Judge freezes California furlough order

From the Sacramento Bee - An Alameda Superior Court judge Monday temporarily barred Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger from imposing new furloughs on state workers beginning Friday. Judge Steven A. Brick ruled that there are "serious questions" about the legality of the furloughs and that permitting them before a scheduled Sept. 13 court hearing could cause irreparable harm. "The court finds, on the limited record before it, that the balance of hardships tips in favor of petitioners," states Brick's ruling, which is intended to preserve the status quo until both sides have had ample opportunity to press their case. Schwarzenegger, through a spokesman, vowed an immediate appeal to allow his furlough program to begin Friday. "As long as the Legislature fails to produce a budget and the state faces IOUs, we will do what we must to reduce costs, just as every California family and business is doing," said Aaron McLear, Schwarzenegger's spokesman.Read more:

Judge freezes California furlough order

Foreign Golfers May Skip Ryder Cup Due to UK Taxes

From the BizzyBlog - Those who don’t believe that high taxes on the rich don’t influence economic activity or economic behavior, which of course includes many in the establishment press, are going to have a tough time explaining away this brief item that’s being reported in the Associated Press: Tour officials hampered by UK tax rules. European Tour officials are in talks with the British government over tax rules which they say could deter leading golfers from playing in the Ryder Cup in October. Players competing in the match between Europe and the United States at Celtic Manor, Wales, could be seriously affected by new rules issued by the customs and revenue agency, which can now tax foreign sportsmen and women not just on prize money earned but on sponsorship and endorsements. Mitchell Platts, the European Tour’s director of public relations corporate affairs, said Tuesday the tax rule was “seriously hampering our efforts.” This is pretty obviously double taxation of the same income in both the home country and the UK. If they don’t fix this by the London 2012 Olympics, there may be an unplanned return to what used to be known as the amateur ideal, as many of the world’s Olympic-level athletes, particularly in sports like basketball and tennis, may decide to take a pass.

Foreign Golfers May Skip Ryder Cup Due to UK Taxes

EDITORIAL: Engineered by Obama Motors

From the Washington Times - A report by the Troubled Asset Relief Program's inspector general, Neil M. Barofsky, underscores the danger of handing control of private enterprise to government bureaucrats. In running General Motors and Chrysler, the Obama administration's Auto Team made decisions based on what its members know best: race and politics. After taking over the bankrupt carmakers, the administration ordered the immediate termination of one-quarter of existing dealerships - but not for business reasons. "Key members of the Auto Team ... stated that they did not consider cost savings to be a factor in determining the need for dealership closures." GM set up a scoring system to determine the most valuable dealerships. The O Force's disdain for red states and their tendency to "cling to guns or religion" can't be coincidental. Read more

EDITORIAL: Engineered by Obama Motors

Landowners brace for eminent domain fight with foreign backers of power line

From the Great Falls Tribune.com - Larry Salois, who is French and Cree Indian, slips on a pair of moccasins, and then walks to a spot on his land near Cut Bank, where he circles a ring of rocks in the ground. The rocks mark the outline of a historic tepee ring, probably Blackfeet, according to Salois. "I consider this somewhat of a sacred area," said Salois, explaining his change in footwear. Tonbridge Power Inc. of Toronto, Canada, values the land, too, which is owned by Salois' 83-year-old mother, Shirley. The company plans to erect 90-foot-tall poles on the property as part of a 215-mile transmission line for electricity it is building from Lethbridge, Alberta, to Great Falls. The company has filed a condemnation complaint on the Salois land to gain access it says is needed for the greater good, but Larry Salois is digging in his heels. He disputes the claim that the project is in the public interest, and he isn't sure whether Tonbridge, which is a for-profit private company based in a foreign country, even has the right to condemn the land. Read more

Landowners brace for eminent domain fight with foreign backers of power line

Buy and Bail?

Harvey Collier, a mortgage broker in Fort Lauderdale, Florida, says he gets as many as 10 calls a month from people planning to default on their loans. The twist: They first want financing to buy another home. Real estate professionals call it “buy and bail,” acquiring a new house before the buyer’s credit rating is ruined by walking away from the old one because it’s “underwater,” or worth less than the mortgage. It’s an attempt to escape payments on a home whose value may never recover while securing a new property, often at a lower price with a more affordable loan.

The practice, which constitutes fraud if borrowers lie on loan applications, is continuing even after Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, the biggest U.S. mortgage-finance companies, beefed up standards to prevent it, according to brokers such as Collier and Meg Burns, senior associate director for congressional affairs and communications at the Federal Housing Finance Agency. Whether driven by greed or desperation, the persistency of buy and bail underscores the lingering impact of the worst housing crash since the Great Depression. Read more here:

Buy and Bail?

Endorsement Power Test

President Barack Obama’s influence among Democrats will be tested today in a primary in Colorado, where his party is fighting to keep a U.S. Senate seat likely critical to its control of the chamber. No other Democratic contest this year has drawn as much involvement from Obama, who is backing Senator Michael Bennet. The incumbent’s opponent, former Colorado House Speaker Andrew Romanoff, is supported by former President Bill Clinton. The Republican primary pits a Tea Party favorite against a candidate supported by the national party leadership, while a race for the party’s gubernatorial nomination features a plagiarism scandal. Connecticut and Minnesota also hold primaries today, and Georgia has a run-off contest selecting the Republican gubernatorial candidate. Bennet, appointed after Obama named then-Senator Ken Salazar as Interior Department secretary, has relied on White House help throughout the primary. Reflecting Obama’s below 50 percent approval rating in polls, Bennet isn’t sure he wants such help should he advance to the general election campaign. Read more here:

Endorsement Power Test

Thomas Sowell - Cheering Immaturity

Thomas Sowell

A graduating senior at Hunter College High School in New York gave a speech that brought a standing ovation from his teachers and got his picture in the New York Times. I hope it doesn't go to his head, because what he said was so illogical that it was an indictment of the mush that is being taught at even our elite educational institutions. Young Justin Hudson, described as "black and Hispanic," opened by saying how much he appreciated reaching his graduation day at this very select public high school. Then he said, "I don't deserve any of this. And neither do you." The reason? He and his classmates were there because of "luck and circumstances." Read more here:

Thomas Sowell - Cheering Immaturity

Despite healthy cash reserve, Blue Cross Blue Shield wants steep premium increase

From The Santa Fe NewMexican - by Staci Matlock - Unless a proposed health insurance rate hike is overturned by interim state Insurance Superintendent Johnny L. Montoya, 7,100 Santa Fe County residents will see a double-digit increase their Blue Cross Blue Shield of New Mexico premiums as of October. Blue Cross settled on a 21.3 percent increase in April with the Insurance Division of the state Public Regulation Commission. The company says it needs the increase to cover higher medical costs and more claims among 40,000 New Mexicans covered under 12 individual health plans. Consumers Union, publisher of Consumer Reports, says the company should consider using a portion of its healthy surplus — a "rainy day" reserve — to offset medical costs and lessen the premium hike. But while state law may prohibit the insurance superintendent from considering surpluses in a rate case, his division's staff attorneys are reluctant to say so on the record. "The crux of this issue really is a question of statutory interpretation," said Gerald Garner Jr., a division spokesman. "Since the BCBS hearing is still pending and because the superintendent of insurance has not taken a position on the matter yet, it would be imprudent for us to respond or elaborate further on this subject until the conclusion of the hearing." Read more

Despite healthy cash reserve, Blue Cross Blue Shield wants steep premium increase

Mexico to Investigate Federal Officers

Mexico's Attorney General's Office has opened an investigation into allegations of corruption within the federal police in Juárez. The investigation is in response to an uprising by hundreds of federal police officers on Saturday against some of their commanders, whom they accused of taking money and having connections to drug traffickers. The commanders were taken into custody at gunpoint, handcuffed and smacked around by their ski-masked subordinates, who claimed corruption was putting their lives at risk. Read more here:

Mexico to Investigate Federal Officers

Decapitated Bodies Found South of Palomas

The Luna County Sheriff's Office and Columbus Police reported Monday the discovery early Sunday of three decapitated men in a burned Ford Explorer in the Palomas, Chihuahua, Mexico area and three heads being found at a gazebo in the village plaza. Sheriff Raymond Cobos said the heads were found early Sunday morning by a priest on his way to church. Reports were the three bodies, for which no identifications were available, were incinerated in the burned Explorer.

Decapitated Bodies Found South of Palomas

LAS CRUCES — Jim Miller hasn't changed a whole lot in his 13 years in terms of getting his Las Cruces High football team ready for the season. With football a year around sport in New Mexico, prep teams were able to hit the ground running on Monday across the state. "We are just trying to get a feel but we are all excited because we get to put the helmets on," Las Cruces senior quarterback Jeremy Buurma said. "Two-a-day practices aren't the best thing, but for the seniors, it's the last time we get to do it." Read more here:

Martinez Talks Jobs/Economy

Susana Martinez

I have been heartened in the weeks since becoming the Republican gubernatorial nominee by the fact that a meaningful and substantive dialogue has begun to develop concerning the chief issues confronting our state – jobs and the economy. My campaign, as well as that of my opponent – Lieutenant Governor Diane Denish – have rolled out and campaigned on economic plans for New Mexico. Come November, voters will make a determination regarding which one of the two visions best reflects their hopes and dreams for our beloved state. Read more here:

Martinez Talks Jobs/Economy

Drivers License Easier for NM's Transgender People

Checking “F” or “M” for gender designation on a driver’s license isn’t something most people think much about. But for transgender individuals who feel different from their biological sex, the discrepancy between what’s listed as their gender on identifying documents and their appearance can lead to unexpected problems. Read more here:

Drivers License Easier for NM's Transgender People