illegal aliens suspected in killing Arizona rancher

Fox News --

Robert Krentz, 58, a prominent Southeast rancher in Arizona was killed along with his dog by an illegal alien before midnight Saturday on his 35,000 acre ranch that is family owned since 1907 about 35 miles northeast of Douglas.

"At a news conference Monday, Cochise County Sheriff Larry Dever said Krentz was out checking water line and fencing on the land Krentz's family has ranched since 1907. Krentz had weapons with him in his all-terrain vehicle but didn't use them, according to Dever.

Investigators said Krentz apparently came upon one person when he was shot. Krentz was heard telling his brother "illegal alien" on the radio earlier Saturday, and the area of the killing is a known smuggling corridor, according to authorities.

While Krentz was still in his vehicle, mortally wounded, he managed to drive the ATV away from the scene at a high rate of speed before becoming unconscious. The ATV still had its lights on and the engine running when authorities found it.

Foot tracks were identified and followed approximately 20 miles south to the Mexico border by sheriff's deputies, U.S. Border Patrol trackers and Department of Corrections dog chase teams, authorities said."

The two days before, Krentz's brother reported drug smuggling activity on the ranch to border patrol. Agents found 290 pounds of marijuana and followed tracks to where they found and arrested eight illegal aliens.

"The cold-blooded killing of an Arizona rancher is a sad and sobering reminder of the threats to public safety that exist in our border communities," Giffords said. "It has not yet been determined who committed this atrocity or why, but I know that federal and local authorities are mobilizing every possible resource to locate and apprehend the assailant." Said U.S. Rep. Gabrielle Giffords, D-Ariz. in a statement

Ranchers in the area are warning that they will take matters into their own hands if the administration refuses to secure the borders according to the news report.

after the horse got out of the barn and the barn doors are locked, politicians start coming out of the woodwork to try and make themselves look good.

Pro-amnesty Senator John McCain R-Arizona along with Arizona governor Jan Brewer, both called for federal officials to send more National Guard troops to the Mexican border.

"The federal government must do all it can within its power to curb this violence and protect its citizens from criminals coming across the border from Mexico," McCain wrote in a letter to Homeland Security Secretary Janet Napolitano, a former Arizona governor."

Arizona Attorney General Terry Goddard said "Government has a clear responsibility to aid law enforcement resources at all levels along the border."

Sure, this really helps Robert Krentz and his dog now after the fact.

Oh yes, don't think that we are losing our country?

Breaking News » the Oregonian March 9, 2010
All first-graders in Ashland School District required to learn Spanish next year

Japan and Germany eat your hearts out.

five-year-old stuck in tree and school policy banned officials from helping him down

The Sun--

MELKSHAM, England, March 25.

Trouble started when a five-year-old boy at Manor Church of England elementary school in Melksham, England, March 1 climbed a 20 foot tree at the end morning break and refuse to come down.

The staff following school guidelines for scenarios such as this one, retreated back inside the school building to "observe the child from a distance" so that the child would not get "distracted and fall."

The boy who was perched on a limb 6 feet off the ground was later rescued by Kim Barrett, a mother of a six-year-old daughter who attended a different school had noticed that the boy had been in a tree for quite some time after recess.

"I stopped to ask him if he was okay, and it became clear that he had been there since the end of play time, which had been around half an hour earlier." Said Barrett, "I was immediately concerned. I walked over to the school with the boy and was met by the associate head.
He didn't appear at all concerned, and was actually very patronising, patting me on the arm and asking me 'what do you expect me to do, exactly, dear?'

''When I said I thought it was a serious incident, he then said his only concern was me trespassing.

''I was initially surprised that no one appeared to have missed this boy, no one could have known where he was because they could not have seen him from the school, and I was shocked at the way I was dealt with.''

the next day, Ms. Barrett got a visit by a police community support officer who advised her that she had committed a trespassing offense by helping the young schoolboy down from the tree.

''I felt really angry because I felt I had saved the school and this boy from something that could have been far worse, and that instead of thanking me I was under investigation.

''It was ridiculous. He was all on his own, there was no one near him and you couldn't see the school buildings from where he was.

''Not only was he at least 6ft off the ground, but someone taller than me could easily have reached him from the pavement and plucked him off the branch."

Headteacher Beverly Martin confirmed that it is the school's policy that prevents staff from going to the aid of children who have climbed trees.

A spokesman for the school said that "the only danger as far as the school is concerned with a stranger came onto the premises and talk to the child, who was being observed."

Additional sources for the story...
The National Post
St. Louis Globe Democrat
The Sun

FMCSA Hours-of-Service web cast

The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration --

"The Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration (FMCSA) invites the public to participate in a series of five listening sessions in January 2010 to gather information and comments as the agency prepares a rulemaking proposal on hours-of-service (HOS) requirements for property-carrying commercial vehicle drivers. The agency wants to hear from commercial drivers, carriers, owner-operators, safety advocates, safety enforcement, researchers and others about topics such as rest and on-duty time, sleeper berth use and the effect the current hours-of-service rule has on loading and unloading times for drivers.

Hours-of-service requirements are designed to help prevent commercial vehicle-related accidents, fatalities and injuries by prescribing duty hours and rest periods for commercial drivers."

Friday March 26, 2010, 7AM pt (10 EDT) interested persons may wish to view the proceedings and submit comments at the following link below.

{Web Cast page link}

Please click on the title link for more information.

So why is this important?

The FMCSA is asking for input regarding the current system or any suggestions for improvement in order to reduce driver fatigue, reduce accidents and increase safety on the road.

a short background of the current system...

The hours of service (HOS) are the hours that truck drivers may operate a vehicle at any given time.

The HOS is divided up in to four sections.

1) Off Duty
2) Sleeper berth
3) On Duty - Driving
4) On Duty - Not driving

when a driver start their day, either by selecting option three or four, that starts the 4 hour clock. once this clock is started, nothing can stop it.

Within that 14 hours, a driver can only drive 11 hours.

At the end of 14 hours (or to reset the 14 hour clock) a driver MUST take a 10 hour break.

After 70 hours, a driver MUST take a 34 hour break known as a restart. Technically, driver must be relieved of all duties concerning the truck during that 34 hour period.

(How many jobs do you know that require you to work 14 hours a day, 70 hours a week?)

Important: once you've reached your 11 hour driving limit or at the end of your 14 hour day, it then becomes illegal to move the truck. Violating this rule can lead to a hefty fine.

Chances are, when you see a semi parked on the side of the road or overpass, more than likely, the driver ran out of hours.

Manipulating the logbook --

In order to try and extend the 70 hours available for service, some companies "suggest" to the drivers that they mis-categorized entries in their logbooks. In other words, using option 1) or 2) when it technically does not apply.

Safe Parking Issue:

H.R. 2156, or Jason's Law, which is a bill named after Jason Rivenburg, a long-haul truck driver who was murdered last year after he stopped to rest at an abandoned gas station in South Carolina. The bill would create a grant program that would help alleviate the shortage and help pay for expansion and safety improvements at existing rest areas. This includes the establishment of safe parking for commercial motor vehicles.

And a final comment,

Unlike other businesses, wage and hour laws and select OSHA regulations do not apply to the over the road truck driver.

I can give further examples... but then this blog entry would be very very long.

Actor Robert Culp dies of heart attack

Daily New --

Veteran actor Robert Culp, who teamed with Bill Cosby in the TV show I Spy died Wednesday after collapsing outside his Hollywood home.

He was 79

Portland school bans hugging fearing that might be spiraling out of control

Oregon's woman's report --

These so-called "hug ban" which was featured in a recent USA Today article regarding a trend of placing restrictions on disruptive behavior in public schools such as hugging.

Alison Couch, principal of West Sylvian Middle School issued a ban because hugging was so disruptive as students could not pass each other in the hallway without a hug which often made them late for class.

Some people found that the activity of running down the hallway to meet a friend and greet them with a hug was intolerable. yes, they should have walked instead... much safer.

"While some may welcome the new ban as a way to ensure students are in an environment that cultivates learning, it concerns me that the disruptive behavior, tardiness and mocking spiraled out of control so quickly.

Sure, we know how it starts, we've seen it all before.

First, it's just two students innocently waving at each other at the end of the hallway

After awhile, that could lead to actually making eye contact when passing in the hallway

And that could lead to a primitive form of communication known as speaking to another human without the aid of an electronic device, such as a keyboard or a cell phone.

From there, a friendship could actually develop and if not careful, one could find themselves being best friends.

At that point, the innocent way back in the hallway turns into a highly disruptive hug upon greeting each other there by pursuing chaos and total disorder within the whole school system.

Imagine a system where we communicate face-to-face and how to totally change our society.

Yes, we should definitely stop this practice at once.

University of Oregon receiving stimulus money for research? I didn't the U of O was a research college

The Register Guard --

The U of O had been awarded $40 million in federal stimulus funds with the "lion's share" going to expanses at the core of the University of Oregon's Mission: paying faculty and doing ongoing research.

research???

About $27.5 million will ultimately go to faculty salaries and benefits with the remainder going to research projects and graduate student support with a total allocation will help support 1,148 jobs according to Oregon University system figures.

“It was pretty critical,” UO Provost Jim Bean said of the stimulus money, which helped the university accommodate a 4 percent increase in enrollment. Without it, “it would have been very difficult in the schools and colleges to handle all the students,” he said.

Gee, with a 4% increase in enrollment, you would think the increase in money would be enough to handle it by itself without outside help.

"the UO received almost $500,000 in stimulus money to buy a sophisticated instrument to examine materials at the nano level and prepare molecular-level bits for examination by even more powerful electron microscopes...

“If we didn’t have this tool, there’s no way we could do high-resolution microscopy in this facility,” said Kurt Langworthy, director of the UO’s nanofabrication lab.

The UO research projects funded by stimulus grants run the gamut from million-dollar studies of the universe to small-scale research by just a few students

okay, I could be wrong... but somehow I don't think this is what President Obama had in mind.

Oh yes, from the outside looking in with all the construction going on around the University of Oregon it sure doesn't LOOK like they really need any stimulus money does it?

the Senate version of the health-care bill HR 3590 passes 219-212 So what is the health-care plan really got a cost YOU?

Robin's commentary --

last night, Congress voted in favor of restructuring the nation's health care system by 219-212, which paves the way for President Obama to sign into law most of the 10 year, the $940 billion plan within the next few days.

The plan itself will require every American to obtain health insurance that meets the qualifications of the US government.

This is really a good idea?

I will agree that we do need some type of nationwide health insurance.

I mean, when you look at the amount of taxes that we pay into the system and the huge amount of money that we consistently give away overseas for aid (or other excuses)there shouldn't be any reason why we should not have national health care coverage, and one that does not cost the TAXPAYERS anything. Or at least you would think.

But if you think for a moment that the national healthcare is going to be free... think again.

HR 3200 which is one version of the Obama health-care proposal... all 1017 pages long makes for some interesting reading.

For example, the IRS is getting involved... that should be a red flag right there.

Why?

title IV, amendments to the Internal Revenue Code of 1986... shared responsibility section 401 which reads... "tax and individuals without acceptable health care coverage." Page 167

"Tax imposed -- in the case of any individual who does not meet the requirements of subsection D at any time during a taxable year, there is hereby imposed a tax equal to 2.5% of the access of the taxpayer modified adjusted gross income for the taxable year...

so in other words, you could kiss your tax refund goodbye.

Employers to are going to get hit with fees and penalties for not providing insurance.


Unfortunately, due to time and space limitations I cannot state everything that I see that could be a problem with this bill.

The only thing I know, is personally, that we are scraping financially to try to make ends meet from month to month and ANY new expenses can be catastrophic to our budget.

I really encourage you to read the full 1017 pages of the plan because it's really an eye opener.

Oh yeah, one final thought,

All of our Oregon representatives including Peter DeFazio voted in favor of the act.

President's proposal
HR 3200 1017 pages

'Davy Crockett' Star Fess Parker Dies at 85

BBC-

Actor Fess Parker, famous for playing American pioneer Davy Crockett in Walt Disney's classic 1950s TV series, has died in California at the age of 85 of natural causes.

Peter Graves Dies at 83

New York Times --Peter Graves, the cool spymaster of television’s “Mission: Impossible” and the dignified host of the “Biography” series, who successfully spoofed his own gravitas in the “Airplane!” movie farces, died on Sunday. He was 83.

national ID card for healthcare... national ID card to curb illegal immigration And other stupid ideas

News Max
New efforts by Senators Chuck Schumer, D-N.Y., and Lindsey Graham, R- S.C to revive the debate over "Real ID" card, a national ID card which will contain all sorts of information regarding the holder, including unique biometric data created from either fingerprints or a vein patterns on top of the hands.

Graham's approach to the idea a unit that unlike Social Security cards, the national ID card would be tamperproof.

yeah, just like the design of the new [monopoly] money which is designed to be counterfeit proof and was counterfeited within the first week of its release.

The idea or bottom line is that employers will not be able to hire applicants who do not present a valid ID.

"It’s the nub of solving the immigration dilemma politically speaking,” Schumer told the Journal. The card, he argued, would nip in the bud any surge of illegal immigrants. “If you say they can’t get a job when they come here, you’ll stop it.”

Alex Nowrasteh, an analyst at the pro-business Competitive Enterprise Institute feels that "every worker would have to ask permission from the federal government to get a job..."

I am totally against any type of national ID card outside of the Social Security card, which of course can be easily stolen and often used fraudulently by illegal aliens.

No system is going to work until you change the mindset of greedy and unpatriotic businesses who hire illegal aliens and those who offer sanctuary that encourages people to cross our borders illegally.

Take the INS I-9 form for example, where you are supposed to prove that you have the RIGHT to work in the United States... Gee, that's working so well. NOT!

This excuse for a national ID card is just that, another excuse to try to get the government more into your life and will have little or no effect on illegal immigration.

In the meantime, brush up on your Spanish because you're going to need it in the future to find work or keep the job you have if the pattern continues.

should we be changing Beltline Road to Randy Pape beltline?

KMTR --

A Proposal by Oregon's Ted "tax And Gouge Me" Kulongoski Proposal to Rename the Beltline Highway or otherwise known to Eugene residents as Beltline Road will soon be getting a new name "Randy Pape Beltline" in honor of Randy Pepe who died two years ago of a heart attack at the age of 58 has gotten approval today.

Randy Pape said on the Oregon Transportation Commission and led the Pepe group in Eugene. He also pushed the Connect Oregon Grant program which provided more than $3 billion to transit projects in the state.

The renaming and the replacement of 50 signs along the Beltline is estimated to cost about $250,000.

However, this is not the first time that beltline has been renamed since it was completed in the summer of 1968.

Oregon Department of Transportation (ODOT) made a name change to a "Oregon State Highway 569 in January 2007, {KVAl - TV }claiming that for years people have been getting the name "Beltline" confused with Interstate 105.

On a side note, changing the name to 569 only cost ODOT a few thousand dollars.

So the question is, especially in this recession where money is tight and we don't seem to have enough funds for essential projects about spending $250,000 on renaming a street?

Personally, I have no problem with honoring somebody who has been a contributor to our society, but when money is as tight as it is and we can't afford some of the essential services maybe we should come up with another way of honoring this individual.

Perhaps, we should put the idea on the ballot and let the people decide... after all, it's all OUR money.

still here... will be posting again shortly