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Life in OUR America, Volume 5, the Livyjr Files

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 23 2006, 05:55 PM Post #641
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 15 2006, 06:46 AM) "Oh, Eliot, You're JUST So Vain" With apologies to Carly Simon Oh, Eliot .... You foxy devil, you ..... You walked into the party .... Like you were walking into the Governor's Chambers .... In the capital .... In Albany, New York .... Your hat strategically dipped below one eye ... Your scarf it was apricot .... You had one eye in the mirror .... On yourself, of course ..... And the other ... On all the LOBBYISTS in the room .... And the little bags of money in their hands .... As you watched yourself gavotte .... From lobbyist to lobbyist ... Collecting your due, of course ... And all the girls dreamed ..... As they do when in the company of powerful politicians like you .... That they'd be your "partner" ..... They'd be your partner, and.... Oh, Eliot ...... You're just so vain .... You KNOW this song is about you ..... Oh "Big EL" ..... You're just so vain .... You're out there hiring people .... To write pretty songs about you ..... Aren't you? Aren't you? You had New York State ..... Several years ago ..... When we were still quite naive ..... Well you said that you and New York State .... Made such a pretty pair .... And that you would never leave us stranded ..... Outside the protection of law .... While your GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDACY ..... Stuffed its pockets ..... With money ... From those who would have it be so ..... But like all politicans in the end, Eliot .... You gave away the things we loved ..... Like HONESTY ... And INTEGRITY .... And FORTHRIGHTNESS ..... And Eliot .... One of those "things" you gave away .... Was me ..... So Eliot .... I had some dreams .... Or so I thought .... They were clouds in my coffee ..... Clouds in my coffee and .... NO ... Actually ..... It was GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, instead ..... And no dream at all ... Thanks to YOU, Big EL .... And Eliot .... You're just so vain ..... You know this song is about you ..... You're just so vain ..... You have your "press poodles" out there .... Writing all sorts of pretty songs about you .... Don't you, Eliot .... Yes, you do ..... Well I hear you went up to Saratoga ...... To "get" some votes ..... And your horse naturally won ..... Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink .... Eh, "Big EL" .... Then you flew your Lear jet up to Nova Scotia ..... To see the total eclipse of the sun ..... As well as to see what kind of CONTRIBUTIONS and DISBURSEMENTS there might be up there .... While you were at it .... Well, Eliot ... Smart politician that you are .... You're where you should be ..... All of the time ..... Thanks to a good appointments secretary ..... And campaign committee ..... And when you're not ..... You're with ..... Some underworld spy ..... Plotting some further political strategy ... That will put you in the New York State Governor's Mansion ..... In 2006 .... Or the wife of a close friend ..... With lots of money .... Wife of a close friend, and.... Ready to make a fat contribution ... To your cause .... Because ... Eliot .... You're just so vain ..... Which people actually like in their politicans today ..... That you just know this song is about you ..... You're just so vain ..... Thinking you could even be president of America one day .. The SPITZER PRESIDENCY .... You already have your lackeys writing that song about you ..... Don't you? Don't you? And so ...... "Suozzi who? CSEA heavily backs Spitzer for governor" BY LAUREN WEBER NEWSDAY ALBANY BUREAU April 21, 2006 ALBANY - Attorney General Eliot Spitzer received another boost yesterday when the CSEA, the 265,000-member state civil service employees' union, endorsed his bid for governor. Nassau County Executive and gubernatorial hopeful Thomas Suozzi received only "low-single-digit" support in a poll of 2,000 union members, versus about 70 percent for Spitzer, said CSEA president Danny Donohue. "We have a track record with [Suozzi] and we think he's a great county executive." "But very honestly, our members overwhelmingly supported Eliot in this situation," Donohue said. As for the other party, "many of our members didn't even know who the Republican candidates were." Suozzi's popularity among civil service employees may have been bruised when he announced a plan this month to reduce the state work force by 10 percent through attrition if elected governor. Spitzer hasn't offered a platform on increasing or reducing the state payroll. At a CSEA meeting here yesterday, he said additional people are needed in areas such as mental health, children's services and environmental inspections. But he stopped short of endorsing increases in state employment. "You don't hire because you just want to hire," he said. "You hire where there's a need." While Spitzer racks up endorsements from prominent civic and labor groups, Suozzi has failed to attract many high-profile supporters. His campaign brushes off Spitzer's endorsements, saying Suozzi is more interested in drumming up grassroots support. "Eliot is focused on cozying up to interest groups and running up political debts in exchange for support," Suozzi campaign manager Kim Devlin said in a statement. "Tom Suozzi is focused on fixing Albany."

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 23 2006, 06:02 PM Post #642
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And then .... There is this ... Which can't be true, of course ..... Because a WHITE HOUSE LAWYER .... Said there was no global warming .... And so ..... "Global warming a real threat to all living things" By BRUCE STUTZ Albany, New York Times Union First published: Sunday, April 23, 2006 Each day from now until the summer solstice (June 21), daylight will linger a bit longer and the sun will cross a little higher in the sky -- a sure sign that despite the lingering chill in the air, spring is upon us. About this time last year, I was in the early stages of a very ambitious project. The first part of my mission was to see our country in one of its most glorious moments; the spring season. As spring is so often a symbolic time for positive transformation, I also aspired to document the natural changes that occur, the cultural meanings of spring throughout history and, last, what a rapidly warming climate means for this cherished season. Having undergone heart surgery during the preceding winter, I found that more than ever I was ready to experience the life and energy that we all feel this time of year. During my journey, however, I was troubled by many of the things I found along the way. I noticed that changes in the seasonal patterns of spring, instead of bringing traditional joy and lightheartedness, aroused concern among farmers, gardeners and scientists. Beginning on the coast of the Gulf of Mexico, I traveled north, all the way to the Alaskan Arctic, chasing spring's flowering and observing both the large and small changes that we look forward to each year. Throughout my journey, I discovered that visible differences in the onset of spring have occurred within my own lifetime. In fact, due to global warming, spring across the Northern Hemisphere arrives a week or more earlier than it did 30 years ago, a phenomenon starting to be known as "season creep." A common misconception is that changes due to a warming planet are something of concern not to us but to our great-grandchildren. True, the altered spring is a concern for future generations, but the impact of global warming on our planet is here now, from the subtle signs of flowers blooming earlier to the more serious problems of weather that brings drought, fires and reduced snowpacks. On my way across the country I noticed that many states and communities were having their own problems that come along with a mild winter and an earlier spring. In Oregon, forest managers were concerned that warming temperatures would bring insect infestations that could devastate the trees and leave the forests vulnerable to fire. In the Rocky Mountains, I tested out my new heart and climbed 12,000 feet to where scientists were measuring the snowpack. It was much diminished, meaning there would be less water for the Colorado River and thus, less of the crucial water supply for the states downstream. All over the northern part of the country, ice events were canceled and businesses suffered due to the warm weather. Shorter winter, earlier spring, lingering summer -- the seasonal paradigms are changing. We can take our coats off earlier and wait longer before we pull them out of storage. We can move up the dates of the cherry blossom and lilac festivals, abandon our ice fishing rituals and tournaments. But there are much more serious issues at hand. Plants and animals may not adapt fast enough to survive. And as I traveled farther north, I learned more about the problems global warming poses for humans, too. At last, I made it to my final destination: the Alaskan Arctic, where the 24-hour solstice sun circles the sky. Here I saw melting glaciers and evidence of the shrinking sea ice. Natives showed me their houses beginning to collapse, as the permafrost melted away beneath them, and told me of polar bears coming onshore for food because they have fewer places on the ice where they can hunt. I saw the land and the people being threatened by a fast-warming Arctic. Spring remains a season that brings about real and spiritual renewal. Even those of us who have little connection to the natural world during the rest of the year still feel the energy of spring. But because of accelerating global warming, the things we once considered timeless are not as unchanging as we thought. In a warming America, is it possible that when winter comes, can spring be too close behind? Changes are occurring now, and impacting plants, animals, and our lives. It's time to take action before the natural joys and beauties of spring become a thing of the past. Bruce Stutz is a Brooklyn science writer, former editor-in-chief of Natural History magazine and author of the book "Chasing Spring, an American Journey through a Changing Season." His e-mail address is brucestutz@earthlink.net.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 24 2006, 05:36 AM Post #643
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 23 2006, 05:55 PM) "Suozzi who? CSEA heavily backs Spitzer for governor" BY LAUREN WEBER NEWSDAY ALBANY BUREAU April 21, 2006 "Eliot is focused on cozying up to interest groups and running up political debts in exchange for support," Suozzi campaign manager Kim Devlin said in a statement. "Tom Suozzi is focused on fixing Albany." Up here .... Out in the country where I am .... A "big city" boy like New York State Attorney General Eliot "I'm so vain, but I deserve to be" Spitzer ..... Is a type of politician ... That is known as .... A "DANCER" .... Which means that "Old Oncle Eliot" ... As the country folks call him ..... Is dancing around ... All over the place ... In his efforts ... To load up his pockets ... Er, his campaign coffers ... With a lot of GEETUS ... And MOOLAH .... So Old Oncle Eliot can get himself elected Governor ... Because that is where the BIG MONEY is ... And Old Oncle Eliot knows that better than most ... SO .... As can be expected ... At least up here in the decidedly corrupt EMPIRE of New York ... Old Oncle Eliot is using his position as New York State Attorney General ... The state's alleged top law enforcement guy ... To win him some support ... And if Old Oncle Eliot has to "look the other way" at times ... Or to "turn the blind eye" .... Well ... Let's face it folks ... Up here ... In a state that likes people to know it is corrupt .... And "real easy" .... People have come to expect that who holds the governor's chair .... Is not above a little larceny ... And so ... Contenders like Old Oncle Eliot ... Well ... They have to give the "people" what the "people" want ... And so ... "The news, before it happens" Albany, New York Times Union First published: Monday, April 24, 2006 *An upstate issue* Two top Democrats seeking statewide office may need to leave downstate more or bolster their research staffs. The two don't seem to be informed about an issue important in upstate New York about which Attorney General Eliot Spitzer has taken some very public criticism. To wit: Spitzer has declined to act against the Oneida Indian Nation of New York for operating Turning Stone Casino on property the U.S. Supreme Court ruled 13 months ago is nonsovereign, taxable land. Spitzer, the state's top prosecutor, has said he doesn't have jurisdiction to take action, even though Gov. Pataki's top lawyer wrote about the "illegal" and potentially "criminal activity" at the central New York gambling hall. Asked about Spitzer's handling of Indian affairs issues three weeks ago by the Times Union, Nassau County Executive Tom Suozzi, who is vying with Spitzer for the Democratic nomination for governor, appeared to be hearing about the topic for the first time. Suozzi, who has focused his attacks on Spitzer's Medicaid fraud investigations, took notes on the Indian law matter and said he'd look into it. He hasn't said another word about the issue since. Democrat Andrew Cuomo, who polls say is the front-runner in the race for attorney general, gave a speech two weeks ago in which he declared, "Laws are only as good as enforcement." He said the AG's role is to make sure laws are honored in New York. Asked what he would do about Turning Stone, he seemed to be searching for words. "I would like to hear the facts from Eliot, the attorney general's office," he said. "Until the final disposition of a case is made, I'm sure he wouldn't act." "Upon final disposition of a case, I'm sure he would act." "In this particular case I don't know the facts." Contributors: Capitol bureau reporter James M. Odato and State Editor Jay Jochnowitz. Got a tip? Call 454-5424 or e-mail jjochnowitz@timesunion.com.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 24 2006, 05:57 AM Post #644
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 15 2006, 06:46 AM) "Oh, Eliot, You're JUST So Vain" With apologies to Carly Simon Old Oncle Eliot .... You sly dog, you ..... Look at you .... You walked into the party .... Like you were walking into the Governor's Chambers .... In the capital .... In Albany, New York .... Your hat, of course .... Strategically dipped below one eye ... Just as your political consultants told you it should be .... Your scarf it was apricot .... A "power color" ..... If there is one .... You had one eye in the mirror .... On yourself, of course ..... And the other ... On all the LOBBYISTS in the room .... And the little bags of money in their hands .... As you watched yourself gavotte .... From lobbyist to lobbyist ... Collecting your due, of course ... And all the girls dreamed ..... As they do when in the company of powerful politicians like you .... That they'd be your "partner" ..... They'd be your partner, and.... Oh, Eliot ...... You're just so vain .... You KNOW this song is about you ..... Don't you ..... You foxy devil, you .... Let's see here ... By my calculations ... That storm named Katrina has now been over for ..... Well, let's see ... Math isn't my strong suit, so ... Well ... Anyway ... If I remember ... And when you are older ... Remembering is always a questionable activity ... BUT ... Hasn't Katrina been over for quite a while now? And haven't we been getting gouged on gas, now .... For quite a while? BUT ... There is a state election up here this fall ... And "Old Oncle Eliot" Spitzer wants to win that election ... SO ... He fiddles with his schedule as New York State Attorney General ... Which he can do ... Because he is ... And so ... Out of that ... From that fiddling .... "Old Oncle Eliot" can get his name in the newspapers ..... This year ... Instead of last year .... Closer to the November elections .... And he can look like a real hero .. To those with short attention spans ... Who might not really remember that there was a hurricane named Katrina ... And so .... "Good press" is where you make it, right, "Big EL"? And so .... "Spitzer accuses stations of gas price gouging - Schaghticoke Mobil is one of three outlets sued over alleged post-Katrina hikes" By MICHAEL GORMLEY, Associated Press First published: Monday, April 24, 2006 ALBANY -- A Rensselaer County gas station is one of three stations in the state accused of adding up to $13 to the cost of a typical fill-up immediately after Hurricane Katrina. State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is suing a Mobil station in Schaghticoke, the Penn-Can Truck Stop Mobil station in Central Square, Oswego County, and My Service Station in New Rochelle, Westchester County. The stations were notified of the civil lawsuits beginning Friday. If found liable, the stations could face penalties based on excess profits. The Mobil station in Schaghticoke is run by Wever Petroleum of 100 S. Hudson St. in Mechanicville, said Paul Larrabee, a spokesman for Spitzer's office. A call left with the company's after-hours answering service was not returned late Sunday. According to the Mobil Web site, Wever Petroleum operates the Village Car Wash at 166 Main St. Spitzer said the stations increased their pump prices by 25 percent to 72 percent for gas already in their holding facilities. He said the Schaghticoke station increased its price by 90 cents per gallon; the Westchester station raised its by 32 cents; and the Oswego station's rose by 19 cents per gallon. My Service Station owner/manager Danny Chianciulli denied price gouging. He said he only raised prices when his supplier raised its prices. His attorney, Adam Peska, said the oil companies and wholesalers were gouging, not the smaller retailers. Peska said Friday he hadn't been served with a lawsuit, but had received a subpoena from Spitzer. He said his client had to "increases prices considerably" to cover the cost of his next delivery and lost money in the days following Katrina. State law prohibits the sale of "vital consumer goods" at an "unconscionably excessive price during natural disasters," according to Larrabee. The owner of the Oswego station didn't immediately respond to a request for comment. The lawsuits announced this week follow Spitzer's action in December in which 15 gas stations statewide, including three controlled by oil companies, were fined $63,000 for marking up prices 25 percent or more immediately after the Hurricane ravaged the Gulf Coast in late August. Spitzer said the post-Katrina price jumps were the largest in history for gasoline. "We continue to believe that the state needs a clearer and stronger statute to deter price gouging," Spitzer said. Two key state lawmakers said they wanted to address price gouging. Sen. Charles Fuschillo suggested raising fines and the Long Island Republican said he will work with Spitzer on a new measure. Democratic Assemblyman Paul Tonko of Montgomery County has sponsored an anti-gouging bill that Spitzer recommended and which Fuschillo supports. Tonko said the measure would help the attorney general's office "prosecute unscrupulous individuals or businesses who take advantage of consumers during supply disruptions, emergencies and natural catastrophes."

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 24 2006, 06:06 AM Post #645
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And my God .... Enough about Eliot Spitzer ..... That is all we hear about up here, of course .... "Old Oncle Eliot is in charge, you can all go back to your homes now, folks ...." And so people do ..... Those who either like or need to be herded, anyway ...... And outside of corruption ... And "Old Oncle Eliot" Spitzer ..... Well, when you live out in the wilds like we yokels do up here ... In the very hinterlands of civilization ... Here in OUR America .... What else is there to talk about? Other than the weather, I guess .... And so .... "Sunday rainfall sets a record - Two-day soaking that wiped out year's deficit prompts flood warnings" By JORDAN CARLEO-EVANGELIST, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union First published: Monday, April 24, 2006 ALBANY -- This weekend's storm washed away the region's year-to-date rainfall deficit while dumping a record amount of rain at Albany International Airport Sunday, weather officials said. The 1.54 inches of rain that fell at the airport between midnight and 10 p.m. Sunday was the most for the date since 1.02 inches fell in 1977, said Bob Kilpatrick, a meteorologist with the National Weather Service in Albany. But that was only half the storm, which had been rolling through since about 8 a.m. Saturday, leaving behind an additional 1.09 inches before officials even started counting for Sunday. The end result, said Kilpatrick, was enough liquid precipitation to end a year-to-date deficit that has been partly responsible for the elevated fire risk in recent weeks. Typically, Albany has received 10.6 inches of liquid precipitation by this time. This weekend's storm put Albany at about 11.6, Kilpatrick said. Outlying regions got hit even harder, with Gloversville receiving as much as three inches of rain, with more in areas farther north and west, he said. The rainfall prompted flood warnings for the Canajoharie Creek in Montgomery County and the upper Sacandaga River in Hamilton County above Great Sacandaga Lake, Kilpatrick said. Despite the warnings, no serious problems were reported, even in areas that typically flood, like low-lying areas of Schenectady. The Saratoga County sheriff's office reported a small part of Greens Corner Road near the intersection of Mechanic Street in Galway was closed due to flooding. There was other minor flooding that did not cause street closures. Both the levels of the Canajoharie Creek and the Sacandaga were subsiding by late Sunday. Kilpatrick said the quarter-inch of rain expected today is not likely to cause more flooding.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 24 2006, 06:23 AM Post #646
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And speaking of American history ..... Which people are not really taught much about up here ... Because it makes them nervous, I guess ..... And queasy .... All that violence ..... People don't like all that violence ... And people also don't like knowing that we were really quite poor as a nation back then .... No real shopping malls of any account, back then .... No cable TV with 37,564.349820 channels to select from .... And so ... If you don't tell them it happened ... They will be happy ... And so ... Happy people make the BEST CONSUMERS ..... Because happy people like to spend a lot of money ... Because it makes them feel happy ... And so ... Suppressing history ... Is good for the AMERICAN 'CON-O-MY ..... And the American 'CON-O-MY ... Is good for NATIONAL SECURITY ... Because then ... We get to send all of OUR money to all of these other real scary countries out there in the world .... So that they send us cheap plastic crap ... And vastly overpriced cheap shirts .... And socks ..... And things .... Instead of bullets .... And bayonets ... Like America's George the FANATICAL BUSH ... Is sending to IRAQINAM .... Because all those IRAQINAMIS understand ... IS BRUTE FORCE .... According to the BUSHCO DOCTRINE ... As developed in BIG BUSH's adminstration .... The father of the boy who is in there now .... And so .... "Washington's encampment worthy of Thruway sign" Albany, New York Times Union First published: Monday, April 24, 2006 Q: Why are there so few large brown historical site signs on the Thruway below Kingston? In particular, why isn't there one near Newburgh, where the Thruway actually passes through George Washington's final encampment of the Revolutionary War? -- Ray Houghton, Bethlehem A: The specific spot you have identified is known as the New Windsor Cantonment State Historic Site, and it is, indeed, a significant location in the nation's Revolutionary War history. Gen. George Washington moved his army to New Windsor, which is near West Point, in October 1782. There, 7,000 people, including 500 women and children, erected nearly 600 log huts to establish a military enclave called a cantonment, according to the state Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation. The cantonment and several other historic sites in this area of the Hudson Valley are close to the Thruway. If a request were submitted by the Office of Parks, Recreation and Historic Preservation, it seems likely that a brown sign would get a green light from the Thruway Authority. "That's not our property," said Thruway spokesman Patrick Noonan, but "if they want to put together something on their end with a large brown sign, we'd be happy to work with them in getting that established." In addition, stewards of the encampment could consider securing a spot on one of the Thruway's standard blue "attractions" signs, which feature the logos of restaurants, hotels, gas stations and tourist attractions to be reached via an upcoming exit. "If it meets the program requirements," Noonan said, "there currently is space on the motherboard." "Motorists approaching Interchange 17 (Newburgh) would then see a sign in each direction indicating that Washington's encampment is located off the interchange." Your timing on this question is good. The state is preparing a November opening for the National Purple Heart Hall of Honor at the cantonment site in Vails Gate. The hall, which will honor veterans wounded or killed in battle, may draw many more visitors who probably would appreciate some signs to help them find the way.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 05:29 AM Post #647
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 23 2006, 05:35 PM) CLEAR CHANNELS WORLD WIDE had Senator Chuck Schumer on this morning .... And he has gas up to FOUR DOLLARS a gallon ..... Likely by Memorial Day ..... "Gas up 24 cents to $2.91 over 2 weeks" Associated Press Last updated: 7:25 p.m., Sunday, April 23, 2006 CAMARILLO, Calif. -- Retail gas prices across the country jumped an average of nearly a quarter per gallon in the past two weeks, according to a survey released Sunday. Self-serve regular averaged $2.91 a gallon, up from $2.67 two weeks ago, said Trilby Lundberg, who publishes the nationwide Lundberg Survey of 7,000 gas stations. This morning, on FOX NEWS FAIR AND BALANCED, YOU DECIDE, as broadcast on CLEARCHANNELS WORLD WIDE .... They had on George W. Bush ... And I am not at all sure what they had George on there for ... But I think it had to do with high gas prices ... And GOUGING .... And PROFITEERING .... By the oil companies .... Although I am not sure ... That George knew or understood the question being posed to him .... Since he don't have to worry how much gas costs ... And to him ... PROFITEERING is just how them big, old boys down there in Texico do BID-NESS .... And likely ... He is one of the prime ones responsible for it being so high ... Since he is the guy who has caused the instability in the world .... That has disrupted supplies ... And so ..... "It's up and up at the pump - As average price for regular gas nears $3.06 in region, some call for state to lift or cap taxes to help offset rise" By LARRY RULISON, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union First published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Gas prices in the Capital Region that topped $3 per gallon over the weekend are showing no signs of slowing down as the summer driving season approaches. The average price of regular unleaded increased 46 cents in the past month to nearly $3.06 Monday morning, according to AAA. Now the auto club is calling on the state to suspend its 4 percent sales tax on gasoline. "The state should not profit while drivers struggle to pay rising pump prices," Tammy Melo, a spokeswoman for AAA Hudson Valley, said Monday. Drivers in the Capital Region are bracing for prices of regular unleaded to eclipse the local high of $3.39 per gallon set last September after Hurricane Katrina disrupted supplies. "I think it will get there and go over," said Ray Oddy, 59, of East Greenbush, who was filling up his car Monday afternoon at the Hess station on the Columbia Turnpike. He expects the pain to continue all the way through the Fourth of July. Prices are rising so quickly that even gas station owners are feeling uncomfortable. Hakan Camlica, who owns the US Mart gas station on Route 9W in Glenmont, had to raise his price for a gallon of regular unleaded by 6 cents in just two days. Camlica's loyal base of customers has come to expect relatively cheap gas, so it's very difficult for him to raise prices when the cost from his distributor is rising with each new shipment. On Monday afternoon, Camlica was charging $3.07 per gallon for regular. At a Mobil station across the street, the price was $3.09. Still, Camlica had been charging just $3.01 Saturday morning. With each credit card transaction at his pumps costing him a dime, Camlica, like other independent gas station owners, is barely breaking even. And he's heard that gas could reach $4 by Memorial Day -- which would further erode Camlica's position as a low-price supplier. "I'm always trying to do my best," he said. Meanwhile, AAA Hudson Valley and AAA Northway are launching a petition drive to support their call for the Legislature to suspend the state's sales tax on gasoline. The American Petroleum Institute has estimated that New York state taxes and fees add more than 44 cents to the cost of a gallon of gasoline. Melo, the AAA Hudson Valley spokeswoman, said the club already expects the cost of summer vacations to rise more than 5 percent this year. With gas prices soaring, those two forces could hurt summer tourism and the local economy. Melo says gas prices are expected to rise through the Memorial Day weekend. She said they typically drop off after that, but if turmoil in the Middle East and elsewhere continues to fester, and if there is another busy hurricane season, prices could continue to rise. Assemblyman Paul Tonko, D-Amsterdam, who chairs the Assembly's energy committee, said suspending or capping the sales tax on gas is not a simple solution to combating high prices and called the plan "disingenuous." He says gas prices are too volatile to know if consumers would actually see any savings. Tonko said there were no calls for this type of tax relief while the Legislature was putting together its tax relief package during the state budget process, and he questioned whether people would want gas tax relief at the expense of property tax relief. "What tax cut do you suggest that we reduce?" he said. Instead, he says other measures, such as a new anti-gouging law he is sponsoring at the recommendation of state Attorney General Eliot Spitzer, could be more effective at keeping prices in check. Rulison can be reached at 454-5504 or by e-mail at lrulison@timesunion.com.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 05:44 AM Post #648
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 15 2006, 06:46 AM) *"Oh, Eliot, You're JUST So Vain"* With apologies to Carly Simon Oh, Eliot .... You old dog, you ..... You're just so vain .... You KNOW this song is about you ..... Oh "Big EL" ..... You're just so vain .... You're out there hiring people .... To write pretty songs about you ..... Aren't you? Aren't you? You had New York State ..... Several years ago ..... When we were still quite naive ..... Well you said that you and New York State .... Made such a pretty pair .... And that you would never leave us stranded ..... Outside the protection of law .... While your GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDACY ..... Stuffed its pockets ..... With money ... From those who would have it be so ..... But like all politicans in the end, Eliot .... You gave away the things we loved ..... Like HONESTY ... And INTEGRITY .... And FORTHRIGHTNESS ..... And Eliot .... One of those "things" you gave away .... Was me ..... So Eliot .... I had some dreams .... Or so I thought .... They were clouds in my coffee ..... Clouds in my coffee and .... NO ... Actually ..... It was GROUNDWATER CONTAMINATION, instead ..... And no dream at all ... Thanks to YOU, Big EL .... And Eliot .... You're just so vain ..... You know this song is about you ..... You're just so vain ..... You have your "press poodles" out there .... Writing all sorts of pretty songs about you .... Don't you, Eliot .... Yes, you do ..... ADIRONDACK EXPLORER "Spitzer v. Dirty Air - Crusade against utilities that cause acid rain is threatened by Bush policies" By Paul Grondahl and Phil Brown Explorer Writers New York State Attorney General Eliot Spitzer is an unlikely protector of the Adirondack Mountains. His roots are in Manhattan, and he’s more comfortable in a tailored suit and black dress shoes than in Gore-Tex and hiking boots. Sure, he went canoe camping on Follensby Clear Pond last summer with his wife and three daughters. Sure, he enjoyed it. But he still called the office on his cell phone. “I’m not going to pretend he’s a great outdoorsman." "He’s really a city guy,” said Marc Violette, Spitzer’s spokesman. http://www.adirondackexplorer.com/ansr.htm

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 06:05 AM Post #649
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 15 2006, 06:46 AM) *"Oh, Eliot, You're JUST So Vain"* With apologies to Carly Simon And Eliot .... You're just so vain ..... You know this song is about you ..... Yes, of course, you do ... Since all the songs are about you, these days .... You're just so vain ..... You have your "press poodles" out there .... Writing all sorts of pretty songs about you .... Don't you, Eliot .... Yes, you do ..... Well I hear you went up to Saratoga ...... To "get" some votes ..... And some GEETUS, too .... And your horse naturally won ..... Nudge, Nudge, Wink, Wink .... Eh, "Big EL" ...... "Spitzer fires up the party faithful - Hundreds of Democrats pay to hear, pose with candidate for governor in Saratoga Springs" By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union First published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga County Democrats don't glimpse victory often, but Monday night they lined up to be photographed with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. They were grabbing hold of the gubernatorial win they're expecting Spitzer to deliver in November. "I love him." "He's so heroic," said Donna Palmer of Clifton Park, who pushed into the line to get her picture snapped with the front-running Spitzer. In a county where Republicans dominate at every level and the Democrats hold only about 21 elected positions, 422 Democrats paid $65 each to hear Spitzer and his running mate, state Senate Minority Leader David Paterson, speak at the Gideon Putnam Hotel. Spitzer called on his fellow Democrats to remember they are the progressive party, the inheritors of traditions started by Republican governor and later president Theodore Roosevelt and the Democrats' own governors Al Smith, a presidential candidate, and Franklin D. Roosevelt, who was elected to four terms as president. Spitzer pointed to his legal battles as attorney general with Wall Street firms and President Bush's administration. "Nobody is so powerful that he or she is above the reach of the law," Spitzer said. "Nobody is so powerless they are beneath the protection of the law." That belief and the battles with Wall Street are what brought Palmer to the county fundraiser. "I admire him so much," she said. The county Democrats promised to deliver votes to Spitzer and Paterson. "Sixty percent" is what the ticket will win when the ballots are counted, predicted Saratoga Springs Accounts Commissioner John Franck, the campaign's county co-coordinator with Jaye Kucyznski. Republicans outnumber Democrats by a ratio of nearly 2 to 1 in the county. "There's so much excitement," County Democratic Chairman Larry Bulman said. The energy brought more candidates besides the top of the ticket. Kirsten Gillibrand, who is challenging U.S. Rep. John Sweeney, R-Clifton Park, worked the room, moving from table to table. Brian Premo of Brunswick said he will run against state Senate Majority Leader Joseph Bruno. "I'm definitely going." "I'm going to be doing the formal announcement in the near future," said Premo, whose picture was taken with Spitzer. Bruno's staff was champing to fire at Premo, anticipating he would announce Monday night. Bruno also hasn't announced a re-election campaign officially. "He's a pretender with no experience." "He has absolutely no interest in serving the public as he seeks to raise his name recognition," said Kris Thompson, a Bruno spokesman. Preston Jenkins Jr. of South Glens Falls spoke about his campaign to become Saratoga County treasurer. Samuel Pitcheralle of Mechanicville, the deputy county treasurer, is expected to be the Republican candidate. Several Democrats interested in challenging state Sen. Hugh Farley, R-Niskayuna, attended. Those candidates include Jeff Sharp, Brian Cechnicki, Tom O'Clair and Gary McCarthy.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 07:18 AM Post #650
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 15 2006, 06:46 AM) *"Oh, Eliot, You're JUST So Vain"* With apologies to Carly Simon And all the girls dreamed ..... As they do when in the company of powerful politicians like you .... That they'd be your "partner" ..... They'd be your partner, and.... Oh, Eliot ...... You're just so vain .... You KNOW this song is about you ..... Oh "Big EL" ..... You're just so vain .... You're out there hiring people .... To write pretty songs about you ..... Aren't you? Aren't you? And, of course, you are .... You had New York State ..... Several years ago ..... When we were still quite naive ..... Well you said that you and New York State .... Made such a pretty pair .... And that you would never leave us stranded ..... Outside the protection of law .... While your GUBERNATORIAL CANDIDACY ..... Stuffed its pockets ..... With money ... From those who would have it be so ..... But like all politicans in the end, Eliot .... You gave away the things we loved ..... Like HONESTY ... And INTEGRITY .... And FORTHRIGHTNESS ..... And Eliot .... One of those "things" you gave away .... Was me ..... So Eliot .... QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 25 2006, 06:05 AM) "Spitzer fires up the party faithful - Hundreds of Democrats pay to hear, pose with candidate for governor in Saratoga Springs" By KENNETH C. CROWE II, Staff writer, Albany, New York Times Union First published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 SARATOGA SPRINGS -- Saratoga County Democrats don't glimpse victory often, but Monday night they lined up to be photographed with Attorney General Eliot Spitzer. "I love him." "He's so heroic," ..... Said Donna Palmer of Clifton Park, who pushed into the line to get her picture snapped with the front-running Spitzer. "Nobody is so powerful that he or she is above the reach of the law," Spitzer said. "Nobody is so powerless they are beneath the protection of the law." And by way of reply ..... From WE, THE PEOPLE of Rensselaer County ......... In the State of New York ..... Where Eliot "Big EL" Spitzer is clearly "DA MAN" ..... As originally posted in .... http://commongroundcommonsense.org/forums/...php/t24721.html We have .... And this is catchy CAMPAIGN RHETORIC by New York State Attorney General and GUBERNATORIAL HOPEFUL Eliot Spitzer, right above here, of course ..... Which the Albany, New York Times Union editorial staff will never question .... But as the record above here clearly demonstrates .... IT IS PATENTLY FALSE ..... Because ... Jeffrey Pelletier of Poestenkill, New York is VERY CLEARLY so powerful that he is above the reach of the law ..... Not only in the State of New York ..... Where Eliot Spitzer clearly is "THE POWER" ..... But in the federal Northern District of New York, as well ..... Where Spitzer flexed his muscles ... And exercised his CLOUT ... On behalf of Jeffrey Pelletier ..... Who is clearly so powerful ... Thanks to Eliot Spitzer .... That he is and remains above the reach of the law ... In the State of New York ... And the federal Northern District of New York .... As is alleged New York State Veterans' Counselor and "political operative" William "BUCK" Shea .... Who was Eliot Spitzer's CLIENT in this above matter ... Who made patently false statements to the VA Police .... And allegedly ... The Office of the United States Attorney for the Northern District of New York .... On Pelletier's behalf .... As well as the New York State Police ..... Who are also "clients" of Eliot Spitzer ..... In the 8/22/01 combined Rensselaer County/State of New York effort to have PLAINTIFF locked away and "TREATED" by "Dr. Adrian" in the Northeast Health, Inc. "GULAG", or "political re-conditioning facility" in Troy, New York as an alleged dangerous "mental patient" ...... So as to DESTROY his mind, forever .... Make him "cross-eyed" and drooling a lot .... WITH ELIOT SPITZER'S BLESSINGS .... And thus, to render him totally incapable ..... Of ever being an expert witness ... Against corrupt practices ... In the State of New York ... Involving administrative agencies in the State of New York ... Like the New York State Department of Environmental Conservation .... The New York State Department of Health .... And the Office of Professional Discipline ... Of the New York State Department of Education .... Which "agency" upheld the position taken by REPUBLICAN Rensselaer County Personnel Director Felix "Iron Felix" Pugliese above here on March 13, 1989 .... That in the State of New York ... New York State licensed professional engineers serving THE PUBLIC in the capacity of associate public health engineers in county health departments in the State of New York ..... ARE NOT ALLOWED TO ENGAGE IN "INDEPENDENT THINKING" ..... But instead ... MUST DO WHAT THE "POLITICAL BOSSES" WANT DONE .... Even if it constitutes PROFESSIONAL MISCONDUCT .... And misfeasance, malfeasance and nonfeasance ..... And so .... And just as clearly ..... PLAINTIFF herein ..... And us along with him .... ARE SO POWERLESS ..... That WE, THE PEOPLE are beneath the protection of the law ..... Not only in the State of New York ... But in the federal Northern District of New York, as well ..... And so ..... Some "truth in advertising" here ... Even if in the State of New York ... The truth is no longer in vogue ... Thanks in large part to the ambitious and self-serving New York State Attorney General, Eliot Spitzer ..... And so ..... This post has been edited by Livyjr: Apr 25 2006, 07:20 AM

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 07:37 AM Post #651
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 25 2006, 05:29 AM) This morning, on FOX NEWS FAIR AND BALANCED, YOU DECIDE, as broadcast on CLEARCHANNELS WORLD WIDE .... They had on George W. Bush ... And I am not at all sure what they had George on there for ... But I think it had to do with high gas prices ... And GOUGING .... And PROFITEERING .... By the oil companies .... Although I am not sure ... That George knew or understood the question being posed to him .... Since he don't have to worry how much gas costs ... And to him ... PROFITEERING is just how them big, old boys down there in Texico do BID-NESS .... And likely ... He is one of the prime ones responsible for it being so high ... Since he is the guy who has caused the instability in the world .... That has disrupted supplies ... And so ..... "It's up and up at the pump - As average price for regular gas nears $3.06 in region, some call for state to lift or cap taxes to help offset rise" By LARRY RULISON, Business writer, Albany, New York Times Union First published: Tuesday, April 25, 2006 Gas prices in the Capital Region that topped $3 per gallon over the weekend are showing no signs of slowing down as the summer driving season approaches. And speaking of America's George .... Acting as an APOLOGIST .... For BIG OIL ..... As is his "BOSS" ... Richard Bruce Cheney .... Or "DICK" .... As he is known these days .... Each time I see a picture of THE GEORGE accompanying one of these news stories .... He looks real "pumped up" .... Apparently gesticulating wildly ..... I wonder how much amphetimines they are pumping into that boy on a daily basis ... To keep him going ... Like they do our soldiers and airmen in combat .... "Bush Orders Probe Into Gas Price Cheating" By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer 1 hour, 33 minutes ago WASHINGTON - President Bush, under pressure to do something about gasoline prices that are expected to stay high through the summer, has ordered an investigation into possible cheating in the markets. During the last few days, Bush asked his Energy and Justice departments to open inquiries into whether the price of gasoline has been illegally manipulated, said White House press secretary Scott McClellan. Bush planned to announce the action Tuesday during a speech in Washington. It's unclear what impact, if any, Bush's investigation would have on prices that are near $3 a gallon. Asked if Bush had any reason to suspect market manipulation, McClellan responded, "[u]Well, gas prices are high right now, and that's why you want to make sure there's not." Republicans who control Congress have become concerned that the high cost of filling up could become a problem for them in the November elections. Polls suggest that voters favor Democrats over Republicans on the issue, and Bush gets low marks for handling gasoline prices. House Speaker Dennis Hastert, R-Ill., and Senate Majority Leader Bill Frist, R-Tenn., urged Bush in a letter Monday to order a federal investigation into any gasoline price gouging or market speculation. "There is no silver bullet," Frist said Tuesday on ABC's "Good Morning America," but "we need to make sure that any efforts at price-gouging be addressed and addressed aggressively." Meanwhile, Frist said, consumers should take steps to conserve gasoline — drive at slower speeds, tune up car engines for maximum efficiency and carpool. McClellan said Bush had already ordered investigations into market pricing. "We share a commitment with congressional leaders to make sure that we're acting to ensure that there is no price gouging," McClellan said. Senate Democratic leader Harry Reid of Nevada dispatched his own letter, calling for a multi-pronged approach to restrain gas prices. Among the steps were swift enactment of anti-price gouging legislation, an appeal to oil companies to refrain from further price increases, use of more alternative fuels and increased attention to existing fuel-saving laws and regulations. Bush also planned to announce that his attorney general and Federal Trade Commission will send a letter to all 50 state attorneys general, who have primary authority over price gouging, to remind them to stay on top of the issue and offer federal help to do so. And he planned to call on energy companies to reinvest their profits into expanding refining capacity, developing new technologies and researching alternative energy sources, McClellan said. "I think you'll hear the president say very clearly that he will not tolerate price gouging," McClellan said. Bush has said consistently that gas prices are high because global demand is rising faster than global supply and that the problem cannot be solved overnight. McClellan said Bush planned to talk about how experts predict the price will increase this summer and how the switch to a summer fuel mix is contributing to the problem. Bush's actions are part of a four-part plan to address gas prices in the short- and long-term, McClellan said. The steps are: _Making sure consumers and taxpayers are treated fairly. _Promoting greater fuel efficiency. _Boosting gasoline supply at home. _Aggressive long-term investment in alternative fuels. ___ On the Net: White House: http://www.whitehouse.gov Energy Department: http://www.doe.gov Justice Department: http://www.usdoj.gov

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 05:00 PM Post #652
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 25 2006, 07:37 AM) "Bush Orders Probe Into Gas Price Cheating" By NEDRA PICKLER, Associated Press Writer WASHINGTON - President Bush, under pressure to do something about gasoline prices that are expected to stay high through the summer, has ordered an investigation into possible cheating in the markets. It's unclear what impact, if any, Bush's investigation would have on prices that are near $3 a gallon. Asked if Bush had any reason to suspect market manipulation, McClellan responded, "Well, gas prices are high right now, and that's why you want to make sure there's not." And while we are on this subject of gasoline prices ... Here in OUR America ..... And what impacts ... If any at all ... Higher fuel prices are going to have on the "habits" of America ..... Which right now looks like George W. Bush is just going to use high fuel costs as a means of gutting Clean Air standards here in OUR America ... As we continue to be GLOBALIZED ..... Which is a EUPHEMISM, really ... For being "REVERTED" ... Into being just like all the other third-world countries out there .... And so .... "Oil, Gas Prices Drop on Bush Supply Move" By BRAD FOSS, AP Business Writer 1 hour, 3 minutes ago Crude oil and gasoline futures fell Tuesday after President Bush gave the Environmental Protection Agency the authority to relax regional clean-fuel standards to attract more imports of gasoline to the United States and to make it easier for supplies to be moved from one state to another. President Bush also said he would halt deposits of oil to the nation's strategic petroleum reserve until the fall, but analysts said that measure would have next to no impact on crude prices and certainly would not help make gasoline any cheaper. Even the fuel-specification waivers will have a marginal impact, analysts said, given that the main force behind today's soaring pump prices is the near-record price of crude oil. "If you have $75 a barrel crude oil, you're sort of at a starting point of $2.90 a gallon for gasoline," said Mary Novak, managing director at the economic consulting firm Global Insight. Light sweet crude for June delivery settled 45 cents lower at $72.88 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, dropping on the heels of a 4.48-cents-per-gallon decline in May gasoline futures, which finished at $2.1291 a gallon. Analysts said a floor remains underneath oil prices, which are 33 percent higher than a year ago, for a variety of reasons: • With daily global demand roughly 85 million barrels per day, the world's oil producers have less than 2 million barrels per day of spare production capacity, and most of that is for Saudi blends of oil that are less ideal for manufacturing transportation fuels. • Oil traders are nervous about geopolitical tensions ranging from violence in Nigeria to the West's nuclear standoff with Iran to the move toward greater nationalization of natural resources in energy-rich Venezuela. • The global economy is expanding, and that means the thirst for oil is only going to grow. • Speculative investors are piling into energy markets as a way to profit from soaring prices and geopolitical turmoil that could potentially be bad for equities prices. In a further escalation of the war of words between Iran and the West, Iran threatened Tuesday to begin hiding its nuclear program if the West takes any "harsh measures" against it — Tehran's sharpest rebuttal yet to a U.N. Security Council Friday deadline to suspend uranium enrichment or face possible sanctions. The United States, Britain and France claim Iran wants to use enriched uranium for nuclear weapons, not just electricity generation. Iran denies the charge, but Washington has been pressing fellow members of the Security Council to impose tough economic sanctions against Iran, which could affect its oil exports. Nigerian exports are down because of violence there that prompted Royal Dutch Shell PLC to shut in 455,000 barrels per day of production, and more than 300,000 barrels per day of Gulf of Mexico output remains shut in as a result of damage from last summer's hurricanes. Also, Iraq's output has been hampered by continued sabotage of energy industry infrastructure. Venezuela, another major oil producer, unsettled the market over the weekend by reasserting its intention to give the state greater control of oil fields being operated by foreign-owned oil companies. Concerns about tight refining capacity and gasoline supplies in the U.S. ahead of the summer driving season are also propping up prices. In the seven weeks ended April 14, gasoline stocks declined by more than 23 million barrels, according to last week's U.S. Energy Information Administration report. In other Nymex trading, heating oil futures rose 2.64 cents to settle at $2.0581 per gallon, natural gas futures fell 30.4 cents to $7.254 per 1,000 cubic feet. ___ Associated Press Writer Gillian Wong in Singapore contributed to this report.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 05:21 PM Post #653
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And from where the tensions in IRAQINAM have caused fuel prices to soar .... We go back to the source of the tensions ..... Which is George W. Bush's SOCIAL ENGINEERING EXPERIMENT .... Over there in IRAQINAM .... "What kind of democracy can you impose on them, at the point of a bayonet?" "Al-Maliki to Neighbors: Don't Interfere" By LEE KEATH, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 58 minutes ago BAGHDAD, Iraq - The incoming prime minister told neighboring nations in an interview televised Tuesday not to interfere in Iraq, while expressing gratitude to them for sheltering dissidents during Saddam Hussein's rule. Jawad al-Maliki made the comment during an interview with Iraqi state television, his first since he was tapped three days ago to form a new government. Al-Maliki, a Shiite who spent years in exile in Syria, thanked Iran, Syria, Jordan, Saudi Arabia and Turkey for sheltering Saddam's opponents[/u]. But he added that such gratitude did not mean Iraqis would tolerate "security interference" or involvement with "certain movements inside Iraq." His remarks appeared directed primarily at Shiite-dominated Iran, which sheltered Iraqi Shiite groups that now wield great political influence here, and at Syria, which has been accused of harboring Saddam loyalists directing the Sunni insurgency. Al-Maliki also promised to appoint independents to the defense and interior ministry posts. U.S. officials have insisted that those holding security portfolios have no ties to sectarian militias blamed for worsening tensions between Sunni and Shiite Muslims. In an overture to disaffected Sunnis, al-Maliki, who had a reputation as a strong proponent of Shiite rights, said the entry of Sunnis into the government could help defeat "terrorism." "If we can reach unity between all the components of the people, the canals of terrorism will dry up, as well as by ending unemployment and poverty," he said. "Our people and our tribes in the western areas have fought terrorism ..." "Our Sunni brothers by their participation in a broad alliance have begun to carry responsibilities in the political process." "That will dry up the sources" of terrorism. He noted that many Sunnis risk assassination by cooperating with the new government. "Yes, there is a chance that those among our Sunni brothers will face danger from the terrorists," al-Maliki said. "But we tell them, 'we are with you and we will stay with you, and you stay with us in a unified front against terrorism.'" end quotes Or something like that, anyway .... Maybe it is the translation ....

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 25 2006, 05:40 PM Post #654
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And speaking of translations .... Here's one of some comments by the "other side" on OUR American military that BUSHCO Donald Rumsfeld has converted .... Into something that the "other side" is simply mocking ... Now that the alleged BUSHCO "SHOCK AND AWE" .... Has turned out to be ... More "pop-sputter-and-fizzle" ... In reality ... Than anything else .... Which is always one of the dangers ... Of having a weak Commander-in-Chief .... Who believes that he is a military mastermind ... And has a coterie of sycophants surrounding him ... Who will tell him that it is so ... As they lick his boots .... And so ... "Al-Qaida Leader Mocks U.S. Forces in Video" By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press Writer 50 minutes ago CAIRO, Egypt - In a rare video posted Tuesday on the Internet, al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden and said any government formed in Iraq would be merely a "stooge." He also mocked the U.S. military in Iraq for what he called suicides, drug-taking and mutinies, and he warned that "worse" attacks were to come. The video, released just days after Iraq named a new prime minister and a high-profile audiotape from bin Laden appeared on Arab TV, seemed a deliberate attempt by al-Zarqawi to claim the spotlight again following months of taking a lower profile. It also came just one day after a triple bombing at a resort in Egypt that killed at least 24 people, including 21 Egyptians and three foreigners. The video was believed the first to show al-Zarqawi's face. The bearded, black-clothed terrorist leader, thought to be about 40, was in a flat desert landscape, dotted with scrub brush as if after a spring rain, that looked startlingly like Iraq's western Anbar province. The footage showed him and about two dozen insurgents, masked and dressed in black uniforms, undergoing combat training. In another scene, al-Zarqawi was filmed inside, sitting with his lieutenants and Anbar's insurgent commander, according to a caption in the video. The men, sitting on traditional Arab cushions and mats, could be seen discussing strategy over a large map spread on the ground. "Any government which is formed in Iraq now - whether by Shiites or Zionist Kurds, or those who are dubbed Sunnis - would only be a stooge," al-Zarqawi said in the video. "They are a poisoned dagger in the heart of the Muslim nation." It has been just days since Iraq named a new prime minister and made progress toward forming a new government. In that sense, the video could be an attempt by the terrorist leader to raise his visibility at a time when U.S. officials are hailing the Iraqi political process as a setback to the insurgents. Al-Zarqawi also claimed the U.S. military was overwhelmed in Iraq. "Why don't you tell people that your soldiers are committing suicide, taking drugs and hallucination pills to make them sleep?" he asked, directing his words to President Bush. "By God, your dreams will be defeated by our blood and by our bodies." "What is coming is even worse," he said. The U.S. military in Iraq said it would have no immediate comment. A U.S. counterterrorism official, who spoke on condition of anonymity in compliance with office policy, said intelligence officials are conducting a technical analysis to determine the tape's authenticity. The official said it appears to be al-Zarqawi. Al-Zarqawi has done numerous audio tapes, including one in January, but this is his first video in some time, perhaps several years, the official said, adding that he appears to be healthy. Producing a video, rather than a voice recording, is thought to increase the risk to the speaker. His message indicates the video was made in part to display unity among the foreign fighters in Iraq, and bring more members into the organization, the official said. The video was posted on a Web site that al-Zarqawi's group and others have used to post Internet messages. Al-Zarqawi previously has made statements only through audiotapes posted on the Web, although photos of him obtained by the U.S. government have been widely circulated. In one part of the video, al-Zarqawi sat dressed in black and with a black skullcap on his head, with an ammunition vest hung from his neck and an automatic rifle propped against the wall to his right. The black flag of his group, al-Qaida in Iraq, was superimposed on the screen. In the video, al-Zarqawi also accused the West and the United States of waging a "crusader" war against Islam but said Muslim holy warriors were standing firm. "When the enemy entered into Iraq, their aim was to control the area and support the Zionist state," al-Zarqawi said. "But here we have been fighting them for the last three years." He also mentioned Jerusalem, saying that while fighters are in Iraq, "our eyes are on Jerusalem, which cannot be regained without a guiding Quran and a triumphant sword." And he repeated his allegiance to bin Laden, calling him his emir or prince. "Our emir, sheik Osama bin Laden, has offered you a truce, which was good for you if you had accepted." "But you turned it down, because of your arrogance," al-Zarqawi said, referring to an offer al-Qaida's chief made two years ago to cease attacks on Europe if the U.S. would withdraw from Iraq and Afghanistan. The bin Laden tape that was played on Arab television Sunday encouraged Muslims to support his group in its war with the West. Al-Zarqawi, a Jordanian, has claimed responsibility for some of the most high-profile suicide bombings in Iraq, and also for a score of other attacks including hotel bombings in November in Jordan. But in recent months, al-Zarqawi had sharply lowered his profile, halting his group's Internet claims and joining a clearinghouse group of other radical groups. Some other radical leaders had said he had been shunted aside and told to lower his profile. In January, al-Zarqawi's group said in a Web statement that it had joined five other Iraqi insurgent groups to form the Mujahedeen Shura Council, or Consultative Council of Holy Warriors. Since then, al-Zarqawi's group had stopped issuing its own statements, a sharp contrast to its previous frequent postings, and al-Zarqawi had not issued a Web audiotape since January. In the video posted Tuesday, the logo of the Shura Council appeared on the screen as al-Zarqawi spoke, even as the black flag of his specific group, al-Qaida in Iraq, appeared in the corner. Among other attacks he has been blamed for, U.S. officials believe al-Zarqawi personally beheaded American businessman Nicholas Berg, whose savage killing was shown on a videotape distributed by al-Qaida in Iraq in May 2004. It was the first of a series of videotaped decapitations of Westerners in Iraq, which ended after widespread complaints from Muslims who were sympathetic to the insurgency but objected to the video beheadings. Some experts have long cautioned, however, that al-Zarqawi's role may have been exaggerated and that some of the attacks claimed by his group — or that U.S. and Iraqi officials blamed on him — may have been carried out by others. Iraq's insurgency has always been made up of several disparate groups, and some of them, including Ansar al-Sunnah Army and the Islamic Army of Iraq, have been nearly as violent as al-Zarqawi's al-Qaida in Iraq. Al-Zarqawi has seized most of the attention because of his relentless Internet propaganda efforts, the brutality of his attacks — including the hostage beheading videos — and a series of suicide car bombings that targeted mostly Shiites. ____ Associated Press reporter Katherine Shrader contributed to this report from Washington.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 26 2006, 07:38 AM Post #655
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 23 2006, 05:07 PM) "Stanford Provost Calls It Quits - Rice to seek job in international affairs, business" Bill Workman, Chronicle Staff Writer Wednesday, December 9, 1998 STANFORD -- Stanford University Provost Condoleezza Rice, a national security adviser in the Bush administration, will leave the university's No. 2 academic post in June. Rice, 44, said in an interview yesterday that she will pursue a career in the corporate world that will enable her to return to a prominent role in international affairs. One possibility being whispered in political circles is that Rice will advise Texas Governor George W. Bush in his expected run for the Republican presidential nomination in 2000. A political source said Rice's pending departure is rumored to be a prelude to her joining the campaign staff of Bush as his foreign affairs adviser. Rice last worked in the White House for Bush's father. Rice described herself as a moderate Republican like the governor, "one of those all-over-the-map Republicans that drive people crazy.'' An avid sports fan, Rice has frequently told acquaintances one job she would not mind having would be National Football League commissioner. "I've had season tickets to Stanford Cardinal football since I came here in 1981,'' she boasted. QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 25 2006, 05:40 PM) And speaking of translations .... Here's one of some comments by the "other side" on OUR American military that BUSHCO Donald Rumsfeld has converted .... Into something that the "other side" is simply mocking ... Now that the alleged BUSHCO "SHOCK AND AWE" .... Has turned out to be ... More "pop-sputter-and-fizzle" ... In reality ... Than anything else .... Which is always one of the dangers ... Of having a weak Commander-in-Chief .... Who believes that he is a military mastermind ... And has a coterie of sycophants surrounding him ... Who will tell him that it is so ... As they lick his boots .... And so ... "Al-Qaida Leader Mocks U.S. Forces in Video" By SALAH NASRAWI, Associated Press Writer CAIRO, Egypt - In a rare video posted Tuesday on the Internet, al-Qaida in Iraq leader Abu Musab al-Zarqawi swore allegiance to Osama bin Laden and said any government formed in Iraq would be merely a "stooge." He also mocked the U.S. military in Iraq for what he called suicides, drug-taking and mutinies, and he warned that "worse" attacks were to come. Al-Zarqawi also claimed the U.S. military was overwhelmed in Iraq. "Why don't you tell people that your soldiers are committing suicide, taking drugs and hallucination pills to make them sleep?" he asked, directing his words to President Bush. Well ... That, of course .... Was yesterday ..... Where this Abu Rabu Zimbuku ..... Or whatever ..... Was openly mocking the alleged "military prowess" ..... Of George W. Bush ..... Which is also openly mocked up here where I am ... By good and loyal Americans ... Who are veterans of actual combat themselves ..... And so ... Wonder aloud just how such a pack of incompetents as are these BUSHCOS .... Came to be in POSSESSION of OUR American military today ..... Where the BUSHCO MINISTER OF WAR AND TERROR AND DESTRUCTION ..... That being the perhaps-senile Donald Rumsfeld ..... Has turned OUR American military ... Or "TRANSFORMED" ... As the BUSHCOS like to have it ..... INTO A WORLD-CLASS JOKE ..... Which is a part of the reason that I disagreed with Senator John Kerry's call for pressuring George W. Bush to pull OUR troops from IRAQINAM this year ..... One, because all that would have done was to put a "ball" back in George W. Bush's hands ..... Where there is now only shifting sand ..... That would have then allowed George W. Bush ... AND THE REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE ..... TO GO BACK ON THE ATTACK .... Casting even more aspersions back on to those who did sign on to John Kerry's plans ... Thereby allowing the REPUBLICAN NATIONAL COMMITTEE to take the attention away from REPUBLICAN CORRUPTION AND INCOMPETENCE ... When it comes to real national security matters .... By labeling and calling those people COWARDS ... And TRAITERS ..... And all that crapola that the REPUBLICANS like to smear people with ... Who do not toe the REPUBLICAN IDEOLOGICAL LINE ..... Which I simply see as walking yourself right into an AMBUSH that you already know the REPUBLICANS will spring ...... Just as they sprung the SWOOFTBOAT AMBUSH on John Kerry ... During the 2004 presidential campaign season .... And so ..... From the standpoint of this infantryman .... Walking into the kill zone of an ambush that you already know is waiting for you ... Is a sign of rank stupidity ... And so ..... What we really are confronted with today .... In this IRAQINAM DEBACLE that George W. Bush and Condoleeza "THE WITLESS" Rice have walked ... Or blundered America into ..... Is a HIERARCHY of questions ..... That are not resolved by putting pressure on George W. Bush to pull our troops out of IRAQINAM ..... Especially now .... Because that would make America into the LAUGHING STOCK of the world ... And so .... BUT ... Of course ..... We are turning into the LAUGHING STOCK of the WORLD ... And so ... A CONUNDRUM ..... And the answer of the witless WHITE HOUSE .... Is to put another yet CONSERVATIVE FACE onto all of this ... In what is likely to be another VAIN EFFORT to convince us the the NEW CONS .... Really do know what they are doing .... And so ..... The game most certainly will go on ... And more is yet to come ... And so ... "Heeeere's TONY" ...... To tell us all what is right in the world ... Which is George W. Bush, of course ... And the NEW CONS ..... And what is wrong with the world ... Which is the DEMOCRATS ..... And every TRAITOROUS AND COWARDLY AMERICAN .... Who will not crawl a mile on their bellies for a chance to lick the boots of George W. Bush .... And so ... WATCH .... LISTEN .... LEARN .... "Fox host to be named White House spokesman" By TERENCE HUNT, Associated Press Last updated: 4:41 a.m., Wednesday, April 26, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Conservative pundit Tony Snow will be named White House press secretary, Republican officials said Tuesday night, in the latest move in President Bush's effort to remake his troubled White House. Snow is expected to be named on Wednesday. He will replace Scott McClellan, who is stepping down in a White House personnel shuffle intended to re-energize Bush's presidency, bring in new faces and lift the president's record-low approval ratings. McClellan had served as Bush's chief spokesman -- the most prominent public figure in the White House after Bush -- for nearly three years. Snow, a Fox News commentator and speech-writer in the White House under Bush's father, has written and spoken frequently about the current president -- not always in a complimentary way. While Snow is an experienced Washington hand, he is an outsider when it comes to Bush's tight core of advisers. The Center for American Progress, a liberal think tank, circulated unflattering observations by Snow about Bush. "His (Bush's) wavering conservatism has become an active concern among Republicans, who wish he would stop cowering under the bed and start fighting back against the likes of Harry Reid, Nancy Pelosi and Joe Wilson," Snow wrote last November after Republicans failed to win the governor's race in Virginia. "The newly passive George Bush has become something of an embarrassment." Last month, Snow wrote that Bush and the Republican Congress had "lost control of the federal budget and cannot resist the temptation to stop raiding the public fisc. (treasury)" Snow, in an Associated Press interview on Tuesday, said: "It's public record." "I've written some critical stuff." "When you're a columnist, you're going to criticize and you're going to praise." Unofficially, the White House tried to put the best face on Snow's criticism, suggesting it showed that the administration listens to different voices and noting that Snow's job called for him to be opinionated. Snow declined to say whether he had been offered the White House job. Republicans close to the White House said the press secretary's job had been offered to Snow and that he had accepted. They spoke on condition of anonymity because of Bush's dislike of news leaks. One factor in Snow's decision was that he had his colon removed last year and underwent six months of chemotherapy after being diagnosed with cancer. He had a CAT scan last week and delayed a decision while he consulted with his doctors. Snow is the host of the "Tony Snow Show" on Fox News Radio and "Weekend Live with Tony Snow" on the Fox News Channel. He served in the administration of President George H.W. Bush as White House speechwriting director and later as a deputy assistant to the president for media affairs. end quotes A whole lot of "re-treads" or "re-runs" or "has-beens" or "political hacks" from the single-term adminstration of BIG BUSH THE ELDER are showing up back again .... Here in the administration of he who is known as "BIG GEORGE'S BOY" ..... And so ... Stay tuned ... I guess ... Since we are along for the ride, anyway ... And so ...

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 26 2006, 06:04 PM Post #656
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 26 2006, 07:38 AM) And so ..... What we really are confronted with today .... In this IRAQINAM DEBACLE that George W. Bush and Condoleeza "THE WITLESS" Rice have walked ... Or blundered America into ..... Is a HIERARCHY of questions ..... That are not resolved by putting pressure on George W. Bush to pull our troops out of IRAQINAM ..... Especially now .... Because that would make America into the LAUGHING STOCK of the world ... And so .... BUT ... Of course ..... We are turning into the LAUGHING STOCK of the WORLD ... And so ... A CONUNDRUM ..... And the answer of the witless WHITE HOUSE .... Is to put another yet CONSERVATIVE FACE onto all of this ... In what is likely to be another VAIN EFFORT to convince us the the NEW CONS .... Really do know what they are doing .... And so ..... The game most certainly will go on ... And more is yet to come ... And so ... "Heeeere's TONY" ...... To tell us all what is right in the world ... Which is George W. Bush, of course ... And the NEW CONS ..... And what is wrong with the world ... Which is the DEMOCRATS ..... And every TRAITOROUS AND COWARDLY AMERICAN .... Who will not crawl a mile on their bellies for a chance to lick the boots of George W. Bush .... And so ... WATCH .... LISTEN .... LEARN .... "Fox host to be named White House spokesman" By TERENCE HUNT, Associated Press Last updated: 4:41 a.m., Wednesday, April 26, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Conservative pundit Tony Snow will be named White House press secretary, Republican officials said Tuesday night, in the latest move in President Bush's effort to remake his troubled White House. "New Bush Spokesman Not Blind to Boss' Flaws" By NANCY BENAC, Associated Press Writer 2 hours, 7 minutes ago WASHINGTON - Tony Snow hasn't even started his new job as White House press secretary and already he is learning a lot — about himself. He says he's been called "a BushBot, a puppet, a force of evil in the modern world, a White House mouthpiece-toady-stenographer." And more. But the good-natured columnist and Fox News commentator — named Wednesday as Bush's new spokesman — can give as good as he gets. Although a strong supporter of President Bush, Snow has used his column to label the president "something of an embarrassment," cast his domestic policy as "listless" and compare him to "the boy who can't say no" when it comes to federal spending. The 50-year-old conservative commentator has done an even tougher Snow job on Democrats. He's dismissed them as "reduced to a state of unshakable hysteria" and faulted their "righteous ignorance." He's labeled Democratic leaders like Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid "wheezy prophets of the Defeatocrat Party." He also has been a strong defender of Bush on many an occasion, applauding his "brilliant" foreign policy, his stick-to-his-guns persistence in Iraq, his "delicious disdain for the Beltway culture," his "visionary" Social Security plan. "On the seminal issues of national security and global destiny, he positively dwarfs the political opposition," he has written of Bush. To put it mildly, Snow does not come from the cautious culture of some press secretaries of the past — the ones who make an art form of saying as little as possible. All of that gives Republicans hope that Snow's fresh voice — and star quality as a polished media figure — will help reinvigorate the beleaguered White House and jolt it out of a defensive crouch. "Tony's sympathetic to the president, obviously, in terms of policy and philosophy, but he's not a Bush insider and I think that could be healthy," said William Kristol, who worked with Snow in the first Bush administration and was a regular panelist on Snow's TV show on Fox News. He describes Snow as "a happy-go-lucky guy" with a relaxed attitude that could do the tightly wound Bush team good. Snow wrote in a February column that over time, even the best presidential aides burn out "or worse, lose their capacity to tell the boss, 'Sir, that idea stinks.'" In an Associated Press interview Wednesday, he rejected the notion that his past criticism of the president could be an impediment as he becomes the public face of the Bush administration. He said it would be a mistake for people to "waste their time on old columns," diverting attention from the real issues. Former White House press secretary Marlin Fitzwater, who worked with Snow in the first Bush administration, said the commentator "has a good personality for bringing together contentious people and contentious issues," and the independent stature to help him prod the White House staff toward better press relations. Snow, who served the first President Bush as a speechwriting director and in media affairs, also has shown a healthy perspective on White House service. In a 2001 column, he offered some advice to members of the new administration, including a reminder to keep their humility in check because "you are just a visitor to the history factory" that is the White House. "People will kiss up to you in ways you cannot imagine," he wrote. "In 1991, while I was a minor grandee in that same White House, I received more than 400 Christmas and holiday cards at the office." "The following year, following Mr. Bush's defeat, I received 25." Snow's biography reflects both his standing as a longtime Washington insider and more eclectic elements of his background. He hosted "Fox News Sunday" from 1996 to 2003 and held a string of print journalism positions earlier in his career. He also has served as an advocate for the mentally ill, taught school in Kenya and Cincinnati and is an avid musician, playing guitars, saxophone and flute. He plays in what he calls "an old-farts rock 'n' roll band" called Beats Workin', attended a rock band "fantasy camp" in New York three years ago, and admits he's a SportsCenter junkie. Fitzwater said Snow's main concerns about the job focused on health and family, Snow, who had his colon removed last year after being diagnosed with cancer, delayed a decision on taking the job while he consulted with his doctors and had a CAT scan. Snow and his wife, Jill have three children, 9, 10 and 13. He said Wednesday he hopes to operate as efficiently as possible and "get as much time off as I can," working from home on the weekends. Why give up a comfortable job with a much bigger salary for such a pressure-cooker job? Said Fitzwater: "I always tell people you may lose your health, your wealth and your family but it'll still be the greatest job you'll ever have in your life."

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 26 2006, 06:09 PM Post #657
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	I wonder if he is blind to Karl Rove's flaws? "Rove testifies again in CIA leak case" By PETE YOST, Associated Press Last updated: 5:57 p.m., Wednesday, April 26, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Top White House aide Karl Rove made his fifth grand jury appearance in the Valerie Plame affair Wednesday, undergoing several hours of questioning about a new issue that has come to light since the last time he testified. Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald declined to comment at the conclusion of the grand jury session. Rove appeared at ease as he left the U.S. courthouse, joking to journalists to "move to the back" as the White House aide, his lawyers and several reporters entered an elevator to leave the building. A week ago, Rove, the architect of Bush's election victories, gave up his policy duties at the White House. He is returning to a full-time focus on politics with Republicans facing major problems in the upcoming midterm elections. Wednesday's session is believed to be only the second time Fitzgerald has met with a new grand jury examining questions left unanswered in the leaking of Plame's CIA identity. The only other time Fitzgerald was seen going before the new panel was Dec. 7. The previous grand jury looking into the CIA leak expired Oct. 28, the day it indicted Vice President Dick Cheney's chief of staff on five counts of perjury, obstruction and lying to the FBI. The only new issue in the CIA leak probe known to involve Rove is a contact his lawyer, Robert Luskin, had with Time magazine reporter Viveca Novak. The contact is important because during it, the Time reporter told Luskin that Rove might have disclosed Plame's CIA status in 2003 to another Time reporter, Matt Cooper. The Luskin-Novak conversation occurred many months before Rove belatedly revealed to the prosecutor that he had spoken with Cooper. Rove says he'd forgotten about his conversation with Cooper. Rove's legal problems stem from the fact that it was more than a year into the CIA leak investigation before he revealed the Cooper conversation. Rove "testified voluntarily and unconditionally at the request of Special Counsel Patrick Fitzgerald to explore a matter raised since Mr. Rove's last appearance," Luskin said in a statement. "Mr. Fitzgerald has affirmed that he has made no decision concerning charges." Several days after Rove's conversations with conservative columnist Robert Novak and Cooper in July 2003, both the columnist and Cooper wrote stories identifying Plame as a CIA officer. The exposure of her CIA employment came little more than a week after her husband, former U.S. Ambassador Joseph Wilson, accused the Bush administration of manipulating prewar intelligence to exaggerate an Iraqi nuclear threat. Robert Novak is not related to Viveca Novak. Other unfinished business in the probe focuses on the source who provided Washington Post reporter Bob Woodward information about Plame, whose CIA identity was leaked to Novak in July 2003. Woodward says his source, who he has not publicly identified, provided the information about Wilson's wife, several weeks before Novak learned of Plame's identity. The Post reporter, who never wrote a story, was interviewed by Fitzgerald late last year. ------ Associated Press reporter John Solomon contributed to this story.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 26 2006, 06:15 PM Post #658
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	And here is an American story .... About OUR times ... "America's rags-to-riches dream an illusion: study" By Alister Bull 1 hour, 16 minutes ago WASHINGTON (Reuters) - America may still think of itself as the land of opportunity, but the chances of living a rags-to-riches life are a lot lower than elsewhere in the world, according to a new study published on Wednesday. The likelihood that a child born into a poor family will make it into the top five percent is just one percent, according to "Understanding Mobility in America," a study by economist Tom Hertz from American University. By contrast, a child born rich had a 22 percent chance of being rich as an adult, he said. "In other words, the chances of getting rich are about 20 times higher if you are born rich than if you are born in a low-income family," he told an audience at the Center for American Progress, a liberal think-tank sponsoring the work. He also found the United States had one of the lowest levels of inter-generational mobility in the wealthy world, on a par with Britain but way behind most of Europe. "Consider a rich and poor family in the United States and a similar pair of families in Denmark, and ask how much of the difference in the parents' incomes would be transmitted, on average, to their grandchildren," Hertz said. "In the United States this would be 22 percent; in Denmark it would be two percent," he said. The research was based on a panel of over 4,000 children, whose parents' income were observed in 1968, and whose income as adults was reviewed again in 1995, 1996, 1997 and 1999. The survey did not include immigrants, who were not captured in the original data pool. Millions of immigrants work in the U.S, many illegally, earnings much higher salaries than they could get back home. Several other experts invited to review his work endorsed the general findings, although they were reticent about accompanying policy recommendations. "This debunks the myth of America as the land of opportunity, but it doesn't tell us what to do to fix it," said Bhashkar Mazumder, a senior economist at the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland who has researched this field. Recent studies have highlighted growing income inequality in the United States, but Americans remain highly optimistic about the odds for economic improvement in their own lifetime. A survey for the New York Times last year found that 80 percent of those polled believed that it was possible to start out poor, work hard and become rich, compared with less than 60 percent back in 1983. This contradiction, implying that while people think they are going to make it, the reality is very different, has been seized by critics of President Bush to pound the White House over tax cuts they say favor the rich. Hertz examined channels transmitting income across generations and identified education as the single largest factor, explaining 30 percent of the income-correlation, in an argument to boost public access to universities. Breaking the survey down by race spotlighted this as the next most powerful force to explain why the poor stay poor. On average, 47 percent of poor families remain poor. But within this, 32 percent of whites stay poor while the figure for blacks is 63 percent. It works the other way as well, with only 3 percent of blacks making it from the bottom quarter of the income ladder to the top quarter, versus 14 percent of whites. "Part of the reason mobility is so low in America is that race still makes a difference in economic life," he said.

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 27 2006, 07:14 AM Post #659
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	Up here ... Where I am ... In the corrupt State of New York .... Where in the last several years ... Property taxes alone have soared some 40% or so .... People are moving .... From riches ..... To rags .... And so ... Maybe it really is better ... To go down to TEXICO .... And live down there in SUGARLAND .... And CONVERT over to being a BORN AGIN REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE ... In the OIL BID-NESS, if course ... And so .... And if these REPUBLICANS in CONGRESS really want to investigate this GOUGING and PROFITEERING by the OIL BID-NESS ..... What they really need to do ... IS TO EXPOSE THE DEALS THAT RICHARD BRUCE CHENEY AND THE OIL BOYS COOKED UP ... BACK WHEN RICHARD BRUCE HAD HIS TOP SECRET ENERGY PANEL COOKING UP STRATEGY TO SCREW AMERICA WITH .... WITH RICHARD BRUCE AS THEIR CHAMPION .... And so .... "Key lawmakers demand oil co. tax records" By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Last updated: 6:35 a.m., Thursday, April 27, 2006 WASHINGTON -- Senate Republicans advocate sending $100 rebate checks to millions of taxpayers, and a Democrat is leading the campaign for a 60-day gasoline tax holiday. Either way, it seems no one in Congress wants to be without a plan, however symbolic, to attack the election-year spike in gasoline prices. A vote is possible as early as this week on the Senate GOP approach, which calls for $100 rebate checks for taxpayers to cushion the impact of higher gasoline prices. The measure seems unlikely to prevail, at least initially, since it includes a highly controversial proposal to open a portion of Alaska's Arctic National Wildlife Refuge to oil drilling. Senate Republicans also favor extending a tax break that manufacturers receive for each hybrid vehicle they make, and want President Bush to suspend deliveries to the nation's strategic petroleum reserve for six months. Democrats seemed caught off guard by the GOP maneuvering, but a spokesman said they would have a plan of their own. Sen. Bob Menendez, D-N.J., has proposed a 60-day suspension in the federal tax on gasoline and diesel, a holiday that he says would cut the cost of gasoline by more than 18 cents a gallon and reduce the price of diesel fuel by more than 24 cents a gallon. The Senate Finance Committee provided additional evidence of the lawmakers' scramble to respond. In a rare move, the panel requested tax returns from the country's major oil and gas companies as part of an investigation into industry profits and soaring gasoline costs. Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee's chairman, said senators were concerned about the "record profits and significant executive compensation in the oil and gas industry." "I want to make sure the oil companies aren't taking a speed pass by the tax man," Grassley said in a statement. With gasoline prices soaring and oil companies announcing record profits, "it's relevant to know what the real financial picture is for this industry," added Montana Sen. Max Baucus, the panel's ranking Democrat. It's highly unusual for the Senate committee to seek corporate tax records. The last time it made such a request to the IRS it involved the tax records of the bankrupt Enron Corp. The committee announcement came as Washington scrambled to respond to public anger over soaring gasoline prices -- $3 a gallon or more in many parts of the country -- and try to contain the political fallout. On Tuesday, Bush suspended filling of the nation's emergency oil reserve, urged the waiver of clean air rules to ease local gas shortages and called for the repeal of $2 billion in tax breaks for profit-heavy oil companies. He also urged lawmakers to expand tax breaks for the purchase of fuel-efficient hybrid automobiles. Both Republicans and Democrats said they planned to support rescinding the $2 billion in tax breaks, which included subsidies for exploration in deep waters of the Gulf of Mexico and in geologically or politically difficult regions of the world, as well as royalty relief for certain oil and gas exploration. Executives of the major oil companies said at a recent hearing they do not need those tax breaks. House and Senate conferees -- as part of a broader tax package -- were also considering a measure that would change accounting rules involving oil held in inventory, which would force the five biggest oil companies to pay an additional $4.3 million in taxes. The industry and the White House oppose that measure, viewing it as a form of windfall profit tax that singles out five companies for accounting practices widely used in and out of the oil industry. Republican leaders and tax writers said they hope to finish work on the broader tax bill this week, but it's not certain the oil inventory tax measure will survive. Several major oil companies were expected to report sharp increases in their first quarter profits this week. On Wednesday, ConocoPhillips said its earnings rose 13 percent to $3.29 billion in the first quarter. In a letter to the IRS, Grassley and Baucus said the tax records of the major oil companies are needed to conduct "a comprehensive review" of the companies' compliance with tax laws. "As pressure mounts to address extraordinarily high gas prices that consumers are facing at the pump, we feel we should better understand the federal tax posture of the industry," the two senators wrote IRS Commissioner Mark Everson. In their request, the senators noted not only the industry profits, but "an extremely lucrative retirement plan by one oil and gas industry executive, benefits which may have been subsidized in part by the taxpayers." The retirement compensation package given by Exxon Mobil Corp. to outgoing Chairman Lee Raymond is said to total $400 million when all pension payoffs and stock options are included. Red Cavaney, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the major oil companies Washington-based lobbying group, said Wednesday oil company profits are huge because the industry is huge. "In the oil and natural gas business size is everything," Cavaney said at a news conference. "It is critical to understand that fact when looking at the operational financial performance of our industry." ------ AP Special Correspondent David Espo contributed to this report. I look at photos of that Exxon Mobil fat-cat ..... The one who is getting all that money to retire on ... And the thought that comes to my mind ... Is that guy has got more "meat" in his jowls alone ..... Than most people up here ..... Have got in their whole *** .... And so ... Just an observation ... Of course ... Because with all that money ... You would expect that this man would be eating well ... And so .....

Livyjr View Member Profile	Apr 27 2006, 04:52 PM Post #660
Advanced Member Group: Subscribing Member Posts: 49,489 Joined: 5-November 04 Member No.: 219	QUOTE(Livyjr @ Apr 27 2006, 07:14 AM) "Key lawmakers demand oil co. tax records" By H. JOSEF HEBERT, Associated Press Last updated: 6:35 a.m., Thursday, April 27, 2006 Sen. Charles Grassley, R-Iowa, the committee's chairman, said senators were concerned about the "record profits and significant executive compensation in the oil and gas industry." With gasoline prices soaring and oil companies announcing record profits, "it's relevant to know what the real financial picture is for this industry," added Montana Sen. Max Baucus, the panel's ranking Democrat. The committee announcement came as Washington scrambled to respond to public anger over soaring gasoline prices -- $3 a gallon or more in many parts of the country -- and try to contain the political fallout. Several major oil companies were expected to report sharp increases in their first quarter profits this week. On Wednesday, ConocoPhillips said its earnings rose 13 percent to $3.29 billion in the first quarter. "As pressure mounts to address extraordinarily high gas prices that consumers are facing at the pump, we feel we should better understand the federal tax posture of the industry," the two senators wrote IRS Commissioner Mark Everson. In their request, the senators noted not only the industry profits, but "an extremely lucrative retirement plan by one oil and gas industry executive, benefits which may have been subsidized in part by the taxpayers." The retirement compensation package given by Exxon Mobil Corp. to outgoing Chairman Lee Raymond is said to total $400 million when all pension payoffs and stock options are included. Red Cavaney, president of the American Petroleum Institute, the major oil companies Washington-based lobbying group, said Wednesday oil company profits are huge because the industry is huge. "In the oil and natural gas business size is everything," Cavaney said at a news conference. "It is critical to understand that fact when looking at the operational financial performance of our industry." But they are not GOUGING ... Or PROFITEERING ..... It was ... Well ... You know how it is .... They simply got lucky ..... No, wait ... That was not it ... They just had real good management ... And so .... "Exxon's $8B 1Q profit is 5th highest ever" By STEVE QUINN, Associated Press Last updated: 2:35 p.m., Thursday, April 27, 2006 DALLAS -- Exxon Mobil Corp., the world's largest oil company, reported Thursday the fifth highest quarterly profit for any public company in history, posting gains from higher oil prices that were likely to stoke the furor over outsized oil company earnings. Despite the 7 percent gain in earnings to more than $8 billion in the first quarter, Exxon Mobil said its earnings came in below its record fourth-quarter because all three of its business -- exploration and production; refining; chemicals -- didn't perform as well. The earnings report comes amid consumer outcry in the U.S. about soaring gasoline prices. The average retail price of gasoline in the U.S. is now $2.91 a gallon, or 68 cents higher than a year ago. It also comes as Washington lawmakers are looking to appease consumers with various proposals to make big oil companies pay more taxes or provide consumers with some other relief. In January, Exxon posted the highest quarterly profits of any public company in history: $10.71 billion for the fourth quarter of 2005 and $36.13 billion for the full year. In the first quarter, net income rose to $8.4 billion, or $1.37 per share, from $7.86 billion, or $1.22 per share, a year ago. Excluding a gain on the sale of an interest in China's Sinopec, the company's year-ago profit was $7.4 billion, or $1.15 per share. But analysts polled by Thomson Financial were looking for a higher profit of $1.47 per share for the latest quarter, and shares fell $1.02, or 1.6 percent, to $62.08 in morning trading on the New York Stock Exchange. Howard Silverblatt, a senior index analyst for Standard & Poor's, said the latest profit figure still places Exxon fifth historically among quarterly earnings. Exxon also holds the first, second and fourth spots; Royal Dutch Shell PLC has the third spot. The company said its average sale price for crude oil in the U.S. during the quarter was $55.99 per barrel compared to $42.70 a year ago. It sold natural gas in the U.S., on average, for $8.31 compared to $6.18 during the same period one year ago. Earnings from exploration and production of oil and gas rose to $6.4 billion from $5 billion a year ago. Refining profits fell from $1.4 billion to $1.2 billion and profits from its chemical business fell to 949 million from $1.4 billion Revenue grew to $88.98 billion from $82.05 billion a year earlier. Higher crude oil and natural gas prices and improved marketing margins were partly offset by lower chemical margins. Placed in perspective, Exxon's revenue for the three-month period was still greater than the annual gross domestic product of some major oil producing nations, including the United Arab Emirates ($74.67 billion) and Kuwait ($55.31 billion), according to statistics maintained by the Central Intelligence Agency. Exxon said it invested $4.8 billion in capital and exploration projects, a 41 percent increase from 2005. "In the first quarter of 2006, the results of our continuing long-term investment program contributed to a 5 percent increase in production," Exxon chief executive said in a prepared statement. Exxon also said it returned $7 billion to shareholders through dividends of $2 billion and buying back $5 billion worth of shares.

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