Gloucester, VA School Board's Appalling Pleas For Additional Funding - Video

This is the video from the March 24th, 2014 budget meeting.  Right around 36 minutes, after Brenda Garton, County Administrator, gave her presentation for the 2014 - 2015 budget, a student comes up and gives an absolutely appalling speech requesting additional money from the taxpayers, claiming old outdated textbooks, and a lack of paper for copying as some of the claims as well as teacher raises are much needed.  Though the student was well spoken, he was very poorly educated in the area of economics and it was a disgusting display of pure ignorance in our view.

  There is nothing complicated about budgets, economics and or government until bureaucrats decide to make it so.  The nihilistic socialist agenda spewing from the mouth of the student shows clearly that we have seriously digressed in the areas of economics and government oversight.  The Kiser has put this county into higher economic burdens and now we get to see with great delight, the horrible outcome of his oversight in the extraordinary appalling speech from the young man whom has no idea what he is talking about as he lacks the education to understand and we can not blame this young man for such.  We must look at those in charge of education.

  Let's be specific with his complaints.  He states what he claims are facts and figures that DO NOT ACCOUNT for areas such as shrinking enrollments, higher expenditures at the school board level that have little or nothing to do with the education of the students, subsidized lunches for school administration as well as higher levels of security for school board administration than they are willing to provide students with.  Bloated areas of expenditures in the school board that have little or nothing to do with education.

  Let's address the textbook issues.  Children are not coming home with textbooks.  If the textbooks are outdated in the school, direct the questions to the school board and NOT the board of supervisors.  The school board budget never uses it's full amount in any given year for textbooks that is allocated from what we have seen.  We are mortified here with this.  We can all thank The Kiser and the school board.  And this kid wants to become a teacher?  Says he won't come back here to teach?  Thank God.  He already lacks the education and shame on the school system for producing such a disgusting product of pure nihilistic filth.

  The folks that continued to come up, kept overlooking all of the above issues.  Lower enrollments.  No increases within the community showing expected increases in enrollments.  The Kiser closed one school when he could have used that school for relocating students from the old Page school.  The money wasted building the new Page Middle school instead of rebuilding the old Page site.  That was millions of dollars that were left on the table.  Does anyone understand simple economics or are we looking at the continued product of The Kisers really nihilistic socialist schooling. platform?

  At least the second speaker pointed out flaws in Brenda Garton's bloated budget which needs some very serious adjustments as well on the downward trend.  If anything, these meetings showed a need to get back to basics in education for everyone.  Simple economics is step one.  Let's look at the works of one of the first and real economists, Adam Smith.



 

Wealth of Nations - Adam Smith from Chuck Thompson

That's 667 pages of back to basics.  You can download this book for free from our slideshare site.  It's all very simple and easy to understand.  If the school board needs more money, let them take it out of the extra money they have cost us all building a new school in the swamp the county didn't need.

  Way to much oh poor me.  Guess what, the taxpayers are also saying poor me.  These folks are failing to realize who they must get their money from.  The taxpayers, not the board of supervisors.  The taxpayers DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY folks.  Did you hear that?  the taxpayers DO NOT HAVE THE MONEY.  YOU ARE NOT ASKING THE BOARD FOR MONEY.  You are asking the county taxpayers for money.  Hello!!!!!!  Anyone home?

  We just could not stand to listen to anyone else wine about how they want the Board of Supervisors to give them taxpayer money.  It's not their money school board.  It's the people of the county's money.  It's just infuriating.  

On a final note, we really want to thank the Board of Supervisors for recording and producing these videos so we can see what kind of outrageous nagging they must sit through from very ignorant people.  Our hats off to the Board of Supervisors for having to deal with such nonsense and still try and maintain decorum.   

Public Safety Officials Support Swift Passage of Governor McAuliffe’s Budget

Leaders in Virginia’s public safety community announced their support today for Governor McAuliffe’s proposal to invest $17 million in savings from closing the coverage gap to support the Line of Duty program. The Line of Duty Act provides state-funded disability and death benefits for state and local public safety officers or their beneficiaries due to disability or death resulting from the performance of duties.

Statement from the Virginia Professional Fire Fighters:

“The Virginia Professional Fire Fighters (VPFF) urge members of the General Assembly to pass Governor McAuliffe’s budget as quickly as possible. Governor McAuliffe’s budget is balanced, responsible, and provides critical funding for the Line of Duty Act, which supports firefighters, first responders, and others who put their lives on the line every day to protect Virginia’s communities.

“As primary emergency medical services (EMS) providers for many of our fellow citizens, VPFF members are all-too-familiar with the negative impacts of the coverage gap. By also including a 2 year pilot of accepting federal dollars to expand healthcare coverage to up to 400,000 Virginians, Governor McAuliffe’s budget will keep our citizens healthier, our neighborhoods safer, and our economy growing.

“It is imperative that members of the General Assembly come together to pass this budget, which our public safety officials depend on to ensure strong, safe, and healthy futures for all Virginians.”

Statement from Paula Miller, President, Virginia Public Safety Foundation:

“Governor McAuliffe has sought to engage Virginians in a necessary conversation that is central to our society: how will we care for our first responders and their families when they are injured or killed in service to our communities? His proposal to invest $17 million in the Line of Duty Act Fund and re-engage the Line of Duty Act work group to update state policies and funding mechanisms to provide for our public safety officers and their families is welcome news. I applaud Governor McAuliffe for his leadership on this important issue. I look forward to working with him to ensure that this conversation results in reforms that reflect our commitment to providing for those who face danger every day to keep us safe and contribute so much to making this the best state in which to live, raise a family, and do business."

Governor McAuliffe Announces 25th Anniversary of Virginia’s Finest®

~Long-Standing, Well-Known Program Identifies Highest Quality Virginia Agriculture and Specialty Food, Beverage Products~

Governor Terry McAuliffe today announced that this year marks the 25^th anniversary of the Virginia’s Finest^® program.  Developed in 1989 by the Virginia Department of Agriculture and Consumer Services (VDACS), the program identifies, differentiates and promotes top-quality agriculture and specialty food and beverage products.  Buyers and consumers recognize the familiar blue and red “VA check mark” logo and know they are purchasing top quality Virginia-produced and processed products.  Today’s announcement kicks off a series of events in 2014 that will highlight the silver anniversary of the program. 

Speaking about the silver anniversary recognition, Governor McAuliffe stated, “The Virginia’s Finest^®program has enhanced the economic opportunities and success of Virginia’s specialty food companies, processors, and agriculture producers.  Agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry and the Virginia’s Finest^® program has helped play a key role in that success by raising the profile of the high quality food and beverage products that are made from the Commonwealth’s diverse agricultural bounty.  I am excited to recognize and celebrate the 25^th anniversary of this innovative program, which contributes to the Commonwealth’s reputation for being the best state in the nation for doing business, agricultural excellence, entrepreneurialism, and promoting small businesses.”

Governor McAuliffe also issued a proclamation recognizing 2014 as the 25^th anniversary of the Virginia’s Finest^® program in the Commonwealth of Virginia.  First Lady Dorothy McAuliffe and Secretary of Agriculture & Forestry Todd Haymore will present today the proclamation to Steven Lynch of Montebello Kitchens, Chair of Virginia’s Specialty Food Advisory Committee, at the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo at the Greater Richmond Convention Center.  This popular tradeshow connects buyers representing grocery stores, restaurants and gift shops directly with Virginia small businesses that produce specialty food and beverage products.  Almost all of the products at the Virginia Food and Beverage Expo have earned the Virginia’s Finest^® designation.

Today, the Virginia’s Finest^® program boasts more than 400 participating businesses representing a diverse assortment of specialty food products, including meats, cheeses, peanuts, condiments, confections, baked goods, beverages, sauces, soups and seafood.  To discover Virginia’s Finest^®offerings, explore a complete list at www.vafinest.com.  Participation in the quality-based trademark program is by application and open to all Virginia agricultural producers and food processors who consistently meet specific quality standards.  Only Virginia products that meet or exceed quality standards are part of the Virginia’s Finest^® program. All authorized Virginia’s Finest^® products must be approved by the Virginia’s Finest^® Review Committee, which consists of food safety officials and product marketing specialists. The Committee reviews product packaging and labels to ensure products meet state and federal regulations. In the case of most products, the producer must provide proof of its current and valid food safety inspection certificate.

The specialty food industry is a growing sector of the nation’s economy.  According to the Specialty Food Association, specialty food is among the fastest-growing industries in the United States, with sales skyrocketing by 22.1 percent between 2010 and 2012.  Total U.S. specialty food sales in 2012 topped $85.87 billion.

Established in 1877, VDACS is responsible for more than 60 laws and 70 regulations relating to consumer protection and the promotion of agriculture. According to a 2013 economic impact study conducted by Weldon Cooper Center for Public Service at the University of Virginia, agriculture is Virginia’s largest industry, generating more than $52 billion per annum. The industry also provides more than 310,000 jobs in the Commonwealth.

Governor McAuliffe Announces Four Virginia Businesses Receive Awards for Research in Offshore Wind Power Development

RICHMOND, Va. - Governor Terry McAuliffe announced that four Virginia businesses have been selected for awards totaling $860,000 for research having a total value of more than $3 million that will give the Commonwealth a competitive advantage and accelerate the development of offshore wind power and its associated industry supply chain. 

·       Alstom Power Inc, a global industrial manufacturer with its North American Wind Power business headquartered in the metro Richmond area, offered $10,000 in contributed cost share and was selected for a $40,000 award to develop advanced controls that adjust ocean wind turbines to respond in real time to incoming waves, reducing wear and tear on the rotor and generator.

·       CoastalObsTechServices LLC of Virginia Beach offered $310,000 in cost share contributions and was selected for a $260,000 award to perform a 12-month wave measurement project and wave forecast modeling and validation to help mitigate the risk of construction delays and service vessel inaccessibility.

·       Timmons Group, a Richmond-based engineering and technology firm, offered to contribute $345,000 in cost share and was selected for a $250,000 award to develop a proof of concept for a commercial wide-area metocean and environmental monitoring program.

·       Virginia Electric Power Company, dba Dominion Virginia Power, offered $2 million in cost share contribution and was selected for a $310,000 award to advance geotechnical studies, including deep borings, which are essential to early project engineering analysis and currently lacking on the Outer Continental Shelf in the vicinity of the Virginia Wind Energy Area.

The four proposals were selected for first-round awards under a request for proposals that generated 20 responses for projects requesting a total of $4.83 million in DMME funding and which offered a total of $5.38 million in matching funds. The results from these research and development activities are expected to help lower costs and risks for commercial offshore wind power development.

In September 2013, Dominion Virginia Power won the commercial auction conducted by the U.S. Department of the Interior Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) to develop wind power on just over 112,000 acres approximately 24 miles off Virginia’s coast. Wind power development in this area has the potential to produce enough electricity to power about 700,000 homes. 

Governor McAuliffe said that the gradual slope of the Outer Continental Shelf (OCS) off of Virginia, with relatively shallow water at offshore distances sufficient to minimize conflicts with commercial shipping and military training, and an excellent wind resource make the area ideal for wind power development. In addition, the Governor stated that Virginia is well positioned along the Atlantic coast to become the central hub to support wind power development planned in other states to the north and south. “Virginia is blessed to have a skilled work force, a heavy manufacturing and ship building base in Hampton Roads, and world-class port facilities that are second to none.”

BOEM characterizes Virginia’s planned wind energy development area on the OCS as a “frontier area.” Much data still needs to be gathered, such as information on sub-sea geology, waves and currents, and marine and avian species, before commercial development can begin.  Governor McAuliffe said “the projects selected for award today will help to fill some of these gaps. This research will build on past efforts and investments and is a key part of a broader strategy to ensure that the Commonwealth continues to be well poised and highly regarded by an industry and supply chain that can bring quality jobs and other benefits to Commonwealth citizens and businesses. Today’s awards are the latest examples of the Commonwealth encouraging and supporting private sector investments in offshore wind development. There is more to come. We’re ready for business.”

Butter Consumption Reaches a 40-Year High

 (Photo credit: Wikipedia)

 

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By Dr. Mercola

Long vilified butter is making a comeback. Butter consumption in the US has reached its 40-year peak, according to new data from the dairy industry. The butter boom, at least in part, has been attributed to a shift in consumer preferences away from processed foods and back toward natural foods.

It has also helped that USDA began the process of banning trans fats from the American food supply last fall.1

During the past decade, Americans have increased their butter intake by 25 percent—but it's really taken off over the past five years. Butter consumption has now reached 5.6 pounds per capita, compared to 4.1 pounds in 1997.2 While butter hit its 40-year high, margarine fell to its 70-year low.

Even Unilever Foods (maker of Country Crock margarine) just added real butter to Rama, their most popular spread in Germany, in order to rescue dwindling sales.3

After decades of believing the myth that butter clogs arteries and causes heart attacks, people are now beginning to realize that partially hydrogenated vegetable oils, margarine, and shortening.

So-called "heart healthy spreads," are the culprits—not wholesome saturated fatslike butter. The now discredited "lipid hypothesis"4 is thankfully going the way of bloodletting and lobotomies. It's time to bury the myth that butter is bad for you—for good.

Disease Rates Through the Roof Since the Era of Butter Bashing

The evidence is incontrovertible: When you cut out or radically decrease the fat in your diet, you became fatter and sicker than your ancestors. Why? Because margarine and similar hydrogenated or processed polyunsaturated oils are far more detrimental to your health than saturated fat.

Besides these "fad oils," sugar is another primary co-conspirator in the destruction of your cardiovascular health. Excess dietary sugar creates insulin andleptin resistance, which can lead to obesity and inflamed arteries—which both raise your risk for a heart attack.

A review from Cambridge University, just published in the journal Annals of Internal Medicine, is the latest analysis to confirm the absolute lack of evidence that consuming saturated fat leads to heart disease. 5, 6 They also found no basis for guidelines that advise increased consumption of polyunsaturated fats to lower your cardiac risk, calling into question all of the standard nutritional guidelines related to heart health.

The low-fat and fat-free craze has been a damaging nutritional detour in the West, because removing the fat from foods opened the door for the addition of large quantities of refined sugar, sodium and other unhealthy chemicals in attempts to make processed foods taste good. Sugar, trans fats, and processed vegetable oils have created the perfect storm of disease for decades.

Authority Nutrition has assembled six graphs with side-by-side comparisons of obesity and heart disease trends with nutritional trends over time. These graphs make it to visualize how the "lipid hypothesis" has done you no favors whatsoever.7

"Between 1920 and 1960, Americans' use of butter declined from 18 pounds per person per year to four pounds, yet heart disease went from a relatively unknown condition to the number one killer. So how likely is it that butter is killing us?" –GreenMedInfo8

In Europe, The Countries That Eat The Most Saturated Fat Have The Lowest Risk of Heart Disease 

 

Data from: Hoenselaar R. Further response from Hoenselaar. British Journal of Nutrition, 2012.

The Obesity Epidemic in The USA Started at Almost The Exact Same Time The Low-Fat Dietary Guidelines Were Published

Source: National Center for Health Statistics (US). Health, United States, 2008: With Special Feature on the Health of Young Adults. Hyattsville (MD): National Center for Health Statistics (US); 2009 Mar. Chartbook.

Diets That Are High in Fat But Low in Carbohydrates Cause More Weight Loss Than Diets That Are Low in Fat

Source: Brehm BJ, et al. A randomized trial comparing a very low carbohydrate diet and a calorie-restricted low fat diet on body weight and cardiovascular risk factors in healthy women. The Journal of Clinical Endocrinology & Metabolism, 2003.

The Diseases of Civilization Increased as Butter and Lard Were Replaced With Vegetable Oils and Trans Fats

Source: Dr. Stephan Guyenet. The American Diet. 2012.

The Obesity Epidemic Started as People Reduced Their Intake of Red Meat and High-Fat Dairy products

Source: Hu FB, et al. Trends in the Incidence of Coronary Heart Disease and Changes in Diet and Lifestyle in Women. The New England Journal of Medicine, 2000

In The Framingham Heart Study, Heart Disease Goes up as People Replace Heart-Healthy Butter With Toxic Margarine

Source: Gillman MW, et al. Margarine intake and subsequent coronary heart disease in men. Epidemiology, 1997. Photo source: Whole Health Source.

Butter Is a Health Food!

Butter has been a dietary staple of many cultures for thousands of years, with no evidence of adverse health effects. For millennia, people around the globe prized butter for its abundant health benefits, not to mention culinary appeal. 

Butter, especially raw organic butter from grass-pastured cows, is a wealth of nutrition and nourishing fats. Research points to the fact that butter may have both short-term and long-term benefits for your health.

A Swedish study found that fat levels in your blood are lower after eating a meal rich in butter than after eating one rich in olive oil, canola oil, or flaxseed oil.9 The scientists' main explanation is that about 20 percent of butterfat consists of short- and medium-chain fatty acids, which are used right away for quick energy and therefore don't contribute to fat levels in your blood.

The other oils (olive oil, canola, flax, etc.) contain only long-chain fatty acids. Therefore, a significant portion of the butter you consume is used immediately for energy—sort of like a carbohydrate. The primary nutrients found in butter are outlined in the table below. For more information on the health benefits of butter, refer to this classic article "Why Butter is Better" by the Weston A. Price Foundation.10

Nutrients in Butter
*Vitamin A in the most absorbable form	Lauric acid	Lecithin (necessary for cholesterol metabolism and nerve health)
Antioxidants	*Vitamin E	Vitamin K2
Wulzen Factor: hormone-like substance known to prevent arthritis and joint stiffness (destroyed by pasteurization)	*Fatty acids, especially short- and medium-chain in the perfect omega-3 to omega-6 balance	*CLA (Conjugated Linoleic Acid): anti-cancer agent, muscle builder, and immunity booster
Vitamin D	Minerals, including selenium, manganese, chromium, zinc, and copper	Iodine in a highly absorbable form
Cholesterol	Arachidonic Acid (AA): brain function and healthy cell membranes	Glycosphingolipids: fatty acids that protect against GI infections
*The highest amounts of CLA and omega-3 fats come from cows raised on grass pastures. Their butter is also 50 percent higher in vitamins A and E, and 400 percent higher in beta-carotene, giving grass-fed butter its deeper yellow color.

Beware of 'Monsanto Butter'

Not all saturated fats are nutritionally equal, and butter is no exception. Just like other forms of dairy, butter's nutritional value depends on how the animals are raised. For example, the fatty acid composition of butterfat varies according to the animal's diet. The very best-quality butter is raw (unpasteurized) from grass-pastured cows, preferably certified organic. The next best is pasteurized butter from grass-fed cows, followed by regular pasteurized butter common in supermarkets. Even the latter two are a healthier choice than margarines or spreads.

Beware of "Monsanto Butter," meaning butter that comes from cows fed almost entirely genetically engineered grains.9 This, unfortunately, makes up the majority of butters you typically see on grocery store shelves. Conventionally raised cows are typically fed GE corn and soy. However, some farmers fatten up their feed with additional sugar derived from GE sugar beets and cottonseed. According to Food Babe:10

"Conventional dairy cow feed is sometimes fortified with additional protein, omega-3 fatty acids and CLA from GMO rapeseed (canola) because the cows are not getting these nutrients naturally from the grass. GMO alfalfa hay is also commonly fed to cows. So basically, conventionally raised cows are almost entirely getting their food from GMOs – food that was created in a laboratory, that hasn't been tested long term, but has produced horrific results in several alarming animal studies."

Included on the list of "Monsanto Butters" are Land O'Lakes and Alta Dena. Land O' Lakes is not organic and raises its cows on antibiotics, growth hormones, and pesticide-loaded GE grain. Land O'Lakes also contributed nearly $100,000 to the "NO on I-522" lobby, the bill to label GMOs in Washington State, which is a clear statement of its position and priorities.11 Here is Food Babe's handy butter buying guide:

BEWARE: Many Dairy Cows Are Inhumanely and Brutally Treated

In addition to avoiding the dairy products from CAFOs (confined animal feeding operations, aka factory farms) for nutritional reasons, you may want to avoid them due to the inhumane treatment of animals that is often found in these operations. Brutal,sadistic treatment of dairy cows was captured by undercover footage at a factory farm in Ohio in 2010. The trapped animals were beaten, kicked, stabbed with pitchforks, and had their tails broken. Unfortunately, such heart-wrenching stories are much too common. These are not really farms but rather large manufacturing operations where the "machinery" is live animals and the commodity is the food they produce, existing first to make money, and secondarily to raise high quality food.

CAFO animals—typically chickens, cows, pigs and turkeys—live short and often painful lives. They exist by the thousands in cramped indoor quarters and most never see the light of day between birth and death. For all of us who love, respect, and share our lives with animals, it is disheartening to hear about animals being treated in this manner. You can enjoy butter and other animal products without supporting factory farms by buying your products from local farmers who raise their animals humanely and sustainably, on grass pastures rather than crammed into warehouses by the thousands.

How About Making Your Own Butter at Home?

Now that you've seen the scope of butter's impressive health benefits, you can see why there is no reason to avoid it. Consuming butter can help you reach your optimal fat intake. If you have insulin or leptin resistance there is a good chance you will need  upwards of  50 to 85 percent of your daily calories in the form of healthful fats. This can be reduced once the insulin/leptin resistance resolves. Most people don't consume enough healthful fats. Butter, along with other fabulous fats like avocados, nuts and coconut oil, is an essential part of a healthful diet. And everyone knows you can't beat butter for flavor!

Why not try making your own butter? It really isn't difficult. Refer to this excellent article on Positron for instructions on making your own organic cultured butter.12 If you're a real butter fan, be sure to check out the presentation "Butter through the Ages,"13 an incredibly comprehensive online exhibit that will give you more than you probably ever wanted to know about the history and composition of this fascinating ancient food.

Related articles

• Butter Consumption Reaches a 40-Year High
• 11 Charts That Show Everything Wrong with Our Modern Diet
• McDonald's Shuts Down Employee Website Advising Workers to Avoid Fast Food...
• FDA Sued, Forced to Remove Safety Status on Trans Fats
• Health Foods That Are Not
• Mass Obesity No Cause for Celebration

Gloucester, VA Board of Supervisors Budget Meeting, March 2014 with Spreadsheet

Gloucester, VA Economic Development Review Spreadsheet, 2014 from Chuck Thompson

Special thanks to Howard Mowry for the above spreadsheet on the Economic Development review above.  Mr Mowry puts a great deal of time and effort into these presentations and allows everyone to see where your tax dollars are going.  Something each department in the county should be doing in order to provide better transparency.

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