From the Iron Mountain Daily News Via IntellTrendsThought I would add some images for those who like me didn't know what it looked like. "FLORENCE, Wis. - The UW Extension office in Florence County is encouraging residents to take steps to control wild parsnip, an invasive plant that can cause rash and blisters in humans.
Scott Reuss of the UW Extension said that the plant is currently in bloom.
Wild parsnip has an upside down, umbrella-shaped flower head with yellow flowers, and is found in a variety of soil types. Generally, the plant thrives where the water availability is fairly good.
There are many other plants in the parsnip family that are also in bloom right now, but wild parsnip is the only one with yellow flowers.
Wild parsnip has negative environmental characteristics, such as having the ability to crowd out some native wildflowers, but it is actually more problematic to humans than to the environment.
This plant contains a chemical that causes a severe rash and blistering when exposed to skin and sunlight."
Taking steps to control invasive wild parsnip - IronMountainDailyNews.com | news, sports, business, jobs - The Daily News
From the Berrylakers web site. "Berry Lake held its annual 4th of July competition again this year and the boat parade theme was "ON SAFARI @ BERRY LAKE". "
Berrylakers
Fond memories of past years when we were on Berry Lake and participated in the annual boat parades. Looks like the people on Berry Lake had a ton of fun. Good for them. You can go to the above link to see the pictures.
From America Tax Reform via Rush"In just six months, the largest tax hikes in the history of America will take effect. They will hit families and small businesses in three great waves on January 1, 2011:
First Wave: Expiration of 2001 and 2003 Tax Relief
In 2001 and 2003, the GOP Congress enacted several tax cuts for investors, small business owners, and families. These will all expire on January 1, 2011:
Personal income tax rates will rise. The top income tax rate will rise from 35 to 39.6 percent (this is also the rate at which two-thirds of small business profits are taxed). The lowest rate will rise from 10 to 15 percent. All the rates in between will also rise. Itemized deductions and personal exemptions will again phase out, which has the same mathematical effect as higher marginal tax rates. The full list of marginal rate hikes is below:
- The 10% bracket rises to an expanded 15%
- The 25% bracket rises to 28%
- The 28% bracket rises to 31%
- The 33% bracket rises to 36%
- The 35% bracket rises to 39.6%
Higher taxes on marriage and family. The “marriage penalty” (narrower tax brackets for married couples) will return from the first dollar of income. The child tax credit will be cut in half from $1000 to $500 per child. The standard deduction will no longer be doubled for married couples relative to the single level. The dependent care and adoption tax credits will be cut.
The return of the Death Tax. This year, there is no death tax. For those dying on or after January 1 2011, there is a 55 percent top death tax rate on estates over $1 million. A person leaving behind two homes and a retirement account could easily pass along a death tax bill to their loved ones.
Higher tax rates on savers and investors. The capital gains tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 20 percent in 2011. The dividends tax will rise from 15 percent this year to 39.6 percent in 2011. These rates will rise another 3.8 percent in 2013.
Second Wave: Obamacare
There are over twenty new or higher taxes in Obamacare. Several will first go into effect on January 1, 2011. They include:
The “Medicine Cabinet Tax” Thanks to Obamacare, Americans will no longer be able to use health savings account (HSA), flexible spending account (FSA), or health reimbursement (HRA) pre-tax dollars to purchase non-prescription, over-the-counter medicines (except insulin).
The “Special Needs Kids Tax” This provision of Obamacare imposes a cap on flexible spending accounts (FSAs) of $2500 (Currently, there is no federal government limit). There is one group of FSA owners for whom this new cap will be particularly cruel and onerous: parents of special needs children. There are thousands of families with special needs children in the United States, and many of them use FSAs to pay for special needs education. Tuition rates at one leading school that teaches special needs children in Washington, D.C. (National Child Research Center) can easily exceed $14,000 per year. Under tax rules, FSA dollars can be used to pay for this type of special needs education.
The HSA Withdrawal Tax Hike. This provision of Obamacare increases the additional tax on non-medical early withdrawals from an HSA from 10 to 20 percent, disadvantaging them relative to IRAs and other tax-advantaged accounts, which remain at 10 percent.
Third Wave: The Alternative Minimum Tax and Employer Tax Hikes
This is the Pelosi puppet Steve Kagen.
When Americans prepare to file their tax returns in January of 2011, they’ll be in for a nasty surprise—the AMT won’t be held harmless, and many tax relief provisions will have expired. The major items include:
The AMT will ensnare over 28 million families, up from 4 million last year. According to the left-leaning Tax Policy Center, Congress’ failure to index the AMT will lead to an explosion of AMT taxpaying families—rising from 4 million last year to 28.5 million. These families will have to calculate their tax burdens twice, and pay taxes at the higher level. The AMT was created in 1969 to ensnare a handful of taxpayers."
Six Months to Go Until
The Largest Tax Hikes in History
Are these the people we want to lead us?
Elections matter.
(Adopted by Congress on July 4, 1776)
"That to secure these rights, governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed. That whenever any form of government becomes destructive to these ends, it is the right of the people to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their safety and happiness. "
The Declaration of Independence - TEXT
Prudence, indeed, will dictate that governments long established should not be changed for light and transient causes; and accordingly all experience hath shown that mankind are more disposed to suffer, while evils are sufferable, than to right themselves by abolishing the forms to which they are accustomed. But when a long train of abuses and usurpations, pursuing invariably the same object evinces a design to reduce them under absolute despotism, it is their right, it is their duty, to throw off such government, and to provide new guards for their future security.
From NASCAR.com""... What we're talking about is enhancing it in a way that will bring out more of the winning moments, the big moments that happen in sports. And if there's a way we can do that, and there are a couple of ways, we're going to give that a lot of weight."" NASCAR.COM - France sees changes to Chase, schedule in future - Jul 2, 2010
Looks like they want Johnson to get a fifth championship.
From NASCAR.com"Earnhardt Jr. drives the No. 3 to Victory Lane at Daytona
By Sporting News Wire Serivce
July 2, 2010
10:33 PM EDT
DAYTONA BEACH, Fla. -- Driving the No. 3 Wrangler Chevrolet in honor of his late father, Dale Earnhardt Jr. broke a Nationwide Series drought of almost four years in winning Friday's Subway Jalapeno 250 Nationwide Series race at Daytona International Speedway."
Earnhardt Jr. drives the No. 3 to Victory Lane at Daytona | NASCAR Nationwide Series
This was good to see.
From Yahoo Finance. There's that word "unexpected" again.Can Congressman Steve Kagen justify this? "New jobless claims rise in sign of weak job market
New unemployment claims rise unexpectedly as employers lay off more workers
ap
On Thursday July 1, 2010, 8:35 am
WASHINGTON (AP) -- Initial claims for unemployment benefits rose last week for the second time in three weeks, a sign that layoffs are rising.
The Labor Department says new claims for jobless benefits jumped by 13,000 to a seasonally adjusted 472,000. Analysts expected a small drop, according to a survey by Thomson Reuters.
Greater layoffs by construction firms contributed to the increase, a Labor Department analyst said. Home sales slumped last month after the expiration of a popular homebuyer tax credit. Summer layoffs in many school districts also added to the total.
The number of people continuing to claim benefits rose by 43,000 to 4.6 million, the department said. But the number of people collecting extended benefits fell by 376,000, as lawmakers have refused to continue the extra aid."
New jobless claims rise in sign of weak job market - Yahoo! Finance
I'm glad he's working hard for the people from Wisconsin.I am SHOCKED, SHOCKED!
From the Escanba Daily Press. "NewPage workers picket
Upset with no contract agreement
By Jenny Lancour
POSTED: June 30, 2010
Members of the United Steel Workers Union from NewPage picket Wednesday in a local neighborhood to show their frustration with the lack of a fair labor agreement . The union contract expired more than two years ago.
ESCANABA -A group of union employees from NewPage displayed their frustration on the lack of a fair contract agreement and picketed with signs in front of a boss' home Wednesday.
About 40 members of United Steel Workers Union Local 2-21 carried signs reading "Labor Dispute" in front of the Lake Bluff home of mill manager Mike Entz. The employees' labor pact expired in June 2008 and negotiations have failed to reach a settlement.
"We're beyond two years for a labor contract," said union team leader Jim Sivertsen on the picket line. "Negotiations have been slow and mostly unproductive.""
NewPage workers picket - DailyPress.net | News, Sports, Jobs, Escanaba Information | The Daily Press
Let's see, since 2008, their guy becomes president. Bart Stupak and the democrats run congress. How's that hope and change going?As Mark Belling from WISN said yesterday, Do the steel workers understand the dems and their union leaders are selling them out. Look what might of happened at Bucyrus and the steel workers union in Milwaukee.From JS Online.
"Despite skepticism from government officials in Washington, a Milwaukee business group is standing by its contention that nearly 1,000 U.S. jobs would be retained or created if Bucyrus International Inc. salvages an order to supply equipment for a coal-mining operation in India.
The order for $600 million in mining machines is at risk of falling through after the U.S. Export-Import Bank - citing environmental concerns - last week denied loan guarantees for the project. The company says it will probably lose the orders, and the jobs, to an overseas competitor." Business leaders insist 1,000 jobs at risk if Bucyrus loses India contract - JSOnline
The economy is bad, unemployment is high and these people in Escanaba are picketing. Did the picketers remeber what New Page did to Niagara and the Fox Valley mills? Are they looking for New Page to shut down the plant? Keep contributing your dues to democrats and your union leaders and you will see in the future what you will get. For the last two years companies do not know what the Obama administration will do to them and the rank and file think they will get a contract done to their benefit?I do not know all the issues in Escanaba but the workers in Escanaba are in the same boat as the rest of America. We're all scared of the future and the dems are in charge. We're scared. we're worried and we're mad as heck about our future.
From Ag Day and U A.
Just to clarify, my definition of the term "upper eastsiders" are people (including some of my children who attend UWM) who live on the east side of Milwaukee who are liberals, who want all eco laws passed and look down on average people as peasants. All you typical liberals who carry reusable grocery bags.
News for all you upper eastsiders, geeenie wienie, liberal wackos. Ban plastic grocery bags, buy reusable, do what you can for the environment. And what do you get, E Coli..
"Reusable Grocery Bags Contamcinated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria
Grocery bags
By University Communications June 24, 2010
These are some of the dozens of grocery bags that were tested for contamination during the study.
Salmonella, shown here growing in a culture dish, is one of the contaminants found in some of the reusable grocery bags studied.
These bags may be friendly to the environment, but not necessarily to you, according to a new report by researchers at two universities.
By University Communications June 24, 2010
Reusable grocery bags can be a breeding ground for dangerous food-borne bacteria and pose a serious risk to public health, according to a joint food-safety research report issued today by the University of Arizona and Loma Linda University in California." Reusable Grocery Bags Contaminated With E. Coli, Other Bacteria | UANews.org
This reminds me of Milwaukee residents didn't use enough water and the water department says it has to raise rates.The research study – which randomly tested reusable grocery bags carried by shoppers in Tucson, Los Angeles and San Francisco – also found consumers were almost completely unaware of the need to regularly wash their bags.
"Our findings suggest a serious threat to public health, especially from coliform bacteria including E. coli, which were detected in half of the bags sampled," said Charles Gerba, a UA professor of soil, water and environmental science and co-author of the study. "Furthermore, consumers are alarmingly unaware of these risks and the critical need to sanitize their bags on a weekly basis."
So now you have to waste water and soap to sanitize your grocery bags.
