Brian Brady, 50, of Sparta, Sussex County, was also charged with
filing fraudulent firearms qualification certificates, misusing
police databases for personal purposes and using a state vehicle,
state gas card and state-issued E-ZPass on the personal
trips.

By Amy Feldman
NEW YORK, Feb 17 (Reuters) – Its a move of
desperation: Raiding your retirement plan to get at the cash
because life has thrown you a curve ball.
But desperate economic times may call for desperate
measures; sometimes you just have to get cash from somewhere.
And if thats the case, there are some ways to get at that
retirement money before age 59 ½, without paying the hefty 10
percent penalty which generally applies for touching those funds
early.
Of course, its better not to withdraw money from your
401(k)s or individual retirement accounts before youve retired
– since it is an uphill battle to rebuild savings and few are
able to do it.
If youve got emergency savings or taxable accounts, use
those funds first. And if you have the ability to take a loan
from your 401(k) — which is generally limited to the one at the
company where you now work — thats a smarter move than an
outright withdrawal. However, if you had other options, perhaps
you wouldnt be reading this far.
Generally, if you need to take cash out of your retirement
plan, whether 401(k) or IRA, before the age of 59 ½, youll owe
income taxes and a 10 percent penalty for early withdrawal. No
matter what, youll still owe the taxes, but there are
situations where you can avoid paying the penalty.
You can generally withdraw penalty-free from a 401(k) or IRA
if you become permanently disabled, if you need to pay for
medical expenses (if theyre above 7.5 percent of your adjusted
gross income), or if youre facing an Internal Revenue Service
levy (thats a tough enough one without the extra penalty).
You can also start a regular retirement stream early, or
access income from your retirement funds in regular payments for
at least five years till you turn 59½.
The rules on IRAs also allow you to take some cash out
penalty-free to pay health insurance premiums if youre
unemployed, to help you make a first home purchase, or to cover
the costs of college tuition and expenses.
The exception that flies under the radar — and that may be
most useful, especially for those in their 50s who are now
struggling (or are hoping to retire early) — is the one where
you start an income stream early.
In Internal Revenue Service parlance, you wont face a
penalty for withdrawals if you set up substantially equal
periodic payments or whats sometimes called 72(t) after the
section of the tax code.
There are certain exceptions to the penalty for people who
have logical, normal commitments, explains Allison Shipley, a
partner in the personal financial services practice of
PricewaterhouseCoopers in Miami. The one I used to focus on
with people is making substantially equal periodic payments. If
you need to dip into your savings, but youre still trying to
manage it for retirement, you could start a distribution program
and save on the penalty.
Taking advantage of this substantially equal periodic
payments strategy involves a little bit of complicated math, as
these annuitized payments have to be calculated based on your
life expectancy (or one of two alternate, more complex,
methods), and you have follow the IRSs rules closely. But your
401(k) administrator or IRA administrator should be able to walk
you through it. There also are online calculators, such as one
from Bankrate.com, which can help.
Heres how it works: Say youre 50 years old and have
$400,000 in an IRA, and you need some cash but hope to avoid the
penalty. Youd look up your life expectancy, then divide your
account balance by it, repeating this calculation each year with
new figures for both your account balance and life expectancy.
In this example, cribbed from the IRSs explainer on the topic,
that would be $11,696 in the first year. Once you start taking
these payments, you have to continue doing so for at least five
years or until you turn 59 ½, whichever is longer.
It doesnt give you a huge amount of cash without penalty,
but it might just give you enough. After all, the average amount
of a hardship withdrawal from a 401(k) was just $5,510,
according to a 2011 study by consultants Aon Hewitt.
I wish I had known about that, says Vicki Contavespi, a
public relations executive, who is still rebuilding her
retirement savings with new contributions, after raiding it, in
dribs and drabs, during a 13-month period of unemployment a
decade ago. I was only taking money out when I desperately
needed to take it.
Since the financial crisis began in 2008, not surprisingly,
the number of people raiding their retirement funds has
increased: At the end of 2010, 28 percent of active 401(k)
participants had loans outstanding, up from 22 percent five
years earlier, and another 7 percent took withdrawals, up from 5
percent, according to the Aon Hewitt study.
If you have multiple retirement plans from multiple jobs
over the course of your career, youll need to read the fine
print carefully in order to choose which one to tap first.
Not only are the rules for IRAs different from those for
401(k)s, but corporations also may add additional rules on
distributions from their own 401(k)s.
It can be very confusing, and in some cases were talking
about pretty big dollars, says Gil Charney, principal tax
research analyst at HR Blocks Tax Institute. Sometimes its
better to take a distribution from an IRA where a penalty
exemption exists than thinking broadly that the penalty
exception will exist for the 401(k) when it doesnt.
A final note: If you have a Roth IRA as well as a
traditional one, it may make sense to tap the Roth first. Thats
because you already paid income tax on the money you put in, so
if youve held it for five years, and meet the rules for
avoiding the penalty, you likely wont have to pay any more tax
now.
Hopefully, youll never have to tap your retirement savings
early. But if you do, better to do it wisely. ]]> http://www.libertyprairiefarm.com/2012/02/your-money-how-to-raid-your-retirement-plan/feed/ 0 http://www.libertyprairiefarm.com/2012/02/school-notebook-mount-students-get-a-healthy-video-game-lesson/ http://www.libertyprairiefarm.com/2012/02/school-notebook-mount-students-get-a-healthy-video-game-lesson/#comments Mon, 20 Feb 2012 20:50:41 +0000 Admin http://www.libertyprairiefarm.com/?p=1558 Continue reading →]]> Students at Mount Elementary were given the chance to combine a video game experience with a gym class lesson recently, as the school brought in the iGame4 program into physical education classes.

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Students had the chance to play with a Nintendo Wii or an Xbox Kinect to play physical games that had them dancing and simulating other activities with the games Just Dance III and Kinect Adventures River Rush. The program is aligned with common core standards.

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“This program is a great step in the right direction for health and fitness
education,” said Physical education teacher Jeff Bryant called the activities a great step in the right direction for health and fitness education.

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The school also held a family fun night so that parents could learn about the benefits of active video games.

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“We know that children like playing with their video games,” said Christine Pisano, developer of the iGame4 program. “We are hoping that what they gain from this and share with their families is the knowledge that now they can be active when they do it.”

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National Merit Finalists Announced

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The Three Village Central School District announced last week that the 12 Ward Melville High School seniors originally named National Merit Scholarhip Program Semifinalists have been named finalists in the competition.

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As finalists, approximately 15,000 students nationwide will have the chance to compete for 8,300 scholarships in the programs 57th year in existence.

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Dr. Alan Baum, principal at Ward Melville High School, said he is continually amazed at the level of performance of our students.

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“These twelve students have much to be proud of and should look forward to a promising future, Baum said. It is a credit to their educational upbringing and their perseverance and I couldn’t be happier for them. I wish them all the best.”

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The National Merit Scholarship finalists are:

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• Murali Varadaraj

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• Andrew Aicher

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• Daniel Hsu

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• Rocco Morra

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• Stephen Karp

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• Jack Zhou

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• Jesse Xing

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• Allison LaRocco

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• Ariel Yang

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• Anna Whitney

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• Julia Huang

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• Kelsey Weymouth-Little

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School Board Meeting Set for Tuesday Night

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The Board of Education will meet Tuesday night with a session open to the public starting at approximately 8 pm Among the items on the agenda are:

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• A preliminary review of the districts financial plan and 2012-13 school budget

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• A report on the Nassakeag Indoor Air Quality project

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• Discussions of school policies including public gifts, interscholastic athletics, and attendance.

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School board meetings are held at the North Country Administrative Center in Stony Brook. For the complete agenda, visit the Board of Education website.

As Alana wrote, Santorum recently reiterated his long-held belief that allowing legalized gambling to spread from its previous enclaves in Las Vegas and Atlantic City is a terrible idea for the country. But, contrary to Alana’s assertion, this doesn’t make him an advocate of a nanny state. The analogy here is not so much to New York Mayor Michael Bloomberg’s ban on trans fats as it is the decision about whether this country will legalize marijuana or even heroin.

There are reasonable arguments to be made about ending the war on drugs, the same as there were good reasons for states to drop bans on casinos. But to argue that anyone who takes note of the plague of social pathologies the influx of casinos have brought with them wherever they have been built can’t also claim to be an advocate of limited government is off the mark.

Unlike real nanny state issues, legalized gambling is not so much a matter of private choice of a form of entertainment as much as it is one of enabling a business whereby the state profits from the exploitation of the poor and the middle class. While it can be asserted that individuals should have the right to become addicts and destroy their lives and families via gambling, the same can be said about heroin. The only difference right now is that government takes a hefty cut of the profit in gambling while the billions made from the drug trade now only go to criminals. Though legalization of drugs might be a money maker for states that face budget crunches, most Americans are rightly so horrified by the human cost of drug addiction they cannot stomach a measure that libertarians advocate.

When it comes to gambling, most of us are less squeamish. Perhaps that is because the destruction of lives and families that are caused by gambling don’t seem quite as shocking as habits that involve needles. And yet the link between gambling and crime is as strong as that of drugs.

Some also argue that the nature of drug use is such that they destroy more users than the percentage of gamblers who are dragged under by that addiction. That may be true, but society bans many things as dangerous that affect far fewer numbers of people than the vast number of Americans whose lives have been wrecked by legalized gambling. It is also true that one can make the same arguments against gambling at home on the Internet for alcohol, whose abuse probably does more damage than drugs and gambling combined. However, the difference is unlike the liquor industry, legalized gambling is something that always morphs into a quasi-government business.

Santorum speaks for many, if not most Americans, when he says encouraging the spread of legalized gambling isn’t good for the country. What’s more, it ill behooves conservatives or libertarians to be encouraging an industry whose main purpose has always been to encourage the growth of government. Far more than individual rights, it is big government that stands to gain the most from legalization. The untold billions it will gain from its share of the take in legalized Internet gambling will feed the same state leviathan conservatives and libertarians abhor.

While many may disagree with Santorum on this, Republicans needn’t fear the Obama campaign will use this against the GOP should the Pennsylvanian become the nominee. Though he may be out of step with popular culture on many issues, Santorum’s concerns about gambling are very much in the mainstream.

Greeted by multiple standing ovations from an adoring crowd that repeatedly shouted, I love you – along with a few hecklers protesting his oil drilling policies – Obama struck a populist tone during the 30-minute speech after spending much of the day at high-priced fundraisers. He had no public events Thursday, but did surprise diners with an impromptu lunch stop for takeout food in Chinatown.

If youre born into tough circumstances, were going to give you a ladder to climb into that middle class, Obama told the sold-out house at the Masonic. Thats what were fighting for. This is the defining issue of our time, a make-or-break moment for all middle-class Americans.

I dont want this nation to be known just for buying and consuming stuff, but for also being a country of manufacturers.

When he was interrupted by hecklers, Obama laughed them off. This is what San Francisco is always about, he said. Theres always something going on in San Francisco.

Acknowledging that weve had setbacks, Ive made mistakes, he asked supporters to back him for a second term. He then plunged into the crowd and shook hands for several minutes.

Obamas San Francisco day was light on policy and heavy on fundraising: The president starred at a pair of $38,500-per-person fundraisers, including one with high-tech business leaders that reporters were not allowed to attend. More than 2,500 people were also at the Masonic event, where tickets started at $100.

That was Obamas fourth fundraiser of the day. He began with a breakfast in Orange County. Proceeds from the events go to the Obama Victory Fund, a joint fundraising committee authorized by his presidential campaign, Obama for America, and the Democratic National Committee.

The stakes get higher

Obamas exhaustive money-raising schedule illustrates how super PACs – political action committees that can accept unlimited donations from corporations, labor unions and individuals – are ratcheting up national politics into an even higher-stakes political arms race.

As this year progresses, the president will, of course, have to spend more time on the campaign – on the re-election effort – and that would be a gradual escalation as required by the process, White House press secretary Jay Carney said Thursday.

Obamas backers called Thursday a success in terms of cash raised in two days of withdrawing money from Californias political ATM. The president spent Wednesday raising funds in Southern California.

Im ecstatic – every event was sold out, said former California state Controller Steve Westly, one of Obamas top national fundraisers. Six months ago, it was tougher than this. But the economy has turned around, and people are noticing.

Westly attended the closed-press event Thursday with 20 leaders from Bay Area tech firms, including Salesforce.com of San Francisco. The administration, campaign officials and Westly would not reveal who attended.

Thursday evening, Obama appeared before 70 donors at a fundraiser at the Pacific Heights home of novelist Robert Mailer Anderson and Nicola Miner, daughter of the late Oracle co-founder Robert Miner. Police barricaded off several blocks around the swank home near Broadway and Broderick Street, snarling traffic and frustrating motorists. Others lined the streets to wave as the presidents motorcade passed by.

Inside the home, the Rev. Al Green performed his classic Lets Stay Together, from which Obama recently crooned a few bars at a New York fundraiser last month. But the president declined to sing Thursday.

I took a chance at the Apollo, Obama said, and Im not going to take a chance again.

First, on offense, the team kept the ball moving and repeatedly went to the hot hand.  Curry put up the biggest scoring line of the night, but the team also worked to feed Dorell Wright and Klay Thompson during their respective hot streaks.  All three players worked hard off the ball to get themselves open.  Their hotness was as much due to their movement and energy when given a favorable match-up (like Andre Miller on Curry) then it was any divine intervention from the hardwood gods.  When you combine decisive ball movement with a little extra effort to clear some daylight, typically low percentage shots start to become a little bit better.  The Warriors wont shoot 51.9% from the field and 52% from behind the arc very often, but the numbers werent complete aberrations this evening.  The team made adjustments to get the most from their skill-set.  Its not enough just to have a lot of offensive weapons you have to find ways to engage them.  The offense in Denver was a balanced attack (5 Warriors with 9 or more shots) because guys like Ellis and Lee didnt force their own games and looked for their open teammates.

Second, on defense, the Warriors worked hard to level the playing field or more accurately get Denver to play on the same parts of the court as they were.  Ekpe Udoh and Andris Biedrins had physical games in the paint and denied Denver easy looks at the rim.  Without a lay-up line through the key for the guards and little statue-like defense in the post from the Warriors usual suspects, the Nuggets were forced out to the perimeter.  Once it became a battle of jump shooters, the Warriors had a distinct advantage and opened up a commanding lead.  Not every team will cave so easily to settling, but against a tired and slumping opponent, the Warriors extra burst of defensive energy in the post was all the persuasion the Nuggets needed to abandon a more balanced, high-percentage attack.

Overall, this was the type of steal-them-when-you-can win this team needs to secure, particularly coming off of two squandered victories against Sacramento and Oklahoma City.  They played unselfish basketball and were the aggressors at both ends of the court.  Games going forward may not be as ripe for an upset as this one, but if the Warriors can sustain this energy and intensity, theyll be a more competitive team.

A few individual performances stood out:

Stephen Curry If hes had a better shooting night as a pro (13-17), I dont remember it.  His jumper looked effortless and on-line the entire game.  He did a nice job off the ball to get himself open looks.  But even more encouraging to my eyes than the offense which we expect was his assertiveness on defense and on the glass.  He was moving his feet and taking charges, mixing it up inside to help secure the types of loose balls that have gone to the other team almost all season, and vocally encouraging his teammates during the key third quarter run.  He played this game with a calm, collected urgency.  Its exactly the type of mature game the team needed from him.

Klay Thompson Best game as a pro, period.  Mark Jacksons steady minutes for the rookie during the month of December may be the single best thing hes done yet as a coach.  The deer-in-the-headlights player that shot .267 over the seasons first four games spent that month gradually adapting to the speed of the game.  He gained confidence on his shot and started expanding his contributions beyond jump shooting.  Now, two months into his NBA career, hes starting to have the look of a poised veteran.  Jackson can use him as much or as little as needed and have confidence hell get some sort of regular production.  Thompson hit multiple rally-killing shots in the fourth quarter to protect the Warriors lead.  Hes now driving regularly making him even harder to defend on the perimeter and showing a willingness to work on the defensive end.  Were still learning what type of player Thompson can be, and that potential for growth is encouraging.

Ekpe Udoh Last week in the Utah win, Udoh followed up a big block with an arm-pumping scream.  It was a rare burst of emotion for the usually stoic figure.  Its a good sign.  He showed a flash again against Denver by getting in Aaron Afflalos face following a physical exchange on a post-up.  No one is going to respect the Warriors big men as a matter of course.  They going to have to earn it through toughness.  Udoh is averaging nearly 3 blocks a night over the last 5 games and putting behind him those long stretches of passivity he experienced early in the season.  He still isnt rebounding with any regularity (Nate Robinson got twice as many in half the minutes Thursday), but hes making his presence felt in other ways.  His work to deny easy buckets at the rim Thursday was one of the major reasons this wasnt just another hot-shooting/poor-defense loss for the Warriors.

Andris Biedrins It ultimately doesnt matter who gets rebounds for the Warriors.  They just desperately need them if theyre going to remain competitive against all but the softest teams.  They won the rebound battle against Denver (41-39), and Biedrins deserves credit for being an active part of that effort.  Matt Steinmetz got universally scoffed at in the post-game for suggesting that Biedrins should model his game after Dennis Rodman, but theres a simple truth to Matts point.  All aspects of Biedrins game other than rebounding are a complete disaster.  Rather than repeatedly ask him to do the things he cant further damaging his confidence he might as well pour all his energy into the one thing he can still do well on occasion.  Rodman couldnt hit a lay-up during warm-ups, but he didnt care because he owned the aspects of his game that were his strengths.  Biedrins should set foot on the court will the single, exclusive goal of snagging, tipping or batting every rebound within 10 feet.  When hes not rebounding, he should sit.  You hate to see a crucial position like center reduced to a one-skill role, but thats the best-case scenario for Biedrins.  Producing in 1 category is better than producing in none.

Monta Ellis Theres a reason Monta Ellis isnt on the All-Star team, and that reason isnt going to change no matter how many times announcers read back his league ranks in scoring average, assists or minutes.  At this stage in Ellis career, hes not going to get the respect he wants until he moves beyond the numbers.  His line Thursday was pedestrian, particularly compared to what he did Tuesday against the Thunder, but he repeatedly did things that helped his teammates succeed.  The merging of his considerable skills into a cohesive team-based attack is far more important than any eye-popping individual stat he can deliver. Ellis performance against the Nuggets was the most appropriate response he could deliver to being left off the All Star team he helped his team win.

The Warriors should enjoy their two-day break and the three home games that follow.  After that, they plunge into a ten-week sprint to the end of the season that is as brutal as the first seven weeks was kind.  I may be writing for the last time this season that these next few games are a test of whether they can build on the momentum of this encouraging win.  If they dont capitalize on these positives and seize these winnable games (Houston, Phoenix, Portland), all the talk about climbing back to respectability will be academic at best, or just plain laughable.  There will be no more tests if the Warriors cant win 2 or 3 of these next games.  They simply will have failed.

Democracy: a government in which the supreme power is vested in the people and exercised by them directly or indirectly through a system of representation usually involving periodically held free elections

Plutocracy: government by the wealthy

Labor union: an organization of workers formed for the purpose of advancing its members interests in respect to wages, benefits, and working conditions

You may have seen the recent flurry of stories about how hi-tech products are made in China. The stories focus on Apple, but it isnt just Apple. These stories of exploited Chinese workers are also the story of how and why we — 99% of us, anyway — are all feeling such a squeeze here, because we are suffering the disappearance of our middle class. Our choice is democracy or servitude.

Working In China

A collection of excerpts from the Charles Duhigg and David Barboza story, Human Costs Are Built Into an iPad and the Charles Duhigg and Keith Bradsher story, How the US Lost Out on iPhone Work both from the NY Times:

Rousted from dorms at midnight, told to work:

Apple had redesigned the iPhones screen at the last minute, forcing an assembly line overhaul. New screens began arriving at the plant near midnight.

A foreman immediately roused 8,000 workers inside the companys dormitories, according to the executive. Each employee was given a biscuit and a cup of tea, guided to a workstation and within half an hour started a 12-hour shift fitting glass screens into beveled frames. Within 96 hours, the plant was producing over 10,000 iPhones a day.

Work hard on the job today or work hard to find a job tomorrow.

Banners on the walls warned the 120,000 employees: Work hard on the job today or work hard to find a job tomorrow.

(How close is that to the very definition of servitude?)

Long shifts, legs swollen from standing:

Shifts ran 24 hours a day, and the factory was always bright. At any moment, there were thousands of workers standing on assembly lines or sitting in backless chairs, crouching next to large machinery, or jogging between loading bays. Some workers legs swelled so much they waddled. Its hard to stand all day, said Zhao Sheng, a plant worker.

Write confessions if late:

Mr. Lai was soon spending 12 hours a day, six days a week inside the factory, according to his paychecks. Employees who arrived late were sometimes required to write confession letters and copy quotations. There were continuous shifts, when workers were told to work two stretches in a row, according to interviews.

Injuries from speed-up toxics:

Investigations by news organizations revealed that over a hundred employees had been injured by n-hexane, a toxic chemical that can cause nerve damage and paralysis.

Employees said they had been ordered to use n-hexane to clean iPhone screens because it evaporated almost three times as fast as rubbing alcohol. Faster evaporation meant workers could clean more screens each minute.

American companies forcing Asian suppliers to squeeze workers:

You can set all the rules you want, but theyre meaningless if you dont give suppliers enough profit to treat workers well, said one former Apple executive with firsthand knowledge of the supplier responsibility group. If you squeeze margins, youre forcing them to cut safety.

The Results For The 1%

A series of recent newspaper headlines tells the story of how Chinas working conditions benefit the 1% here.

NYT: Apples Profit Soars?

CBS Moneywatch: Apple shares close at record high

SF Chronicle: Apple CEOs Stock Awards Lift Compensation to $378 Million

ZDNet: Apple: made in China, untaxed profits kept offshore. We dont even get to tax the profits from moving our jobs to China, to use for schools, roads, police, etc.

The Results For The 99%

Headlines like these show how things are going better and better for the 1%. But what happened to our middle-class prosperity? We allowed companies to move jobs and factories across the borders of democracy to places where workers are exploited, calling that trade. This enabled the breaking of unions and the weakening of our democracy.

The threat is in the air: Shut up and take the wage cuts or we will move your job to China. How is that threat used on us? Here is an example: We have heard the stories of Mitt Romneys company Bain Capital, and how it earned its millions. According to the Christian Science Monitor, this is the story of what happened when a Bain-owned company came to town:

The new owner, American Pad Paper, owned in turn by Bain Capital, told all 258 union workers they were fired, in a cost-cutting move. Security guards hustled them out of the building. They would be able to reapply for their jobs, at lesser wages and benefits, but not all would be rehired.

Workers in countries like China where people have no say have low wages, terrible working conditions, long hours, and are told to shut up and take it or they won[t have any job at all. They are given no choice.

Increasingly workers here have their wages, hours, benefits, dignity cut and are told to shut up and take it or their jobs will be moved to China. Because we are pitted against exploited workers in countries where people have no say, we have no choice.

The unions are weakened, the government doesnt enforce or weakly enforces labor laws and regulations, age, gender or race discrimination laws, worker safety laws, so workers are placed in a terrible squeeze. Workers who try to organize unions are isolated, moved, smeared, fired, humiliated, whatever it takes.

This quote by Steve Jobs is from How the US Lost Out on iPhone Work,

Not long ago, Apple boasted that its products were made in America. Today, few are. Almost all of the 70 million iPhones, 30 million iPads and 59 million other products Apple sold last year were manufactured overseas.

Why cant that work come home? Mr. Obama asked.

Mr. Jobss reply was unambiguous. Those jobs arent coming back, he said, according to another dinner guest.

Democracy Brought Us Prosperity

We used to be a democracy, where everyone used to have a say in things. Because we had a say we built up a country with good schools, good infrastructure, good courts, and we made rules that said workers had to be safe, get a minimum wage, overtime, weekends… we protected the environment, we set up Social Security. We took care of each other. This made us prosperous. A share of the prosperity for the 99% was the fruit of democracy.

China, on the other hand, is not a democracy, and workers in China dont really have a say. So they dont make much money, they dont have good working conditions, the environment isnt protected, etc.

We Used To Protect Democracy

We used to protect our democracy. We used to put a tariff on goods coming in if they were made by people who didnt have the ability to speak up and better their condition. Wed let the goods in but we would use a tariff to strengthen our country, our infrastructure, our schools – our democracy. This brought us prosperity.

For some reason, we started letting our companies move our factories over there, forcing our workers to compete with workers who have no say. We got tricked, by people who call that trade, and said it would be good for us. (Like cutting taxes for the wealthy job creators is good for us.)

We opened the borders and let the big companies move the jobs, factories and industries over the border of our democracy, to places where workers dont have a say, so they are exploited. And the result was the big corporations were able to come back and cut our pay, and get rid of our pensions, and tell us, take it, shut up, or we will move your job, too. We made the wages and working and conditions and environmental protections prosperity that democracy brings into a cost. We turned ourselves into a cost. We made democracy a competitive disadvantage.

Plutocrats Say Shed Benefits Of Democracy

Plutocrats say we need to shed the benefits of democracy and become more like China if we want to compete. They say get rid of regulations, employee protections, environmental protections, good wages, benefits like pensions and time off, etc… They say that We, the People (government) get in the way of doing business. They say the taxes that pay for good infrastructure and schools and police and courts and services like Social Security and care for the disabled and health care for children take money out of the economy but they mean these take some of the money that they have been taking from the economy.

Democracy Is The Best Economics

Look at the primary target of the corporate/conservatives: unions. That should tell you something. This is a power confrontation. This is the power of the 1% overcoming the power of the 99%.

Democracy is the power of the 99% to make the decisions, and to build structures that protect us from exploitation by the wealthy and powerful. This confrontation is the story of the origin of our country — how We, the People confronted the power and corruption of the British aristocracy, overcame that power, and built a country of, by and for the people.

Democracy and the taxes it enabled us to ask from the wealthiest is what enabled us to build the infrastructure and schools and everything that enabled our prosperity. The regulations of democracy are what enable our smaller businesses to compete with the giants. The shared prosperity — redistribution of wealth — is what enabled the middle class to grow, and turned us into the most prosperous country and largest market in the world.

Unions

Unions are about building up the power of groups of people, to confront and overcome the advantages of wealth and the power wealth brings to a few. When a union is strong enough to be able to confront the power of big corporations the result is that the 99% get a share of the pie. When unions are strong we all get better wages and better working conditions and a say in how we are treated, whether we are in unions or not. The benefits flow to the rest of the economy.

It would be nice if our system worked well enough that we didnt need to organize unions on top of the structure of laws and regulations, but it is just the fact of life that the wealthy and powerful and their corporations have throughout our history been able to exert tremendous influence over legislative bodies, again and again. So to fight that working people organize and build these organized unions of people, and leverage that power of the group to demand wages and benefits and weekends and a share of the prosperity. The story of the power confrontation between unions of working people (99%) and the large corporations (1%) is the story of how we built a middle class that brought us the prosperity we enjoyed.

It is not just a coincidence that the weakening of the unions coincides with the decline of the middle class. It is not just a coincidence that the current rise of the plutocrats brings in a swarm of anti-union legislation. It is not just a coincidence that the times when our democracy is strongest we all do so much better. And now, when our demcoracy has been weakened by the money and power of the 1% and their corporations, the rest of us are so much worse off.

Not US v. China

This is not about US workers and markets vs China. Working people in all countries are at risk when their countries trade with countries where workers are exploited. Chinas huge trade imbalance is threatening the worlds economy. The loss of manufacturing to countries that exploit workers is threatening workers in many countries.

The US market is still large, and the US can still demand that imported goods be made according to better standards for workers. The rest of the world can also demand that Chinas workers be brought up to international standards. And we can certainly hold companies like Apple accountable, and demand that they only buy from suppliers that treat and pay workers according to international standards, because allowing companies to cheat, exploit workers and commit fraud drives the good companies out of business.

This is not about taking jobs back from Chinese workers! This is about demanding they be paid fairly and given a say in their workplaces! This is about not exploiting people there or here!

Trade can be an upward spiral, rather than a lever for exploitation of the 99% by the 1%. If Chinese workers are given a say and paid fairly then they can buy things we make and we can keep buying things they make.

Unions = Democracy = Middle Class = Shared Prosperity

Jon Stewart explains:

Moores worth must be more than a trunk of rubies because she is a volunteer extraordinaire. You name the organization and she has a finger in it. Madison Emergency Services Association (MESA), Services to Abused Families (SAFE), Questers and the Madison County Animal Friends are a few of the organizations she currently volunteers for.

In the past Moore has been everything from a hospital candy striper, a docent at historical sites, a long-term ombudsmen in Fairfax County, involved with both the Boy Scouts and Girl Scouts, helped with a food distribution center, was a Christian caregiver, a volunteer as a master gardener and a volunteer for English as a Second Language students.

However, her true passion is animals. She has rescued four dogs and given them a lovely home and she wants others to take the next step to adopt the lovable dogs at the Madison County Animal Shelter.

She rescued Pansy, who is part bacenji and even knows how to make yodeling sounds. She said bacenjis were bred to hunt lions in Africa. She is very fast and very slinky. She is very cute and very smart, Moore said.

She also has Betsy, who is some type of hound, Liberty, the youngest of her dogs who is a blue heeler which is considered a cattle dog and Kate, a Jack Russell terrier who is the oldest. Three of the dogs are from the Madison County Animal Shelter.

She said she has always wanted a dog and her four dogs that she has now fulfilled a life-long dream to own one. She did not have dogs growing up because her brother was bitten by one and was afraid of dogs.

There is a vicious cycle in this county, Moore said. In my opinion, there are two branches to breaking this cycle. One is the way that companion animals are thought about. There was a dog that lived its life on a six-foot chain in my neighborhood. It was in the pouring rain, freezing cold and sweltering heat. They have the same needs as humans and it goes way beyond food and water.

She added, There are animals all over this county that are in need of attention, not just to the letter of the law, but to the life of the animal. Our minister has really compelled me to take that concern, own it, see what I can do with it. There is a great need of education, starting with the children in our schools about companion animals, about the care and condition animals are in.

She continued, When it comes down to the end of it, it is the people who make the conditions that each and every animal in this county lives in. Animals dont ask to get pregnant, or to father animals, therefore affordable and accessible spay and neuter programs are essential. In speaking with a local veterinarian I learned that in fact dogs may hunt better when neutered. I think that may go against the lore of the area.

She attends Piedmont Episcopal Church in downtown Madison, where the Rev. Brad Jackson is the pastor.

She is married to Dick Moore and they have two adult children, Phillip Moore, 39, of Carrollton, Ky. and Sarah Malinoski, 36, of Houston, Texas.

She was born in Dallas and has lived in every region of the country, except the far northwest.

She graduated from Woodside High in Atherton, Calif. in 1966. Then she went to Southern Methodist University in Dallas in 1970. She studied history, religion and sociology. She also has a masters degree in human resources development.

She has been coming to Madison County since 2000 and the condition of some of the animals have been tugging at her ever since. She moved here full-time in December 2009.

You have got to see where you fit into your community, like Jesus did, Moore said.

I am hoping I can make a difference in the collective care of (Madison County) animals.

She is worried about hunters who discard their dogs after hunting season, as well as people who hit or kill deer and leave the parts of the animal they do not want on the side of the road to rot.

Twice this hunting season, we have had the legs and the head left by hunters and they take the rest of the carcass that has the meat in it, but they wont dispose of the head and the legs. What you end up with is the smell of the rotting carcasses, the buzzards that pick it to death, the other carrion that drag it all over the place, Moore said.

She is really passionate about starting a program in Madison County to spay and neuter animals as well. She is also really interested in getting the young people in the county educated about companion animals.

Animals have the same needs that humans have. They need food, water, shelter and companionship. What makes the animal be something that humans will want to interact with is if you consider them to be companions, Moore said.

She said she has been a volunteer her entire life.

We would like to see all the creativity that volunteers can bring, that the community has within its power, that really costs no money. We want to see that creativity used so this community can be kind of a shining example within the state of what can happen to animals, Moore said.

If you are interested in the animals of Madison County, contact her and her friend Carol Kindel of Radiant at savemaddogs@yahoo.com.

UP CLOSE

Favorite movie: Casablanca.

Is she good at Trivial Pursuit: I usually talk myself out of the right answers, she said.

Would she like to know the day shes going to die ahead of time? Why or why not? No, because it might make me stop living, she said.

The Earth Rangers paid a visit to Sheridan Public School in North Oakville last Thursday and brought with them some animal friends to help teach the kids about wildlife and environmental stewardship. From left, Earth Rangers Ryan Hagarty and Jessica Larochelle give David Rowe a closer look at Floyd the Ball Python.

Ian Holroyd, North Oakville Today

Lindsay Lohan reportedly has a new man in her life 21-year-old Henry Hopper, son of the late Dennis Hopper and star of Gus Van Sants recent Restless, according to TMZ. Lohan and Hopper were recently spotted picking up a clutch of vodka and Red Bull at a Venice Beach liquor store near the home Lohan is in the process of moving out of. Lindsays been in here before, a store employee says. Today she brings in this young guy and they were all touchy-feely and they kissed on the lips a couple times. Just quick little love-pecks but they were definitely together.

Blake Lively is looking forward to having kids one day, and given her extensive wardrobe, shes hoping they turn out a particular way. I hope to have a few girls one day, she tells Elle Magazine. If not girls, they better be trannies. I have some amazing shoes and bags and stories than need to be appreciated.

Even though shes set to play adult film star Linda Lovelace on screen, Amanda Seyfried is terrified of being promiscuous, she admits to Glamour magazine.I dont like the feeling you get when its not something that you truly want to do, and I hate the emotional abuse you give yourself afterward. Its just uncomfortable when youre with somebody and youre like, lsquo;I dont really know if Im even comfortable with this. Which might have something to do with why Seyfried has taken herself off the market: Right now Im happy to not have someones naked body around me. Except for my dogs, she says. And as for those rumors that shed been hooking up with her In Time co-star, Justin Timberlake? I think any female that meets him at first is like, lsquo;I want to date you, she says. He seems so perfect, but you get to know him, and hes a good pal. Hell tell you what he really feels. But, you know, hes really famous, which has its downsides.

Madonnas daughter, Lourdes Leon, was pressed into service for WE, though her debut performance didnt make the cut, the Material Mom tells MTV. There was a scene where she played Wally as a young girl, and I just kind of dragged her in at the last minute, Madonna says of having her daughter play a young Wallis Simpson, the subject of her new film. It was quite unfair of me to do what I did and what I asked her to do, but she was really great. Apparently not great enough, though: I ended up cutting her out of the film. Ruthless, I know, Madonna says. I said, lsquo;Sorry babe, youre on the cutting room floor. She took it like a champ.

David Beckham wants the world to know he will no longer be hanging out at home in the buff. My naked days are over, Beckham says while unveiling his new line of underwear for HM, according to Hollyscoop. I definitely walk around the house in my underwear. But not naked. With the boys its not a problem because theyre naked all the time but with a little girl now, it is different.