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 Gov. Brown signs second half of Dream Act, which allow illegal immigrants to apply for state-funded scholarships and aid at state universities
Illegal Californica Student Can Get State Aided Scholarships
Sacremento
October 7, 2011
Illegal immigrants can now apply for state-funded scholarships and aid at state universities after Gov. Jerry Brown announced Saturday that he has signed the second half of a legislative package focused on such students.
AB131 by Assemblyman Gil Cedillo, D-Los Angeles, is the second half of the California Dream Act. Brown signed the first half of the package in July, which approved private scholarships and loans for students who are illegal immigrants.
Under current law, illegal immigrant students who have graduated from a California high school and can prove they're on the path to legalize their immigration status can pay resident tuition rates. The bill would allow these students to apply for state aid.
The contentious second half of the package requires that immigrant students meet the same requirements as all other students applying for financial aid at state universities but specifies that they only qualify for financial aid after all the other legal residents have applied.
"The signing of now both parts of the California Dream Act will send a message across the country that California is prepared to lead the country with a positive and productive vision for how we approach challenging issues related to immigration," Cedillo said.
The bills are different from the federal Dream Act, which includes a path to citizenship for the children of illegal immigrants.
Brown says the bill expands educational opportunities for all qualified students.
"Going to college is a dream that promises intellectual excitement and creative thinking," Brown said. "The Dream Act benefits us all by giving top students a chance to improve their lives and the lives of all of us."
Critics of the bills say it undermines immigration laws and encourages illegal immigration by granting access to state resources reserved for legal residents. Many Republican lawmakers say legal students have had their grants cut in light of recent budget cuts to higher education.
Assemblyman Tim Donnelly, R-Hesperia, said the bill's passage will the biggest mistake the Democratic Party makes.
"The polling indicates that 80 to 90 percent of Californians are against this, and it crosses party lines," Donnelly said. He said he hopes to get a ballot initiative overturning the law started as soon as the bill is officially included in state statutes.
"It is absolutely, fundamentally wrong and unfair and it is an insult to people who have worked and played by the rules, including those who have come to this country legally," he said.
Ginny Rapini, coordinator for the NorCal Tea Party Patriots, said there should be consequences for illegal immigrants and giving them an education funded by California taxpayers isn't fair to the legal residents who can't afford to pay for their own tuition.
"What part of illegal do we not get? When people come here illegally they need to come here with the same rules and regulations that other people came here with," Rapini said.
Supporters argue that children whose were brought to the U.S. illegally by their parents shouldn't be punished.
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 When preparing for a possible emergency situation, it's best to think first
about the basics of survival: fresh water,
food, clean air and
warmth.
-
Water, one gallon of water per person per day for at
least three days, for drinking and sanitation.
-
Food, at least a three-day supply of non-perishable food.
- Battery-powered or hand crank radio and a NOAA Weather Radio with tone
alert and extra batteries for both.
- Flashlight and extra batteries.
-
First aid kit
- Whistle to signal for help.
-
Dust mask, to help filter contaminated air and plastic
sheeting and duct tape to shelter-in-place.
- Moist towelettes, garbage bags and plastic ties for personal sanitation
- Wrench or pliers to turn off utilities.
- Can opener for food (if kit contains canned food).
- Local maps
Additional Items to Consider Adding to an Emergency Supply Kit:
- Prescription medications and glasses.
- Infant formula and diapers.
- Pet food and extra water for your pet.
- Important family documents such as copies of insurance policies,
identification and bank account records in a waterproof, portable container.
- Cash or traveler's checks and change.
- Emergency reference material such as a first aid book or information from
www.ready.gov
- Sleeping bag or warm blanket for each person. Consider additional bedding
if you live in a cold-weather climate.
- Complete change of clothing including a long sleeved shirt, long pants and
sturdy shoes. Consider additional clothing if you live in a cold-weather
climate.
- Household chlorine bleach and medicine dropper – When diluted nine parts
water to one part bleach, bleach can be used as a disinfectant. Or in an
emergency, you can use it to treat water by using 16 drops of regular
household liquid bleach per gallon of water. Do not use scented, color safe or
bleaches with added cleaners.
- Fire Extinguisher.
- Matches in a waterproof container.
- Feminine supplies and personal hygiene items.
- Mess kits, paper cups, plates and plastic utensils, paper towels.
- Paper and pencil.
- Books, games, puzzles or other activities for children.
source: Ready.gov, Dept. of
Homeland Security
 Where Were Your US Souvenirs Made?
(CBS News)June 8 2011
The latest jobs report from the Labor Department has produced a feeling of frustration among the 14 million Americans looking for work. One factor contributing to the discouraging news is the declining number of manufacturing jobs, many of which have gone overseas.
On "The Early Show," CBS News Correspondent Michelle Miller shared the story of one small business owner who saw a sharp decline in profits when one very well-known American tourist spot turned to overseas manufacturers to stock its store shelves.
Miller noted tourists come from all over the world to visit U.S. museums, national parks and zoos. But finding an American-made souvenir to take home with them is proving to be a difficult task. Lawmakers are now fighting to get more American-made products back in souvenir shops, and for small business owners and manufacturers alike, that's very welcome news.
For nearly a decade, Merrie Buchsbaum sold her handcrafted wares made in her Connecticut home to one of the most iconic institutions in America.
Buchsbaum said twice a month she was shipping to the gift shop at the Smithsonian's American History Museum. Her Americana Collection she says was among the museum's bestsellers.
Buchsbaum said, "One day the buyer came in with her spreadsheet with all the numbers and she said, 'Do you realize you sell more work as a single artist than any other artist at the Smithsonian?'"
But despite brisk sales, the relationship came to an abrupt end.
Buchsbaum said, "Management changed and a new buyer came in."
Sales at her company Merrily Made dropped 20 percent, forcing Buchsbaum to eventually lay-off her three employees. Now she works all alone.
Miller asked, "You think it was a lower price point that drove them?"
Buchsbaum responded, "I know they sell lower price point items today, but I'm a handmade item made in America."
What's sold to an estimated four million visitors who flock to the American History Museum each year, items with the inscription "Made in China."
West Virginia democrat Rep. Nick Rahal is out to change that. Working with his fellow lawmakers, he crafted legislation - tying the sale of American-made souvenirs to future federal funding. Seventy percent of the museum's budget comes from the federal government.
Rahall said, "I think it's quite un-American. ... I think Americans would pay a dollar or two more...to have their lapel American flag pin, say 'Made in the U.S.A.'"
The last 30 years have proven otherwise. According to U.S. Department of Labor statistics, more than eight million Americans lost their manufacturing jobs as factories moved overseas. Small businesses like Buchsbaum's put out of business as stores increasingly ditched American-made in lieu of a cheaper products.
Rahall said, "It is important that we send a message that we help boost the morale of American workers by showing them that we care to keep their jobs here and we care to have our products made in America."
Bowing to pressure, the Smithsonian has agreed to sell only American-made merchandise at the American History's Price of Freedom gift shop by early July.
Buchsbaum says she would like to be first in line.
When asked if she hopes to be back in the Smithsonian, Buchsbaum said, "You bet. I better be back."
But many say the problem extends far beyond the Smithsonian to all national institutions, such as landmarks and parks. Rahall says everywhere that he and his fellow congressmen can, they'll be looking into it.
The Smithsonian is not saying much about Rahall's proposed bill, Miller said, but added what they are saying is "'Look, we can provide some American-made products for some of our museums. We have a history museum; we have other museums that cater to other types of motifs.' They're looking for the right price point. Some of the items aren't necessarily made in America that they're looking for. It's a catch-22."
 Pre-9/11 NYC Skyline
 Twin towers of the World Trade Center burning
 Post 9/11 NYC Skyline - Freedom Tower Being Built
9/11/2011
At the site of unimaginable death and devastation, a memorial of breathtaking beauty has emerged.
The National September 11 Memorial opens today on the 10th anniversary of the terror attacks and is a dazzling tribute to the lives lost, and to a city and nation that will never forget. It is the largest made man made waterfall in the world. They are bordered by bronze panels inscribed with the names of those who died there, at the Pentagon and in western Pennsylvania.
In the footprints of the old Twin Towers are now two square, below-ground reflecting pools, each nearly an acre, fed from all sides by waterfalls that begin just above ground.
Lower Manhattan will be in lockdown mode today as massive crowds and a host of dignitaries descend on the area for the solemn observance of the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks.
Throughout the morning, the names of the more than 2,600 people who died in the 1993 and 2001 World Trade Center attacks will be read aloud.
Ten years on from the day the 9/11 terrorist attacks changed so much for so many people, the world's leaders and millions of citizens are pausing to reflect.
From Sydney to Atlanta, formal ceremonies are planned or already under way to remember the nearly 3,000 who perished from more than 90 countries. And, in a reminder that threats remain, authorities in Washington and New York are beefing up security in response to intelligence about possible plans for a car bomb attack.
For some people, the pain never stops. In Malaysia, Pathmawathy Navaratnam woke up Sunday in her suburban Kuala Lumpur home and did what she's done every day for the past decade: wish her son "Good morning." But Vijayashanker Paramsothy, a 23-year-old financial analyst, was killed in the attacks on New York.
"He is my sunshine. He has lived life to the fullest, but I can't accept that he is not here anymore," said Navaratnam. "I am still living, but I am dead inside."
In Manila, dozens of former shanty dwellers offered roses, balloons and prayers for another 9/11 victim, American citizen Marie Rose Abad. The neighborhood used to be a shantytown that reeked of garbage. But in 2004, Abad's Filipino-American husband built 50 brightly colored homes, fulfilling his late wife's wish to help impoverished Filipinos.
The village has since been named after her.
"It's like a new life sprang from the death of Marie Rose and so many others," said villager Nancy Waminal.
HISTORY of NEW YORK
New Yorkers are rightfully proud of their state's many achievements and contributions. This synopsis is adapted from a brief history previously printed in the Legislative Manual.
Duke of York
New York harbor was visited by Verrazano in 1524, and the Hudson River was first explored by Henry Hudson in 1609. The Dutch settled here permanently in 1624 and for 40 years they ruled over the colony of New Netherland. It was conquered by the English in 1664 and was then named New York in honor of the Duke of York.
Independence
Existing as a colony of Great Britain for over a century, New York declared its independence on July 9, 1776, becoming one of the original 13 states of the Federal Union. The next year, on April 20, 1777, New York's first constitution was adopted.
Revolutionary War
In many ways, New York State was the principal battleground of the Revolutionary War. Approximately one-third of the skirmishes and engagements of the war were fought on New York soil. The Battle of Saratoga, one of the decisive battles of the world, was the turning point of the Revolution leading to the French alliance and thus to eventual victory. New York City, long occupied by British troops, was evacuated on November 25, 1783. There, on December 4 at Fraunces Tavern, General George Washington bade farewell to his officers.
The First Government of New York State
The first government of New York State grew out of the Revolution. The State Convention that drew up the Constitution created a Council of Safety which governed for a time and set the new government in motion. In June 1777, while the war was going on, an election for the first governor took place. Two of the candidates, Philip Schuyler and George Clinton, were generals in the field. Two others, Colonel John Jay and General John Morin Scott, were respectively leaders of the aristocratic and democratic groups in the Convention. On July 9, George Clinton was declared elected and he was inaugurated as Governor at Kingston, July 30, 1777. Albany became the capital of the State in January 1797.
The First Capital of the New Nation
Alexander Hamilton was a leader in the movement which ended in the development of the Federal Constitution, and he was active in its ratification. New York City became the first capital of the new nation, where President George Washington was inaugurated on April 30, 1789.
The Empire State
In following years, New York's economic and industrial growth made appropriate the title "The Empire State," an expression possibly originated by George Washington in 1784. In 1809, Robert Fulton's "North River Steamboat," the first successful steam-propelled vessel, began a new era in transportation.
Erie Canal
The Erie Canal, completed in 1825, greatly enhanced the importance of the port of New York and caused populous towns and cities to spring up across the state. The Erie Canal was replaced by the Barge Canal in 1918; and the system of waterways was further expanded by the construction of the St. Lawrence Seaway.
Overland transportation grew rapidly from a system of turnpikes established in the early 1880s to the modern day Governor Thomas E. Dewey New York State Thruway. By 1853, railroads, that had started as short lines in 1831, crossed the state in systems like the Erie and New York Central.
Statue of Liberty
Located in New York harbor, the Statue of Liberty was formally presented to the U.S. Minister to France, Levi Parsons on July 4, 1884 by Ferdinand Lesseps, representing the Franco-American Union.
The cornerstone was laid in August 1884 and the Statue of Liberty arrived in June 1885, in 214 packing crates. President Grover Cleveland dedicated the Statue of Liberty on October 28, 1886, when the last rivet was put into place.
During the nineteenth century, America became a haven for many of the oppressed people of Europe, and New York City became the "melting pot." The Statue of Liberty (dedicated in 1886 in the harbor), with its famous inscription, "Give me your tired, your poor, your huddled masses yearning to breathe free," was the first symbol of America's mission
United Nations
The international character of New York City, the principal port for overseas commerce, and later for transcontinental and international airways, has been further enhanced by becoming the home of the United Nations, capital of the free world. Here the people of all nations and races come to discuss and try to solve the world's problems in a free and democratic climate.
New York Stock Exchange
As one of the wealthiest states, New York made tremendous strides in industry and commerce. The New York Stock Exchange, founded in 1792, has become the center of world finance. Diversified and rich natural resources, together with unmatched facilities for transport, produced a phenomenal growth in manufacture and industry. Research and inventive genius have been extensive, especially in the field of electronics, power and the peaceful and productive use of atomic energy.
Center for Art, Music, and Literature
New York City also became a leading national center for art, music and literature, as exemplified by the Metropolitan Museum of Art, The Metropolitan Opera Company, and large publishing houses.
National Leaders
The state has supplied more than its share of national leaders, beginning with Alexander Hamilton, the first secretary of the treasury; and John Jay, the first chief justice. Aaron Burr and George Clinton served as vice presidents. Martin Van Buren, Chester A. Arthur and Grover Cleveland went from New York politics to the presidency. In the 1900s, Theodore Roosevelt and Franklin D. Roosevelt achieved the presidency; and Nelson Rockefeller served as vice president. Governors Charles E. Hughes, Alfred E. Smith and Thomas E. Dewey all were candidates for the presidency.
September 11 attacks
The September 11 attacks (often referred to as 9/11, pronounced nine-eleven) were a series of coordinated suicide attacks by Al-Qaeda upon the United States on September 11, 2001. On that morning, 19 Al-Qaeda terrorists hijacked four commercial passenger jet airliners. The hijackers intentionally crashed two of the airliners into the Twin Towers of the World Trade Center in New York City, killing everyone on board and many others working in the buildings. Both buildings collapsed within two hours, destroying nearby buildings and damaging others. The hijackers crashed a third airliner into the Pentagon in Arlington, Virginia, just outside of Washington, D.C. The fourth plane crashed into a field near Shanksville in rural Somerset County, Pennsylvania, after some of its passengers and flight crew attempted to retake control of the plane, which the hijackers had redirected toward Washington, D.C. There were no survivors from any of the flights.
2,974 victims and the 19 hijackers died in the attacks. The overwhelming majority of casualties were civilians, including nationals of over 90 different countries. In addition, the death of at least one person from lung disease was ruled by a medical examiner to be a result of exposure to dust from the World Trade Center's collapse.
The 9/11 attacks had immediate and overwhelming effects upon the American people. Many police officers and rescue workers elsewhere in the country took leaves of absence to travel to New York City to assist in the process of recovering bodies from the twisted remnants of the Twin Towers. Blood donations across the U.S. also saw a surge in the weeks after 9/11. Not only were New Yorkers united during this horrific tragedy but all of America and the entire world shared their pain.
OSAMA BIN LADEN KILLED!! BREAKING NEWS!!
On May 2, 2011, US Special Forces killed Bin Laden in Pakistan. A small US team had conducted the raid in about 40 minutes.
Three other men were killed in the raid - one of Bin Laden's sons and two couriers - the official said, adding that one woman was also killed when she was used as "a shield" and two other women were injured.
Americans Celebrate this great feat. "America has sent an unmistakable message: No matter how long it takes, justice will be done”. -
George W Bush
Former US president
 Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., talks with an acquaintance outside the floor of the Senate on Capitol Hill in Washington Friday, Dec. 17, 2010
The country's largest manufacturer of sleeping bags says new competition from Bangladesh could force it out of business if the U.S. does not level the playing field.
Exxel Outdoors Inc., which employs nearly 70 workers in its Alabama factory and makes about 2 million sleeping bags per year, has been pressing the Obama administration to lift an exemption that lets Bangladesh import sleeping bags into the country without paying a 9 percent tariff.
"You can't leave an American manufacturer at a competitive disadvantage with a foreign worker," Harry Kazazian, chief executive of the company, told FoxNews.com.
But that's apparently what the Obama administration has done, turning down the company's request in an initial ruling and forcing Exxel to submit another request.
The office of the U.S. Trade Representative, which is reviewing Exxel's request, told FoxNews.com that its review will conclude in the spring and that President Obama would have to sign off on any changes to the list of duty-free products – changes that would go into effect before July 1.
"We take Exxel's concerns seriously," the office said in a statement.
Exxel is also seeking help from Congress.
Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala., has tried to slap a tariff on Bangladesh sleeping bags but he has been unable to sway his fellow lawmakers to change the U.S. Generalized System of Preferences, or GSP, which determines which products third-world countries can import duty free.
So Sessions has placed a hold on the annual GSP bill, making it all but certain that the program will lapse at the end of this month.
"I have supported free trade, probably more than my colleagues," he said on the Senate floor Friday. "But I have worked for two years to try to obtain a simple justice to close a loophole in the tariff laws that has impacted and will close a sleeping bag textile manufacturer in my state."
"They are an independent, hard-working people," he said. "And this bill as written will close that plant. And it should not happen. "
Sleeping bag imports have been on the duty-free list since Czechoslovakia successfully lobbied for it in the early 1990s. But the country, which split soon afterward into the Czech Republic and Slovakia, never followed through with its plan to get into the sleeping bag business, leaving the loophole dormant until Bangladesh took advantage in recent years, an Exxel official told FoxNews.com.
The company says it has been able to compete with China because the communist regime isn't exempt from the tariff on its sleeping bag imports. But the company says in 2009 it began losing major orders from large U.S. retailers because of new sleeping bag operations in Bangladesh flooding the market with their imports.
Exxel says if its factory is forced to move offshore or close down, the economic ripple effect would hurt the company's U.S. vendors, such as suppliers of sewing thread, sleeping bag fill, packaging, as well as suppliers of trucking services and other factory supplies.
Kazazian, said it is ironic to be in this situation after he moved his factory from Mexico to Alabama a few years ago, adding jobs to the economy.
"If the playing field should be tilted, it should be tilted in an American manufacturer's favor," he said, adding that he's not looking for a hand out.
"I want the law to be interpreted the way it should be and the playing field leveled," he said
 Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
"In the first place we should insist that if the immigrant who comes here in good faith becomes an American and assimilates himself to us, he shall be treated on an exact equality with everyone else, for it is an outrage to discriminate against any such man because of creed, or birthplace, or origin. But this is predicated upon the man's becoming in very fact an American, and nothing but an American...
There can be no divided allegiance here. Any man who says he is an American, but something else also, isn't an American at all. We have room for but one flag, the American flag, and this excludes the red flag, which symbolizes all wars against liberty and civilization, just as much as it excludes any foreign flag of a nation to which we are hostile...We have room for but one language here, and that is the English language...and we have room for but one sole loyalty and that is a loyalty to the American people."
--Theodore Roosevelt, 1919
 To this day, the westbound crossing record of the SS United States stands unbroken
The SS United States - America's Flagship faces an unknown future
She broke the transatlantic speed record in both directions on her maiden voyage from New York to Europe by the greatest margin in history. (That record still stands, 59 years later.) The top political, military and entertainment figures of the day regularly sailed aboard her, along with everyday Americans and immigrants to our shores. She became the living embodiment of America's post-World War II industrial might
So significant were the accomplishments of the firm Gibbs & Cox, that founder William Francis Gibbs remains the only individual ever to be awarded both the Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers' gold medal for both his naval architecture and marine engineering accomplishments.
Gibbs passed away in 1967, but his enormous legacy lives on in the design firm of Gibbs & Cox, which continues to supply marine engineering for government contracts, though it has long been out of the passenger ship business. Of the numerous passenger ships designed by Gibbs & Cox, only the SS United States remains extant, stripped of all interior fittings, with the exception of heavy machinery.
Interior fittings and furniture, auctioned off in 1984, have found their way into museums and private collections around the world. So significant was the interior design of the SS United States, it is still lauded over 50 years after the ship's maiden voyage. In summer 2004, Modernism Magazine celebrated the forward thinking 1950s female design firm of Smyth, Urquhart & Marckwald. The magnificent interiors and custom furniture they created are displayed in museums and still evoke a sense of the classic elegance of mid-20th century design.
The significance of the SS United States to the American Merchant Marine cannot be overstated. The ship remains the largest passenger vessel constructed in the United States and the fastest ocean liner to ever cross the North Atlantic (both eastbound and westbound). As the nation's flagship for over 17 years, the ship's service was exemplary and it was never plagued by mechanical difficulty.
For over 35 years the ship has been spared from the worst humiliation a vessel can endure: the breaker's torch. It is not only unusual that a ship, out of service for well over three decades, remains intact, it is extraordinary. In the past decade, a tremendous awareness has emerged of the liner's plight, and former builders, passengers and crew have come forward in large numbers determined to ensure that the SS United States is preserved as an amazing technological and engineering triumph, and American cultural icon.
The tremendous red, white and blue funnels, while somewhat faded, still stand strong and are a testament to the ingenuity, vision, determination and pride that represent the American dream. As the stewards of her historical legacy, the SS United States Conservancy remains committed to the vision of a revitalized United States that can serve as a brilliant example of American industrial might for generations to come.
Save Our Ship
After the ship had been listed for sale for a year, in early 2010 NCL announced that it would be accepting bids from scrappers. After this announcement the SS United States Conservancy launched a major campaign, "Save Our Ship", to raise funds and awareness in support of the vessel.
In July of 2010, the Conservancy announced that it had received a $5.8 million pledge from Philadelphia philanthropist H.F. "Gerry" Lenfest, allowing the Conservancy to buy the ship outright and maintain her at her current berth for 20 months while redevelopment plans are made and funds for her restoration are raised. This marks the first time in the history of the SS United States that a group concerned primarily with the vessel's historical significance and preservation has owned her.
While this great ship is safe for now, she has not yet been "saved". Funds must yet be raised for her restoration and redevelopment. Once this significant task is completed, the Conservancy envisions a future where the SS United States is a sustainable waterfront attraction, providing jobs and important public amenities, while educating and inspiring future generations.
Donate
The SS United States Conservancy began as an initiative of the SS United States Preservation Society, a nonprofit organization incorporated in 1992. For more info on Donating,
Click Here.
Oct. 21, 2011
Steve Jobs Slammed Obama at Meeting
The unreleased Jobs biography reveals a contentious secret meeting between the Apple co-founder and President Obama.
Steve Jobs Biography Reveals He Told Obama, 'You're Headed For A One-Term Presidency'
One of the most hotly-anticipated biographies of the year, "Steve Jobs," author Walter Isaacson reveals that the Apple CEO offered to design political ads for President Obama's 2012 campaign despite being highly critical of the administration's policies and that Jobs refused potentially life-saving surgery on his pancreatic cancer because he felt it was too invasive. Nine months later, he got the operation but it was too late.
Those are just some of the tidbits about Jobs' life revealed in the upcoming biography, a copy of which was obtained by The Huffington Post. The publication date of the official biography of the notoriously-secretive Apple co-founder was pushed up after his death in October. "I wanted my kids to know me," Isaacson quoted Jobs as saying in their final interview. "I wasn't always there for them and I wanted them to know why and to understand what I did."
Among other details unearthed in the book on the notoriously-secretive Apple co-founder:
Jobs' Meeting With Obama
Jobs, who was known for his prickly, stubborn personality, almost missed meeting President Obama in the fall of 2010 because he insisted that the president personally ask him for a meeting. Though his wife told him that Obama "was really psyched to meet with you," Jobs insisted on the personal invitation, and the standoff lasted for five days. When he finally relented and they met at the Westin San Francisco Airport, Jobs was characteristically blunt. He seemed to have transformed from a liberal into a conservative.
"You're headed for a one-term presidency," he told Obama at the start of their meeting, insisting that the administration needed to be more business-friendly. As an example, Jobs described the ease with which companies can build factories in China compared to the United States, where "regulations and unnecessary costs" make it difficult for them.
Jobs also criticized America's education system, saying it was "crippled by union work rules," noted Isaacson. "Until the teachers' unions were broken, there was almost no hope for education reform." Jobs proposed allowing principals to hire and fire teachers based on merit, that schools stay open until 6 p.m. and that they be open 11 months a year.
Aiding Obama's Reelection Campaign
Jobs suggested that Obama meet six or seven other CEOs who could express the needs of innovative businesses -- but when White House aides added more names to the list, Jobs insisted that it was growing too big and that "he had no intention of coming." In preparation for the dinner, Jobs exhibited his notorious attention to detail, telling venture capitalist John Doerr that the menu of shrimp, cod and lentil salad was "far too fancy" and objecting to a chocolate truffle dessert. But he was overruled by the White House, which cited the president's fondness for cream pie.
Though Jobs was not that impressed by Obama, later telling Isaacson that his focus on the reasons that things can't get done "infuriates" him, they kept in touch and talked by phone a few more times.
 Tea Party Patriots display an American flag on the lawn of the Capitol in Washington, Tuesday, Nov. 2, 2010, during an election day demonsration.
Mom Upset Over Son's Assignment to Recite Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish
Fox News - Nov. 4, 2010
Melissa Taggart says she was delighted that her son was learning a foreign language in the eighth grade -- until she learned he was expected to recite the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish.
And that he'd receive a zero if he didn't.
Taggart, of Edmond, Okla., said the Pledge should be recited in English -- and English only.
“English is our language…and I just feel it’s wrong that he would have to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America in Spanish. It’s just wrong,” a frustrated Taggart told KFOR.
She said she couldn't begin to understand why her son's teacher would choose the Pledge for her class. And she was upset that her son was told he would receive a zero if he did not complete the assignment.
There are poems, lyrics, and great writes that she could have chosen that emphasize the Spanish culture and to teach our children," Taggart said. "Why the Pledge of Allegiance?"
She said she and her husband were appalled by the assignment and that they “don't believe in it, and I do not want my child doing it."
She said she and her husband were appalled by the assignment and that they “don't believe in it, and I do not want my child doing it."
"I just feel that it's wrong," she told KFOR, "that he'll have to say the Pledge of Allegiance to the United States of America in Spanish. That's not how it should be taught. That has nothing to do with the Spanish language."
But Brenda Lyons, associate superintendent and public information officer for the Edmond School District, defended the class assignment, saying the school's language curriculum calls for students to translate and recite something that they are familiar with.
“The Pledge assignment has been in place for years.” Lyons told FoxNews.com. “It is written in the curriculum for Spanish that students need to learn something they are familiar with, like short phrases in the foreign language.”
She said students and parents were made aware of the assignment at the beginning of the school year, and added: “If a parent has an issue with an assignment and calls in advance of that assignment being given, then the student can be given an alternative assignment.”
Lyons said the Taggarts did not call the school to complain prior to the assignment, “so her son was given a zero for a test grade because he failed to complete the Pledge of Allegiance in Spanish.”
But after hearing Taggart's complaint, the school is bending a bit in this case. The boy's teacher, after giving him a zero, is now allowing him to complete another assignment to replace the Pledge.
FoxNews.com's Meghan Baker contributed to this report.
Buy American This Season
Christmas 2011 -- Birth of a New Tradition
As the holidays approach, the giant Asian factories are kicking into high gear to provide
Americans with monstrous piles of cheaply produced goods -- merchandise that has been
produced at the expense of American labor. This year will be different. This year
Americans will give the gift of genuine concern for other Americans. There is no longer
an excuse that, at gift giving time, nothing can be found that is produced by American
hands. Yes there is!
It's time to think outside the box, people. Who says a gift needs to fit in a shirt box,
wrapped in Chinese produced wrapping paper?
Everyone -- yes EVERYONE gets their hair cut. How about gift certificates from your
local American hair salon or barber?
Gym membership? It's appropriate for all ages who are thinking about some health
improvement.
Who wouldn't appreciate getting their car detailed? Small, American owned detail shops
and car washes would love to sell you a gift certificate or a book of gift certificates.
Are you one of those extravagant givers who think nothing of plonking down the Benjamin's
on a Chinese made flat-screen? Perhaps that grateful gift receiver would like his driveway
sealed, or lawn mowed for the summer, or driveway plowed all winter, or games at the local
golf course.
There are a bazillion owner-run restaurants -- all offering gift certificates. And, if your
intended isn't the fancy eatery sort, what about a half dozen breakfasts at the local breakfast
joint. Remember, folks this isn't about big National chains -- this is about supporting your
home town Americans with their financial lives on the line to keep their doors open.
How many people couldn't use an oil change for their car, truck or motorcycle, done at a shop
run by the American working guy?
Thinking about a heartfelt gift for mom? Mom would LOVE the services of a local cleaning lady
for a day.
My computer could use a tune-up, and I KNOW I can find some young guy who is struggling
to get his repair business up and running.
OK, you were looking for something more personal. Local crafts people spin their own wool and
knit them into scarves. They make jewelry, and pottery and beautiful wooden boxes.
Plan your holiday outings at local, owner operated restaurants and leave your server a nice tip.
And, how about going out to see a play or ballet at your hometown theatre.
Musicians need love too, so find a venue showcasing local bands.
Honestly, people, do you REALLY need to buy another ten thousand Chinese lights for the house?
When you buy a five dollar string of light, about fifty cents stays in the community. If you have
those kinds of bucks to burn, leave the mailman, trash guy or babysitter a nice BIG tip.
You see, Christmas is no longer about draining American pockets so that China can build another
glittering city. Christmas is now about caring about US, encouraging American small businesses
to keep plugging away to follow their dreams. And, when we care about other Americans, we care
about our communities, and the benefits come back to us in ways we couldn't imagine.
THIS is the new American Christmas tradition!
 Governor Otter with the Idaho Department of Labor Director, Mr. Madsen visiting
students in Pierce, Idaho
CHINESE COMPANY EYES Boise
As economic power shifts to Asia, Idaho’s location makes it a prime site for an industrial foothold.
BY ROCKY BARKER - rbarker@idahostatesman.com
A Chinese national company is interested in developing a 10,000- to 30,000-acre technology zone for industry, retail centers and homes south of the Boise Airport.
Officials of the China National Machinery Industry Corp. have broached the idea — based on a concept popular in China today — to city and state leaders.
They are also interested in helping build and finance a fertilizer plant near American Falls, an idea company officials returned to Idaho this month to pursue.
This ambitious, long-term proposal would start with a manufacturing and warehouse zone tied to the airport, and could signify a shift in the economic relationship between the two superpowers — a relationship once defined by U.S. companies like the J.R. Simplot Co., Hewlett-Packard and Morrison-Knudsen that would head to China to build and develop.
“I think China’s coming over here shows they are willing to collaborate on the reinvigoration of the American industrial base,” said Jeff Don, CEO of Eagle-based C3, which is acting as an Idaho representative for the Chinese company, called Sinomach for short.
Sinomach is just one of an increasing number of companies and investors showing interest in Idaho.
Hoku Materials Inc., a subsidiary of a Chinese energy firm, already has 500 people building its $400 million plant to make polysilicon for solar panels in Pocatello. It expects to begin production in 2011, employing 250 people, said Scott Paul, Hoku’s president and CEO.
China surpassed Japan as the second largest economy in the world in 2010. And in June, Gov. Butch Otter traveled there to tell anyone who would listen that Idaho is open for business.
EAST IDAHO PROJECT COULD COME FIRST
Sinomach is China’s third-largest contractor, with more than $14 billion in sales last year. It has been active in more than 130 countries in Asia, Africa, Latin America, Russia and Eastern Europe as general contractor for large infrastructure and building projects. Sinomach executives told Southeast Idaho Energy, which is planning to build a $2 billion fertilizer plant
in Power County, they want the contract for engineering, procurement and construction.
Their access to financing is their deal sweetener.
Southeast Idaho Energy hopes to turn coal into gas to produce nitrogen fertilizer and sulfur. The company expects to hire 700 to 1,000 people during construction with 150 permanent workers. The company also would separate the carbon dioxide that contributes to climate change and ship it to Wyoming, where it can be pumped underground to enhance the extraction of natural gas.
While Otter was in Beijing in June, he spoke about the project with Jin Kening, chairman of the China National Chemical Engineering Corp. — a different government-owned company. Don said Chinese national companies do compete with each other, but won’t let their own competition get in the way. “Whatever makes the deal go forward,” Don said.
Doug Sayer, president and CEO of Premier Technology, worked with Otter in Beijing to build long-term relationships with China National. His company could bid on some of the work to build the fertilizer plant. “Anything we can do to work toward having good industry opportunities for investment is important whether we get a piece of that work,” Sayer said.
The state’s efforts have been critical to the discussions, said Pat Sullivan, a Boise lobbyist who works with Southeast Idaho Energy. “One thing these Chinese see is we have a governor here who has a great big open-door policy, and I think that’s making a difference in this Sinomach project,” he said.
AN UNUSUAL IDEA THAT MAY BECOME COMMON
Sinomach is not looking only at Idaho.
The company sent delegations to Ohio, Michigan and Pennsylvania this year to talk about setting up research and development bases and industrial parks. It has an interest in electric transmission projects and alternative energy as well.
The technology zone proposal follows a model of science, technology and industrial parks in China — often fully contained cities with all services included.
But Don and other local supporters have recommended fitting the idea into the kind of planned unit development used for local approval here.Sinomach officials met with Boise city and airport officials — including Mayor Dave Bieter — to discuss developing a first phase for the technology zone that would set up a base of operations for Chinese companies doing business in the United States.
City officials were cautious, since the idea is at an early stage. “We understand they are at a preliminary stage. We are waiting to hear back from them with a proposal for where they want to go from here,” said Cece Gassner, assistant to the mayor for economic development.
The proposal could get a boost from this year’s voter-approved constitutional amendment that allows the airport to borrow money to build facilities that can be leased to companies on a long-term basis.
The airport commission also has the authority to grant long-term leases and landing rights to air
carriers, including those from China. Sinomach is not the only Asian company looking at Boise, Gassner said. “We’re getting calls from investors from all across Asia who are interested in Idaho,” she said. Idaho’s location, only another 45 minutes farther by air than Seattle from Asia, will open many opportunities, state and local officials said. The state’s low cost for doing business will help, too. Sinomach is attracted to Idaho, in part, because of the lack of infrastructure here, which means it has more opportunity. “Idaho’s the last state that should say we don’t want to do business with Asia,” said Lt. Gov. Brad Little. “Asia’s where the money is.”
Yeh Ling-Ling, executive director of the Alliance for a Sustainable USA, said U.S. businesses should be cautious about making contracts that give Chinese companies the best jobs — though she is more worried about investment programs that encourage immigration, which Idaho also has jumped into this year. “I believe that Idaho or other American companies should first seek investments from America and employ American engineers first,” said Ling-Ling, a naturalized citizen from Orinda, Calif., who was born in Vietnam of Chinese parents.
Little, who met with Zhang Chun, director general of Sinomach, and other company officials, said he thinks the state and the company are a good fit. But that doesn’t mean the state won’t stick up for its own interests. “We’re sure not going to favor a Chinese company over an Idaho company,” Little said.
Rocky Barker: 377-6484
 A GM Unit in China's Hands
AP - November 12, 2010
GM sells US based Factory to China
You don't need to understand exchange rates and trade wars to grasp the economic change that has come to Saginaw, Mich. Remarkably, the largest private employer there will soon be the city government of Beijing.
In the weeks ahead, a 104-year-old unit of General Motors will be sold to new owners from China. The unit made steering equipment for decades under the name Saginaw Steering Gear. Now known as Nexteer, it employs 8,300 people around the world. Its new Beijing owners call themselves Pacific Century Motors.
You and the rest of the world probably missed this $450 million deal. General Motors, still controlled by the U.S. government, gave it little attention this summer as it readied its own high-profile return to the stock market.
But it is one of the landmark deals of the era, the first time Chinese investors have bought a U.S. industrial operation of such scale and history: Twenty-two factories around the globe, six engineering centers, 14 customer-support centers. All of it will be run from Saginaw, where devotion to the company extended to a now-defunct hockey team. It called itself the Gears.
The deal will, of course, test China's nascent foreign investment and management prowess. But it is shaping up to be more of a test stateside, where attitudes against China continue to coarsen as unemployment stays stubbornly high and politicians complain about China taking U.S. jobs, if not U.S. pride.
During World War II, Saginaw Steering Gear manufactured M1 carbines used by Marines in the Pacific.
"Did it really need to be sold to the Chinese?" asks Roger Kahn, a Michigan state senator from Saginaw. "I want to see businesses successful in the U.S. owned in the U.S. This doesn't meet the standard."
The feeling is more begrudging for the workers inside the company. One, who called the Chinese "commies," complained to a union official that the U.S. flag and a P.O.W.-M.I.A. memorial flag were taken down when Chinese officials visited recently. A company spokesman said he had no knowledge of any flags being taken down.
And while they like the stability of new owners, "everyone is concerned about long-term viability," said one United Auto Workers official who asked not to be named. The union recently took a pay cut ahead of the transaction.
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