Thursday, August 27, 2009

Speculation out of Webb City High School

Eli Yokley
8/28/2009

Speculation.

Speculation is brewing in Webb City surrounding a certain 16 year old girl.

While we won't propose this as fact, we will say sources very relevant in Webb City High School are suggesting a 16 year old sophomore girl was sent home with symptoms of H1N1, the "Swine-flu."

Sources tell TFJ that the girl was sent home with a headache and fever, but it has not been confirmed to, in fact, be the H1N1.

On the record, Superintendent Ron Lankford on Wednesday said, "we have had no confirmed Swine Flu incident at the High School."

Lankford did say, regarding swine flu, that "generally, we follow the lead of the CDC and Jasper County Health Dept." He reminds, "kids should not come to school sick, should wash their hands and follow good health habits."

Optimistically, Lankford says, "Hopefully it will not become a major problem."

(By the way, Principal Stephen Gollhopher has not yet responded to our email.)

More to come, surely, as this story develops.


Thursday, August 6, 2009

Blake James on Sotomayor and CARS

I hate to say I told you so.

Blake James, TFJ Contributor
08.07.2009

Good [insert proper salutation],

Readers, August 6, 2009 was an important day in Washington. The confirmation of Sonia Sotomayor as the 111th Supreme Court justice; ensures a seat for the third woman, and the first Hispanic justice history has ever seen. Our Senate had yet another history changing vote the day before they go on vacation. The emergency bill that was passed in the House last week continued its trip to law status as the Senate approves the $2 Billion for “Cash for Clunkers”.

Sotomayor

Set aside her race and sex for a moment and look at the pure political success of Sotomayor’s confirmation. Obama has to be happy that he was the first Democrat in 15 years to have a nomination to the Supreme Court be confirmed. With the left in full support and the right doing their best (only 9 Republicans voted in favor), the vote tallied 68 in favor and 31 in opposition. The right’s main argument against the justice is that she will bring a liberal agenda and personal bias into the court room. Sorry guys but losing a liberal (Justice David Souter) and filling the seat isn’t going to sway the bench, no matter how hard she could hypothetically push her agenda.

The right should probably watch what they say in following days, America is moving towards a more liberal approach to politics and any Hispanic constituent that happens to be on the fence will certainly be lost to the left.

Kudos to Sotomayor, may she be blessed with a successful ride on the most exclusive bench America has to offer.

“CARS” “aka. Cash for Clunkers” “aka $$$”

After the original $1 billion had been spent (in 10 days) congress was forced to take action, the 60-37 vote in tonight’s session of the Senate shows just what that action will be. The emergency $2 billion for CARS was again supported firmly by the left and the right really couldn’t do anything about it. Officials of the program say that the extra cash could help Americans buy a half-million more cars. While the lawmakers are fretting over more spending the initial success of the program must play a huge factor when looking at the cost benefit analysis of CARS. The first billion has allowed Americans to see a 50% increase in fuel economy and up $1,000 worth of savings in gas. The top selling cars under the program are the Toyota Corolla, Ford Focus, and the Honda Civic.

A big boo-yah goes out to the men and women on Capitol Hill, today really shows that our legislative branch can get things done.

Peace, love, and the right to be informed

-Blake James


by Eli Yokley: Want to read on?

  • Sotomayor: A Break Down of the Confirmation Here (via the New York Times)
  • Senate approved CARS, and Obama plans to sign it.


Sunday, August 2, 2009

Blake James: Hola. ¿Cómo estás?

Blake James
TheFuseJoplin.com Contributor

August 3, 2009

The Fuse Joplin has already covered the CARS aka Cars for Clunkers dilemma that is heating up, however we need to take a closer look at what is actually going on.

July 31st, Congress pushed for an emergency $2 billion bill to ensure that CARS could continue to happen. The $2 billion is coming from the Department of Energy’s loan guarantee that was included in the Stimulus package. The bill will hit the floor this afternoon, it looks as though it should move through the House rather quickly, but could face some trouble in the Senate. Jeb Hensarling (R-Texas) goes in the book saying “Cash for Clunkers is another example of the government picking winners and losers and enshrines us as a bailout nation”. What the left has to do is convince the GOP that the spending is no new money; hopefully this will ease the vote into passage.

CARS has already yielded upwards of 250,000 cars since the start of July and with the new provisions should be continued till September 30th. The goal is to get the gas guzzling cars that Americans are driving now off the road, and replace them with high efficiency cars of the future. New car buyers have the ability to receive tax credits when the trade in their clunker. How much of a rebate you get depends on the positive net change in your miles per gallon; +4-10 mpg lands you with $3,500, whilst 10+ mpg will allow you to pocket the larger $4,500 rebate. You must also meet a minimum of 22 mpg in order to receive the credit. The premise of the credit is to increase overall fuel economy of the cars being driven in America. The reason I see no problem with the trade-off in the D.O.E. spending is that in all reality this could be the first step to a greener America. Fuel economy helps not only your pocketbook, but America as a whole. Higher fuel economy means our oil supply can be extended that much longer for R&D on other forms of energy. Not to mention that the emissions level in newer cars is considerably less than many older models. Overall the CARS initiative seems to be a good thing for America.

As with all good things there must be the dissenters, in this case it’s the dealers that are selling the new cars. The New York Times published a story on July 31st in which a dealer isolated 5 major problems with CARS.

“1. We have not had one application accepted without it being rejected numerous times.

2. We have 9 people at 5 dealerships working full time on this, it should take one person.

3. We have over 100 waiting to be paid and have not been paid on one yet.

4. They changed the rules part way through.

5. It is a mess. “

The dealer goes on to say that the environmental benefits that drive the project, in many instances, is not what American people are thinking about; “Most people, he said, just wanted to get a good deal when they exchanged an old car for a new one.” Should we worry about what Americans are thinking about when buying that new car, or take it in stride and see it as the people propping up a falling industry?

My gut says go for it, and, as my AP Mobile Breaking News text [on his new iPhone!] says, The House does too. The bill was passed 316 in favor and 109 in opposition. The Senate will open up debate on the legislation on August 7th. So stay tuned in folks, this should be an interesting. Maybe you can talk mommy and daddy into that new car after all.

Peace, Love, and the right to be informed.

-Blake James


Extra Reading:

CARS page

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