Reuters
WASHINGTON -- the Federal Reserve raised a key US interest rate a quarter percentage point on Tuesday, offering no sign after a 10th straight rise that it was ready to end his campaign a modest increase to curb inflation.
the US central bank's policy-setting unanimously voted to lift the benchmark federal funds rate, which can sway borrowing costs through the economy, to a four-year high of 3.5%. remember how all this started?
The panel said rates are still low enough to lend support to the economy and repeated that it expected to continue to remove monetary stimulus at a "measured" pace, suggesting further quarter-point moves ahead. same thinking years back
In an effort to head off inflation risk in a growing economy, the Fed began in June 2004 to push up the federal funds rate that banks charge each other for overnight loans from a 1958 low of 1%.
The Fed funds rate has risen 2.5 percentage points over that. And economists expected to hit 4% or higher by the end of the year.
every time Alan Greenspan speaks, I lose money.
If I remember, the Fed's raise the interest rate to head off inflation several years back however, they did not take into consideration that we are now a "global" economy and things move a lot faster than when they used to.
In my opinion, if the feds continue to raise interest rates, this once again will prevent companies from expanding and borrowing money which would in turn once again cause more companies to go out of business and increased unemployment.
Way to go Mr. Greenspan
Tuesday, August 09, 2005
Monday, August 08, 2005
Should You Have To Pay Insurance for Your Insurance Company to Stay in Business?
Robin's commentary
I found this interesting little note along with my car insurance that I thought I would share.
Dear valued customer now I know for sure they want something, usually money
Most insurers doing business in Oregon participate in the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association (OIGA).
In the event an insurer fails, the association settles unpaid claims on behalf of consumers. Oregon law requires that policies be surcharged directly to recover the costs of handling those claims.if your policy is surcharged, the term "OIGA recoupment fee" along with the indicated dollar amount will be displayed with the statement of your surcharge.
WAIT a minute!
you're telling me that on top of normally outrageous insurance costs that I have to pay a fee to guarantee that my insurance company will stay in business?
On this bill, they are charging me $3.50.
I found this interesting little note along with my car insurance that I thought I would share.
Dear valued customer now I know for sure they want something, usually money
Most insurers doing business in Oregon participate in the Oregon Insurance Guarantee Association (OIGA).
In the event an insurer fails, the association settles unpaid claims on behalf of consumers. Oregon law requires that policies be surcharged directly to recover the costs of handling those claims.if your policy is surcharged, the term "OIGA recoupment fee" along with the indicated dollar amount will be displayed with the statement of your surcharge.
WAIT a minute!
you're telling me that on top of normally outrageous insurance costs that I have to pay a fee to guarantee that my insurance company will stay in business?
On this bill, they are charging me $3.50.
Saturday, August 06, 2005
Highway Bill Has $100M for Pedestrians
Yahoo! News
WASHINGTON - Four communities will soon share $100 million in federal funds to develop bicycle and pedestrian trails aimed at enticing commuters to give up their cars to get to work, thanks to lawmakers involved in the final negotiations on the recently passed highway bill.
"A lot of trails have been built for recreational purposes," said Keith Laughlin, president of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, an advocacy for turning abandoned railroad rights of way into bike and hiking trails. "This is for transportation. There will be an emphasis on connecting destinations, getting to work, getting kids to school."
Keith Ashdown, a vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, questioned why two of the pilot projects would be in a northern climate where year-round bicycling is difficult.
WASHINGTON - Four communities will soon share $100 million in federal funds to develop bicycle and pedestrian trails aimed at enticing commuters to give up their cars to get to work, thanks to lawmakers involved in the final negotiations on the recently passed highway bill.
"A lot of trails have been built for recreational purposes," said Keith Laughlin, president of the Rails-to-Trails Conservancy, an advocacy for turning abandoned railroad rights of way into bike and hiking trails. "This is for transportation. There will be an emphasis on connecting destinations, getting to work, getting kids to school."
Keith Ashdown, a vice president of Taxpayers for Common Sense, questioned why two of the pilot projects would be in a northern climate where year-round bicycling is difficult.
Thursday, August 04, 2005
cold medicine regulations more widespread
Robin's commentary
For my final essay for my writing classes term, I decided to look into the war on meth and was astonished (however not overly surprised) to learn that this is being implemented in at least a dozen other states in the United States.
Oregon is of course trying to make it sound like it is their idea, however the policy on requiring a prescription for cold medicine was originally modeled after Oklahoma law.
Oregon and other states have jumped on the meth bandwagon because it has become the "popular" issue of the times. "It affects the children", a phrase we hear a lot when they want money from us.
Even the federal government is starting to get involved and is considering a bill that would take such medicines such as Sudafed, NyQuil and Tylenol cold and place them behind pharmacy counters and limit how much one person can buy per month.
The proposed amount would be 7.5 g per month or roughly equivalent to 250 30 mg tablets.
Now keep in mind what this really means to the citizenship.
Now that most cold and flu medications are being considered a prescription drug, it is a FEDERAL offense to share these drugs with anyone including your family. of course, federal violations no longer have any teeth citing the example of the illegal immigrants
Example: your child has the flu. Normally you would go to the medicine cabinet, grab the old standby box of flu medication and give it to your child and send the child back to bed.
Under the new law, you cannot do that anymore unless that particular box was prescribed for that particular child. E.g. three kids, three prescriptions.
Another Prohibition?
Prohibition was a time when the government tried to limit a substance from the general public. This substance was alcohol. All that it managed to do and the reason why prohibition failed, is a created a black market for alcohol.
I foresee that by limiting normally over-the-counter cold and flu medications is going to do the same.
People may not tie illegal immigration and meth labs together, however less than one third of the ingredients for meth labs comes from cold and flu medications while the rest comes from over the border.
I will say it again, what is next? Cough syrup? Aspirin?
Pause for a minute and look at your medicine cabinet and look at the medications that we take for granted and then step back and think about how life would be if EACH one of those required a prescription and went for prescription prices.
For my final essay for my writing classes term, I decided to look into the war on meth and was astonished (however not overly surprised) to learn that this is being implemented in at least a dozen other states in the United States.
Oregon is of course trying to make it sound like it is their idea, however the policy on requiring a prescription for cold medicine was originally modeled after Oklahoma law.
Oregon and other states have jumped on the meth bandwagon because it has become the "popular" issue of the times. "It affects the children", a phrase we hear a lot when they want money from us.
Even the federal government is starting to get involved and is considering a bill that would take such medicines such as Sudafed, NyQuil and Tylenol cold and place them behind pharmacy counters and limit how much one person can buy per month.
The proposed amount would be 7.5 g per month or roughly equivalent to 250 30 mg tablets.
Now keep in mind what this really means to the citizenship.
Now that most cold and flu medications are being considered a prescription drug, it is a FEDERAL offense to share these drugs with anyone including your family. of course, federal violations no longer have any teeth citing the example of the illegal immigrants
Example: your child has the flu. Normally you would go to the medicine cabinet, grab the old standby box of flu medication and give it to your child and send the child back to bed.
Under the new law, you cannot do that anymore unless that particular box was prescribed for that particular child. E.g. three kids, three prescriptions.
Another Prohibition?
Prohibition was a time when the government tried to limit a substance from the general public. This substance was alcohol. All that it managed to do and the reason why prohibition failed, is a created a black market for alcohol.
I foresee that by limiting normally over-the-counter cold and flu medications is going to do the same.
People may not tie illegal immigration and meth labs together, however less than one third of the ingredients for meth labs comes from cold and flu medications while the rest comes from over the border.
I will say it again, what is next? Cough syrup? Aspirin?
Pause for a minute and look at your medicine cabinet and look at the medications that we take for granted and then step back and think about how life would be if EACH one of those required a prescription and went for prescription prices.
general public tells governmental employees, NO!
Critics file initiative against proposed sales tax
the measure would amend Wood Villages charter to require a public vote on any new or increased city tax.
The Oregonian
By Eric Mortenson.
WOOD VILLAGE -- The idea of imposing a local sales tax may be dead, but a collection of Wood Village residents wants to make sure it's buried.
Residents filed an initiative Tuesday that would require a public vote on any new city tax or any increase to an existing tax.
The initiative would amend Wood Village's charter. The City Council now has the authority to enact a sales tax, which the council considered doing this spring as Mayor Dave Fuller proposed a 1 percent tax on general retail sales.
Colleen Fleming, one of the petitioners, said she attended community meetings on the sales tax idea and found she "highly disagreed" with Fuller's proposal. "To the point where I thought he was from another planet," she said.
Fleming said she opposes a sales tax -- "We're being taxed to death" -- but was more appalled that the council could enact it without a vote. "That infuriated me the most," she said.
Fleming doesn't consider Wood Village's budget problems are as severe as city officials say.
I hope that all our "representatives" (a term that I use loosely) will take note on this one.
people are getting tired of being the cash cow and having to tighten their budget while they are FORCED to give money to an organization e.g. government, which does not budget to live within their means.
it seems like every time you turn around, the government is asking for more money and is delivering less services.
It is very difficult to feel sorry for local government when a claim that they do not have money to repair roads and basic services, and then you hear in other news articles that they can spend $9 million on a skateboard park.
Yes, things are becoming more expensive. one reason for this is because of ever-increasing taxes. (see a pattern here)
Kudos to Wood Village for taking a stand and taking your government back and letting them know that money is not free.
the measure would amend Wood Villages charter to require a public vote on any new or increased city tax.
The Oregonian
By Eric Mortenson.
WOOD VILLAGE -- The idea of imposing a local sales tax may be dead, but a collection of Wood Village residents wants to make sure it's buried.
Residents filed an initiative Tuesday that would require a public vote on any new city tax or any increase to an existing tax.
The initiative would amend Wood Village's charter. The City Council now has the authority to enact a sales tax, which the council considered doing this spring as Mayor Dave Fuller proposed a 1 percent tax on general retail sales.
Colleen Fleming, one of the petitioners, said she attended community meetings on the sales tax idea and found she "highly disagreed" with Fuller's proposal. "To the point where I thought he was from another planet," she said.
Fleming said she opposes a sales tax -- "We're being taxed to death" -- but was more appalled that the council could enact it without a vote. "That infuriated me the most," she said.
Fleming doesn't consider Wood Village's budget problems are as severe as city officials say.
I hope that all our "representatives" (a term that I use loosely) will take note on this one.
people are getting tired of being the cash cow and having to tighten their budget while they are FORCED to give money to an organization e.g. government, which does not budget to live within their means.
it seems like every time you turn around, the government is asking for more money and is delivering less services.
It is very difficult to feel sorry for local government when a claim that they do not have money to repair roads and basic services, and then you hear in other news articles that they can spend $9 million on a skateboard park.
Yes, things are becoming more expensive. one reason for this is because of ever-increasing taxes. (see a pattern here)
Kudos to Wood Village for taking a stand and taking your government back and letting them know that money is not free.
bicycle with no chains?
I found this on the Web and I thought it was rather interesting and I wanted to share.
This bicycle uses a drive shaft instead of a chain.
Check it out. Link
Wednesday, August 03, 2005
Federal panel approves anti-meth bill
National law similar to Oregon's would limit cold medicines
The Statesman Journal
BY PAMELA BROGRAN
Gannett News Service
July 29, 2005
WASHINGTON -- Congress entered the fight against methamphetamine on Thursday when a key committee voted to back legislation restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, the drug's primary ingredient.
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Sens. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would require common cold products containing pseudoephedrine to be sold behind pharmacy counters.
Under the bill, consumers could purchase only 7.5 grams -- about two packages -- of cold products containing pseudoephedrine per month and would have to show photo identification and sign a log with each purchase.
"We can finally get ahead of the meth cooks and keep this drug out of our neighborhoods and schools," Talent said.
The federal law would match Oregon's rules, which already require decongestants with pseudoephedrine.
However, the Oregon Legislature now is debating an even tougher rule, which would make such drugs, including Sudafed, available only with a doctor's prescription.
The measure passed the House overwhelmingly and has headed to the Senate.
It's already starting.
Prohibition on drug medications.
The Statesman Journal
BY PAMELA BROGRAN
Gannett News Service
July 29, 2005
WASHINGTON -- Congress entered the fight against methamphetamine on Thursday when a key committee voted to back legislation restricting the sale of pseudoephedrine, the drug's primary ingredient.
The Senate Judiciary Committee unanimously approved legislation sponsored by Sens. Jim Talent, R-Mo., and Dianne Feinstein, D-Calif., that would require common cold products containing pseudoephedrine to be sold behind pharmacy counters.
Under the bill, consumers could purchase only 7.5 grams -- about two packages -- of cold products containing pseudoephedrine per month and would have to show photo identification and sign a log with each purchase.
"We can finally get ahead of the meth cooks and keep this drug out of our neighborhoods and schools," Talent said.
The federal law would match Oregon's rules, which already require decongestants with pseudoephedrine.
However, the Oregon Legislature now is debating an even tougher rule, which would make such drugs, including Sudafed, available only with a doctor's prescription.
The measure passed the House overwhelmingly and has headed to the Senate.
It's already starting.
Prohibition on drug medications.
Tuesday, August 02, 2005
Bill would require facial scans for state IDs
Bill would require facial scans for state IDs
Statesman Journal
Oregonians would provide a facial "fingerprint" for their driver's licenses and IDs under a proposal moving through the Legislature.
They also would pay $2 more for the advanced security measures, which are designed to curb identity theft.
The Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division would collect "biometric" data -- digital maps of facial features -- with each driver's license or ID. The faces of new applicants would be compared with others in a database.
"Those who are applying for new licenses under different names will be stopped," said Sen. Jackie Winters, a Salem Republican and sponsor of the bill.
The Senate approved the measure 28-2, and it now moves to the House.
Senators also approved charging $2 per license or ID to cover the cost of collecting and verifying the images. It is expected to cost more than $700,000 during the next four years.
If the bill is approved, Oregon will join 17 other states already using or planning to use similar technology, according to the Senate Republican office. sure, jump on the meth bandwagon
Winters and other Senate Republicans drafted the bill after hearing about the flood of methamphetamine abusers using stolen identities to steal cash. hey, now that it's popular to fight meth
"DMV can be a partner in our war on meth," Winters said in a written statement. "We need to give them the tools."
Opponents of the proposal say it's one step toward creating a national ID. Once all of the states have the same standards, it will be easy for the federal government to begin issuing universal cards, said Dorothy Gage of Portland.
You know, this really gets old.
Oregon is resistant in changing the driver's license to verify Social Security numbers along with the rest of the country so we can board aircraft, but when we use meth as an excuse for something because it is now popular, now we want to jump the gun into something very different.
Statesman Journal
Oregonians would provide a facial "fingerprint" for their driver's licenses and IDs under a proposal moving through the Legislature.
They also would pay $2 more for the advanced security measures, which are designed to curb identity theft.
The Oregon Driver and Motor Vehicle Services division would collect "biometric" data -- digital maps of facial features -- with each driver's license or ID. The faces of new applicants would be compared with others in a database.
"Those who are applying for new licenses under different names will be stopped," said Sen. Jackie Winters, a Salem Republican and sponsor of the bill.
The Senate approved the measure 28-2, and it now moves to the House.
Senators also approved charging $2 per license or ID to cover the cost of collecting and verifying the images. It is expected to cost more than $700,000 during the next four years.
If the bill is approved, Oregon will join 17 other states already using or planning to use similar technology, according to the Senate Republican office. sure, jump on the meth bandwagon
Winters and other Senate Republicans drafted the bill after hearing about the flood of methamphetamine abusers using stolen identities to steal cash. hey, now that it's popular to fight meth
"DMV can be a partner in our war on meth," Winters said in a written statement. "We need to give them the tools."
Opponents of the proposal say it's one step toward creating a national ID. Once all of the states have the same standards, it will be easy for the federal government to begin issuing universal cards, said Dorothy Gage of Portland.
You know, this really gets old.
Oregon is resistant in changing the driver's license to verify Social Security numbers along with the rest of the country so we can board aircraft, but when we use meth as an excuse for something because it is now popular, now we want to jump the gun into something very different.
Senate passes anti-meth measure
Governor is expected to sign bill that restricts cold-medicine sales
Statesman Journal
By Steve Law
Meth cooks will have a harder time scrounging up ingredients to make the illegal drug.
But Oregonians with stuffed sinuses and allergies will find it harder to get medicine.
Both will result from a landmark bill passed Saturday by the Oregon Senate that will make Oregon the first state to require prescriptions for cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed.
Police say those cold remedies are an essential source for home-grown meth labs, which account for one-third of the local meth supply.
"There are many recipes for meth, but every one of them requires pseudoephedrine," said Sen. Roger Beyer, R-Molalla. Beyer and other lawmakers said it was worth inconveniencing cold sufferers if the bill crimps the meth supply.
House Bill 2485-B, which passed the Senate 26-4, also stiffens penalties for meth-related crimes and fosters the use of drug courts to treat meth addiction. The bill now moves on for a routine concurrence vote in the House, then to Gov. Ted Kulongoski's desk for his expected signature.
this is very sad.
A lot of us may not be old enough to remember Prohibition, where the government tried to make the sale of alcohol a legal, but all that it managed to do was to increase the black market sale of alcohol and made people rich.
I really did not know what one term Ted is thinking by imposing this. Where is he getting his information that this will make a significant reduction in the production of meth?
I have said this many times before, we have a governmental system without checks and balances. Our current system allows for people to be elected and then they can do whatever they feel they wish to do knowing full well that it is very difficult for the public to do anything.
One caller to Lars Larson show yesterday stated that he called Ted Kulongoski's office and the person who answered the phone basically told him that the governor was not interested in hearing anything about this issue, that his mind was made up.
That is not what a representative society is all about. We should we look at our local government and perhaps consider England's Parliament where they have the option to get rid of an elected official by a vote of no-confidence making them more responsive to the public.
So for right now the governor is making cold medicines a prescription drug, what is next? Cough syrup, aspirin, allergy medicine (I think that one is included already).
This is only the tip of the iceberg folks.
Statesman Journal
By Steve Law
Meth cooks will have a harder time scrounging up ingredients to make the illegal drug.
But Oregonians with stuffed sinuses and allergies will find it harder to get medicine.
Both will result from a landmark bill passed Saturday by the Oregon Senate that will make Oregon the first state to require prescriptions for cold medicines that contain pseudoephedrine, such as Sudafed.
Police say those cold remedies are an essential source for home-grown meth labs, which account for one-third of the local meth supply.
"There are many recipes for meth, but every one of them requires pseudoephedrine," said Sen. Roger Beyer, R-Molalla. Beyer and other lawmakers said it was worth inconveniencing cold sufferers if the bill crimps the meth supply.
House Bill 2485-B, which passed the Senate 26-4, also stiffens penalties for meth-related crimes and fosters the use of drug courts to treat meth addiction. The bill now moves on for a routine concurrence vote in the House, then to Gov. Ted Kulongoski's desk for his expected signature.
this is very sad.
A lot of us may not be old enough to remember Prohibition, where the government tried to make the sale of alcohol a legal, but all that it managed to do was to increase the black market sale of alcohol and made people rich.
I really did not know what one term Ted is thinking by imposing this. Where is he getting his information that this will make a significant reduction in the production of meth?
I have said this many times before, we have a governmental system without checks and balances. Our current system allows for people to be elected and then they can do whatever they feel they wish to do knowing full well that it is very difficult for the public to do anything.
One caller to Lars Larson show yesterday stated that he called Ted Kulongoski's office and the person who answered the phone basically told him that the governor was not interested in hearing anything about this issue, that his mind was made up.
That is not what a representative society is all about. We should we look at our local government and perhaps consider England's Parliament where they have the option to get rid of an elected official by a vote of no-confidence making them more responsive to the public.
So for right now the governor is making cold medicines a prescription drug, what is next? Cough syrup, aspirin, allergy medicine (I think that one is included already).
This is only the tip of the iceberg folks.
Monday, August 01, 2005
Unforeseen consequences making cold medicine a prescription only drug
Robin's commentary
The topic of prescription cold medicine came up on Lars's show today, and a caller brought up an interesting point.
The question was asked, "If I went to Washington State, bought Sudafed, and then brought it back into Oregon, and then gave the drug to my wife, would I get in trouble for distributing a prescription drug?"
During the break, Lars made a phone call to the DA's office who confirmed that it is a federal crime to administer a prescription drug to someone else.
Next, Lars read my e-mail on the air which brought up the point that if you go to the doctor, and get a prescription for Sudafed that you could not even share it (legally) with your family without a prescription.
In addition, under Ted tax-and-gouge-me proposal, there will also be a limit on how much Sudafed you can have in your house at one time. I think that they said it was 9 mg maximum.
So think about the next time that one of your family members comes down with the flu, and you would normally reach for the medicine cabinet for the good reliable used to be over-the-counter legal in the rest of the country flu medicine and not be able to share it with your sick family members.
Moreover, this is only the beginning.
By the way, for those who think this has really made a significant impact on Meth production, think again. They are already talking about in the news about huge quantities coming from Mexico.
The topic of prescription cold medicine came up on Lars's show today, and a caller brought up an interesting point.
The question was asked, "If I went to Washington State, bought Sudafed, and then brought it back into Oregon, and then gave the drug to my wife, would I get in trouble for distributing a prescription drug?"
During the break, Lars made a phone call to the DA's office who confirmed that it is a federal crime to administer a prescription drug to someone else.
Next, Lars read my e-mail on the air which brought up the point that if you go to the doctor, and get a prescription for Sudafed that you could not even share it (legally) with your family without a prescription.
In addition, under Ted tax-and-gouge-me proposal, there will also be a limit on how much Sudafed you can have in your house at one time. I think that they said it was 9 mg maximum.
So think about the next time that one of your family members comes down with the flu, and you would normally reach for the medicine cabinet for the good reliable used to be over-the-counter legal in the rest of the country flu medicine and not be able to share it with your sick family members.
Moreover, this is only the beginning.
By the way, for those who think this has really made a significant impact on Meth production, think again. They are already talking about in the news about huge quantities coming from Mexico.
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