6/2/2012 1:06 PM ET
(RTTNews) - Financial disclosures made public Friday show Republican presidential candidate Mitt Romney's personal wealth remains near $250 million, changing little in the last year, even though the former Massachusetts governor sold a massive amount of stocks he perceived were out of line with his political views.
The Romney campaign said Friday the candidate's net worth was between $190 million and $250 million, although the actual number is more likely to be between $83 million and $255 million after valuation.
This number changed little from last year's disclosures even though Romney increased his cash-on-hand to $6.4 million, mostly through a large stock sell-off. Romney sold "nearly all" of his stock, many from familiar companies such as McDonald's, Exxon Mobil Corp., Coca-Cola, Proctor & Gamble, Apple, Boeing Co. and Volkswagen.
Romney also sold most of his overseas stock - such as Chinese-based firms Hang Lung and Komatsu - to make sure his own financial leanings did not go against his foreign policy stance to pressure China on currency valuation and economic openness.
Romney also sold his stock in two foreign companies undergoing investigation for bribery and phone-tapping inquiries respectively - Wal Mart de Mexico and Rupert Murdoch's British Sky Broadcasting.
The Romney campaign said Friday the disclosures, which are required for presidential candidates, show the bulk of his net work is held in a blind trust administered by a Boston-based lawyer.
"Governor and Mrs. Romney's assets are managed on a blind basis," campaign spokeswoman Andrea Saul said in a statement Friday. "They do not control the investment of these assets, which are under the control and overall management of a trustee."
Other than the blind trust, Romney made $374,000 on the public speaking circuit and between $50,001 to $100,000 in royalties for his book "No Apology: The Case for American Greatness," the latter of which he donated to charity. He also holds somewhere between $250,001 to $500,000 in gold.
The disclosure forms show Romney, if successful in his bid for the presidency, would be second in line among the wealthiest commanders in chief, just under America's founding father George Washington, according to a report by MSNBC. Obama is not among the top ten wealthiest, disclosing last month a personal worth of between $2.6 million and $8.3 million.
Washington was worth around $500 million in today's money mostly due to land holdings. Romney would be second wealthiest, pushing Thomas Jefferson and his $212 million to third place.
by RTT Staff Writer
For comments and feedback: contact editorial@rttnews.com
Money and passports: Is George Zimmerman's plight racial? - HULIQ.com
Shouts of injustice may calm some down now that Travyon Martin’s shooter George Zimmerman has to report to jail in the next two days.
A judge has given Zimmerman 48 hours to surrender. The judge also revoked Zimmerman's $150,000 bond.
Zimmerman failed to report $200,000 raised and stored inside his PayPal account. He and his wife discussed the evasion during jail phone calls. The two used a special code to deceive listeners and discuss the funds.
A Florida judge ruled that Zimmerman’s deceit merits revocation of his bond. Furthermore, Zimmerman’s second passport was discovered.
Some argue that his $200,000 should not be included as personal finances because that money goes to his attorneys. Others say that Zimmerman’s lie, or attempted cover-up, really harms Zimmerman’s chances at trial. They asked how can a jury believe a man who hasn’t been honest with the courts?
Others have defended Zimmerman’s two passports, explaining that he likely lost the first and ordered a second. Still, wisdom, based in logic and the law not race, dictates that if Zimmerman’s second passport was needed because he lost the first, then an honest man would have reported recovering the first lost passport.
Zimmerman’s last name, particularly European, and Trayvon’s first name, particularly African American, have set off a string of events that have pit race and parties against each other.
Many older members of the African American community believe George Zimmerman wasn’t charged with murder immediately because his victim was black. A number of African Americans and lawyers for Trayvon Martin have stated over and over that had Martin been the shooter, Martin would be in jail.
Those on the opposite end of the race spectrum, those who believe Zimmerman is a white victim, are also prominent debaters in the Trayvon Martin shooting. Many argue that Zimmerman’s hope rests with Republicans and gun lobbyists who believe in Stand Your Ground and the right to bear arms in this country as long as the owner has a legal right (permit) to carry the weapon.
Others point to an African American President who has made only one comment on the Trayvon Martin shooting. Weeks after the murder and about a week after Trayvon Martin’s death saturated cable news, President Obama told the world that if he had a son, his son would look like Trayvon. These “others’ argue that Zimmerman’s become part of a federal “witch hunt”--a sly reference to Department of Justice Deputy Eric Holder, also African American.
Communities, black, white and other, have all cried “Justice for Trayvon” thus shunning any and all notions that they’ve gathered in Trayvon’s Martin name to race bait. For many, Zimmerman’s trial is about justice, not race.
Zimmerman shot an unarmed African American 17-year-old. His lawyers will argue self-defense. The 17-year-old had THC in his system. Zimmerman had been on a prescription drug that warns of upset to the psyche, particularly with moods that cater anxiety and aggression.
What his trial and the what the law mean to George Zimmerman isn’t clear. Past behaviors, inc luding a scuffle with police that merited a mug shot and criminal record suggest that Zimmerman has had problems with authority in his past. Lying about his finances has cast an old light on Zimmerman. A light that suggests Zimmerman owns a certain disrespect and casual disregard for the American Justice System
passport cover photo credit: Wikipedia
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Money a good thing in Scott Walker recall election - Washington Times
SALT LAKE CITY, June 2, 2012 — Wisconsin voters look poised to deliver a fairly telling vote of confidence for their governor, Scott Walker.
To Democrats, whose heretofore legislatively-guaranteed political advantages have helped them to engineer the recall, Walker's probable victory only serves as proof that the Republican governor is unfairly buying the election.
Setting aside the obvious hypocrisy of the conventional wisdom that President Obama's unprecedented war chest represents the enthusiasm of millions of ordinary Americans, the idea that Governor Walker's win is tainted by the millions he has spent to run the campaign is preposterous.
Preposterous because it relies on a number of assumptions that are antithetical to American democracy.
The first of these assumptions is that voters can't discern issues for themselves, that they are simply mindless automatons who are easily hypnotized by seductive advertising.
If that is the case, perhaps President Obama's impressive victory in 2008 wasn't so impressive after all, considering that he outspent his rival many times over in the closing weeks of the presidential contest.
Closer to home, the recall effort against Walker himself was financed by those with a stake in getting him out of office. He did not ask for this election, so for liberals to complain that he is raising and spending money in an effort to make his case to voters is a bit disingenuous.
Of course it was their perfect right to dedicate their own time and resources to the recall effort. Indeed, in a participatory democracy, it should be lauded. So too, should the contributions and participation of thousands of donors who have decided to commit their resources to the governor.
John Nichols complains in the Capital Times, a left-leaning newspaper, that Walker exploited a "loophole in Wisconsin election law which removes contribution limits for officials seeking to prevent a recall election." He neglects to mention that the loophole is purposeful and consistent, since no limit exists on raising funds to mount a recall in the first place.
Nor should there be. Citizens who choose to engage in politics shouldn't be hindered by laws designed to restrict how they spend time or money. And it seems ridiculous to expect that a sitting governor should be powerless while his opponents amass their forces against him setting up a recall.
Another faulty assumption that liberals make is that money from business associations (to which they try to tie Walker) is somehow less virtuous than money from other types of associations.
The Left's preferred association is the labor union, and it was they who organized what might very well turn out to be the most colossal strategic error of the past decade. Nevertheless, the fight is almost completely over union money—whether union bosses can use the machinery of the state to forcibly extract political funds from public employees—and initially financed by union money. If anyone can be accused of trying to buy the gubernatorial seat in Wisconsin, it is the public sector unions, not the current governor who already won it less than two years ago.
A third bad assumption is that money actually moves votes.
ABC news reports that the executive director of the nonpartisan Wisconsin Democracy Campaign is skeptical.
"So far," said Mike McCabe, "the tens of millions of dollars that have been spent on ads don’t seem to have moved the needle very much. Poll numbers haven’t changed much. Walker’s approval ratings haven’t changed. So the tens of millions spent don’t seem to have changed very many minds."
On the other hand, the act of contributing is a civic act that has great importance. It is a way for people to get involved and show their support for one cause or the other. So far, Walker is winning that contest, which infuriates the Left because part of their trope is that they represent the masses.
Recall the weeks and months of large scale demonstrations at the state capitol in Madison, a sign, we were told, that the people were unhappy with the governor. Their mobilization was lauded as high-minded political participation.
Some people skip work and march. Others donate a few bucks.
Democrats regularly try to "buy" elections. Governor Walker's challenger, Tom Barrett, has frantically tried to raise money. The unions have poured in precious dollars during every phase of the foolhardy recall, from the state senatorial elections to that of the state supreme court seat held by David Prosser.
If they could raise more money, they would.
For them to claim that Scott Walker is trying to buy the election simply because he has been more successful at raising money is ignorant of the role of money in American elections, and the freedoms it represents.
Learn more about the author at Rich-Stowell.com
Rich is a teacher and a soldier. In addition to writing the "Rich Like Me" political column at the Washington Times Communities, he is the author of Nine Weeks: A Teacher’s Education in Army Basic Training; Tunnel Club; and Not Another Boring Textbook: A High School Students’ Guide to their Inner Conservative, which you can follow on Facebook.
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Stimulus money boosts Florida reef restoration - Palm Beach Post
The Associated Press
KEY LARGO, Fla. — Coral reef restoration along Florida's shores has been getting a boost from federal stimulus money.
The American Recovery and Restoration Act of 2009 provided $3.3 million to grow about 30,000 threatened staghorn and elkhorn coral colonies in underwater nurseries. About 10,000 of the fast-growing corals are being transplanted in eight areas along a 300-mile reef tract from Broward County to the Florida Keys, and in the U.S. Virgin Islands.
The goal of the transplants is to spawn tens of thousands more coral colonies.
"We're just giving them a jump start," said The Nature Conservancy's James Byrne, the marine biologist overseeing the three-year project.
"Now, if they can successfully reproduce, it will blow away anything we can do," he told The Miami Herald (http://hrld.us/JCwSEm).
The money was part of $167 million given to coastline restoration projects; the entire stimulus package totaled $831 billion. The funding, which created or supported 56 jobs, ends in December.
"Before, most coral restoration efforts focused on places with large (vessel) groundings," said Sean Morton, superintendent of the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. "This is the first attempt to do it reef-wide and turn around a long-term trend of coral reef decline."
Scientists say staghorn and elkhorn coral populations have declined by about 90 percent throughout the Caribbean over the last 30 years. Many factors have contributed to the decline, including a die-off of algae-eating spiny sea urchins, disease caused by bleaching from rising water temperatures, ocean acidification, water pollution and hurricanes.
"If you went snorkeling or diving anywhere in the Caribbean in the early '80s, you'd see corals everywhere," Byrne said. "Staghorn used to be the dominant one on the reef, providing almost all the habitat for small juvenile fish to go into. And elkhorn dominated the top of the reef, building big reef crests that waves break on."
In 2006, elkhorn and staghorn were the first corals to be put on the threatened list under the Endangered Species Act.
"Staghorn is a thinner branching colony that looks like the thin antlers of a young stag," said Erich Bartels, coral science manager at Mote Marine Laboratory. "Elkhorn looks like big moose antlers that go out in a big fan shape."
Both corals are important to Florida's ecosystem and economy, scientists say.
"This is restoring nature for people's sake. These habitats are nature's infrastructure," said Rob Brumbaugh, The Nature Conservancy's director of global marine restoration. "We're making fish. When you make fish, you make jobs. It's a good investment."
___
June 02, 2012 12:36 PM EDT
Copyright 2012, The Associated Press. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten or redistributed.
Young Money Prez On Lil Wayne/Pusha T Feud, "If A Gnat Keep Flyin' Around You, Eventually You Gonna Swat It" - SOHH
News: Young Money Prez On Lil Wayne/Pusha T Feud, "If A Gnat Keep Flyin' Around You, Eventually You Gonna Swat It"
Saturday, Jun 2, 2012 11:46AM
Young Money President Mack Maine has offered his take on the current war of words between Lil Wayne and Pusha T, claiming fans shoudl not expect a full-fledged rap war.
In Mack Maine's eyes, they have bigger things to worry about than entertaining a feud.
"It's not like that. I don't see it like that. That's not what we in the game for," Young Money president Mack Maine told MTV News of a potential G.O.O.D./YMCMB dustup. "If it ever came to that, God forbid, that's a whole different story, but right now we're just tryin' to get paper, we're just tryin' to get money, man, and make good music. And ['My Homies Still'] was a great song that was made before that situation happened, and I'm not 'bout to go into the studio and tell Wayne to take [Big Sean] off. Wayne not tryna take him off -- he's good peeps, he's fam." (MTV)
He also offered up some words on Wayne going at Pusha on wax.
So what about "Goulish"? "In a nutshell, if a gnat or a fly keep flyin' around you, eventually you gonna swing and swat it and just get it out the way," Mack said, using an analogy in which Pusha would play the insect. "Sometimes you swat it and the gnat dies; sometimes it just go away. ... You can keep flyin', just fly somewhere else, though. We chillin'." (MTV)
Despite Maine's stance, Young Money star Drake reportedly went at the Virginia rapper last weekend.
Drake's YMCMB big homie Lil' Wayne put out the diss track "Goulish" a couple days ago aimed at Pusha T in response to his "Exodus 23:1" record, and now, Drizzy has some words of his own for Pusha. During his Club Paradise Tour set this weekend in Washington D.C., Drake said, "If you was doing 16s when I was 16 and your sh*t still flopped and you switched teams, don't talk to me my n*gga." This immediately set off a ton of Tweets saying that Drake had called out Pusha on stage. And with this, the drama continues. (Complex)
Last week, Weezy put the G.O.O.D. Music star on blast with his new "Goulish" record.
The beef is on. This evening YMCMB flagship artist Lil Wayne did the expected and dropped a scathing dis record titled "Goulish" aimed at Clipse lyrical monster Pusha-T. "F--k Pusha-T and everybody that love him. His head up his a** so I'ma have to head butt him" Wayne raps on the intro to the record. N*ggas can't see me. Not even a glimpse. Too many banana clips, I feel like a chimps." (RapFix)
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