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Officer Convicted In Shooting Death Becomes Police Chief

"A former Bella Vista police officer who served jail time after shooting a suspect to death was sworn in as a police chief Monday night. A district court ruled that Brackney was to blame for the shooting death of James Ahern following a high-speed pursuit in January 2010. His negligent homicide conviction was a misdemeanor, so Brackney was spared prison time. 'I told the guys the day I left I would be back, and I told them it may take me a while because it was going to be a long fight,' Brackney told 5NEWS on Tuesday. 'But I’m back.'" Continue reading →

Continue ReadingOfficer Convicted In Shooting Death Becomes Police Chief

What Happens to Good Cops

"Justin Hopson was involved in a traffic stop in which his training officer carried out an unlawful arrest and ordered him to submit a false police report. He confronted his trainer and informed him that he would not testify when the case went to trial. His refusal to perjure himself in court, combined with a dashcam video that contradicted the falsified arrest report, led the prosecutor to dismiss the charges. It also led to severe retaliation against Hopson by a cult-like gang within the New Jersey State Patrol that called itself the 'Lords of Discipline.' Hopson was targeted for physical abuse, vandalism, petty theft, and harassment –and eventually driven from the force." Continue reading →

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George W. Bush the costliest former US President at $1.3 million per year

"George W. Bush is costing taxpayers $1.3 million a year, the most of any ex-President, according to a report by the nonpartisan Congressional Research Service. Meanwhile, taxpayers are forking over nearly $3.7 million total to pay for the four remaining presidents: Jimmy Carter, George H.W. Bush, George W. and Bill Clinton. That figure includes their $200,000 annual pension, compensation and benefits for a small staff, and funds for travel, office space, and postage. But it doesn't include the additional money spent on Secret Service protection, which is not made public, CNN wrote." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingGeorge W. Bush the costliest former US President at $1.3 million per year

California’s Golden Bureaucrat Snags $400K of Yearly Compensation – for the Rest of Her Life!

"Alameda County supervisors have really taken to heart the adage that government should run like a business — rewarding County Administrator Susan Muranishi with the Wall Street-like wage of $423,664 a year. For the rest of her life. …Muranishi’s annual pension will be equal to the dollar total of her entire yearly package — $413,000. She also has a separate executive private pension plan, for which the county chips in $46,500 a year." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingCalifornia’s Golden Bureaucrat Snags $400K of Yearly Compensation – for the Rest of Her Life!

Another California scheme to fleece motorists and eviscerate their rights

"AB666 would require that these tickets be prosecuted through an administrative hearing conducted by the jurisdiction running the camera program rather than through an independent traffic court. ...AB666 makes the vehicle owner responsible for violations committed by someone else unless you can prove who was driving the vehicle...And if you don't, they will put a hold on your registration until you pay up. Not bad enough? The hold on your registration gets applied as soon as they mail you the ticket, not after you are found guilty. It gets worse. The tickets are considered Prima Facie evidence against you. No other evidence has to be submitted against you." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingAnother California scheme to fleece motorists and eviscerate their rights

Maryland Senate Votes To Cover Up Speed Camera Errors

"Earlier this year, a number of lawmakers in Maryland vowed to reform the way speed cameras were operated in the state. Officials were rocked by the revelation that more than 5 percent of photo ticket recipients in Baltimore were likely innocent with lax oversight and faulty photo radar equipment to blame for the bogus citations. On Monday, the state Senate voted 46-1 to cover up future errors." Continue reading →

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Post-Cyprus Blues: Confusion and an Erosion of Faith

"It may be misleading to project the crisis and resolution in Cyprus onto other quite different financial crises in other quite different economies. The common ground may be a rising fear of capital controls and the search for safe havens that won't implode or change the rules overnight. The sudden emergence of risk in what was perceived to be a safe haven will likely spark interest in non-banking safe havens, for example, precious metals, and what correspondent Mark G. calls the Glass Jar Bank, which he observes is still a popular alternative in Eastern Europe to entrusting one's cash to banks." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingPost-Cyprus Blues: Confusion and an Erosion of Faith

Student Loan Debt Growing, Along With Delinquency Rate

"Total student debt was the only type of household debt that continued to rise throughout the recent recession while most households were de-leveraging, and is now second only to mortgage debt. You’ve probably heard the 'trillion dollar' number in the news. I think the most worrying stat is the increasing rate of defaults. Actual delinquency rates are often understated because almost half of these loans are currently in deferment or in grace periods and therefore are not in the repayment cycle. Among loans that are actually subject to repayment, delinquency rates are over 30% overall and rising." Continue reading →

Continue ReadingStudent Loan Debt Growing, Along With Delinquency Rate

War Without End

"There has been much in the news over the past two weeks commemorating the 10th anniversary of the beginning of the pre-emptive Iraq War. The above YouTube video commemorates the ending of an even greater conflict, World War I, which began in 1914 and ended in 1918. This is one of the most powerful and heart-wrenching documentaries you will ever watch, especially the never-to-be-forgotten recitation of the Siegfried Sassoon poem, Aftermath, by actor Jeremy Irons at the end of the program (which garnered an Emmy Award)." Continue reading →

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