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European Commission
Brussels, 29 November 2012
NEW ENVIRONMENT ACTION PROGRAMME to 2020 – questions and answers
Why do we need a new EAP?
Global trends and challenges such as population dynamics and rising consumption in other parts of the world are making some environmental issues more pressing than ever - from resource and land use, to climate change. This makes it ever more important to address environmental problems at EU and at global level. The European Environment Agency's 2010 report on the State of Europe's Environment (SOER 2010) also shows that despite progress in some areas, the EU is not on track to meet many environment-related targets and objectives. We need to make the environment more resilient to present and future risks and changes, such as those linked to climate change and resource scarcity. The proposed action programme aims to ensure the EU addresses these risks and also takes the opportunities that they can present.
Better implementation of existing laws and strategies across our Member States was clearly identified as one important area of work best undertaken within a comprehensive framework of a new EU Environment Action Programme. Another was to address negative environmental impacts in various sectors and activities– such as construction, product design, food production and energy and transport – and with horizontal polices, such as taxation and removal of environmentally harmful subsides. Finally, it is becoming very clear that investments in environment and natural capital are investments in our future growth. There is a strong case that a framework in which the EU and its Member States share the responsibility for delivering results needs to be adopted at the EU level, as part of an effective, coherent approach. This will also ensure that environment policy makes a strong contribution to the EU's Europe 2020 agenda for smart, sustainable and inclusive growth.
What are the main environmental problems of today?
Biodiversity loss and the degradation of ecosystems and the services they provide: Natural capital plays an essential role in ensuring that our environment is resilient in the face of pressure, for instance from climate change, and that our economy remains competitive. Nearly 18 % of the EU's territory and 4 % of its seas are now protected as part of the Natura 2000 network, yet Europe's natural capital continues to be degraded and depleted. The EU failed to reach its target of halting biodiversity loss by 2010. Soil degradation is accelerating and land use change continues to be a major driver of ecosystem degradation and biodiversity loss in the EU.
Climate change: Over the past decade, the EU has reduced its greenhouse gas (GHG) emissions and is on track to meet its Kyoto Protocol commitments. Significant progress has been made towards meeting targets on energy efficiency and on promoting energy use from renewable sources. However, global and European cuts in GHG emissions are far from sufficient to keep average world temperature increases below 2°C. The impacts of climate change are already being felt across Europe and have implications for human health and wellbeing, as well as for the health of species and ecosystems and the functioning of ecosystem services. Although some regions of Europe are more seriously affected than others, all will face consequences of some kind and the effects will be unevenly distributed, with young and old, poor and ill being at greatest risk.
Waste: There has also been some progress in the EU to tackle challenges related to waste and unsustainable use of natural resources. Member States have increased waste management and recycling efforts and some are global leaders in waste recycling technology. However, these achievements are not equally spread amongst sectors and countries, and several waste streams continue to grow. On average only 40% of solid waste in the EU is re-used or recycled, with the rest going to landfill or incineration.
Natural resource management: Although the EU has succeeded in bringing about a relative decoupling of resource use, emissions and waste generation from economic growth in some areas, absolute decoupling remains a challenge and consumption patterns are largely unsustainable.
Water: Quantity and quality – which are inextricably linked – are an increasing cause for concern. Water quality has improved, but progress has been mixed and challenges remain. Water stress is becoming a widespread problem, and supplies need to be guaranteed for both human needs and for ecosystems to continue to deliver their services.
Air quality: Air pollution has declined in the EU, but not enough to achieve good air quality in all urban areas. Exposure to particulate matter and ozone (O3) remain of concern, linked to a loss of life expectancy, acute and chronic respiratory and cardiovascular effects, impaired lung development in children, and reduced birth weight. Many citizens live in areas where air quality breaches European limit values. Air pollution continues to cause more than 350,000 premature deaths in Europe each year and the estimated annual costs in terms of health expenditure or days of work lost through illness run to billions of Euros.
Chemicals: Our knowledge about chemicals is increasing as a result of the reform of EU chemical legislation. But EU citizens are still exposed to multiple pollutants and chemicals, which can lead to long-term damage to human health. Of particular concern are persistent and bio-accumulative substances, endocrine-disrupting chemicals and heavy metals. Significant knowledge gaps remain in relation to nanomaterials and combination effects of chemicals.
What is new in this programme? Is the Commission proposing new legislation?
The new programme aims to create a shared understanding of the state of Europe's environment, the challenges we face and the opportunities we have. We want to secure the commitment of Member States and the European Parliament to a limited number of priority objectives and what it takes to achieve them. It provides an overarching framework for action on objectives that have to be decided collectively by all EU Member States and Institutions. This is a necessary condition for fleshing out detailed concrete responses subsequently.
Past programmes tended to focus on specific environmental issues in isolation. The new approach is to consider how these issues are inter-related and how improvements in one area can deliver multiple benefits not only for the environment but also for the economy and society.
The proposal recognises that most of the elements needed to achieve the priority objectives identified are already in place, but that additional efforts are needed to improve implementation, the evidence base for policy, the investment framework and integration into other policies and sectors. Where policy gaps are identified, the proposal suggests what is required to fill them, without going into prescription of detailed instruments. Some initiatives are already under preparation within the Commission, for example to unlock the potential for green products and ensure a more comprehensive approach to climate change adaptation in Europe. Others are clearly best taken by the Member States themselves.
How can you justify this concern for the environment in the present climate of austerity?
Protecting natural resources means saving money – implementing EU environment law is cost-effective. Studies show that when factors such as health costs are taken into account, non-implementation actually costs more than implementation. Nature protection too can pay major dividends. Benefits related to the implementation of the Natura 2000 network in France, for example, have been calculated to exceed the costs by a factor of seven (costs were calculated at €142 per hectare and year). Green infrastructure is an even better example. A programme to restore several wetlands in the Danube river basin will cost €183 million but will retain vital adaptive ecosystem functions and will likely lead to earnings of €85.6 million per year.
Just by removing tax-related fossil fuel subsidies 21 Member States expenditure could be decreased by over €25bn. Other benefits include reduction of GHG emissions and the pollution associated with fossil fuel use, leading to cleaner air and water. Phasing out favourable treatment of company cars in 16 EU Member States could bring another €24bn. Moreover, such a move would unlock funds for financing clean technologies and increase eco-innovation.
Full compliance with EU waste policy in the coming years could create an additional 400.000 jobs and increase the annual turnover of the waste sector by €42 billion. Eliminating landfilling and ensuring that incineration is limited to waste that cannot be recycled could increase the benefits to around 520.000 jobs and €55 billion.
Phasing out dangerous chemicals, for instance, has significant environmental and health benefits. Prudent assumptions from 2006 are that the total health benefits, including avoidance of sickness due to better knowledge about chemicals, would be in the order of magnitude of €50 billion over the next 30 years. The total cost to industry for testing, assessing and the phasing out of substances is estimated to be €4-5 billion in total.
Air policy is another example: many EU citizens live in areas where the air quality breaches European limit values. The estimated annual costs in terms of health expenditure or days of work lost through illness run to billions of Euros.
Why an EAP to 2020, and not for ten years as in the past?
The timeframe of the programme is aligned to the multi-annual financial framework 2014-2020 and other key strategies, including the Europe 2020 Strategy, to ensure its timely implementation. At the same time, the 2050 vision serves as a reference point for longer-term action, beyond 2020. The final evaluation of the 6th EAP concluded that in some cases its ten-year timeframe proved too long for policy areas in which scientific evidence was developing quickly (e.g. climate change or biodiversity), while in others (e.g. waste or chemicals) it proved to be too short to be able to assess improvements on the ground as a result of measures included in the Programme, due to the long timeframe for their adoption and implementation.
Why isn't the proposal for a Decision accompanied by a Communication?
As with the 6th EAP, the Commission's proposal for the new EAP is in the form of a Decision to be adopted by the Council and the European Parliament. However, while the 6th EAP Decision proposal was accompanied by a Communication from the Commission, which set out the context and justification for the proposed priority areas and actions, this time everything is set out in a self-contained Decision text. The proposal is accompanied by a full Impact Assessment. Over the coming months the European Parliament and the Council will agree the priority objectives that will guide policy development up to 2020, and the reasons for that choice.
How did the Commission select the 9 priority objectives?
The Commission drew on the vast amount of work in this area, including what it has done itself in recent years, the European Environment Agency's report 'The European Environment – State and Outlook 2010' and OECD's outlooks. The Commission also considered input from a wide range of stakeholders, including responses to a public consultation on the future programme, and the official views of the other EU Institutions.
This led first to the identification of three themes – natural capital, green economy and health – that form three thematic priority objectives. Conserving and restoring our natural capital is an important part of transforming Europe into a competitive and sustainable economy, and is fundamental to the overall resilience of our society. Measures to improve resource efficiency and reduce greenhouse gases can deliver growth and jobs whilst tackling environmental problems and reducing the risks associated with excessive use of natural resources. And tackling environment-related health problems and working with nature to improve the living conditions of EU citizens and safeguard them from changes brought about by climate change and other pressures will benefit health and wellbeing and secure long-term prosperity.
We also identified what needs to be done and by whom in order to deliver results required under those three areas, which is the four priority objectives that form an "enabling framework". They focus on full implementation of existing policies and legislation, on ensuring that policy decisions are taken on the basis of sound evidence, on adequate private and public investments in support of environment and climate change policy, and on the effective integration of environmental concerns into other policies.
Finally, two further priority objectives were clear: first setting out the importance of acting on the urban dimension – sustainable cities - and second the global dimensions of EU environment policy. The latter also fully reflects the EU's commitments arising from the outcome of the 2012 Rio+20.
How will the programme improve environmental integration?
If adopted, the programme will require that policy initiatives at EU and Member State level include environmental and climate-related conditionalities and incentives where relevant, and that that ex-ante assessments of the environmental, social and economic impacts of these initiatives are carried out on a systematic basis.
Why are there no new quantified targets for 2020?
Targets are an important tool in setting the agenda for change. They focus efforts and provide the private sector with clarity on the long-term direction of policy-making. In many environment policy areas specific targets for the period up to 2020 already exist and are part of current legislation. Where this is the case, they are recalled in the new EAP and the emphasis is on fully implementing agreed policies and legislation to achieve them.
However, there are some areas where new targets may be helpful and others where new scientific evidence suggests that existing targets may be out of date. These targets will need to be developed on the basis of robust methodologies and statistical data and supported by impact assessments. In these cases, the new EAP aims to secure agreement on the need for new or updated targets, which would then be developed over the course of the programme.
How does the new EAP relate to other strategic documents such as the resource efficiency roadmap, the low-carbon economy roadmap, the biodiversity strategy 2020?
The new EAP provides an overarching framework for recent environment policy initiatives. It draws on inter-linkages between them to deliver multiple benefits and strengthen the contribution of environment and climate change policy to the achievement of the smart, sustainable and inclusive growth agenda of the EU 2020 Strategy. It does not replace these initiatives or delay their implementation.
How will the programme help reduce the global impact of European consumption?
Prioritising action to improve sustainable consumption and production in the EU will help alleviate pressure on the environment in the rest of the world. In particular, it is proposing that targets be set for reducing the overall environmental impact of consumption, especially in the food, housing and mobility sectors, which are responsible for around 80% of these impacts. The Commission will also consider how to further improve the environmental performance and resource efficiency of products as part of its review of existing product legislation.
What do you plan to do in the field of climate change mitigation?
The Commission has highlighted the need to strengthen the EU Emissions Trading System (EU ETS) and has taken two important steps to address the growing supply-demand imbalance of emission allowances in the market. As an immediate first step to address the rapid build-up of the surplus of emission allowances, the Commission made a formal proposal to revise the auction time profile and postpone ("back-load") the auctioning of 900 million allowances in the third phase of the EU ETS starting in 2013. As a second step, the Report on the state of the European carbon market1 sets out a range of possible structural measures that can be taken to tackle the surplus. Strengthening the EU ETS is necessary to achieve the 2°C global warming limit objective as set out by Heads of State and Government.
As to the sectors not covered by the EU ETS, such as transport, buildings, infrastructure and agriculture, it is essential for Member States to closely monitor the situation and to put in place the necessary policies and measures as soon as possible because changes take time. The Commission continues to support Member States to reach their climate and energy targets through EU-wide measures that are currently being implemented or are in preparation, such as the Energy Efficiency Directive, the proposal to increase EU climate-related expenditure to at least 20% of the 2014-2020 EU budget, the emission performance standards for cars and vans for 2020, the review of the F-Gas regulation and the implementation of the 'NER 300' demonstration programme.
What do you plan to do about adaptation to climate change?
While mitigation is absolutely necessary to limit the impacts of climate change to a manageable degree, even the most ambitious emission reductions pathways, in line with the 2°C target, would not lead to any reduction in temperature increases beyond the business-as-usual scenarios before at least the 2040s to 2050s below the business-as-usual scenarios. Adaptation is therefore a must to help the achievement of all our policy objectives, including sustainable green jobs and growth.
Building on the achievements of the Adaptation White Paper, the EU Adaptation Strategy, due in 2013, will provide a more comprehensive approach to climate change adaptation in Europe. The main objective is to stimulate the development of adaptation policies at national, regional and local level, in particular by facilitating the exchange of good practices and co-ordination. The strategy aims also to increase knowledge on climate change impacts, vulnerability and adaptation and to mainstream adaptation into other policies, strategies and programmes at EU level.
What are the plans for a climate policy framework beyond 2020?
It is essential to start preparing the 2030 policy framework, as most current investment decisions focus beyond 2020. Business needs clarity on the long term. The Commission Work Programme for 2013 indicates that next year the Commission will be working on proposals to provide a long-term perspective on how the EU will move ahead from its 2020 climate and energy targets. A new climate and energy framework for the period up to 2030 will enable us to meet the 80-95% greenhouse gas emission reduction objective in 2050 and foster long term competitiveness, security of supply and sustainability.
How do you engage internationally to close the gap towards an emission pathway compatible with the 2 degrees target?
The EU wants to ensure that an ambitious legally binding global climate agreement covering all countries is adopted by 2015 and comes into force by 2020. This timetable was agreed at the Durban climate conference in December 2011. As also agreed in Durban, further measures to reduce global greenhouse gas emissions before the end of the decade need to be taken in order to keep the goal of holding global warming below 2°C within reach. As part of the transition to the future global climate agreement covering all countries, the EU has committed to join a second commitment period of the Kyoto Protocol starting on 1 January 2013.
COM (2012) 652, The state of the European carbon market, 14 November 2012.
Side Bar


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A friend of mine is getting ready to take a bus trip through parts of Italy and I couldn't stop myself from offering advice. She is a confident world traveler and needs help from me like a hole in the head. I had to ask, did she have any sort of travel insurance? Did she know that Medicare is not recognized overseas? And, that is what started my thoughts on travel tips. "Write it in a column," said daughter Tamela.
And, so I am.
If there is one thing I have learned during my travels the past few months, it is that no matter what I pack in my suitcase, there will be something I had that I never used. And, something I needed, but didn't have.
And, after touring more than 8,000 miles by bus, I learned a few things by trial and error.
You probably are not only aware of them, but can improve on my suggestions.
For starters, bless whoever thought of putting wheels on suitcases. When I remember schlepping from place to place, dragging a suitcase that weighed more than it should, I wondered how we ever managed.
First rule. Never bring a bag heavier than a pillow if it doesn't have wheels or someone to carry it for you.
One of the best things I did for myself was designate a place in the house for things I need only for trips. And, one of the first things that went into the drawer was a small travel alarm clock. The hotels have them, but they are never the same and it is an aggravation trying to figure out how they work. It only took one time in a most reliable hotel for them to miss my wake-up call to justify my carrying my little clock, which sits on the nightstand next to my flashlight, another "must-have."
A travel blanket. Mine came from the luggage department of Target and comes in a small drawstring bag. It is just large enough to protect me from cold drafts in buses and planes.
Money and passport holders. I really do use a money belt. Not that I carry a lot of cash. I don't. But, I do stash a separate credit card in there, along with a few bills. A long time ago in Key West, my wallet was stolen and I was left with a tent, VW bus, four children, $25 in cash and not a speck of identification. I still recall the pain of it all.
I get 100 $1 bills and keep them for tips and small purchases. Otherwise, I use a credit card. There might be a small charge for using it, but I find it allows me to keep track of all of my purchases. I stuff the receipts into a suitcase pocket because they have not only the amount, but the date, but most importantly the name and address of the store. I do call the credit card company ahead of time and let them know where and when I will be going. Otherwise, there is a chance they will deny charges thinking to protect me, the customer.
The Bluffton library stocks audio books. The selection is not as diverse as I would like, but the format is amazing, an entire book in the unit the size of a deck of cards. You insert a AAA battery, plug in a set of earbuds and off you go.
For the ladies, a large square silk scarf. It is a great asset, either around your neck or as a babushka if you're out in the wind.
Even wearing the support socks you buy at the drug store, I need shoes that allow my feet to swell after sitting "forever."
And, drink water, water, water.
I pack an empty zippered sack and a nylon backpack.
Making my way is easier with a walking stick. Mine folds in half, which solves the problem of canes that tend to slide to the floor with a bang. Mori Luggage in Charleston has a gizmo that can attach a cane to a table, sort of like a purse hanger.
Above all, there is one product I rely on. Ziploc baggies. I use them for everything from raincoats to dresses to my wet bathing suit.
I keep the modern day version of calling cards handy that have my name, address, phone numbers and email address to exchange for business cards.
Hope these few tips are helpful on your next trip. Happy trails.
Annelore Harrell lives in Bluffton and can be reached at firstname.lastname@example.com.

subset: commoncrawl


text:
|Saving our history
An Oral History Workshop will be hosted by the African-American Genealogy Group of KY (AAGGKY) on Saturday, August 18 from 1:00-4:00 at the Mercer County Public Library 109 West Lexington Street, Harrodsburg. The workshop will be conducted by Sarah Milligan of the Kentucky Oral History Commission. She will focus on techniques and equipment used to capture the memories of our aging generations.
Sarah Milligan is the administrator for the Kentucky Oral History Commission. She has a master's degree in folk studies from Western Kentucky University's Department of Folk Studies and Anthropology and worked as a folklore specialist for the Kentucky Folklore Program. As administrator for KOHC, Milligan assists with a statewide oral history preservation effort encouraging new and exciting oral history documentation in Kentucky. Currently she advises the James Harrod Trust initiative, documenting African American life in Harrodsburg/Mercer County.
Sharyn Mitchell, co-founder of the AAGGKY recently stated, "Our stories are often hidden in un-indexed volumes, stored forgotten on dusty shelves and omitted from the traditional history books of our country. With every passing minute we are losing our histories to death, memory loss, and record destruction. The African-American Genealogy Group is attempting to minimize this loss…to save our history and pass it on."
The AAGGKY is a non-profit organization, member orientated group, seeking to promote African American genealogical research and the values of family, fellowship, and education. These are principles which bind us together. Of one blood, God made all nations of men.
For more information contact: firstname.lastname@example.com or (502) 422-4457 or visit us on our website at aaggky.org


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|System: PS3, X360, Wii, PS2
|Review Rating Legend
|Dev: Fun Labs
|1.0 - 1.9 = Avoid
|4.0 - 4.4 = Great
|Pub: Activision
|2.0 - 2.4 = Poor
|4.5 - 4.9 = Must Buy
|Release: Nov. 25, 2008
|2.5 - 2.9 = Average
|5.0 = The Best
|Players: 1-14
|3.0 - 3.4 = Fair
|ESRB Rating: Everyone 10+
|3.5 - 3.9 = Good
by Adam Brown
Are you tired of killing countless space aliens, mutated creatures, zombies, or some combination of the typical first-person shooter enemy stereotypes? Would you like to face off against completely normal human adversaries instead? How about if all your weapons are completely nonlethal? If you answered yes to any of these questions or are just really into paintball, then NPPL Championship Paintball 2009 might just be right up your alley.
NPPL eases you into the paintball experience slowly, running you through a series of training missions. These are separated into the three major categories of required paintballing skills: accuracy, fitness, and leaning and snapping. Accuracy missions teach you how to shoot; Fitness educates you on the finer points of movement; and Leaning and Snapping introduces you to the critical strategies necessary for keeping your outfit paint splatter free.
Firing a paintball gun is similar to firing a real gun, just point at your target and pull the trigger. However, with your large supply of paintballs, the speed at which you can fire, the lack of a scope, and the somewhat inaccurate spread, firing in large controlled bursts is essential to your success. Your basic movements in the game work fairly well, being able to sprint from cover to cover with relative ease. Unfortunately, more elaborate movements such as jumping, crouching, lying on the ground, and sliding into cover all feel rather clunky.
Jumping can only be performed when in close proximity to low-lying bunkers and often doesnt work correctly. This is due mostly to the fact that it utilizes the same button as sliding into cover. Sliding can also cause some issues since it can be difficult to judge exactly where your cover is in the first-person perspective. Expect to slide to where you think should be safe just to get splattered with a paintball because you are actually still very much exposed. This was a consistent problem when I was playing, realizing all too late that I was really beside the cover that I was trying to get behind.
Thankfully, once you get behind cover, the game plays fairly well. Players can switch their paintball guns between whichever hand they wish to use at any time. This is a very useful feature that you will definitely need to help combat enemies who advance from all sides. From behind cover players can lean, essentially peeking out from whichever side your gun is handled to fire off a few rounds and then quickly ducking behind again. Snapping functions similarly but is used for shorter cover, allowing you to pop above the cover for some quick shots. These maneuvers work admirably and can also be switched between at any point to make you a much harder target to hit.
Once youve finished the training missions, you only have a few options for actual play. The most notable of these is the tournament mode. Here youll take control of a team, choose your teammates, outfit them with gear, and progress through several events. Your gear and possible teammates are pretty limited in the beginning but successfully completing tournaments will unlock some better options and cash with which to purchase them. Money can also be spent to level up each characters core abilities, making every member on your team much more formidable. These abilities include speed, accuracy, communication, marker (paintball gun) handling, and reload.


text:
OKLAHOMA CITY — One moment, Tony Allen's on the bench, ambitiously waving his towel above his head like he's back at Oklahoma State in the Final Four or something. The next moment, he's slinking into his chair as Memphis Grizzlies coach Lionel Hollins glared at him and barked something at him as though Allen had just asked out the coach's daughter.
"[I said the] same thing I said to him when he didn't block out [Kevin] Durant on a shot," Hollins said. "What the hell are you doing?!"
What in the world happened as the third quarter of Wednesday's Game 5 wound down to five minutes to play, with Oklahoma City Thunder guard Derek Fisher shooting a corner 3-pointer in front of the Grizz bench and, out of nowhere, Allen's blue warmup jersey fluttering five feet into the air and landing five feet out on the court?
"That never happened in my career. It was just a fluke incident," Allen said, shaking his head. "It (the jersey) was tied up in the towel, and I knew it, but it just slipped. I saw it on the floor. I think I'm the only one that saw it because everybody else had their eyes …"
Allen, who had just subbed out of the game seconds earlier, stopped to sort through the surreal sequence.
"I don't know, it was just a fluke play man," Allen said. "I just thank God we were able to get out of here with a win."
Had they not, and they almost did not, there's no telling what Hollins might have done to his defensive bulldog who had defended Durant so well in helping lead the Grizzlies to a five-game, semifinal playoff victory over the top-seeded Thunder.
Memphis led 60-49 and was in seizing control of the game when Allen's towel went haywire and spit out his warmup. Fisher's 3-pointer missed, but the whistle blew the play dead with the foreign object resting on the floor. The ruling: OKC was awarded three points and a technical foul was assessed to Allen for interference. Durant made the free throw for a four-point play without an actual field goal being made.
Now it's 60-53 and what was a subdued sellout crowd at Chesapeake Arena roared as the Thunder found sudden life.
End of the third quarter.
"Man, I thought when they made that run," Allen said, "I was saying this is all my fault."
He probably doesn't want to know what Hollins was really thinking. When Hollins told reporters what he screamed at Allen, the room chuckled, seeing as all had ended well for the Grizz. But Hollins still didn't smile and he offered a curt retort.
"That was huge. They counted the three points and then they got a free throw," Hollins said. "That was a four-point play and from that point on we scored four more points in the quarter."
Said Allen: "He was pretty upset and I can understand why. I shouldn't do that as a veteran. It was just a bad play considering what was at stake. That could have come back and haunted us, but for the most part we're a group that's together and thank God that he didn't scold me. But he did tell me to get my head out of my butt and get out there and keep playing."
Memphis again gained control, going ahead 80-68 with 4:13 to go and the franchise's first trip to the West finals nearing reality. Then the Thunder charged again.
"I just felt like if I get a chance to go back into this game I want to do something to help the team," Allen said. "I don't care what it is."
And so with 3.3 seconds left in Game 5 and the Grizzlies up two, Allen, a career 74.1-percent career free throw shooter, went to the line for two. Either he ices it or he does the Thunder a second big favor and leaves them one last chance.
Bang and bang.
"Luckily, well not luckily," Allen said, "thank God we were able to get out of here with a win."


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My View
By Don Sorchych | January 13, 2010
The Arizona Republic
If you read the Arizona Republic, and I do, since it is almost a job requirement, you wouldn't be surprised by its unending left wing so-called news. The editorial staff had a couple of relatively conservative writers that have caught the left-leaning infection too.
The targets? Anyone who thinks the border should be closed or is against amnesty for illegal aliens, Sheriff Joe Arpaio and County Attorney Andy Thomas for starters. There is more.
I was once interviewed by Daniel Gonzalez, their illegal alien sympathizer and crying towel for border busting illegals. In the Jan. 3, 2010 issue of the Republic, above the fold, a headline read "Advocate strikes back on sweeps." It was all about a woman who made it her business to journey to any sweep and see if she could get the goods on Arpaio. My, my, we mustn't profile.
In the same editions, in the Valley and State section in the same position, the headline was, "City pushes census participation." The author, Scott Wong, made it clear each person not captured by the census may cost Phoenix $400. So they printed 200,000 brochures in Spanish and English. How quaint is that?
In the same issue the ever snarky E.J. Montini held court on Jimmy. I mean Janet, Napolitano. He agreed she was wrong to say "the system worked" about the Muslim fanatic who tried to blow up an airliner on final approach to the Detroit airport.
The crew and passengers took down the nutcase terrorist, not any federal "system."
Montini noted that both our senators joined the criticism of Napolitano, but suggested her statement may have been taken out of context. And further he suggested, as an apologist, she was speaking of the whole process not the incident on the plane.
Then he wrote Senator Jon Kyl and other Napolitano critics "voted against a bill a few years back that was meant to fund better screening devices for airports."
So? The details of that vote could well be part of a much larger issue; so is the statement taken out of context, like he accuses others of doing about Napolitano's statement.
Then he quoted Kyl as saying, "She (Napolitano) will bring a wealth of experience to the department."
And then the too loquacious John McCain said, "She has a no nonsense attitude, remarkable stamina, and unlimited energy. Arizona's loss is the nation's gain."
Gag and gag again. This is political talk and Montini knows it. Obviously, they should have told the truth that she is a liberal demagogue who broke the state before retreating to Obama's administration. But that isn't politically correct is it?
On the editorial side, Robert Robb and Doug MacEachern have been revered conservatives in an otherwise bigoted leftist newspaper. But current readings reveal a leftward drift in their opinions.
First of all, both news and editorial space has been devoted to killing the political strength of Joe Arpaio and Andy Thomas. Seldom does an issue arrive without multiple stories aiding illegal alien activists, damning Arpaio and Thomas, praising Napolitano, publicizing support for affirmative action by praising "diversity," and giving left wing advice to cities and towns.
Sonoran News has outed Arpaio many times for what we perceived as corruption.
Evaluating anyone is concluded after winnowing through negatives and positives, a work in progress over a span of time.
But today, we view Arpaio as a net positive of major proportions due to his continued assault on illegal aliens. Thomas is a strong supporter also. They are the only law enforcement men in the nation to fight that battle and that is special.
Their tandem battle with the County Board of Supervisors is years overdue. Time will tell whether Arpaio and Thomas took political action or whether the supervisors are that corrupt, but an investigation is warranted, no doubt about that. The actions taken by the supervisors, their choice of legal council and their interference with law enforcement and the county attorney's office is unjustified and may be illegal.
One of the supervisors laughingly told me that Mary Rose Wilcox's vote depended on what was in it for her. Don Stapley has been suspected before, and anyone who does business with Conley Wolfswinkel is automatically suspect based on his record, and deserving of a serious investigation – which raises the question where is the Republic's investigative reporting?
The Republic's love affair with Napolitano has tainted MacEachern's editorial writing. In the Jan. 4 edition he went to bat for Napolitano by writing he always respected her judgment. He wrote, "Now in the Washington meat grinder, she is being judged an idiot for uttering one foolish phrase ("the system worked" in the Detroit airplane near disaster). That is just wrong."
It is not wrong, it is an idiotic statement, and nowhere near the smear of Sarah Palin.
This is not to say that the Republic doesn't print the other view. Certainly, printing the columns of Charles Krauthammer gives a thirsty public a conservative view. And pro and con articles are appreciated as are letters which cover an almost fair spectrum of political opinions.
But on balance, the Arizona Republic carries all the liberal baggage a Gannett newspaper is expected to have. And as Gannett is nationwide, in other dailies, conservatives aren't fairly represented. Read the Washington Times and even the Wall Street Journal and compare to the Gannett papers.
The biggest beef I have is the failure of the media, print, TV and the Internet to evaluate Barack Obama during the election. Why is Obama hiding his credentials – his life? History says he is a radical, inexperienced but fluent and will destroy this country if he isn't controlled. I could write a book about that.
The Republic has always been fond of "diversity." So fond in fact, they took the center of the Scottsdale Republic to celebrate, "Champions of diversity." Then they devoted page three to former head of Scottsdale Diversity Dan Logan and the current "diversity champion" Joe Baca.
Logan, who survived a bomb sent by two Illinois white boneheads, got two thirds of the page while Baca got a third.
Baca is a maintenance guy so I assume he works for a living and is not paid by taxpayers as Logan was.
Diversity is PC for affirmative action and it is a paid position in many cities and some schools. This is another way to suck the brains out of schoolchildren.


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People who are interested in obtaining a certificate, degree, or simply bolster their knowledge in the fields of advertising and marketing now have the option to obtain their education via the internet. Distance education for advertising and marketing degrees include established, researched-based institutions that are expanding their curriculum, private establishments that serve only online students, and corporate universities. Partnerships between establishments are also becoming commonplace.
Typical distance advertising and marketing education programs provide courses delivered via a central internet portal, such as Centra or Blackboard. Classes meet online one to three times per week. For associate and bachelor degree programs, general education coursework will be required for degree completion. Centra and Blackboard record class sessions, enabling students to view the course anytime after it has concluded. In order to become a successful online student in any academic field, several skill sets are necessary. The ability to manage time and have self-discipline are vital. Professor David R. Fordham of James Madison University notes that a person pursuing an online degree must be a "self-starter, one who works well without direct supervision" with an "extremely high level of motivation."
Three traditional avenues that students take to assist in funding their education are grants and scholarships, student loans, and employers assistance – all of which are available for online students in advertising and marketing.
Many advertising and marketing scholarships are offered through the universities in which the student is enrolled. National or more broad-range scholarships and grants may be on Fastweb.com and Grants.gov. The American Marketing Association Foundation (AMAF) provides the Robert J. Lavidge Nonprofit Marketing Research Scholarship, and the Lagrant Foundation offers scholarships to minority students enrolled in advertising, marketing, and public relations programs.
Online programs in the fields of advertising and marketing show much promise. More programs are now available to more students. It is no longer necessary to limit the selection of schools or programs based solely on proximity. Financing an education is more achievable and more employers are open to their employees obtaining an education from less traditional sources.