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The federal government doesn’t run an annual budget deficit which measures in the hundreds of billions of dollars because the electorate is made up of principled, clear-eyed voters who accept that expansive government necessitates higher taxes.
What the masses want, in all their wisdom, are lots of government services and low taxes.
Which our politicians, who value staying elected more sound fiscal policy, deliver by financing that outcome with deficit spending.
You can see this obnoxious reality of politics play out around the debate over the fuel tax here in North Dakota.
As originally introduced SB2288, introduced by Senator Larry Luick (R-Fairmont), would have raised the tax on gasoline in our state from 23 cents to 30 cents.
The bill was amended in committee to raise the tax to only 27 cents per gallon but even that modest increase -- which would have produced an additional $60 million in revenue for our roads in the coming biennium -- was a bridge too far for the state Senate.
Luick’s bill failed this week on a 26 - 18 vote.
This issue isn’t officially dead, but it may as well be. There is another bill to in the House to raise the fuel tax to 30 cents per gallon, but it’s backed by a Democrat in a Republican-dominated chamber that is typically averse to tax increases.
I, too, am averse to higher taxes, but the gas tax makes sense. It’s a sort of user fee. The more you drive the more tax you pay. Those who use the roads the most end up paying the most tax.
I like policy which ties the cost of a government service as closely and proportionally as possible to those using the service.
Problem is gas prices are one of the most visible costs in the economy. Filling stations literally post them on signs along our roads.
Few politicians want to be blamed for pushing those prices up. As evidence, consider that North Dakota’s fuel tax hasn’t been adjusted since 2005, and the federal rate hasn’t been touched since 1993.
If the fuel tax isn’t adequate to cover the cost of the roads we deal with the shortfall by delaying needed construction and maintenance projects.
Or we pay for those things out of more general tax revenues like the income or sales taxes.
It would be good policy to ensure the fuel tax produces enough revenue to pay for good roads, but once again good politics is going to trump good policy.
Because while a majority of voters may say they want nice, reliable roads they also don’t want to pay for them.
That’s the will of the people.
WASHINGTON, Nov. 13, 2013 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The TechAmerica Foundation has been honored by the Networking and Information Technology R&D (NITRD) program for its role as a Launch Partner for Building the Data Innovation Ecosystem. The recognition was for the first-of-a-kind Big Data Roadshow as well as leadership in encouraging public/private sector cooperation and partnership to foster the use of Big Data in government application.
The NITRD Program, organized under the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), is a collaboration of federal research and development agencies and the nation's primary source of federally funded breakthroughs in advanced information technologies such as computing, networking, and software.
"The TechAmerica Foundation has worked hard to encourage the integration of Big Data into government through the public/private partnership model. First with the Commission on Big Data, which produced the report Demystifying Big Data: A Practical Guide to Transforming the Business of Government and now with the Big Data Roadshow," said Shawn Osborne, Chairman of the TechAmerica Foundation. "As part of the Administration's call to multiple stakeholders to forge new partnerships around data innovation, the TechAmerica Foundation took the conversation of the power of Big Data on the road, showcasing practical applications of Big Data in the realm of healthcare and energy."
The TechAmerica Foundation just wrapped up a series of expert events on Big Data application at the intersection of public and private entities. The events, dubbed the Big Data Road Show, were held in Austin, TX, Boston, MA and Stanford, CA and brought together experts to discuss the use of Big Data in the areas of both energy and public health.
"Having the White House drive the conversation on the transformational power of Big Data to all sectors of our country, is critical in seeing the full potential realized. We have long underscored that the public/private relationship will be key in this conversation and we are thrilled to be standing alongside the Administration in taking Big Data to the next level, " concluded Mr. Osborne. "We look forward to continuing to partner with the Administration on integrating the power of Big Data into the way government serves Americans."
The recognition was presented yesterday prior to the beginning of a Big Data Summit - Data to Knowledge to Action, sponsored by NITRD and OSTP, where several major initiatives were announced that will further the public/private partnership model and bring the revolution of Big Data to all corners of society.
The TechAmerica Foundation educates industry executives, policy makers and opinion leaders on the promise of technological innovation to advance prosperity, security and the general welfare. Launched in 1981, the Foundation is a 501c(3) non-profit, non-partisan affiliate of TechAmerica, which is the leading voice and resource for the U.S. technology industry. The Foundation disseminates award-winning industry, policy and market research covering topics such as U.S. competitiveness in a global economy, innovation in government, and other areas of national interest. It also organizes conferences and seminars to explore pertinent issues with government and industry representatives and to share the Foundation's findings. Learn more about TechAmerica Foundation at www.techamericafoundation.org.
UT officially announced that Lou Brown, a graduate transfer from Washington State, has signed an SEC Grant-In-Aid.
Holly Warlick may not have a contract extension yet from Tennessee, but the Lady Vols coach has an additional player for the 2018-19 season.
The 6-foot-3 forward started 71 games in three seasons for the Cougars. Brown, a native of Melbourne, Australia, will graduate in May with a degree in sport management.
She had an extra season of eligibility after being sidelined with a foot injury early in the 2016-17 season.
"We are very pleased to welcome a multi-dimensional player like Lou to our program," Warlick said in a school release. "At 6-3, she has great size, can stretch the floor with her shooting range, can shoot over the top of defenders, gets on the glass, runs the floor and plays well without the ball."
Brown averaged 5.6 points and 5.6 rebounds in three seasons, and has 80 career 3-pointers. Last season as a redshirt junior she started 23 of 28 games and averaged 6.4 points and 6.0 rebounds per game.
"She brings great experience, not only from the college ranks but also from playing internationally with Australia," said Warlick. "Adding a veteran player of her caliber to our front court and a 12th player to our roster will not only provide us more depth, it should also lead to more competitiveness. We are very excited to add all of our newcomers to our group of returning players and continue our preparations for the 2018-19 season."
Brown joins a signing class that includes 6-foot guard Zarielle Green, 6-foot point guard Jazmine Massengill, 6-3 forward Amira Collins, 6-1 wing and Rae Burrell.
SINGAPORE - It will be "fast and relatively inexpensive" to challenge decisions taken by the Government to act against online falsehoods under a proposed law, said Law and Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam on Tuesday (April 9).
Mr Shanmugam said the Government is trying to reduce the cost of such appeals "very substantially" and allow individuals to act without employing a lawyer.
"Of course, people can employ lawyers," he said in response to a question asked at an event organised by the Association of Muslim Lawyers and social enterprise Wise SG. "But we want to make the process such that you fill in a form that sets out your position, and we want to try and make it fast and relatively inexpensive."
The proposed Protection from Online Falsehoods and Manipulation Act allows for people to appeal to the courts if they disagree with a government decision taken to correct a falsehood. But some have pointed out that this could be a costly means of seeking redress.
On Sunday, Deputy Speaker of Parliament Charles Chong called on the Government to make the appeals process "less onerous". This would give people the assurance that there are adequate avenues of redress when there is disagreement with the Government's decision, said Mr Chong, who chaired the Select Committee on Deliberate Online Falsehoods last year.
If applications to the ministers to vary or cancel the orders are rejected, people can turn to the courts, which will be the final arbiter.
Singapore Management University law don Eugene Tan asked during a small group session involving around 20 lawyers and academics, whether the Government could include illustrations relating to the definition of a falsehood, which would help to clarify the intention of the Bill.
"We certainly can consider inserting some illustrations into the legislation," Mr Shanmugam replied.
Institute of Policy Studies senior research fellow Carol Soon asked the minister how the Government would handle sensitive information involving national security in order to correct a falsehood.
Mr Shanmugam acknowledged that in such circumstances, a simple statement saying that an article in question contains a falsehood "is not going to cut much ice".
LAS CRUCES — As effective as Oñate senior forward Johnny McCants is on the offensive end, his presence was sorely missed on the defensive end against Albuquerque High on Friday at OHS.
Albuquerque High trailed by just four entering the fourth quarter as McCants picked up his third foul early in the third quarter with OHS up by 10. McCants returned in the fourth and helped the Knights pull away for a 59-46 victory to improve to 14-3 on the season.
"(McCants) does a lot for us," OHS coach Saul Perez said. "When he's around, it's hard for other teams to get inside because he is so long. We have been in games this year where he needs to sit and we keep seeing it. The bottom line is our other guys need to step up and play better defensively when (McCants) is not in the game."
McCants slammed home a lob with one hand in traffic and then converted a three-point play with a dunk in the post to put the Knights up 46-35 with 4:45 to play in the game.
Without McCants in the lineup in the third quarter, Albuquerque cut into a 30-18 Oñate halftime lead. Albuquerque scored six of their final eight points in the third quarter in the paint and closed to as close as two points in the third.
"We started well and were hitting our 3s," said Dylan Beck, who finished with 10 points. "When Johnny had to sit, we had some trouble on defense."
Albuquerque's run came after a first half the Knights couldn't seem to miss from 3-point range. As Albuquerque's zone collapsed around McCants in the paint, he found Hunter Thomas (16 points) for two open 3-point looks.
"When I am down low and get the ball, other teams collapse and I have to get it to our shooters," McCants said.
The Knights stopped making shots in the third quarter, but Isaiah Slaughter drained a triple early in the fourth to provide some breathing room before seven consecutive points from McCants.
"We shot the ball well in the first half and that isn't a surprise," Perez said. "We started the third quarter that way too but it wasn't falling in the third quarter. That allowed them to get momentum going as well."
The Knights host West Mesa today at 1 p.m.
"Once we started the fourth quarter and had all of our bodies back, we had some guys rested and I knew that was when we had to make our push and we did," Perez said. "Albuquerque is a pretty good team and we have to give our guys credit."
When 9-year-old Aiedan Klein goes to the grocery store, she might want to ride in the cart. Or she might sit on the floor because it feels cool against her skin. She could start meowing. She might run off from her parents, or she could ignore them altogether.
When 9-year-old Aiedan Klein goes to the grocery store, she might want to ride in the cart. Or she might sit on the floor because it feels cool against her skin.
She could start meowing. She might run off from her parents, or she could ignore them altogether.
The average onlooker might see Aiedan as a naughty child in need of discipline. But in reality, her behavior has a more fundamental cause.
When she was 3 years old, Aiedan was diagnosed with autism.
Her mother, Melinda Klein, said she always knew Aiedan was a special child. She was born premature, and as she developed, Aiedan started doing unusual things, like spinning and rocking repeatedly.
For her age, her verbalization wasn't very clear, Melinda Klein said, and she liked to run.
"We had this feeling from the beginning," she said of herself and her husband, Virgil. "We knew there was something. Autism was kind of scary because we really hadn't heard a whole lot about it."
According to the National Institute of Mental Health, autism spectrum disorders cause "severe and pervasive impairment to thinking, feeling, language and the ability to relate to others." They range from the severe autistic disorder to the milder Asperger syndrome. Also included in the spectrum are two rare disorders, Rett syndrome and childhood disintegrative disorder.
Because autism is on a "spectrum" of disorders, every child experiences it differently.
"When you've met a child with autism, you've met one child with autism, because they're so different," said Diana Wing, an organizer of the Grand Island, Neb., Autism Support Group.
Autism begins before age 3 and lasts throughout a child's life, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. There is currently no cure for the disorder, although an estimated one in 150 8-year-old children have an autism spectrum disorder. For most people with autism, the cause is not known.
Some parents and family members of children with autism believe the disorder was caused by a vaccine the child received. But to date, there is no definite, scientific proof that a vaccine or combination of vaccines can cause autism, according to the National Institutes of Health.
Children are typically diagnosed with autism spectrum disorders during their early childhood years, with their parents often the first to notice a problem.
Some indicators of the disorders include poor eye contact, inability to play with toys, attachment to one toy or object, unresponsiveness to name and loss of language or social skills.
"A lot of people think because a lot of our kids have social issues, they think they're naughty and they think they need to be disciplined or a good spanking or a good talking to," Wing said. "Our kids aren't naughty or misbehaving. They just need to be taught social skills, and that's an ongoing process as they get older and are exposed to different situations."
All parents, especially those who have concerns about their child's development, should have their doctor perform a developmental screening during a regular "well child" visit, according to the NIMH.
If the doctor identifies a potential problem, a multidisciplinary team of professionals can work to give a neurologic and genetic assessment.
Problems that can accompany autism spectrum disorder include sensory problems, mental retardation, seizures, fragile X syndrome and tuberculosis sclerosis.
In Aiedan's case, she experiences seizure and has lost the ability to speak. In addition to prescribed medications, she now undergoes speech, physical and occupational therapy. She also attends an elementary school where she is assisted by a special education teacher and paraprofessional.
Since every child with autism experiences the disorder differently, treatment plans must be developed on an individual basis. They can include a combination of medications, special education and therapy, among other options.
Parents are encouraged to look for local support groups and early intervention programs if their child has been diagnosed with autism.
Wing has a 9-year-old grandson who has autism, and his diagnosis sparked her involvement in her local autism support group.
"Once you get that diagnosis, it's like being hit in the head and you're like, ’Oh my gosh. What do I do? Where do I go?'" Wing said. "That support group was a lifesaver for my husband and I."
The group has also been helpful to the Klein family, which has developed a unique take on Aiedan's autism.
"Autism can be fun," Melinda Klein said. "That's a really strange thing to say, but you see the world in such a different way.
"Autism can be thought of as a blessing or a curse. We prefer a blessing. A child is a child regardless, and they have so many different things to show us."
The measure keeps a tight rein on new funding for Wall Street regulators.
House-Senate negotiators rolled out a $1.1 trillion spending bill Monday night — a giant package that fills in the blanks of the December budget agreement and promises to restore some order to government funding over the next year.
Under pressure from Republicans, the measure keeps a tight rein on new funding for Wall Street regulators and effectively freezes appropriations for President Barack Obama’s health care program at the reduced, post-sequester level.
But the White House retains the flexibility to find the financing it needs to implement the health exchanges and appears satisfied to have avoided the most contentious restrictions proposed by conservatives.
Among his other domestic priorities, Obama secured significant new funding he has wanted for pre-kindergarten education initiatives, albeit more through existing programs like Head Start than the new format he envisioned.
Indeed, the new $8.6 billion funding level for Head Start reflects one of the biggest investments in the bill — an estimated $1 billion, or 13 percent, increase over current funding and $612 million over its initial 2013 enacted appropriation.
At the same time, House Appropriations Committee Chairman Hal Rogers (R-Ky.) came away with two coal-related riders, one affecting mountaintop mining regulations and the other challenging new Export-Import Bank guidelines on the financing of coal-fired power plants overseas.
One legislative provision that all sides embraced would exempt disability pensions for veterans from a cost-of-living cut included in the December budget deal.
The very evident give-and-take caps more than six weeks of often intense bargaining within the Appropriations Committees and sets the stage for what the leadership hopes will be a rapid series of floor votes sending the bill on to Obama by this weekend.
“This bill is a compromise, but it reflects Republican priorities and holds the line on spending in many critical areas,” Rogers said.
His Senate counterpart, Sen. Barbara Mikulski (D-Md.), more colorfully described the deal as an end to “shutdown, slowdown, slam-down politics.” And speaking for the White House, Budget Director Sylvia Mathews Burwell suggested lawmakers get on with it. “The administration urges Congress to move quickly to pass it,” Burwell said.
To avoid any threat of a shutdown, the House will first take up a short extension of the current stopgap continuing resolution on Tuesday — moving the deadline back three days to Saturday. This should buy sufficient time for the House to act on the larger omnibus bill Wednesday. And Senate Democrats are hoping that there will be sufficient Republican support to avoid major battles over cloture Thursday and Friday.
This remains a tight time frame, but the rewards are substantial for both parties. And there is a genuine hunger to build on the December budget deal and not risk another government shutdown akin to last October’s.
Already, a long-anticipated farm bill has gone off the tracks since lawmakers returned from the holidays. If the omnibus were to fail as well, it would be a huge black eye for both parties.
One positive sign came from Alabama Sen. Richard Shelby, the ranking Republican on Appropriations. In anticipation of the filing, he met with his fellow Republicans on the panel. Shelby said later he would support the bill and asked his colleagues to support it as well.
As the former chairman of the Senate Banking Committee — and an ardent opponent of the Dodd-Frank reforms — Shelby left an imprint seen in the tight budgets for the Commodity Futures Trading Commission and the Securities and Exchange Commission. The administration appears to have avoided restrictive riders proposed in the House, but the price is far less money than the president wants.
CORRECTION: Corrected by: Andrea Drusch @ 01/14/2014 11:10 AM CORRECTION: An earlier version of this story misstated the amount by which the SEC’s budget fell short of what was requested. The amount is $324 million.
This November, Netflix will have full streaming rights for all the movies made by Disney, Lucasfilm, Pixar and Marvel released after 2016. This means that all your future favorite Disney, Star Wars and Avengers movies will be streaming exclusively on Netflix. And if this deal works out well, it could reshape how everyone watches media.
There already has been a popular transition from subscribing to cable networks to online streaming websites. Many people, especially college students, have opted for online streaming over cable networks to save the price of buying a television and cable subscription. If other media companies start following the trend of giving full streaming rights to a specific streaming company, streaming will eventually become the most popular way of watching media.