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House of Representatives District 52, Republican Primary
All candidates were invited to respond to questionnaires, although not all chose to participate. Click on a candidate's name to see the unedited response to each question.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
Occupation: State Representative/State of Illinois
Marital status: Married
Spouse: Elizabeth
I am a graduate of Purdue University with a degree in Political Science. After taking a job with the House Republican Staff, I continued my studies as a graduate student at the University of Illinois – Springfield.
Civic, professional, fraternal or other affiliations:
Local Chambers of Commerce, National Rifle Association
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?
On July 4, 2011, I was sworn in as the new State Representative for the 52nd House District. I was appointed to the seat after the untimely passing of my friend and colleague, the late Representative Mark Beaubien.
I began my career in public service in 1988, working summers with the Illinois Senate. Upon college graduation, I worked in the private sector for several years. I came back to public service in 1997, taking a position on the Illinois House Republican Research & Appropriations Staff. In 2001, I became the Director of Appropriations for the House Republican Caucus.
As Budget Director, I fought for fiscal responsibility in Springfield, where I served as the lead budget negotiator for the House Republican Caucus. For several years there were no "Yes" votes from the House Republican Caucus on state budgets due to the fact that the budgets relied upon pension raids, borrowing, and the use of one-time revenue sources.
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government.
Director of Appropriations - Illinois House Republican Caucus, 2001-2011
Illinois House Republican Research & Appropriations Staff, 1997-2000
My wife Elizabeth served as a legislative liaison for the Offices of the Illinois Attorney General and Governor in the late 1990's.
Occupation: Self-employed / DMC Rockford LLC
Marital status: Married
Spouse: Margaret
I completed an accelerated BA/MBA program, and received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics from Duke University in 1987. I continued my education and earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the Duke Fuqua School of Business in 1988.
Civic, professional, fraternal or other affiliations:
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?
Village of Inverness Plan Commission, Palatine Township Collector, and Palatine Township Trustee
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government.
Occupation: Marketing Director / Surface Prep Technologies
Marital status: divorced
McHenry High School, East Campus 1991.
22 years life experience in business.
Civic, professional, fraternal or other affiliations:
Operation Homefront Illinois,
Wauconda Township Republican Club,
Lake County Young Republicans,
Liberty Street Tea Party
Have you held elective or appointive political office or been employed by any branch of government?
Please list jobs or contracts you, members of your immediate family or business partners have had with government.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
Campaign headquarters: PO Box 63, Fox River Grove, IL 60021-0063
Website: www.kentgaffney.com
Campaign manager: Nick McNeely
Campaign budget: N/A
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed.
Citizens for Mark Beaubien $12,382
Vincent Foglia $ 5,000
Patricia Foglia $ 5,000
Citizens to Elect Tom Cross $ 4,000
Ameren Illinois $ 4,000
Campaign headquarters:
Website: www.DavidMcSweeney.com
Campaign manager: Jim Thacker
Campaign budget: $250,000+
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed.
- The Pepper Companies ($10,000) – Richard and Roxy Pepper also contributed $5,000 each.
- Cancer Treatment Centers of America - $10,000
- Mikhail & Sofia Segal ($5,000 each)
- William Rockford ($5,000)
- Scott Mulcahy ($5,000)
Campaign headquarters: 27672 N Oak Street, Island Lake IL 60042
Website: danielleforil.com
Campaign manager: Penny Pullen
Campaign budget: $150k
Name your five biggest campaign contributors and the amount they contributed.
Eric Weeder $2,000
Berger Excavating $2,500
Eric Nielsen and Kathy Nielsen $1,000
Michael Miller $4,000
William Kennedy $1000
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
My top priorities for the 52nd District are job creation and tax relief. I support common-sense solutions for our families, including the following:
1. Repealing the Democrats' tax increase and cutting wasteful government spending;
2. Getting Illinois back to work with incentives for job creation and retention;
3. Putting an end to the over-taxing and over-regulating of our small businesses;
4. Ensuring our local sales tax money goes back to our local communities; and
5. Fighting for real property tax relief for homeowners in the Fox River Valley.
In an effort to protect Illinois jobs and provide tax relief to our businesses and working families, I voted to pass a jobs/tax relief package during the fall Veto Session.
As a member of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, I helped negotiate an agreement between Sears and Community Unit School District 300 that will keep Sears' headquarters in Hoffman Estates while increasing local tax dollar support for D300.
We all wanted Sears to stay in Illinois and we also wanted more funding for our local schools. We could not afford to lose the more than 6,000 local jobs that Sears provides. I worked to ensure that District 300's concerns were addressed in the final package approved by the General Assembly.
The package agreed to by District 300, Sears and Hoffman Estates will provide D300 and other local governments double the amount of property tax revenue they get from the current Sears Economic Development Area (EDA), while extending the EDA for up to 15 years. D300 also received a guarantee that Hoffman Estates would not use money from the EDA to pay for the operation or bonds for the Sears Centre Arena.
Senate Bill 397 (P.A. 97-636), the omnibus jobs/tax relief package, passed the House on a vote of 81-28-7. It included the following provisions:
• Extends the Sears EDA and provides Sears with EDGE tax credits
• Alters the way the Chicago Mercantile Exchange (CME) and other exchanges can source their revenue in Illinois
• Extends the Research and Development tax credit for five years, with an additional five year carry forward; the R & D tax credit is a critical component for Illinois manufacturers
• Reinstates the Net Operating Loss Deduction, which allows businesses the ability to carry their losses forward in a tough economy; this provision will help an estimated 36,000 small businesses
• Increases the estate tax exemption from $2 million to $4 million over a two-year period, lessening the tax burden on family farmers and small business owners
• Extends for five years the sales tax exemptions, credits, and deductions granted to agri-fuels
• Extends numerous jobs tax credits, including the Veterans Jobs Credit.
Senate Bill 397 was a broad-based approach designed to help Illinois compete in the national and global marketplaces. The legislation was supported by the Illinois Chamber of Commerce, the Illinois Manufacturers' Association, the National Federation of Independent Business, the Illinois Farm Bureau, the Taxpayers' Federation of Illinois and many other groups.
I also voted to provide working families with tax relief. Senate Bill 400 contains language that will increase Illinois' Earned Income Tax Credit (EITC) from the current 5% to 7.5% in 2012 and 10% in 2013. It also increases the state's personal income tax exemption from $2,000 to $2,050 and provides an annual cost-of-living adjustment. These provisions will eventually provide more than $150 million in annual tax savings to Illinois working families.
Last year, Illinois Democrats hit our working families and small businesses with a 67% income tax increase. I strongly support repealing the Democrats' tax hike, but unfortunately, that was not an option presented to the House. Therefore, I voted to provide our working families and businesses with meaningful tax relief. The bottom line is simple – either you are for tax relief or you are against it. I chose to put more money in the hands of hard-working taxpayers, rather than giving it to an over-taxing and over-spending state government.
In response to rising property tax bills in the collar counties, I co-sponsored and voted for House Bill 3793, legislation that would offer relief to hard-pressed homeowners who are facing declining home values.
Since taking office, I have received many phone calls from homeowners upset that their property tax bills increased despite the fact that their home values decreased. Some of my constituents had their property tax bills go up as much as 15 or 20%. To me, it is completely unfair for people to be paying higher property taxes when their property values are declining.
The Property Tax Extension Limitation Law (PTELL) limits local taxing bodies' property tax extensions to the lesser of 5% or the rate of inflation. However, in 2008 when the housing market crashed and assessments went down, taxing bodies began increasing their levies at the rate of inflation, increasing most homeowners' overall tax bill. House Bill 3793 would prohibit taxing bodies from increasing their levies in years that property assessments decrease.
House Bill 3793 failed in the Illinois House on a vote of 34-73-5. I was very disappointed in the bill's failure. This was a common-sense measure to provide real property tax relief to Illinois homeowners. With the housing market struggling and many homeowners seeing their largest asset decline in value, we need to update Illinois' tax code to reflect economic reality. I will continue to push for property tax relief for our homeowners.
• Repealing the 2011 tax increases
• Limiting property taxes
(1) Job Growth. Restore a business climate that respects job creators; those that have a
business as well as for those who would like to start a business and brings jobs back to
our community.
(2) Medicaid Reform. This program does not get enough discussion. It is the program for
which we spend the most tax dollars and it is a budget-buster. We need to do a
redetermination of our Medicaid rolls to remove persons the program was never intended to serve and make sure the truly vulnerable, the intended beneficiaries are better served.
(3) Pension Reform. We need to deal honestly with state employees and Illinois taxpayers. A system with $90-$120B in unfunded liabilities (when we include state employee health care liabilities) is not sustainable. We need to strike a new deal on a go-forward basis that moves state employees from defined benefit to defined contribution plans.
(4) Property Tax Reform. We need a more fair property tax system such that people do not see spiraling property tax increases at the same time they experience dramatic property tax decreases.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
My top priority for the state is to reform our budget process and put a stop to the over-taxing and over-spending in Springfield. Illinois is facing serious fiscal challenges and we cannot continue to borrow and spend our way into virtual bankruptcy.
I have the experience and dedication needed to get Illinois back on track. Prior to my appointment as State Representative, I served as the Director of Appropriations for the Illinois House Republican Caucus. I led the fight for fiscal responsibility in Springfield. I opposed the Blagojevich/Quinn borrowing and spending sprees that led to Illinois' massive debt crisis. And I worked to unite Republican legislators against the Democrats' 67% income tax increase that is crippling our economy and hurting our working families.
I am running for State Representative to bring accountability back to Illinois. I am a fiscal conservative who will work to make state government efficient and accountable to the taxpayers. As a member of the Budgeting for Results Commission, I am working with private and public sector leaders to reform Illinois' budget process.
(1) Fiscal Responsibility through state budget and pension reform
(2) Economic Empowerment by repealing the 2011 tax increases and cutting spending
Repeal the dishonest, job-killing tax increase passed in January or, at minimum, ensure that it sunsets as was promised upon its passage.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I previously mentioned passage of Senate Bill 397, the jobs/tax relief package, which I supported. This was a very contentious issue for my area, as Community Unit School District 300 makes up a significant portion of the 52nd House District. D300 initially opposed the extension of the Sears EDA and feared that it would lose millions of dollars in property tax revenue for an undetermined period of time that was not defined in early drafts of the bill.
As a member of the House Revenue and Finance Committee, I helped negotiate an agreement between Sears and Community Unit School District 300 that will keep Sears' headquarters in Hoffman Estates while increasing local tax dollar support for D300.
Prior to passage of SB 397 from the House Revenue Committee, I made it clear that I would not support the legislation unless the administration and parents' organization of D300 had all of their concerns met. In the middle of the committee hearing, representatives of D300, Sears, Hoffman Estates and several of us legislators left the room to negotiate a compromise that was acceptable to D300.
I am proud of my work on this legislation. I stood up for the students, parents and taxpayers of D300, while helping to pass an important jobs/tax relief package.
I have only been in office for seven months. During that time, I have held town hall meetings across the district. I hosted informational events and seminars for our seniors, veterans and small business owners. I am working hard to provide excellent constituent services for the people of the 52nd District. I am their voice in Springfield. I take that responsibility very seriously and I hope to continue to serve the 52nd District in a full term as State Representative.
I believe that my business background and my independence from any outside influences other than that of my constituents makes me uniquely qualified for this position. I am coming at the job from the position of outsider and this will allow me to look at issues from a neutral viewpoint.
My greatest strength is my commitment to the core principles that inform how I live my life and how I would represent my community as a state legislator. My experience
working in my family business, my volunteer activities including in support of Illinois military families, and my activism with grassroots conservative groups like the tea party have all helped to shape my public policy views and inform my understanding of the critical impact public policy choices have on people's lives. As a lifelong resident of the 52nd district, I will be a hyper-responsive, hyper-engaged legislator advancing the interests of my community in accordance with my common sense conservative views against those in Springfield focused on protecting a status quo that serves them at the expense of working families like those in the 52nd.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I support pension reform such as SB 512, and this legislation continues to be negotiated. Illinois has the worst funded pension system in the nation with an unfunded liability of $85 billion. For two of the last three years the state has borrowed in order to make the pension payment. The cost is simply not sustainable. We must continue to work to reduce the pension liability and shore up the system.
This is an issue that is not going away. Without changes to the current system, there will need to be deep spending cuts to education and human services in order to make the annual payments. Pension reform for police and firemen can be examined but in separate discussions.
All public employees including firefighters and police officers should be included in the same system. I would support SB 512, but prefer the option summarized below.
Yes, this bill represents an important step in the right direction and buys us time to pay down our unfunded pension obligations (and restore Illinois' good credit rating in the process).
Police officers and firefighters negotiate w ith their municipal employers and, as such, those collective bargaining units should continue to negotiate at the local level w ith representatives of the populations they protect and serve.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
The pension funding gap is the result of legislators and politicians over promising and over committing to special interests. When they initially could not meet the obligations to the funding of the pension system they borrowed more money and put off the day of reckoning. These irresponsible acts have consequences and all parties will have to participate in order to get our fiscal house in order.
Below is a brief overview of steps needed in this state for pension reform:
• Eliminate pensions for state legislators; and
• For existing employees, as Option 1, protect the existing defined benefit pension benefits earned to date and going forward convert employees into 401(k) plans similar to those offered in the private sector. Going forward, employees should also have the option of joining the Social Security system and receiving a smaller 401(k) matching payment from the State than offered under Option 1.
Did not respond
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I not only want the temporary income tax increase to expire – I want to repeal it. The Democrats' income tax increase has cost Illinois jobs and is crippling our economy. Surrounding states are actively pursuing Illinois businesses to relocate. This tax increase was ill-conceived from the very beginning. As the Budget Director for the House Republican Caucus, I fought every day against it. Not one Republican legislator voted for the Democrats' tax increase.
I am a co-sponsor of House Bill 175, which would repeal the income tax increase.
I would support immediate repeal of the tax increase.
I believe the tax increase should be repealed or, at worst, it should expire in 2014 as
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I support the repeal/rollback of the corporate income tax increase passed last year. I would vote for House Bill 3917 and/or House Bill 3918 to accomplish this goal.
For too many years businesses have been the target for increasing state revenues. Even prior to the tax increase last January, businesses were relocating out of Illinois and choosing other states for expansions. After the tax increase, unemployment in Illinois went up, not down. We need to be a pro-business state in order to keep businesses here and lure businesses from elsewhere. Private sector growth equates to lower unemployment, which leads to increases in personal income and sales tax revenue without rate increases.
I was strongly opposed to the tax increases and I would support their repeal. The tax increases have hurt small businesses and driven companies out of Illinois. The result has been a growing negative bottom line for the state and uncertainty over the state's long term fiscal and economic picture. We need to focus on cutting spending. I would also support cutting the corporate tax rate for companies that actually create jobs in Illinois. Additionally, I support the formation of a commission of business and government leaders to develop recommendations on how to make the Illinois corporate income tax code fairer and more competitive.
I would repeal the 46% corporate income tax increase currently in effect until 2015. Our high corporate tax rate (when you include the personal property replacement tax) is one of the reasons Illinois is uncompetitive with our neighbors when it comes to capital formation and job creation. The high tax burden Illinois businesses face is one of the reasons Illinois was tied with New Jersey last year for the greatest out-migration of any state, according to the annual United Van Lines study. We are quite literally driving people out of Illinois for states where the cost of doing business is lower and the opportunity to keep more of the fruits of one's labor are better. We should be considering reducing the corporate tax rate in Illinois, even below it's previous level of 4.8% to send a signal to businesses the world over that Illinois is the place to take a productive risk, to put stakes in the ground, to grow a business or expand an existing one. We cannot treat employers as "those with the ability to pay" and then wonder why they leave.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
Over the past few years, Illinois has become known for being unfriendly to business. A recent poll of 600 CEOs for Chief Executive Magazine rated Illinois the 6th worst state in the nation. To make matters worse, the publication ranked our state as the number one 5-year loser in business climate performance.
Illinois is ranked 47th in the nation in jobs growth. We have lost almost 250,000 jobs over the past eight years and while Illinois has lost 4 percent of its jobs since 2003 – the average state increased jobs by 1.7 percent. If we had grown at the national average, we would have 350,000 more jobs today. If we had grown jobs at the rate of Texas, which grew jobs at over 10 percent, we would have over 850,000 more jobs today and almost $3 billion in associated state revenues annually. Not only is a thriving business climate important for our working families, it is key to turning around our state's fiscal mess.
In order to attract businesses and create private sector jobs, Illinois must first get its fiscal house in order. The State cannot continue to over-tax, over-borrow and over-spend. More than anything, businesses want stability from state government. Illinois needs to truly balance its budget, pass pension reform, and reduce its long-term debt. A balanced budget will provide economic stability and encourage businesses that were once skeptical to reconsider Illinois as a good place to do business.
Illinois has a wealth of resources that can be put to use to create jobs and improve our economy. The way to increase revenues in Illinois is to make our economy more competitive with neighboring states as well as with foreign countries.
Unfortunately, there are some serious obstacles that stand in the way of progress in creating jobs for Illinoisans. Our tort liability laws are anti-business and anti-growth. Workers' compensation insurance costs cause many businesses to look to neighboring states for friendlier business climates. And our regulatory agencies are slow to respond to businesses' needs.
As State Representative, I will work tirelessly to improve our business climate to attract employers and good-paying jobs to Illinois. I support passage of real workers' compensation reform that includes a causation (primary cause) requirement. I support economic incentives for job creation and retention, such as those tax incentives passed in SB 397. And I want to put an end to the over-taxing and over-regulating of our small businesses.
• Immediately repeal the job killing tax increases passed by the legislature last year;
• Reduce taxes for companies that create jobs, including small businesses; and
• Review all state mandated regulations and fees on businesses to ascertain the impact they have on job creation and the overall business climate. A simple cost/benefit analysis is a solid private sector best practice and there is no reason the same analysis should not be applied to government. The Legislature should have to approve any new regulations that are projected to impose costs greater than $10 million per year.
We need to lower the personal and corporate tax burden, as I stated above. We need to build off of the worker's compensation reform passed last session to go further in reducing worker comp costs in Illinois. We need to bring our budget into balance so we have the ability to make proper investments in our infrastructure if we want Chicago to continue to be the transportation hub of the Midwest. We need to improve the quality of
K-12 education in Illinois and reduce drop-out rates in our urban centers so we present a more prepared and better skilled indigineous workforce to prospective employers. We need sensible regulatory reform so that agencies like the IEPA and Pollution Control Board are less gratituously antagonistic towards business.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
Last January, the House rejected the Governor's borrowing plan by voting it down twice. My concern is that if some level of borrowing were to occur, spending would simply continue to go up. For example, after the largest tax increase in Illinois' history was passed, the Governor introduced a new budget that included nearly $9 billion in borrowing and $1.5 billion of it was to pay for increased spending. A massive tax increase followed by more massive borrowing and increased spending? This is the mindset that makes it difficult to support any level of borrowing.
As mentioned, the House rejected the Governor's plan last session and instead passed a budget that reduced spending from the prior year and is estimated to spend $1 billion less than the state will take in. The additional billion dollars will go to pay down bills. We must continue to work to reduce spending, and as revenues increase we can apply those revenues to reduce the unpaid bills.
An oversized budget and an underfunded pension system are the key culprits in the state's fiscal crisis. Below are my ideas to reduce the budget and reform the pension system in this state:
• An immediate 10% cut in administrative expenses of each state department and agency
• Adoption of a zero-based budget system;
• A Blue Ribbon Commission should be appointed to recommend structural changes in the budget and spending cuts;
• An immediate 10% cut in the legislature's operational budget and legislative salaries;
• Eliminate pensions for state legislators. (This is a part-time job with full-time benefits funded by taxpayers,. The state legislature needs to lead by example);
• Eliminate government paid mailings by legislators; and
• Move additional Medicaid patients into managed care programs.
We have $30 billion in bond debt. We have upw ards of $5-$8 billion in unpaid bills despite the promise made by the Quinn administration that revenue from the tax increase w ould go to pay the backlog of bills. And because of the fiscal irresponsibility of the Chicago Democrats in charge of this state, Moody's downgraded Illinois debt to the level at which our state now has the worst credit rating in the nation. We cannot and should not borrow more.
We spend most of our money on Medicaid, K-12 education, public pensions and infrastructure. The only way to sqaure Illinois' finances is to restructure these systems to make them more cost-effective. Online lottery ticket sales and other revenue gimmicks are not the way to fiscal solvency for Illinois. We need leaders in Springfield willing to tackle the tough problems and make the tough decisions on the programs that account for the overwhelming majority of current state expenditures.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
During the 2010 campaign, when Governor Quinn gave a sweetheart deal to AFSCME to not downsize state employee positions for two years, it became clear that more safeguards were needed. Contracts should not be the purview of only the Governor's Office, especially when the general perception is that some of these decisions are made for political gain, rather than in the taxpayers' interest.
Furthermore, as the General Assembly must approve appropriations to pay for these contracts, we have a responsibility to ensure that state labor contracts do not put a huge hole in the budget.
I support that.
It does nothing to address the inherent conflict of interest that exists because public sector unions are on both sides of the deal in these negotiations--financing through campaign contributions the 'management' with whom they negotiate. Contracts should be negotiated by independent boards. Further, I have called on Republicans to stop accepting campaign contributions from public sector unions to end this conflict of interest and have committed to do the same.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
The problem with the current gaming package is that it's too big, and that is why I voted against it. At some point there is saturation and revenues will not increase but simply be distributed differently. I don't believe gaming is the answer to the current budget problems. As we have seen in recent years with the downturn of the economy, the revenue generated is not consistent.
I don't support expanded gambling legislation.
No, I do not support the expansion of gambling. Turning us into the Las Vegas of the Midwest is little more than an effort by the establishment political class to avoid making difficult spending decisions and an attempt to continue financing a status quo we all know is untenable.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I believe campaign contribution limits should be imposed on political parties and funds controlled by House and Senate leadership. These regulations should apply in both the Primary and General Election so that the playing field is level for all candidates.
SB 1466 (P.A. 96-832) regulates the influence of all parties interested in campaign finance except for legislative leaders and political parties. The legislation was sold as a "campaign finance reform" bill, but the truth is the legislation was more of an incumbent protection tool for Speaker Madigan, who serves both as the leader of the House Democratic Caucus and as the Chairman of the Democratic Party of Illinois.
I will support legislation that promotes a more open and honest state government. People are demanding accountability from their elected officials. To restore the public's trust in our government, we must put an end to the culture of corruption in Illinois.
I support instant disclosure of all campaign contributions. I also support closing the party leader loophole.
The legislation that imposed campaign contribution limits that took effect January 1, 2011
w hich limited individuals, businesses, unions, associations, Candidate Political Committees, Political Action Committees out of balance w ith the limits put on Political Parties and Legislative Caucus Committees is policy that is not effective in preventing corruption. These caps give the incumbent an advantage and keeps them beholden to the Party leadership, centeralizing power among legislative caucus leaders this ensures more of the same and is not a fix that empowers the taxpayers. Eliminating all caps and mandating real time reporting so that the monitoring the flow of campaign donations is transparent and immediate is a better policy solution.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
As a new legislator, I believe the educational system in Illinois and its funding need to be overhauled. This is a difficult and complex issue that I intend to pursue in the coming session.
I support the 65% solution that would require that 65 cent of every education dollar be spent in the classroom. In Illinois, only about 60 cents of each dollar is spent in the classroom. We need to cut the educational bureaucracy and focus on educating out students.
Local funding protects local control. Inequities in funding do not necessarily mean inequities in outcomes. In fact, some school districts that spend considerably more per pupil (e.g. CPS) than other school district (several in my district) actually produce less prepared students.
I do, however, believe w e need to be more aggressive in providing children from low income families with the same choices and opportunities children from more affluent or politicallyconnected families. I agree w ith those, like former CPS Superintendent Arne Duncan, who suggest that school choice is the civil rights issue of our time.
- [ + ]Gaffney
- [ + ]McSweeney
- [ + ]Rowe
I believe that marriage should be between one man and one woman.
I believe that marriage should only be between a man and a woman.
I do not support the redefinition of marriage. Marriage can only properly be defined
as that union between one man and one woman.
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nicholasyud wrote:
You can't remove all the baddies. But you can build the goodies My suggestions, in addition to your GW, PFD, repair work is:
1. Establish a savings account with a credit union that offers secured loans (make sure rate is not more than 3% above the savings rate) and secured credit cards.
2. Deposit $500 to $1000 into a savings account.
3. Take out a "secured" personal loan. This is a good addition to mix as an installment loan.
4. When you get the loan check (the money you borrow), deposit it back into savings.
5. You now have doubled your savings balance (example: you deposited $1000, then borrowed $1000 which you deposited into savings giving you $2000). The amount of interest you collect on $2000 should be equal to or higher than the interest they charge you for the loan on $1000....so essentially you are not out (of pocket) any cost to build your credit with this loan.
6. Ask for a secured credit card. If they won't approve initially, ask again in 6 months.
7. Once you obtain the secured credit card, only use it for items you PIF each month (don't accrue interest)
8. Pay off the loan at 12 months.
9. At 12 months ask to unsecure the card.
10. You have established to great credit references and credit TL's and built a relationship with a solid credit source....credit union.
11. During the course of the year above, continue working on the repair side of your credit.
12. You may also obtain other builder card such as CapOne or Orchard to add an addition TL and CL.
13. After you pay off the loan to the credit union, continue to make regular deposits to saving, just like you were still paying the loan off. This is a financial habit that you need to continue, and it gives you your emergency fund and savings that protect against unforseen events which can take you by surprise (and hurt your credit if you are short on cash).
+1 ! ! ! THIS is great advice ! ! ! And can be applied to so many different situations where one is trying to grow their credit.
myFICO is the consumer division of FICO. Since its introduction 20 years ago, the FICO® Score has become a global standard for measuring credit risk in the banking, mortgage, credit card, auto and retail industries. 90 of the top 100 largest U.S. financial institutions use the FICO Score to make consumer credit decisions.>> About myFICO

subset: commoncrawl


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Tag Archives: Religion
This Father's Day, hug an atheist!
Father's Day, that wonderful day when we celebrate our dads, is a time when all of us who have terrific dads need to feel sorry for atheists. It's not such a happy day for them. That's the take-away from a book called Faith of the Fatherless: the Psychology of Atheism by New York University psychology professor Paul Vitz, who says that what often lies at the core of militant atheism is a disappointing and sometimes abusive experience with the atheist's earthly dad. Continue reading
The Ancient Evil Religion Of Political Correctness
With quiet dignity a hooded figure revealed himself from the protective ring of trees. Mounting a small hillock he faced the sea of expectant faces. A measured sweep of his hands pulled back the hood to reveal a wizened face framed by a long white beard. For a long moment not a sound was heard or movement evident in the crowd. Continue reading
Atheists and theists face off: Whose side is science on?
"It is true, that a little philosophy inclineth man's mind to atheism; but depth in philosophy bringeth men's minds to religion."– Francis Bacon, 1561-1626
They're called the new atheists and are people like Sam Harris, a neuroscientist who should have stuck with studying the brain instead of trying to use his philosophically in ways that are surely embarrassing to the old atheists. Continue reading


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The Effingham County Board of Education on Wednesday recognized four Title I schools for their designation by the Georgia Department of Education as 2013 "highest-performing" or "high-progress" Title I schools in Georgia.
The Georgia Southern University Museum, Department of Sociology and Anthropology and Department of History have partnered to present "Captive Warriors: The History and Archaeology of POWs" Tuesday at 3:30 p.m. at GSU's Performing Arts Center.
The Effingham County Board of Education is beginning work on the fiscal year 2014 budget, set to take effect July 1.
The Southeast District Project Achievement Competition was held Feb. 8-10 at Rock Eagle 4-H Center in Eatonton. The theme this year was "4-H: How Sweet It Is!" with the auditorium for the awards ceremony reflecting every kind of candy imaginable.
Effingham County High School senior Hannah Boyd took top honors Tuesday in the annual speech contest sponsored by Effingham County's two Rotary Clubs.
Gov. Nathan Deal, first lady Sandra Deal, Georgia Department of Early Care and Learning Commissioner Bobby Cagle and state School Superintendent John Barge joined together Monday to kick off "Read Across Georgia" month in the North Wing of the state Capitol.
CHARLESTON, S.C. - Charleston Southern University congratulates Gabrielle Houston of Springfield on being named to the dean's list for fall semester 2012.
Seventeen acts - including singers, dancers and stand-up comedians -showed their talents Saturday night in South Effingham High School's 2013 Student Talent Show Extravaganza.
When three Effingham County students received a letter from the Savannah Elks Lodge, they knew they were receiving an award.
The Effingham County School District will showcase its exemplary elementary school choral students in the inaugural performance of the Effingham County Elementary Honor Choir, on March 9 at 3 p.m. in the South Effingham High School cafeteria.
SAVANNAH - Savannah Technical College has been selected by the U.S. Department of Education to offer Pell Grant funding to qualified students enrolled in selected short-term certificate programs, like the commercial truck driving program.
South Effingham High School senior Savannah Wagner is too young to remember the E.F. Hutton brokerage firm's popular television commercials in the 1970s and '80s.
Raoul Rego is soft-spoken about his academic achievements in high school.
Twenty-five models hit the runway Saturday night, showing off fellow students' designs in South Effingham High School's seventh annual student fashion show.
Winning a statewide award made Marlow Elementary School students get up and dance - literally.
The high school transition class at Effingham County High School hosted senior import specialist Scott Huntley to speak with the students. Huntley works with Customs and Border Protection at the Customs House on Bay Street in Savannah.
Sgt. Ramsey Mannon of the Effingham County Sheriff's Office visited Effingham County High School to speak with the high school transition classes.
U.S. Rep. Jack Kingston (R-Savannah) reminds students interested in receiving a congressional nomination to one of the U.S. military academies that they must submit their completed applications to his office no later than Oct. 1.
U.S. Rep. John Barrow was asked for his thoughts Friday on the military strategy the United States should take toward ISIS, how to reduce the national deficit, and whether same-sex marriage should be legal.
STATESBORO - Research leaders from Georgia Southern University and the Phinizy Center for Water Sciences revealed the outlines this week for two-and-a-half years of basic research to support an environmental early warning system for the Ogeechee River.
Georgia Southern University made history last Wednesday when the Board of Regents of the University System of Georgia granted the university with the first undergraduate manufacturing engineering degree program in the state and Southeast U.S.
STATESBORO - Georgia Southern University celebrated a newly-renovated Sanford Hall with a ribbon cutting recently. The $8.65 million Communication Arts building, formerly an apartment-style dormitory, will be home to more than 900 students majoring in communication studies, multimedia film and production, multimedia journalism, public relations and theatre.
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Sauteeing onions and garlic
- y
- YosemiteSam Jul 27, 2010 10:33 AM
Ok, need a little help. Many, many recipes call for you to start with a tbsp or two of oil and then to cook onions (or shallots) and garlic for 5-7 minutes or so until the onions are "translucent" or some such description. Then you add other ingredients.
However, what always happens is that the garlic burns before the onions reach the proper consistency, adding a funky taste to the dish. Now, I solve it by adding the minced or sliced garlic only 1-2 minutes before the onions are finished, but I have to wonder if I'm doing something wrong as most recipes say to add them together but that never seems to work.
Any recommendations or ideas?
Try lowering the heat....or steam sauteeing the aromatics. You could also increase the amount of oil used.
You're not doing anything wrong-garlic burns easily. If a recipe calls for sauteing onions and garlic simultaneously, it's wrong.
Always start with the onions to get them going, then add the garlic.
Sounds like you figured this out yourself!
I often had that problem. I finally figured out that the garlic was going to a: burn and b: taste very bitter if I started them both together. (This only took most of my adult life to resolve!)
So now, I always start the onions and get them to the stage they are supposed to be, translucent, brown, whatever. Only then do I add the garlic in. I stir it into the onions, and then start smelling my pan. Once I've smelled the garlic cooking for about 30 seconds, I move to the next phase of adding whatever ingredients come next.
The garlic is perfect and never burnt or bitter with this method. It's also cooked, so it doesn't have that "raw" taste.
re: heidip732
30 seconds is my rule, too.
re: Gio
Yep-- either start the onion first, sautee at a very low temperature for a long time, or put the onions and the garlic in a food processor so the particles are the same size. Just make sure you pulse (turn on the food processor for a few seconds at a time) and keep an eye on it so you don't get liquefied onions.
It isn't technically sauteing the onions. You're sweating them. It requires a lower temperature. Sauteing requires the temperature set at med high. Sweating requires medium or even a little lower.
Anyway, you start with the chopped or sliced onions. When the onions are done, clear a space in the middle and add your minced or pressed garlic. If you sliced the garlic, you will want to add it earlier but I recommend minced or pressed. You only leave the garlic there for 30 - 40 seconds until you can smell the garlic. Stir the onions and garlic and go on to the next step in your recipe. Your onions will be translucent, Your garlic won't be burned but will add to the taste of the dish.
re: YosemiteSam
lazy recipe editing in my opinion. As you have found, this is obvious once you burn garlic three or four times!
re: YosemiteSam
What is interesting is there is only 10 - 12 cooking methods, period. There are 5-6 wet methods and 5-6 dry methods. They pretty much cover 99% of all cooking.
Unfortunately, the recipes describe the steps over and over. They don't tell you to sweat the onions or sweat the mirepoix.
Often times when I am transcribing a recipe on to my hard drive, I rectify it. Why should I type all that in again and again when I can just use 1 word?
If you spend some time looking up and studying the 10 - 12 main techniques, you will pretty much know as much as anybody. Then who needs a cookbook? You can get all the recipes you can stand on line.
Before everybody starts in on me, I own dozens of cookbooks. I just bought some. I just can't help myself, but you don't need them. We just like em anyway.
re: Hank Hanover
Cookbook addiction is a common affliction on this board! Experience is a great teacher as well.
re: Hank Hanover
Re the 10-12 cooking methods, I've had that thought about psychotherapy - only probably fewer. You just gotta know which to use when :)
I've often wondered the same thing on the TV cooking shows. Many times they put the onions and garlic in together. But on most of the shows, they're rushing through the recipes because it's TV time, not real cooking time. The only TV cooking show that seems to always pay attention to details such as this are the Cook's Illustrated programs "America's Test Kitchen" and "Cook's Country".
re: mrip541
The onions and garlic give the dish a lot more flavor added early and in some dishes the onions wouldn't get soft. In braises, they would still get soft and probably doesn't matter as much.
Also, the onions get a chance to caramelize somewhat which adds flavor that wouldn't be there if they were just thrown in with all the liquid.
re: mrip541
I just read an article in Cooks Ill, I believe, that determined that sauteeing the onion, and I would guess garlic as well, prior to adding the rest of the ingredients adds to the flavor of the dish. The sweating of the mirepoix allows some kind of reaction that causes the release of big bursts of flavor from the onion cells.
re: NE_Elaine
In her book "How to cook without a book", Pam Anderson who used to be a chef for Cook's Illustrated, experimented with the effect of the vegetables in making stock.
She wanted to find a way to make stock in less than 3-5 hours.
She found that sweating the carrots and celery early didn't make much difference but sweating the onions early added a lot of taste to the stock.
Makes sense that it would be the same in other dishes.


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A truth should exist,
it should not be used
like this. If I love you
is that a fact or a weapon?"—Margaret Atwood
In the February that began our radio silence,
it was actual sex. I hate the tight shirts
that go below your waistline.
Not only do they make you look too young,
but then your torso is a giraffe's neck attached to tiny legs.
I screamed at myself in the subway
for writing poems about you still.
I made a scene. I think about you almost
each morning, and roughly every five days, I still
believe you're there.
I still masturbate to you.
When we got really bad,
I would put another coat of mop water on the floor of the bar
to make sure you were asleep when I got to my side of the bed.
You are the only person to whom I've lied, knowing
I was telling the truth. I miss the way your neck
wraps around my face like a cave we are both lost in.
I remember when you said being with me
is like being alone with company.
My friend Sarah wrote a poem about pink ponies.
I'm scared you're my pink pony.
Hers is dead. It is really sad. You're not dead.
You live in Ohio, or Washington, or Wherever.
You are a shadow my body leaves on other girls.
I have a growing queue of things I know
will make you laugh and I don't know where to put them.
I mourn like you're dead. If you had asked me to stay,
I would not have said no.
It would never mean yes.


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Resume Development
A resume is a concise, well-organized summary of your background and qualifications. It does not describe everything you have done, but highlights what is most relevant to the position you are seeking. Writing your resume will take time and effort, but this guide will help you focus on the essential components. Before distributing your resume, have a Career Counselor, a Career Center Peer Advisor, or a professional in your field review it to make sure it represents you well. Employers devote 15-30 seconds reading each resume—make it attractive, readable, informative and concise. Individualize your resume to highlight your unique qualities.
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Meteorologists spy clue to heat waves weeks away
Wednesday - 10/30/2013, 6:00pm EDT
AP Science Writer
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Meteorologists may have found a way to predict some killer heat waves up to three weeks in advance. Now, the best they can do is about 10 days.
An earlier warning would help cities prepare for the heat wave, arrange to open up cooling centers and check on the elderly, said Gerald Meehl, co-author of a study that describes the forecasting clue.
"It gives you a little bit of a heads up of what's coming," he said.
The key may be a certain pattern of high and low pressure spots across the globe high in the sky. When that pattern shows up, the chances double for a prolonged and intense heat wave in the eastern two-thirds of the United States, according to the study published Sunday in the journal Nature Geoscience.
This could predict some types of heat waves but not all, meteorologists said. The study's authors said they think the pattern occurred before last year's heat wave in much of the central United States, but they still need more work to confirm it.
The researchers at the National Center for Atmospheric Research in Boulder, Colo., looked at heat waves that lasted at least a week and were about 5 to 8 degrees warmer than normal. In any given summer week, the odds of a heat wave like this happening are usually only about 1 in 67 in the U.S.
They did thousands of computer simulations and discovered that when high pressure and low pressure systems line up in a specific pattern, it foreshadows heat to come in about 15 to 20 days. Scientists call this 4-mile-high pattern wave No. 5.
The weather on the ground at the time of the pattern really doesn't matter; it can be rainy, dry, hot or cold, said study lead author Haiyan Teng, a scientist at the research center. The same pattern that signals a U.S. heat wave also indicates different extreme weather in other parts of the globe, like heavy rains, she said
This wave pattern was seen before the 1980 heat wave that was blamed for 1,250 deaths and pushed temperatures over 100 degrees in Dallas every day, said Randall Dole, a senior scientist at the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Triple-digit temperatures in Dallas persisted for a record 42 consecutive days that year. Dole, who wasn't part of the study, said the science behind the study is sound, significant and may be practical after extensive testing.
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Seoul-Tokyo Relations in Peril: Is a Reset Possible?
Shin Kak-soo, former Korean Ambassador to Japan
Koret Distinguished Lecture Series: Lecture IV
From early 2012, South Korea-Japan relations worsened due to what many Koreans regard as a series of Japanese provocations involving historical and territorial disputes. Unfortunately, the neighbors failed to utilize the opportunity to improve the situation following leadership changes in both countries at the beginning of 2013. Today their bilateral relationship, long considered a cornerstone of peace and stability in Northeast Asia, appears to the worst since the normalization of diplomatic ties in 1965. Former Korean ambassador to Japan Shin Kak-soo will analyze the complicated structural reasons behind this downward spiral and explore whether differences over history can be addressed and an early diplomatic "reset" achieved.
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Friday, April 11, 2014 | 12:00 pm — 1:15 pm | RSVP Required


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Kangaroo loose
July 3, 2012 9:00 AM
(AP) – Startled drivers weren't seeing things – it really was a kangaroo hopping down the highway in Washington state.
The meandering marsupial nearly caused a couple of accidents Saturday and police responded, keeping the 'roo off the road while its owner tracked it down and caught it with help from friends.
KNDO reports the owner lives in an area of the state where it's legal to own exotic pets. The Franklin County resident also has a zebra.


text:
So I asked a few questions to TSI sales but sadly, seems like the 1st reflex of the sales folk is just to send generic mails...So... Few questions.1) What performance should I expect with the Qc (Montreal) 5mbps service? 6mbps is mathematically 625KB/s. But I have 6mbps with Bell dsl, and get 300KB/s because they suck... Soo.. .What should I expect with cable as d/l and u/l speeds?2) What pings should I expect? Best I got was 8ms, then 13ms to the 1st hop with dslIP phone questions:3) TSI sells an IP router for 80$ if I remember correctly... Velcom sold a 35$ adapter. If you buy wireless phones (been told you get get for 60-120$ a set of 3 wireless phones withe 1 base), then I guess you don't need any of those adapters/routers? (I already have a router).4) I'm thinking about the 10$ plan with 3c a mins... We don't talk that much on the phone. But the other 15$ has a lot of extra features, and I'm guessing we might use maybe that, 100mins, so the extra options wouldn't cost so much...Thoughts/advice/comments? Thanks!
There are no technical reasons (unlike with DSL) to get less than the posted speed ... so at 6 mbps, you should get very close to 6 Mbps. Unless the cable segment you are connected to is oversubscribed by Videotron.Ping to the first hop on cable is always of the order of 8-12 mS. The technical reason for that is the modem must announce it has data to send and then await a slot allocation to send it.Wireless phones are not LAN phones ... they are simply wireless to / from the base station. The base station must be plugged into the phone adaptor just like a wired phone. The phones don't talk to wireless network routers for example.
Oh yeah sorry I meant wireless IP phone... Someone told me you can buy a base station then 3 'handsets' and then that is what you use...So what is the correct term? LAN phone? IP phone? And I can connect these directly through a router that has the cable modem connected, without having to purchase TSI's 80$ IP phone/router?That's what's not clear... Or does the TSI router has a phone jack for the base phone station to plug into? So I would need some sort of adapter?
Unless the cable segment you are connected to is oversubscribed by Videotron.
The usual congestion with any cable ISP is an oversold cable segment. It's rarely an oversold link to the POI. Yes, it does happen, and stop sell arrangements are made to try to prevent too many dissatisfied clients.I didn't "conveniently" leave that out ... just that it's far more rare than segment problems.
Hmmm... So all fixed for Qc now I hope? What about phones for IP phone? Can we plug those directky in a regular router? Hmmm... Guess Ill do more research tonight...
That's what's not clear... Or does the TSI router has a phone jack for the base phone station to plug into? So I would need some sort of adapter?
There are very few "IP phones" out there ... i.e. a phone with a built in ATASo it goesInternet line -> Modem -> Router -> ATA -> PhonesATA is the telephone adaptor ... it has Internet RJ45 one side and RJ11 phone connector on the out
Thx, not really, but sbrook answered, (few have built-in ATA). So I guess it depnds on the actual phone. Some do... As I have a router, guess Ill look for such a phone, easier when you know what you are looking for! (ata adapter built in).Thx! TSI ChrisG: And in all fairness, my question (quoted bit) didn't make much sense... sorry! (question I had it mind was if I'm using a regular router, if I can use an IP phone; if IP phones can connect to a router for IP telephony)
Could you PM me your account information. I'm sorry to hear that your answers were not responded accordingly. I would like to go through the email thread between you and us to see where we could have answered your questions better.Cheers,TSI Jonathan--Social Media Relations Team LeaderAuthorized TSI employee - Teksavvy Solutions Inc.
The ATA TSI sells isn't not intended to be a router or replace your already existing router (although you could if you wanted too). It's main purpose is to translate the digital phone call to analog so you can use any telephone that uses the standard RJ-11 telephone cord.If you already have wireless phones in your home with a common base station that uses the telephone cord the goes into the wall, you would just plug the base into the ATA and all phones would connect.There are DECT Wireless handsets out there where the base comes with a built in ATA, they seem rather pricey from what I looked up. It's cheaper to go with a stand alone ATA (the one TekSavvy sells or you can buy your own as well) and use your existing phones if that is possible.
Could you PM me your account information. I'm sorry to hear that your answers were not responded accordingly. I would like to go through the email thread between you and us to see where we could have answered your questions better.Cheers,TSI Jonathan
The usual congestion with any cable ISP is an oversold cable segment.
TypeS: Yeah I think I now grasp the principle. You need an ATA adapter (Analog Telephone Adapter) to connect a phone to the router/modem.So if I understand correctly, something like this should work: »www.grandstream.com/index.php/pr···rs/ht701So far, I have 4 bland analog phones connected to the Bell wall sockets. So a no go with using my existing phones: I'll have to buy indeed a base + 4 handsets who's price seems to be around 130$ for the 'kit'. No built-in adapter though, but the ATA adapter I just mentioned can be had for 30$ is seems, which is 50$ less than TSI's Cisco 122. There's also the Cisco 112 ATA adapter which seems like it could do the same job as the 122 (well allow analog phones to work), for 45$ around.It's already 85$ for cable activation, 130$ for new phones, so I'm trying to keep costs down as much as possible...
Yup thats perfectly understandable about trying to keep costs down. I was on the fence for a year about switching to TekSavvy cable because of the initial costs.I would personally suggest the Cisco 112 adapter since it will most likely the same GUI interface as the 122 and will make it easier for TekSavvy get you setup/configuring the ATA for connecting to TekTalk.Compared the two just now actually set it up between the modem and router (or switch since you wouldn't need another router behind it). But since you already have a router the 112 is definitely a good choice then at almost half the price. $2 cheaper at NewEgg Canada as well.Maybe TekSavvy should change to offering the 112 instead, most people will already have their own router. Unless there is some benefit to an ATA with router capabilities that I am unaware of?
Thank you for sending me the thread, I can see what you are talking about. I will be revisiting some of the answers you were provided with some of the representatives you've been in touch with as there is room for improvement.Cheers,TSI Jonathan--Social Media Relations Team LeaderAuthorized TSI employee - Teksavvy Solutions Inc.
You can wire all the phones in your place to the ATA in one go simply by connecting a RJ11 cord from a phone outlet to the RJ11 socket on your ATA. This would let you use all you existing phones with existing wiring and does not require you to buy new phones. The most important part is disconnect the Bell wire coming in from your demarc that feeds your home wiring.The ATA that TSI sells is old and the built in router cannot support traffic faster than 7Mbps. The ATA part work fine..Don't count on TSI's support when it comes to ATA especially when you are using a different model. VoIP providers that do that as their sole business have much better technical support, much less wait time and much lower prices.


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Bennett retires after Ravens sign him
Rams sign RB Gado, place WR/KR Hall on IR
Rams wide receiver out at least a month
NFL: St. Louis 37, New Orleans 29
NFL: Baltimore 22, St. Louis 3
NFL: Tennessee 26, Houston 20 (OT)
NFL: Tennessee 20, Indianapolis 17
NFL: Baltimore 27, Tennessee 26
NFL: Jacksonville 37, Tennessee 7
NFL: N.Y. Jets 23, Tennessee 16
NFL: Jacksonville 31, Tennessee 28
Titans' Bennett out with thumb injury
Andrew (Drew) Russell Bennett (born August 26, 1978 in Berkeley, California) is a retired American football wide receiver. He was last signed by the Baltimore Ravens of the National Football League, but did not play a single down with the team. He was signed by the Tennessee Titans as an undrafted free agent in 2001. He played college football at UCLA.
Bennett has also played for the St. Louis Rams.
Bennett attended Miramonte High School in Orinda, California and was a three sport standout in football, baseball, and basketball. As a senior football quarterback, he won first team All-League and second team All-Bay Area honors, after he passed for 2,308 yards and 18 touchdowns and rushed for six touchdowns. In baseball, he batted .430 and won first team All-League honors.


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DNR Invasive Species Sticker No Longer Required, However Fines Increase
Earlier this month, boaters were scrambling to get the new Aquatic Invasive Species (AIS) Sticker on their boat. Now the law has changed and you are no longer required to display the sticker on your boat. You will by the year 2015 have to complete an online course by law. Fines will increase this year starting July 1st for not properly following AIS precautions.


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HOME College Duke Blue Devils Gear Duke Blue Devils Home Office & School (118 items) Product ID: 846932
Main Content
There's no doubt your young one will grow up to be just as crazy about the Blue Devils as you are. No future Duke fan's room is complete without a cute picture of his or her early trips to Durham. Help add some flair to your little one's room and display your favorite photo in style with this Duke Blue Devils Kids picture frame by Dayna U! It measures 7'' x 9'' and fits photos measuring 4'' x 6''. It features a bubble print design with the Blue Devils' team colors and even has the Duke logo popping out of a bubble on the bottom right. This frame also includes printed lettering that says "i'm a little blue devil," so your young one will feel like part of the family. It will be sure to add the perfect finishing touch to your little one's room.
- Fits a 4'' x 6'' photo
- Frame measures 7'' x 9''
- Imported
- Officially licensed collegiate product
- Painted team colors and graphics
- Stand is included
- Wooden frame; glass pane
Special event items are produced by manufacturers only after the outcome of a game or event. These are advanced sale items and will ship immediately after they are received in our warehouse.
Manufacturer direct items are shipped directly from the manufacturer. These items are not available for international or expedited shipping.
Customized items can be personalized with options such as your name, your favorite number, and/or designs. Some options may be limited by league rules.


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Support Sravasti Abbey's "Great Compassion Challenge"
Sravasti Abbey is raising money to build Chenrezig Hall, a new multipurpose building that will reduce overcrowding and allow the abbey to run more guest programs. The abbey still needs $740,000 to finish the hall. Now is an especially good time to give — Vesak Day is May 24 and 25, and two anonymous donors have started the Great Compassion Challenge, offering to double any donations made (up to a total of $158,000) until July 12. Click here to read more about Chenrezig Hall, and click here to make a donation.


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NEW YORK — This past Wednesday was a day that I had marked on my calendar for weeks. I've played soccer my entire life all the way through college and I've been on the Suns' bandwagon since I was 8 (purple room and all). The Steve Nash Showdown in Chinatown was a perfect marriage between the two favorite things in my life, soccer and the Suns (it's OK, my girlfriend doesn't read VotS).
It was a week before the event when I received an email from Pickup Soccer NYC asking for volunteers for the Showdown. Bingo! A chance to go and get inside of the cage at Sara D. Roosevelt Park for the best game all year … I think so.
For those of you that might not know, the Showdown in Chinatown is an annual soccer game that Nash holds in NYC with teams composed of various NBA players and soccer players from around the world. All of the proceeds go to the Steve Nash Foundation to help serve underprivileged kids. A front row seat to see some of my favorite athletes play my favorite sport was exactly what the doctor called for when he told me to randomly take off a Wednesday in the middle of June.
The two teams were captained by Nash and former U.S. national team captain, Claudio Reyna. Each team had three actual soccer players, four if you count Nash's father (who played professionally in South Africa but had to be 20 years senior to the 2nd oldest player). The rest of the rosters were filled out by NBA players and a few Joes that paid to play with the stars.
Team Reyna (White)
- Patrick Viera (Manchester City/France)
- Tony Parker
- Marcin Gortat
- Marc Stein
- Brandon Jennings
- Grant Hill
- Jared Dudley
- Demba Ba (Newcastle United)
- Yuri Djorkaeff (France – retired)
- Claudio Reyna (U.S.A. – retired)
Team Nash (Navy)
- Leandro Barbosa
- Martin Nash (Canada – retired)
- Raja Bell
- Giuseppe Ross (Villareal/Italy)
- John Nash (father)
- Richie Williams (U.S.A.)
- Simone Sandri (Seton Hall/NBA TV)
- Joe 1
- Joe 2
- Joe 3
Alright, let's get this out of the way from the tip … Brandon Jennings is STILL the worst soccer player in America. For all of his sick handle and his Neo-like body control, Jennings looks like he's wearing cement shoes on the pitch. He missed two absolute sitters of epic proportions, including one where he didn't even have to beat the goalie, he just had to use any part of his body to put the ball in from 18 inches away … no chance. Enough of the bad, let's talk about the good.
Nash started the game with a spirited salutation to an energetic crowd packed into bleachers on one end and standing two deep around the field and another three deep around the chain link fence. Aside from the star participants, members of the crowd included Jay Williams and the Sarver family (Mr. Sarver was sporting quite the scraggily beard I must say – his wife called it "his summer look"). A few moments later the first whistle blew and play began.
The first goal didn't take long as Demba Ba juggled the ball effortlessly past a Navy defender and slotted it home. After that, it was all Team Nash all the time. Steve naturally drifted through the open pockets of defenders and was always finding an open man showcasing the vision that helped him earn his Two-Time moniker.
Now, I've been around the game for a long time and I've seen the best players in the world display their talents, and I can confidently say that had Nash chosen soccer over basketball, he would still be living very comfortably. At one point he juggled the ball with his left foot in the corner before delivering a pinpoint lefty cross. Later he would hit a full lefty volley from a few yards out that Gortat could only stop with his groin.
Nash seamlessly fit in with the other soccer players. Speaking of the Polish Hammer, it was very evident where he developed his propensity to dive for loose balls. Gortat grew up playing goalie in the youth system for one of the best teams in Poland and the translation of styles is very apparent. I'm not sure how much Sarver enjoyed watching Gortat dive back and forth on the turf while getting pelted by his teammates, but the big guy looked very comfortable in net.
To add a bit of friendly insult to injury, Jared Dudley got on the mic during the game and conjectured about Gortat's likeness to the Green Lantern in his goalie jersey and nicknamed him the New Abe Lincoln due to Gortat's facial hair.
The goals for Team Nash were flowing, but for what Team Reyna lacked in defense, they certainly made up for in their goal-scoring celebrations. I told Dudley before the game that he better have a good celebration if he scored to which he confidently assured me he would … and he didn't disappoint.
After his first goal, J Dud ripped his jersey off and sprinted toward midfield swinging it wildly around his head before ending with a headfirst triumphant slide. After the Junkyard Dog finished a garbage goal for his second, he ran down the sideline high-fiving the crowd before attempting to make an impromptu speech on a dead mic … FAIL, but the crowd ate it up.
Dudley's on-field and on-court teammate Grant Hill recently tweeted, in reference to the Showdown, "I know I'm better than @JaredDudley619." While this is debatable, he did score a goal of his own and celebrated with a great two-step jig that sent the crowd wild.
The game was finally laid to rest on a final goal by former Sun Leandro Barbosa with the final score Team Nash 16 – Team Reyna 10. Afterward, the teams gathered for pictures and the stars signed autographs for the spectators.
It was refreshing to see an influential superstar bring together a group of his peers to champion such a worthy cause through such an accessible medium. It's this type of candidness that has always endeared Nash to his fans in Phoenix and is why he will always be loved in the Valley.
Jason Lalk is a guest writer for ValleyoftheSuns. Follow him on Twitter @JLalk.
Check out more photos from the event:
UPDATE: TrueHoop TV on Steve Nash the 'ruthless killer'
Through video, TrueHoop's Henry Abbott captures a humorous side of the event complete with a Nash shot that nails Gortat in the crotch.
Tags: Grant Hill Jared Dudley Leandro Barbosa Marcin Gortat Raja Bell Steve Nash


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Downloadable Forms
Purchasing Cardholder Information - Form 139
This is the PCard application for new cardholders. Fill out the personal information and your Fiscal Office will fill out the accounting information, limits, etc.
Unit Reporting Administrative Information - Form 140
Your Fiscal Office should fill out this form. Usually, only 1 form per Department is required.
Memorandum of Understanding - Form 141
Basic PCard agreement between your Approving Authority and UH. Only 1 form per Approving Authority is required.
Liasion Agreement - Form 142
Basic PCard agreement between your Fiscal Officer and UH. The Fiscal Officer responsible for the Cardholder must fill out this form.
Cardholder Agreement - Form 143
Basic PCard agreement between the Cardholder and UH. Signatures of the Cardholder and Approving Authority are required.
Transaction Log
Transaction Log
To log transaction details.
Phone Order Log
Optional. Used to log phone order transactions.
Lost or Stolen Card Notification
Submit to the Purchasing Card Administrator for all lost/stolen cards.


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American Metalcraft CB1 - Porcelain Comma Bowls, 4 oz. - Case of 30
The unusual shape closely resembles a Comma. Manufactured from pristine porcelain, they're sure to make people pause. White 4 oz. (118mL) 4-7/8" D x 2" H (12.4 x 5.1 cm). Sold only in a case of 30.
This product ships directly from American Metalcraft. Orders are processed and shipped within 4 days. This includes all expedited orders as well.


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by maximiliano | Apr 11, 2013 4:24PM EDT News
Call The Midwife Season 2 episode airs Sunday, April 7 at 9:00 PM ET on PBS. Episode Synopsis: The Nonnatus community is rocked when the Kelly family's newborn son dies in unexplained circumstances. Cynthia, who had attended the birth, comes under inte more


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From the Heart, A Fellow Chronic Pain Sufferer's Advice to Reduce Stress.
It's sometimes difficult to reduce stress. If you have suffered from chronic pain for a long time, you too have probably come to realize that a chronic condition creates a lot of stress in itself. This is because it takes a lot of extra physical and mental strength, as well as emotional toughness, to grit through the day with pain. It also takes a lot of exertion to compensate for pain in various creative, and oftentimes inconvenient, ways. This, in turn, creates anxiety, frustration, fatigue and can leave someone feeling emotionally and physically drained.
As someone who struggles with chronic pain while managing a very busy lifestyle, I have learned some vital tactics for balancing both the typical every day stressors, which are compounded with the stress that is caused by chronic pain itself.
Here are five of my top 10 things for reducing stress, (in no particular order).
- Get a Deep Tissue Massage: Massages have been proven to reduce stress by helping your body produce "feel-good" endorphins; not to mention, they work out muscle tension caused by stress. I find that getting a massage about twice a month leaves me feeling much happier, more calm and focused, and less stressed. Plus, I feel so much better physically. If you can't afford to get a massage, create your own relaxing environment at home by dimming lights, putting on soothing music, laying down, stretching, doing yoga or asking someone you love to help work out your muscles. More economical reflexology places can be great, too. I find that just laying on my stomach with dimmed lights, aromatherapy and soothing spa music puts me in a relaxed state of mind because it reminds me of being in a spa. You can get more info on how massages can help with stress and pain conditions, with tips on what types of massages can help, here.
- Take a dip in a hot tub or pool: I have found that water therapy greatly helps my pain levels by relaxing my muscles, but warm water has a relaxing effect on the mind as well. If you don't have a hot tub, check out your local gym's hot tub; you may even be able to get a guest pass a few days to try it out. For more info on how and why this can help you, visit here.
- Get outside: Even just stepping into a new environment can be refreshing and help clear your mind. I find that getting outside my own little world inside my home distracts me from pain and worries. Take a walk around the block or to the park and just be in nature. Look around, take it in and take a few deep breaths, you'll find that you're more relaxed and may even be in a better mood when you return. If it's too hot, then get out somewhere else like your local coffee shop, Barnes and Noble, or whatever environment soothes you. The main concept is just to take a break, step away from the moment and re-focus your thoughts on something different. This article in Prevention magazine has more to say on this subject.
- Connect with people: Studies have shown that those who have social support have an easier time coping with pain and stress. For instance, one study says that "friends make pain less painful." Companionship was shown to have both behavioral and physiological positive effects on mice who demonstrated feeling less pain. Consequently, less pain equals less negative emotion and less stress. Just being around others and being more social not only distracts you from pain, but it can physically benefit your health and help you cope in various ways. I love to be around people who make me laugh and smile, don't we all? Fortunately, that constitutes most of my friends, but if you don't have a lot of people like that around, even socializing with pets can help people cope with stress.
- Try cognitive behavioral therapy (CBT): This therapy has been found to be quite effective in the treatment of many issues such as anxiety, depression and even severe stress. CBT focuses directly on identifying and changing the behaviors and thoughts that feed into stress, anxiety and anxiety disorders. There are many techniques that can help you reduce both the mental and physical symptoms of stress and pain. Ask your doctor to recommend a cognitive behavioral therapist, or programs and resources that offer this in your area. (Arizona Pain Specialists has a cognitive behavioral therapist on site). I've personally tried it and felt less stressed. Check this out for more information on CBT.
Stay tuned for Part 2 – A Fellow Chronic Pain Sufferer's Advice to Reduce Stress.
Follow Arizona Pain on social media for my daily tips on our monthly theme of stress and chronic pain: Twitter: @ArizonaPain, Facebook and Pinterest.


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Written by:
As I was disinterring the silent hideaways
I could find many quivery runaways
Wreathed on worm.
Unaware of me they were
Behind the carved marble
They were wriggling in mass.
Then when I watched them all excreting
It never scared me as they were breeding
But, it just scared me when I saw
They were dribbling in halo
The leprous feeling came over
It just drilled me so sober
Some of them wizened
Some of them drenched
That's the reason they are blessed.