State legislators must fix foster care crisis

Report notes alarming rise in children who become state wards

The Detroit News

http://www.detnews.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20070725/OPINION01/707250335/1...

State government has received another wake-up call that it is taking too
many children from their parents and doing an inadequate job of raising
them. It is time for the Legislature to fix laws that may be fueling a
crisis among permanent wards of the state.

The warning comes from the annual Kids Count in Michigan report, which
found that almost 28,000 Michigan children spent some time in foster
care during 2004. The number of children taken from their parents and
placed in state-supported care has more than doubled since 1994,
averaging more than 6,000 a year.

"The state has worked hard at making kids safe, but now we need to take
the next step to help them find a family," says Jane Zehnder-Merrell,
director of Kids Count in Michigan and a senior research associate at
the Michigan League for Human Services.

DaveJohnson12@nomail. writes:

They have self-cleaning toilets in San Francisco and some nearby
communities. These are basically rooms containing a single tiolet.
The door is controlled with a timer and springs open after some
interval. The cleaning mechanism is not visible, but whatever
goes on is nasty enough that they make sure nobody is inside when
it goes on. To start it, you have to put a coin into a slot. It
won't accept the coin while the tiolet is being cleaned.

CHARLESTON, South Carolina (CNN) -- Responding to critics who say that al
Qaeda in Iraq is not the same group that attacked the United States on Sept.
11, 2001, President Bush on Tuesday shared intelligence information he said
links the two.

President Bush said Tuesday that al Qaeda in Iraq is part of Osama bin
Laden's terrorist network.

Charges that al Qaeda in Iraq did not exist until the U.S. "invasion of Iraq
and that it's a problem of our own making" are part of the "flawed logic
that terror is caused by American actions," Bush said.

"Al Qaeda in Iraq is run by foreign leaders loyal to Osama bin Laden," Bush
said. "Like bin Laden, they are cold-blooded killers who murder the innocent
to achieve al Qaeda's political objectives.

"Yet, despite all of the evidence, some will tell you that al Qaeda in Iraq
is not really al Qaeda and not really a threat to America."

At least one intelligence analyst suggested a focus on al Qaeda in Iraq
oversimplifies the problem there. Former acting CIA director and CNN
national security adviser John McLaughlin said the situation is more
complex.

On Jul 5, 8:58 pm, "Couch Potato" wrote:

She needs vibrator/on Howard Sterd show, what a blast......

Subject: Did Noah Build The Ark? Part 5. July 22, 2007.

Here they examine some of the rivets used in the construction of the Ark.
It would be my humble suggestion that all who are interested in this
material take a look at the pictures on the following web site:
http://www.barry.warmkessel.com

............................................................................
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....

Figure 3. The General External Image Of The Ark.
http://www.wyattmuseum.com/noahs-ark-05.htm
Mapping of the Ark's bulkheads was no casual affair. Sophisticated
ground penetrating radar was employed to outline the remains of the
relic. See Figure 4. Note elements of the two long longitudinal
bulkheads extend outside the hull.

Figure 4.

Forecaster cuts 2007 hurricane outlook
Tue Jul 24, 2007 8:56PM EDT

NEW YORK (Reuters) -The 2007 hurricane season may be less severe than
forecast due to cooler-than-expected water temperatures in the
tropical Atlantic, private forecaster WSI Corp said on Tuesday.

The season will bring 14 named storms, of which six will become
hurricanes and three will become major hurricanes, WSI said in its
revised outlook. WSI had previously expected 15 named storms of which
eight would become hurricanes and four would become major hurricanes.

"Because the ocean temperatures have not yet rebounded from the
significant drop in late spring, we have decided to reduce our
forecast numbers slightly," said Todd Crawford, a WSI seasonal
forecaster.

The energy and insurance industries are keenly watching the 2007 storm
season after the record damage caused by hurricanes two years ago.

During the 2005 season, hurricanes Katrina and Rita devastated parts
of the U.S. Gulf Coast and temporarily knocked out a quarter of U.S.
crude and fuel production, sending energy prices to then-record highs.

But the official presidential campaign of Barack Obama said Tuesday it
was unaware of the activities of the entirely unauthorized Southern
California-based fundraising efforts of Emmett Cash III -- a
self-proclaimed former movie mogul who was a registered Republican until
last month.
---------------

Cashing in on fame of popular Obama
Unauthorized fundraising effort gives nothing to official campaign

http://sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2007/07/25/OBAMA.TMP&tsp=1

The state chairman of the "Californians for Obama" campaign has raised
thousands of dollars in donations through promotions ranging from
celebrity-studded Mexican cruises to CD sales to campaign office "grand
openings" in support of the popular Illinois Democratic senator and
presidential candidate.

But the official presidential campaign of Barack Obama said Tuesday it
was unaware of the activities of the entirely unauthorized Southern
California-based fundraising efforts of Emmett Cash III -- a
self-proclaimed former movie mogul who was a registered Republican until
last month.

Yup.......The "Surge" is WORKING and America is NOTICING........Ain't
That A HOOT?........Of course, the Pathetic Democrats are "Noticing",
too........Success In Iraq is the Democrats' WORST NIGHTMARE,
Donchaknow.........Heehee..........

"AFP - Wednesday, July 25 WASHINGTON (AFP) - - The US military said
Tuesday that planning is underway to keep US troops in Iraq at least
through 2009 as President George W. Bush portrayed the unpopular war
as a "must win" struggle against Al-Qaeda.

Public support for the war has bounced back slightly after plunging to
an all-time low in May, but two of every three Americans still believe
US forces should be brought home in part or entirely, according to a
New York Times/CBS News poll.

The New York Times/CBS News poll conducted over the weekend showed
some movement in Bush's favor since May, a low point when 61 percent
of those polled said they were against the US invasion of Iraq, and 35
percent said they were for it.

In the latest poll, 51 percent were against the invasion and 42
percent in favor.

Disfavor for Bush Hits Rare Heights
In Modern Era, Only Nixon Scored Worse, And Only Truman Was Down for
So Long

http://tinyurl.com/2sxc4c

President Bush is a competitive guy. But this is one contest he would
rather lose. With 18 months left in office, he is in the running for
most unpopular president in the history of modern polling.

The latest Washington Post-ABC News survey shows that 65 percent of
Americans disapprove of Bush's job performance, matching his all-time
low. In polls conducted by The Post or Gallup going back to 1938, only
once has a president exceeded that level of public animosity -- and
that was Richard M. Nixon, who hit 66 percent four days before he
resigned.

Reports detail abuse at Texas facilities
Records show mentally retarded were pushed, hit, kicked by staffers

By JANET ELLIOTT and LISA SANDBERG
Copyright 2007 Houston Chronicle Austin Bureau

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/front/4992738.html

AUSTIN — Abuse, neglect and humiliation are a stark reality for hundreds
of mentally retarded children and adults living in Texas' state schools,
employee disciplinary records show.

With disturbing regularity, employees pushed, hit, kicked, knocked down
and dragged residents. One of the worst cases occurred in December 2005,
when a caretaker at Brenham State School hit or kicked a resident hard
enough to cause three cracked ribs and a lacerated liver.

Workers also frequently neglected their frail charges, in some cases
allowing them to eat cigarette butts, scald themselves or be sexually
abused by other residents.

The Houston Chronicle reviewed hundreds of pages of documents showing
how employees were disciplined for abuse and neglect at nine different
facilities. The Texas Attorney General ordered the records released
under the state public information laws.