Rick Santorum endorsement, Citizen Wells endorses Santorum for presidency, God Family Constitution Defense Budget, Legal immigration, Obama eligibility

Rick Santorum endorsement, Citizen Wells endorses Santorum for presidency, God Family Constitution Defense Budget, Legal immigration, Obama eligibility

My friends have been asking me for weeks what my preference in a presidential candidate is. For weeks I have been stating, Rick Santorum. An intelligent, well informed friend of mine who I have known for many years agrees.

So far my biggest gripe with Santorum was his response to Obama’s eligibility deficiency. However, many otherwise good Americans have been fooled by the Orwellian brainwashing of the mainstream media. Like many decisions in life, Santorum for me is the lesser of evils, however, I find most of his positions appealing.

From the DesMoines Register August 7, 2011.

“Candidate profile: Rick Santorum refuses to compromise on principles”

“Pennsylvania Sen. Rick Santorum knew he was in trouble as he sought re-election to his third term in 2006.

Public opinion was hardening against the war in Iraq and the president who started it. All signs pointed to a bad year for Republicans.

His supporters were blunt, recalled Charlie Artz, a Harrisburg lawyer and a friend since they were in their 20s. To win, they said, you need to change
course. You need to soften your opinions.

But Santorum wouldn’t budge. He described the state of America’s families as a moral crisis. He declared the nation at a critical crossroads in a fight
against radical Islamists. And he ultimately lost by 18 points to Bob Casey Jr., the largest margin of defeat for an incumbent senator since 1980.

“Rick is a very devout Catholic guy, and he believes in the principles of the founding fathers of this country,” Artz said. “He is not willing to compromise
on that. He will stand for his beliefs and his principles above any political expediency.”

Santorum, 53, is not about to start mincing words now that he’s seeking the Republican presidential nomination. That leaves little room in the middle between his supporters and his detractors.

Jamie Johnson of Stratford is a Christian pastor who has worked in 40 Republican political campaigns over the past two decades. He said he was drawn to join Santorum’s presidential bid after watching him lead the charge on family values legislation in Congress.

“I thought, ‘Wow. This guy is a guy of energy and passion and convictions,’ ” Johnson said. “If there was ever a time for a muscular Republican leader to
stand up against President Obama, it is now. I don’t see Michele Bachmann or Tim Pawlenty or Rick Perry having the intellectual or spiritual muscle to go toe
to toe with Barack Obama.”

Jim Burn, chairman of the Pennsylvania Democratic Party, has closely monitored Santorum’s political career, too, but sees him in an entirely different light.
By 2006, Pennsylvanians had come to view Santorum as completely out of touch with their values, he said.

“He was viewed as a Republican with extreme right-wing beliefs and was not viable,” Burn said.

His story starts with emigrating granddad
Santorum’s political outlook is firmly rooted in family.

On the campaign trail, he frequently tells the story of how his grandfather came to America from Italy in the 1920s because he detested living under fascist
dictator Benito Mussolini. His grandfather worked in Pennsylvania’s coal mines until he was 72, Santorum said.

During a campaign stop in July in Marion, Ia., Santorum told of kneeling before his grandfather’s casket as a teenager and looking at his large folded hands,
holding a rosary. His grandfather’s independence and hard work brought freedom to his family, he said.

“He gave me the opportunities that I have,” Santorum said. “I feel like I am standing on his shoulders.”

He describes his grandfather, Pietro, known as Pete, and his father, Aldo, a psychologist, as strong-willed, a trait he shares.

His dad was a typical Italian father who “would always yell first and speak softly later,” he said.

Santorum grew up in Virginia and Pennsylvania. Both his father and mother, Catherine, a nurse, worked for the Veterans Administration.

After earning bachelor’s and master’s degrees, he became a staffer for Republican state Sen. Doyle Corman while he earned a law degree. Then, too, he
demonstrated his strong-willed streak.

Corman said he hired Santorum because he was bright and ambitious, and Corman let Santorum know he was free to argue with his boss about politics.

“If Rick thought that I was headed in the wrong direction, we would have debates over it, and the staff couldn’t believe how hot our debates would get at
times,” Corman recalled in a phone interview. “You could hear us through the walls, but I wanted that, and Rick made me think things out well.”

Fast-rising career in U.S. House, Senate
He was a young man on a fast track. He started work for a prominent Pittsburgh law firm and did some lobbying at the Pennsylvania Capitol. Four years after
graduating from law school, he launched a bid for Congress.

Corman and others told him to forget it because it would be too difficult to defeat a long-term Democratic incumbent.

“He beat that seven-term incumbent, and the rest is history,” Corman said.

As a 32-year-old freshman, Santorum joined former U.S. Rep. Jim Nussle of Iowa and others to focus on government reform, becoming a member of the “Gang of Seven” that exposed the House banking and post office scandals.

In 1994, at 36, he won election to the Senate, once again unseating an incumbent, Democrat Harris Wofford. Two years later, he was an author and floor manager of a landmark welfare reform act that moved millions of people from the welfare rolls to the work force.

Again and again, he pressed abortion fight
It was about this time that he and his family experienced a defining moment, underlining his commitment to reverence for life.

After Santorum and his wife arrived in Washington, D.C., their family quickly grew to three children. But in 1996, Karen Santorum, who had worked as a neo-
natal nurse and a lawyer, experienced a difficult pregnancy.

During labor, she developed a severe infection in her uterus, and her temperature soared to 105 degrees. Their son was born prematurely and lived only two hours.

Karen Santorum describes how she and her husband brought their deceased infant home instead of allowing the child to be placed in a refrigerated morgue.
Their daughter, Elizabeth, cuddled the infant and announced, “This is my baby brother, Gabriel; he is an angel.”

A priest celebrated the Mass of the Angels in his grandparents’ living room, and the casket was placed in the back seat of the family’s van as they drove to
the cemetery.

Karen Santorum wrote a book about her son, “Letters to Gabriel: The True Story of Gabriel Michael Santorum,” which includes a forward by Mother Teresa of Calcutta.

At the same time, Rick Santorum was leading efforts in the U.S. Senate to ban what he describes as partial-birth abortions.

Santorum acknowledges that other Republican presidential candidates also say they oppose abortion. But he portrays himself as the candidate who has a proven
record fighting to restrict it.

He has spoken of losing a battle against President Bill Clinton for a partial-birth abortion act.

“I didn’t just offer (the bill), but I stood there and fought … year in and year out,” Santorum said. “We lost because Bill Clinton would veto the bill. …
But I continued to fight. I continued to stand up for life, and God blessed us.” (The bill was signed into law under President George W. Bush.)

As senator, called for balancing the budget
Besides championing anti-abortion legislation in the Senate, he supported a balanced federal budget and a line-item veto to curb spending.

That record makes him the right choice to lead a nation confronting out-of-control spending and a downgraded credit rating, he says.

Even before the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Santorum proposed transforming the U.S. military from a Cold War force to a more agile one to meet modern threats. He was also a leader on U.S.-Israeli relations, authoring the “Syria Accountability Act” and the “Iran Freedom and Support Act,” despite initial opposition from President Bush.”

“Santorum has campaigned more days and conducted more events in Iowa than any other candidate. But he has had difficulty gaining traction. In The Des Moines Register’s Iowa Poll in June, he registered 4 percent support among likely Republican caucusgoers.

But he takes heart in a Quinnipiac University poll released last week that showed him in a dead heat with Obama in a theoretical presidential matchup in
Pennsylvania, a key swing state. And he reminds voters that he has twice defeated incumbent Democrats.

He also notes that Abraham Lincoln lost two Senate races before he was elected president.

His friend Artz says Santorum will outwork other candidates and would make a great president because he would always put the country first.

“I think he is going to surprise some people out there,” Artz said.”

““Rick won’t apologize for America being great, and he will defend Israel. He didn’t shy away from taking on the partial-birth abortion ban or welfare reform,
and he’s certainly not going to shy away from getting this country back on track.” — Kim Lehman, Iowa’s National Republican Committeewoman and former president of Iowa Right to Life

“I don’t comment on who would be a good president or a bad president, but I can tell you that a lot of Rick Santorum’s policies and priorities are not in
keeping with core constitutional principles.” — Rev. Barry Lynn, executive director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State

“Not many politicians have spine; this one does.” — Talk-show host Glenn Beck, introducing Santorum before a June interview on Fox News”

http://caucuses.desmoinesregister.com/2011/08/07/santorum-refuses-to-compromise-on-principles/

Rick Santorum meets my priorities of :

God
Family
Constitution
Defense
Budget

Rick Santorum, like other decent members of Congress such as Howard Coble was brainwashed by the mainstream media and their own congressional resources.

Rick Santorum told WND, “My understanding is that issue was solved. If there’s evidence to the contrary [showing Obama is not eligible], they should bring it forth.”

When Santorum was reminded about the Natural Born Citizen requirement he allegedly responded “I don’t think that’s what the Constitution requires, and he (President Obama) was born in the country, so it doesn’t matter.”

I personally believe that Rick Santorum, when properly advised , will reconsider his position on Obama’s eligibility and will be open to ask more questions and seek more answers.

Mr. Santorum, I am at your service.

Contact me.

Wells

2011 Worst year for new home sales on record, November home sales indicator of growth?, Existing home sales revised downward, Accurate reporting?

2011 worst year for new home sales on record, November home sales indicator of growth?, Existing home sales revised downward, Accurate reporting?

I was listening to the “news” on Friday and heard that the financial markets had reacted to a report that new home sales were up in November.

From Business Week December 23, 2011.

“U.S. Stocks Rise as Durable Goods, Home Sales Signal Expansion”

“U.S. stocks rose, pushing the Standard & Poor’s 500 Index to a 0.6 percent yearly rally, as expansion in U.S. industrial purchases and stronger new-home sales offset weaker-than-forecast consumer spending.”

http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LWNIPD6K50XU01-77BNR0NIDMIOSLU0177OO73CP4

New home sales reality check.

From MSN Business news December 26, 2011.

“Worst year for new home sales in US”

“Americans probably bought more homes in November, but 2011 likely will end up as the worst year for new-home sales since the government began keeping records in 1963.

Sales last month are expected to rise to a seasonally adjusted annual pace of 312,000, according to a survey of economists by FactSet. That’s less than half the 700,000 that economists say must be sold to sustain a healthy housing market.

The Commerce Department will release the report on Friday morning.

In October, new-home sales rose 1.3 per cent to a seasonally adjusted annual rate of 307,000. But the median price fell to its lowest level of the year: $US212,300 ($A210,200).

The year’s sales pace is trailing last year’s total of 323,000 new homes sold, the fewest on record.

Economists say housing is a long way from fully recovering. Builders have stopped working on many projects because it’s been hard for them to get financing or to compete with cheaper resale homes. For many Americans, buying a home remains too big a risk more than four years after the housing bubble burst.

Even so, home construction has begun a gradual comeback and should add to economic growth in 2011. The main reason is that the rate of apartment construction is nearly twice as fast as it was two years ago.

And rising interest from would-be buyers left US homebuilders less pessimistic about the housing market in December, according to the National Association of Home Builders/Wells Fargo builder sentiment index. It rose two points this month, reaching its highest level since May 2010.

Though new-home sales represent less than 10 per cent of the housing market, they have an outsize impact on the economy. Each home built creates an average of three jobs for a year and generates about $US90,000 in tax revenue, according to the National Association of Home Builders.

Home prices have tumbled, the job market remains weak and unemployment is still high at 8.6 per cent. Some people who want to buy can’t qualify for a loan or make the higher downpayments that banks are demanding.”

http://news.businessweek.com/article.asp?documentKey=1376-LWNIPD6K50XU01-77BNR0NIDMIOSLU0177OO73CP4

Existing homes sales were recently revised downward.

From Citizen Wells December 14, 2011.

“Five years of home sales to be revised lower in ‘meaningful’ way”

“If you thought the U.S. housing market couldn’t get much worse, think again.

Far fewer homes have been sold over the past five years than previously estimated, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday.

NAR said it plans to downwardly revise sales of previously-owned homes going back to 2007 during the release of its next existing home sales report on Dec. 21.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/12/14/five-years-of-home-sales-revised-lower-national-association-of-realtors-far-fewer-homes-sold-over-last-5-years-mls-data/

 

Five years of home sales revised lower, National Association of Realtors, Far fewer homes sold over last 5 years, MLS data

Five years of home sales revised lower, National Association of Realtors, Far fewer homes sold over last 5 years, MLS data

From the Chicago Tribune December 14, 2011.

“Five years of home sales to be revised lower in ‘meaningful’ way”

“If you thought the U.S. housing market couldn’t get much worse, think again.

Far fewer homes have been sold over the past five years than previously estimated, the National Association of Realtors said Tuesday.

NAR said it plans to downwardly revise sales of previously-owned homes going back to 2007 during the release of its next existing home sales report on Dec. 21.

NAR’s existing home sales numbers, released monthly, are a closely followed gauge of the health of the housing market.

While NAR hasn’t revealed exactly how big the revision to home sales will be, the agency’s chief economist Lawrence Yun said the decrease will be “meaningful.“

“For the real estate business, this means the housing market’s downturn was deeper than what was initially thought,“ Yun said.

Yun said the database NAR uses to track existing home sales, the Multiple Listing Service (MLS), has led the real estate agency to over-count existing home sales for several reasons.

The MLS database only includes home sales listed by realtors, and excludes homes listed by owners, providing a very narrow view of the market. And because more people are using realtors to list their homes instead of selling them independently, realtor-listed sales numbers have become artificially inflated, said Yun.

In addition, some of the assumptions NAR used in calculating its data have become outdated, since they were based on 2000 Census data.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-existing-home-sales-to-be-revised-lower-in-meaningful-way-20111214,0,2475335.story

Unemployment rate lies exagerations, Obama lies, 315000 Americans left the labor force, Worst jobless figures since Great Depression in NC

Unemployment rate lies exagerations, Obama lies, 315000 Americans left the labor force, Worst jobless figures since Great Depression in NC

“Guilford (Large NC County) appears on it’s way to a third consecutive year with annual jobless rates in double digits. Economists say that likely hasn’t happened since the Great Depression.”…Greensboro News Record December 2, 2011

“the Times of the nineteenth of December had published the official forecasts of the output of various classes of consumption goods in the fourth quarter of 1983, which was also the sixth quarter of the Ninth Three-Year Plan. Today’s issue contained a statement of the actual output, from which it appeared that the forecasts were in every instance grossly wrong. Winston’s job was to rectify the original figures by making them agree with the later ones.”…George Orwell, “1984″

From Gallup November 17, 2011.

“U.S. Unemployment Ticks Up in Mid-November

Underemployment is at 18.2%, with 9.7% working part time but seeking full-time jobs
by Dennis Jacobe, Chief EconomistPRINCETON, NJ — Unemployment, as measured by Gallup without seasonal adjustment, is 8.5% in mid-November — up from 8.3% in mid-October, but down significantly from 9.2% in mid-November 2010. Gallup’s mid-month unemployment measure suggests the government is likely to report no change in its seasonally adjusted unemployment rate for November 2011.
An additional 9.7% of U.S. employees work part time but want full-time work, up from 9.2% in mid-October. The current reading is significantly higher than the 8.5% of mid-November 2010.
Underemployment, a measure that combines the percentage of workers who are unemployed with the percentage working part time but wanting full-time work, is 18.2% — up from 17.5% a month ago. Underemployment stood at 17.7% in mid-November 2010.
Implications

Gallup’s analysis suggests that the deterioration in November unemployment is essentially the result of seasonal factors. In turn, this implies the government is likely to report on the first Friday in December that there was no change in the U.S. unemployment rate for November.”

http://www.gallup.com/poll/150794/unemployment-ticks-mid-november.aspx

From the US Labor Department December 2, 2011.

“The unemployment rate fell by 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent in November, and nonfarm payroll employment rose by 120,000, the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today. Employment continued to trend up in retail trade, leisure and hospitality, professional and business services, and health care. Government employment continued to trend down.”

“Household Survey Data

In November, the unemployment rate declined by 0.4 percentage point to 8.6 percent. From April through October, the rate held in a narrow range from 9.0 to 9.2 percent. The number of unemployed persons, at 13.3 million, was down by 594,000 in November. The labor force, which is the sum of the unemployed and employed, was down by a little more than half that amount.”

http://www.bls.gov/news.release/empsit.nr0.htm

From Bloomberg December 3, 2011.

“Household Survey
 
The unemployment rate, derived from a separate survey of households, was forecast to hold at 9 percent. The decrease in the jobless rate reflected a 278,000 gain in employment at the same time 315,000 Americans left the labor force.

“While the rate is certainly a very favorable rate, I would highlight that a lot of it is because people pulled out of the workforce,” Eric Rosengren, president of the Federal Reserve Bank of Boston, said in a speech yesterday.”

http://www.bloomberg.com/news/2011-12-03/payroll-gains-improve-as-u-s-unemployment-rate-drops-economy.html

From Rush Limbaugh December 2, 2011.

“Regime Manipulates Numbers to Get Unemployment Headline Under 9%”

“BEGIN TRANSCRIPT

RUSH: I don’t want to be an I told you so, but I told you so, and I told you so five weeks ago.  Gallup, every week, puts out their own unemployment numbers and Gallup has been signaling that this day unemployment below 9% was coming.  They’ve been blatantly saying so, based on their own unemployment data, which is not related to the Bureau of Labor Statistics reports.  It’s their own surveys; and in the last five weeks, occasionally they will say that their numbers that they come out with on a Wednesday or Thursday indicate that we’re getting very close to a Bureau of Labor Statistics unemployment number of under 9%.  I said, “The regime needs this, and when we finally get to under 9%, it will be eight-point-something, but the point-what won’t matter.  The only number that’s going to matter is the eight.

“It could be 8.9; it won’t be 8.9, it will be ’8.’”  Well, it’s 8.6, but it doesn’t matter, it’s eight; and predictably, the media’s all over it, and that’s the headline.  You know, I got up this morning and I did the show prep routine and one of the first places I always go is Drudge and I saw it right there in red, and it’s 8.6, and that’s all it said, and I knew what it was. It’s Friday, and I didn’t need to know anything else.  I knew that was the unemployment number, 8.6, and that’s all anybody else is gonna hear. They’re not gonna dig deep and find out how it happened.  Some people have, some people are. There’s a slight bit of reservation in certain sectors of the Drive-By Media.  But most of the Drive-By Media is doing hosannas and hallelujah and merry…

Well, Happy Holidays. They don’t do Merry Christmas in the media.  But we’re back, it’s done, they got the headline: “Unemployment, 8.6%!” Now, the truth of the matter is — and Bloomberg News even points out that the only way — it’s a corrupt number.  It is a corrupt number. Folks, the number of people who have quit looking for work in the last few weeks is 315,000.  Those are the people have thrown up their hands after 99 weeks or more of being unemployed; and they’ve said, “I’m quitting.  I’m not looking.”  So they’re not counted.  Therefore, the universe of jobs available in the country is down by 315,000.  That is the labor force participation rate.  The labor force participation rate is a meager 64%.  It fell to 64% from 64.2%.  So the 0.2% drop equals 315,000 people leaving the workforce.

That means there are 315,000 fewer jobs to have, so the universe of jobs has been steadily shrinking.  What was the number of jobs created?  It’s 120,000 jobs.  It’s 120, 126,000, whatever. That’s in the ballpark.  That number of jobs created can lower unemployment rate 0.4%, almost one half of a percent? Creating 120,000 new jobs can do that?  That alone tells us how small the labor force participation rate is.  That tells us how small the universe of available jobs in the country is, when creating 120,000 — and we still have, don’t forget, over 400,000 applications for unemployment compensation reported yesterday.  So just 120,000 new jobs can lower the unemployment rate almost a half a point.  That’s not possible without that 315,000 figure, the 315,000 people who have just walked away.

Bloomberg News is even reporting this means that more people left the workforce than got jobs.  Now, stop and think of this.  More people left the workforce than got jobs, and the unemployment rate goes down?  We’re dealing here with a serious form of corruption, manipulation of data; but, we all knew it was coming.  After all, we’re talking about the regime.  We knew this was coming.  We know the fact, we know the histoire, that no president’s been reelected with an unemployment rate higher than 8%.  So here we are 11 months away from the next election, voila! Heading into the Christmas, slash, holiday season, and we’re at 8.6%, the 0.6 doesn’t matter, we’re at 8%.  And the media is having orgasms out there, O-gasms.

But everybody in the country knows the economy is not growing, that new jobs are not being created a massive, robust way that signals, or feels like economic growth.  But the sad thing is that all these details that I have provided — probably, sadly — won’t even matter because the regime has gotten the headline that it wanted.  It got 8.6.  The regime got unemployment 8.6%.  That’s what they wanted; that’s what they got.  All these other details are irrelevant.  Now, this is the U3 unemployment rate.  The U6 unemployment rate counts the 315,000.  The U3 is a government marker.  U3 is what is reported.  The U6 unemployment number counts the 315,000 who have given up looking for a gig.  The U6 unemployment number is around 16, 17% — and that’s real unemployment.

The job universe from January 2009 when Obama was immaculated to the present is down about 2.5 million jobs.  There are 2.5 million fewer jobs in our country in the two and a half, almost three years now that Obama has been in orifice — and that’s the dirty little secret.  You shrink the workforce by two, 2.5 million people is the only way you can report the unemployment rate going down.  More people leave the workforce than found jobs, and the unemployment rate went down a half a point.  So again we are being massaged, we are being spun, we are being inundated with corrupt numbers, but it was all predictable, all understandable.  Again, so small has the employment universe become — so small, so many people having dropped out of the system altogether…

No longer counted, is what that means, as being unemployed. No longer counted as being alive in terms of the Bureau of Labor Statistics. When you quit looking for a job, you’re only counted in that U6 number, which is not the one that’s reported.  The U3 number is.  So you drop out of the system altogether, you’re no longer counted by the Obama regime.  A mere 126,000 job increase drops unemployment rate almost one half of a percentage point.  This is nothing more than the government manipulating the real work situation that exists in the country.  It’s all calculated to create a false impression of economic recovery and a healthier job market.  It’s truly outrageous — and watch how the Obama media cronies regurgitate this propaganda for the most part.  Watch how they’ll all fall in line. You’ve probably heard it already this morning.  I have examples of it here in the sound bite roster, but I don’t… Ah, I’ll probably play a couple of them just for the fun of it.”

Read more:

http://www.rushlimbaugh.com/daily/2011/12/02/regime_manipulates_numbers_to_get_unemployment_headline_under_9

Illinois high school graduation rates slump, Obama legacy, Obama Ayers Chicago corruption cronies, Obama doing to US what he did to Illinois

Illinois high school graduation rates slump, Obama legacy, Obama Ayers Chicago corruption cronies, Obama doing to US what he did to Illinois

“Why was Obama promoting Capri Capital and other investment firms at the same time that Rezko, Levine and Cellini were shaking them down?”…Citizen Wells

From the Chicago Tribune October 31, 2011.

“Illinois high school graduation rates slump”

“Despite its academic struggles, North Chicago Community High School could count on at least one piece of good news: Students were getting their diplomas. The school reported a 90.3 percent graduation rate in 2010.

But in 2011, the figure plummeted to 50.2 percent, a dismal picture created by a new formula that more accurately tracks how many ninth-graders graduate within four years. The new method, required by the federal government, was used for the first time this year in Illinois, with sobering results: Across the state, about 75 percent of high schools saw small dips to big drops in graduation rates, causing educators to adjust to a new reality.

“I think the school probably felt like they were doing things right because we were at 90 percent,” said Eric Gallagher, new principal at the struggling North Chicago high school. “It just took someone else to look at it from the outside.”

The new graduation rates are among the dozens of figures released Monday in the annual School Report Card data that provide information about everything from test scores to teachers’ experience to how much taxpayers spend on their schools.

Parents won’t see the changes in graduation rates in their school report cards because the state reports only this year’s figure with no comparisons to the prior year. The Tribune’s online database (schools.chicagotribune.com), however, shows 10 years of rates in addition to the regular report card data.

Educators who have seen comparative numbers often reacted with a mixture of criticism, concern and confusion over the new graduation rate formula.”

“In Lake Zurich, district officials corrected their figure twice after initially reporting a 100 percent graduation rate for Lake Zurich High School. The problem stemmed from misunderstandings about applying the formula, according to district spokeswoman Jean Malek. She said the accurate graduation rate is 92.8, up from 92.5 the year before.

Still, Lake Zurich is in the minority of high schools showing an increase in its graduation rate this year. It’s also a high performer — among about 30 percent of the more than 600 Illinois high schools that posted a graduation rate of 90 percent or higher this year.

Only 18 high schools, including Chicago’s Northside College Preparatory High School, attained a 100 percent graduation rate this year, compared with almost 100 high schools that did so last year. The statewide graduation rate slid from 87.8 to 83.8 percent.

The numbers are significant because graduation rates are one of the most important barometers in education, research shows.

“Because high school graduation is a strong indicator of social and economic well-being, this provides important information on the most basic measure of education success in the population,” stated a 2009 study by the Consortium on Chicago School Research at the University of Chicago. The report also cautioned that calculating graduation rates is fraught with technical issues and that no method is ideal.

The search for a better way to gauge how many students were getting their diplomas on time bubbled up from state governments.

“There was no consistency previously, and state governors were very interested in knowing how their particular schools and states were doing on getting students through high school within four years,” said Ryan Reyna, an education program director for the National Governors Association Center for Best Practices.

In 2005, the governors association for the first time came up with a common way to calculate graduation rates across states, leading the federal government to draw from that work and draft rules in 2008 on a new graduation formula.”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/education/ct-met-grad-rates-1031-20111031,0,1934891.story

Just some of Obama’s contributions to education in Illinois.

October 23, 2011

“In 2000, after losing a Congressional race, Barack Obama was looking to revive his political fortunes. And he soon found a springboard — a group of black entrepreneurs also trying to break out.”

“In that push, Mr. Obama met with three state pension boards and introduced a bill on the executives’ behalf. He also worked closely with the state’s top legislative leaders to encourage the pension funds to increase the share of their investment portfolios managed by minority-owned firms. That share has risen to 12 to 20 percent now from 1 to 3 percent in 2000.”

“During this period, campaign finance records show, executives from Ariel, Loop and two other leading Chicago investment firms, Holland Capital Management and Capri Capital, sharply increased their donations to Mr. Obama’s State Senate campaign fund. And once he began his campaign for the United States Senate, they quickly became a fund-raising core that has carried over into the presidential race.”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/10/23/obama-role-in-corrupting-il-teacher-retirement-system-pensions-cellini-trial-2007-ny-times-article-where-is-tony-rezko-where-is-house-judiciary-committee/

October 19, 2011

“Following Obama’s efforts, the Illinois Teachers’ Retirement System gave Ariel Capital $112.5 million to manage, and added hundreds of millions more over the next few years.”

“Three other minority-run firms — Holland Capital, Loop Capital and Capri Capital Partners — also saw hundreds of millions of assets turned over to them to manage after meeting with Obama and the state pension boards.”
“Cellini’s alleged crimes – essentially conspiring with others to force Capri Capital, also a real estate investment firm, and Thomas Rosenberg, a principal and part owner of Capri, to raise or donate substantial political contributions for Public Official A….”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/10/19/william-cellini-trial-capri-capital-obama-connection-obama-arrest-prevented-by-corrupt-us-justice-department-where-is-the-house-judiciary-committee/

September 25, 2008

The Annenberg challenge was supposed to improve Chicago schools but instead funded controversial groups like Acorn. Stanley Kurtz filed a FOIA request and after evaluating the Annenberg Challenge records has written his findings. Here are some of the highlights:

■Obama had most of his executive experience while working at the Annenberg Challenge. Obama does not refer to this fact.
■Chicago schools were not improved by the Annenberg Challenge. The money was instead spent on radical groups.
■Apparently Ken Rolling gave Bill Ayers a heads up in a possible cover up scheme.
■Obama and Ayers were on a committee together that created rules and bylaws.

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2008/09/25/obama-william-ayers-annenberg-challenge-stanley-kurtz-cover-up-ken-rolling-tips-ayers-obama-and-ayers-on-committee-kurtz-foia-request-obama-executive-experience-obama-hides-truth/

2 links in the article above yield the following:

“During Obama’s time as Annenberg board chairman, Ayers’s own education projects received substantial funding. Indeed, during its first year, the Chicago Annenberg Challenge struggled with significant concerns about possible conflicts of interest. With a writ to aid Chicago’s public schools, the Annenberg challenge played a deeply political role in Chicago’s education wars, and as Annenberg board chairman, Obama clearly aligned himself with Ayers’s radical views on education issues.”

http://www.nationalreview.com/articles/225348/chicago-annenberg-challenge-shutdown/stanley-kurtz

Another Obama damaging article removed?

“I can’t seem to find the page you wanted.

I’m sorry we had to meet under these circumstances, but allow me to introduce myself.
I’m Colonel Tribune, the Web ambassador for chicagotribune.com.

Perhaps I can help you find what you wanted when you hit this error page? Try our search  or our topics pages. If you are looking for an article that is more than a month old, you may find it in our archives.

If that doesn’t work, please feel free to leave us a question here.

Meantime, I hope I run into you surfing the Web. You can find me on Twitter and Facebook.

Have a good day!”

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/local/chicago/chi-obama-ayers-universitysep09-archive,0,1053585.story

Obama is doing to the nation what he did to Illinois education for many years.

Border agent Jesus Diaz persecution, US Justice Department corruption, Obama motive Hispanic vote, Citizen Wells opinion

Border agent Jesus Diaz persecution, US Justice Department corruption, Obama motive Hispanic vote, Citizen Wells opinion

Border Patrol Agent Brian Terry and other innocent people were killed as a result of project “Fast and Furious.” Eric Holder is under investigation. The likely purpose of the project was to appeal to the far left, Obama’s core support, by creating the need for more gun control. The disregard for border agents and securing our borders is due to the fact that Obama wants the Hispanic vote. It comes as no surprise that the Justice Department, at the urging of the Mexican Government, has chosen to persecute Border agent Jesus Diaz.

I have read the evidence that is available, I have listened to an interview of his wife and this is my conclusion:

Based on the available evidence, Border Patrol Agent Jesus Diaz should have at the most been given a reprimand and clarification of department policy.

My personal opinion is that it would be ok to shoot the illegal, criminal violator of our sovereignty and multiple statutes in the leg. The young man invaded our country and agent Diaz was protecting us. I believe that he deserves a medal.

The Mexican Government and our government are treading on very thin ice.

Thomas Jefferson comes to mind.

Jesus Diaz persecution, US Justice Department corruption?, Distortion of Constitution, Where are USDOJ records?, Where is House Judiciary Committee?

Jesus Diaz persecution, US Justice Department corruption?, Distortion of Constitution, Where are USDOJ records?, Where is House Judiciary Committee?

From The Blaze October 27, 2011.

“‘Treasonous in Its Actions on the Border’: Beck‘s Passionate Interview
With Imprisoned Border Agent’s Wife”
“Imprissoned border agent Jesus Diaz.

As the Blaze recently reported, Jesus Diaz, a former U.S. border
agent, is serving a two-year prison sentence after being accused of
using excessive force in handcuffing a juvenile drug smuggler back in
2008. Diaz’s detention, which has come under fire from many who
believe that he isn’t guilty of the violence charges waged against
him, has become a hot-button issue.

This morning, Glenn Beck interviewed Diaz’s wife, Diana, on his radio
show to get the entire story, and by the end he was visibly
frustrated.

But before delving into the video of their exchange, let’s review some
brief background information on the case.

Diaz, who is now imprisoned and separated from his wife and six
children, was found guilty of inflicting pain on a known 16-year-old
Mexican drug smuggler in an effort to obtain more information about
where marijuana was being hidden. Authorities also claim that the
former agent kicked the teen and dropped him face-first on the ground.

But these accounts and the charges associated with them have come
under fire (GOP presidential candidate Michele Bachmann has said she
would work toward Diaz’s release). The Examiner has more about the
confusion surrounding the case:

According to the Law Enforcement Officers Advocates Council, the
government’s case is based on false testimony that is contradicted by
the facts. This includes the charge that Agent Diaz was physically
abusive to the then minor “MBE” as noted by court documents and
transcripts that Diaz allegedly put his knee on his back and pulled
back on his handcuffs.
“However, given the time of day during the incident, October 16, 2008
at about 2 a.m. and lack of lighting it would be impossible to have
actually seen much if anything. The agent who stood next to Mr. Diaz,
Marco Ramos testified that he did not see anything that was claimed to
have taken place,” Andy Ramirez, president of LEOAC explained.

A web site has been setup to advocate for Diaz’s release.

In the beginning of his discussion with Diana, Beck said, “I’m sorry
for what this government is doing to you…your family and your
husband.” Diana went on to explain what seems like a tragic story of
justice gone awry.

The Mexican government had apparently filed a complaint following the
incident, which the U.S. government then acted on. In the end, the
16-year-old avoided detention and was apparently sent back to his
homeland. Even more bizarrely, Diana claims that the young man was
brought back to America to testify (with immunity) against her
husband.”
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/treasonous-in-its-actions-on-the-border-becks-passionate-interview-with-imprisoned-border-agents-wife/

From Free Agent Diaz.

“To summarize, U.S. Attorney Johnny Sutton and his minions used an
extremely weak charge, claiming Agent Diaz violated the civil rights
of an illegal alien doper under the color of law. Sutton and his
successor under the Obama Administration then put the full weight of
the Justice Department behind this prosecution, solely to give the
Mexican Government a Border Patrol Agent’s scalp. Law enforcement
officers commonly pull on a perps or suspects handcuffs. If this is
the new standard for a 10 year prison sentence, then all departments
either need to be questioned by the DOJ about this, or they need to
support Agent Diaz’ appeal and his family’s quest for justice.”

 http://www.freeagentdiaz.com/

From the Gateway Pundit April 21, 2011.

“In what appears to be yet another case of the Mexican Government
orchestrating a fake crime against one of their drug smuggling
criminals hauling dope into the U.S., Border Patrol Agent Jesus Diaz,
a 7-year Border Patrol veteran, was convicted in Federal Court on
February 24 of one count of excessive force (under color of law) and 5
counts of lying to Internal Affairs.  He is facing a maximum of 35
years in prison when he is sentenced in November.  Meanwhile, he’s
been in jail since the verdict nearly two months ago.  He’s in
solitary confinement 23 hours per day for his safety. So far, the
judge has refused to allow bond while Diaz awaits sentencing.”
“Diaz was tried in September 2010, but the case ended in a mistrial.
The DOJ tried the case again in February 2011 and this time they got
their conviction, even though federal agent witnesses admitted they
had lied to a grand jury.  The judge did not allow the fact that they
had committed perjury into the second trial.”

http://www.thegatewaypundit.com/2011/04/the-war-on-the-border-continues-the-war-on-our-border-patrol-officers-that-is/

Jesus Diaz Indictment press release:

“U.S. Department of Justice
U.S. Attorney’s Office
Western District of Texas
John E. Murphy, U.S. Attorney

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE Daryl Fields, Public Information Officer On the web: www.usdoj.gov/usao/txw/index.html (210) 384-7440

November 20, 2009

DEL RIO SECTOR CUSTOMS AND BORDER PATROL AGENT INDICTED
FOR ALLEGEDLY ASSAULTING A 15 YEAR OLD

United States Attorney John E. Murphy announced that 31-year–old U.S. Customs and Border Patrol Agent Jesus E. Diaz, Jr., stands charged by federal grand jury indictment with deprivation of rights under color of law.
The indictment, returned this week by a federal grand jury sitting in Del Rio, alleges that on October 16, 2008, Diaz assaulted a 15 year old depriving him of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by one acting under color of law.
Upon conviction, Diaz faces up to ten years in federal prison and a maximum $250,000 fine.
An indictment is merely a charge and should not be considered as evidence of guilt. The defendant is presumed innocent until proven guilty in a court of law.
This case was investigated by U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement – Office of Internal Affairs and the Office of Professional Responsibility. Assistant United States Attorney Kelly Blackburn is prosecuting the matter for the Government.”

http://www.justice.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/2009/Diaz_ind_DR.pdf

I tried to obtain more information on this case yesterday. Here is what I know thus far, aside from articles on the web.

A. From the press release: “Diaz assaulted a 15 year old depriving him of his constitutional right to be free from the use of unreasonable force by one acting under color of law.”

1. Illegals aliens do not have constitutional rights.
2. The Deprivation of Rights Under Color of Law, Title 18, U.S.C., Section 242, states: “This law further prohibits a person acting under color of law,
   statute, ordinance, regulation or custom to willfully subject or cause
   to be subjected any person to different punishments, pains, or
   penalties, than those prescribed for punishment of citizens on account
   of such person being an alien or by reason of his/her color or race.”    Alien refers to a person visiting from another country legally or legally here on some kind of visa. This is not intended to protect someone in violation of the law.

B. Aside from the press release, I could find no other reference to the Jesus Diaz prosecution. Contrast this to the  Compean and Ramos Prosecution.

http://www.justice.gov/usao/txw/press_releases/Compean-Ramos/index.html

C. Something smells about this. We know the USDOJ cannot be trusted, especially under the control of Obama and Holder.

When I learn more, I will share it.

John Bryson, Obama Commerce secretary nominee, BrightSource Energy $1.37 billion federal loan guarantee, Stimulus money for jobs overseas

John Bryson, Obama Commerce secretary nominee, BrightSource Energy $1.37 billion federal loan guarantee, Stimulus money for jobs overseas

From World Net Daily September 26, 2011.

“Obama Commerce pick awarded $1.37 billion in ‘stimulus funds’ for another risky solar plant”

“President Obama’s nominee for Commerce secretary served as chairman of the board of a solar energy company that recently received a $1.37 billion federal loan guarantee – the largest the Department of Energy has ever given for a solar power project.

Now that company, BrightSource Energy, is attempting to build the world’s largest solar power plant amid concerns such ventures may be too risky an investment for the federal government.

In June, BrightSource Chairman John Bryson was nominated by Obama to head the Commerce Department.

WND reported in June that Bryson co-founded an environmental activist group that is a member and funder of the controversial Apollo Alliance.

Read what we’ll need to accomplish to restore America to greatness.

Apollo is run by a slew of socialists and radicals, including Jeff Jones, a founder of the Weather Underground domestic terrorist organization. Jones himself boasts of doing work for the environmental group founded by Bryson, the Natural Resources Defense Council.

Bryson served until June as co-chairman of the Pacific Council on International Policy, a globalist organization whose members can be found throughout the Obama administration.

The massive loan guarantee to BrightSource is meant to build an expensive California desert solar plant known as the Ivanpah Solar Electric Generating System.

The system will feature mirrors that reflect sun toward a massive central tower that is in turn heated to produce steam meant to spin turbines to produce electricity.

The size of the BrightSource plant is thought to produce enough power to meet the needs of hundreds of thousands of Californians.

During a national address last October, Obama mentioned the possible benefits of BrightSource Energy’s “revolutionary new type of solar power plant.”

However, some have doubted that the massive solar plant will actually work.

The Bay Citizen quoted Michael Boyd, president of the nonprofit Californians for Renewable Energy, as saying there is “no evidence” BrightSource’s project will succeed.

Boyd complained most of the equipment used at the plant would be manufactured in China and Germany.

“Stimulus money isn’t going to jobs here in the U.S. It’s going to jobs overseas,” he said.”

“In 1970, Bryson co-founded the Natural Resources Defense Council, or NRDC, with a $400,000 seed grant from the Ford Foundation.

The group is also funded by the Tides Foundation, to which philanthropist George Soros has donated more than $7 million over the years. Tides itself is a major funder of leftist causes, including ACORN, whose founder and former chief organizer, Wade Rathke, is a Tides board member.

The NRDC is a major proponent of fighting so-called global warming. It recently endorsed a document called the Earth Charter, which, Discover the Networks notes, blames capitalism for many of the world’s environmental, social and economic problems.

The charter maintains that “the dominant patterns of production and consumption are causing environmental devastation, the depletion of resources, and a massive extinction of species. The benefits of development are not shared equitably and the gap between rich and poor is widening.”

The NRDC is a member of the Apollo Alliance. NRDC’s president, Frances Beinecke, is on Apollo’s board. The NRDC is also listed by Apollo as a funder of the group, having donated between $1,200 to $2,999 to become an Apollo “clean energy benefactor.”

The NRDC endorses many Apollo initiatives.

Apollo’s New York office is run by Jeff Jones, who founded the Weather Underground with terrorists Bill Ayers and radical Mark Rudd when the three signed an infamous statement calling for a revolution against the American government inside and outside the country to fight and defeat what the group called U.S. imperialism.

Jones currently boasts on his personal website that he has done consulting work for the NRDC.

Apollo has been credited by the Obama administration with helping craft portions of the $787-billion “stimulus” bill signed into law.

The Apollo Alliance has boasted in promotional material that it was behind several of the Obama administration’s “green” initiatives, in addition to crafting “green” sections of the stimulus bill.

Among Apollo’s board members are a group of extremists including:

•Van Jones, President Obama’s controversial former “green jobs czar” who resigned in September 2009 after it was exposed he founded a communist revolutionary organization and signed a statement that accused the Bush administration of possible involvement in the 9/11 attacks. Jones also called for “resistance” against the U.S.

Jones himself described the Apollo Alliance’s mission as “sort of a grand unified field theory for progressive left causes.”
•Joel Rogers, a founder of the socialist New Party. WND reported evidence indicating Obama was a New Party member. In an interview with WND, New Party co-founder and Marxist activist Carl Davidson previously recounted Obama’s participation with the New Party.
Following publicity of Apollo’s radicalism, including scores of articles by WND and investigations by the Fox News Channel, Apollo announced it will merge with the BlueGreen Alliance, a collaboration of large environmental groups and unions.”

Read more:

 http://www.wnd.com/?pageId=349101

Middle class incomes fell in past decade, between 2000 and 2010, Incomes fell in 2010, Adjusted for inflation, Gas prices

Middle class incomes fell in past decade, between 2000 and 2010, Incomes fell in 2010, Adjusted for inflation, Gas prices

From the Chicago Tribune September 21, 2011.

“Middle class incomes fell 7% between 2000 and 2010″

“It’s official. The first decade of the 21st century will go down in the history books as a step back for the American middle class.

Last week, the government made gloomy headlines when it released the latest census report showing the poverty rate rose to a 17-year high. A whopping 46.2 million people (or 15.1 percent of the U.S. population) live in poverty and 49.9 million live without health insurance.

But the data also gave the first glimpse of what happened to middle-class incomes in the first decade of the millennium. While the earnings of middle-income Americans have barely budged since the mid 1970s, the new data showed that from 2000 to 2010, they actually regressed.

For American households in the middle of the pay scale, income fell to $49,445 last year, when adjusted for inflation, a level not seen since 1996. And over the 10-year period, their income is down 7 percent.

“Economists talk about the lost decade in Japan. Well, with these 2010 data, we can confirm the lost decade for the American middle class,“ said Jared Bernstein, senior fellow at the Center on Budget and Policy Priorities.

Sure, it’s fair to say Americans at all levels of income, from rich to poor, were hit hard in the decade that started with the dot-com boom and bust, and ended with the Great Recession.

But according to the census data, those losses disproportionately hit the lowest 60 percent of Americans, while the richest 40 percent actually gained wealth, relative to the entire U.S. economy.”

“At the same time that Americans had less cash to spend, they were also being hit with rising prices for some crucial items. Even accounting for inflation, it still costs more to buy a home, fill your gas tank, go to the doctor and put food on the table than it did only 10 years ago.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/business/breaking/chi-middle-class-incomes-fell-7-between-2000-and-2010-20110921,0,7914883.story

You all remember this political comeback:

“It’s the economy, stupid!”

Here is the relevant comment for today:

“It’s gas prices, stupid!”

From Citizen Wells September 15, 2011.

“Gasoline Prices

One of the biggest, if not biggest drains on the economy, one exacerbated by Obama and his cronies, is gasoline prices. This affects the cost of everything and is killing our economy. The left are so  concerned about theoretical environmental damage and emulating Europeans that they disregard the plight of average Americans. Below is a chart showing the rise in fuel prices during the Obama reign.

I am all for alternative energy initiatives that make sense and are not in place to enrich Obama supporters. In fact, I have done so myself with my own limited funds. However, gasoline prices are hurting this economy and the poor and middle class citizens who the Democrats pretend to represent.

Drill baby drill!”

Read more:

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/09/15/obama-economy-worsens-highest-poverty-rate-unemployment-claims-rise-unemployment-rate-9-1-percent-gas-prices-high-obama-wants-to-raise-taxes-on-business/

Why Obama should withdraw, Chicago tribune editor Steve Chapman, Sputtering economy,Unemployment high, Foreclosures rampant

Why Obama should withdraw, Chicago tribune editor Steve Chapman, Sputtering economy,Unemployment high, Foreclosures rampant

“Will Obama be thrown under the bus”

From the Chicago Tribune September 18, 2011.

“Why Obama should withdraw”

“When Ronald Reagan ran for re-election in 1984, his slogan was “Morning in America.” For Barack Obama, it’s more like midnight in a coal mine.

The sputtering economy is about to stall out, unemployment is high, his jobs program may not pass, foreclosures are rampant and the poor guy can’t even sneak a cigarette.

His approval rating is at its lowest level ever. His party just lost two House elections — one in a district it had held for 88 consecutive years. He’s staked his future on the jobs bill, which most Americans don’t think would work.

The vultures are starting to circle. Former White House spokesman Bill Burton said that unless Obama can rally the Democratic base, which is disillusioned with him, “it’s going to be impossible for the president to win.” Democratic consultant James Carville had one word of advice for Obama: “Panic.”

But there is good news for the president. I checked the Constitution, and he is under no compulsion to run for re-election. He can scrap the campaign, bag the fundraising calls and never watch another Republican debate as long as he’s willing to vacate the premises by Jan. 20, 2013.

That might be the sensible thing to do. It’s hard for a president to win a second term when unemployment is painfully high. If the economy were in full rebound mode, Obama might win anyway. But it isn’t, and it may fall into a second recession — in which case voters will decide his middle name is Hoover, not Hussein. Why not leave of his own volition instead of waiting to get the ax?

It’s not as though there is much enticement to stick around. Presidents who win re-election have generally found, wrote John Fortier and Norman Ornstein in their 2007 book, “Second-Term Blues,” that “their second terms did not measure up to their first.”

Presidential encores are generally a bog of frustration, exhaustion and embarrassment. They are famous for lowest moments rather than finest hours. Richard Nixon was forced to resign in disgrace, Reagan had the Iran-Contra scandal, and Bill Clinton made the unfortunate acquaintance of Monica Lewinsky.”

“The ideal candidate would be a figure of stature and ability who can’t be blamed for the economy. That person should not be a member of Congress, since it has an even lower approval rating than the president’s.

It would also help to be conspicuously associated with prosperity. Given Obama’s reputation for being too quick to compromise, a reputation for toughness would be an asset.

As it happens, there is someone at hand who fits this description: Hillary Clinton. Her husband presided over a boom, she’s been busy deposing dictators instead of destroying jobs, and she’s never been accused of being a pushover.

Not only that, Clinton is a savvy political veteran who already knows how to run for president. Oh, and a new Bloomberg poll finds her to be merely “the most popular national political figure in America today.”

If he runs for re-election, Obama may find that the only fate worse than losing is winning. But he might arrange things so it will be Clinton who has the unenviable job of reviving the economy, balancing the budget, getting out of Afghanistan and grappling with House Majority Leader Eric Cantor. Obama, meanwhile, will be on a Hawaiian beach, wrestling the cap off a Corona.”

Read more:

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/politics/obama/ct-oped-0918-chapman-20110918,0,5039308.story

Remember this from Citizen Wells on June 27, 2011?

“I am not certain if Obama controls the Democrat party and they are concerned about 2012. Will the Democrats throw Obama under the bus?”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/06/27/obama-under-the-bus-democrat-party-or-rezko-or-cellini-too-late-for-blagojevich/

And from August 20, 2011.

“The US Justice Department has been protecting Obama before and after the appointment of Eric Holder as Attorney General. Holder is under increased scrutiny and increasingly Obama appears to be unelectable. Will the Democrats throw Obama or allow Obama to be thrown under the bus? Or will Obama exit on his own?”

http://citizenwells.wordpress.com/2011/08/20/obama-thrown-under-bus-by-democrats-or-daniel-frawley-or-tony-rezko-or-rod-blagojevich-or-stuart-levine-or-william-cellini-obama-exits-2012-race/

Thanks to commenters Bill G & Pat 1789.