State of The Union?
The State of the Union is a report by the president to the American people. It is to be given from time to time. It is intended to be a report on the condition of the country. It is much like a manager would report to the board of directors of a company.
Where to begin? I told you so! Others told you so! Ready to correct our employees? How's that hope and change working?
To make it short, we have all failed. It is costing us freedom and our country. I mean all of us failed. This includes the military, police, government employees, and all other citizens. Proof is abundant. It is ugly but look anyway.
Defeating America's leaders (employees) using their own methods would truly be poetic justice!
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http://www.usdebtclock.org/
This website is amazing !!!
A must see...
USA total (at this time) $56,518,151,xxx,xxx.00 and counting fast,
there is a link to state debt
.Illinois (my state) $128,407,924,796.00
Web Writer's comment:
A recent news story stated Illinois has $8.5 billion in unpaid debt with no money to pay-up.
The total of U.S. state debt, including pension liabilities, could surpass $4 trillion, with California owing the most and Vermont owing the least, a new analysis says.
http://www.cnbc.com/id/45019599/US_States_Are_Facing_Total_Debt_of_Over_4_Trillion
WASHINGTON – The soaring national debt has reached a symbolic tipping point: It's now as big as the entire U.S. economy.The amount of money the federal government owes to its creditors, combined with IOUs to government retirement and other programs, now tops $15.23 trillion.That's roughly equal to the value of all goods and services the U.S. economy produces in one year: $15.17 trillion as of September, the latest estimate. Private projections show the economy likely grew to about $15.3 trillion by December — a level the debt is likely to surpass this month.
http://www.usatoday.com/news/washington/story/2012-01-08/debt-equals-economy/52460208/1
NBC/WSJ poll:
Majority would vote out every member of Congress
By NBC's Domenico Montanaro
In a country sharply divided on almost every issue, most Americans agree on one thing: they don’t like Congress, and they would vote to replace every single member -- even their own -- if they had the option.
Fifty-six percent of registered voters say they would vote out every member of Congress if there were a place on the ballot to do so. That’s the highest response in favor of the question since it was first asked in March 2010.
And they say so across the ideological spectrum – with 55 percent of liberals, 55 percent of moderates, and 58 percent of conservatives all feeling the same way.
“We found the one area in which all people in the country agree,” said Republican pollster Bill McInturff, who conducted the survey with Democratic pollster Peter D. Hart.
Combine that with Congress continuing to be at near-record lows in approval at 13 percent and all members of Congress are at risk, McInturff said.
But there are also warning signs specifically for Republicans.
More people say the GOP has brought the wrong kind of change (31 percent) in Congress than the right kind (12 percent). That represents a drop for the GOP from a year ago, right after when they took control of the House as a result of the sweeping 2010 elections. In January 2011, 25 percent thought Republicans would bring the right kind of change versus 20 percent who thought they would bring the wrong kind.
Those attitudes are also far worse than right after when Democrats took control of the House in 2006 (42%/15%) and Republicans regained a majority in 1994 (37%/11%).
“People want Congress to get things done, act responsibly and fix the economy,” McInturff said, “and if they don’t,” they could be in trouble. McIntruff added, “These guys are going to be running in a head wind.”
453 comments, including:
Ditch the lot of them. Career politicians have ruined us. Public service was never meant to be a career; it was a patriotic chore/sacrifice one made to serve their nation, and then return to the private sector. Now greedy pols only serve themselves.
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say it ain't so ...
http://www.minutemanproject.com/
Jan 9, 2012
U.S. Agents Helped Mexican and Colombian Drug Traffickers Launder Millions, Report Says
(Fox News) - Mexico's government allowed a group of undercover U.S. anti-drug agents and their Colombian informant to launder millions in cash for a powerful Mexican drug trafficker and his Colombian cocaine supplier, according to documents made public Monday. The Mexican magazine Emeequis published portions of documents that describe how Drug Enforcement Administration agents, a Colombian tra...
[Read More]
Jan 20, 2012
U.S./Mexico Border Deadlier Than All Of Afghanistan
(CNS) - One Mexican State Bordering The US Was Deadlier Than All of Afghanistan Last Year. Organized crime-related deaths in one Mexican border state during the first nine months of 2011 exceed the number of Afghan civilians killed in roughly the same period in all of war-torn Afghanistan. According to the Mexican government, from January through September 2011 2,276 deaths were recorded in the...
[Read More]
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http://realestate.msn.com/article.aspx?cp-documentid=23468980
America's most miserable cities
By Kurt Badenhausen of Forbes
---STORY---
High unemployment, crime and corruption can make these cities downright depressing. Did your hometown make the list?
Cleveland has had a colorful history. The Cuyahoga River, which runs through the city, famously caught fire in 1969 thanks to rampant pollution, and it wasn't the first time. In 1978, it became the first U.S. city to default on its debts since the Great Depression. Cleveland sports fans have had to endure more anguish than those in any other city. The city has been dubbed with a less than endearing nickname: the Mistake by the Lake.
This year Cleveland takes the top spot in our third annual ranking of America's Most Miserable Cities. Cleveland secured the position thanks to its high unemployment, high taxes, lousy weather, corruption by public officials and crummy sports teams (Cavaliers of the NBA excepted).
Misery was on the rise around the country last year. Sure, the stock market was up big, but so were unemployment, foreclosures and bankruptcy filings. Meanwhile housing prices, the U.S. dollar and approval ratings for Congress continued their downward spiral.
The widely tracked Misery Index initiated by economist Arthur Okun, which combines unemployment and inflation rates, started 2009 at 7.3 and rose to 12.7 by the end of the year thanks to soaring joblessness. That is the highest level since 1983.
Our Misery Measure takes into account unemployment, as well as eight other issues that cause people anguish. The metrics include taxes (both sales and income), commute times, violent crime and how its pro sports teams have fared over the past two years. We also factored in two indexes put together by Portland, Ore., researcher Bert Sperling that gauge weather and Superfund pollution sites. Lastly, we considered corruption based on convictions of public officials in each area as tracked by the Public Integrity Section of the U.S. Department of Justice.
We expanded the list of cities under consideration this year to include the 200 largest metropolitan statistical areas (in years past, we've examined 150), which led to a shuffling in the ranks. Any area with a population of more than 245,000 was eligible.
Cleveland nabbed the top spot as a result of poor ratings across the board. It was the only city that fell in the bottom half of the rankings in all nine categories. Many residents are heading for greener pastures; there has been a net migration out of the Cleveland metro area of 71,000 people over the past five years. Population for the city itself has been on a steady decline and is now less than half of it what it was 50 years ago.
Cleveland ranked near the bottom when looking at corruption. Northern Ohio has seen 309 public officials convicted of crimes over the past 10 years according to the Justice Department. A current FBI investigation of public officials in Cuyahoga Country (where Cleveland is located) has ensnared more than two dozen government employees and businessmen on charges including bribery, fraud and tax evasion.
On the housing front, Cleveland is dealing with thousands of abandoned homes. The city contributed to its foreclosure problem by providing down payments to many people who could not afford homes through the federally funded Afford-A-Home program. Cleveland, led by Mayor Frank Jackson, sued 21 large investment banks in 2008 that he thought were complicit in the subprime and foreclosure crisis that hit Cleveland hard. A federal judge dismissed the suit last year, but the city is appealing the ruling.
A 19% decline in foreclosures last year is possibly a glimmer of hope that the housing situation is starting to improve, although Cleveland still ranks in the top third of all metros for foreclosure rates, according to RealtyTrac, an online marketer of foreclosed property. Cleveland and Cuyahoga County were awarded $41 million last month from the Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money will go toward demolition of homes, foreclosure prevention and the rehabilitation of homes.
There are certainly bright spots in Cleveland. Downtown has experienced a revival over the past 15 years, helped in part by the construction of three new sports venues for the city's NFL, NBA and baseball teams. The Cleveland Clinic is one of the top medical centers in the U.S. and the largest employer in northeast Ohio.
Jackson's chief of staff, Ken Silliman, calls 2010 a very exciting year for Cleveland. He points to three projects in development for the city. The first is the Cleveland Medical Mart, which is a convention center that targets the medical and health care industries. Next is a casino plan. In November, Ohio voters approved casinos in four cities, and Cavaliers owner Dan Gilbert is leading a group that hopes to have a Cleveland casino up and running in three years. Lastly is the Flats East Bank project, which ran into funding issues during the financial crisis. The waterfront development will include an office tower, hotel and space for retail and dining.
"Clevelanders over the years have developed a tenacity to deal with these kinds of situations, and we are very aggressive in attempting to solve our problems rather than awaiting someone else's solutions," says Silliman.
Other cities on the list include Memphis, which came in third thanks to the second-worst rate of violent crime in the U.S. and an alarming rate of convicted public officials. Detroit, ravaged by the ailing auto industry was fourth. Flint, Mich., was fifth. Also on the list? Chicago (No. 10) and New York City (No. 16). Torturous commute times and nosebleed-inducing taxes are the high prices locals pay for the cultural opportunities and corporate headquarters located there.
Our most miserable city last year, Stockton, Calif., nabbed the second spot on this year's list. Unemployment and crime continue to be major issues. Stockton ranked seventh-worst in both of these areas. Stockton residents have average commutes that are among the highest in the country and, like all Californians, they suffer from onerous sales and income taxes.
Stockton Mayor Ann Johnston says the city is working to fix its problems. It has seen a reduction in crime in recent months as it targets troubled areas with an increased police presence. On the economic front, the city recently expanded the Port of Stockton, which it hopes will attract new companies. Stockton is an agricultural community, but the mayor says the city is working to diversify its economic base and echoes Silliman's comments about Cleveland. "We're an All-American city," says Johnston. "And it's not because we sit on our hands and do nothing. It's because we recognize our problems and work to solve them."
The top 10 most miserable cities
Cleveland
Stockton, Calif.
Memphis, Tenn.
Detroit
Flint, Mich.
Miami
St. Louis
Buffalo, N.Y.
Canton, Ohio
Chicago
Continue to Forbes.com to see the complete list of America's 20 most miserable cities.
