A serial accumulation of memory, incident, consideration, reconsideration, personal discovery and attempts at truth.
It is intended for my attention and that of other interested persons
If that changes, I will extensively re-edit.
Warning:
I attempt to use inductive logic.
Gina M. Raimondo, the Democratic treasurer of Rhode Island, won a
convincing victory to become her party’s nominee for governor — just one
of several primaries taking place across New England on Tuesday.
Primaries and Caucuses; Midterm Elections (2014); Elections,
Governors; Elections, Senate; Elections, House of Representatives
"Analysts were already predicting that if she won in November, Ms.
Raimondo could go on to become a national star in the party, showing
fellow Democrats that responsible policy is not necessarily bad
politics, although organized labor may choose to differ."
"The “tough choice” was her overhaul of the state’s pension system in
2011. She marshaled the state’s Democratic political establishment to
increase the retirement age, cut benefits and suspend annual
cost-of-living adjustments for state employees until the finances of the
underfunded system improved. The move was meant to save $4 billion over
two decades and slow state property tax increases. The public approved.
But her formThe “tough choice” was her overhaul of the state’s pension system in
2011. She marshaled the state’s Democratic political establishment to
increase the retirement age, cut benefits and suspend annual
cost-of-living adjustments for state employees until the finances of the
underfunded system improved. The move was meant to save $4 billion over
two decades and slow state property tax increases. The public approved.
But her former allies — the state’s public employee unions — were
infuriated, and the matter is being contested in court.er allies — the state’s public employee unions — were
infuriated, and the matter is being contested in court."
North
Carolina is an interesting place these days, and I mean that in the
worst possible way. It’s a southern state, but one with a major
technology complex, growing foreign investment, and what seemed until
recently to be a moderating, increasingly sophisticated political
culture. But then came the Republican wave of 2010, and NC was taken
over by right-wing radicals, who have — among other things — taken the
nation’s of 2010, and NC was taken
over by right-wing radicals, who have — among other things — taken the
nation’s of 2010, and NC was taken
over by right-wing radicals, who have — among other things — taken the
nation’s hardest line in cutting benefits to the unemployed.
So how’s it going? Not well. Others have taken this issue on before me, notably Evan Soltas here and here, but I wanted to put up my own version for future reference.
The idea behind
cutting benefits is that we are “paying people to be unemployed”, and
that tough love will force them to go out and create jobs. It’s never
explained exactly how greater desperation on the part of the unemployed
will, in fact, lead to higher overall employment. Still, you could
imagine that an individual state might gain some competitive advantage
against other states by cutting wages. What you actually see in North
Carolina, however, is nothing — employment growth tracked the national
average both before and after the benefit cuts:
Photo
Credit
The unemployment rate
did fall — but this was due to a large drop in the labor force, as the
number of people looking for work fell. Why? Well, a likely explanation
is that some of the unemployed continued to search for work, and were
therefore counted in the labor force, despite low prospects of finding a
job in a depressed economy, because such search is a requirement for
those collecting benefits. Take away the benefits, and they drop out.
Now, labor force participation has fallen nationally as well as in North
Carolina, and the state’s labor force began dropping before the benefit
cuts, so that the case for claiming that reduced benefits actually
reduced job search isn’t ironclad. Still, it’s worth emphasizing just
how extraordinary the changes have been. North Carolina’s labor force
drop has been much larger than the national change:
Photo
Credit
And it has also been
unprecedented in historical terms. There’s been nothing like the recent
North Carolina decline — taking place at a time of modest recovery, not
recession — in the state’s previous history:
Photo
Credit
Again, if there were
anything to the theory that cutting unemployment benefits encourages job
search and somehow translates into higher employment even in a slump,
harsh policies should work better at the state than at the national
level. But there is no sign at all that North Carolina’s harshness has
done anything except make the lives of the unemployed even more
miserable.
In a presentation last week, NASA said that it would continue all
seven of its long-running scientific missions, if the agency found the
funds to do so.
Curiosity (Mars Rover); Mars (Planet); Saturn (Planet); Space and Astronomy; Jupiter (Planet); Federal Budget (US)
In its latest monthly forecast, the federal Climate Prediction
Center said that while El Niño was still expected, it would not bring
the heavy rains California needs to end its drought.
Drought; Hurricanes and Tropical Storms; El Nino Southern Oscillation; Weather
As the United States and its allies look to fight the Islamic
State in Iraq and Syria, longtime adversaries are scrambling to see if
they can cooperate to defeat the rising threat.
By MICHAEL R. GORDON and ERIC SCHMITT | Sep 9th 2014
Despite appeals from the Ukrainian armed forces, the United States
has provided only a modest package of nonlethal assistance to the
government in Kiev, and much of it has yet to arrive.
Foreign Aid; United States Politics and Government; International Relations; Embargoes and Sanctions
A 65-year-old woman who suffered a head injury when a television
struck her during an Aug. 24 earthquake in Napa Valley has died — the
first death attributed to the magnitude-6 temblor, officials said.
Jeffrey Kessler, a lawyer who helped bring free agency to the N.F.L. and
the N.B.A., says his lawsuit will take down the “cartel” that controls
college sports.
Scientists hope to isolate cancer chemicals that only dogs can
smell, leading to the manufacture of nanotechnology sensors that are
capable of detecting cancerous tissue.
Cancer; Dogs; Smells and Odors
A dog makes a fine cancer detector.
There is no reason to mechanize.
A next step is to get specific indications
Dogs can detect the presence of cancer.
Try to get one to distinguish a specific cancer.
If that can be done another dog could detect another cancer.
Knowing cancer or not cancer is far ahead of where we are now. I would be happy with that.
There are wet biochemical tests.
What I most want to know is: "should I worry?".
Prime Minister Abe needs to postpone a tax increase and move forward with structural reforms.
Finances; Taxation
Just pay the workers most of what they earn.
13
U.S.
Detroit Clears Crucial Hurdle on Bankruptcy
By MARY WILLIAMS WALSH and MONICA DAVEY | Sep 9th 2014
The biggest opponent to Detroit’s blueprint for rising out of
bankruptcy has reached an agreement with the city, court documents show,
prompting an adjournment in a trial over the city’s plan.
Bankruptcies; Credit and Debt; Pensions and Retirement Plans; Suits and Litigation (Civil)
Each episode opens with text that indicates that it is presented
by Windstream, but contrary to what is often the case with branded
content, the company is never mentioned or even obliquely evoked
otherwise.
Video Recordings, Downloads and Streaming; Web-Original Programming; Online Advertising
Lexington is not Louisville.
About 50 miles separate them.
If not Lexington, half way is good.
The move by the Drug Enforcement Administration is intended to
help reduced the stockpile of unused controlled drugs in homes, which
until now could be handed over only to the police.
Drugs (Pharmaceuticals); Drug Abuse and Traffic; Regulation and Deregulation of Industry; Pain-Relieving Drugs
It may be as successful as gun surrender programs.
A former executive at Petrobras, now in jail, testified that many
top political figures were involved in a kickback scheme, according to a
magazine report.
Bribery and Kickbacks; Corruption (Institutional); Elections; Politics and Government
More than six months after protesters drove Viktor F. Yanukovych
from power, his lavish estate displays how difficult it is to bring
about a real break with Ukraine’s past.
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