Reform

Barack Obama called for revisions to the Republican-led bankruptcy reforms passed in 2005.  The proposal focused on assisting individuals declaring bankruptcy due to debts related to health care/medical procedures, military personnel and their families facing debt due to extended deployment, frequent moves, or predatory lending, and protecting the elderly against losing their home in bankruptcy.

Monday night, two committees within the European Parliament approved, with amendments, the upcoming reform to EU telecoms regulation. The full EP is set to vote September 3, and the Council of Telecoms Ministers will have its say November 27. The main points are: There will be a new pan-European body: BERT (Body of European Regulators in Telecom, basically an upgrade to the existing ERG), instead

The first is making it MORE DIFFICULT to conserve someone. Conserved parties lose their constitutional rights - the right to vote, the right to life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness, the right to legal representation of their choice and more. Even the most afflicted person is usually able to make choices about where they want to live, what they eat, what they wear, who they see... Taking away

Here's the best article I could find on the very important bill passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate on Tuesday, reforming child abuse laws and prevention within this state: Worcester Telegram and Gazette, by John Monahan: Child abuse protections approved/Legislature redefines laws, intervention. (It is interesting that when both the Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette -

Here's the best article I could find on the very important bill passed by the Massachusetts House and Senate on Tuesday, reforming child abuse laws and prevention within this state: Worcester Telegram and Gazette, by John Monahan: Child abuse protections approved/Legislature redefines laws, intervention. (It is interesting that when both the Boston Globe and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette -

Senior Technical Advisor - Governance and Public Administration ReformHelvetasLocation: Cao Bang, VietnamLast Date: July 31, 2008Email: esther.kuehne@helvetas.orgSenior Technical AdvisorinGovernance and Public Administration Reform in VietnamHelvetas, the Swiss Association for International Cooperation, is currently looking for an experienced and output-oriented national or international Senior Te

Tuesday, July 01, 2008 Today, July 1, House Bill 89 takes effect. This NRA supported measure makes numerous improvements to Georgia’s Right-to-Carry laws and represents the most comprehensive pro-gun reform measure to be enacted in nearly 20 years. This critical Right-to-Carry Reform legislation will strengthen Georgia’s current laws by:allowing licensed carry permit holders to possess a fir

More on Massachusetts alimony reform. Boston's WGBH TV Show, "Greater Boston" with Emily Rooney, on Thursday evening, discussed recent efforts to reform alimony law in Massachusetts, including the recent push by the Second Wives Club. See WGBH's Recent Shows: "The Second Wives Club pushes for alimony reform". Appearing on the show to argue for reform was Elizabeth Benedict, w

More on Massachusetts alimony reform. Boston's WGBH TV Show, "Greater Boston" with Emily Rooney, on Thursday evening, discussed recent efforts to reform alimony law in Massachusetts, including the recent push by the Second Wives Club. See WGBH's Recent Shows: "The Second Wives Club pushes for alimony reform". Appearing on the show to argue for reform was Elizabeth Benedict, w

Chief of Party, Anti-Corruption and Public Sector ReformManagement Systems InternationalLocation: AlbaniaLast Date: July 26, 2008 Chief of Party, Anti-Corruption and Public Sector ReformAlbaniaCompany Profile: Management Systems International is an international development consulting firm based on the D.C. waterfront with offices around the globe. For over 25 years, MSI has worked to improve the

Team Leader - Civil Service ReformABU Consult Berlin GmbHLocation: TajikistanLast Date: July 1, 2008Email: 8034@abu-consult.de ABU Consult Berlin as lead of an international consortium is currently preparing a bid for the EuropeAid funded “Support to Civil Service Reform and Good Governance” project in Tajikistan. The project is envisaged to commence in August 2008 and to have a duration of 15

Campaign finance reform, meet Obama's grandmother. Actually, he didn't lie. Originally, he said: "If I'm the nominee, I will opt for a publicly financed campaign, unless I don't." and "If I'm the nominee, I will limit myself to public financing, unless I have a big money advantage in which case I won't." I think Obama could have cinched the election by keeping his promise to accept matching

The problem with health care is well known: it is too expensive and, as a result, 47 million people living in the United States lack health insurance. But John McCain believes we can and must provide access to health care for every American. He has proposed a comprehensive vision for achieving that. For too long, our nation's leaders have talked about reforming health care. Now is the time to act,

What Does Reform Judaism Stand For? Commentary MagazineBelow, find a long but interesting take on the Reformist sect of Judaism by Jack Wertheimer professor of American Jewish history at the Jewish Theological Seminary (the Conservatist school) in New York. Like old entertainers, Reformism has become a silly stereotype of itself. It reflects all the bad habits of a liberal movement in chaos and he

In yesterday's Boston Globe appeared an op-ed article by novelist Elizabeth Benedict, critical of the Massachusetts alimony law and application of that law by courts in this state: Elizabeth Benedict: Boston Globe Op-Ed: The chilling effect of state's divorce laws. I actually know Elizabeth Benedict, and as one of the lawyers she talked to before writing that article, I must say that I welcome

In yesterday's Boston Globe appeared an op-ed article by novelist Elizabeth Benedict, critical of the Massachusetts alimony law and application of that law by courts in this state: Elizabeth Benedict: Boston Globe Op-Ed: The chilling effect of state's divorce laws. I actually know Elizabeth Benedict, and as one of the lawyers she talked to before writing that article, I must say that I welcome

Today's Los Angeles Times features an editorial which asserts now common themes in such discussions. Among other things, it notes:There are thousands of nonviolent inmates overcrowding our prison system. But those who are bent on keeping them locked up are supposed to have the answer for finding beds for mentally ill inmates? The wrong people are making public safety decisions at a cost of billion

Outgoing Minority House leader Dan Gelber and Democratic Rep. Martin Kiar jumped on today's release of FCAT scores to urge further reforms to the FCAT grading system implemented by former Gov. Jeb Bush. Kiar says the law passed this session...

Suze Orman weighed in this weekend on the proposed credit card reforms of Congress and the Federal Reserve, calling them “better late than never.” Orman explains some of the key measures in both the Federal Reserve protections and the Credit Card Accountability, Responsibility and Disclosure Act, as well as makes a few additional suggestions. [...]

This is how Fox Noise tries to "request" interviews with people--they send a "reporter" and a camera after their target and try and catch them when they are not ready. I've seen it done to professors, University Presidents, real news reporters, politicians, etc.I think Bill Moyers (Bill Moyers Journal on PBS, Speech to the National Conference for Media Reform, The Museum of Broadcast Communicatio

OPEN SOCIETY INSTITUTE LOCAL GOVERNMENT AND PUBLIC SERVICE REFORM INITIATIVE Oktober 6. utca 12, 1051 Budapest, Hungary Mailing Address: H-1397 Budapest, P.O. Box 519 Call for Proposals Local... [[ This is a content summary only. Visit my website for full links, other content, and more! ]]

A senior attorney from Consumers Union has a 4 minute interview/video segment online laying out the relevant details of credit card reform proposals.  I haven’t yet checked out the segment (available here), but I thought I would pass it on and bookmark it to view later.

The United States isn’t the only country currently considering reform of credit card practices.  A proposal is under consideration in Turkey that would limit the interest rate on credit card debt upon default to twice the normal interest rate.  Read more in Today’s Azman.

Hey, everyone's doing it. In the past week, two new entrants in the health care reform plan derby are AHIP and Ezekiel Emanuel. AHIP's potpourri includes a bunch of stuff that's happening anyway (e.g., better management of chronic conditions), a...

A Boston Globe editorial over the weekend pretty effectively advances the case for credit card reform by Congress and the Federal Reserve.  It argues that we shouldn’t wait for the credit card industry, with record credit delinquencies, to stumble the way the mortgage market did.  And in response to credit card industry concerns that it [...]

The Foundry, Morning Bell: Just like any organized crime group, the Association of Community Organizations for Reform Now (ACORN) has a long and established history of using fraud, deceit and intimidation to achieve its goals. ACORN uses intimidation to shake down corporations for operating funds, deceives its own employees into supporting causes they don’t believe [...]

A barking dog can pretty much keep your neighbors from talking to you. Either that or you just get dirty looks in passing. It doesn't have to be this way because believe it or not your dog can be reformed. It's all about training and the training he never received. Since your dog has his own language and doesn't speak yours you need to teach him specifics to let him know what he is doing does not

INTERNATIONAL CENTER FOR TRANSITIONAL JUSTICEDIRECTOR, PROGRAM ON SECURITY SECTOR REFORMThe International Center for Transitional Justice (ICTJ) assists countries and societies pursuing accountability for past mass atrocity or human rights abuse. The Center works with societies emerging from repressive rule or armed conflict, as well as in established democracies where historical injustices or sys

Thanks to John Monahan and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for an excellent article yesterday about the fact that CORI reform is now unlikely. The CORI reform proposals, introduced and backed by Governor Patrick, and as discussed and strongly supported by me here at this blog, have run aground in the House Judiciary Committee, and the chances of the law covering criminal records being

Thanks to John Monahan and the Worcester Telegram and Gazette for an excellent article yesterday about the fact that CORI reform is now unlikely. The CORI reform proposals, introduced and backed by Governor Patrick, and as discussed and strongly supported by me here at this blog, have run aground in the House Judiciary Committee, and the chances of the law covering criminal records being

Stay Healthy, Stay Informed and Help Reform! by Da Vinci As many of us know heart disease is an epidemic that is effecting women today more rapidly. If you go through many of the posts in Da Vinci's Health Hub we work hard to make sure that you're learning more and more about how to take better care of yourself and teaching others the same. It's so important to know exactly how your heart

On May 23, 2008, Senate Finance Committee Chairman Max Baucus and Ranking Member Charles Grassley issued a Press Release announcing the Prepare for Launch: Health Reform Summit 2008 (Summit) for Senators and Representatives to discuss options for health care reform in 2009. The Summit will be held at the Library of Congress on June 16, 2008 and be part of a year long series of Senate Finance Commi

This from Brad Olsen (UC Santa Cruz) in the San Francisco Chronicle:There's been a lot of squabbling on the education playground these days. New York City has begun experimenting with evaluating teachers via student achievement scores. Many states have renewed debates around merit pay for teachers. California school districts are preparing for budget cuts by considering teacher hiring freezes and

This from Big Sandy News by way of KSBA:PRESTONSBURG — State Rep. Greg Stumbo said Wednesday that he would ask that Kentucky's Education Reform Act be graded and hinted that he might seek higher office.During a ceremony at Floyd County schools central office, Stumbo and state Sen. Johnny Ray Turner, D-Drift, were given plaques of appreciation for funding secured for the district during this year

Product Description Although most experts agree that mandatory testing leads to teaching to the test, they disagree about whether it leads to meaningless drill, wasted time, de-professionalizing teachers, and demotivating students, or to more challenging and thoughtful curr Product Details Amazon Sales Rank: #595233 in Books Published on: 2004-05-01 Number of items: 1 Binding: Paperback 112

Today Brooks lays out his case the it is McCain the elder statesman that will actually be able to bring change to Washington from his seat at 1600 Pennsylvania Ave. Brooks takes the farm bill as an example of an opportunity missed for Senator Obama. Take a look and see what you think. Oh, and we'll dive into the farm bill soon...

Here are links to some coverage of KID's president, Linda Ginzel at the Capitol on May 15th, along with Linda's statement at the press conference.Consumer AffairsKansas City InfoZineMedill News Service

SHARM EL-SHEIK, Egypt (AP) -- President Bush lectured the Arab world Sunday about everything from political repression to the denial of women's rights but ran into Palestinian complaints he is favoring Israel in stalled Mideast peace talks.

Representatives of the European Chamber of Commerce (EuroCham) discussed the latest proposals on tax reform in Viet Nam, with a focus on the draft corporate income tax law, at a seminar held in HCM City this week. Extensive consultations with both foreign and local businesses on the draft law as well as the draft personal income tax law are ongoing, experts said. The two laws, now being debated

What are the odds for passage of one of the Congressional credit card reform bills? Roderick Hills, professor of public law at NYU, told TheStreet.com that although Republicans would work hard to water down the CARD Act, they are less likely to filibuster in an election year after credit cards and banking have been in the [...]

Doug Richard, former Dragons Den panellist and current head of the Conservative Party Small Business Task Force has called for drastic reforms of the Governments Business support regime. The report found the current support system is ‘over complex, ineffective and undirected.’ Two thousand public bodies are currently spending £2.5billion on running three thousand support schemes, wit

Newspapers and consumer advocates have come up with a few catchy slogans to explain to Congress why it is so important to pass the credit card practices reform proposals. With some re-wording: The San Diego Union-Tribune: Credit Cards are ticking time bombs in your pocket - some of which have already exploded. The Press-Enterprise: Using a credit card [...]

This from the Governor's Office:FRANKFORT, KY – According to recently released reports from two national financial ratings services, Kentucky could be facing long-term negative implications for the state’s debt service. Both Moody’s Investor Service and Fitch revised downward from “stable” to “negative” the outlook for state supported bonds.In January 2008, Gov. Steve Beshear met wit

The San Diego Union-Tribune has a list of a few other measures under consideration by Congress in its deliberations over credit card reform. The measures include: Restrictions on marketing to college students and those under 21 years of age. 7 percent limit on penalty interest rate increases. Ban on fees for paying by phone or when using the internet. Proposals [...]

Following 9/11, in order to try to discover for myself the true nature of this purported Religion of Peace, whose ardent followers had just been responsible for the worst attack ever to take place on American soil, I began to research Islam. I started by reading the Qur'an, at the painfully slow rate of 5

This report discusses consideration of legislation that would end state health benefits for General Assembly lawmakers convicted of a felony. The bill - the byproduct of arrests and convictions of lawmakers involved in the “Tennessee Waltz” federal bribery sting - has alread passed in the State Senate unanimously. According to the report:Under the bill, neither the surviving spouse nor the dependent children of a convicted lawmaker would be eligible to continue health care coverage. The bill was amended to include any governor convicted of a felony. The benefits would be stopped on the date of conviction or plea, and the person would not be eligible for any refund of premiums, co-payments or other costs previously paid. In the event that a conviction was later overturned and the person

The DMN editorial throwing its support behind credit card regulatory reform is worth reading - at a minimum - to thoroughly enjoy the line: “It’s hard to take seriously the complaints of an industry that cavalierly pushes credit cards to virtually any person with a pulse.” But heads up to the Dallas Morning News: Credit Card companies [...]

RedState.com has recently endorsed Tom Rooney in Florida’s 16th Congressional District and in the process, has done a complete hack job on Gayle Harrell and her impeccable record. The most baseless and despicable attack is directed at her record on taxes… We found her to be less consistently conservative and more prone to support tax [...]

Consumers Union, the publisher of Consumer Reports, came out over the weekend and said that public scrutiny of the proposed credit card reform initiative is critical to prevent the proposal from being watered down during the public comment period.  So stand up, follow along, and be counted in favor of credit card reform!

Economic Reform In China And India: Development Experience In A Comparative Perspective中国和印度的经济改革# Author:Joseph C. H. Chai, Kartik C. Roy# Publisher: Edward Elgar Publishing # Number Of Pages: 295 # Publication Date: 2006-06-27 # ISBN-10 / ASIN: 1840649879 # ISBN-13 / EAN: 9781840649871 Recent acceleration of the Indian economic growth rate from six to eight per cent has sparked worldwide speculation that India is about to catch up with China and become another Asian miracle economy. Economic Reform in China and India examines this prospect, reviewing the development strategies pursued by the two countries over the last 50 years in general, and exploring recently introduced reform measures in particular. The culmination of many years of research by specialist

The Yale Information Society Project is expanding its current research program in innovation and intellectual property (IP) reform and seeks applicants (deadline June 6) for a 2008-2009resident postdoctoral fellowship at Yale Law School. program's purpose is twofold: (1) to research the effects of domestic and international intellectual property laws and alternative mechanisms for knowledge production; (2) to suggestreforms that will promote the values of human development, economic growth, innovation and social justice.We are particularly seeking recent J.D. and Ph.D. graduates with a background in law and economics, economics, or allied policy fields.Sincerely, Laura DeNardis--Laura DeNardis, Ph.D.Executive DirectorThe Information Society ProjectYale Law SchoolP.O. Box 208215New Haven,

I won’t go in to the details of what prompted this topic since it might get a little too bitter for my own taste, but there is a serious need for reforms in the way the government looks at internet income. To put it in a concise way, I am regretting that this blog ever [...]

Efforts to reform education with higher and more in-depth standards for teachers, charter schools, high school grades - plus a push to expand corporate income tax scholarships - suddenly don't look like smooth sailing. The House passed the "Educator Ethics...

The "Home Valuation Code of Conduct" (HVCC) was supposed to deal with the shady and unethical practice of pressuring appraisers to "hit the numbers" and a conflict of interest caused by lenders having ties to appraisal management firms. The HVCC came out of a March 3rd agreement reached between the Attorney General of New York (Andrew Cuomo), the OFHEO and Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac. In the settlement agreement, the parties agreed to address issues of appraisal coercion and independence...

There are deluded Jews and Christians who believe that the barbaric attacks against non-Muslims and even fellow Muslims alike throughout the world are being perpetrated by members of a small, extreme, perverted brand of Islam and that "true" Islam is probably just like modern Christianity or Judaism; that all that is needed is for moderate Muslims to take back their...

This report from The Hill comes as no surprise considering that I agree with Bruce Bartlett’s predictions with regards to taxes as quoted here. Bartlett predicted that we will not see major tax increases. One consequence is that we are also unlikely to see a universal health plan pass Congress. The Hill reports: Congressional Democrats are [...]

It’s clear to all of us that the educational accountability system in Texas needs to be reformed. And, it is indeed refreshing to see the clarion call come from all over Texas. However, I doubt I’m the only person who found myself jumping out of my chair and screaming “hypocrites!” when I saw this: “After a quarter of a century, mediocrity still is the standard by which Texas schoolchildren are measured,” said TAB President Bill Hammond. “Unless we want our education system to remain static, it is time for Texas schools to use a new measuring stick.” […] “As a result of this failed policy, Texas high school graduates remain ill prepared for either college or the workforce,” said Hammond. Hammond also expressed concern over drop-out rates. “W

NME stages its first USA awards ceremony at El Rey in Los Angeles tonight at 9pm(PST). The event will include the much anticipated reunion of Jane’s Addiction. The eighties band have reformed specifically for the occasion where they will receive the NME award for Godlike Geniuses. The Lemonheads will collect the award for NME Classic Album for [...]

It had to happen. Last week, presidential candidate Barack Obama called for new legislation that would give shareholders a greater “say on pay” for corporate leaders. A boiling issue beforehand, this hot button is starting to glow. Executive pay is now a political football, as increasing economic uncertainty has all three presidential candidates using the issue to [...]

After serving a 23-day jail sentence last June, Paris Hilton made a very public vow on Larry King to change her ways. So after nearly 10 months in which she has had plenty of time to make good, has the 27-year-old heiress kept her promises? “I want to help raise money for kids and for breast [...]

This from the Washington Post:The Education Department lets states try more flexible ways to meet 'No Child' requirementsFEDERAL education officials are holding out a promise of flexibility to states that have chafed under the "one size fits all" aspects of the No Child Left Behind law. There's no question that individual schools need different strategies. States should be encouraged to innovate. It's important, though, that any new rules not compromise the core principles of a law that has done much to address inequities in educational opportunity. Applications are being accepted from states interested in participating in a pilot program announced this month by Education Secretary Margaret Spellings....The aim, quite laudably, is to be able to better tailor programs and target resources.

Florida could be joining a national high school reform program that stresses rigor and accountability but comes with bipartisan credentials. State education officials are considering signing on to the American Diploma Project, an effort led by Achieve Inc., a group...

A plan to shake up Mexico’s flagging state-run oil sector met with muted reaction on Wednesday, with most seeing it as positive but not enough to restore declining output and reserves overnight. The government’s proposal, which was diluted to give it the best chance of passing through Congress, proposes more hiring of private companies across the [...]

The ruling part AKP wants to raise the retirement age to 65 while the life expectancy in Turkey is about 67 years. It means that most of the workers will die before being retired. The reform proposed by the government has been harshly criticised by labor leaders and opposition parties. Turkish unions launched a protest meeting in Istanbul against the sought social security and general health insurance bill. Here are the photos that I have taken."Real Turkiye"

Here‘s a letter I received from Jose Cancela Co-Chair, Floridians for Property Tax Reform regarding Floridians in the fight for significant property tax reform in the state of Florida.  Dear Janis, Thank you for continuing to assist your fellow Floridians in the fight for significant property tax reform in the state of Florida.  Through your efforts and [...]

Here˜s a letter I received from Jose Cancela Co-Chair, Floridians for Property Tax Reform regarding Floridians in the fight for significant property tax reform in the state of Florida. Dear Janis, Thank you for continuing to assist your fellow Floridians in the fight for significant property tax reform in the state of Florida. Through your efforts and the [...]

REGULATORS TELL SCHUMER: BEAR STEARNS’ CASH SHORTAGE WAS UNKNOWN UNTIL IT WAS TOO LATE, SHOWING NEED FOR REGULATORY REFORM Washington, D.C. - Under questioning today by U.S. Senator Charles E. Schumer (D-NY) at a Senate Banking Committee hearing, Federal Reserve Board Chairman Ben Bernanke and other top regulators admitted that none of them knew of the [...]

El diseño de formularios a veces es un problema para muchos diseñadores, en ésta página les señalo una posible solución para realizar formularios líquidos o fluidos accesibles con los respectivos campos de label e input, la estructura de éste ejemplo está construido por un ligero código css compuesto de pocas reglas, todo se basa en el buen uso de las porcentuales y min-width, se trata de una solución en desarrollo pero de todas maneras es una buena base para crear un buen formulario.© EsmeraldasBlog | Este Feed es de uso personal, si deseas utilizar su contenido regresa un enlace a éste post.

By David J. Lynch, Sue Kirchhoff and Adam Shell, USA TODAYThe Federal Reserve's role in monitoring the health of financial institutions would dramatically expand under a plan the Bush administration unveiled Monday to overhaul regulatory oversight.The plan — which critics said was sure to be modified by Congress — capped a year-long process that began with a desire to help U.S. financial players compete globally by streamlining their oversight and ended amid fear of a meltdown fed by lax regulation.FULL REPORT: Blueprint for a modernized financial regulatory structure (pdf) TEXT OF SPEECH: 'We can do a better job' of regulating, Paulson saysTreasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who unveiled the 218-page blueprint for reform, acknowledged that the far-reaching proposal represents just the s

By David J. Lynch, Sue Kirchhoff and Adam Shell, USA TODAYThe Federal Reserve's role in monitoring the health of financial institutions would dramatically expand under a plan the Bush administration unveiled Monday to overhaul regulatory oversight.The plan — which critics said was sure to be modified by Congress — capped a year-long process that began with a desire to help U.S. financial players compete globally by streamlining their oversight and ended amid fear of a meltdown fed by lax regulation.FULL REPORT: Blueprint for a modernized financial regulatory structure (pdf) TEXT OF SPEECH: 'We can do a better job' of regulating, Paulson saysTreasury Secretary Henry Paulson, who unveiled the 218-page blueprint for reform, acknowledged that the far-reaching proposal represents just the s

Remarks by Secretary Henry M. Paulson, Jr. on Blueprint for Regulatory Reform FULL STREAMUNG VIDEOLINKS in PDF FormatPress ReleaseReportFact SheetWashington, DC--Good morning, everyone. A strong financial system is vitally important - not for Wall Street, not for bankers, but for working Americans. When our markets work, people throughout our economy benefit – Americans seeking to buy a car or buy a home, families borrowing to pay for college, innovators borrowing on the strength of a good idea for a new product or technology, and businesses financing investments that create new jobs. And when our financial system is under stress, millions of working Americans bear the consequences. Government has a responsibility to make sure our financial system is regulated effectively. And in this ar

Historic news out of Cuba moments ago.Cubans are now allowed to have unrestricted access to cellphone phones for the first time in history according to a new reform announced by President Raul Castro just within the hour. WOW! In a statement in official government newspaper Granma, the state telecom monopoly ETECSA announced mobile service to the public [...]

News: 27-03-2008: Metal Express Radio teamed up with George Lynch to talk about his currents projects and about the forthcoming Dokken reunion. George also shares some stories that will be of great interest for all fans of Dokken. Hear the 20 minutes long interview. You can also listen to the official Dokken podcast This is a content summary only. Visit Truth In Shredding to find out more!

Last night I attended a rally for Presidential Candidate Hillary Clinton. Hillary has been an advocate for real energy reform for years. One of the pillars of her Presidential platform is a "strategic energy fund" that would act as a source of funding for research into renewable and sustainable sources of energy. The money in the fund would come from rolling back tax breaks and subsidies given to

By Nthambeleni Gabara and Michael Appel Parliament - The Expropriation Bill which has recently been passed in Parliament will advance land reform and replace the so-called unconstitutional Expropriation Act of 1975. Public Works Minister Thoko Didiza, briefing the Public Works Portfolio Committee on Wednesday, said the 1975 Act is inconsistent with the current Constitution of South Africa in several key areas. These areas include the recognition of rights of tenants and farm workers; the basis for payment of compensation and the rationale for expropriation, said the minister. read more

If changes are in store for Florida's class-size amendment, they're not coming from the Florida Taxation and Budget Reform Commission. The panel today decided not to move ahead with a proposal that would have asked voters to scale back the...

Delegate Landes’ academic freedom bill that would impose transparency on higher education is a step in the right direction. However, Landes’ bill does not solve all of the problems mentioned in Part 2 or Part 4. A new program by the Center for Union Facts suggests firing America’s worst teachers by buying out their contracts. While humorous, this program hints at the biggest hurdle facing

I have to admit that I have not visited BERSIH’s website for quite some time now. Out of boredom, I paid BERSIH a visit online just now and was surprised to see that they have a brand new petition seeking support from DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong to establish a Royal Commission on Electoral Reform (RCER).Details of the petition:Ke bawah DYMM Seri Paduka Baginda Yang DiPertuan Agong,We the undersigned Malaysians, in support of the suggestion by the Coalition for Clean and Fair Elections (BERSIH), appeal to Your Majesty to establish a Royal Commission on Electoral Reform (RCER) promptly after the 12th General Election on 8 March 2008.Urgency of Electoral ReformsWe have no confidence in the cleanness, freeness, fairness and transparency of the electoral system and process,

Washington, DC – In an effort to significantly improve the complicated, unclear and costly home buying process, U.S. Housing and Urban Development Secretary Alphonso Jackson proposed mortgage reform designed to help consumers better understand their loan terms so that they can shop more effectively for the largest purchase of their lives. HUD’s proposal reforms the more than 30-year [...]

 UPDATE: Click Here for Latest On DeMint Amendment Failing I think that at this point it’s really going to come down to Republicans deciding what is right and wrong. Here are a few articles that I have been reading to get the latest updates about what could happen tonight, or early tomorrow morning. -dyn/content/article/2008/03/12/AR2008031203704.html Check back every few [...]

Struggling to reduce the negative impact of the present mortgage crisis, Congress finally feels confident that a bill providing safe alternatives to subprime housing loans will soon be sent to the President for signature.

The nation's top economic policy makers plan to release today their broadest blueprint yet for avoiding a recurrence of the credit crunch now threatening the economy. Their recommendations extend to nearly every niche in the credit markets -- from mortgage brokers to the Wall Street firms that package home loans into securities, to the credit-rating firms that assess the risk of those securities, to the regulators who police the system. Amid the housing market's deepening slump, mounting defaults by cash-strapped homeowners and an upswing in foreclosures have made investors wary of mortgage-linked securities and have made those securities increasingly difficult to value and trade. That's led to turmoil in global financial markets. "We aren't singling out any group of market participan

This from the Detroit News:Die-hard charter school advocates are rethinking their approach to school reform and the ability of competition and charter schools alone to transform American urban schools and their awful student achievement rates.It's a surprising change and it's hardly common, particularly at the grassroots level.Still, in recent weeks a number of the country's leading pro-charter think-tanks and leaders have published pieces, announced policies or made statements indicating their reconsideration -- and it likely will have an enormous impact on policymaking and Republican politics.From New York City to Detroit to Atlanta, charter advocates have echoed writer Sol Stern, an important conservative voice on education reform, when he wrote in a recent edition of the City Journal:

The good new is that reforms for the appraisal of residential properties will increase the objectivity of the process. The bad news is that it's going to cost borrowers more, mostly because a new appraisal will be required for each application, which mortgage brokers say will make them less competitive because they often submit to multiple lenders. But change may be on the horizon in terms of technology, with a start-up firm proposing to create a database of existing appraisals much like the business model for credit reporting bureaus. From a CNNMoney.com story:In a recent agreement with New York State Attorney General Andrew Cuomo, Fannie Mae (FNM) and Freddie Mac (FRE, Fortune 500) pledged that they will only buy mortgages from lenders that use independent appraisers. Since these two

Four hundred thought leaders and jes' folks convened in Virginia to hash out some ideas for the next President and Congress. Here are excerpts from the Mayo Clinic Health Policy Center symposium's closing press release: Over the last two years,...

Microsoft’s chairman will push Congress to let more skilled workers in the U.S. and increase math and science classes.Bill Gates is coming back to Capitol Hill with the same wish list he’s had for years: more visas for highly skilled workers, more math, science and engineering in schools and more money for technology investment.On Wednesday, [...]

Some good news, but don't hold your breath yet--The CPSC reform bill (S. 2663) has passed the Senate, and now heads to conference committee where the differences between the house and senate versions will be worked out.Let's hope the differences being "worked out" will not involve the watering down of the important provisions of this bill. Essentially, this bill in its current state would markedly strengthen the CPSC, increase penalties for violating companies, ban lead in all children's products (like bibs!) and not just toys , and would require that toys be tested by independent labs before they are sold. It is about time! There were some excellent amendments added to the senate version, one that I think Non-Toxic readers will be excited about is from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) th

I’m in shock. Or is it awe. Either way, my jaw hurts from hitting the floor. We’ve all heard about the temporary changes that have been made to FHA loan limits and the economic stimulus plan. But with these temporary changes - like Cinderella’s stagecoach at midnight - the benefits will disappear on [...]

Some good news, but don't hold your breath yet--The CPSC reform bill (S. 2663) has passed the Senate, and now heads to conference committee where the differences between the house and senate versions will be worked out.Let's hope the differences being "worked out" will not involve the watering down of the important provisions of this bill. Essentially, this bill in its current state would markedly strengthen the CPSC, increase penalties for violating companies, ban lead in all children's products (like bibs!) and not just toys , and would require that toys be tested by independent labs before they are sold. It is about time! There were some excellent amendments added to the senate version, one that I think Non-Toxic readers will be excited about is from Senator Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) th

Two things to ponder about high school education reform…1. You can’t fix high schools by fixing high schools. In order to reform high schools you must reform entire K-12 systems. High schools do not exist in isolation. The President of the Georgia Institute of Technology, G. Wayne Clough, in an article titled “Wanted: Well-Rounded Students Who Can Think” in The School Administrator (www.aasa.org/) admonishes us that schools need to look at reform in a holistic manner. According to Clough, “Education in science and mathematics is distinguished from many other disciplines in that advanced studies build directly on preparation begun in middle school.” High school students are products of their middle school and elementary school experiences. 2. You can’t promote math, science,

Newly certified HVAC and refrigeration technicians are facing a more diverse job market than ever before. Ongoing technological breakthroughs in the heating, cooling, and refrigeration industries have created the need for many workers knowledgeable in the latest technologies to repair, upgrade, and replace equipment. More: continued here

Phil's brother in law, "Pinky," provides security for Phil. After meeting for hours in a "tobakee-filled" room, Reform Party of America officials , chose Phil of Raytown, Missouri as it's lone Super-delegate. After experimenting with horseshoes, arm wrestling and other selection techniques, the Reform party will move to an American-idol format. Callers will choose the candidates after the candidates give their speeches at Danner's Veterinary Hospital and Grill. Since a dry run (not literally, as you'd guess if you've ever been to Danner's) produced no phone calls, the party chose Phil as a super-delegate. "Well, people might not remember the number. It's one of them '888' ones. Everybody just dials '800.' Anyways, we got Phil now. Hell, maybe we can just get rid of the number and buy ev

This from Pat Crowley at the Cincinnati Enquirer:School reform on tap Draud plans task force on overhaul of testingFRANKFORT - Kentucky Education Commissioner Jon Draud said Tuesday that he plans to form a task force to study overhauling public school testing and might expand the effort to include the state's landmark education reform act.Draud, a former state lawmaker from Edgewood, made the comments after appearing before the Senate Education Committee. The panel is considering but failed to act on legislation that would replace the Commonwealth Accountability Testing System, or CATS, the testing component of the 18-year-old Kentucky Education Reform Act known as KERA.Draud said it appears that the bill is stalled and will not come up for a vote because of strong disagreements among comm

About 129,000 Kentuckians cannot vote because of felony convictions. But, those who complete their sentences will be able to have their voting rights restored more easily under changes to the pardon process announced by Gov. Steve Beshear (D). Beshear said he will drop requirements for an essay and three character references - requirements created by the previous Gov. Ernie Fletcher (R). There will also be a revocation of a $2 fee because Beshear says, "This disenfranchisement makes no sense." Corrections officials will help interested felons with pardon applications before their release from prison or jail, and Beshear's office will process more than 1,500 applications left behind by Fletcher, plus 176 new applications filed since January 1. Story here.

If you're interested in some real journalism, and would like to read a really great article that manages to deal with Exxon, Bush, McCain, the US Supreme Court, taxes, tort reform, and many other things we should all be concerned with, you have to read the latest article from probably our nation's best reporter, Greg Palast: Exxon suxx. McCain duxx. No, this is not the common kind of "