NEW RESEARCH PROVIDES A CLEAR LOOK INTO SOME MAJOR STATES FACING FISCAL CRISIS

READ THIS FIRST http://www.freep.com/article/20091111/NEWS15/91111036/1001/NEWS/Study-Michigan-crumbles-under-outdated-tax-system

I THINK THIS IS A NEAT ARTICLE AND I WILL RECOMMEND EVERYONE TO READ IT SINCE IT PROVIDES A FRESH PERSPECTIVE INTO THE FISCAL CRISI THAT SOME STATES SUCH AS ILLINOIS, CALIFORNIA, MICHIGAN AND OTHERS ARE FACING. THIS STUDY IS NOT A NEW STUDY, HOWEVER IT PROVIDES A CLEAR PICTURE OF WHAT THE STATES I HAVE ALREADY MENTIONED ARE FACING AS FAR AS FISCAL CRISIS IS CONCERNED. I ALSO THINK IN ORDER FOR LEGISLATORS TO TAKE THESE FISCAL CHALLENGES SERIOUS, THE CITIZENS OF THOSE STATES MUST DEMAND BETTER GOVERNANCE. IF THAT IS NOT THE CASE, THE STUDY SAYS THOSE STATES WILL FACE CHRONIC FISCAL CHALLENGES AND PERHAPS EVENTUAL COLLAPSE. PEOPLE ARE FRUSTRATED WHEN THEIR LOCAL GOVERNMENT IS NOT FUNCTIONING THE WAY IT SHOULD, SO I TAUGHT THIS ARTICLE WILL OFFER A BETTER LOOK INTO WHAT PEOPLE SHOULD BE DEMANDING FROM THEIR LEGISLATORS AS THEY MAKE FISCAL DECISIONS ABOUT THEIR STATE OF RESIDENCE.

OH MY GOSH! THE GOP IS BACK

oh!!! i didn't hear that the GOP has just won two elections(Virginia&New Jersey). It looks like after massive losses in congressional races last year they are back. I have always said to myself that the GOP is ready to go Kamakaze when they have 2. Just imagine this , right when Barack Obama was sworn into office, they did not hesitate in launching attacks. Inspite of all that they put america thru, they still went ahead to attack the new president and his policies irrespective of the fact that he had not yet completed the formulation of his policies let alone implement them. It takes a lot of guts to pull off what the GOP pulled off!!Whatever some of u want to say out there doesn't really matter to me because a win is a win. They won those elections and i hope the democratic party is not going to get complacent with the political capital the american people have given them to govern this great nation on Gods green earth. I love the political system because if nothing at all elections are still held and the public has the right to participate by exercising their right to choose who they fill is right for the office even if the persons full background is not in the public square.

DERRION ALBERT SHINES LIGHT ON YOUTH VIOLENCE ONCE AGAIN

I watched the beaten of Derrion Albert on youtube and i did not like what i saw on the video. I have often heard that this is an epidemic in the inner cities and this is just one of the numerous cases of violent acts that inner city kids engage in. during moments like this, it's easy to blame everyone and argue over the issue and then after a few days we all get complacent and forget our collective role in preventing or minimizing whats already occuring almost on a daily basis. i read in an article recently that about 60% of inner city school students confirmed they had witnessed violent acts during the school year. This poll from the students should wake families and communities up to this crisis. In some segments of the population this is a common phenomenon and as a result people have become desensitized about this problem. Often time parents and people within this community are not being proactive to the problems their community faces and they just hope the best will happen. This is not a new problem so I do not see why communities that face this problem and get hurt the most do not take a proactive approach. Someone will perhaps ask what a proactive approach will be to what people often label as a complex problem. we are living in the modern world and education is I think a very effective tool to shape the perceptions and the way people behave in society. Some how in this most civilized nation in the world, that germ has not been fully realized let alone utilized effectively. The new frontier is about how to win a generation whose forebears have been disenfranchised from society from the perception that they have no chance in living productive lives in their communities and country. There is a dark cloud that studies have shown to exist within the inner city youths and this is often the biggest obstacle that prevents them from making the best use of their time. This issue has been raised by some of the productive citizens of this society about the neglect that has existed for a long time. However, individuals, families and communities are yet to make the move that will create a healthy relationship that we can all enjoy as we all pursue happiness. clink on link to watch video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=yowMvXwpffk

http://www.usatoday.com/news/health/2009-10-09-children-assault_N.htm

A LOOK AT TED KENNEDY FROM AN ORDINARY POINT OF VIEW

The Kennedy family is well known for their wealth, power and political skills all over the world. But given all that i have heard from all sides, its not worth getting stuck in the noise and all the negative aspect of the Kennedy family. Senator Kennedy went through some challenges in his life and its true that he was privileged. Being privileged comes with its own challenges and he had to figure out about what to do with that power. Being from outside this country, i can understand how reckless people with wealth can be wwhen it comes to caring for people with little means. Ted Kennedy i think represents something good about this country which requires people with means to reach out to those with less. He did a nice job with is life inspite of the challenges he had earlier and this serves an example thats worth noting. may his soul rest in peace!!!

THINGS TO TAKE NOTE OF AS A TOURIST IN GHANA

Ghana's unmissables ... 9 things to try, visit and see

Star beer – Truly one of the best beers in the world, this brew is an Ashanti beer brewed in Kumasi and is an essential part of the Ghana experience.

National Museum – This museum located in Accra, the county’s capital, is filled with the country’s history and traditional art coming from the Stone Age to the present day. A small gift shop offers not only the same local crafts that can be found anywhere, but one of a kind paintings from local artists ranging from ten to a few hundred dollars depending on size. They are open 9-5 every day except Christmas, and guided tours are available.

The Cedi Bead Factory – Beads, which are an important symbol of the Ghanaian culture, are made here by hand in the traditional way. They offer tours and lessons on bead making as well as many other crafts, and their onsite store offers their beautiful merchandise at the lowest price you will find it. Bracelets and necklaces cost about $3-$6 and loose beads cost just a few cents. The National Arts Center – Located in downtown Accra, this open air market is a huge bazaar of craft booths run by locals. The grounds are filled with around 100 stalls of artists selling anything and everything Ghana. Here there are carvings, t-shirts, instruments, jewelry, masks, batik, kente and more. Many artists work from their booths providing a show and a store, and the already low prices are further negotiable. Most items are under $10 with many being under $5. Palm Wine – This drink made from palm tree sap, can be served distilled or not, and is only made in Africa and some parts of Asia. Whether it suits your taste or not this drink is definitely at least worth a try.

Senchi Resort – This waterfront property is native, yet comfortable for foreign travelers. The waterfront property offers boat rides, water sports, camping and a restaurant and bar. Private chalet’s cost $40 for a single and $50 for a double, and are equipped with air conditioning, TV, phones and mini bars. This is a great spot for travelers looking for a cheap place to relax and immerse themselves in authentic local culture.

Golden Tulip – This luxury hotel is the place for travelers who want to see Ghana, but also have a luxurious home to return to at night. The hotel offers several great restaurants with local and European style food as well as a lounge, pool, casino and business center. The hotel prides itself on world class service and rooms cost a few hundred dollars a night. For those wanting to be more authentic or frugal, this is a great oasis for just a meal or evening getaway.

Shangri La- Also located in Accra, this hotel houses a restaurant with great food. Try their pizzas if your homesick for American food, or opt for something local. Small tables, couches and chairs in the back of the lobby serve as seating for the restaurant, which usually has a pretty fun crowd partying. The hotel also offers a pool and large rooms for guests, many of whom are local Ghanaians on weekend holidays.

Black Star Square – This national square houses a large arch, row of national flags and bleachers and is used for national events like the Independence Day celebrations. It sits right on the water and is a beautiful monument to Ghana’s freedom.

Jessica Mulcahy is an Examiner from Charlotte.

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Source: Jessica Mulcahy

IS THE HOME LOAN MODIFICATION PROGRAM WORKING

The issue of subprime loans and the foreclosures that has resulted out of it has no doubt decimated the U.S economy and continues to threaten our way of life. The current Obama administration and the U. S congress has tried to get the lending agencies to modify home loans in order to prevent many more homes from being foreclosed. Thats a step in the right direction but the most important issue is whether this strategy is working. From the information out there so far, there is still a hardcore line that this failed financial institutions thats being given life support by the federal government have taken to prevent meaningful progress from being made on main street. The concerns of main street is certainly not the concerns of wall street and this is manifested in their lack of empathy to main street. They have once again established their reputation as a ruthless entity thats an island with no regards for main street other than their profits and how to spend lavishly. Wall Street is just as vulnerable as main street but yet they have displayed foolish pride and arrogance in their response to this crisis. I proposed that they should have been allowed to fail and the tax payers money that was used in bailing them out should have been invested in serious enterpreneurs and small bizness initiatives which will make real and sustainable impact on the U.S economy. One way or the other, once the manufacturing sector of the economy is revived, the accountants will be invited to do the book keeping since thats all they do anyway. Yet tax payers money has been invested into fraudlent schemes backed by the government to give people the false impression that everything is ok. The financial institutions could have helped prevent the loss of homes if they had complied with the home loan modification program. All they had to do was remodify the terms of the loan by offering home owners the prevailing lower fixed interest rate. This would have reduced monthly mortgage payments and will at least encourage and boost the morale of families to keep their homes. The federal government could have also reduced or eliminated property taxes in high risk areas of foreclosure to ease financial stress on ordinary people. At least if the federal government was quick to identify that home loans had to be modified, it should have considered serious enforcement as it negotiates its program to bailout wall street completely. We now have main street suffering and not knowing what the prospects will be whilst wall street is still taking expensive vacations and continues to waste tax payer money on executive compensation. The federal government have not yet made such a prosal to main street and yet it expects recovery in that area. There will be no recovery if the financial institutions go unaccountable and without commitments to main street. Reconcile wall street and main street and you will have recovery. If wall street wants to be arrogant and ruthless the only way is to force them to take responsibility for their mess.

CONFIRMATION OF JUSTICE SOTOMAYOR

I have started watching the confirmation hearings and i find it interesting and fun to watch Ms. Sotomayor Vs. U.S senators. Most of the issue that have been raised about judge Sotomayor is in regards to her commments about the "wise latino woman....." The totality of her qualifications as a judge was overshadowed at least before the confirmation hearings. After the second day of the hearings i think one gets a feel of who the person that is waiting to be confirmed is about. Senator Lindsey Graham made a comment that she was going to be confirmed only if she does not have a melt down which i find scary and hope does not happen as we are still navigating the confirmation process. Judge Sotomayor has worked hard enough and the last thing we all want is a bunch of senators hustling her for no reason. I am personally in favor of Sotomayor and hope she is confirmed as soon as possible. I think she will be helpful in deciding cases given her track record. We still have hearings to come and i keep my fingers wraped waiting to see where the confirmation hearings leads to.

OBAMA GOES TO AFRICA

President Obama's trip to Africa did not come as a surprise to me because after all he has already been visiting the continent even before his run for the harvard law review, U.S senate or even the presidency. What i am concerned with is his support for the majority of Africans all over the world who are in favor of serious political and economic development of the continent. He has a better platform than most of us to articulate his support for the key concerns of the continent. Most of us are hoping he will maintain this stand through out his presidency by continuing to pressure the political leaders on the continent to step aside and allow due process to work. For far too long most civil servants and the citizens of the continent have been trying to take charge of the development of the continent. However, some elements who are fortunate to be in positions of power manipulate the people as well as natural resources through signing of dubious deals that are unaccountable. Africa has been tryfing to find its place in the new global order and is still spinning its wheels inspite of all that citizens of the continet have been trying to contribute to its development. Gone where the days when the western world was held responsible for Africas woes. In this present times most of the young people in Africa do not see things in those terms. We are instead paying close attention to what's actually preventing us from achievng the kind of growth and development that we seek. time and again we see our elders squandering the political capital that they are given. Instead of looking at the bigger picture, their focus is rather on how to make themselves rich over night. We have always asked for political and economic freedom in order to fulfill our individual aspiration. They have granted themselves the right to pursue happiness and denied citizens of the continent those same rights. If people are denied the right to pursue happiness, how do we build a functional economy that works for us. They have tried Soviet style bureaucracies which has proven to be ineffective. This fight began from the day Africans won independence from their previous colonial masters and we have not known rest ever since . They are greedy and we must oppose them until all Africans are granted those rights that the founding fathers articulated in the declaration of independence. The freedom to pursue happiness was recognized as a very essential part of human life. We see many Africans traveling outside the continent or wanting to travel outside to improve their lot as well as their families conditions. Most of them return to the continent with the resources they have acquired but yet they are faced with the same obstacles that drove them out of the continent. The development of Africa cannot be under taken solely by a government bureacracy like some want to believe. The government certainly has a role to play in the national development but that role is limited and it must begin to recognize that. When that limitation is recognized, steps must be taken to ensure that government forms the partnership necessary with the governed to help confront and overcome the systemic challenges to not only alleviate poverty but to create sustainable wealth to ensure that history does not repeat itself in the form of colonialism and conquest by nations who have the intellect and will to pursue the prosperity they seek for their elites and citizens. God bless Africa!!!

SARAH PALIN STEPS DOWN AS GOVERNOR OF ALASKA

It's unfortunate to watch Ms. Palin step down as governor of Alaska. The reasons she gave for steping down makes my heart go out to her. I think the media went too far and that was not sensible on their part to lunch such savage attacks against her and her family. Some networks should have done better than they did and I wish her and her family well. Having said that, I hope Ms. Palin and other members of the Republican party who intend to contest for the presidency show up with a substantial argument for the public about why they are running for office. Most people are just disgusted about the gutter politics that we have seen the Republican party engaged in during the Bush jnr years. I have no strong political affiliation nor interested in one. I was furious about how the Republican party lacked the intelligence to manage the economy pragmatic and efficiently. What we saw was extreme recklessness and an attempt to destroy this wonderful country by despicable extremists who have no conscience and regard for life. No political party is fit to govern if they lack tolerance for views that differs with their ideological views. We saw people within the party leadership exploiting religion for financial and political gains. They labeled others as horrible human beings and yet at the end of the day the American public saw how horrible most of these members of the Republican leadership were. We hope the Republican party is saved by decent men and women who have been shut out of the party. read thishttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106131929

STATE BUDGET WOES

We are seeing what many experts have already predicted will happen this year on the State level due to the ailing economy since most States begin their budgets on 1st of July. This is very important to take note of since it brings as to the ideological diffrences that both the Republican and Democratic party have over how government should function. At this moment, the Democraats are in the majority but that also means that at this crucial point in American history, they have to give a second look at the concept of government programs and spending as the way to go. The Replublicans are mainly responsible for taking a reckless approach in handling the economy and as a result most people are paying the price. States are now being forced to make cuts in order to sustain themselves in the next fiscal cycle. Hopefully this does not become an opportunity for some politicians to exploit for political gains. I think cutting back programs that are not necessary and at leats not starting new programs for now and also finding ways to make existing programs more efficient and effective in the resources used and the services they provide should be taking seriously. These key steps I stated i believe will be helpful in making States cope well with the situation rather than creating panic and confusion for its citizens. read this linkhttp://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=106131929

NEDA THE HEROINE

I was shocked to see what happened to a courageous woman called Neda in the recent ongoing protest in Iran. She was suddenly struck in the chest by a government sniper for protesting against the dictatorship of Ahmadinejad. This is just an example of how cruel dictatorial regimes are and as such must be protested against by everyone who believes in freedom. Ronald Reagan said once that he will not want to tell his children about how great it was to live in freedom. to ensure that this freedom lives we must all join the common course of fighting and defending it. We must always condemn tyrants at every cost. Neda is a great example of this struggle in Iran and we support all Iranians for their strength and courage!!!http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=related&v=bVnb95gTBPA

FIXING HEALTHCARE IN THE U.S. OF A.

There has been lots of discussion going on about fixing healthcare for some time. We have heard several proposals and suggestions for solving the healthcare puzzle. I prefer to narrow down the discussion into two categories; those for the government approach and those in favor of the free market or private approach to solving this puzzle. watch this

http://www.pbs.org/wgbh/pages/frontline/video/flv/generic.html?s=frol02p101&continuous=1

This is the most interesting documentary I have watched so far giving as some idea about the healthcare system in other developed economies. This is certainly not a documentary telling the absolute truth about the single payer health system in other countries. It's complicated than most documentaries make it seem. The Obama administration is currently proposing coverage for everyone under his healthcare plan and I think this is an ineffective approach to dealing with the issue. I will prefer the government to consider covering those who actually have no means of affording healthcare to be provided free coverage. People who earn a very low income should also be provided a reasonable premium under the government plan. Having said this the government must stay out of the free market and allow those who have the means to afford private health insurance to do so at their own expense without attempts by the government to reduce copays for almost everyone as the Obama administration is suggesting. The government should have its own negotiations with health institutions but not on behalf of all citizens. I think the free market should work out the pricing of healthcare with its customers. This in my opinion is fair since the government will be treated as a regular customer by the healthcare providing agencies rather than the government being the only decider of how healthcare is priced and provided. Lets hear your opinion on this issue. Thank you!

OBAMA TO CREATE NEW CONSUMER REGULATORY ENVIRONMENT

president obama from what i read on google news today intends to creatge new regulatory agencies to over see consumer credit. from an ordinary persons perspective this might sound great but come to think of it the consumer protecton agency was set up for the same purpose. the consumer protection agency has done some great works but i do not support a new agency in the sense that when this new agencies are proposed at first they sound great but once they start operating they are faced with challenges that they have to figure a way of dealing with from time to time. therefore by creating this new agencies to meet challenges that existing agencies have not yet mastered is not a solution. it's just a waste of rsources and i hope the obama administration does not get in the habit of reinventing the wheel for alot of their programs. let us hear your take on this topichttp://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2009/06/17/BU3F1895UH.DTL&type=business

U.S MEDDLING IN IRANIAN ELECTIONS AND POLITICS

it's interesting to watch the Obama administration go through a similar ordeal with Iran jsut as ex president Bush did with Saddam. we are seing history repeat itself in a very interesting way and my only advise to the Obama administration is be careful. what are some of the suggestions you have about how the current president should deal with this issue. we will be glad to hear from you. thank you!!!!