Local Newswire

International seminar to discuss how to exit the financial crisis announced

Fri, 11/21/2008 - 03:00 — Anonymous

International seminar to discuss how to exit the financial crisis announced

Brazilian Paraná States’ governor Roberto Requião announced, Sunday (9) night in the auditorium of RTVE (Paraná State’s Public TV), that the State Government will sponsor a world seminar at Curitiba, to discuss the economic crisis.

Requião participated in Brazilian Nation RTVE’s tv program. The suggestion for the seminar was made by economist Carlos Lessa, former rector of the Federal University of Rio de Janeiro and former president of BNDES (National Bank to Economic and Social Development), and Darc Costa, former vice president of BNDES, which also participated in the program.

The governor said this Tuesday (11) that the international seminar must happen in December and that the state will discuss crisis in financial system. "The idea is to bring the best brains in the world to a discussion showing a way to get out of the crisis," he said at the opening of the weekly meeting of the School of Government.

The government of Parana, Copel (Parana State’s Eletric Power Company), Sanepar (Parana State’s Water and Sanitation Company) and Parana Welfare Office

will sponsor and organize the event.

"What the advocates of neo liberalism do want is simply to solve the problem of financial capital. In Brazil, we see a very clear privilege to exporters, to commodities, which have been internationalized to international trade companies, "said the governor.

He criticized the conduction of economic policy by Brazilian Central Bank. "The CB is throwing money in the market without taking a specific concern with the change in the economic model, with public investment." Our concern is to analyze the crisis from the perspective of individuals, of the nation, and not from the perspective of the market, because the market heralds want to resolve now what themselves caused, with their bad conduction of economic policy, "explained the governor. "We want a concrete and feasible suggestion for a permanent change, as the god market proved to be totally ineffective, creating a crisis of enormous proportions", argued the governor.

"The idea of the seminar arose because we see now the crisis being reviewed by the heralds of neo-liberalism, by people whose way of understanding the economy provoked the crisis. But they want to fill the remedies to the problem, they want a lampedusian, gattopardian solution, want to change everything so that everything stays exactly as it is, "criticized Requiao, quoting the Sicilian writer Giuseppe Tomasi di Lampedusa, author of the classic Il Gattopardo.

The governor thinks the lack of an alternative project has caused millions of Brazilians, deluded by the current economic model, put at risk their capital. "So brazilian people need a sign to a firm and consequent change. We can not accept minor changes so that everything is kept as it is," said Requião.

He cited that this is the third crisis experienced by capitalism. "This lie so-called a self-regulated market is diminished, is over. Let's go to a planning guide, such as that done by De Gaulle, after World-War II, at France, with the state showing the way, signaling with incentives, support and financing. But I can not imagine how this can be done by cutting oneself’s meat, as proposed by Minister of Planning, Paulo Bernardo, for whom did not commit any crime.

" The idea is to bring together the biggest names in the world economy, to discuss the crisis, forward proposals to mitigate their effects and find solutions through an alternative economic model. "We can not change the current economic model from day to night. But we have to begin to discuss an alternative model, which will grow at the expense of intelligence and contributions from the government as the model tied to the idea of globalization dies," argues Requiao.

According to him, Paraná State is already taking some measures that will certainly help companies and people to overcome the moment of turbulence. "Here, small and home enterprises do not pay taxes, little ones pay almost nothing. The poorest people have free electricity. We’re struggling against this absurdity that is road toll, the privatization of infrastructure, and we do provide water and sanitation virtually free to the poorest.

" TOOLS - Finally, Requiao sent to Legislative Assembly a bill, authored by Executive Power, which reduces from 18% to 12% the value of Tax on Circulation of Goods of 95 thousand daily consumer goods . "This reduction will focus on what we called the salary-consume goods, what the wages of middle class purchase. It's a way to contain the inflationary process. Furthermore, according to the Fiscal Responsibility Law, changing some tax rates on electric power, beverages, cigarettes and communication. Small changes that do not move the economy of the population. " Requião emphasized that Paraná has the cheapest electricity in Brazil, thanks to Copel. "We have talked about the rise in energy prices cause American dollar, which regulates the price of energy produced by Itaipu, had risen. Copel will hold that because it is taking profits of more than U.S. $ 1.4 billion a year. There’s no reason to the fare to increase, "he said.

He thinks shareholders need to have profit, but we need to think Copel under the government policy. "Copel will sustain this price with great advantage compared to when the government assumed the company that had an accounting loss of $ 364 million. In the first year of our government, the profit was U.S. $ 174 million, and from hence, a profit over $ 1.4 billion. So you can not think about readjustment ", finalized.

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Tree of Life - Coconut Oil

Tue, 11/18/2008 - 13:43 — Anonymous

Coconut Oil SLAMMED – Soybean Growers make a KILLING

If coconut oil is so good, why does it have a bad reputation?

The simple reason is MONEY and GREED.

Everybody knows coconut oil is a saturated fat.

We are constantly told to reduce our saturated fat intake.

The words saturated fat have become almost synonymous with heart disease.

Very few people know the difference between the medium-chain saturated fatty acids in coconut oil and the long-chain saturated fatty acids in meat and other foods.

To most people, saturated fat is saturated fat - an evil substance lurking in foods waiting for the opportunity to attack and strike you down with a heart attack.

Even medical professionals do not know there is a difference. Most do not know there is more than on type of saturated fat.

Unfortunately, many health care workers and health and fitness writers only repeat what they hear and have no understanding of fats and how they affect the body.

Only recently has the truth about coconut oil been reemerging.

As far back as the 1950's, research began to show the health benefits of coconut oil. For many years it was considered a good oil with many nutritional uses.

So how did coconut oil become a despised, artery clogging villain?

Much of the credit goes to the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION (ASA).

It began in the mid-1980s.

At the time, the media were stirred into a frenzy, warning the public about a newly discovered health threat - tropical oils.

Coconut oil, they proclaimed, was a saturated fat and would cause heart attacks.

Everywhere you turned, any product that contained coconut or pal oil was criticized as being unhealthy.

In response to the seemingly overwhelming public response, movie theaters began cooking their popcorn in soybean oil.

Food makers began switching form the tropical oils they had used for years to soybean oil.

Restaurants stopped using tropical oils in favor of soybean and other vegetable oils.

By the early 1990s, the tropical oils market had dwindled to a fraction of what it once was.

The promoters of the media blitz declared victory in their fight against tropical oils.

The war of oils made every man, woman, and child in America it victim.

Tragically, the oil that replaced coconut and palm oils was hydrogenated vegetable oil (principally from soybeans), one of the most health damaging dietary oils in existence.

The only people who actually benefited from this new health craze were those in the soybean industry, who made a KILLING.

The entire campaign was carefully orchestrated plan by the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION to eliminate competition from tropical oils.

These hydrogenated replacements contain as much saturated fat as the tropical oils, but they are not made from easily digested medium-chain fatty acids like those found in coconut oil.

They are composed of TOXIC trans fatty acids.

The result has altered vegetable oils.

We are all victims, because when we eat foods containing these oils our health suffers, are work suffers and our family suffers.

During the 1960s and 1970s, research indicated that some forms of saturated fat increase blood cholesterol.

Since elevated cholesterol is recognized as a risk factor in the development of heart disease, saturated fat was, consequently, regarded as an undesirable food.

We were advised to reduce our intake of it.

The prevailing opinion was that the less saturated fat you ate, the better.

Capitalizing on the public's FEAR of saturated fat and its perceived association with heart disease, the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION set out to crate a health crisis.

The crisis they planned would be so terrifying it would literally scare people away from using tropical oils.

In 1986 the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION sent a Fat Fighter Kit to soybean farmers encouraging them to write government officials, food companies, and so on, protesting the encroachment of highly saturated tropical fats like palm and coconut oils.

The wives and families of some 400,000 soybean growers were encouraged to fan out across the country in a lobbying effort touting the health benefits of soybean oil.

Well-meaning but misguided health groups such as the Center for Science in the Public Interest 9CSPI) joined in the battle, issuing news releases referring to palm, coconut, and palm kernel oils as artery clogging fats.

The CSPI, a nonprofit consumer activist group, had been criticizing saturated fats since its founding in the 1970s.

Like most nutrition advocates at the time, they mistakenly believed that all saturated fats were the same and attacked them with a vengeance.

Encouraged by the publicity generated by the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION, they began to intensify their attack.

The tropical oils, being highly saturated, were severely criticized in their promotional literature, news releases, and lobbying efforts.

It seemed the CSPI considered saturated fat to be the worst evil ever to beset humankind.

The AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION had found a powerful, vocal ally in its campaign to take over the tropical oils market.

For a group that claimed to be an advocate for responsible nutritional education, the CSPI was surprisingly ignorant regarding saturated fats, especially concerning coconut oil.

Instead of informing the public about the truth regarding saturated fats, they only succeeded in strengthening misconceptions and falsehoods.

The CSPI's lack of knowledge concerning lipid biochemistry is revealed in a booklet they published called Saturated Fat Attack.

While laypeople and many health care professionals may have been fooled by the information in this booklet, nutritional biochemist Mary G. Enig, PHD, says - There were lots of substantive mistakes in the booklet, including errors in the description of the biochemistry of the fats and oils and completely erroneous statements about the fat and oil composition of many of the products.

Most people would not have known this.

The booklet and other inaccurate information distributed by the groups succeeded in convincing many to completely shun tropical oils.

The CSPI's lack of accurate scientific knowledge made them an unsuspecting puppet for the AMERICAN SOYBEAN ASSOCIATION.

in October 1988, the Nebraska millionaire Phil Sokolof, a recovered heart attack patient and founder of the National Heart Savers Association, jumped on the media bandwagon.

He began running full page newspaper advertisements accusing food companies of poisoning America by using tropical oils with high levels of saturated fat.

Radically anti-saturated fat, he staged a blistering national ad campaign attacking tropical oils as a health danger.

One ad showed a coconut bomb with a lighted wick and cautioned consumers that their health was threatened by coconut and palm oils.

Before long, everybody believed that coconut oil caused heart disease.

Food manufacturers joined in too.

Hoping to profit from the anti-tropical oils sentiment, they tried to add labels to their products that read

Contains no Tropical Oil.

The FTC ruled such labels illegal because the statement implied a health claim, which portrayed the product as being better for not having tropical oil.

There was no evidence to back up the claim.

http://www.organicconsumers.org
http://www.gmwatch.eu

Central Coast

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El gobierno estatal y federal Mexicano agreden a periodista de Acapulco

Thu, 10/02/2008 - 09:59 — Anonymous

EL GOBIERNO FEDERAL MEXICANO SE AGREGA A LA AGRESION CONTRA PERIODISTA DE ACAPULCO

Hoy, primero de octubre del 2008, recibí un correo electrónico de la Procuraduria General de la Republica (PGR) en el cual se me notifica que debo presentarme ante la Agencia Investigadora Especializada en Delitos Diversos de la PGR en Acapulco, el día 10 del presente mes a efecto de ratificar mi denuncia enviada por correo electrónico el 4 de septiembre del 2008. Este E-mail viene en calidad de oficio cuyo numero es el 707/2008. El expediente es el AP/PGR/GRO/ACADDI/322/2008 y está firmado por el Lic. Alfonso Gonzalez Zamora.

Yo no he puesto ninguna “queja” ante la PGR y si acaso, por accidente, la PGR recibió algun mensaje de mi parte, pudo haber sido por puro accidente producido en la red electrónica. Yo considero que no es jurisdicción de la PGR cualquier insidente que suceda a mi persona en el pasado o en el presente.

Frecuentemente yo comunico con diferentes organismos a través de la red electrónica pero es con el fin de pedir información o consejos pero nunca pongo una “queja” sin antes saber si es de la jurisdicción el organismo que yo contacto. Yo considero que este oficio (707/2008) representa una amenaza contra mi persona y que de antemano se me está juzgando como delincuente, por el lenguaje en que fue redactado.

“Así mismo, se hace de su conocimiento que podrá asistir acompañado de un abogado, en términos de lo dispuesto por el artículo 127 bis, del Código Federal de Procedimientos Penales”, amenaza el documento recibido en nuestra redacción.

De antemano les advierto que no me presentaré a ninguna oficina de la PGR y que si quieren atentar contra mi persona, ya saben donde encontrarme. Yo creo que la PGR se agrega al grupo de agresores contra mi persona que forman el gobernador del estado de Guerrero, Zeferino Torreblanca Galindo, las Agencias del Ministerio Público y la Comisión de Derechos Humanos de Acapulco. Yo no tengo el poder que ustedes poséen, yo no soy mas que un simple periodista y no tengo ninguna defensa frente a la PGR, el gobernador del estado, los Ministerios Publicos y la CDH-Acapulco.

Atentamente

Guillermo Ramírez Bravo

NOTICIERO de ACAPULCO

www.noticierodeaca.page.tl/agresion

Central Coast

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CPS Corruption and Human Trafficking Exposed in San Luis Obispo

Wed, 09/17/2008 - 22:46 — Anonymous

Republicans Sam Blakeslee and Able Maldonado have teamed together for a child charity in the greater San Luis Obispo area named "The Family Care Connection". While promoting this charity both politicians refuse to review corruption in the local CPS office.

Legislation gives states incentives under Title IV-E to increase the number of children adopted out from foster care. Title IV funding provided to local CPS offices is being used for capturing and adopting out children. However, not all of these children are abused or neglected. Many children who are taken by CPS are not at risk or in any danger thus our Government is creating a form of "child trafficking". Children are becoming a very "profitable commodity". Under section 1962(b) of the RICO Act it unlawful for a person to acquire or maintain an interest in an enterprise through a pattern of racketeering activity. Since a RICO claim cannot be made in the absence of criminal activity many parents are being unjustly prosecuted in kangaroo courts so that children can remain in the "system". Almost half of the children taken by CPS are being adopted out using this technique. Assemblyman Blakeslee and Senator Maldonado's actions are protecting this practice by not responding to innocent desperate parents who have sought their assistance from improper removals by overeager Social Workers. These politicians have turned a blind eye to the CPS practices and to the children and families who are being abused by the CPS system they support.

Assemblyman Blakeslee's office claims they have no involvement with CPS procedures, yet has contacted them when children from the "Family Care Network" are at risk of escaping foster care. Senator Maldonado thinks some parents are "terrorists" if they seek his help. Some children have chaperones with them at all times so they don't try to run away to return home to their loving parents. The benefit of these unethical practices include: increased funding, full staffing, and support of their share of over 1.6 billion dollars would be lost if this corruption were exposed. This does not include the block grants exceeding 200 million dollars annually and other incentives. In a recent publication supported by Senator Maldonado and Assemblymember Sam Blakeslee The Family Care connection is asking people to write to Governor Schwarzenegger to speak out against a budget slash of 5% in foster care funding; while knowing the author of this article has been seeking their assistance for close to 6 months.

The standard practices of CPS offices throughout California and other states have been under scrutiny for the last several years. Since President Clinton placed into effect The Adoption Safe Families Act block grants have increased the number of children who are in the system. The state pays extra incentives for adopting out children over the age of 9 years old and additional funds if they require mental services or have other special needs. As a result of these block grants almost 50% of all children in CPS's care are between the ages of 13-19 years old. Every day 36 children an hour are taken by CPS throughout the United States. In California alone more than 20% of all children are in foster care.

This is an industry, which has grown by huge proportions and must be reined in. The Gestapo type tactics currently being used by County and State agencies to increase revenue from federal sources may provide jobs today for the local economy but is having a negative impact on many levels. Good families are being torn apart and children are dying under the State's care. When CPS takes children in error they rarely return them right away. The families are subjected to endless classes and programs whether or not they are guilty. The parents suffer great financial hardships because they are forced to retain expensive independent legal counsel. Many families lose their jobs and their homes trying to get their children out of the system. Some attorney's are working in collision with CPS and help keep children in the system because it's profitable, but most will agree that CPS is in fact corrupt.

Common practices of CPS agencies include: Not investigating before removing a child, taking children into state custody based upon here say, taking children from school without a "Protective Custody Warrant", manipulating the Court system in criminal cases against the parents who are improperly prosecuted, obstruction of justice, fabricating documents, omitting facts, coercing minors, deception, isolating children from their parents, breaking bonds, traumatizing children, negative therapy, and placing children in unsafe foster homes. Children are not being evaluated right away by a doctor or seeing child advocates such as CASA. Social workers have been known to go on "witch hunts" against parents, influencing doctors, and ruining parents medical files. Many CPS agencies work in collusion with therapists who give parents false "mental conditions" which is used against them in court. Family court is "secret" so there is no jury or fair trial. Children are being heard in Judges chambers so many testimonies cannot be documented on Court record.

Many judges who rule on family court cases also sit on the boards of phony nonprofit organizations created to generate state adoption/foster care grants via federal funding. San Luis Obispo CPS has politicians heading non-profit organizations and Judges hosting "Adoption Saturdays". California's 2003 Little Hoover Commission Report said up to 70 percent of children in foster care should never have been removed from their homes in the first place. Children who complain about foster care or beg to go home are either placed on psychotropic medication and are sometimes sent out of State. California's website for children up for adoption can be found at: www.adoptuskids.org

Dr. Moore who is the National Director of legislative affairs for the American Family Rights Association is heading up chapters under the NAACP. Children's rights organizations, parents, and independent non-profit agencies are also joining in the fight against CPS corruption and human trafficking. Senator Nancy Schaffer recently passed a new law that went into effect in Oklahoma and we in California are hopeful that our state will soon follow.

Kathleen Dearinger of Atascadero California is a CPS reform activist who is committed to overseeing change within her local area. She believes that the structure of CPS and Family court need to be revised and that a system designed to protect children should not be abusing the children themselves. CPS and others should not be profiting off of helpless children, whose many rights are being violated. She is working in conjunction with a number of reform and Civil Rights organizations, including Dr. Shirley Moore, the NAACP, Libertarian Groups, Serenah's Angels, Voice for the Children, Hope4Kids, Cherish the Children, and many others to address the issues of CPS abuse. She views the biggest problem is having no accountability and poorly trained social workers who are being granted "immunity" from prosecution. The Obudsman with the Department of Social Services located in Sacramento is not effective in overseeing the CPS cases of San Luis Obispo due to their geographic location.

Additionally, they represent foster care, which is a conflict of interest, and are being provided with inaccurate information from case files given to them by CPS. CPS does not currently have an internal affairs division to be able to correct the many deficiencies. Often times local police aren't involved in the removal of children; nor do they assist parents who have been wrongly accused of abuse or neglect. Ms. Dearinger wishes to develop a system that will compel CPS to abide by State and Federal laws and stop them from terrorizing families. She believes that policing agencies need to be incorporated each time a child is removed. This will ensure that the removal is being performed according to the WIC guidelines. Each removal should be fully documented, and pictures taken. Parents should be interviewed, and Protective Custody warrants should be issued "before" a child is ever removed from their home and placed into foster care. We have policing agencies on call 24 hours a day so there is no reason not to utilize their services.

The downward spiral of our society will continue until drastic changes are enacted. Reform is badly needed. Families will continue to be abused by CPS until we establish a system that actually provides protections for not only the children involved but also for the family. A strong family is the backbone of this nation, and these children are our future. The current policies and trends in family law and child protective services have hit the family hard; touching the lives of untold millions. We hope that California will revise the Child Protective Laws so that many of these children are better protected and those that are not abused can finally go home to where they belong.

http://www.real-debt-elimination.com/child_protection/cps_corruption_and_human_trafficking.htm