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terrybankert
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During boom in crop prices, lawmakers harvest subsidies [m]
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GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 5/19/08 EARLY EDITION
You are invited to join me at Face Book
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___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk
http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=28755#28755
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I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE CORPORATE CRY BABIES THAT GRAB CORPORATE WELFARE TO ENGORGE THEMSELVES BUT OPPOSE FREE HEALTH CARE FOR CHILDREN AND SERVICES FOR ELDERLY
Farm subsidies have long been America's largest corporate welfare program. Rather than help small, struggling family farmers, the majority of subsidies go to commercial farmers, who report an average income of $200,000 and a net worth of nearly $2 million. [m]
THESE PROGRESSIVES THAT CLAIM TO BE THE MORAL COMPASS FOR AMERICAN DEMOCRATS ARE TALKING OUT OF BOTH SIDES OF THEIR MOUTHS. IT WILL TAKE A LIBERAL TO SET THIS RIGHT
Let's hear no more from Democrats that they're on the side of the poor and opposed to big business. The farm bill passed by Congress loaded $40 billion onto nutrition programs for the poor to the benefit of America's wealthy farmers.[b]
INTERNATIONAL ACADEMIC KNOW OUR LEADERS FOR THE HYPOCRITES THEY ARE
For instance, Pradeep Mehta, secretary-general of the center for international trade, economics and the environment of CUTS International, an independent research institute based in India, said that if Americans slimmed down to the weight of middle-class Indians, ''many hungry people in sub-Saharan Africa would find food on their plates.'' [s]
He added,... that the money spent in the United States on liposuction to get rid of fat from excess consumption could be funneled to feed famine victims, whose anger has taken them to the streets on many continents. [s]
BUSH HAS NEVER GOT IT RIGHT, HE NEVER WILL HE, IS INCAPABLE.
Mehta's comments may sound like the macroeconomic equivalent of ''so's your old man,'' but they reflect genuine outrage - and ballooning criticism - toward the United States in particular, over recent remarks by President Bush. [s]
THE SENATE TO THE RESCUE...RUN FOR COVER...
The Senate voted overwhelmingly on Thursday to approve a five-year, $307 billion farm bill, sending it to President Bush for what is expected to be his futile veto.[n]
THE AMERICAN MIDDLE CLASS IS LOSING ITS STANDARD OF LIVING, WHEN THEY FIND OUT THEY WILL BE REALLY PISSED AND MAY JUST GET OFF THE COUCH AND VOTE EVERYBODY OUT OF OFFICE.
With food prices soaring, it takes some gall to force Americans to pay billions of dollars to millionaire agribusinesses. Yet that's what the latest farm bill would do.[m]
GOOD FOOD PRICES GOING UP, WE WILL EAT MORE BAD FOOD AND GET FATTER
We don't have to remind the people of the Seacoast and Lakes Regions of New Hampshire and southern Maine of the soaring cost of food. They see it each day they go to the market. Democrats running for election and re-election to Congress are trying to get consumers to swallow the meal that they are the ones who are trying to reduce food prices. How, by tossing subsidies at corn growers who sell their crops for the manufacture of ethanol, increasing the cost of what is sold in stores and what is grown for animal feed?[b]
FOOD BILL TO BE EATEN UP BY WHITE HOUSE
A year in the making, the Food, Conservation and Energy Act of 2008 is on its way to the White House, ballyhooed by most, booed by a few.[th]
CONGRESS CAN OVERRIDE, BUT THEY HAVE BEEN BOUGHT AND PAID FOR
The bill passed by wide margins -- 318-106 in the U.S. House on Wednesday, followed Thursday by a Senate confirmation of 81-15. As a result, Senate Ag Committee Chairman Tom Harkin, D-Iowa, is confident he has the votes to override an Oval Office veto, should President Bush carry out his threat to rebuff what he has labeled as "bloated, earmark-laden" legislation. Harkin said he hopes it will not come to that.[th]
THE MIDDLE CLASS IS DYING AND FARM INCOME UP 56%, UNDER THE REPUBLICANS
Since the last farm bill was enacted in 2002, the five crops that receive the lion's share of farm subsidies have also enjoyed massive price increases: cotton (105 percent price increase), soybeans (164 percent), corn (169 percent), wheat (256 percent) and rice (281 percent). For consumers, these price increases have caused financial pain domestically and near-riots abroad. For farmers, it's a sunnier story: Total net farm income has leaped 56 percent in just two years, and helped bring the average farm household's income to a record $89,434, and its net worth to $838,875.[m]
WHAT A DUMB POLICY
During this crop-price boom, continuing to subsidize farmers makes as much sense as paying Apple to make another generation of iPods. [m]
IF AT FIRST YOU DO NOT SUCCEED , TRY ,TRY AGAIN
Yet instead of cutting, Congress' answer is to harvest even more farm subsidies. The latest version would increase payment rates for more than a dozen crops and increase conservation subsidies. Although the same farmers already receive massive annual subsidies, plus taxpayer-funded crop insurance, Congress would also layer a new permanent disaster aid program. Expect Congress to declare an emergency any week that it rains - or doesn't rain.[m]
BUSH LOOKING AT CONDIMENTS, HARKIN THE FULL MENU
"To date, (Bush) has focused on a handful of elements in this vast bill that he disagrees with," Harkin said after the Senate vote. "I urge him to look at the bill as a whole, and to see the many critical investments and reforms in this bill that have won support from both parties, from every region of the country and from rural and urban members of Congress alike."[th]
HARKIN BROUGHT EVERYBODY TO THE DINNER TABLE
Harkin said he began nearly a year ago by going to each Ag Committee member to determine what that lawmaker wanted included. By the time the initial bill got to committee for consideration, it took less than two days to get to unanimous approval.[th]
PRESIDENTIAL CANDIDATES ARE DUCKING THIS ISSUE, THEY KNOW ITS WRONG BUT TOOK TOO MUCH FARM LOBBY MONEY
With the exception of Rep. Ron Kind,D-Wis., all members of the tri-state congressional delegation who were present for the vote supported the bill. Illinois Sen. Barack Obama, with the Senate's other presidential candidates, New York Democrat Hillary Clinton and Arizona Republican John McCain, were not on hand.[th]
Kind has consistently criticized the effort's shortcomings in subsidy reform.[th]
NEXT TO THE CORN SUBSIDY JUST DOWN THE AISLE FROM THE SOYBEAN LOTTERY, THAT WHERE THE BEEF IS
“Where’s the beef?” asked Representative Ron Kind, Democrat of Wisconsin, standing in the House floor next to a poster showing sharp increases in commodity prices — 126 percent for wheat, 57 percent for soybeans, 45 percent for corn. “Where’s the real reform?” he said. [n]
The Office of Management and Budget was right - the $35 billion in subsidies and price supports authorized by the bill are not needed. ) Wheat now sells for 87 percent above its five-year average price. Soybeans are up 70 percent; corn 94 percent. As long as Congress keeps its biofuel mandates, prices are not going to recede.[b]
REPUBLICANS SAY AGAIN...BUSH WHO....
The willingness of so many Republicans to break with the White House reflected both the strong support for the bill and a growing alarm among many lawmakers about their election prospects in November. [n]
Mr. Bush himself made a similar political calculation in 2002, ultimately deciding to sign the farm bill that year even though he had strongly opposed it. A senior official at the time said the White House had concluded it would be “political suicide” in the midterm elections to veto the bill that year. [n]
THE WORLD IS ON THE VERGE OF FOOD RIOTS AND STARVATION AND WE ARE PAYING MILLIONAIRE FARMERS ...NOT TO GROW...
"Commodity prices are through the roof and yet we are still funneling billions of dollars to farm households making up to $2.5 million a year in profit," Kind said. "My colleagues and the president should reject these sham reforms, and demand a farm bill that helps only the family farmers who need it and is worth the confidence of the American taxpayer."[th]
Both Harkin and Iowa's senior senator, Republican Chuck Grassley, who worked on the funding as ranking member of the Senate Finance Committee, supported greater cuts in subsidy payments throughout the process, but met strong resistance from lawmakers representing sugar-producing areas. Without their support, the bill would not have had the votes needed to get other reforms accomplished.[th]
THE LONGER THE SPEECH THE BIGGER THE LIE...
In a lengthy statement explaining the bill's provisions Grassley delivered on the Senate floor, he said he regretted the bill didn't go far enough in payment limitations and its failure to include a ban on packer ownership of livestock.[th]
President Bush called on Congress to end farm subsidies for families earning more than $200,000 annually. Instead, Congress decided that married couples with less than $1.5 million in annual net farm income should be barred from one farm subsidy program - but still allowed to collect from all the rest. This is what passes for reform. [m]
CORPORATE FARMERS EXPLOIT LOOP HOLES...WHODATHUNK...
And for the vast majority of farmers and agribusiness that remain eligible for farm subsidies, bigger checks await. Agribusinesses have long exploited loopholes to evade the $150,000 annual limit on marketing loan subsidies, including dividing themselves into dozens of separate legal entities and collecting subsidies for each one.[m]
WHEN WILL YOU GET ANGRY, NOT BEING ABLE TO AFFORD FOOD, GAS IN YOUR CAR OR BOTH....
Food prices are setting records. But the five-year bill increases price supports on almost every crop it deals with (rice and cotton are the exceptions). It brings additional crops like chickpeas under subsidy, and its transfer of more wealth to the wealthy is an outrage. (Farmers, now less than 0.7 percent of the population, are in the top 2 percent of income distribution.)[m]
SMALLER CAPS FOR THE WELL DRESSED FARMER
But, noting the $2.5 million adjusted gross income cap on non-farmers will be reduced to a $500,000 cap, Grassley concluded, "I do plan to vote for this bill because the payment limits are better than current law, and the investments we are making in rural America and nutrition are essential."[th]
SUPPORT MEANS THEY GAVE HIM MONEY
Harkin said this is the seventh farm bill he's worked on during his tenure in Congress and he has "never seen support from so many groups."[th]
WITH FOOD STAMPS IN THE BILL WE ARE SUPPOSED TO LIKE IT WHEN THE FARMERS RIP OFF OUR COUNTRY....NOT
Key to the support is the bill's provisions that include major funding for food stamp and nutrition programs advocated by numerous faith organizations, conservation initiatives and protection of a "safety net" for farmers' income.[th]
WE SHOULD WORRY WHEN ALL THE FARM ORGANIZATIONS SUPPORT THE SAME LEGISLATION
The five-year bill enjoys the support of all major farm organizations and Mark Salvador, national policy adviser for the Iowa Farm Bureau Federation, said his group is no exception.[th]
Although the legislation is universally known as the farm bill, it actually directs far more money to feeding the poor than it does to helping farmers — about $209 billion for nutrition programs like food stamps, according to the Congressional Budget Office, compared with $35 billion for agricultural commodity programs. ]n]
10 BILLION IN NEW SPENDING TO A COUPLE OF DIRT FARMERS....
Overall, the farm bill is officially listed as adding $10 billion in new spending over the decade. But that ignores the blatant gimmicks - such as shifting costs just outside the 10-year window, and unrealistically assuming all increases will suddenly be repealed in four years - that could add more than $10 billion to the cost. Congressional Democrats who loudly denounced budget deficits are now prepared to bypass anti-deficit rules for this bloated bill. [m]
WAIT ITS NOW 25 BILLION...WENT UP ALREADY
Thus, farm subsidies will continue costing taxpayers at least $25 billion annually. And for what purpose? Subsidies don't solve farmer poverty because they go to profitable agribusinesses. They don't preserve family farms because agribusinesses use their subsidies to buy them out. They are no longer designed to stabilize crop prices. [m]
HERES THE REAL STORY, CORPORATE AMERICA NEEDS FUEL MORE THAT WE NEED FOOD...REALLY! What Congressmen are in your wallet.....[trb]
Nor do they promote cheap food, as ethanol policies are raising prices steeply. These programs lack any coherent rationale. Instead, they cost billions in taxes and higher supermarket prices. They harm the environment by encouraging over-planting. By undermining America's trade negotiations, subsidies raise consumer prices and restrict U.S. exports. Cotton subsidies undercut impoverished African farmers desperately trying to make a living. They contribute to obesity and rising health care costs by subsidizing corn and soy (from which sugars and fats are derived) rather than healthier fruits and vegetables.[m]
Instead of blaming India and other developing nations for the rise in food prices, Americans should rethink their energy policy - and go on a diet. [s]at has been the response, basically, of a growing number of politicians, economists and academics in Europe, Asia and Africa, who are angry at statements by top U.S. officials that the rising prosperity in India and China is to blame for food inflation. [s]
In her speech, Ms. Pelosi praised the bill and said the increase on food stamps alone was reason to support it. She said that while more change would be needed, the bill made important improvements to farm policy. [n] Yea... like not ripping us off.[trb]
“With this legislation we will help families facing high food prices,” she said. [n]
In Congress, one hand washes the other. There’s a $10 billion increase in food stamp authorizations and big increases for conservation programs (which account for most of the $298 billion authorized). That gets the urban members and much of the environmental lobby on board.[b]
It’s a shame Obama has been mostly silent about this monstrosity of old politics[b]
"This is a good bill," Salvador said. "We need to help people in this country eat; at the same time, we're glad to have a safety net."[th] Debbie cakes for the people and b steak for the farmers.[trb]
Farm subsidies don't produce food, but they do produce votes. Despite its economic incoherence, the farm agreement is overwhelmingly popular in a Congress that has mastered the art of distributing tax dollars to favored industries. Although Bush has pledged to veto the farm bill, Congress has stubbornly pledged to override the veto. [m]
Is it any wonder why Washington is so unpopular these days? [m]
LOOK INTO A MIRROR AND SAY SLOWLY, I AM MAD AS HELL AND I AM NOT GOING TO TAKE IT ANY MORE... NOW GO DO SOMETHING ABOUT IT...
The public will never insist on any new sort of politics that Barack Obama keeps talking about without constant spotlighting of the flaws of the old politics. (Of course, it would have helped if Bush had vetoed the 2002 farm bill.)[b]
Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
(If you like this article please forward to your friends, if not just keep it to yourself.)
Family Mediation and Divorce Practice.
http://attorneybankert.com/
Join my political party of preference, http://www.michigandems.com/join.html
Join me in creating a new voice in The Michigan Democratic Party, become a Precinct Delegate. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Aff-ID_Precnt_139901_7.pdf
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
Link here for a re broadcast OF THE 5/3/08 GOOD MORNING FLINT ON FLINT TALK RADIO http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=113134&cmd=apop Saturday May 3rd Pod cast: video Check out for more show videos!! 54507
—WHERE DID THIS STUFF COME FROM---
[N]
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/15/washington/15cnd-farm.html
[th]
TH online
http://www.thonline.com/article.cfm?id=202090[m]
[m]
Mercury News
http://www.mercurynews.com/opinion/ci_9301146
[b]
The Boston Herald
http://news.bostonherald.com/news/opinion/editorials/view.bg?articleid=1094850&srvc=home&position=recent
[f]
Fosters.com
http://www.fosters.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080518/GJOPINION_01/722374847[i]
[s]
Salt Lake Tribune
http://www.sltrib.com/ci_9294714
[TRB]\
Comments of Terry Bankert to include CAP headlines.
http://attorneybankert.com/
56322
2tap below seems to be confused. Children in this country have a variety of programs providing health care access. The debate is how much with the Republicans opposing any assistance.
Last edited by terrybankert on Sun May 18, 2008 11:17 am; edited 3 times in total |
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Sun May 18, 2008 9:53 am |
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twotap
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FREE HEALTH CARE
??????  
It appears Terry may be the confused one since this was in his above post. 
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE CORPORATE CRY BABIES THAT GRAB CORPORATE WELFARE TO ENGORGE THEMSELVES BUT OPPOSE
FREE HEALTH
CARE
FOR CHILDREN AND SERVICES FOR ELDERLY
quote:
IT WILL TAKE A LIBERAL TO SET THIS RIGHT
Thats gotta be the funniest comment ive heard in a while.Somebody show me a LIBERAL program any LIBERAL program thats ever straightened out any problem. |
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half the Country isn't even paying taxes yet they can still receive a "refund" of my money that I did pay in. Who came up with that plan??
AZ SHERIFF: 'OUR OWN GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME OUR ENEMY' |
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Sun May 18, 2008 9:58 am |
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terrybankert
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quote:
twotap schreef:
FREE HEALTH CARE
??????
It appears Terry may be the confused one since this was in his above post.
I AM SICK AND TIRED OF THE CORPORATE CRY BABIES THAT GRAB CORPORATE WELFARE TO ENGORGE THEMSELVES BUT OPPOSE
FREE HEALTH
CARE
FOR CHILDREN AND SERVICES FOR ELDERLY
quote:
IT WILL TAKE A LIBERAL TO SET THIS RIGHT
Thats gotta be the funniest comment ive heard in a while.Somebody show me a LIBERAL program any LIBERAL program thats ever straightened out any problem.
Your side tried and FAILED. THERE IS ONLY ONE OPTION
left
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Sun May 18, 2008 11:54 am |
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twotap
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Yup your right have at it. Again.  Oh ya, one more thing you also get to take over national security which is way more important that all the free liberal programs you can thinkup. In case you havent noticed we have had no attacks since 911 which I guess you would have to like it or not credit Bush with. Heres hoping your party is up to the task cause we will be watching.
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half the Country isn't even paying taxes yet they can still receive a "refund" of my money that I did pay in. Who came up with that plan??
AZ SHERIFF: 'OUR OWN GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME OUR ENEMY' |
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Sun May 18, 2008 12:22 pm |
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Dave Starr
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| A FREE liberal program??? Good thing I didn't have a mouthful of coffee when I read that. |
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Talent does what it can. Genius does what it must. I do what the voices tell me to do.
45ACP: Don't leave home without it. |
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Mon May 19, 2008 6:59 am |
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terrybankert
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GOOD DADS GOOD KIDS BAD COURT DECISIONS
Robert Pedersen was devastated three years ago when a divorce judge said he could see his two children only a few days a month. [d]
________________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 5/20/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk
http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=28835#28835
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BLOGGING FOR MICHIGAN
http://bloggingformichigan.com/
Great information from caring people in Michigan USA
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REFLECTIONS; Most custody decisions ,the most important decision of the case, are made in the first two weeks of the divorce with little testimony.The female presumption is real and activley entered as a custody order. These early hearings often involve a referee not a judge or a mediation specialaist. The temporary order becomes a final order more often than not.GOOD MEN MUST STAND UP AND FIGHT FOR JOINT CUSTODY WHILE WOMEN HAVE IT HANDED TO THEM.[trb]
The Michigan Child Custody Act 1970 MCL 722.21 et seq establishes the criteria and procedures for resolving child custody disputes. The Family Division of the circuit court has exclusive jurisdiction over this act. MCL 600.1021 (1)(g).[trb]
95% OF ALL CASES ARE NOT TRIED, BLAME THE LAWYERS ALSO...
Pedersen's divorce agreement now includes long weekends, a Wednesday overnight visit and half of summers, holidays and spring breaks with his children. It's almost enough time to make him feel that he can provide an equal amount of parenting to his kids. [d]
CHILD CUSTODY ACT;
Under the Child Custody Act, the court may award custody to one or more of the parties involved or to third parties and provide for a childs support, provide for reasonable parenting or grand parenting time , modify or amend its judgements or orders until a child attains the age of 18 (19.5 if still in school)[trb]
PRIMARY CARE IS A STATE OF MIND AND THE REALITY OF A NORMAL FAMILIES DIVISION OF DUTIES WHILE TO TOGETHER BUT THAT ALL CHANGES AT DIVORCE. WHY ARE GOOD DADS PUNISHED FOR JUST DOING THE RIGHT THING.
Michigan law recommends that custody decisions be based on which parent has been the primary care giver unless it can be shown that another arrangement is more appropriate, but Pedersen and other noncustodial parents are fighting to modify the law so joint physical custody becomes the norm. They view equal parenting access as a civil rights issue, but opponents say equal time isn't always best for children [d]
NEW DIVORCE ACTIONS
In new divorce actions the parents have been jointly responsible for the children in the family is often characterized as “ no custodial environment” which is simply not true. A court cannot enter a new custody order or amend a n new one without first determining if there is a custodial environment.MCL 722.21. Why is this important? Because if the custodial environment is joint mom will have a great burden to take that away from dad. If the there is not a recognized environment mom has a lower burden and dad is punished for having been a good provider leaving the affairs of the home to mom.[trb]
STUPID DECISIONS;
"With the pain of a divorce, a lot of stupid decisions are made initially as far as the kids go," said Pedersen, who plans to ride his bike from Lansing to Washington, D.C., this summer to raise awareness of the issue. "There are different contributions that Mom and Dad make to a child, and kids need both of them." [d]
GENDER BIAS
Noncustodial fathers think gender bias plays a role in these decisions and reduces them to visitors who pay child support. Children need both parents equally, they say. [d]
LIFE IS FULL OF GOOD PEOPLE WITH THE BEST OF INTENTIONS DOING EVIL
But many custodial parents, family law attorneys and domestic violence activists oppose making joint custody mandatory. [d]
They say every family is different, and 50-50 custody doesn't work in every situation. [d]
It becomes especially difficult when parents live in different school districts or one of them doesn't want joint custody. Another factor is that mandating joint custody can sometimes disrupt a child's stability. [D] BUNK
JOINT CUSTODY;
The Child Custody Act provides for joint custody MCL 722.27. Joint custody means (a) That the child shall reside alternatively for specific periods with each of the parents.(b) That the parents shall share decision-making authority as to the important decisions affecting the welfare of the child.[trb]
YOU HAVE A RIGHT TO BE TOLD;
In a custody the parents must be advised of joint custody.MCL 722.26a. At the request of either party, the court must consider joint custody and it must state on the reasons for granting or denying the request. MCL 722.26a. However, the fact the court must consider an award of joint custody does not mean there is a presumption in favor of it. Wellman v Wellman, 203 Mich App 277, 512 NW2d 68 (1994)
A PARROT SPEAKS
"When a child's whole world is changing, we want to keep as much stable in their lives as we can," said Karen Sendelbach, chair of the Family Law Section of the State Bar of Michigan. [d]
TRADITIONAL ARGUMENT DREAMED UP BY ATTORNEYS AND BOUGHT INTO BY DECISION MAKERS
Other opponents say noncustodial parents sometimes want joint custody simply to even the score with their ex-partner or to reduce their child support obligation. A noncustodial parent's support payments can drop by as much as 40 percent if the child stays overnight 128 times or more each year. [d]
JUST ABOUT ANYBODY CAN BECOME A LEADER NOW DAYS
"The 50-50 custody split is more about people not wanting to feel the other parent has won," said Kent Weichmann, chair of the Legislative Committee of the Family Law Section. [d]
"It has nothing to do with the relationship with the child. It's more about who's winning. It also has to do with paying less child support." [d]MORON
More dads join movement
RICH HOLLYWOOD SPACE CADETS TO THE RESCUE....
But supporters say this issue is not ever going to go away, especially as more fathers join the movement, including movie stars Alec Baldwin and Denzel Washington. [d] oh boy to actors to the rescue...[trb]
FATHERS CIVIL RIGHTS
"It's a civil rights movement that is coming into its own," said David L. Levy, CEO of the Children's Rights Council, based outside Washington, D.C. [d]
As the Archbishop of York, John Sentamu, argued in a speech to the House of Lords: "Is it not self-evident that the welfare and needs of a child are enhanced and met when there is a father present?" [G]
FATHERS RIGHT TO BE A PARENT
"It goes to the core of the right of a human being: the right to be a parent to your child, and of the children to be part of your life." [d]
FATHERS UNFAIRLY TARGETED BY BUREAUCRATS, POLICE AND MEDIA
The "Ohio Council for Fathers Rights" says it wants to sue for libel and character defamation. Local 12's Angela Ingram spoke with the group that says some parents are unfairly targeted. [12]
1. The group says this list doesn't make a distinction between people who really don't make any effort to pay a dime of child support and parents who have fallen on hard times. The list seems to go on... and on. They are names of men and women who owe back child support, and now, they're on the sheriff's website. But, it's the label "deadbeat" that a parental rights group says amounts to libel.[12]
CHILD CUSTODY, A BATTLEGROUND
Next to child support, child custody is perhaps the most heated issue between parents when they split up and try to restructure their lives with their children. [d]
MOST CASES ARE NOT BASED UPON FRIEND OF THE COURT RECOMMENDATIONS
Michigan hasn't kept reports on custody arrangements for several years, but the latest information, in 2003, shows that the Friend of the Court recommended physical custody of the children for mothers in 68 percent of the 14,470 cases that year, while fathers were recommended 12 percent of the time. Joint custody was recommended in 2,717 cases -- about 18 percent. [d]
According to the Federal Statistics Office, joint parental responsibility was pursued in 15 per cent of divorce cases in 2000 - when it was first introduced, and in 30 per cent of settlements in 2006.
For the co-parenting association, this figure is far too low, as "a child needs both parents".[S]
The organization wants joint parenthood and forced mediation to become normal practice so that children's rights are properly respected.[S]
NATIONAL JOINT CUSTODY MOVEMENT
While noncustodial mothers are also part of the joint custody movement, it is spearheaded primarily by fathers and appears to be gaining momentum nationally. [d]
INTERNATIONAL JOINT CUSTODY MOVEMENT
Joint parental responsibility for children should become the norm for couples that divorce or separate, say Swiss campaigners.[S]
Members of the newly formed Swiss Co-parenting Association held a demonstration in the capital, Bern, on Saturday to highlight the current situation, which they claim causes "undue suffering to children".[S]
MICHIGAN IN THE BOTTOM HALF OF STATES THAT PROTECT FATHERS
More than 25 states have laws regarding joint custody that are much stronger than Michigan's, Levy said. [d]
JOINT CUSTODY SHOULD BE PRESUMED
Since the 1990s, Michigan fathers have been trying to get the laws changed to force the courts to immediately presume equal joint custody. [d]
NEW LAW UNDER CONSIDERATION IN MICHIGAN
A hearing was recently held on the fourth bill introduced in the Michigan Legislature, but it was not voted out of the House Judiciary Committee. It includes an exception for unfit parents. [d]
PETITION, CLASS ACTION AND ACTIVE FATHERS
In between the four pieces of legislation, the fathers launched a failed petition drive to put the ballot before voters and also were unsuccessful in a class action lawsuit in federal court.[d]
Moms' groups eclipsed [d]
DADS ACTIVE IN MICHIGAN
Michigan dads say their effort is growing -- four new state organizations support the issue, and their ranks have grown from 5,000 to 20,000 people, said Lake Orion resident Jim Semerad, one of the leaders in Michigan's movement. [d]
GRASS ROOTS
The growth appears to be eclipsing grass-roots groups headed by custodial mothers. The Association for the Enforcement of Child Support, a national group, was founded in Toledo in 1984 by activist Geraldine Jensen. She had a base in Ann Arbor for two years, before her 2004 retirement, which galvanized a number of Metro Detroit activists. [d]
The organization is now headquartered in Cleveland, has become more virtual and is less visible in Michigan. [d
MOM’S LEADER DISRESPECTS DADS
ACES executive director Debbie Klein is not concerned about Michigan fathers' activism. [d]
They have always had more time and money to lobby lawmakers, while mothers tend to devote their time to raising the children, she said. [d]
MOM ENCOURAGED TO START FIGHTS SO THERE IS NO JOINT CUSTODY?
Joint custody simply cannot work for everyone, Klein said, because some couples are never going to be able to get along. [d]
And it's the conflict between the parents in broken families that is most devastating to children, not the actual divorce. [d]
"It puts the children in a horrible situation," Klein said. "That's what custody should always be about; it should always be about what's best for the children." [d]
'It's the right thing to do'[d]
Many fathers say it's best for children to be with both parents and that they will keep fighting until the law changes in Michigan.[d]
"It's the right thing to do," Semerad said.[d]
It's also why Pedersen, 36, is training every morning for his 758-mile bike trek in August with five other fathers to spread the word about what they think should be the law of the land. [d]
"Kids do best with shared parenting, as long as it doesn't disrupt the school schedule and the parents are fit and willing," Pedersen said. [d]
Mediation
1. Fifty per cent of cases of separation or divorce are conflictive and 25 per cent of cases are very conflictive, said Robinson.[S]
"Through mediation, instead of working on a loser-winner basis, the mediation would aim to address each parent's positive elements which they can build on," he added.[S]
Under the current regime, courts in French-speaking Switzerland seem more supportive of joint parental responsibility than their German-speaking counterparts.[S]
In cantons Geneva, Neuchâtel and Vaud, this solution has been pursued in around 40-50 per cent of cases, while it ranges from zero to 15 per cent in majority German-speaking regions.[S]
"Judges are slow to take up the new laws," said Robinson to partly explain the differences.[S]
He also pointed the finger at the legal profession: "There are powerful lobbies working on behalf of lawyers in national and cantonal parliaments that don't want mediation to take off as it would take away their business."[S]
Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
(If you like this article please forward to your friends, if not just keep it to yourself.)
Family Mediation and Divorce Practice.
http://attorneybankert.com/
Join my political party of preference, http://www.michigandems.com/join.html
Join me in creating a new voice in The Michigan Democratic Party, become a Precinct Delegate. http://www.michigan.gov/documents/Aff-ID_Precnt_139901_7.pdf
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
Link here for a re broadcast OF THE 5/3/08 GOOD MORNING FLINT ON FLINT TALK RADIO http://www.talkshoe.com/talkshoe/web/audioPop.jsp?episodeId=113134&cmd=apop Saturday May 3rd Pod cast: video Check out for more show videos!! 54507
````
[d]
Detroit News
http://detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080519/METRO/805190370/1005/LIFESTYLE
[G]
GUARDIAN
http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2008/may/20/health.stemcells
[12]
Local 12
http://www.local12.com/news/local/story.aspx?content_id=fc66ba0f-8c81-405c-85b3-64efbec00f9a
[trb]
Comments of Terry Bankert to include CAP headlines
http://attorneybankert.com/
[S]
SWISS INFO
http://www.swissinfo.ch/eng/front/A_child_needs_both_parents.html?siteSect=108&sid=9100600&cKey=1211183859000&ty=st
56690
as to DW I could not find the article that formed my impression of him, here are some others, draw your own conclusion. The response below give a foundation to a well rounded individual in DW, decriptions of the actors was secondary to my article so I took it out. Thank you below...
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http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070915201450AAza8MU
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http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20070106050302AAqZ4KB
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http://www.larryelder.com/racial/denzel02.htm
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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1lffj63XpzA
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Last edited by terrybankert on Tue May 20, 2008 10:03 am; edited 4 times in total |
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Tue May 20, 2008 5:32 am |
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squash
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
RICH HOLLYWOOD SPACE CADETS TO THE RESCUE....
But supporters say this issue is not ever going to go away, especially as more fathers join the movement, including movie stars Alec Baldwin and Denzel Washington. [d] oh boy a drunk and a black racist to the rescue...[trb]
Denzel Washington a black racist??? |
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Tue May 20, 2008 5:54 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
Denzel Washington a black racist???
Well to a liberal any black that does not conform to the hiphop hatespeech street culture thug uncle Jeremiah Wright lifestyle and may be somewhat conservative (Which is Denzel Washington) in his or her views I suppose is considered a racist. Denzel Washington is one of the few Hollywood actors I admire. 
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Washington and his family visited soldiers at the Brooke Army Medical Center in San Antonio, Texas. He later made a sizable donation to the Fisher Houses, small hotels that provide rooms for soldiers' families while the soldiers are hospitalized. In October 2006, he published a bestseller entitled Hand to Guide Me, featuring actors, politicians, athletes, and other public figures recalling their childhood mentors. The book was published in commemoration of the Boys and Girls Club of America's centennial anniversary, because Washington had participated in the club as a child.
Washington is a devout Christian.[14]
I guess supporting the Military and being a christian would be reason enough to rile up the libs. |
_________________
half the Country isn't even paying taxes yet they can still receive a "refund" of my money that I did pay in. Who came up with that plan??
AZ SHERIFF: 'OUR OWN GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME OUR ENEMY' |
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Tue May 20, 2008 7:13 am |
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squash
F L I N T O I D
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| It just seems like an oddly placed and unsubstantiated attack. |
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Tue May 20, 2008 7:39 am |
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terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
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quote:
squash schreef:
It just seems like an oddly placed and unsubstantiated attack.
Actually I changed it several minuets ago. I just resent the profile given to hollywood types. But the descriptions were secondary to the article and your comments on the point are well taken. My descripttion was unfair so I removed it. But my impression of him was based upon an artilce/profile read some time ago..but I could not find it..as to Baldwin..the truth is my defense...thank you for your comments |
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Tue May 20, 2008 7:45 am |
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twotap
F L I N T O I D
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Thanks for being man enough to admit a mistake. Keep writing your interesting articles even though they are mostly wrong.  |
_________________
half the Country isn't even paying taxes yet they can still receive a "refund" of my money that I did pay in. Who came up with that plan??
AZ SHERIFF: 'OUR OWN GOVERNMENT HAS BECOME OUR ENEMY' |
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Tue May 20, 2008 7:52 am |
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squash
F L I N T O I D
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Oh I was definitely NOT defending Baldwin. I also enjoy your articles.
Thanks. |
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Tue May 20, 2008 8:01 am |
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terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
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OIL, HOW HIGH WILL IT GO
“One of the biggest challenges our country faces is our addiction to oil.”[N]
Oil is up by almost 30 per cent this year alone. That's not the fault of greedy energy companies, or that other current favorite, unscrupulous speculators. It is a simple fact of economic life in a world economy that is, in effect, experiencing a new industrial revolution among half its population.[T2]
________________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 5/21/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
___________________________
Full article at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
Flint Talk
http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=28887#28887
_________________________
BLOGGING FOR MICHIGAN http://bloggingformichigan.com/
Great information from caring people in Michigan USA
__________________________
REFLECTIONS;Watching our economic decline reminds me of watching the decline of a parent. You don’t notice many of the little adjustments made then one day the end is at hand. I feel the same way about our middle class. Possibly its going away. We do not notice the little adjustment but one day the end is near, gas is $10 a gallon, food cost quadrupled, we cannot afford houses, our kids cannot afford an education, the rich are richer and the poor are poorer and the poor are now a larger group because we are in it. Its happening ....unless we act united as a country with strong leadership.,kiss your life style good bye. Will you be able to explain to your grandchildren why you did nothing to protest what is happening, today. Count me in for the battle how about you.? [trb]
HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU, HAPP.....
Saudi Arabia celebrates 75 years of its national oil company in era of record energy prices[i]
Saudi Arabia on Tuesday marked the 75th anniversary of its national oil company, once a joint operation with the Americans, but gave no sign of acquiescing to a U.S. request to increase its oil output.[I]
OIL TO HIT $150 BARREL
Oil today rose to a new high of $129 a barrel and prices are set to hit $150 this year as concern grew over Opec’s consistent refusal to lift supplies to counter growing demand. [t]
Boone Pickens, a hedge fund manager, said today that oil will reach $150 a barrel in 2008, echoing a forecast released by Goldman Sachs last week that predicted prices will hit $141 in the second half of the year. [t]
SO SWEET BUT GOES DOWN SO BITTER
In New York, the price of light sweet crude for June delivery touched $129.31 per barrel before falling back to $128.95. In London, Brent crude also reached a new record at $127.49. [t]Credit Suisse increased its forecast for US crude in 2008 from $91 a barrel to $120 while Societe Generale also raised its expectations for 2008 by $14 a barrel to $115. [t]
A MONOPOLY WILL NOT RAISE PRODUCTION, NOW YOU CAN’T AFFORD TO DRIVE?
It emerged yesterday that Opec, the 13 country cartel that produces 40 per cent of the world’s oil, would not increase production prior to a meeting in September despite rising demand for fuel, especially from crisis hit regions such as China. [t]
Last week, Saudi Arabia, a key member of Opec, pledged to increase oil production by 300,000 barrels a day following a plea to raise supply by US President, George W. Bush.[t]
Oil prices are heading to almost $140 a barrel in the next eight years, according to futures contracts on the New York Mercantile Exchange, on concern that growth in supply may fail to keep pace with rising demand. [b]
$200 A BARREL, YOU WILL WALK TO WORK OR RIDE A HORSE.
Arjun N. Murti remembers the pain of the oil shocks of the 1970s. But he is bracing for something far worse now: He foresees a “super spike” — a price surge that will soon drive crude oil to $200 a barrel.[N]
THE FREE MARKET SUPPLY AND DEMAND MODELS DO NOT WORK WITH AN UNREGULATED MONOPOLY.
It is a staple of all political debate in the US now that the American dependence on oil has led to staggeringly bad policy for decades towards the big oil producers. It has forced the US into bed with some unsavoury characters and has been the constant factor behind repeated and often baleful US interventions in the Middle East. [T2]
BUSH WENT BEGGING, ENDED UP JUST____IN THE WIND.
In economic terms, there's a not very polite term for what the President was doing which describes the futility and discomfort of performing a certain bodily function into a countervailing breeze. [t2]
THE FINGER IS A POLITICAL GESTURE
But Mr Bush - an oilman after oil - knows this, too. His efforts were more of a political gesture than a meaningful policy initiative. [t2]
In political terms, inexorably rising oil prices are starting to generate something approaching panic in America. The Republicans, already battered by the weak economy and the seemingly intractable Iraq war, are ripe targets for yet more opprobrium for failing to rein-in oil companies as they heartlessly exploit the poor Americans who find themselves unable to drive their five-litre engined cars very far this summer. [t2]
THEY JUST CANNOT BE TOO RICH......
Saudi Arabia announced yesterday that current oil production was enough to meet market requirements and that producing countries could increase capacity if there were "actual additional" energy needs[i]Al-Naimi briefed the ministers at the meeting on the "kingdom's view that the currently produced quantities meet all needs of the market and that the production capacity can meet any real additional energy needs," the statement said, according to the official press agency.[I]
WE SET THE PRICES WE GET THE PROFIT
However, Chakib Khelil, president of Opec, said he did not expect output to be increased, adding that "current prices are not based on supply and demand." Oil prices have surged by more than a quarter since the start of 2008, when they struck $100 a barrel for the first time. [t]
INFLATION ...HOW UGLY CAN IT GET....
Rising oil prices and the subsequent rise in household energy bills have contributed to rising inflation which is currently 3 per cent, above the Government's 2 per cent target, and are set to increase further. [t]
In the US, concern about inflation escalated when it emerged that producer prices, excluding food and fuel, rose at the fastest rate in 17 years, sending the Dow Jones industrial average plunging by 180.7 points to 12,847.5. [t]
SHORT TERM WE NEED NEW OIL SOURCE, LONG TERM WE NEED NEW ALTERNATIVE SOURCES OF ENERGY, OR INVADE THE OIL PRODUCING COUNTRIES, OR BOTH, WHAT DO YOU SUGGEST?
Oil giants such as Exxon Mobil Corp., Royal Dutch Shell Plc, BP Plc, Chevron Corp., Total SA and ConocoPhillips will spend a record $98.7 billion this year on exploration and production, more than quadruple the amount eight years ago. The supplies they tap from non-OPEC countries will only meet about 20 percent of world demand growth over the next four years. [B]
The struggle to find oil coincides with a boom in demand from places like China and the Middle East, where it will rise 4.9 percent this year, making up for a drop in demand from North America and Europe, the International Energy Agency said in a report May 13. It cut its forecast for global demand for a fourth month. [B]
Mr. Murti, who has a bit of a green streak, is not bothered much by the prospect of even higher oil prices, figuring it might finally prompt America to become more energy efficient.[n]
ECONOMIST MAKE LAWYERS LOOK GOOD
Mr. Murti falls into the camp of oil analysts who believe that supply is likely to remain tight because of geopolitical factors. These analysts predict higher prices because production is declining in non-OPEC countries like Britain, Norway and Mexico.
The analysts who predict lower prices say there are supplies of oil that the bullish analysts are missing. “This year will be a year in which supply will be put into the market by stealth by OPEC and by countries we call black-hole countries,” said Edward L. Morse, chief energy economist at Lehman Brothers. China is one example, he said. [N]
But while oil and gas prices have been rising for a while now, Americans have only just begun to reduce gasoline consumption, so their efforts to conserve have not dragged down oil prices. [N]
“The fact that the U.S. gasoline demand can be down and that the U.S. gasoline consumer is no longer driving world oil prices is a monumental event,” Mr. Murti says. He spends most of his time talking to money managers and analysts, many of whom keep asking him if oil prices will stay high if speculators abandon the market, and says he applauds investors for driving up oil prices, since that will spur investment in alternative sources of energy. [N]
High prices, he says, “send a message to consumers that you should try your best to buy fuel-efficient cars or otherwise conserve on energy.” Washington should create tax incentives to encourage people to buy hybrid cars and develop more nuclear energy, he said. [N]
Of course, if lawmakers heed his advice, oil analysts like him might one day be a thing of the past. That’s fine with Mr. Murti. [N]
WE WILL SHRINK EVERY DAY
"Another day, another record crude oil price. It's like that movie "Groundhog Day," in which the same thing keeps happening over and over again to Bill Murray. [I]
"Doesn't it seem like every day we wake up lately the news is blasting about record energy prices and a weaker dollar? So where will it end, and how high can prices go? [I]
"... I think the answers are that crude can and will go much higher and that this summer could be an extremely painful reality check for U.S. consumers, myself included." [I]
Kerr says his "near-term target" for oil is $140.[I]
Core producer prices rose a higher-than-expected 0.4 per cent in April, or 3 per cent compared to last year, the fastest rise since 1991. [t]
ARE YOU ANGRY YET...WHAT WILL IT TAKE...WHAT WILL YOU DO.
Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
(If you like this article please forward to your friends, if not just keep it to yourself.)
Family Mediation and Divorce Practice. http://attorneybankert.com/
Join my political party of preference, http://www.michigandems.com/join.html
Join me in creating a new voice in The Michigan Democratic Party, become a Precinct Delegate. You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
54507
—where did this stuff come from—
[t]
Times online
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/industry_sectors/natural_resources/article3970458.ece
[b]
Bloomberg
http://www.bloomberg.com/apps/news?pid=20601087&sid=a79UU6p.il.s&refer=home
[H]
International Herald Tribune
http://www.iht.com/articles/ap/2008/05/20/africa/ME-GEN-Saudi-Oil.php
[w]
The Wall Street Journal
http://www.marketwatch.com/news/story/crude-record-one-oil-bull/story.aspx?guid=%7B4E33DCBA-5DA9-43B6-8C52-8A6FE7D273B8%7D&dist=msr_21
[a]
Arab News
http://www.arabnews.com/?page=1§ion=0&article=110055&d=20&m=5&y=2008&pix=kingdom.jpg&category=Kingdom
[t2]
Times OnLine
http://business.timesonline.co.uk/tol/business/columnists/article3964339.ece
[TRB]
Comments of Terry Bankert to include CAP headlines
http://attorneybankert.com/
[N]
The New York Times
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/05/21/business/21oil.html?hp
56938/1404 |
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Wed May 21, 2008 3:55 am |
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terrybankert
F L I N T O I D
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HEY FLINT.....DO NOT FEEL DISRESPECTED by Best Life. Its just a GQ wanna be.[trb]
The city of Flint is once again in the national spotlight, this time as one of the worst places in the country to raise a family. [w]...decided by a magazine with male models on the cover and statements like:
a. How I can lose 10 pounds by the fourth of July
b.World Class olive oil is not always imported
c.One in four men who get divorced don’t have a clue it is coming
see:
http://www.bestlifeonline.com/
________________________
GOOD MORNING FLINT!
BY Terry Bankert 5/22/08
You are invited to join me at Face Book http://www.facebook.com/people/Terry_Bankert/645845362
___________________________
Other articles at http://goodmorningflint.blogspot.com/
this article at Flint Talk http://flinttalk.com/viewtopic.php?p=28929#28929
_________________________
BLOGGING FOR MICHIGAN http://bloggingformichigan.com/
Great information from caring people in Michigan USA
__________________________
IT’S A TRASH MENS MAGAZINE, DO NOT LET IT MEASURE YOU. [TRB]
Best Life, a men's magazine, has ranked Honolulu the top city to raise a family.[a]
See below when many posters seem to disagree and they live in the region.[trb]
The magazine cites low unemployment and relatively high per-pupil spending by the island's public schools in its decision. It also notes the large number of beaches on Oahu.[a] Following are comments taken from a State Publication[trb]
If they cannot pick the winner right why should we give their selection of losers any credibility[trb]
Sounds like a lazy attempt at quantifying an interesting issue. $ per pupil is not a very good indicator of educational quality. Many great things about raising kids in Hawaii but public education is not one of them. [Red Rhino at s]
Honolulu and the state of Hawaii must therefore work harder to create better economic opportunities for families who would like to live there now![Mandel at s]Honolulu, the best place to raise a family, are you kidding.
Just move from their with my family of 4 children.
The public schools are a jokeâ€| Money spent is not always the measurement for a good school system. Average housing cost is three times the national average and the list can go on.[jcl at s]
Honolulu is a great place, but not to raise a family. [jcl at s]
They obviously don't know how difficult it is to afford housing in HNL nor have they seen the teen pregnancy rates. [ pohaku at s]
WHAT?? I was born and raised in Hawaii and have been living on the East Coast for almost 23 years...and in no shape or form is Hawaii the best place to raise a family. I go home every year to visit and I see how drugs have taken over so many neighborhoods. There are 2 or 3 generations living together because there are no affordable housing. The economy sucks big time!! Because the people live on an island so far away from anywhere else...the business are able to take advantage this situation and not provide their employees with good wages. I have looked for similar positions in Hawaii and at best, they are offering only 50% of my current salary!! I don't know where that magazine got that information but it is grossly incorrect. Don't get me wrong...I love Hawaii but my husband and I would not be able to raise our children in that economy. And yes, I have to agree with Red Rhino...the education system sucks! Whenever I visit and I check out the homework that my nieces and nephews are doing (especially the ones that are the same age as my kids)...at times, the school work is 2-3 grade level behind what my kids are doing. The magazine needs to do more research on this subject! [96795 for life at s]
I would like to correct an obvious misprint here. The article should be entitled:
"Honolulu tops the list of the 100 best places in the United States to raise a HOMELESS family"
[ yeah right at s]
This survey is really too shortsighted. Like everyone states, cost spent per pupil is no indicator of educational quality. Just look at how many Hawaii schools are on the No Schools Left Behind list. If I really wanted my kids to have the best education in Hawaii, the only alternative is private schools which costs $$$$. The Unemployment rate in Hawaii figure is a joke too as many of the jobs are in low-paying service sector jobs that don't come close to paying the cost of owning a home. Even the professional/managerial jobs pay 50-60% of what their mainland counterparts get. I'm raising my kids on the mainland and then sending them back to Hawaii for the summer. This way, they get the best of both worlds . [808 Seattle at s]
That's right a good place to raise your family.
Eighty percent of all public school kids don't read at grade level and Hawai'i scores 49th and 50th in national standardized test scores in reading and math.
[Miguel at s]
I recently left the island because having my first child I do not feel that oahu would be a good place to raise my family. The public schools are like concentration camps and the private schools cost between 10-$15,000 per year. I have many good memories living there but the traffic and 24 hour noise from the emergency vehicles was becoming to much to bear even when I was single.
[Michael at s]
Yes in many respects Hawaii is a great place to raise a family ! If you are rich ! Housing prices are higher than the mainland , so is the cost of food and fuel ! The weather is great in Hawaii and most people seem more laid back and relaxed than the mainland , but I just do not feel that the average family can make out there , unless they don't mind living homeless on the beach !
[Thomas at s]
Best life magazine? Is that even a real publication? Retired military and ex-kama'aina. I disagree completely with this statement. After having a great childhood growing up on Oahu back in the day, I now see the the island as a backwards, run down, dilapidated, miltary subsidised welfare program for most of the locals. The drugs, congestion, poor education, a "do nothing" approach to everything, limited real jobs, teen pregnancy, lack of aspiration, drinking and the fighting makes me wonder, what is this magazine talking about. I think Hawaii is just a miltary and well off type playground where the locals try to keep their heads above water. Keep them stupid, so those who benefit from the status quo can protect their political and economic power. Hawaii provide a "HI life for the low lifes"
Aloha and E Malama Pono[Steven at s]
Race is a big issue that goes hand-in-hand with social class divisions in Honolulu as well as Hawai'i in general. Although there's an intimacy amongst racial groups that is rare anywhere in the world, there are strong tendencies toward discrimination amongst local cultures and definitely between local and non-local cultures. [hanohano at s ]
I look around me where I live here in the Bay Area, and I observe the Haoles here, and wonder, "where do a lot of the haoles I see in Hawai'i come from?" I think, sadly, that Hawai'i is perceived as the last colonial frontier where racial supremacy, which is totally outdated, may be exhibited. People go there with a sense of "mainland/racial" superiority and want to deliver the locals from themselves. Having bought into this approach, the locals feel inferior and are psychologically, socially and economically oppressed and hence depressed. Hence a lot of self-medication with alcohol and drugs.[hanohano at s ]
It’s a vicious cycle. And yes, the isolation of the islands plays a big role in the island situation. Primarily electronically connected to the rest of the world, the islands receive information that is very limited.[hanohano at s ]
Island people really have no idea how beautiful they are, and how they can truly have an impact on the world. They are also taught, within local cultural values, to conform to the status quo because they can lose their jobs, lose face, etc. [hanohano at s ]
Regardless of social class standing, racial and ethnic backgrounds, Hawai'i needs to focus on raising its children's self esteem through stronger cultural literacy programming that includes parents. [hanohano at s ]
Education and job training, internships that take children out of the islands so they can see how beautiful our islands are! Make them want to come back to enrich Hawai'i rather than to return to join the upper ranks of the social hierarchy.[hanohano at s ]
I say this with a weeping heart filled with Aloha. I love Hawai'i too much not to say anything.
[hanohano at s ]
The men's magazine cited state spending on education -- $9,876 per public school student -- and an unemployment rate less than half the national average as reasons for the choice. "And you can play on the island of Oahu's 125 beaches," said the evaluation by magazine editors.[w]
Best Life magazine looked at student-teacher ratios, test scores, budgets and other categories and data from the U.S. Census Bureau, National Center for Education Statistics and others to evaluate 257 in the United States considered the best and worst places to raise a family. [b]
Editor Stephen Perrine says the magazine also considered sprawl, the crime rate, median home value and the number of parks and museums in arriving at its list of the 100 best cities.[a]
The top ten cities include San Diego, Calif., Des Moines, Iowa, Billings, Mont., Madison, Wis. and Minneapolis, Minn. [a]
The magazine says Philadelphia, Flint, Mich. and Dayton, Ohio are among the ten worst cities in the country to raise a family.[a]
In the June/July issue of Best Life magazine on page 76, you'll find the 100 best places to raise your family. At the bottom of the page are the top 10 worst places to raise kids.[w]
men's health magazine ranked the Vehicle City No. 7 on that list. Many in Flint are not taking the article published by Best Life very well [w]
Flint was placed on the list because of a recent report that put the city near the top for crime.[w]
Despite the critics, many point to the hidden gems in Flint such as the Cultural Center, many of the neighborhood [w]
I could not pass up commenting on this magazine. Flint keep your pride up.
I am going fishing....see ya after the holidays...
Posted here by Terry Bankert ...
http://attorneybankert.com/
---
[a]
AP/MLIVE
http://www.mlive.com/newsflash/index.ssf?/base/news-53/121132434353280.xml&storylist=newsmichigan#continue
[b]
Pacific Business News
http://www.bizjournals.com/pacific/stories/2008/05/19/daily26.html
[w]
WJRT TV 12
http://abclocal.go.com/wjrt/story?section=news/local&id=6157371[s]
[s]
Star Bulletin
http://starbulletin.com/2008/05/21/news/story05.html |
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Wed May 21, 2008 9:44 pm |
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andi03
F L I N T O I D
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I just bought a cute, pink Rapala hat and I am ready to go!!! Not this weekend, of course, due to gas prices.  |
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Wed May 21, 2008 10:11 pm |
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