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US Rep. Hastings still pushing |
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Saturday, 23 August 2008 |
U.S. Representative Alcee L. Hastings (D-Miramar) has issued a
statement expressing his concern for the people of Haiti following
Tropical Storm Fay’s drenching of the island which has caused high wind
storms, flash floods, and mudslides.
In his statement Hastings also called on President Bush to grant
Haitian nationals currently residing in the U.S. Temporary Protected
Status (TPS).
The US Rep said, “My thoughts and prayers are with the people of Haiti,
Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, and the other countries impacted
by Tropical Storm Fay. I will do everything I can to ensure that the
United States provides the necessary assistance to help these countries
recover from this storm.”
Hastings who is an ardent supporter of
Haitian causes said, “In light of Fay’s impact on Haiti, I once again
call on President Bush to grant Haitians in the United State Temporary
Protected Status. To force Haitians to return to Haiti anytime in the
near future not only places their lives and well-being in jeopardy, but
places added strain on the Haitian government as it tries to recover
from Fay and meet the needs of its citizens.”
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
According to a Sun-Sentinel report clear racial discrimination is being
practiced by the manager at a Davie apartment complex. The reports
stated that the racist manager has been denying rental contracts to
African-American applicants, and then use the absence of African
American tenants in the complex to appeal to whites. This was the
accusation made against apartment manager Dan Murroni of the College
Square Apartment complex located at 6600 SW 39th Street in Davie and
C.F. Enterprises LLC in a lawsuit filed Wednesday by the U.S. Justice
Department.
The lawsuit accuses the parties of discriminating against Black people
trying to rent the apartments in violation of the Fair Housing Act.
Evidence was gathered through the department's Operation Home Sweet
Home initiative, where individuals pose as renters to identify possible
discriminatory practices.
The complaint alleges the defendants discouraged African-Americans from
applying and offered to waive the application fee and other costs for
white applicants only. The lawsuit, filed in Fort Lauderdale federal
court, seeks an injunction against further discrimination, money
damages for victims and civil penalties to be paid to the United States.
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Tax shortfall could be worse than expected |
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Monday, 18 August 2008 |
According to reports, the decline in Florida’s tax revenues could be
much more significant than was originally projected. It said state
economists plan to meet on Friday, August 15 to determine how bad a
deficit there will be in the state’s budget as a result of declining
sales tax revenues. Estimates are that the state could be faced with a
deficit as high as $1.2 billion. To make up such a huge shortfall,
Governor Charlie Crist will have two options – one to propose more
budget cuts, or to take funds from the state’s capital reserve.
The state Legislature’s chief economist, Amy Baker, confirmed that the
estimated deficit could be real, but the exact figure cannot be
confirmed until the Revenue Estimating Conference meets to analyze and
determine the revenue numbers. However, there are real indications that
the unusually high fuel prices that impacted the state since April, did
affect the spending power of consumers resulting in less retail
purchase. Since April, the state has collected a monthly average of
$102 million less in sale tax revenues. Unless there is a significant
decline in the price of fuel sold in the state, sales tax revenue will
continue to fall.
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National unemployment continues to rise |
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Sunday, 10 August 2008 |
There seems to be no end to depressing national economic news. As
August dawned there were reports from the U.S. Department of Labor that
national unemployment continued to rise, from 5.5 percent in June to
5.7 percent in July. The .2 percent increase translates to an
additional 51,000 people joining the list of the unemployed. Since
January 463,000 Americans have lost their jobs.
Ironically, while the depressing unemployment data was being announced,
one of the nation’s largest oil companies Exxon-Mobile was announcing
whopping quarterly profits of over $11 billion. On the other hand
General Motors, a legend in the American auto industry was reporting a
massive quarterly loss of over $15 billion.
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Hurricane Preparedness Web Site |
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Sunday, 10 August 2008 |
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Committed to helping residents be "Ready. Set. Safe" during a
severe
storm or hurricane, Broward County now features comprehensive
lists of
generator-ready grocery stores and gas stations on the
official Broward
County Hurricane Preparedness Web site, http://www.broward.org/hurricane.
The
web site consists of more than 70 grocery stores throughout
Broward
County, including Publix, Albertsons, Winn-Dixie, Whole Foods
and Sedano's
supermarkets. If extensive property damage does not occur,
these stores
expect to be ready to open for business shortly after a
hurricane.
The web site also features a list of generator-ready
gas stations. A law
requiring certain gas stations to be pre-wired for
backup generators took
effect at the beginning of the 2007 hurricane
season. In Broward County,
all large gas stations with at least 16
fueling positions located within a half-mile of an
interstate, turnpike
or evacuation route must install a pre-wired system to accommodate the
use of a generator. The law does not require the station to be open for
business after a
natural disaster.
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