Monthly Archives: February 2014

Arizona Department of Education barred by judge from taking funding back from charters

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State education officials have been blocked by a judge from taking nearly $5.9 million away from charter schools.

In an order released Monday, Maricopa County Superior Court Judge Dean Fink said the state Department of Education may not demand refunds from charter schools which the state said had been given more state aid than they should have received.

Fink acknowledged the position of education agency that schools should not get money to which they were not entitled. He said that, on some level, it makes sense for the state to be able to get back the excess, no matter how long it takes.

But Fink said it would be unfair to take money from schools years later.

“Under the department’s interpretation, the effect of a shortfall is felt not by those pupils who benefited from the original excess funding, by a new cohort who received no benefit yet much now suffer the detriment,” Fink wrote.

Read more at The East Valley Tribune

Arizona Bill to reduce metadata collection moves forward

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nsa-hubArizona Senator Kelli Ward introduced SB 1156 (HTML | PDF) which would prevent agencies and corporations of The Great State of Arizona from assisting in the metadata collection by the NSA and other agencies.

The Tenth Amendment web site calls it the first in the nation.

Arizona Senator Kelli Ward (Photo AZ Legislature web)

Arizona Senator Kelli Ward (Photo AZ Legislature web)

FOURTH AMENDMENT

The Fourth Amendment of the inalienable Bill of Rights provides:

The right of the people to be secure in their persons, houses, papers, and effects, against unreasonable searches and seizures, shall not be violated, and no Warrants shall issue, but upon probable cause, supported by Oath or affirmation, and particularly describing the place to be searched, and the persons or things to be seized.

The Supreme Court has so watered down most of the Bill of Rights through decisions based on ideology and not constitutionality that this provision is almost worthless. For example, TSA can violate your person without a warrant based on probable cause by Oath or affirmation by your simple act of buying a ticket for public transportation.

Apparently, however, the “fake” NSA spying scandal has finally pushed Senator Ward too far. The bill would not stop illegal data collection by the NSA and other agencies which has tapped into all forms of communications. It would only prevent the State agencies and corporations dealing with the State from providing any assistance to the federal government.
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Scrapped for a penny: USS Forrestal, Navy’s first supercarrier, begins final voyage

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USSforrestalThe U.S. Navy’s first supercarrier — the long-decommissioned Forrestal — has begun its final voyage to a Texas scrapyard, after the Pentagon tried to sell it, found no takers and had to pay a penny to get rid of it.

The 1,067-foot ship, which was shut down in 1993 after more than 38 years of service, was being towed Tuesday morning down the Delaware River and along the Eastern Seaboard before crossing the Gulf of Mexico to reach All Star Metals in Brownsville. U.S. Navy officials signed a 1-cent contract with the Texas company in October to dismantle the ship perhaps best known for a 1967 incident that killed 134 and injured more than 300 others, including a young Navy aviator named John McCain.

“We started our departure from the dock at 5:31 a.m.,” All Star Metals President Nikhil Shah told FoxNews.com, adding that the trip should take roughly 17 days. “This is the largest ship that we’ve ever dismantled, and the largest ship the U.S. government has ever awarded to be dismantled. It’s a very big job to us.”

Read more at FOX News

Matthew J. Broehm VFW post selling See’s candy for your Valentine.

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see-candy-valentineWILLIAMS—The members of the Veterans of Foreign Wars Matthew James Broehm Post #12128 are trying to raise money and you can be the beneficiary. Orders are being taken at their office in the mall in downtown Williams next to the Grand Canyon Coffee and Cafe. Orders may also be placed with Al Dunaway at the John Ivens American Legion Post #42 next to the VFW office. For more information, you can email williamsvfwpost@hotmail.com.

Orders must be placed by Thursday to ensure the candy will be delivered in time for Valentine’s Day.

Combine the candy with a gift and flowers from the new Briar Patch florist and you will be ready for the 14th. The Briar Patch is located on route 66 next to Circle K.

Your purchase will support the activities of the heroes of the VFW post.

New Jersey Taxes Could Eat Up All Of Peyton Manning’s Super Bowl Earnings

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Peyton ManningPeyton Manning has the opportunity to pull a John Elway and ride off into the sunset as a Denver Bronco after winning his second ring, not that he wants to retire. His career will hinge upon an offseason exam on his surgically-repaired neck, according to ESPN ’s Chris Mortensen. Obviously, the most important implication of the exam will be Manning’s health. But whether his career continues will have an effect on how much tax New Jersey can collect from him for his appearance in the Super Bowl XLVIII.

Should the Broncos beat the Seahawks, Manning—and the rest of his teammates—will earn $92,000. The loser’s share in the Super Bowl is $46,000. So why does Manning’s future beyond February 2 matter to New Jersey? It would seem logical that the Garden State would apply its tax rates on the $92,000 or $46,000 Manning earns for his week in East Rutherford. Unfortunately, we are dealing with tax laws, not logic.

New Jersey, and every other state that imposes a jock tax, taxes players on their calendar-year income from each employer. If the Broncos defeat the Seahawks, Manning’s 2014 playing income to this point would be $157,000 derived from playoff bonuses. If the Broncos lose, his playing income would be $111,000.

If Manning is unable to continue playing, New Jersey would apply its tax rates to his income and multiply that amount by the ratio of 7/33 to determine his tax liability. The 7 in the numerator represents the week he spends in the state practicing and attending required NFL events. The 33 is the total number of duty days performed during the year—31 days in January plus two in February. If Manning is forced to retire, New Jersey will collect approximately $1,575 from him if the Broncos win and $982 if they lose.

Read more at Forbes

Worker Returns $43,000 Discovered In Donated Clothing

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monroe-6dsi8h1lp1k1eo3ppma_original_t670Once in a while, Tyler Gedelian will find some loose change in the pockets of cloth­ing that was donated to the Goodwill store in Monroe.

But on Wednesday even Mr. Gedelian, the store manager, couldn’t believe the bonanza he found in the pockets of some old suits and a robe. Stuffed in various envelopes were tidy stacks of $100 bills that totaled more than $43,000.

“We might find a quarter in somebody’s jeans,” he said. “But that blows my mind.”

So Mr. Gedelian, 29, immediately acted on his instincts: He called the police. In fact, he didn’t even count the hundreds. Never once did the thought of keeping any of it cross his mind because, he simply said, it’s not his.

Read more at Monroe News