text:
Backgrounder #2708 on Welfare and Welfare Spending , Poverty and Inequality
July 25, 2012
July 25, 2012 | Backgrounder on Welfare and Welfare Spending , Poverty and Inequality
Abstract: The food stamp program is due for reauthorization as part of a new farm bill. It is the second most expensive means-tested aid program, increasing from $19.8 billon in 2000 to $84.6 billion in 2011, and President Barack Obama has proposed a budget to keep food stamp spending at sharply elevated levels for the next decade. The national debt has topped $16 trillion and will continue to grow rapidly for the foreseeable future. To preserve the economy, government spending, including welfare spending, must be put on a more prudent course. Congress and the Administration should transform food stamps into a program that encourages work and self-sufficiency, close eligibility loopholes, and, after the recession ends, reduce food stamp spending to pre-recession levels.
The farm bill is due for reauthorization, including the food stamp program, also known as the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP). The food stamp program is very large and growing rapidly. President Barack Obama plans to spend nearly $800 billion on food stamps over the next decade.[1] Yet as large as it is, this program is only part of a much larger system of means-tested government assistance: 79 programs that provide cash, food, housing, medical care, and social services to poor and low-income Americans. President Obama's fiscal year (FY) 2013 budget calls for $12.7 trillion in means-tested aid over the next 10 years.[2]
Means-tested welfare is the fastest growing component of government. Total federal and state means-tested spending—which excludes Social Security, Medicare, and Unemployment Insurance—rose from $431 billon in 2000 to $927 billion in 2011. According to President Obama's spending plans, annual means-tested spending will rise to $1.2 trillion within four years and $1.5 trillion per year by 2022.[3]
The food stamp program is the second most expensive means-tested aid program. Food stamp spending has grown rapidly in recent years, from $19.8 billion in 2000 to $84.6 billion in 2011. Part of that growth is due to the recession, but under Obama's proposed budget, food stamp spending will not return to pre-recession levels when the economy recovers. Instead, it will remain well above historic norms for the foreseeable future.
The food stamp program is old and fossilized. Aside from enormous increases in cost, it has remained basically unchanged since its creation in the 1960s. Unaffected by welfare reform in the 1990s, it remains a program that discourages work, rewards idleness, and promotes long-term dependence.
The national debt has now topped $16 trillion and will continue to grow rapidly for the foreseeable future. To preserve the economy, government spending, including welfare spending, must be put on a more prudent course. When the current recession ends, food stamp spending should be returned to pre-recession levels. In addition, Congress should transform the program from one that rewards dependence into one that encourages work and self-sufficiency.
To accomplish, this Congress should:
These reforms are generally modeled on the 1990s welfare reform, which replaced the AFDC program with the Temporary Assistance to Needy Families (TANF) program. That reform slowed the growth of welfare spending and increased employment while reducing both dependence and child poverty. It enjoyed widespread public support.
The food stamp program is very large and growing rapidly, but it is only part of a much larger system of government means-tested assistance. For example, SNAP is only one of 12 federal programs that provide food aid to the poor.
Most people who receive food stamps also participate in other government aid programs. It is therefore misleading to examine food stamps in isolation. Such an approach inevitably underestimates the level and cost of assistance provided to the poor. Food stamps should be analyzed holistically as one component of a much larger means-tested welfare system of 79 federal programs providing cash, food, housing, medical care, social services, training, and targeted education aid to poor and low-income Americans.
Means-tested welfare programs differ from general government programs in two ways. First, they provide aid exclusively to persons (or communities) with low incomes. Second, individuals do not need to earn eligibility for benefits through prior fiscal contributions. Means-tested welfare therefore does not include Social Security, Medicare, Unemployment Insurance, or Worker's Compensation.
In FY 2011, the federal government spent $717 billion on means-tested welfare. State contributions to federal programs added another $201 billion, and independent state programs contributed around $9 billion. Total spending from all sources reached $927 billion.[4]
Means-tested spending amounts to $9,040 for each lower-income American (i.e., persons in the lowest third of the population by income). If converted to cash, this spending is more than sufficient to bring the income of every lower-income American to 200 percent of the federal poverty level (roughly $44,000 per year for a family of four).[5]
In the two decades before the current recession, means-tested welfare was the fastest growing component of government spending. It grew more rapidly than Social Security and Medicare, and its rate of increase dwarfed the growth of public education and national defense. While means-tested medical benefits have been the fastest growing part of the welfare system, most other forms of welfare aid also have grown rapidly.
According to the President's FY 2013 budget, means-tested welfare will continue to grow rapidly for the next decade instead of declining as the recession ends. The President's budget would permanently increase annual means-tested spending from 4.5 percent to 6 percent of gross domestic product. Combined annual federal and state spending would reach $1.56 trillion in 2022. Overall, President Obama plans to spend $12.7 trillion on means-tested welfare over the next decade.
The President's budget calls for ruinous and unsustainable budget deficits. These deficits are in part the result of dramatic, permanent increases in means-tested welfare. An important step in reducing future unsustainable federal deficits would be to return total welfare spending to pre-recession levels.
To accomplish this, Congress should cap future aggregate welfare spending. When the current recession ends, or by 2013 at the latest, total federal means-tested welfare spending should be returned to pre-recession levels, adjusted for inflation. In subsequent years, aggregate federal welfare spending should grow no faster than inflation. This type of spending cap would save the taxpayers $2.7 trillion during its first decade.
An aggregate welfare spending cap of this sort is contained in the Welfare Reform Act of 2011 (H.R. 1167), introduced by Representative Jim Jordan (R–OH), and a companion bill (S. 1904), introduced by Senator Jim DeMint (R–SC).
Just as it is critical to restrain the rapid growth of overall means-tested spending, it is also important to limit excessive spending in the food stamp program individually. The federal government pays the full cost of food stamp benefits and splits administrative costs with state governments that administer the program. In FY 2011, federal spending was $77.6 billion, and state costs were approximately $6.9 billion.
As noted, the food stamp program is growing rapidly. Before the current recession, combined federal and state spending nearly doubled, rising from $19.8 billion in 2000 to $37.9 billion in 2007. Since taking office, the Obama Administration has more than doubled spending on food stamps again: Spending rose from $39 billion in 2008 to a projected $85 billion in 2012. (See Chart 1.) Even after adjusting for inflation and population growth, food stamp spending is now nearly twice the level in any previous recession.
The current recession has obviously caused part of the overall spending increase, but the USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has also liberalized eligibility standards and operated aggressive outreach programs for more than a decade with the goal of maximizing the number of food stamp recipients. These efforts, combined with the recession, have swollen the food stamp caseload to well above normal historical levels.
Moreover, President Obama's FY 2013 budget shows that the President does not intend food stamp spending to return to pre-recessionary levels. Instead, outlays will remain at historically high levels for the foreseeable future. For most of the next decade, food stamp spending, adjusted for inflation and population growth, would remain at nearly twice the levels seen during the non-recessionary periods under President Bill Clinton.
This long-term increase in food stamp spending is not sustainable. In keeping with the general aim of controlling the overall rapid growth of means-tested welfare, Congress should reduce the abnormally high levels of future food stamp spending by taking the following steps.
To implement this cap, the entitlement nature of food stamp spending should be eliminated.[7] Automatic open-ended increases in spending should be curtailed, and states should be given greater flexibility to determine program eligibility. A food stamp spending cap of the sort described above would save the federal government roughly $150 billion over the next decade.
Overall, the government should make an effort to return food stamp caseloads to normal, pre-recession levels or to the even lower levels experienced during the Clinton presidency. The additional reforms described below would contribute to that process.
The purpose of the U.S. Department of Agriculture is to assist farming. The USDA's expertise is in agriculture, not welfare. But the food stamp program and similar means-tested assistance programs such as the Women, Infants, and Children (WIC) food program and school lunch and breakfast programs are now two-thirds of the USDA budget. The USDA has become primarily a welfare agency with some farm programs tacked on the side. It is ill suited for this task.
Historically, the USDA has viewed food stamps and other means-tested food aid programs as a mechanism to expand farmers' income by promoting increased food purchases.[8] This is an inefficient policy to provide income to farmers; for each $1.00 government spends on food stamps, farmers receive about three cents in added income.[9] It is also a poor foundation on which to build welfare and anti-poverty strategies. Given its background, it should be no surprise that the food stamp program grows rapidly and is highly resistant to the main ideas of welfare reform.
Food stamps should be reformed along the lines of other modern welfare programs like TANF, not continued as a farmers' aid program. Its aim should be to provide support to low-income households while encouraging work and self-sufficiency. To accomplish this, authority over food stamps and related USDA means-tested aid programs should by transferred from the USDA to HHS. Reauthorization of the food stamp program should be accomplished as stand-alone legislation; it should not be part of the largely unrelated farm bill.
The food stamp rolls have skyrocketed, in part because the Obama Administration has promoted admission procedures that enable applicants to bypass ordinary income and asset tests for eligibility. One such policy is known as "broad-based categorical eligibility." Within the welfare system, a single family may often be eligible for several welfare programs. As a way to avoid duplicative administrative costs, receipt of aid from one program may give categorical eligibility for another.
Historically, categorical eligibility was intended to simplify program administration and did not greatly expand food stamp eligibility; however, in 2000, the Clinton Administration quietly issued regulations concerning the relationship of food stamps to the TANF program, creating a radical new food stamp admission procedure termed "broad-based categorical eligibility." This procedure dramatically altered the rules of food stamp eligibility.[10]
Traditionally, categorical eligibility in food stamps pertained only to individuals receiving cash assistance from selected other programs; in most cases, eligibility for these other programs was narrowly defined by the federal government. The 2000 regulation gave states the option to provide broad-based categorical eligibility for food stamps to any person or household that received cash aid or any other service funded by TANF.[11]
This was a major change because, under the TANF program, states are given broad discretion in determining who will receive TANF cash aid.[12] In addition, most people in a state are potentially eligible for TANF non-cash services. Since virtually anyone can be eligible for a TANF non-cash service irrespective of income or assets, this rule gave states the option to substantially broaden their food stamp eligibility standards, weakening the income limits and waiving the asset limits entirely.[13] States could make this change without incurring added fiscal costs on themselves.
Historically, the food stamp program was limited to persons with both low incomes and limited liquid assets. Individuals with more than $2,000 in liquid assets could not receive assistance; households were expected to use their own assets to support themselves before turning to taxpayer-funded welfare.[14] After 2000, an increasing number of states chose to use the new broad-based categorical eligibility loophole to eliminate asset limits for food stamp recipients and greatly expand their food stamp caseloads.
The Obama Administration has actively promoted use of the broad-based "categorical eligibility" loophole by states. According to the Congressional Research Service:
The USDA's Food and Nutrition Service has taken an official stance encouraging states to use so-called "categorical eligibility" authority to expand eligibility to significant numbers of households by (1) increasing or completely lifting limits on assets that eligible households may have and (2) raising dollar limits on households' gross monthly income.[15]
By 2012, 43 states used receipt of a nominal "service" from TANF to establish broad-based categorical eligibility for food stamps.[16] In these states, the food stamp application process works as follows: An individual applying for food stamps is automatically handed a brochure printed with TANF funds. The Congressional Research Service describes the process as follows:
Typically, households are made categorically eligible [for SNAP benefits] through receiving or being authorized to receive a minimal TANF- or MOE-funded benefit or service, such as being given a brochure or being referred to a social services "800" telephone number.[17]
Having received such a free brochure or referral, the individual is deemed to be a recipient of TANF services and "categorically eligible" for food stamps; the normal asset limits for food stamp eligibility are thereby waived.[18] Half of all food stamp recipients now enroll in the program through this procedure.[19]
In states using this loophole, a middle-class family with one earner who becomes unemployed for one or two months can receive $668 per month in food stamps even if the family has $20,000 in cash sitting in the bank. Because of this, food stamps has been transformed from a program for the truly needy to a routine bonus payment stacked on top of conventional unemployment benefits.
Categorical eligibility is an imprudent policy that automatically adds persons to the food stamp rolls without determining whether they are economically needy. An analysis conducted for the USDA by Mathematica Policy Research estimated that eliminating the asset limits in the food stamp program would expand program caseload and costs by 22 percent in good economic times.[20] In periods of very high unemployment, this number presumably would be quite a bit higher. Future food stamp expenditures could be substantially reduced if Congress eliminated categorical eligibility, restored normal asset limits on eligibility, and reestablished the gross income eligibility standard at 130 percent of the federal poverty level.
Another widely used loophole exploited by big-spending state governments is "Heat and Eat." Food stamp benefit levels are based on "countable" income. The lower the countable income of an individual, the higher that person's benefits will be. If a person or family pays for utility costs separately from rent, they can deduct both the utility cost and the rent from their countable income, thereby increasing the amount of food stamp benefits they receive.
The Heat and Eat loophole assigns a fictitious separate utility cost to food stamp recipients in order to increase their benefits. Under this loophole, current law allows states to average out their utility costs and use a Standard Utility Allowance (SUA) when determining food stamp eligibility. The law provides a higher SUA for individuals who pay for heat and air conditioning separately from their rent. However, a loophole in the law permits states to assign the higher SUA to anyone who receives aid from the Low Income Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP) even if heating and air conditioning are already included in the individual's rent or shelter deduction.[21] This allows the state welfare agency to falsely hike deductions for purposes of calculating countable income and thereby artificially boost the benefit levels.
Moreover, the law allows states to grant the higher SUA to food stamp applicants who receive only a tiny amount of LIHEAP aid. Consequently, states have begun issuing food stamps to applicants receiving LIHEAP benefits as low as $1 in order to boost their food stamp benefits. Because the federal government pays for the cost of both food stamps and LIHEAP, a state government loses no money from this sleight of hand and pulls in more food stamp spending. According to House estimates, closing this loophole would save taxpayers $14.3 billion over the next 10 years.[22]
A recipient's food stamp benefits decrease as monthly earnings increase. However, recipients can unlawfully receive excess benefits by failing to report new jobs or increased earnings to the food stamp office.
To reduce this type of fraud, state bureaucracies should be required, in a timely and consistent manner, to cross-check the National Directory of New Hires against their food stamp rolls to detect evidence of new employment. Recipients who have obtained employment but have failed to inform the food stamp office should have their benefits suspended. In addition, able-bodied adults receiving food stamps should be required to recertify for assistance every three months.
If an illegal immigrant gives birth to a child inside the United States, that child by law is an American citizen. As a result, the child automatically becomes eligible for food stamps and many other means-tested programs. There are roughly 4 million native-born children of illegal immigrants residing in the U.S.
Illegal immigrant parents routinely apply for welfare assistance for their children born in the U.S. The welfare office will clearly recognize that the immigrant is illegal and in violation of U.S. law but will take no action against the illegal immigrant. When the food stamp office provides aid for such a child, it gives the aid directly to the illegal immigrant parent in the form of an electronic benefit transfer (EBT) card. Although the benefits on the card are ostensibly limited to the U.S.-born child, these cards are used to purchase food for the illegal immigrant household, not just for the U.S.-born child.
This policy should be changed and brought in line with existing policy on the earned income tax credit. The EITC is a refundable, means-tested benefit for low-income families with children. In order to receive the EITC, parents must provide a valid Social Security number demonstrating that they are residing in the U.S. lawfully and are authorized to work. The same policy should be applied in food stamps: In the future, food stamps should be given only to children who reside with a parent, guardian, or foster parent who has demonstrated lawful U.S. residence.
Food stamps is a fossilized program that, except for greatly increased costs, has changed little since its inception in the early years of the War on Poverty. For example, the program was largely unaffected by the welfare reform legislation of 1996, which replaced Aid to Families with Dependent Children with Temporary Assistance for Needy Families, even though TANF and food stamp caseloads overlap to a great degree.
Untouched by reform, it is an old-style entitlement program offering billions in unconditional aid. Recipients are entitled to one-way handouts and are rarely required to engage in constructive behavior as a condition for receiving that aid. Like the failed AFDC program, which it closely resembles, food stamps discourages work and rewards dependence.
There is a common misperception that the food stamp program is a program of temporary, short-term assistance. In reality, at any given moment, the majority of recipients are or will become long-term dependents. Historically, half of food stamp aid to families with children has gone to families that have received aid for 8.5 years or more.[23] (See Chart 2.)
Following the welfare reform model, food stamps should be transformed from an open-ended entitlement program that gives one-way handouts into a work activation program. Non-elderly, able-bodied adults who receive benefits should be required to work, prepare for work, or at least look for work as a condition of receiving aid.
Many food stamp households contain adults who are capable of working but work little or not at all. In the average month in 2010, 18.8 million households—roughly one household in five in the U.S.—received food stamp benefits.[24] Of this total, approximately 10.5 million households contained at least one able-bodied, non-elderly adult. This included around 7 million families with children and 3.5 million non-elderly, able-bodied adults without dependents (ABAWDs).
Among the 10.5 million food stamp households with able-bodied, non-elderly adults, 5.5 million performed zero work during the month.[25] Another 1.5 million to 2 million households had employment but appeared to work less than 30 hours per week. Altogether, each month, some 7 million to 7.5 million work-capable households received food stamps while performing no work or working less than 30 hours per week. These low levels of work are not simply the product of the current recession: They are typical of food stamp recipients even in good economic times.
A work activation program would seek to increase employment among able-bodied, nonworking food stamp households that do not work and to increase the hours of work among those who are employed part-time. Work activation should be phased in incrementally in the food stamp program when the current recession has ended. Typically, a work activation program will cause both the existing caseload and the number of new enrollments to drop rapidly.
A work activation program can operate at a fairly low cost. For example, a rigorous, closely supervised 16-week job search program would cost about $250 per recipient.[26] In one year, 10 million work-capable food stamp recipients could be circulated through this type of program at an annual cost of around $2.5 billion. This would cover all current work-eligible recipients who are nonworking or underemployed as well as many new work-capable enrollees.
Experience with welfare reform and the TANF program in the mid-1990s demonstrates that work activation can dramatically reduce welfare caseloads. In the four decades before welfare reform, TANF (formerly Aid to Families with Dependent Children) never experienced a significant decline in caseload. In the four years after welfare reform, the caseload dropped by nearly half.
Work activation could be designed to provide an incentive for states to reduce future dependence. If a state government operated its work activation program in a particularly effective way and reduced its food stamp caseloads below the pre-recession level, it might be allowed to retain a portion of the savings.
As noted, a work activation program will have administrative costs, but most states run their food stamp programs in tandem with their TANF programs, which already have a work requirement. Thus, the burden on states of implementing a work requirement for the food stamp population would not be as great as starting a separate work requirement from scratch.
Nonetheless, operating the work activation program will require additional funding. An appropriate funding source for a food stamp work activation program is the TANF program. Federal TANF funding is currently $16.5 billion per year, but only 40 percent of this funding is actually used to pay benefits. The other portion goes to a wide variety of other activities in state budgets.
Current TANF spending could be reduced by $2.0 billion per year, and these savings could be reallocated to fund a food stamp work activation program.[27] Reducing TANF spending to $14.5 billion would leave more than enough funding to cover the needs of the TANF population. The reallocated $2 billion would then be split among the states to cover the costs of instituting a new work activation requirement in the food stamp program.
Means-tested welfare assistance should not be a one-way handout or an open-ended entitlement. Aid should be given on the basis of reciprocal obligation. Taxpayers should provide support to those in need, and recipients in return should engage in responsible and constructive behavior as a condition of receiving aid. Requiring welfare recipients to stop using illegal drugs is a core element of reciprocal obligation.
Welfare recipients are roughly twice as likely as the general public to use illegal drugs. Studies show that 21 percent of mothers receiving welfare reported using illegal drugs in the prior year.[28] Similarly, one-tenth of food stamp recipients report having used illegal drugs in the prior month, although the actual rate is probably far higher.[29] Self-reporting of illegal drug use almost certainly results in an undercount of actual use. The real rates of illegal drug use among welfare recipients may be five times higher than the self-reported rate.[30]
As welfare spending approaches $1 trillion per year, taxpayers have a right to know that their funds are being used frugally. Those who pay for the welfare state can properly insist that their aid go to those who are truly in need and not be wasted on frivolous or self-destructive activities, such as illegal drug use. In the case of food stamps, taxpayers should not be required to pay for food for individuals who waste their own money on illegal drugs.
Evidence shows that drug testing has the potential to significantly reduce unnecessary welfare spending and misuse of funds. For example, Florida's policy of drug testing TANF applicants appears to have reduced new welfare enrollments by as much as 50 percent.[31] Potential applicants using illegal drugs simply chose not to enter the welfare system. Under the Florida policy, drug users could enroll in welfare in the future, but they would first need to stop using illegal drugs. The choice was theirs. During the time it was in operation, the Florida drug testing requirement produced $30.64 in reduced welfare costs for every dollar spent on its operation.[32]
The food stamp and TANF populations overlap to a considerable degree. In addition, the food stamp program includes ABAWDs, a population not in TANF. This group, which includes many single males, is likely to have high levels of drug use. Therefore, a drug testing requirement for food stamps would, like the Florida TANF reform, be likely to reduce caseloads significantly.
Finally, all welfare programs, including food stamps, should be designed to promote self-sufficiency among able-bodied adults and to discourage long-term dependence. Scientific evaluation of the Florida TANF drug testing requirement showed that earnings among welfare recipients who used illegal drugs were 30 percent lower than earnings among those who did not. Similarly, national data show that illegal drug use is twice as frequent among the unemployed compared to the fully employed.[33] (See Chart 3.)
Simply put, there is an overwhelming positive correlation between illegal drug use and lower levels of employment. Of course, it is possible that unemployment causes increased drug use: Unemployed persons could be depressed and therefore more likely to use drugs. In reality, however, causation is likely to run more heavily in the opposite direction, with illegal drug use leading to lower levels of employment. This would occur because users of illegal drugs often have attitudes, capacities, and habits that make them less likely to seek, obtain, and maintain high levels of employment.
Because illegal drug use is linked to lower levels of work, any serious effort to promote employment and self-sufficiency should include steps to discourage illegal drug use within the welfare population. A well-designed drug testing program would be an important tool in any effective welfare-to-work strategy.
These reforms roughly follow the model of the welfare reform of the mid-1990s. In 1996, Congress passed the Personal Responsibility and Work Opportunity Act (PRWORA), which replaced AFDC with TANF. One immediate result was plummeting caseloads. In the post–World War II period, the AFDC caseload had never experienced a significant decline, but after passage of welfare reform, the AFDC/TANF caseload dropped dramatically from 4.3 million families in 1996 to 2.2 million in 2000.[34] The caseload remains at a low level today.
As the caseload fell, employment of single mothers surged and child poverty dropped at an unprecedented rate. For example, before reform, the poverty rates of black children and children of single mothers had remained stubbornly frozen for 25 years, but after reform, both dropped quickly. The black child poverty rate fell from 41.5 percent in 1995 to 30 percent in 2001, and the poverty rate of children of single mothers dropped from 50.3 percent to 39.8 percent in the same years.[35]
The reform was successful in simultaneously reducing both dependence and poverty. The poverty rate for both groups has risen sharply during the current recession but remains below the pre-reform rates for recessionary periods.
The welfare reform of 1996 was based on three principles:
These same principles should be used in reforming the food stamp program.
Block Grants Versus Work Activation. The TANF program, created by welfare reform, is often called a "block grant," but that term is ambiguous and poorly understood. To block grant a program sometimes means (1) to eliminate an automatic legal entitlement to benefits for certain categories of persons and (2) to replace an uncapped entitlement spending mechanism with funding that is set at a fixed level and subject to budgetary controls.
However, "block grant" is also used in a second, much broader sense to mean a program in which fixed funds are collected at the federal level and turned over to state governments to spend with few or no requirements. TANF was never a block grant in this latter sense; indeed, one of its defining features was that, for the first time, it imposed significant work-based performance standards on the states. Rather than a block grant, TANF could more accurately be called a "work activation" grant.
Block grants in the second, broader sense are often viewed as vehicles of "federalism." In reality, such block grants represent pseudo-federalism. Under pseudo-federalism, revenue is collected at the federal level and then turned over to state governments to be spent as the states choose. But collecting revenue at one level of government to be spent at another level of government is a recipe for inefficiency and non-accountability.
Pseudo-federalism is particularly inappropriate within the current means-tested welfare system in which the federal government provides more than three-quarters of the total funding. Real federalism, or turning welfare back to the states, would require states to pay for their own welfare programs with state revenues—something that no state is eager to do.
Didn't Conservative President Ronald Reagan Champion Block Grants? It is true that during his first term in office, Ronald Reagan consolidated some 77 small separate government programs into nine block grants. Replacing myriad tiny categorical programs with larger, broader programs did give states greater flexibility. In some cases, uncapped entitlement spending was replaced by fixed funding, which slowed the growth of welfare spending somewhat.
But none of Reagan's new block grant programs—which included the Community Development Block Grant, Community Services Block Grant, and Low Income Energy Assistance Program—was ever a source of policy innovation. Clearly, no one could ever accuse these programs of revolutionizing the welfare state.
In reality, Reagan's vision in welfare went well beyond simple block grants. Reagan's primary focus in welfare was to require able-bodied recipients to work, not to give states unlimited flexibility in spending federal revenue. It was Reagan's emphasis on work that prompted the subsequent welfare reform revolution.
The U.S has spent $19.8 trillion on means-tested welfare since President Lyndon B. Johnson launched the War on Poverty in the 1960s. Spending on food stamps alone has totaled $1.2 trillion.[36] As noted, in 2011, government spent $927 billion on means-tested assistance. This amounts to nearly $9,000 per year for each poor and low-income American.
In the short term, much of this spending props up the living standards of the poor. Not even the government can spend $9,000 per person without significantly affecting living conditions. But the original goal of the War on Poverty was not to prop up living standards artificially through an ever-expanding welfare state. When President Johnson launched the War on Poverty, he declared that it would strike "at the causes, not just the consequences of poverty."[37] He added, "Our aim is not only to relieve the symptom of poverty, but to cure it and, above all, to prevent it."[38]
In other words, President Johnson was not proposing a massive system of endlessly increasing welfare benefits doled out to an ever-enlarging population of beneficiaries. His proclaimed goal was not to create a massive new system of government handouts, but an increase in self-sufficiency: to create a new generation of Americans capable of supporting themselves out of poverty without government handouts. LBJ planned to reduce, not increase, welfare dependence. The goal of the War on Poverty, he stated, would be "making taxpayers out of taxeaters."[39] He declared, "We want to give the forgotten fifth of our people opportunity not doles."[40]
However, in terms of reducing the causes rather than the consequences of poverty, the War on Poverty has failed utterly. After $19.8 trillion in spending, the situation is worse, not better. A significant portion of the population is now less capable of prosperous self-sufficiency than when the War on Poverty began.
Now President Obama has called for another permanent increase in the welfare state. He plans to spend $12.7 trillion on means-tested aid over the next decade—roughly $270,000 for each current poor person in the nation. Much of this spending would be funded by borrowing from abroad and putting future generations further in debt.
Obama's plans for a permanent expansion of the welfare state are unsustainable. Future spending needs to be subject to reasonable limits. When the economy recovers, total means-tested spending should be returned to pre-recession levels adjusted for inflation. Food stamp spending should also be returned to pre-recession levels when the recession ends. In addition, when the economy improves, able-bodied, non-elderly adults receiving food stamps should be required to work, prepare for work, or at least look for a job as a condition of receiving aid.
—Robert Rector is Senior Research Fellow in the Domestic Policy Studies Department, and Katherine Bradley is a Visiting Fellow in the Richard and Helen DeVos Center for Religion and Civil Society, at The Heritage Foundation.
The food stamp program gives state governments broad flexibility to determine benefit eligibility within the state by selecting different standards of categorical eligibility. According to USDA data, states may select one of three different categorical eligibility options. [41]
Since the federal government pays for 100 percent of the cost of food stamp benefits, state governments have a financial incentive to enroll as many individuals as possible in the program. As of January 2012, in operating their food stamp programs, five states used traditional categorical eligibility standards; five states used the narrow categorical eligibility standard; and 40 states and the District of Columbia used the broad-based categorical eligibility option.
See Appendix Table 1 for a description of the options employed by specific states.
Show references in this report
[1]Federal outyear spending was taken from U.S. Office of Management and Budget, Budget of the United States Government, Fiscal Year 2013: Analytical Perspectives (Washington: U.S. Government Printing Office, 2012), Table 32-1, http://www.whitehouse.gov/omb/budget/Analytical_Perspectives (accessed June 21, 2012). The figure in the text includes estimated state administrative expenditures equaling 9 percent of total federal spending.
[5]This calculation combines potential welfare aid with non-welfare income currently received by the poor.
[6]To avoid abrupt changes, spending could be reduced incrementally over a two-year period.
[7]The food stamp program is technically a capped entitlement program rather than a pure entitlement program; however, the level of maximum spending is set high enough that it does not limit outlays. Consequently, the food stamp program operates like an ordinary uncapped entitlement program.
[8]Peter H. Rossi, Feeding the Poor: Assessing Federal Food Aid (Washington: American Enterprise Institute Press, 1998), p. 102.
[9]Author's calculation derived as follows: Each $1.00 in food stamp benefits received by a household increases food consumption expenditures in the household by around 30 cents. Ibid., p. 4. According to the U.S. Department of Commerce National Income and Product Accounts, farmers' income represents about one-tenth of the cost of food and beverages consumed in the home in the U.S. Consequently, we can assume that each dollar in food stamp spending will result in around three cents in added farmers' income.
[10]Gene Falk and Randy Alison Aussenberg, "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Categorical Eligibility," Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, March 2, 2012, http://www.fas.org/sgp/crs/misc/R42054.pdf (accessed June 21, 2012).
[11]The Bush Administration repeatedly but unsuccessfully sought legislation to overturn the Clinton regulations on broad-based categorical eligibility. Ibid. p. 1.
[12]The TANF program is a program with fixed funding that replaced the older Aid to Families with Dependent Children (AFDC) program, which was funded as an open-ended entitlement. Under AFDC, states were given more funds if they increased the number of persons enrolled in the program. Because of this, the federal government maintained tighter control of program eligibility. By contrast, in the TANF program, states are given a fixed annual funding that is not increased if the state increases enrollments. Under this fixed funding principle, states were given very wide flexibility in determining who would receive TANF cash aid and services.
[13]To become eligible to receive food stamp aid, individuals or households are subject to three criteria: an asset limit, a gross income limit, and a net or countable income limit. The categorical eligibility loophole waives the first two limits, but the value of benefits received will still be determined by the level of countable income.
[14]Retirement assets such as IRAs and educational savings funds are excluded from the count of liquid assets.
[15]Joe Richardson, "The Federal Response to Calls for Increased Aid from USDA's Food Assistance Program," Congressional Research Service Report for Congress, February 17, 2010, http://www.nationalaglawcenter.org/assets/crs/R41076.pdf (accessed June 21, 2012).
[16]Falk and Aussenberg, "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Categorical Eligibility."
[17]Ibid. p. 6. MOE stands for state maintenance of effort funds. These are state funds that the state is required to contribute to TANF or a broad variety of TANF-related activities.
[19]According to the Congressional Budget Office, "In fiscal year 2010, about 50 percent of SNAP participants were considered eligible for benefits through their receipt of noncash TANF benefits, so they were not subject to the same income and asset requirements as other participants." Congressional Budget Office, "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program," April 2012, p. 8, http://www.cbo.gov/sites/default/files/cbofiles/attachments/04-19-SNAP.pdf (accessed July 11, 2012).
[20]Karen Cunnyngham and James Ohls, Simulated Effects of Changes to State and Federal Asset Eligibility Policies for the Food Stamp Program, U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Contractor and Cooperator Report No. 49, October 2008, p. xvi, http://naldc.nal.usda.gov/download/26691/PDF (accessed July 11, 2012).
[21]LIHEAP is the federal government's welfare program that pays for low-income families' heating and energy costs.
[22]Report 112-470, Sequester Replacement Reconciliation Act of 2012, Report of the Committee on the Budget, U.S. House of Representatives, to Accompany H.R. 5652, 112th Cong., 2nd Sess., May 9, 2012, p. 20, http://www.gpo.gov/fdsys/pkg/CRPT-112hrpt470/pdf/CRPT-112hrpt470.pdf (July 11, 2012).
[23]Robert Rector, "Reforming Food Stamps to Promote Work and Reduce Poverty and Dependence," testimony before the Committee on Agriculture, U.S. House of Representatives, June 27, 2001, http://www.heritage.org/research/testimony/reforming-food-stamps-to-promote-work (accessed June 22, 2012).
[24]U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Characteristics of Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program Households: FY 2010, September 2011, http://www.fns.usda.gov/ora/menu/Published/snap/FILES/Participation/2010Characteristics.pdf (accessed June 21, 2012).
[25]The figure of 5.5 million was derived as follows: Approximately 4.6 million families with children had no earnings. Of these, probably 1.8 million did not contain an able-bodied adult, leaving some 2.7 million families with able-bodied adults but no work. In addition, 2.8 million (80 percent) of the 3.5 ABAWD households had no earnings in the month. See ibid., p. 52, Table A16.
[26]Details of this estimate are available from the authors upon request.
[27]Additional funds could be reallocated from the existing food stamp training program.
[28]Rukmalie Jayakody, Sheldon Danziger, and Harold Pollack, "Welfare Reform, Substance Abuse and Mental Health," Journal of Health Politics, Policy and Law, Vol. 25, No. 4 (August 2000), pp. 623–652, http://www.fordschool.umich.edu/research/poverty/pdf/appam98.pdf (accessed June 21, 2012).
[29]U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Office of Applied Studies, "Substance Use Among Persons in Families Receiving Government Assistance," The NHSDA Report, April 19, 2002, Table 1, http://www.samhsa.gov/data/2k2/GovAid/GovAid.htm (accessed June 21, 2012).
[30]Jayakody et al., "Welfare Reform, Substance Abuse and Mental Health," p. 11.
[31]Tarren Bragdon, "Florida's Drug Test Law for Welfare Cash Assistance: First Quarter Facts," Foundation for Government Accountability, October 13, 2011, http://www.floridafga.org/2011/10/floridas-drug-test-law-for-welfare-cash-assistance-first-quarter-facts-2/ (accessed June 21, 2012).
[32]Ibid. Judge Scriven, who struck down the Florida drug testing law, refused to consider the strong evidence that the program substantially reduced new welfare enrollments.
[33]U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Substance Abuse and Mental Health Services Administration, Results from the 2010 National Survey on Drug Use and Mental Health: Summary of National Findings, September 2011, p. 23, http://oas.samhsa.gov/NSDUH/2k10NSDUH/2k10Results.pdf (accessed June 21, 2012).
[34]Robert Rector and Patrick F. Fagan, "The Continuing Good News About Welfare Reform," Heritage Foundation Backgrounder No. 1620, February 6, 2003, http://www.heritage.org/research/reports/2003/02/the-continuing-good-news.
[36]Both figures are in constant 2011 dollars.
[37]Lyndon B. Johnson, "Proposal for a Nationwide War on the Sources of Poverty," March 16, 1964, http://www.fordham.edu/halsall/mod/1964johnson-warpoverty.html (August 27, 2009).
[38]Lyndon B. Johnson, "Annual Message to the Congress on the State of the Union," January 8, 1964, http://www.presidency.ucsb.edu/ws/index.php?pid=26787 (August 27, 2009).
[39]Quoted in David Zarefsky, President Johnson's War on Poverty: Rhetoric and History (Tuscaloosa: University of Alabama Press, 1986), p. 49.
[41]The information in this appendix is drawn from Falk and Aussenberg, "The Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: Categorical Eligibility," and U.S. Department of Agriculture, Food and Nutrition Service, Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program: State Options Report, 9th ed., November 2010, http://www.fns.usda.gov/snap/rules/Memo/Support/State_Options/9-State_Options.pdf (accessed July 1, 2012).


text:
Gene A. Swanson
FAIRMONT – Funeral services for Gene A. Swanson, 74, of St. Cloud, Minn., formerly of Fairmont, Minn., will be 11 a.m. Monday, Jan. 21, 2013, at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont. Burial will be following the service in the Fairview Memorial Park Cemetery with full military honors by Lee C. Prentice American Legion Post 36 and Martin County VFW Post 1222 of Fairmont.
Gene passed away following a long battle with ALS on Wednesday evening, Jan. 16, 2013, at St. Cloud VA Health Care System in St. Cloud, Minn. Visitation will be 4-7 p.m. Sunday, Jan. 20, 2013, at Lakeview Funeral Home in Fairmont, and will continue one hour prior to the time of service Monday.
Gene Arthur Swanson was born Aug. 24, 1938, in Westford Township, Minn. He was the son of Carl "Peno" and Lila (Hartwig) Swanson. He attended Fairmont public school and graduated in 1956.
In 1962, Gene was united in marriage to Karen Goemann in Fairmont, Minn. This union was blessed with two children, Kathy and David. He later spent many years together with a close companion who had two children, Crystal and Nick, whom he considered his own.
On June 11, 1956, Gene enlisted in the U.S. Navy. He served until receiving an honorable discharge on Aug. 14, 1959. Following his enlistment in the Navy, he attended college at Mankato State University and graduated in May 1963. Gene then attended law school at the University of Minnesota.
Gene was a lifelong resident of Fairmont, where he owned and operated Swanson Construction. He also enjoyed carpentry and driving school bus for many years until his retirement in 2010. Gene was a longtime member of the Minnesota Bluegrass Association as well as being a member of the Fairmont Historical Society, Fairmont Opera House and the Red Rock Center. He enjoyed fishing, camping, attending Bluegrass Festivals, woodworking, helping family and friends with remodeling projects, and had a passion for trains. Gene loved his basset hounds and was a huge supporter and fan of Fairmont Cardinal sports. He most loved spending time with his family and friends.
Left to cherish his memory are his children, Kathy Holman of Sauk Rapids, Minn., and David Swanson and his wife, Ann, of South Elgin, Ill.; grandchildren, Kelsey Steuber, Kyle Steuber, Lexi Holman, Matthew Swanson and Danielle Swanson; step grandchildren, Drew Jones, Meagan Downward, Heidi Harazin, and Lauren Jones; four step great-grandchildren; special friends, Crystal Hanson and her husband, Neil, and their children, Macy, Devin and Cole of Granada, Minn., and Nick Lowry and his wife, Jennifer, of Minneapolis, Minn.; brothers, Wayne (Mary) Swanson, and Jerry (Sandy) Swanson; sisters, Marie (Dennis) Laffey, Janet (Ron) Kakeldey, Linda Swanson, Suzie (Joe) Jerich, and Lila Soncrant; half brother, Richard Hartjen; and many nieces, nephews, cousins, other relatives and friends.
Along with his parents, Carl "Peno" and Lila Swanson, Gene was preceded in death by his brothers-in-law, Ron Theisen and Kerry Soncrant; half brother, Veryle Hartjen; nephews, Jason Soncrant and Jacob Theisen; and great nephew, Brandon Byers.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
Sporting Kansas City will be out to atone for their surprising loss to San Jose Earthquakes when they meet Chicago Fire on Saturday.
The Eastern Conference leaders fell to a 1-0 defeat against struggling San Jose last Monday, with USA international Chris Wondolowski scoring the only goal of the game.
That defeat allowed New York Red Bulls to draw level on points with Peter Vermes' side at the top of the conference and they will be hoping to re-establish a gap with a win at Chicago, who sit five points adrift of a play-off place.
The Red Bulls face bottom-placed Chivas USA on Sunday as they look to overhaul Kansas, and the onus will be on strikers Thierry Henry and Fabian Espindola to add to their tallies of seven goals each against the side with the worst defensive record in the division.
Western Conference leaders Real Salt Lake have won just one of their last five outings, and they face another difficult challenge when they host Columbus Crew - who head into the clash gunning for their third consecutive win - on Sunday.
Portland Timbers are three points behind Salt Lake after the dramatic 3-3 draw between the two sides on Thursday, but they could have the chance to go top on Monday if they are able to overcome a Seattle Sounders side whose three-match unbeaten run was ended by Houston Dynamo last time out.
Houston travel to Montreal Impact on Sunday with the Canadian team attempting to keep pace with Kansas City and New York, while Philadelphia Union visit a New England Revolution outfit still very much in contention for the play-offs.
Defending champions LA Galaxy face a difficult trip to Vancouver Whitecaps, and they will need to be wary of Brazilian striker Camilo Sanvezzo, who is joint top of the MLS leading scorers charts having found the net14 times so far this season.
Elsewhere, FC Dallas - 3-1 winners over Chivas USA on Thursday - host San Jose and DC United meet Toronto.
|S. Johnson
|G. Segares
|J. Anibaba
|A. Berry
|H. Jumper
|13' 35'
|J. Larentowicz
|M. Magee
|E. Arévalo
|D. Duka
|C. Rolfe
|Coach: F. Klopas
|J. Nielsen
|A. Collin
|C. Myers
|M. Besler
|S. Sinovic
|B. Feilhaber
|G. Zusi
|P. Joseph
|Oriol Rosell
|T. Bunbury
|C. Sapong
|Coach: P. Vermes
for Alex 65'
for C. Rolfe 68'
for D. Duka 85'
for B. Feilhaber 57'
for T. Bunbury 67'
for Oriol Rosell 82'
|Swansea situation not ´hopeless´, says Clement
|Real Sociedad 0 Barcelona 1: Neymar ends Anoeta curse
|´Immeasurable bulls**t´ - Ligue 1 coach destroys Van Basten´s offside plan
|Simeone praises Atletico´s precision in Copa Del Rey win
|Fonte situation difficult for Southampton - Puel
|´Some of the best football in the UK´ - Watford´s Mazzarri hails Bournemouth
|Senegal 2 Zimbabwe 0: Cisse´s men charge into quarter-finals
|Rivaldo backs Luis Enrique to deliver more Barca success
|Atletico Madrid 3 Eibar 0: Routine win earns quarter-final lead
|Jesus will make Premier League history - Rivaldo
|Adebayor: Arsenal are just Ozil and Sanchez
|Algeria 1 Tunisia 2: Favourites on brink of elimination
|Bayern keen to seal Coman deal as Rummenigge cools Gnabry interest
|Pochettino has done his homework on Jesus as Spurs look to march on
|Scrap offside? Premier League managers give Van Basten´s plans a cool reception
|Coman ready for Bayern comeback, confirms Ancelotti
|Pochettino upbeat despite six weeks out for Vertonghen, Lamela still a mystery
|Cerezo defiant over Griezmann amid talk of Manchester United agreement
|Robinho named in Brazil squad for Chapecoense fundraiser
|Davies and Lookman aren´t the big men of Everton, warns Koeman
|Ivory Coast v DR Congo: Dussyer demands champions show true strength
|Replacing Robben and Ribery not easy - Hitzfeld
|Yeray back in Athletic training after successful cancer surgery
|Karanka targeting more Boro deals after Bamford swoop
|Cavani: I am the ultimate finisher
|Morocco v Togo: El Ahmadi hungry for success
|Ancelotti denies Verratti approach
|A-League Review: Cahill double sees Melbourne City sink Mariners
|Manchester United very happy with Shaw, insists agent
|Mertesacker extends Arsenal deal
|Boost for Arsenal as key quartet returns to training
|Will Jesus save Manchester City´s title bid? Guardiola´s new striker in Opta numbers
|Tevez mobbed after touching down in Shanghai
|Payet exit not inevitable - Bilic
|Wenger: Arsenal don´t need Payet
|Jesus wants Manchester City titles
|Orsolini arrives for Juventus medical
|Rivaldo backs Coutinho to join Neymar at Barcelona
|No danger of Messi leaving Barcelona, says father
|Augusto: I convinced Oscar to come to China
|Madrid-bound Maradona visits Napoli training
|Sevilla in no rush over Sampaoli talks despite Barcelona links
|Cafu: Resurgent Brazil can challenge world´s best
|Klopp thrilled with Coutinho
|Manchester United replace Real Madrid as world´s richest club
|Madrid squad annoyed by defeats - Zidane wants more energy after latest loss
|Casemiro rues more misery for Madrid against Celta
|´Job done, let´s go home´ - Klopp happy to avoid extra time with narrow Plymouth win
|FA Cup Review: Southampton leave it late to beat Norwich
|Real Madrid 1 Celta Vigo 2: Aspas and Jonny extend Madrid winless run
|Plymouth Argyle 0 Liverpool 1: Rare Lucas goal sees Klopp´s men through
|Manchester City in La La Land as Schalke toil underground
|Cameroon 2 Guinea-Bissau 1: Ngadeu-Ngadjui completes comeback to send Broos´ men top
|Monaco confirm signing of Ajax teenager Antonucci
|Manchester United´s interest in Griezmann is unsurprising - Simeone
|Bamford ends spell in Chelsea wilderness with Boro return
|Louis the great - Luis Enrique explains his and Barca´s debt to Van Gaal
|Gabon 1 Burkina Faso 1: Spot-on Aubameyang makes his point
|PSG send Ikone on loan to Montpellier
|Senegal v Zimbabwe: Cisse wants to live up to favourites tag
|Ghana´s Rahman leaves AFCON with knee injury
|Algeria v Tunisia: Mahrez demands improvement in crucial Group B clash
|Dortmund forward Dembele hits out at Bundesliga refereeing
|Robben hopes Alonso stays at Bayern amid retirement rumours
|Asian champions Jeonbuk banned from 2017 Champions League
|Rakitic still an important player for Barcelona - Luis Enrique
|Jesus will develop quicker at City - Emerson
|Always take the weather with you - Spanish snow blights CSKA´s training camp
|Messi never gave Coach interview, claims father
|Gotze questions critics but admits to falling short of expecations
|´Conte can have our title´ - Ranieri wants Chelsea to win the Premier League
|Tottenham reject Premier League, Bundesliga offers for Wimmer
|Liverpool sell Ilori to Reading
|Potential victims in football abuse probe surpasses 500
|Bonaventura signs new AC Milan contract
|Messi: Ronaldo has achieved great things
|Koscielny: Wenger has built men at Arsenal
|Messi vows to stay at Barcelona ´for as long as they want me´
|Cafu adamant Neymar will become world´s best
|I´m just taking a sabbatical - Van Gaal denies he´s retired
|Not even Gerrard won Premier League - Buttner says he´s not a United flop
|Samper ignored Wenger as Barca midfielder rejected Arsenal
|Pleased Pioli wants more from Inter
|Evergrande boss Scolari dismisses Turan links
|Klopp seeks legal advice over Matip
|Marseille complete Sanson move
|Inter 3 Bologna 2: Candreva prevents remarkable turnaround in Coppa Italia thriller
|FA Cup Review: Non-league Lincoln stun Ipswich, Burnley and Palace through
|Gabon v Burkina Faso: Aubameyang says hosts have learned from Guinea-Bissau setback
|Mali 0 Egypt 0: El-Hadary makes history in stalemate
|El-Hadary oldest AFCON player ever - 44-year-old Egypt goalkeeper makes history
|Reus and Gotze on target but Bender injured in Dortmund win
|Toure shunning lavish China interest to stay at City, says Seluk
|Rahman´s AFCON in the balance, says Ghana boss Grant
|Just 14 goals conceded and nine clean sheets - How Vertonghen blow could impact Tottenham
|Ghana 1 Uganda 0: Andre Ayew hands Black Stars nervy victory
|Swansea snap up Carroll and Olsson in double swoop
|All is forgiven? - Costa trains with full Chelsea squad after reported Conte bust-up
|I would throw myself off a bridge for Luis Enrique - Rakitic dismisses Barca rift rumours
|Was Juventus´ new logo inspired by tennis star?
|Smooth sailing for Liverpool in Plymouth? Klopp expects tough test
|Demichelis re-joins Malaga until end of season
|Cameroon v Guinea-Bissau: Broos urges new heroes to emerge
|Boxing champ hits Carragher with Chinese Super League comeback prank
|Zidane backs Navas and defends Benzema as Madrid aim to bounce back
|Deportivo bring in Kakuta from Hebei after CSL rule changes
|Matip could miss eight games without doing anything wrong - Klopp
|United trigger Valencia´s contract extension
|Ronaldo returns to Real Madrid´s Copa squad
|FA fine Sagna for Instagram post
|Nedved does not foresee more January business for Juventus
|Rafinha injury blow for Barcelona
|Villas-Boas fumes at CSL foreign player crackdown
|Ibrahimovic invaluable to Manchester United youngsters - Rashford
|Robben rejected China move
|A-League review: Phoenix rise to the occasion to end Victory´s streak
|Van Gaal slams English media over treatment at Manchester United
|Mignolet: Liverpool in better position to win title than in 2013-14
|Giroud wants Premier League title but understands China temptations
|Tianjin forced to scrap moves for Costa, Benzema, Cavani and Falcao
|My goal was better than Mkhitaryan´s - Giroud
|Pochettino not interested in Argentina job
|Kane: Tottenham can win Premier League
|Corinthians dreaming of Drogba - Paulo Roberto
|Coutinho calls for Liverpool focus
|Chiellini compares Pogba to LeBron and Bolt
|Maradona to become Napoli ambassador
|Mihajlovic furious after Torino collapse
|Icardi has offers from China - Wanda Nara
|Pogba can cope with pressure - Ibrahimovic
|´My half-time words will stay in the dressing room´ - Montella annoyed with AC Milan


text:
I've just had one of the best experiences of my life, Beatlefans. I've been in NY nearly three months now, and so this was my first JL birthday.
Went down first @ 11am, there were a few people singing, it was nice.
Came back around half five in the afternoon (this time with guitar), and stood and played and sung and got emotional for nearly four hours. Around ten people with guitars, a couple of basses, drums, it was amazing. All kinds Beatle/John songs. I even managed to get Crippled Inside going after Imagine!
If any of you plan a trip to the city, come in October. Because the people who visit this site will absolutely love John's birthday in New York


text: Create the current Real Time Model for the Market Management System (MMS) using the Network Model Management System (NMMS) software and the selected Network Operations Model Change Request (NOMCRs) as required. The output is a CIM XML file that is generated per the CPSM specification plus the ERCOT CIM extensions. The RT Contingency File and the RT Settlement File will also be packaged and sent with this model.


text:
Lilium (members of which are true lilies) is a genus of herbaceous flowering plants growing from bulbs, all with large prominent flowers. Lilies are an important group of flowering plants and are important in culture and literature in much of the world. Most species are native to the temperate northern hemisphere, though their range and extends into northern subtropics. Many other plants have "lily" in their common name but are not related to true lilies.
The botanic name Lilium is the Latin form and is a Linnaean name. The Latin name is derived from the Greek λείριον, leírion, generally assumed to refer to true, white lilies as exemplified by the Madonna lily.[1] The word was borrowed from Coptic (dial. Fayyumic) hleri, from standard hreri, from Demotic hrry, from Egyptian hrṛt "flower". Meillet maintains that both the Egyptian and the Greek word are possible loans from an extinct, substratum language of the Eastern Mediterranean. The Greeks also used the word κρῖνον, krīnon, albeit for non-white lilies.
The term "lily" has in the past been applied to numerous different flowering plants, often with only superficial resemblance to the true lily, including lotus, ranunculus, tulip, iris, anemone, agapanthus, zantedeschia, daylily, and others. All English translations of the bible render the Hebrew shūshan, shōshan, shōshannā as "lily". For instance, the "lily among the thorns" of Song of Solomon may be the honeysuckle.[2]
For a list of other species described as lilies, see Lily (disambiguation).
The range of lilies in the Old World extends across much of Europe, across most of Asia to Japan, south to India, to Indochina and to the Philippines. In the New World they extend from southern Canada through much of the United States. They are commonly adapted to either woodland habitats, often montane, or sometimes to grassland habitats. A few can survive in marshland and epiphytes are known in tropical southeast Asia. In general they prefer moderately acidic or lime-free soils.
Lilies are tall perennials ranging in height from 2–6 ft (60–180 cm). They form naked or tunicless scaly underground bulbs which are their overwintering organs. In some North American species the base of the bulb develops into rhizomes, on which numerous small bulbs are found. Some species develop stolons. Most bulbs are deeply buried, but a few species form bulbs near the soil surface. Many species form stem-roots. With these, the bulb grows naturally at some depth in the soil, and each year the new stem puts out adventitious roots above the bulb as it emerges from the soil. These roots are in addition to the basal roots that develop at the base of the bulb.
The flowers are large, often fragrant, and come in a range of colours including whites, yellows, oranges, pinks, reds and purples. Markings include spots and brush strokes. The plants are late spring- or summer-flowering. Flowers are borne in racemes or umbels at the tip of the stem, with six tepals spreading or reflexed, to give flowers varying from funnel shape to a "Turk's cap". The tepals are free from each other, and bear a nectary at the base of each flower. The ovary is 'superior', borne above the point of attachment of the anthers. The fruit is a three-celled capsule.[3]
Seeds ripen in late summer. They exhibit varying and sometimes complex germination patterns, many adapted to cool temperate climates.
Most cool temperate species are dormant in winter. Most species are deciduous, but a few species (Lilium candidum, Lilium catesbaei) bear a basal rosette of leaves during dormancy.
Lilies are used as food plants by the larvae of some Lepidoptera species including the Dun-bar.
Some Lilium species are toxic to cats. This is known to be so especially for L. longiflorum though other Lilium and the unrelated Hemerocallis can also cause the same symptoms.[4][5][6] The true mechanism of toxicity is undetermined, but it involves damage to the renal tubular epithelium (composing the substance of the kidney and secreting, collecting, and conducting urine),which can cause acute renal failure.
Many species are widely grown in the garden in temperate and sub-tropical regions. They may also be grown as potted plants. Numerous ornamental hybrids have been developed. They can be used in herbaceous borders, woodland and shrub plantings, and as patio plants. Some lilies, especially Lilium longiflorum, form important cut flower crops. These may be forced for particular markets; for instance, L. longiflorum for the Easter trade, when it may be called the Easter lily.
Lilies are usually planted as bulbs in the dormant season. They are best planted in a south-facing, slightly sloping aspect, in sun or part shade, at a depth 2½ times the height of the bulb (except L. candidum which should be planted at the surface). Lilies have contractile roots which pull the plant down to the correct depth, therefore it is better to plant them too shallowly than too deep. A soil pH of around 6.5 is generally safe. The soil should be well-drained, and plants must be kept watered during the growing season. Some plants have strong wiry stems, but those with heavy flower heads may need staking.[7][8]
Below is a list of lily species and cultivars that have gained the Royal Horticultural Society's Award of Garden Merit:-
Classification of garden forms
Numerous forms, mostly hybrids, are grown for the garden. They vary according to their parent species, and are classified in the following broad groups;[18] [19][20]
- Asiatic hybrids (Division I). These are plants with medium sized, upright or outward facing flowers, mostly unscented. They are derived from central and East Asian species, including L. bulbiferum, L. cernuum, L. concolor, L. davidii, L. lancifolium, L. maculatum.
- Ia upward-facing flowers
- Ib outward-facing flowers
- Ic downward-facing (pendent) flowers
- Martagon hybrids (Division II). These are based on L. martagon and L. hansonii. The flowers are nodding, Turk's cap style (with the petals strongly recurved).
- Candidum hybrids (Division III). This includes hybrids of L. candidum with several other mostly European species.
- American hybrids (Division IV). These are mostly taller growing forms, originally derived from L. pardalinum. Many are clump-forming perennials with rhizomatous rootstocks.
- Longiflorum hybrids (Division V). These are cultivated forms of this species and its subspecies. They are most important as plants for cut flowers, and are less often grown in the garden than other hybrids.
- Trumpet lilies (Division VI), including Aurelian hybrids (with L. henryi). This group includes hybrids of many Asiatic species, including L. regale and L. aurelianse. The flowers are trumpet shaped, facing outward or somewhat downward, and tend to be strongly fragrant, often especially night-fragrant.
- Oriental hybrids (Division VII). These are based on hybrids of L. auratum and L. speciosum, together with crossbreeds from several species native to Japan, including L nobilissimum, L rubellum, L alexandrae, and L japonicum. They are fragrant, and the flowers tend to be outward facing. Plants tend to be tall, and the flowers may be quite large. The whole group are sometimes referred to as Stargazers because they appear to look upwards. For the specific 'Stargazer' hybrid, see Lilium "Stargazer".
- Other hybrids (Division VIII). Includes all other garden hybrids.
- Species (Division IX). All natural species and naturally occurring forms are included in this group.
Many newer commercial varieties are developed by using new technologies such as in vitro pollination, ovary culture and embryo rescue.[21]
Pests and diseases
Aphids may infest plants. Leatherjackets feed on the roots. Larvae of the Scarlet lily beetle can cause serious damage to the stems and leaves. Plants can suffer from damage caused by mice, deer and squirrels. Slugs, snails and millipedes attack seedlings, leaves and flowers. Brown spots on damp leaves may signal botrytis (also known as lily disease). Various fungal and viral diseases can cause mottling of leaves and stunting of growth.
Propagation and growth
Lilies can be propagated in several ways;
- by division of the bulbs
- by growing-on bulbils which are adventitious bulbs formed on the stem
- by scaling, for which whole scales are detached from the bulb and planted to form a new bulb
- by seed; there are many seed germination patterns, which can be complex
- by micropropagation techniques (which include tissue culture);[22] commercial quantities of lilies are often propagated in vitro and then planted out to grow into plants large enough to sell.
According to a study done by Anna Pobudkiewicz and Jadwiga the use of flurprimidol foliar spray helps aid in the limitation of stem elongation in oriental lilies. (1)
Culinary uses
Lilium bulbs are starchy and edible as root vegetables, although bulbs of some species may be very bitter. The non-bitter bulbs of L. lancifolium, L. pumilum, and especially L. brownii (Chinese: 百合 干; pinyin: bǎihé gān) and Lilium davidii var unicolor are grown on a large scale in China as a luxury or health food, and are most often sold in dry form. They are eaten especially in the summer, for their perceived ability to reduce internal heat. They may be reconstituted and stir-fried, grated and used to thicken soup, or processed to extract starch. Their texture and taste draw comparisons with the potato, although the individual bulb scales are much smaller. Yuri-ne (lily-root) is also common in Japanese cuisine, especially as an ingredient of chawan-mushi (savoury egg custard).
The "lily" flower buds known as jīnzhēn (金针, "golden needles") in Chinese cuisine are actually from the daylily Hemerocallis fulva.
Taxonomical division in sections follows the classical division of Comber,[23] species acceptance follows World Checklist of Liliaceae,[24] the taxonomy of section Pseudolirium is from the Flora of North America,[25] the taxonomy of Section Liriotypus is given in consideration of Resetnik et al. 2007,[26] the taxonomy of Chinese species (various sections) follows the Flora of China [27] and the taxonomy of Section Archelirion follows Nishikawa et al.[28] as does the taxonomy of Section Archelirion.[29]
Some species formerly included within this genus have now been placed in other genera. These genera include Cardiocrinum, Notholirion, Nomocharis and Fritillaria.
Section Martagon
|Lilium distichum
|Lilium hansonii
|Lilium martagon
|Martagon or Turk's cap lily
|Lilium medeoloides
|Lilium tsingtauense
|Lilium debile
|var. of L. medeoloides
Section Pseudolirium
|Lilium bolanderi
|Bolander's Lily
|Lilium columbianum
|Columbia Lily or Tiger Lily
|Lilium humboldtii
|Humboldt's lily
|Lilium kelloggii
|Lilium rubescens
|Lilium washingtonianum
|Washington Lily, Shasta Lily, or Mt. Hood Lily
|Lilium kelleyanum
|Lilium maritimum
|Lilium occidentale
|Lilium pardalinum
|Panther or Leopard lily
|Lilium parryi
|Lilium parvum
|Sierra tiger lily or Alpine lily
|Lilium canadense
|Canada Lily or Meadow Lily
|Lilium puberulum
|Lilium grayi
|Lilium iridollae
|Lilium michiganense
|Michigan Lily
|Lilium michauxii
|Carolina Lily
|Lilium pyrophilum
|Sandhills Lily[30]
|Lilium superbum
|Swamp lily or American tiger lily
|Lilium catesbaei
|Lilium philadelphicum
|Wood lily, Philadelphia lily or prairie lily
Section Liriotypus
Section Archelirion
|Lilium auratum
|Golden rayed lily of Japan, or Goldband lily
|Lilium platyphyllum
|Lilium brownii
|Lilium japonicum
|Lilium nobilissimum
|Lilium rubellum
|Lilium speciosum
|Japanese lily
Section Sinomartagon
Section Leucolirion
|Lilium leucanthum
|Lilium puerense
|Lilium regale
|Lilium sargentiae
|Lilium sulphureum
|Lilium formosanum
|Lilium longiflorum
|Easter Lily
|Lilium philippinense
|Lilium wallichianum
|Lilium wenshanense
Section Daurolirion
|Lilium pensylvanicum
|Lilium maculatum
Section not specified
|Lilium eupetes
Orange Lily showing stamens with pollen-covered anthers. Ontario, Canada. June 2002.
Pollen of Lilium auratum (Oriental Lily) Back-scattered electron microscope image
Microscopic view of Lily pollen 100X
See also
- ^ "Classification". Archived from the original on April 15, 2008. http://web.archive.org/web/20080415193108/http://members.shaw.ca/lilynet/netlil/id35.htm. Retrieved 2008-06-22.
- ^ Shorter Oxford English dictionary, 6th ed.. United Kingdom: Oxford University Press. 2007. pp. 3804. ISBN 0199206872.
- ^ European Garden Flora; Volume 1
- ^ Langston CE (January 2002). "Acute renal failure caused by lily ingestion in six cats". J. Am. Vet. Med. Assoc. 220 (1): 49–52, 36. doi:10.2460/javma.2002.220.49. PMID 12680447.
- ^ Hall J (1992). "Nephrotoxicity of Easter Lily (Lilium longiflorum) when ingested by the cat". Proc Annu Meet Am Vet Int Med 6: 121.
- ^ Volmer P (April 1999). "Easter lily toxicosis in cats" (PDF). Vet Med: 331. http://www.aspcapro.org/mydocuments/p-toxbrief_0499.pdf.
- ^ RHS encyclopedia of plants & flowers. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2010. pp. 744. ISBN 1405354232.
- ^ Jefferson-Brown, Michael (2008). Lilies (Wisley handbooks). United Kingdom: Mitchell Beazley. pp. 96. ISBN 1845333845.
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1160
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=6074
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=5522
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3386
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1162
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=3387
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1163
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1164
- ^ http://apps.rhs.org.uk/plantselector/plant?plantid=1165
- ^ North American Lily Society: Types of Lilies
- ^ Northern Tasmanian Lily Society: Horticultural Classification of Liliums
- ^ RHS A-Z encyclopedia of garden plants. United Kingdom: Dorling Kindersley. 2008. pp. 1136. ISBN 1405332964.
- ^ J.m. Van Tuyl, A.; Binoa, R.J.; Vancreij, M; Vankleinwee, T; Franken, J; Bino, R (1991). "Application of in vitro pollination, ovary culture, ovule culture and embryo rescue for overcoming incongruity barriers in interspecific Lilium crosses". Plant Science 74 (1): 115–126. doi:10.1016/0168-9452(91)90262-7.
- ^ Hcmuaf.edu.ven[dead link]
- ^ Harold Comber, 1949. "A new classification of the genus Lilium." Lily Yearbook, Royal Hortic. Soc., London. 15:86–105.
- ^ Govaerts, R. (2006). World Checklist of Liliaceae. The Board of Trustees of the Royal Botanic Gardens, Kew. Published on the Internet; accessed 15 September 2006; 20:36 GMT
- ^ Flora of North America, Vol. 26, Online
- ^ Resetnik I., Liber Z., Satovic Z., Cigic P., Nikolic T. (2007). "Molecular phylogeny and systematics of the Lilium carniolicum group (Liliaceae) based on nuclear ITS sequences". Plant Systematics and Evolution 265: 45–58. doi:10.1007/s00606-006-0513-y.
- ^ Flora of China, Vol. 24, eFloras.org
- ^ Nishikawa Tomotaro, Okazaki Keiichi, Arakawa Katsuro, Nagamine Tsukasa (2001). "Phylogenetic Analysis of Section Sinomartagon in Genus Lilium Using Sequences of the Internal Transcribed Spacer Region in Nuclear Ribosomal DNA". 育種学雑誌 Breeding science 51 (1): 39–46. doi:10.1270/jsbbs.51.39. http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsbbs/51/1/51_39/_article/-char/en.
- ^ Nishikawa Tomotaro, Okazaki Keiichi, Nagamine Tsukasa (2002). "Phylogenetic Relationships among Lilium auratum Lindley, L. auratum var. platyphyllum Baker and L. rubellum Baker Based on Three Spacer Regions in Chloroplast DNA". 育種学雑誌 Breeding science 52 (3): 207–213. doi:10.1270/jsbbs.52.207. http://www.jstage.jst.go.jp/article/jsbbs/52/3/52_207/_article.
- ^ http://www.efloras.org/florataxon.aspx?flora_id=1&taxon_id=242101744
- ^ "Velkommen til". Kalle-k.dk. http://www.kalle-k.dk. Retrieved 2011-12-05.


text:
Fiji has it all! If you seek adventure you can snorkel over shallow reefs close to shore, dive and experience amazing underwater adventures, ride in a jet boat, trek in the tropical rainforests, go shopping in Suva, swim in the crystal clear waters of a rushing river or even visit a sacred cave. Or if it's romance and time out you seek, Fiji is the land of gentle relaxation and absolutely no stress. From the mainland island of Viti Levu to the islands you won't be able to escape the friendliness of the people or the sheer natural beauty of swaying palms and warm, clear water.
Looking for holidays to the Fiji Islands?
Any package price advertised is correct at time of publishing of this page. During some periods, air and hotel pricing may not be available and surcharges may apply. Prices and event tickets are subject to availability and are not guaranteed until the booking is completed and confirmed. Prices are quoted in AUD and are based on economy, direct route, including taxes, levies and other government charges which may vary and are subject to change but exclude baggage. Seasonal surcharges may apply. Hotel rates quoted are based on double occupancy, per room per night, unless otherwise noted. Prices are based on lead-in room, additional room types available. Charges for extra persons and/or children may apply and will be charged directly by the hotel. Change to dates, fare class and hotel rooms will affect flight fares, hotel rates and price generally. Packaging is for the convenience of Virgin Australia Holidays' guests and Virgin Australia Holidays endeavours to provide suitable flight schedules and hotels to suit the event selected however, flight schedules, event time and location and hotel check in time and location are ultimately the responsibility of the guest upon booking and guests should ensure flight schedules and hotel check in time and location are suitable for the event time and event location selected. Attendance at events, tours and hotels may be subject to additional terms and conditions. Virgin Australia Holidays Terms and Conditions apply.
**Please remember to select the travel extra in the booking path, it is not automatically selected.
Velocity members earn 3 Points per $1 spent on all eligible Virgin Australia Holidays bookings. Silver, Gold and Platinum members also earn bonus Points on top of the base Points earned. To earn and redeem Velocity Points, you must be a Velocity member. Velocity members and Points earn and redemption are subject to the Member Terms and Conditions available at www.velocityfrequentflyer.com as amended from time to time. Virgin Australia operated flights purchased as part of a Virgin Australia Holidays or Mystery Breaks package will earn Status Credits and the Virgin Australia Status Credit earn rates. For more information regarding Points and Status earn rates click here.


text:
Cave Man
Scientist and wanna-be astronaut Jut Wynne makes time for trails
J.Judson "Jut" Wynne is often crawling on his belly, rappelling into deep holes or squeezing through rock passages ...
Photo by Laura Camden
J.Judson "Jut" Wynne is often crawling on his belly, rappelling into deep holes or squeezing through rock passages so tight he must exhale all the air from his lungs. For Wynne, a day at work means being beneath the earth's surface for four to 12 hours at a time. Above ground, Wynne balances these dark scientific caving expeditions with sunlit trail runs, which he credits for keeping his body, mind and spirit sharp.
With a compact, muscular frame and brown hair that peeks out from underneath an ever-present brimmed cap or hardhat, the 39-year-old bachelor talks incessantly about running, his research and personal philosophy. Wynne is a cave-research scientist with the Merriam-Powell Center for Environmental Research at Northern Arizona University and the Search for Extraterrestrial Intelligence (SETI) Institute. For NASA, Wynne is developing thermal-detection techniques (such as infrared cameras) to locate caves and their critters on Mars and the Moon, work that he hopes will someday take him to space. "I'd love to be the first person to explore a lunar cave," he says. "And going into space wouldn't be too shabby either."
Wynne has lived in Flagstaff, Arizona, for 10 years and been "obsessed with caves" for about eight of those. A long-time runner, he's only become serious about the sport for the past five years, in part to condition himself for his grueling caving expeditions.


text:
Shooting blanks, throwing goose eggs … use whatever adjectives you want, but the best way to describe the Eldorado defense can probably be best summed up in one word: dominant.
In two games this year, the Eagles have yet to yield any points to the opposition. Eldorado is the only school in southern Illinois to have not given up a touchdown in eight quarters.
For their efforts, Eldorado is 2-0 in the Black Diamond Conference, but by no means in the drivers seat despite wins over Sesser-Valier-Waltonville-Woodlawn and Carmi-White County.
Vienna-Goreville, Fairfield and Chester are also unbeaten in league play.
That being said, Eldorado head coach Brandon Hampton is content with where is club is currently at.
"We're excited about (being the only team to not give up any points)," Hampton said. "We set a goal of being one of the top defenses in southern Illinois and we've been able to do that so far."
The collective effort by Hampton's defense, which includes Austin Miller (6-foot, 140-pound sophomore), Tristen Morse (6-foot, 265-pound senior) and Justin Wiseman (6-foot, 300-pound senior) on the defensive line with Braxton Roberts (6-foot, 175-pound junior), Dylan Roberts (6-foot, 200-pound senior), Derek Mitchell (5-foot-10, 175-pound senior) and Kaleb Williams (5-foot-11, 165-pound senior) as linebackers.
Drew Woolcot (5-foot-11, 145-pound sophomore), Nick Schimp (5-foot-11, 160-pound senior), Colton Edwards (5-foot-10, 140-pound senior) and Tyler Deaton (5-foot-10, 165-pound senior) manning Hampton's secondary.
So far, Eldorado has held two opponents to 93 yards rushing and 94 passing, giving up a total of 187. That's hardly the most impressive thing to Hampton though.
Intent on takeaways and forcing fumbles, the Eagles have forced 10 fumbles this year, recovering five and have intercepted two passes.
"We follow a real simple recipe on defense," Hampton said. "No. 1, we want to eliminate the big play. We really grade hard on plays we give up over 15 yards. In two games, we've only given up four. We really focus on taking the ball away and forcing turnovers. We have forced eight in two games and we've really been able offensively to help out or defense by hanging onto the football and dictating the tempo."
Eldorado employs a 3-4 front on defense, looking to get anywhere between a four and six man rush. Hampton's Eagles as of late have displayed a physicality on defense that the head coach says probably catches some teams off guard.
"When you're playing well on defense, you're getting a pass rush and you're keeping players contained, those things all equal out in the end. For us, it comes down to kids doing a good job of putting their eyes in the right spot and reading the keys."
Defense has long been Hampton's bread and butter. It's what he's always done, this particular scheme has something that's been in the works since 2010 and Hampton said it's success and trickled down to the lower levels.
Page 2 of 2 - "We are running this defense at the junior high, freshmen, junior varsity and all the way up to the varsity level. Our kids are very familiar with our system and our terminology," Hampton said.
"We have smart kids that can run and when you're able to do that on defense, you can do good things."
Location, ST | website.com


text:
Here's how RW members rated this race in the past (63 votes).
In short: Good for quick time - very flat courseIn full: Flat road marathons are not my usual race, I much prefer multi-terrain or undulating for the added interest. That said, the Moray Mara runs through some beautiful countryside, and past many golf courses and fenced off trees. The marshals were all very encouraging, and special thanks to the lovely couple who let me use their work loo when I was bursting! I'd have hugged you, but didn't think you'd appreciate a stinky runner that close... As mentioned by a couple of other reviewers, a great little race, well organised, but could do with a few minor improvements. Signs for the car park would be very useful, especially if you're not a local; some isotonic drinks or jelly babies at the (incredibly plentiful) water stations; some lone portaloos along the course (maybe every few miles by some of the water stations, then the marshals can benefit too). I had a terrible 12 miles looking out for somewhere to pee along the route, but trees all seemed fenced off with barbed wire, and other likely spots were golf courses teeming with people - wearing bright colours is not exactly subtle when trying to wee "in the wild" next to a surprisingly well-used road! Other marathons (including small ones, I've only run one "big city" race) have had handy portaloos, public toilets or understanding pub owners along their routes for runners "caught short". On the positive side, not being able to run due to full bladder meant that I was able to negotiate stairs without too many problems after the race! :)Overall, a very fast road race, well provisioned with water stations and friendly marshals, and with tasty butteries at the finish. Date of review: September 9, 2013
In short: Small, friendly, scenic, cheap - and potentially fast - courseIn full: Loved this event (I did the marathon). The organisation worked like clockwork and it was pretty much perfect as far as I was concerned. The wind was a factor in places but the mildly undulating course and cool temperatures made for PB potential for sure. The scenery was varied (woods, coast, rolling fields, town) and I thought it was a very appealing course.Yes, there were relatively few portaloos out on the course, but for £18 for a full marathon, with fewer than 200 starters, I wasn't expecting much in the way of frills. This was not a big deal to me at all. If you want loos every mile, then go and run a big city marathon with 30,000 others. The technical t-shirt provided seemed pretty decent and made me even more impressed with the bargain price.Also - Elgin is a small town. Finding the town hall (for packet pick-up and the marathon start/finish area) was very easy, especially if you have glanced at Google maps in advance, or have a sat nav. I didn't have an issue with the lack of signage.If you're after a small, friendly, well-run and ruggedly scenic race with a relatively flat and fast course, then I'd give this one a go for sure. Recommended.Date of review: September 6, 2013
In short: Well organised set of races but a few things missing that would improve the eventIn full: This was a first time at the Moray Marathon (Half for me, full for my wife) after being repeatedly invited up by family. Overall its well organised and the flat course is promising for fast times. The organisers can't control the weather and this year the wind was a significant factor - at times on the last four miles it was very strong into you face and hard to keep going. The coaches, drinks and marshals all worked well. We had a few minor niggles that would help make this a better event.1) No directions to the event/parking. We are not locals and were astonished that there were no direction signs to the HQ/parking. I have never encountered this at any other event (over 100 races). If we hadn't asked our relatives we would have been struggling to find it.2) No jelly babies/cake/isotonic drinks on the drinks stations. Most marathons and extreme events do this, so it was a surprise to see none on the many water stations. Was this because it was a championship race?3) Few toilets on course. Runners will need to go from time to time during a race and a portaloo every 2-3 miles is not much to ask.Other than that we really enjoyed the race/day and were happy with the T-shirt/medal and food at the end. Thanks! Date of review: September 4, 2013
In short: Superbly organised and marshalled with good facilities and friendly localsDate of review: September 2, 2013
In short: Small, friendly 3 in 1 event in the beautiful north of ScotlandIn full: I have run all 3 of the races over the years but this year I tried the marathon for the first time. It was a small friendly event much more enjoyable than the big city marathons. The marathon runners pick up the half runners just after half way so you won't be running on your own. Great organisation and value for money.Date of review: September 6, 2011
In full: This was my first running race and would definitely do it again! My friend and I ran the half in 2hrs 5 mins - we were both very happy with our times. We ran in our Maggies running vests and made a fair bit of sponsor money for our efforts. Fab refreshments and food afterwards and you could even get a massage if you wanted! Great day and hope to be back next year. Date of review: September 6, 2011
In short: Very well organised, beautiful locationIn full: A great event, with a stiff wind it was a challenging course for many. Undulating but not a nightmare. Very good organisation, however the water station at mile 22 ran out, it was a warm day though - perhaps a bit underestimated. Thoroughly recommended. Would do again.Date of review: September 12, 2010
In short: Scenic, friendly, low-keyIn full: I had no real targets for this race other than to enjoy the run (though I'd have been a bit peeved if I hadn't managed sub-4!), and enjoy it I did. It's a very small, low-key affair which makes a very pleasant change from the big city marathons, and as such it feels much more friendly and intimate. The scenic route makes it worth doing - some country lanes, a stretch along the Moray coast, and back through a forest. Water stations were plentiful - in fact there were so many I even skipped a few, something I've never done before!Only a couple of slight niggles - yes there was adequate changing facilities at the start, but at the end (when most runners are desperate to get into clean dry clothes!) what had previously been the female changing area seemed to have become a communal area - I ended up trying to towel down and change in the toilets, not a pleasant experience. Plus I would happily pay a bit more on the entrance fee to have a few of the water stations replaced with energy stations.Other than that, a well-organised friendly race that I would happily come back to do again.Date of review: September 7, 2010
In short: Really well organised race and a lovely course!In full: Having done the Half Marathon a few times and the 10k once, this year I decided to try the full marathon. As always, the organisers came up trumps. The races are always well organised, from the start in the Town Hall with good toilet and changing facilities, to the well marked and marshaled route with water stations aplenty.The marathon course begins in the Cooper Park and takes a lovely route to Burghead and along the coastline. Although the race is run on the road traffic does not interfere due to the plentiful signage, drivers taking due care and showing respect for the runners.The course is gently undulating and really is worth doing. If you like small, friendly races, you'll love this! A pretty fast field on the whole but a good number of more leisurely paced runners too. Finish is again in the Cooper Park and the later start of the half marathon and 10k mean that the faster marathoners are coming in at the peak time, I would imagine with lots of crowd support.The names of incoming runners are announced, the finish is well manned, as is the route, with first aiders, and then it's on to the Town Hall for sandwiches and a hot drink/juice. The massage service at £5 a go for charity is also well worth it.Another great day out. Well done to the organisers - the fact that it's the 29th year says it all! They know how to do it in style!!!Date of review: September 6, 2010
In short: 20 minute PB for me - Full MarathonIn full: i knocked 20 minutes off my houston marathon PB this year from 3:22 down to 3:02. One of the organisers daughters runs with me in houston texas and made me very welcome. I ran in my brooks mach 11's and can only report mild calf soreness, compared to my it band agony in my previous marathons. I hope to go under 2 hours in the Minnesota marathon in october. A great bunch of runners especially the scots ones ;)Date of review: September 5, 2010
Visit the official Runner's World page
Follow Runner's World on Twitter
Click here
Other Natmag-Rodale Sites
Run For Charity
Injury Clinics
About Runner's World


text:
Your course is using MyLab / Mastering by Pearson, which requires the purchase of an
access code. This code is usually packaged with a new textbook, but may also be purchased
separately from the MyLab / Mastering website if it is not included with your book.
Information about MyLab / Mastering can be found at
Please check the Systems Requirements page to verify your computer compatibility.
Your instructor will provide an additional course code you will need to
access your specific course.
While you may purchase your books and other course materials from the provider of your choice (using the
ISBN number available through the course's academic department
where applicable to ensure the correct version), both the campus bookstore
and our online bookstore,
guarantee that they stock the correct version for your course.
Approximately 3 weeks prior to the start of the session you can use the link
below to see the list of books that have been selected by your instructor. If you have
any questions about the course materials listed, please contact your instructor or the academic
department directly.
this link to see the book list for your course.
Important: A MyLab & Mastering access code is required for this course. If you purchase the book online, make certain that the access code is included.
All tests are proctored and should be taken at one of the BCCC Testing Centers. If this is not possible, please download and complete the alternate proctor form at www.bucks.edu/online/proctor_form.htm and submit to me for approval.
Look for an email outlining the course a week or two before the official course start date. This is a MyLab / Mastering course not a Canvas course.
Questions about Online Learning? Contact the Virtual Campus
at 215-968-8052 or firstname.lastname@example.com


text:
0 Members and 1 Guest are viewing this topic.
giotto,I suppose that all of this is for the good. I know from posters on the forum and from personal messages I receive that the Lehmann dough formulation is being used all around the world, including a commercial operation in China. As users pass on the formulation to their children and grandchildren, maybe the Lehmann formulation will be viewed someday just as those of the masters that Evelyne talked about. With the pervasiveness of the Internet in our lives and the way it multiplies everything exponentially, there is perhaps no reason why that can't happen.Petera commerical operation? like a chain store?
t's already starting to sprout flower tops.


text:
Money matters in college admissions, writes TaxProf, who's been touring colleges with his daughter. He cites Daniel Golden's The Price of Admission: How America's Ruling Class Buys Its Way into Elite Colleges — and Who Gets Left Outside the Gates, which argues that preferences for affluent whites are more significant at highly selective colleges than minority preferences.
Preferences also benefit children from well-connected and famous families, legacies, faculty children and "athletes in such patrician sports as rowing, horseback riding, fencing and even polo," notes the Washington Post review.
Wealthy parents don't need to be donors: They're courted as "development cases," even at endowment-rich Harvard. Duke "embarked on a systematic strategy of raising its endowment by seeking out wealthy applicants," Golden asserts, estimating that Duke admitted 100 development applicants each year in the late 1990s who otherwise would have been rejected.
Also enjoying substantial preference at elite colleges, both public and private, are varsity athletes. In a fascinating case study of women's sports at the University of Virginia, Golden shows how the effort to comply with Title IX, a gender equity law that has the praiseworthy goal of ensuring equality between female and male athletes, has had the unintended effect of giving an admissions edge to female athletes who play upper-class sports. Between 1992 and 2002, the number of college women nationwide in rowing, a sport highly concentrated in private schools and affluent suburbs, rose from 1,555 to 6,690; more recently, the number of female varsity horseback riders increased from 633 to 1,175 between 1998 and 2002. The net effect of the rise of these overwhelmingly patrician sports, Golden argues, has been to further advantage already advantaged women.
If elite universities ended affirmative action for the privileged, it would open up 25 percent of the places in the freshman class, Golden estimates. Some Asian immigrant striver would have a shot at Harvard, if Al Gore's son (one of his examples) had to compete on academic merits.
Golden calls for ending preferences for legacies, faculty children and athletes in "upper-class" sports. Jerome Karabel, the Post reviewer, writes:
Equally important is his suggestion that a firewall be constructed between the admissions office and the development office — a change of no small moment in institutions where the link between the two now looks more like an autobahn.
"Absent a more profound change in the prevailing definition of merit," fewer preferences for the rich by elite colleges will benefit well-educated "children of the upper-middle class," Karabel predicts. Few low-income students are close to qualifying.
I worry more about the college prospects of low-income and working-class students. They don't need to get into Harvard or Yale or Duke to be successful, but far too many are graduated from high school without the skills to earn a degree at Affordable State University — or even a vocational certificate at Local Community College.
Almost-Ivy students will go to slightly less elite colleges and universities,where they'll be successful, if they continue to work hard. Wealthy slackers will remain slackers.