Maine's alcohol drinkers and 49 other states will pay off the state's Medicaid debt if both parties get their way.

Gov chides Democrats on Maine hospital debt

By Associated Press at Boston Herald

AUGUSTA, Maine — Democrats and Republican Gov. Paul LePage moved closer this week toward an agreement on paying Maine's $484 million Medicaid debt to hospitals. But in his weekly radio address, LePage insists his plan is better, because it's simpler. The governor says the Democrats' plan is difficult to understand, full of legal jargon, budget gimmicks and empty promises. He would use a revenue bond of $186 million and federal matching funds of $298 million to pay off the debt. The bond would be paid with liquor revenues. ...continues here

 

You really don't have to read any further for its rather simple...both parties are pulling the wool over the taxpayer's eyes.

Democrats Plan:
The state should accept the federal dollars provided by the Affordable Care Act for Medicaid expansion. 

Republican Plan:
Use a revenue bond of $186 million and federal matching funds of $298 million to pay off the debt.  The bond would be paid with liquor revenues.

In either of the above cases it's your tax dollars that paying for the debt...except that alcohol drinkers would pay approximately 38% of the tab under the Republican plan. Just why drinkers are penalized is not explained.  And don't be fooled by the federal matching funds.   It's still your money!  The more important question here would be, "Why are other states forced to pay for one state's debt?"

The Democrats must be the drinkers in this scenario for why wouldn't they simply accept the Governor's plan... Must be they don't want to pay the liquor tax ya think? (Oh, that 'tax' word...just another name for revenue.)

Meanwhile the Democrat plan is not so unique for Democrats.  They would take federal dollars (repeat that important question here) provided by the Affordable Care Act... this leaves me with one final statement: 

"Fool me once, shame on you. Fool me twice, shame on me"

 

Submitted by Norman E. Hooben

 

They're Watching You...and you don't know it !

Did you know?  They can activate your camera without displaying the little red light.

News From Underground

FinSpy software used to surveil dissidents and activists throughout the world

FinSpy Software Used To Surveil Activists Around The World, Report Says
Gerald Smith
Posted: 03/13/2013 6:03 am EDT | Updated: 03/13/2013 7:23 am EDT
FinSpy surveillance software, marketed worldwide to law enforcement agencies as a way to monitor criminals, is widely used by repressive governments to spy on human rights groups and dissidents, according to a report released Wednesday.
The report by researchers at the Citizen Lab of the Munk School of Global Affairs at the University of Toronto found the software is “regularly sold to countries where dissenting political activity and speech is criminalized.”
FinSpy, named after a line of code in its software, is a surveillance tool that infects computers to capture screenshots, log keystrokes, record Skype conversations and activate cameras and microphones. Gamma Group, a British company, makes the software and markets it to law enforcement agencies as a lawful way to monitor criminals.
Read more.

The High Cost of Education... Explained !!!

News From The Underground

University administrators make a fortune—and for doing what, exactly?

The Troubling Dean-to-Professor Ratio
By John Hechinger
J. Paul Robinson, chairman of the Purdue University faculty senate, walks the halls of a 10-story tower, pointing out a row of offices for administrators. “I have no idea what these people do,” says the biomedical engineering professor. Purdue has a $313,000-a-year acting provost and six vice and associate vice provosts, including a $198,000-a-year chief diversity officer. Among its 16 deans and 11 vice presidents are a $253,000 marketing officer and a $433,000 business school chief. The average full professor at the public university in West Lafayette, Ind., makes $125,000.
The number of Purdue administrators has jumped 54 percent in the past decade—almost eight times the growth rate of tenured and tenure-track faculty. “We’re here to deliver a high-quality education at as low a price as possible,” says Robinson. “Why is it that we can’t find any money for more faculty, but there seems to be an almost unlimited budget for administrators?”
Purdue is among the U.S. colleges layering up at the top at a time when budgets are tight, students are amassing record debt, and tuition is skyrocketing. U.S. Department of Education data show that Purdue is typical: At universities nationwide, employment of administrators jumped 60 percent from 1993 to 2009, 10 times the growth rate for tenured faculty. “Administrative bloat is clearly contributing to the overall cost of higher education,” says Jay Greene, an education professor at the University of Arkansas. In a 2010 study, Greene found that from 1993 to 2007, spending on administration rose almost twice as fast as funding for research and teaching at 198 leading U.S. universities.
Read more

How to reduce piracy on the high seas...the easy way!

Source: LiveLeak

The Euro Union navy who patrol these waters would not interfere because they feared there could be casualties.
All explanations are in Russian with a single exception of when a wounded pirate says something in English and the Russian soldier says "This is not a fishing boat." All conversations between the commandos are in Russian but the pictures speak for themselves.
The soldiers freed their compatriots and the tanker. The Russian Navy Commandos moved the pirates back to the pirate vessel, searched it for weapons and explosives, then left and blew it up with all remaining pirates hand-cuffed to it.They used the anti-piracy laws of the 18th and 19th centuries where the captain of the rescuing ship has the right to decide what to do with the pirates. Usually, they were legally hanged with no lawyers or court proceedings required. Perhaps from now on, Russian ships will not be targets for Somalian pirates.Other nations might take note. "Без суда и следствия". Смотрите, девочки.

Three Minutes On America

Warning: Language not suitable for children...but in this day and age they hear it all the time.

It could have been said using different language but there's a certain emphasis that the 'F' word  can  project when one wants to get the point across to an ignorant generation.

Best if viewed full screen...