NRCS GRANT PAGE]]>


California Conservation Innovation Grant Program (CIG) - 2009

The Conservation Innovation Grants (CIG) is a voluntary program intended to stimulate the development and adoption of innovative conservation approaches and technologies while leveraging Federal investment in environmental enhancement and protection, in conjunction with agricultural production. These projects may be watershed-based, regional, or statewide in scope. State, tribal, and local governmental entities, non-governmental organizations, and individuals may apply. Selection will be based on the criteria established in this notice, and selected applicants may receive grants of up to 50 percent of the total project cost. Applicants must provide non-Federal funding for at least 50 percent of the project cost. Up to 50 percent (25 percent of the total project cost) of the applicant's match may be from in-kind contributions. The remainder must be cash.

CIG has two competitions available in fiscal year 2009 -- National and State. The announcement for program funding for the National competition is available below. Each State administering a CIG competition will announce funding availability through separate announcement.

NRCS GRANT PAGE]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1137 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 12:41:56 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1137











]]>











]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1136 Sun, 07 Mar 2010 09:51:58 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1136 United we stand, divided they fall.
Coping


Covert investigations are about power and control. It's about suppression and censorship. Squashing dissidence. Overnight the target of these investigations will wake up and literally find themselves enemies of the state, and the agents of the state. Their lives will be disrupted in unspeakable ways, and their livelihoods. Many targets are broken to the point where they have very limited means of survival. This makes targets prime for suicide, false institutionalization, arrest, instigated car accidents, other accidents, or just assassination meant to look like an accident.

Being harassed in this way is a psychological battle that many targets are not ready for, and have to be ready for, if they are to survive. Survival also becomes more than just a psychological battle, because their lives are interfered with. These people will try to get them removed from their jobs, so they have no means of income or support. They will try to get them ostracised in their communities, with former friends and family. It will psychologically, and emotionally feel like the world is against you, and because so many people are taking part in this activity, that assessment will not be too far from the truth.

Survival will become a game of skill, craft, and a lot of luck. Don't discount prayers. Many of the targeted that I have encountered had a profound faith in God and many seem to be very intelligent people.

Live your life to the best of your ability.
Stay in control. It's your life and not their life.
Try to meditate and pray as you start your day.
Continue with your normal activities as best as possible.
Try not to loose your temper in public. This is what they want. In public stay as calm and serene as possible.
They have observed you, now it's your time to observe them. They have limited functions, once you tune into what they are doing, you can outsmart them.
Do not interact with them to the best of your ability. They crave the attention and interaction with targets. Try not to give it to them.
If you start to fight back and they increase the attacks at first, that's normal. Keep at it, be persistent. You will wear them down.
Do research on Gas-lighting, Cointelpro, Stasi secret police, psychopaths, cults, mobbing. Read books, watch movies, learn how they work.
Keep a journal of what's happening.
Rebuild your social circle. The way this works is by putting you into exile. The thing that you want to do is rebuild a social circle. If you live in a small town, try to find maybe someone in another town, or someone who is not taking part in the gang stalking. This works by cutting of your network, the best deference is to try to build or rebuild a network.
Make people aware of what is happening. This works well in silence. However in small towns this works because too many people are taking part. Go online if you have to, start a blog, call people on the phone.
Do an awareness campaign.

Get the word out.]]> United we stand, divided they fall.
Coping


Covert investigations are about power and control. It's about suppression and censorship. Squashing dissidence. Overnight the target of these investigations will wake up and literally find themselves enemies of the state, and the agents of the state. Their lives will be disrupted in unspeakable ways, and their livelihoods. Many targets are broken to the point where they have very limited means of survival. This makes targets prime for suicide, false institutionalization, arrest, instigated car accidents, other accidents, or just assassination meant to look like an accident.

Being harassed in this way is a psychological battle that many targets are not ready for, and have to be ready for, if they are to survive. Survival also becomes more than just a psychological battle, because their lives are interfered with. These people will try to get them removed from their jobs, so they have no means of income or support. They will try to get them ostracised in their communities, with former friends and family. It will psychologically, and emotionally feel like the world is against you, and because so many people are taking part in this activity, that assessment will not be too far from the truth.

Survival will become a game of skill, craft, and a lot of luck. Don't discount prayers. Many of the targeted that I have encountered had a profound faith in God and many seem to be very intelligent people.

Live your life to the best of your ability.
Stay in control. It's your life and not their life.
Try to meditate and pray as you start your day.
Continue with your normal activities as best as possible.
Try not to loose your temper in public. This is what they want. In public stay as calm and serene as possible.
They have observed you, now it's your time to observe them. They have limited functions, once you tune into what they are doing, you can outsmart them.
Do not interact with them to the best of your ability. They crave the attention and interaction with targets. Try not to give it to them.
If you start to fight back and they increase the attacks at first, that's normal. Keep at it, be persistent. You will wear them down.
Do research on Gas-lighting, Cointelpro, Stasi secret police, psychopaths, cults, mobbing. Read books, watch movies, learn how they work.
Keep a journal of what's happening.
Rebuild your social circle. The way this works is by putting you into exile. The thing that you want to do is rebuild a social circle. If you live in a small town, try to find maybe someone in another town, or someone who is not taking part in the gang stalking. This works by cutting of your network, the best deference is to try to build or rebuild a network.
Make people aware of what is happening. This works well in silence. However in small towns this works because too many people are taking part. Go online if you have to, start a blog, call people on the phone.
Do an awareness campaign.

Get the word out.]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1135 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:47:54 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1135
FINALLY, SOMEONE HAS
CLEARED THIS UP.

For centuries, Hindu women have worn a dot on their foreheads. Most of us have naively thought this was connected with tradition or religion, but the Indian embassy in Ottawa has recently revealed the true story.

When a Hindu woman gets married, she brings a dowry into the union. On her wedding night, the husband scratches off the dot to see whether he has won a convenience store, a gas station, a donut shop, a taxi cab, or a motel in the United States . If nothing is there, he must remain in India to answer telephones and provide us with technical advice.]]>
FINALLY, SOMEONE HAS
CLEARED THIS UP.

For centuries, Hindu women have worn a dot on their foreheads. Most of us have naively thought this was connected with tradition or religion, but the Indian embassy in Ottawa has recently revealed the true story.

When a Hindu woman gets married, she brings a dowry into the union. On her wedding night, the husband scratches off the dot to see whether he has won a convenience store, a gas station, a donut shop, a taxi cab, or a motel in the United States . If nothing is there, he must remain in India to answer telephones and provide us with technical advice.]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1134 Fri, 05 Mar 2010 08:34:13 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1134 The Dinner Roll ...



Once upon a time I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President.

I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics.

There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a FREE country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room.

We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served , and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen..

"Sorry 'bout that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass.

Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. "And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty," said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I don't want to seem unkind..

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me.

I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken.

I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout, "that was my coat!" But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table.

I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home.

Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," he added , "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories.

I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind.

There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars..we need to spread YOUR wealth around..."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule.

He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss.

I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, President Obama suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

WAKE UP AMERICA !!!]]> The Dinner Roll ...



Once upon a time I was invited to the White House for a private dinner with the President.

I am a respected businessman, with a factory that produces memory chips for computers and portable electronics.

There was some talk that my industry was being scrutinized by the administration, but I paid it no mind. I live in a FREE country. There's nothing that the government can do to me if I've broken no laws. My wealth was EARNED honestly, and an invitation to dinner with an American President is an honor.

I checked my coat, was greeted by the Chief of Staff, and joined the President in a yellow dining room.

We sat across from each other at a table draped in white linen. The Great Seal was embossed on the china. Uniformed staff served our dinner.

The meal was served , and I was startled when my waiter suddenly reached out, plucked a dinner roll off my plate and began nibbling it as he walked back to the kitchen..

"Sorry 'bout that," said the President. "Andrew is very hungry."

"I don't appreciate..." I began, but as I looked into the calm brown eyes across from me, I felt immediately guilty and petty. It was just a dinner roll. "Of course," I concluded, and reached for my glass.

Before I could, however, another waiter reached forward, took the glass away and swallowed the wine in a single gulp. "And his brother, Eric, is very thirsty," said the President.

I didn't say anything. The President is testing my compassion, I thought. I withheld my comments and decided to play along. I don't want to seem unkind..

My plate was whisked away before I had tasted a bite.

"Eric's children are also quite hungry."

With a lurch, I crashed to the floor. My chair had been pulled out from under me.

I stood, brushing myself off angrily, and watched as it was carried from the room.

And their grandmother can't stand for long."

I excused myself, smiling outwardly, but inside feeling like a fool. Obviously I had been invited to the White House to be sport for some game. I reached for my coat, to find that it had been taken.

I turned back to the President.

"Their grandfather doesn't like the cold."

I wanted to shout, "that was my coat!" But again, I looked at the placid smiling face of my host and decided I was being a poor sport. I spread my hands helplessly and chuckled.

Then I felt my hip pocket and realized my wallet was gone. I excused myself and walked to a phone on an elegant side table.

I learned shortly that my credit cards had been maxed out, my bank accounts emptied, my retirement and equity portfolios had vanished, and my wife had been thrown out of our home.

Apparently, the waiters and their families were moving in. The President hadn't moved or spoken as I learned all this, but finally I lowered the phone into its cradle and turned to face him.

"Andrew's whole family has made bad financial decisions. They haven't planned for retirement and they need a house. They recently defaulted on a subprime mortgage. I told them they could have your home. They need it more than you do."

My hands were shaking. I felt faint I stumbled back to the table and knelt on the floor.

The President cheerfully cut his meat, ate his steak, and drank his wine. I lowered my eyes and stared at the small grey circles on the tablecloth that were water drops.

"By the way," he added , "I have just signed an Executive Order nationalizing your factories.

I'm firing you as head of your business. I'll be operating the firm now for the benefit of all mankind.

There's a whole bunch of Erics and Andrews out there and they can't come to you for jobs groveling like beggars..we need to spread YOUR wealth around..."

I looked up. The President dropped his spoon into the empty ramekin which had been his crème Brule.

He drained the last drops of his wine. As the table was cleared, he lit a cigarette and leaned back in his chair.

He stared at me. I clung to the edge of the table as if it were a ledge and I were a man hanging over an abyss.

I thought of the years behind me, of the life I had lived. The life I had earned with a lifetime of work, risk and struggle.

Why was I punished? How had I allowed it to be taken? What game had I played and lost? I looked across the table and noticed with some surprise that there was no game board between us.

What had I done wrong?

As if answering the unspoken thought, President Obama suddenly cocked his head, locked his empty eyes to mine, and bared a million teeth, chuckling wryly as he folded his hands.

"You should have stopped me at the dinner roll," he said.

WAKE UP AMERICA !!!]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1133 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 21:22:36 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1133
ISSUE'S ON THE AGENDA WILL BE POSTED PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC
MEETING, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WE CAN BE CONTACTED AT

(661)943-9726.

E-MAIL
]]>
ISSUE'S ON THE AGENDA WILL BE POSTED PRIOR TO THE PUBLIC
MEETING, FOR FURTHER INFORMATION WE CAN BE CONTACTED AT

(661)943-9726.

E-MAIL
]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1132 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:13:31 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1132 WATER CRISIS !!!!!

CAL WATER HAS PROPOSED A WATER RATE HIKE FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITIES:

LANCASTER - 140%, LAKE HUGHES – 122%, LEONA VALLEY -138%

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGHT

PLEASE COME TO TOWN MEETING MARCH 6 @ 1:00 PM

AT

LEONA VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER

8367 Elizabeth Lake Road, Leona Valley, CA 93551

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AND ARE NEEDED FOR LEGAL COSTS

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO LEONA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL

PO BOX 795 LEONA VALLEY 93551

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!
Down Load Flyer here and post as you see fit. WATER CRISIS FLYER.doc

St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Join the Town Council at the SERTOMA St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Adults $7, Seniors $6, Kids 12 and under $3
March 17 @ 5:00 to 8:00 PM
Leona Velley Coummunity Building
8367 Elizabeth Lake Road, Leona Valley
Blue Star Mothers of America will have a box to collect items for our troups. Please bring a donation.
http://www.bluestarmothers.org

Latest Leona Valley Issues

Please Help

The Mary Ann Floyd Memorial Fund is short of funds to purchase the Memorial Display case for the Leona Valley History Museum

Please contact Rich Thomas (661-270-0099, Rrych@cs.com) or Mike Waters (661-270-0282, MrWaters@roadrunner.com) to donate.

Have a Plan, Keep Supplies, Stay Informed, Get Involved - http://www.lacoa.org/
In coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the CEO’s Office of Emergency Management has just completed a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness intended to help the residents of Los Angeles County better prepare for, respond to and recover from the disasters that affect our region.

Download your copy of the Emergency Survival Guide at http://www.lacoa.org.

Cal Water 138% Rate Increase

Click Here to enter web site - Water Rate Increase

The Town Council is collecting money for a legal defense fund to fight the rate increase. Join the Committee to help fight the rate increase.

For rate increase information or if you would like to support the effort Contact Chuck Fluharty: Phone 270-1290 E-mail: FLUHARTYS@roadrunner.com

THE LEONA VALLEY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!

LVIA is a community non-profit organization, organized for the purpose of encouraging individual and family activities in the community based environment of rural Leona Valley. The Community Building owned and operated by LVIA has become the "home base" for many other community organizations, including this Town Council, and other recurring community activities. Some of these activities include monthly Gymkhana Play day Events, Community Queens, Gymkhana Queens, the annual Cherry Parade, the annual Halloween Carnival and Caravan, the annual Holiday Home Tour, and many more. The cost to maintain the community center property and building is nearly $30/day and memberships are needed to help keep our community center open for us to enjoy. Please support this vital community organization by joining. Membership form]]> WATER CRISIS !!!!!

CAL WATER HAS PROPOSED A WATER RATE HIKE FOR THE FOLLOWING COMMUNITIES:

LANCASTER - 140%, LAKE HUGHES – 122%, LEONA VALLEY -138%

WE NEED YOUR HELP TO FIGHT

PLEASE COME TO TOWN MEETING MARCH 6 @ 1:00 PM

AT

LEONA VALLEY COMMUNITY CENTER

8367 Elizabeth Lake Road, Leona Valley, CA 93551

ALL DONATIONS ARE TAX DEDUCTIBLE AND ARE NEEDED FOR LEGAL COSTS

CHECKS SHOULD BE MADE OUT TO LEONA VALLEY TOWN COUNCIL

PO BOX 795 LEONA VALLEY 93551

WE NEED YOUR HELP!!!!!!!
Down Load Flyer here and post as you see fit. WATER CRISIS FLYER.doc

St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Join the Town Council at the SERTOMA St. Patrick's Day Dinner
Corned Beef and Cabbage
Adults $7, Seniors $6, Kids 12 and under $3
March 17 @ 5:00 to 8:00 PM
Leona Velley Coummunity Building
8367 Elizabeth Lake Road, Leona Valley
Blue Star Mothers of America will have a box to collect items for our troups. Please bring a donation.
http://www.bluestarmothers.org

Latest Leona Valley Issues

Please Help

The Mary Ann Floyd Memorial Fund is short of funds to purchase the Memorial Display case for the Leona Valley History Museum

Please contact Rich Thomas (661-270-0099, Rrych@cs.com) or Mike Waters (661-270-0282, MrWaters@roadrunner.com) to donate.

Have a Plan, Keep Supplies, Stay Informed, Get Involved - http://www.lacoa.org/
In coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the CEO’s Office of Emergency Management has just completed a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness intended to help the residents of Los Angeles County better prepare for, respond to and recover from the disasters that affect our region.

Download your copy of the Emergency Survival Guide at http://www.lacoa.org.

Cal Water 138% Rate Increase

Click Here to enter web site - Water Rate Increase

The Town Council is collecting money for a legal defense fund to fight the rate increase. Join the Committee to help fight the rate increase.

For rate increase information or if you would like to support the effort Contact Chuck Fluharty: Phone 270-1290 E-mail: FLUHARTYS@roadrunner.com

THE LEONA VALLEY IMPROVEMENT ASSOCIATION NEEDS YOU!

LVIA is a community non-profit organization, organized for the purpose of encouraging individual and family activities in the community based environment of rural Leona Valley. The Community Building owned and operated by LVIA has become the "home base" for many other community organizations, including this Town Council, and other recurring community activities. Some of these activities include monthly Gymkhana Play day Events, Community Queens, Gymkhana Queens, the annual Cherry Parade, the annual Halloween Carnival and Caravan, the annual Holiday Home Tour, and many more. The cost to maintain the community center property and building is nearly $30/day and memberships are needed to help keep our community center open for us to enjoy. Please support this vital community organization by joining. Membership form]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1131 Thu, 04 Mar 2010 12:09:32 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1131
The Leona Valley Town Council is a not for profit organization, therefore, the Town Council is soliciting donations for everyday operations.

Leona Valley Town Council
Attention: Treasurer
P.O. Box 795
Leona Valley, CA 93551

Join the Town Council on Twitter http://twitter.com/LeonaValleyTC]]>
The Leona Valley Town Council is a not for profit organization, therefore, the Town Council is soliciting donations for everyday operations.

Leona Valley Town Council
Attention: Treasurer
P.O. Box 795
Leona Valley, CA 93551

Join the Town Council on Twitter http://twitter.com/LeonaValleyTC]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1130 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 09:04:30 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1130 Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Los Angeles County Public Financing

City of Palmdale Website

Watch City of Palmdale Council Meetings

City of Palmdale Planning Commission

Palmdale Water Agency Website

Palmdale Water Agency Agendas

Background on the Palmdale Water District

Palmdale Water Recall

Citizens Angry that Toone is on Water Board

Palmdale Water Reclamation Plant

Sanitation District Citizens Advisory Committee

Palmdale Sanitation Documents for Review

Antelope Valley Field Office

Will Service Letters for the Developers



Lahontan - Water Watchdog Agency

Air Quality Management District for Palmdale ]]> Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors

Los Angeles County Public Financing

City of Palmdale Website

Watch City of Palmdale Council Meetings

City of Palmdale Planning Commission

Palmdale Water Agency Website

Palmdale Water Agency Agendas

Background on the Palmdale Water District

Palmdale Water Recall

Citizens Angry that Toone is on Water Board

Palmdale Water Reclamation Plant

Sanitation District Citizens Advisory Committee

Palmdale Sanitation Documents for Review

Antelope Valley Field Office

Will Service Letters for the Developers



Lahontan - Water Watchdog Agency

Air Quality Management District for Palmdale ]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1129 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 08:46:07 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1129 Copied from oldtownhomeowners.com

In The News

Malloy Corporation LLC is planning to build a race track in an ecologically sensitive area. The case is before the planning commission and there is an uproar in the community. The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is fighting the zone change that would allow a race track and a major Truck stop from being planted on Avenue D across from the Poppy Preserve. There are organizers trying to arrange buses for those that wish to join them at the next Planning Commission Meeting, March 24th, in Los Angeles. The Antelope Acres Town Council will be meeting on March 17th for their regular meeting. You may contact Melody Mokres by clicking on her email address for more information.]]> Copied from oldtownhomeowners.com

In The News

Malloy Corporation LLC is planning to build a race track in an ecologically sensitive area. The case is before the planning commission and there is an uproar in the community. The Antelope Valley Poppy Reserve is fighting the zone change that would allow a race track and a major Truck stop from being planted on Avenue D across from the Poppy Preserve. There are organizers trying to arrange buses for those that wish to join them at the next Planning Commission Meeting, March 24th, in Los Angeles. The Antelope Acres Town Council will be meeting on March 17th for their regular meeting. You may contact Melody Mokres by clicking on her email address for more information.]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1128 Tue, 02 Mar 2010 07:59:05 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1128

Supreme Court to hear gun-rights case that reaches beyond 2nd Amendment


AFP/File – An assortment of Colt and Glock semi-automatic handguns are on display at the Nations Gunshow in Chantilly, …
Fri Feb 26, 9:33 pm ET

* High Court To Hear Chicago Gun-Ban Case * High Court hears ex-Enron CEO appeal : Reuters * Skilling and the Supreme Court : CNBC

As the high court's 2009-2010 term winds down, Yahoo! News will look at some key cases whose decisions have potential to impact the lives of everyday people. Nearly two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Washington, D.C., handgun ban in a landmark ruling with a 5-4 vote. The decision in District of Columbia v. Heller held that the Second Amendment does indeed protect an individual’s right to gun ownership (although there are still limits).Yet that ruling did not settle the question once and for all. Why? Because the District is a federal enclave, subject to federal laws. The ruling, therefore, did not address whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments. So while the Heller decision was hailed as a big victory for gun-rights advocates, it didn’t stop states or cities from enacting similar laws that restrict gun ownership. (D.C.-adjacent Maryland, for example, could have instituted the exact same ban and not gotten into legal hot water over it.)

But in the next few months, the Supreme Court could take that extra step. On Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments from lawyers on both sides of a case brought by residents of Chicago who are seeking to have a handgun ban in their city struck down. They want the Second Amendment to apply to local governments the same way the high court said it applied to the federal government in Heller.

Otis McDonald is the lead plaintiff in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The retired maintenance engineer says he wants to be able to keep a gun in his home to protect himself. But Chicago’s strict gun-control law, considered very similar to the law struck down in Heller, prohibits him from doing so. (McDonald, who was recently profiled in the Chicago Tribune, was hand-picked by lawyers hoping to bring this challenge. He happens to be black and a Democrat – a rarity among American gun-rights advocates, who are generally perceived to be white Republicans living in suburban or rural areas.)

The legal catch in this case is that it’s not really about the Second Amendment. When Congress passed the Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the Constitution – it only protected people from infringements by the federal government. The Supreme Court later decided that each of the amendments in the Bill of Rights must be applied to the states individually, with specific rulings. The court has done so with most amendments, but thus far not with the Second, which it has explicitly ruled should not be applied to the states.

Instead, what will really be argued before the court is the Fourteenth Amendment, which has often been the vehicle the court has used to apply amendments from the Bill of Rights to the states. This amendment says, among other things, that the federal government cannot make or enforce any law that will "abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens" and cannot "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

Lawyers for McDonald will argue their case mostly based on the "privileges or immunities" clause; the National Rifle Association, which has been given a chance to argue before the justices too, will present a case for gun rights that turns more on the "due process" clause.

So, specifically, the question the high court must decide is this: Does the Fourteenth Amendment – either via the privileges-or-immunities clause or the due-process clause – mean that the Second Amendment protects people from state and local laws that abridge their right to bear arms?

The answer to that question involves a lot of complicated legal history and interpretation, and if the court does rule in favor of broader Second Amendment protections, it will almost certainly have to contradict its rulings in earlier cases.

The potential implications of this case are huge – and not just for gun rights. If the privileges-or-immunities argument prevails, it would bring back a constitutional argument that has been effectively dead since 1873, when a decision (known as the Slaughter-House cases) said that the clause only protects rights of national citizenship. But if the court reinterprets this clause, the wording is so broad that some think it could bring a flood of challenges to numerous other laws. Others fear a privileges-or-immunities revival will lead to too much judicial subjectivity.

This case has something for both "gun nuts" and "constitutional nuts," as Supreme Court scholar Ilya Shapiro put it to the Washington Post. It could maintain the status quo; it could dramatically expand the protection of people’s Second Amendment rights; or it could do that and dramatically change an approach to constitutional law.

Whatever the decision, we’ll probably know by the end of June, the last month of the court’s current term.

--Laura E. Davis]]>

Supreme Court to hear gun-rights case that reaches beyond 2nd Amendment


AFP/File – An assortment of Colt and Glock semi-automatic handguns are on display at the Nations Gunshow in Chantilly, …
Fri Feb 26, 9:33 pm ET

* High Court To Hear Chicago Gun-Ban Case * High Court hears ex-Enron CEO appeal : Reuters * Skilling and the Supreme Court : CNBC

As the high court's 2009-2010 term winds down, Yahoo! News will look at some key cases whose decisions have potential to impact the lives of everyday people. Nearly two years ago, the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a Washington, D.C., handgun ban in a landmark ruling with a 5-4 vote. The decision in District of Columbia v. Heller held that the Second Amendment does indeed protect an individual’s right to gun ownership (although there are still limits).Yet that ruling did not settle the question once and for all. Why? Because the District is a federal enclave, subject to federal laws. The ruling, therefore, did not address whether the Second Amendment applies to state and local governments. So while the Heller decision was hailed as a big victory for gun-rights advocates, it didn’t stop states or cities from enacting similar laws that restrict gun ownership. (D.C.-adjacent Maryland, for example, could have instituted the exact same ban and not gotten into legal hot water over it.)

But in the next few months, the Supreme Court could take that extra step. On Tuesday, the justices will hear arguments from lawyers on both sides of a case brought by residents of Chicago who are seeking to have a handgun ban in their city struck down. They want the Second Amendment to apply to local governments the same way the high court said it applied to the federal government in Heller.

Otis McDonald is the lead plaintiff in McDonald v. City of Chicago. The retired maintenance engineer says he wants to be able to keep a gun in his home to protect himself. But Chicago’s strict gun-control law, considered very similar to the law struck down in Heller, prohibits him from doing so. (McDonald, who was recently profiled in the Chicago Tribune, was hand-picked by lawyers hoping to bring this challenge. He happens to be black and a Democrat – a rarity among American gun-rights advocates, who are generally perceived to be white Republicans living in suburban or rural areas.)

The legal catch in this case is that it’s not really about the Second Amendment. When Congress passed the Bill of Rights – the first 10 amendments to the Constitution – it only protected people from infringements by the federal government. The Supreme Court later decided that each of the amendments in the Bill of Rights must be applied to the states individually, with specific rulings. The court has done so with most amendments, but thus far not with the Second, which it has explicitly ruled should not be applied to the states.

Instead, what will really be argued before the court is the Fourteenth Amendment, which has often been the vehicle the court has used to apply amendments from the Bill of Rights to the states. This amendment says, among other things, that the federal government cannot make or enforce any law that will "abridge the privileges or immunities of citizens" and cannot "deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law."

Lawyers for McDonald will argue their case mostly based on the "privileges or immunities" clause; the National Rifle Association, which has been given a chance to argue before the justices too, will present a case for gun rights that turns more on the "due process" clause.

So, specifically, the question the high court must decide is this: Does the Fourteenth Amendment – either via the privileges-or-immunities clause or the due-process clause – mean that the Second Amendment protects people from state and local laws that abridge their right to bear arms?

The answer to that question involves a lot of complicated legal history and interpretation, and if the court does rule in favor of broader Second Amendment protections, it will almost certainly have to contradict its rulings in earlier cases.

The potential implications of this case are huge – and not just for gun rights. If the privileges-or-immunities argument prevails, it would bring back a constitutional argument that has been effectively dead since 1873, when a decision (known as the Slaughter-House cases) said that the clause only protects rights of national citizenship. But if the court reinterprets this clause, the wording is so broad that some think it could bring a flood of challenges to numerous other laws. Others fear a privileges-or-immunities revival will lead to too much judicial subjectivity.

This case has something for both "gun nuts" and "constitutional nuts," as Supreme Court scholar Ilya Shapiro put it to the Washington Post. It could maintain the status quo; it could dramatically expand the protection of people’s Second Amendment rights; or it could do that and dramatically change an approach to constitutional law.

Whatever the decision, we’ll probably know by the end of June, the last month of the court’s current term.

--Laura E. Davis]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1127 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 11:01:10 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1127 Judges Lose LA County Payments
Internet exclusive Full Disclosure Video News Preview (2:54)
Release Date: November 28, 2009 Full video

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a 3 min video report on the November 23, 2009 remarks made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich at a meeting of the Los Angeles County Lincoln Club in North Hollywood. The Supervisor provided an update regarding the controversy over long-time practice of the County making payments to Los Angeles Superior Court Judges. Civic leader David R. Hernandez provides his account of the presentation in the video.

A Fourth District CA Court of Appeals decision in November of 2008 ruled the county's payments were illegal in the Sturgeon v. County of Los Angeles lawsuit that revealed Judges, who are all elected officials, were not disclosing the extra payments they received from the County to litigants in the courtroom in cases involving the county nor on the Form 700 Economic Interest statements as required by the California Fair Political Practices Act.

Antonovich responded to a question about the continuing public concern that county payments created a “conflict” for judges and if this conflict was going to be resolved?
Here are some of the points made by Supervisor Antonovich:

* Recent legislation, Senate Bill SBX2 11 has now made the payments legal.
* All new judges (appointed or elected) will not be receiving payments from the county.
* Most other California counties have been paying (illegal) benefits to the judges
* This was not just a Los Angeles County practice
* L A Judges have not always ruled in favor of the County (payments started in 1988)
* Several court rulings have been in against the County and in favor of illegal aliens

Featured in the video: are two prominent critics of the illegal payments made to Judges by the County and below are comments from Richard I Fine from his L.A. County Jail cell.

* David R. Hernandez, Civic Leader (by telephone)
* Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon v County of Los Angeles)

From his L. A. County Central Men's Jail cell, Richard I Fine: Anti-Trust Attorney who remains in solitary “coercive confinement” following his attempt to disqualify Judge Yaffe for not disclosing receipt of payments from county to litigants in his courtroom . Fine had this to say regarding the disclosure by Supervisor Antonovich:

“This is long overdue. This is a great victory for those of us that have been fighting the illegal payments. The County has spent approximately $300 million since 1988 on these illegal and criminal payments to the Judges. I and others have filed complaints with the U S Dept. of Justice knowing that these payments violate the tangible rights to honest services and I have filed a complaint with a the California Attorney general showing that these payments are a misappropriation of funds, and obstruction of justice and bribery."

"Senate Bill SBX 211 which was enacted on Feb. 20, 2009 confirmed that the payments are criminal by the judges and those who make the payments now have retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution., civil liability and disciplinary action. The action of the Supervisors to stop the payments appears to be a clear response to rid themselves of this criminal activity."

In response to comments made by Sterling Norris (in the video) he said, "The 2010 budget bill resolution of the County left the decision regarding these payments to the Executive Officer and Auditor-Controller that is the reason you do not see second resolution to these payments. With respect to the Judges, this only deals with the payments in Los Angeles County, 429 judges, will continue to receive their payments however, those payments will stop as each judge comes up for re-election . The longest period of time is if that judge is reelected, he would get payments for six years until there is another election. Then he would be come a new judge.”]]> Judges Lose LA County Payments
Internet exclusive Full Disclosure Video News Preview (2:54)
Release Date: November 28, 2009 Full video

Los Angeles, CA Full Disclosure Network® presents a 3 min video report on the November 23, 2009 remarks made by Los Angeles County Supervisor Michael D. Antonovich at a meeting of the Los Angeles County Lincoln Club in North Hollywood. The Supervisor provided an update regarding the controversy over long-time practice of the County making payments to Los Angeles Superior Court Judges. Civic leader David R. Hernandez provides his account of the presentation in the video.

A Fourth District CA Court of Appeals decision in November of 2008 ruled the county's payments were illegal in the Sturgeon v. County of Los Angeles lawsuit that revealed Judges, who are all elected officials, were not disclosing the extra payments they received from the County to litigants in the courtroom in cases involving the county nor on the Form 700 Economic Interest statements as required by the California Fair Political Practices Act.

Antonovich responded to a question about the continuing public concern that county payments created a “conflict” for judges and if this conflict was going to be resolved?
Here are some of the points made by Supervisor Antonovich:

* Recent legislation, Senate Bill SBX2 11 has now made the payments legal.
* All new judges (appointed or elected) will not be receiving payments from the county.
* Most other California counties have been paying (illegal) benefits to the judges
* This was not just a Los Angeles County practice
* L A Judges have not always ruled in favor of the County (payments started in 1988)
* Several court rulings have been in against the County and in favor of illegal aliens

Featured in the video: are two prominent critics of the illegal payments made to Judges by the County and below are comments from Richard I Fine from his L.A. County Jail cell.

* David R. Hernandez, Civic Leader (by telephone)
* Sterling Norris, Judicial Watch Attorney (Sturgeon v County of Los Angeles)

From his L. A. County Central Men's Jail cell, Richard I Fine: Anti-Trust Attorney who remains in solitary “coercive confinement” following his attempt to disqualify Judge Yaffe for not disclosing receipt of payments from county to litigants in his courtroom . Fine had this to say regarding the disclosure by Supervisor Antonovich:

“This is long overdue. This is a great victory for those of us that have been fighting the illegal payments. The County has spent approximately $300 million since 1988 on these illegal and criminal payments to the Judges. I and others have filed complaints with the U S Dept. of Justice knowing that these payments violate the tangible rights to honest services and I have filed a complaint with a the California Attorney general showing that these payments are a misappropriation of funds, and obstruction of justice and bribery."

"Senate Bill SBX 211 which was enacted on Feb. 20, 2009 confirmed that the payments are criminal by the judges and those who make the payments now have retroactive immunity from criminal prosecution., civil liability and disciplinary action. The action of the Supervisors to stop the payments appears to be a clear response to rid themselves of this criminal activity."

In response to comments made by Sterling Norris (in the video) he said, "The 2010 budget bill resolution of the County left the decision regarding these payments to the Executive Officer and Auditor-Controller that is the reason you do not see second resolution to these payments. With respect to the Judges, this only deals with the payments in Los Angeles County, 429 judges, will continue to receive their payments however, those payments will stop as each judge comes up for re-election . The longest period of time is if that judge is reelected, he would get payments for six years until there is another election. Then he would be come a new judge.”]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1125 Mon, 01 Mar 2010 10:38:18 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1125 Have a Plan
Keep Supplies
Stay Informed
Get Involved

In coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the CEO’s Office of Emergency Management has just completed a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness intended to help the residents of Los Angeles County better prepare for, respond to and recover from the disasters that affect our region.

The Emergency Survival Guide has information and tips to prepare for fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemic flu, terrorism, extreme weather and tsunamis.

The Emergency Survival Guide includes pages where residents can record their household emergency plans including out-of-state contacts, evacuation gathering points, and the location of utility shut-offs.

The Emergency Survival Guide includes checklists for gathering emergency supplies that will help you, your family and your pets survive and recover after a major disaster.

The Emergency Survival Guide is 100-full color pages and is only available online. A Spanish language version of the Guide will be available later this year.

Download your copy of the Emergency Survival Guide at www.lacoa.org. ]]> Have a Plan
Keep Supplies
Stay Informed
Get Involved

In coordination with the Los Angeles County Board of Supervisors, the CEO’s Office of Emergency Management has just completed a comprehensive guide to emergency preparedness intended to help the residents of Los Angeles County better prepare for, respond to and recover from the disasters that affect our region.

The Emergency Survival Guide has information and tips to prepare for fires, floods, earthquakes, pandemic flu, terrorism, extreme weather and tsunamis.

The Emergency Survival Guide includes pages where residents can record their household emergency plans including out-of-state contacts, evacuation gathering points, and the location of utility shut-offs.

The Emergency Survival Guide includes checklists for gathering emergency supplies that will help you, your family and your pets survive and recover after a major disaster.

The Emergency Survival Guide is 100-full color pages and is only available online. A Spanish language version of the Guide will be available later this year.

Download your copy of the Emergency Survival Guide at www.lacoa.org. ]]> http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1124 Sun, 28 Feb 2010 08:08:56 -0800 http://www.avhidesert.com/forum/showthread.php?tid=1124 HEY I FOUND IT, THE LAZY BASTARDS ARE TO LAZY
TO POST IT SO I DID
(Don't expect me to do it all the time,
you people are really lazy)