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Supporting first responders. The President has allocated more than $13 billion to help state and local governments prepare for terrorism.
Transforming the FBI. The FBI's primary mission is now preventing terrorist attacks and the President increased its budget by over 40% since 2001.
Stopped continuing terrorist plots. Since September 2001, the DOJ has caught and convicted terrorist cells in Portland, Oregon and Buffalo, New York, and has arrested individual terrorist agents in Minnesota, Ohio, Seattle, Florida and New York.
Stopping the proliferation of weapons of mass destruction. The President has proposed a bold, robust international effort to stop the proliferation of WMDs.
Success against Al-Qaida. Through swift military action, increased intelligence activities and relentless law enforcement work, the United States and over 170 other countries participating in the war on terror have sent al-Qaida on the run, disrupting their networks and blocking their funds. More than two-thirds of al-Qaida's most senior leaders have been either captured or killed.
Success in Afghanistan. With the support of the Afghan people and 70 other nations, U.S. forces liberated Afghanistan, dismantled the Taliban and destroyed al-Qaida's terrorist training camps.
Progress in Libya, Iran and North Korea. Libya is now disclosing and dismantling all of its WMD programs. The U.S. is working with our allies and the International Atomic Energy Agency to ensure that Iran meets its commitments and does not develop nuclear weapons. Together with our partners in Asia, the U.S. is insisting that North Korea completely, verifiably and irreversibly dismantle its nuclear programs.
Success in Iraq. The U.S.-led coalition liberated 26 million people from a ruthless dictatorship that developed and used WMDs, cultivated ties to and harbored known terrorists and defied the U.N. We will stay the course in Iraq and finish the mission we set out to accomplish.
We are using every tool of finance, intelligence, law enforcement and military power to break terror networks, to deny them refuge, and to find their leaders. Over the past 30 months, we have frozen or seized nearly $200 million in assets of terror networks. We have captured or killed some two-thirds of al Qaeda's known leaders, as well as many of al Qaeda's associates countries like the United States, or Germany, or Pakistan, or Saudi Arabia, or Thailand. We are taking the fight to al Qaeda allies, such as Ansar-al-Islam in Iraq, Jemaah Islamiya in Indonesia, and Southeast Asia. Our coalition is sending an unmistakable message to the terrorists, including those who struck in Madrid: These killers will be tracked down and found, they will face their day of justice.
Our coalition is taking urgent action to stop the transfer of deadly weapon and materials. America and the nations of Australia, and France, and Germany, and Italy, and Japan, and the Netherlands, Poland, Portugal, Spain, the United Kingdom, Canada, Singapore, and Norway have joined in the Proliferation Security Initiative all aimed to bind together, to interdict lethal materials transported by air or sea or land. Many governments have cooperated to expose and dismantle the network of A.Q. Khan, which sold nuclear secrets to Libya, Iran and North Korea. By all these efforts, we are determined to prevent catastrophic technologies from falling into the hands of an embittered few.
GWB
President Bush promised to make educating every child his top domestic priority and reform a system that has failed the most needy students in our nation's classrooms. He proposed a comprehensive, bipartisan plan to improve overall student performance and close the achievement gap between rich and poor students in America's more than 89,599 public schools.
Last year, approximately 100,000 men and women seeking treatment for drug addiction did not receive the help they needed.
In his Inaugural Address, the President called on Americans to become citizens, not spectators – to work together to improve our communities and reach out to our neighbors.
Bush-Cheney ’04 announced the release of its newest television ad, entitled “Wacky,” which will begin airing Wednesday throughout the country on cable and local affiliates.
Under the jobs and growth act, 91 million taxpayers will receive, on average, a tax cut of $1,126 in 2003.
68 million women will see their taxes decline, on average, by $1,338.
34 million families with children will benefit from an average tax cut of $1,549.
23 million small business owners will receive tax cuts averaging $2,209.
12 million elderly taxpayers will receive an average tax cut of $1,401.
6 million single women with children will receive an average tax cut of $558.
3 million individuals and families will have their income tax liability completely eliminated by the Act.
On May 28, 2003, President Bush signed into law a bold jobs and growth plan to strengthen America's economy and ensure its continued growth.
The House and Senate acted in a bipartisan fashion to make the President’s tax relief plan a reality for American families, seniors, small businesses, and entrepreneurs. In passing a jobs and growth plan, the administration has taken aggressive action to strengthen the foundation of our economy so that every American who wants to work will be able to find a job.
The President’s Jobs and Growth Act of 2003 will create jobs and grow the economy by:
Speeding up the 2001 tax cuts to increase the pace of economic recovery and job creation
Encouraging job-creating investment in America’s businesses by providing dividend and capital gains tax relief and giving small businesses incentives to grow
Providing $20 billion in aid to States for necessary services
The President’s tax relief will allow the American people to keep more of their own money to spend, save and invest; encourage individuals and businesses to make new investments that will lead to economic growth and job creation; and deliver critical help to unemployed citizens.
In his 2003 State of the Union Address, President Bush told the nation, "We will not deny, we will not ignore, we will not pass along our problems to other Congresses, other presidents, and other generations."
Why is Cheney and Bush not required to testify under oath? I am wondering what law that is.
"It is known that there are an infinite number of worlds, simply because there is an infinite amount of space for them to be in. However, not every one of them is inhabited. Therefore, there must be a finite number of inhabited worlds. Any finite number divided by infinity is as near to nothing as makes no odds, so the average population of all the planets in the Universe can be said to be zero. From this it follows that the population of the whole Universe is also zero, and any people you may meet from time to time are merely the products of a deranged imagination."
-Douglas Adams, The Restaurant At the End of the Universe
Infinity invented mathematics so any school of math invented by humans and the education sprung therefrom is inferior to the math of infinity.
A finite mind cannot conceive of infinity therefore it cannot understand infinity nor do math with it.
Solid evidence of these statements and proof of the facts exist here:
http://www.pdv-systeme.de/users/martinv/pgg/08U/08U001.html
Only the finite mind cannot comprehend it.
"No, it isn't. It can be but usually isn't. It depends on the degree of infinity. Usually it is considered 1. You need some advanced calculus."
Compare the above with the following statement:
"Yes it is, but it can't be, but usually always is. It depends on how aware of infinity you really are. No one needs calculus."
Which is completely absurd, and is therefore the basis of most of the most
advanced forms of modern creative accounting. In fact, all this proves is
that infinity is most definitely not a constant value, and trying to use it
as one can cause all manner of problems. Trying to fiddle with the rules of
infinity can be hazardous to your health.
http://www.pdv-systeme.de/users/martinv/pgg/08R/08R069.html
If one person says infinity divided by infinity is infinity then it is true for that person, and if two say it so it is for them, and if others disagree then for them it is that way, so there is nothing to argue about if you have enough intelligence not to do so. Too few do.
CEO COUNCIL LOBBIES FOR EXEMPTIONS FOR SMALL CAPS
As thought leaders in the micro-capitalization market, your opinions are very important to us in crafting our advocacy programs.
When it looked as though 75% of all OTC-BB companies were going to find themselves on the Pink Sheets because of NASDAQ s BBX plan, we stepped up to the plate and voiced your opinions to the SEC. It was through our collective effort that millions of dollars in shareholder value was saved.
Now we are faced with an even bigger battle. Over-regulation of small business has a direct and tangible effect on our nation s economy. Its time for us to voice our opinions again, only this time we have to be louder, stronger and more focused then ever before.
Please take a moment to read the letter below that I sent to Rick Renzi, a friend of small business in Congress from Arizona who has offered to help us lobby Congress and the White House for common sense small business reforms.
This is the basis for our lobbying effort in Washington DC later in the week. We urgently need your assistance in building this summary into a full White Paper that will get this issue the exposure it needs.
I would appreciate any information, comments or statistics you can provide me for incorporation into the final paper.
Sincerely,
Steve Crane
CEO Council
----------------------------------------------
KEVIN MESSNER, CHIEF OF STAFF
CONGRESSMAN RICK RENZI (R-AZ)
Dear Kevin:
Jack Wynn asked me to give you a brief overview of the positions we will be taking at the April 1st meeting in Washington DC.
The Small Business Administration (SBA) recently reported that small companies create more than half of new jobs in the U.S. economy. A companion 2003 SBA study also found that small companies were a major source of technological innovation. Small businesses are clearly vital for economic growth, and are essential agents of change in a market economy.
A major difficulty facing small business is obtaining equity capital to achieve positive cash flow. The core difficulty that small business faces in pursuit of equity financing is not investor indisposition, but a fundamental failure of one-size-fits-all securities regulations to adapt to modern market realities.
We need to completely rebuild the regulatory system to create a Right-Sized Regulatory Environment for Small Business Issuers to allow them to access capital and grow while protecting their investors.
A common sense approach is needed and the first step required is a handful of Small Business Issuer exemptions to the Sarbanes-Oxley laws.
The SBA estimates that micro-cap firms face imbedded regulatory costs of $7,000 per employee versus $4,500 for large cap firms. We in the small business trenches know this imbalance is substantially greater. Costs for legal, accounting, and other top-tier-driven requirements are often greater than the benefits derived from the small amounts of equity capital that micro-cap issuers receive. Excessive regulatory commands like Sarbanes-Oxley have resulted in a misallocation of capital that rations local business investment opportunities and frustrates economic development.
Despite the good intent of Sarbanes-Oxley, certain of its requirements will be so onerous and costly for Small Business Issuers as to render compliance impossible. The pure reality of this situation is that many Small Business Issuers will opt out of the reporting system rather than attempt to comply with these regulations. History has shown that Small Business Issuers lose about 80% of their market capitalizations after de-listing from a regulated environment. So the bottom line on Sarbanes-Oxley, at least as it relates to Small Business Issuers, will be less regulation, reduced investor protections and the resulting loss of investment value. One need not have a Harvard MBA to follow this domino s path and the potential effect on our nation s economy.
Our recommendations are as follows:
Exemption #1 - Section 203 Audit Partner Rotation.
Independent certified public accountants that audit Small Business Issuers are themselves small businesses with typically one principal that performs audits. Audit costs will skyrocket if the issuer has to use a new accounting firm every five years. This law will also discourage accountants from offering audit services to Small Business Issuers. Small Business Issuers and their auditors must be exempt from Section 203 compliance.
Exemption #2 Section 301 Audit Committee.
It is completely out of the realm of financial possibility for Small Business Issuers to comply with this section. Even if the independent audit committee consisted of one individual, the cost to the company would exceed $100,000 per year because of the complexity, responsibility and liability faced by the independent director. Since the Section states that the company is not able to pay any audit committee member as a consultant, then this cost could very easily increase by a factor of two or more. Add the cost of Directors and Officers insurance (which have at least tripled since 2001) and the result is a cost that exceeds the yearly earnings of 90% of all OTC companies. Small Business Issuers must be exempt from Section 301 compliance.
Exemption #3 Section 404 Internal Controls.
This section will require small companies to hire an experienced accounting firm, in addition to their auditor, to do the necessary work so the accountant can give a 404 opinion. Again the cost and burden is so onerous that it will be impossible for 90% of all OTC companies to comply with this section. Small Business Issuers must be exempt from Section 404 compliance.
Exemption #4 Section 407 Financial Expert. See our argument for Exemption #2 and double the cost. At least. The biggest question is What financial expert would be willing to take on this responsibility for a Small Business Issuer? Small Business Issuers must be exempt from Section 407 compliance.
A common-sense second step would be to require the SEC to be more sensitive to the unique needs of Small Business Issuers. In the words of the famous comic -- (We) can t get no respect. Elected officials in government seem to be much more understanding of the importance of the small business community during election years and afterwards, well, it is business as usual. Small Business Issuers get one day a year to voice their opinions to the SEC and nothing seems to come from that day except additional regulation. Despite the SEC s public statements to the contrary, most advocates find the SEC s position to be almost adversarial to Small Business Issuers.
The SBA Office of Advocacy needs to be empowered to oversee the SEC s activities relating to Small Business Issuers.
Reg. Fair administered by the SBA does not allow the SBA Office of Advocacy to impose the same small business regulatory review process on commissions like the SEC or entities that it has empowered like the NASD as it does federal agencies. A very important policy change is needed to extend the Reg. Fair review process to the SEC and the NASD and exchanges as it relates to improving regulatory regimes that affect small business issuers, investors and market participants.
The most recent examples are: the SBA Office of Advocacy hiding behind the fact that they were not authorized to engage with NASDAQ, the NASD or the SEC as it related to the negative impact of the (ill-fated) BBX Exchange which would have caused OTC-BB company investors to lose millions of investment dollars when those companies were forced onto the Pink Sheets. Another is the SBA Office of Advocacy failing to engage with the SEC and NASD regarding the SEC Forum Recommendation to develop a Finders Licensing program.
In summation, the policy of adding regulatory costs without commensurate benefits has caused the US micro-cap market to become less transparent and more uncertain and this creates the greater risk of systemic failure. Sophisticated investors, issuers, and market intermediaries are looking for a solution. A new regulatory regime is needed for Small Business Issuers.
We believe that this can be accomplished through cooperation between the Small Business Issuer Community and our elected officials, and we see the meeting on April 1st as a positive first step in this process. I look forward to meeting with you and Rep. Renzi, and to discussing this agenda in detail at the meeting.
Thank you,
Steven Crane
CEO CorpHQ Inc.
(OTC:COHQ)
Redondo Beach, CA
----------------------
THE CEO COUNCIL
Director
Chairman - Political Action Committee
http://www.ceocouncil.net
----------------------
Direct Phone: 310.540.8851x15
Fax 310.540.7252
steve@corphq.com
What math department did you hatch out of?
80 Nuclear Weapons Still Missing
US government under fire for giving elite military status to Pakistan
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Opposition Democrats assailed President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s administration for granting Pakistan non-NATO (news - web sites) ally status, despite an ongoing probe on possible high-level links in Islamabad to an international nuclear scam.
Democratic party legislators said Washington should have waited for the investigations to be completed before rewarding Pakistan the elite military status.
The lawmakers grilled John Bolton, Bush's point man for arms control, at a congressional hearing Tuesday over the extent of Pakistan's government involvement in nuclear proliferation following confessions by its top scientist that he had shared nuclear secrets with Iran, Libya and North Korea (news - web sites).
Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and a national hero, admitted last month to the clandestine proliferation, but he and Islamabad have insisted he acted alone. Musharraf pardoned Khan immediately after the confession.
Last week, US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) announced that Washington would reward Pakistan with "major non-NATO ally", paving the way for more US military aid to Islamabad.
Bolton told the House that the government was continuing to seek information about exactly what Khan's activities were.
"Do you think that the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally should wait until we've made that determination," asked Democrat legislator Gary Ackerman.
Bolton said the granting of the non-NATO ally status was based on "other factors," apparently referring to its cooperation in hunting for al-Qaeda members.
He said the United States would take action if it had information about complicity of top levels of the Pakistani government.
"Extensive efforts" were under way in a variety of places, not just Pakistan, to seek more information on the Khan network, he added.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/afp/us_nuclear_pakistan
US government under fire for giving elite military status to Pakistan
Tue Mar 30, 8:06 PM ET Add Politics - AFP to My Yahoo!
WASHINGTON (AFP) - Opposition Democrats assailed President George W. Bush (news - web sites)'s administration for granting Pakistan non-NATO (news - web sites) ally status, despite an ongoing probe on possible high-level links in Islamabad to an international nuclear scam.
AFP/File Photo
Democratic party legislators said Washington should have waited for the investigations to be completed before rewarding Pakistan the elite military status.
The lawmakers grilled John Bolton, Bush's point man for arms control, at a congressional hearing Tuesday over the extent of Pakistan's government involvement in nuclear proliferation following confessions by its top scientist that he had shared nuclear secrets with Iran, Libya and North Korea (news - web sites).
Abdul Qadeer Khan, the father of Pakistan's nuclear weapons program and a national hero, admitted last month to the clandestine proliferation, but he and Islamabad have insisted he acted alone. Musharraf pardoned Khan immediately after the confession.
Last week, US Secretary of State Colin Powell (news - web sites) announced that Washington would reward Pakistan with "major non-NATO ally", paving the way for more US military aid to Islamabad.
Bolton told the House that the government was continuing to seek information about exactly what Khan's activities were.
"Do you think that the designation of Pakistan as a major non-NATO ally should wait until we've made that determination," asked Democrat legislator Gary Ackerman.
Bolton said the granting of the non-NATO ally status was based on "other factors," apparently referring to its cooperation in hunting for al-Qaeda members.
He said the United States would take action if it had information about complicity of top levels of the Pakistani government.
"Extensive efforts" were under way in a variety of places, not just Pakistan, to seek more information on the Khan network, he added.
Albright Worries Bush Fuels Hate for U.S.
NEW HAVEN, Conn. - Former Secretary of State Madeleine Albright (news - web sites) said Tuesday that she is concerned President Bush (news - web sites) is fueling the hate of terrorist organizations.
She told a crowd at the Yale Divinity School that her worries are in response to the president suggesting that "Americans have a unique relationship with God or a better understanding of God's will than worshippers from other cultures and lands."
"From the beginning, the president has made it clear that we are at war with the terrorists and not with Islam. That is to his credit," Albright said.
"(But) it surely doesn't help when the American military official with responsibility for intelligence on al-Qaida claims that 'We are in the Army of God' and that George Bush was 'appointed by God,'" she said. The comments were made by Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin, deputy undersecretary of defense for intelligence.
Albright said she believed, as the Bush Administration did, that Saddam Hussein (news - web sites) had weapons of mass destruction, but she questioned the wisdom of a pre-emptive strike against Iraq (news - web sites).
"I did not believe there was a connection to al-Qaida and Saddam Hussein," Albright said. "I now do think that Iraq has become a magnet, a gathering ground for all various groups that hate us."
Albright testified last week before the federal commission investigating the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks. She said the Clinton administration used every tool it had to determine the right targets and acted when it could on the intelligence it had.
http://news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_re_us/albright_yale_1
Barbeques Galore Limited (Nasdaq:BBQZ) today reported a strong improvement in operating results for the fiscal 2004 fourth quarter ended January 31, 2004:
http://finance.lycos.com/qc/news/story.aspx?symbols=NASDAQ:BBQZ&story=200403301230_BWR__BW5386
Looks like our troops will vote by mail after all.
Pentagon Drops Plan To Test Internet Voting
By Dan Keating, Washington Post Staff Writer
The Pentagon has decided to drop a $22 million pilot plan to test Internet voting for 100,000 American military personnel and civilians living overseas after lingering security concerns, officials said yesterday.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=1804&ncid=738&e=6&u=/washpost/200403...
This is a real interesting statement:
"the Internet was so insecure that the integrity of the entire election could be undermined by online voting".
Supreme Court To Let Out the Dogs
Looks like this sets a precedent and other states might follow suit:
Missouri Court Rules on Early Release Law
By DAVID A. LIEB, Associated Press Writer
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. - The Missouri Supreme Court ruled Tuesday a provision in a new law allowing for the early release of some prisoners applies retroactively. About 5,800 felons could seek parole, the state attorney general said.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&cid=519&ncid=720&e=1&u=/ap/20040331/ap_o...
Infinity divided by infinity is still infinity. Bring on the classes...you have nothing to lose if you think about it...
50 Ways to Love Your Country
How to Find Your Political Voice and Become a Catalyst for Change
With section intros by Gail Sheehy, Nancy Pelosi and Al Gore, an inspiring collection of 50 call-to-action essays from MoveOn members around the country.
"I am deeply grateful for MoveOn, and everything they do, including this wonderful book."
—Anne Lamott, author of Bird by Bird and Traveling Mercies
"MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country is a user-friendly 'How To' guide for fixing our broken democracy. Both nuts-and-bolts practical and deeply personal, this book is political Viagra for anyone tired of feeling hopeless, helpless, and impotent in the face of our Big Money/Big Media-controlled political system."
—Arianna Huffington, syndicated columnist and author of Fanatics and Fools: The Game Plan for Winning Back America
"Cesar Chavez once said the organizer's job is to help ordinary people do extraordinary things. Involving masses of people in a movement to right wrongs and change government policy is what democracy is all about. No one in is doing it better today in America than MoveOn.org. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country is a vital primer for every activist interested in progressive social change."
—Arturo S. Rodriguez, president, United Farm Workers of America, AFL-CIO
With more than 2 million members, MoveOn.org is at the cutting edge of a new model for political activism and is able to mobilize thousands of volunteers and millions of dollars. Just in time for the election season, MoveOn takes its message offline with MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country in an effort to jumpstart an even broader civic dialogue and inspire all to become involved in our political process.
Written by MoveOn members across the country, from Hawaii to Maine, from political figures to teachers, each essay shares a compelling personal story and most include an action item with resources for taking inspiration a step further. Simple ideas are illuminated, such as "His Last Vote," about a dying man's wish to cast a ballot, as are more dynamic actions, such as "Start a Petition," which chronicles a couple's quest to protect wolves from trappers in Alaska. MoveOn's 50 Ways to Love Your Country answers the question that more and more citizens are asking: "What can I do?"
http://www.moveon.org/book/
Like I said a dozen times before, she will testify under oath.
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_go_pr_wh/sept_11_commission&...
Prediction came true...question remains when..
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_go_pr_wh/sept_11_commission&...
When will she testify under oath?
http://story.news.yahoo.com/news?tmpl=story&u=/ap/20040331/ap_on_go_pr_wh/sept_11_commission&...
I predicted that didn't I?
What are my other predictions?
Budapest is in fact a young city under its present name. By 1872 the three autonomous towns of Obuda (literally, Old Buda), Buda and Pest had already grown into one, and in that year were a united administration as well. The capital stands on the site of one of the oldest settlements in Europe. The archaeological finds at Castle Hill include the tools and worked pieces of a pebble industry dating from 46000 to 42000 BC.
http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/kepek/nagyok/budvar1.htm
Hilary Clinton
Kerry/Clinton
10%
Yes
Hungary....Budapest
http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/budapest.html
You want my whole history?
http://www.fsz.bme.hu/hungary/budapest/kepek/nagyok/sztistv1.htm
How cold can it get? EM
Authority to require additional information
If, as a result of adverse market conditions or based on reports provided pursuant to subparagraph (A) of this paragraph or other available information, the appropriate regulatory agency reasonably concludes that it has concerns regarding the financial or operational condition of any government securities broker or government securities dealer registered under this section, such agency may require the registered person to make reports concerning the financial and securities activities of any of such person's associated persons, other than a natural person, whose business activities are reasonably likely to have a material impact on the financial or operational condition of such registered person. The appropriate regulatory agency, in requiring reports pursuant to this subparagraph, shall specify the information required, the period for which it is required, the time and date on which the information must be furnished, and whether the information is to be furnished directly to the appropriate regulatory agency or to a self-regulatory organization with primary responsibility for examining the registered person's financial and operational condition.
http://www.law.uc.edu/CCL/34Act/sec15C.html