Thursday, January 1, 2015

The States Who Are Now Going To Require Drug Testing of Welfare Recipients



A new year brings, new laws. Many states have passed  new legislation beginning in the year 2015, welfare recipients will be required to pass a drug test if they are to continue to receive their benefits.

Welfare recipients are going to be asked to comply with the new drug testing laws. The laws vary from state to state, Some states will require new recipients to pass a drug test.  In other states who passed the legislation, welfare recipients will only need to pass a drug test if suspected of drug abuse, Alabama, Arizona, Florida, Georgia, Kansas, Michigan, Mississippi, Missouri, North Carolina, Oklahoma, Tennessee and Utah now require welfare recipients to pass a drug test according to their state legislation.

States that have already passed this law house found the program costs more money than it saves. As  As MT's Michael Jackman found earlier, Tennessee who has already passed the law has found that less than 1% welfare recipients use illicit drugs. Utah spent $30,000 on drug testing welfare recipients and found that only 12 recipients failed a drug test.

Many states are already facing a crisis in their budget and drug testing welfare recipients is going to cost more money than it will save when the money can be spent on other programs where funding has been decreased or cut all together. 

Dozens of States to See a Minimum Wage Increase in the Year 2015



It is going to be a happier New Year for 3.1 million U.S. minimum wage workers who are going to see a increase in wages in 2015.

Minimum wage workers in Alaska, Arkansas, Connecticut, District of Columbia, Florida, Nebraska, Ohio, Maryland, Massachusetts, New York and Rhode Island will see in increase in their up coming paychecks for the new Year.

Arizona, Colorado, Florida, Missouri, Montana, New Jersey, Ohio, Oregon and Washington will see a cost-of-living raise that will be mandated in their state laws.

Massachusetts minimum wage workers are seeing the first minimum wage increase since 2008 from $8.00 to $9.00 a year and will see a gradual increase in wages until they meet the minimum of $11.00 an hour by the year 2017.

The state of New York raised it's minimum wage to $8.75, beginning December 31, 2014 and are expecting to see an increase to $9.00 by December 31, 2015.

Washington will raise it's minimum wage to $9.47 and hour. The highest increase is for those minimum wage workers in the District of Columbia, they will see a increase to $10.50 a hour July 1st.

Those workers in the states of Delaware and Minnesota won't see their pay raise until June and August.

Alaska's voters passed the initiative to raise minimum wage, but not until 90 days after the election January 1st, the results won't be certified until February 24th.

As the cost of living has been rising year after year, minimum wage workers has not seen a federal minimum wage increase since 2007. Many states have seen an increase in the minimum wage in the year 2015. However, a federal wage increase is going to be a key issue in the 2015 elections.


Click on the link below to find your states minimum wage schedule.
Guide to Minimum Wage Increases on the State Level

Sunday, December 28, 2014

A Look Back On The News Events Of 2014

The year 2014 has been a very tragic year, maybe one of the worst years in a very long time. The United States and around the world has experienced some of the most deadliest virus from the Enterovirus killing our infants and toddlers to the Ebola virus.
We are fighting in the battlefields world-wide with the War on ISIS and a battle right here on our own soil with the new race war and protesters waging war on our own police officers, who serve and protect so many to our own civil liberties being slowly stripped away. 


All the current news events would cause any person to question what our future holds for us. We can only pray 2015 will be a better year than the past year. 


January 2014

On January 17, 2014, President Obama announces NSA Reforms. President Obama says the activities of NSA were legal, he recognizes some civil liberties will be compromised. "Our system of government is built on the premise that our liberty cannot depend on the good intentions of those in power," Obama says. "It depends on the law to constrain those in power." 


February 2014

On February 24th, the Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel announces that the Pentagon will be reduce the U.S. Army to the smallest size it's been since before World War II. The cuts will include eliminating the A-10 aircraft. Cuts will also include reducing our US military benefits and reducing the size of the army from its current 520,000 soldiers to between 440. The last time the U.S. Army had 450,000 was in 1940. The cuts come as the Pentagon prepares for a trillion dollars in spending reductions over the next decade.


March 2014

On March 25, 2014, President Obama announces another reform to the NSA Plan, the U.S government will no longer be permitted to access personal phone records. However, The phone companies will be required to keep a record of every phone record for at least a 18 month period. 

April 2014

On April 15, Iraq announces the "complete closure" of Abu Ghraib Prison. The Iraqi government cites security concerns as the reason for the closure due to the Sunni insurgency over the last year.

May 2014

On May 23rd, a shooter kills 6 and wounds 13 in Isla Vista, California. The gunman that was identified as Elliot Rodger, age 22 posts a video on YouTube Channel called "Elliot Rodger's Retribution" and expresses his anger about being rejected by women and plots his revenge in a 137 page manifesto. 

June 2014

On June 25th, the Supreme Court rules on cell phone privacy. On a unanimous vote the Supreme Court rules the police need a warrant to obtain the phone records of anyone they may arrest. 

July 2014

ISIS claims territory in Iraq. On July 1st, ISIS changes it's name to the Islamic State and claims the territory of Anbar province and most of Ninevah. Iraqi forces with the guidance of the U.S. military begin developing strategies to maintain Bagdad. 


August 2014

August 8th the United States begin the first of many airstrikes on ISIS. A series of 13 air strikes hit ISIS.


In mid August the United States experience the Enterovirus Outbreak claiming the lives of 1,152 confirmed deaths between mid August to December 18th. 



August 9th the Police shooting of 19 year old Michael Brown enrages the city of Ferguson igniting rioting and looting. 


August 16th, a state of emergency is declared in the city of Ferguson and the National Guard is called in a attempt to restore peace in Ferguson, Missouri.


August 19th, ISIS kills American journalist James Foley, age 40 in retaliation for air strikes. 

September 2014

On September 30th, the CDC announces the first confirmed case of Ebola in the United States. The CDC informs the United States that a doctor traveling from Liberia treating Ebola victims in West Africa arrived in Texas and is now the first confirmed case of Ebola in the United States. The United States has 10 confirmed cases of Ebola this year. 

October 2014

On October 22nd, a gunman named Michael Ziehaf Bibaeu was shot and killed during the attacks on Ottowa Parliament. The attacks are said to be in retaliation for Canada's support in the war on ISIS and for joining the United States in the ISIS air strikes. As a result of the attack carried out by Bibaeu and another gunman, a one Parliament member was killed and 3 injured. 

November

On November 20th, President Obama announces his Executive Order on Immigration Reform. Delaying the deportation of nearly 5 million illegal immigrants.

December 

On December 3rd protests erupt in New York City over the choke hold decision of Eric Garner.


On December 20th, two NYPD officers by the names of Wenijaun Liu and Rafael Ramos by a resent Islamic convert Ismaaiyl Brinsly. 

Ismaaiyl Brinsly















Video: Former NYBD Officers Have a Message Written the Sky for Mayor De Blasio



Former NYPD officers pulled their money together to send a message written in the sky for Mayor De Blasio. In light of the current execution style murders of two NYPD officers, many are calling for the resignation of Mayor De Blasio over his anti-police rhetoric and lack of support for the NYPD. Without the support of many New York City citizens and the NYPD there is no way to restore their faith in the Mayor and making it difficult for De Blasio to successfully finish the remainder of his term. 

Saturday, December 27, 2014

Health Benefits of Green Tea with Honey and Dried Tart Cherries





I thought I would take a break from politics for a moment to share two of my favorite things. Green tea with honey and dried cherries as a snack. As I get older, I love reading about the health benefits of particular foods. I am always looking for natural ways to cure health problems and healthy eating to prevent other issues adults are faced with as they age. I was intrigued to find out all the health benefits of my two favorite things.

I recently started adding honey to my green tea, because of hearing from my father that by consuming a little bit of the local honey daily to your diet will help with your allergies. Well, after about two weeks, I no longer need allergy pills. One less man made chemical added to my body is always better. So, I started reading up on the health benefits of drinking green tea and honey to see what the health benefits were. I found out some very interesting information about the health benefits of green tea and honey.

Green tea with honey together is a powerful slimming tool to fighting the common cold. Raw honey helps boost the metabolism and helps attack our stored fat deposits. The green tea will rejuvenate you and help reduce stress. Green tea also helps improve the brains reaction time as well as memory. Adding green tea to your daily diet, not only rejuvenate you, it also helps prevent cancer and reduce tumors. It is also proven green tea with honey can also improve dental health by reducing bacteria in your mouth. It also reduces osteoporosis, by improving bone health. So, drink up and enjoy.

Now, onto the dried cherries. Scientists have proven dried tart cherries are a super food. There are numerous help benefits, specifically tart cherries from a cure for insomnia to burning belly fat. There are so many health benefits to dried cherries. Such as,

  • Reduces cholesterol
  • Reduces triglycerides
  • Inflammation linked with heart disease and diabetes
  • Cut your chances of getting gout
  • Combat post workout soreness
  • Inflammation
  • Natural Osteoarthritis reliever
  • Naturally increases melatonin and helps with insomnia. 
Gradual changes in your diet can help the number of health issues you may experience. Whether young or aging, simple diet changes will help you get you one step closer to maintaining a healthy lifestyle and better health. 




Wednesday, December 24, 2014

Brave Woman Speaks On Obama, De Blasio and Al Sharpton on Killing Cops




God Bless this brave woman and her family for sharing her thoughts on Obama, De Blasio and Al Sharpton even after receiving death threats. She hits the nail on the head when she speaks on the problems with today's youth. It is not only a problem with the African American Youth in the ghettos of America, it is a problem with the American youth in general. Today's youth have a lack of respect and accountability. The thugs do not represent the African American community. Strong men and women, like the woman in the video represent the African American community. My prayers are with her and her family.

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