Category: Fall 2008 Newswire
N.H. Senator’s Assets Take Hit in Financial Crisis
PERSONAL FINANCES
New Hampshire Union Leader
Jenny Paul
Boston University Washington News Service
10/22/08
WASHINGTON– As everyday Americans see their retirement funds and savings shrink in line with the stock market’s decline, the assets of New Hampshire Sen. Judd Gregg (R-N.H.) have also taken a beating.
Gregg, a multimillionaire who ranked as the 21st wealthiest member of the Senate in 2007, may have lost hundreds of thousands of dollars when the markets plummeted this year, according to an analysis of his 2007 financial disclosure statement, a document that lists all of his assets and investments for the year. A copy of the statement, which senators are required to file each year, is available on OpenSecrets.org, the Center for Responsive Politics’ non-partisan, independent Web site that tracks money in politics.
Gregg’s net worth is listed as $3 million to $10 million, according to the Web site. The majority of his wealth stems from private investments, real estate and stock held in publicly traded companies, a Union Leader analysis of the disclosure statement shows.
In 2007, Gregg owned hundreds of thousands of dollars in stock in corporations whose share prices have plummeted since the end of last year, including well-known companies such as Bristol-Myers Squibb, Exxon Mobil and General Electric Co. Gregg’s office said he had not sold any of his assets since the report was compiled.
Federal law requires members of Congress to file annual financial disclosure reports that detail the sources and amounts of income they earn. The form asks members to list the values of their assets within predetermined dollar ranges but does not require them to report specific values of their assets.
According to the disclosure statement, Gregg owned assets worth $250,001 to $500,000 in Bristol-Myers Squibb, a pharmaceutical corporation, in 2007. One share of the company was valued at $25.08 on Dec. 31, 2007, but that value dropped to $17.33 by Oct. 15 of this year, a decline of nearly 31 percent. And that was before the latest round of major declines in the stock indexes.
With his assets in the company valued at a minimum of $250,000, Gregg owned at least 9,968 shares of the company in 2007, although he could hold significantly more. In the last year, the value of 9,968 shares in Bristol-Myers Squibb dropped from about $250,000 to $173,000 – a loss of $77,000.
Gregg likely fared worse with his General Electric investments, which were worth $15,001 to $50,000 in 2007, according to the report. General Electric’s stock price posted a 46 percent drop between the end of last year and this month. At a minimum, the value of Gregg’s assets could have dropped by about $7,000 – from $15,000 to about $8,000.
Other stocks in his portfolio have posted similar declines.
“As required by federal law, Sen. Gregg has always fully disclosed all of his investments,” press secretary Laena Fallon said in the statement. “At this time, he does not plan to change his investments going forward.”
The other members of New Hampshire’s congressional delegation also said they did not plan to make changes to their holdings or investment strategies.
Sen. John Sununu (R-N.H.) has money invested in several mutual funds, which he holds in an IRA and the Federal Thrift Savings Plan, a federal retirement savings plan available to U.S. government employees, according to his office. Sununu’s net worth is listed as $297,000 to $855,000, according to OpenSecrets.org.
“These are long-term investments, made years ago, which he will continue to hold for the long term,” Barbara Riley, Sununu’s communications director, said in a statement.
Like the others, Rep. Paul Hodes (D-N.H.) has not made any changes in his investment strategy, although his stockbroker is allowed to handle transactions without the congressman’s consent, said Mark Bergman, Hodes’ communications director. Hodes’ net worth was listed as $818,000 to $1.7 million in 2007, according to OpenSecrets.org.
Rep. Carol Shea Porter (D-N.H.) said she and her husband, who works for the federal government, have money invested in a government 401(k) savings plan. OpenSecrets.org lists her net worth as $2,000 to $30,000.
“Like other New Hampshire residents, we are concerned about the impact the downturn in the economy is having on our retirement savings,” she said in a statement.
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Massachusetts Gets Boost in Home Heating Funds
MassHeating
Worcester Telegram and Gazette
Rachel Kolokoff
Boston University and Washington News Service
October 17, 2008
WASHINGTON - Massachusetts is receiving $213.5 million in federal funds to help low-income families heat their homes this winter, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services announced on Thursday.
“These funds will help reduce the risk of health and safety problems exacerbated by the exposure to extreme temperatures,” said U.S. Department of Health and Human Services Secretary Mike Leavitt.
The money, an increase of $87 million from last year’s funding, is part of an omnibus spending bill the Senate passed in September for the fiscal year 2009.
Melissa Wagoner, spokeswoman for Sen. Edward M. Kennedy, D-Mass., said Mr. Kennedy is very pleased the money has been released.
“No family should have to make impossible choices between heating their home or putting food on the table or taking a sick child to the doctor,” Ms. Wagoner said. “These funds will ease that burden.”
Sen. John F. Kerry, D-Mass., said this funding will reassure families that help is on the way.
“This is welcome news for thousands of families in our state who have been struggling to make ends meet because of skyrocketing home energy prices,” Mr. Kerry said in a statement.
The omnibus spending bill gave $5.1 billion to the federal Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program for distribution among the 50 states and the District of Columbia.
Massachusetts’ $213.5 million includes some $50 million in contingency funds, which are distributed in times of need at the discretion of federal and state governments.
Mark Sanborn, director of energy resources for the Worcester Community Action Council, a non-profit organization that helps homeowners and renters with heating costs, safety and applications for assistance, said the state usually makes the contingency funds available immediately.
He said while he and others at the Council are pleased that the total funding has increased, they are anxious to know what formula will be used this year to determine who is eligible to receive those funds.
“We are on pins and needles waiting at this point,” Mr. Sanborn said.
The council started an outreach program in July where members traveled to senior centers and councils on aging urging people eligible under the current formula to apply and be certified before distribution begins on Nov. 1.
The current formula, Mr. Sanborn said, includes households with a gross income of up to 200 percent of the poverty level or $42,400. State officials are considering changing the formula to include households with a gross income of up to 60 percent of the median income level, or $51,252.
Under the current formula, the council has denied 308 of the 6,356 households that have applied so far this year, Sanborn said.
“And we’re still in October,” Jill C. Dagilis, executive director of the council said. “The real rush and flood will come as soon as it’s November and really cold weather strikes.”
Mr. Sanborn said that while state officials must specify which formula will apply by Nov. 1, they usually do so early enough to notify oil vendors, utility companies and others of any changes.
In addition to the $213.5 million in federal funding, the state has $11.5 million in unused contingency funding released on Sept. 21 for the fiscal year 2008, according to Phil Hailer, spokesman for the state Department of Housing and Community Development.
The state also approved in August the distribution of $10 million in state money for heating oil assistance for low-income families.
Mr. Hailer said his office is pleased that $213.5 million has been released, especially since energy prices increased so much in the past year.
“It’s great news to see this type of funding come for LIHEAP clients this winter,” he said.
U.S. Rep. James P. McGovern, D-Worcester, said the increase should make home heating a little easier for people already struggling to buy prescription drugs and food.
“This is something the New England delegation bas been fighting and lobbying for,” Mr. McGovern said.
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4th District Race is Priciest House Race in New England
SHAYS/FEC
Norwalk Hour
Jordan Zappala
Boston University Washington News Service
10/16/08
WASHINGTON – The fight for the Connecticut 4th District House seat is currently the priciest in New England and the 9th-most expensive nationally for the second election in a row, according to new data compiled by the Center for Responsive Politics.
Rep. Chris Shays, R-Conn., has raised $3.1 million since early 2007, while Democratic challenger and ex-Goldman Sachs executive Jim Himes received $2.9 million – according to Oct.15 filings to the Federal Election Commission – making this the closest race financially the 11-term congressman has ever faced.
“Money is an important part of campaigns, of course, but nothing is more important than a candidate’s relationship with his district,” said Michael Sohn, campaign manager for Shays. “Chris has a long relationship with the district – it’s a great relationship, and they understand his work.”
Since incumbents are often able to raise significantly more than their challengers, Shays’ small fundraising lead doesn’t bring about any real-world advantage in the race. In fact, experts say their finances put the candidates on equal footing.
“Conventional wisdom states that the challenger doesn’t even have to match the incumbent dollar for dollar,” said Kurt Schlichting, a polling expert and professor of sociology and anthropology at Fairfield University. “He just has to reach a threshold that enables him to buy the same media as his competitor, and Himes has clearly done that.”
In the last quarter alone – July 1 through Sept. 30 – each candidate raised more than $800,000, but Himes spent more than twice as much as Shays in the same period, topping $1.8 million.
“We want to spend it all, keep nothing in the bank,” said Michael Sachse, communication director for the Himes campaign. “We spent a lot on our media campaign, because this media market is one of the most expensive markets in the country – if not the most. That’s one of the reasons we’ve needed to raise as much money as we have.”
As a result of such spending, the Himes campaign has only a little more than $400,000 remaining in its coffers – a stark contrast to the nearly $2 million remaining in the Shays campaign bank as of Sept. 30.
“We’ve already spent a significant portion of that in the past 15 days on TV, mail, get-out-the-vote efforts,” Sohn said. “But it’s really important what you do with that money, and running a positive campaign is really important to Chris, so we won’t run negative ads.”
According to the Center for Responsive Politics, the average raised by House incumbents is a little more than $1 million, with challengers averaging about $225,000. Clearly, the much higher level of 4th District race donations suggests an intense fight for this politically symbolic seat.
“We’ve raised so much because people are ready for a change,” Sachse said.
As the last remaining House Republican stronghold in New England, the seat continues to present a significant victory for either party, and the residents of the 22nd wealthiest congressional district in the country are able to spend heavily to try and secure that seat.
Connecticut residents have been generous enough that Shays again ranks 9th of all House incumbents in the share of money received from in-state donors. As of Sept. 29, roughly 87 percent of his total came from in-state residents, according to the Center for Responsive Politics.
The political parties’ strong stakes in the battle for the seat, as well as its location in the third-wealthiest state in the union, are probable reasons that both campaigns are able to raise the level of money they consistently have, political experts say.
“Shays has the [House Financial Services] Committee, and if Himes tapped into the network of people he knew in the financial services industry, there’s a lot of money there,” Schlichting said. “This has just been a competitive district for a long time, since Shays is the only Republican who can win in the area.”
Shays has faced competitive races almost every year since coming to Capitol Hill in 1987, but the gap seems to be narrowing each cycle. In the 2006 and 2004 races – both against Democrat Diane Goss Farrell – Shays won by only 1 and 4 percentage points respectively.
Current polls indicate that the two candidates are in a dead heat. One poll, conducted in late September by the Sacred Heart University Polling Institute, showed Shays ahead by 10 points, but a Roll Call poll conducted Monday and Tuesday by SurveyUSA put Himes in the lead by three.
“With the error margins and the shifting data, the polls are statistically tied,” Schlichting said. “The interesting thing will be to watch Bridgeport – there’s a big pool of Democratic votes there, but it’s also where Shays lives. It’s hard to call, but it will certainly be interesting.”
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Maine to Get $79 Million in Heating Assistance
MAINE LIHEAP
Bangor Daily News
Maite Jullian
Boston University Washington News Service
10/16/08
WASHINGTON – Maine will receive $79.2 million in the new fiscal year to finance the federal program of heating assistance to low-income families, which would help more than 80,000 households to pay their energy bills, according to the Maine State Housing Authority.
Republican Sens. Susan Collins and Olympia Snowe announced Thursday that President Bush directed the Department of Health and Human Services to release $5.1 billion nationwide for the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program.
“This is very good news,” Collins said in a statement. “This impending winter will bring a sharp increase in applications for LIHEAP assistance. This funding will go a long way to helping low-income Mainers stay warm this winter.”
The State Housing Authority is getting $49.5 million in base funding and $29.7 million in emergency funding. The latter amount, the 5th highest among all states, is set aside and may be used in case of extreme cold winter or an extreme rise in heating oil prices.
In 2008, Maine received $46 million to help low-income families pay their energy bill. The new total represents a 72 percent increase over last year.
“We are delighted,” said Dale McCormick, director of the Maine Housing Authority. “It is going to allow us to keep the benefits of last year’s amount and serve about 33,000 more households.”
“It was essential for the administration to identify the heating oil burden as a critical and timely priority and to fund the program accordingly,” Snowe said in a press release.
Even though there is a sharp increase in funds, Maine’s eligible families will actually receive a little less assistance because the administration also modified the eligibility requirements to increase the number of eligible recipients.
Previously, to be eligible a family had to earn no more than 170 percent of the poverty level or 60 percent of the state median income.
Dan Simpson, spokesman for the State Housing Authority, said that under the new requirements, a family must now earn no more than 230 percent of the poverty level or 75 percent of the state median income.
Simpson said that about 50,000 households received an average $779 from the program last year. In 2009, 84,000 families will receive an average of about $722.
“We have more money to get spread over more people, so the average benefit is going to stay about the same,” McCormick said. “But we are going to target the money to the neediest households.”
Last year the program assisted 4.5 million low-income families nationally, or only about 15 percent of eligible families.
The House Select Committee on Energy Independence and Global Warming said last month that home heating oil prices were expected to reach a record $4.60 per gallon this winter, which would mean a $4,000 average heating bill for families.
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Democratic Politics Dominate the Life of New Bedford Resident
KAVANAUGH
The New Bedford Standard-Times
Courtney Hime
Boston University Washington News Service
October 16, 2008
WASHINGTON – In the weeks preceding Election Day, Gerry Kavanaugh’s time belongs to the Democrats.
“There’s no question, in even-numbered years, I don’t take a vacation,” he said. “I don’t have time.”
By day, Mr. Kavanaugh, 54, works at DCS Online Communications, based in Washington, offering up technological strategies to members of Congress, advocacy organizations and Democratic candidates across the country. But his efforts don’t end there.
During his time away from the company, when he is not commuting home to New Bedford, he volunteers for Barack Obama. The Dartmouth native helped organize a fund raising effort in New England that raised $1 million for the Obama campaign. Next week, he’ll head to the battleground state of Ohio, where he’ll continue campaigning for Obama.
“I have tried to devote as much of my personal time and also as much of the company time as possible to make sure that, one, we take back the White House and, two, that we increase our margins in both the House and the Senate,” Mr. Kavanaugh said.
There was a time, however, when his support was thrown behind Sen. Hillary Clinton (D-N.Y.). In fact, he worked “very hard” up until the senator ended her campaign. Not long after, though, he said he received a call from the Obama camp asking for his help.
“That normally doesn’t happen,” Mr. Kavanaugh said. “There were a lot of frayed nerves and a lot of angst between the two campaigns, but they called me immediately, and so I was very happy to start working for them.”
His support of Obama stems from a genuine belief that the candidate’s policies are in the best interest of people in cities like New Bedford. Mr. Kavanaugh and his wife, Colleen, still reside in New Bedford – they commute to Washington every week. Living in New Bedford, Mr. Kavanaugh said, gets him “back to the real world.”
“New Bedford is a very real place with real people with real problems,” he said.
Problems he said he hopes can be resolved if Obama wins. Until then, Mr. Kavanaugh and his wife, a partner at DCS, will continue their efforts to help members of Congress and Democratic candidates by providing internet and technological strategies.
Mr. Kavanaugh said the company, which he founded in 2002, does “all of the conventional things,” such as building and maintaining Web sites and databases for voter communication, as well as online advertising and Web videos. But they’re also moving toward new strategies.
“We try to do things that are actually new this election cycle,” he said. “We’re doing lots of what we call behavioral targeting, which is where we’re advertising with people based on what they read.”
And Mr. Kavanaugh tweaks his online ads to appeal to a niche demographic. In the same breath that he mentions the company’s efforts to target Democratic gun owners, he talks of attempts to cater to environmentalists.
The company’s varied audience is a reflection of its diverse clientele. DCS serves groups and people across the country, including House Speaker Nancy Pelosi (D-Calif.), Sen. Evan Bayh (D-Ind.) and Ohio Gov. Ted Strickland..
Back in his office, Mr. Kavanaugh showcases the Web site for one of his clients, Dan Seals, a Democratic candidate in Illinois’ 10th District. DCS manages the e-mail communications for Seals’ campaign and as Mr. Kavanaugh looks at the Web site, he mentions how impressed he is with the way Seals is using the Web.
As the page finishes loading, a miniature version of Seals walks onto the screen to greet the site’s visitor and briefly explain the candidate’s platform.
“Isn’t that awesome?” Mr. Kavanaugh asks after the miniature candidate has finished his pitch.
Seals’ Web site is just one example of how the company hopes Democratic candidates can harness new Web-based tools to turn the political tide in favor of the Democrats. According to company research, between one-third and one-half of people interested in politics turn to the Internet for information. The key, Mr. Kavanaugh said, is to grab their attention.
“We found that you’ve got about two or three seconds to get people’s attention and keep it,” he said. “So, you have to do creative, innovative things to get people interested and to keep their interest.”
Coming up with new ideas to keep the visitor’s interest never gets boring, Mr. Kavanaugh said. Despite the 80-hour work weeks he’s been keeping, he said he’s going to miss the energy of campaign season.
“I’m sort of disappointed that it’s going to end, because it’s fun every single day,” he said. “I look forward to it every day.”
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Top Clinton, Romney Donors Switch Parties for Presidential Election
DONORS
New London Day
Dan Levy
Boston University Washington News Service
October 16, 2008
WASHINGTON – He was the region’s most prodigal Mitt Romney supporter. During the presidential primaries, Augustus Kinsolving poured $2,300 – the maximum legal donation – into the former Republican candidate’s then-flourishing campaign.
Now, the Fishers Island, N.Y., lawyer is pledging his money and vote to another presidential hopeful: Democratic nominee Sen. Barack Obama.
“I have a very distinct opinion that Barack Obama is needed by this country right now,” said Kinsolving, a registered independent who considered himself a Republican “as a young man” – but who admired Democratic President John F. Kennedy as a college student in the early 1960s.
“Barack Obama reminds me of Jack Kennedy,” he said.
Kinsolving is not the only benefactor of a doomed campaign who has turned away from his preferred candidate’s party. In Southern Connecticut, only a few of the most generous supporters of Sen. Hillary Clinton – whom Obama defeated in a long, bitter contest for the Democratic nomination – have opened their wallets for Obama, according to Federal Election Commission filings.
Some of Clinton’s top donors say they don’t think the notoriously deep-pocketed Obama campaign needs their money; indeed, Obama’s fundraising prowess played a key role in Clinton’s defeat. But others still refuse to support the Illinois senator’s bid for the presidency.
“Basically I’m on the McCain side now,” said Donna Carroll, a registered Democrat, environmentalist and abortion-rights advocate who donated $500 to Clinton’s campaign.
Carroll praised Sen. John McCain, the Republican nominee, for his “experience,” and compared Obama to an idealistic college graduate who is not “ready to go to work.”
“You think you’re going to be able to step into the workplace and make all sorts of contributions right away,” Carroll said, explaining the comparison, “when in reality, there’s a learning curve.”
While Kinsolving and Carroll have jumped decisively to the other side, many disappointed Clinton donors remain on the fence.
Thomas Haggerty and Gail Shea, a retired married couple from Pawcatuck, were enthusiastic Clinton supporters; he contributed $1,250 to the New York senator’s campaign, according to reports filed with the election commission.
Although Haggerty remains “very disappointed [Clinton] didn’t get the nomination,” he said he looked forward to voting for Obama.
Shea, however, said she would only do so reluctantly.
“I can’t vote for McCain, so I guess I have to,” she said. “What do I do, not vote?”
Neither has sent money to Obama’s campaign so far, though Haggerty said he would “if I thought for a moment he really needed my money.”
Several of Clinton’s top local donors, including Deborah Moshier-Dunn of Waterford, said this was their first time donating to a presidential campaign.
Moshier-Dunn, who gave Clinton $500, said she has come around to voting for Obama, but continued to donate to Clinton after the primaries to help pay off the former First Lady’s campaign debt.
“I’m not worried about Obama,” she said, referring to his fundraising abilities.
Kathleen Naparty of Ledyard donated $1,450 to Clinton’s campaign— her first political donation. But she’s not ready to vote for Obama, much less add to his campaign’s coffers.
In fact, Naparty blames Obama’s fundraising success for Clinton’s defeat.
“He comes out of nowhere, gets all this funding, and she goes broke?” she said. “I’m really disappointed.”
For the first time in her adult life, Naparty said she plans to boycott the polls this November. And she doesn’t see herself spending money on a presidential candidate any time soon.
“I’m kind of sick of the whole electoral process,” she said.
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Bailout Bill Provides Energy Tax Credits for Consumers
Incentives
The Keene Sentinel
Joe Vines
Boston University Washington News Service
October 15, 2008
WASHINGTON −While the public has largely focused on the $770 billion financial bailout bill President George W. Bush signed in to law two weeks ago, the bill also gives homeowners tax credits for being energy-efficient.
The tax incentives were originally part of the Energy Policy Act that Congress passed in 2005 and that expired at the end of 2007. The new act renews the incentives for 2009 but does not apply to 2008.
The tax credit for new energy-efficient doors, windows, metal roofs and insulation is 10 percent of the cost up to $500 for all such improvements.
The credit for solar water heaters, on the other hand, is 30 percent of the cost, without limit. A $2,000 limit in the expired law was removed, and the credit has been renewed through 2016.
“While not a comprehensive solution to our nation’s energy woes, these incentives will go a long way to increase clean and renewable energy production and encourage greater energy efficiency,” said Sen. Judd Gregg, R-N.H., who was the lead negotiator on the bill for Senate Republicans,
To receive a credit on insulation, the installed item’s primary function must be to insulate; so installation of vinyl siding does not qualify.
Energy Star is a joint program of the U.S. Department of Energy and the Environmental Protection Agency. Products with Energy Star labels meet strict energy-efficiency standards and oftentimes qualify for tax credits. Any window or door with the Energy Star label qualifies but not all Energy Star heating and air-conditioning systems qualify for the credit. The cost of installation is not included in calculating the tax credits.
The legislation also renewed the tax credit on hybrid vehicles. The deduction can be as much as $3,400 for the most fuel-efficient cars. However, once a company sells 60,000 of a certain hybrid vehicle, the amount of the tax deduction goes down
Information concerning the tax credits can be found at www.energystar.gov/taxcredits. “There’s been an awful lot of interest in the page because a lot of people are going to do these improvements and they want to get a couple hundred bucks extra if they can,” said Karen Schneider, information technology manager for Energy Star. The Web page is one of the most popular on the site, she said.
Gregg said more must be done to conserve energy. “I have introduced a proposal that would more than triple funding for the weatherization assistance program, which provides assistance to low-income individuals and families so they can install energy-efficiency measures in their homes,” he said in a statement.
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Army Issues New Policy for Media Coverage of Funerals at Arlington Cemetery
ARLINGTON
Norwalk Hour
Jordan Zappala
Boston University Washington News Service
10/10/08
WASHINGTON – In the face of criticism, the Army for the first time has written a policy outlining media access to military funerals at Arlington National Cemetery, giving clear but limited control to mourning families while reserving the final word for cemetery officials.
Of the 43 Connecticut members of the military who died in Iraq or Afghanistan, at least 12 have been laid to rest at the 624-acre military cemetery across the Potomac River from Washington.
“The policy is now official on the Army level,” said Col. Catherine Abbott, the Army’s director for media relations. “It’s about paying honor and respect to our fallen comrades.”
Under the new policy, family members will be able to grant or deny varying degrees of media access to funeral services: none, visual or visual and “limited audio.” In the latter category, the main speaker is outfitted with a wireless microphone to transmit the eulogy to the media; reporters cannot hear family members speak or approach them at the site.
When a family does grant media coverage, according to the new policy, journalists are permitted to report only from a “designated media area,” chosen by the cemetery's superintendent, that is "close enough to allow visual recording . . . without intruding on the ceremony or the military formation."
Before these regulations were implemented last month by the Secretary of the Army Pete Geren, the cemetery had a near-identical “informal” policy, said Kaitlin Horst, a spokesperson for the cemetery. Like the official policy, the informal policy allowed families to make the initial decision on media access, but gave cemetery authorities ultimate control over what reporters saw by designating where the media could locate inside the cemetery gates.
“(Our policy) has basically been to allow access to Arlington National Cemetery in coordination with the family’s wishes,” Abbott said. “That is paramount for us. But concerns were voiced from different areas that that wasn’t happening.”
The informal policy came under fire this spring when The Washington Post ran a story about the media being kept from covering Lt. Col. Billy Hall's funeral, even though the Marine's family gave reporters permission to be there.
“[The military] arranged the Marine’s burial yesterday so that no sound, and few images, would make it into the public domain,” Dana Milbank wrote in the article. “Journalists were held 50 yards from the service, separated from the mourning party by six or seven rows of graves, and staring into the sun and penned in by a yellow rope.”
Concerns regarding the informal policy were voiced not only by members of the media. Gina Gray, hired as Arlington’s public affairs director in April and fired three months later, told the Post this summer that her dismissal was a direct result of her push for a more lax media policy regarding funerals.
The Army is conducting an internal investigation into her firing, according to Abbott, who declined to comment because of the investigation.
During a discussion of the proposed policy in August between Army officials, journalists and members of veterans groups, several in attendance recommended that the provision outlining the “designated media area” be worded more precisely so that a situation such as the one Milbank experienced could be avoided.
Abbott said it was a nice idea, but impractical for the sprawling cemetery.
“They wanted to say, be 10 feet away every time, but because of the terrain, that’s not possible – you could either have a great shot or be behind a tree,” Abbott said of the proposed correction. “Plus, each service is different, depending on the branch of the military and the honors applied. The folks at Arlington know best where [the journalists] should be.”
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Conn. Supreme Court Rules in Favor of Gay Couples
MARRIAGE
Norwalk Hour
Jordan Zappala
Boston University Washington News Service
10/10/08
WASHINGTON – The Connecticut Supreme Court ruled Friday that gay couples have the right to marry, making Connecticut the third state in the country to allow same-sex marriage, following Massachusetts and California.
In a 4-3 ruling that reversed a lower court decision, the Supreme Court determined that the state’s marriage law discriminated against gays and lesbians because it violated the state constitution’s equal protection principles. The case was brought by eight same-sex couples who were denied marriage licenses and sued the state in 2004.
“In light of the history of pernicious discrimination faced by gay men and lesbians, and because the institution of marriage carries with it a status and significance that the newly created classification of civil unions does not embody, the segregation of heterosexual and homosexual couples into separate institutions constitutes a cognizable harm,” Justice Richard Palmer wrote in the court’s majority opinion.
Janet Peck – a plaintiff with her partner of 33 years, Carol Conklin – said that she started crying immediately upon hearing the decision.
“We are just so, so happy – there are not enough words to express how happy we are,” said Peck, a mental health counselor from Colchester. “I am thrilled that after our 33 years together, we have finally been legally recognized, and that so many other gay and lesbian couples will have the equal protection they deserve.”
Peck said that she and Conklin will be getting married soon, but that their “families have been waiting so long for this, it is important that they be able to celebrate with us.”
“We are thrilled with the ruling,” said Carisa Cunningham, public affairs director for Gay and Lesbian Advocates and Defenders (GLAD) – the group that represented Peck and the other plaintiffs in the case. “Today’s decision represents the hopes and dreams of lesbian and gay couples to live as full and equal parties in the eyes of the law.”
The Connecticut Legislature passed a law in 2005 allowing civil unions for same-sex couples, but the plaintiffs argued – and the court agreed – that the unions did not afford the same benefits or protections as marriage.
The Family Institute of Connecticut, a political action committee opposed to gay marriage, quickly spoke out against the ruling.
"Even the legislature, as liberal as ours, decided that marriage is between a man and a woman," said the group’s executive director Peter Wolfgang. "This is about our right to govern ourselves. It is bigger than gay marriage."
Gov. M. Jodi Rell said she disagreed with the court’s decision, but said Friday that she would not fight it.
"She is opposed to the ruling," said Luigi Fulinello, assistant to Rell. "However, it is a Supreme Court decision, and there’s nothing she can do to overturn that. She does not believe any attempts to reverse the decision through the Legislature would be successful at this time.”
Attorney General Richard Blumenthal said in a statement that an appeal to the U.S. Supreme Court is impossible since the decision was based solely on “an interpretation of state constitutional law.”
“The State Supreme Court is the ultimate authority on all state law, and its ruling on the state constitution must be respected,” he said Friday.
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4th District Foreclosure Rate is .097 Percent
HOTPADS
Norwalk Hour
Jordan Zappala
Boston University Washington News Service
10/10/08
WASHINGTON – Connecticut’s 4th Congressional District has a mortgage foreclosure rate that is lower than 63 percent of the country, according to new real estate data on the Web site hotpads.com.
The data, compiled in partnership with foreclosure listing site RealtyTrac and updated nightly, reveals a foreclosure rate across the district of .097 percent – significantly lower than the country’s highest rate of 4.6 percent, found in the 18th District of California. The 18th District encompasses San Joaquin Valley cities such as Modesto and Stockton.
Seven of the top ten worst foreclosure rates are in California, with Nevada and Florida rounding out the remaining spots. The lowest foreclosure rates are found in Washington, D.C., southern Virginia and New York City. In Republican congressional districts, the average rate of .51 percent is slightly higher than the Democratic districts’ .47 percent.
In a breakdown of foreclosure rates in all 435 congressional districts, the five Connecticut districts rank between 152 and 188. All of the state’s members of Congress voted for both the Foreclosure Act signed into law in June, and the financial bailout bill signed into law last week.
“If you are facing foreclosure, reach out to a local non-profit counselor or see if you qualify for legal aid,” said Chris Kukla of the Center for Responsible Lending. “Find all the help you can get, but make sure you do something – it may save your home.”
Kukla said that, no matter what, avoid payday lenders or car title lenders.
“Both of these options are designed to trap borrowers in debt rather than solve a financial emergency,” he said. “Instead, take a cash advance on your credit card, visit your credit union or local bank for loans, or ask family or friends for help. Payday loans seem easy and anonymous, but they cause more problems than they are worth.”
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