West Burlington IA News-Sports-Opinion

Revised estimates come in much worse

The Commerce Department, Friday, estimates the economy shrank 2.6 percent last year -- the steepest drop since 1946.

The unemployment rate also surged to 10.1 percent in October, a 26-year high.

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Photo by Sherry Kaestner

Des Moines County Fair Queen is Natalie DeBerg, daughter of Kyle and Nola DeBerg, from Burlington.

Falcon,

We can only hope that the Mexican Government will follow through with this action. This could be the first step to reverse the flow of illegal immigrants and companies crossing the border. This maybe the end of NAFTA and the new highway that is to be built(already done) that runs from the Mexico to Canada. Sounds good, but who's pocket is it benefiting?
http://www.nascocorridor.com/membersList.asp?page=1&od=&search=

El Diario (Ciudad Juarez, Chihuahua) 7/27/10
Large Mexican union calls for boycott of U.S. products and breaking of diplomatic relations

Just prior to Arizona Law SB1070 going into effect, Mexico’s National Confederation of Social, Field Workers and Communal Farms Organizations announced a boycott of U.S. origin products. At a press conference, Sergio de Alba Avila, the organization’s president, stated that he will demand the Mexican government to break diplomatic relations with the United States if that anti-immigrant law goes into effect.

After defining his confederation as a center-left group, he added that its members will distribute lists in self service and department stores identifying U.S. products so that customers will not buy them. He also stated that they intend to mount a cybernetic protest by having internet users flood the state of Arizona’s web pages with messages against the law in question. They will also be sending electronic messages to the governor of the state of Arizona, as well as congressmen, senators and to the U.S. president.

He added that they will ask the Mexican Chancellor (Sec. of State,) Patricia Espinosa, to harden the Mexican government’s policy against the referenced law and, if necessary, to break relations with the United States if that law is applied against fellow nationals. Further, that they might join protest actions being called for by other groups of migrants, such as the blockage of international crossing points, among others.

-Alfredo the Brain

China's perspective on Obama

Falcon,

We have people in our country who are out of work and all we can do is continue unemployment benefits. The President and his stimulus bill was to create jobs and to save jobs. If you stop and think about what he said he was telling the truth and he has created jobs for millions of people.

As we have watched from the sidelines in the United States looking for new jobs we have (To Quote Obama) acted stupidly. We are only looking in our backyards, towns, cities, and states. Even though some look in other areas they are willing to move to find work. Most people are not getting the big picture. The United States sends billions of dollars out of the country to help create jobs and to support other countries. We talk about imports from other countries yet we send them billions to help send those goods to the United States.

We sent large numbers of our jobs to other countries with NAFTA, aid to other 3rd world countries and the unions screamed foul. What I have not been able to put together is why they continue to support political canidates who send them out of the country.

Obama is getting to finish off the textile industy that has not yet been sent to Southeast Asia.

El Nuevo Diario (Managua, Nicaragua) 7-27-10
The Secretary of Labor of the United States visits to talk of social justice

Managua – The Secretary of labor of the United States, Hilda Solis, arrived in Managua today to speak about a program to improve labor relations and competition in the supply chain, especially in the textile industry.
Solis, the first Latina presidential cabinet member in the history of the United States was born in the United States from a Mexican father and a Nicaraguan mother. She will be interviewed during her three day stay concerning her Nicaraguan blood.
The ambassador of the United States in Nicaragua, Robert Callahan, recently announced that Hilda Solis will visit the Provence of Jinotega, whence her mother originated and where family members still reside. The diplomat announced that Solis will participate in a march to eradicate juvenile labor and that Nicaragua can count on help from Washington.

-Alfredo the brain

Des Moines County Sheriff
Press Release

On Monday, 07-26-10, at approximately 2:15 PM,

Des Moines County Sheriff’s Office was notified that a tug boat operator had located a body floating in the Mississippi River on the Iowa side of the channel across from Oquawka, Illinois.

Deputies responded and recovered the body of a male subject floating by the Casey Barrow boat landing. Investigators are following leads of the possible identity. Through initial investigation it appears the body had been in the water for approximately two to three weeks. An autopsy is scheduled for Wednesday morning, 07-28-10.

Big Brother Strikes Again

Iowa motorists will increasingly face radar-enabled cameras as they motor along Iowa's interstate highways.

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Falcon,

Obama's new, Attorney General, Eric Holder, has already said this is one of his major issues. He does not believe the 2nd Amendment gives individuals the right to bear arms. This takes literally 2 clicks to complete. Please vote on this gun issue question with USA Today. It will only take a few seconds of your time. Then pass the link on to all the pro gun folks you know. Hopefully these results will be published later this month. This upcoming year will become critical for gun owners with the Supreme Court's accepting the District of Columbia case against the right for individuals to bear arms.

Here's what you need to do:

First - vote on this one.

Second - send it to other folks and have THEM vote - then we will see if the results get published.

The Question is:

"Does the Second Amendment give individuals the right to bear arms?"

Click on the link below and PLEASE vote Yes!

USATODAY.com - Quick Question

-Bill of Rights Man

Falcon,

I'm Glad to see that our 51st state has taken a stand on Arizona's Governor Brewer and SB1070. I feel since so many states want to simulate the law and enforce the laws regarding illegal border crossings that the 51st state should weigh in as well.

We are a nation of laws unto ourselves. As Americans we have a right to stand for or against an issue that directly affects our freedoms and liberties. If another country can not control the illegal activity of its citizens it is the responsibility of their leaders to make things better.

So many countries blame the United States of America for their problems and complain how they want us out of their lives. This seems like the simplest solution to just. Sometimes leaving people to their own demise will eventually see that they need others to aid their society and economy.

Countries who did not want or need our help. Vietnam, Philippines, Turkey, Egypt, Columbia, Russia, China, Argentina, etc;. These are all countries that the United States had broken ties with and no longer dealt with them. Over Time we are approached by these counties to mend ties and open trade to our country.

My point is to stop trade with Mexico, stop vacationing, reverse NAFTA and stop Government Motors being made in Mexico.
Below is the feeling of the political stance on the United States.

La Cronica de Hoy (Mexico City) 7/22/10
An accolade for Mexico’s senate president

In its opinion page, this paper gave the “Thumbs Up” of the day to Carlos Navarrete, president of Mexico’s senate, for having had the presidents of the parliaments of 11 other countries join him in a protest against the AZ Law SB1070, deeming it to be racist and xenophobic. The senator made a call on Americans to bring about a reform that may permit migrants to regularize their status with full rights and obligations.

http://go2.wordpress.com/?id=725X1342&site=m3report.wordpress.com&url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.cronica.com.mx%2Fopinion.php&sref=http%3A%2F%2Fm3report.wordpress.com%2F

-Alfredo the Brain

The Chairman of the Federal Reserve went before Congress last week, set aside his rose-colored glasses, dispensed with most of his sugar-coated platitudes and made some hard-hitting statements about the U.S. economy.

Bernanke on jobs:

“This is the worst labor market since the Great Depression.”

Bernanke on housing:

“The market remains weak, with the overhang of vacant or foreclosed houses weighing on home prices and construction.”

Bernanke on fears about the future:

“Most … viewed uncertainty about the outlook for growth and unemployment as greater than normal, and the majority saw the risks to growth as weighted to the downside.”

Bernanke on tight credit for small businesses:

“Bank loans outstanding have continued to contract. Small businesses, which depend importantly on bank credit, have been particularly hard hit.”

And never forget: All this is coming from a man whose job invariably makes him extremely reluctant to admit to negative trends in any sector at any time — if Bernanke is saying things are bad, you can bet your bottom dollar they’re actually far worse.

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Check out photos of a low altitude CF-18 jet crashing in Alberta, Canada. Pilot ejected and survived the crash.

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Walmart plans on attaching electronic ID tags to track individual pairs of jeans and underwear, the first step in a system some say raises privacy concerns.

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Check out the photos.

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Obama said Secretary Tom Vilsack rushed to judgment when he dismissed Shirley Sherrod from the Department of Agriculture amid charges of racism.

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