Question:

 The same 10 people here who are all bothered by me but not exactly sure why can’t seem to ignore

me. cuz ya can’t ignore a train wreck, monkeys whackin off and throwin shit’n jizz at tha zoo, and fer chrissake, even jehovah’s witnesses are good for a good laff’r two ! Its the same for pollution.

there ya go !  equatin yer posts with pollution, i never quite thunk of it like that, but hey !  i can miss’ah beat every blue moon’re so ! your not going to be able to ignore me.

(don’t let it go to yer head.. tha monkeys don’t) Want to deal with issues ? Go for it.

(evidently no one told ya ta be careful what ya ask for, but in your case?  i’m thinkin’ you’d be RIGHT IN YER ELEMENT if ya gotta lil political debate goin on.. even if motivated within passive aggression) ….  and how ya doin, Steve?  LTNS ! ::thinkin:: grazin’ in tha grass is a gas, tell me can ya diggggggit ! ~tanya

Response:

So glad you are gone……

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I have often seen the good and bad in the world and you remind me so often of my mom . Mad at people , and having absolutely no ideas about whats fuked up about yourself. There are good reasons kids in family gets affected by people in denial and angry and your the classic case of them all Vick. This is why you agreed with Lurie for so long because it was easier to talk about other people then to do anything to change anyting in  yourself (ves) or why you were anxious although I rarely heard why you were anxious here . Oh or Vanessa .. So this transferredtoyour son like it did with me and my mom. Mom had severe problems like yu dear and a father who is co enabled her. If you think meds will cure you , good luck with that. The same 10 people here who are all bothered by me but not exactly sure why can’t seem to ignore me. Its the same for pollution. There are thousands of people who post and are ignored but if you can’t rationalize why you don’t like what I say, your not going to be able to ignore me. Want to deal with issues ? Go for it. Just shut up, Steve. By now I would think you know that no one here wants to hear this crap. We deal with what life hands us.  Obviously you have not learned to do that. …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider

… read more »

Response:

I have often seen the good and bad in the world and you remind me so often of my mom . Mad at people , and having absolutely no ideas about whats fuked up about yourself. There are good reasons kids in family gets affected by people in denial and angry and your the classic case of them all Vick. This is why you agreed with Lurie for so long because it was easier to talk about other people then to do anything to change anyting in  yourself (ves) or why you were anxious although I rarely heard why you were anxious here . Oh or Vanessa .. So this transferredtoyour son like it did with me and my mom. Mom had severe problems like yu dear and a father who is co enabled her. If you think meds will cure you , good luck with that. The same 10 people here who are all bothered by me but not exactly sure why can’t seem to ignore me. Its the same for pollution. There are thousands of people who post and are ignored but if you can’t rationalize why you don’t like what I say, your not going to be able to ignore me. Want to deal with issues ? Go for it.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just shut up, Steve. By now I would think you know that no one here wants to hear this crap. We deal with what life hands us.  Obviously you have not learned to do that. …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville-

Spartanburg-Anderson – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and

… read more »

Response:

vic your kids is nuts for a reason.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Just shut up, Steve. By now I would think you know that no one here wants to hear this crap. We deal with what life hands us.  Obviously you have not learned to do that. …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville-

Spartanburg-Anderson – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact .org/report.asp?id=227 Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation

… read more »

Response:

Just shut up, Steve. By now I would think you know that no one here wants to hear this crap.  We deal with what life hands us.  Obviously you have not learned to do that.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact

.org/report.asp?id=227 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment. ation_bill/clearing_air_release.html over the next 20 years Greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide or ozone, are those pollutants that tend to trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere or to  affect solar radiation. The gases have been blamed for

… read more »

Response:

while his own financial policies have ramped up record deficits giving us the bill to pay for it later) from huge surplus to record deficit , completely ignoring his own presrciption to others and in fact making a mockey of the fact that it is we who are fked again and again while he runs in clean air and has no responsibilty to do anything any of us has to do. Incidentally the bankruptcy laws will make it hard for average person in debt , read up on it. I am not talking about the guy who abuses the system every two years. I didn’t even know that was allowed.You know, all the while the rich horde their earnings in states where they get great shelters http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=1139455

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Bush bills that have been moving through Congress — tightening up bankruptcy regulations, This saves everyone who is responsible with their credit money in fees & APR’s.  When I did legal work in the mid to late 90s the majority of bankruptcies were people who were foolish with thier credit and even though they had well paid jobs they were splurging on a regular basis on things they couldn’t afford because they had so much debt.  For every 20 B’s based on being irresponsible we handled 1 for medical bills for the uninsured and 3 for those unemplyed/under-employed.  One individual comes to mind who would declare corporate bankruptcy about twice a year each to the tune of 10mil plus on any number of corps, and this wasn’t chap. 11.  Same person had a long record of personal bankuptcy as well, several million $ in unsecured debt everytime the timeframe worked.  It may be slightly different now but ten years ago most B. were for being an idiot with ones credit. authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Lower prices at the pump means more money in my pocket, retail prices, wholesale prices, and what it cost to get to and from work drop when oil production is up and prices are down.  China has become the biggest consumer of fossil fuels, don’t like air pollution, don’t buy anything made in China. limiting consumer lawsuits Frivoulous consumer lawsuits cost all consumers more money.  If the makers of a toilet brush hadn’t been sued they’d be no warning on it that says "not for personal hygine."  Yeah the coffee McDonalds lady finally didn’t get her ludicrous settlement.  If the masses refuse to take any personal responsibility let the govenrnment tell them that they are being a bunch of whiners who a) should have known better and b) are just looking for a reason to never work again.   — do nothing for the Christian conservatives who helped reelect him. Indeed, the whole Bush economic agenda threatens social conservatives of modest means, as it does anyone of modest means Hmmm…this Bush economy sucks monkey butt, my income has only little more than doubled since he’s been in office.  Were the country doing okay it’d have at least tripled. Jess

Response:

stop worrying… it’s all over the newsgroup… http://www.want-to-be-sure.blogspot.com << Click On Link

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people —   are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact .org/report.asp?id=227 Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment. ation_bill/clearing_air_release.html over the next 20 years Greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide or ozone, are those pollutants that tend to trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere or to affect solar

… read more »

Response:

The financial wealth of the top one percent of households now exceeds the combined wealth of the bottom 95 percent. http://www.aloha.net/~morty/monthlyaug.htm

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Bush bills that have been moving through Congress — tightening up bankruptcy regulations, This saves everyone who is responsible with their credit money in fees & APR’s.  When I did legal work in the mid to late 90s the majority of bankruptcies were people who were foolish with thier credit and even though they had well paid jobs they were splurging on a regular basis on things they couldn’t afford because they had so much debt.  For every 20 B’s based on being irresponsible we handled 1 for medical bills for the uninsured and 3 for those unemplyed/under-employed.  One individual comes to mind who would declare corporate bankruptcy about twice a year each to the tune of 10mil plus on any number of corps, and this wasn’t chap. 11.  Same person had a long record of personal bankuptcy as well, several million $ in unsecured debt everytime the timeframe worked.  It may be slightly different now but ten years ago most B. were for being an idiot with ones credit. authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Lower prices at the pump means more money in my pocket, retail prices, wholesale prices, and what it cost to get to and from work drop when oil production is up and prices are down.  China has become the biggest consumer of fossil fuels, don’t like air pollution, don’t buy anything made in China. limiting consumer lawsuits Frivoulous consumer lawsuits cost all consumers more money.  If the makers of a toilet brush hadn’t been sued they’d be no warning on it that says "not for personal hygine."  Yeah the coffee McDonalds lady finally didn’t get her ludicrous settlement.  If the masses refuse to take any personal responsibility let the govenrnment tell them that they are being a bunch of whiners who a) should have known better and b) are just looking for a reason to never work again.   — do nothing for the Christian conservatives who helped reelect him. Indeed, the whole Bush economic agenda threatens social conservatives of modest means, as it does anyone of modest means Hmmm…this Bush economy sucks monkey butt, my income has only little more than doubled since he’s been in office.  Were the country doing okay it’d have at least tripled. Jess

Response:

which means Jessica if top percent controls the credit card industry obviously they don’t want you or me to declare bankruptcy and risk the chance of losing anymore they already have to lose which seems sooo unfair….Imagine that us doing it to them , how unfair.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The Bush bills that have been moving through Congress — tightening up bankruptcy regulations, This saves everyone who is responsible with their credit money in fees & APR’s.  When I did legal work in the mid to late 90s the majority of bankruptcies were people who were foolish with thier credit and even though they had well paid jobs they were splurging on a regular basis on things they couldn’t afford because they had so much debt.  For every 20 B’s based on being irresponsible we handled 1 for medical bills for the uninsured and 3 for those unemplyed/under-employed.  One individual comes to mind who would declare corporate bankruptcy about twice a year each to the tune of 10mil plus on any number of corps, and this wasn’t chap. 11.  Same person had a long record of personal bankuptcy as well, several million $ in unsecured debt everytime the timeframe worked.  It may be slightly different now but ten years ago most B. were for being an idiot with ones credit. authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Lower prices at the pump means more money in my pocket, retail prices, wholesale prices, and what it cost to get to and from work drop when oil production is up and prices are down.  China has become the biggest consumer of fossil fuels, don’t like air pollution, don’t buy anything made in China. limiting consumer lawsuits Frivoulous consumer lawsuits cost all consumers more money.  If the makers of a toilet brush hadn’t been sued they’d be no warning on it that says "not for personal hygine."  Yeah the coffee McDonalds lady finally didn’t get her ludicrous settlement.  If the masses refuse to take any personal responsibility let the govenrnment tell them that they are being a bunch of whiners who a) should have known better and b) are just looking for a reason to never work again.   — do nothing for the Christian conservatives who helped reelect him. Indeed, the whole Bush economic agenda threatens social conservatives of modest means, as it does anyone of modest means Hmmm…this Bush economy sucks monkey butt, my income has only little more than doubled since he’s been in office.  Were the country doing okay it’d have at least tripled. Jess

Response:

The financial wealth of the top one percent of households now exceeds the combined wealth of the bottom 95 percent. http://www.aloha.net/~morty/monthlyaug.htm

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact

.org/report.asp?id=227 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment. ation_bill/clearing_air_release.html over the next 20 years Greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide or ozone, are those pollutants that tend to trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere or to  affect solar radiation. The gases have been blamed for causing global

… read more »

Response:

UM WHICH FACTS YOU WANT TO IGNORE?  GO TO THE STUDIES AND TELL ME WHICH ONES ARE WRONG ? LOL

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Dude or gal, whatever med you are on, perhaps consider increasing dose. If you are not on one, consider seeing a doctor and getting on one or more. The planet will not cease to function because of GWB. Chuck

Response:

The Bush bills that have been moving through Congress — tightening up bankruptcy regulations,

This saves everyone who is responsible with their credit money in fees & APR’s.  When I did legal work in the mid to late 90s the majority of bankruptcies were people who were foolish with thier credit and even though they had well paid jobs they were splurging on a regular basis on things they couldn’t afford because they had so much debt.  For every 20 B’s based on being irresponsible we handled 1 for medical bills for the uninsured and 3 for those unemplyed/under-employed.  One individual comes to mind who would declare corporate bankruptcy about twice a year each to the tune of 10mil plus on any number of corps, and this wasn’t chap. 11.  Same person had a long record of personal bankuptcy as well, several million $ in unsecured debt everytime the timeframe worked.  It may be slightly different now but ten years ago most B. were for being an idiot with ones credit. authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge,

Lower prices at the pump means more money in my pocket, retail prices, wholesale prices, and what it cost to get to and from work drop when oil production is up and prices are down.  China has become the biggest consumer of fossil fuels, don’t like air pollution, don’t buy anything made in China. limiting consumer lawsuits

Frivoulous consumer lawsuits cost all consumers more money.  If the makers of a toilet brush hadn’t been sued they’d be no warning on it that says "not for personal hygine."  Yeah the coffee McDonalds lady finally didn’t get her ludicrous settlement.  If the masses refuse to take any personal responsibility let the govenrnment tell them that they are being a bunch of whiners who a) should have known better and b) are just looking for a reason to never work again.   — do nothing for the Christian conservatives who helped reelect him. Indeed, the whole Bush economic agenda threatens social conservatives of modest means, as it does anyone of modest means

Hmmm…this Bush economy sucks monkey butt, my income has only little more than doubled since he’s been in office.  Were the country doing okay it’d have at least tripled. Jess

Response:

Dude or gal, whatever med you are on, perhaps consider increasing dose. If you are not on one, consider seeing a doctor and getting on one or more. The planet will not cease to function because of GWB. Chuck

Response:

The Bush bills that have been moving through Congress — tightening up bankruptcy regulations, authorizing drilling in the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, limiting consumer lawsuits — do nothing for the Christian conservatives who helped reelect him. Indeed, the whole Bush economic agenda threatens social conservatives of modest means, as it does anyone of modest means

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact

.org/report.asp?id=227 – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment. ation_bill/clearing_air_release.html over the next 20 years

… read more »

Response:

…Someone do something. We have had 2 days of clean air out of 15. The rest of the days many people on east coast getting variations of poison.To make it even worse the weather people calls this Spring and great day to get out. We are literally being poisoned and I bet my life and Georges too that he will pay for this murder one day when the great maker in the sky catches up to him. Oh well Gary tell them its better, Your God will be glad http://www.ems.org/transportNew Report Ranks Top Metro Areas with Worst Air Pollution Half of All Americans Breathing Unhealthy Air; Congress Poised to Roll Back Clean Air Laws and Cut Funding for Transportation Options (george Bush wanted to cut funding for amtrak) and has effectively started to kill kids by allowing more coal pollution to reach your kids now till 2020 . Why because of 1/4 of the cost of Iraq war cannot be used to the stop the  poisoning of our cities and a press too stupid to care. Not only did I write and plead with people to see the what pollution was doing with increased asthma rates and my own observations I additionally saw the subsequent trees dying and people unable to exercise and so I then my thesis that crime would increase. It was a very easy assumption to make and HAVE I BEEN RIGHT, just yesterday 4 people murdered bringing our total to 33 people murdered in 13 days or close Instead of people doing the right thing the government is making people pay for their lost health, lost values from homes , because the air millions are breathing is not condusive to anything positive worth living for. I knew the markets were a bit of a stretch, with so many people losing but to think of a conspiracy for our government to poison their own people is like UNFuking believable. George Bush is helping to murder and make ill million of our citizens. State-by-State Fact Sheets Calculate Number of Bad Air Days, Public Health Costs and Prevalence of Asthma by Metro Area Washington, D.C. – Nearly half of all Americans — 133 million people — are breathing unhealthy air according to a new report by the Surface Transportation Policy Project. In fact, air quality in dozens of metropolitan areas has gotten worse over the last decade, while new scientific studies link air pollution to a host of public health issues including asthma, heart disease and certain cancers. The study concludes that transportation is a major contributor to air pollution nationwide, yet some in Congress want to undermine clean air protections and cut funding for transportation alternatives like transit, rail and buses that reduce traffic and air pollution. "Our study shows air pollution continues to be a serious health problem and transportation sources are a significant part of that problem. The public deserves a federal transportation program that lowers their exposure to unhealthy air and delivers transportation choices beyond simply having to turn an ignition key," said Anne Canby, President of the Washington D.C.-based Surface Transportation Policy Project, which authored the report. Clearing the Air, Public Health Threats from Cars and Heavy Duty Vehicles- Why We Need to Protect Federal Clean Air Laws ranks metropolitan areas nationwide by the highest number of days of unhealthy air pollution levels over the last three years using new data from the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency. Riverside-San Bernardino ranked worst nationwide with 445 days of unhealthy air during 2000-2002 (an average of 148 days per year.) Other cities ranking in the top twelve worst include Fresno, CA, Los Angeles, CA, Sacramento, CA, Pittsburgh, PA, Knoxville, TN, Birmingham, AL and Cleveland, OH. The report also includes state fact sheets that identify cities in each state with the worst air pollution and the prevalence of asthma by metro area. "Millions come to the emergency department because of asthma and other respiratory problems. We are facing a public health epidemic because the number of Americans with asthma continues to rise. From everything we know about air pollution and asthma, the problem could get worse if Congress weakens clean air protections," said Dr. Carlos A. Camargo, an asthma researcher and member of the American College of Emergency Physicians. Smog (ozone) levels have remained steady and dozens of metropolitan areas are suffering from a severe increase in air pollution, even though some progress has been made. For instance, the Greenville- Spartanburg-Anderson (SC) region suffered the greatest increase in smog levels nationwide with a staggering 175% increase between 1993- 1997 and 1998-2002. Other areas that experienced major increases in ozone pollution over the last decade include Charlotte, NC, Akron, OH, Youngstown, OH, Knoxville, TN, and Memphis, TN. The enormous increases in the amount of driving (up 162 percent since 1969) and the number of daily vehicle trips made (up 57 percent since 1969) have overwhelmed air quality gains that have been made from cleaner engine technologies. Air pollutants from cars, buses and trucks, particularly ground-level ozone and particulate matter (PM), can exacerbate respiratory diseases and trigger asthma attacks, increasing the risk of death for seniors and children. Nationally, transportation is responsible for more than 50 percent of carbon monoxide, about 34 percent of NOx emissions, and more than 29 percent of hydrocarbon emissions (which combine with NOx in sunlight to form ozone or smog.) The public health costs of pollution from cars and trucks have been estimated at between $40 billion and $64 billion per year. The bulk of these public health costs are attributable to premature death, accounting for 77 percent of costs. Using the public health cost assigned by the Federal Highway Administration per vehicle mile traveled, STPP estimated these costs per metro region. Our largest metro areas — New York, Chicago and Los Angeles — suffered an excess of one billion in public health costs. "The public health impact of air pollutants from cars and trucks is enormous," said Dr. Howard Frumkin, Professor and Chair of the Department of Environmental and Occupational Health at the Rollins School of Public Health of Emory University, speaking for the American Public Health Association. "Thousands of Americans suffer and even die prematurely because of air pollution each year, from asthma, other respiratory diseases, heart diseases, cancer, and other ailments. Transportation policies that clean up our air are essential public health policy." Childhood asthma in the U.S. has more than doubled in the last two decades. In 2001, 8.7 percent (6.3 million) of all American children were estimated to have asthma. "When there are more kids carrying inhalers to school than lunchboxes, you know you have a problem," said Daniel Swartz, Executive Director of the Children’s Environmental Health Network. Asthma is almost twice as common among African Americans as it is among whites, even when controlling for income levels. African American children are three times as likely as whites to be hospitalized for treatment of asthma. "A higher proportion of minority populations have illnesses like asthma that can be caused or aggravated by air pollution," said Dr. Luz Claudio, Associate Professor at Mt. Sinai Medical Center. Specifically, proposals before Congress would reduce the frequency with which transportation plans must be reviewed for their air quality impacts and excuse metropolitan areas from having to consider the long-term air quality impacts of transportation projects. Lawmakers will soon vote on this legislation and this report demonstrates the critical need for Congress to protect and strengthen clean air laws and funding. Recommendations of the report: Protect and strengthen clean air laws, ensuring cities with air pollution problems have resources to address their problem, especially for health concerns from fine particulate matter Fully fund the CMAQ (Congestion Mitigation and Air Quality) program in the federal transportation law to meet new demands, and allocate funding directly to the metro areas with unhealthy air Strengthen the role of regional planning agencies in order to reduce transportation-related air pollution Encourage a balanced approach to reducing air pollution that emphasizes cleaner vehicles and more convenient transportation options like mass transit, bicycling, and walking Keep a strong analytic review process to meet healthy air goals # # # The full report can be viewed at http://www.transact .org/report.asp?id=227 Background: The report was released nationally on a telephone press conference call hosted by the Surface Transportation Policy Project, with representatives from the American Public Health Association, the American College of Emergency Physicians, the Mt. Sinai Medical Center in New York, and the Children’s Environmental Health Network. The Surface Transportation Policy Project is a diverse, nationwide coalition working to ensure safer communities and smarter transportation choices that enhance the economy, improve public health, promote social equity, and protect the environment. ation_bill/clearing_air_release.html over

the next 20 years Greenhouse gases, principally carbon dioxide or ozone, are those pollutants that tend to trap the sun’s heat in the atmosphere or to

 affect solar radiation. The gases have been blamed for causing global warming, but the study’s lead author, Devra Lee Davis, a professor at Carnegie Mellon University’s  Heinz

 School in Pittsburgh, said the effects are not just – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – long-term.The message in our study is that there are real and immediate health benefits” in reducing greenhouse gases, she said. She said that burning of fossils fuels, such as gasoline in cars or coal in power plants, can create air pollutants such as ozone,

… read more »

Response:

Question:

Hi Wolfgang, Thank you for the book info. I probably will buy one copy soon. Sincerely, Sam – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Google for "GAAP and Canada" For example one of the links, http://www.cica.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/978/la_id/1.htm will take you to: "Significant Differences in GAAP in Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States" from the Chartered Accountants of Canada who would like to sell you that information for CDN$40. Wolfgang Rochow, CGA Gestalt Corporation Calgary, AB, Canada www.gestalt.com Hi there, I am a Canadian CGA (near completion) working for an company listed on OTCBB. I have some questions and would like to hear your opinions. 1. What are the differences between US GAAP and Canadian GAAP? Are there any books dedicated to this subject? Are there any authoritive information on the internet available? 2. The FASB’s "General Standards / Industry Standards – Current Text" is available on Amazon.com. But it is very expensive. Is there any way to download a copy of the book or a searchable database? 3. Does the book "Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts" by FASB will help me to know more about US GAAP? Thank you for your advice in advance. Sam

Response:

Google for "GAAP and Canada" For example one of the links, http://www.cica.ca/index.cfm/ci_id/978/la_id/1.htm will take you to: "Significant Differences in GAAP in Canada, Chile, Mexico, and the United States" from the Chartered Accountants of Canada who would like to sell you that information for CDN$40. Wolfgang Rochow, CGA Gestalt Corporation Calgary, AB, Canada www.gestalt.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Hi there, I am a Canadian CGA (near completion) working for an company listed on OTCBB. I have some questions and would like to hear your opinions. 1. What are the differences between US GAAP and Canadian GAAP? Are there any books dedicated to this subject? Are there any authoritive information on the internet available? 2. The FASB’s "General Standards / Industry Standards – Current Text" is available on Amazon.com. But it is very expensive. Is there any way to download a copy of the book or a searchable database? 3. Does the book "Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts" by FASB will help me to know more about US GAAP? Thank you for your advice in advance. Sam

Response:

Hi John, Thank you very much for your kind help! I have downloaded all the pdf files that I need. I didn’t know FASB has all that online. Thank you! Sam

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The FASB now has PDF files of their standards posted on their web site: http://www.fasb.org/public/ My career started when the AICPA Committee on Accounting Principles was still in existence. I was working for a large firm when FASB started.  A major source of FASB revenue was publication sales, so their publications were not cheap. Now that they get some funding from the US Federal Government they can afford to make the Standards available for download. The FASB also offers a searchable data base for about $500 per year, which I suspect is beyond what you can afford to pay for this information. The PricewaterhouseCoopers Information Guide for doing business in Canada might have some comparisons of accounting principles in Canada versus other countries. It costs about US $ 40 http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/DocID/AB6307B3B42688458… 2. The FASB’s "General Standards / Industry Standards – Current Text" is available on Amazon.com. But it is very expensive. Is there any way to download a copy of the book or a searchable database? 3. Does the book "Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts" by FASB will help me to know more about US GAAP? Thank you for your advice in advance. Sam

Response:

Hi there, I am a Canadian CGA (near completion) working for an company listed on OTCBB. I have some questions and would like to hear your opinions. 1. What are the differences between US GAAP and Canadian GAAP? Are there any books dedicated to this subject? Are there any authoritive information on the internet available? 2. The FASB’s "General Standards / Industry Standards – Current Text" is available on Amazon.com. But it is very expensive. Is there any way to download a copy of the book or a searchable database? 3. Does the book "Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts" by FASB will help me to know more about US GAAP? Thank you for your advice in advance. Sam

Response:

The FASB now has PDF files of their standards posted on their web site: http://www.fasb.org/public/ My career started when the AICPA Committee on Accounting Principles was still in existence. I was working for a large firm when FASB started.  A major source of FASB revenue was publication sales, so their publications were not cheap. Now that they get some funding from the US Federal Government they can afford to make the Standards available for download. The FASB also offers a searchable data base for about $500 per year, which I suspect is beyond what you can afford to pay for this information. The PricewaterhouseCoopers Information Guide for doing business in Canada might have some comparisons of accounting principles in Canada versus other countries.  It costs about US $ 40 http://www.pwc.com/extweb/pwcpublications.nsf/DocID/AB6307B3B42688458… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – 2. The FASB’s "General Standards / Industry Standards – Current Text" is available on Amazon.com. But it is very expensive. Is there any way to download a copy of the book or a searchable database? 3. Does the book "Statements of Financial Accounting Concepts" by FASB will help me to know more about US GAAP? Thank you for your advice in advance. Sam

Response:

Question:

Maureen Dowd is as partisan as they come.

No, you are!

Response:

Great spin!  Prooving unequivocally you were a Democrat!

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – …and you would be the Scarecrow. Why, thank you, NOYB. A compliment from you is a rare treat. As you know, the Scarecrow turned out to be the most intelligent of the characters in the book. The Lion was the bravest, and the Tin Woodman the most compassionate. The wizard, meanwhile, began as an omnipotent presence, but was soon exposed as a charlatan and a political fraud. He was really just Professor Marvel, carnival huckster, all along. In fact, when Professor Marvel, (aka as "The Wizard of Oz") tried to perform a single legitimate deed and transport Dorothy and Toto back to Kansas, he lacked the ability to actually control his balloon filled with "hot air" and failed at even that simple task. Before he left Oz, however, the Wizard put the Scarecrow in charge. Throughout the remaining books in the series, the brilliant Scarecrow does a pretty good job of governing the country, assisted by the brave Lion and the compassionate Tin Woodman. Of course, you knew all that, and that’s why you compared me to the Scarecrow. Right?  :-) The facts that I’m not the most intelligent character in sight and that I don’t aspire to government are incidental. I’ll accept your generous compliment in the spirit with which it was delivered. Thanks.  :-)

Response:

Maureen Dowd is as partisan as they come. http://www.lyinginponds.com/mdowd.nyt.html

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – From the NY Times: Rub-a-Dub in the Hot Tub By MAUREEN DOWD WASHINGTON — Dick and Rummy are in the Jacuzzi at Camp David. The two masters of the Bush universe have had a lousy week. And now, with the white cast on Rummy’s hand buoyed by bubbles, they just want to sip Scotch on the rocks and review the knocks. They are keeping one eye on the Kid, who’s been jogging circles around Aspen Lodge for the past nine hours. Junior is supposed to be inside practicing how to say "mal-fea-sance" with an "s." But he won’t do it. He’s sulking. He went to Wall Street on Tuesday to show that the hero of Sept. 11 could retaliate against the creeps who wiped out the neighborhood and also keep C.E.O.’s from looting. But the president who got elected on the backs of C.E.O.’s and said he wanted to run the country like a C.E.O. was about as convincing a sheriff as Barney Fife. Rummy’s war has also run into a bad patch, bombing brides instead of bin Laden. As the two men soak, more steam is coming from the vice president than the hot tub. "The Kid never should have gone to Wall Street in the first place," Dick grumbles. "All those poppycock reforms he and Rove rushed into the speech. Who knew our Karl was also a Marxist? When the going gets tough, the weak go polling. Who cares what Americans think? They should care what we think." W. jogs past with a singsong chant: "It’s NOT my fault, it’s NOT my fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault." Dick and Rummy laugh indulgently. "SWAT teams swooping down on C.E.O.’s?" Dick scoffs. "What nonsense. Will government lawyers ride around in stealth golf carts and read these guys their rights on the back nine? "We certainly don’t need more transparency in this country. Transparency is just a fancy kind of indecent exposure, a sick counterculture idea, whether it’s about the markets, accounting or giving up the names of our Houston buddies who dictated my energy policy. I say: Zip it. "We don’t owe anybody any explanation for any thought or action that any of us have ever had or done." Rummy grins devilishly and skillfully balances his glass on his cast in a silent toast. "Those lily-livered liberals in Congress are outrageous — they’re criminalizing greed!" Dick says. "And the spineless Republican fellow travelers on the Hill are almost worse — they’ll dry up our donor base and destroy the party before they’re through. McCain is just Norman Thomas with medals. "I have nothing against sharing, of course. As long as it’s us getting the shares. "Our strategy is to slow down the House and Senate so these stiffer accounting and corporate-greed bills never see the light of day. Maybe you guys could accelerate your war on Baghdad. A righteous distraction would come in handy." The Pentagon boss indicates with a nod of his cast that this is possible. "Bunch of anticapitalist, world-government-loving wusses," Rummy says. "They don’t understand how tough we had it as C.E.O.’s. It’s lonely at the top." Junior jogs over to the Jacuzzi and tries to get Vice’s attention. "Dude?" Dick waves him off and resumes his rant: "All that stands between America and socialism are stock options. Without options, companies can’t lure great leaders who will take risks — with other people’s money, of course. If Congress got its way, when the stock went down, the C.E.O. would lose money just like everyone else. But we are not everyone else." The president tries again to get Dick’s attention: "Dude?" Dick goes on, his dander rising. "I’m sick and tired of these Sunday morning pinkos trying to impoverish the ruling class. People should get off my back about the way I cashed out of Halliburton. What’s $20 million these days?" Rummy is astonished. For the first time in the many decades he has known Dick, his friend’s face is no longer affectless. Dick gives the impression of something that can only be called emotion. But the Kid has finally lost patience. He jumps into the Jacuzzi, barely missing Rummy’s cast, and sloshes right over to Vice, leaning into his ear and wailing plaintively: "Where’s Karen?"

Response:

NOYB protested: Maureen Dowd is as partisan as they come.

Well, duh. And here I thought the column was factual and objective. Ever watch the Wizard of Oz? We’re all getting a glimpse of the man behind the curtain, and he ain’t any prettier than many of us feared.

Response:

…and you would be the Scarecrow.

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – NOYB protested: Maureen Dowd is as partisan as they come. Well, duh. And here I thought the column was factual and objective. Ever watch the Wizard of Oz? We’re all getting a glimpse of the man behind the curtain, and he ain’t any prettier than many of us feared.

Response:

So what? It is a funny column and has plenty of truth in it. The economy is in the crapper, the market is crap, unemployment is up again and your boy and his cohorts are guilty of more than an extramarital blowjob. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Maureen Dowd is as partisan as they come. http://www.lyinginponds.com/mdowd.nyt.html From the NY Times: Rub-a-Dub in the Hot Tub By MAUREEN DOWD WASHINGTON — Dick and Rummy are in the Jacuzzi at Camp David. The two masters of the Bush universe have had a lousy week. And now, with the white cast on Rummy’s hand buoyed by bubbles, they just want to sip Scotch on the rocks and review the knocks. They are keeping one eye on the Kid, who’s been jogging circles around Aspen Lodge for the past nine hours. Junior is supposed to be inside practicing how to say "mal-fea-sance" with an "s." But he won’t do it. He’s sulking. He went to Wall Street on Tuesday to show that the hero of Sept. 11 could retaliate against the creeps who wiped out the neighborhood and also keep C.E.O.’s from looting. But the president who got elected on the backs of C.E.O.’s and said he wanted to run the country like a C.E.O. was about as convincing a sheriff as Barney Fife. Rummy’s war has also run into a bad patch, bombing brides instead of bin Laden. As the two men soak, more steam is coming from the vice president than the hot tub. "The Kid never should have gone to Wall Street in the first place," Dick grumbles. "All those poppycock reforms he and Rove rushed into the speech. Who knew our Karl was also a Marxist? When the going gets tough, the weak go polling. Who cares what Americans think? They should care what we think." W. jogs past with a singsong chant: "It’s NOT my fault, it’s NOT my fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault." Dick and Rummy laugh indulgently. "SWAT teams swooping down on C.E.O.’s?" Dick scoffs. "What nonsense. Will government lawyers ride around in stealth golf carts and read these guys their rights on the back nine? "We certainly don’t need more transparency in this country. Transparency is just a fancy kind of indecent exposure, a sick counterculture idea, whether it’s about the markets, accounting or giving up the names of our Houston buddies who dictated my energy policy. I say: Zip it. "We don’t owe anybody any explanation for any thought or action that any of us have ever had or done." Rummy grins devilishly and skillfully balances his glass on his cast in a silent toast. "Those lily-livered liberals in Congress are outrageous — they’re criminalizing greed!" Dick says. "And the spineless Republican fellow travelers on the Hill are almost worse — they’ll dry up our donor base and destroy the party before they’re through. McCain is just Norman Thomas with medals. "I have nothing against sharing, of course. As long as it’s us getting the shares. "Our strategy is to slow down the House and Senate so these stiffer accounting and corporate-greed bills never see the light of day. Maybe you guys could accelerate your war on Baghdad. A righteous distraction would come in handy." The Pentagon boss indicates with a nod of his cast that this is possible. "Bunch of anticapitalist, world-government-loving wusses," Rummy says. "They don’t understand how tough we had it as C.E.O.’s. It’s lonely at the top." Junior jogs over to the Jacuzzi and tries to get Vice’s attention. "Dude?" Dick waves him off and resumes his rant: "All that stands between America and socialism are stock options. Without options, companies can’t lure great leaders who will take risks — with other people’s money, of course. If Congress got its way, when the stock went down, the C.E.O. would lose money just like everyone else. But we are not everyone else." The president tries again to get Dick’s attention: "Dude?" Dick goes on, his dander rising. "I’m sick and tired of these Sunday morning pinkos trying to impoverish the ruling class. People should get off my back about the way I cashed out of Halliburton. What’s $20 million these days?" Rummy is astonished. For the first time in the many decades he has known Dick, his friend’s face is no longer affectless. Dick gives the impression of something that can only be called emotion. But the Kid has finally lost patience. He jumps into the Jacuzzi, barely missing Rummy’s cast, and sloshes right over to Vice, leaning into his ear and wailing plaintively: "Where’s Karen?"

Response:

…and you would be the Scarecrow.

Why, thank you, NOYB. A compliment from you is a rare treat. As you know, the Scarecrow turned out to be the most intelligent of the characters in the book. The Lion was the bravest, and the Tin Woodman the most compassionate. The wizard, meanwhile, began as an omnipotent presence, but was soon exposed as a charlatan and a political fraud. He was really just Professor Marvel, carnival huckster, all along. In fact, when Professor Marvel, (aka as "The Wizard of Oz") tried to perform a single legitimate deed and transport Dorothy and Toto back to Kansas, he lacked the ability to actually control his balloon filled with "hot air" and failed at even that simple task. Before he left Oz, however, the Wizard put the Scarecrow in charge. Throughout the remaining books in the series, the brilliant Scarecrow does a pretty good job of governing the country, assisted by the brave Lion and the compassionate Tin Woodman. Of course, you knew all that, and that’s why you compared me to the Scarecrow. Right?  :-) The facts that I’m not the most intelligent character in sight and that I don’t aspire to government are incidental. I’ll accept your generous compliment in the spirit with which it was delivered. Thanks.  :-)

Response:

 From the NY Times: Rub-a-Dub in the Hot Tub By MAUREEN DOWD WASHINGTON — Dick and Rummy are in the Jacuzzi at Camp David. The two masters of the Bush universe have had a lousy week. And now, with the white cast on Rummy’s hand buoyed by bubbles, they just want to sip Scotch on the rocks and review the knocks. They are keeping one eye on the Kid, who’s been jogging circles around Aspen Lodge for the past nine hours. Junior is supposed to be inside practicing how to say "mal-fea-sance" with an "s." But he won’t do it. He’s sulking. He went to Wall Street on Tuesday to show that the hero of Sept. 11 could retaliate against the creeps who wiped out the neighborhood and also keep C.E.O.’s from looting. But the president who got elected on the backs of C.E.O.’s and said he wanted to run the country like a C.E.O. was about as convincing a sheriff as Barney Fife. Rummy’s war has also run into a bad patch, bombing brides instead of bin Laden. As the two men soak, more steam is coming from the vice president than the hot tub. "The Kid never should have gone to Wall Street in the first place," Dick grumbles. "All those poppycock reforms he and Rove rushed into the speech. Who knew our Karl was also a Marxist? When the going gets tough, the weak go polling. Who cares what Americans think? They should care what we think." W. jogs past with a singsong chant: "It’s NOT my fault, it’s NOT my fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault, it’s BUBBA’S fault." Dick and Rummy laugh indulgently. "SWAT teams swooping down on C.E.O.’s?" Dick scoffs. "What nonsense. Will government lawyers ride around in stealth golf carts and read these guys their rights on the back nine? "We certainly don’t need more transparency in this country. Transparency is just a fancy kind of indecent exposure, a sick counterculture idea, whether it’s about the markets, accounting or giving up the names of our Houston buddies who dictated my energy policy. I say: Zip it. "We don’t owe anybody any explanation for any thought or action that any of us have ever had or done." Rummy grins devilishly and skillfully balances his glass on his cast in a silent toast. "Those lily-livered liberals in Congress are outrageous — they’re criminalizing greed!" Dick says. "And the spineless Republican fellow travelers on the Hill are almost worse — they’ll dry up our donor base and destroy the party before they’re through. McCain is just Norman Thomas with medals. "I have nothing against sharing, of course. As long as it’s us getting the shares. "Our strategy is to slow down the House and Senate so these stiffer accounting and corporate-greed bills never see the light of day. Maybe you guys could accelerate your war on Baghdad. A righteous distraction would come in handy." The Pentagon boss indicates with a nod of his cast that this is possible. "Bunch of anticapitalist, world-government-loving wusses," Rummy says. "They don’t understand how tough we had it as C.E.O.’s. It’s lonely at the top." Junior jogs over to the Jacuzzi and tries to get Vice’s attention. "Dude?" Dick waves him off and resumes his rant: "All that stands between America and socialism are stock options. Without options, companies can’t lure great leaders who will take risks — with other people’s money, of course. If Congress got its way, when the stock went down, the C.E.O. would lose money just like everyone else. But we are not everyone else." The president tries again to get Dick’s attention: "Dude?" Dick goes on, his dander rising. "I’m sick and tired of these Sunday morning pinkos trying to impoverish the ruling class. People should get off my back about the way I cashed out of Halliburton. What’s $20 million these days?" Rummy is astonished. For the first time in the many decades he has known Dick, his friend’s face is no longer affectless. Dick gives the impression of something that can only be called emotion. But the Kid has finally lost patience. He jumps into the Jacuzzi, barely missing Rummy’s cast, and sloshes right over to Vice, leaning into his ear and wailing plaintively: "Where’s Karen?"

Response:

Question:

There’s one thing that makes me uncomfortable about it and that is the presumption that today’s quantity of bugs, problems, and glitches will continue for long enough to provide you with job security even in the small towns.   That level of chaos really shouldn’t exist, after a well-executed setup and so forth,…

I completely agree with you. It just sickens me to see so many people needlessly struggling with their computers either because some PC manufacturer is making more money from co-marketing deals with software companies than from the PC itself or because the software companies are so intent on taking over the world that they build in intentional incompatibilities with competing products. That level of chaos really shouldn’t exist, after a well-executed setup and so forth,

That is the key to my business. I know how to do a "well executed setup". And believe me, clicking ‘Typical’ or ‘Standard’ followed by a bunch of ‘OK’s may get the installation done quickly but it is almost never the best approach. There are dozens of things I do to modify the standard Windows setup then there are almost as many changes I make after installing MS-Office. that only five businesses can support you.  That’s like saying every business in the country needs 1/5th of a headcount to keep their network and fileserver running, fix the occasional workstation, printer, setup a new cubicle, etc.

Actually, not quite. Each of the businesses I support has from 5 to 50 employees. I would say that right now I support a total of about 50 PC’s or servers for my 4 customers. According to statistics I read in some computer industry magazine, a business should have about 2% of their workforce composed of IT people. Far too often what you see is only about 1 IT person for every 100-200 people. That might not seem like a big difference but that means the IT person is doing the work of 2-4 people. They then don’t have time to do anything right even if they wanted to so they get trapped in this vicious cycle. I will confess, I really don’t know whether you’re really doing the good work that needs to be done, which is to move these businesses forward by increasing what their IT really provides.  Now THAT is worth 1/5 of a headcount.. at least, in spurts.  These businesses should be able to reach a certain plateau which would be optimal for awhile.

Unfortunately for me that is exactly what happens. After I finish going through all of my customer’s PC’s and management really gets the point across that these are work PC’s and the users aren’t allowed to just install anything they want, then I rarely hear from my customers until they want something new. The point is to help them to be truely productive so they can succeed as a business. Then they will expand and I will get to make money by helping them to succeed. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Well –the reason why your post makes me uneasy is that it’s hard to find clients who are willing to sustain expenses of $5000 a year, which is my family budget divided by five clients, other than clients who have $5000 worth of absolutely bitch problems that they cannot solve any other way.  Most of the recurring $5000 annual clients tend to be not the best kind of clients.  You show me a random sample of 100 clients, who are perennial $5000/year consulting clients and I’ll show you in most cases they are doing a lot of things wrong to begin with.  (NOT all of these clients but more than 50% of them.)  They might have a bunch of cheap PCs that come loaded with home entertainment software, with unreliable hardware components, that crashes, they have Win 95 and Win 98, they might have obsolete infrastruc. such as Novell servers, or coaxial cabling, they probably have older applicatinos and too many applicatins on the workstations, with the registry ballooned up to 30 megs with all kinds of conflicting software…  THat kind of thing was my daily experience in the 1995-2000 period anyway.

Well, you hit the nail squarely in the head with the cause of most PC problems. However, the way I can get by with only 5 customers is that, as I said above, I help them succeed. As my customers expand I get the contract for all the new networking and computers. One moderate expansion can net me enough to live on for half a year and it only takes about a month to complete one of those projects even while keeping up with the other customer’s regular needs. My first and most devoted customer will soon be building an entire new facility. That project will probably cover me for the whole year or more. Interestingly, I don’t charge any more than my competition that does shoddy work. Actually, a little less. I guess I come out ahead because I don’t have to keep going back for 6 months to fix things. So if you want to spend your life maintaining and helping these people I truly admire that, and good luck.. It just isn’t how I want to spend my remaining years on the planet.

As I said, once I get things straightened out I don’t have to do much maintenance or rush over to put out many fires. Actually, this isn’t the way I want to spend my remaining lears on this planet either. I really want to go back to school and study high-energy physics. I think I have an interesting take on the Grand Unified Theory that no one has thought of before. Anyway, IT Consulting is a much better way to pay my way through college than waiting tables, that’s for sure. I quit doing accounting work by the way for much the same reasons.   http://www.gldialtone.com/MetadataPledge.htm

I took a look at your pledge. I love the motto, "I will do no more numbers, forever." I laughed out loud. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – No professional should allow themselves to perform only maintenance for todays mediocre business software and practices for billing, paying, receiving, inventory, etc. While making a living, keep pushing the envelope to make all of accounting, administration and the whole back office completely automatic and transparent.   Business executives and operating employees should only know things, and make gestures to execute their decisions, to execute their will, in handshakes with their trading partner. They should work at the front of the wave, creating value in the economy in their native roles and capabilities, rather than being held back, wasting their time on data entry and maniplating information on computers. I probably didn’t succeed entirely in this rant but wanted to stammer out some comments

No, I agree. I just don’t talk about it in such grandiose terms with my customers. At first, all they want is to have their PC’s, that they paid good money for, actually work most of the time. Shoot, that alone usually gives them a 50%-100% increase in productivity. Then they start wanting me to make even more things easier for them. And that is what I do. I just help them be more productive at what they themselves want to do. Oh well, I guess this is getting a bit off topic. I guess the same basic business model could be applied to accounting firms as well, though.

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Sure the party is over. Well, work was never supposed to be a party anyway. All those people who rushed to the big cities to get rich quick should just accept the fact that they got what they could out of the ‘gold rush’ and stop being so depressed that the gold isn’t just laying around on the ground for them to pick up any more. I live in a small town no more than 4 miles across. I just started my own computer and network consulting business working out of my home. I only need 5 customers to support myself comfortably and I have 4 customers already after just 1 month in business. There is a tremendous need for people to help small businesses with their small network problems. You have to be willing to do quality, organized work rather than just slap things together. And you have to be willing to hop in the car at a moments notice but they are also the most appreciative and nicest customers you will know. Move out of the big cities and stop looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Move out to a small town and provide a real service to real people and start living a real life.

This post certainly resonates, for me, and I think, many other people. There’s one thing that makes me uncomfortable about it and that is the presumption that today’s quantity of bugs, problems, and glitches will continue for long enough to provide you with job security even in the small towns.   That level of chaos really shouldn’t exist, after a well-executed setup and so forth, that only five businesses can support you.  That’s like saying every business in the country needs 1/5th of a headcount to keep their network and fileserver running, fix the occasional workstation, printer, setup a new cubicle, etc. I will confess, I really don’t know whether you’re really doing the good work that needs to be done, which is to move these businesses forward by increasing what their IT really provides.  Now THAT is worth 1/5 of a headcount.. at least, in spurts.  These businesses should be able to reach a certain plateau which would be optimal for awhile. Having done small businesses a while, there is certainly a moral hazard in that kind of business because so many of the customers don’t have the means to manage or control your work.  Yeah, they should check your reputation but most of them don’t.  If what you do and say makes sense they keep you.  None of my clients ever quit, I had to ease out of doing that kind of work any more.   The moral hazard is that it is painful to do good work, and really get in there and fix things because it takes time and that is expensive.  So it takes a lot of judgment, like maintaining older cars, some cars just aren’t worth rebuilding the transmission, and some software, the smart thing to do is just live with the limitations and plan, carefully the timing and amount of investment in new software and hardware. Well –the reason why your post makes me uneasy is that it’s hard to find clients who are willing to sustain expenses of $5000 a year, which is my family budget divided by five clients, other than clients who have $5000 worth of absolutely bitch problems that they cannot solve any other way.  Most of the recurring $5000 annual clients tend to be not the best kind of clients.  You show me a random sample of 100 clients, who are perennial $5000/year consulting clients and I’ll show you in most cases they are doing a lot of things wrong to begin with.  (NOT all of these clients but more than 50% of them.)  They might have a bunch of cheap PCs that come loaded with home entertainment software, with unreliable hardware components, that crashes, they have Win 95 and Win 98, they might have obsolete infrastruc. such as Novell servers, or coaxial cabling, they probably have older applicatinos and too many applicatins on the workstations, with the registry ballooned up to 30 megs with all kinds of conflicting software…  THat kind of thing was my daily experience in the 1995-2000 period anyway. So if you want to spend your life maintaining and helping these people I truly admire that, and good luck.. It just isn’t how I want to spend my remaining years on the planet. I quit doing accounting work by the way for much the same reasons.   http://www.gldialtone.com/MetadataPledge.htm No professional should allow themselves to perform only maintenance for todays mediocre business software and practices for billing, paying, receiving, inventory, etc. While making a living, keep pushing the envelope to make all of accounting, administration and the whole back office completely automatic and transparent.   Business executives and operating employees should only know things, and make gestures to execute their decisions, to execute their will, in handshakes with their trading partner. They should work at the front of the wave, creating value in the economy in their native roles and capabilities, rather than being held back, wasting their time on data entry and maniplating information on computers. I probably didn’t succeed entirely in this rant but wanted to stammer out some comments Todd

Response:

According to my Sunday paper there are still more IT jobs listed than accounting jobs, by a factor of about ten. While an interesting statistic, by itself it doesn’t tell you a whole lot.  The issue of *supply* for those positions will tell you a lot more, as will the ratio of applicants per position.  In a tight job market, you’re lucky to get one or two applicants per position.  In a "buyer’s market" you are likely to be overwhelmed by the response.

Ed, that is more in line with how I would view this statistic. Additionally, several job descriptions fall under the *IT* unbrella: help desk, hardware techs, software techs, DBA, MCSE, LAN admins, etc.  I have even seen some papers that will list positions as *IT* when in fact they have nothing to do with what I would consider *IT*.   I believe that if you were to do the same for accounting and group together finance, accounting, bookkeeping, etc. under one umbrella, the disparity would shrink. My own read of the economy as a whole is that the consumption of IT services in the 1990s was a temporary effect.  Much of justification for that spending related to payoffs that will take years to see–so we’re not likley to see another round of such spending in the near future due partially to the sunk cost fallacy (managers will not want to spend more, because that will force them to admit the prior spending didn’t pay off) and, additionally, due to the fact that some will point out that maybe, if improvements keep happening, it’s best to delay and get next year’s better mousetrap.

Again, my take as well.  In reading several publications, one suggestion to consulting firms is to capitalize on all of the spending on *IT* in the latter half of the 90’s by now offering services to assist clients in taking advantage of the technology they have already purchased rather than trying to sell them this year’s mousetrap.  The growth for new implementations stemming from new hardware and software sales, is minimal at best if not plateaued or declining. I believe that the consulting firms will survive if they can change their paradigm to adapt to the market.  Gone are the days of "Monty Hall" proposals, and arriving are the days where a firm must prove their ability to truly add value to their clients’ businesses.  I believe that the delivery of value added services is something clients took for granted in the past in their spending frenzy, consulting firms rode the wave as long as possible, and now they are paying for it.  Call it small town mentality, call it common sense customer service, but a firm should never lose sight of why it is where is presently: because of its customers.  Like the accountant who knows what his client perceives as valuable, consulting firms must also walk a mile in their client’s shoes before making recommendations.  If you can exhibit top-notch customer service, and focus on adding value rather than adding to your bottom line, your clients will keep coming back to the well.

Response:

I suspect the party is over. Does this mean IT people will change careers to accounting?

Not likely. — Jim Hudspeth, CFE, CPA http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html Washington, USA

Response:

  I suspect the party is over. Does this mean IT people will change careers to accounting?      Mike Block – Tax Cut CPA  World’s #1 QuickBooks Top Tester     FREE  NetLedger accounting   FREE 462p QB books/error codes 100+ QB add-ons http://blocktax.com/

Do you mean start from scratch? I think that if future there will be more emphasis on knowing what management information to provide. Even those in small public accounting practices might care to get involved instead of just working on stewardship accounting and taxation. Roger   http://mypage.bluewin.ch/aroc

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The key question is going to be whether this is just a short term issue (technology budgets are contracting only because of the economy, and will return to the spending of old as soon as growth resumes) or whether, in fact, the spending of the past decade was actually the "one time only" situation and there will be a long term contraction in the need for technology consultants. I’ve sort of been "laying in the weeds" with regards to this issue. One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking. I suspect the party is over. Sure the party is over. Well, work was never supposed to be a party anyway. All those people who rushed to the big cities to get rich quick should just accept the fact that they got what they could out of the ‘gold rush’ and stop being so depressed that the gold isn’t just laying around on the ground for them to pick up any more. I live in a small town no more than 4 miles across. I just started my own computer and network consulting business working out of my home. I only need 5 customers to support myself comfortably and I have 4 customers already after just 1 month in business. There is a tremendous need for people to help small businesses with their small network problems. You have to be willing to do quality, organized work rather than just slap things together. And you have to be willing to hop in the car at a moments notice but they are also the most appreciative and nicest customers you will know.

You took the words right out of my mouth. Take on clients reasonably close to your home office. Take the time to do the job right the first time. Make your self available. Make your primmary focus on client retention and satisfaction. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Move out of the big cities and stop looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Move out to a small town and provide a real service to real people and start living a real life.

Response:

According to my Sunday paper there are still more IT jobs listed than accounting jobs, by a factor of about ten.

While an interesting statistic, by itself it doesn’t tell you a whole lot.  The issue of *supply* for those positions will tell you a lot more, as will the ratio of applicants per position.  In a tight job market, you’re lucky to get one or two applicants per position.  In a "buyer’s market" you are likely to be overwhelmed by the response. Jim’s article also would generally be a *leading indicator* of problems, since cutting fees to keep everyone busy is an action taken by an entity that may be hoping that this is a temporary lull they can ride out.   It seems likely that the firms in question are actually going to lose money during any period they operate on such reduced fees. That is, if we accept that there was a shortage of qualified IT consultants in the late 1990s (and I’ll accept that), it’s hard to believe that the consulting *firms* were operating at super high margins, since the cost of the expertise would be rising at the same time–and their experts could easily be hired away by another firm willing to pay slightly more (which is what tends to happen in a tight labor market). If, in fact, the market does not rebound (and Greenspan’s comments today indicates that he doesn’t think it will), then there will eventually be downward pressure on IT compensation if these new, lower fees become the norm.  Despite the fact that, in absolute terms, these IT professionals may still be very highly compensated, there’s likely to be a number (especially those who go in it because it was the ticket to the gold mine) who will be very upset and unhappy. My own read of the economy as a whole is that the consumption of IT services in the 1990s was a temporary effect.  Much of justification for that spending related to payoffs that will take years to see–so we’re not likley to see another round of such spending in the near future due partially to the sunk cost fallacy (managers will not want to spend more, because that will force them to admit the prior spending didn’t pay off) and, additionally, due to the fact that some will point out that maybe, if improvements keep happening, it’s best to delay and get next year’s better mousetrap.

Response:

I think that if future there will be more emphasis on knowing what management information to provide. Even those in small public accounting practices might care to get involved instead of just working on stewardship accounting and taxation.

Actually, I see the issue as more fundamental–too many accountants actually *do* that kind of work for the client (decide what information is important, look at how it can be provided, etc.) but then throw it away as "unbillable", believing for whatever reason (tradition) that all the client is willing to pay for will be compiled financial statements and tax returns. So, on paper, the firms are "only" doing those latter two items (that’s all the invoice says) when, in fact, they are really doing a lot of unbilled consulting. One huge advantage small accounting firms have in serving small businesses in this regard is the fact that the partners of the accounting firm *are* already running a small business.  That’s a huge credibility factor that larger competitors simply cannot compete with. And, frankly, true management information consulting involves a two way conversation–you have to listen to the client’s knowledge base about what are important factors in this particular business *AND* consider whether other factors might be important.  Too many consultants tend to head straight for option 2 and lecture the client on what he "needs" to know, which just happens to be the exact package that the consultant just did for 20 other clients.  But that’s a very likely prescription for a poor and failed system–because one size truly does not fit all. The accountant, who likely has been around the client for years, has a lot better feel for what the client is going to feel is important.  That allows the development of systems that both give the client something he is sure is of current value *AND* allow the option to raise the question about whether other information might also be useful.

Response:

According to my Sunday paper there are still more IT jobs listed than accounting jobs, by a factor of about ten. I would think the engineers, the B.S.C.S. folks would gravitate to some other branch of engineering.  I note that before they stated the B.S.C.S. programs, other engineers were gravitating into the job functions. … — *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Retired, but always willing to consider a good job offer.  * *    From the Socialist People’s Republic of Kalifornia,      * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I suspect the party is over. Sure the party is over. Well, work was never supposed to be a party anyway. All those people who rushed to the big cities to get rich quick should just accept the fact that they got what they could out of the ‘gold rush’ and stop being so depressed that the gold isn’t just laying around on the ground for them to pick up any more. I live in a small town no more than 4 miles across. I just started my own computer and network consulting business working out of my home. I only need 5 customers to support myself comfortably and I have 4 customers already after just 1 month in business. There is a tremendous need for people to help small businesses with their small network problems. You have to be willing to do quality, organized work rather than just slap things together. And you have to be willing to hop in the car at a moments notice but they are also the most appreciative and nicest customers you will know. You took the words right out of my mouth. Take on clients reasonably close to your home office. Take the time to do the job right the first time. Make your self available. Make your primmary focus on client retention and satisfaction.

I agree with Grant’s & Allen’s preceding comments.  In fact, I’ve been trying to hire a local IT outfit to do pretty much what has been described here. — Jim Hudspeth, CFE, CPA http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html Washington, USA

Response:

The key question is going to be whether this is just a short term issue (technology budgets are contracting only because of the economy, and will return to the spending of old as soon as growth resumes) or whether, in fact, the spending of the past decade was actually the "one time only" situation and there will be a long term contraction in the need for technology consultants.

I’ve sort of been "laying in the weeds" with regards to this issue. One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking. I suspect the party is over. — Jim Hudspeth, CFE, CPA http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html Washington, USA

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The key question is going to be whether this is just a short term issue (technology budgets are contracting only because of the economy, and will return to the spending of old as soon as growth resumes) or whether, in fact, the spending of the past decade was actually the "one time only" situation and there will be a long term contraction in the need for technology consultants. I’ve sort of been "laying in the weeds" with regards to this issue. One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking. I suspect the party is over.

Sure the party is over. Well, work was never supposed to be a party anyway. All those people who rushed to the big cities to get rich quick should just accept the fact that they got what they could out of the ‘gold rush’ and stop being so depressed that the gold isn’t just laying around on the ground for them to pick up any more. I live in a small town no more than 4 miles across. I just started my own computer and network consulting business working out of my home. I only need 5 customers to support myself comfortably and I have 4 customers already after just 1 month in business. There is a tremendous need for people to help small businesses with their small network problems. You have to be willing to do quality, organized work rather than just slap things together. And you have to be willing to hop in the car at a moments notice but they are also the most appreciative and nicest customers you will know. Move out of the big cities and stop looking for the pot of gold at the end of the rainbow. Move out to a small town and provide a real service to real people and start living a real life.

Response:

I’ve sort of been "laying in the weeds" with regards to this issue. One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking. I suspect the party is over.

Story on the radio this a.m. is that the identical help-wanted ad that drew one response in SF one year ago has recently drawn over 600. Here in Portland, the number of tech-related help-wanteds is down about 85% over the same period. Al

Response:

Sure, same thing has happened in every downturn we have had.  However, in my Sunday paper, the number of IT jobs advertised still is a factor larger than the number of accounting jobs. FWIW: How can you tell there is an economic downturn from the want adds:  by monitoring the increase in commission (only) sales positions. "I don’t think we’ve ever experienced this kind of downturn," said Richard Reck, the dean of Chicago’s information technology consultants and partner in the software, Internet and information services practice at KPMG LLP. "We have a glut of IT services businesses. There’s just too many of them." http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=52850&d=101&h=0&f=0&… — Jim Hudspeth, CFE, CPA http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html Washington, USA

– *             Ronald Lee Todd M.B.A., C.P.A.                  * *                                                             * *  Retired, but always willing to consider a good job offer.  * *    From the Socialist People’s Republic of Kalifornia,      * *                   Ayn Rand was right                        *

Response:

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – The key question is going to be whether this is just a short term issue (technology budgets are contracting only because of the economy, and will return to the spending of old as soon as growth resumes) or whether, in fact, the spending of the past decade was actually the "one time only" situation and there will be a long term contraction in the need for technology consultants. I’ve sort of been "laying in the weeds" with regards to this issue. One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking. I suspect the party is over.

Does this mean IT people will change careers to accounting?      Mike Block – Tax Cut CPA  World’s #1 QuickBooks Top Tester     FREE  NetLedger accounting   FREE 462p QB books/error codes 100+ QB add-ons http://blocktax.com/

Response:

One of my wife’s medical associates (a nurse) is married to an "IT" person who got laid off last winter.  He’s is so depressed he has quit looking.

It’s tough to know why this person has been unable to land a new job, but part of the reason could be that expectations for pay are still at the "boom times" level.  Sometimes I’ve found people have a tough time accepting that, when demand for a specialty falls, that the pay also tends to move down.

Response:

"I don’t think we’ve ever experienced this kind of downturn," said Richard Reck, the dean of Chicago’s information technology consultants and partner in the software, Internet and information services practice at KPMG LLP. "We have a glut of IT services businesses. There’s just too many of them." http://www.accountingweb.com/cgi-bin/item.cgi?id=52850&d=101&h=0&f=0&… — Jim Hudspeth, CFE, CPA http://home.att.net/~jdhcpa/mainpage.html Washington, USA

Response:

"I don’t think we’ve ever experienced this kind of downturn," said Richard Reck, the dean of Chicago’s information technology consultants and partner in the software, Internet and information services practice at KPMG LLP. "We have a glut of IT services businesses. There’s just too many of them."

An interesting turn of events, though not terribly unexpected as technology budgets are tightened and projects are either delayed, cut back or totally eliminated from consideration. The AccountingWeb article is based on a larger article you can find at the Chicago Business site at this link: http://www.chicagobusiness.com/cgi-bin/mag/article.pl?article_id=1671… The fact that the Big 5 are part of this bidding war would indicate that the problem is larger than just Chicago.  After all, if IT consulting was still hot and getting top dollar in Los Angeles due to a shortage of qualified IT consultants there, I suspect they could figure out how to use a consultant based in Chicago to fill that demand. The key question is going to be whether this is just a short term issue (technology budgets are contracting only because of the economy, and will return to the spending of old as soon as growth resumes) or whether, in fact, the spending of the past decade was actually the "one time only" situation and there will be a long term contraction in the need for technology consultants.

Response:

Question:

Your Score of 9out of 10 makes you a Master Mechanic +ACE- Mwuhhaaahaaahaaaaaa+ACE-  : ) I’m not sure which one I missed. I think it must be the airfoil question. I said it +ACI-increased drag+ACI-, but maybe the correct answer was

+ACI-it depends+ACI-. Nah you had the right answer… it was one of the others… Marcus<– missed one on that same set…  – – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Jared Rude 1996 My+ACQ-take Cobra – Mostly apart 1990 LX 5.0 hatch – It’s broken too Stangerize wrote +AD4-I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough +AD4-to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I +AD4-got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew +AD4-chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers +AD4-are pretty funny. +AD4- +AD4-http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech +AD4-Test. +AD4-or +AD4-Go here: +AD4-http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm +AD4-and click on tech test.

– 68 Mustang has moved 10 feet in ten months, great on gas mileage 91 tow-rus I don’t worry about gas prices, I worry about cheddar prices http://www.geocities.com/fordracing68 *updated* 6-22-00 Before you buy.

Response:

Wohooo!  7 out of 10.  Guess that makes me a gearhead!  :-0 Scott 96 GT MAC cat-back BBK offroad h-pipe MAC cold air induction Steeda Tri-Ax shifter Synthetics

Response:

Your Score of 9out of 10 makes you a Master Mechanic +ACE- Mwuhhaaahaaahaaaaaa+ACE-  : ) I’m not sure which one I missed. I think it must be the airfoil question. I said it +ACI-increased drag+ACI-, but maybe the correct answer was +ACI-it depends+ACI-. — Jared Rude 1996 My+ACQ-take Cobra – Mostly apart 1990 LX 5.0 hatch – It’s broken too Stangerize wrote +AD4-I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough +AD4-to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I +AD4-got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew +AD4-chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers +AD4-are pretty funny. +AD4- +AD4-http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech +AD4-Test. +AD4-or +AD4-Go here: +AD4-http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm +AD4-and click on tech test.

Response:

First time got a 10 for 10, tried it again and got 9 for 10, tried it again and got 8 for 10…I’d better quit while I’m ahead. Proper fuel pressure for an Edelbrock carb? WTF is a carbuerator Kevin – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny. http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech Test. or Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in my bedroom) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

Response:

I scored 7 out of 10 my first try and I have never taken an automotive class in my life. Matt ‘89 GT http://mr5oh.stangnet.com http://www.strictly50.org "what I see here is 2 flaming piles of monkey crap being slapped around by a walking $2 slut" The Rock

Response:

First try: Your Score of 6out of 10 makes you a serious Gearhead ! Did you keep going? If you hit new test at the bottom when you get your results they have all new questions. I ran it about 5 or 6 times and got mostly new questions every time. Some were repeats. Jim

Nah, 6 of 10 was quitting while I was ahead. Those cam and displacement formula questions were killing me. I know I don’t know a lot, but that test managed to highlight stuff i’ve never even heard of. FilterX

Response:

I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny.

It’s strange, I got a 10 out of 10, then a 6 out of 10, then a 9 out of 10 it sohuld have been 10 out of 10, I missed what reciprocatign load means DO`H!… some sets seem to be way eaiser than others… Marcus – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech Test. or Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in my bedroom) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

– 68 Mustang has moved 10 feet in ten months, great on gas mileage 91 tow-rus I don’t worry about gas prices, I worry about cheddar prices http://www.geocities.com/fordracing68 *updated* 6-22-00 Before you buy.

Response:

I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny.

10 of 10, first try. Crew Chief! Mark

Response:

Gearhead first time (7 of 10) and CrewCheif second time (10 of 10) — Mike Greene Mike’s Auto Emporium http://home.hiwaay.net/~mgreene http://rocketcitymustang.com

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny.

Response:

Well, I got 8 out of 10 on the first try and I don’t know jack! Course, I was an automotive engineer in another life. Phil http://www.blueriver.net/~finite/Pony.htm – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny. http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech Test. or Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in my bedroom) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

Response:

First try: Your Score of 6out of 10 makes you a serious Gearhead ! And I made a B in Accounting this semester with those same multiple choice skills, go figure.

Did you keep going? If you hit new test at the bottom when you get your results they have all new questions. I ran it about 5 or 6 times and got mostly new questions every time. Some were repeats. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in the shop) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

Response:

master mechanic matt here 9 of 10. reread them all and cant figure out whick one i missed?

Response:

9 out of 10,hhhmmmmm got to figure out which one I got wrong…… Yours in Fords, Bill S. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny. http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech Test. or Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in my bedroom) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

Response:

I took the Tech test on Summit’s website. The first test I scored high enough to clean the windows on a racecar (Squeegee Technician) 5 out of 10 correct. I got a few 7 out of 10s and after a few more tests I scored enough to be crew chief, 10 out of 10 correct. It’s multiple choice and some of the wrong answers are pretty funny. http://www.summitracing.com  and click on Tech to the right then click on Tech Test. or Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test. Jim 1994 Mustang GT 5 Speed Rio Red http://members.aol.com/stangerize/index/index.html (T-5 is in my bedroom) 1976 Jeep Wagoneer Freshly rebuilt 401 http://members.aol.com/stangerize/Jeep/index.html

Response:

Go here: http://www.summitracing.com/tech/index.htm and click on tech test.

First try: Your Score of 6out of 10 makes you a serious Gearhead ! And I made a B in Accounting this semester with those same multiple choice skills, go figure. FilterX

Response:

Question:

She was just fired from her job and is now home so there is really no excuse…and it’s this bad :  the kids bedrooms are incredibly filthy.  There are just paths to the beds.  The floors are littered with papers, toys, clothes, food, etc etc etc.  You cannot eat at the kitchen table.  She has covered it with various papers, books, toys, old food containers, etc and it stays that way.  The bathroom reeks of both human and cat waste; last time I was in there I had to wipe the mirror clean to see myself.  The floors have not been vacuumed in months.  Usually dishes are done but the kitchen and dining room floors are usually unswept, and have food and cut up papers, etc all over the floor.  Her (formerly our) bedroom is about the worst. You get the picture. And What are your thoughts on this???  Thanks in advance; I know that this is only one side of the story but I am not exaggerating at all the situation.

It sounds like your exwife is going through some problems, the least of which is her attitude. Your concern is for your childrens welfare. If the details are as bad as you say, then discuss this with your lawyer. These conditions border on child abuse. Custody can and has been overturned. That said, you know the reality that as a man, your ability to parent must be proven vs assumed.  

Response:

While I appreciate some of your insight, which I actually found pretty useful, I don’t appreciate the stereotype that you applied to me.  Just for a point of order, I am definitely NOT a typical yuppie with lots of money and a wonderful lifestyle.  My wife did not marry me for my money.

Old seducktion seems to likee to place peeple in convenient stereeotipes. Heems seem ta tink dat no womans coold eber habe a job udder than a secretaree or some udder lowe payin job. Mebbe if heems went owtside heems cave every oncee in a while he wood see dat der ar womans doctirs, lawyerss, engineers, accoutints, scientits, etc. An certanelee not eveebodee hoo makes a gud libing hadd it handed to dem on a silva platterr. Loev, Poopie

Response:

Hi sweetie…….seems to me that things aren’t going to change with her in charge of the house…Only thing I can think of is too hire a maid to come in once a week and maybe you both can split half….in the meantime your still the kids Dad and do have the right to say what is on your mind…if you want to call social services then be prepared for them to intervene and cause more of a nightmare for the both of you…..tell her of your intentions to call social services….maybe then she will try and get her act together….When you visit with your children bring a camera..take all the pictures you want, go to court. then file a motion to have custody of the kids…..and then when you are in front of the judge let him hear your plea for custody on the evidence you have brought him…..as far as your kids behavior with foul language..hmmmmmmm don’t tolerlate it, your the father ….they are the children, don’t let them get away talking the way they do…they won’t break at the seams if you show them some discipline…..sometimes children use the excuse for being the way they are due to divorce and assume they can get away with it because they think the both of you don’t want to upset them more…..Your responsibility for your wife and yourself, is to make these little darlings to grow up as responsible adults…..that means grooming them slowly and with the discipline they need to be able to cope in the real world…..which includes, cleanliness, chores, resonsibility of themselves, which means cleaning up after themselves, respect to you and your wife, so when they grow up and get a job they are not cursing out there boss, because of something they didnt like…..homework, etc…..It might be too late for your wife but not your kids…..Sit down with your wife and discuss all the things that bother you without pointing out who is to blame..your main concern for the both of you is to make YOUR!!! children grow up to be responsible adults….not necessarily perfect, but people whom you and your wife can be proud of……They don’t stay young forever….Hope it all works out! Love Elvira

Response:

- Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – one-dimensional neighbor too?  Pardon me for snickering, but a number of people like to insult me based on certain lifestyle choices I’ve made, such as staying single, fighting employment discrimination instead of cashing in on a corrupt corporate culture that many in your economic class cash in on, learning not to worry about the shallow, mercenary women who avoid men who aren’t meal tickets (um, how much have you spent on her so far?), and being thankful that gorgeous young female performing artists don’t give a rat’s ass about money.  May I ask what you do for a living, and what SHE did for a living before she lost her job?  I have a theory that people who work for corporate America are more likely to wind up like you than those who do not, especially if they work in b2b, finance, law, or medicine, or with women if they work in female-dominated professions.  I also have a theory that men who have money often don’t realize that women are more in love with the house and the lifestyle than the man, that their goal is to marry into that lifestyle, and divorce it efficiently.  

While I appreciate some of your insight, which I actually found pretty useful, I don’t appreciate the stereotype that you applied to me.  Just for a point of order, I am definitely NOT a typical yuppie with lots of money and a wonderful lifestyle.  My wife did not marry me for my money. I grew up literally as a poor farm kid in the mountains of upstate NY.  I put myself through college with the only financial assistance from my parents the $300 in savings bonds that they gave me when I left for Indiana in 1979 at the age of 18 by myself.  I earned a degree in aeronautical engineering and then went to grad school to study for the ministry.  I ended up in the financial services industry and worked my tail off at very low pay for many years, living in not so nice places and nursing one car through 200,000 miles just to make it. Now I’m 38 years old and am a consultant for a major financial firm in Boston. It took a lot to get here but I am certainly not getting rich, just a reasonable salary.  Since the breakup I live in a one bedroom condominium, when my kids visit, two of them sleep on the floor and one with me.  I have a table with no chairs for a dining room, a couch, tv trays and card table. My ex was a music major in college but her dad made her switch to accounting which she hates.  She is an accountant but not a CPA and has bounced from job to job over the years, most recently working as a bookkeeper for a small construction company.  She does freelance bookkeeping and is hoping to get that going again. We got married when still in college; I was 23 and she was 20.  We’ve been through a lot of struggles over the years and that is a lot of why we broke up.  The house that she currently lives in is an older, 3 bedroom ranch house with an old oil heater that is always going on the fritz.  We were planning to get a larger place because with the three kids it was getting cramped but then she pulled this. Yes, until her unemployment anyhow, we were earning a fair amount in excess of $100K.  But in Mass that isn’t as much as it might seem in other areas. I appreciate what you are saying about the snobby, obnoxious, spoiled yuppie types we see all around and have many here in Mass.  I just don’t fit that and perhaps you should not make assumptions about people.

Response:

Some Guy Writes: I’ve posted here before when I was going through the seperation last year and many of you were very helpful. My wife filed for divorce last May and forced me out of my house over the next couple of months.  I couldn’t afford an attorney and essentially was pushed into a temporary agreement by her attorney that gave her the house, physical custody of our three kids, joint legal custody, a nice (to her) support award, etc.  I was going to fight for custody (partly on the grounds that I thought what she was doing was immoral (breaking up her marriage because she just wanted to be a single mom and was totally unwilling to do anything to try to work on the relationship…long story) and she was also abusing prescription drugs, irresponsible with money, letting the house go, etc.).  However, after talking with some attorney friends of mine and from my experience in the mediation session at the courthouse ("are those prescription drugs hon?  oh, that’s no problem then"), it was obvious that all I could hope for as a dad was to spend tens of thousands I don’t have to end up right in the same spot. never married, no children, and not likely to ever have any (though it’s possible) due to the biased divorce and custody laws in this country. Someone makes up a lie about you if you’re male and the system has a party, yet even if you point out the truth about a female she will be given every benefit of the doubt.  You’re learning this now I can see.   Well, since the seperation we’ve had some serious ups and downs in our ability to deal with each other.  I’ve tried to be reasonable at all times but I find her to be like a spoiled child and very difficult to deal with.  Our kids, especially our 10 year old son, have had some severe problems during this time…including 37 tardies on our 12 year old daughter’s report card (normally a very involved and good student) and some serious psychological problems requiring emergency intervention and psychiatric testing for our son.  He almost set the house on fire one night getting up at 2 am and lighting candles and matches all over the place while she was zoned out on her painkillers.  We are trying to work through that and are very focussed on our boy’s problems in particular, but when it is brought up that the divorce has had a big effect, she completely shuts off and denies that divorce is any problem for children and claims that she was "in a bad situation she simply had to get out of". would be very pleased to know this.  There’s nothing like watching an entire home burn down or an entire family die because of someone needing help down the street, isn’t there?   Anyhow, the point of my post.  One of my biggest concerns since the seperation is the conditions that my children are living under.  To say that this woman is a slob is an understatement.  This was always an issue when we were married but now that I’m gone it has gotten way worse.  If I bring it up with her she throws a major fit and has even kicked me out of the house when I’m visiting my kids (just Thursday it happened again; I was in my son’s room and I mentioned to him that he needs to pick it up some and she said "what happens in this house is my business, not yours, now get the F*** out of my house"). offered to have the man harmed on your behalf for being such a jerk. Welcome to America. She was just fired from her job and is now home so there is really no excuse…and it’s this bad :  the kids bedrooms are incredibly filthy. There are just paths to the beds.  The floors are littered with papers, toys, clothes, food, etc etc etc.  You cannot eat at the kitchen table.  She has covered it with various papers, books, toys, old food containers, etc and it stays that way.  The bathroom reeks of both human and cat waste; last time I was in there I had to wipe the mirror clean to see myself.  The floors have not been vacuumed in months.  Usually dishes are done but the kitchen and dining room floors are usually unswept, and have food and cut up papers, etc all over the floor.  Her (formerly our) bedroom is about the worst. You get the picture. (I’m not one so don’t construe anything I say to be legal advice). We are middle class people who make a good income and, at least before the divorce, had a reasonable lifestyle.   one-dimensional neighbor too?  Pardon me for snickering, but a number of people like to insult me based on certain lifestyle choices I’ve made, such as staying single, fighting employment discrimination instead of cashing in on a corrupt corporate culture that many in your economic class cash in on, learning not to worry about the shallow, mercenary women who avoid men who aren’t meal tickets (um, how much have you spent on her so far?), and being thankful that gorgeous young female performing artists don’t give a rat’s ass about money.  May I ask what you do for a living, and what SHE did for a living before she lost her job?  I have a theory that people who work for corporate America are more likely to wind up like you than those who do not, especially if they work in b2b, finance, law, or medicine, or with women if they work in female-dominated professions.  I also have a theory that men who have money often don’t realize that women are more in love with the house and the lifestyle than the man, that their goal is to marry into that lifestyle, and divorce it efficiently.   I don’t understand this and I don’t like my children living in this environment at all and am very worried about them.   Since she is unwilling to do anything about this, I am strongly considering calling the Dept of Social Services to have them intervene.  I don’t like going that route at all and am afraid of what it can do to our kids if they go whole hog and take the kids from her but I don’t know what else to do.  Ideally we’d get the temp agreement overturned and give me use of the house and physical custody (although I don’t relish the major league shovelling job I’d have to do to clean up the mess).  I can take the kids temporarily if I can get custody but in the seperation all I could afford was a 1 bedroom apartment so I don’t think they’d let me have them full time. on your part if what you say is true (and if your lawyer approves, because I’m not one, etc. etc. etc. don’t anyone dare say I was impersonating a lawyer because I have this disclaimer here blah blah blah and I am stating clearly I am not one yadda yadda yadda).  But I have to look at your situation in the context of the many people who take a surface scan of someone’s life and conclude that they are a winner or a loser.  I wouldn’t trade places with you in a million years, and frankly, I believe most men would choose the women I date over your (ex?) wife in a heartbeat.   What are your thoughts on this???  Thanks in advance; I know that this is only one side of the story but I am not exaggerating at all the situation. measure success in this life.  You’re a perfect example of that.   The Seduction Library The THINKING Man’s Guide To Seduction http://www.cybersheet.com/fox/index.html YOU’RE PAYING TOO MUCH FOR THE INTERNET! Juno now offers FREE Internet Access! Try it today – there’s no risk!  For your FREE software, visit: http://dl.www.juno.com/get/tagj.

Response:

If you don’t want that, then forget about it, and just let her deal with what she was to, and go out and get laid.

this guy is obviously concerned about the welfare of his kids and you sum up your *advice* with, "go out and get laid" wow fido….you really are a dog Before you buy.

Response:

hiya Enjoy, If you don’t want that, then forget about it, and just let her deal with what she was to, and go out and get laid. this guy is obviously concerned about the welfare of his kids and you sum up your *advice* with, "go out and get laid" wow fido….you really are a dog

I remember DCastle’s posts here about a year ago. The guy is going through the divorce from hell. His kids’ mom’s attorney should be DISBARRED. I have been doing this for three years. I have lost a *lot* in the process. There are many who could not go through what I have had to go through during that period. I made a decision that my kids are *the most important* thing in my life, and am doing extraordinary things to preserve my parenting role. I’m just advising my brother that he has an incredibly difficult time ahead of him if he wants to pursue this. He will make the decision that he can live with. As far as *my* decision? I am *sure* it is worth it. Thank you for your note. Best & Kindest – Tom Chandel, father of Renee, Eric and Jake – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Before you buy.

Response:

hiya DCastle, Sure, are you in Mass.? This story is *so* familiar. I’ve seen it here before, umm I AM LIVING IT. Sucks don’t it. Anyway, Social Services might inspect the home, and require her to clean it up, maybe not. This is a brutal way to proceed, but we often see SS called in during custody disputes by an aggrevied parent. There is no guarantee, though, even if they find her to an unfit parent that custody will be transferred to *you*, though you have a shot. If you think you are the best parent, and even if that is true … ummm … that really has no bearing on the custody decision, unfortunately. Economically, if you *did* get custody of the kids, (and from your situation that is possible, but *very* difficult) then you support payment might stop and you might be able to afford a place to live. But remember – Having to work and raise three kiddles, and that is a job and a half in itself – do *not* underestimate the difficulties of single parenting. Really, only proceed here if you are *sure* you want to do that. If you don’t want that, then forget about it, and just let her deal with what she was to, and go out and get laid. Best – Fido – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve posted here before when I was going through the seperation last year and many of you were very helpful. My wife filed for divorce last May and forced me out of my house over the next couple of months.  I couldn’t afford an attorney and essentially was pushed into a temporary agreement by her attorney that gave her the house, physical custody of our three kids, joint legal custody, a nice (to her) support award, etc. I was going to fight for custody (partly on the grounds that I thought what she was doing was immoral (breaking up her marriage because she just wanted to be a single mom and was totally unwilling to do anything to try to work on the relationship…long story) and she was also abusing prescription drugs, irresponsible with money, letting the house go, etc.).  However, after talking with some attorney friends of mine and from my experience in the mediation session at the courthouse ("are those prescription drugs hon?  oh, that’s no problem then"), it was obvious that all I could hope for as a dad was to spend tens of thousands I don’t have to end up right in the same spot. Well, since the seperation we’ve had some serious ups and downs in our ability to deal with each other.  I’ve tried to be reasonable at all times but I find her to be like a spoiled child and very difficult to deal with.  Our kids, especially our 10 year old son, have had some severe problems during this time…including 37 tardies on our 12 year old daughter’s report card (normally a very involved and good student) and some serious psychological problems requiring emergency intervention and psychiatric testing for our son.  He almost set the house on fire one night getting up at 2 am and lighting candles and matches all over the place while she was zoned out on her painkillers.  We are trying to work through that and are very focussed on our boy’s problems in particular, but when it is brought up that the divorce has had a big effect, she completely shuts off and denies that divorce is any problem for children and claims that she was "in a bad situation she simply had to get out of". Anyhow, the point of my post.  One of my biggest concerns since the seperation is the conditions that my children are living under.  To say that this woman is a slob is an understatement.  This was always an issue when we were married but now that I’m gone it has gotten way worse.  If I bring it up with her she throws a major fit and has even kicked me out of the house when I’m visiting my kids (just Thursday it happened again; I was in my son’s room and I mentioned to him that he needs to pick it up some and she said "what happens in this house is my business, not yours, now get the F*** out of my house"). She was just fired from her job and is now home so there is really no excuse…and it’s this bad :  the kids bedrooms are incredibly filthy.  There are just paths to the beds.  The floors are littered with papers, toys, clothes, food, etc etc etc.  You cannot eat at the kitchen table.  She has covered it with various papers, books, toys, old food containers, etc and it stays that way.  The bathroom reeks of both human and cat waste; last time I was in there I had to wipe the mirror clean to see myself.  The floors have not been vacuumed in months.  Usually dishes are done but the kitchen and dining room floors are usually unswept, and have food and cut up papers, etc all over the floor.  Her (formerly our) bedroom is about the worst. You get the picture. We are middle class people who make a good income and, at least before the divorce, had a reasonable lifestyle.  I don’t understand this and I don’t like my children living in this environment at all and am very worried about them. Since she is unwilling to do anything about this, I am strongly considering calling the Dept of Social Services to have them intervene.  I don’t like going that route at all and am afraid of what it can do to our kids if they go whole hog and take the kids from her but I don’t know what else to do.  Ideally we’d get the temp agreement overturned and give me use of the house and physical custody (although I don’t relish the major league shovelling job I’d have to do to clean up the mess).  I can take the kids temporarily if I can get custody but in the seperation all I could afford was a 1 bedroom apartment so I don’t think they’d let me have them full time. What are your thoughts on this???  Thanks in advance; I know that this is only one side of the story but I am not exaggerating at all the situation.

Response:

Geez — this is a tough one.  I’m not the best source of advice on approaching contested custody, and will leave that to others in this group. Given what you describe, though, I don’t see how you cannot intervene.  The dirty house (although it sounds gross) isn’t the main issue — your kids’ behavior is.  As to the best way(s) to go about it, I don’t know — but if I were in your shoes, I’d be finding out.  And documenting (in writing) my observations of what’s going on in the other house, dates of specific episodes of behavior, etc. Barb

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – I’ve posted here before when I was going through the seperation last year and many of you were very helpful. My wife filed for divorce last May and forced me out of my house over the next couple of months.  I couldn’t afford an attorney and essentially was pushed into a temporary agreement by her attorney that gave her the house, physical custody of our three kids, joint legal custody, a nice (to her) support award, etc. I was going to fight for custody (partly on the grounds that I thought what she was doing was immoral (breaking up her marriage because she just wanted to be a single mom and was totally unwilling to do anything to try to work on the relationship…long story) and she was also abusing prescription drugs, irresponsible with money, letting the house go, etc.).  However, after talking with some attorney friends of mine and from my experience in the mediation session at the courthouse ("are those prescription drugs hon?  oh, that’s no problem then"), it was obvious that all I could hope for as a dad was to spend tens of thousands I don’t have to end up right in the same spot. Well, since the seperation we’ve had some serious ups and downs in our ability to deal with each other.  I’ve tried to be reasonable at all times but I find her to be like a spoiled child and very difficult to deal with.  Our kids, especially our 10 year old son, have had some severe problems during this time…including 37 tardies on our 12 year old daughter’s report card (normally a very involved and good student) and some serious psychological problems requiring emergency intervention and psychiatric testing for our son.  He almost set the house on fire one night getting up at 2 am and lighting candles and matches all over the place while she was zoned out on her painkillers. We are trying to work through that and are very focussed on our boy’s problems in particular, but when it is brought up that the divorce has had a big effect, she completely shuts off and denies that divorce is any problem for children and claims that she was "in a bad situation she simply had to get out of". Anyhow, the point of my post.  One of my biggest concerns since the seperation is the conditions that my children are living under.  To say that this woman is a slob is an understatement.  This was always an issue when we were married but now that I’m gone it has gotten way worse.  If I bring it up with her she throws a major fit and has even kicked me out of the house when I’m visiting my kids (just Thursday it happened again; I was in my son’s room and I mentioned to him that he needs to pick it up some and she said "what happens in this house is my business, not yours, now get the F*** out of my house"). She was just fired from her job and is now home so there is really no excuse…and it’s this bad :  the kids bedrooms are incredibly filthy. There are just paths to the beds.  The floors are littered with papers, toys, clothes, food, etc etc etc.  You cannot eat at the kitchen table.  She has covered it with various papers, books, toys, old food containers, etc and it stays that way.  The bathroom reeks of both human and cat waste; last time I was in there I had to wipe the mirror clean to see myself.  The floors have not been vacuumed in months.  Usually dishes are done but the kitchen and dining room floors are usually unswept, and have food and cut up papers, etc all over the floor.  Her (formerly our) bedroom is about the worst. You get the picture. We are middle class people who make a good income and, at least before the divorce, had a reasonable lifestyle.  I don’t understand this and I don’t like my children living in this environment at all and am very worried about them. Since she is unwilling to do anything about this, I am strongly considering calling the Dept of Social Services to have them intervene.  I don’t like going that route at all and am afraid of what it can do to our kids if they go whole hog and take the kids from her but I don’t know what else to do.  Ideally we’d get the temp agreement overturned and give me use of the house and physical custody (although I don’t relish the major league shovelling job I’d have to do to clean up the mess).  I can take the kids temporarily if I can get custody but in the seperation all I could afford was a 1 bedroom apartment so I don’t think they’d let me have them full time. What are your thoughts on this???  Thanks in advance; I know that this is only one side of the story but I am not exaggerating at all the situation.

Response:

I think you already know the answer.  If what you have stated is not exaggerated then you have no choice but to bring in Social Services. But I would do it in person, not just a phone call. Let them KNOW you are doing this because of concern for your children’s well-being, NOT out of spite for your ex. It really sounds as if she needs some SERIOUS professional help.  These "problems" may be the result of a real mental illness, and beyond her capability of "fixing" them on her own. Still…your children shouldn’t have to suffer the consequences of it. You have every right to see to their health and safety. I wish you luck.  Please keep us updated as to what you decide and the end results. JA

Response:

I’ve posted here before when I was going through the seperation last year and many of you were very helpful. My wife filed for divorce last May and forced me out of my house over the next couple of months.  I couldn’t afford an attorney and essentially was pushed into a temporary agreement by her attorney that gave her the house, physical custody of our three kids, joint legal custody, a nice (to her) support award, etc. I was going to fight for custody (partly on the grounds that I thought what she was doing was immoral (breaking up her marriage because she just wanted to be a single mom and was totally unwilling to do anything to try to work on the relationship…long story) and she was also abusing prescription drugs, irresponsible with money, letting the house go, etc.).  However, after talking with some attorney friends of mine and from my experience in the mediation session at the courthouse ("are those prescription drugs hon?  oh, that’s no problem then"), it was obvious that all I could hope for as a dad was to spend tens of thousands I don’t have to end up right in the same spot. Well, since the seperation we’ve had some serious ups and downs in our ability to deal with each other.  I’ve tried to be reasonable at all times but I find her to be like a spoiled child and very difficult to deal with.  Our kids, especially our 10 year old son, have had some severe problems during this time…including 37 tardies on our 12 year old daughter’s report card (normally a very involved and good student) and some serious psychological problems requiring emergency intervention and psychiatric testing for our son.  He almost set the house on fire one night getting up at 2 am and lighting candles and matches all over the place while she was zoned out on her painkillers.  We are trying to work through that and are very focussed on our boy’s problems in particular, but when it is brought up that the divorce has had a big effect, she completely shuts off and denies that divorce is any problem for children and claims that she was "in a bad situation she simply had to get out of". Anyhow, the point of my post.  One of my biggest concerns since the seperation is the conditions that my children are living under.  To say that this woman is a slob is an understatement.  This was always an issue when we were married but now that I’m gone it has gotten way worse.  If I bring it up with her she throws a major fit and has even kicked me out of the house when I’m visiting my kids (just Thursday it happened again; I was in my son’s room and I mentioned to him that he needs to pick it up some and she said "what happens in this house is my business, not yours, now get the F*** out of my house"). She was just fired from her job and is now home so there is really no excuse…and it’s this bad :  the kids bedrooms are incredibly filthy.  There are just paths to the beds.  The floors are littered with papers, toys, clothes, food, etc etc etc.  You cannot eat at the kitchen table.  She has covered it with various papers, books, toys, old food containers, etc and it stays that way.  The bathroom reeks of both human and cat waste; last time I was in there I had to wipe the mirror clean to see myself.  The floors have not been vacuumed in months.  Usually dishes are done but the kitchen and dining room floors are usually unswept, and have food and cut up papers, etc all over the floor.  Her (formerly our) bedroom is about the worst. You get the picture. We are middle class people who make a good income and, at least before the divorce, had a reasonable lifestyle.  I don’t understand this and I don’t like my children living in this environment at all and am very worried about them.   Since she is unwilling to do anything about this, I am strongly considering calling the Dept of Social Services to have them intervene.  I don’t like going that route at all and am afraid of what it can do to our kids if they go whole hog and take the kids from her but I don’t know what else to do.  Ideally we’d get the temp agreement overturned and give me use of the house and physical custody (although I don’t relish the major league shovelling job I’d have to do to clean up the mess).  I can take the kids temporarily if I can get custody but in the seperation all I could afford was a 1 bedroom apartment so I don’t think they’d let me have them full time. What are your thoughts on this???  Thanks in advance; I know that this is only one side of the story but I am not exaggerating at all the situation.

Response:

Question:

   Is there a recognized curriculum that would qualify an individual to be an auditor of financial computer systems?  It would span the range of PC-based software to complex systems running on mainframes (e.g., Oracle Financials).  I have looked at the course catalog for a couple of schools in my area (Maryland) but don’t see anything that jumps out.  There is the standard auditing course (Accounting Information Systems) but that seems to be a survey course, not something that prepares someone to qualify for such a job.  I completed a series of Accounting courses some years ago, am pretty well acquainted with the fundamentals of accounting, but not with the auditing and its computer aspects.

Response:

Look at the AICPA web site www.aicpa.org they have lots of certifications for this type of thing.  I can’t recall at this time what specifically it is. Andy Meiners CPA

– Hide quoted text — Show quoted text –    Is there a recognized curriculum that would qualify an individual to be an auditor of financial computer systems?  It would span the range of PC-based software to complex systems running on mainframes (e.g., Oracle Financials).  I have looked at the course catalog for a couple of schools in my area (Maryland) but don’t see anything that jumps out.  There is the standard auditing course (Accounting Information Systems) but that seems to be a survey course, not something that prepares someone to qualify for such a job.  I completed a series of Accounting courses some years ago, am pretty well acquainted with the fundamentals of accounting, but not with the auditing and its computer aspects.

Response:

  Is there a recognized curriculum that would qualify an individual to be an auditor of financial computer systems?

Do you know the CISA (Certified Information System Auditor)? More Information you will find on www.isaca.org. Thomas

Response:

Question:

OK, Now I see. In order for an S Corporation to lower my tax burden, I would have to take a salary that I would pay FICA, etc. and take quarterly shareholder distributions, which would not be subject to self employment tax.  Is this correct?

Whether or not you’ll be able to take distributions are going to depend on a number of factors, including whether your salary is "reasonable" given the facts.  That is, you can’t take a $10 salary and then take $1,000,000 in distributions if you are working 40 hours a week 52 weeks a year.  But exactly where the cut-off point will be remains to be determined. Offsetting this advantage is the potential problem that you run into by trapping an appreciating asset (goodwill is a principal one) inside of a corporate entity, especially if the S corporation election is intentionally or accidentally terminated *OR* if a situation arose where you’d like to disincorporate.

Response:

OK, Now I see. In order for an S Corporation to lower my tax burden, I would have to take a salary that I would pay FICA, etc. and take quarterly shareholder distributions, which would not be subject to self employment tax.  Is this correct? Also, is a W-9 the only form I have to have on file for sub-contractors? Thanks again, Chip – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text -I have a Limitied Liability Company in Louisiana and a tax consultant advised me that I should disolve this company, incorporate and elect an S Corporation Status.  The consultant advised that I would not have to pay self employment tax with the S Corporation.  However, my attorney advised that the above advice was incorrect.  That I do not pay any more taxes as a LLC than I would as a S Corporation.  I am now torn between two self proclaimed experts. Can anyone please give me their opinion on this subject? Thanks in advance, Chip Shaver

Response:

Chip, you’ve received an awful lot of free advice. Too much, perhaps. The real issue is – what will your services to the business be worth? If it’s a manufacturer’s rep’ company, personal services (sales efforts) would generate all revenue produced. In that situation, the net profits should all result in taxable compensation. On the other hand if you were not at all involved in producing any revenue, your "take" would result from your capital contribution, which "should not" get taxed for Social Security or Medicare taxes. The IRS has taken a lopsided stance {evidenced by the Spicer case (provided by Ed Zollers)} regarding S Corps that none of their income should escape those taxes. Your advisors should also consider any differences in state or local taxes in their analysis. Your question is much too complicated for a simple answer. – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – OK, Now I see. In order for an S Corporation to lower my tax burden, I would have to take a salary that I would pay FICA, etc. and take quarterly shareholder distributions, which would not be subject to self employment tax.  Is this correct? Also, is a W-9 the only form I have to have on file for sub-contractors? Thanks again, Chip I have a Limitied Liability Company in Louisiana and a tax consultant advised me that I should disolve this company, incorporate and elect an S Corporation Status.  The consultant advised that I would not have to pay self employment tax with the S Corporation.  However, my attorney advised that the above advice was incorrect.  That I do not pay any more taxes as a LLC than I would as a S Corporation.  I am now torn between two self proclaimed experts. Can anyone please give me their opinion on this subject? Thanks in advance, Chip Shaver

Response:

Thanks for taking the time to reply. So, from the above post, if I take all income as a owner’s draw from an S Corporation, I would be exempt self employment tax?   If I disolve the LLC and form a Inc., should I complete close my books and open another company in quickbooks or is it acceptable to just print the reports from the date of the new company? Thanks in advance, Chip

Response:

So, from the above post, if I take all income as a owner’s draw from an S Corporation, I would be exempt self employment tax?  

Sorry, that is not going to work (at least if you get caught), since the courts have rather clearly ruled against that structure for someone whose services are crucial to the corporation.  Well, OK, the corporation will be subject to FICA (and FUTA) but it’s basically the same issue. For your enjoyment, here is the full Spicer Accounting case —begin quoted text SPICER ACCOUNTING, INC., PLAINTIFF-APPELLANT v. U.S., DEFENDANT-APPELLEE. Case Information: Code Sec(s): 3401  Court Name:  U.S. Court of Appeals, Ninth Circuit, (CA9)   Docket No.:  No. 89-35071, Date Decided:  11/01/1990 Prior History:  District Court affirmed. Tax Year(s):  Years 1981, 1982. Disposition:  Decision for Govt. Cites:  66 AFTR 2d 90-5806, 918 F2d 90, 91-1 USTC P 50103. OPINION Counsel Robert E. Kovacevich, Spokane, Wash., Atty. for Plaintiff-Appellant. Shirley D. Peterson, Asst. Atty. Gen., Dept. of Justice, Wash., D.C., for Defendant-Appellee. Appeal from the United States District Court for the District of Idaho. Harold L. Ryan, District Judge, Presiding. Before Procter HUG, JR., Dorothy W. NELSON and Melvin BRUNETTI, Circuit Judges. Judge: NELSON, Circuit Judge: Taxpayer accounting corporation seeks a refund for FICA and FUTA taxes paid to the IRS on behalf of Mr. Spicer. Taxpayer contends that payments paid to Mr. Spicer were dividends, since payments made to stockholders in a subchapter S corporation are not wages. We find that because payments received by Mr. Spicer were for substantial services rendered, these payments are "wages" subject to FICA and FUTA. Taxpayer asserts, in the alternative, that it was not liable for FICA and FUTA because Mr. Spicer was an independent contractor, not an employee. We deny Taxpayer’s claim finding that there is no evidence that Mr. Spicer was an independent contractor. Finally, we hold that

Question:

Has anybody tried this? Seems like a very interesting package.   IT is a client-server package running on a proprietary database with a whole propritary language and application development environment.  The developer’s IDE is being sold as  "Like Visual Basic." They been around since the 1970s.  Current owner bought the company in 1989, I think. Located New York. You can login to their website www.appgen.com and run a full-featured accounting system over the internet. Cost $595 per module, plus (grimace) $2495 for the main program.  So you’re probably talking 5-6K, at least. But this is one of the few, genuine Web GLs and a LOT cheaper than Great Plains or some other hyped, promoted packages that only do remote sites over Citrix. They do 1-day presentations around the US.  They’re coming to Seattle july 15th at the Westin Hotel. Schedule at www.linuxreseller.com Has anybody had recent experience with AppGen?  I have a client who has a really old version running SCO on old Altos computers.  antique. * Todd F. Boyle CPA    http://www.GLDialtone.com/ * 9745-128th Av NE, Kirkland WA 98033       (425) 827-3107 * XML Accounting Web ledger ASP netledger, web GL Dialtone, whatever.

Response:

Appgen, as a database and programming platform, is worth consideration, particularly for non-MS pro-Unix development. I heard their pitch about a year ago and have followed their progress, although I missed the local Linux roadshow. I think I threw them a curve.  They claimed that Appgen was used to develop many high-quality, successful vertical applications.  My response was, tell me what they are and I will formulate a marketing program to offer those verticals to those industries in Southern California.  I’m still waiting. Respectfully,  - Carl Dick – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – Has anybody tried this? Seems like a very interesting package.   IT is a client-server package running on a proprietary database with a whole propritary language and application development environment.  The developer’s IDE is being sold as  "Like Visual Basic." They been around since the 1970s.  Current owner bought the company in 1989, I think. Located New York. You can login to their website www.appgen.com and run a full-featured accounting system over the internet. Cost $595 per module, plus (grimace) $2495 for the main program.  So you’re probably talking 5-6K, at least. But this is one of the few, genuine Web GLs and a LOT cheaper than Great Plains or some other hyped, promoted packages that only do remote sites over Citrix. They do 1-day presentations around the US.  They’re coming to Seattle july 15th at the Westin Hotel. Schedule at www.linuxreseller.com Has anybody had recent experience with AppGen?  I have a client who has a really old version running SCO on old Altos computers.  antique. * Todd F. Boyle CPA    http://www.GLDialtone.com/ * 9745-128th Av NE, Kirkland WA 98033       (425) 827-3107 * XML Accounting Web ledger ASP netledger, web GL Dialtone, whatever.

Response:

Question:

These are the top 5 accounting packages that we’ve seen clients using on the higher end.   Typically higher end means the software processes a greater number of transactions without slowing down and offers a greater number of features such as enhanced inventory and order entry. In no particular order – and with comments attached – these are the top 5 that we’ve encountered: ACCPAC – Older system. Best feature seems to be that it has lots of users. http://www.accpac.com Macola – A favorite of companies looking for canned manufacturing software. A little more difficult to use if you aren’t primarily looking to use the manufacturing modules. http://www.macola.com Great Plains – Perennial top choice for their excellent technical support.  Their Dynamics program is very flexible but may still have some stability concerns.  Success with this program seems very dependent on the reseller doing the installation. http://www.gps.com Solomon – A favorite for those looking to customize. Similar stability issues as Great Plains due to the fact that it was rewritten from the ground up. Market for this software tends to be larger companies with adequate budget to getting it up and going.  http://www.solomon.com MAS 90 – Over 90,000 users nationwide.  They didn’t rewrite from the ground up for their windows product and that allowed for a more feature rich and stable product. We have latest info on our site at http://www.s-consult.com or you can surf on over to the official MAS 90 site at http://www.sota.com Schulz Consulting http://www.s-consult.com MAS 90 accounting software consultants since 1986 860-295-9271 Keywords: MAS90 , Connecticut, CT, Accounting, Support

Response:

Just FYI: Accpac is not an older system, it’s pretty much current in all aspects of the accounting software development, including Windows versions of the product, Web integration, etc.  And usually lots of users do not appear overnight for no reason: there must be some other "best feature", don’t  you think . Regards, Serguei Popovski – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – These are the top 5 accounting packages that we’ve seen clients using on the higher end. Typically higher end means the software processes a greater number of transactions without slowing down and offers a greater number of features such as enhanced inventory and order entry. In no particular order – and with comments attached – these are the top 5 that we’ve encountered: ACCPAC – Older system. Best feature seems to be that it has lots of users. http://www.accpac.com Macola – A favorite of companies looking for canned manufacturing software. A little more difficult to use if you aren’t primarily looking to use the manufacturing modules. http://www.macola.com Great Plains – Perennial top choice for their excellent technical support.  Their Dynamics program is very flexible but may still have some stability concerns.  Success with this program seems very dependent on the reseller doing the installation. http://www.gps.com Solomon – A favorite for those looking to customize. Similar stability issues as Great Plains due to the fact that it was rewritten from the ground up. Market for this software tends to be larger companies with adequate budget to getting it up and going.  http://www.solomon.com MAS 90 – Over 90,000 users nationwide.  They didn’t rewrite from the ground up for their windows product and that allowed for a more feature rich and stable product. We have latest info on our site at http://www.s-consult.com or you can surf on over to the official MAS 90 site at http://www.sota.com Schulz Consulting http://www.s-consult.com MAS 90 accounting software consultants since 1986 860-295-9271 Keywords: MAS90 , Connecticut, CT, Accounting, Support

Response:

Do any of these have greater strengths for Wholesale Distribution companies? says… – Hide quoted text — Show quoted text – In no particular order – and with comments attached – these are the top 5 that we’ve encountered: ACCPAC – Older system. Best feature seems to be that it has lots of users. http://www.accpac.com Macola – A favorite of companies looking for canned manufacturing software. A little more difficult to use if you aren’t primarily looking to use the manufacturing modules. http://www.macola.com Great Plains – Perennial top choice for their excellent technical support.  Their Dynamics program is very flexible but may still have some stability concerns.  Success with this program seems very dependent on the reseller doing the installation. http://www.gps.com Solomon – A favorite for those looking to customize. Similar stability issues as Great Plains due to the fact that it was rewritten from the ground up. Market for this software tends to be larger companies with adequate budget to getting it up and going.  http://www.solomon.com MAS 90 – Over 90,000 users nationwide.  They didn’t rewrite from the ground up for their windows product and that allowed for a more feature rich and stable product. We have latest info on our site at http://www.s-consult.com or you can surf on over to the official MAS 90 site at http://www.sota.com

Response: