Skip to main content

Home/ Law2 Spring 2011/ Contents contributed and discussions participated by Rob High

Contents contributed and discussions participated by Rob High

Rob High

Roommate of Rutgers student who committed suicide pleads not guilty - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 24 May 11 - No Cached
  • Dharun Ravi, 19, is charged with streaming the footage of his roommate, Tyler Clementi, 18, engaging in a physical relationship with another man in their shared dormitory last September.
    • Rob High
       
      It's pretty sick when in todays world your ego is so small and you are so insecure with yourself that you have to embarass someone who is at the very least a mutual rommmate with you.
  • Defense attorneys entered a not guilty plea Monday for the roommate of the Rutgers University student
    • Rob High
       
      Could he be charged with an indirect manslaughter sort of charge? Seeing as how this video is what lead to a death.
  • Roommate of Rutgers student who committed suicide pleads not guilty
    • Rob High
       
      Ms. Laur, this is for a really old diigo done 5/4. But I figured I minus well should try and at least get some points for it seeing as how it is better then a zero and I really don't want a B in this class.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Ravi faces a 15-count indictment of hate crime charges
    • Rob High
       
      Because it is 15 charges how long a sentence could this man be facing? And is it possible to do a plea bargain and take say 8 of the 15 sentences and walk away with less? That is what I think will happen.
  • A second student charged, Molly Wei, 19, pled not guilty earlier this month in two counts of invasion of privacy. She reached a plea deal agreeing to testify against Ravi, who allegedly set up the room's camera. Should Wei complete a three-year program on cyberbullying and alternate and cultural lifestyles, as well as 300 hours of community services without any additional legal troubles, the invasion of privacy charges for allegedly watching the video will be dropped, the prosecutors office said.
    • Rob High
       
      I guess the sentence was more than three years because that sounds like a lot of time that someone in college doesn't have. Honestly though if she just set up the camera and didn't have intentions to post or do anything besides help a friend set up a camera then I would try and fight it.
  • In October, less than a month after Clementi's suicide, President Barack Obama released a taped video message condemning such acts. "You are not alone," the president said. "You did not do anything wrong.
    • Rob High
       
      While it's nice he did this, did anybody think otherwise? Of course the president wouldn't be pro bullying and suicide.
  • "Tyler Clementi Higher Education Anti-Harassment Act." The proposed law would require schools that receive federal student aid "to create policies prohibiting the harassment of any student," said Sen. Frank Lautenberg, D-New Jersey.
    • Rob High
       
      This seems a little "go get em" and broad of a law. Instead of leaving it up to the schools to make their own program which I gurantee in certain areas would be as flimsy as a piece of cardboard in the wind. If they really want this to happen then say states will no longer recieve federal funding unless they set up a smooth and easy system to help raise awareness and protection in their schools. I feel the state would have an easier time then the schools themselves.
Rob High

After nearly 3 years, Casey Anthony to stand trial in daughter's death - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 24 May 11 - No Cached
  • "I have a possible missing child," Cindy Anthony said in the first of two 911 calls made July 15, 2008. The little girl -- her granddaughter, Caylee -- "has been missing for a month
    • Rob High
       
      Right here. Isn't this a big part of the trial. The fact that the timeline of being reported is so spread out? Now would this be seen as a agr/ mit circumstance when deciding the death penalty, or is it just another reason to convict her?
  • "I found my daughter's car today, and it smells like there's been a dead body in the damn car
    • Rob High
       
      It was her mother who also stood by her in all of this. How can her mother have the facts and interact with what actually happened and still not believe it?
  • found in woods about a quarter of a mile from the home of her grandparents. The girl's mother and Cindy Anthony's daughter, Casey Anthony, had also lived there
    • Rob High
       
      In a court case how important is distance between things? Like I mean if a crime scene is found close to the suspects residence or place of work; does something like that play an affect?
  • ...8 more annotations...
  • Besides capital murder
    • Rob High
       
      Doesn't she automatically being accused of this have the option of the death penalty which will be decided once she is convicted?
  • has said that once all the facts are known, it will become clear his client is innocent.
    • Rob High
       
      I wonder if they are going for innocent or legally insane. During all the media hype it was easy to see that Casey had something wrong. She lied like it was her job and appeared distant and unemotional about it all.
  • The cause of Caylee's death was homicide by undetermined means, meaning there is no cause of death, she said.
    • Rob High
       
      But if they are able to prove that by all means Casey was in fact the one who killed her and the facts are too hard to ignore that she was the one who killed her. Does it really matter how?
  • (Caylee's) killer prepared some substance in advance that would render her physically unable to resist," prosecutor Jeff Ashton said at a December 2009 hearing, "administered the substance, awaited its effect and then methodically applied three pieces of duct tape to completely cut off the flow of air through her mouth or her nose and let nature take its course."
    • Rob High
       
      So... they know the cause of death? Either way I mean come on, she was poisened slowly and in a manner that took so much time that this wasn't a random assault and this couldn't be the work of someone with a grudge against a little girl (she didn't have any enemies right?).
  • Anthony's high-powered defense team, fighting to save her life, will likely try to cast doubt on prosecutors' scientific evidence. At pretrial hearings, they have argued that evidence regarding a potential odor of decomposition in the trunk, chloroform and other evidence is not reliable enough for jurors to consider.
    • Rob High
       
      Yes but the fact that any of it is there at all is reliable. Please tell me how many cars in America have a trunk that would test positive for traces of chloroform and dead body odors...
  • Perhaps the biggest hurdle for the defense is the fact that Caylee had been missing for 31 days before authorities were aware of it
    • Rob High
       
      There is no way to get around this though. How do you not know that your child is missing for this long a span of time. If anything this hurdle can never be jumped. Maybe side stepped and have the focus taken off of it but that is about all they could do.
  • The car also poses a huge obstacle for the defense, with evidence of chloroform found inside along with hair that potentially showed signs of decomposition, she said.
    • Rob High
       
      Yes, the fact that a chemical was found would be a good indication that she was up to something alright. I'm interested to see the defenses sob story of abuse and other peoples faults. It's sick that such a guilty women who has lead this country on a wild goose chase wasting our time should have the option of anything but the death penalty.
  • Anthony alleged her father and brother sexually abused her in a letter from jail last year.
    • Rob High
       
      ^^^^Here we go^^^^
Rob High

Technician indicted in case of N.Y. patient who died on floor - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 18 May 11 - No Cached
  • A psychiatric technician was indicted Monday for reckless endangerment and falsifying hospital records, including those of a patient who died unattended on an emergency room floor, according to District Attorney Charles J. Hynes.
    • Rob High
       
      When they say indicted does this basically mean "taken into custody"? If so can anyone be instantly indicted at any time and place if incriminating evidence is found?
  • Easton Royal, 53, is accused of not checking on patients at Kings County Hospital in Brooklyn, New York, and of claiming on hospital forms he had observed numerous psychiatric patients when he had not, Hynes said in a statement.
    • Rob High
       
      Shouldn't it also be his employers need to have a system in order to check up on anyones work to make sure it is acurate and getting done.
  • Royal may face up to 11 years in prison, according to Hynes. It was not immediately clear whether Royal has a lawyer.
    • Rob High
       
      Considering people died as a link to him it doesn't sound like a long sentence to me.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Security footage showed hospital employees and other patients appearing to ignore Green when she slumped out of a chair and began to convulse on the floor.
    • Rob High
       
      ... what is wrong with people? It's all those violent video games we have become desensitized to death it looks like.
  • In 2008, the New York Civil Liberties Union alleged hospital records were falsified to show Green had been "sitting quietly in the waiting room" a little more than 10 minutes after she had stopped moving and 48 minutes after she slid to the floor.
    • Rob High
       
      All the laws this hospital has broke. How come it's not being investigated and being made to close considering this isn't the work of just one person.
Rob High

Vacationing Florida officer dies in Puerto Rico shooting - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 13 May 11 - No Cached
  • When the forensics team arrived at the scene, they verified that on the body of Juan Aviles they found three little bags with white powder," Feliciano-Torres said. Investigators did not immediately determine what the powder was but the substance will be analyzed, he added.
    • Rob High
       
      So this can mean one of two things. Either he was trying to break up a drug related exchange because he is a police officer or he was probably attempting to buy drugs and have a little fun on his vacation when it went wrong.
  • Such "little baggies" are often used to distribute drugs, Feliciano-Torres said.
    • Rob High
       
      This guy is as sharp as a knife. Amazing conclusions here.
  • Juan Aviles Otero, 34, a Miami-Dade police officer since 2006, and his sister, Jasmin Plaza Otero, 21, were found dead from multiple gunshot wounds about 3:10 a.m. in the Puerto Rican town of Villalba
    • Rob High
       
      So how does this work now. Because he is a US citizen does this mean that we have the say in how this case goes. Like we control the investigation and the charging or does the place that the crime happened have the say in the investigaiton of the crime.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Aviles was found inside the car and his sister was found dead just outside the car door.
    • Rob High
       
      Although what I said above I still think might hold true. Because of their close proximity to the car and the fact they weren't found dead away or outside it possibly they got caught in it by accident instead of out getting themselves into trouble.
  • recently gave birth to twins
    • Rob High
       
      It's sad to think that things like this happen in the world. A man dies just as his wife gives birth to two of his children.
Rob High

Washington Day Ahead: Lawmakers Look at Imposing Automatic Cuts - Bloomberg - 0 views

  • looking at a “club in the closet” mechanism that would force Republicans to agree to tax increases and Democrats to accept cuts to entitlement programs.
    • Rob High
       
      Seems like the best choice at this point, taxes can and should be increased a little while taking away from other programs so we can be bringing in more and spending less.
  • President Barack Obama hits the road today to sell his deficit reduction plan, drawing lines with his Republican opposition over values in a cross-country trip that has all the markings of a campaign swing.
    • Rob High
       
      I wonder if his true intentions won't be to look at getting himself out there and around to look at getting into office again for the next term.
  • Google Inc., Cisco Systems Inc. and American Express Co. are among companies joining an effort by President Barack Obama to promote entrepreneurship, the White House said today in a statement.
    • Rob High
       
      I wonder what companies like these get from supporting it. Overall could it have to do with the fact that these companies are small or failing and need to promote it so they can stay viable and not get overshadowed by bigger companies.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • The U.S. “lacks a credible plan, in the medium term, to reduce its budget deficit,”
    • Rob High
       
      Agree with this all the way, need to step it up for sure.
  • President Barack Obama holds a town hall-style meeting at Facebook headquarters in San Francisco.
    • Rob High
       
      I remember reading this before. I think it looks a little sketchy but then again looking at his intentions he has no way of benefitting from being friends with Facebook because people would oppose it too much.
Rob High

Youth arrested in killings of 2 British men - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 19 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • A 16-year-old boy has been arrested in the murder of two British men, found shot dead at 3 a.m. Saturday in Sarasota, Florida, police say.
    • Rob High
       
      Will be interesting to see if the fact that he is a minor is able to get him out of long term punishment or if the prosecution can find a way to convince the jury and judge that being 16 he was in control of his actions regardless and a more long term punishment should be sought out.
  • The juvenile, who police said was arrested previously this month on a charge of aggravated assault with a handgun,
    • Rob High
       
      Why wasn't he being watched more closely and being searched to make sure he didn't have any weapons, assuming that charge had an effect of minimal or no jail time with parole.
  • The two men were believed to be friends who recently graduated from college and were in Sarasota to celebrate, police said.
    • Rob High
       
      So the area they were in might mean they were celebrating with drugs in a bad project neighborhood.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • "We have our suspicions, but at this time it would be unfair to state those," he said. "I believe they were there of their own volition."
    • Rob High
       
      Celebrating a graduation should be safe, so I think the police feel that with all this excitement going on that they were in a place where they probably shouldn't have been, it will be interesting to see how this case develops.
Rob High

Budget Deal Reached to Avert Shutdown - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • Congressional leaders and President Obama headed off a shutdown of the government with less than two hours to spare Friday night
    • Rob High
       
      Well I mean if our government can do it, I think they make a great example for students who put off work everywhere.
  • $38 billion from federal spending this year.
    • Rob High
       
      Considering we are only looking at a year time frame when we look at that, it's actually not as bad as I once criticized. Honestly I hope these cuts come from defense, the world isn't as hostile as it once was, we need to drain defensive funding and improve ourselves, education and debt etc.
  • presented the package of widespread spending reductions and policy provisions and won a positive response from his rank and file shortly before 11 p.m.
    • Rob High
       
      I'm just trying to picture this professional man who holds public office sweating over his computer and pulling all nighters trying to get his paper done like any other student. Honestly if the decision was as simple as everyone wanted cuts but from where. How come it took as long as it did for everyone to agree? The second both groups recognized they wanted cuts why didn't they began looking at what both groups could cut? It seems like  people need to reduce the amount of drama they cause and just get the job done for real. I propose I should just be the sole politician for the united states, everyone would agree about everything I decide upon because it would be fair with nothing to argue about. It would make sense and it would work. Most importantly it would be on time.
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • Democrats said that under the agreement, the budget measure would not include provisions sought by Republicans to limit environmental regulations and to restrict financing for Planned Parenthood and other groups that provide abortions. But Mr. Boehner said in a statement that the agreement included a restriction on abortion financing in Washington.
    • Rob High
       
      *sigh* still nothing about our bloated defense and how we really don't need as much as we have now. Honestly without all the media hype what was the last issue we heard in the middle east? Besides all the protests that we are barely involved in and aren't really at least from a weapons stand point in there fighting.
  • both sides gave ground in reaching the bargain and that some of the cuts accepted by Democrats “will be painful.”
    • Rob High
       
      Oh nooooo poor liberal democrats had to make decisions and compromises like a grown up! How can they go on? I mean really "painful"? We live in different times we don't have the money or time to complain we need to make decisions when they need to be made and start making improvements now because in our shaky state as a country there isn't time for selfishness.
  • We did it because it has been hard to arrive at this point.
    • Rob High
       
      ... Because of drama?
  • largest real dollar spending cut in American history.”
    • Rob High
       
      Can always count on the republicans to at least try and make a difference. Would be interesting to see what the democrats wanted to do. My honest guess would either be increase spending all around or cut from decent programs helping a wide demography of people.
    • Rob High
       
      Now I know I love to slander, but honestly, last article I did a diigo on the democrats wanted to cut such a small amount of spending that it honestly wasn't worth the time of even thinking about. We are faced with a huge debt and cutting one or two billion dollars will not eve begin to make a debt in a reasonable amount of time.
    • Rob High
       
      even* make a dent*
  • The developments came after Republicans and Democrats spent the day blaming each other for what could have been the first lapse in government services brought on by Congress in 15 years.
    • Rob High
       
      I'm telling you Mrs. Laur I could so run a better government by myself, I don't even want to be called "supreme commander" I would just like to show people the right path for once and show them how easy things could be.
Rob High

Police: Chinese national created fake Army special forces unit - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 13 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • created a false Army special forces unit, providing recruits with false documents and uniforms and even marching with them in a parade, authorities said.
    • Rob High
       
      Was he able to obtain these documents through gang affiliations? He also might have just been really good with computers but still a person shouldn't ever be able to even attempt to forge important documents like the ones involved here.
  • 13 counts of theft by false pretenses
    • Rob High
       
      Why only 13 counts? If you read further down he had over a hundred people, so would having 100 counts against him be considered cruel and unusual? I mean the sentence would basically be prison in life but he also really did commit the crime 100 times if you think about it.
  • supreme commander
    • Rob High
       
      I don't know, the thought of some random asian man recruiting a bunch of people and making his own little army while titling himself "supreme commander sounds really funny. It's almost like a cult.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • Recruits were allegedly charged initiation fees ranging from $300 to $450, with annual renewal fees of $120
    • Rob High
       
      At least he was smart about it. It actually makes him look pretty smart, considering this article title could have been "Man creates personal army to boost self esteem through self proclaimed supreme commander" instead of "Man scams lots of people for decent money".
  • Deng also allegedly instructed them to report to his office in the Los Angeles suburb of Temple City -- which authorities said was decorated to look like an official U.S. military recruiting center -- to undergo training and indoctrination, according to prosecutors.
    • Rob High
       
      ....... These people went to some ones house in the suburbs and believed that this was legit? I really and I mean really want to meet the people who believed this was real. I can only assume they were illegal aliens who really didn't understand our world.
  • he would face up to eight years and four months in state prison.
    • Rob High
       
      I assume this is actually a fair sentence since it is on the state level and not the county level. Still would like to see what a 100 count sentence might be.
  • found child pornography on a computer, prosecutors said. He is set for arraignment in that case April 18 and would face up to three years in state prison if convicted.
    • Rob High
       
      "What are you in for?" "Oh I'm that guy that created my own army and made lots of money and got to march in parades" "Really? That's so cool!" "Ya and also well... child pornography" "........"
Rob High

Woman faces charges for alleged threats to kill Wisconsin lawmakers - CNN.com - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 01 Apr 11 - No Cached
  • A Wisconsin woman, apparently enraged over the new state law that limits collective bargaining for government workers, is being accused of sending e-mails to 16 Republican state senators threatening to kill them
    • Rob High
       
      I wonder what the woman has to lose in all this drama that would make her so passionate. Overall I don't think her punishment should be too harsh, and instead they should direct her to a blog where it's okay to say pretty much whatever you want.
  • was angry at lawmakers who voted to limit collective bargaining for about 300,000 state workers.
    • Rob High
       
      So she was mad at the fact that now people had limited rights where people couldn't argue for much. I wouldn't be mad if my dads bargaining rights were limited.
  • We have all planned to assault you by arriving at your house and putting a nice little bullet in your head.
    • Rob High
       
      It would be interesting to see if the courts can twist this into a terrorist threat and make an example out of her.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • Tens of thousands of protesters including union supporters and public employees descended upon the capitol, recently.
    • Rob High
       
      Looking at what these teachers are making I think we just need to show them what some Central teachers are making. Once they see that they will sulk back to their homes happy to have the amount of money they are already making.
  • According to the complaint, investigators read Windels excerpts from the e-mails, and she replied, "I know I said that, but I don't know why I said that."
    • Rob High
       
      This is interesting. It really amplifies the whole "think about your consequences" theory. I will be dissapointed if she attempts to plead insanity when she clearly seemed fine up until now.
Rob High

Sharp Scrutiny for Merger of AT&T and T-Mobile - NYTimes.com - 0 views

  • Sharp Scrutiny for Merger of AT&T and T-Mobile
    • Rob High
       
      Hi Mrs. Laur! This is the one I said I did on Monday and wasn't sure if it was up. It wasn't, so I'm redoing it.
  • But the proposed merger of AT&T and T-Mobile is likely to face intense scrutiny by regulators, lawmakers and consumer advocates.
    • Rob High
       
      Verizon is trash as it is. It would be nice to watch two good businesses form into something better for the sake of the people. Yes you are simplifying the market and making less competitions which gives a chance for prices to rise. But it is there business and this economy it may be a better option then both businesses going down and out.
  • criticized the Bush administration’s record on antitrust review, and promised to increase scrutiny of merger proposals.
    • Rob High
       
      There really wasn't anything big I remember happening during Bush's reign. Maybe there were some iffy mergers that were overshadowed by the war. But I don't see a reason Obama feels the need to rule with an iron fist and try and make them not do a merger that would only benefit either company and most likely have a higher odd chance to benefit the public.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • two primary agencies that will oversee any merger — the Federal Communications Commission and the Justice Department’s antitrust division — look at it with different goals in mind.
    • Rob High
       
      Sounds like an amazing way to get things done and get things done right. Is it really that hard for people to stand in the middle and just make something thats right in general not right for their side.
  • more competition among wireless companies,
    • Rob High
       
      At the prices phones are at now, yeah we should really do something. Thank god for Virgin mobile went from 75 a month to 25 a month with fewer dropped calls go figure.
  • For example, one objective involves pushing the big wireless companies to allow smaller competitors to use their networks for data roaming services.
    • Rob High
       
      This part kind of confuses me. Bigger phone companies can't control space can they? If a smaller company wanted to put a tower or something in space to help signal Verizon can't say no can they?
Rob High

Google library deal rejected by judge | Courier-Post | courierpostonline.com - 0 views

  • for authors and publishers that would have let the company make money presiding over the world's largest digital library.
    • Rob High
       
      I don't see what the big deal is, kindle owns the rights to a large digital library. How come Google wouldn't have been able to make deals with people and get its own. It might have to do with making a monopoly on the market if those laws still exist.
  • would benefit many but would "simply go too far."
    • Rob High
       
      I think this might mean that the books would be free? Otherwise I don't see how this goes too far. It would be an easier way to provide kids with one computer so they could read thousands of books and learn instead of giving them thousands of real books for thousands more dollars.
  • 15 million books for the project.
    • Rob High
       
      Looks like they were a little ahead of themselves here.
  • ...1 more annotation...
  • t that the company reached with U.S. authors and publishers would "grant Google significant rights to exploit entire books, without permission of the copyright owners."
    • Rob High
       
      Alright, so I think what is happening here is Google being the awesome business it is. Is trying to settle with a handful of lawyers to obtain rights to millions of books that the lawyers don't even represent. So people are mad that they feel like books would be getting less value and be more of a number. Which makes sense, but I'm not an author and my work isn't at risk here so I still feel like it's a good idea.
Rob High

Obama signs short-term spending bill, averting federal shutdown - 0 views

  • President Obama on Wednesday signed a stopgap measure that will keep the federal government funded through March 18
    • Rob High
       
      What is a stopgap measure? Does it allow the federal government to continue even though it doesn't have any funds.
  • The resolution, which passed the Senate earlier Wednesday 91 to 9, will cut $4 billion in spending by targeting programs that Obama has already marked for elimination and reductions.
    • Rob High
       
      four billion still sounds like too small an amount for our current debt. I think they should quickly get this worked out and focus on reducing our debt and spend more time compromising on that.
  • Obama said in a statement that he would enlist Biden
    • Rob High
       
      First time I've heard his name in a while, what has he been up to these past few years?
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • few weeks is not responsible, and it puts our economic progress in jeopardy."
    • Rob High
       
      It's not only our spending and threat of shutting down that is hurting our "progress". Its china manipulating currency, businesses outsourcing to make a few extra dollars with no penalty or tax. To me it's more of a world trading problem then a government spending problem (which it is, just not the whole picture).
  • rty Caucus, called the two-week bill "a disappointing failure on the part of both parties to seriously address the economic meltdown we face from our massive deficit and growing national debt."
    • Rob High
       
      Glad someone is keeping things realistic for once.
  • olution represents a concession that Congress has failed at one of its most basic duties: to establish a fiscal blueprint for the nation. Last year, the Democrat-led body not only didn't pass a budget but also failed to approve a single appropriations bill,
    • Rob High
       
      ... I didn't know this. Really sad that our government can't even make a spending plan.
  • would cost 700,000 jobs.
    • Rob High
       
      It is either 700,000 job or a whole country that cripples under its own debt. Got to start making decisions somewhere and deal with the consequences come. If you analyze every single point and problem things won't get anywhere. You could argue pros and cons all day while the debt just gets bigger or you could try something different and change something to try and make a real difference.
Rob High

Wisconsin Assembly passes budget bill - 0 views

  •  
    300 million over the next two years to help close a $3.6 billion budget gap.
Rob High

Wisconsin Assembly passes budget bill - 0 views

  • The 14 Senate Democrats need to come home and do their jobs, just like the Assembly Democrats did," Walker said.
    • Rob High
       
      It is actually funny that Democrats are literally running away from this choice. Grow up, you are grown men and need to do your job.
  • The governor has threatened to begin laying off as many as 1,500 public employees if the bill has not passed the Senate by the end of the week
    • Rob High
       
      In order to not lose huge amounts of money? These teachers need to see what PA teachers are getting paid and should be happy their pay isn't cut in half. They can strike all day, hire new teachers and pay them less. People need to appreciate what they have and chill.
  • allowing state workers to negotiate on wages.
    • Rob High
       
      So now that some teachers want raises, everyone from all the states want raises? Hope our school goes on strike. I could use a break.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • On Thursday, the Wisconsin Senate dispatched state troopers to the homes of the senators who have vowed to stay in Illinois until Walker negotiates on the budget bill. The troopers were unable to find any of the lawmakers.
    • Rob High
       
      This sounds like the best game of hide and go seek in US history. I would love to play, where do I go?
  • Democrats who had fled the state were abandoning their duties.
    • Rob High
       
      Yeah pretty much, they better not be getting paid. If they are, can everyone run away from their job and cry about it?
Rob High

Debt ceiling: Postponing hike comes at a cost - Feb. 22, 2011 - 0 views

shared by Rob High on 23 Feb 11 - No Cached
  • he legal cap on how much the government can borrow is currently set at $14.294 trillion.
    • Rob High
       
      What happens after this cap? Also, isn't it set for a reason? Instead of raising it shouldn't we be tryinf to lower it?
  • some lawmakers are arguing that it should not be raised unless Congress also cuts spending.
    • Rob High
       
      Why aren't all lawmakers argueing for this? Isn't the point of a cap to help reduce and cut spending so you never reach it? So with raising the cap that should be reward for cutting spending so you don't reach it.
  • reasury took in the past to keep the debt from hitting the ceiling, which has been raised 12 times since 1995.
    • Rob High
       
      That's a lot of times to raise it in such a short period of time.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • But since the government's monthly borrowing needs have grown so much in recent years, the GAO estimates that Treasury's actions may only cover "as little as a few days to a few weeks."
    • Rob High
       
      So are they saying any actions taken by the department won't really make an impact. So is the plan keep spending until the debt grows so big that it just breaks and we are left with an unsolvable problem?
  • Raise the debt limit - or cut $738 billion
    • Rob High
       
      I feel like this is a good start, but no where close to being any sort of solution.
Rob High

Did Pentagon turn blind eye to rape victims? - U.S. news - Life - Military - msnbc.com - 0 views

  • Fourteen current and former members of the U.S. military charged in a lawsuit filed Tuesday that the Pentagon turned a blind eye when they reported being sexually harassed, assaulted and raped by fellow service members while on active duty.
    • Rob High
       
      This is pretty wrong and a good sign we should just start bringing troops home and let the middle east have fun with themselves.
  • identified as a naval aviator, charges in the lawsuit that she was drugged and gang-raped by two of her colleagues
    • Rob High
       
      The fact something like this could happen shows that we should have closer regulations no matter what state of danger we are in.
  • When she reported the attack, she says her commander’s only response was to reassign her assailant and tell her "this stuff happens."
    • Rob High
       
      What else could they have done? In foreign countries can they take legal action like in the U.S?
  • ...5 more annotations...
  • But Pentagon officials acknowledge that most cases go unreported — and of those that do, department figures indicate less than one in four ever get criminally prosecuted.
    • Rob High
       
      Sooo do they want to change this? They seem all around unphased by the statements they are making.
  • "We're talking about changing the way people think and the way people feel … the research tells us it takes eight to ten years to change the culture."
    • Rob High
       
      This sounds to me like someone needed to make a response and they went to be early and overslept their alarm. Change the way people feel? Really? This seems like a poor plan of action.
  • who says that after a night of partying,
    • Rob High
       
      Well this wasn't exactly the best decision. Not to sound mean but most likely being one of the few females getting drunk and partying with the guys you are flirting with danger.
  • Suffering from depression as a result of the experience, she gained 30 pounds and was eventually assigned to a weight-loss training program.
    • Rob High
       
      I really can't understand this. You would think being as drunk as she was and not resisting and taking time to report it and what not that this situation was caused by her own carelessness and could have been handled by herself in better and different ways.
  • Albertson, Havrilla and Gallagher all believed their military commanders never took their complaints as seriously as they should have.
    • Rob High
       
      While I agree this is true. Very little is said to what they could have done differently. Because of this I overall feel that this is more of slander then real fact because nothing is backed up.
Rob High

Republicans Say Obama Budget Plan Not Serious - FoxNews.com - 0 views

  • as they begin to debate his $3.7 trillion budget proposal for 2012.
    • Rob High
       
      So does this mean he wants to reduce our debt also? Because this number really means nothing if it puts us further into debt.
  • Though the administration says the plan will save more than $1 trillion over the next decade
    • Rob High
       
      This is very weak looking at our current debt. Are people really happy with saving 1 trillion dollars over a decade? This doesn't even mean it will stop or bring back our debt just that we will save a little money over a larger span of time.
  • "I would best sum it up as a sort of lack of seriousness
    • Rob High
       
      I would mainly have to agree with this statement seeing as how this budget is doing very little and in reality impacts nothing considering in ten years one trillion dollars might be a very small amount compared to our mounting debt.
  • ...3 more annotations...
  • say discretionary spending rose by 24 percent over the past two years
    • Rob High
       
      So the way to reduce debt and fix an economy is to spend way more money (seeing as how 24 percent is a large number considering the amounts of money we are talking about)?
  • var vcmArticleInfo = { imgAllPath: "http://www.foxnews.com/static/all/img", vcmId: "6580c696a4b2e210VgnVCM10000086c1a8c0RCRD", url: "/politics/2011/02/15/republicans-say-obama-budget-plan/", pubDate:"February 15, 2011", myTopChannelName:"politics", summary:"President Obama urged lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Tuesday to \"give a little bit,\" as they begin to debate his $3.7 trillion budget proposal for 2012.&http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/http://www.foxnews.com/#160;", baynoteOrOutbrain:"baynote" }; var disqus_identifier = "6580c696a4b2e210VgnVCM10000086c1a8c0RCRD"; var disqus_category_id = "462854"; var disqus_developer = 0; President Republicans Say Obama Budget Plan Not Serious Published February 15, 2011 | FoxNews.com   Print   Email   Share   Comments (634)   Text Size   Feb. 15: Senate Budget Committee Chairman Kent Conrad, D-N.D., right, looks on as the committee's ranking Republican, Sen. Jeff Sessions, R-Ala. questions Budget Director Jack Lew on Capitol Hill in Washington during the committee's hearing on President Barack Obama's fiscal 2012 federal budget. (AP) President Obama urged lawmakers on both sides of the aisle Tuesday to "give a little bit," 1as they begin to debate his $3.7 trillion budget proposal for 2012.   But Republicans fired back that the federal government has been giving for the past two years and that Obama still hasn't given them enough to work with in terms of spending cuts. 1Though the administration says the plan will save more than $1 trillion over the next decade , the GOP says the president is not taking any serious steps to address entitlement reform, is not cutting enough in the way of discretionary spending and as a result will not reverse the rising debt anytime soon.  1"I would best sum it up as a sort of lack of seriousness ," Senate Republican Leader Mitch McConnell, R-Ky., told reporters Tuesday afternoon, after Obama conducted his first solo press conference of the year.  Republicans, who are trying to cut billions out of this year's budget while girding for a battle over next year's budget, 1say discretionary spending rose by 24 percent over the past two years and that merely freezing funding -- as Obama proposes, along with targeted cuts -- is not good enough.  "He just punted," House Speaker John Boehner said Tuesday.  rela
  • The Progressive Change C/ampaign Committee slammed the president Tuesday for so much as mentioning Social Security in the context of entitlement reform. The group said any tinkering with Social Security amounts to a "broken promise" to those workers who paid into the system. 
Rob High

Senate rejects bid to repeal healthcare law | Reuters - 0 views

  • They want to replace patients' rights with insurance companies' power. They want to replace health with sickness. They want to replace the promise of tomorrow with the pain of yesterday
    • Rob High
       
      This seems like an uneducated statement. It contains very little to no fact and if anything is considered slander. You would think a majority leader would have a little more respect and be a little more informed with his statements.
  • days after a federal judge struck down the 2010 law as unconstitutional, a ruling the Obama administration promptly announced it would appeal
    • Rob High
       
      Depending on the judges political party this could prove a point. If he is either democrat or anything other then republic I think it shows insight that some people other then republicans find this bill to be bad.
  • A federal judge in Florida on Monday ruled that Congress overstepped its authority in requiring that nearly all Americans obtain insurance or pay a fine
    • Rob High
       
      I would have to agree with this statement, it is a little broad to conform or fine over something people really can't attain. There are way more ways to go about doing this that could really help more people.
  • ...2 more annotations...
  • improved
    • Rob High
       
      They should expand on this for sure, improvements will be needed and should be suggested beforehand besides just saying, "ya we will make it better maybe."
  • Congress can make Americans buy anything that Congress wants
    • Rob High
       
      Once again with the slander, silly congress needs to sit back and relax a little.
Rob High

Four hot-button issues Republicans will target next - Spending cuts - CSMonitor.com - 0 views

  • During the election, Republican leaders pledged to cut $100 billion out of federal spending for fiscal year 2011
    • Rob High
       
      $100 billion dollars sounds like a lot of money to be cutting out of the budget. However, it will most likely take money from programs and not actual government spending.
  • During the election, Republican leaders pledged to cut $100 billion out of federal spending for fiscal year 2011
  • t Congress – on Thursday introduced a Spending Reduction Act that proposes cutting $2.5 trillion over the next 10 years
    • Rob High
       
      The 2.5 trillion sounds like a better direction to be going and it will force the government to take away money from their own spending, also when they are talking in trillion and our debt is in trillions it makes it feel more important.
  • ...4 more annotations...
  • This includes cutting the nondefense federal workforce by 15 percent
    • Rob High
       
      So the republicans still feel that defense is important even after all these years since the Iraq war was still real? I think this implies that they are getting rid of jobs that have been around, not the "recently" created defense jobs.
  • National Endowment for the Arts ($167.5 million)
    • Rob High
       
      Really, one of the highest budget cuts in this article is for art? You know the US is spending reckless money when it can cut hundreds of millions from the art budget.
  • economic aid to Egypt ($250 million).
    • Rob High
       
      This might be worse then the art one I can't decide. When was the last time we were involved with Egypt? You never really even heard about us using the land while we were heavily occupying the middle east.
  • “reckless in terms of its impact on the economy and jobs.”
    • Rob High
       
      I don't believe it's reckless. Things can't really get much worse and what we are trying to do to fix it really isn't working. So why not consider a new approach? 
1 - 19 of 19
Showing 20 items per page