OLYMPIA – Gov. Chris Gregoire today proposed her 2010 supplemental state budget, which would fill a $2.6 billion hole in the budget for 2009–11 through service eliminations, reductions or suspensions. As required by law, she submitted a budget based on currently available revenue.
Among the programs targeted for elimination are the state Basic Health Plan, which provides health care coverage to nearly 65,000 individuals ($160 million); Apple Health for children, which provides health care coverage to 16,000 low-income children ($11 million); and the General Assistance Unemployable program, which provides cash grants for 23,000 adults and medical services to nearly 17,000 adults ($188 million).
In education, funding would be eliminated for 1,500 3-year-olds participating in the Early Childhood Education (WHICH ARE NOT FREE, YOU PAY FOR THIS CLASS!!) and Assistance Program; the kindergarten-through-4th grade staffing enhancement that reduces class size in the early grades; and levy equalization, which provides extra support to districts with a lower than average property tax base.
Slated for reduction are the State Need Grant program, where 12,300 students would lose grants, and grants would be smaller ($146 million); and funding for the state’s community and technical colleges as well as the baccalaureate institutions ($89 million).
Gregoire explained that as difficult as it was to recommend an all-cuts budget, “We were thoughtful in making these decisions. They represent, I believe, the most responsible decisions we could make with the constraints we faced.”
Months after balancing the biennial budget in the spring, another budget gap developed as state revenues again plummeted due to weak consumer spending, and state costs that rose from higher demand for unemployment benefits, health care and public education.
The governor recently announced several reforms to make government services more efficient through consolidations and eliminations of a number of boards and commissions. She is closing all or part of nine state institutions. She will be proposing measures to allow local governments more spending flexibility and school districts the authority to access voter-approved levies. And she has directed the Department of Corrections to move ahead immediately on actions to consolidate inefficient facilities.
“As we made the hard decisions necessary to produce this budget, I understood the impact of these cuts on real people,” Gregoire said. “I realize the future this budget will create. It does not reflect my values nor do I believe it reflects the values of my fellow citizens.
“Let me be very clear: I do not support this budget. As required by law, it is balanced. For me, it is unjust.”
The governor plans on introducing in a second budget in January, which will restore several of the most critical programs that would be eliminated by the all-cuts budget, including:
■Basic Health and Apple Health plans;
■General Assistance program for the most needy;
■Levy equalization funds for public schools;
■State financial aid to allow more students to attend higher education;
■Early childhood education money;
■Adult medical, dental, vision and hospice programs; and
■Developmental disability and long-term care provider funds.
“Today’s document does not reflect our values as a state,” Gregoire said. “It does not reflect the Washington I know and love or the Washington I want for our future and the future of our children and grandchildren. I am convinced it is not the plan for the future that Washingtonians would choose, either.”
Her second budget will be accompanied by a revenue package that would eliminate tax exemptions, close loopholes and raise revenues.
The governor expressed concern about new tax burdens for families and businesses.
“I will do my best to avoid any new taxes that slow our economic recovery. I will balance, as best I can, my interest in keeping new taxes down, while still protecting programs that I believe the vast majority of us agree are just too important to eliminate,” Gregoire said. “We need a combination of reduced funding for services and raising revenue.”
After tapping into the state’s Rainy Day Fund, Gregoire’s proposed budget leaves an ending fund balance of $310.5 million.
Contact: Governor's Communications Office, 360-902-4136
~ Meadering my way through everyday madness ~
Motherhood, baking, crafts, 2 kiddos, gardening, painting, cooking and always having room for dessert
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
Tuesday, December 15, 2009
VERY SCARY!
TO read your kids' texts or NOT? Where does their privacy start and end in trying to keep them safe? What are our responsibilities as parents start and end? I'm sure that there will be parents on both sides. Some who will think that it could never happen to their child, but since we are not around out kids at school and can not overhear every conversation in passing, HOW do we keep our kids safe from this? Then it makes think of emails. Does the privacy protection we have on our kids' accounts bar this type of message from a friend or even a stranger or spam?
Nearly 1 in 3 older teens gets ‘sexting’ messages
Study says 6 percent of those as young as 12 have received racy texts
Thirty percent of 17-year-olds who have cell phones say they have received "sexting" photos or video messages, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Eight percent of 17-year-olds say they have sent such sexually suggestive images. Among teens ages 12 to 17 years old, 15 percent say they have received nude or nearly nude images of someone they know via text messaging on their cell phones, while 4 percent say they have sent such photos. Among 12- and 13-year olds, 6 percent say they have received "sext messages."
"It’s an issue that teens grapple with and deal with in their lives, and one that deserves attention," said Amanda Lenhart, Pew senior research specialist who worked on the "Teens and Sexting" report.
"In our focus groups, we heard that plenty of teens had experienced this, either by sending the suggestive images, receiving them or by encountering them second-hand on a passed-around cell phone, hearing about friends doing it, hearing about it in the hallway."
Sexting is gaining national attention, with at least two teen suicides in the past 18 months associated with the problem, and lawmakers and prosecutors around the country grappling with how to handle such cases.
The Pew report, based on focus groups with 800 teens in Denver, Atlanta and New York, mirrors the findings of a recent poll by the Associated Press and MTV of more than 1,200 teens which concluded that more than a quarter of them have been involved in sexting in some form.
Phone is 'major source of content' for teens "The (cell) phone is such a vital part of these teens' lives that it isn’t surprising that it’s a major source of content for them — both positive content and content that’s more worrisome," Lenhart said.
In a 2004 survey of teens, Pew said, 18 percent of 12-year-olds had a cell phone, compared to 58 percent of 12-year-olds now. Five years ago, 64 percent of 17-year-olds had a cell phone, compared to 83 percent now. In addition, cell phones themselves have changed dramatically since 2004, with many of them now having Internet access.
Teens who pay their own cell phone bills are "more likely to send 'sexts,' " Pew said in the report, with 17 percent saying they have done so, compared to 3 percent of teens "who do not pay for, or only pay a portion of the cost" of their cell phone bills.
Text messaging is an add-on charge for most wireless users, and some parents monitor their children's' wireless use, including text messaging, as well as the content of those messages.
"Just 9 percent of teens who sent sexy images by text had parents who restricted the number of texts or other messages they could send; 28 percent of teens who didn't send these texts had parents who limited their child's texting," the Pew report said. "One younger high school boy told us that he never sends or receives sexually suggestive images via text because 'my mom goes through my phone.' However, another high school boy described how he password-protected images to keep others from viewing them."
Happens 'far more than any poll can show' Parry Aftab, executive director of WiredSafety.org, said sexting is much more of a problem than most parents realize.
"It's not 'that kid' who's doing it, it's your kid," she said. "If your kid hasn’t taken a (suggestive) picture and shared it with somebody else, in all likelihood they’ve seen one, they may have possession of one or they may be sending them around. "And it’s happening far more than any poll can show," she said. "Many more kids are sexting at much younger ages than people think.
"They do it at slumber parties, they do it in the gym, in the locker rooms, where they all dance around, and somebody takes out their cell phone camera and take pictures of the others" and then shares the the photos with others by phone or posting them online.
Nearly 1 in 3 older teens gets ‘sexting’ messages
Study says 6 percent of those as young as 12 have received racy texts
Thirty percent of 17-year-olds who have cell phones say they have received "sexting" photos or video messages, according to a new report from the Pew Internet & American Life Project.
Eight percent of 17-year-olds say they have sent such sexually suggestive images. Among teens ages 12 to 17 years old, 15 percent say they have received nude or nearly nude images of someone they know via text messaging on their cell phones, while 4 percent say they have sent such photos. Among 12- and 13-year olds, 6 percent say they have received "sext messages."
"It’s an issue that teens grapple with and deal with in their lives, and one that deserves attention," said Amanda Lenhart, Pew senior research specialist who worked on the "Teens and Sexting" report.
"In our focus groups, we heard that plenty of teens had experienced this, either by sending the suggestive images, receiving them or by encountering them second-hand on a passed-around cell phone, hearing about friends doing it, hearing about it in the hallway."
Sexting is gaining national attention, with at least two teen suicides in the past 18 months associated with the problem, and lawmakers and prosecutors around the country grappling with how to handle such cases.
The Pew report, based on focus groups with 800 teens in Denver, Atlanta and New York, mirrors the findings of a recent poll by the Associated Press and MTV of more than 1,200 teens which concluded that more than a quarter of them have been involved in sexting in some form.
Phone is 'major source of content' for teens "The (cell) phone is such a vital part of these teens' lives that it isn’t surprising that it’s a major source of content for them — both positive content and content that’s more worrisome," Lenhart said.
In a 2004 survey of teens, Pew said, 18 percent of 12-year-olds had a cell phone, compared to 58 percent of 12-year-olds now. Five years ago, 64 percent of 17-year-olds had a cell phone, compared to 83 percent now. In addition, cell phones themselves have changed dramatically since 2004, with many of them now having Internet access.
Teens who pay their own cell phone bills are "more likely to send 'sexts,' " Pew said in the report, with 17 percent saying they have done so, compared to 3 percent of teens "who do not pay for, or only pay a portion of the cost" of their cell phone bills.
Text messaging is an add-on charge for most wireless users, and some parents monitor their children's' wireless use, including text messaging, as well as the content of those messages.
"Just 9 percent of teens who sent sexy images by text had parents who restricted the number of texts or other messages they could send; 28 percent of teens who didn't send these texts had parents who limited their child's texting," the Pew report said. "One younger high school boy told us that he never sends or receives sexually suggestive images via text because 'my mom goes through my phone.' However, another high school boy described how he password-protected images to keep others from viewing them."
Happens 'far more than any poll can show' Parry Aftab, executive director of WiredSafety.org, said sexting is much more of a problem than most parents realize.
"It's not 'that kid' who's doing it, it's your kid," she said. "If your kid hasn’t taken a (suggestive) picture and shared it with somebody else, in all likelihood they’ve seen one, they may have possession of one or they may be sending them around. "And it’s happening far more than any poll can show," she said. "Many more kids are sexting at much younger ages than people think.
"They do it at slumber parties, they do it in the gym, in the locker rooms, where they all dance around, and somebody takes out their cell phone camera and take pictures of the others" and then shares the the photos with others by phone or posting them online.
Thursday, November 12, 2009
Is this a bit overboard...
From the Canada Free Press :
First Lady Requires More Than Twenty Attendants
July 7, 2009
Written by Dr. Paul L. Williams
"In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that's why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, "... Michelle Obama
No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn't perform any official duties. But this hasn't deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think, Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary from her husband's salary.
Total Personal Staff members for other first ladies paid by taxpayers: Mamie Eisenhower : 1 paid for personally out of President's salary Jackie Kennedy: 1 Roseline Carter: 1 Barbara Bush: 1 Hilary Clinton: 3 Laura Bush: 1 Michele Obama: 22
How things have changed! If you're one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Ms Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by YOU, John Q. Public: Michele Obama's personal staff: 1. $172,200 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary for Mrs. Obama)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $100,000 - Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lel yveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $64,000 - Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $57,500 - Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. $43,000 - Tubman, Samanth a (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $35,000 - Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $35,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
(total = $1,591,200 in annual salaries)
There has NEVER been anyone in the White House at any time who has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe.
Copyright 2009 Canada Free Press.Com canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652
Yes, I know, The Canadian Free Press had to publish this perhaps because America no longer has a free press and the USA media is too scared that they might be considered racist or suffer at the hands of Obama. Sorry America !
SICKENING.........ISN'T IT?
by Dr. Paul L. Williams
Written by Dr. Paul L. Williams
"In my own life, in my own small way, I have tried to give back to this country that has given me so much," she said. "See, that's why I left a job at a big law firm for a career in public service, "... Michelle Obama
No, Michele Obama does not get paid to serve as the First Lady and she doesn't perform any official duties. But this hasn't deterred her from hiring an unprecedented number of staffers to cater to her every whim and to satisfy her every request in the midst of the Great Recession. Just think, Mary Lincoln was taken to task for purchasing china for the White House during the Civil War. And Mamie Eisenhower had to shell out the salary for her personal secretary from her husband's salary.
Total Personal Staff members for other first ladies paid by taxpayers: Mamie Eisenhower : 1 paid for personally out of President's salary Jackie Kennedy: 1 Roseline Carter: 1 Barbara Bush: 1 Hilary Clinton: 3 Laura Bush: 1 Michele Obama: 22
How things have changed! If you're one of the tens of millions of Americans facing certain destitution, earning less than subsistence wages stocking the shelves at Wal-Mart or serving up McDonald cheeseburgers, prepare to scream and then come to realize that the benefit package for these servants of Ms Michelle are the same as members of the national security and defense departments and the bill for these assorted lackeys is paid by YOU, John Q. Public: Michele Obama's personal staff: 1. $172,200 - Sher, Susan (Chief Of Staff)
2. $140,000 - Frye, Jocelyn C. (Deputy Assistant to the President and Director of Policy And Projects For The First Lady)
3. $113,000 - Rogers, Desiree G. (Special Assistant to the President and White House Social Secretary for Mrs. Obama)
4. $102,000 - Johnston, Camille Y. (Special Assistant to the President and Director of Communications for the First Lady)
5. $100,000 - Winter, Melissa E. (Special Assistant to the President and Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
6. $90,000 - Medina , David S. (Deputy Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
7. $84,000 - Lel yveld, Catherine M. (Director and Press Secretary to the First Lady)
8. $75,000 - Starkey, Frances M. (Director of Scheduling and Advance for the First Lady)
9. $70,000 - Sanders, Trooper (Deputy Director of Policy and Projects for the First Lady)
10. $65,000 - Burnough, Erinn J. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
11. $64,000 - Reinstein, Joseph B. (Deputy Director and Deputy Social Secretary)
12. $62,000 - Goodman, Jennifer R. (Deputy Director of Scheduling and Events Coordinator For The First Lady)
13. $60,000 - Fitts, Alan O. (Deputy Director of Advance and Trip Director for the First Lady)
14. $57,500 - Lewis, Dana M. (Special Assistant and Personal Aide to the First Lady)
15. $52,500 - Mustaphi, Semonti M. (Associate Director and Deputy Press Secretary To The First Lady)
16. $50,000 - Jarvis, Kristen E. (Special Assistant for Scheduling and Traveling Aide To The First Lady)
17. $45,000 - Lechtenberg, Tyler A. (Associate Director of Correspondence For The First Lady)
18. $43,000 - Tubman, Samanth a (Deputy Associate Director, Social Office)
19. $40,000 - Boswell, Joseph J. (Executive Assistant to the Chief Of Staff to the First Lady)
20. $36,000 - Armbruster, Sally M. (Staff Assistant to the Social Secretary)
21. $35,000 - Bookey, Natalie (Staff Assistant)
22. $35,000 - Jackson, Deilia A. (Deputy Associate Director of Correspondence for the First Lady)
(total = $1,591,200 in annual salaries)
There has NEVER been anyone in the White House at any time who has created such an army of staffers whose sole duties are the facilitation of the First Lady's social life. One wonders why she needs so much help, at taxpayer expense.
Note: This does not include makeup artist Ingrid Grimes-Miles, 49, and "First Hairstylist" Johnny Wright, 31, both of whom traveled aboard Air Force One to Europe.
Copyright 2009 Canada Free Press.Com canadafreepress.com/index.php/article/12652
Yes, I know, The Canadian Free Press had to publish this perhaps because America no longer has a free press and the USA media is too scared that they might be considered racist or suffer at the hands of Obama. Sorry America !
SICKENING.........ISN'T IT?
by Dr. Paul L. Williams
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Better late than never...
While watching Hudson at his Pre-Kindergarten graduation I realized that I may be in for it when he is older (if this clip is any indication). He and his friend Cole are quite the pair, never argue, never disagree, can't see enough of one another, laugh at each other constantly and are big hams together. Everytime that I watch this it cracks me up. This is what I would think fourth or fifth grade boys would be doing.
Friday, September 18, 2009
Open House of Orange Blossom Society
Saturday, September 19 through Sunday, September 20 - Orange Blossom's Society Grand Opening
Orange Blossom Society, a new arts enrichment center, indoor play space and social hub for families, celebrates its grand opening in downtown Redmond. With the goal of creating a space for kids to blossom while parents recharge and connect, Orange Blossom Society will offer an array of concurrent classes for children and adults. At the free housewarming party, a variety of sample classes will be available - art, music, language and yoga for children plus boot camps, massage, yoga and personal training for adults. Families will also have a chance to meet the instructors, take guided tours and enjoy refreshments.
Where: Orange Blossom Society, 16715 N.E. 79th St., Redmond, WA 98052
When: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Who: All Ages
How: Just show up
Cost of event: Free
For more info: 425-883-2400 or http://www.orangeblossomsociety.com/
We are going to try to hit this fun grand opening and check out what they are all about. Sounds like a fun time.
Orange Blossom Society, a new arts enrichment center, indoor play space and social hub for families, celebrates its grand opening in downtown Redmond. With the goal of creating a space for kids to blossom while parents recharge and connect, Orange Blossom Society will offer an array of concurrent classes for children and adults. At the free housewarming party, a variety of sample classes will be available - art, music, language and yoga for children plus boot camps, massage, yoga and personal training for adults. Families will also have a chance to meet the instructors, take guided tours and enjoy refreshments.
Where: Orange Blossom Society, 16715 N.E. 79th St., Redmond, WA 98052
When: 1:00 PM - 5:00 PM
Who: All Ages
How: Just show up
Cost of event: Free
For more info: 425-883-2400 or http://www.orangeblossomsociety.com/
We are going to try to hit this fun grand opening and check out what they are all about. Sounds like a fun time.
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