florida and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Association have urged Crist to veto the bill. They argue that its definition of urban area -- 1,000 people per square mile -- is so low that instead of discouraging sprawl the bill will encourage it.
The Florida Association of Counties is also asking for the governor's veto, arguing that the elimination of transportation "concurrency'' will lead to more backlogged road construction and clogged roads. Counties would have to find ways to deal with traffic congestion caused by growth after the growth occurs, rather than require the developer to have a road-financing plan in place before construction, the group says.
Pelham acknowledges that change is needed. As one of the architects of the state's first laws to regulate growth, he continues to believe growth management and planning are important. But he said the economy has forced a new reality.
"We're suddenly experiencing a sharp economic downturn with very little population growth and you hear people saying, 'Well, now we need some growth to manage,' " he said. The goal of the legislation is to "salvage what is good but also adapting to the times that we're in."
But he acknowledged that if the bill becomes law it "can exacerbate the glut of homes on the market." His department has received requests from local governments that want to amend their growth plans to allow for "large amounts of residential development'' -- from 20,000 to 100,000 new units in most areas.
"I think clearly if we went down that path it could contribute to oversupply, overbuilding -- the kind of problem we're already in," he said. But, he added, many of those proposals "are clearly speculative'' and it's up to government to make sure that any development that is approved is responsible.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052609/state_052609_014.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Speak Out at June 8th, 5PM Meeting of St. Augustine City Commission -- Does This Ugly, Palatka-Style Block Belong at Cathedral Place & St. George St
DONALD CRICHLOW, on the right, with cronies, at least one of whom disapproves of what CRICHLOW is doing to the City of St. Augustine and the view from our Cathedral and Government House!
DONALD CRICHLOW, left, next to cronies, some of whom now disapprove of his pushing ugly buildings like the one in quo (across from Cathedral and Government House)
Ugly Hotel Nears Approval By City Commission of St. Augustine, Represented by Conflicted Architect-Commissioner DONALD CRICHLOW
Hotel close to approval
By KATI BEXLEY
kati.bexley@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/26/09
A boutique hotel to be built on St. George Street is one step away from approval by the St. Augustine City Commission.
The Historic Architectural Review Board unanimously said yes last week to a 21,000-square-foot building that would be both a hotel and retail shops, Mark Knight, city planning and building department director, said Sunday. It would be built at 180 St. George St., across from the downtown Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
The proposed project will go before the City Commission for final action at a meeting June 3, Knight said.
The Review Board had previously tabled the project and asked for about 20 minor changes to it, Knight has said.
The project's architect, City Commissioner Don Crichlow, made the changes, but the Review Board still wants him to redo the light fixtures and show how he will improve the sidewalks in that area of downtown, said Knight.
Crichlow has recused himself from voting on the project as a commissioner.
The proposed hotel has caused some friction with Cathedral-Basilica parishioners because it would take up half of Bank of America's parking lot, or roughly 25 spaces. Parishioners buy $1 decals from the parish and park in the lot for Sunday morning Masses, without additional charge.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052609/news_052609_004.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
By KATI BEXLEY
kati.bexley@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/26/09
A boutique hotel to be built on St. George Street is one step away from approval by the St. Augustine City Commission.
The Historic Architectural Review Board unanimously said yes last week to a 21,000-square-foot building that would be both a hotel and retail shops, Mark Knight, city planning and building department director, said Sunday. It would be built at 180 St. George St., across from the downtown Cathedral-Basilica of St. Augustine.
The proposed project will go before the City Commission for final action at a meeting June 3, Knight said.
The Review Board had previously tabled the project and asked for about 20 minor changes to it, Knight has said.
The project's architect, City Commissioner Don Crichlow, made the changes, but the Review Board still wants him to redo the light fixtures and show how he will improve the sidewalks in that area of downtown, said Knight.
Crichlow has recused himself from voting on the project as a commissioner.
The proposed hotel has caused some friction with Cathedral-Basilica parishioners because it would take up half of Bank of America's parking lot, or roughly 25 spaces. Parishioners buy $1 decals from the parish and park in the lot for Sunday morning Masses, without additional charge.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052609/news_052609_004.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
Friday, May 22, 2009
Guest Column: St. Augustine must have a national historical park, seashore and scenic coastal parkway --- check out www.staugustgreen.com
ED SLAVIN
St. Augustine
Publication Date: 03/26/07
Real estate speculators (some foreign-funded) continue to destroy our local wildlife, habitat, nature and history. Roads are clogged. Noise abounds. Our way of life is being destroyed. Unfeeling, uncaring Philistines are turning St. Johns County into an uglier, unreasonable facsimile of South Florida. Unjust county government stewards allowed an asphalt plant near homes. Another plant reportedly emits 50 tons/year of volatile organic compounds into residents' and workers' lungs and brains.
Speculators are even trying to build homes on top of unremediated septic tanks/fields, while vacationing boaters pollute our Bay front with untreated sewage (the only boat-pumpout-station is at Conch House Marina). Our Bay front (which lacks a harbormaster) had an oil spill Jan. 15. Developers demand to build docks over city-owned State Road 312 area marshes for boat-owners' pleasure. Enough.
Let's invite environmental tourism by preserving an "emerald necklace of parks," including the city-owned marsh.
Ask Congress to hold hearings to map our "St. Augustine National Historical Park and National Seashore" (SANHPNS), using 1928-style trolleycars to save gasoline, uniting the Castillo and Fort Matanzas National Monuments, "slave market park," downtown streets, Government House, Red House Bluff indigenous village (next to historical society), marshes, forests, National Cemetery, GTM NERR, Anastasia State Park, Fort Mose and other city, county, state and St. Johns River Water Management District lands.
Let's cancel future shock/schlock/sprawl/ugliness/skyscrapers and eliminate temptations to abuse/neglect/misuse state parks and historic buildings for golf courses and rote, rube commercialism.
In December, State Sen. Jim King suggested Florida donate "deed and title" of state buildings to our city. I suggested that we deed them to the National Park Service (NPS), with St. George Street visitor center in restored buildings, saving millions (as in the New Bedford Whaling National Historical Park).
St. Augustine needs a national civil rights and indigenous history museum, celebrating local residents and national leaders, whose courage helped win passage of 1964's Civil Rights Act. Why not put the museum in the old Woolworth's building, restored to its former glory, with wood floors, lunch-counter and exhibits on the civil rights struggles that changed history (well- documented in Jeremy Dean's documentary, "Dare Not Walk Alone"), with "footsoldiers monument" across the street ?
Why not (finally) implement the 2003 National Trust for Historic Preservation and Flagler College study on how to protect our history? Let's tax tourists more to fund historic preservation, as in Charleston/elsewhere.
Let's preserve/protect the quality of our lives and visitors' experience (and property values) by preserving forever what speculators haven't destroyed (yet).
Let's adopt a three-year moratorium on growth, while we work to adopt truly comprehensive plans worthy of the name.
Colonial National Historical Park (NHP), Philadelphia's Independence NHP and NHPs in Boston, New Bedford, Valley Forge, San Francisco and Saratoga.
There's a Martin Luther King historical site in Atlanta, NHPs for "Rosie the Riveter" (California) and the "War in the Pacific" (Guam), and new parks slated for ten Japanese internment camps.
Florida hosts Everglades, Dry Tortugas and Biscayne National Parks and Canaveral National Seashore. Let's add St. Augustine to the list.
From sea to shining sea, America's coastal areas enjoy national parks. Where's ours?
Let's make parts of State Road A1A a National Parkway and hiking/biking trail, like the Colonial National Historical Parkway and the Baltimore Washington, George Washington, Rock Creek and John D. Rockefeller (Wyoming) Parkways and the Appalachian Trial and C&O Canal.
Let's add St. Augustine to the list of our nation's most beloved national parks, joining Zion, Yosemite, Grand Canyon, Bryce Canyon and the Great Smoky Mountains.
Florida's 500th and St. Augustine's 450th anniversaries are only six and eight years away (2013 and 2015). Enacting a national park and seashore will forever preserve the treasures that we love. It will halt the sprawl we hate, increase tourism and reduce local taxes, paying speculators to stop.
Mayor Joe Boles' mother graciously thanked me for speaking out on these issues after the Jan. 22 City Commission meeting -- issues that Mrs. Boles has been outspoken about for "30 years." Let's honor/heed Mrs. Boles' wisdom -- and those who proposed a national park before World War II. Let's save St. Augustine and our environment forever.
Ed Slavin lives in St. Augustine.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/032607/opinions_4479465.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
National Parks and Conservation Association: List of What Congress Included in Omnibus Park Bill
NPS-related Highlights of H.R. 146
NPCA Advocated For These Enhancements:
* Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park — (KY) redesignation from National Historic Site to National Historical Park.
* Competitive Status for Federal Employees in the State of Alaska — (AK) brings locals into the competitive service when they are first hired, allowing them to share their local knowledge and skills and begin a life-long career with the National Park Service.
* Concessions Management Advisory Board — reauthorizes concessions board.
* Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wilderness — (CA) designates the Amargosa River as Wild and Scenic, providing much-needed protection to water resources at Death Valley NP.
* Fort Davis National Historic Site — (TX) expands boundary for the purpose of protecting the park's historic 19th century viewshed in perpetuity.
* Green McAdoo School study — (TN) studies the possible addition of the Green McAdoo School in Clinton, TN to the NPS. In 1956, 12 students from Green McAdoo became the first African-Americans to integrate a state-operated school (1 year before Little Rock High School).
* Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail — (Pacific Northwest) authorizes the creation of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail in the Pacific Northwest — the first national geologic trail in the NPS.
* Funding for Keweenaw National Historical Park — (MI) improves the National Park Service's ability at Keweenaw NHP to fully tell the inspiring story of the copper miners in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, who helped shape the Industrial Revolution.
* Little River Canyon National Preserve boundary expansion — (AL) adjusts boundary of Little River Canyon NP to preserve scenic views of the canyon and alleviate threats of adjacent development.
* Martin Van Buren National Historic Site — (NY) boundary expansion of 261 acres.
* Minute Man National Historical Park — (MA) expands Minute Man NHP to protect the historically-significant farm of Colonel James Barrett, commander of the Middlesex Militia.
* Paleontological Resources Preservation — toughens penalties on the illegal collection of fossils on federal lands, including national parks such as Badlands in South Dakota and Petrified Forest in Arizona.
* Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park — (TX) boundary expansion and renaming of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park.
* Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park — (NJ) establishes Paterson Great Falls NHP as a unit of the NPS, to preserve and interpret historical, cultural and natural resources associated with the Historic District.
* Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Wilderness — (MI) designates more than 11,000 acres of wilderness in Pictured Rocks NL.
* River Raisin National Battlefield Park — (MI) — designation of River Raisin National Battlefield Park, honoring the fallen soldiers of one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812.
* Riverside County Wilderness — (CA) includes designation of @ 70,000 acres of additional wilderness in Joshua Tree NP.
* Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness — (CO) designates @ 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain NP as wilderness.
* Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness — (CA) includes designation of more than 84,000 acres of wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP.
* Trail of Tears National Historic Trail — (multi state) additions to the Trail of Tears NHT, which traces the route of the Cherokee Nation when they were forced to relocate to Oklahoma.
* Walnut Canyon Study — (AZ) study of adding potential lands to the Walnut Canyon National Monument.
* Washington County Wilderness — (UT) designates nearly 125,000 acres of Zion NP as wilderness and designates 165 miles of the Virgin River as Wild and Scenic.
* Women's Rights National Historical Park — (NY) establishes a commemorative trail that will link together many significant sites across New York State that tell the stories of the women's rights movement.
Other Parks In the Bill:
* Battle of Camden — (SC) study potential for adding Battle of Camden site to the NPS.
* Battle of Matewan special resource study — (WV) study potential for adding the Battle of Matewan site to the NPS.
* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area — (MA) pertaining to cooperative agreements between Boston Harbor Islands NRA and eligible entities.
* Butterfield Overland Trail — (multi state: MO, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA) study potential for addition of Butterfield Overland Trail to the National Trail System.
* Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission — reestablishes advisory commission.
* Cold War sites theme study — to conduct a national historic landmark theme study to identify sites and resources that are significant to the Cold War.
* Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park — (OH) additions of historic sites to Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP and establishment of cooperative agreements.
* Estate Grange — (Virgin Islands) study potential for including Estate Grange, Alexander Hamilton's boyhood home on the island of St. Croix as a unit of the NPS.
* Everglades National Park — (FL) inclusion of Tarpon Basin Property.
* Fort San Geronimo — (Puerto Rico) study potential for including Fort San Geronimo as part of San Juan National Historic Site.
* Harriet Beecher Stowe House — (ME) study potential for including the Harriet Beecher Stowe House as a unit of the NPS.
* Harry S. Truman Birthplace — (MO) study potential of either adding the Harry S. Truman Birthplace to the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, or designating birthplace as a separate unit of the NPS.
* Hopewell Culture National Historical Park boundary expansion — (OH) boundary expansion.
* Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve boundary expansion — (LA) land acquisition for the Baratavia Marsh Unit of Jean Lafitte NHP & P.
* Kalaupapa National Historical Park — (HI) establishment of memorial at Kalaupapa NHP to honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula from 1866 — 1969.
* New River Gorge National River — (WV) ensures that hunting remains a purpose of the New River Gorge National River.
* Shepherdstown battlefield — (WV) study potential for adding the Shepherdstown battlefield to either Harpers Ferry NHP or Antietam National Battlefield.
* Snake River Headwaters Legacy Act — (WY) designates the rivers and streams of the headwaters of the Snake River System (which runs through Grand Teton NP) as Wild and Scenic.
* St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission — establishes commission to plan, develop and carry out activities appropriate for the commemoration of St. Augustine's 450th anniversary.
* Thomas Edison National Historical Park — (NJ) land acquisition and renaming of Thomas Edison National Historic Site to Thomas Edison National Historical Park.
* Tule Lake Segregation Center — (CA) study potential for inclusion of Tule Lake Segregation Center as site in the NPS.
* Weir Farm National Historic Site — (CT) land acquisition for purposes of locating visitor and administrative facilities.
* William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historical Site — (AR) designation of the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home Site as a National Historic Site and unit of the NPS.
NPCA Advocated For These Enhancements:
* Abraham Lincoln Birthplace National Historical Park — (KY) redesignation from National Historic Site to National Historical Park.
* Competitive Status for Federal Employees in the State of Alaska — (AK) brings locals into the competitive service when they are first hired, allowing them to share their local knowledge and skills and begin a life-long career with the National Park Service.
* Concessions Management Advisory Board — reauthorizes concessions board.
* Eastern Sierra and Northern San Gabriel Wilderness — (CA) designates the Amargosa River as Wild and Scenic, providing much-needed protection to water resources at Death Valley NP.
* Fort Davis National Historic Site — (TX) expands boundary for the purpose of protecting the park's historic 19th century viewshed in perpetuity.
* Green McAdoo School study — (TN) studies the possible addition of the Green McAdoo School in Clinton, TN to the NPS. In 1956, 12 students from Green McAdoo became the first African-Americans to integrate a state-operated school (1 year before Little Rock High School).
* Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail — (Pacific Northwest) authorizes the creation of the Ice Age Floods National Geologic Trail in the Pacific Northwest — the first national geologic trail in the NPS.
* Funding for Keweenaw National Historical Park — (MI) improves the National Park Service's ability at Keweenaw NHP to fully tell the inspiring story of the copper miners in Michigan's Upper Peninsula, who helped shape the Industrial Revolution.
* Little River Canyon National Preserve boundary expansion — (AL) adjusts boundary of Little River Canyon NP to preserve scenic views of the canyon and alleviate threats of adjacent development.
* Martin Van Buren National Historic Site — (NY) boundary expansion of 261 acres.
* Minute Man National Historical Park — (MA) expands Minute Man NHP to protect the historically-significant farm of Colonel James Barrett, commander of the Middlesex Militia.
* Paleontological Resources Preservation — toughens penalties on the illegal collection of fossils on federal lands, including national parks such as Badlands in South Dakota and Petrified Forest in Arizona.
* Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park — (TX) boundary expansion and renaming of Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Site to Palo Alto Battlefield National Historic Park.
* Paterson Great Falls National Historical Park — (NJ) establishes Paterson Great Falls NHP as a unit of the NPS, to preserve and interpret historical, cultural and natural resources associated with the Historic District.
* Pictured Rocks National Lakeshore Wilderness — (MI) designates more than 11,000 acres of wilderness in Pictured Rocks NL.
* River Raisin National Battlefield Park — (MI) — designation of River Raisin National Battlefield Park, honoring the fallen soldiers of one of the bloodiest battles of the War of 1812.
* Riverside County Wilderness — (CA) includes designation of @ 70,000 acres of additional wilderness in Joshua Tree NP.
* Rocky Mountain National Park Wilderness — (CO) designates @ 250,000 acres of Rocky Mountain NP as wilderness.
* Sequoia and Kings Canyon National Parks Wilderness — (CA) includes designation of more than 84,000 acres of wilderness in Sequoia and Kings Canyon NP.
* Trail of Tears National Historic Trail — (multi state) additions to the Trail of Tears NHT, which traces the route of the Cherokee Nation when they were forced to relocate to Oklahoma.
* Walnut Canyon Study — (AZ) study of adding potential lands to the Walnut Canyon National Monument.
* Washington County Wilderness — (UT) designates nearly 125,000 acres of Zion NP as wilderness and designates 165 miles of the Virgin River as Wild and Scenic.
* Women's Rights National Historical Park — (NY) establishes a commemorative trail that will link together many significant sites across New York State that tell the stories of the women's rights movement.
Other Parks In the Bill:
* Battle of Camden — (SC) study potential for adding Battle of Camden site to the NPS.
* Battle of Matewan special resource study — (WV) study potential for adding the Battle of Matewan site to the NPS.
* Boston Harbor Islands National Recreation Area — (MA) pertaining to cooperative agreements between Boston Harbor Islands NRA and eligible entities.
* Butterfield Overland Trail — (multi state: MO, TN, AR, OK, TX, NM, AZ, CA) study potential for addition of Butterfield Overland Trail to the National Trail System.
* Cape Cod National Seashore Advisory Commission — reestablishes advisory commission.
* Cold War sites theme study — to conduct a national historic landmark theme study to identify sites and resources that are significant to the Cold War.
* Dayton Aviation Heritage National Historical Park — (OH) additions of historic sites to Dayton Aviation Heritage NHP and establishment of cooperative agreements.
* Estate Grange — (Virgin Islands) study potential for including Estate Grange, Alexander Hamilton's boyhood home on the island of St. Croix as a unit of the NPS.
* Everglades National Park — (FL) inclusion of Tarpon Basin Property.
* Fort San Geronimo — (Puerto Rico) study potential for including Fort San Geronimo as part of San Juan National Historic Site.
* Harriet Beecher Stowe House — (ME) study potential for including the Harriet Beecher Stowe House as a unit of the NPS.
* Harry S. Truman Birthplace — (MO) study potential of either adding the Harry S. Truman Birthplace to the Harry S. Truman National Historic Site, or designating birthplace as a separate unit of the NPS.
* Hopewell Culture National Historical Park boundary expansion — (OH) boundary expansion.
* Jean Lafitte National Historical Park and Preserve boundary expansion — (LA) land acquisition for the Baratavia Marsh Unit of Jean Lafitte NHP & P.
* Kalaupapa National Historical Park — (HI) establishment of memorial at Kalaupapa NHP to honor and perpetuate the memory of those individuals who were forcibly relocated to the Kalaupapa Peninsula from 1866 — 1969.
* New River Gorge National River — (WV) ensures that hunting remains a purpose of the New River Gorge National River.
* Shepherdstown battlefield — (WV) study potential for adding the Shepherdstown battlefield to either Harpers Ferry NHP or Antietam National Battlefield.
* Snake River Headwaters Legacy Act — (WY) designates the rivers and streams of the headwaters of the Snake River System (which runs through Grand Teton NP) as Wild and Scenic.
* St. Augustine 450th Commemoration Commission — establishes commission to plan, develop and carry out activities appropriate for the commemoration of St. Augustine's 450th anniversary.
* Thomas Edison National Historical Park — (NJ) land acquisition and renaming of Thomas Edison National Historic Site to Thomas Edison National Historical Park.
* Tule Lake Segregation Center — (CA) study potential for inclusion of Tule Lake Segregation Center as site in the NPS.
* Weir Farm National Historic Site — (CT) land acquisition for purposes of locating visitor and administrative facilities.
* William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home National Historical Site — (AR) designation of the William Jefferson Clinton Birthplace Home Site as a National Historic Site and unit of the NPS.
Watching Rep. JOHN LUIGI MICA claim that he supports farmers is like watching a duck make love to a football!
JOHN LUIGI MICA's sins have found him out -- Rep. JOHN LUIGI MICA consistently votes against farmers, as exemplified by his low National Farmers Union votes. See below.
MICA GETS LOW RATINGS FROM NATIONAL FARMERS UNION
Agriculture Issues
(Back to top)
2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Farmers Union's position, Representative Mica received a rating of 14.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Association of Wheat Growers 24 percent in 2007.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Council of Agricultural Employers 100 percent in 2007.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the United Fresh Produce Association 0 percent in 2007.
2005-2006 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 94 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 0 percent in 2005-2006.
2005 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Association of Wheat Growers 100 percent in 2005.
2005 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Council of Agricultural Employers 66 percent in 2005.
2003-2004 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 40 percent in 2003-2004.
2002 Based on a 2002 survey given to all congressional candidates Vote Hemp chose to rate Representative Mica as Anti Hemp.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Minnesota Farm Bureau 86 percent in 2001-2002.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Minnesota Farm Bureau 88 percent in 2001-2002.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 30 percent in 2001-2002.
2000 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 67 percent in 2000.
1999-2000 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 50 percent in 1999-2000.
1999 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 100 percent in 1999.
1998 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 67 percent in 1998.
1997 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 83 percent in 1997.
1996 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 40 percent in 1996.
1995-1996 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 90 percent in 1995-1996.
1995 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 20 percent in 1995.
1994 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Competitive Enterprise Institute - Agriculture 100 percent in 1994.
1994 On the votes that the National Farmers Union considered to be the most important in 1994 , Representative Mica voted their preferred position 44 percent of the time.
1993-1994 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 86 percent in 1993-1994.
1993 On the votes that the National Farmers Union considered to be the most important in 1993 , Representative Mica voted their preferred position 44 percent of the time.
How to Interpret these Evaluations:
(Back to top)
Project Vote Smart collects performance evaluations from special interest groups who provide them, regardless of issue or bias. If you have any comments concerning performance evaluations or know of a group that provides ratings not included here, please contact us at ratings@vote-smart.org.
Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups are biased. They do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issues concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.
Most performance evaluations are displayed in a percentage format. However, some organizations present their ratings in the form of a letter grade or endorsement based on voting records, interviews, survey results and/or sources of campaign funding. For consistency, Project Vote Smart converts all scores into a percentage when possible. Please visit the group's website or call 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=26805&type=category&category=4
(Back to top)
2007-2008 Based on a point system, with points assigned for actions in support of or in opposition to National Farmers Union's position, Representative Mica received a rating of 14.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Association of Wheat Growers 24 percent in 2007.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Council of Agricultural Employers 100 percent in 2007.
2007 Representative Mica supported the interests of the United Fresh Produce Association 0 percent in 2007.
2005-2006 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 94 percent in 2005-2006.
2005-2006 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 0 percent in 2005-2006.
2005 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Association of Wheat Growers 100 percent in 2005.
2005 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Council of Agricultural Employers 66 percent in 2005.
2003-2004 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 40 percent in 2003-2004.
2002 Based on a 2002 survey given to all congressional candidates Vote Hemp chose to rate Representative Mica as Anti Hemp.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Minnesota Farm Bureau 86 percent in 2001-2002.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Minnesota Farm Bureau 88 percent in 2001-2002.
2001-2002 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 30 percent in 2001-2002.
2000 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 67 percent in 2000.
1999-2000 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 50 percent in 1999-2000.
1999 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 100 percent in 1999.
1998 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 67 percent in 1998.
1997 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 83 percent in 1997.
1996 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 40 percent in 1996.
1995-1996 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 90 percent in 1995-1996.
1995 Representative Mica supported the interests of the National Farmers Union 20 percent in 1995.
1994 Representative Mica supported the interests of the Competitive Enterprise Institute - Agriculture 100 percent in 1994.
1994 On the votes that the National Farmers Union considered to be the most important in 1994 , Representative Mica voted their preferred position 44 percent of the time.
1993-1994 Representative Mica supported the interests of the American Farm Bureau Federation 86 percent in 1993-1994.
1993 On the votes that the National Farmers Union considered to be the most important in 1993 , Representative Mica voted their preferred position 44 percent of the time.
How to Interpret these Evaluations:
(Back to top)
Project Vote Smart collects performance evaluations from special interest groups who provide them, regardless of issue or bias. If you have any comments concerning performance evaluations or know of a group that provides ratings not included here, please contact us at ratings@vote-smart.org.
Keep in mind that ratings done by special interest groups are biased. They do not represent a non-partisan stance. In addition, some groups select votes that tend to favor members of one political party over another, rather than choosing votes based solely on issues concerns. Nevertheless, they can be invaluable in showing where an incumbent has stood on a series of votes in the past one or two years, especially when ratings by groups on all sides of an issue are compared. Website links, if available, and descriptions of the organizations offering performance evaluations are accessible by clicking on the name of the group.
Most performance evaluations are displayed in a percentage format. However, some organizations present their ratings in the form of a letter grade or endorsement based on voting records, interviews, survey results and/or sources of campaign funding. For consistency, Project Vote Smart converts all scores into a percentage when possible. Please visit the group's website or call 1-888-VOTESMART for more specific information.
http://www.votesmart.org/issue_rating_category.php?can_id=26805&type=category&category=4
Farmers seek help with crops
Farmers seek help with crops
By CHAD SMITH
chad.smith@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/22/09
The two most important disaster-relief officials in Washington coincidentally will be in central Florida at a previously scheduled meeting today, and a congressman intends to ask that they expedite relief for the farmers facing huge losses after their fields were flooded by heavy rainfall this week.
"This timing couldn't be better to have all of the key players in our district to get some attention," U.S. Rep. John Mica said in a telephone interview Thursday before flying back to Florida.
Mica, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of Homeland Security, Craig Fugate, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Sen. Mel Martinez are scheduled to meet with other officials in Lake Mary to discuss emergency response.
Calling the flooding a "disaster," Mica said the federal government needs to respond.
Many fields in southwestern St. Johns County were under water after a slow-moving storm dumped several inches of rain on the area this week as many farmers were preparing to harvest their crops of potato, cantaloupe and cabbage.
Mica said he was going to ask Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who will also attend the meeting, to forward the local requests for emergency declaration to Washington, and he'll ask Fugate and Napolitano to grant the requests.
The emergency declaration would open doors for impacted farmers to get aid money.
Flagler County, which has been among the hardest hit areas, reported an estimated $45 million worth of damage done to potato farmers in Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, where there are nearly 20,000 acres of potato farms.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052209/news_052209_061.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
By CHAD SMITH
chad.smith@staugustine.com
Publication Date: 05/22/09
The two most important disaster-relief officials in Washington coincidentally will be in central Florida at a previously scheduled meeting today, and a congressman intends to ask that they expedite relief for the farmers facing huge losses after their fields were flooded by heavy rainfall this week.
"This timing couldn't be better to have all of the key players in our district to get some attention," U.S. Rep. John Mica said in a telephone interview Thursday before flying back to Florida.
Mica, Janet Napolitano, the secretary of Homeland Security, Craig Fugate, the administrator of the Federal Emergency Management Agency, and Sen. Mel Martinez are scheduled to meet with other officials in Lake Mary to discuss emergency response.
Calling the flooding a "disaster," Mica said the federal government needs to respond.
Many fields in southwestern St. Johns County were under water after a slow-moving storm dumped several inches of rain on the area this week as many farmers were preparing to harvest their crops of potato, cantaloupe and cabbage.
Mica said he was going to ask Lt. Gov. Jeff Kottkamp, who will also attend the meeting, to forward the local requests for emergency declaration to Washington, and he'll ask Fugate and Napolitano to grant the requests.
The emergency declaration would open doors for impacted farmers to get aid money.
Flagler County, which has been among the hardest hit areas, reported an estimated $45 million worth of damage done to potato farmers in Flagler, Putnam and St. Johns counties, where there are nearly 20,000 acres of potato farms.
Click here to return to story:
http://staugustine.com/stories/052209/news_052209_061.shtml
© The St. Augustine Record
USDOJ Press Release & AP: Former Okaloosa County Sheriff Convicted of Felonies
U.S. Department of Justice News Release:
Pensacola, Florida – Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, announced today the conviction of former Okaloosa County Sheriff Charles “Charlie” W. Morris, 59, of Shalimar, Florida.
Appearing before Senior United States District Judge Lacey A. Collier, Morris confessed his guilt to each of the six federal crimes charged by an indictment returned last month: conspiracy to commit theft of programs receiving Federal funds, by converting to their own use and the use of others property and funds of Okaloosa County and of the Sheriff’s Department (Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 - Count One); stealing, fraudulently obtaining, converting to the use of others, and misapplying over $5,000 of those funds (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666, - Counts Two, Three); conspiracy to commit money laundering (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(i), (B)(i), and (B)(ii) - Count Four); engaging in monetary transactions and property derived from specified unlawful activity (money laundering) (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1957, 2 - Count Five); and conspiracy to commit theft of honest services by means of wire fraud (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 - Count Six).
Morris admitted that while the incumbent Sheriff of Okaloosa County, he and his then- Director of Administration and Finance and co-defendant, Teresa Adams, 50, Niceville, Florida, created fictitious bonuses to sheriff’s department employees. Sheriff’s Office employees were directed to return all or a portion of the bonuses in the form of cash and cashier’s checks under the pretense that these returned funds were to be used for charitable purposes.
Morris’ plea was incident to a “Plea and Cooperation Agreement” with the United States Attorney for the Northern District of Florida, which requires that he cooperate fully and truthfully with the United States Attorney and agencies involving any matter under investigation, to include debriefing and testifying at grand jury or trial as requested. The Agreement includes Morris’ commitment to surrender all forfeitable assets to the United States or agencies designated by the United States, transferring such assets prior to his sentencing. At the end of his plea colloquy, Morris stated, “I apologize to you and this Court for being here today.”
Morris will be sentenced by Senior United States District Judge Collier on Tuesday, July 28, 2009 at 10:30 a.m. The conspiracy to commit program fraud theft (Count One) is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both, 3 years of supervised release, and courtordered restitution. The theft from programs receiving federal funds (Counts Two and Three) is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and
court-ordered restitution. The conspiracy to commit money laundering (Count Four) is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $500, 000 or twice the value of the involved property (whichever is greater), 5 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution.
The money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250, 000 or twice the value of the criminally derived property (whichever is greater), 5 years of supervised release, and
court-ordered restitution. The wire fraud conspiracy (Count Six) is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250, 000, 5 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution.
The indictment and resulting guilty plea resulted from an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall J. (Randy) Hensel.
------------------------------------------------
SHALIMAR, Fla. (AP) _ A Panhandle sheriff charged with fraud and
money laundering is expected to avoid trial by entering a plea on
Tuesday.
According to court documents, suspended Okaloosa County Sheriff
Charlie Morris is scheduled to appear in federal court in Pensacola
Tuesday morning to change his not guilty plea.
Federal prosecutors allege Morris pocketed more than $80,000 by taking kickbacks from bonuses he gave his employees.
FBI agents arrested Morris in Las Vegas in February.
USDOJ Press Release: Former Okaloosa County Sheriff and Director of Administration Indicted on Federal Conspiracy, Theft, and Money Laundering Charges
Department of Justice Press Release
white spacer
For Immediate Release
April 23, 2009 United States Attorney's Office
Northern District of Florida
Contact: (850) 942-8430
Former Okaloosa County Sheriff and Director of Administration Indicted on Federal Conspiracy, Theft, and Money Laundering Charges
PENSACOLA, FL—Thomas F. Kirwin, United States Attorney for the Northern District
of Florida, announced today the return of a federal indictment charging former Okaloosa County Sheriff Charles “Charlie” W. Morris, 59, of Shalimar, Florida, and former Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office Director of Administration Teresa Adams, 50, of Niceville, Florida, with federal crimes. The indictment alleges conspiracy to commit theft of programs receiving Federal funds, by converting to their own use and the use of others property and funds of Okaloosa County and of the Sheriff’s Department (Title 18, United States Code, Section 371 - Count One); stealing, fraudulently obtaining, converting to the use of others, and misapplying over $5,000 of those funds (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 666, - Counts Two, Three); conspiracy to commit money laundering (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1956(a)(1)(i), (B)(i), and (B)(ii) - Count Four); engaging in monetary transactions and property derived from specified unlawful activity (money laundering) (Title 18, United States Code, Sections 1957, 2 - Count Five); and conspiracy to commit theft of honest services by means of wire fraud (Title 18, United States Code, Section 1349 - Count Six). The indictment also contains a declaration of the United States’s intent to forfeit property of the defendants.
The indictment alleges that while Sheriff, Morris, with the assistance of his Director of Administration and Finance, Adams, created fictitious bonuses to sheriff’s department employees. The indictment alleges that Sheriff’s Office employees were directed to return all or a portion of the bonuses in the form of cash and cashier’s checks under the pretense that these returned funds were to be used for charitable purposes.
The conspiracy to commit program fraud theft (Count One) is punishable by up to 5 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine or both, 3 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution. The theft from programs receiving federal funds (Counts Two and Three) is punishable by up to 10 years imprisonment, a $250,000 fine, 3 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution. The conspiracy to commit money laundering (Count Four) is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $500, 000 or twice the value of the involved property (whichever is greater), 5 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution. The money laundering is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250, 000 or twice the value of the criminally derived property (whichever is greater), 5 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution. The wire fraud conspiracy (Count Six) is punishable by up to 20 years imprisonment, a fine of $250, 000, 5 years of supervised release, and court-ordered restitution.
Mr. Morris and Ms. Adams will appear before United States Magistrate Judge Elizabeth M. Timothy to be arraigned on the charges Monday, April 27, 2009 at 11:00 a.m.
The indictment is the result of an investigation by agents of the Federal Bureau of Investigation and Internal Revenue Service. The case is being prosecuted by Assistant United States Attorney Randall J. (Randy) Hensel. An indictment is merely a formal charge by the grand jury. Each defendant is presumed innocent unless and until proven guilty in United States District Court.
Thursday, May 21, 2009
USDOJ Press Release: Highlighting Recent FBI Public Corruption Investigations
Press Release
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2009
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Highlighting Recent FBI Public Corruption Investigations
Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities—behind only terrorism, espionage, and cyber crimes—and is the top priority of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. It can affect everything from how well our borders are secured and our neighborhoods protected to verdicts handed down in courts to the quality of our roads and schools. It also takes a significant toll on our pocketbooks by siphoning off tax dollars. It is estimated that public corruption costs the U.S. government and the public billions of dollars each year.
“Public corruption erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy. In investigating these crimes, the FBI can leverage tools such as undercover operations and electronic surveillance to root out those who betray the public trust,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The FBI’s Public Corruption Program also targets Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. To combat international corruption, the FBI has created a number of target-specific programs. For example, the International Contract Corruption Initiative addresses growing corruption within the global community. The International Contract Corruption Task Force addresses the systemic, long-term, multi-billion dollar contract corruption and procurement fraud crime problem linked to the war and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This multi-agency task force combines the efforts of the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Department of State.
A selection of recent press releases from 2009 related to public corruption investigations is listed below. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov.
* On 01/08/2009, a former executive at a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 01/08/2009, a retired Army Major pled guilty in a bribery scheme involving Department of Defense contracts in Kuwait. More
* On 01/21/2009, Puerto Rico Senator Jorge De Castro Font pled guilty to honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion More
* On 01/23/2009, a former New York Power Authority employee was sentenced to 37 months in jail for a bribery and fraud scheme. More
* On 02/03/2009, the former finance director of a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 02/05/2009, a government contractor was sentenced to 30 months in prison on bribery charges. More
* On 02/11/2009, Kellogg Brown & Root LLC pled guilty to foreign bribery charges and agreed to pay a $402 million criminal fine. More
* On 02/24/2009, a former employee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States was charged with corruption and tax violations. More
* On 03/05/2009, two UK citizens were charged by the United States with bribing Nigerian government officials to obtain lucrative contracts as part of a joint venture scheme involving Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. More
* On 03/05/2009, a former U.S. Tax Court official was sentenced for engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery. More
* On 03/06/2009, a former staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives was indicted on corruption charges. More
* On 03/10/2009, a former Congressional staffer pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. More
* On 03/12/2009, a former Alaska State Representative pled guilty to public corruption charges. More
* On 03/19/2009, a third defendant pled guilty to a money laundering scheme involving bribes for contracts at a Kuwait Army base. More
* On 03/26/2009, a former Michigan school official was sentenced to 46 months in jail for participating in a fraud scheme. More
* On 04/03/2009, a lobbyist was sentenced for destroying evidence in a public corruption investigation. More
* On 04/09/2009, two Department of Defense contractors were charged in a bribery conspiracy related to contracts in Afghanistan. More
* On 04/21/2009, a former military official pled guilty to participating in a bribery conspiracy involving a $206 million telecommunications contract in Korea. More
* On 05/06/2009, a Korean businessman was indicted in a bribery conspiracy and wire fraud scheme involving a $206 million contract. More
*****Sign up for FBI email alerts at www.fbi.gov by clicking on the red envelopes.*****
Follow the FBI on Twitter @ FBIPRESSOFFICE
For Immediate Release
May 20, 2009
Washington D.C.
FBI National Press Office
(202) 324-3691
Highlighting Recent FBI Public Corruption Investigations
Public corruption is one of the FBI’s top investigative priorities—behind only terrorism, espionage, and cyber crimes—and is the top priority of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division. It can affect everything from how well our borders are secured and our neighborhoods protected to verdicts handed down in courts to the quality of our roads and schools. It also takes a significant toll on our pocketbooks by siphoning off tax dollars. It is estimated that public corruption costs the U.S. government and the public billions of dollars each year.
“Public corruption erodes public confidence and undermines the strength of our democracy. In investigating these crimes, the FBI can leverage tools such as undercover operations and electronic surveillance to root out those who betray the public trust,” said Assistant Director Kenneth W. Kaiser of the FBI’s Criminal Investigative Division.
The FBI’s Public Corruption Program also targets Foreign Corrupt Practices Act violations. To combat international corruption, the FBI has created a number of target-specific programs. For example, the International Contract Corruption Initiative addresses growing corruption within the global community. The International Contract Corruption Task Force addresses the systemic, long-term, multi-billion dollar contract corruption and procurement fraud crime problem linked to the war and reconstruction efforts in Iraq and Afghanistan. This multi-agency task force combines the efforts of the FBI, the Defense Criminal Investigative Service, the Army Criminal Investigative Division, the Special Inspector General for Iraq Reconstruction, the United States Agency for International Development, and the Department of State.
A selection of recent press releases from 2009 related to public corruption investigations is listed below. For more information, visit www.fbi.gov.
* On 01/08/2009, a former executive at a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 01/08/2009, a retired Army Major pled guilty in a bribery scheme involving Department of Defense contracts in Kuwait. More
* On 01/21/2009, Puerto Rico Senator Jorge De Castro Font pled guilty to honest services wire fraud and conspiracy to commit extortion More
* On 01/23/2009, a former New York Power Authority employee was sentenced to 37 months in jail for a bribery and fraud scheme. More
* On 02/03/2009, the former finance director of a California valve company pled guilty to bribing foreign government officials. More
* On 02/05/2009, a government contractor was sentenced to 30 months in prison on bribery charges. More
* On 02/11/2009, Kellogg Brown & Root LLC pled guilty to foreign bribery charges and agreed to pay a $402 million criminal fine. More
* On 02/24/2009, a former employee of the Export-Import Bank of the United States was charged with corruption and tax violations. More
* On 03/05/2009, two UK citizens were charged by the United States with bribing Nigerian government officials to obtain lucrative contracts as part of a joint venture scheme involving Kellogg, Brown & Root Inc. More
* On 03/05/2009, a former U.S. Tax Court official was sentenced for engaging in a conspiracy to commit bribery. More
* On 03/06/2009, a former staff member in the U.S. House of Representatives was indicted on corruption charges. More
* On 03/10/2009, a former Congressional staffer pled guilty to conspiracy to commit honest services fraud. More
* On 03/12/2009, a former Alaska State Representative pled guilty to public corruption charges. More
* On 03/19/2009, a third defendant pled guilty to a money laundering scheme involving bribes for contracts at a Kuwait Army base. More
* On 03/26/2009, a former Michigan school official was sentenced to 46 months in jail for participating in a fraud scheme. More
* On 04/03/2009, a lobbyist was sentenced for destroying evidence in a public corruption investigation. More
* On 04/09/2009, two Department of Defense contractors were charged in a bribery conspiracy related to contracts in Afghanistan. More
* On 04/21/2009, a former military official pled guilty to participating in a bribery conspiracy involving a $206 million telecommunications contract in Korea. More
* On 05/06/2009, a Korean businessman was indicted in a bribery conspiracy and wire fraud scheme involving a $206 million contract. More
*****Sign up for FBI email alerts at www.fbi.gov by clicking on the red envelopes.*****
Follow the FBI on Twitter @ FBIPRESSOFFICE
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)