In its Jan. 31 editorial "How to keep a happy home", the difficulty in seeking an accommodation from a mortgage service organization is described and persons at risk of losing their houses through foreclosure are encouraged to contact Tabor Community Services. "Tabor helps distressed homeowners navigate the myriad of state and federal programs that are designed to help them avoid foreclosure."
WATCHDOG: Good advice. However, a large portion of home mortgages have been "securitized", that is they have been packaged as part of bonds and sold to passive investors, and thus are beyond the discretion of the loan originator. To make things worse, the very mortgages have often been divided up according to levels of risk and the parts bundled in separate offerings. (For a $100,000 mortgage, the amount between $90,000 and $100,000 is at greatest risk.)
In such cases, the service organizations are only empowered to collect the money, not to negotiate any variation in terms. Thus they seem unresponsive.
As part of efforts to stem foreclosures, one of the considerations is for the federal government to authorize service organizations to negotiate and approve modifications in terms and settlements. Bond holders and debtors both benefit from a "work out" or "cram down."
Saturday, January 31, 2009
Thursday, January 29, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
The Jan. 29 article "An unpopular message; Speaker: Sex offenders should get 2nd chance" quotes former state representative Tom Armstrong as telling the Rotary Club:
"...a lot of these sex offenders will never get out of prison" for lack of a place to reside when allowed to leave prison. "It's destroyed their lives."
According to the article, "Armstrong said recidivism rates for most types of sex offenders is (sic) about 3 percent or lower. By comparison, he said, half of those convicted of drug and alcohol offenses fail to rehabilitate and then they commit more crimes, and yet they have plenty of housing choices when they emerge from prison."
WATCHDOG: Kudos to Armstrong for persevering in his educational mission, to Rotary for providing a forum, and to the Intell for prominently publishing the article. Sometimes the editors of the Lancaster Newspapers don't immediately understand social issues but, once edified, they tend to do the right thing. There is even hope for the New Era!
(NewsLanc has emphasized that the scope of the term "sex offender" is far too broad, bundling those committing relatively minor sexual infractions and indiscretions with serial rapists and pedophiles.)
"...a lot of these sex offenders will never get out of prison" for lack of a place to reside when allowed to leave prison. "It's destroyed their lives."
According to the article, "Armstrong said recidivism rates for most types of sex offenders is (sic) about 3 percent or lower. By comparison, he said, half of those convicted of drug and alcohol offenses fail to rehabilitate and then they commit more crimes, and yet they have plenty of housing choices when they emerge from prison."
WATCHDOG: Kudos to Armstrong for persevering in his educational mission, to Rotary for providing a forum, and to the Intell for prominently publishing the article. Sometimes the editors of the Lancaster Newspapers don't immediately understand social issues but, once edified, they tend to do the right thing. There is even hope for the New Era!
(NewsLanc has emphasized that the scope of the term "sex offender" is far too broad, bundling those committing relatively minor sexual infractions and indiscretions with serial rapists and pedophiles.)
Tuesday, January 27, 2009
PHILADELPHIA INQUIRER
In an article titled "FBI: No evidence Fumo consultants did any work", the Inquirer reported:
"An FBI agent testified yesterday in former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo's corruption trial that the state Senate was unable to turn up a single example of work done by three consultants paid a total of $637,000 by taxpayers at Fumo's command.
"The agent, Vicki Humphreys, said federal investigators subpoenaed records for consultants Michael Palermo and Mitchell Rubin, two longtime friends of Fumo's, and for a younger consultant, Philip Press, and found no evidence that they had produced any written work."
WATCHDOG: Is this an omen of things to come for Lancaster? Sounds like the bi-weekly investigative series by Jim Sneddon on the Convention Center Authority that NewsLanc will continue to publish bi-weekly over the next few months.
"An FBI agent testified yesterday in former State Sen. Vincent J. Fumo's corruption trial that the state Senate was unable to turn up a single example of work done by three consultants paid a total of $637,000 by taxpayers at Fumo's command.
"The agent, Vicki Humphreys, said federal investigators subpoenaed records for consultants Michael Palermo and Mitchell Rubin, two longtime friends of Fumo's, and for a younger consultant, Philip Press, and found no evidence that they had produced any written work."
WATCHDOG: Is this an omen of things to come for Lancaster? Sounds like the bi-weekly investigative series by Jim Sneddon on the Convention Center Authority that NewsLanc will continue to publish bi-weekly over the next few months.
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
Headlined on Jan. 27 "Humble hero saves boy, 3; Pulls child from burning Solanco home." Said Jamie Sheetz: "I'm just a hillbilly...I did what a man's supposed to do."
WATCHDOG: Sheetz, although only 40, is a throwback to an earlier time before the confusion of gender roles. There were things that women were expected to do and things that were expected of men. He wouldn't even accept hospital care for his minor injuries.
A wag of the tail to Brett Hambright who wrote the story. Given the angle and the quote, we expect it to be picked up by the national press.
WATCHDOG: Sheetz, although only 40, is a throwback to an earlier time before the confusion of gender roles. There were things that women were expected to do and things that were expected of men. He wouldn't even accept hospital care for his minor injuries.
A wag of the tail to Brett Hambright who wrote the story. Given the angle and the quote, we expect it to be picked up by the national press.
Monday, January 26, 2009
NEW ERA
The Jan. 21st editorial is headed "Table games not good bet for Pa."
WATCHDOG: Let's remember this and see what they have to say two years from now if the convention center comes a cropper and Dale High and the Lancaster Newspapers make use of the casino license that many think that then Sen. Gibson Armstrong has had set aside for such a contingency, if not likelihood.
WATCHDOG: Let's remember this and see what they have to say two years from now if the convention center comes a cropper and Dale High and the Lancaster Newspapers make use of the casino license that many think that then Sen. Gibson Armstrong has had set aside for such a contingency, if not likelihood.
NEW ERA
The Jan. 22nd editorial "A way to simplify federal tax code" advocates a federal income flat tax of 20% for everyone. "If all or most of the tax deductions were eliminated - including the one for home mortgages (although, we don't see that happening) - virtually the entire federal tax code could be pitched, according to [Sen. Arlen] Specter."
WATCHDOG: Talk about "Alms for the rich!"
This would replace a "progressive" income tax, one in which the more a person earns the more on each added dollar is paid, with a "regressive" tax, whereby the poor and the rich pay the same amount out of each dollar earned.
How lovely that would be for those earning in the seven figures who now have to pay 33% on most of their income. (Sixty years ago they would have paid over 80%!)
A large portion of our population who are subsisting on minimal wages, who currently don't have to pay income tax, would have to fork over 20% of their meager income.
We can tell Specter is wooing conservative Republicans to support him in the 2010 primary election when he wheels out that proposal!
WATCHDOG: Talk about "Alms for the rich!"
This would replace a "progressive" income tax, one in which the more a person earns the more on each added dollar is paid, with a "regressive" tax, whereby the poor and the rich pay the same amount out of each dollar earned.
How lovely that would be for those earning in the seven figures who now have to pay 33% on most of their income. (Sixty years ago they would have paid over 80%!)
A large portion of our population who are subsisting on minimal wages, who currently don't have to pay income tax, would have to fork over 20% of their meager income.
We can tell Specter is wooing conservative Republicans to support him in the 2010 primary election when he wheels out that proposal!
Saturday, January 24, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
In his Jan. 23 column "Sen. Brubaker busy doing your business", Jeff Hawkes reports: "Brubaker expressed a particular interest in wanting to know if prison reform could result in savings without jeopardizing public safety."
WATCHDOG: That is for sure. As NewsLanc's recent article on the Justice & Mercy organization described, some prisoners who are eligible for probation cannot leave prison because they have no acceptable place to reside. And if they don't have a place to go to at the end of their sentence, they are re-arrested as they leave prison. Talk about Catch 22!
Considering that the USA has well over two million people incarcerated, the highest proportion per thousand of any nation in the world, and many for crimes as innocuous as smoking marijuana, there seems to be room for releasing hundreds of thousands of harmless individuals.
Except for the luck of the draw, Barrack Obama and George W. Bush would likely be two of them, as well as at least 20% of the U. S. adult population.
WATCHDOG: That is for sure. As NewsLanc's recent article on the Justice & Mercy organization described, some prisoners who are eligible for probation cannot leave prison because they have no acceptable place to reside. And if they don't have a place to go to at the end of their sentence, they are re-arrested as they leave prison. Talk about Catch 22!
Considering that the USA has well over two million people incarcerated, the highest proportion per thousand of any nation in the world, and many for crimes as innocuous as smoking marijuana, there seems to be room for releasing hundreds of thousands of harmless individuals.
Except for the luck of the draw, Barrack Obama and George W. Bush would likely be two of them, as well as at least 20% of the U. S. adult population.
Thursday, January 22, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
In a Jan. 22 article "SDL names Jon Mitchell athletics director ", it quotes Mitchell: "It's ridiculous that we don't have more students out for athletics than we do. I'd like to increase participation in all sports...It can't be only the coaches' job to recruit (athletes)."
WATCHDOG: If Mitchell is serious rather than engaging in public relations pap, he is ignorant to the real problem: Under trained coaches who lack knowledge on how to teach skills and run proper practices and instead have students engage in countless intra squad scrimmages which reinforce bad habits.
Don't blame the students for the failure of the School District of Lancaster over past years to pay attention to its athletic program. If Mitchell improves the coaching, the players will come.
WATCHDOG: If Mitchell is serious rather than engaging in public relations pap, he is ignorant to the real problem: Under trained coaches who lack knowledge on how to teach skills and run proper practices and instead have students engage in countless intra squad scrimmages which reinforce bad habits.
Don't blame the students for the failure of the School District of Lancaster over past years to pay attention to its athletic program. If Mitchell improves the coaching, the players will come.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
NEW ERA
A Jan. 19 editorial headlines "Radon: danger lurking beneath" and goes on to warn "It's a life-threatening problem that's largely being ignored. It's radon, a cancer-causing, radioactive gas that can collect in basements of homes or on the first floor of homes built on cement slabs."
WATCHDOG: It is a good idea to test your basement. There is a good likelihood in this part of the country is you will show a radon reading a bit above the level that the Environmental Protection Agency suggests warrants remediation. But don't panic. Unless it is much higher, you should do some research before enriching the industry that has grown up around and helps perpetuate radon scare.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports: "Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked." In a country of over 300 million, that is a very tiny figure, for non-smokers not much different than the chances of being hit by lightening. (1 in 700,000.) And it is reasonable to assume that those who contract cancer are in locations of radon levels far above the level that triggers concern.
A study in 1996, the latest we could find on Google, as reported by the Associated Press in the New York Times states:
"A major study has failed to connect indoor radon exposure with lung cancer, raising new uncertainty about public health warnings that the colorless, odorless gas is responsible for as much as 10 percent of the United States' lung cancer.
"Americans have spent about $400 million testing for radon and renovating homes with high levels. But experts said today that several studies now suggest the minimum residential level of the gas that poses a significant cancer risk is not known."
Our point, test but take into consideration the level found and the risk involved compared to other risks we all run and don't spend thousands of dollars to prevent.
Caveat: If basement are being used for bedrooms or family rooms, testing and, where recommended, remediation becomes more important.
WATCHDOG: It is a good idea to test your basement. There is a good likelihood in this part of the country is you will show a radon reading a bit above the level that the Environmental Protection Agency suggests warrants remediation. But don't panic. Unless it is much higher, you should do some research before enriching the industry that has grown up around and helps perpetuate radon scare.
The Environmental Protection Agency reports: "Radon is responsible for about 21,000 lung cancer deaths every year. About 2,900 of these deaths occur among people who have never smoked." In a country of over 300 million, that is a very tiny figure, for non-smokers not much different than the chances of being hit by lightening. (1 in 700,000.) And it is reasonable to assume that those who contract cancer are in locations of radon levels far above the level that triggers concern.
A study in 1996, the latest we could find on Google, as reported by the Associated Press in the New York Times states:
"A major study has failed to connect indoor radon exposure with lung cancer, raising new uncertainty about public health warnings that the colorless, odorless gas is responsible for as much as 10 percent of the United States' lung cancer.
"Americans have spent about $400 million testing for radon and renovating homes with high levels. But experts said today that several studies now suggest the minimum residential level of the gas that poses a significant cancer risk is not known."
Our point, test but take into consideration the level found and the risk involved compared to other risks we all run and don't spend thousands of dollars to prevent.
Caveat: If basement are being used for bedrooms or family rooms, testing and, where recommended, remediation becomes more important.
Sunday, January 18, 2009
SUNDAY NEWS
In his Jan.18th column "Readers can't picture this," Editor Marv Adams describes the difficult decision concerning printing shocking and disturbing pictures, one today of the facial expression of a Moslem girl undergoing ritual circumcision. In contrast, the photo of a Palestinian girl killed in Gaza was restricted to their web site.
"When it's delivered in print to your home, you have almost no choice but to look at a photo. By choice, you log on to the Internet...Maybe if we did print photos of children, and others, killed in war, people wouldn't be so quick to push for war or to choose sides."
WATCHDOG: Well said. Well done.
Journalism should be truthful and edify. It should appeal to our better nature, not our prejudices.
"When it's delivered in print to your home, you have almost no choice but to look at a photo. By choice, you log on to the Internet...Maybe if we did print photos of children, and others, killed in war, people wouldn't be so quick to push for war or to choose sides."
WATCHDOG: Well said. Well done.
Journalism should be truthful and edify. It should appeal to our better nature, not our prejudices.
Saturday, January 17, 2009
NEW ERA
It's Jan. 17 editorial is headed "Obama nominees off on wrong foot." It goes on two address two cabinet level appointments:
Of Secretary of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner it states: "...there is a terrible irony in having a tax scofflaw run a federal department that oversees the Internal Revenue Service."
Of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, it says "...Holder did not do his homework in the pardon of fugitive financier Mark Rich, whose [former] wife happened to be a big financial supporter of the Democratic Party."
WATCHDOG: President-elect Obama not only is "off on the wrong foot" but he is shooting himself in the foot, ramming through appointments of two individuals that, no matter how great their talent, have knowingly acted reprehensibly and thus forfeited their right to high offices.
According to NewsMax.com: "Geithner failed to pay $34,000 in self-employment taxes from 2001 to 2004 for money he earned while he worked at the International Monetary Fund. He paid some of the taxes in 2006 after an Internal Revenue Service audit discovered the discrepancy for the years 2003 and 2004. But it wasn't until two years later, days before President Obama tapped him to head Treasury last November, that Geithner paid back taxes he owed for the years 2001and 2002."
How can this be justified, for any prospective cabinet official, let alone one in charge of the Internal Revenue Service?
Even worse, in our opinion, then Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder took his order from above at Bill Clinton's worse moment as president. Holder rammed through a pardon for Public Enemy and indeed World Enemy #1, Marc Rich. A fugitive from U. S. law, Rich earned billions by channeling goods around embargoes established by the U. S. and other nations. He even traded in selling uranium to dubious states against the law!
When queried about this sordid act by Senator Arlen Specter and others, Holder could give no feasible explanation for his failure to follow normal due dilligence and simply continued to say "I made a mistake." But it wasn't a mistake; it was purposeful. Accidents, oversights and well meaning wrong decisions can be forgiven; not wilful dereliction of duty.
Barrack Obama would be wise to withdraw these nominees. Otherwise the appointments will seriously undermine the image of probity and decency with which he has sought to cloak his leadership and which induced many of us to vote for him.
Of Secretary of Treasury nominee Timothy Geithner it states: "...there is a terrible irony in having a tax scofflaw run a federal department that oversees the Internal Revenue Service."
Of Attorney General nominee Eric Holder, it says "...Holder did not do his homework in the pardon of fugitive financier Mark Rich, whose [former] wife happened to be a big financial supporter of the Democratic Party."
WATCHDOG: President-elect Obama not only is "off on the wrong foot" but he is shooting himself in the foot, ramming through appointments of two individuals that, no matter how great their talent, have knowingly acted reprehensibly and thus forfeited their right to high offices.
According to NewsMax.com: "Geithner failed to pay $34,000 in self-employment taxes from 2001 to 2004 for money he earned while he worked at the International Monetary Fund. He paid some of the taxes in 2006 after an Internal Revenue Service audit discovered the discrepancy for the years 2003 and 2004. But it wasn't until two years later, days before President Obama tapped him to head Treasury last November, that Geithner paid back taxes he owed for the years 2001and 2002."
How can this be justified, for any prospective cabinet official, let alone one in charge of the Internal Revenue Service?
Even worse, in our opinion, then Deputy Attorney General Eric Holder took his order from above at Bill Clinton's worse moment as president. Holder rammed through a pardon for Public Enemy and indeed World Enemy #1, Marc Rich. A fugitive from U. S. law, Rich earned billions by channeling goods around embargoes established by the U. S. and other nations. He even traded in selling uranium to dubious states against the law!
When queried about this sordid act by Senator Arlen Specter and others, Holder could give no feasible explanation for his failure to follow normal due dilligence and simply continued to say "I made a mistake." But it wasn't a mistake; it was purposeful. Accidents, oversights and well meaning wrong decisions can be forgiven; not wilful dereliction of duty.
Barrack Obama would be wise to withdraw these nominees. Otherwise the appointments will seriously undermine the image of probity and decency with which he has sought to cloak his leadership and which induced many of us to vote for him.
Friday, January 16, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
On Jan. 15, Jeff Hawkes in his column "What Donegal needs to build is a better case" reverses course at the end and states "The best answer is a shift from property taxes to a broader, fairer revenue source, such as the income tax."
WATCHDOG: We second that. Every youngster deserves a good education, no matter where he or she happens to live.
This isn't just morality, it's self preservation. Education is key to our economic well being in the international economy.
WATCHDOG: We second that. Every youngster deserves a good education, no matter where he or she happens to live.
This isn't just morality, it's self preservation. Education is key to our economic well being in the international economy.
Thursday, January 8, 2009
NEW ERA
The editorial on Jan. 5 states: "The Employee Free Choice Act would allow employees to indicate their desire for a union simply by signing authorization cards." (Currently, collecting cards from a majority of employees triggers a period of discussion followed by a secret ballot.)
WATCHDOG: We agree. When approached by two or three co-workers, the typical worker is likely to sign a card without being well informed and considering the full consequences. That's not the the way for such an important change to be brought about.
The problem today isn't the law, it is its lax enforcement that has permitted employers get around good faith electioneering and, if they lose, good faith contract negotiations. The new administration can put an end to such abuses.
WATCHDOG: We agree. When approached by two or three co-workers, the typical worker is likely to sign a card without being well informed and considering the full consequences. That's not the the way for such an important change to be brought about.
The problem today isn't the law, it is its lax enforcement that has permitted employers get around good faith electioneering and, if they lose, good faith contract negotiations. The new administration can put an end to such abuses.
Monday, January 5, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
In an article concerning the demolition of the Queen Street pedestrian bridge, the Intell quotes Rep. Mike Stura as follows: "I don't know that tearing it down first just so we can have a vacant hole there makes a whole lot of sense." He further indicated that any developer "worth his salt" could evaluate the sites potential with the bridge in place.
WATCHDOG:
If we tear it down, they will come!
WATCHDOG:
If we tear it down, they will come!
Friday, January 2, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
On Jan.1st in what read like a press release, the Intell headlined "Weis to lower; freeze food prices. 2,400 items affected; will last 90days."
WATCHDOG: On Jan. 2nd, the Intell contains a ten page Weis insert with the front page message: "Price Freeze. Weis has lowered and frozen the price on thousands of items you purchase the most for the next 90 days."
Will we soon read about Giant and Stauffer insert specials in front page news articles?
WATCHDOG: On Jan. 2nd, the Intell contains a ten page Weis insert with the front page message: "Price Freeze. Weis has lowered and frozen the price on thousands of items you purchase the most for the next 90 days."
Will we soon read about Giant and Stauffer insert specials in front page news articles?
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL
The Jan. 2nd editorial "Won't work" pontificates "By accepting [Illinois governor Rod Blagojevich's appointment, [former Illinois attorney general Roland] Burris has sadly allowed himself to be used by an unscrupulous politician who is trying to stay out of jail, let along (sic) trying to keep his office." It also accuses the governor of "cynicism" in appointing Burris who is Black.
WATCHDOG: Since the article starts out by invoking "chutzpah", let us note that religions recognize that all sacraments, even by a corrupt clergy person, are valid.
Also, our legal system operates on the theory that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In addition, the federal prosecutor has just asked for a three months extension for filing full charges. Talk is not necessarily guilt or we would have 50 million rather than 2 million in prison.
And what is "cynical" about appointing an African-American to replace the only African-American in the Senate? It was expected.
As governor, Burris is required under law to make an appointment, otherwise the people of Illinois would be underrepresented in the Senate.
Lastly, shouldn't the issue be Burris' qualifications to be senator, rather than Blagojevich's to be governor?
We get into trouble when we ignore the law out of emotion. If Blagojevich is guilty, impeach him and / or send him to jail. But if Burris isn't more tainted than most of the other politicians who made it to the Senate, seat him and let's get on with dealing with far more serious problems.
WATCHDOG: Since the article starts out by invoking "chutzpah", let us note that religions recognize that all sacraments, even by a corrupt clergy person, are valid.
Also, our legal system operates on the theory that a person is innocent until proven guilty. In addition, the federal prosecutor has just asked for a three months extension for filing full charges. Talk is not necessarily guilt or we would have 50 million rather than 2 million in prison.
And what is "cynical" about appointing an African-American to replace the only African-American in the Senate? It was expected.
As governor, Burris is required under law to make an appointment, otherwise the people of Illinois would be underrepresented in the Senate.
Lastly, shouldn't the issue be Burris' qualifications to be senator, rather than Blagojevich's to be governor?
We get into trouble when we ignore the law out of emotion. If Blagojevich is guilty, impeach him and / or send him to jail. But if Burris isn't more tainted than most of the other politicians who made it to the Senate, seat him and let's get on with dealing with far more serious problems.
Thursday, January 1, 2009
INTELLIGENCER JOURNAL:
In a New Years column, Noble laureate economist Paul Krugman's writes: "But even as Washington tries to rescue the economy, the nation will be reeling from the actions of 50 Herbert Hoovers - state governors who are slashing spending in a time of recession, often at the expense both of their most vulnerable constituents and the nation's economic future."
WATCHDOG: Commissioners take note! This applies as much on the county as the state and federal levels.
WATCHDOG: Commissioners take note! This applies as much on the county as the state and federal levels.
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